SeeD field exam (forwarddated to Friday May 17th)

[wrnpcs]

[Field exams are often publicly announced, but the date for this one had been given to those involved in private, via private message on the BBS and notes left in dormitories, two days in advance. While SeeDs Nida and Touma H. Norstein had been briefed in private, the cadets would only be briefed on the day, and were simply ordered to meet at the front gate at 0600 hours on Friday morning armed and in uniform.

[Once the cadets and Touma are assembled, Headmaster Cid and a faculty member join them for the traditional send off speech:]

Good morning, everyone, I hope you're doing well this early morning.

[He paces as he walks, eying each cadet and SeeD as he does so.]

This exam will involve three members. You will be proceeding to a real battlefield, where the battles are for real. Life and death, victory and defeat, honour and disgrace... Each of these go hand in hand. There's only one way or the other. [He pauses to look each of the cadets in the eye.] How 'bout it? Are you still up for it?

You will be accompanied by two SeeD members... [Cid nods to Touma, and then looks behind the cadets to the sky.] One of whom is on his way over. Should you fail, these members shall get the job done. They always do. [He smiles reassuringly at the cadets.] Well, that's one less worry on your mind.

The pride of Balamb Garden! The elite mercenary force, SeeD! Learn from them, obey their commands and accomplish the mission. Prove yourself worthy of becoming a member of SeeD.

Best of luck.

[As Cid finishes up, the sound of the Ragnarok coming in grows louder, until it lands below the cadets and opens. Nida soon emerges.] Everyone into the passenger room for your briefing.

[Briefly, he pulls Rainbow Dash aside.] Traditionally we let our piloting specialists take off on field exams, but as this mission is time sensitive, I'll be taking it this time. I'm sorry; I promise there is a place for you to fly later in the mission.

Navigation:

Arrivals

Briefing and planning

Ground team disarming and fight

Sky team infiltration and fight

Retreat to Deling - to be posted!

Comments

FRONT GATE, BEFORE 0600: Arrivals

[wrnpcs]

[Don't be late!]

RAGNAROK, 0610: Briefing

[youngnobelman]

[Once all three Cadets are seated in the passenger room, Touma passes each of them a copy of the mission dossier.]

Cadets, SeeD has been hired by a private citizen of Galbadia for hostage extraction. Twelve Deling schoolboys and their teacher are being held hostage by a new resistance factor from Timber, the Forest Hares, who are demanding Timber's freedom in exchange for the lives of the boys. Our client is the father of one of these boys, and negotiations between the Hares and the Galbadian Army are apparently not proceeding quickly enough for his liking.

[With this context, the dossier's contents become a bit clearer: Photos of a train carriage (without the man hanging off of it), an overhead map of the carriage and the area, overlays for this map of the hostages', rebels', and army's last known positions, named photos of the hostages (a young woman and twelve thirteen-year-old boys) and rebel group (eight kids in their late teens, mixed genders), and schematics for the rebels' weaponry. Rainbow's dossier has an extra map of the Galbadian continent with a route marked from near Timber to a landing site marked just outside of the city. Touma's look of distaste, on the other hand, makes it rather clear what an excellent idea he thinks going over the heads of negotiators and straight to extraction is, but he goes on with the details regardless.]

Two days ago, at 1600 hours, a first year class from the Deling College for Boys boarded their private carriage on a train bound for Deling, intending to return home to Deling after their field trip to Timber. Ten miles outside of Timber, the train was hijacked by the Forest Hares, armed with automatic firearms stolen from the Galbadian Army [the dossiers show machine guns] and makeshift bladed weapons such as kitchen knives. The Hares uncoupled the students' carriage and let the other carriages return to Deling while keeping the students' car in its place on the tracks.

The Galbadian Army has set up a perimeter around the carriage, keeping both the Hares and the hostages in, and the public out. They have been alerted to our mission and have orders to let us and the hostages through: Part of the contract is a mutual ceasefire agreement in which, despite traditional alignments as well as recent history, we are not to harm their soldiers and they in turn will not harm us. Our client feels the usual skirmishes would be counterproductive to an immediate rescue.

At present, negotiations are focused on trying to return at least one of the students and on trying to lessen their demands. So far the Hares have made only one concession: Having taken their hostages' possessions, they were convinced to return an inhaler to an asthmatic student. The hostages' physical needs are being met, but it is suspected that the Hares are running low on food and water.

The Forest Hares are Timber's newest known resistance group, made up of eight people in their late teens. Six of these are known to be guarding the hostages: Four with the hostages, and one on each entrance to the carriage. Their leader, Clayton Vaughan, is with Galbadian negotiators in a trailer just outside the military perimeter, and the last member is running messages between negotiations and the carriage. As this is their first known act of resistance, we have no information on their usual MOs or fighting styles.

Our mission objective is to get the boys and their teacher out alive and safely back to Deling. You are to infiltrate the carriage, safely extract the hostages, and bring them to the Ragnarok. Cadet Dash must then fly the Ragnarok to Deling with SeeD Nida as co-pilot; I believe your dossier has your flight route.

Any questions?

(OOC: Sorry for the tl;dr! Feel free to ask questions as separate threads rather than waiting for someone else's question to be answered before asking one; if you have nothing more to ask, let me know so we can move on.)

[elementofloyalty]

[No fear of being late; Rainbow, in fact, completely failed to sleep the entire night before. She's all energy though, even if it's mostly nervous, hovering off the ground as she rummages through her saddlebags for like the fiftieth time.]

[rewritethis]

[Ed looks up from the dossier after only a cursory skim, watching Touma intently for any detail he can seize on as a hint at things left unsaid.]

Yeah, I've got one. What happens if they don't stick to the ceasefire?

[elementofloyalty]

[Oooh, yikes. She was hoping for something simple or straightforward, not, you know, where lives of kids are on the line. This bites.]

Where will we be landing?

[rewritethis]

[Not everyone on this mission is quite as awake just yet, but Ed is at least in uniform as he traipses down to the front gate. He'd thought about bringing his coat, and actually he's already missing it to some extent - but this outfit's already kind of bulky for his liking, and they'd probably just pull the thing right off him.

Besides, he doesn't need to psyche himself up, he needs to focus. If he's not wearing it, it'll be easier not to remind himself what he's really been doing this entire time.

He slows down as he approaches, groggily rubbing at his eyes with the hand that isn't holding onto his backpack.] Morning.

[youngnobelman]

[Touma gives Ed a small nod, glad that someone's brought that up.] That is the only circumstance in which you may deliberately fight the Galbadians, in self defense and in defense of the hostages. The lives of the hostages are the priority, not how many soldiers you can take out. [A bit of a change from the traditional Attack scoring.] We don't expect them to break the ceasefire, as it's Galbadian citizens' lives at stake, but you are not to be the ones to break it. If things get messy with the Hares, some friendly fire will be tolerated.

[And to Rainbow:] The current plan is to land five miles out from the perimeter in the hopes that those on board the train carriage won't hear us, then drive to the perimeter and breach the carriage on foot.

[He glances around the cadets.] Unless you'd like to come up with a different plan. We understand all three of you have powers from your own worlds, and times you've been observed using them around the school have been documented, but you know your own capabilities better than the most detailed observations. You may, if you choose, design and implement a different way of getting to and into the carriage, so long as you can agree on a plan by the time we're in Timber's airspace.

(OOC: Answering questions as they come rather than once everyone's posted in a row simply to move this along while I'm still up because I'm about to go to bed.)

[rewritethis]

If things get messy, huh?

[He looks down again, eyes straying over the positions of the Galbadian army.]

And how long do we have before that happens?

[fotlenke]

[ Sigyn arrives a minute after Edward, dressed in uniform, long hair up in a ponytail. She's cocking her head to the side, fixing the collar on her jacket. She comes to a stop at the front gate, her hips covered in pouches of charms, healing salves, and extra supplies that will most likely come in use.

At a full stop to the front gate, Sigyn lifts her head and looks at her fellow candidates. Two persons who she does not quite get along with. At all. Well, maybe Rainbow Dash, but certainly not Edward.

A sigh. It shall be a long exam -- but one which Sigyn intends to complete with flying colors like she does with her classes. ]

I suppose we are all to participate?

[elementofloyalty]

Yup. Pretty sure we're the team.

This oughtta be easy, though. Ed did stuff like this all the time, right? [She slaps the alchemist on the back with a hoof, then puts her other forehoof on her chest.] With his alchemy, my speed, and your... stuff, we'll pass no problem!

[fotlenke]

[ Sigyn arches a brow at Edward, but doesn't say anything. She only turns to Touma. ]

Are we allowed to dispatch the Galbadians if they attack?

[fotlenke]

[ Sigyn grins wryly. ] Well, we have you, for true. Warrior Dash -- strong as an Valkyrie's stead, aye? [ She fishes an apple from one of her pouches and takes a bite, having foregone the fruit portion of her breakfast in order to not be late to the gates. ]

[rewritethis]

[Ed manages a slightly sheepish but still mostly sleepy grin.] Nah, easy wouldn't be any fun. But let's save the overconfidence until after we know for sure what we're blindly charging into, okay? Both of you.

[elementofloyalty]

This isn't overconfidence! This is totally justified confidence!

[fotlenke]

Let us not peak in our excitement so soon, Warrior Dash. In that, I agree with Edward.

[rewritethis]

Smartest thing you've ever said. [Is his lingering sleepiness responsible for taking the usual edge off his voice, or is it something else?] No, but really. For all you know right now, the exam's gonna be on how well you can sit still for thirty seconds, and you'd flunk that for sure.

[He sets his backpack down at his feet, since they have a little while longer to wait.]

...Hard to believe this is the day, huh? In some sense, at least.

[elementofloyalty]

You know, Ed, we actually had to do that to Pinkie Pie when we were trying to figure out which Pinkie Pie was the real one and which were the fakes created by a magic pool. If SHE could watch paint dry, I could.

[fotlenke]

I shall refrain from giving rebuttal to that statement, Edward. [ Sigyn frowns at Edward, but shakes it off and smiles to Rainbow. ] For true? That sounds quite the thrilling experience. [ Sarcasm is your friend. ]

[rewritethis]

[Ed looks away in response to the anecdote - that isn't what he needs to be thinking about at a time like this, either - and absently tries to hike his jacket a little further up his neck, with limited success.]

Everything else I came up with just turned out to lead all the way back here... But maybe it'll be different today.

[youngnobelman]

I say if because as an Indirect Para-Magic specialist, Cadet Freyasdotter has the spells available to subdue them, [he looks to her] and we expect that you'll use them.

[He expects them to figure out their specialization balance is important here and should be used.

[With a glance out the window and to his watch, he estimates the time.] You have about twenty-five minutes, and may include myself and/or SeeD Nida in your plan if you choose. Besides his Piloting specialization, Nida has attack magic training, and I'm a Battlefield Medicine and Computer Science specialist with indirect magic and boxing training.

[Sigyn gets a nod.] Yes, you may. [No one asked, but it's relevant:] They would prefer we leave the Hares alive for Galbadian law enforcement to deal with, and I'm personally more impressed by non-lethal takedowns [play to your markers as well as to your specializations? except Nida, not being a doctor, may feel differently], but frankly, it's not in the contract.

[elementofloyalty]

This is gonna be awesome! Finally, I'll be a SeeD!

[Rainbow goes back to zipping around the air happily -- mostly in an effort to work out her energy before she has to be professional and dignified.]

[elementofloyalty]

[Oh man. Oh man. This is hardcore serious, and the ways Rainbow's mind shifts gears reflect visibly in her posture and positioning. She's gone from eager to very serious indeed, head lifted up and tension quivering in her muscles, as she looks from Ed to Sigyn.]

Indirect magic? What stock do you have? We could really use some Sleep and Stop spells. The way I'm thinking it, I can lift Ed up so we can come down on top of the train car. [Put aside all questions of weight or endurance; kids' lives are at stake. She says she can do it and she means it.] He can use alchemy to take out the ones inside, and you can take out the ones outside. We have to do it in a way that makes sure they don't get a shot off at all.

[fotlenke]

You have been studying voraciously, have you not? [ Sigyn pulls two more apples from her pouches and holds them out: one for Edward, one for Rainbow. ] Here. Red apples make a delicious breakfast for excursions.

[rewritethis]

[Ed snaps back to the present for the time being and takes the proffered apple, smirking a little.] Oh, let me guess - you did something to these as a way to sabotage your fellow cadets when they least expect it and set yourself up for all the glory. For shame.

[Having said that, he immediately takes a large, noisy bite out of it. Sure, he already ate, but free food is free food.]

[fotlenke]

[ Sigyn unfolds her arms, smiling proudly. Ha! She knew all those extra lessons would pay off! ] I have Sleep and Stop spells and more, Warrior Dash. Incapacitating our enemy shall be, as you say, 'taking sweets from an infant'?

[ She nods to Touma. ] I will perform to the expectations set for me and beyond, Warrior Touma. [ She turns her head back to Dash. ] A brilliant plan, Warrior Dash! Perhaps the carriages can be taken by you, Warrior Touma and Edward while Warrior Nida and I keep our defensive from outside.