RPIV-Shake The Ground [USA and DoJ]

[NPC]

Kingston, Jamaica, Dominion of Jamaica
Tuesday, 21 January 2014; 3:30 P.M. EST

Sailing into Jamaica was like sailing into an extended ghost town. Flying was hardly an option, not at the moment; there were certain conventions and protocols that had to be observed, and the Johessman leaders had to be given one more chance to cooperate and avert the hostilities, as they had not responded to any of the warnings the United States, its allies, or the International Committee on Worldwide Concerns had given them.

But as the negotiators and the troops sailed past the airport and Port Royal, they saw nothing, not one plane, not one ship, not one person. Soon they passed Portmore to the west; there were buildings there, but they seemed to have been abandoned. That was clearly unnatural.

A human presence was finally found in Kingston itself, specifically on the fringes of it, where the inlet met the land. The Johessman women stood there, waiting. Not one was smiling until the negotiators stepped off their ship and met them.

do not post yet

[Dakari Johessman]

The negotiators stepped off their ship. Then, Anastasia, Andrea, and Rayleigh stepped forward. The two younger women beamed, as though this was child’s play. Andrea took the earphones out of her ears and tossed them around her neck. “Oh, hey, guys. It’s hot out here, right? Thirty degrees Celsius. That’s eighty-six Fahrenheit. You really shouldn’t have dressed so warmly.”

Ana had one eyebrow raised. Drea had a point: this was Johessman territory. Their team, as well as Young and Raymond, was standing behind them - and in front of a large troop. As far as the Johessmans, they had dressed lightly, in thin long-sleeved blouses or shirts and cargo pants, but were completely covered. Only Shawn Johessman was missing; he had been killed a couple of years back. According to reports. He was controlling everything from their command center, high up but hidden in many of the buildings around them. Rayleigh, Dakari, Young, and Maori all had earpieces that connected to him.

“I take it you’ve brought all these people to tell us you’ve changed course and have decided to leave us alone,” Rayleigh said to the leader of the American effort. “We’ve already told you that we have no interest in Panama or the Panama Canal. I’m not sure why you’re still here.”

Nadine Daugherty stood to the rear of the negotiators. She had “convinced” her way into the group, just to be safe. Now she gave a little push to the primary negotiator’s convictions.

“Your words aren’t enough,” the man said. “Unless you’ve brought us some proof, we’re going to take this island and all the rest of the Dominion. Please don’t force us to do that.”

Dakari shrugged. “How can we prove a negative? As I understand it, my mother and sisters have been over all of this already.”

“Your own Cabinet has provided papers of your plans. What do you have?”

“A lying Cabinet, apparently.”

Ana snickered.

Rayleigh folded her arms. “What else is there to say?”

Andrea shrugged and put her earphones back into her ears.

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[Sparrow Akiyama]

The trip had been quick but miserable, at least for Sparrow. She was fairly sure she was going to hitch a ride back to the States if things got nasty. She was far more concerned about her sister than whatever troubles the States had with Dakari and her family. But as part of the Company, it had been hinted that making an appearance and supporting the government would be a boon, especially for the higher-ranked members, and so here she was. She honestly wanted to help her adopted country, but there were family matters too.

There had been some progress made on locating her thanks to Frank Rook, but she still seemed just out of their grasp. That was what was on her mind as she joined the negotiators on the beach. There were faces she recognized, and some not. That was okay. She did feel kind of warm in her jacket and jeans, and she frowned slightly when one of the young women pointed that out. She took off her jacket and tied it around her waist. That was a little better.

As expected, Marcus and Mira Rodgers were also present. In all honesty, they were hoping to kick some Johessman ass. Or any ass at all; they weren’t picky. They had been idle for a while, except for the riots, and were more than ready to lead the fray. This was negotiation, though; this was peaceable.

Mira had no feelings about it either way. Curaçao was not one of the nations the Johessmans had chosen to take. If they had, then she might have done something about it herself. But she had nothing invested in the conflict, just interest. She raised an eyebrow at the Johessmans' cavalier attitude, and started to expect that things were about to get nasty.

“Should they really be this careless?” Mira asked her husband softly.

Marcus shrugged. “If they want to be. It’s typical Johessman, really. Overconfident, showy-“

“You just described yourself,” Mira pointed out.

He eyed her. “I might be on the wrong side.”

Reggie Sawyer had gone as part of the peacekeeping effort, at her own insistence. If a battle erupted, she was meant to be escorted to a ship and kept safe. She stepped forward and smiled. “Mrs. Johessman, we don’t mean to be accusatory. We just want to avoid any unnecessary harm. I’m Reggie Sawyer, the President’s daughter. My father trusted you enough to send me.” Idiot, said one of Dido’s thoughts. “And we trust you to be honest with us. Even if our suspicions are correct, it isn’t damming. We’ll work it out.”




NOW post!

[Frank Rook]

Frank had stood out on the deck for some time, at the railing that faced the islands that were their destination. The further they went, and the more emptiness that the shipping lanes that should have been bustling with traffic showed, the more a feeling in the pit of his stomach started to grow. He had a very bad feeling about all of this. It may have been his own paranoia, which seemed to flare up more and more these days, but in his mind he had every reason to be paranoid. The Johessman family was not a group to be taken lightly on a good day. Moreover, they were stepping right into their territory. Worst case, everything was true and they really were planning a takeover. Which meant they didn't care who they pissed off. Which, inevitably, meant they'd have no qualm attacking the negotiation party on this ship. Best case, the government was lying and the people carrying out their false mission would be safe. Frank didn't know if the situation was white, black, or somewhere in the grey, but he was ready for everything.

The port and departure of the ship seemed to pass by unnoticed to him, he simply kept hold of the pack that was slung over one of his shoulders and walked forward. The heat didn't bother him the same way it bothered others, and he was still wearing the suit he always wore. One of the greeting party made a crack at the weather, and he scoffed slightly. When you had to wear eighty pounds of armor and gear in one hundred and ten degree weather, that was when you could complain about the heat.

Dakari made a comment about someone in her cabinet lying, and Frank made his first remark of the meeting.

"Can you prove that?" he asked. If she could, things would go a lot smoother.

[Helena Rahal]

And we will never be alone again
'Cause it doesn't happen every day
Kinda counted on you being a friend
Kinda given up on giving away

Officially Helena was here as vested party in keeping the region stable for trade. It was a cover though, as she was one of those in the Company that had not let their status become public knowledge. She also was concerned about how these negotiations were going to, given America's sometime heavy handed approach to concerns. What Helena did not want was to see Jamaica to become another Iraq, a nation destroyed because of suspicions that the government hand.

Unlike seemingly most of the rest of the negotiators, Helena had dressed prepared for the warm climate of the Dominion. After all, she had been here just weeks before under quite different circumstances and knew what to expect of the weather. Dressed in a peach light blouse, a sunhat, and capris with some sandals, she was comfortable as they made their way into port. It was a far call from the arctic chill that she had left behind in New York and was a silver lining to this trip, which was otherwise quite tense and straining.

Under different circumstances she would have waved or maybe even have gone to embrace the Johessman girls. They were something of friends, especially with how well her last trip to the island had gone. Yet with the pretense of this occasion, such shows of friendship or camaraderie would likely not go over well with the rest of her party. Instead her hands where clasped together behind her back and a look of disinterest was on her face, the closest thing she could to showing that she had no vested interest in the outcome of these negotiations.

The Johessmans were typical show offy and in response, the president's daughter spoke up, trying to calm the situation perhaps. Helena thought it was a risky move to send Reggie here with the group, the President's daughter would have made for a very good hostage. The President and the country would not be able to make any moves against the Dominion if the Johessmans decided to take that path. The rest of the negotiators... well they would probably would attempt to kill them all, just because that was how they operated, or at least how Dakari operated.

Helena hoped rationality and cooler heads would prevail though and that some sort of civil discussion and resolution would result. However she did not hold out much hope, the government had a certain way of fucking up even the easiest of situations as the Christian Moynahan case had shown. And the support company here was certainly antagonistic, the foolish man making threats. Somehow she knew this was going to be a very long day.

[Lucius Kilvayne]

The Time of The Nine has begun
Get out of the way or you will suffer as one!
Throw away your disposable past,
And fall apart like a cigarette ash.
We are the fatal and vital ones of the world,
And we will burn your cities down

Lucius Kilvayne had been a busy man, but this particular event demanded his attention. His fiance's homeland was on the precipice of war with Lucius' home country. This was a matter that could be resolved delicately and all parties involved could happily move on to bigger and better things. Or this could escalate into a war wherein the hegemony of the entire Western world would be decided.

Lucius was willing to accept either outcome.

He had been Dakari's lover and partner, and when the Johessman's were under fire, he would be there to be part of their team. That was the meaning of family. The meaning of honor, and loyalty. That was the meaning of his commitment to her as his future wife.

“We’ve already told you that we have no interest in Panama or the Panama Canal. I’m not sure why you’re still here.”

Lucius stood very near Dakari as the matriarch of the Johessman's made the opening gambit of this little game of politics and diplomacy. She was denying the allegations against her still, and that was the proper thing of course. Whether they were true or false, their side had to remain unwavering in their refusal to accept responsibility for the lies or truths levied against them. This was a battle of wills, in the end. And few had stronger wills than the Johessmans and Kilvaynes.

“Your words aren’t enough,”


Lucius scoffed, as if this fool had any right to dictate the value of words. Here was the sort of man who wouldn't know truth if it bit him in the proverbial ass. Being a representative of the government that had dared to scapegoat Christian Moynahan meant he brought no shred of credibility to this parley. Not in Lucius' eyes, anyway. If this were his party, the man would surely be suffering severe nerve damage already. Then again, that was merely a thought born of unreasoned hostility. Strategy demanded that cooler heads prevail on this day.


“How can we prove a negative? As I understand it, my mother and sisters have been over all of this already.”


Dakari said what Lucius was thinking, and he supposed the sentiment was common to all of the team there assembled. The accusation was backed by nothing so much as the word of contacts inside the Dominion supposedly reporting to some unknown government official. Alleged contacts, allegedly informing this official of the inner workings of the Dominon. A claim that had no real evidence completely lacked the merit these people were giving it. Lucius was quite disgusted that any of them took this matter seriously for even a moment.

“Mrs. Johessman, we don’t mean to be accusatory. We just want to avoid any unnecessary harm. I’m Reggie Sawyer, the President’s daughter. My father trusted you enough to send me."

The young woman identifying herself as Reggie Sawyer was certainly more intelligent than most of the negotiators present, and as such had Lucius' respect. She knew not to add fuel to the fire already burning.


“And we trust you to be honest with us. Even if our suspicions are correct, it isn’t damming. We’ll work it out.”

"The United States Government has no room to talk of honesty and cooperation, if recent events are to be taken into consideration." Lucius said with a pointed look, "I suggest if you want this worked out, you should drop this whole thing before it escalates. You have to know when to fold, if you hope to play this game."


"Can you prove that?"

Lucius was no fan of Frank Rook, and the feeling was mutual. The man had lead his agents into New York in order to quell the riots. Lucius had seen that as an intrusion into his territory, as he was taking care of matters himself. They did not see eye to eye on just about everything, as well.

"The burden of proof is on your side," Lucius stated coldly.

[Alice Taylor]

The constant drifting of the ship bothered Alice more than most. Unlike Frank Rook, her commander for this mission, or any of the US Marines on board, she had never been on a boat for long durations. It only took a half hour before Alice decided she'll remain in her quarters for the rest of the trip to Jamaica, legs crossed and telekinetically hovering a foot above her bed to offset the motion sickness. Alice had never loved land so much in her life.

As a member of the Company, Alice was called to serve in her country's interest. Sharon was left in the care of trusted individuals, and off went the young blonde to war. However, being a celebrity that kept her Company involvements a secret even to the United States government, she must keep her identity hidden, and unfortunately, it meant Alice had to wear a rather elaborately unnecessary mask along with Marine battle dress uniform. The notable difference, aside from her mask, was that she only wore a tank top under her tactical vest, and that she wore her custom-made combat utility belt. Alice did not carry a single piece of firearm. She did not have to.

The US negotiators stepped off their vessel and towards the group representing the Dominion, Alice followed Rook closely. She wasn't expected to give her opinion, or even to speak. Her only duty was to attack or defend on the senior agent's command, which Alice was more than fine with. What side she stood for on this foreign land was not a personal matter. All that mattered to Alice was to prove herself worthy of being the Company prepared weapon she was supposed to be. The riots that raged across America after Christian's trial left Alice one foot in the grave, her body shattered and broken in every way imaginable. Through these years of peaceful living, and into motherhood, she had slipped day by day into the role of the damsel in distress instead of the master of her own destiny. Alice needed this war. All the physiotherapy along with the constant training got her to this point, a place to test just how powerful she was on a battlefield, both in terms of her raw destructive powers, and the mental fortitude to do what must be done, be it to a foe, or a friend. Alice needed this, to prove to herself she could protect her daughter against whatever may come their way. Frank knew her motivations, and it was a good thing only he could unleash his eager student.

As the two groups bantered back and forth, the masked woman cared little for what was said. All Alice thought about standing behind Frank was which Johessman she needed to incapacitate first if the idiot negotiators continue to try their patience, and Dakari finally decided to simply murder the lot of these politicians.

[Dakari Johessman]

As the negotiation team filed one after the other, Anastasia’s frown grew deeper and deeper. The lines were drawn, very clearly. People who her family had considered acquaintances, friends… family… were standing opposite them, in a situation that could very well escalate to war. What proof did they have? What proof did they heed? They could go through each and every member of their Cabinet to find the traitor, but what would be the use of that? Were they going to stand here while they did that? She knew they would not; she could feel both of her twins’ impatience growing. Young was less of a threat physically, though he could cause a problem verbally. Dakari, however, was an entirely different matter.

"Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?"

“Allies,” Rayleigh murmured. “Once upon a time.”

Oh, they had done irreparable damage. The Johessmans never, ever forgot. There were people such as Jade Alastair who earned their forgiveness and were even accepted into their fold, but they never forgot what had happened before. They remembered the good and especially the bad. And they never, ever let go.

There was a sigh on the other side of the line. Their command center, hidden among the deserted buildings, was watching every move and was also connected to a contingent of defence forces that was in charge of clearing the city further in case war did break out. The Johessmans were not stupid; it took little to tip their former country of residence over the precipice to war. The potential crime they were accused of would be more than enough. And no, they did not have proof that they were not going to take the Canal.

However, they saw plenty they now had proof of. Frank Rook, not an ally in fact, but a man Dakari had worked with him during the famine crisis, along with the others who had been present at that meeting. Alice Taylor, the sweet young woman who had even brought the caring side out of Dakari. Both on the side that challenged them with no foundation; at least, not as the Johessmans understood it. The mask was hardly effective in hiding who she was, not to Dakari or Ana. They could have covered up her eyes and her body language would still have given her away. The other Johessmans did not recognize her, as they had had little to no contact with her.

And Helena. They had protected her, they had helped her financially through hard times, they had promised all they could to help her whenever she needed it… yet there she was. That was the one that hurt the most. Ana bit her lip. Drea took her earphones out again and twirled them. It seemed like just the other day they had been basking in the sun together, taking in the sights. And now….

However, they did have more than enough support on their side. The Kilvayne family was backing the Johessmans; and when you had two of the most powerful families in the world together, opposing you, why would you stand? Why would you threaten the family that still controlled all of the telecommunications grid of the contiguous States aside from the Midwest? Why would you challenge the family whose corporation made just about everything that sustained your lives, from your medicines to the shipping lanes that brought you the devices and foodstuffs that you could barely live without?It was an exercise in futility, yet here they all stood.

It was Ana who spoke their thoughts, looking directly at Helena. “That’s some cold shit.”

Dakari was just in front of Lucius, in line with her family, but at an angle to her fiancée. A smirk formed on her lips as he spoke. He was absolutely right, of course. She had just fought - and won - against the government in their own courts. Now the President’s daughter wanted to talk about honesty? Really? After they had tried to cover up not an entire famine, but also an entire bombing? There was a smell of shit on the air and it wasn’t coming from the island.

Their lead negotiator was steadfast. “As I said, we have documents. Emails among your own describing your plans for the Canal. And you have?”

“No copies of your alleged papers,” Rayleigh replied evenly. “We have no way to test whether these are genuine without looking.”

“Exactly. There’s been no discovery, nothing even resembling a trial or a hearing aside from the little meeting you held with the IWCW.” Dakari folded her arms. “If you’re so hell-bent on us cooperating, give us the papers to look at.”

“Although, I think it’s important to mention,” Young said with a smile, “that any communications regarding Jamaica itself are done verbally. We are our own Cabinet.” He tilted his head slightly. “With our holdings, we retain the highest-ranking officials and keep them on an advisory board. None of them would be aware of any grand scheme we might have.”

The other Johessmans except Dakari nodded. Drea twirled her earphones.

“One moment.” The lead negotiator turned to the others. “Well, then. Should we share these documents with them?”

On the other side, Dakari smiled up at Lucius. “Brilliant work, darling.”

Rayleigh, for her part, frowned. “No matter what, those documents are fake. I don’t like where this is going.”

"Neither do I. Route the civilians around the mountains. We may need them soon."

[Trevor Taylor]

There's too many men, too many people
Making too many problems
And there's not much love to go around
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?

Trevor was not interested in war, or the agenda of the Unites States government. He was interested in peace, and the idea that people with differences between them could resolve such disputes without the innocent suffering for it. He had accepted the call based on a desire to heal the wounds of the current age. He had concealed his uneasiness about his personal wounds from those around him, of course. He had missed many months of memories, and he had seen news videos and photos in the papers to give him an idea of what went on while he was...gone.

He had seen himself doing good things for the people during the cholera outbreak, but he had no recollection of doing anything then. He remembered two things only, aside from what had happened since he returned, and his life before the power outage. He remembered Shoshanna's death, and he remembered Lucius Kilvayne and Dakari Johessman in a hospital, his hand reaching out to help them in an hour of need.

He had come here not as an enemy, but as a friend, though they might not agree with his view on that. He had nothing to gain from a pointless war, and he cared not for the motivations of those in power. He cared only for the value of life. He had seen enough of war to know that no one was ever the winner in armed conflicts. He was not unwilling to fight for what he believed in, but he had to know that life would not be the cost of the battle.

Trevor could read that Frank Rook was more of a pragmatist, by the way he spoke. Perhaps it was merely the difference in tone. Trevor was a scholar more than a soldier, even though he was a warrior in his right as well.The time he had spent in academia had likely shifted his demeanor far away from whatever his younger self had been in the service. That was so long ago, yet sometimes the memories haunting him felt like they were the events of the day before. And his worse memory wasn't so long ago, it was much fresher than all that.

His Elite comrades, Mira and Marcus Rodgers were also in attendance. They had not engaged the other side as yet, but perhaps that was a good thing. The preliminary discussions were best handled by those in the lead among both parties. Trevor wished the person on his side was more tactful, but sadly that wasn't the case. This could very well end badly for everyone, he feared.

Lucius Kilvayne was quick to counter several of the statements and queries made with tactics oriented toward the application of a scientific logic to the proceedings. The government representative responded by presenting a collection of communications that seemed to back up the claims that had brought this about in the first place.


“No matter what, those documents are fake. I don’t like where this is going.”

Trevor was very much feeling the same way.

"Is that even possible?" Trevor said, utterly confused.

[Helena Rahal]

Why does it feel like night today?
Something in here's not right today.
Why am I so uptight today?

Helena could feel the daggers from the eyes of the Johessmans, especially Anastasia. Out of the entire clan, Ana was the one whom Helena had the best relationship with, the one with whom she felt entirely comfortable with in any given situation. The words were harsh and in their place, Helena probably would have felt the same way that they did right now. Yet she was here for a reason, not for some loyalty to her employers or nation, not to her friends, but to her own sense of right and wrong.

She remained emotionless even as the words Ana spoke tore at her heartstrings. In time she could ask for forgiveness, make them see that she was her just as much for them as she was the negotiators. Now was not the time to try to explain herself though, not with the tension so thick in the air. There was every chance that this little meeting of theirs could turn into a firefight in an instant, if someone said the wrong thing or looked at another the wrong way.

What bothered her though was this entire scheme and the act of defiance from the Johessmans. The clan was many things, some of those things were a bit despicable in truth, but they were reasonable and more often than not, not liars. Which meant that even as Rayleigh spoke that the documents that the government had were false, Helena was two steps ahead of her. Who in the government had the power to forge such documents, what was their motive in targeting the Dominion? More than that, what would happen here, since the Johessmans had no tangible way to provide evidence of their innocence... none that the negotiation team would take anyhow.

"I have known the Johessmans for years now, if they say this not a part of their plan, then it is not. Someone has provided your father with misinformation first daughter." What was her voice though, she was just an interested party for trade, not a diplomat. Maybe though, maybe she could get these meeting from turning into something more a tense negotiation that could explode and something more civil.

"The question is who is trying to play the government and the Dominion against one another and for what end? Perhaps our hosts will be able to better assist in that matter, if they had access to copies of those documents. The devil is in the details and there may yet be clues in them to begin answering this troubling situation."

[Frank Rook]

”Mrs. Johessman, we don’t mean to be accusatory. We just want to avoid any unnecessary harm. I’m Reggie Sawyer, the President’s daughter. My father trusted you enough to send me. And we trust you to be honest with us. Even if our suspicions are correct, it isn’t damming. We’ll work it out.,” Reggie said. Frank still questioned the judgment of bringing her along. To him it seemed like the president was using his own child as a pawn in his agenda, which Frank wouldn’t have been surprised had it been the case. If things erupted like he thought they might, she was the biggest liability on their side.

"The United States Government has no room to talk of honesty and cooperation, if recent events are to be taken into consideration. I suggest if you want this worked out, you should drop this whole thing before it escalates. You have to know when to fold, if you hope to play this game." Jesus Christ… This man, who took part in the attack on DC, killing whoever the hell he wanted, was going to try and take a moral high-ground? Frank had seen everything now…

When Frank asked for proof of their claims, that they had a liar in their midst who was framing them, of course Lucius had to put in his two cents that weren’t asked for.

"The burden of proof is on your side," Lucius said. Frank clenched a fist and bit back the quick remark that almost made its way out of his mouth.

”The government has all the proof they want and need to justify anything they want to do. We know how little proof they need for that. But the fact remains, they have it. The burden of disproving that proof absolutely falls to you,” Frank said. Lucius couldn’t be that stupid, he had to just be that stubborn.

“As I said, we have documents. Emails among your own describing your plans for the Canal. And you have?” the negotiator said. Frank couldn’t help but think that the man wasn’t quite right for the job. He was being too standoffish.

“No copies of your alleged papers. We have no way to test whether these are genuine without looking,” one of the brood who’s name escaped him at the moment said. She had a point. If it could cool things, prevent a conflict, they owed it to everyone to at least give them that chance.

”Exactly. There’s been no discovery, nothing even resembling a trial or a hearing aside from the little meeting you held with the IWCW. If you’re so hell-bent on us cooperating, give us the papers to look at,” Dakari added. Frank didn’t put much stock in what she had said. The government was well known for conducting operations out of the hall of congress.

”Although, I think it’s important to mention that any communications regarding Jamaica itself are done verbally. We are our own Cabinet. With our holdings, we retain the highest-ranking officials and keep them on an advisory board. None of them would be aware of any grand scheme we might have,” another person who’s name Frank didn’t know added. That may not have been the best thing to say for their case, although it proved that if things were as they seemed and the Dominion was bent on expanding their territory it was the work of this small group of people and not the entire group of nations.

“One moment. Well, then. Should we share these documents with them?” The negotiator asked. Frank got the idea that he was looking for an excuse not to, for them to walk away with everything needed to declare a formal war. He was a bit too squirrely for Frank’s liking.

“No matter what, those documents are fake. I don’t like where this is going,” one of them said. Frank didn’t react, because he didn’t know if she was acting or not. She could very well be an unwitting pawn in all of this. He’d remember that for the future.

”I have known the Johessmans for years now, if they say this not a part of their plan, then it is not. Someone has provided your father with misinformation first daughter," a voice from off to his side said. Ms. Rahal. He still didn’t know why she was here... She was looking out for her interests, as far as he could tell.

”The question is who is trying to play the government and the Dominion against one another and for what end? Perhaps our hosts will be able to better assist in that matter, if they had access to copies of those documents. The devil is in the details and there may yet be clues in them to begin answering this troubling situation,” she added. She was right, but her opinions and her feelings littered the sentiment. He wanted to say a great many things, like this being the exception to the rule or asking how it was a good idea to associate or trust the word of a terrorist. But he kept his trap shut. Any and all of that could be elaborated upon at a later time. He even made a mental note to look into her for such associations as it was.

”Show them the documents. If they’re telling the truth, and they’re fake, we can avoid a conflict,” he said. He made sure not to add the fact that the conflict could easily spark World War 3.

[Marcus Rodgers]

Kingston, Jamaica, Dominion of Jamaica
Tuesday, January 21, 2014; 3:37 PM

One of the young women on the negotiator’s side seemed to think that the Johessmans were honest and forthright at the moment. However, her proposed alternative was that someone was playing the United States Government, and that was a ridiculous statement. Who would be stupid enough to make such an attempt, and even so, how could such an observant and diligent country - which had all manner of safeguards against just this sort of incident - fall into such a trap? He shook his head at the young woman, just a normal shake of the head, saying nothing, no pointed look.

Marcus and Mira decided to hang out next to Trevor. At the man’s question, Marcus shrugged. “Anything is possible if you have the right chips in place.” He turned to look at the group on the beach. “I’m here because I was told to be here. Otherwise, honestly, I would have stayed out of it completely.”

Mira nodded and wrapped her arm around his.

“Of course, if there’s a fight, I wouldn’t be averse to getting my hands a little dirty,” Marcus added.

Mira unwrapped her arm.

Reggie also nodded. “We’re sending the papers your way,” she said, even before the negotiator had made any move toward the other side. She was an excellent commander for a First Daughter, Mira thought. That, or just incredibly stupid.

Sparrow frowned, but then nodded when the negotiator asked whether he should show them the papers. “Maybe they’ll have an explanation for this,” she offered.

[Dakari Johessman]

The negotiator met Rayleigh halfway. Rayleigh was flanked by her eldest daughter and son, Dakari and Young. The others remained in place, but watched the meeting closely. Their chief commander also studied the interactions from on high.

There was an envelope thick with papers. These the negotiator handed to Rayleigh, who unfolded them quickly and dropped her gaze to the bottom of them, flipping each in turn, as though looking for something specific. After running through them all, she handed them to Dakari. “These are fake,” she said, for a moment touching the documents in Dakari's hands to show the bottom of the pages. “Each of our communications with the other governors bear the Dominion seal, in green, yellow, black, and blue. The seal is always printed in specific tones. These are too dark.”

Dakari looked them over as well, then handed them across Rayleigh to Young. Young nodded. “Mom’s right.”

“Aside from the language being completely wrong. We write and speak in standard Jamaican English, in case you haven’t noticed, not Jamaican Patois. it we were speaking Patois, you wouldn’t be able to understand us.”

“What you’re speaking is irrelevant,” the negotiator said. “The colors of the seal are irrelevant. A printer could simply have gotten them wrong.”

“But then, the darkness of the black text and the other colors in this email would also be wrong,” Rayleigh pointed out.

The negotiator chuckled. “It seems to me that your defense is made up entirely by excuses.”

That was enough for Dakari. She raised her elbow and shoved it across the negotiator’s face, which sent him reeling for a moment. A push from Nadine, and Dakari flipped open a small but nasty blade.

Ana saw it first and broke into a full-out run. “Kari, no!”

She wasn’t fast enough. Dakari was quicker with metal than any sprinter. She ran the blade into the negotiator’s throat, cutting a deep gash that severed nearly halfway though his neck. It happened faster than Rayleigh could react; by the time she caught hold of her daughter’s arm, the damage had already been done. The negotiator slumped down; blood ran everywhere. Dakari licked some off her lips with a satisfied smirk.

Of course, that was an act of war.

“Forward!” someone from the back called, in order to roll the larger body of troops off the ships. Those already on land began to engage those that had been standing behind the Johessmans and Kilvaynes. It was a fair fight - except that the Johessmans had scattered Specials throughout their contingent, whereas the allied troops had not particularly meant to do that. Fireballs volleyed on one side; men froze from another; some just dropped dead in their tracks, the causes unseen.

Most of the Johessman family retreated. The only one who had been born with an easily defensive ability was Dakari, and she seemed to be not only doing well in the fray, but enjoying it. Before the troops could remove themselves from their ships, she held up her arms, then stretched them to her sides, fists clenched. The ships’ hulls began to buckle and bend, holes appearing everywhere, causing them to sink faster and faster.

"Ana!" the command came, and Ana knew exactly what it meant. She ran after Helena, hoping she would catch the young woman before any harm came to her.

“Well,” Dakari said as the noise of the noise of metal grinding against metal gave her a moment of mutual distraction. "It seems you really can’t go home again.”

[Marcus Rodgers]

Things had been going nicely, Sparrow thought, until the negotiator fell to the ground in a spurt of blood. Then she started to gnash her teeth. As the people around her began to rush forward, Sparrow reached for her handgun, hoping it would be enough to keep herself covered. but the command “Cover the First Daughter!” seemed a better suit than running into the throes of war, so she sidestepped the battle and found Reggie. The ships were sinking, so pulling her back was no longer an option.

“I need more help!” she yelled, hoping someone would help her surround Reggie and keep her safe.

For her part, the moment the negotiator went down, Reggie knew to get away. She found a small group of people who seemed to be heading into battle, and she wondered whether she would use her ability to help. But her ability was disastrous; she had never truly gotten a grip on it. She would just have to hope no one saw her. So it was a relief when Sparrow arrived to watch her.

“Time to go.” Marcus sprinted forward. Mira hesitated for a moment. She hated war. One-on-one fights she could deal with. Assassination attempts, fine. But something like this, beyond her control, was an entirely different animal. Yet she followed her husband into the middle of it all.

Marcus had found Raymond Johessman, one of the younger siblings, who had decided to remain on the front lines as well. They had quickly realized that they had similar abilities - being able to control the pace of anything. Each had a grip on the other’s heart.

Mira jumped in and threw Young into the ground, at the same time that Marcus switched to his second ability - one Young did not have - sending his opponent into tachycardia. “Sorry, man,” Marcus said, standing above him. “Looks like one of us had the upper hand here. Or two.”

Someone rammed into Marcus. Before either of the Rodgers knew what was going on, Young swooped in and gathered his brother up, then disappeared among a group of buildings. “No,” Mira said firmly when Marcus began to follow them.

“Aww,” Marcus said. “That would have been fun.”

[Marcus Grant]

Looking for a higher ground
Searching for this something missed before
From a higher ground
Will I fall in a right direction?
Higher, searching for more

Marcus Grant was fairly divided over the current situation, he had to admit. The government's credibility was pretty damn thin, he had to admit. But the actions of the Dominion of Jamaica as they called themselves, were enough to give him pause. This had a strong Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis vibe to it. He had to wonder what the hell was going on, overall. Things had been quiet for a while, and then all hell broke loose again, with crises springing up one after the other.

Now there was a looming war, for all Marcus could do about it.

The government presented documents, and made accusations. The Johessmans and their allies repudiated the claims and denounced the documents as forgeries. The dance was pretty familiar to Marcus' memory. It had been like that before the war in Iraq. Accusations, denials, and a lot of uncertainty. If this war came about due to the machinations of someone in the US government, Marcus had to wonder if they would survive if it came out to the public. This was a bad time for the US to be playing world policeman, Marcus had to admit.


”Show them the documents. If they’re telling the truth, and they’re fake, we can avoid a conflict,"

"Hopefully," Marcus said, "It isn't already too late."

No hell to discover
I've got it all inside myself
Salvation you have preached is gone
No way, you can't turn it around

”The government has all the proof they want and need to justify anything they want to do. We know how little proof they need for that. But the fact remains, they have it. The burden of disproving that proof absolutely falls to you,”

Lucius was not inclined to let this brazen attempt to counter his argument go without answer. Rook was a bit overconfident in his assertion that Lucius or the Johessmans had to prove anything whatsoever. The accusers had come in with fabricated evidence to back up fabricated claims of fictional danger. What he and the Johessman team had to do was not meet a burden of proof. They had to pick apart the bullshit presented by the enemy and expose the lie for what it was.

They were going to put it through review and criticism.

"You fail to understand that it is inherently bad logic to attempt to prove a negative. The scientist does not disprove anything. Something is either proven, or it is not. Documents can be fabricated, and these were very likely forged. Perhaps you would benefit from a refresher course in these matters, but this is hardly the time or place for academic concerns."

Lucius sighed, " I should be used to people failing to understanding these things."

“Anything is possible if you have the right chips in place.”


Trevor smiled, and watched as the proceedings continued.

“I’m here because I was told to be here. Otherwise, honestly, I would have stayed out of it completely.”


"I think it is a good thing I came," Trevor said, not being able to shake the feeling this was going to get hot fast. This was just all too shady for his liking. Mira and Marcus were seemingly comfortable with it. Marcus Rodgers mentioned he wouldn't mind a little skirmishing, if it wasn't possible to avoid violence.

" I hope it doesn't come to that," Trevor said warily.

The President's daughter gave the word to pass the documents to the Johessman side, and held his breath. The exchange of the documents was tense, and so was the exchange of words between both representatives. Trevor was watching it like a hawk, and so were the others on each side, he observed. This was the turning point. Whether this went south or not would be decided now.


“Kari, no!”

Trevor was not fast enough to stop the woman from doing her deed, but he would do something to stop this madness. He rushed into the battle, as Marcus Grant held the lines with Sparrow in defense of the First Daughter. He was a blazing archon of white light rushing toward Dakari and Lucius beyond without fear. Lucius spotted him coming, and took to the air, and alighted near her position.

"It's our war now, thanks to you my love," Lucius said with a smirk. He blasted enemy troops with electricity, gleefully bringing destruction to those who had dared to defy his family and alliance. Once again, he fought by his lover's side. Life couldn't get much better than that.

Brogan intercepted Trevor, and the two were soon locked in a titanic hand to hand combat, neither side giving quarter. Brogan shouted in rage with every swing of his mighty fist, but every strike was rewarded in kind.

"Why won't you fall?" The men shouted at each other in unison.


Into the raging battle, there came two great titans from the sea. They were made entirely of water. The two elemental giants battered their enemies, as if the sea itself were in alliance with the Johessmans. Adrian and Alexander were instruments of destruction acting in perfect harmony, to terrorize the ranks of the American forces.


Ronan MacGuinness clashed with Sebastian and Juliana Kilvayne, making hit and run attacks, and dodging the flames and smoke they were wielding as their weapons. They were tougher than he expected, however, and managed to get up after getting the wind knocked out of them. No sooner had he dispatched them, than he was face to face with Ezra Stone and Dorian Black.


"We got a score to settle from New York, right?" Ronan said before taking on his old dance partners. This fight was going to take a while, as they were much faster and tougher than the Kilvayne couple had been. Endurance on one, and mimicry on the other. This was an actual challenge, as it turned out.

[Helena Rahal]

You and us, I and them
There comes a time to make a stand

Helena hid a smile as things seemed to be falling into place nicely. It seemed that even if it seemed far fetched, that they were taking the idea that the government might be getting played seriously. Now as soon as the Johessman clan confirmed that the papers were indeed fakes, which she desperately was hoping was the case, then they could put the whole thing behind them and work towards a solution. Jamaica would not become another Aghanistan or Iraq and her reason for being here would have been served well and then some.

It all happened in slow motion as Helena watched the antagonistic negotiator try and bait the Johessmans. Helena knew that Rayleigh would not fall into such an obvious trap, but Dakari was there. Quick to anger at even the slightest hint of an insult, add that with her ability and penchant for wanting to cause pain, and it was not a good combination. If the negotiator was getting on Helena's nerves with his plain biased attitude, then he was sure as nails getting on Dakari's nerves as well.

Helena watched in horror as it unfolded, first the shove with the elbow and then the blade appearing as if out of thin air. Even if she used her abilities to try and stop it, it was to slow and she shrieked in terror as the blood began to spew from the severed arteries in the man's neck. It was not the first time she had seen a man killed, she had killed before in her life, but it was the first time she had seen one needlessly killed and in such a brutal manner. Even the dossiers of the Company's wanted files could not have prepared her for the sight.

Nor was she prepared as the scene before her turned into a battlefield. Before she knew it, there were fireballs and gunfire raining down and all around her. She heard the order from one side to protect the first daughter and Helena cursed under her breath, knowing that bringing the young woman here had been an awful mistake. Yet the gunfire and offsetting of Specials abilities all around her, she had to worry about her own survival and not the mistakes of others at this point.

As the troops poured in all around her, she threw up waves of sand and dirt up and solidifying them rapidly as makeshift barriers. They would only limit the damage though, they would not protect her for long. This was hell, this what it was like, and she was going to wind up dying here when she had come to avoid this. What irony the world seemed to have, as she was either going to be killed by the very government she served or by the women she had come to trust and call her sisters just a few weeks ago.

And then the ships were gone, her hope for getting out of here alive. There was no one she could call like Maurelle, no one that would know to come and get her the moment she was in trouble like Christian. In that moment it dawned on her just how insignificant and unimportant she was, regardless of her status as the head of a multinational company. There was no one there to rescue her, no one there to snatch her out of the fray, there was only herself and everything the world had formed her to be.

That would have to change if she survived this, but she could not attack any one. Not that it would matter, she was caught in the middle of a war now and she was just collateral damage if she was hit. If she fired though, she was someones enemy, and at this moment, she did not know who she wanted more to not be her enemy. Right now she just wanted to survive...

And that's when she felt a pair of arms around her and pulling her away from the fray. She took a look to see who it was, maybe Sparrow had come to rescue her, they were once partners when the Company employed that policy. Instead she was completely lambasted when it was Ana who was taking her out of it all... but was it for protection or as a hostage? Did it matter if she survived all of this?

"Get me out here Ana, get me out of this hell."

[Frank Rook]

“We’re sending the papers your way,” Reggie said. Frank watched the papers change hands, looking for something amiss. Like them trying to grab the girl to use as a hostage. But thankfully, everything went smoothly.

”These are fake,” Rayleigh declared after looking at the pages for a few moments. He was going to ask her to prove it, but she had that covered as well. “Each of our communications with the other governors bear the Dominion seal, in green, yellow, black, and blue. The seal is always printed in specific tones. These are too dark,” Rayleigh said. That was a bit flimsy, but it was a start.

“Mom’s right,” Young added. Frank watched them, waiting for them to elaborate further.

“Aside from the language being completely wrong. We write and speak in standard Jamaican English, in case you haven’t noticed, not Jamaican Patois. it we were speaking Patois, you wouldn’t be able to understand us,” she said. It was all just more of their word, which was counter to what was needed to prove their innocence. They needed real proof.

“What you’re speaking is irrelevant. The colors of the seal are irrelevant. A printer could simply have gotten them wrong,” their negotiator said. Frank was inclined to agree. Nothing they’d provided was actual proof.

“But then, the darkness of the black text and the other colors in this email would also be wrong,” Rayleigh added. That… Meant literally nothing. They were simply insisting something was a falsehood, while giving only hearsay and speculative answers.

“It seems to me that your defense is made up entirely by excuses.” That was more antagonistic than it needed to be, but Frank couldn’t disagree with the sentiment. What happened next was what would undoubtedly be called the first shot of the coming war.

To their credit, at least one of the Johessman seemed to try to stop it. Not very hard, but she at least tried to appeal to some kind of humanity that Dakari seemed to lack. The negotiator was dead before he hit the ground, the events unfolding too quickly for anyone to stop. Frank, however, had drawn his gun and did his best to fire at whoever was in front of him.

”Alice, get Dakari!” he snapped. Alice was probably one of the few that would stand a chance against her. Most of his weapons were within Dakari’s realm of power. But Alice wasn’t confined to such problems. Instead, he figured he’d go after someone who was a bit more his size.

He dropped the magazine from his gun and slapped a fresh one in, racking the slide, and aimed it at Lucius. While he did, he tried to close the gap. He didn’t know how lightning proof he was, but he’d find out. No matter how much he may have liked to believe it, Frank knew that Lucius wasn’t bulletproof.

While this took place, orders were yelled into radios and over loud speakers back on the ships. Marine platoons scrambled off the ships and into formation as quickly as possible, adding whatever fire they could to the fight. Inevitably, some of them showed their true nature as Special’s as well, doing something to even the odds.

Back on the boats, any ships that weren’t being torn apart by Dakari or Adrian were preparing their swan song. Most of the fleet never got a shot off, but the few that did made their fire count. Areas of the beach were turned into small pockets of hell, the air alight with flame and carnage. Bodies were liquefied as shells made to sink other ships were used on soft targets. Sun Tzu said ‘Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight.' A lot of men proved that passage right this day.

[Alice Taylor]

For much of the time she remained motionless behind her commander. Through the gift of telepathy, Alice knew that Dakari had identified her already. That did not matter. The disguise was more so the blonde could roll along the American ranks without anyone questioning why a famous actress would be capable of what she was about to do. That a sweetheart like herself, both to the American public and to many of those on the other side of the battle line, was able to sense the annoyance from Dakari under the negotiator's allegations, and while it may have been possible for her to react and knock the blade away, Alice did little to help as the cold steel was rammed into the man's neck.

This was it. This was why Alice had come to this country. This was why she had chosen to fight against some of her best of friends. On this day, she will make her mark. The Angel of Death descends.

Once the fighting began and both sides unleashed their weapons of war, it was obvious the Allied troopers, despite their massive numbers, were in for a tough fight. All their lives they were trained on how to battle civilians, and the sight of seeing their comrades burst into flames, or frozen and shattered on the bloody sands, would unravel the most elite veterans. The Johessman forces certainly brought a great number of specials to fight for their cause, and the Jamaican civilian soldiers were on high morale, firing and killing behind their super-powered point-men. It was only right that they feel the same fear.

Running head first into a hailstorm of bullets, Alice put up her telekinetic shield, deflecting many shots back in the attackers' general direction. With a wave of her hand, a firing squad of enemy troops exploded like they were ran down by an eighteen-wheeler. Spying another squad pulling the pins off their grenades, Alice merely mimed a wall right before them before moving on, their terrified screams as their bombs bounced back at their feet followed by multiple explosions was enough for her to know the threat was neutralized. Most of the enemy command had backed away at this point, leaving just their pawns and special ambushers to concentrate fire upon the Allied landing sites.

There was a pyrokinetic close to the shoreline, throwing fireballs down at the overwhelmed Americans, half fighting back, and half retrieving their injured comrades. Alice couldn't simply rush the man, as she wasn't protected against fire. Fortunately, the Company-raised weapon wasn't out of tricks yet.

Reaching into her utility belt, Alice grabbed two flash-bangs the size of table-tennis balls and hurled them up into the pyro's squad. As the soldiers with guns standing behind him were disoriented by the loud bang and the bright lights, Alice focused on the pyro's mind. Naturally, the pyrokinetic turned back to see what just happened, only to find nothing by American marines behind him. Panicked, he shot streams of flames from his hands, igniting what turned out to be his own Jamaican soldiers, disguised in his mind as enemies through Alice's telepathic illusion. A surviving soldier shot the pyro dead before fleeing, thinking he had gone mad, and the young woman let him return to his ranks. He has a story to tell his fellow civilian troopers, and the mistrust that can be sewn between the Dominion specials and civilians could work to the allies' advantage.

"Alice, get Dakari!" came the order from Rook. By this time, Kari had begun sinking the American ships. The Jamaican troops still owned much of the beach, but as more and more American soldiers poured forth, and rallied behind the specials that fought under the Star-Spangled Banner, they were starting to push back. To survive this first contact, the American units need to complete their deployment instead of meeting a watery death stuck on their ships.

The path getting to Kari was difficult. Dominion troops fled at the sight of Alice decapitating them seemingly at will, but threw themselves at her en-masse as she got closer to their leader. The bullet storm was so dense that some managed to get past her shield and graze her arm and right calf. Alice didn't mind. The Marines were grouping up again, and every bullet directed at her was one that wasn't directed at allied troops, and they responded with their own gunfire, thinning out the mass of bodies that stood between Alice and Kari. Once Alice got close enough, she quickly used telekinesis to punch holes into the three bodyguards closest to Kari to grab her attention, then threw up the sand around Kari's feet as a distraction to stop her momentarily from further damaging the American fleet. Holding one hand out to the sea, Alice tried the best she could to slow the ships' sinking speed so the evacuation can complete. Her other hand had the palm facing Dakari directly, ready to strike.

"That will be your only warning. Surrender to me, and no harm will--"

An explosion went off close to Alice, and she had just enough time to brace for the impact against her powered shield as she was tossed away from the force. For most of the day, the fighting continued until nightfall. Alice regrouped with Frank, but never encountered Dakari again. Enough of the allied troops made it on land in combat form, and while none of the fleet survived, they were able to drive the Dominion forces back, but had to split the push between Blue Mountain and Kingston. She would of course go where Frank was needed, leaving her mask smeared with the blood of the enemy, as a reminder to the Dominion that the Reaper has come for their souls... or whatever it was that would be just as scary for Jamaicans.

[Marcus Rodgers]

Kingston, Jamaica; or Blue Mountains, Jamaica
Dominion of Jamaica
Tuesday, 21 January 2014 ; 8:31 PM
(five-hour time skip; nighttime)

Sparrow and Reggie
City

You’re not the only one
Refusing to go down
You’re not the only one
So get up!
-Three Days Grace, “Riot”

Out of all the madness, Sparrow had been able to secure a small contingent of Allied troops, including one of her mentors, to help her protect the First Daughter. They had made a place for themselves in an abandoned house, and orders had been given not to fire on that ouse. Not that it mattered - all of their ships were sunk now thanks to Dakari and her assault on them.

Nevertheless, Sparrow was doing her best. She was inside the house with Sparrow, along with the few guards positioned at each window and door. Meanwhile, they listened to the gunfire and shouts and screams outside, sometimes wincing when one went off too close to them. They also heard strange noises, like fires starting and water moving. “Probably Specials,” Sparrow explained to Reggie.

Reggie was a Special. She wondered whether she should help by using her ability. But who knew? She would probably kill everyone at once, Allied and Dominion both, with what little control she had over her ability. She was afraid of it. Her ability, and herself. The last time she had used, she had knocked out nearly the entire country’s power grid. That seemed like a bad idea.

“So far, so good,” Sparrow said, peering around a guard to see through the window. “The battle has moved away from us.” She glanced back to Reggie. “The bad news is that war can take a long time. I don’t know how long we’ll be stuck in here.”

Reggie sniffled and held her head high. She could not show nervousness, not now. “I’ll do whatever we need for our country and its allies.”

Marcus and Mira
Mountains

My creator appeared to me in the form of a black lion
She checked my temperature to make sure I was ready
It was 106 point 7
She would have preferred point 8, but couldn’t wait
-Of Montreal, “Black Lion Massacre”

The sun had gone down some time earlier. Whatever life had been in the mountains was gone now. Oh, he saw houses, and the occasional shop, but their lights were all off, and no lights were lit inside.The entire area was pitch black. Marcus frowned. This could not bode well.

That was when the attacks began. The misfortunate thing about pushing the Dominion forces back into the mountains was that many or most of these troops knew their way around this place in any lighting or none at all. Suddenly, they found themselves fired upon from seemingly nowhere, and had to jump behind a building to avoid being hit. The shooting ceased as quickly as it had begun.

“Can you tell where they are?” Mira asked softly.

Marcus swore under his breath. “Barely. They’re moving quickly.”

The Rodgers and the rest of their troop slipped back onto the main road, guns pointed in every direction.

“Right!” Marcus yelled suddenly; he could feel their pulses now, but could not see them well enough to get a grip on any of them. But the troop ducked right, just not quickly enough. Two of them went down, made that way by headshots. “Fuck ‘no man left behind,” Marcus yelled. “They’re fighting dirty. We don’t have the time.”

Another volley of shots rang out. They were narrowing the Rodgers’ numbers quickly. Still unseen, the Dominion forces slipped along and in the trees, pinning the Allied troops to the side of the mountain. “Three!” Marcus called, and, indeed, from that direction came another round of shots. This time, a bullet was directed toward Marcus directly; Mira took hold of him and spun him around and out of harm’s way, but her shoulder caught the bullet instead.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Marcus carried - although she could very well still walk, thank you very much - into the nearest building, another house. “Go ahead, I’ll catch up.”

“No. Keep moving. They’ll cut us down if we stay in one place.” Mira winced. “I’ll be fine. This is my off arm. We’ll find them and get out of this.”

[Dakari Johessman]

Family Forces

Live fast, die young
Bad girls do it well
-M.I.A., “Bad Girls”
Mountains

In past battles, in civil wars, the mountains had been the deciding factor in Jamaican victories. The Johessmans had split into roughly halves, some leading the Dominion team into the mountains, the others supporting the effort in the city. Young was in the lead; he knew these mountains better than any of them. Raymond and Maori were with him, the one in the middle, the last keeping up the rear. They were only one of a group traveling along the mountains, picking off Allied victims with ease.

The Allies pushing the Dominion into the mountains had not been a great idea. As Young and his teams proved, it had been entirely purposeful, an integral part of their strategy.

The only light was that from the half-moon above, but that hardly bothered the teams. They knew where they were going; their opponents did not. Silently, Young indicated where they would move next, and when they would shoot. They moved quickly, never staying to be detected, while the teams behind them took care of more approaching troops.

Their opponents fell quickly and loudly. This was the upper hand, the ace up the sleeve. It would not be long before the Allies would finally pull back; or get lost in the mountains and trees - for that was all they were surrounded by - until each and every one of them had been cut down.

———

Shift gear, automatic, dammed if I do
Who is gonna stop me when I am coming through?
-M.I.A., “Bad Girls”
City

In Kingston, the city was just as dark as the mountains, with no lights on anywhere. Rayleigh was leading the remaining troops through the streets. The ground was not all the Allies had to deal with; there were shooters hidden on the roof, and a variety of Specials positioned strategically. The Allies proved to have their own Specials as well, so some battles turned out to be a bit less conventional than others. Both sides counted losses.

But in the heart of the city, the Allied troops would find themselves surrounded, with Dominion forces coming from all sides, including those that had waited patiently in hiding until their foes passed into the city proper. Dakari led the north team, Andrea took the front of the east side, ChaToiya covered the west, and Rayleigh was behind them. The Allied troops were now facing a four-front battle.

Dakari and Lucius had done an excellent job in pulling the Allies into the city. They were the couple to beat, doing more damage with no effort than many of the troops could handle. Bullets were nothing to Dakari, and she deflected every one aimed at her, Lucius, and anyone with them, often sending the bullet just about where it came from.

As the Dominion forces emerged from each side, Dakari smiled. “Were you expecting guests? I’m sorry, I’ve been a terrible host. I haven’t even introduced us. Welcome to Kingston, bitches.”

—-

Elsewhere in the City

You’re dealing with professionals
So unless you know war tactics, walk backwards
-Jay-Z, “On The Rock (Never Stop Me)”

As the battle progressed northward, Ana slipped Helena along back streets to one particular building, one with a few floors. Ana was silent the whole way, even while leading Helena up the stairs of that building, to the top, and through a door.

In the room was a machine gun, a sniper rifle, a shotgun, and a variety of handguns. And in the middle of that, near a window that overlooked the battle itself, sat Shawn Johessman, his hands clasped, his gaze flickering between Ana and Helena. He gestured to two chairs, which were out of the way of the windows, and then sighed. Ana took a seat and crossed one leg over the other.

“We said we would protect you, Helena,” Shawn said quietly. “Your arrival on the side opposing us was disappointing, to say the least. But you showed some level of trust in us when you advised that side’s negotiator.”

He folded his arms. “We are taking a risk here. You can thank Ana for being here. If it were up to me, you would have proven a side on the battlefield itself. If we suspect for a moment that she was wrong and you attempt to attack us in the name of the Allies, we will not hesitate to counter that attack.

“However, we are Johessmans. Our word is our bond. You can consider yourself safe up here. We have an arr-“ He paused, holding up a hand for a moment. After a few seconds, he started again. “We have arrangements to take you back to the States, if you prefer. Otherwise, you are welcome to stay here or help - our side - from here.”

He glanced to Ana. “That was Young. The strategy in the mountains is working beautifully so far. Bluebird-“ he glanced to Helena for a brief second to explain, then went back to Ana “-Rayleigh. She’s got the Allies surrounded. What they might do to counter her, we have yet to see. So far, however, we have the upper hand in both sides.”

Ana nodded. “Let’s keep it that way.”

——

Sereia Auzenne, aka SIREN
City

It’s all gone to shit
It’s out of our hands
Baby if you couldn’t know
You would hatch a plan
-MS MR, “Dark Doo Wop”

The Johessmans had always been good to her. She hardly stayed in one place for long, and was, in fact, hardly ever on land. Now, however, she sensed that they could use her help. She approached from the south, quietly, slipping among the shadows, armed with only a brace of pistols. She had long since honed her ability, and had no problem using it; the handguns were more a second option, a fall-back.

She waited to see what the Allies might do in the current situation, intending to step out only when she was needed. She was dressed in all black; she would hardly be seen, much less identified. This world had had not seen her for so long that she doubted anyone would expect her in any case.

—-

Parallax
Elsewhere in the City

And we’re off to the races, places
Ready, set the gate is down and now we’re goin’ in
-Lana Del Rey, “Off to the Races”

They materialized with his equipment inside an abandoned building - as abandoned as all the others - with both dressed in black. He looked down on the scene, then began to assemble the sniper rifle. A long black coat covered a jacket with the hood pulled tight, obscuring his face, and that over more black, blending in with the room and the city.

His only indication was a nod and a raise of his hand.

“Not this time, boss.”

He glanced up at the teleporter. True, the last time the man had left him on orders, matters had not gone so well. He was too focused at the moment to argue in any case, so he turned his attention back to the rifle. The other man picked up the case of handguns and inspected them. This was in case they were somehow spotted and had to fight their way out without the use of their abilities.

The Johessmans had the Allied forces stopped at every angle, with Dakari and Lucius at the head of it all. Damn if he was going to let anything happen to them. He watched the brief pause, the brief standoff, also waiting to see what would happen, and who would need his particular form of attention first.

[Helena Rahal]

They see you as small and helpless
They see you as just a child
Surprise when they find out that
A warrior will soon run wild

As Anastasia had pulled her away from the battlefield, Helena could see the glitter of metallic objects in the makeshift barrier she had thrown up. There was also heavily burned and crisp marks across the barriers as well. She really had been that close to being nothing but collateral damage in the opening salvo of this war. The training with her powers and learning how to harness them in new and varying ways had certainly proved valuable, this was not going to be her grave.

Ana remained quiet as they navigated their way through the back streets, further away from the main combat it seemed to Helena. Her level of anxiety gradually reduced as they left the sounds of battle behind them yet her comfort level remained quite low. Ana's quiet treatment was not doing anything to relieve the tension, not that Helena could blame Ana or any of Johessman's for feeling like they had been betrayed. It was a decision that she knew would had consequences, though that all seemed petty and small after what transpired.

They eventually reached a building and stairs to go up, before entering the door and into what seemed like an armory with the amount of weaponry in there. It was a war room of some sort with all the munitions that were around, as well as the individual who sat there with their hands clasped apparently waiting on their arrival. Helena wondered if perhaps this was more of a hostage situation than a rescue after all, with the sigh that followed his gesture towards a pair of empty chairs. Though there was a part of her that still hoped for the best.

Part of her wanted to interrupt Shawn, the supposedly deceased patriarch of the Johessman clan, as he said her appearance was a disappointment. Yet there was clearly more on his mind than just the appearance for her in the American camp and she was not sure just what to say. Did she need them to understand her reasons for doing what she did, for answering the call of the Company on this potentially hazardous mission? No, she did not need that, understanding was not needed for compliance, as the situation was reversed.

Shawn laid out her options, either return to the States and relative safety of her home, remain in the war room, or help their side. There was no helping the Company now, that option seemingly erased the moment that she accepted Ana's assistance in making her way from the battlefield. Maybe she had known that and had accepted it when she allowed Ana to save her, that her potential for being a boon to that side had been squandered and relinquished.

They had little to worry about from her betraying their trust in provided her a place to stay during the battle. Even if she had wanted to turn double agent, she had no interest in dying here for a war that she had attempted to prevent. Nor did she want to cause any more harm to the ladies that she considered her soul sisters.

"I have no intention of dying here..." Helena said, her words barely above a whisper. She looked up at Ana though, stern and stubborn, her reason for being here and not out in the fray. "But I would like to help where I can, provided you can keep me away from Dakari." Helena distrusted Dakari at the best of times and after seeing what she did to that negotiator, she wanted to be nowhere near the woman.

"I owe my sisters that much." Helena gave a look at Ana, hoping the woman would realize how much she was risking herself by offering her services to the Johessmans. Maybe it would show all of them that her intentions here had been noble, for all the good it had done.

[Frank Rook]

When they had found a place to lay low with their VIP, Frank instantly went about barricading the main entrances. It wouldn’t do much to stop anyone trying to get in, but it would give them early warning. Enough to evacuate and make for safer ground.

When everything that was heavy enough to buy a few seconds of time was moved in front of the doors, Frank moved to the window that dominated much of the wall of the living room and watched. He could barely make out much of the battle from here, but the destruction that was left in the wake was clearly not in favor of the allied side. Frank’s mind went through the motions, eyeing the carnage, and came to a very simple conclusion. The allies were being drawn in. If the Dominion had been fighting to keep ground or repel, there would be a lot more of their bodies. And the Allies wouldn’t have gotten this far. They’d still be fighting on the outskirts of town, trying to break through barricades. It was clear that Dakari was drawing them in for an ambush. But Frank held no standing or rank in the military anymore. He couldn’t give orders to fall back or to dig in.

”Probably Specials,” he heard Sparrow say to Reggie. Sparrow had fallen to direct protection of Reggie, for the most part. If it came to it, they would run while everyone else would stay and fight to the last man.

“So far, so good. The battle has moved away from us. The bad news is that war can take a long time. I don’t know how long we’ll be stuck in here,” Sparrow said. Frank closed his eyes for a moment and then looked at her.

”Not long. Those soldiers are being led to a kill box. Within the hour, they’re all going to be dead. Captured, if they’re lucky, but Dakari doesn’t seem like the type to show any measure of humanity. They’ll perform sweeps of the area, find us, and the only candidate for a prisoner would be you,” he said, turning to look at Reggie.

”I’ll do whatever we need for our country and its allies” Reggie said. Admirable, but her position and her attempts at diplomacy wouldn’t do much here. Her other gifts, however…

”Think about that before you say it. More may be asked of you than ever before,” he said. He walked over to her and ushered her to a place that offered a bit more privacy. What he was about to say may have been a bit of a sensitive subject with a few of the other people in the room.

”I know about you. I know what you can do, I know what you did, and I don’t care. All I care about right now is that you can even the odds. You can wipe them all off the map if you wanted to. We need that kind of power right now, he said. It may not have been the best option, but it was their only option. Any others lead to their demise, which was less than optimal.

[Brogan Kilvayne]

When I reminisce about all those years
I see many things- Life and Death strung together
Like the Mountains and Valleys in which we lived.

In The City( Marcus)-

Marcus Grant had seen war before, and he had come to the islands prepared for it once more. When it had broken out, it was instinctive for him to protect rather than attack. He had the president's daughter in his care, and she wasn't going to die on him or fall into the enemy's hands. She was too powerful to be turned into a weapon for their schemes. He had fellow veterans to fight alongside him in the battle, Frank Rook and Trevor Taylor. He had the other company agents as well- except for Helena, who had been lost in the chaos. Alice and Sparrow had done well, their training proven in the field. Marcus and Mira Rodgers he had met before, but he couldn't say that meeting taught him much about who they were, not really.

Their actions today, however, went a long way toward impressing him. They had acted courageously, and had shown themselves to be capable members of the team. Though, he wished they had managed to regroup with Frank, Sparrow, Reggie and himself. Trevor was with them, he hoped. Though the man was last seen locked in a seemingly endless showdown with the massive special Marcus now knew to be the ancient warrior Brogan Kilvayne. Marcus was perfectly fine with leaving him in Trevor's hands. He lit a cigarette, as his friends began to assess their situation.

“Probably Specials,”

"They planned for a fight, I am damn sure they did," Marcus mused, "Any semblance of peace talks was just to draw us in- to the slaughterhouse." Frank soon echoed his sentiments, and he nodded along with the assessment.


“So far, so good,”

"Never say that," Marcus intoned, with a slightly nervous laugh.

“The battle has moved away from us."

"War never really ends." Marcus said with a grimness that he hoped to keep at bay. But this was not a good situation for them, in the larger picture of the battle. They were outgunned, and outwitted. Both sides had split forces, but the numbers favored the Jamaican side. Plus, this was their homeland, they had the home field advantage in spades. They were pretty fucked. Even the extreme measures they could take could prove pointlessly expensive. Victory dearly bought was no great prize, in Marcus Grant's view.


“I’ll do whatever we need for our country and its allies"


”Think about that before you say it. More may be asked of you than ever before,”

Marcus didn't like where this was going, but was uncertain if he should speak out. Frank was a pragmatic person for the most part, and he usually didn't give Marcus cause to doubt his leadership abilities. The man was a good soldier. This was a war, but unfortunately, not everyone was a soldier. Marcus could understand what was going on, but he hoped Reggie wouldn't be made into a weapon on this night.

That would make them no better than the enemy, after all.

Marcus followed Frank and Reggie, as they moved away from the larger crowd, watching them and waiting.He was careful not to draw attention to his presence, and he had no doubt that Frank would be watchful of eavesdroppers. But he had to know if his instincts were right or wrong on this.

”I know about you. I know what you can do, I know what you did, and I don’t care. All I care about right now is that you can even the odds. You can wipe them all off the map if you wanted to. We need that kind of power right now."

Marcus hoped she made the right call, otherwise he would have to talk some sense into her.

There was Wealth and Opulence, but also Tribulation and Loss.
There was Laughter and Song and there was also Tears.
But even more than Tears, Blood was shed.
And so many were left to their unadorned Graves, unburied.
But to us Death was just another Journey.

In the Mountains (Trevor)-

Trevor Taylor and the Rodgers couple were making their way through the mountains, and had reason to regret that decision without a doubt. They at first thought they had gained ground but in reality they had been drawn into a trap. The Rodgers were discussing the situation, when shots came once again.

“Fuck ‘no man left behind,”

Trevor would have disputed that, but his comrades were more valuable alive than dying for the cause. They could do damage if they retreated and maneuvered to a more tactical position. And they could bring the fight to the enemy, even. But they couldn't do that here.

“They’re fighting dirty. We don’t have the time."

"You two get the fuck out," Trevor shouted, "I will work on saving the people. I can handle the heat much better, as it happens."

The white light of life force blazed from his skin, as he walked forward into the fray. People who had fallen, given life to rise again. But he instructed each one to flee. They would be needed at the Rodgers' disposal.

His fight with the massive Kilvayne man had ended abruptly, as the Jamaican forces pulled back into the mountains, and they had pursued. It seemed as though this was the plan all along. He hoped he and his dance partner would cross paths again, soon.

And close by the Darkness
through which we strode
there was also Light.
The Light of Life and Immortality.

In the Mountains (Brogan, Alexander and Adrian)-

Adrian sighed. This was almost too easy, really. The Johessmans he was working with were efficient, and gave no quarter. Brogan, his ancestor, did not relent in brutally slaughtering those who sto0d before him. He and Alexander did a fair amount of work, too. Though they had now been armed with rifles, so as to not give away the nature of those engaging the enemy. Part of the plan, it would seem.

Brogan for his part was loathing that he had to break away from his battle with Trevor Taylor, a worthy opponent. This battle was needed, however. So he did what was right for his family at the expense of his own personal glory. It would trouble him for a while, before fading into memory. Such was the life of an immortal man.

Brogan, Alexander and Adrian pressed on with their Dominion forces, attempting to demoralize the ranks of the enemy completely. They would be slain to the last man, if Adrian had his way. Brogan and Alexander only desired victory, Adrian desired nothing less than complete destruction.

And after All, When I reminisce about those years,
I mostly remember our Songs. We sang,
As if to drown out the Sound of clashing Swords,
As if the Battle Cries fell silent.
Because War had lost its meaning.

In the City(Lucius)-

Lucius and Dakari had been under heavy fire, but considering Dakari's abilities that meant nothing to the power couple. They conquered their enemies with ease, and baited a perfect trap in the streets of Kingston. The Allied forces were easily surrounded. This was urban warfare in their own turf.

The Johessmans were not unprepared for this, the enemy surely had surmised that by now. Lucius and Dakari worked in unison, while three other Johessman women moved their forces into position. Their prey was closed in, the trap was set, and the cold hands of death were poised to squeeze their throats.


“Were you expecting guests? I’m sorry, I’ve been a terrible host. I haven’t even introduced us. Welcome to Kingston, bitches.”

"I do hope you enjoy your stay," Lucius said with a smile, "It will be quite brief, however."

He smiled, reaching out with his hands, his fingertips crackling with electricity, "The next stop on your tour is Hell. The ticket is a one way trip, of course."


{Lyrics are- Prologue, Helvetios, by Eluveitie.}

[Marcus Rodgers]

Sparrow and Reggie
City

When Frank told them that their military had moved into a “kill box,” Sparrow covered her mouth and Reggie bit her lip. This was not going well, no. Sparrow began to pace furiously. “What can we do? There must be something we….”

She heard something not far off in the distance. She ran to a window facing south and peeked out of it. “Someone called in reinforcements,” Sparrow breathed. “Thank God.”

Reggie had gone off to the side with Frank. The man was right; there was plenty she could do. What if she fired on the south part of the kill box and gave the Allied troops a way to retreat? What if she took out all of the Dominion troops in one fell swoop? Her powers could do that… if she could only control them. She took a deep breath and opened her palm. A bright circle, like a sun, appeared in it. She struggled with it a bit, its shape fluctuating, but soon she was able to keep it steady. She sent a small beam of light at a nearby box, not strong enough to set it on fire, but it did warm up under the beam. “Wow,” Reggie said. “I think I know what to do….”

She moved away the piece of furniture that had blocked the door and opened it. The battle had moved much too far north for any of them to worry about getting caught in it. And indeed, there were more ships arriving, bearing the flags of each of the countries that had chosen to attack. They were moving into the bay, but it would take them time to get within range. Time they did not have, even from where she was, Reggie could see the electricity dancing along Lucius Kilvayne’s fingers.

“Once they see the ships, they’ll just cut our army down,” Sparrow murmured. Reggie glanced at her. The young woman was right.

Reggie took a deep breath and focused all of the solar energy she could within herself, then prepared herself to attack.

Marcus and Mira
Mountains

The team was fortunate to have Trevor with them. Marcus had forgotten the man was there, in all honesty; they had been moving so silently. Now, he put his abilities to good use as he went back to save those they had lost. Marcus agreed with that in a way; they needed all the guns they needed.

“Thank you, Trevor,” Mira said, but her husband seemed focused on other things.

“A pattern,” Marcus muttered.

Mira knew that that meant.

Suddenly, a man fell from the trees, clutching at his chest. Mira turned to shoot him, one-handed due to her left arm still being out commission - but Marcus was already moving toward him. He picked up the man, whose face paint matched the dark camouflage he was wearing had hidden him well overhead. Marcus had detected him, however; he must have waiting a second too long, and Marcus had used his ability to bring him down.

Immediately, Marcus held the man, who was still shaking, up by the arms and pointed him in one particular direction. “I have a lock on each of you. Unless you want to end up like your comrade here, you’re going to come down from there and surrender.”

There was a second's silence.

Then Marcus swore. “They moved too quickly. Everyone-“

A spray of bullets rained upon them. Mira was lucky this time; as for Marcus, he would have been shot had he not been carrying that meat shield. “Back on the move!” Marcus commanded, dropping the now-dead Dominion soldier. “That was some cold shit.”

Nadine
City

In the meantime, while waiting for the backup ships to arrive, Nadine had found her own hiding place, in a small building that did not look like much. She doubted anyone would care about it. Once she saw the ships, she made for a window in the building, preparing to climb through it and run to the ships for safety, once they were close enough.

[Dakari Johessman]

Family Forces

Young, Maori, and Raymond
Mountains

The enemy below seemed to have wised up a bit, but it was really Russell’s fault for having stopped long enough for one of the men to catch him. Then they had all had to stop, trying to devise a way to save him.

The man below who had Russell was telling them to surrender. Maori glanced at the Kilvaynes and Young. The look on Young’s face gave her the response she was looking for.

“Leave him,” Young said.

They moved quickly, as quickly as they had before, but now to outpace the Allied troop while still gunning them down. Unfortunately, a few of their bullets hit Russell, but there was no time to stop and worry about that now. With the man in command plus the one bringing people back to life to the rear, Young knew they were dealing with a much more deadly enemy than they had expected. It was a thrill, really.

City
Dakari, Rayleigh, Andrea, and ChaToiya

Hardly had there ever been a better pair than Lucius and Dakari. In her youth, she had dreamed of being married to a man who fit her as well as her parents fit together, but, as she grew older, she learned how difficult that would be. Somehow, though, she had managed it, and she was more than happy to be at Lucius’ side, no matter where they were. But here, fighting beside each other, was a bonding time of sorts. She blocked the bullets, and Lucius fired off at anyone who needed it; there were Specials among the Allies, and they needed being disposed of. Ah, well. Every threat met greater than its match.

Dakari smirked at Lucius’ comment. Oh, this was it for these men and women, caught all unguarded in a Dominion web. The only thing that stood between her and complete slaughter was one order. She was waiting, as were her mother and her sisters, for the final word on their enemies’ fate. One word. One order. Dakari, of course, was hoping that order would be to kill them all, but she had to wait. She would have done whatever she wanted had it been someone she did not respect, but this was her father she was waiting for. She shot Lucius a quick look that he sure he would understand, then faced forward.

“How does it feel?” Dakari taunted. “To feel your lives in the balance? We haven’t decided what to do with you yet, you know. There’s only so much blood to spill before you get sick of it….”

Her statement trailed off as she saw the arrival of the ships in the distance, past the roofs of the city. Out of reach of her abilities for now, but however many troops were boarded there would have to be dealt with very, very swiftly. Dakari frowned.

“I suspect your friends back there have sealed your fates. Enjoy your trip.”

City, above
Shawn and Anastasia

It was easy for Ana to accept Helena’s words. She felt she knew the young woman well enough to trust her. Besides, no one had told Dakari to kill the negotiator; why she had done so was a mystery to all of the other Johessmans. Until Dakari explained herself, Ana was less inclined to approach her sister as well.

“I’ll watch out for you,” Ana promised Helena. Then, looking over to her father, she said, “Once you have a place for us, let’s do it.”

Shawn paused. “Ana, are you suggesting that we put the woman we’ve sworn to protect directly in harm’s way?”

“Nooooo,” Ana protested. “If there’s anything we can do, maybe disable those ships over there or something, then we can do that. We don’t have to go into the battle proper.”

Shawn nodded. “All right. But keep her safe, Ana. I don’t care what that entails.”

Ana nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”

She picked up a brace of pistols, with one at each waist. “Choose your weapon, sis,” Ana said to Helena. “Once we’re ready, we’ve got to be ready.”

Shawn was gazing through the window. The arriving ships’ lights were unwittingly lighting up a small group of people, cast in shadow, but definitely heading toward the standoff. Shawn frowned. Those were not Dominion; if they were, one of the Johessmans would have been there, and someone would have reported to them. “Roll call and placement,” Shawn said.

Through a radio: “Rayleigh. All in the net.”

That was followed by three clicks. Young was not in a position to verbally communicate.

Shawn glanced up at Ana. “You, and me. We’re all here.”

Ana frowned.

Shawn gestured toward the window. “Unknowns approaching. They don’t appear to be with us.”

“We’ll investigate.” Ana picked up a fresh earpiece and nodded to Helena. “You ready to go, sis?”





Downstairs, and shrouded in shadow, a new player watched the door.

SIREN
City

She had strayed closer to the battleground, which had fallen into a pause. It seemed the Allied troops were disinclined to attempt to fight their way out, not with Dakari and Lucius right there, and not with Dominion forces on all sides. That was probably a smart move; the Johessmans had stopped, resulting in something of a cease-fire, and there was the chance Shawn might be merciful and let them go. She was one of the very few people who knew Shawn was not dead, and she was certain he was the one giving orders from wherever he was.

She also saw the group approaching, but had no idea who they were. She waited, her eyes closed for a moment as she focused her ability, then opened them again, ready to strike out if necessary. Still moving through empty and dark back streets, she moved toward the group as quietly as she could.

Parallax
City, above

He was waiting for something to happen. So far, so good. The Allied troops were doing the smart thing and waiting for matters to play out among the Johessmans. They were certainly in communication with each other, even he could see that.

The lights of the approaching ships revealed a small group of people making their way north. He trained his sight in that direction. There was no way for him to tell who they were. Whoever they were, the ships had just given them away. He thought for a moment that the ships would have been wiser to enter with the lights killed but then remembered how rocky the inlet was. That was probably all they could manage, the lights they had left on, he supposed.

He moved to the right; knowing what he meant by that, his accomplice moved into the window and watched the north, where the Johessmans still held their troops at bay. It could not stay quiet for long, they knew; but what would set things off, neither man knew. That would have made it all much too easy.