HAWLWADIG ROAD – BAKARA MARKET
KRAGOK'S MILITIA STRONGHOLD
Deep in the marketplace of Echidnapolice, Julie-Su wanders around while looking at all of the Dark Legion echidnas. Many echidnas are buying AK-47 guns, some are selling them, and others are over roof-tops watching everything. Julie-Su wonders to herself what's going to happen.
INT. BRIEFING TENT – ECHIDNAPOLICE AIRPORT – ARMY BASE – SAME TIME
Max Acorn stands in front of a table giving his attack plan. Behind the table is a whole row of Rangers and Delta furries. Sitting in between Max are Rotor Walrus and Jules Hedgehog.
MAX: A long an anticipated meeting of Kragok's senior cabinet may take place today at 1500 hours. We say "may" because we all know by now with the intel we get on the street, nothing is certain. This is actual intel confirmed by three sources. Two tier-one personalities may be present: Xenin Echidna, Menniker's top political advisor, and Enerjak, interior minister. These are the guys we're after. Today we go. Same mission template as before.
Max walked to an overhead map of Echidnapolice and pointed at the target building.
MAX: *cont.* 1545 Assault Force Delta will infiltrate the target building and seize all suspects within. Security Force Rangers, 4 Ranger chalks, under command of Captain Rouge, will rope in at 1546 and hold a four-corner perimeter around the target building. No one gets in or out. Extraction Force: Lieutenant Colonel Knuckles' humvee column will drive into the city at 1547 on Hawlwadig Road and hold just short of the Olympic Hotel here. Wait for the green light. Once Delta gives the word, Knuckles' column will move to the target building and load the prisoners on flatbed trucks. Immediately after the prisoners are loaded, the four Ranger chalks will collapse back to the target building, load up on humvees, and the entire ground force will exit the 3 miles back to base. Mission time, from insertion to extraction, no longer than 30 minutes.
All the furries heard the plan well. General Max continued.
MAX: Now, I had requested light armor and AC-130 Spectre gunships but Mobodoon, in all its wisdom, decided against this. Too high-profile. So Black Hawks and Little Birds will provide the air cover with miniguns and 2.75 rockets. Colonel Rotor.
Max sat down in a chair, then Rotor spoke up while sitting in his own chair.
ROTOR: In the C-2 bird, Colonel Jules will coordinate the air mission, and I will coordinate the ground forces. Colonel Jules.
JULES: Mission launch code word is Irene. Question?
SONIC: Which building is it, sir?
MAX: Exactly which building we're confirming right now. Somewhere near the Bakara market. *pause* I don't choose the time or place of their meetings.
SONIC: I didn't say a word, sir.
MAX: Make no mistake, once you're in the Bakara market you're in an entirely hostile district. Don't underestimate their capabilities. Now we'll be going through friendly neighborhoods before we hit the market… so remember the rules of engagement: No one fires unless fired upon. Now, let's go get this thing done. Good luck, ladies and gentlemen.
The furries got up and left. Knuckles the Echidna walked to Rotor and Jules just outside the debriefing tent.
JULES: What's the matter, Bobby? Something you don't like?
KNUCKLES: *smiling* No Spectre gunships, daylight instead of night, that afternoon we're all fucked up on khat, only part of the city Menniker can mount a serious counter-attack on short notice, what's not to like?
ROTOR: Life's imperfect.
KNUCKLES: Yeah, for you two, circling above it at 500 feet, it's imperfect. Down in the street, it's unforgiving.
Rotor and Jules left, and Shadow saw and heard the whole conversation from inside the tent.
INT. ALLEY – ECHIDNAPOLICE
In an empty alley in Echidnapolice, Julie-Su is using black duct tape to tape an "X" on the top of her white car.
INT. HANGER – ARMY BASE – NEAR OPEN DOOR
Shadow sits at a table taking notes in his notebook. Outside, right behind him, Hawking Echidna is playing basketball. Hawking stop with the basketball in his hand and noticed Shadow was working. He threw the basketball to Shadow and it bounced off the table, almost giving Shadow a heart-attack! Hawking grabbed his ball.
SHADOW: *angrely* What the fuck, Hawking?
Hawking leans toward Shadow, smiling.
HAWKING: Well?
SHADOW: Well, what?
HAWKING: We going? *passes basketball to Shadow*
SHADOW: *grabs ball* Why should I tell you that?
HAWKING: Because I'm me.
Shadow got up from his table and started dribbling the ball.
SHADOW: Yeah. 3:00. Downtown. Bakara market.
HAWKING: All right.
SHADOW: Listen, Hawking, I need you to back me up out there today, all right? *passes ball to Hawking* Keep sharp.
HAWKING: *catches ball and solutes* Yes, sir, Sergeant Shadow. *Shadow sits at his table again* Shade, it's going to be nothing, man. Nothing. *runs away dribbling the ball*
INT. COFFEE SHACK – ARMY BASE
Inside of the coffee shack is Manic the Hedgehog and Remington Echidna. Manic is making coffee while Remington is sitting in a chair.
MANIC: It's all in the grind, Remington. Can't be too fine, can't be too course. This, my friend, is a science. I mean, you're looking at the hedgehog who believed the commercials. You know, about "be all that you can be." *pause, angrily* I made coffee through the Great Mobian War. *pours coffee in two mugs* I made coffee through the Metal Battles, while everyone else got to fight, got to be a Ranger. *slams coffee kettle on the table angrily* Now it's, "Manny, black, one sugar" or "Manny, got a powdered anywhere?"
Manic took the two mugs and walked to Remington. As Manic handed the mug to Remington, he could clearly see that Remington has a cast on his left arm.
MANIC: What happened to you?
REMINGTON: Ping-Pong accident.
MANIC: What?
REMINGTON: So guess what. Your wish has been granted. You're going out today.
MANIC: *wide-eyed* You're fucking me.
REMINGTON: *shakes head* You're taking my place as assistant 60 gunner. Sergeant Shadow said to get your stuff and get ready.
There was a pause with a shocked look on Manic's face.
REMINGTON: It's what you wanted, isn't it?
MANIC: Oh, yeah. *pause* Hell, yeah.
LATER
Manic is now sitting with all of the Rangers in Shadow's chalk.
SHADOW: Manny, I want you to stick with Trevor and give him ammo when he needs it. Hoo-ah?
MANIC: Hoo-ah.
TREVOR: I wouldn't worry about that. Generally speaking, Dark Legions can't shoot for shit.
CYRUS: *pats Manic on the back* Don't worry about it, just watch out for the Dels throwing the fucking rock, and you'll be alright. Might even be fun.
GRIFF: D-boys do their thing now. All we got to do is cover them. Choppers going to cover us. And we'll be alright.
Shadow stands up in front of the Rangers.
SHADOW: Look, you guys, I know this is my first time as chalk leader but, this isn't our first time out together. This is serious. We're Rangers, not some sorry-ass JROTC. We're elite. Let's act like it out there. Hoo-ah?
Everyone else gave a "whoop."
SHADOW: Any questions? *pause* We're going to be okay. All right, grab your gear. Let's move out.
Everyone got up and started to get their gear ready. Shadow can clearly see from across the hanger than Sonic and the other Delta's are getting ready as well.
Manic began to fill his canteen with water, but Geoffrey St. John spoke up.
GEOFFREY: You're not going to need that, dude. We're not out there long enough.
Manic then picked up his night-vision goggles case to inspect them, but Antoine stopped him.
ANTOINE: You're not going to need that, either. We'll be back before dark. You might as well take dope and beer instead.
MANIC: *shocked* What?
ANTOINE: Ammo, dude. Take ammo.
Manic placed the goggles under his chair along with his water. Then he noticed Trevor taking out the armor sheets from his vest.
TREVOR: Let me tell you something, Manic. You got about 50 pounds of gear. Don't need an extra 12. I don't know about you, but I'm not planning on getting shot in the back running away.
MANIC: Well, I better keep mine in.
SHADOW: Hey, Manic. Most important thing: just remember when everyone else is shooting, shoot in the same direction.
Manic pointed his two index fingers at Shadow and smiled.
SOMEWHERE ELSE
Somewhere else, Ari Ram is putting a tape that says, "B-NEG" on his boots. Mighty and Silver-Sonic see him from across the room.
MIGHTY: Look at this, Silver-Sonic. He's taping his blood type to his boots. That's bad luck.
SILVER-SONIC: No, it's smart. All Delta do that.
MIGHTY: That's bad luck too, man. Come on, let's go.
Mighty got up and left. Silver-Sonic, while holding onto a letter, walked to Remington.
SILVER-SONIC: Good thing you're right-handed, Remington. *teases* I don't know what you'd do.
REMINGTON: *force chuckles* You're a funny guy, man.
Silver-Sonic hands him the enveloped letter.
REMINGTON: I'm not taking no death letter.
SILVER-SONIC: We have a deal. *slips it in Remington's hand*
REMINGTON: I'll give it back to you in an hour.
SOMEWHERE ELSE
Back with Shadow's chalk, Fiona is all in gear and she clicks her repel clips quickly.
SHADOW: Fiona, you okay?
FIONA: Excited. *pause* In a good way. I've been training my whole life for this.
SHADOW: You ever shot at anybody before?
FIONA: No, sir.
SHADOW: *pause* Me, either.