The Black Heart and the Machine God

It was a bustling Sunday morning in the main plaza of the ancient holy city of Trier. Everyone was coming to the High Church of Deus ex Mechanicus, the Machine God. To the average untrained eye, it felt like everyone arriving was coming to pay their respects to the one god that gave a plentiful bounty to the Protoans. However, all was not as it would be.

One of the last people to enter the massive cathedral was a young man in bulky clothing. His name was Antonov Gravinsky, a Slavic national who had seen his homeland overran by the Protoan Empire. Naturally, he was not happy at all about this, but knew he couldn't do much. That was until one day when The Black Heart terrorist cell recruited him. They didn't train him with guns, no. All they did was give him explosives and instructed him to strike a nice civilian target. And what better place than one of the largest cathedrals in all of Protoa.

Antonov quickly looked around the center of the floor to find an available space. He quickly found one, right next to a young child. For a brief moment, he felt remorse for what he was about to do and pondered not attacking at all. But he knew if he didn't act, he and his family would continue to suffer, and then The Black Heart would find and eliminate him. Sighing deeply, he knew he had no choice. As the crowd started to stand and sing the opening hymns, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the remote detonator. In a heartbeat, he pressed the button, and sealed not just his fate and the fate of everyone in the cathedral, but potentially the Slavic lands and Protoa as well.

The explosion rocked the cathedral, and all of a sudden, chaos broke out...

Alert
Location: Trier
Coordinates: 1.0030-34.45
Nature: A massive explosion with the magnitude of 2.3 Kilotons has been discovered and reported at the Cathedral of Deus Ex Mechanicus. Casualties are approximately 350 souls.
Recommendation: Begin Inquisition Deployment.
Sending.....Sending...
==========================================================
Trier
"Well what do we have here?", said Inquisitor Teren.

"It appears to be a central detonation, Inquisitor", Inquisitor Xum replied. "The slavic man appears to hail from the nation of Cartaria, or possibly Sorboldistan, but i cannot be too sure. They reproduce in such arcane ways."

Teren thought for a moment. "Very well, inform Lord Lucian of the situation. I know he will be most displeased with this action but we have no other choice."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Protos
Important Announcement!
The Deus Mechanicus Empire is in a de facto state of war against the nations of Cartaria and Sorboldistan, following the horrible terrorist attack in the Protoan city of Trier. If the nations do not reply to this action then the Empire will have no choice but to respond with military action.

1 Mile from the Arenburg/Arbourg Border Crossing
Sunday, 2130 Hours

It had already been a long day for Korps Commando Troepen Captain Timothy Matthews. He had just finished a grueling training exercise with a hundred other commandos when he had been told to ready up for a trip to Protoa. And this wasn't for leave either. No, they had told him that a problem had occurred just over the border and he was to help look into it. And seeing as how Protoa had limited airspace movement so as to try and prevent yet another attack, he would have to arrive by car. But no matter for him, he would use the long trip to study what had been known.

The captain was extremely young, at a mere 23 years of age. At six feet tall and weighing 155 pounds, he was considered by many to be a lightweight. And there were stories and rumors as to how he advanced so far into the ranks so fast. Some speculated his families' connections with the high ranking military officials and politicians of Canton Rouge had gotten him there. Others speculated he was part of a government project to create the ultimate super soldier. But the truth was, he was simply a good shot, and exhibited excellent battlefield leadership and tactical sense.

"So Captain, what do you make of this situation in Protoa?" his driver asked.

Tim looked up from the briefing he had received back at LE CEITO and replied, "Well, if you ask me, it sounds like some religious extremist went off the deep end and wants to accelerate the process of fighting for independence. Probably a bad move if you ask me."

"Right. But if you want my opinion," the driver countered, "it's nothing more than a crazy Protoan wanting his fifteen minutes of fame."

"Don't say that out loud. And keep your eyes open, we're at the border crossing. Let me handle the talking, alright?"

The driver nodded and rolled down both driver and passenger side windows. At once, a Protoan Border Guard walked up and asked, "Identification, please."

"Here," Tim replied, handing his ID card that had him marked as 'special forces'. The guard looked it over, scanned it, made a quick call to verify the information was accurate and valid, and then sent them on their way.

"That was quick, sir," the driver mentioned as soon as they were out of the crossing point.

"Special Forces Personnel in Allied Countries get through border crossings quicker thanks to training needs or assisting their fellow allies. If you had done the talking, we would have been stuck there for about a few hours. And that's time we can't afford."

"I see. Do you want to get some rest? We should be in Trier in about an hour or so and I'll awaken you when we arrive at Ground Zero."

"That would be excellent...."


=======

Earlier,
The Black Heart Command Center, Sewers of Belgrade, Serbia
Sunday, 1930 Hours

"Igor! Igor! Grand news!"

"What is Sergei?"

"Antonov launched his successful attack on Trier today. Confirmed casualties number at least 300, and it should rise!"

"Excellent. That will teach the Protoans to meddle in the Slavic lands."

"Some bad news though, sir."

"I know, Protoa is planning action against Cartaria and Sorboldistan. Rest assured they will not take it lying down. And The Black Heart will be there, harassing them. Protoa will learn that they will no longer meddle with the Slavs!"

Protos
"My Lord, we have members from Canton Rouge en route to us as we speak. I believe they will be coming to our aid, should the need arise." The servitor then powered down and remained silent.

Lucian contemplated his next move. "Sorboldistan and Cartaria both refuse to comment on any terrorist action that has been made. This goes as far back when when my relative and founder of Protoa fought the wars against Sorboldistan and the PSC. I personally am not going to relent from such a audacity to attack the most technologically advanced nation in the world."

He then walked to his comm unit and addressed General Saren. "Greetings General Saren. Your father served our Founder, Saiedion Lucian of Mechanicus for a great many years throughout everything that has occurred. I hope that you will serve me in the same way. We are cybernets, therefore we simply are."

The General bowed. "I will serve you my Lord until my biological part of me can no longer be sustained by the the mechanical me. I will welcome the members of Canton Rouge with open arms."
==========================================================
Protoa, Sorboldistan, Cartaria Border
"Cold today yes?" asked a Cartarian soldier to his Sorboldian trooper companion.

"Colder than usual on a summer day but it is to be expected in these Bulgarian mountains. Look! Those are Protoan Marines!"

Towering at 6ft 8 inches tall and weighing 500lbs each, the Protoan Marine was literally a mobile tank. When they fired there Assault Bolters with 70 caliber bolts, the soldiers would literally be turned to dust. However, the Marines remained in place and never faltering from the established border.

"Hey you! Ya you Protoan robot! What the hell are you doing so close to our border?" yelled the Cartarian soldier.

The Protoan Marine Captain Uriel Varns smiled a deep furrowed smile. His cybernetics hummed with electrical energies. His auto scanner in his left iris picked up all 250 targets on the border camp.
"Well, Cartarian, we are here until our great Lord commands us to either leave or teach you monkeys how to use tech and not bang rocks together."

Trier, 0030 Hours, Monday

"Wake up, Captain. We're here."

Tim groggily opened his eyes to see that they had in fact arrived at their destination. All around, he could see various large screen televisions continuously broadcasting the bombing and Protoa's response.

"So where do I go from here?" the driver asked.

"Take the next exit off of the highway," Tim replied. From there, you'll want to head right until we reach the blocked off area. Just drop me off at the cordon, I can make my way from there."

"Yes sir!" the driver said. The remaining drive over to ground zero was relatively uneventful, save for a light rain that had started to fall over the city. Within minutes, they were a block from the military cordon. Almost immediately, the car went into a stop.

As Tim got out to grab his gear, he could hear his driver wishing him luck. With a nod and a thumbs up, he gave the all clear, and the car turned around and headed back home. It was time to figure out what had happened, and to prevent it from happening again.

Tim put on his helmet, that had been recently upgraded to a new interface system referred to as the Battlefield Network or BatNet. It was a brand new interface and it still needed to be worked on, but it gave the user real time information and map readings in the visor of the helmet. Slung over his shoulder was an MP7 Special Service Select that came equipped with a grip and suppressor. And finally, a PDA to track any leads or intel on the situation. And now, he set out on his first task, to find the person in charge of operations and figure out what was new, and if any new developments had occurred.

=======

[center]Protoa, Sorboldistan, Cartaria Border[/center/

Out in the mountains, four Black Heart terrorists had been busy scouting around, waiting to see what the Protoans were planning to do. They had to be careful, so as not to be seen by the Protoans, and more importantly, to not be seen as supporting Sorboldistan or Cartaria. But now was the time to launch another strike and see how the Protoan menace would respond.

"No lethal force today," the leader commented. "We are simply to use three rounds alongside this anti-materiel rifle and cause a disruption of supplies."

"I volunteer," a grizzled terrorist replied. He was given the rifle and the ammunition, and told to find anything worth destroying in a nearby supply camp the Protoans were using. Just as long as he didn't shoot anyone.

The sniper took aim at his first target. It was nothing more than a mere light armored personnel carrier. But before shooting, he looked at his second and third targets. After hitting the vehicle, he would have to swing to the right and take out a few supply crates before swinging it over to a power box. Confident in what he needed to do, he turned the rifle back over towards the vehicle. In the short span of eight seconds, he sent his rounds off towards the targets....

Uriel Varns was paced at the border bored out of his mind. It was at that moment that 3 supply trucks all went up in flames at the same time.

"From the sky brothers! The heathens want blood! Give it to them!"

Uriel and his men unslung their Battle Bolters, a assault rifle version of a storm bolter, and took aim at the Cartarian guard.

"Stop! We did not fire! This would be a act of-" said the Cartian soldier before being cut down by metal slugs.

"Push on men! Push all the way to Stalingrad!"
-----------------------------------------------------------+---------------------
Protos
"Its official my lord, Cartaria and Sorboldistan are indeed in a alliance with this new terrorist group that calls themselves Blackheart."

Lucian sighed. "The audacity! Send all forces into Cartaria and Sorboldistan!"

It didn't take long for Tim's PDA to ring with activity. He took one look at it, and muttered a curse word underneath his breath. It appeared that The Black Heart had opted to aggravate Protoa even more and as a result, hostilities had commenced amongst the border between Protoa, Cartaria, and Sorboldistan.

"This is a big mistake," he thought. "It's only going to embolden more people to join The Black Heart. And then what? Protoa is going to face more attacks. And before you know it, the public is going to ask 'Why?'. I need to get to the bottom of this."

Tim knew he had to act and he had to act now. He therefore continued moving towards ground zero where he saw multiple Protoans continuing their investigation. He figured there was only one chance to get their attention. Therefore, he quickly announced, "Who's in charge of operations here?"

=======

The Black Heart Command Center, Sewers of Belgrade, Serbia
Monday Morning

"Igor!"

"Yes, Sergei?"

"The Protoans have engaged the forces of Cartaria and Sorboldistan!"

"Hmmmm, while this is not good in the short term, it could potentially give an increase to our numbers. Now listen closely, Sergei. Order all field units to go on a 24 hour period of observation. We do not need to force the Protoans into a position that would see us weakened."

"Yes sir!"

"Meanwhile, find anyone willing to fight and get them into a unit. Once we figure out Protoa's intentions, we'll plan our next phase..."

Brother Captain Varns continued his frontal assault on the the Cartarian front, his men joining the fight and attacked with ferocity.

The relentless barrage surprised the troops and they began a panic retreat as fast as they could looking in amazement as most of their rounds were deflected by the marines armor.

----------------------------------------------
At the response to Captain Matthews inquiry a tall man with a cybernetic walking cradle turned to face him.
"I am Inquisitor Eisenhorn. Who's asking?"

Tim turned towards the man who had asked the question. He was certainly tall, even taller than him, but it didn't faze him. After all, he had a job to do. He simply responded, "I am. Captain Timothy Matthews, 1st Detachment of the Korps Commando Troepen. I have been assigned to assist in your investigation of the attack here in Trier..."

It was at that moment that his helmet interface buzzed with activity. It shut down for a moment before rebooting, and this time, a voice was there to greet him.

"Welcome to the Battlefield Network version 1 Mark II. I am your AI interface Miranda. How can I assist you?"

Tim was in shock for a moment at what was going on. What was he going to do with a voice in his head telling him what was going on and how to help him. After briefly excusing himself for a moment, he simply commented to his new companion, "What can you do?"

"Well," Miranda started. "I can provide a detailed analysis of your surroundings and anyone you may deem of interest, so long as they have any sort of trail, whether it is DNA or data, that can be tracked. I can also alert you to any real time updates of your situation. And as I get upgraded, I should be able to provide even more assistance."

"Alright then. Can you check into any reports of a Slavic man who had arrived at this church right before the attack?"

"It will take a while, considering this is a new program, but I will look into it."

Tim then returned to the Inquisitor and said, "Inquisitor Eisenhorn, there's a reasonable chance that this attack was not supported or endorsed by Cartaria or Sorboldistan, and that The Black Heart simply wishes to frame them for their own agendas. With your permission, I'd like to start analyzing the area and figuring out anything about the attacker. I would also like to request the assistance of an additional person to help me out with this investigation, as more ground can be covered if I have a partner. What do you say to that?"

Eisenhorn smiled. "Of course I can help accompany you, our tech priests will be a great asset to the team. Oh and dont mind the cyberskulls." It was then he caught Matthews attention to the hover human skull.
"These are the ancestors of many techpriest that still wish to serve, even in death."

Tim nodded, and started his search of the ruined cathedral. It was hard for him to think of what to look for, as the cathedral was in such a state of ruin. As he continued his walk, he almost tripped over something. As he looked, he saw a blown up corpse. 'Could this be the man?'.

"Miranda, can you run a scan on this individual? It may be hard considering the lack of...well, a body."

"Hmmmm, scans show the individual is Protoan, but any trace of implants were obliterated. The same goes for every body in the area. But you will be pleased to know I have a potential lead on the bomber."

"Who is it?"

"His name is Antonov Gravinsky."

"Can you pull up a file on him?"

"Certainly." As the data popped up on his visor, Tim started taking down useful information.

"Age: 23 years. Resided in Zagreb, Protoan Empire. Lived with his family as he did odd jobs around the town. And apparently, the last known sighting of him in Zagreb was when he purchased a one way ticket to Trier. Interesting."

Tim then turned to the Inquisitor and said, "Inquisitor Eisenhorn, I have a potential lead. Our man appears to be from within your borders, but in the Slav lands. Although he won't be of use to us, perhaps his family will be. They are in Zagreb. If we act fast, we can get any information before someone else does."

ooc: Computer Delays sorry

Eisenhorn nodded. "Agreed. We must deal with this interior attack before our nation is ripped apart further by this grievous attack. I have radioed to command and the Protoan Marines have halted their attack of Cartaria and Sorboldistan. For now at least."

He then turned to the cyberskull. "Radio Lord Lucian that we are proceeding to apprehend the others bring them in for questioning."

Belgrade, Igor Ravanov's Manor
Monday, midday Belgrade time

"And if we act fast, we can have our sleeper units in the Caucasus Mountains move up to engage the Protoans along Steppe Line Bravo, my lord."

"Excellent. And as long as they remember to utilize hit-and-run tactics and set traps, we can force the invaders to a standstill...."

"Igor! Igor! Urgent news!"

"What is it?"

"Our scouts have reported that the Protoans have started to come to a standstill. This does not go well with our plans!"

"Hmmmmm. It is time to change plans then. Order your men to observe and recon the Protoans. Do not engage at all, understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"Meanwhile, let me mention our next plan to embolden the Black Heart to hero status. In about 10 days, we shall send a special surprise to the people of Protos. When they see what we have in store, they will cry for peace. They will stop the bloodshed of the Slavic people. And we will then take the fight to the incompetence that is Cartaria and Sorboldistan!"

=======


The long ride from one side of the country to the other meant that time could be spent gathering intelligence on their enemy. Or having a pleasant conversation, depending on what your purpose on the train was. For the likes of the commando and the inquisitor, there was a little mix of both.

"So what have you learned so far?" the Inquisitor asked.

"About the Black Heart?"

"Yes."

"Some very interesting facts. It would seem that their relationship between Cartaria and Sorboldistan isn't exactly what you would expect it to be."

"How so?"

"Get this. 12 years ago when Cartaria elected a new president, there was a major assassination attempt on him through a couple of snipers."

"And the Black Heart were involved how?"

"Well, when the snipers were brought in, one of them reportedly announced 'This attack was because the voice of the Hinterland Slavs was not heard. The man elected to power does not care about our woes. The Black Heart will ensure that until we are heard, we will not relent!' Reportedly, the Cartarian government passed off the attackers as nothing more than troubled youth and didn't investigate further."

"Go on."

"Then last year, the Cartarian embassy in Sorboldistan was overran by a Black Heart cell. They apparently demanded that the Cartarian government did more to help out the people in rural areas or blood would start flowing."

"What happened then?"

"A bloodbath did occur. Sorboldistan decided to send in units to stop the crisis, and although they did exterminate all the terrorists, they couldn't stop 33 hostages from being executed as well. For a few days, there were some choice words between the two countries, but both agreed that the actions the Black Heart did were unjust."

"So what does this mean?"

"In all honesty, I would think that at best, The Black Heart is seen as simply tolerated in those two countries, but apparently, their leader must somehow have a way to pay off the leaders or something because their main power base seems to come from those two countries."

"Okay. So how about the family of our attacker. Anything on them?"

"Nothing so far, but the Slavs in Zagreb reside in a small seaside quarter in town. We may not need to look far if that is the case."

Eisenhorn sighed. It would come to unending war with these Slavs, for they were backwards in their thinking. He turned to his cyberskull.

"Keep all forces on red alert. Do not, I repeat do not have the Protoan Marines move from their position but keep a open eye. Inform Lord Master Vako of Malleus to proceed with La Purga."

Eisenhorn then turned to Captain Matthews. "Well, my fellow captain, we will have to do to this the hard way with the Black Heart. Inquisitors of Protoa are a feared force. Not because of what they know of us, it's what they do not know of us. We infiltrate, we observe, and when the timing is correct....we annihilate. Let us proceed with our investigation shall we?"

========================================================

Belgrade

"What are you doing? Get out of my house you filth!" , yelled a Slavic man at a man wearing black leather suit. Underneath could be seen a special ceramite armor.

"We aren't going anywhere you fool." The man replied.

"Well what do you want?"

The man smiled and pulled out a Inquisitor Rosette. It prominently displayed "Malleus". Then he said, "To find some things about your little friends known as Black Heart."

Belgrade

"I will not tell you anything! This is a waste of your time!" the Slav shouted.

"It will certainly not be a waste of time. Either way, I will get the information I need. You can cooperate or you can make your life a living hell."

The Slav simply eyed the man and told him, "Go to hell, you worthless cybernetic demon." He then proceed to spit on him, knowing full well the consequences...


=======

Zagreb, Slavic Seaside Quarter, Tuesday Morning

"Is this the address?" Eisenhorn asked.

"According to the data Miranda was able to gather up, it is. It kind of helped that Antonov used this as his address when he bought his ticket."

"Then let's move." Tim nodded and proceeded to knock on the door. After a minute, a voice responded, "What is it?!"

"We just want to ask a few questions regarding your son. It's very important that we do this," Tim replied.

"Then come on in," the voice immediately retorted. After watching the captain and the inquisitor walk in, the man shut the door and asked, "So what is it you wish to know about Antonov?"

"Well, what type of man was he?" Tim asked.

"It depended on what day it was. Some days, he was a quiet kid who mainly kept to himself. Other days, and pretty much from last month up until he left home a week ago, he was an aggressive man who lashed out at any symbol of authority."

"Go on."

"Lately, he had been spending any free time in Belgrade. He said he was spending time with friends. But the one time he invited them over here, I did not like them. They were unruly, aggressive, and chanted 'Praise to the Black Heart'. I just assumed they were just kids wanting to vent a little steam."

"So how did Antonov leave for Trier?"

"10 days ago, I told him he wasn't allowed to visit Belgrade anymore for his own safety. He took it very hard and stormed out of the house. Caused a bit of damage over at one of the shops and they threw him in jail for a couple of nights. After that, he came back, took what money he had left, and said to me, 'Goodbye father. Next time you hear about me, I will be making headlines. I'm going somewhere far and away.'"

"Are you aware that your son destroyed an important Protoan cathedral in Trier?" the inquisitor queried.

"When I saw it in the news, I figured it would have been him. If only I had stepped in sooner, maybe none of this mess would have occurred."

Tim chimed in, "When exactly did your son start showing active hate towards Protoa?"

"After he came back from his first trip to Belgrade," the man replied. "And every time he came back from that city, his hate only seemed to increase. In all honesty, I wish I could be of more help to you, but the last few weeks, my son and I didn't have the best relationship going. I only allowed him to stay here because none of his friends wanted to take him in."

Tim thought for a moment, then said, "I think we have everything we need here then. Thank you for your time."

=======

Afterwards, outside

"Well Inquisitor, based on the fact that Antonov frequented Belgrade, and that he received his experiences with the Black Heart there, I'm willing to bet it would be their central command. And if we're lucky, we may find the Black Heart's leader there."

"Then let's move."

"Let me make one quick call back to my command," Tim replied. After bringing out his PDA and activating his phone, he activated a number he knew by heart.

"Raven 1-1 to KCT CentCom, do you copy?"

"KCT CentCom here. What do you have on the Trier case?"

"It seems that a sect called The Black Heart is responsible. We're heading to their home base of Belgrade. Do we have any nearby units that can perform a recon sweep of the city and track any Black Heart leaders?"

"Affirmative. I'll begin ordering them to switch positions from Kosovo. CentCom out."

Eisenhorn looked over to Tim. "It seems that this will be Protoa's and Canton Rouge's finest hour. The time where we both said that enough is enough. The hatred cannot continue."

Tim seemed to acknowledge that with pride. "From Reich State to close friend, we're in this together."

The Inquisitor nodded with vigor. "Then we shall now move with purpose. To Kosovo."

====================================================
Belgrade

The Inquisitor bristled at the audacity of the Slav, but quickly gained composure.

"Well then my friend. Allow me to introduce myself. The Holy Terran Council will govern in my absence. I am Charles Gregor Lucian."

The Slav seemed to tremble at this. Even more so when Inquisitor Lucian shifted his hands and long metal tendrils began to unsheath themselves out of his fingertips.

"These little things, are called Gleaners. My personal invention, it has my touch. They insert themselves in your spinal cord and cranial cavity to extract every piece of viable information. Let's see whats on your mind, shall we?"

The Slav began to shake with fear and then screamed in pain as the tendrils found their mark.

OOC: They're heading to Belgrade, not Kosovo. Just a heads up there. And the flashback is of the Slav having tendrils go inside of him.

Belgrade, Unknown Location
Memory Flashback of Rasputin Dagovich, One Day Earlier

"Rasputin, how are things going on Operation Hellfire?"

"The seven brave souls have begun making their way to Protos for the big plan, Igor. I question having to wait 10 days before we launch our attack. We should strike sooner! We must strike sooner!"

"I know your feelings regarding this, but if we strike too soon, our men won't be prepared in time. It may do us more harm than do. Have patience, our goal will be accomplished."

"At least move it up two days then. I have received word from a trusted friend that the leader will be addressing the people in a mass gathering. This would be an excellent time to attack."

"I will think about it and give you an answer in two days."

"As you wish my lord."

=======


At a dim moonlit square in the heart of Black Heart territory, sixteen men met. These were commandos belonging to the KCT, and they were in place for a big reconnaissance mission.

"Are we all accounted for?" one of the commandos asked.

"Affirmative sir!" Another one replied.

"Good. So here's the plan then. According to intel from one of our other commandos who will be here tomorrow, we know Belgrade is a hub for Black Heart activity. Therefore, they must have either their head person or some top key personnel in the area as well."

"Our plan," he continued, "is to engage in a watch and observe recon action. We are not to engage in lethal force unless absolutely necessary. And even then, make sure your kills are discreet. We can't afford to let anyone know what's up. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," the other 15 commandos said in unison.

"Okay then. Alpha and Delta squads, you'll hit the north side of town. I'll take Bravo and Echo squads and look over the south side of town. We meet back here at dawn and consult our arrivals on what we've learned. Sound good?"

"Yes sir."

"Then let's go. We need to act fast..."

=======

Wednesday Morning, Belgrade
Square of the Martyr

"Are you positive we'll have some information?" Inquisitor Eisenhorn asked.

"These men have a specialty in espionage and information gathering. It would be foolish to believe that these men spent many hours and didn't get anything," Captain Matthews retorted.

"I hope you're right."

"Don't worry about it." He then proceed to scan the square before walking over towards a shifty man who was leaning by a tree. Tim gave him one look and said, "The red sparrow flies only at midnight."

The man looked back and replied, "But only if it has survived the day from its predators."

Nodding, Tim asked, "So what have your men learned?"

"Well, the leader of the Black Heart is a man named Igor Ravanov and he has a base of command in a manor located on the eastern suburbs. It also has access to the city sewers in case he feels threatened."

"Go on."

"We know that he spends the majority of his time during the day in the sewers, but we're not sure where. At night, he always stays at his manor."

"How about guards. How many patrol the manor?"

"It depends on the time of day. In the day, he has about 30 guards on patrol, with the majority of them on the grounds. At night, it jumps to around 50 and they predominantly stick to the building itself."

"Any ways inside?"

"Besides the obvious main entrance, there are two side entrances, one each on the east and west wings. We also know that a rooftop entrance exists, but to get up to it, you'll have to climb a pipe."

"Okay, so do we have any transportation in case we have targets to extract?"

"I have men on it right now. One of the teams will be responsible for manning them. And one other thing you should know."

"What is it?"

"Word is Igor may be leaving Belgrade for Kosovo Thursday. He feels he may be threatened as long as he remains in Belgrade. If so, we need to act now."

"Okay, I shall speak with my fellow soldier, and I'll get back to you."

"Don't take too long."

Tim walked back to Inquisitor Eisenhorn and commented, "Looks like we have a chance to grab a big fish. The only problem is we need to attack tonight or else we may not get another chance. What do you say?"

Ooc: gotcha

Eisenhorn nodded. Let's get moving. I suggest me and you enter through the sewers, that ll surprise him. Then we ll keep him in check. Make sure we take him alive! Or long enough to be questioned.

_______________________________________________________
Belgrade

"So....they call you Rasputin. And now I know where this Igor is and what he plans. Too bad I am here and not making my speech now. Maybe now I can avoid such a travesty. You slavs are all alike, never knowing your betters. I ll teach you." Lucian then adusted his Gleaners and Rasputin screamed in terrified and agonizing pain.

"With one touch, I can cause pain, or..." lucian readjusted a single tendril and Rasputins eyes went glassy. " or I can simply temporarily blind you. Now then, before I leave, let us find some more info."

Belgrade, Unknown Location
Memory Flashback of Rasputin Dagovich, 90 Minutes Earlier

*Ring*

"Hello?"

"Rasputin, this is Yuri. I have decided to move up the attack four days."

"Thank you my lord."

"Now listen carefully. After we're done talking, call Squad Leader Dozov and give him the assignment."

"What is it, my lord?"

"The plan will be to launch a mass casualty attack on Protos. Each member of the team has brought along some explosives that will be combined into one massive bomb and be used in the main square when their leader is supposed to make a speech. Afterwards, the men will rush out with guns blazing and eliminate any survivors until they run out of ammo or are killed."

"What happens if one element of the plan fails?"

"Then we utilize the other."

"And if both fail?"

"Let's not think about it. I trust that your idea to move up the attack will pay off. If it does not, I assure you that you will pay for this."

"Yes my lord."

=======

Wednesday Afternoon, Classified Location, Belgrade

The commandos, Tim, and Inquisitor Eisenhorn had gathered around a map showing the location of the house. On it were markings signifying key locations, targets, etc.

"Listen up," Tim began. "Tonight at 1930 Hours, we launch a raid on this house with the objective of capturing one Igor Ravanov. He is an individual that is not considered to be armed, but he is heavily guarded by armed men throughout the estate. But before I continue, I have one question. Echo Squad, did you secure our transportation?"

"Yes sir," one of the commandos replied. "We have four vans at the ready. I'm assuming you're taking prisoners?"

"Our top priority is securing Igor. We can't afford to interrogate him in the house because there's the fear that additional guards will show up. But anyways, here's the plan. The Inquisitor and I will move into the house via the sewer accessway that will put us into the basement. From there, we'll move up floor by floor. Meanwhile, Alpha Squad will breach through the main entryway. Bravo Squad will hit the West Side Entrance and Delta Squad will enter from the East Side Entrance. Echo Squad will man the transportation."

He continued, "We need to breach as close to unison as possible, so when I give the word, we'll all perform a stealth entry. As long as we can keep it quiet, so much the better. This operation should only take us a few minutes."

One commando asked, "How many floors are we clearing?"

"The side wings are two stories, and the main area has three floors not counting the small basement. The house itself isn't large, it's just that tasking one team to do all the clearing will take too long."

"Okay then."

"If nobody has any questions, get some rest. Darkness will be here soon." Tim then turned to the Inquisitor and told him, "Do or die time now. Nunc aut Nunquam."

Eisenhorn smiled "Hopefully we do and not die. Lead on my friend, we'll head-hold on it's Lord Lucian." The Inquisitor listened intently and then suddenly turn to Tim.
"We must hurry! They've planted bombs in Protos and our servitors won't be able to find them all in time. Lets move!"

_________________________________________________________
Lucian growled at the memory he retrieved. He had warned Eisenhorn of the danger, and hopefully the crisis could be avoided. Now he returned to Rasputin. He reinserted his Gleaners and the man winced. With a twitch of his finger, Lucian then inserted a bio-explosive and several nanobot chargers and controllers.

"Rasputin, you will now serve my cause, whether you want or not. My nanobots will remotely control your thoughts, and the others will set a explosive coursing in your veins. In all aspects, you are a human bomb."

OOC: Feel free to continue controlling Rasputin.

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7:29 PM, Igor Ravanov's Manor

"All teams sound off."

"Echo Squad has transport vans at the ready."

"Alpha Squad is stacked up on the main entrance."

"Bravo Squad is at the western entrance."

"Delta Squad here, we're at the east entrance."

"Alright. We've got one shot to do this, so hit hard and hit fast. Nunc aut Nunquam."

"Nunc aut Nunquam," all the commandos said in unison. Meanwhile, down at the sewer entrance, Tim held steadily onto a shotgun that would be used to breach the entryway and clear the basement. He looked over at the Inquisitor and he nodded at him. With that, Tim turned back to the door and checked his watch, 7:30 P.M. Showtime.

"Breaching the sewer entrance," Tim commented as he let loose a barrage of shotgun pellets onto the door. It immediately flew away, leaving the three terrorists in the room shocked at what was going on. Before they could react, each met their own barrage of pellets.

With the entrance room cleared, the captain and the inquisitor started to make their way through the basement. At the same time, the three other teams were moving through the manor like clockwork, clearing out the rooms without suffering casualties. By the time Tim and Inquisitor Eisenhorn linked up at the main foyer on the ground floor, the wings and all but the top floor of the house were cleared.

Meanwhile, up in his room on the top floor, Igor started to hear the groans of the dead and dying, and the few instances of rifle fire from his men. He knew that someone was after him. And he decided not to be taken alive. He therefore reached into his desk and pulled out a revolver. With one quick motion, he pulled the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. However, nothing happened. He quickly looked and saw that he had forgotten to load it with ammunition previously. With a sigh, he tossed the gun away and resigned himself to whatever fate awaited him.

Meanwhile, the commandos had stacked up outside the one place they suspected Igor would be. A quick opening of the door followed by a tossed flashbang meant no opposition could react in time to what was coming. When the commandos stormed the room, they found only Igor Ravanov inside. A quick pistol whip to the face and a bag and handcuffs on him meant he wouldn't be able to fight back.

"Echo Squad," Tim commented. "We've captured High Value Target Ravanov. Get ready with those vans, we're heading out."

Ooc: im on a vacation so i ll be away for 5 days..when i return i ll write something....i may try tmor on my phone

ooc: ok im back

"Lord Lucian, we have the prize in the bag. Will proceed with returning to Protos."
Inquisitor Eisenhorn looked at Tim.
"Good job, my friend. Canton Rouge and Protoa will prosper now that this bastard is taken down."

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Belgrade, unknown time
Rasputin woke with a incredible headache. He thought of the nightmare with the man that had a ominous face and a red glowing eye. He then winced, and immediately forgot what he was thinking about. The only thing that mattered now was to get the the Black Heart's Headquarters. He had to grab the information he needed then---ugh! His head hurt so bad-- send it to---all he had was a IP address......

Tim nodded briefly, then replied, "It's still not over just yet. The Black Heart may try something in Protos once they hear word that their leader is captured. We'll need to be alert the next few days in order to foil any surprises they may have in store."

As the vans pulled up next to their flight out of the area, everyone momentarily watched the horizon to see if anybody had followed them. To their fortune, no one had. They had achieved stealth on this operation and hadn't alerted anyone to their position. It was now a matter of just avoiding any potential enemy radar as they made their way back to friendly lands.

Before stepping in, Tim turned to the Inquisitor and commented, "I assume you'll want to interrogate him. We'll leave the rear cargo hatch available for you and Ravanov. Just don't go too hard on him, or else we may not get the information we desire. And if he starts giving you trouble, contact me and I'll come in."


=======

Meanwhile

Rasputin couldn't help but try to hide the headache as he set about in a stumble towards the Black Heart's headquarters in Belgrade. He had no idea what would happen, but that IP address he figured would be beneficial. He just didn't know what use it would be for at the moment. As he staggered onward, he made his way over to Ravanov's Manor. Immediately, he saw a massive crowd of Black Hearter's, but the standout point was what appeared to be a senior officer berating a new member.

"And you simply ran off?" the commander yelled.

"I had no choice. They killed three of my friends in an instant. I figured if I ran, I could fight another day," the new guy replied.

"That is defeatism in my book. When you took the oath to the Black Heart, you pledged never to give up and never to run away. And here you are, abandoning your comrades!"

"They moved so quickly, there was no way I could react in time!"

"Not only did your cowardice result in the death of fifty fellow brothers and sisters, but it also resulted in the capture of our leader. How do you justify your actions now?"

"I was thinking realistically with my actions. No need for everyone to die."

"If it were up to me, I would see you executed right now in front of everyone for your cowardice and treason. But seeing as how that will not bring back our losses, I shall spare you for now. Now leave my sight before I change my mind!"

As the rookie ran off, Rasputin continued on towards the headquarters. As he walked, he another officer turning to the first and asked, "Any ideas as to who could have done this?"

"I have three possible ideas. The first is Protoa who are probably seeking revenge for what we have done to them previously. However, I doubt they could have gotten intelligence on Igor's position so quickly, as they generally ignore intelligence operations here."

"Go on."

"The next probable group comes from Cartaria or Sorboldistan. They know the most about us, but generally, they take a neutral stance towards us. Yet, I know they don't have any effect or efficient special forces, and this has the workings of a commando raid here."

"And the last group?"

"The Pacific States Coalition. They have nothing to gain here, but I reason they may want us eliminated as a threat so they can continue to consolidate power in the terror market."

That was all of the conversation Rasputin was able to pick up. He still had a job to do...

Eisenhorn looked the man over. He then grinned.

"Mr. Ravanov, we are going to have a little fun here. You see, I have a little ability that allows me to effect my thoughts in your mind. So, let's start off easy."

Eisenhorn's coat became coated with a sort of frost and his voice boomed

"WHAT IS THE BLACK HEART'S INTENTIONS!!!"
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Rasputin's headache increased, he could barely think over the pain and commotion of the people. He stumbled through the Mansion doors and proceeded to the mainframe. He was let in to the secure room because he was a trusted member of the Black Heart. But he needed to get that info...