Mercenaries: A World in Flames (IC/Open)

[Tayner]

Coup in Venezuela, Oil Prices Expected to Surge
John Earnstien reporting, ZNN News

As many people know, millionaire Salano Roudreguez was named the new president of Venezuela after a military coup orchestrated by General Carmona of the Venezuelan Military. The old administration was imprisoned in unknown whereabouts, while Salano takes up office in Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela. Shortly after his appointment of the position of president by General Carmona, Salano started the nationalization of multiple oil refineries, drills, and off-shore rigs, many of which are owned by Universal Petroleum.

Due to this "nationalization" of oil reserves, Salano is now in control of a major market, giving himself, and his country, the ability to make billions of dollars of new revenue. Questions of the legitimacy and possible corruption of this administration have arisen, but the Allied Nations have refrained from entering the region. With a new, and possibly 'rogue,' state controlling the largest proven oil reserves in the world, it is surely going to be in the spotlight of the world, and the gas pump.

John Earnstien, ZNN News, South America
December 1, 2010

---

Current Bounties
Universal Petroleum (UP):
Standing bounties: Universal Petroleum is offering a $5,000 dollar bounty for every P.L.A.V combatant confirmed dead, giving payouts for the first 100 confirmed kills.
High Value Targets: Universal Petroleum has offered a $20k payout for any P.L.A.V or VZA officers captured alive, and $10k for a verified dead officer.
Demolitions: There are a number of VZA occupied buildings in or around Maraciabo that UP wants destroyed, contact your local UP executive for more information regarding payouts and targets.
Outposts: UP is willing to offer contracts for the capture of certain strategic locations around Maraciabo, see your local UP representative or contact for more details.

People's Liberation Army of Venezuela (P.L.A.V):
Standing Bounties: The P.L.A.V are offering a $5,000 dollar payout of any mercenary contractor working for Universal Petroleum confirmed to be killed. After 100 confirmed kills, payouts will no longer be issued.
High Value Targets: The P.L.A.V are offering $20k for any UP executive or VZA officer captured and delivered alive, $10k for confirmed dead.
Demolitions: There are dozens of UP warehouses, strongholds, and encampments along the Meracibo costal highway and Amazons that the P.L.A.V are willing to pay to have destroyed. See your local communist rebel for more information regarding UP and VZA targets.
Outposts: The P.L.A.V is willing to purchase land that holds strategic value, and is cleared of enemies, call your local contact to discuss terms of sale.

Pirates:
Debt Collecting: There are a number of people who are in debt to high ranking pirates, collect their debts for a 10% portion of it. If the target refuses to pay, capture them alive for 10%, or kill them for a 5% payout.
Smuggling: There are plenty of sea and land routes the Pirates need competent smugglers to run, no questions asked. For every crate delivered, you will recieve $500 USD.
Crocodile Hunting: For every Crocodile patrol boat successfully captured and delivered to the Pirate HQ, you will be paid $50k. The pirates are also willing to discuss the sale of smaller armed vessels.
Defense Contracts: Every now and then the Pirates have to offer a contract to defend an objective from the VZA or UP aggression for $75k. Seek out the nearest Jamaican for current contracts.

Allied Nations:
Get Salano: While not actively involved in the region, the AN have placed a $1,000,000 dollar bounty on Salano's head. However, Salano's exact whereabouts are unknown, and he is expected to be defended by a massive Venezuelan military force.

---

OOC

[Altito Asmoro]

Pedraza, Barinas, Venezuela
RSW's HQ

A collection of houses, buildings, and a warehouse in the aforementioned small town inside the Pedraza Municipality were converted hastily with a series of barricades, blockades, and emplaced APCs and IFVs with several mercenaries running patrol routes, defensive lines, and sniper. It's the base of Rising Sun Warriors, fresh from Brazil as part of defense contract. The entire men and women save for the skeleton staffs at Singapore, their main base of operation.

Jack was reading the current contracts so far. UP has offered plenty of choices, two of which who got himself into the interests, UP's Outposts contract, and Pirates's Smuggling contract. While UP is generally their main employer, they won't shine away at the thought of working for someone else in Venezuela. Of course, there are plenty of HVT missions from UP.

After all, all is fair in love, and war.

"Contact the nearest representative of Universal Petroleum in Barinas, and have them to send the details of their latest HVT contract details," ordered Jack to one of his men.

"Yes, sir!"

HVT, it is. While outposts is generally speaking a worthy mission, taking care of one is quite a task, and Venezuelan military is also quite equipped, despite their training. As for HVT, well, not all of the officers are quite the reputation. Some are only have so few to protect themselves, others running down smuggling or drug plantations.

[Tayner]

"Contact the nearest representative of Universal Petroleum in Barinas, and have them to send the details of their latest HVT contract details,"

Geordi McCarin
UP HQ

Geordi was the head of most mercenary employment opportunities outside of that of the Tactical Solutions manpower pool they already had, and recently a freelance PMC had contacted them regarding possible HVTs. The phone call was missed by Geordi, but he called back, leaving a message on the answering machine.

"Hello, this is Geordi McCarin of the Universal Petroleum Paramilitary Contracting department, I'm calling to return the message you left me about employment opportunities regarding High Value Targets. We currently have dozens of HVTs with bounties on their heads, but since you're a first time contact, I'll offer you a lighter job as a sort of test of your skills.

"There is a Venezuelan Lieutenant that has stationed himself and his platoon off of the Maraciabo costal highway, and has harassed many of our shipments that pass through the area, even going as far as to capture a truck tugging an oil container. If you can capture the VZ officer, we will pay the standard $20k USD bounty, but we will offer a $10 thousand dollar bonus if you succeed in destroying the entire VZ garrison, and another $10 thousand if you recover the oil, leading up to a possible full payout of $40k. When you capture the HVT, either extract them to your HQ to be transferred to a UP holding area, or directly to our HQ.

"That will be all, and thank you for considering aiding UP's endeavor in Venezuela."

[Smolenski]

San Diego, Venezuela

There was the heat of the Bronx. The stifling, suffocating warmth of too many people in too small of a place, like a wedding held in a porta potty. There was the heat of Iraq. It came in waves, dry and oppressive, reminiscent of Africa but not entirely similar.

But the heat of Venezuela was unlike any other Nova Vyndo had seen. At first, it had felt like a vacation. After the first thirty minutes, it was unbearable

It was the boredom that had him complaining, he realized. There wasn't much to do, besides "hurry up and wait".

Vyndo was decked out in a lawnchair, a beer in his hand, a rifle in his lap, and a cigarette in his teeth. He had decided to use a safehouse in San Diego Anzoategui. It was a two story with a nice rooftop view of the Rio Nevari. Just across the roof, a sniper and spotter kept watch over the town. More men lounged in the house, with a half dozen patrolling the city block on foot.

They would all much rather be back in the air conditioned HQ, or at least inside and out of the sun. But today was a special occasion. Nova, along with some of Executive Actions most talented operators, were to meet with a representative from United Petroleum. Nova hadn't been told who, but he had been in contact with the company for some time now, and had established enough of a rapport to know that they would send a good man. Work was ripe in this country, and Executive Action would be damned if it wasn't a part of it.

Vyndo slugged down the beer and glanced at his watch. Noon already. Soon the representative from UP would arrive. It was time to add Venezuela to the list of Executive Action's "hotspots served".

[Altito Asmoro]

"Contact the nearest representative of Universal Petroleum in Barinas, and have them to send the details of their latest HVT contract details,"

Geordi McCarin
UP HQ

"Hello, this is Geordi McCarin of the Universal Petroleum Paramilitary Contracting department, I'm calling to return the message you left me about employment opportunities regarding High Value Targets. We currently have dozens of HVTs with bounties on their heads, but since you're a first time contact, I'll offer you a lighter job as a sort of test of your skills.

"There is a Venezuelan Lieutenant that has stationed himself and his platoon off of the Maraciabo costal highway, and has harassed many of our shipments that pass through the area, even going as far as to capture a truck tugging an oil container. If you can capture the VZ officer, we will pay the standard $20k USD bounty, but we will offer a $10 thousand dollar bonus if you succeed in destroying the entire VZ garrison, and another $10 thousand if you recover the oil, leading up to a possible full payout of $40k. When you capture the HVT, either extract them to your HQ to be transferred to a UP holding area, or directly to our HQ.

"That will be all, and thank you for considering aiding UP's endeavor in Venezuela."

Rising Sun Warriors
Operation : Extraction

Jack had heard of the first contract they got. A Venezuelan Lieutenant (it is quite amazing how a lieutenant able to hold himself and his platoon with their harassment over the shipments, and even stealing a truck), in Maracaibo coastal highway, and to capture him. Since it is just him and his platoon, the possibility of 15 to 30 enemy soldiers, and perhaps some light vehicles.

There appears to be no sort of air defense located between Maracaibo and their HQ. "Alright, then. Have 30 of our men, with the Urutu and the Bushmaster, to get themselves to the Maracaibo. Also, have one of our Mi-24 to provide air support, but you need to watch the other soldiers who may or may not aligned with the lieutenant," he briefed the men and women that were selected for the contract.

"Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir!"

The troops, mobilized.

Operation : Extraction
x40 mercenaries with various weapons, 5 of which with sniper rifles.
x2 EE-11 Urutu
x10 Bushmaster
x1 Mil Mi-24

[Krugeristan]

Abu al-Akarah
San Carlos de Rio Negro, Venezuela

In Syria, the bodies Akarah dragged were no heavier than himself, some well over thirty pounds lighter.

Over here, in Venezuela, Akarah was carrying corpses almost twice his weight and debating the definition of happiness with himself as he constructed a hut in the Amazon jungle, holding his meager supplies and the two unfortunate UP operatives he found wandering around late last night. Five thousand was an amount he'd work for, but he missed Syria like you wouldn't believe.

In truth, Akarah didn't really care who hired him when he received news about the Venezuelan crisis. The PLAV held their hand out first, and Akarah accepted. He wasn't working for ideologies--like all mercenaries, he was working for money, but the money he was earning wasn't going toward vices, like the others; he was working to buy his own property in Damascus, to be closer to his primary employer, so he didn't have to fly back and forth from Dubai to Damascus every so often.

The only guilty pleasure Akarah had out here in the rain forest was his tendency to walk around the area he set himself up in. He had seen pictures of the dense, hot, wet jungle, and to see it for himself was something he wasn't going to pass up. It was early in the morning when he picked up his AK-47--an old friend--and go for a walk.

It was warm and relatively peaceful. The humidity, a feeling Akarah really hadn't felt before, was relaxing, to a degree. He loved it.

The relaxing feeling disappeared whenever Akarah heard a sound that he knew wasn't made by him or an animal. He slowly dropped to a crouch, holding his weapon, and remaining still. From what he knew, he was completely alone in this region. There were no reports of Universal Petroleum or Allied Nations or pirates out here, but that could've changed since he last performed a sweep on the area.

Akarah looked around, taking slow breaths. No other sounds were heard, and he stood up, quietly heading back to his base, deciding now was a good time to send a report on the two UP operators he killed to a contact in the PLAV.

[Anowa]

Jason 'Tombstone' Cain
Holly 'Fantasy' Clark
Empire Flight
Employed by Vostok Enterprises
25,000 feet above Lake Maracaibo

Far distant below, the screams of the four combined engines of the Strike Eagles roared. The first combat action by Vostok enterprises was a power display on top of the already formidable force.

Jason didn't care one way or another. Neither did his WSO. So long as both could stay in the air legally they were fine with whatever their job was. Todays job? Bomb a few PLAV warehouses and safe houses. Hope to not get shot down by 30 year old stingers and Iglas. Same shit different day.

The woman seated behind the pilot spoke up, declaring the first phase of their operation done, "Empire 1-2, Rifle, Rifle."

<<Empire 2-2, Rifle.>> Below, the collectiong of PLAV warehouses and vehicles had less than a moment to respond before three 2000lbs Paveways incinerated them all.

Jason nodded as he heard the distant detonations. "Alright, anyone feel like straying a bit further?"

<<Why not? So long as we're paid for some of it.>>

Jason smiled, "Copy that Oleander. Warlock, Fantasy, keep an eye out for IR sigs." An affirmative came from both WSOs. As they continued their patrol.

---

Empire 1 (F-15E) Loadout:
Paveway III 2000lbs x2 (-2)
AIM-120 AMRAAM x2
AIM-9 Sidewinder x2
Paveway II 500lbs x 12
AN/AAQ-13 Nav Pod x1
AN/AAQ-14 Tgt Pod x1

Empire 2 (F-15E) Loadout:
Paveway III 2000lbs x2 (-1)
AIM-120 AMRAAM x2
AIM-9 Sidewinder x2
Paveway II 500lbs x12
AN/AAQ-13 Nav Pod x1
AN/AAQ-14 Tgt Pod x1

[Tayner]

Bounty Update

UP Had declared three (3) new High Value Targets, with their bounty and intelligence to be sent to every viable PMC operating within the Venezuelan border.

HVT Name: Capitan Enrique Cuál
Location: Santa Rita
Intelligence: Capitan Cuál of the Venezuelan Army is stationed in Santa Rita, overseeing the nationalization of oil industries on the eastern side of Lake Maraciabo, just across from the city of Maraciabo. UP has put a bounty on his head to slow down the nationalization of refineries, and to reach across the river and smack Salano in the wrist.
Payout: Twenty Thousand USD ($20,000) upon capture, Five Thousand USD ($5,000) upon retrieval of Venezuelan Army Intelligence documents.

HVT Name: El Chico (The boy)
Location: Bachoaqua, a small town on the eastern side of Lake Maraciabo.
Intelligence: The Boy was named after his upbringing as a child in the P.L.A.V, as he is the youngest troop leader in the entire rebellion. He took over Bachoaqua from the Venezuelan Army and held it, forcing the VZA to give up and cut their losses. Since then, the P.L.A.V have used that town's port to launch patrols across the lake, and harass UP seaborne and sealift assets, warranting a bounty. UP has deemed his actions unacceptable, and have responded accordingly.
Payout: Twenty Thousand USD ($20,000) Upon capture, twenty thousand ($20,000) upon destruction of the port, and five thousand ($5,000) for each P.L.A.V boat sunk.

HVT Name: La Montaña Padre (The Mountian Father)
Location: South of Mereda in the mountains.
Intelligence: We don't know his real name, but what we do know is that he is the patriarch of a family with deep ties to the P.L.A.V, and that he grows a fair amount of cocoa leaves in his back yard. The Mountain Father has contributed substantially to the P.L.A.V's financial needs, and his family serves as well trained leaders in the revolution. The theory is that if UP takes out the head, this will serve as a small setback to the P.L.A.V and the narcotics problem in the area.
Payout: Twenty thousand USD ($20,000) upon capture, ten thousand USD ($10,000) if at least 60% of the cocoa crops are burnt or destroyed.

(All standing bounties apply)

To counter this hit list, the P.L.A.V have issued one (1) bounty on a Universal Petroleum executive.

HVT Name: Henry Regenold
Location: Maraciabo, UP Supply Depot
Intelligence: Henry is a UP executive in-town checking up on UP assets in Maraciabo, primarily the supply depot. He's under heavy guard, but if he's taken out, the logistics arm of UP will be shortened. Due to the dangerous nature of this contract, the payout will be doubled. It is advised that this contract be conducted covertly to achieve maximum effect.
Payout: Fourty thousand USD ($40,000) upon capture, ten thousand (10,000) for sabotaging (or destroying) the loading crane that moves cargo off ships.

[Krugeristan]

Akarah was well aware he didn't have the means to take out Henry Regenold. He read the bounty over and over again, sitting in a chair as he struggled to think of ways to achieve this.

It was close to impossible, but the only positive thing Akarah could think of was that he was one man. He didn't have a large amount of followers or workers or whatnot. He knew being completely alone could have an advantage, but he also knew that it also had some downsides.

However, he really had no choice. He had no mode of transportation, and hiking through the jungle would take too much time and be incredibly dangerous. Giving a sigh of annoyance and deep regret over his lack of materials, he radioed the nearest PLAV contact.

[Tayner]

Reed Johnson
Salano's Villa, Venezuela
December 2nd, 2010

It had been one day since Salno had taken power, one day since Combined Arms Solutions had stormed Salano's villa, removing the previous inhabitants by force. Combined Arms Solutions had been taking the initiative, cashing in on nearly a dozen standing bounties, confirming nearly a dozen P.L.A.V dead. The word was that Universal Petroleum had information concerning Salano, and they needed a quick job done in exchange for the information.

Reed had taken a ride in one of their unarmed vehicles to the UP HQ, where he met with Doctor Ruben. He was let in, being on friendly terms with the company, and despite the receptionist's warning, he barged into Ruben's office hearing the end of a telephone call. Something about withdrawing from the country in six hours.

"I hear Salano didn't pay his dues to you." She said when she hung up the phone.

"Universal Petroleum has a better reputation." Reed said.

"You're out for blood I get that, so, I may have a job for you."

"I lost a few good people doing that man's dirty work, only not to get paid. I just need information, you just tell me what I need to do." Reed said.

"The VZA have been nationalizing refineries left and right. There's one right across the lake that we'd like to hold on to, at least for long enough for us to remove some sensitive information. I'll give you a when for a meeting with Salano, but I just don't have the where."

"It's more than what I have now. Just one thing, you cover the life insurance policies for my men since we're doing your dirty work." Reed said. "And the intelligence."

"And the intelligence." Doctor Ruben repeated. "We have a deal, but you can't destroy any of the machinery or cargo ships. It's worth just as much as the oil there." She said. "I'm also going to offer this contract to other PMCs, with money instead of information. My tactical coordinators will make sure everyone knows who the good guys are there." She said.

"A pleasure doing business with you." Reed said before taking the contract and returning to the CAS HQ.

[Vacif]

Philip Min Zin
Firedrake Battlefield Solutions
Somewhere in the jungle

Something that a lot of people forget is that war is a business. And business is good. Especially if you are paid for your time so long as the conflict goes on. Firedrake was playing with fire in Venezuela. Officially, they were operating in the interests of UP, and if it came to it, the AN (who were - let's be honest - totally going to come into play in the future) who would fly in at the first chance they got. Unofficially, they were there helping the pirates, PLAV, and just about anyone else who was planning on stirring up trouble that would keep this war going. The main force, led by one Captain Jarrod Hill, would get all the fancy toys, a solid roof under their heads, and a company to bail them out. Philip's team would be operating without support from the main group. If they were caught, the company would deny all knowledge of their existence.

Captain Hill's team had accepted a UP contract against the PLAV. They'd be hitting a kid named "El Chico", capturing him, and sinking any of their boats in the area, though Philip hoped that they wouldn't all be sunk. They could use the boats for their upcoming mission, granted they'd only be of use if they could complete the mission in their time frame.

This splinter group had no name, and was comprised of Min Zin, and nine other trusted and highly trained soldiers. They were currently en route to their local Jamaican contact in search of some work, and some naval craft to be used in their daring mission against the UP.

[Altito Asmoro]

Operation : Extraction
x40 mercenaries with various weapons, 5 of which with sniper rifles.
x2 EE-11 Urutu
x10 Bushmaster
x1 Mil Mi-24

HVT Name: Capitan Enrique Cuál
Location: Santa Rita
Intelligence: Capitan Cuál of the Venezuelan Army is stationed in Santa Rita, overseeing the nationalization of oil industries on the eastern side of Lake Maraciabo, just across from the city of Maraciabo. UP has put a bounty on his head to slow down the nationalization of refineries, and to reach across the river and smack Salano in the wrist.
Payout: Twenty Thousand USD ($20,000) upon capture, Five Thousand USD ($5,000) upon retrieval of Venezuelan Army Intelligence documents.

---

Cpt. Alex Harrison
Santa Rita - Lake Maracaibo

"We're here, ladies! Gentlemen! At this Santa Rita, there lies our first target! Name's Enrique Cual, a Capitan in the VZA. He's overseeing the nationalization of oil industries on the eastern side of Lake Maracaibo. The nationalization process is a bad idea for UP's business, and our business as well. We'll reach through the lands and into the Santa Rita. I'm not sure how armed he is, but he may or may not be well-armed. Luckily we have air support and our land support are more than needed for this!"

"Now, let's move on!"

The convoy are on their way to Santa Rita, while the Mil Mi-24 overseeing the convoy from the air, taking a distance from the convoy and being as high as possible to surveyed Santa Rita. The convoy eventually reached Santa Rita, where a group of VZA soldiers are. They noticed them too, but the convoy crashed into the gate, killing at least few of the soldiers. The men and women inside went out, "Kill these soldiers! And take our prize!"

They cheered.

[Krugeristan]

With no one responding to any radio signals he put out, Akarah decided to hitchhike his way to Maracaibo. He knew he was in this for both money and experience, but the experience was sucking wind, which made Akarah want to jack up the price of this foolhardy task. Being ignored was something he didn't tolerate, and he was going to find whatever PLAV contact was supposedly near his base and beat them senseless; he didn't want to be treated like he was a cold-hearted shell of a man.

The combination of riding and walking all the way to Maracaibo was taking an extensive amount of time--several days to be exact. Several days of wasted time. Akarah wanted to add an extra two hundred dollars to his reward for this, maybe three hundred if his mood worsened. By the time he actually arrived in Maracaibo, he wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he knew it was too much. He watched the people around him, mentally and physically lost. Fine. I'll demand five hundred extra dollars for this shitshow.