Camp Lemonnier, Peacekeepers Base IC

[Altito Asmoro]

Camp Lemonnier. Home to the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, is also the home of Peacekeepers, a global-scale elite special operations unit trained and specialized to keep their skills at the highest possible level, and are ready to be deployed anywhere in the world at a moments notice. As well as the primary base of the region in the Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa, it is also the primary base of the Peacekeepers, suited to their condition and prepared with the best possible equipment. Access to the nearby port and airport facilities are provided as well.

For Peacekeepers, they never truly need rest.

---

Alexander Orwell looked up on his paperwork at the office, official documents, signing this and that as well. Being the commander of Peacekeepers has its knack, perhaps. Long lines of special operations background and operations behind him, he served well behind the lines as well. He looked on at the base, to the men and women of Peacekeepers as well as CJTF - HOA. Both of them have their shares of operations here in Africa, the current condition in Africa is not a good one. Peacekeepers had been given the assignment to take controls of the special operations.

Let's hope the Peacekeepers able to handle well.

---

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
0900 Hours
Alex Hermann

Alex was at the cafeteria, eating his portion of the meal. Oatmeal, mashed potato, and a cup of hot milk, it was enough for his breakfast. He had been in the Peacekeepers not long enough, but he probably able to served well. Given the current condition of Africa and the Horn of Africa, the presence CJTF - HOA and Peacekeepers, it had been given the respected assignments. Peacekeepers will take care of the smaller-scale operations, with CJTF - HOA taking on the larger ones.

There have been other Peacekeepers operatives here, and of course, they will be great ones.

[New Finnish Republic]

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
0815 Hours
SSG Matti Heikkinen

With a final grunt, Matti managed to rack his weight on the pegs located a half meter above where his chest rested on the bench. He couldn't help but pant in fatigue as the aftermath of his workout started to take effect. He'd managed to hit a new personal record this time, benching 120-kilograms five times in a single set. He was proud of his work, but still, he started to wonder if it was worth it. His muscles ached terribly and his entire body was drenched in sweat. Vittu Sataana, I swear it gets hotter and hotter every time I visit this place. He rolled his shoulders backward, trying to get the soreness out of them from yesterday's equally brutal workout. Maybe I'm just getting too old for this.

This last spring had marked the tenth anniversary of his initial enlistment with the Maavoimat with a majority of those years spent as an Utti Jaeger. While he could've led a normal civilian life after his initial mandatory training, Matti figured that he had nothing better to do, and he was pretty damn good at soldiering, so he signed on as an active member with the Finnish military. While he may have bitched and moaned throughout the entire experience, he never once regretted that decision. He'd traveled across the world to lands that made it seem like his home country was on a different planet as well as met countless people from all different places that shared his profession. Sure, he got shot at, blown up, stabbed, and countless other things, but it was a small price to pay for the experience. At least, that's what how he tried to justify it to his wife Hannah every time he deployed. Matti knew that it was only a matter of time before she'd get sick of that excuse, but until that day, he planned to keep on doing what he did best, and that was killing anyone Suomi considered a threat to national security.

It was for that reason why he was once again stationed at Camp Lemonnier. He'd been here last summer as part of an effort to quell the terrorist activity that was rampant across the desert nation. Matti and several dozen other Finnish military personnel took part in numerous raids, VIP escorts, and other various tasks alongside members from other U.N forces stationed there. The region was a hotbed for terrorist activity, and Matti and his men were able to see plenty of action while they were there. Now, a year later, it seemed like the situation hadn't improved in the slightest. In fact, it had gotten worse. While the Coalition forces, led by the Americans, had been able to push terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda out of power, this only resulted in the spreading out of radicalized terrorist groups across the globe.

Thus, the U.N Security Council decided that it needed more than the standard policing force to combat this new wave of conflict that was engulfing the world. They decided to form an international unit of special operators from all different corners of the world that could combine their various abilities and techniques to tackle anything that posed a threat to peace and stability of the world. "Peacekeepers", as they were known. Matti thought this was a perfect example of the stupidity of the bureaucracy of the U.N by naming them so generally, but he didn't complain. No, instead he considered it an honor to have even been selected to represent his home country in the unit. He would make sure do his best to show just how sharp the Leijonant's claws were.

0900 Hours

After a cold shower to both get his stench off of him as well as cool him down, Matti made his way towards the cafeteria for some breakfast. He was glad to note that the food had tremendously gotten better since he had last been here, as the cooks offered him a variety of different food choices that almost made him faint in delight. He was ecstatic to find that they were even serving pyttipannu, a favorite dish of his back home. He grabbed two glasses of orange juice as well as a cup of coffee from the beverage line before making his way towards the tables. Along the way, he spotted his commanding officer, Alexander Orwell. As he walked by, he gave the officer the proper greeting.

"Good morning, sir."

[Altito Asmoro]

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
0815 Hours
SSG Matti Heikkinen

SNIP

0900 Hours

After a cold shower to both get his stench off of him as well as cool him down, Matti made his way towards the cafeteria for some breakfast. He was glad to note that the food had tremendously gotten better since he had last been here, as the cooks offered him a variety of different food choices that almost made him faint in delight. He was ecstatic to find that they were even serving pyttipannu, a favorite dish of his back home. He grabbed two glasses of orange juice as well as a cup of coffee from the beverage line before making his way towards the tables. Along the way, he spotted his commanding officer, Alexander Orwell. As he walked by, he gave the officer the proper greeting.

"Good morning, sir."

Camp Lemonnier
0900 Hours
Alexander Orwell

"Good morning, Matti," said Alexander. He had given time to at least know the operators' faces and names, but that's it, apart from some military backgrounds and specialized ones. For the most part he had been accustomed with the appearances of the operators, but he probably should spends time with them, they are after all, his operators.

"Good time so far here?"

[Kyraina]

Joseph Bridges
0900 Local
Master Sergeant Joseph Elmo Bridges of the USAF, dressed in the Desert Combat Uniform, walked across Camp Lemonnier, a base he hadn't been on in a Year and a half before being transferred to the Peacekeepers, who were actually on the same base. He shook his head as he enjoyed the walk out in the sun, and the dry desert air, which was different then his last two units, which had been Delta Force and the 24th STS.

He made his way into the Mess Hall, and got his breakfast together. The Breakfast consisted of a Ham and Cheese Omelet, Bacon, Biscuits and Gravy, Grits, and Coffee. He paid for the breakfast and made his way towards Matti and Alexander. "Good Morning, sir. Good Morning Sergeant Heikkinen, if i am matching the correct name with faces."

[Arengin Union]

Alexei Demidov
Camp Lemonnier
0900 Hours

Sergeant First Class Demidov entered the mess hall. He had arrived to the Peacekeeping force a few days ago and had remained relatively quiet, only answering to his superior in small words, short but sweet one would say. He walked to the serving table and got his breakfast together quickly.

Alexei walked to one of the empty tables, completely ignoring his fellow operatives as he got on the empty table a few meters from them, he set his plate on the table and sat down. He then began a short prayer in Russian and quietly began eating.

[San Mazer]

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
0830 Hours
Raymond 'Ray' Stewart

---

It was 23°C and the sun was already baking the arid desert landscape in the lands surrounding Camp Lemonnier. One could easily mistake the soaring heat as being of much later in the day, but it was still only morning. It was Djibouti after all, the small African country roasting in the hot temperatures of the Gulf region, and rainfall happened to be preciously rare. Thankfully, to the relief of all those who lived and worked at the base, the camp had its own water supplies and so risk of dehydration was minimal. The heat however, permeated every inch of the camp and always provided a stifling and humid atmosphere that threatened to cover every operator in an almost permanent layer of sweat and the accompanying discomfort. It wasn't exactly running temperature, but then the people at this camp were different...

Ray, clad in his standard vest and Desert DPM trousers, was already intently focused on his morning workout and battled his way through the thick heat of the pre-noon sun as he gathered pace around the perimeter of the camp. An ageing man, now well into his 40s, it was imperative for him to stay fit and healthy and he kept up through a punishing regime of high endurance running and strength training, aided in part by his practice of martial arts. He was well known as somewhat of a 'fitness freak' around the camp, especially the American servicemen that were posted here as part of CJTF - HOA, and was often subject to playful jeers and jokes from the sentries as he made his way round the perimeter for the morning run. A few of the servicemen, to Ray's surprise, had actually practised martial arts at the fitness centre and so he often trained with them in his and their off-duty hours. They weren't on the skill level that Ray and most of the other Peacekeepers boasted when it came to hand-to-hand fighting but they were competent enough and Ray didn't mind teaching them a trick or two.

He didn't mind the heat and desert climate either, at least, not anymore. It seemed that Ray had spent most of the last 5 years in soaring temperatures, which was a far cry from the usual drizzle and grey that loomed over him when he was back home in Britain. Seirra Leone, Afghanistan, Iraq and now Djibouti. It seemed all of his Ray's deployments were determined in keeping the temperatures as high as possible during the day, occasionally tumbling back down again for night as well. At least Seirra Leone had rain. He thought to himself, gazing upwards at the clear blue sky. There was virtually no clouds above stretching from either horizon and it was possible to see the contrails of passing jet airliners high above the Gulf. It provided a rather interesting and picturesque sight as Ray came to the final corner of the camp's perimeter, bringing an end to his morning run. It was now time to get changed and eat breakfast.

0900 hours

---

Washing himself and then switching into a fresh pair of trousers and tan t-shirt, Ray splashed his face down with some cool, refreshing water and dried down with a towel. With appearance and hygiene attended to, the focus now turned to breakfast and a well-earned rest. Walking through the bustling mess hall, the camp's inhabitants gathering for their morning meal, Ray spied his commander and two of his fellow Peacekeepers conversing over by the tables and decided to join them once he had gathered his food. Tray in hand, he waited patiently in line as the smell of that morning's freshly prepared dishes hit him. It was still military food but he noticed the quality seemed higher than he was used to back on British Army bases, but it still didn't stop him from picking up the usual 'Scottish' breakfast. He was surprised to find a lot of the contents were actually covered, with the only thing missing being some black pudding. Bacon will do. He accepted. With a tray full of lorne sausage, bacon, beans, mushrooms, bread and a cup of coffee, he made his way towards Alexander and Matti with legs still stiff from his perimeter run.

"Morning Sir." He said to Alexander in his usual rough-sounding Scottish accent as he took a seat at the table with the other Peacekeepers, his aching legs dulled by the prospect of some good food. "Alright?" He motioned over to Matti, sipping some coffee before he was about to tuck into his full breakfast. "How are we doing this morning? What's the latest?"

[Theyra]

Djibouti
Camp Lemonnier
0900 Local
Ergen Terzi

Lieutenant Ergen had just finished showering after his morning jog. He would normally take a jog around the base and this day was not different. His hair was still a bit wet as he walked to the mess hall for some food. Ergen had only been at the base for a while now, two days to be certain. Camp Lemonnier seem both the same and different then his base back in Turkey. The climate was hotter then he would have liked but he knows that that was never thing that he would have to chose.

He entered the mess hall and got his breakfast. As he turned, he went to look for a place to sit. Ergen saw that a group of his fellow Peacekeepers at one table. But he noticed that one person was alone and decided to sit with him. Ergen walked over to the Russian and sit down across from him. "So how are things been at the base for you so far? Ergen asked in a Turkish accent he started to eat his breakfast.

[Arengin Union]

Djibouti
Camp Lemonnier
0900 Local
Ergen Terzi

Lieutenant Ergen had just finished showering after his morning jog. He would normally take a jog around the base and this day was not different. His hair was still a bit wet as he walked to the mess hall for some food. Ergen had only been at the base for a while now, two days to be certain. Camp Lemonnier seem both the same and different then his base back in Turkey. The climate was hotter then he would have liked but he knows that that was never thing that he would have to chose.

He entered the mess hall and got his breakfast. As he turned, he went to look for a place to sit. Ergen saw that a group of his fellow Peacekeepers at one table. But he noticed that one person was alone and decided to sit with him. Ergen walked over to the Russian and sit down across from him. "So how are things been at the base for you so far? Ergen asked in a Turkish accent he started to eat his breakfast.

Alexei Demidov
Camp Lemonnier
0900 Hours


Alexei was surprised by the sudden question from the Turk. He kept quiet for a second as he ate his eggs and the he spoke.

"It could be better... I'm more used to the cold, my father was in Afghanistan so he would be more prepare for this climate." He said with a much apparent Russian accent.

"I can figure you feel quite at home." He said in sarcasm.

[Theyra]

Djibouti
Camp Lemonnier
0900 Local
Ergen Terzi

Lieutenant Ergen had just finished showering after his morning jog. He would normally take a jog around the base and this day was not different. His hair was still a bit wet as he walked to the mess hall for some food. Ergen had only been at the base for a while now, two days to be certain. Camp Lemonnier seem both the same and different then his base back in Turkey. The climate was hotter then he would have liked but he knows that that was never thing that he would have to chose.

He entered the mess hall and got his breakfast. As he turned, he went to look for a place to sit. Ergen saw that a group of his fellow Peacekeepers at one table. But he noticed that one person was alone and decided to sit with him. Ergen walked over to the Russian and sit down across from him. "So how are things been at the base for you so far? Ergen asked in a Turkish, accent he started to eat his breakfast.

Alexei Demidov
Camp Lemonnier
0900 Hours


Alexei was surprised by the sudden question from the Turk. He kept quiet for a second as he ate his eggs and the he spoke.

"It could be better... I'm more used to the cold, my father was in Afghanistan so he would be more prepare for this climate." He said with a much apparent Russian accent.

"I can figure you feel quite at home." He said in sarcasm.

"Ah and well you would think that but, it is a bit hot for my tastes". "Training in the mountains does that do you and I do not we have met". Ergen took another bite of his breakfast and after he eating it. "I am Ergen Terzi and I think I know who you are". "Alexei Demidov right? "And if you are not then I am sorry". Ergen had a curious look on his face and wondered if he had gotten the right person. If he had not then he could at least learn more about this man.

[Arengin Union]

Alexei Demidov
Camp Lemonnier
0900 Hours


Alexei was surprised by the sudden question from the Turk. He kept quiet for a second as he ate his eggs and the he spoke.

"It could be better... I'm more used to the cold, my father was in Afghanistan so he would be more prepare for this climate." He said with a much apparent Russian accent.

"I can figure you feel quite at home." He said in sarcasm.

"Ah and well you would think that but, it is a bit hot for my tastes". "Training in the mountains does that do you and I do not we have met". Ergen took another bite of his breakfast and after he eating it. "I am Ergen Terzi and I think I know who you are". "Alexei Demidov right? "And if you are not then I am sorry".

"Yes... that is my name. Nice to meet you Ergen. I haven't uhh really got to know much about the other operatives. I was assigned here in a rush by the Spetnaz." Alexei bit on a bacon strip.

"Do you know who is our commanding officer here?" He followed.

[Theyra]

"Yes... that is my name. Nice to meet you Ergen. I haven't uhh really got to know much about the other operatives. I was assigned here in a rush by the Spetnaz." Alexei bit on a bacon strip.

"Do you know who is our commanding officer here?" He followed.

"I see and I am kinda the same". "I have only been here for two days and I have not meet the others". "I only know about the others for what I read and for our commanding officer". "I think the Commander of the Peacekeepers is Alexander Orwell and I have not met him yet. Ergen took another bite out of his food and ate it. "So since you were rushed here, what else do you want to know? Ergen was more curious about Alexei since Ergen thought that he would have been brief about who the commanding officer is.

[Arengin Union]

"Yes... that is my name. Nice to meet you Ergen. I haven't uhh really got to know much about the other operatives. I was assigned here in a rush by the Spetnaz." Alexei bit on a bacon strip.

"Do you know who is our commanding officer here?" He followed.

"I see and I am kinda the same". "I have only been here for two days and I have not meet the others". "I only know about the others for what I read and for our commanding officer". "I think the Commander of the Peacekeepers is Alexander Orwell and I have not met him yet. Ergen took another bite out of his food and ate it. "So since you were rushed here, what else do you want to know?

"Well, what's our teams purpose. They told me it was for 'special ops' but that was not very specific." Alexei said.

[Theyra]

"Well, what's our teams purpose. They told me it was for 'special ops' but that was not very specific." Alexei said.

"So you were really rushed to the base here in the Cape then". Ergen stopped eating and sounded surprised at learning about this. "Well our purpose is keeping the world safe and going into situations that others could not". "That is our mission and I would have thought that you would have been better briefed on this". "Though I guess they wanted you here as soon as possible".

[Arengin Union]

"Well, what's our teams purpose. They told me it was for 'special ops' but that was not very specific." Alexei said.

"So you were really rushed to the base here in the Cape then". Ergen stopped eating and sounded surprised at learning about this. "Well our purpose is keeping the world safe and going into situations that others could not". "That is our mission and I would have thought that you would have been better briefed on this". "Though I guess they wanted you here as soon as possible".

"The only reason I think they sent me here was because I was one of the few who spoke fluent English. It was one of the most important requirement. I'm a weapons and explosives expert and they told me they needed one in a special team of international operatives. But I never expected how far it would go." Alexei said as he finished his breakfast.

[Krugeristan]

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
Moshe Aravon

Aravon had received the same warning from several different people before packing up and heading to the second-sh*ttiest part of Africa (sub-Saharan Africa was most sh*tty): "These people might not take too kindly to an Israeli." Sure, it was good advice, it was reasonable advice, but Aravon wasn't a coward. If someone started talking trash about his country, that someone was going to become a permanent fixation to the floor, or the wall, or even the ceiling (which would be a challenge, but a fun challenge).

Upon entering the camp, Aravon observed a few of the already-present operators. There was a Turk, a Russian, a woman, and the person he suspected was the commander. Avoid the Turk. They're not friendly to you. The Russian is probably OK, unless he's an Commie bastard. Aravon sat at an empty table, continuing to observe the other denizens of this camp.

[Theyra]

"The only reason I think they sent me here was because I was one of the few who spoke fluent English. It was one of the most important requirement. I'm a weapons and explosives expert and they told me they needed one in a special team of international operatives. But I never expected how far it would go." Alexei said as he finished his breakfast.

Ergen went back to eating his breakfast as the spoke to the Alexei. "I would have figured that you would be more briefed on why you were assigned to the Peacekeepers". Ergen took the final bite out of his breakfast and continued on. "Well I was trained to do many things but what I am know for is mountain warfare and counter- terrorism". "I am also a accurate with most weapons". "Though that is because you have to be accurate to be a Maroon Beret".

[Arengin Union]

"The only reason I think they sent me here was because I was one of the few who spoke fluent English. It was one of the most important requirement. I'm a weapons and explosives expert and they told me they needed one in a special team of international operatives. But I never expected how far it would go." Alexei said as he finished his breakfast.

Ergen went back to eating his breakfast as the spoke to the Alexei. "I would have figured that you would be more briefed on why you were assigned to the Peacekeepers". Ergen took the final bite out of his breakfast and continued on. "Well I was trained to do many things but what I am know for is mountain warfare and counter- terrorism". "I am also a accurate with most weapons". "Though that is because you have to be accurate to be a Maroon Beret".

Alexei began to enjoy the talk with his Turkish fellow operative. He heard his words as he finished eating and set aside the tray to drink some water. Though quiet for the most of time he did enjoy talking once he felt he was in somewhat confidence. "Well as a weapons expert I'm quite proficient with most weaponry, the AK variants are my prodigy. I got an AN-94 and a Saiga 12 of my own. I'm also task as the explosives expert in the team, that's what my paperwork said." Alexei said as e saw how there were new arrivals to the mess hall. One who was sitting alone, just like he himself had tried to do.

"I guess I'm not the only loner here." Alexei said to his Ergen in sarcasm.

[Lancearc]

Camp Lemonnier Cafeteria, Djibouti
0900
Michel Laframboise

It was an eternal debate that raged on within the confines of his mind without interruption, it seemed.

The French-Canadian with the intense gaze sat alone, as was his custom, absentmindedly munching on this or that, a spoonful of oatmeal that could mildly be described as less than adequate, a swig of milk that he swore wasn't quite pasteurized up to standard. The seriousness and power behind his stare was accented strongly by the dark eyebrows that hung over his piercing eyes themselves, the sternness of his expression accompanied well by the thick yet surprisingly well-kempt facial hair of the same color. He was a quiet man, more of an inward thinking one than a social butterfly of outward interaction with his comrades. Some would hypothesize that he had suffered some great loss that sent him into his silent, focused state. Some might believe he was unfriendly, gruff, hostile.

Well, that wouldn't last exceedingly long if they managed to get inside the mind of the man.

Is it better to freeze your balls off, or constantly have sweat in your ass? Which finger could I most afford to lose, if I had to eat one? What would that taste like? Should I marry Molly Ringwald or Jodie Foster? I wonder if they would say yes?

If that was managed the next logical conclusion would be that their comrade has some form of attention deficit disorder or was easily distracted, like a toddler by a set of keys, though this wasn't true all of the time. No, especially on the job, Laframboise was a carefully calculated and attentive soldier, surgeon, and whatever else duty might require him to become. The truth was he was quite intelligent, very friendly, and an outstanding comrade with a sense of honor and loyalty that he held high on his list of priorities. It just so happened that he didn't mind the silence, the solitude that he sometimes found when others didn't approach him, he came to love the reprieve it gave him. Especially around those he didn't know well yet, they might be reserved about approaching the apparently grumpy and hateful Canadian, which amused him a bit.

He reached for another swig of semi-bearable milk and found that it was long gone, wiping a bit of the liquid from his facial hair onto his sleeve. One sweeping glance revealed a crowded facility, as was typical. The cafeteria always seemed to be relatively bustling, and why wouldn't it be with such a delicious spread? For all the flak he gave their slop it helped him get through the day at least.

Another broad gaze back the other way, and he picked out a few familiar faces among the crowd. Hermann, the CO, German fellow, seemed competent enough. Matti Hi...Hik-ik...High kick Ken or something along those lines was across from him, whom he hoped never asked him to pronounce his last name. Finnish, which might explain why he couldn't properly say his name. Again, seemed like a fine man. Raymon, the Scotsman had come over to join them.

His new crew all in all seemed focused and well adjusted already, which put him at ease. He felt he wouldn't have too many occasions to save their skin or pull bullets out of their intestines, and he could feel quite safe about his odds of not getting blasted in the spine as well with them at his back.

He smiled slightly behind that bushy facial hair, leaning forward onto his elbows and yawning. Despite being across the Atlantic, in uncomfortably marshy undies, sweating profusely and filled up on sub-par grub, things were looking up, he thought.

[Anowa]

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
0900 Hours
KPT V. Kowalski

For the second time in her life, Valeska had to pray to the north, as oppose southeast or west as usual. It was an odd change to be sure, especially in the blistering sun of Djibouti. The station was another change she had to get used to. Most of the time she'd spent in Poland awaiting deployment or in Iraq or central Africa in the middle of the night. Though Iraq was similar in climate, there was something about the peninsula nation she was now in that made things seem warmer. Probably her lack of head cover or shemagh.

She ultimately decided to head inside before she resembled a tomato, but as she moved she became blissfully aware that her shirt had damn near soaked through. While she had zero shits to give on the clinginess that would ensue in favor of something to cool her down even a little bit. She didn't want the annoyance of cat calls, at least not until she has a proper BDU or Dress uniform on. Then the whole 'Oh fuck, sorry Cap.' song and dance would start to play. So with a brief look around, Valeska nonchalantly proceeded to wring out her shirt before donning it again. It was something she stopped giving a shit about when she joined up with GROM. Her team didn't care, and soon enough neither did she. Professionalism at it's best. Although the first time she did so, there was the rather blatant question of: 'How come you have no body fat?'

The resulting answer was something that queued even more questions, but in general most of the more clued in members of her team stopped after she explained 'obscure hormone condition' as the result. But of course one thing lead to another and they swiftly figured out that she was about as dense as paper, and weighed about 250 pounds.

Yeah, that was a fun conversation...

Regardless, she'd likely be a lot more prompt in her explanations now. Especially since she was now in a multi-national unit. And as she stepped in to the mess hall, she got a very evident glimpse of things. Along with the US troops and small NATO contingent, there was also a Russian an Israeli and Finn present... The lattermost of which would end up with a broken sternum if he tried anything. Commie fuck.

As she strode towards the mess line a few recognizing glances came her way. Her return was a message to all but plead not to call out. They complied, nothing would be more awkward at the moment, considering she was literally the sole woman present in the mess. Though even further ruining her mood was the distinct smell of pork, something she tried not to eat regularly. Though with her fucked up metabolism she couldn't exactly be picky.

With a small amount of reluctance, she piled her tray with whatever looked edible and walked away from the line. Sitting with the Russian wasn't an option. And the Israeli looked like he wanted to remain alone, so that left a smaller number of fellow Peacekeepers to sit with, Commander Hermann, Heikkinen, Stewart and Bridges. Well, all of them had their own experiences, couldn't be that bad.

Valeska strode over to the table and spoke, simultaneously gesturing to the open seating, "May I?"

[Nations United for Conquest]

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
0800 Hours
Alois H Fischer

The heat, out of all the factors beating down on Alois that day, had surprisingly, been one of least trouble some. It wasn't a perfect day by any stretch of the imagination, but then again, he had seen worse and likely would continue to. The troubles of the coming day had become apparent the minute he rolled his tired body out of bed. He had only been out of service for a couple days, nursing a sprained ankle, and it was the first time in a long time he had gotten a steady amount of sleep. The last week or so had been nothing but constant recon or countless hours stuck out on some god for saken dune watching a small village. Sleep was a rare luxury in the field and one he had spoiled with the past few days while resting. A usually day would see him up at around 0500 everyday, sometime earlier. Now he was already 3 hours late and was met with a small shot of pain as he struck his head on the beam of the bed above his head. He had been a later arrival to the team, despite arrive a few days ago, and had missied the best selection of sleeping arrangments. But hey, at least it was an actual bed. And to top it off there wasn;t much of a line for the showers, another plus. Hurring out of bed he slipped into the shower for a quick rise off before returning to get dressed.

Heading out of the small building Alois was immediatly met with a blinding light to which he instictively raised his hands to block the incoming sourceof light. It wasn't the first incarnation of the powerful shining sphere he had come across, but was strangely brighter than his previous meetings. Even those which had taken place in Africa during his training and other mission of that sort. He shrugged it off as it likely had something to do with the closer proximity to the equator. After readjusting to the light he took a look around the base hoping to catch a glimspe of a fellow operator. Despite his few days on the base he strangly had only ran into a few of the operators, an Isreali man, a Polish women, yet hadn't spent much time talk. It was likely a result of his screwed up shedule. Hopefully he'd be able to correct it in a few days, and more importantly before the first OP. Seeing the lack of people around Alois shed his upper uniform, instead opting for a tee shirt and a light jacket adorning German and KSK patches, and set out for a run

0900

---

The run had been quite a wake up call, and a complete reserve on his previous shower. Not wanting to smell like he was fresh out of battle he took a detor back towards the barracks to wash off and change clothes. Finding a simular pair of clothes and noticing a loud rumbling sound eminating from his stomach, he decided it might be about time to grab some food, and hopefully meet some of his fellow operators. Heading out of the barracks for the second time that day he was again blinded and released a small curse under his breath as me slowly moved towards the mess hall. The building itself was only a short distance away, but most of the buildings looked the same and Alois was still very much getting a feel for the bases, only ever really visiting the barracks and the mess hall. After a few minutes of mindless wandering he finally came across a smaller building which read in large letters "Mess Hall." Stepping inside he quickly moved over towards the side of the room, gathering several items of food and piling them onto to his tray. Turning towards the center of the room he was met with a rather pleasent sight.

Unlike his previous meals in the mess hall he was greeted with the sight of several men and women sitting around the table chatting. They mostly seemed to be focused on what he observed to be small talk regarding introductions and some weapons. It was a fairly clear sign to him that these were prehaps some of the other operators he had yet to run into. Yet he also noticed a few familar faces, that being of the Polish women and the Isreali man, who in similar fasion to their first encounter, still seemed relatively shy compared to the other operators. He only hoped he wouldn't bring up too many questions, espically considering a copy of "Devil's Guard" sat in plain view upon his bed. Continuing to look upon the table he crossed paths with the face of a German looking man. Alois' face cracked a slight smile, that soon turned into one of puzzlment. The man only looked slightly older than himself, and slightly familar. Moving closer to the table several more faces came into view. He immediatly recognized two men as both a turkish man and a Russian, turning his facde hard and stiff. His father and Grandfather had often recounted the stories of the abuse comitted by the Russian during the split of Germany and was a delicate topic in his household growing up. Any mention of the Russians could be met with punishment. Circling away from that end of the table he moved closer to the German man and the Polish, taking a seat and beginning to listen closer in on the conversation at hand.

[Theyra]

Alexei began to enjoy the talk with his Turkish fellow operative. He heard his words as he finished eating and set aside the tray to drink some water. Though quiet for the most of time he did enjoy talking once he felt he was in somewhat confidence. "Well as a weapons expert I'm quite proficient with most weaponry, the AK variants are my prodigy. I got an AN-94 and a Saiga 12 of my own. I'm also task as the explosives expert in the team, that's what my paperwork said." Alexei said as e saw how there were new arrivals to the mess hall. One who was sitting alone, just like he himself had tried to do.

"I guess I'm not the only loner here." Alexei said to his Ergen in sarcasm.

Ergen got up from his seat and went over to put his tray away. He too got some tap water and and continued to talk to the Russian. Ergen normally does not talk this much to people that he does not know but, he felt that he should know what his teammates better. "Me I carry a HK417 and SIG Sauer P226". "I do not know my role but I think it may be a marksmen given my training". Ergen noticed the newcomer entered the mess hall and noticed that most seem to be sitting at the same table. Either they wanted to sit with the group or just ignored the two men. Ergen knew that he would have to work with all of them and perhaps it was best to met the rest of his team.

[Arengin Union]

Alexei Demidov
Camp Lemonnier
0900 Hours

Alexei kept talking with his Turkish friend and both of them began to laugh as they shared stories about their countries of origin. Talks about family, friends, and love. Alexei mentioned he had a girlfriend waiting for him back home.

"Da, she's a true sweetheart. The Spetnaz advise us to keep emotional relationships away. But I didn't care about that." He said as Ergen heard and he himself spoke about back home and his service in the military. Alexei didn't talk much about his time in Chechnya, those were memories he didn't care to share, things that he didn't want to remember and didn't want anyone in the team to know.

He noticed the few members of the team who looked at him with disgruntled eyes, looking directly at his blue beret and his Russian flag on his arm. He knew that the Soviet Union didn't really give him much of a good reputation but he didn't feel like they were much of an issue. He felt like he could prove he was a reliable part of the team.

[New Finnish Republic]

Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti
0900 Hours
SSG Matti Heikkinen

Matti had barely had enough time to get a nod off in acknowledgment to Hermann before the other remaining operatives began to make their way over. He recognized a handful of them from previous encounters, and he had done his research on the others that he didn't quite well know. Thus, when Matti looked up to see who was asking to sit down, he instantly recognized her as none other than Kapitan Kowalski. She had a bit of a reputation among the Special Forces community as being damn-near indestructible, and seeing her in the flesh was a bit of a surprise for Matti.

"Of course, Ma'am."

While technically rank really meant little to nothing within the Peacekeepers, Matti couldn't kick the habit of addressing officers the proper way. He didn't want to give his homeland a bad image by behaving incorrectly, so until told otherwise, he would ensure to address the commissioned officers properly. He even debated not sitting with Hermann due to the fact that he was an enlisted man, but the man didn't seem to mind when he sat down, and others Matti noticed who were enlisted had already began to take their seats at the table. So instead of fretting over it, he decided to, as they said in his native tongue, "Maassa maan tavalla", and took his seat at the table with the others.

While eating his meal, he began to scan the rest of the cafeteria for any other Peacekeepers. Out of the corner of his eye, he recognized a handful of other operators beginning to make their way into the room. He noted that Russian and Turk were talking to each other, seeming to make friendly small talk. Matti couldn't help but grin at the sight of that. A Turk and a Russian getting along...Kyllä siinä melua syntyy kun kaksi hullua yhteen tulee. While he couldn't help but hold some grudges against the Russian, he was glad to see that everyone was getting along, for the most part at least. He knew that they couldn't let any historical grudges get in the way of what they were trying to accomplish. Still, I think I'll have the Russian be the man in front of me when we stack up, Matti thought as he sipped on his coffee.

Turning his attention back to the table, he looked back at the others seated next to him. They seemed like a respectable bunch, and he trusted that they would be capable of holding their own in anything that came their way.

At least, he hoped so.

[Dwalin]

Aziza Assylov, Senior Warrant Officer
Almaty Military Base, Kazakhstan, The day before departure

---

Aziza had received the confirmation of her being transferred to the Peacekeepers almost a week ago, but today was going to be the day of her departure and she was called in by her Commander for a last briefing.
"Reporting in Sir" Aziza said as she entered the office of the Commander.
No need to be formal this time Aziza, you're not under my command anymore since 08:00 this morning" the Commander replied with a smile.
Aziza walked over as the Commander picked up some paperwork, "Your flight will depart tonight at 19:00 from the local airport and will take you to Camp Lemonnier, a US military base in Djibouti, also the home of the Peacekeepers. Read these on your flight to get some basic knowledge on your team members and your Commander there. I wish you the best of luck there Aziza and don't hesitate to stop by when you're around."
"I won't, and thank you for your support over the past years, i won't forget it" Aziza replied as she took the papers and said goodbye.

Back at her room Aziza started to pack her stuff. It wasn't the first time she went through all this, but it was the first time she actually doubted her choice. She had great colleagues here and the work suited her fairly well. Still she missed the things she experienced in Liberia, things she could experience again with the Peacekeepers.

Some hours later, after she had packed and said goodbye to her colleagues and her father, Aziza took her flight towards Djibouti. Aziza was still suprised at the fact that the base of the Peacekeepers was located at a US military base. The US wasn't exactly a big, or even a moderate contributor to the UN. But in the end Aziza didn't really bother, after all, Kazakhstan wasn't a decent contributor either.
During her flight she took out the papers given by her (ex-) Commander and checked out what kind of flesh had been included in the team.
"Hmm, at least i'm not the only one coming from a low level contributing state" Aziza said to herself as she read through the profiles. Most suprised she was when she read that there would be an Israeli present, although she wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. Aziza also noticed a lack of balance in the team as most of them were from Western nations. But well, at least there was a Russian, something that made Aziza quite happy as she considered Russia and its people as close friends of her.


Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Early morning

---

It had been a short night for Aziza. After unpacking her stuff the night before there hadn't been many hours to sleep left as the alarm woke her up again at 05:00. The weather was still pleasant at this point and so, after having a shower and some breakfast, she took the oppertunity to take Ayu out for a walk around the base. As she walked around she did notice some of the people with whom she would be working. It was a beautiful morning so to say and there wasn't much noise around the base as of yet. After a short walk Aziza and Ayu found themselves just outside of the base, "Alright buddy, wanna play?" she said with a high sound and a smile upon her face as she waved around with a piece of rope she brought. Ayu barked at her and started to jump towards the rope, "Do you want the rope? Do you want the rope? Here, go get the rope" Aziza said as she threw the rope away. Ayu quickly rushed after it... It had become the standard ritual for Aziza to play with Ayu in the early hours and she felt like there wasn't any better way to start the day. For an hour or so they played around before heading back to camp. She figured it was best to start looking for her new colleagues so she could get to know them, and so she headed towards the Mess Hall.
"Are you ready to meet your new friends?" Aziza asked Ayu with a smile before she opened the door.
Upon stepping into the room she noticed all the faces but wasn't exactly sure anymore on who was who and where from. Quietly she walked ahead and sat herself down on a couch, trying to fit the right face with the right information while petting Ayu, who had laid down next to her on the couch.

[Kyraina]

Joseph Bridges

Joseph looked up at the voice and saw Captain Kowalski. To say servimg with a woman in a combat unit was rare, it wasn't unheard of in the US military. "Of Course And Good Morning Ma'am." Joseph replied as he had started to dig into his breakfast.

He had heard of her reputation of being close to indestructible, and knew his own wasn't that far behind, "So Ma'am, how are you today.?" Joseph asked Kowalski after esting his bacon and then started on the omelette.