Coup: Black Lambs

[Solclquial]

<<Three weeks from now>>

Lawanao Early Seaboard Defense Initiative
07:18 AM -- LOCAL TIME
[6] UNIDENTIFIED Aerial Signatures from NW approaching SEABOARD ALFA -- DIRECTED TO SE
AUTO-ALERT STATUS: SCARLET

HI: "General, we're picking up Jungduan heavy bombers entering our airspace!"

H0: "Send what we have at them. Any special dogfight squadrons in our field?"

HI: "No one solid. Nearby Sutil Field has an IAE-17 squad flying in --"

HA: "Contact with Sutil Field lost! The command center isn't responding!"

HB: "Enemy land units deployed from Sutil Field!"

HI: "General, the bombers are moving fast and will reach our base in five minutes. We need to open defensive counters!"

H0: "Then do it!"

HC: "Defensive measures are a no-go, sir! Our AA has been compromised!"

H0: "This is Lawanao ESDI, calling in to High Command for Level 4 assi-"

HA: "They've breached t--"

CONTACT LOST

<<Present Day>>

Int'l Flight MayaAL097, 130km Northwest from Camarkosan Area of Responsibility

[Gunshots, screaming]

[Passengers panic as armed men shoot at flight attendants and security officers]

Acampano: Everyone get back to your seats and stand down. This plane is under hijacking by the Philippine Special Task Force. I am Major Acampano. No one moves or I will fire again.

Kagat: Boss, the pilots are dead and we are rerouting for Catanguen. We should be arriving in two hours.

Acampano: Good.

[Acampano lights a cigarette, promptly smokes it]

Acampano: Now everybody, listen. We will be redirecting this flight to Catanguen airport. Everyone is going to die.

[Screaming, followed by inaudible chatter, followed by more gunshots]

Acampano: I want everyone to pull out their cellular phones. I'll give you each one call before I start shooting.

Civilian: We can negotiate something out of this, Acampano, just give the President time t--

[Gunshots, a magazine is emptied at the civilian; screaming]

Acampano: A hint. You'd be making it easier if Mr. President Jingbong gets wind of this.

Acampano: Gentlemen, search aisle by aisle for any valuables. I've been told a special High Value Target is onboard.

[Acampano's men search the plane. They tackle a female passenger, aiming a firearm on her head]

Cathania: Marcos' men are already en route to your southern base, Acampano. I've seen to it that you are distracted enough to get our boys inside.

[Cellphone rings. Acampano answers the call, still training his pistol at Cathania]

Acampano: Hello? Yes. She's right here.

Acampano: Are we prepared? Good. Do it.

[Cathania's headset turns on, audible to the entire cabin]

UNDISCLOSED: VC, are you getting this? The platoon's been bombed! Acampano had nerve gas on the whole team this entire time... we're getting Captain Oblao out of here as we speak, but I don't think th--

[Explosions heard from the headset; headset turns off]

[Wordlessly, Cathania drops her firearm, and makes a gesture indicating surrender]

Acampano: That's more like it. Now let's see those funds.

Kagat: We've been wired with what we need, sir. They've broken down quite easily.

Acampano: Ah, isn't this such a perfect day?

[Rotors are audible; a Chinook is seen flying alongside the stolen aircraft. The Chinook is seen deploying a tube bridge connecting the two craft.]

Acampano: Time to go, gentlemen.

Acampano: You're coming with me.

[Acampano's men bind and gag Cathania, and move her to the Chinook]

[Acampano's men enter the other craft. Acampano tears open a gas packet, and tosses it dead center of the cabin and its passengers. He leaves, and the tube bridge is retracted]

[Solclquial]

Cantina
Undisclosed Area, "Site Klakson 17"
17:42 PM CST -- Three Hours Later

[Crew members gather around the mess hall and watch the television report. Acampano joins them shortly. He hands drinks to his men. They oblige. Report scene changes to a recorded interview with President Jingbong.]

Pres. Jingbong: I'm flush with gratitude for the kind soldiers and volunteers who selflessly assisted the Armed Forces in the latest successes of our Humanitarian Campaign. They have made the communities safer, removed of threats.

[President Jingbong and the interviewer exchange remarks on the former's numerous security-oriented programs and the shift into welfare and education. The president smiles and agrees to discuss the ongoing stand-off between the North and Camarkosan Corporate's foreign policies. The humanitarian effort is also discussed.]

Pres. Jingbong: Our streets, villages and homes are free day and night thanks to the Citizen Police program enacted last July. Countless supplies have been shipped to locales far and wide, delivering relief to those areas most affected by the terrorists. Our lawmen and fellow Filipinos vow to rescue those affected in cities such as Ma-asin and Burdoc. Already, the damage caused by the attacks is being mended, and the refugees have been shipped to safe havens.

Pres. Jingbong: In a way, this was long overdue, but because of you, we may finally know a safe Camarkosan.

[Scene cuts back to newsroom. Anchors go to another report.]

Acampano: [A short grunt of disgust.] This is terrible... Do you really believe this? We've saved those towns. We gave the villagers a route to escape from while this man's vigilantes shoot anyone we've talked to. And he's covering it up as a humanitarian campaign? I've seen those villagers. Skin and bones. Some were sick -- the hospitals wouldn't even take them. I had to put them down myself.

Sipag: President Marcos is a phony, Marshal. He is lying aristocrat. I've been in slum before. I've never seen this humanitarianism from local welfare bureau then. Never seen it now as well. [A cough.]

Acampano: Hmph. I believe you, Das. Hasn't a day gone by that I haven't seen a look of misery wherever we go.

Hid: Hear hear. Remember the boating village last week? Those government boats were shooting at the hostages... they didn't give a damn whether it was us or a civilian. I lost good men trying to shield them. We sank a frigate that day, but still..., they're not the least bit above dirty tricks.

Poroc: There's still some good folk in those bureaus, you know. Met three of them during the Casa Rod takeover. They were genuinely trying to triage the escapees; getting them well and protected in a small building. I had doubted to shoot them, boss. So, I left them hidden; they weren't bothering us. I snuck up on them once, the people really seemed at peace. So I talked to them, asked them what they were trying to do.

Acampano: [A pause. Acampano stares at Poroc, a look of interest and irritation on his face] And?

Poroc: They were... alright, Marshal. Wanted a better tomorrow, like most of us here. They told me about the problems people like them face with the bureaucrats, how they fought for every crate of resource to get them funded. I - I didn't want to kill them, boss. I gave them my gun and left them there.

[Poroc drinks. The rest of the crew are lighting cigars and watching the sports news.]

Poroc: Then I came back there after we bombed the villa and found them burnt into cinders and with grenade fragments all over the refugees. [A shrug.]

Acampano: [A sigh.] Look, I'm sorry, Roc, I really am. I could've stopped those deaths. But sometimes, we need to put the fight first.We can't spare everyone. You know that. We have traitors everywhere, we have causes to defend. And that means having a few allies caught up in the fire. You've accepted this before.

[Poroc is silent. Acampano stands up, straightening his coat.]

Acampano: I'll be more careful next time. We only hurt who we have to. That's the deal.

[At 18:01 PM, Acampano exits the cantina.]


[Captives Cellblock 1]

[A lone, restrained Linin-ak Agent is present in Cell 03, strapped to a chair. Beside him, two similar Agents, deceased. There is evidence of wounds caused by electrocution and use of blunt instruments. A fragment of a mandible is seen on the floor.]

H06: Purang simano! Where's my men? What happened to my men, dutente?

Acampano: Killed them. They weren't going to talk without their commanding officer's orders. [A huff.] Looks like you signed your own comrades' death sentences, Agent.

H06: I could hear them yelling from the next room, dumbass! They're not going to die without getting their hands on one of you. You're a rotten, piecemeal crapsack. You're going to go down.

Acampano: I cut off their hands three days ago. Lousy fuckers did nothing but flip me off with them. Ah, they won't be needing it. [Acampano sits down at his desk and browses his field notes. He places his cigarette on the ashtray.]

H06: [H06 struggles against his restraints.] Fuck you, let me go! I'll bash your neck until your spine comes out of it! You won't b-[H06 wheezes violently, spitting out bloodied violet phlegm. He takes a second to recover.]

H06: What... what are you trying to find, Acampano? What's capturing Cathna going to give you? They've redacted all of our military secrets, and we can't tell you shit we don't remember. You don't even have a codebreaker with you.

Acampano: Don't hurt yourself too much, Agent. That's where my officers and I come in. [Acampano stands up and paces about.] Now, the notion that we have captured and reverse-affiliated a MIMST Redaction Therapist is an educated conclusion. It was, in fact, planted by my men in the public a while back, but it was disinformation... until now. We've recruited a few. The latest from Zulu branch a day ago. The RT business is starting to boom underground, pal.

H06: SHIT! You're full of SHIT, ACAMPANO. I don't have merely as many secrets as you think I have. I'm a green-class rookie, compared to the HKs Ludvigo sent after your head. Not even Cathna has any that can hurt the operation.

[Personnel enters Cell: Doctor Weldon. Redaction Therapy specialist. Formerly enlisted in Marcos Imperial Military Sciences and Technologies, Dipolog Branch.]

Acampano: [A smirk.] Heh, can't hurt to try, pal. [Turns to face Dr. Weldon.] Give him the usual, doc. 

[Mechanical sounds, followed by loud screaming.]


[Medical Bay, Room 2]

[Single light fixture overhead blinks on. VC "Cathania" is immobilized and under interrogation. There are burn marks on her arms and face. Acampano enters the room. Dr. Sait is performing Manduc psyche-breaking procedure to her.]

Acampano: That's enough, Doctor. I've already extracted most of her mission statement from her folders. [Turns to face Cathania.] If I wasn't mistaken, I'd say you have no other use for me, Cathna.

[No response. Acampano handles a surgical knife, held up below Cathania's chin. Doctor Sait ceases procedure.]

Acampano: Hey, come on. You're going to go out soon. Hang in there.

[Cathania does not reply nor acknowledge Acampano. She is subdued by the effects of chemical torture. Acampano places a finger on her neck, then on her forehead. He leaves the room. The doctor shuts off the light and follows. A faint whimper is briefly audible.]


CAMAYNILAC ACTION NEWS REPORT
21:05:04 PM CST -- Seven Hours After MayaAL097 Terrorist Hijacking

Reporter: Maya International Flight AL097 is currently unaccounted for, last seen at four o'clock this afternoon, originally bound for the Banaates Islands. MISSB is tracing its last known position, but Col. Telo is expressing concerns that it has crashed somewhere in the North Philippine Sea. The leading suspicion is that terrorist activity lately is the cause for the disappearance.

Reporter: The Sidma Military Base in Aclan was also bombed earlier in the morning by chemical explosives placed on the underside of vehicles returning from an operation against terrorist cells in nearby Ma-asin. Unidentified third party gunmen have reportedly intervened with the preceding skirmishes, firing at rebels and entering a then-undiscovered terrorist compound. The compound was later found destroyed. Ma-asin police are currently investigating. The gunmen's identities are, at present, unknown.

[Solclquial]

Medical Bay, Dr. Weldon's Quarters
"Site Klakson 17"
21:31 PM CST

[Acampano enters the study. Weldon is visible at the far end, fixing a set of charts and photocopying papers. He stops to notice the commander. A bloodied set of instruments is partially seen in the trashbin.]

Acampano: Did we get anything?

[Dr. Weldon turns to his computer and powers the projector to his left.]

Weldon: The agent is broken down as of eight thirty-two, evening, Camaynilac Standard Time, Commander. I assure you, based on level of her conditioning, we have definitely got something from her, yet she proved some difficulty when it came to Post-Red Therapy.

[The Dr. displays scanned copies of information extracted from Cathania on the projection. Acampano turns to look at it, eyes narrowed at the statements, transcripts and expletives from the agent.]

Acampano: I trust you've treated our captive well?

Weldon: [A laugh.] Commander, I have taken the Oath like every other physician in my field. I happen to pay attention to it occasionally, just enough times to assure an effective procedure [A pause.] with perhaps having an average of four deaths per ten patients. .

[Silence. Weldon retreats to his desk and begins sorting test documents.]

Acampano: Very well. Have everything at my quarters by tomorrow. If you require extended testing on subjects aside from her, you have my permission. You'll have the whole night for yourself. In the meantime, have an assistant patch up H06's cell and bed. The stench is getting into the technicians' bay.

[Acampano exits the study. Door shuts.]