Eggman Empire

Oliver and Gary had already taken refuge from retaliation before the LTG could blast it to hell. By now, the only rooms that had lighting below decks were the ones with the Doc, Rod, and Christa. The Smilers, with their augmented night vision, now had the advantage. Lurking in the shadows, the two waited for their respective victims to pass by before they stepped out of their hiding spots. The random shots from the AA-12s had done little to dampen their fighting spirit. The LTG member who passed by Oliver found a hand placed over his mouth. A moment later, a K-BAR plunged into the back of his neck; severing his spinal cord and nearly decapitating the man. Gary had a less stealthy approach. He waited until the LTG was within striking distance and slammed his foot into the man's knee. It gave way with a sickening crack and Gary bolted forward. He grabbed the man's AA-12, yanked it out of his hands, and placed it under the thief's chin. "Picked the wrong day, buddy-boy." He cackled. The boom from the gun echoed up from the hatch, as could Gary's challenge to the LTG. "Com'n then! Let's see what you punks can do!" With that, he vanished further into the gloom of the ship. ----- Alex, meanwhile, was busy in another hidy-hole with a high-tech transmitter. ----- Some distance away from all the action, a predator of the deep lurked. The monitoring room of the submarine [i]E.I.N. Viperfish[/i] came alive. Alex had sent a previous message when his group had left the docks, informing the submarine that they were taking fire. The captain had then ordered the sub to go hot and began moving to intercept the fishing boat the Smilers were using. Now they were receiving targeting data from Alex's transmission letting them know where the helicopters were. The [i]Viperfish[/i] was one of the newly fielded [i]Chirodropida[/i] submarine classes. It was two-thirds the size of a regular submarine and wasn't meant for ship-killing(though it could do that.) The [i]Chirodropida[/i] class was mainly a spy sub. With advanced stealth equipment and construction design, it could shadow a target for weeks and could operate in relatively shallow waters. It had torpedoes, but not a lot and they weren't effective at destroying well armored ships. However, it was perfect for the mission it was on. Another design feature the sub had was a launcher for Six short-range but powerful Surface-to-air Missiles. The captain ordered the sub to surface. It broke through the water, activated the missiles, acquired their targets, and fired. As soon as the missiles were away, the sub quickly returned to the relative safety of the deep. The six missiles raced to their targets and blew them apart. Now the [i]Viperfish[/i] would have to wait until the Smilers had cleared the boarders before the [i]Viperfish[/i] could pick them up.

The LTG stormed through the door. Though eager, they failed to notice small cylinders role underneath their feet. A mix of concussion and flash-bang grenades exploded in their faces. Those unprepared staggered around, blinded, while those protected were distracted. The point-man failed to notice a battered and bleeding Kayla step in front of them from an adjacent corridor. One of her arms was now a charred stump and part of her jaw was showing, but she was also packing a flame thrower. The device belched liquid napalm; splashing metal, clothes, and men. Kayla was sure to give them a good hosing. At least a half-dozen men caught a decent spray while many others had their clothes scorched. Just as quickly as she had appeared, Kayla vanished to avoid return fire. And exploding munitions. Probably the exploding munitions. However, she was leaving a blood trail. Back topside, any undamaged targeting devices that were hidden along the deck were activated and swiveled their attention on the looming helicopters. Within moments, targeting data was fed to nearby GAVKs which were promptly armed. Two hatches on deck opened up and Gary and Oliver stepped out, each carrying GAVKs that were ready to fire. They lined up the weapon sights with the nearest helicopter, fired, and hurried back into the relative safety of below-decks. The two missiles raced to their targets. One was a glancing blow that blew off a side of a helicopter, but hitting nothing vital. The second missile blasted the column holding the rotor to the airframe. The death machine tumbling into the water below. Below decks, the Doc worked. He ignored the noise and hoped the thick door between him and the aggressors while he focused on saving Rod's life.

The Smilers scattered as munitions rained down on them. The boat's hull and the miniguns had been re-enforced to withstand such punishment. The crew, however, had to duck for cover. Soon after seeing no more targets on deck, the fire began to slacken. Then Alex emerged from cover with a strange looking missile launcher. The device was a shoulder-fired, surface-to-air smart missile system. This particular device was called the GAVK(ground/aerial vehicle killer)-83. A useful feature of the weapon was it's ability to network with other targeting systems. This allowed the user to fire the missile, even if he didn't have a direct lock. But since there weren't any other targeting systems on the boat for the GAVK to link up with, Alex had to do things the hard way. The weapons system beeped with a positive lock and Alex fired the missile before ducking back into cover. The missile the GAVK used was a modified version of the FGM-148 Javelin. Certain components had been adjusted, but the warhead and basic guidance system stayed the same. The warhead streaked towards the helicopters and slammed into the cockpit of one. In the mean time, Alex was busy reloading.

"We got company." Said Alex, a Gen-8 in charge of Team 3. "Go set up the defenses." He said to Leon, another member of Team 3. The last member was 'Doc,' their medic/trauma surgeon. Leon nodded and Oliver and Gary moved to help him. Alex then got on a megaphone to address his pursuers. "Uh...No. How about a game of charades instead." Alex then began pointing at the boats and making rude gestures. At the same time, the other three Smilers were busy opening pre-arranged crates on the deck. The wooden sides fell away to reveal GAU-17/A mini-guns mounted to the deck. Gary promptly test-fired one; the bullets splashing near one of the Coast guard boats. "Look pal, we don't want anything to do with you! Back off and we'll leave in peace!" Alex stated.

The car weaved between carts and stands and other obstructions. They had made it to the docks, but were finding it crowded. Oliver scanned frantically for their boat while Kayla was beginning to panic about Rod. He was pale and breathing shallow and nobody was sure how much longer he could hold out. "There!" Gary exclaimed. He pointed to a shoddy looking fishing trawler at the end of a nearby pier. Oliver dialed a number on the cell phone. "Team 3, Teams 1 and 2 in sight of X-Ray point. Fire up. Plan for Romeo heavy Kilo injuries." He said and hung up the phone. The car finally made it to their destination and the Smiler's quickly abandoned their stolen vehicle. As soon as all of them were on board, the Smilers on the ship cast off. The boat roared out of the harbor and onto open waters. The ship was a flurry of activity as Team 2 and 3 hurriedly addressed Team 1 and Christa. Rod and Christa were taken to the hold down below, where Team 3's medic addressed Rod.

"I have a plan!" Oliver declared. He leaned out of the car and fired his Eagle into the oncoming traffic. Three bullets struck three car tires, and the luckless vehicles spun out in the middle of the road. The traffic behind them screeched to a halt. Gary quickly pulled their car over into the emergency lane next to the divider. They scrambled out of the car and over the divider; Gary carrying Rodrick and Oliver helping Kayla and Christa. The quintet weaved their way through the stopped cars until they reached one closest to the outer-emergency lane. The driver didn't even have time to protest as Gary pulled him out of his car and strapped Rodrick in. Glancing over, he could see Kayla and Oliver do the same thing to Christa. With everyone set, Gary pulled the car onto the shoulder, sped past the other cars and trucks, and cleared the wreck Oliver had caused. Gary drove the vehicle more carefully. Just in the off chance that their second car switch fooled the cops. They turned off the highway and began taking an alternate route. The docks were sight.

Gary cursed as he noticed one cop car on their tail. He motioned to Oliver. "Waste 'em." Oliver nodded an leaned out the window. He pointed his Eagle at the cruiser and lined up a shot. *Boom!* The .50 Action Express flew towards the car and smashed into the windscreen. The tempered bulletproof glass held, but a thick web of cracks blossomed on the driver's side. The car swerved, but doggedly stayed on their tail. Oliver cursed and re-adjusted his aim. "Turn ahead, Hard!" Oliver bellowed at Gary. The Smiler nodded and took the next right. As the car turned horizontal to the cop car, Oliver lined up his shot and fired. The bullet tore through the cruiser's passenger side tire and slammed into the drive shaft. Oliver ignored the cruiser's plight and pulled himself back into their getaway car. Gary looked at the GPS and nodded. The docks were close. From there, the extraction point and safety.

The Eggman Empire is saddened to see such violence and death. A formal letter of protest was sent to St. Johns in regard to their response. Protests in Eggman Empire also happen every so often. However, should violence break out, we are able to contain them. A notable contributor to our success has been our own riot-control gas. Labeled KRJ-520, the gas causes nausea, dizziness, migraines, and vomiting. Previous uses of the gas have shown protesters running away from the source of the gas to avoid it. And unlike Tear gas, which only takes a few minutes to recover from, the effects of KRJ-520 stick with affected protesters all day, making them less likely to return to cause problems. If you would like to purchase a sizable quantity, please feel free to contact us.

Gary and Oliver cursed in surprise, Kayla hissed in pain, and Rodrick mumbled something unintelligible. The sneak attack by the bikers had made their foul mood worse, and the Smilers were in no mood to deal with another annoyance. "I'm sick of this! Stop the car!" Oliver snarled. Gary complied and, in a seemingly impossible move, Oliver pointed his Barrett M107 out the window like a side arm. Leaning out and looking down the scope, Oliver waited until the traffic had passed and he had a clear shot at the bikers. "Playtime is over, jerkwagons." Oliver sneered. *BOOM!* The sniper rifle barked like thunder as a round meant to piece several inches of metal blew clean through the chests of one biker duo. A look of disbelief appeared on the clinically dead men's faces as they looked down to see dinner plate sized holes in their chests. Then they obeyed the laws of medicine and stopped living. Oliver's second shot was off. Instead of murdering the other biker pair, the round went clean through the front tire, through the engine block, and punching into the gas tank. The two bikers didn't even realize what had happened as their bike exploded underneath them. Seizing the opportunity, Gary pressed on the gas and raced past the carnage. "Weapons check!" Gary shouted as he took a hard turn left. "Seven more rounds for my sniper, 'bout 80 in the SAW's magazine, and both our Eagles have two full clips each." Oliver responded. He looked at Kayla. "Rod lost the goodie bag back at the store." She said helplessly. "I've got one full extended clip and one half full. There's 12 rounds of .50 Action Express for my Eagle total. Dunno about Rod." She said. The man in question fumbled with his own weapon and checked his clip. "Uh...'bout...five rounds..." He muttered. He managed to put the clip back in before passing out on Christa. His blood smeared her shirt. The Eagle was still clutched in his hand. "****!" Kayla cursed. She leaned over and checked the young man's vitals. "He's alive, but barely. Shallow pulse, shallow breathing. We have to get to the rendezvous!" "Easier said then done." Oliver muttered. "You awake yet?" He said, turning his attention to Christa. Meanwhile, Gary glanced at a GPS on his cell-phone. They were getting closer to the docks were a ship would take them to the pick-up point, but he knew another shoe would drop. He looked around, hoping to find their next assailant.

Rodrick coughed. A frothy red spray of blood splattered against the dashboard. Oliver caught some of it as he worked frantically to treat the sucking chest wound Rodrick had received. Reaching into the med-kit he had, Oliver pulled out a one-way flutter valve and applied it to the wound. Rodrick grimaced and struggled to pat the unwounded side of his chest. "Tension...pneumo...thorax..." He gasped out. Oliver nodded and grabbed a 14-gauge needle from his bag and searched for the right spot. Oliver carefully inserted it in the middle of the second intercostal space on Rodrick's chest and immediately heard a gurgling hiss come from the needle. Rodrick sucked in a lung full of air and slumped lower in the seat. Oliver then began treating the rest of Rodrick's wounds. After some hasty pressure bandages, he turned to Gary. "He's not going to die just yet, but he needs medical attention ASAP!" Oliver said. Gary nodded. "Right, but we need to find a new ride. I bet they're following us right now." He replied. Gary looked around and spotted a lengthy overpass with a road underneath it nearby. He yanked the steering wheel and cut across multiple lanes of traffic, nearly crashing. They made it however, and as soon as they were undercover, Gary slammed on the brakes. A screech and a honk from behind let him know it wasn't appreciated. Gary ignored the irate response, hopped out of his car, and walked over to the one that had almost rear-ended him. Gary pulled out his Eagle, opened the driver's door, and pointed it at the man. "Out." He stated calmly. The panicked driver complied and dashed away screaming. Oliver came out carrying Rodrick, and Kayla staggered forward dragging Christa. They all piled into the car and Gary hit the gas.

Kayla forgot the exact point when the entire operation had gone to hell, but she was certain it was around the point they had entered the storage area. No sooner had they started to clear the room, two suit-goons opened fire with bullets and grenades. Kayla had returned fire and scrambled away from the door as fast as possible. As she moved to the far side of the room, a piece of shrapnel came and struck her in the left shoulder. She cursed as her shooting arm screamed at her in pain. Then, just as she had found some cover, the rest of the doors had burst open and armed gunmen poured through. Thoughts of suit back-up and cops were abandoned as she saw they were dressed in mixed civilian attire with body armor. A string of cursed left her mouth as she saw one of them grab her target. She tried to move but bullets and buckshot peppered her location, forcing her to hunker down. She managed to pull out her cellphone and make a call. "Team 1 to Team 2, Kilo pinned down! "Romeo possibly KIA! Armed men in body armor escaping with target through the back! Need extraction!" A stray bullet slammed into the cellphone, showering her with plastic. She cursed yet again, and returned fire at the man who'd shot at her. His head disappeared in a mist of red and grey matter and white bone chips. Another armored goon made the mistake of coming to close to her hiding spot. She leaped out like a trap-door spider, and slammed her fist into his unarmored throat. As the blow crushed his windpipe, she spun him around and used him as a shield. Kayla holstered her Eagle to save ammo and began using the dying man's Steyer AUG. "Romeo, if you're alive, make some holes!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. A cackle filled the air, followed by multiple thumps. Kayla immediately dropped to the floor and pulled the dead man over her. Incendiary 40mm grenades exploded in a ball of fire. The storage area turned into an inferno as napalm splashed against boxes and walls and humans. ------- "...Need extraction!" The young man looked at his cellphone then at the building across the street. The rear of the supermarket suddenly began to belch smoke as he heard the distant noises of explosions. He looked down the scope of his Barrett M107 and saw a group of men dragging their target to the back of a waiting van. He picked his own target and fired. The armor piecing round raced towards it's target at nearly 3000 feet per second. The driver of the van they had thrown Christa into didn't feel a thing as the round decapitated him. The bullet then ricocheted into the engine block where it tumbled around for a few seconds before exiting the vehicle and slamming into the supermarket wall. More bullets flew towards the unfortunate kidnappers as the .50 cal rounds punched through their vests like paper and splattered their backsides against walls and asphalt. The magazine clicked empty after the tenth round, but the sniper calmly replaced it with another. He looked back at the area and saw his teammate sprinting towards the burning building. The man carried a SAW and promptly gunned down another goon who was hiding from the sniper's sights. "Golf to Oscar, target found. Target is bound and not going anywhere. Should we get her or save team 1?" 'Golf' asked 'Oscar' over a cellphone. "Retrieve team 1 before they kill themselves. I'll watch the target." Oscar replied. Golf nodded and stormed through one of the ruined doors to find his comrades. -------- Despite the smoke and fire, the goons still fired on Kayla. The dead man's armor was soaking up bullets fast, and soon it would be her they ate into. Somewhere across from her, Kayla could hear Rodrick shooting back. Kayla was now very pessimistic about getting out alive. She had received another hit to her leg. While she knew she could walk, running would be difficult. She cursed her sour luck yet again as other spray of bullets whizzed overhead. Through the gloom, she could see a door to the outside at the far end of the storage room. It was one of the doors the gunmen had came through. And through the door walked a bulky figure toting a heavy weapon. This was it now, she thought. Then the figure turned his weapon on some nearby suit-goons and opened fire. "Team 1, time to go!" Kayla didn't have to be asked twice. Throwing the dead man away, she hobbled over to the man with the SAW. "Good to see you Gary!" She shouted over his gun. "Likewise." Gary replied. "We gotta go! Oliver is covering the rear with his sniper, but the cops are encircling the building. He's keeping them at bay, but we don't have long. Where's Rodrick?" He asked. Kayla was about to respond when the man in question staggered through the smoke. His entire left side was drenched in blood and his arm hung limply. However, that didn't stop him from blasting away with his Eagle. "Sorry I'm late." He gasped out raggedly. Gary shrugged. "Target's in one of the vans. Get her into another one and lets go. I'll cover." He said. The two nodded and hurried outside. They found Christa and pulled her out of the van. "Com'n lady," Rodrick gasped "We gotta getcha outta here!" He added. Kayla pulled Christa along with her good arm as Rodrick opened the back of another van. Kayla dragged Christa inside as Rodrick got into the driver's seat and started the van. Kayla was just about to close the door when another goon popped up from underneath the vehicle and pointed his gun at her. Time stopped and Kayla heard a sudden thunder-clap. The man was suddenly thrown to the ground; his side liquefied by a .50 cal round. Blood sprayed along the side of the van and in the faces of the two women. Gary emerged from the building and sprinted to the van. He pushed Rodrick to the passenger's seat, took the wheel, and hit the gas. Kayla barely closed the doors in time as she was thrown against the back. Gary swerved the van back and forth as Rodrick fired Gary's SAW at the goons who were emerging from the building. The van hopped the curb, throwing its occupants around as Gary made his way over to the side of the building Oliver was sniping from. Oliver packed his gear and hooked a rope on a nearby pipe. He then repelled down the side of the building and landed at the back of the van. Kayla opened the door and he hopped inside. With that, Gary took off. "Thanks for the save." Kayla muttered. Her adrenaline was wearing off and the pain and bloodloss was catching up to her. "No problem. But you guys need a doctor." Oliver replied. He turned to get a med-kit, when he seemed to notice Christa for the first time. "Oh, and you.." He said to the bewildered woman. "The Genshabi Research Corporation is offering sanctuary in Eggman Empire as well as a million dollars plus benefits if you're willing to donate your tissue to their scientists. What's your answer?" He said as he cut her ropes.

"Man, I hate ski masks! We look like retarded bank robbers!" Rodrick exclaimed. The two Smilers were executing a "run-n-gun" approach after their target had been to spooked to take them up on their offer. As it was, Rodrick and Kayla had abandoned their rental and lit it on fire. They then proceeded to put on ski masks to hide their identity. The sack of weapons was resting on Rodrick's back, and both were now using their Desert Eagles to blow away any black-suited goon stupid enough to get in their way. Obviously the shoppers and employees of Thomston Supermarket didn't take lightly to two masked strangers blasting away at another group of armed men in the store, and had fled or found someplace to cower. This meant little to Kayla. "Shut up, whiner! Follow the suits and they'll lead us to the target!" She yelled as she dodged return fire. In the distance, she heard cops. "We gotta find that broad fast!" Rodrick noticed a small squad of suit-goons scurry through a set of doors leading the the storage section in the back of the store. "Storeroom!" He shouted to Kayla. She nodded. "Bang and Smoke, on three!" She yelled. Rodrick nodded and pulled a smoke grenade and a flash-bang out of the bag. Waiting until Kayla gave him the signal, he armed the grenades and threw them at an area that would cover their dash to the doors. The flash-bang exploded, distracting the goons long enough for the smoke to fill the part of the store they were fighting in. Together, the two teen supersoldiers dashed to the storage doors. They burst through them and immediately began gunning down any goons they saw. They soon cleared the immediate area and began calling for their target. "Mrs Hamer, you must come out! We're here save you from Leaf Corporation's goons and corrupt government agents! Please, we've got to hurry!" Kayla shouted, looking for any lurking LC goons while Rodrick calmly watched the storage door, his gun freshly loaded.

[quote]*Internal Memo: From:Jack Ulysses Kintober; IMSD Director* To: Genshabi Board of Directors. RE:Leaf Corporation development Dear sirs, I've read your report and thank you kindly. I've been quite busy lately and had not taken notice of the Leaf Corporation's recent shenanigans. If what the reports say is true, then there is a very important reason why they have gone after the woman in question (Christa Hamer.) From what recent reports indicate, the Leaf Corporation is working on a sure-fire cancer cure. This woman obviously has something to do with it. Your request for an one million-and-benefits incentive fund is authorized if it means convincing Hamer to work with our scientists. I also have personally authorized the use of a HS Gen-9 squad to recover her. I doubt Leaf will feel like sharing. It is important that she trusts us and believes we can shelter her from whatever plans the Leaf Corporation has for her. Be sure she asks for an asylum in Eggman Empire. It will go a long way in keeping Leaf from extracting her. Signed: Jack Ulysses Kintober, Imperial Military Science Division Director.[/quote] --------------- Rodrick loudly munched on his third bag of cheese-flavored potato chips. His fellow Happy Smiler, Kayla, looked over and glared at him. "Honest to Hank, Rodrick, if you make any more noise, I will beat you to death with this steering wheel!" She hissed. Rodrick looked at Kayla, smirked, and smacked his lips as loudly as he could. Kayla's forehead became a network of veins as she began to reach for her "partner's" neck. Rodrick halted his annoying smacking and suddenly pointed at the house their car was across from. "Target's moving!" He said quickly. Kayla looked over an saw a woman leave said residence. She glared at Rodrick one last time. "You got lucky...this time." She fumed. Any retort Rodrick was about to spout died on his lips as a police cruiser pulled up to Hamer's car and dragged the woman out of it, kicking and screaming. "Oh SH!!!" Rodrick exclaimed. He immediately went for the weapons they had stored in the glove box. "Wait you moron!" Kayla said, putting a hand in front of the compartment. "If the cops are involved that means the government and LC are in cahoots. Call up and see what they want us to do." Rodrick grumbled but pulled out an encrypted cell-phone and dialed a number. --------------------- They had parked their rental car near the station. Normally this might have attracted attention, but Kayla was 18 and Rodrick was 17, so they didn't look all that threatening. Until you got a good, close look that is. *Shlick, click, clack.* For what seemed like the hundredth time, Rodrick inspected the chamber of his Desert Eagle and made sure a round was in the chamber. The gun might've seemed like overkill, but a Happy Smiler had to be prepared. And since they were strong enough to handle the recoil, there wasn't any reason not to give Smilers hand-cannons. Kayla, however, was very much annoyed with Rodrick's chamber checking OCD. "Would you stop that?!" She hissed. Rodrick glowered at her. "What? It's not like I have anything better to do! Unless you'd like me to storm that PD station and grab the target. Waiting here Suck!" He grumbled. Kayla smacked him up-side the head. "Did the augmentations melt your brain or something? Your heard boss-man. He said wait for them to bring her out, and then ambush them in an abandoned area." Kayla reminded him. "But waiting's sooo booooorrriinnnng." He whined. Kayla shushed him. "Quiet! I think they're moving her!" Kayla checked again and it was indeed Mrs. Hamer the police were dragging into a police van. She turned to Rodrick. "Go to the back and get the Thumper outta the bag. Non-lethal rounds. We don't want collateral damage." Rodrick looked excited about 'the thumper' but sighed when Kayla ordered no-kill rounds. He snatched the armament out of the back and returned to the front seat. Kayla promptly drove after the van. -------------- Rodrick gripped the dash board as Kayla turned the rental car they had sharply to follow the fleeing cab. They were about to 'rescue' Christa when she suddenly jumped up and took off. Now it looked like they might lose her. Then the taxi rammed into a white van. Kayla swore as another cut in front of them. She slammed the car in reverse and drove around the van. Black suited men piled out. Rodrick to the opportunity to 'scare' them by using his Eagle to blow the rear van's tires out. The shots boomed like thunder as Kayla maneuvered the rental car along side Christa. "We're friends! Hop it!" She yelled to the fleeing woman. Rodrick pulled out the Thumper, a 40mm grenade launcher, and fired at the pursuing men. A concussion round sailed towards them and exploded with a loud clap. Some of the men scattered, but others continued. "Trust us! We're here to help." Kayla repeated. She gestured for the woman to get in the back seat.

The Eggman government will look into buying [i]Generalissimo’s Cooking[/i] and [i]Statesman Awesome Action Squad[/i]. Should the first contain relevant and workable recipes, it will be bought and distributed as a cooking survival guide. The second will be put in the fiction section.

Breaking news: Several weapons caches has been found the home of Mr. Radenpansk, as well as three other ECP leaders. The caches contain, among other things, RPGs, anti-tank rockets, AP MG rounds, and plastic explosives. Schematics for building chemical weapons and IEDs have also been found with the caches. The authorities are investigating where the weapons came from. This discovery has led to the arrest of even more senior ECP leaders, as well as the shutting down of major ECP HQs around the country. The military and police have been placed on high alert and are ready to take on any possible militants that show up. ECP members are still being allowed to protest, but and group larger then 50 people will be dispersed. Responding to international criticism pertaining to Eggman Empire's initial response, Head Minister of External Affairs Blyzar Dreth had this to say: "The unemployment Eggman Empire is 2.3%. The minimum wage here is $8.50. Any employee must be paid time-and-a-half if they work more then an 8 hour shift. Employers cannot work their people for more then 14 hours strait. Fifteen minute breaks must be provided every two hours worked. Employees are entitled to a half-hour break if work four or more hours. Employees are allowed to form unions. From where I stand, the workers of Eggman Empire are well treated and compensated for their hard work and time spent. Rhetoric like Mr. Radenpansk's is merely an attempt to incite revolution because people like him have a personal grudge against the government. The Eggman Empire believes in freedom of speech. But if it calls for the destruction of the government or government property, then it stops being free speech and becomes threats against the state. And we do not take kindly to threats. It should also be known that Mr. Radenpansk has a criminal record involving drug charges and damages to government property. If foreign governments wish to support this man, it's their choice. Personally, I believe only idiots would sympathize for the likes of Mr. Radenpansk. Also, if we find out that Mr. Radenpansk and his associates were supplied by another country, words will be had."

*excerpt from Eggman News Network article* The Eggman Communist Party, or ECP, has landed itself in hot water this past week by calling for the resignation of Emperor Isaac Kintober and the repeal of dozens of laws they say oppress the "working class." The main ECP HQ in downtown Robotropolis was shut down. Also, the ECP party leader, one Eliot Radenpansk, has been arrested for sedition and attempting to instigate a rebellion. Before his arrest, Radenpansk told his supporters to "...Rise up against the bourgeoisie-run oligarchy that oppresses the masses! Strike down the Kintober government; the enemy of the people! The working man must revolt against his oppressive masters and free himself from the corrupt shackles of Capitalism!" Radenpansk urged his supporters to take to the streets and throw out their local civic leaders. ECP senate members have denounced Radenpansk's jailing, but at the moment their comment have no political weight behind them. This is yet another strange chapter between the EE government and it's communist party. Usually minority party that never stretches beyond 10% of the total population, the communist party has been described as the "noisy minority." Ever since it's founding, the ECP has continually declared that the government allows companies operating inside Eggman Empire borders of oppressing workers, suppressing free speech, and being a general police state. This is not the first time the ECP has been in trouble with the government. There have been three other incidents of ranking ECP leaders being arrested in the past five years, along with dozens of violent protests between those events. One local ECP HQ near Isen has been shut down six times in the past two years. When asked why the government tolerates such outrageous behavior, acting Minister of Internal Affairs Blyzar Dreth had this to say: "The Eggman Empire constitution states that any group may form a political party to have their voices heard. The majority of the ECP members are law-abiding citizens who have decided that the ECP is the best platform for having their complaints heard and it would be unfair to punish them. However, ECP leaders must take responsibility for their actions. If one of them advocates the toppling of the government, that goes too far." Regardless of whether Radenpansk went to far, sympathetic ECP protests have sprung up around the nation. Most are small, attended only by local ECP members. However, larger protests have occurred in bigger cities, especially the nation's capital of Robotropolis. The protests have yet to become violent, but based on past history, the government has stationed a large police and military presence around them should things become to uncontrollable.

*Egg News Network; Article, paper.* With the recent completion of a Naval Construction Yard, and two secondary drydocks and shipyards each, the Eggman government recently authorized the production of two new Supercarrier strike groups(CSGs), in addition to the two already in service. Head Minister of Defense Phil Ryst stated earlier this week that "With the addition of these two new CSGs to the Eggman Imperial Navy, Eggman Empire will be able to deploy and destroy the enemy where-ever they try to hide. In addition, the defensive abilities of our nation will be greatly increased. These CSGs will give the enemy pause for a moment, and hopefully force them to consider peace over war." With production already underway in existing shipyards and drydocks, the government expect the two additional groups to be complete and operational in four years. The two new supercarriers have already been named; the [i]E.I.N. Fiery Justice[/i] and the [i]E.I.N. Johan Kintober[/i]. The Defense ministry states that the new CSGs will be modeled after the two existing ones and will usually contain: One [i]Nimitz[/i] class Supercarrier. One [i]Wasp[/i] class multipurpose helicopter carrier A 6-ship destroyer squadron consisting of a mix of destroyers and frigates. Two [i]Ticonderoga[/i] class Aegis guided missile cruisers. Three [i]Arleigh Burke[/i] class guided missile destroyers. Two [i]Los Angeles[/i] class submarines. Two [i]Sacramento[/i] class resupply ships. One oiler and one munitions/equipment/food supply ship. An Expeditionary Strike Group, consisting of 3 Amphibious Ships and a Marine Expedition Unit. *Ship types may change depending on the type of mission.* The Supercarriers are expected to be finished first and will complete a shake-down cruise with either the [i]E.I.N. Filoviridae[/i] CSG or [i]E.I.N. Absolute desolation[/i] CSG. There has been discussion as to whether the third Supercarrier currently in service, the [i]E.I.N. Scalpel[/i] will be transferred over to one of the new CSGs or remain with the [i]Filoviridae[/i] CSG. A few in the Ministry of Defense have suggested it be given it's own, smaller CSG. The general consensus is that it would be permanently stationed around Eggman Empire while the larger CSGs deploy out to sea or confront enemy targets.

*Egg News Network excerpt.* [quote] Yesterday the Imperial Senate approved a bill put forward by the Ministry of Energy and sponsored by Emperor Isaac Kintober. The bill authorizes the construction of five new nuclear power plants to be built in Eggman Empire. At the moment, there is currently only one active plant 10 miles outside of the country's capitol, Robotropolis. The plants are expected to carry nearly 60% of the country's power output. In addition to another 10% from "green" energy sources, Eggman Empire will only rely on coal and oil plants for 25% of it's power. This is viewed as troubling to the employee's of the coal and oil plants that are predicted to close. Critics claim it could also cause damage to communities surrounding the various plants who rely on them for income from the workers. Protests in those towns, as well as in Robotropolis, have occured. Anti-nuclear energy and Greenpeace-type activists also have already begun to protest this move. Citing that the dangers from a plant meltdown and improperly disposed of radioactive waste could bring about an ecological nightmare for Eggman Empire as a whole. The government has been quick to reply to these arguments. Disgruntled workers have been informed that the old powerplants will remain active for quite some time until all the reactors are built and tested. Also that plans are underway for converting the old plants to produce other products. Green activists were informed that each reactor plant would be thoroughly tested and retested before coming on-line, and once active, would have multiple primary, secondary, backup, and emergency safety features that would bring the possibility of a meltdown to near theoretical percentiles. The government has also stated that the nuclear fuel that will be used in the reactors can be recycled multiple times, reducing the amount of waste by-products. Sites for safely storing the fuel once it's completely spent have already been selected. Still, these statements do little to calm either group. The project will be an uphill battle against the two groups, as the first plant is scheduled to come on line in 20XX, nearly 4 years from now.[/quote] *end excerpt* [URL=http://img237.imageshack.us/i/eeflag.png/][IMG]http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/3151/eeflag.th.png[/IMG][/URL]

[quote]Hello valued GenShaBi R&D Medical Industries. customers and potential customers! First off, we would like to say how much we appreciate your business and hope that the forthcoming news will not effect it. As you know GenShaBi Industries is the always on the forefront of cutting edge medical knowledge. We've helped pioneer some of the most effective, cost-efficient and SAFE technology, treatments, and cures. Recently however it has come to our attention that several recently shipped batches of medication have been contaminated through an unfortunate incident. The medication in question is Tethophylon-B, a fluid medication used to fight multiple types of cancer and boost white-blood cell count. The contaminated batches in question have a ten digit serial code. Any serial numbers beginning with 5926019---, 5926147---, and 59263194-- are to be returned to our main production facility in Robotropolis, Eggman Empire. All customers who purchased said batches will be reimbursed and compensated. Again we would like to stress how utterly embarrassed by this turn of events and hope it will not effect the standing relationship between GenShaBi Industries and the global community. We thank you for understanding, GenShaBi Industries Public Relations team. [size="3"]GenShaBi:Hunting for ways to build a better tomorrow![/size] *Legal Disclaimer:GenShaBi Industries will not be held responsible for any hospitals that continue to use contaminated Tethophylon-B after this statement has been made.*[/quote] OOC:For those of you who don't know, Genshabi industries is a medical research company partly owned by the Eggman Empire government and is the largest employer in Eggman Empire, as well as a global producer of medical supplies.

[quote]Official Eggman Empire government memo: In accordance with the 20XX Continued Economic Stability Act, the following imported items will now have an extra $0.50 a pound tariff added: 1.Wood and furniture 2.Medical equipment and supplies 3.Copper 4.Fur 5.Rubber 6.Computer parts and equipment 7.Petroleum The tariff will remain in effect until the next fiscal year at which time it will be reviewed to see if the tariff was effective in raising revenue. Signed:Blyzar Dreth; Ministry of external affairs. [URL=http://img237.imageshack.us/i/eeflag.png/][IMG]http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/3151/eeflag.th.png[/IMG][/URL][/quote]

Roadways in Eggman Empire, with the exception of a few major highways connecting large cities together, are small two-lane roads. Though well paved and kept, most of them are isolated in the wilderness. When the road system had fully developed, the government was plagued with a multitude of complaints. They ranged from people receiving no help if they were in an accident, to armed bands of criminals hijacking innocent motorists. The government implemented "The Checkpoint Policy." Essentially, it put that two, though sometimes three, military vehicles would be placed at 20 mile increments. Their job would be to provide safety and assistance to motorists will preventing criminal acts on the roadways. The policy has been a success. However, you don't stick a squad of men in the middle of a forested nowhere and not expect a few stories to pop-up now and then... --- PFC Chuck Randenfuast blinked and shook his head to clear the blurriness creeping into his eyesight. The rest of his 12-man squad and he had night guard on a stretch of Route 39, a small road that would eventually take you from Robotropolis to Isen. He groaned and rubbed his eyes. Night guard was a pain. Standing around in heavy gear in the cold for twelve hours was incredibly boring. Randenfuast was about a hundred feet away from the actual checkpoint which consisted of a Guardian APC and a Pitbull recon vehicle. A set of floodlights they had brought lit up the surrounding area and silhouetted his figure against the darkness. Randenfuast yawned again and idly looked into the darkness. He saw a shape move. He blinked and looked again. Another shadowy blur just at the edge of the darkness. "Someone there?" He asked. "You see something private?" He heard his sergeant calling him. Randenfuast turned back to face the checkpoint. "Probably just a deer." He shouted back and faced the darkness again. Just in time to see a giant shadow loom over him. His mouth dropped in surprise. --- A scream pierced the night air as all heads turned towards the road. Just in time to see Randenfuast struggling to free himself from a shadowy....[i]something[/i] wrapped around his waist as it pulled him into the darkness. They stood there for a second, shocked before their sergeant brought them back to reality. "Don't just stand there! Get in the #%$^ing vehicles and save him!" He bellowed. The men scurried to their respective vehicles, just as the sound of gun shots filled the air. A horrendous, animal howl like nothing they had ever heard filled the air and for a moment there was silence. Then a blur hurtled at them from the darkness and landed with a heavy thud in the middle of the checkpoint. A quick glance revealed it to be a bloody Randenfuast. The sergeant was at his side first. Randenfuast's arms were covered in deep gashes and his left leg was bent at the wrong angle. "What happened?!?" The sergeant yelled as he strapped a tourniquet to Randenfuasts left arm. "F^%#ing Sasquatch..." Randenfuast murmured before passing out.

*News brief published by Eggman News Network* Late last night, a severe storm led to the sinking of a cargo ship containing hazardous material. The sinking claimed the lives of 7 of it's 92 crew and occurred East of the peninsula. The ship in question was carrying, amongst other things, decommissioned chemical munitions. These items were being carried to a classified port to be brought to a military base on the eastern seaboard of Eggman Empire to be properly destroyed. General Yerkes, commander of all Imperial forces, had this to say: [quote]What we have learned so far, is that during the ship's voyage, a storm struck. An unusually large, er, freak wave struck the vessel, causing it to capsize. I can assure the coastal populous, and neighboring countries, this sort of incident had been planned for, and the munitions are all stowed and properly secured in air-tight, pressure resistant containers that will prevent any contamination from entering the surrounding waters. They will also keep the munitions safe until dive teams have recovered all the containers.[/quote] This [url="http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/662/hazmat.jpg"]map[/url] shows the location of where the ship when down. Located inside the red square is the area the vessel was sunk in. The black square indicates the area where cargo, including the munitions is believed to have drifted. At the present time, the area has been deemed a quarantine zone by the government and all unauthorized ships and aircraft will be redirected or temporarily detained.

The Eggman Empire has made the recent change of equipping it's entire military force with the FN SCAR. As such, the current workhorse assault rifle, the M4, will be put into storage or distributed to government-authorized militias. Therefore, anyone wishing to purchase a large quantity of M4s or M4 varients and add-ons are welcome to approach the Eggman Ministry of Foreign Affairs and contact it's Director, Blyzar Dreth. Cash is preferable, though resources are also accepted.

Hank cursed as tiny specks of fire showered him. His armor kept him safe, but that still didn't change the fact that he was pinned down with almost no fire support. He was fed up with this. The LTG was perhaps the most useless criminal element he ever met. Disorganized, ill-prepared, and no plan aside from "1. Invade presidential compound. 2. ??? 3. Profit!" Well Hank wasn't about to die because of someone else's stupidity. He took careful aim from around his shelter and lobbed grenades right next to the spots were the spec. ops were hiding. He waited for the explosions.

OOC:August has been busy with many a late work day. Sorry. IC: Hank groaned. This was the worse attack he'd ever been in on. Nearly half the attacking force and most of the heavy weapons were gone, leaving just infantry to be chewed apart by the president's defenses. Hank leaned out from his cover to pump several grenades from his launcher into the hands of the armored suits. He ducted back before he could see his handiwork but he could hear explosions and subsequent screaming. "Grenadiers, concentrate you fire on the fixed weapons positions! Everyone else supply suppression fire!" Hank yelled to anyone who would listen.