11-03-2015, 10:09 PM
Baadi Qasriga, 40kms off the coast of Sierra Leone
The Baadi Qasriga (loosely translating to 'The Wandering Palace' in traditional Somali) was chartered out of the failed-state of Somalia and flew the appropriate flags and registrations of such a ship. Naturally, if one were to dig a bit deeper, they would learn the ship's owners were Chinese. Which of course explained the captain, one Zhou Ah Sung, and would equally learn that the Baadi Qasriga had only been registered for about two years.
Before that, it had been the Born Koobaad (The First Born), also registered out of Somalia. Of course, the link between the Baadi Qasriga and the Born Koobaad were tenuous at best, since the Born Koobaad was reported lost at sea and the owners had received a very tidy insurance claim. Money which was then used to purchase the Baadi Qasriga, of course. Such was the curious life of many cargo ships in the region.
"Cut engines. Full stop."
Zhou Ah Sung was glaring to the north. At 40kms off the coast, he couldn't actually see Africa, but he knew it was there. And knew that there was a perfectly serviceable port, where he could deliver his cargo and avoid the Moroccan authorities that were likely already waiting for him. Putting into port in peaceful, functioning companies was never his idea of a good time. Port fees and taxes aside, the inspections were a hazard to his business.
The ship was old, but in good condition. Amazing really, considering the number of times it had supposedly been lost at sea. The part of the hull proudly sporting the ship's name was getting thick, an errant thought that Zhou Ah Sung shoved aside. He would have to have that sanded down the next time he had the ship renamed. It was getting rather conspicuous.
He glanced irritably at his Wallet, and the message there from the Legion's Casablanca office. An odd one, certainly, considering not a few hours prior he had been all but promised that he was going to be putting into port in Freetown that very day.
One of his senior crew cleared their throat to try and catch Zhou Ah Sung's attention without offense, and he just growled in response before pushing away from the window and moving to leave the cargo ship's bridge. "Get a work party to the hold. Start unpacking the suits."
The ship's hold held a technically legal shipment. Technically in that money had been passed openly between two companies for what sat in the hold. Otherwise illegal, as the things paid for were weapons and military vehicles. Enough for a small army, by Africa's standards at least. They were why he had no interest in trying to put into port in Morocco. No matter how skilled the smuggler, four Type 99 Chinese-manufactured main battle tanks were pretty damn hard to hide.
As were the one hundred crates holding powered armour. The APCs and infantry fighting vehicles, crates of weapons, and the tons of ammunition for all those weapons. There was a war brewing, and Zhou Ah Sung's ship held the tools that would be needed to fight it.
And apparently, those tools were going to be needed before the Baadi Qasriga had even put into port. Commandant Tuff's instructions, while quite specific on the requirement, were rather vague on the delivery.
The Baadi Qasriga (loosely translating to 'The Wandering Palace' in traditional Somali) was chartered out of the failed-state of Somalia and flew the appropriate flags and registrations of such a ship. Naturally, if one were to dig a bit deeper, they would learn the ship's owners were Chinese. Which of course explained the captain, one Zhou Ah Sung, and would equally learn that the Baadi Qasriga had only been registered for about two years.
Before that, it had been the Born Koobaad (The First Born), also registered out of Somalia. Of course, the link between the Baadi Qasriga and the Born Koobaad were tenuous at best, since the Born Koobaad was reported lost at sea and the owners had received a very tidy insurance claim. Money which was then used to purchase the Baadi Qasriga, of course. Such was the curious life of many cargo ships in the region.
"Cut engines. Full stop."
Zhou Ah Sung was glaring to the north. At 40kms off the coast, he couldn't actually see Africa, but he knew it was there. And knew that there was a perfectly serviceable port, where he could deliver his cargo and avoid the Moroccan authorities that were likely already waiting for him. Putting into port in peaceful, functioning companies was never his idea of a good time. Port fees and taxes aside, the inspections were a hazard to his business.
The ship was old, but in good condition. Amazing really, considering the number of times it had supposedly been lost at sea. The part of the hull proudly sporting the ship's name was getting thick, an errant thought that Zhou Ah Sung shoved aside. He would have to have that sanded down the next time he had the ship renamed. It was getting rather conspicuous.
He glanced irritably at his Wallet, and the message there from the Legion's Casablanca office. An odd one, certainly, considering not a few hours prior he had been all but promised that he was going to be putting into port in Freetown that very day.
One of his senior crew cleared their throat to try and catch Zhou Ah Sung's attention without offense, and he just growled in response before pushing away from the window and moving to leave the cargo ship's bridge. "Get a work party to the hold. Start unpacking the suits."
The ship's hold held a technically legal shipment. Technically in that money had been passed openly between two companies for what sat in the hold. Otherwise illegal, as the things paid for were weapons and military vehicles. Enough for a small army, by Africa's standards at least. They were why he had no interest in trying to put into port in Morocco. No matter how skilled the smuggler, four Type 99 Chinese-manufactured main battle tanks were pretty damn hard to hide.
As were the one hundred crates holding powered armour. The APCs and infantry fighting vehicles, crates of weapons, and the tons of ammunition for all those weapons. There was a war brewing, and Zhou Ah Sung's ship held the tools that would be needed to fight it.
And apparently, those tools were going to be needed before the Baadi Qasriga had even put into port. Commandant Tuff's instructions, while quite specific on the requirement, were rather vague on the delivery.