Faelyn watched as the first of her copany boarded the small transporter and her eyes did widen a little at the attire. It was significant contrast to herself, who was wearing a full military issued armor, that covered every little inch of her skin, the only thing she wasn't wearing was the helmet, which was on the floor, between her feet.<br/><br/>She could swear she was able to see the other woman's vulva through those thin, tiny panties. It was definitely not something that would be allowed on a standard military operation. There was definitely nothing standard about this operation. Least of all the fact she was acting as the commanding officer for what was practically a band of mercenaries. She had never even been a commanding officer on a mission before. Couldn't they at least have given her some disciplined soldiers who knew their place in an operaton like this, rather than some big breasted, half naked bimbo from the north, who would better fit in a poster on the wall of a teenage boy.  Yes, the knight sure had the loos to flaunt it, but this was a military mission, for Tharwyn's* sake.<br/><br/><strong>"Knight D'Monte..."</strong>She says and rolls her eyes. Oh, how the aura of 'superiority' those Aghardians carried around with themselves annoyed her, it gnawed her to the bone. They thought they were all that. Maybe the fact that the woman looked like a model annoyed her as well. Jealousy was one of her greatest vices.<strong>"I am the commanding officer on this mission, D'Monte. If you wanted to be called something special, I can call you 'boobs'"</strong>She responds.<strong>"I am Lieutenant Lindeley. Didn't know there were stories being told of me."</strong>She spoke in a dry tone.<br/><br/>She had spoken loudly enough for the second... Mercenary...? ... Or whatever it... She...? Was, to hear. Her day just kept getting better. At least in the first instance she had known what she was dealing with.<em>'Where do they find these... People?'</em>She couldn't help thinking to herself. Or were they even people. And what was with the snake? How was she supposed to take on such a risky mission with such a crew. She closed her eyes for a moment, before muttering to the creature.<strong>"Welcome aboard... You must be... Physalia...?" </strong><br/><br/>Her attention was soon diverted from the strange being, as the third one of her crew entered the craft. It wasn't so much of an aircraft as it was a hovercraft. Such details hardly mattered anyway. She was happy to see someone who actually looked like a soldier though, rather than a pin-up girl or an oversized Man-O-War wih a snake. Even if this one seemed like one of the old schoolers, trusting in power of enchantments and magic, rather than technology, like Faye herself did.<strong> "Ah... Welcome aboard, Monte."</strong>She said, curtly.<strong>"Right, I think we have everyone on board. Great. No reason to stall."</strong>She turned to call out for the driver.<strong>"Let's get a move on. Next stop, The Great Gate of Hope."</strong>Even she felt strange calling it that. It was more like the gate of despair. But when it had been created, it had been to create<em>hope</em>against the invasion of the Drow, and it had worked. So far.<br/><br/>As soon as they were all inside the small transporter, it took off, starting the journey toward the Wastelands. Faye started the briefing. She wasn't going to make it long winded by any means. Not that they had time for anything too complicated, besides, no one know what they were going to face.<strong>"I'm sure all of you know where we are going and why, but this is protocol."</strong>She says, in her 'serious business' tone. She was going by the books, even if there was nothing by the books about this.<br/><br/><strong>"Our target is in the middle of the Wasteland of Horak. We don't know what it is and what will it look like, but it shows in the radar, and that's what we are going to find out."</strong>She states.<strong>"I can't guarantee anyone's personal safety on this mission, it's going to be dangerous, and if you ask me, it's just plain foolish. But this is where we stand."</strong>She takes a deep breath before continuing, hopefully without interruption.<br/><br/><strong>"We can expect to come by marauding gangs of outlaws. But that's not our greatest worry, creatures of al kinds have been allowed to roam free on the wastelands for generations. However, what we really want to worry about, is the Drow. The plan is to not get spotted by them, because as we do, our chances of getting back alive will be reduced to near zero. I don't want anyone playing solo."</strong>She pays a glance at each of them, cauging their reactions, hoping she didn't have anyone in her crew that would get unnerved. She also didn't mention that there were marauding gangs of outlaws only because the military ofen dumped undesirables and criminals straight in there, out of sight, out of mind.<br/><br/><strong>"We will not take transport with us beyond the Sphere of Hope. Such things display on the radar better than anything. And I repeat. We do not want to be spotted. We'll have a Chewbra** to carry our supplies, and the supplies will last us for a month. I want this mission over in half that time."</strong>She heard her pager go off and looks to it briefly, but doesn't seem to pay much attention to it before finishing.<strong>"So if someone didn't get it yet. I am Lieutenant Lindeley, You can call me Lieutenant or Lindeley, I don't care. I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to make sure the job gets done, so I expect you all to work as a unit. If any of you have a problem with me, or with anything I just said, or if you are scared by now, you are free to go straight back home. Once we are inside the sphere, you'll only get back with me, if I fall your only safe return card wil be whatever it is that we are looking for. Have I been clear?"</strong><br/><br/>If no one had any questions, the next time she spoke, would be when they landed at the Great Gate of Hope.<br/><br/><em>*Tharwyn, the god of warfare.</em><br/><br/><em>**Chewbra, a large animal most easily described as a Zebra, larger than the largest warhorses, with a horn protruding from its forehead. Not to be confused with Unicorns, Chewbras are not magical creatures. They are calm herbivores, but capable of defending themselves.</em><br/><br/><div align="center">(http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/6989/zhevrabyshelovesemod4o5.jpg)</div><div align="center"><em>Illustration of a Chewbra</em></div>