Pulling Away
As the Zodiac heads for midstream, the sound of fire picks up behind you. The battle of Ulcie Solne is apparently entering the endgame phase. Errant tracers race overhead as the antagonists engage in desperate, close quarters battle. Fortunately, not much attention appears to be directed at you at the moment. When the two boats- one large and lumbering, one small and nimble- finally are noticed, the fire sent in your direction is poorly delivered. But, the message that accompanies it is clear- you are not welcome in Ulcie Solne.
The zodiac pulls up alongside the Krolowa, and the team begins reboarding the tug. As both boats are underway, the task is a little trickier than is comfortable, but everyone makes it on to the Queen's deck safely. The Krolowa, now further removing itself from the river inlets which clogged the channel with their effluents, finds deeper water. As you look back, you can see the exhaust of an armored vehicle as it pulls on to the pavement of the fuel loading facility. The commander's hatch opens and he surveys his surroundings. He sees the Krolowa, now three hundred meters distant and pulling away at 10 knots, and pauses for a moment, appearing to consider his options. After a few seconds, he shrugs his shoulders as if saying "Oh well, I suppose this one's gotten away." The BMP-2 makes no effort to engage the tug. Clarence, for his part, decides not to tempt counterfire by engaging the vehicle with the ZU. He's pretty sure he couldn't have hit it anyway- a case of you leave me be, and I'll leave you be.
Meanwhile Yazzie kicks himself into the river. It quickly becomes clear that he and the tug are not converging at the same rate and that he is going to be left behind. Fortunately, the zodiac is still tied alongside and ready for immediate deployment. The zodiac team swoops out and lifts the soggy marine out of the cold brown water before returning to the tug for good. The team has made it out of a potentially deadly situation in one piece, sending two possibly hostile strangers to the great hereafter in the bargain. You're a bit shaken, your adrenaline is still pumping, some of you are a bit wet, but you are alive.
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