Tucker gets down and starts help with the unloading of the supplies from teh Stalwart and then reports over with his element over to Konrad.  "I guess the right side is mine then!  Not a problem.  Whenever you want to switch off jan just let me know and I'll rotate up to point."

Tucker
M-16A2 [30/30] / M-203 [HE]
IR goggles
2 KM hand radio
R/H side of lead element

Saturday, October 21st, 2000
0845 hrs.
37F
Thick overcast
Strong breeze from the N
Approximately 2km SW of Minsk Mazowiekie, Poland


While the team leaders confer, the Stalwart's driver and his assistant can be heard clanging around inside the big amphibious vehicle. A string of Polish curses emerges from the engine compartment. They emerge from the belly of the beast as the conference starts to break up and, covered in grease, return to the Stalwart's cab.

The Stalwart's engine grumbles to life. The driver's asssistant shouts down from the top hatch of the cab.

"I think we can make it back- at least, most of the way. Good luck all of you!"

With a friendly wave, the Stalwart's crew climbs back inside and the six-wheeled truck turns around and starts trundling back the way it came, keeping just off the side of the road.

You watch it disappear into a small patch of woods. The sound of its engine is first muffled by the trees before fading slowly into the distance.

You're on your own now.

The party splits into its various elements and the point team sets off north up the 50. The heavily laden bikes are fairly easy to manouver on the hard-topped road but the "drivers" can tell that off-road movement will be difficult, if not impossible.

The group is dangerously exposed on the road. Aside from the curve of the road and the shallow depressions lining either side, there is very little cover in this area. Fields of long, yellowing grass flank the road on either side. To the northeast lie the outskirts of a large town- Minsk Mazowiekie, according to your maps. There are no signs of life there as of yet, at least, nothing that can be noticed from this distance- no smoke, no noise, no movement of any kind.

As you walk along the 50, which appears to skirt the main part of the town to the west, one of the bike drivers feels a slight tug from his charge. A second later a single rifle shot splits the stillness of the morning.

Next Moves?

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms...7212,0.2635&z=13
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:42, Sat 13 Mar 2010.

At the sound of the rifleshot Drew shouts,

"CONTACT! TAKE COVER!!"

Drew goes to ground, seeking out the nearest cover, be it a bush, a clump of grass or a rise in the land.

  "ANYONE HAVE A LOCATION OF THE SHOOTER!" Drew shouts.

  Drew scans the woods and the buildings looking for movement, smoke or anything else out of the ordinary.


Sgt Drew
M240 and M9
NVGs
Scanning the area for contacts

With Tuck on his right side and Minh on his left Jan led the patrol off North up the 50.  It seemed like they’d hardly gone any distance at all when Jan heard the crack of a rifle and Drew’s instinctive warning.

Jan reacted quickly as well.  He shouted, “Cover!” before diving off the left hand side of the raised road, looking for the closest piece of cover he could find for himself.  He kept looking along the road towards the North, scanning for possible threats in front of them as he was best placed to observe in that direction.

They must have heard or seen the Stalwart, he thought to himself.  He was also conscious that he now had the wrong weapon ready but ascertaining the current threat was more important at present than swapping firearms.


Jan
Diving for cover on the left hand side of the road and then observing along the road in a roughly North direction.
PM-84 submachine gun w/suppressor (25/25)
F88 Steyr AUG with underslung M203 (slung on shoulder)

In reply to Cap'n Rae (msg #20):

Dawid organised the element with Drew and Coulter first, closest to Konrad so he could grab them and employ them efficiently if needed. Then Mariusz (with a bike) and himself. Sutherland was last, taking "drag" and providing rear security.

Apel was pushing a bike for now, but if it proved problematical Coulter would have to take it from him, and that was just the way it would have to be.

When the shot rang out, Dawid dropped hid pack and dove for cover in the slight ditch on the western side of the road. He then checked his men. Drew and Coulter were oriented roughly Eastwards towards the town, no need to say anything there.

He oriented the GPMG West on its bipod and grabbed Mariusz, handing him his binoculars. "look this way with me, away from the town. Keep your eyes open, in case we are flanked. Sutherland, secure our back trail South."

"Everyone, hold your fire unless you see a target." Americans had a reputation for blazing away at the slightest provocation. In his experience that wasn't always the case, especially for non-conscripted US troops, but he hadn't personally seen either Sutherland (who wasn't actually a yank, he realised), Coulter or Drew in combat and didn't want to take any chances.

This didn't seem like a "real" ambush to him. Usually, they would all be dead or pinned down within seconds if that were the case in a hail of explosions and automatic weapons fire. Still, that shot had come close and a bullet fired to harass them could kill just as easily.

He gripped the plastic grip of the PKM, snugging the skeletal wooden stock into his shoulder with his free hand.


Dawid Piotrowski
PKM GPMG + 1 belt, Stechkin + 2 magazines
2 frags, 2 smoke grenades
Taking cover, dropping pack, giving orders.
Left (West) side of the road, in the ditch
This message was last edited by the player at 04:13, Mon 15 Mar 2010.

Sweeping from left to right as he brought up the rear of the patrol, Craig was in his element. He would stop every five minutes or so to take a knee while scanning the rear sector slightly longer.

It was during one of these short stops that the shot rang out. Craig drops to his chest instantly, he quickly scans ahead to make sure everyone else was down and then rolls into the left side dip of the road. As the American screams his head off Craig watches for any movement to his left and right.

He suspected that the sniper was not a professional, if he was he would be moving. He tries to get a bearing from the sound of the shot in relation to his last position on the road.

With the AKU at his shoulder Craig waits for any sign of the sniper, moving brush, dust etc... He tries to conceal himself in the under brush on the side of the road without making any noise.


AKS-47U (45/45) + 5 spare magazines
Browning HP (20/20) w/ silencer + 2 spare magazines
RPG-7D Grenade Launcher, PG-7N HEAT Grenade x 4
F-1 FRAG Grenade x 6, Smoke Grenade
E-108 Thermite Grenade x 2, RKG-3 AT Grenade x2
No.80 WP grenade, L13A2 CS grenade
Fire Support Element
In the ditch looking for shooter

As the shot rang out Dieter automatically sprinted a few metres looking for cover, hopefully finding a low wall or ditch to provide some solid protection. Once in cover he positioned his rifle, scanning the area where he perceived the shot had come from. Looking through the scope he hoped he would spot movement or something unusual, or even the shooter himself.

If he spotted the shooter he would call to his colleagues, identifying direction, location and approximate distance. If he had a clear shot he would probably take it, unless told not to.

-----------------------------------------------------
Dieter Brandt
In cover looking for the shooter with his scoped rifle
PSG-1 (20/20)
1xFrag, 2xSmoke
x25 Image Intensifiers, PRC-77 Manpack Radio
Hunting Bow strapped to pack
This message was last edited by the player at 06:04, Mon 15 Mar 2010.

Mariusz dropped next to Dawid and took the field glasses. He scanned the area intently trying to find potential targets for Dawid's machinegun.

Mariusz
Tantal 30/30 (6 spare mags)
Bayonet
4x frag
1x smoke
Observing through binoculars

Once the patrol began moving on the road, Bayer ordered the change of formation, "Loose file." he calls up and down the line. "Staggered in pairs... left side and right side." He didn't like the idea of moving on the road, but made the best of it. At least they'd cover more ground quickly.

When the shot rings out, Bayer drops to the ground and unsnaps the quick release straps of his rucksack, freeing himself from the burden. He then lies behind it, using it for whatever cover it could provide.

After digging into his tac vest, Bayer then holds up the image intensifiers and scans towards the source of the crack. "Nobody fire. No shooting." he calls out while looking amongst the possible hiding locations. "Identify the position only."

Bayer
Dropping cover / searching for shooter

When the shot rings out, Tucker immediately begins to look around as he moves to find cover.  He watches as Jan and Minh (figures she's doing the same in her post) get off the road their following and hear the other team members behind them start to yell and scream if they see where the shot came from.  Robert finds the best available cover and tries to make himself real small, also checking the ground to make sure there's no 'surprises' left where cover maybe.

Tucker
M-16A2 [28/28] / M-203 [HE]
Going for cover and looking for the shot and checking for booby traps on the ground near him

Thor's heavy pack hit the snow with a dull thud, the fur clad warrior already seeking cover and searching for a target to send a half inch wide lump of metal into...

Thor
Dropping pack, seeking cover/concealment
Observing for target and aiming
Barret M82A1(he calls "Mjollnir") (10/10) + 6x10
H & K USP-9SD, 9mm (15/15) + 4x15
M-26A1 hand grenade, x6
M-18 Smoke grenade, green, x2
M72A4
Bayonet/knife
Entrenching Tool
Individual Tactical Radio

The ground is cold and damp. Your only cover is the road itself and it's hard to see very far from the prone position due to the tall grass that surrounds you. You are silently still as you attempt to pick out the location of the shooter. After a minute or so- it seems like much longer- you hear a faint but persistent shouting. After a few repetitions, you can make out the words (in Polish),

"Hold your fire!"

It's not immediately clear whether he's addressing you, some hidden companions, or both.

"Don't shoot! I'm coming out to talk."

A man emerges from a stand of trees to the northeast, about 400m distant, and begins walking towards the recon party. A white hankerchief dangles from his upraised right hand. He's dressed in civilian garb but you can see an automatic pistol tucked into his belt. At about 300m, he calls,

"You are surrounded! Don't do anything stupid! You harm me and you will all die!"

At 200m he stops and shouts,

"You people know not to come around here! We told you before, we're not afraid to fight you! What are you doing here?"


Next Moves?
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:09, Mon 15 Mar 2010.

Hearing the shouts from the newcomer, Dieter observes him breaking cover, white flag waving. Judging the distance, he is certain that he can aim and fire quickly and the man will be dead before he takes another pace. He holds fire. As the man approaches, Dieter scans the surrounding ground, looking for evidence of other people who may be a potential threat. If he spots any he will call to his colleagues, identifying their locations. This call will be loud enough for those near to him to hear, but not loud enough for the approaching man to hear.

Once threats have been identified Dieter will keep scanning, then zero in on any personnel who appear to be leaders or armed with RPGs, mortars etc.

Dieter Brandt
In cover looking for other threats
PSG-1 (20/20)
1xFrag, 2xSmoke
x25 Image Intensifiers, PRC-77 Manpack Radio
Hunting Bow strapped to pack
This message was last edited by the player at 16:53, Mon 15 Mar 2010.

Mariusz looked over at Dawid and asked, "Should we ask the Captain if he wants us to deal? We might handle the language best."

Jan had luckily picked the correct side of the road when he'd dived for cover on the left but that meant that the first he knew of the man was as a result of his yelling.  During the minute or so that it had taken for the man to make himself known however Jan had slung his PM-84 and switched to his Steyr.

"Hold your fire but keep scanning around for other targets," he said to Minh loud enough, he hoped, for Tuck to also hear.  Jan then crawled a little further north alongside the road before turning and crawling up to the edge of the raised tarmac.  Using a combination of the long grass and the road's slight embankment as cover Jan firstly glanced towards Tuck to check that he was ok and then pulled out his binoculars to start scanning the woods behind the spokesman, trying to spot his claimed allies.

As he listed to what the man said Jan thought to himself that their little patrol might well have just gotten lucky and found someone else who was standing up to the Baron.  Or the Baron's forces themselves and they were standing up to the Polish Army which meant that they were in trouble.

Lowering his binoculars Jan then keyed the send button on his radio.  "Hailstorm one this is Hailstorm five.  I think that I'm closest to the man.  Do you want me to talk to him or do you want one of the Poles to explain who we are?  National compatriots might be best.  He looks civilian not military."

Thor stood up, threw Mjollnir over his shoulder in a decidedly unmilitary manner, and began to jog forward. He totally ignored any cries to take cover or queries as to what he was doing.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:17, Tue 16 Mar 2010.

In reply to Mariusz Tokarski (msg #32):

Dawid replied, "don't worry, if the Kapitan thinks we're the best to negotiate, he'll let us know."

He rolled his eyes when Thor jumped up and started walking over.

"That guy's a terrible sniper. Dieter's going to have to sit on him in the future to make sure he doesn't kill us all. What a complete idiot, we may have been better off with him going back with the Stolly. Oh well. Mariusz, keep watching the left flank."

He raised his voice. "Sutherland, keep an eye on our back trail. Kapitan, want me to go out as well and see what he wants? Probably thinks we're either government or Baron's troops."

Dawid Piotrowski
PKM GPMG + 1 belt, Stechkin + 2 magazines
2 frags, 2 smoke grenades
Waiting

AS long as Tucker was able to hear Jan, he will do as he was told and begin to scan for any other targets than the single figure that just popped out.  He gives Jan a thumbs up that he's OK and goes back to scanning.  He call out anything that he may see as a threat.

As the giant approaches, the man in the field is instantly on his guard. He lowers one hand towards Thor in a gesture clearly meaning "halt" while the other stretches out behind him in a similar gesture aimed at his hidden comrades.

"Hold it right there! Don't move another centimeter! This is your last warning!"

As the Norwegian sniper entered his sight line Craig utters;

 “Ah for fuck sake, comedic relief is going to die.”

Craig wasn't close enough to make a dash to the snipers position even if he had wanted to. He knew very well that actions of those sort  would get you killed out here in very short order.

He shakes his head in frustration, they should of come in with just what they could carry on their backs. Within minutes they had been spotted by a potential foe and while they are not operating like the barons men, it doesn't make them any less of a threat.

He grips the AKU a little harder and goes back to scanning the far side of the field and down the road for additional targets making as little movement as possible.

Jan hadn't really spoken to the big Norwegian and he suspected that he might never get the chance to.

When Jan had first spotted Thor jogging forward his instant thought had been that Thor knew the man ahead.  But the spokesman's reaction indicated that he didn't know Thor and that meant that Thor was in danger of turning this encounter hostile.  At best Thor's actions were impetuous, at worst they were designed to instigate a firefight.

Jan wasn't even sure whether Thor could understand the spokesman as the spokesman was yelling to them in Polish.  From what he had been told Jan had thought that Thor was a professional, a Norwegian Marine Commando, and someone to be respected.  He was demonstrating though that he was an amateur and couldn't be trusted or relied on.

Unsure what to do Jan dropped his binoculars back on their strap and aimed his rifle at the woods behind the Polish spokesman, using the 1.5x sight to scan for potential threats.

If they shot Thor though he wasn't completely sure that he would fire back.  At the present moment he was wondering if they would be better off without Thor accompanying them.

Mariusz spoke softly to Dawid, "If they shoot him, I get first go with his gun."

Dieter catched Thor's movement in the corner of his eye. He cannot believe the idiocy of the man. He is clearly deranged. Looking back to the approaching newcomer who is clearly surprised by this move, Dieter readies his aim. This could turn nasty very quickly, and he didn't want to be caught out. Seeing the man's gesture to hidden comrades, he continues to scan the surrounding area looking for possible targets, as well as good hiding places.

OOC - I will hold fire if Thor is fired upon, but will retaliate if they attack us in force.

Dieter Brandt
In cover looking for other threats
PSG-1 (20/20)
1xFrag, 2xSmoke
x25 Image Intensifiers, PRC-77 Manpack Radio
Hunting Bow strapped to pack

Thor halted as instructed, Mjollnir's barrel held firmly in one hand with the rest of the weapon balanced over his shoulder.

"Loki," he said, disappointment and hurt clearly in his voice.
"Ty widzieć mi?"
His free hand tapped upon his chest.
"Tylny wszystko mamy poszedł zrobiony?"

Still lying behind his rucksack, Bayer nods over his shoulder and replies back down the line, "Ja. Dawid talk to him. I think we are misidentified, but don't tell him much. Leave the GPMG with someone."

As Dawid gets up, Bayer turns his head over to the flank and gives Dieter a stern look. He the points at him with an extended finger before jabbing in the air towards the Norwegian. "Erhalten Sie Steuerung von ihm. Oder ich erhalte jemand anderes, das kann. Verstehen Sie?" Bayer then resumes observing to the front, while thinking he was a little hard on Dieter, but hope he understood his reasoning behind it.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:15, Tue 16 Mar 2010.