As Ewa leads Danny and Mariusz away, Connolly jogs over to the beached Princess for a quick word with Tuck, Craig, and the others in the boat.  "Gentlemen, here's your sixty-second cultural brief.  What we're dealing with is a survivor community that's entirely or almost entirely female.  Their negotiator was pretty clear that they were willing to talk to us only because we didn't steal from them and we have women on the crew."  She glances over her shoulder to where  Ewa's bodyguard is eyeing Minh warily.

"Right now, my negotiating position is that we have medical and technical skills that can help them.  The fact that most of those skills are attached to dicks needs to be minimized."  She smiles thinly.  "I know most of you have been without anything more than a combat jack for a long, long time, but this is not the place to relieve the pressure.  Pass the word: until otherwise ordered, do not move out of sight of the Queen unless you have Ewa, me, Minh, or Griet as a witness.  Don't put yourself in a position where they can accuse you of anything.  Questions?"

In reply to Dominique 'Boots' Connolly (msg # 92):

"Excuse me ma'am, but are you suggesting that we may rape these women if given the chance ?"

"It would seem to me that while those pips on your shoulder gave you the option to state your opinions during the war pretty freely you may wish to moderate any accusations towards those covering your arse on the ground now."

"As it is I don't think the Hauptmann briefed us on how you fit in the chain of command off the boat being that you turned up yesterday."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:22, Sun 22 Sept 2013.

Connolly blinks at Craig before responding. "Um, what the fuck, over? No. I'm suggesting that these women may aggressively misinterpret anything that a man says or does. My intent is to ensure witnesses at all times so they don't have the opportunity to generate any spurious charges. Lieutenant, do you think I'd still be on the boat if I thought you were a pack of rapists?"

"And I don't care about playing chain of command games with you guys. I'm not Anneka, I don't want tactical command, and I'm perfectly happy to leave that to the shooters. But this kind of civil affairs crap is in my lane, whether or not I want it to be."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:55, Sun 22 Sept 2013.

Jay stood quietly as the discussion continued. The Major was right, even if she hadn't come across well. He decided to interject. "Major she right. We no bad people, but they no know we no bad people. They scared we do bad thing. I see many bad thing with 10th, they bad people."

He turned back to the major and continued. "When you go back I come too if you want. I small, no scary. I nice guy." He flashed her a warm smile. Jay was probably the smallest of all the Kommando, apart from Minh and maybe Mariusz, and was probably the oldest as well. He certainly didn't look scary.

In reply to Dominique 'Boots' Connolly (msg # 94):

"Maybe I misheard your intention then. But if you are going to handle these negotiations then you need to pony up as there is no way two rifles are worth a handful of cans. Especially considering how we acquire them."

He was in no mood to argue the point with another REMF.

Once he heard Jay's two cents he added;

"Jay's made a good point, you may wish to warn them about the 10th cause when it gets really cold and the foods gone they are going to roam. If they see that stack they will roll through here like hell fire."

Mariusz was close to tears as he helped the medic. The air of desperation tempered by fierce independence struck a note deep in his heart. A heart he thought he had armoured thoroughly against the horrors of the world he had come to inhabit.

The eyes of the women around him reminded him of the refugees he had escaped Warsaw with and the hard eyes of the women of the warlord's harem: women used and abused by the world and yet still looking to survive, still looking to live on their own terms.

It had been these women that had arranged for his rescue when the warlord had become jealous of his boyish good looks and now his heart went out to these women.

Slowly he began to form a plan, one that would possibly aid the Princess and these women at the same time.

The problem was that he couldn't broach the subject with these women without seeming to be trying to worm information out of them.

As he translated for Danny he also came up with a plan and whilst the medic concentrated on the injured he spoke softly to Ewa.

"The Princess is a haven on the river in some ways," he said, "we've made mistakes and it's a hard life, but somehow we keep on moving: keep alive and well. We're a family of sorts, one that's going to get broken up soon though: the NATO troops who act as our security team will get home soon. My Captain is determined to do that, to let them find peace. The problem is, she is worried about how we survive after these fighters have gone. I'd like to gather a new group, Poles that can help us to make a life: one where we can live for ourselves and be afraid of no-one. We have the defences but we need people to help us. Do you know of anyone who might be interested in such a proposition?"

Ewa accepts LaRue's offer of mercy for the Greta- she seems relieved that she didn't have to bring it up directly. While LaRue metes out antibiotics for the other sick women, Ewa calls on two of the younger ladies to fetch payment for the services currently being rendered. The pair returns a few minutes later with a armfuls of tins before darting out again for more.

In the meantime, Ewa speaks to Mariusz.

"We've been here almost two years. The soldiers don't come here because of the radiation and that's why we stay. We've built this place- it's not much but it's our home. Your offer is generous, but I will have to discuss it with the others. Besides the American, how many more woman are on board your boat?"

Ewa seems genuinely tempted by Mariusz's offer, but she's clearly going to need some more convincing.

The young ladies come back with more tins and the whole lot is placed in a laundry basket for transport back to the tug. Three tins of condensed milk, three tins of stewed tomatoes, three tins of potted meat, and a single tin of cocoa powder.

"There's more, after you give us the guns."

Back on board the tug, things get a little testy between Connolly and Sutherland. The hostage, meanwhile, paces around on shore, eying the tug wearily. She's clearly not happy to be out in the open.

Mariusz did start to dry when he saw the cocoa, "Ma'am," he said, "if you ever decide to marry, I demand first refusal. There is Boots," he continued, "then Mihn, an American engineer of Oriental descent and the Captain herself, the Master of the Queen is a woman."

Danny's impassive professional mask almost slips when Mariusz breaks down, but a quick glance at Ewa and the other women assures him the situation probably isn't about to turn bloody.  "Mari, you okay?  I think I lost something in translation there."

With his piece said Craig resumes his position on the weather deck. He takes a seat and does not approach any of the weapons. He takes a drink from his canteen and keeps a watch down river and on the opposite shore from the city. If he is needed to accompany the boat back to the city he would.

He looks over and says, "Coco, Danny, they gave us cocoa..."

"Thank you for the input, Mister Sutherland," Connolly responds dryly.  "Perhaps we have a cultural problem here.  I wasn't aware the Royal Marines had such delicate sensibilities.  In our CSAR squadrons, you're usually slacking if you don't slip a crude but witty sexual reference into every conversation."  She inhales deeply, then turns to Jay.

"Jay, you're right," she acknowledges.  "The Soviet loyalists at Torun are also a threat, and probably more immediate - they're closer and have more mobility on the river.  But the 10th is a problem too.  I'll put a local threat report on the list of things we can offer them in trade."  She glances back at the shoreline.  "And yes, you should come too.  Though I usually think of you as being taller than you are," she concludes.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:46, Mon 23 Sept 2013.

"Huh."  Danny peers at the tins.  "Sure enough.  Damn, dude.  What can you do with that?  No, don't tell me, surprise me."

He turns back to Ewa. "Ma'am, I'll have the morphine ready.  Let me know when you've said your goodbyes.  I'll be outside."  He waits for Mariusz to translate that, then nods solemnly to the women and exits the warren.  Perching himself on a taller piece of rubble, he dangles his boots against the concrete and stares at the jagged skyline.

Anders had found a couple of pieces of cloth - one bigger and a few smaller ones. He sat on the deck by the Soviet-built auto-mortar with the bigger cloth spread out in between his legs and caringly dismantled the old FN Browning 9mm pistol, one of the few things that still reminded him of what he had used to be - an officer in the Finnish Navy. There was only few of those things left. The ragged woolen shirt with only one epaulette left, his dogtags and the garrison cap that sported the red cockade, half-spherical in shape on a golden base and the Finnish coat-of-arms lion with a sword.

The former naval officer handled the gun with gentle care, cleaning it with care, spending plenty of time to do so. There was not much else for him to do right now. He cleaned the barrel using the cleaning rod from his AK, then the lock and the slide. After he was done with the sidearm, he took apart the AK for the same procedure. He had plenty of time to spend, unless somebody wanted him to do something else - all they had to do was ask.

And while he did that, he was humming a song, he had heard his grandmother sing so many times.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dC93ebwZr1M
This message was last edited by the player at 17:46, Mon 23 Sept 2013.

In reply to Dominique 'Boots' Connolly (msg # 103):

"That's fine Ms Connolly, can I suggest you shove the attitude where it don't shine. I think we all have had our full of non-combative's trying to run the show."

"There don't seem to be much negotiation going on, just grabbing your ankles and taking what they want to pay for items you had no hand in collecting. From what I see those rifles you want to hand out are a huge advance for these woman so they need to pay well. You need to start talking about weeks of food not days otherwise we can trade further down the river."

"Its not our place to try and help these woman more then for what they can pay for and we are not a charity, those days are done. If you have been emotionally compromised maybe one of the other female members of the crew with longer standing can take over."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:57, Mon 23 Sept 2013.

Wearing only his uniform, with his fighting gear stowed in a corner of the wheelhouse, Bayer emerges out into the cold. As he picks up on the words being exchanged between Craig and Connolly, but he ignores them at first and instead calls over Jay. "I want you to take Griet ashore... and once you are over there act as security for her while she talks to that woman. Okay ja?"

Bayer then listens as the discussion between Connolly and Sutherland continues, and decides to speak up before things got worse or drew in other Kommandos, "Lieutenant Sutherland... on me." When the Commando arrives, Bayer says quietly to him, "Jay and Griet are taking the launch ashore... go with them. Take Sergeant Tucker with you, and one other if there's a volunteer, and do a recce along the riverside for anything that could be salvaged for the tug, for trade, or ourselves." He was referring to the large amount of resources such as wiring, clothing, automobile parts, chemicals, paint, tools, and other things that he felt were surely still lying around in city that had some use to them or someone else.

If there are no questions from Craig he'll then walk over to Connolly. Bayer then says to the pilot, "He's right. You need to push for better deals if they are still open to trading for more. If I can't be assured that my unit won't be starving in the near future, then I can't assure that when the time comes we'll have the restraint shown here yesterday. Make it work."

Bayer then double checks that a sentry is posted and returns to the wheelhouse to tell Griet that she can go ashore now as discussed earlier.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:00, Mon 23 Sept 2013.

In reply to Konrad Bayer (msg # 107):

Craig nodded and added;

"Sorry Sir sometimes my mouth has a mind of it's own."

He went and changed out his shotgun for the grenade launcher and past the word along that they were returning to the city and looking for a volunteer.

He then waited for the others on the side of the tug. When Tucker arrived he also apologised to him for his outburst, before returning to his notebook and the list of items they were looking for.

Danny and Mariusz give the women of the warren some privacy, to say their goodbyes to the dying and discuss Mariusz's unauthorized offer of passage aboard the Krolowa. Neither man could get a full count on the occupants of the Bydgoszcz subterranean sisterhood, but there must be a dozen at least.

After about ten minutes, Ewa pops her head through the hatch and calls, "We are ready."

Meanwhile, a secondary expedition is launched to sweep the riverbank for anything useable. The hostage looks at the group with more than a little suspicion and, as the sweepers climb the riverbank and move away (heading roughly north) from the anchorage, she scampers off into the rubble, disappearing among the concrete middens.

The salvage team finds quite a bit of interesting detritus, but nearly everything in plain sight is badly damaged by fire and/or by exposure to the elements. Most structures have collapsed and those that haven't are mostly burned out. If there's anything of use, the team is going to have to go underground.

-

Griet looked at the rubble and refuse and determined that nothing would be of direct use to them. She waited with the others to see what would happen next.

On the deck, Bayer exhales deeply as he watches the "hostage" walk away. For whatever reason the hostage was allowed to remain on shore without any escort. Ultimately it was his responsibility.

He then goes into the wheelhouse and collects his radio, turning it on and toggling the transmit button as he returns to the deck, "Larue... Sunray. Need you to return to the boat now. Over."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 17:29, Tue 24 Sept 2013.

Craig dropped the piece of tread plate he had been examining by the river shoreline. It was another to brittle for use, exposure to the cold and the heat of the initial detonation had rendered most of the metal useless.

He stood up and took out his field glasses giving the rubble a sweep and then the opposite shore. If there were any structures still standing on the shoreline he would suggest they have a look.

In reply to Konrad Bayer (msg # 107):

"Yes, kapitanbayerji, I go now." Jay offered a quick nod in lieu of a formal salute and scurried to assemble his gear. In a moment he was ready and headed off towards the shore with Griet.

As they landed he watched in dismay as the lone female on the bank disappeared into the debris. He couldn't really blame her though, she was right to be cautious as a group of strangers approached.

While awaiting further instructions from Griet he kept his rifle at his side and scanned the area with his binoculars, looking for anything out of the ordinary. If he spots anything he will inform Griet.

With their primary mission aborted by the disappearance of the woman he looked over at Griet. He wasn't sure if he should stay on the bank with her, or let her return to the Queen while he joined Craig and Tuck.

OOC - I am happy to join Tuck & Craig if needed. Maybe Griet can come as well as it seems a woman's touch might come in handy. Or is she too valuable and should return to the boat?

Danny's lips compress into a thin line as he withdraws the syringe.  He caps it and drops it into an outside pocket of his aid bag for later disposal.  He considers his response for a moment, gauging Bayer's voice and the lack of gunfire in the background.  Leaving one hand holding Greta's, he keys his radio with the other.  "Sunray, I'm in the middle of a procedure here.  Will comply in ten mikes.  Larue out."

He switches off the radio and kneels in the candlelit gloom of the warren, holding Greta's hand until her breathing falters and stops.

When he's sure she's gone, he folds her hands across her chest, then collects Mariusz and steps outside.  Taking a deep breath, he switches his radio back on and heads for the shore.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:54, Thu 26 Sept 2013.

Griet looked over at Jay and said, "Let's get near the launch, we'll be ready to go when the others get here."

She checked her rifle and then headed over to the landing.

In reply to Griet Niewiadomska (msg # 115):

Jay nodded and headed back towards the Princess, he kept his rifle slung for now to maintain a non-threatening pose to the unseen observers who were undoubtedly watching them.