Nodding to Simon, Trejo said to Jason, "Good man, rook. Hope you can ride. Michaela's bike's fixed up."

"Rowan, How can anyone be mad at you, darlin'? I'll ride with you any time."

His face creased even more than usual in what she realised was a smile. It seemed all the more genuine for being so rare.

He smiled at Peter in a tired way. "Pardon me, my friend. It's been very difficult to get a good night's sleep lately. You look like you understand, yes?"

"A great man once said, The destiny of mankind is not decided by material computation. When great causes are on the move in the world, stirring all men's souls, drawing them from their firesides, casting aside comfort, wealth and the pursuit of happiness in response to impulses at once awe-striking and irresistible, we learn that we are spirits, not animals, and that something is going on in space and time, and beyond space and time, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty."

He thanked everyone as they left.

"Some have the mistaken belief that the Templars are a religious organisation. We are not. A given Templar may be a Buddhist, an Atheist, an Agnostic or yes, even Christian like myself. But what we do have in common is faith. Somtimes it's all we have. Have faith in yourselves, and faith in others, and you will work miracles."
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:41, Wed 09 May 2012.

The young blonde woman fell in beside the posse as they made their way out.

"Do you say Roadkill? Ian Colby? I'm Daphne Dumar."

"He knew my father, "Fast Eddie" Dumar. He owed him his life. He better help or I'll kick his sorry ass!"

When the Posse returned, Roadkill was in for a shock. It took a second to recognise the good-looking young woman walking with them. A strawberry blonde with green eyes, she was wearing bikers leathers, a padded jacket and chaps over denim, boots and tank top.

The last time he saw Daphne Dumar, it was even before his mentor and adoptive father, "Fast Eddie", died in Junktown. She'd gone to live with Eddie's sister in Spokane, and filled out since then. A lot.

Although she wore a scowl on her pretty face, she was obviously glad to see Roadkill and started smiling.

"Long time, cowboy! Shitty, huh?"

"We're going down 84 to Twin Falls. It's 1340 miles of bad road, as you probably know. I made it in about five hours on my bike. It'll take about ten in that garbage scow that my father left you."

On their way in they'd detoured north and then finally looped west not only to throw any pursuing Black Hats off the scent, but to avoid that treacherous stretch of highway due to war damage and many bridge outages. Now it seemed they would have to go that way after all.

"Anyone mind my Squire using Michaela's bike?" asked Trejo.

In reply to The Marshall (msg #93):

Schaeffer thought for a moment about the news on how poor the route was.

"We haff three choices. It is Thirteen Thirty hours now. Bikes will take five hours. The trucks, ten."

"Choice One: we use the bikes. We have the capacity to accomplish this and take a fair amount of firepower. (My rifle, no Fifty-Cal but Jane's Hellfire SAW). Arrive at Seventeen Hundred hours. Time for scouting, then move in morning."

"Choice Two: we take all vehicles. Maximum firepower. Must start tomorrow morning at dawn, oh-Five Thirty Hours. Arrive at midday, Thirteen Thirty Hours. Not much time for reconnaisance before go-time."

Smoker explains to Roadkill what the Templars have requested.

Sitting on top of the truck (Hoping it is fine enough, if not he is in the truck), smoking as usual, Roadkill hears a strange but somewhat familiar voice. He looked on as the perky wee girl talked. He couldn't exactly say what her face looked like but after she finished talking he could definitely describe every curve of the girl. Looking back up at her face he smiles and climbs on down.

"Are you f$%k*^g kidding me!"

He gets to her and hugs her, lifting her off the ground and puts her back down

"Now you know Fast Eddie wanted me to have the rig and he would hate it if anything was to happen to her"

He looks at her, using every bit of will power he has to keep his eyes up

"Ah hell, what have you gone and put me into? Surely you don't need an escort, then again" Roadkill winks "It would be my pleasure"

Jane watched everybody come and then a couple of new people join in.  She went over to Peter and Rowan with a puzzled look on her face.

"So what happens now?  Where do we go from here?  What happened?  Yeah, perhaps I should have gone in to hear first hand but...well I didn't so what did happen?"

"Ah.. Are we mental? Did your brians fall out of your head and into your.... um... Daphne? You realise this is a one way journey?"

He has to think about it for a while

"Ok i can take you there but there is no way we take on a freaken Destroyer that can destroy Boise! Sort something out, find a weakness, anything but there is no way..."Roadkill becomes visibly worried for a second, which is definitely out of character for him "...i am standing on a beach with it asking me to join"

then straightens back up

"I got a bad feeling about this. I really don't want the mark"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:38, Wed 09 May 2012.

"Probably... but been asked to help. Cannot rightly walk away. Sorry," said Smoker, who was none too certain himself of the wisdom of getting involved, however right it might feel.

In reply to COL Kurt L. Schaeffer (msg #94):

"Or option 3 we have the people on bikes scout the area while the larger vehicles make their way to the site. The trucks leave and the bikes follow later. The bikes time I so that we meet up with the trucks two hours before they arrive."

In reply to Jane Guin (msg #97):

Rowan.
"Well the swords are all back with their rightful people, I was given this to keep in memmory of my friend."
"And we have been asked to deal or try to deal witha rouge Templar that is heading this way". Rowan Shrugs, "some how it seems the right thing to do, My feeling is that if we can weaken the group with him and run, the templars can do the rest."
She turns to Trejo, "okay can we hear what we are facing please"

In reply to Roadkill (msg #96):

Daphne hugged Roadkill back.

"Hey, Ian!" She pulled back and Roadkill could see how worries she was.

"I know it doesn't sound good... but it's Auntie Angie. Modeen says he's going to kill her first. What else can I do, who can I ask for help? I don't want to say it's not your fight, but we both know what the answer is."

"If you have something, I'd like a weapon. Maybe some armour?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:42, Wed 09 May 2012.

In reply to Rowan Dawson (msg #101):

Trejo talked to Daphne a bit.

He then explained the job to Jane.

"The head he delivered is that of Tim Brown, a fellow Templar."

"Modeen is a badass. Has many of the same Rewards, that is, powers, of the Templars. But not the favour of the Saints."

"Anti-Templars form "warbands". Waster scum, usually. Modeen's got a group of 20 regular bikers, plus thirteen of his personal guard in chainmail and carrying hand weapons. I'm not sure how tough they are."

"Our task is to take out Modeen and rescue the hostages. One seems like it would follow the other. Simplest would be to distract his men. Then I can try and take him. Or the Colonel can use that rifle of his to put a bullet in him. Doesn't have to me, we don't have to kill every one of them."
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:53, Wed 09 May 2012.

"Ya, I was thinking of that. Makes use of speed.

"But it splits the group into two elements which cannot mutually support one another. Our radios won't work more than 20-30 miles apart so there cannot be any warning.

"If we are leery about losing the firepower of the M2HB (Ma-Deuce) then it can be dismounted and I can take it in my sidecar."

"Daphne: we have some weapons and a vest from a fallen friend of ours. Perhaps you will get some better use of them?

Rowans eye brows go upwards.
"34 people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Simon believes in our skills a real lot, okay how many of us are going out to deal with him"?

"Only 34 heck we would have sent in myself and Ranger Norris and we would have taken them down alone. As for the force that we now face. Modeen and his personal guard are what we need to worry about. Trejo if we challenge Modeen he should fight us as you are a Templar and well I can say I am if the Grandmaster says that I am allowed. It would get us close to Modeen. As for the rifle when we go to fight him if you would drop his second. That should give us enough confusion that Modeen stands less of a chance. As far as the vehicles go I was just throwing it out there." Jason starts to go further, but stops realizing that he has said a lot for everyone to process.

In reply to Jason Sinclair (msg #106):

"One riot, one Ranger."

Peter was with Rowan. That was a lot of people to take on, worse if they were actually trained and good at fighting. And fighting a Templar, even an Anti one? No bueno. He was all for not fighting at all and freeing hostages, or letting the over-eager assholes do it while he sat back and shot.

"Stickin' together is usually better, but if people wanna ride ahead an' scout, then be my guests." He frowned at the Colonel and his suggestion to take the Ma-Duece from his truck to be mounted in the sidecar. He wasn't fond of that idea but kept silent since Jane was the one usually firing it.

He rolled his eyes at Jason. "Then by all means, Squire Boy, go forth an' fight. Die gloriously." He snorted. "A duel. If you end up having to fight with your swords in this, I'm pretty sure you've done something wrong. If you think that this...Destroyer...will honor a duel and go toe-to-toe with you, an' you think you can take him or even distract him a while, then I leave that to you. The rest of us could use the duel as a way to get most of the people in one place so the Colonel's rifle and the Ma-Deuce and such could be trained on the crowd while a few sneak in to try and free the hostages."

He actually laughed when Trejo said his Ranger comment.

In reply to Peter Firecrow (msg #108):

Jane had only been half way listening until the mention of baby leaving.

"Wait a minute.  Baby doesn't go on a side car.  They aren't stable enough and I wouldn't be shootin her.  She should stay on the Deuce."

She looked to Peter and Rowan to see if they'd back her up.

"Besides Lady Luck is on our side. We have 9 people going out if we all go. That is three sets of three. See an' we have an even greater advantage Modeen's elite guard is setting him up to be killed. 13 is about the worst number to have with a Templar involved. Though he is an anti-Templar so I am no sure if that makes a difference. Modeen plus the ten thugs is a prime number while normally a good thing it's 11 which is almost 13. I always believed that one riot, one Ranger was because one is the perfect prime." Jason smiles having said his thoughts almost to himself. Jason looks at Trejo and says "Are any of these folk Rangers? I don't think they are but I need to ask to be safe. One riot, One Ranger."

"Hey come on. No way you are going. If you are then you are riding in the truck with me."

Roadkill hhears what the Colonial says about the gear and nods

"Yeah he knows, we got to set something up for you"

Roadkill is then distracted by the new guy Jason and listens to him spouting off numbers.

"in-ter-res-ting"

"You and your number shit again, Jason. They don't got a Federale, then it's easy-peasey.

"Templars are not bullshit "Renaissance" re-enactors. We got no pussy "Code of Chivalry" to uphold. If Modeen wants to duel mano-a-mano and someone shoots him in the back while it's turned, fuckin-A.

"Arthur charged the Witches and got wasted, so that is a bad plan.

"Anyone got a better plan?"

In reply to Trejo (msg #112):

"I never said not to shoot him in the back. Anyway I dunno hit and run, but that won't work they would just start killing hostages. How about we rig the inside of the trailer as a kill trap with fake crates an' shit and drop 'em when they raiders open the back. Have the .50 cal mounted inside along with a few sandbags an such and keep firing till they are dead." Jason didn't sound as happy about that one as he did the other. Less glory and less one riot one Ranger. "Hell put your sniper friend in the hills around the camp to take the shot on Modeen when the firing starts from the trailer. The bike riders would swoop in at the same time swords or guns leading. Killing as they went. Calvary style. That better. Hell have the rigs driver surrender without a fight an' he should be put with the rest of the hostages. That way as the shootin' is goin' down he can be movin' them out of harm's way into a gully near the holding area where we have a few extra guns or somethin' stashed."

"Yah, yah, the Ma-Deuce would not be fired from the sidecar, but transported, then dismounted and fired from its tripod.

"Like when we ambushed the Doombringer and his posse of Doomsayers in Las Cruces. Peter fired the Ma-Deuce, Jane fired her 12mm Hellfire SAW, the rest of us were on the ambush line.

"If we had the time, I would simply scout Modeen's camp out for a week or two ahead of time. Then one shot, one kill.

"Let us not despair. We have faced similar odds and prevailed. In Las Cruces we took out a Doombringer and his posse of Doomsayers, in Wichita you faced the Anti-Bishop and his Coven of undead Witches. These were all supernaturally powerful enemies. Call them middle-tier opponents, at least. Yet we survived."

"We won in both circumstances because we engaged them with maximum firepower, and defeated the different elements separately. In Las Cruces we ambushed the Doomsayer Posse. Then we all ganged up on the Doombringer. Although that was tough, we did not take casualties. I wasn't there but from what Rowan said, Selene and her Coven were mostly killed by a grenade. Then everyone took out the Anti-Bishop together. Arthur died because he charged in alone. And perhaps because it was unexpected engagement and you didn't have a plan beforehand."

"The key, then, is to find a way to attack them separately. Split them up if we can. Even if we take the bikes, we can carry the Ma-Deuce and the SAW. Maybe we can ambush the bikers, get Modeens posse in a crossfire, and then I can snipe Modeen himself."

"If we take the bikes we can be there tonight, attack them in the darkness or at dawn. If we take the trucks we get there tomorrow and have hours at most to prepare, then attack in broad daylight. Not optimal. But we might be able to make tactical use of the trucks."

"Peter, Roadkill, are you willing to lose or damage your vehicles? Because if we take the technical and the semi, then we must use them ruthlessly. This may include ramming."