Walter sounds the Krolowa's whistle from the bridge, recalling everyone to the tug. The various repair and salvage teams have been making enough noise to wake the dead all morning but those with military expereince still cringe at the power organ sound cutting through the cold, early afternoon air.

The small boats are loaded and everyone double-checks to make sure nothing valuable has been left on shore. With everyone back aboard, Tadeuz and Snow run the rock anchor out behind the Krolowa. Her winch and converted engine strain to pull the tug- now considerably heavier- off of the mud bank. The pitch of the engine rises and the mud-brown water behind the tug is churned into chocolate milk. Smoke begins to pour out of the winch motor. Luboslaw is just about to shut it off in a panic when the tug lurches free of the mudbank. Walter adjusts the power output and steadies the tug in the central, deep channel. After a few minutes spent recovering the rock anchor, the tug surges slowly forward, heading for the man-made canyon where the sagging bridge section used to be. They pass through the looming asphalt and steel walls standing straight up on either side and out into the open air on the far side of the bridge. A major obstacle in the journey has been surmounted, but at great cost in people. Team members look back at the shore near the western edge of the bridge and say their final goodbyes to comrades lost.

The tug slows at it comes alongside Chopper's PBR. The engineman is waiting with his salvage of lead-lined steel plates. With the newcomer back on board, the Krolowa steams downriver at its established cruising speed of 10kph.

It is now approximately 1400 hrs. After a quick lunch of Mariusz's excellent stew, Snow sets about afixing some of the cannibalized armor around the exterior of the bridge. Other members of the crew cycle through the galley, enjoying a warm and tasty Polish meal. Despite the great danger they face at every turn, the security team enjoy luxuries undreamed of by most folks in Twilight Poland.

The original security team is pleased to have Switek, Mariusz, and Jason aboard. Apparently, Milk was able somehow to convince the partisan leader to stay on board along with his men. Perhaps it has something to do with the RESET business Milk had mentioned earlier.

Actions?

John will be at the rear deck area updating and working on his gear and weapons.
John will start on doing an action and trigger job on the robust SVD. He will keep the G3 beside him loaded in case of action.







John
Personal work
SVD/1911MeuSoc
This message was last edited by the player at 19:06, Sat 09 Feb 2008.

After Mariusz had finished washing up the meal dishes and tidying the train wreck of a galley, he checked on the drying clothes. He worked for a while making sure they were folded and pressed and collected them in neat piles to be collected by their owners. Once he'd finished that, he looked for something else to do, an idle Partisan often got the worst jobs assigned to them so being busy and productive was a good survival strategy. he saw the NATO sniper sitting on the rear deck working on some guns. Guns had fascinated Mariusz since the first one had been thrust into his face a few years ago. The partisans had generally treated them as disposable weapons but Mariusz had tried to look after his, that made the jam he'd suffered that morning all the more galling.

Seeing the man working peacefully, Mariusz walked up, coughing discreetly to let the man know some one was coming, he had probably already heard him, but a warning was only polite. He stood to one side of the man and said, "Hello, my name is Mariusz, I was going to clean my rifle now, it jammed earlier today so I think I should. Do you mind if I join you here?"

"Young Brother there is nothing better then a clean weapon..What do we have here to work on today? When was the last time you did a detailed dissassembly?"


"what is our story? What role do we support here? It looks like you are doing womens work, not the work of a warrior! Do you want to be a Warrior? I could help you out? We would be equals like All teacher and student should be."



John
Working with youth

Once they are away, Jason searches about the ship, trying to find a familar face.

"How hard could it be to find someone on a ship?" Finally seeing Minh, he waves her down.

"Who do we talk to about bunks? I was wondering if we are hot bunking, or hamocks, or just sleeping on the deck?"

While stopped at the PBR, Dawid checked the interior, exterior, and safe for radioactivity. He reported the results to Anneka and Konrad.

Wandering over, Dawid agreed, at least to a point. He addressed Mariusz.

"My friend John is correct, a clean weapon is important."

"Poland needs warriors to free her and keep our land free."

"The intelligentsia are important as well, to keep our culture and science alive. The Church safeguards our souls and spirit."

He hefted the Wz.88 Tantal and held out the BG-15 grenade launcher to Yazzie.

"Would you might attaching this, my friend? I should be able to myself but find I cannot."

Wz.88 Tantal
[Private to GM: I posted a few times IC and OOC that Dawid was going to check out the PBR etc. for radiation. He will swim ashore if he hast to. So what are the results?]

Minh is standing at the gunwale, leaning over watching the water below. He rifle is slung. When Jason approaches, she turns around and rests her back against the edge - "Well, you don't need to talk to anybody really. Below decks and inside are for the crew only... well except for Griet too. We've got up here on deck. Just pick a spot that doesn't have a rucksack next to it, and it'll be yours. Most people have fixed up a tarp or shelter half... but if its in the way you'll have to take it down every morning."

She motions to the sky - "Its getting colder everyday. It sucks in the morning. Also, In case you don't know, we do dedicated sentries in the day and at night. So its a good idea to know where everyone sleeps beforehand. Its not a good idea to go around in the dark waking the wrong people up looking for the next shift."

She looks down at her dirty hands... thanks to the sandbag detail. When their conversation ends, Quyen has a quick shower and changes into some clean clothes.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:37, Sun 10 Feb 2008.

Mariusz thought about the Marine's words. "In my unit, we all shared the work, having people well-fed and lice free is as important as being a good shot, however, I would be honoured to learn anything you would deign to teach me. Being a good cook is not going to contribute as much to the rebuilding of Poland as being a good warrior."

He looked straight into John's eyes, "I've seen my share of action and I killed my first man when I was fourteen, I've killed more since then. that makes me a killer, but not a warrior. I need to learn more about woodcraft, stealth, everything. I'm a hard worker and a quick learner, if you accept me as a student, you will not be dissappointed."

"As for my rifle, it's an AK-74 I took from a dead Soviet Paratrooper. I've dissasembled and cleaned it every day since then, but apart from cleaning, polishing and oiling, I don't know what problems to look for."

Tucker will eventually awaken sometime in the late morning and begin to get ready for his assigned duties for the tug.  Once he is done, he will find John and the young teenaged partisan going over weapons and cleaning.  "Good morning guys," he says to them reaching into his BDU shirt pocket and getting a cigar and lighting it.  "So John, what's your plan for our little team here, if you don't mind me asking?"

Tucker
M-16A2/M-203
Talking to John & Mariusz

"well my new young friend ..I'm going to take you on and train you starting now. First thing we must do is get you out of this shit gear. I have some stuff here you might be able to use."

Transfers Parks gear and G3 rifle.

"This gear here is the best the western world once made . You should safe guard it with your life. This rifle is one that I have personally Modified to fit our needs here. You shall now carry it and hang with me. Your friends wont mind. In the end Poland gets a western trained Sniper and Recon man."


"lets take that old rifle and gear and donate it to the ship so if we ever trade, then we can get some big ticket type stuff with it. every little bit helps. We must plan and work as a team here. Or we all shall die."

"Now we shall go over the G3 rifle and the scope I have placed apon it. First we shall take The rifle apart to the smallest detail and clean it together,  It is very clean now I just want you to know how to do it. Next we will go over loading and unloading . Now here is the hard part imeadat action and remeadeal action(clearing a small and large Jam). Now my young man we shall work on how the sights and bullet drop compensator in the sight. This is a soviet sight like the one on my rifle so we will always see the same and that will help in training and combat.Now that we know the rifle lets go over on how to set up your gear and how to use the other tools I have gave you and your Poland.The next thing we go over is the M1911 pistol. We will do the same action as the rifle. You also have the compass and the K-bar. Here is how this model off compass works.The knife is a world famous knife and I will be showing you how to use it in the next few days."

"Now that we know how to use the Rifle,Pistol, Compass and gear. We shall build some of your skills."

"we shall wake at 0600 . we will work out and then goto class. Once class is over for the day we will work out again. We will stop for a small lunch then keep going to class it will be hard but we must."

Skills to be worked on and the time/priority for them.
1.Small arms rifle (1 hour a day)
2.Armed martial arts (1 hour a day)
3.Unarmed martial arts (1 hour a day)
4.Small arms pistol (1 hour a day)
Lunch
5.Stealth (1 hour a day)
6.Observation (1 hour a day)
7.Survival (1 hour a day)
8. Tracking (1 hour a day)
9.Gunsmith (1 hour a day)

" So you know the schedule we will start now until its dark. Then we will start again tommorow. womens work is over. Now we shall be warriors together."

"One last thing tucker over there will be our team leader and spotter I will be # 1 shooter and you will be #2 shooter.You now have a purpose."


John
doing Jedi
SVD/1911

"Well Tucker you are the Team leader/Spotter and I will be #1 shooter and He will be # 2 . I will train him in the day and when called apon we will run missions as need by the Hauptmann. You dont need my training since you are a Sergeant First Class . So you can just hang. But I have alot of One on one work with him and me that we  need to do."




John
Jedi
SVD/1911

"Nothing saying that I can't pick-up a couple of things Yazzie!  I'll try to stay out of your way as much as I can."

Dawid spoke in Polish to Mariusz for a bit, lighting a cigarette and offered one.

"Would you like one?"

[Private to Mariusz Tokarski: "For one so young, death is not the best companion to walk beside. I spent my own youth training for war, and I wish I had the opportunity for something different. Now it is too late."

"One day my friend, you shall learn to be more than a warrior, that there are other things in life than the dream of ending a life."

"This is not an insult about your youth, but the experience of seeing too many boys with angels' faces and the hard, cold eyes of killers.]

He switched back to English.

"John, this grenade launcher. Will you please attach it for me to this rifle? It should accept it, this is a product-improved Kalashnikov design."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:08, Sun 10 Feb 2008.

"Very well, Master John, I an at your command." Mariusz saluted the Marine and prepared to switch gear.

"Hey Mariusz, did you hear me?"

He grinned and waved the pack in front of the young man's face.

"Or even want a cigarette?"

Mariusz looked over at the Polish artilleryman and took one of the cigarettes, he said, "Thankyou, and thank you for the advice. I understand and sympathise with you but on the day I saw my mother's blood well accross a highway and had to listen for hours to the painful wracks of my father's breath as he fought for life even with most of his bones broken, I realised that the world has changed. Tell the refugees that the Polish Authorities ordered burned in their own filth to avoid the spread of disease, tell it to the young boy left to the tender mercies of slavers. There may well be room in this world for finer feelings and tender thoughts, but not for me. The only way I'll help Poland is by fighting, and if I am to fight, I will do everything I can to become the best warrior I can. Maybe then I will live to see the dawn of the new age you describe. I doubt it though, everyone I have ever known, apart from two people, are dead. Not good odds. Now, let us put such metaphysical thoughts behind us and sieze the day, my comrade."

Dawid lit his friend's cigarette, and looked into Mariusz's eyes.

"I was there for the siege of Warszawa from the time when NATO surrounded us to when the Polish army broke through."

"I saw it burn afterwards, from the nuclear attacks."

"Much of what you have seen, I have as well, perhaps more."

"After all, who do you think was ordered to use fire to halt the spread of disease?"

He smiled and clapped Yazzie on the shoulder.

"If you want to learn how to be a warrior, then this is a good man to learn from, perhaps one of the best. I do not wish to suggest anything different in any way."

Mariusz clutched his countryman's arm. "And from you, perhaps, I will learn a sense of perspective, my comrade."

Bayer takes the notes Yazzie gave him and pockets them, "I'll take a look at them." he tells the American. Making his way up to the bridge he watches as the Krolowa becomes mobile again. After passing the PBR, Bayer puts his attention to the note. He reads them over twice, and folding it carefully puts it away.

As the tug continues its course he goes about checking on the team. He ensures the day sentry is at their post, the flak gun and bridge defenses were being worked on, and everyone else was back onto their normal routine.

Finished he finally wanders back to his gear and changes into clean clothes. He's surprised to discover somebody had collected everyone's dirty sets and washed them.

Once cleaned, Quyen puts on fresh clothes... American issue top and bottoms. Making her way near the mortar she boards the barge and heads over to the ZU-23-2. There, she will begin constructing protection, built from sandbags. She ensures not to build it too high, but low enough that the gun will be able to engage ground targets. That doesn't leave much, she thought, but better than nothing. Since she doesn't need too many sandbags, she uses more to widen the surrounding wall, providing better protection against more penetrating rounds.

Jason collects his gear, and walks to the rear of the ship, finally finding an unoccupied area to set up his bed. He assembles his half shelter, tying it to the rail, and pulls out his parka for a pillow. Climbing inside his sleeping bag, he  tries to rest, seeing as how he has sentry duty in 4 hours.

Looking out from his shelter, he sees Minh, stacking sandbags, and Mariusz, learning about weapons care and upkeep.

"We are quite the disfunctional family." He closes his eyes, giving Minh one final look before getting some much needed rest.

Jason Kasparov
Sleeping

Clarence situates his gear near his new duty station at the aft Dushka. It's a nice spot. The tug superstructure provide a windbreak from headwinds and warmth radiates outward from the stack, just a few meters away. With the awning overhead- now somewhat perforated by rocket shrapnel- it's almost like a below decks accomodation. Elevated a few meters above the surface of the river, the position offers good fields of sight on both flanks and to the rear. The Dushka's "chicken-plate" gunshield and the double layered wall of sandbags that surround the quarterdeck are at least comforting, although they didn't do much to help Blue. On the minus side, Clarence finds it a little bit unnerving not being able to survey what lies ahead of the tug. And he'll probably miss the companionship of the Vasilek crew too. He checks the big machine gun and swings its barrel around a bit to get its feel. All of HMGs have fired quite a few rounds since departing Krakow. At the next long layover, it would be a good idea to service them thoroughly.

Clarence thinks about Switek's oddly muted reaction to his explanation of the RESET mission. With what he'd been led to believe were strong CIA ties, he'd hoped the Polish recon team would be on board in more than just a literal sense.

Maybe the preacher's just the quiet type...

"Well David I was not going too, Since I had a plan to rearm all here on the tug and train them to fight at least a good fight in the next town. But since our leadership wont or can't lead us fuck it! I will put the Grenade Launcher on for you now. David Go down stairs and get all the ammo you can carry. Also get a few days of food and pack it away. When you get back I will water proof your pack like I did the boys. You too Tucker you do the same. Because when we go up the gut again with no recon, no plan and as a Mob and not as a Professional team and get our ass kicked again 4 to 5 dead. Well you can be right next to me when I slide over board and float to shore. The time too act is now, Too be a leader now. Not sleeping, not thinking things over but acting! Our leaders must lead. But maybe this is just me being a Marine. Part of the finest fighting force in the world. A group that has never surrendered on its own or lost a battle we ran. If we do have to beat feet because we are getting our asses beat. David you lead us to the nearest town and we will winter there. You take the lead its your land and I'm just a guest. But until then let me do the grenade job and train the boy here. Tucker it's not that I dont want to train you its just that you have so much experiance now that I would feel like a fool teaching you anything. Plus I must concentrate on the boy.We have alot of work to do.Men I'm very frustraded here as you can see. Yesterday was the first time in my life I called for fire and none came due to hesitation or neglect.So you must give me some slack."


John
working with group
SVD/1911
This message was last edited by the player at 03:03, Mon 11 Feb 2008.

Switek had long to think about what the American Warrant Officer had disclosed.  With their dead now buried and satisfied that Bear's sacrifice had in fact been made for more than a shipment of bicycles or mere NATO adventurism, Switek made the decision standing there on the river's edge to accompany Milk downriver.  With that, Switek accompanied the remainder of the work crew aboard the tug and began to assist with the work of fortifying the emplacements and duty stations.

Seeing that the work at hand was being handled by plenty far more qualified than he for such endeavors, he spoke with Tokarski about his decision to continue aboard the tug and let the boy know that he would respect whatever decision he made, but that it was his own to make.

He then indulged in a quick, but scaldingly hot shower.  It felt good both physically and spiritually to rake the last month's worth of dirt, grime and blood from his fit but aging frame.  Equaly uplifting it was to change into freshly laundered clothing for the first time he could remember.  After donning his body armor and and combat webbing, Switek secured the remainder of his gear and set out to find the operative Milk at the aft gunnery mount.

"I spoke with the boy, and advised that the decision to remain must be his alone.  I will leave it to you to brief Jason, as he seems to be again within the fold of a nominally American command, and making the best of it.  Yours is clearly a mission of great importance, and I am at your service and that of your Agency handlers for its duration."

The monk extends his hand to Clarence as an invitation to shake on it.

"I am unsure of how to address one of your rank and position but, please, call me Stan."

Switek then excused himself to go join the weapon cleaning party on the aft deck.  He was pleased to find Tokarski already under the wing of the Marine scout.  Poland would need well-trained warriors and, though eager, the boy still had much to learn - more than the monk had to teach.  He sat down on the deck cross-legged and began to field strip the RPKM.  Piotrowski was there too, and that gave Switek the opportunity to continue a conversation started earlier on the shore.

"You asked earlier if I was a man of the cloth and inquired as to my education." Switek began.  "So, yes, I am an ordained brother of the Cistercian Order.  Before obtaining a Master's degree in divinity school, I studied military history at the Kosciuszko Military Academy.  I also minored in psychological studies, in order to satisfy a longing to understand the workings of the human mind.  Because of family influence, I was permitted to attend secondary school mostly in America at a prestigious Catholic boys' school in Baltimore."

The monk shrugs, sheepishly.

"So, yes, Dawid, I am a man of some letters and considerable privelege.  But as a member of the Order, I have since made an oath of asecticism and a commitment to working the land in the manner of a time long past.  So I also know first hand the ways of the poor farmboy if you will, and that lifestyle is nothing of which to be ashamed.  In fact, I live for the day when our land is again free and I may return to the ways I have pledged to uphold.  That, Dawid, is why I fight."



[Switek]
On the rear deck
RPKM + drum 7.62mmS (75/75)
Cleaning his machinegun
This message was last edited by the player at 01:05, Mon 11 Feb 2008.

Hicks come aft carrying a pintle mount that he salvaged from the deck of the PBR. "Been listenin' for a while, corporal. Had to step in on this last bit. Which Marine school taught you to undermine your leadership with the troops? According to the Hauptmann, this is a military force under military leadership. From where I sit, you're talking about mutiny or desertion, pert near".