As Konrad opens his mouth to respond to Stoner and Tucker, the Sando-ORMO squad leader barks an order to his men, who cease sloshing liquid about the building and head for the front(landward) entrance. The ORMO man then shouts at the Krolowa ground team,

"You had your chance; I have my orders. Now you'd best be leaving before this place gets too hot for you."

With a wink, he places the thermite grenade atop the hovercraft's powerplant and pulls the pin. He hops down, slips in a puddle of methanol and falls hard on his rear end, scrambles to his feet, and runs headlong for the exit. The grenade begins to smoke and sputter, soon bursting into a shower of incandescent sparks. Rivulets of fire drip down the hovercraft's flank, igniting the puddled methanol and sending white flames racing in wild patterns along the floor and up the walls.

Those on the tug can see a harsh glow begin to grow within the warehouse.

On the barge, Minh nervously- reluctantly, even- climbs back atop the barrels and makes her way to the center pair. As she prepares to reach down with a pair of insulated wire cutters to the base of the booby-trapped barrel and clip the tight bundle of wires between the pressure release and the detonator, her left, anchor hand slips from atop the rain-slicked barrel upon which she's perched, sending her lunging forward, completely off balance. Her probing right hand comes down hard on the trigger, pushing it almost free of the barrels.

In a barely controlled panic, Minh regains her balance and manages to keep hold of the clippers. She rights herself and looks down at the trigger. It's now poised precariously between the barrels. The slightest jostling could cause it to slip free, detonating the explosive charge and engulfing the barge, Jason, herself, and the moored Zodiac in a massive fireball. In fact, it may just slip out on its own, the outward pressure, slick metal, and curved barrel surfaces creating just the right conditions for the trigger to spring free.

Despite the cold and the wet, Minh is burning up, sweat mingling with the rain running down her uncharacteristically pale face.

Actions?
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:12, Thu 12 June 2008.

"Sonofabitch! Out out out!" Dave yells as he watches the Sando-ORMO pull the pin on the grenade. Following his own advice, he scrambles for the door with the hobo pack of found ammo in his left hand and his weapon in his right. Once throught the door, he runs a distance to be safe in case the whole building blows.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:20, Fri 13 June 2008.

Bayer wasn't about to shoot anyone over salvaging the hovercraft. "To hell with you and your orders." he says quietly as he watches the powerplant burn. Turning to his companions he nods in agreement to Stoner's suggestion to exit. "Withdraw to the barge. We can at least leave with that."

"Sergeant McCoy, show us the fuel depot please." he asks.

Toggling the radio he says, "Tug, Sunray. Cancel move to warehouse. Unable to secure hovercraft, option not possible. Consolidate on secondary objective at best time. Over."

"Sunray, this is Starlight. Acknowledged. Suggest marrying up at my current location. Over."
There appeared now to be little need to progress past the fuel laden barge, however the charge aboard it still required disarming. With the apparent loss of the hovercraft, the fuel took up a far greater value than before, not to mention the danger to passing river traffic if they left it armed.

"Adam, change of plans," she said switching handsets to the intercom.
"The shore party should be meeting us somewhere near here shortly. I'd like to put the ORMO people ashore, pick up Konrad and his team and then go retrieve the fuel."
"Can you arrange a boat and driver for that?"
Anneka wasn't too keen on pulling Minh or Jason from the barge at this time for ferrying duty and even less inclined to have the ORMO aboard to see just what their prize was. Sure they must know it was fuel, but so far the only person to know just how much and what type was Minh. If the Sando forces hadn't recovered much of value themselves, you could count on them demanding a large portion of the valuable liquid gold.
[Private to GM: We've only got the one motor I believe for the small boats? I'm hoping that the current is slow enough to allow oars. Moving the tug a little closer to shore may help also.]

Mariuz shrugged as the Russian Non-Com fell on his butt. Slowly, he exited the warehouse, all the time memorising the faces of the Russian unit. If there was a chance to get even at some time, he'd take it with great relish. If there wasn't? Well life was too short for letting things fester. He left the warehouse and headed with the rest of the shore party toward the tug boat.

Griet watched the dirty grey skeins of smoke blacken the sky. Yet another Polish town sang it's requiem to the crackle of flames and the music of war. From what she could ascertain, the salvaging hadn't gone well, she shrugged, that was the chance you took on this kind of mission and it was pointless worrying about it now.

They had the food and kit to fulfill Adam's mission now and a viper's nest had been eraddicated if they ever did want to return this way. Ammunition for their heavy weapons was still a major worry however but for now it was a worry that had to be shelved. She scanned the shore around her from behind the armoured shield of the heavy machinegun, ready to react should any hostiles appear.

Tucker begins to smile when he watches the militia squad leader fall in the puddle of methanol and then scramble to get up and out of the warehouse.  He watches for a brief moment aas the grenade ignites and starts to burn before he turns to leave.


Hearing Konrad and Stoner give their warning of vacating the location, Tucker moves with a lot more effort not to get caught up in what's about to go 'BOOM'.  He waits with the rest of the shore party as Konrad calls for pick up from the tug.

"the fuel is on a barge tied up on this side of the river. Its trapped with a contact device that any 3d grader could take down. no problems there. the trap is just too keep amatures away. We will be able to walk there in 2 miniutes its just on the other side of this block."

Tucker listens to the SF trooper as he explains about the fuel.  "Well, fortunately for us, we've got some skilled school kids on our side!  If it's only two blocks, let's take the walk and see what we can see!  If we can get some go-juice out of this, it beats what we found here in town."

Quyen freezes and closes her eyes. She waits for a long while. She isn't even sure how long, but it must seem like forever for Jason as he waits. Calming herself, she collects the tool and stabilizes herself for balance. If she could, she would tell Jason to leave, take the inflatable and go and pick up the Hauptmann and the shore party or something. It wasn't worth dying for this... not for just sitting in a boat waiting.

After pausing long enough for her to calm herself, she carefully climbs back across the barrels to Jason. "Can't be done. Not by me. Maybe they will throw me in the brig... I dunno. Where's the Hauptmann? I need to talk before I am placed under arrest."

She sits down on the edge of the barge and slips a smoke into her mouth. She mimes the actions of lighting it, and pretends to drawn in make-believe smoke.

EDITED

[Private to GM: Why didn't I die? Is this a once in a lifetime freebee or was it because of the task difficulty? I am not complaining the slightest here.]
This message was last edited by the player at 18:53, Sat 14 June 2008.

[NPCed]

Jason looks on, sweat dripping down his own face. He wishes he could do something to help. He wishes he could do the job for her. At least if the device went off, he and Minh would die together.

He wants to speak to her, to ask her what's going on and to give her encouragement and reassurance, but he dares not disturb her. Instead, he whispers into the borrowed 1km handheld,

"Major, something's gone wrong; I'm not sure what. I suggest we call this whole thing off. OVER."

Bayer waits by the door as the men in the shore detachment filter out. Placing an arm across Mariusz he says, "Let it go. We've still won."

Outside, he nods to McCoy to show them the barge. Looking to Stoner and Tucker he adds, "Keep an eye out. Lets not get surprised again. Not with what we are dealing with now."

"It's too hot around here anyway, Boss," Mariusz replied, letting his officer restrain him, "if there is to be any revenge, it's a dish best served cold. Shall we get to the riverside and see what has happened to the boat?"

Dave follows the others to the shore, walking mostly backwards. He's pissed the ORMO guy almost torched them. Dave is keeping his mouth closed but looking at him you can see the anger in his eyes.

Minh crawls down from atop the clustered barrels knowing that at any second- with any slip or awkward shift of her weight- the pressure release trigger could spring loose, detonating the charge, resulting in a fiery death for her and Jason. She makes it to more solid footing and sits on the deck, having a pantomimed smoke and trying to gather herself. The very concerned chopper pilot, seeing Konrad and the others approaching the shore- the warehouse behind them beginning to burn- makes a snap judgement call,

"Don't worry about it Minh. You did your best. Come on, let's get off of this floating bomb."

He helps the shaken Minh get to her feet and into the Zodiac. They head to shore where the ground team awaits. The group loads the disappointing fruits of their battlefield sweep into the inflatable and the small vessel, nearly overloaded returns to the Krolowa, giving the dredge a wide berth.

The current is noticeably stronger now, after an hour's steady rain. The Krolowa is having to work harder to hold station. The dredge is beginning to bob and sway noticeably. Bits of debris washed into the river float by like refugees fleeing some impending disaster. The sun is sinking beneath the western horizon and the overcast hastens its flight from the sky. The burning town is now providing more light than the retreating sun, underlighting the low clouds and casting weird shadows over the river.

As the reunited tug security team exchanges somber greetings on the deck, they are startled by a loud bang, followed by a rushing sound, like gravel sliding down a long sheet of tin. A wave of heat washes over those standing on the tug's rain-slicked decks. The light of the burning town is momentarily eclipsed by a brilliant mushroom cloud of deep orange fire and thick black smoke as the gasoline cache aboard the dredge goes up in flames.

In the fear that the now fire-engulfed dredge has been cut loose to drift into them by the explosion, Adam and Walter quickly swing the Krolowa around 180 degrees and push her downriver in an attempt to outrace the danger.

And so begins the trip back to Sandomierz. The IPAT has been chased off but at what cost? Another Polish town razed, its small civilian population likely enslaved. One warlord has been made weaker so that another can grow stronger. The Krolowa's people, cold, wet, shaken by what they have seen and done, and not a little disappointed with what they have to show for their efforts, have much to talk about.

Actions?
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:19, Sun 15 June 2008.

Dave climbs on board the Krolowa and ses the bodies scattered everywhere and blood drenched decks. Jesus Christ, he thinks, what happened here?

After the rest of the inflatable boat's crew and passengers get out, he helps bting the small craft aboard. He stands by the boat, awaiting orders.

Previously...

While waiting on the shore for the pickup, Bayer breaks the news. As they watch the tug holding its position on the river, he says quietly, "Mariusz, listen. There was an incident on the tug. I don't know the details, but Mr. Switek is gone now. He has fallen in battle." After a pause, adds even quieter, "Sorry."

Looking over his shoulder to Tucker and Stoner he adds, "As is Hicks."

Back aboard...

Bayer pushes the crew to save the exchanges of stories and conversation for later. His impatience however fails to pay off. When the barge blows, he watches it for a long time as the tug maneuvers into a safer position. "Whats done ist done. Lets move on and get back why we are here in the first place." he announces eventually.

The tug was still in hostile territory. He feared the team would lose focus and morale take a hit if they were left on their own... at least while there was still hours of light. "Milk. Take first watch please." he says.

Looking at the rest he left it up to them to carry out post battle drills. "Casualties need to be taken below and dealt with until a time for burial can occur. Weapons checked and cleaned. A damage report compiled for any required repairs. Get busy please, if you don't have a job - ask."

He wasn't trying to be impatient, heartless, or bossy. But he felt the team needed immediate focus until they were safely moored for the night. Exchanging stories and socializing should wait he thought.

Speaking quietly in German to Anneka he says, "Can you be certain Hick's was an agent. He was unstable. Could he have suffered a mental collapse? I am not sure I want the rumors of a betrayal to spread among the team if they are not accurate. Is there evidence or anything other than speculation?"

Giving a nod in the direction of McCoy, "Sergeant McCoy. We can discuss with our employer your joining the group very soon."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:53, Sun 15 June 2008.

Dave checks the stay behind crew to make sure there weren't any wounded that Anneka needed or wanted help with, then assists on moving the bodies. While moving Hicks he just shakes his head. Dave has seen men lose it before from stress, but this is the first time he's seen some one attack friends when they snapped.

After all this has been done, he cleans his AK and grenade launcher and examines the rifle he took from the wounded ORMO.(ref post # 246 of this thread) He cleans it, also, and adds it to the group's stockpile.

After all this, he finds Anneka and reports to her "I used three of the 40 mm HE grenades and one magazine. We also brought back six 5.45 magazines, three 7.62 S magazines, half a dozen frag grenades and this (Hefting the rifle)."


OOC: Rae, I don't even know what kind of rifle it is he took from the ORMO troop.

Mariusz looked at he shattered body of his mentor and wept. The man who had rescued him from a life of servitude and opression and had taught him how to fight now lay, ripped and torn like so much offal at his feet.

Wracking sobs began to convulse his body but he fought them down. There was much to do now and the good Brother would not have approved of hystrionics. Switeck, Bear, Pulowski, Wolf, Anka, all the brothers and sisters of the partisan band marched away dead in front of his eyes. He reverently picked up party of the bloodied tarpaulin bundle that had been his friend and mentor and carried him into the tug's interior.

After he had settled his old leader comfortably he went out to help with the others. They had lost other comrades that day too. He helped carry Chopper to lay next to Brother Switek and began to wash down the deck of all the blood. He soaked up some of Brother Switeck's blood in a handkerchief and put it in a plastic bag.

As he worked he said, "I know it's not possible to go back to where we buried Bear but Brother Switek will need a suitable burial ground. We must check out the churches in Sandiomierz."

Griet frowned as she heard and saw the gas trap go off. Such a waste. Still, she was alive and the tug was still continuing it's mission. She began policing up all of the brass that had spilled on deck in the fire fight, there was going to be a lot of it in buckets before the end of the day. Sandomierz made gunpowder so they might be useful to trade with the locals. It was about time they got an even break somewhere, the trading so far had gouged them for everything it could. They had enough stuff to save Adam's refugees when they reached Warsaw, it was true, but they had little or no munitions left to get them there.

Talk about a Phyrric victory, she thought. Adam had started with a large fortune and a large crew. Now he had a small fortune and a smaller crew, any more victories, she thought and we'll all be dead.

She bent her head and concentrated on scooping brass into the bucket. Focus on the moment, she thought, thinking just hurt.

"roger that Capt. Lead the way"


Sam
M25
Talking

"Right." he says.

"NCOs keep on top of the work. Everyone stays occupied until we stop for the night." he says aloud. "I know everyone has worked hard and did their jobs well. But it isn't over. Keep on track of things until this evening. We will get a good rest later."

"Doctor... Chief" he says inviting Soleblume and Griet along. "Accompany us to the bridge if you wish."

In the wheelhouse he approaches Adam and goes through the same speech he has done several times now. "Sergeant McCoy, this is our employer, Captain Rataj. Adam... this man is Sam McCoy of United States Army. He is seeking to join our organization and I support this decision. He was formerly in the employ of T'Berg militia but resigned due to a clash of ethics and capability."

After receiving Adam's approval for Sam, he introduces Anneka and Griet.

He finishes with, "Our mission will take us to Warsaw."

Back aboard the Krolowa, Minh's unlit smoke is still dangling in her mouth. She reports to Anneka, "Barge trap can't be done. I can't get it done." If questioned, she will state that it wasn't as simple as they thought and everything shifted, making it even more difficult. And that she didn't have the experience for the device.

A short while later it detonates, and as it burns she finally lights her cigarette.

When the team started to busy themselves with post-battle duties, Quyen returned to the Vasilek. Picking up the RPK-74 she used in battle, she sits down on the deck and begins to clean it. She won't speak to anyone else unless they approach her.

Seeing the battle was over and their people aboard, Dawid also tended to the bodies of the dead, dragging the body of the dead ORMO from the bow section to the stern with the others.

Dawid nodded at the shore party as they came aboard, and introduced himself to McCoy, yet another Foreigner joining the crew. The petrol burned in a slowly spreading slick, apparently, God had decided that they would use neither the fuel nor the hovercraft.

He grieved over Switek, the old patriot and once holy man. As well, there was another foreigner, Hicks, who would never go home now. Be he good or evil, his home would be Polish soil.

"...et cum spiritu tuo..."

Taking Rosay beads in hand, he said Last Rites over the former Monk and the Polish ORMO, making the natural assumption they were Catholic. He said them over Hicks as well, asking God to forgive his sins, suspecting the man had been insane and therefore not responsible for his actions.

"Kyrie eleison, Christie eleison, Kryie eleison..."

("Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have Mercy...")

The deck shuddered as the boat's engines went to Full Speed Ahead, trying to outrace the flames.

He asked Anneka, "I heard some shooting during the battle. It sounded like a pistol, not a rifle. Tell me, what happened here?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:47, Sun 15 June 2008.

"Well, the big thing for me is I need a ride up river and will work for it. I do have a stop we might want to make; I have some gear stashed away- its a small amount but everything counts out here. And it can help pay my way.

"I'm a member of the now dead 10 SF Group out of Germany. I was the team sergeant for team 011. The guy we just attacked was the commander of 1st battalion of the group and had gone utterly mad. The long story short, he started to kill people that did not agree with him. So, I left in the middle of the night and fled to these guys who I had been training to defend themselves for the last 3 months. Then they came to me and said 'we will attack tommorow'. Well, we had not trained to do that and things went wrong. Then it truned into a rape-fest and that's when I quit.

"But, to help you out we do need to leave the area. The Major will be back and he will want to kill. Also, I don't trust Sando so its best we take what we have and run. There is more downstream, trust me. I have been a partisan in these woods since October of 1996 so it should help. I have connections and contacts here."

This message was last edited by the GM at 22:19, Sun 15 June 2008.