In reply to Jan Cerny (msg #254):

"Ah, you see, Adam is a friend and a civilan, and I so agreed to help him in his humanitarian mission."

He pointed at the supplies they were abandoning.

"You are right, I this Adam's mission was doomed from the start by factors beyond. At any rate, my agreement with Adam is over now that we're no longer on the Queen."

He hefted his PKM.

"Perhaps now we have a different, less humanitarian objective. But that really has nothing to do with Adam's mission any more."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:10, Mon 22 Sept 2008.

Dawid replied in Russian.

"Of course, tovarish. I should be delighted to."

Griet kept working on getting the cache into order for the return of the boats. She frowned as Dawid and the new guy went to talk to Adam in private. More grist to Adam's mill no doubt, still, if he had a mill at least he could tilt at it...

Mariusz looked at the familar buildings, he looked at the others and said, "Do you want me to make contact?"

Tucker just shakes his head when Dawid makes his comments about the 'Yanks' and this whole thing with RESET.  He knew it wasn't his fault and he couldn't give two shit's about it but, he did take offense to Dawid's blaming all the 'Yanks' for them abandoning the tug like they were.  He walks away and glares at the Pole before turning his attention to more important things that needed to be done for this upcoming mission.

Robert boards the zodiac and with all of his gear (and whatever else needs to be carried) and they head off to try and meet some of Mariusz's contacts for some possible help.  "If yer sure you know who you're dealing with, then do it!  We'll cover you until you signal us to come in."

Tucker
M-16A2 [24/30]/M-203 [HE]
Going ashore to make contact with the Partisans

Piloting the inflatable up the tributary was actually exciting for Quyen. Despite the perceiving the engine noise to be louder than it was, and fearing ambush, it wasn't all that bad. The return trip back to the Krolowa was a stark contrast. After dropping off the advance party and the gear she headed back alone. Knowing that if anything happened, she'd be completely alone. Spotting the tug as she reached the Vistula was an immense stress releiver.

Securing the boat next to the larger vessel she reports, "Hauptmann. Advance party deployed. No trouble."

Repeating her earlier efforts, Quyen will load the supplies and weapons as they as passed down to her by the work party.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:40, Tue 23 Sept 2008.

Jan sets the M240 on its bipod ponting roughly in the direction of the buildings. Laeaning against his pack he waits for Marisuz to make contact with his friends.
"Yes, make contact and we will keep watch from here."

This message was deleted by the player at 15:15, Wed 24 Sept 2008.

Mariusz held his rifle in both hands and moved carefully toward the farmhouse using the what little cover is available on the relatively flat, open pasture land.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:04, Wed 24 Sept 2008.

Griet moved over to Bayer and Soleblume and asked, "Do you want us to start loading the excess gear or do you want us to wait for the scout team to report in?"

Ignored by Minh, Jason dejectedly turns away.  After speaking with Anneka about his load-out, he returns to work.  He once again is quiet and withdrawn; depression is setting in.

"Load up." Bayer answers.

He then begins helping with handling the last of the gear. Noticing Kasparov he approaches him and says, "Problems? We need you focused ja? Not saying you aren't... just saying, that's all."

"If there is nothing more, those refugees should be on their way. Less they see the better... for us." he says aloud.

When its time, Bayer will ensure he is the last to leave. Ensuring nothing of value that could/should be taken is left behind, he will climb aboard the heavily laden inflatable.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:27, Tue 23 Sept 2008.

All the more because I'm not a professional soldier, thinks Jason to himself, still believing Konrad has a low opinion of him.  "I'm alright, Hauptmann," he replies, "Or I will be.  I just have a few things on my mind.  I will be focused."

The Farm

Mariusz approaches the farm cautiously but with a sense of calm and confidence bred by his previous, favorable experience there.

At about 500m from the cattle sheds, a single shot rings out from the direction of the farm complex, sharp and clear in the brisk mid-morning air.


Those watching from the riverside cache sight hear the shot but can't determine at this distance by whom or from where it was fired.

The Tug

Minh, glad to have made it back alive, arrives at the Krolowa and receives a second load, including more passengers. The Zodiac's outboard engine is refilled with methanol from the Krolowa's still and a towline is attached to its heavily laden, unpowered sister.*

Ondar has not yet been provided with his weapons. In the absence of a more forthright explanation for having turned his back on his own military, Adam acquiesces to his presence only as a means to keep an eye on him and prevent- or at least forestall- a potential double-betrayal. Milk, in particular, keeps a weary eye on the ex-Spetznaz man, fearing a "Spanish Prisoner" type gambit in the offing. Milk's possession of RESET is the least well-kept secret in Poland, it seems. In the meantime, Ondar's considerable load-carrying capability will be exploited to its fullest.


The refugee barge motors away slowly. Several of the grateful passengers gather at her stern to wave and shout their goodbyes, Sanjay Roshon among them. Their gratitude is not misplaced. They have been richly outfitted with all manner of supplies by the Krolowa's party- food, clothing, tools, and firearms. More supplies even than what they set off with, before repeated boardings wittled it down to a few pathetic odds and ends. In all likelihood, the barge's leadership will wait for the Krolowa to catch up with her. Both will then proceed upriver in concert. At least, that was the agreement reached in principle between the respective boat captains. With their newfound wealth and a powerful- if undermanned- escort, the collective group has a much better chance of setting their own terms should they decide to proceed to Sandomierz. In fact, the idea of setting up shop on their own somewhere else along the river has even been discussed.

At least someone is better off now...

Actions?

OOC: *Please see the accomplanying OOC post for some important info.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:39, Wed 24 Sept 2008.

McCoy will fill his pack before he deploys on the scouting mission and then depart with no words spoken.....

Ondar escorts Piotrowski to the chart room and uses the artilleryman to relay to the tug's captain in his native language the events that led to his present situation.

In Russian, to Dawid:

"Five years ago, my unit of Reydoviki operators was tasked with agitation along the Sino-Soviet border.  Disguised as Chinese military, and with the situation already tense, we were to assault Soviet installations under a false flag and provoke a war.  I did not ask why.  I did as soldiers do.  As I did in Afghanistan at Hill 3234 in 1988 where I was almost left for dead.  As I did again when transferred to Norway in the winter of 1996 and 1997 where I was again grievously wounded."

Pride in service and selfless duty to his country is clear.

"I spent most of 1998 convalescing in a military hospital deep in Ukraine.  My war was over.  It was there that I met Irena.  A nurse.  She became the one true love of my life.  We were to be married last year, but my commanders had other plans.  I was tasked to track down this RESET and spearhead the 4th Guards Tank Army's thrust into Poland.  We prepared all winter for this operation.  In the late spring I was permitted a week of leave and I saw my beautiful Irena once more.  It was to be our last encounter.  She wrote me several months later to let me know she was carrying my child.  And she wrote again in the weeks that followed to advise that she was being moved forward to the front at Lublin.  She cautioned me not to worry for her and to focus on the greater glory of the Rodina. She believed in our system.  Her letters became fewer and farther between, then stopped entirely mid-summer."

The pain in Ondar's eyes is evident.  His voice, now a whisper, begins to strain.

"Once RESET was located at the University in Lodz, my work was done.  Our tanks moved on Kalisz in July and our sleeper agent with the Americans took care of the rest.  I returned to Lublin to meet Irena and celebrate our good fortune, but she was not to be found.  I was told she had gone missing by the senior staff officers, but her friend - another nurse - knew the true story.  She gave me a journal of which she had possession, in which Irena documented the unsavory advances of the General who had transferred her to his side on the Western Front as his personal medical assistant.

This friend relayed that Irena had planned to abscond, as the General became more persistent and more forceful in his advances.  One night Irena finally slipped away into he night, leaving her friend with the journal and a sealed letter addressed to me.  Her body was found the next morning in the woods.  She had endured a most gruesome violation.  The nurse spared me the details.

This time I needed to know why.  I was told by my superiors to let it go, to be a good soldier, to stop asking questions.  But I could not.  I knew that if justice was to be had, it was not to be found at the hand of the thugs now running the Red Army.  But justice was done.  Of this you can be certain.  In the names of my unborn child and his mother, vengeance was had and justice will be served."

Ondar's voice trails off.  He regains his composure and straightens his stance.

"Captain, I stand before you a man without a country.  A warrior without an army.  My homeland lay in ruins, a Hell of my own creation.  The Soviet Union no longer exists, and in retrospect I do not know for certain that I ever believed in it anyway.  I may be guilty of the most egregious crimes possible against humanity, executed in the name of blind patriotism.  Proof of the extent of my "political reliability" is evidenced by these scars.  I wear them now as a badge.  Of honor and in remembrance of ideals I once held dear.  I will recover RESET and I will see it delivered to the Americans.  I started this war.  It is appropriate that I now end it."

A solitary tear wells up and streams down Ondar's left cheek.  He reaches into his satchel and produces the tattered journal and a collection of handwritten letters.

"All in here," he declares, switching back to pidgin English. "Now ... what can help carry?"

In reply to Alexei Ondar (msg #276):

Dawid translated Ondar's words to Adam from Russian into Polish as best he could.

Some of the historical context was interesting in an academic sense, not to mention personally sad and even a little pathetic.

Still, he tried to do the man's story justice and be convincing on his behalf.

Upon hearing the shot, tucker immediately goes prone and gets his rifle ready to use, hopefully not needed.  He yells out to Mariusz, "I hope they didn't recognize you or this is going to be a real short trip!"

Tucker
M-16A2 [24/30/M-203 [HE]
Prone looking for where shot may have come from

Mariusz waved at Tuck and then stopped and stood in the open. He shouldered his rifle and waved directly at the silo.

As Ondar finishes his tragic tale, Adam thanks Dawid for the earnest translation.

The old tugboat captain gently opens the journal and flips slowly through its yellowed pages. He can't read the Cryllic writing it contains but the dog-eared, water-stained paper, tangible in his hands, seems to lend weight to the Soviet deserter's story. Handing it back, he says,

"I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Ondar. We all could certainly use your help. See the Hauptman for instructions. I will speak to him about your... position in the party."

Adam finds the very busy German officer and pulls him aside for a quick private chat.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:08, Thu 25 Sept 2008.

As the rear party load up the next cargo into the inflatable Bayer seeks out Milk. Speaking quietly he asks, "Anything come over the Soviet net? What kind of traffic you picking up?" Bayer figures if it was anything serious the American would have brought it to his attention. However, his interest in the Soviet radio communications was enough to ask.

Adam finds Bayer at his point and pulls him aside. Bayer watches Ondar as Old Adam speaks. In the end he gives a slow nod before heading back to help with the work crew.

Handling the supplies and equipment being handed to her, Quyen sizes up the amount remaining on the Krolowa. "Hauptmann?" she calls. "Can we spare a third trip? I know full hand that time is pressing, but I don't want to swamp the boats or have any tow trouble with the non-powered boat." Looking at those remaining she counts the number of people that will need a ride too. "I can do it, but rather not unless..."

Bayer thought for a moment. He imagined their meager supplies sinking to the bottom. Time was an issue too. "Your call is for three hmm? Ok then. Three, but lets make it as quick as possible." he answers. At least heading back to the hide would be along a known route. Unlike the first run, they wouldn't be taking time to search for a suitable place. "Lets go people, get it loaded."

"Not pickin' up much, captain. Just periodic check-ins by a foot patrol on one of the riverbanks comin' over the Polish army net. Nothin' yet on the Soviet net but I could'a missed something switchin' back and forth. I been thinkin', though, they probably use land lines along the Lublin-Radom road so there's probably a lot more coms traffic than what we're picking up on the radio."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:24, Thu 25 Sept 2008.

With midday swiftly approaching, it is decided to trade time for the increased likelihood of safely transporting all of the supplies to the hide sight.

Minh head's up the tributary a second time, on this trip ferrying Stoner, Jason, Ondar, Anneka, Milk, Griet, and Konrad in the powered boat and a load of supplies- including the bicycles- in the tow. The boats enter the tree lined lane, the Wisla Krolowa receding in the distance. A feeling of uncertainty and vulnerability descends as the team takes its last look at their floating home and fortress of the last 10 days.

After about an hour's journey, Minh recognizes the nose and cockpit section of a wrecked Luftwaffe F-4 fighter-bomber that marks the approaches to the hide site. She steers the boats to shore and the group disembarks and unloads the tow. Jason volunteers to escort Minh back to the Krolowa for the last load. The return trip is silently awkward for both of them.

Back at the Krolowa, Adam and Walter say their goodbyes to their crewmates. It is a tearful parting. Tadeuz, freshly fallen off the wagon, is particularly distraught. Dawid pats the barrel of the 82mm Vasilek he's come to consider his, and meets up with the boat crew. Walter and Tadeuz use the tug's crane to carefully load the heavy motorbike into the tow, shifting it a bit towards the stern to keep the boat's nose up. With the remainder of the party loaded aboard, the boats head off, leaving the battered old tug in their wake. The River Queen, too, weighs anchor and begins steaming in the direction from which it came, to fulfil a destiny no longer connected to those it has left behind.