Bayer toggles his radio transmit and responds, "Sunray roger. Makes sense. I told her to get Wicks to help. Keep moving to the RV. Out."

He then calls forward again, "Stoner! Break contact and pull it back. We're heading back to the riverside. Let's go." Bayer will then lead the last of the group back through the cleared part of the hamlet before cutting across the same route Mariusz took to the inlet.

Bayer
Withdrawing with the last of the group

Mariusz radioed the Kaptain, "Kaptain, I'm ready to pull people back in hops, just waiting for Drew to respond now. Would it be worth checking to see if there's any more ammo with the AT gun while you wait for us?"

Jan covered the prisoner with his rifle, as David removed the M-16.

"Your Name, Rank," he barked in English.

(Jan intends on leaving the man there, making sure before leaving the viking tour boat that all weapons have either been taken, or thrown overboard.)

Tucker continues to scan the starboard side of the ship for any new threats hearing the gunfire in the distance.

Viking Long Boat

"Your name, rank!" Jan demands forcefully.

The wounded man in the messy cabin looks startled to hear his mother tongue, then mumbles (in English),

"Er, sergeant Neil Van Brokhorst, Royal Army."

That's all he volunteers, but his demeanor is more submissive than hostile.

The small boat waits alongside.

(As stated previously, Jan will load all of the captured weapons and ammo aboard the small boat when he and Dawid are ready to debark.)

Hamlet

"Stoner! Break contact and pull it back. We're heading back to the riverside. Let's go." Konrad yells, calling the intense SEAL out of his battle rage.

Stoner [NPCed] turns reluctantly away from the stairwell, a youthful look of disappointment on his deeply tanned fave. "Yessir. Come on boys! Away we go. Grab that RPK! No, over there! Yeah. Wait! Get the mags! B-u-l-l-e-t-s! Yes, bullets. Good. Let's go!" Stoner leads the pair of AKM-armed miltiamen down the hallway to the back rooms and the three men clamber out of the house the way they came.

Outside, Jones spots a long wooden crate with rope handles lying near one of the dead Rapira crew. It looks to be just the right size to hold a couple of shells for the 100mm AT gun. Momentarily losing his situational awareness, Jones starts easing around the gun shield to grab the rare ammunition. A bullet clangs off of the gunshield just a few inches away, reminding him with a start that moving around to the other side of the gunshield exposes him to direct fire from the house at the southern end of the hamlet.

The RPD gunner arrives behind the mantlet just as Jones jumps back from the near miss. (The Rapira is pointing north so, technically, the pair are in front of the gunshield.) He looks at Jones inquiringly.

Mariusz, at the far north end of the hamlet, walks back to the eastern house looking for Drew. He sees him just as the irate Marine is about to charge south towards the slackening gunfight. The two militiamen from inside the building look impatient. If they only knew about the deadly gas cloud steadily creeping towards the hamlet...

Minh and her casualty evacuation party can see a break in the trees ahead. The smell of the river is growing strong. As the heavily burdened group trudges closer, they can see the bright orange streaks of the rising sun stretching off away from them across the slate grey water of the Vistula. They're almost there...

Wisla Krolowa

Tucker, feeling a little dizzy now that the adrenaline is starting to wear off, is having a hard time seeing much of anything on the east bank of the river. The bright sun, low in the clear sky, is shining almost directly into his eyes.

"Target! East side! Movement in the trees!" Ondar shouts from the bridge roof.

Squinting, Tucker can just make out movement, east-southeast of the tug's current position.

Next Moves?

In reply to Cap'n Rae (msg #22):

Seeing Jan wasn't going to warn Konrad of reinforcements, he grabbed the radio.

"Sunray, this is Eagle... be advised we have word of enemy reinforcements. The Baron's troops, probably coming by land from the north. Also, if anyone is near the 100mm gun, please recover all ammunition possible. Out."

After the man answered Jan, Dawid offered the man a cigarette. Then he began treating the leg wound.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:53, Thu 05 Nov 2009.

Crap Jones thought to himself that was close. As the RPD gunner joins him Jones indicates to the man where the fire came from and that he wants him to cover him as he grabs the ammo box and the shell from the gun breech.

He then waits for him to get ready and unslings the AK-74su. Once the man has the house in his sights Jones jumps up and fires a ten round burst at the house aiming for the windows he then makes a dash for the box and lastly retrieves the shell in the gun.

Once back behind the gun shield Jones will engage the pirates in the southern house with the RPK as Stoners group moves towards his position. He will also yell to Drew or anyone with him to destroy the still.


Tom Jones
AK-74su (30/30)
Getting ammo
Anti-Tank gun shield
This message was last edited by the player at 18:14, Wed 04 Nov 2009.

Mariusz saw Drew and called, "Drew, thank God. I thought we'd lost you for a moment."

He looked around and saw the militia getting jumpy, "I'll tell you what, I'll cover you and you lead the militia back. Then we'll retreat in jumps from there. What do you think?"

In reply to Mariusz Tokarski (msg #25):

Drew:

  "Sorry, I got tunnel vission there for a bit.....glad I finaly caught up with you guys..."

  Drew listens to the plan,

"Okay, leapfrogging is a good idea.  I suggest one support weapon takes position while the other group moves just in case, then they can lay down cover fire if need be."  Drew pauses,

"If we make contact..they may try an keep us from gettin back ya know.  We should also develope a rally point and alternate route just in case."

  Drew pauses as he knees listening and looking around scanning the area for movement.

Sgt Drew
M240

Robert will try to shake off the effects of having the dizziness start to bother him as he hears Ondar call out that there are targets out there.  Squinting through the sunlight, Tucker picks up some movement as his hand reaches down to que the radio, "Ondar, Tucker.  Confirm movement East-Southeast as threats before I fire, copy?"

Heaing of the militiaman who opened up on some of their party before from the other Dushka made Tucker a little leary about just opening up now not knowing if there's a chance it's our guys or not.

Tucker
Starboard Dushka
Waiting for Ondar to confirm hostile threats before firing

As David began to work on the man's wound, Jan said. "No time, lets go." He kept his eye on the wounded pirate as they left the room.

"I was going to hold off on the radio until we left the room. A speaker of english in there." Jan said.

"Launch reporting. We have cleared a pirate tour vessel in the tributary, and are now proceeding in our own boat upstream. Will update you again when we land." Jan clicked the radio off.


Jan's intentions:



The group will land, announce their location on radio, secure the launch, move up to flank the pirate hamlet, announce their location again as they near, and assist in clearing the last buildings.

When Jan finds out that the wounded are not there to be evacuated, he will propose that the main force walk back to the Vistula, while the launch crew return the launch to the tug.
This message was last edited by unknown at 14:06, Thu 05 Nov 2009.

"Good idea," Mariusz agreed, he turned to the militia, "move to there, Drew and I will cover you. Once you reach there you cover us. We'll keep doing that until we reach the river."

He looked at Drew, "That way we'll always have the militia's back, that OK?"

If Drew was happy with the idea, Mariusz and the marine would cover the retrat to the first point before joining the militia there.

Still at the lead, Quyen signals for the ORMO transporting the incapacitated to stop. While they rest, she motions for them to be quiet as she scans around the forested area around them for signs of danger. Satisfied they were still safe, she whispers, "Almost there." to the men and motions for them to continue on.

Quyen will then resume covering the casualty team as they carry Wicks and the other down to the river's edge.

"Wait! Men carrying wounded. Could be our friends... Yes, I think I see the Vietnamese woman. It is our friends. Hold your fire. Hold your fire."

"Roger that Ondar.  Good lookin' out.  Call 'em out to me if you see them, I'm not doin' so good over here.  Feeling kind of light headed.  Fucking arms are killing me.  Over"

Hamlet

As the militia RPD gunner sprays the last pirate-occupied house with automatic fire, Jones scampers around the gunshield and grabs one of the handles of the wooden ammunition box. He drags it back to safety with some difficulty, the heavy crate catching a couple of times on the corpses of dead gunners. He wants to check the breech for a loaded shell but that would take too long under the current conditions. Stoner and his team emerge from the house next door and the miltiaman calls his comrades over to help carry the 105mm ammo box. As they leave, Jones rolls a fragmentation grenade down the barrel of the Rapira, hoping to render the gun useless should the pirates return for it. The grenade detonates, followed a second or two later by a secondary explosion and when they look back, the gun is wreathed in smoke, its barrel propped on the ground by its muzzle brake.

On they way out of the hamlet, Jones and the RPD man shoot up the large still set up on the north side of the large workshop. Methanol pours out of the numerous bullethouse before a tracer from the RPD ingnites it. The still and the north side of the workshop are instantly engulfed in the ensuing conflaguration. The pirates Zil 6x6 cargo truck is already shot all to hell thanks to its most recent owners.

As the rest of the assault team makes its way back to the Vistula, Minh waits on the east bank with the wounded in plain view of the Wisla Krolowa river tug. Unfortunately, without its launch, the tug can't reach them. Wicks clearly can't wait any longer. As the remainder of the assault team arrive just as the New Zealander breaths his last. The group hadn't known him very long but they'd all come to respect his courage under fire.

Small Boat

Having recovered weapons and ammunition from the kitschy tourist boat, Dawid and Jan leave the wounded British pirate alone with a cigarette and lower themselves, with some difficulty, into the unsteady small boat. Anneka (NPCed) informs them of Konrad's recall order and Jerzy (the SLR-armed radioman), making no effort to hide his relief, swings the boat around and makes for the Vistula.

Wisla Krolowa

It takes a half-an-hour to ferry all of the assault team back to the Queen. The tedious operation is completed unmolested by the pirates. With everyone back aboard, Adam steers the agile tug back into the main channel and begins the journey upriver to Gora-Kalwaria. Smoke rises up over the trees from the nameless hamlet, now a cemetary to around half of the pirate force (the number is agreed upon after each element delivers their informal after action report). The pirates have been broken as a effective riverine force. The Vistula north to Warsaw has been reopened. Upon reflection, the cost is staggering. Half of the Gora-Kalwaria militia's core of veteran fighters is either dead or seriously wounded. Two of their foreign "advisors", Wicks and Angelita Ling, are dead. Minh's been shot in the leg. All of the party's ground vehicles (the Tarpan-Honker, the Ural motorcycle and sidecar, and the STAR 6x6) have been captured or destroyed. And, the militia's trump card- the three 155mm VX shells- have been used or lost, with uncertain results.

The journey back to Gora-Kalwaria is a somber one. But after days of grey skies, cold, and precipitation, it's looking to be a sunny, relatively warm day.

Next Moves?

OOC: Let's spend a turn on the tug. This is when IC interaction is important. Converse. Take care of what business you can on board. The party will be back at the town after this turn.

I'll post a list of gear that the party recovered in the intel thread with the assumption that all of it, except the 105mm ammo, will be donated to the G-K militia. If you want to keep any of it for yourself (selfish, selfish...), let me know and I will make the transfers. PLEASE make sure to update personal ammo usage on your PC's char-sheet.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:01, Fri 06 Nov 2009.

Jones looks at the body of the Brit army officer, he hadn’t known him long but the loss of a skilled soldier was always a blow.

He then climbs to the quarter deck on the tug setting up the RPK to face over the stern of the tug if no one wants him anywhere else. Jones will man this position all the way back to the village lost in his own thoughts.

Tom Jones
RPK-74 (39/45)
Manning quarter deck position
Tugs Quarter Deck
This message was last edited by the player at 10:11, Fri 06 Nov 2009.

Back on board the tug, Bayer waited until he got a confirmed head count from the NCOs before passing on his instructions for Griet to withdraw the tug from the area.

He visited Wicks for a moment, then silently waved a motion with his hand for the body to be covered up with the man's rain poncho. The officer could be buried back in the town where the people ought to remember the sacrifice he made for them. Bayer looked across the deck at Quyen, but didn't say anything to her or anyone about the matter... they all tried very hard to get him to help.

As the boat steamed away from the enemy camp, Bayer announces, "Post mission drills are to begin immediately. Busy yourselves as if you are heading back into the fight by noon. I want turn around time and return to maximum combat readiness in short order. All wounded report to the sick bay, so we can get a better understanding of who is non-combat capable."

"Dawid, see to ammunition and stores replenishment for the platoon. I need a sitrep on our capabilities and status as well."

Tapping the empty grenade pouches on his tac vest, Bayer adds, "I'm short four 40mmHE and one 40mmHEDP. I could use one or two HC smoke grenades too... canvas the platoon and see if any of the team have some extra ones in their gear."

He then digs into his webbing, pulling out his tactical radio and removes the batteries. He then does the same with his NVGs, and says, "Here. Get someone on everyone's batteries."

After ensuring platoon was getting busy conducting unit admin and not slacking off just yet, he approaches every member of the team and asks the same question, "Do you have a chemical defense suit?"
This message was last edited by the player at 10:54, Fri 06 Nov 2009.

Dawid replied, "Sorry, my Kapitan, I unfortunately do not have a chemical defence suit. We captured a man who reported the Baron was sending reinforcements. Maybe they will be killed by the gas? We can hope."

"We may have enough ammunition to resupply our small arms. It was a very costly victory in terms of people and supplies. We won. Next time, we shall need to do better."

He looked at Wick's body. "Shit. We shall grieve for his loss, later. Angelita, too. You westerners die, we Poles die, and I pray it is for some greater good, so the strong may not hold dominion over the weak."

Crossing himself, he said a short prayer. Then excused himself to retrieve his beads from Griet.

Philosophizing done for the moment, he concentrated on topping up people's ammo supplies as best he could for their weapons, as well as explosives.

"Everyone, check your weapons, clean them. We may need them, soon enough."

Once done, Dawid examined the captured 100mm ammunition (thanking Tom profusely in the process) and replaced the ammunition in the captured RPD's belt. As well, he searched for another belt as a spare for the weapon.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:10, Sat 07 Nov 2009.

Mariusz' heart sank as he realised the cost of the engagement. Still, there had been no other option but to fight, and there would be no other option until evil had been purged from the land or they were all dead, he felt grimly that it would be the former rather than the latter, but that couldn't be helped. He made sure that the men of teh Gora Kalwaria militia were comfortable and resupplied as much as possible from the looted equipment and ship stores.

He stripped fifteen rounds of belted ammunition from the stores and placed four of the Soviet grenades into his pouches.

As he reloaded his partially spent magazine he spoke with Kaptain Bayer, "I don't have an NBC suit, Sir, but if you want people to head back on reconnaissence, I'm willing to wrap up from head to toe and use my gas mask. Someone else might want to risk using the wet suit. It's risky, but if you want to take it to the enemy before we lose momentum, I'll do it."

Griet toured the boat to ensure that everything was ready should they have to face combat in the near future. As soon as the reached the town, she began to make arrangements for making repairs to the hull.

Her reply to Kaptain Bayer's request was, "No, I don't have a chemical defence suit, I'm sorry."

Drew:

  Drew boards the vessel silently, looking back at the smoking village.  He wonders,

"What was it all for?"

  His mind floats to the scene of the old movie "Platoon."  Where they are leading the villagers out of the village as they set it ablaze.


  Drew looks at the tired faces some covered with blood and grime and soot.  He suddely feel tired.  So very very tired.  His weapon feels so heavy in his arms and his eyes burn from the smoke and swet.  His nose is dry the smell of gunpowder fills his nostrils.  His mnouth is dry and the harsh taste of burning oil, metal and gunpowder is all he can taste.

  Drew looks at the wounded in his boat as he shuttles to the tug.  He looks at their wounds and bandages as best he can.  He then mentaly triages them, using his experience learned durring his years as a EMT.  He will tell them who needs to be seen first once they get to the ship.  He muses,"Damn....how many times have I done this?  Cruisin back ta the ship after a mission...damn...it never changes."  Drew tries to spit to clear the bitter taste from his mouth.  He has no sliva and it is stringy.  The wad sticks to his lip and in a long string flops down his shirt.  "Shit." he mutters.  He feels the acid in his stomach build and a cough brings a bit up his through.  He swallows hard and grimaces at the harsh burning taste.  He instinctivly moves his hand to his canteen and stops half way.  He doesn't have one.

  They are manuvering to the side of the ship.

  As the vessel comes alongside and ties off he will call out to those on the ship which of the wounded are immediate, who are priority and who are routine.   Those who are dead or close to death are routine and left to the last.

  Drew helps load the wounded making sure they do get aboard the ship.  And that it is understood that their condition is known.

  Once the wounded are loaded, Drew will check the boat and pick up any stray gear before boarding.

  Once on board Drew will report to whomever is in charge of the the ships sickbay and remind them he does have training and experience as an EMT, he just needs time to wash up and stow his gear and he will lend a hand.

  As he goes to his bunk he passes Bayer the sour German officer he met a couple days earlier,

<OOC I have cut and pasted Bayers comments and am replying in character here>

"Post mission drills are to begin immediately. Busy yourselves as if you are heading back into the fight by noon. I want turn around time and return to maximum combat readiness in short order. All wounded report to the sick bay, so we can get a better understanding of who is non-combat capable."

"I'm off ta help out in sickbay.  I don't have time for that crap."  Drew still remembers the krouts sour disposition and is not in a mood.

[Bayer]
he approaches every member of the team and asks the same question, "Do you have a chemical defense suit?"

Drew:

  Getting angry at being delayed snaps,

"You know I ain't got jack.  All I got is the clothes on my back and what you guys gave me....<catching himself> I gotta go, but if ya can find some extra 7.62 I'm runnin low and maybe a belt and canteen, a frag or two.  And I'd love a shotgun with a dozen or so rounds for close quarters or when I leave the 240 in position....<Drew feels the weight of the last several weeks crush him>  If ya got a med kit, <he is so very very tired now> I was a medic  before the war.  If ya got a kit, next time...<he is almost chocking on the words> maybe I could have saved a couple...I gotta go...theirs wounded."  Drew dumps his meager gear and heads to wash the grime from his hands and face before helping with the wounded.

  As Drew makes his way down to the sickbay he will introduce himself by saying,

"Where can I help?" he asks,  "I was an EMT in college before the war."

Sgt Drew
Helping with the wounded in sickbay

Tucker collpases to a sitting position once the last of the shore dismounts is loaded back onto the tug.  He reaches into one of his pockets and pulls out some pain relievers and swallows them down with some water.  When Konrad comes around checking posts, Robert will carefully and painfully shift himself into a better position when he sees his boss around.  He knows he's going to ask and aleready has an answer for Bayer, "I'm fucked up boss.  I took all I could take from that Duska pounding the shit outta my arms.  I don't think I could carry on a conversation with my arms right now, they're like fucking jelly boss.  I feel useless!"

Sunday, Oct. 15
1000hrs.
39F
Clear skies
Slight breeze from the NE
Gora Kalwaria, Poland

The trip 'home' to Gora-Kalwaria is uneventful. A somber, almost oppressive quiet hangs over the ship and its crew and passengers. Of course, there's a sense of relief at having survived the confused and brutal battle. On the other hand, there's also the lingering fears, doubts, and guilt felt by those who have left brothers in arms lying on the battlefield. The two emotions seem to go hand in hand these days.

The town's chopped-down skyline comes into view. It looks somehow cleaner and less forlorn in the bright sunshine. The resonant sound of a ringing church bell from one of the town's many damaged churches (or synagogues) signals the return of the river tug gunboat. Walter raises the Krakow flag as the prearranged signal for success (and to let the remaining town defenders know that the tug is not now crewed by the Baron's pirates). As the tug passes the pylons of the fallen railway bridge, the sentries stationed there give her three cheers. Taking note of the joyless expressions on the faces of the tug's crew, the last cheer dies off abruptly. A quick headcount reveals that the returning tug carries no more than half the number of fighters which had left by ferry in the trucks the night before. Perhaps the trucks are on the way back with the rest, they hope...

The Bishop and Petr wait at the ferry/pier, along with a horse-drawn wagon and a few other townspeople. As the tug ties off alongside, the Bishop greets them with a face that belies neither hope nor fear.

"Thank God you have returned. There is food waiting and space has been made for the wounded." The Bishop seems to know better than to ask for more news, trusting that he will be told everything in time. His only follow up question is a hesitant, "Are there others?" The look on Konrad's face is answer enought. "Very well. Let us go."

With that, the civilians board the tug to help offload the wounded. They are gently loaded aboard the wagon and driver heads off towards the hospital (which is attached to a convent), leaving the able-bodied to walk the kilometer or so back to the settlement. Closer to the town, the road is lined with townspeople. They shout thanks, ask for news of their loved ones, and make signs of the cross at the passing procession of tired warriors.

The party is brought back to the parish hall at the Bishop's erstwhile headquarters. A table is waiting, set with a hearty Polish country breakfast. The Bishop waits until everyone who wishes to partake is seated and ready. In lieu of a spoken prayer, he closes his eyes and lowers his head. After a lengthy minute (or three) of silence, he speaks.

"Please, eat." Then he sits near Bayer, patiently awaiting a report on the battle.

Next Moves?
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:57, Sun 08 Nov 2009.

Jan ate.

When he had finished, he turned to Dawid sitting beside him.

"My father’s ancestors were from Bohimia. A great uncle of mine in the ’20s collected stories of their past from every relative he could find. He wrote them out on a red typewriter and I read the pages as a child. Did you know that at the end of the 30 years war in the 1600’s only one-quater of the country’s population remained? My ansestor’s village fortified their church to hold out against the robber barons and mercenary bands. With the countryside deserted of people, the wolves prospered and increased."