"Good idea," Griet yelled back, "come and load this Dushka and I'll get Kellerman to the medic."

She helped the man to a crouch and got him in to the wheelhouse.

Once inside she inspected the wound and asked Walther, "Has the Kaptain called?"

Mariusz carefully watched the prisoners, he had thought of several sarcastic comments that he could have made about the situation but the Kaptain was trying to negotiate a cease fire. Mariusz decided that it would be best to just shut up and do his job.

In reply to Griet Niewiadomska (msg # 878):

"My pleasure!"

Keeping low, he moved to the Dushka. Noting the blood, and what Griet said, Dawid cried, "no, not Kellerman! Will he be all right?" He pulled back the charging handle and began firing bursts at the west side of Tum hill to suppress the ground fire.


Dawid (Light Wound, head)
Dushka (starboard/port? Ammunition?)
Moving to upper MG position
Firing short bursts at W side of Tum Hill.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:06, Sun 16 Dec 2012.

Jay retreated back to where Jan was positioned and updated him on the layout of the room, noting no doors or passages but a few large shell holes that could be accessed by a climber or with a ladder, or even have grenades tossed through. He then took his place covering the door.

Quyen hears the call to stop firing and takes her finger off the trigger. She considers taking advantage of the lull to change postions but decides it is probably best not to start moving around in the dark. Quyen keeps the doorway covered and ready to fire but only if the other side shoots first.

"Holding fire." she says aloud.

Quyen
PKM (54/100)
Prone using bipod
Covering entrance
This message was last edited by the player at 17:31, Sun 16 Dec 2012.

Walter's English was only so-so and he'd been concentrating of manouvering the tug so as to put alongside one of the rickety piers near the boathouse.

"Yes. I think he ordered us to cease fire and stay away from the shore. He's working on some kind of truce or something."

The tug was still 50m or so from shore, though, so it wasn't too late to stand off.

"Everyone cease fire," Jan called out to those around him.  "Only fire in self defence."

He then moved up beside Quyen on the rubble pile and took another look at the wounded boy who was still moaning in pain.

"We have stopped firing and will not fire again unless you shoot at us," he bellowed loudly in Polish.  "You may send one man forward to recover your wounded."

Keeping it simple and professional, Tucker drops his gear away from the bodies and begins to cleasr them of all weapons and things not needed from this round forward.

"Thanks," Griet said to Walther, "hold her here and we'll see what happens. There's no point letting them charge us."

She stuck her head out of the door and shouted at Dawid, "Bayer is organising a cease fire. Stop shooting and take cover please."

Craig takes up the position on the pile of rubble, but holds his fire as instructed. He continues to scan the upper levels in case someone tries something who had not heard the cease fire.

"Understood!"

Dawid ceased fire immediately and hunkered down behind cover.

Cathedral

After being compelled to issue the order to cease fire against the Kommandos in the Cathedral, and the tiver tug, the Queen is once again placed under guard while LaRue continues to render aid to the grievously wounded Anneka. The sound of gunfire continues from outside, but it's muffled and seems to be coming from the north moreso than from the south. After several minutes pass, the Queen's runner returns and confirms that the order is being passed along. The muffled clang of a large but grounded bell being struck penetrates the walls to the sacristy. This time, the bell strikes are measured at about two second intervals- much slower and more deliberate than when the alarm was being raised not an hour earlier. The sound of gunfire tapers off, growing fainter more distant with every passing second, until it's hard to tell whether it's stopped entirely or the battle is just moving away out of earshot.

Anneka's in bad shape. A rifle bullet has torn through her abdomen and punched out of her lower back. LaRue successfully staunches the flow of blood but there's almost certainly extensive internal damage. Without surgery, her chances of survival are slim.

Out in the sanctuary, the Kommando rearguard offers its own ceasefire, allowing the milita gathered outside the cathedral's main entrance to recover their dead and wounded from the narthex. They do so quickly, and the silent standoff resumes.

Wisla Krolowa

After receiving word from Konrad, the tug stands off, shrugging off a few dozen more bullets before the boys on the hillside get the word to cease fire. The night falls quiet. After the sustained cacophany of pitched battle, the ensuing near silence is almost painful.

Connolly enters the bridge and reports on the condition of the tug's wounded.

"McClurg has a concussion and maybe a broken wrist; wait 'til you see his ear. Kel's got a pretty good bullet wound in his shoulder- I think the bullet's still in there. And Dave's sister is getting pretty upset- I guess she wasn't planning on a big battle here. She's held it together helping the wounded, but when Kel's stable, she's going to be trouble."


Next Moves?

Danny wipes the blood from his hands and reaches up to his radio.  "Sunray, Coyote.  If you can swing it, I'd really like an immediate medevac.  Break."  He pauses to gather his thoughts.  "Coyote to Queen for relay to Starlight.  Prep for surgery.  Adult female with close-range gunshot wound to right upper abdominal quadrant, entry and exit wounds.  Severe blood loss.  Acknowledge."
This message was undeleted by the player at 11:36, Wed 19 Dec 2012.

As the dead and wounded are removed from the narthex, Thijs calls out in Polish, "Hej, ty tam! Być może chcesz wysłać kogoś do sprawdzenia północ budynków Królewiecka i Aleja Spacerowa. Wyszliśmy dwa towarzyszami związana tam."

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)
Hey you out there!  You might want to send somebody to check the buildings north of Krolewiecka and Aleja Spacerowa.  We left two of your comrades tied up there.

---

He remains ready to resume fire if necessary, still trying to make out figures in the dark.

Leaving the Dushka, Dawid ducked into the bridge.

"Urzula will be all right. She lived through the nuclear attack on Warszawa, this can't be as bad, but we've all had a tough time. I'll do what I can to make sure she keeps it together. I think someone might have to stay here and put things right, that might be the best thing to do. The right thing to do.

"Griet, did they get the Baron? And or the Queen? If she's alive, then putting the town back together might be impossible."

As the situation settled down and word was passed amongst the Queen's forces of the ceasefire Jan took stock of the situation around him.

"Craig, Jay and Thijs.  Search around here and gather together any Intel, radios, weapons, ammo, body armour or other equipment that might be useful and that we might want to take with us.  Also look for any packs to carry things in.  Pay particular attention to the Baron's men and the Baron himself.  Jeff, you do the same but in the back room.  Quyen and I will keep watch."

Something else then occurred to him and he turned to Thijs.  "Thijs.  Did you say earlier that you and Gunther left possessions here in Plock when you joined us.  We might be able to collect them if they are on our route out "

Griet looked over at Dawid, "I'm under the impression that the Queen is still alive. We might have to correct that later."

(Assuming that the gas has now dissipated) Jay removed his gas mask and stowed it, wiping the sweat from his face. Following Jan's instruction, he scoured the room looking for anything of interest, while keeping a careful eye on the door they had entered through. He quickly stripped any bodies of weapons, ammunition, grenades, webbing, body armour, intel, valuables and anything else of interest, making repeat trips back and forth if necessary. Shortly his work was completed, and he showed his haul to the others.

As he moved he also checked for survivors. If he found any to be still alive he would alert Jan immediately.

Danny waits a moment, frowns, and keys his radio again.  "Queen, Coyote, please acknowledge on that surgery call.  Over."

While waiting for a response, he pulls his notebook from his aid bag and flips through it.  "Okay," he mutters to Mariusz and Tuck, "she's A-pos.  If we have to transfuse, that means we can use Konrad, Boots, Minh, Dave, Thijs, Griet... and you two."  He flashes Tuck an evil grin.  "What an opportunity for you."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:55, Wed 19 Dec 2012.

Dawid reached over to the radio. "Eagle calling Coyote. Got it... thanks? Bring her down to the wharf on the river, we're standing off until we see our people.

"Ah, important question: how's the queen of Plock and the former Baron? Please pass on to Sunray that would be unfortunate if neither were still around to cause trouble."

Looking over at Griet Dawid smiled a little. His ear was starting to hurt, and Urzula's comment made him suspect he would have some deal of trouble should he decide to wear earrings. "I guess that Larue chap wants us to send a helicopter or something? I think he'll make do, even when you take away their toys Americans are pretty competent folks.

"Anyways, hopefully they'll get the hint that the queen and Baron are loose ends worth, ah, closing off."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:09, Thu 20 Dec 2012.

In reply to Jan Cerny (msg # 894):

Craig did as he was instructed. He re-slung his G3 and picks up the other rifle he had taken off the sentry at the door. He intended to search this man last, so he made his way back to the Barons corpse and gave Tucker a hand collecting the equipment from this room and then working his way back towards the entrance collecting gear as he went.

Tucker chuckles but doesn't over do it with the extent of her injuries.

The Wisla Krolowa rests at anchor, 50m off shore, Tum Hill looming sullenly nearby. The sun is up, the day is crisp and cold with a steady breeze out of the north. The skyline in that direction is dark with cloud and the barometer has dropped several points since the day before. A storm is coming.

The entire Kommando is back aboard, and they have a guest, Plock's former Queen. Sickbay is bustling. Anneka lays dying, LaRue's valiant attempt to repair the internal damage she's suffered has failed. The Israeli combat doctor hasn't regained full consciousness since leaving the cathedral sacristy. Kellerman, a bullet in his left shoulder, patiently awaits his turn for treatment. McClurg will be back on duty in a day or two. His left wrist, first thought to be broken, is only badly sprained. His left ear, however, is mostly gone. If he hadn't been wearing his flight goggles, he might have lost his left eye as well. Gunther's cold, stiff corpse lies under a poncho forward of the Vasilek.

Urzula, after assisting LaRue with Anneka, returns to Plock, trusting her track record and urgently needed skillset to keep her safe. Watching her arrival from the deck fo the tug, the Kommando is reassured that, for the time being at least, she has been welcomed back by the surviving militiamen.

In the daylight, the Kommando assault force can fully appreciate the Wisla Krolowa's contribution to the battle. Her paintwork topside is marred by hundreds of bullet impact marks. The mortar strike on the portside gunwhale amidships has done a bit more than cosmetic damage to the tug, knocking out the port Dishka HMG. A moderately skilled gunsmith, however, will probably be able to return it to hull functionality. The two mortar strikes on the raised quarterdeck aft of the mainstack have shredded the overhead tarp and demolished the sandbag and earth-filled weapons crate fighting position. The AGS-17 is nowhere to be found- it was most likely tossed overboard by the second explosion.

On the way back to the tug, down Tum Hill's gentle southern slope, the Kommando was burdened by a V.I.P. prisoner and a stretcher case. Still, they managed to recover a decent amount of war booty. In the sacristy, Konrad recovered the Baron's pack, containing some extra clothing, maps, a pair of Soviet-made night vision goggles, a fine pair of West German binoculars, and a Polish army medium-range manpack radio. LaRue recognized Anneka's medical bag and shouldered it. Three relatively undamaged bulletproof vests were stripped from the dead- one British, one West German, and one Soviet. Those not already overburned grab an extra weapon or two to take back to the tug. Craig stopped by the mortar pit and, ignoring its one dead and two wounded occupants, picked up the four 82mm HE bombs he found there.

Recovered items:
1 pair Soviet NVGs*
1 pair W. German binoculars
1 Polish medium-range manpack radio
3 "Kevlar" vests (1 W. German, 1 British, 1 Soviet)
9 AK-74 series w/ 19 mags
1 Sig 550 w/ two transparent mags
1 Walther MPK SMG w/ 3 mags
1 Uzi SMG w/ 3 mags
1 Walther P9S pistol
2 HK G3 w/ 8 mags
4 82mm HE

*Thijs get's first right of refusal of these, since recovering his own gear was neither prudent nor practical.

Dawid prepares to leave the tug, his home for the last few weeks, and his comrades, several of whom he's been fighting beside for just as long.


Next Moves?
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:59, Sat 22 Dec 2012.

Tucker will go down to where Dawid's spaces was on the tug and lights up one of his Cuban cigars they had gotten from the Barons office when they went into Warsaw.  He leans on the doorway of the room and watches Dawid pack and get his things in order.  "So!  The chosen son of Poland has completed his mission and is going to hunker down in Plock to save one town at a time now?" Robert says with a smirk on his face.

This message was deleted by the player at 03:26, Thu 20 Dec 2012.