Bayer listens to Mariusz's translation and exhales deeply, thinking to himself three hundred... He then says, "Tell him we can work out a deal."

While his teammate talks, Bayer relays the situation to Griet and the others.

Bayer then asks, "Mari.. we're going to need more info to decide. Like what kind of boat is in Torun, where is this raft, and what they can spare as trade. Get him talking."

Bayer then toggles his radio again, "Jan, Bayer... take control of the shore party and conduct a thorough sweep the village. Send one runner to my position. Over."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:10, Fri 28 Dec 2012.

"My Boss is interested," Mariusz said, "but he says we need more information. Where is your raft? What sort of boat would we be facing and what sort of stuff do you have to trade for our services?"

"I'd be truthful," Mariusz advised, "we've fought massive odds before and if it looks like an uneven fight we won't necessarily shy away from it. If you tell us it's a bathtub with a machine gun and it turns out to be the Battleship Potemkin all that will happen is that we'll be dead on the bottom of the river and you'll still be stuck this side. If you're not sure what sort of boat it is describe its size, armament and a guess at its speed."

He thought about things and added, "We're light on boat to boat armament, do you have anything we could use?"

The man chuckles at Mariusz's 'Battleship Potemkin' comment.

"The truth, of course. The raft is just this side of Wloclawek. We are building it in some woods so that the Torun troops don't see it. We tried to raise an old ferryboat to help us cross but the Torun monitor came and destroyed it. The same happened with a bridge we tried to build over the damn. The Torun garrison has patrols watching Wloclawek. Any time we get close to crossing, the monitor comes. The Torun commander wants us to stay in Poland and help him continue with this stupid war. We've been stuck here for a week trying to get across. Torun won't send troops to Wloclawek because they don't want to lose a fight. But with their monitor, they can control the river. The monitor is... well, it looks like a landing craft that has been, er, how you say, modified with armor and such. It has a turret with probably a 76mm gun and a could of heavy machineguns. It is not fast, but it's armor is tough.

"We have a few heavy weapons but we don't have the horses to pull them. We have little food for men or horse now. We have had to slaughter the draft animals. We have one ZU-23-2 and one 120mm Sani mortar. Perhaps you could take them as payment. The monitor destroyed our other ZU and our Vasilek, but we have some 82mm ammunition left.

"And we also have couple of NATO prisoners we plan on releasing when we get across the Vistula- one of them was in the navy and the other is a combat pioneer. Perhaps you could use them as well."

-
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:54, Fri 28 Dec 2012.

Bayer listens again, then says, "If they can send us a radio operator and a working set, to liaise and coordinate with us while we make our own preparations, that would be helpful. I am willing to cooperate but need to consult with my ship's officer and staff first. We'll be here at the dock waiting for your man."

If they don't have a working radio, Bayer will opt to take aboard a senior officer instead.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 19:13, Fri 28 Dec 2012.

"Jan.  Understood.  Will conduct sweep eastwards of dock.  Out," he transmitted in reply.  He paused briefly before pressing the transmit toggle button again, this time contacting Griet.  "Queen.  Jan here.  Send Jay, Jeff and Danny to my position."

He then muttered to Thijs beside him, conscious that he wasn't on the radio net and needed to be kept in the loop.  "The two of us and Jay and Jeff are going to sweep eastwards through the rest of the village.  Danny is going to join Konrad as a runner."  As smile then came over his face.  "Konrad and Mariusz are negotiating us acting as a ferry service for several hundred Russian Calvary who want to go home and need to cross the river."

"So the commander at Torun's a hard-liner and he has a river monitor," Mariusz summarised, "what sort of forces can he muster?"

Thijs nodded and said, "Must be some of the cavalry I saw in Torun.  If they are trying to cross the river, whoever controls the standing bridge there must oppose their doing so."

He waited with Jan for the arrival of the Ghurka and the spook before setting out to sweep the village.

The Russian frowns for a moment, clearly not happy about the odds,

"About 1,100 men, 300 of them mounted."

Cradling his G3 Craig was very interested in the conversation going on around him. The monitor sounded like a viable target on its own, but once the garrison was factored in it did not sound like the cake walk Craig hopped for. Couple of RPG grenades job done was what he had been thinking.

"Not a problem." Bayer retorts dismissively. "Now... will you send us a radioman and working set? I say nothing more at this time until I consult with my council." Once a reply comes, Bayer nods respectfully to the men and motions for Mariusz to conclude the parlay.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:21, Sat 29 Dec 2012.

Quyen lets out a victorious but quiet "Yesss..." to herself upon finding the hidden stash. If there was anything to be found she expected to discover people hiding but this meant less hassel and maybe a easy pay day. When she opens the duffle something in the back of her mind clicks and she stares at it for a moment before closing it up. I hope not she thinks. She takes the ammo can full of papers in one hand and and tosses the duffel over her other shoulder before getting back up.

Quyen then moves over and crouches next to Tucker who is covering Konrad and she whispers "I found something Sergeant. Need Griet or Mariusz to know what it is for sure though. Could be nothing." By the way the men on horses passed the house without interest she guessed they weren't the ones living here so taking the items with them would be easy. She then says "And something else too... what kind of animal bones do you think those are outside?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:14, Sat 29 Dec 2012.

In reply to Minh Quyen (msg # 61):

Tucker Looks over to Minh and nods in approval.  "OK, we'll have Mari take a look at it I guess when he's done with Konrad.  I hope it's an animal.  Danny might be better to determine if they're human or not.  I would hope deer or a dog.  Maybe he was using the bones for snare traps or something?"

"That can be arranged. I will tell my commander that you will help us and then I will return here with a radioman. We will be back in about two hours."

At the conclusion of the parlay the two riders depart at a fast trot.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:45, Sat 29 Dec 2012.

As Bayer motions for Mariusz to follow, Bayer turns to face the house and calls, "Sergeant Tucker, you and your men on me... we're falling back to the boat. Jan and his men will finish sweeping the village."

Upon receiving his new orders, Jay gathered up his ear and quickly headed off to find Jan. As always he moved quietly across the ground, cradling his AK74.

Danny, already monitoring the radio traffic, hears Jan's summons.  He waves to the wheelhouse in acknowledgement and jumps to the dock, trying to ignore the stab of ice from the titanium screws in his right leg.  Not getting any younger.  He waits on the dock for Jay and Warren, surreptitiously massaging his thigh.  Once the others arrive, he moves off toward Jan's position at a brisk trot.  "Sunray, Coyote," he transmits as a reflexive blue-on-blue deterrent, "three of us comin' in from the dock."

Arriving, he gives Jan a respectful nod, then faces outward to scan the riverbank.  "Hey, Jan, what'd'we got?"  He nods toward Konrad as the commander and his party begin moving back toward the tug.  "He still need a runner?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:06, Sat 29 Dec 2012.

Connolly, closer to the radio than Griet, fastens her armor's last closure and leans in and grabs the mic.  "Queen acknowledges," she replies, then switches to the intercom.  "Jay, Larue, Mister Warren, report to Jan for recon duty."

She turns to Griet, realizing she may have usurped something the captain considers her exclusive domain.  "Ah, sorry, Griet.  Reflex."  She gestures vaguely toward the radio.  "We'll still need watch coverage.  Mac on top watch, Kel on the river?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:44, Sat 29 Dec 2012.

Tucker gives a simple wave of acknowledgement and calls back into the house for Minh and Craig.  "Moving back out to the Queen you two.  Minh, bring your stash for Mari to look at."

"Yes, that'll be fine," Griet said absently to Connolly as she studied the river charts, a plan forming slowly in her mind.

With the departure of the Soviet 89th CD envoys, Konrad and his shore party start walking back to the tug, leaving the strange cottage with its crawl space, locked icebox, and oversized chopping block behind. Perhaps between now and the return of the envoys, the cottage's occupant will show himself. Perhaps Jan's clearing team will find him during the balance of its sweep of the settlement.

It's growing colder. The wind is picking up and the dark wall of clouds to the northwest are closing in fast, nearly blotting out the skyline downriver. The heavy clouds most certainly are bringing precipitation with them, whether it be rain, snow, or some mixture thereof remains to be seen.

There's much to do between now and the riders' return two hours hence. Anneka and Gunther need to be burried, the port side Dushka needs repair, and a plan for how to help the 300 men and horses of the 89th cross the Vistula and tackle Torun's considerable military strength must be forumlated. There's no time to lose.


Next Moves?
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:42, Sat 29 Dec 2012.

Griet pulled up the hood of her parka and donned her gloves before heading off to check on the damaged Dushka. Before leaving the shelter of the bridge she sent out a message over the intercom and radio, "Anyone with experience of repairing weaponry should meet me at the damaged Dushka. We need it fixed as a matter of urgency."

She then radioed Bayer, "Kaptain," she began, "the dam the 89th mentioned is a major chokepoint. The charts show a navigable lock that is less than a hundred meters wide. The damage to the dam can't be too devastating if the 89th were trying to bridge it. If the monitor isn't this side of the dam and we can draw it through that lock then we can slaughter it at the chokepoint. The advantage we have is mobility and indirect fire. If we can locate the monitor we can use the 120mm mortar and 82mm mortar to shell it. That will force it to come to us. If it is north of the dam I would recommend mining the lock."

Tucker approaches Mariusz and Konrad when they're done with their meeting.  "Possible Intel boss that Minh found in a floor board.  It's in Poish and wanted Mari to take a look at it to see if it's anything good.

What's the deal with these guys?  They want us to cross them over and their 'comrades' have a fuckin' patrol boat or something to that matter?"

Connolly settles in on the bridge, taking over the radio watch.  She scowls at the oncoming storm without really seeing it.  Behind her eyes, personnel markers are shifting around her mental map of the tug and the local area.  After a moment's concentration, she reaches for the intercom mic again.  "All hands," she advises, "check your work areas and report any damage Sergeant Kellerman.  Airman McClurg, kit up and take over topside watch.  Sergeant Kellerman, continue with damage survey."  She eyes Larue's thermometer, then adds, "all outside personnel are now on one-hour rotation."

Flipping to a new page on her clipboard, she logs her orders, notes the time, and reaches for a pair of binoculars.

Kneeling by the chopping stump, Danny rotates half a weathered bone in his hands.  His face is professionally blank, the same expression any observer would have seen him wearing while he was elbow-deep in Anneka.  He lets his breath hiss out in a stream of mist.  "Femur.  Adult," he murmurs to himself.  He puts it down and picks up a second.  "Pelvis.  Teenage female."  A third.  "Tibia.  Juvenile with a healed greenstick fracture."

He rises to his feet and pushes into the house, returning a moment later with an iron poker from the hearth.  "All stations, Coyote," he growls.  "I confirm human remains at the meat house.  Stand by."  He rounds the corner and leans the poker against the padlocked icebox.  After checking the defunct appliance for tripwires, he stands so the opening door will shield him from anything that might come out, then sets the poker's tip inside the lock's shackle.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:35, Sun 30 Dec 2012.