Only a trained eye would notice Brown's eyes faced down for just a few moments. The moments he recalled what happened to the rest of his team. Within seconds his face was straight again, his eyes fixed on the female officer.

"Regretable ma'am I got... separated... from the rest of my team. I have no idea what happened to them. he lied "The team of people I'm with now are just like you and me, stuck in this godforsaken country".

Realising what company he was in he quickly looked sideways to the polish officer trying to figure out if he understood what he had just said...

"Oh, I'm sorry Captain, I didn't mean that as an insult on your country"

"Warrant Officer, once I would have taken umbrage at your remarks, however given the events that have happened since the German invasion, I think it not unfair to describe my country as forsaken by God." he replies in a polished english accent.  "The SAS are a fine regiment, I have tangled with them on a few occasions.  It is nice to talk to one of you without having a gun pointed at each other.  We must have a chat at some time eh?"

"Very good," Mary interjected into the potentially upsetting conversation.  Fortunately Czartoryski hadn't gotten stiff necked about it.  Stepping forward, Mary spoke.  "I'll want you to introduce me to the others, Sergeant Major, beginning with any officers whatever their nationality.  Oh, and I've need of your expertise."  She shrugged, and the L85 slid off her shoulder and into her hands.  She presented it to Brown without first unloading it.  "See to it, will you?  The last time I had to use it, the dashed thing stuttered a bit and I had to bash it about to get it to work.  Good man."

Turning away from Brown, she addressed the other two men.  "Kapitan would you care to accompany me?  If you'll excuse us, Polizeioberkommissar?  I've no doubt you've things to check on."  Hesitating only long enough to make sure Brown had the rifle, Mary strode towards the group of newcomers to the village.

"Of course Commander, I would be delighted.  Herr Dietrich." Eryk nods his head towards the German Border Guard, before following after the naval officer.

Gerhard smiles enigmatically at Brown, and says to everyone who is checking out the billet "Welcome to our little world, ladies and gentlemen. We've been here a very short time, and there's little in the way of survivability been done. While there is fairly clear lines of fire from these regrettably shattered windows, these walls seem to have been calculated to bring out the best in an RPG. I've not yet worked out how long we'll be here and if the interval deserves any attempts at fortification."
He leads the way in to the dark house that smells strongly of rotting rugs and furniture. In one room there is a suprising large amount of stores stacked up. "We've been earning our keep by pulling security where ever we're asked, it would be good if your team decides to do so as well, but I'll leave that up to others to decide. These materiels are under our care, so we'll issue what we can to relieve any strain on your people. It's all 3. Panzer stuff anyway, so I'll just note what we use and hand the remainder over to command when we get back to our lines. First off; let's get your wounded in and cared for. Then we can see to food, rest and security."

Brown didn’t get a chance to respond to the captain as the the british lieutenant commander intervened before he could respond.



Brown accepted the weapon without a word. Even an experienced soldier would have had trouble keeping this weapon working properly. Let alone this woman officer that had obviously never heard of cleaning a weapon and probably didn’t even know how to take it apart.
Like many of his fellow british soldiers he had cursed on the fool that had made this weapon the new main combat rifle for the army. This rifle was much to subtle for an officer like her. She needed something simple, low maintenance, something she couldn’t break.

”I’ll have a look at her ma’am”

He accepted the weapon and put it over his left shoulder, while keeping his AK to the front. After that he waited till she was finished talking to the other officers. After that he started walking towards Don and Tanya.

”Lieutenant Don, I have two people with me that would like to meet you... Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy Finnegan and Captain Eryk Czartoryski, member of the polish special ops.”

Brown said while introducing the two officers. He genuinly hoped he didn’t bring Don more cause to headache than he already had.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:41, Sun 03 June 2007.

"Hey boss, you think we'll be here long? I thought we would hit Krakow today."
Virgil laid back on top of the BRDM cradling his "baby". The PSG-1 he'd aquired in the past weeks almost gleamed with the care he took of it.

"As you were, Leftenant,", she said, forestalling any attempt on Don's part to get up.  Or perhaps excusing him any such lack of an attempt. "Mary Finnegan," she continued, squatting to bring herself level with Don and extending a hand to shake.  "Late of Her Majesty's Ship The Kent.  Now on somewhat...extended shore duty," she concluded with a brief, wry smile.  "This is Eryk Czartoyski," she added, giving his Christian name to the wounded officer.

"And of course you've met the Polizeioberkomissar.  Good man, as is Eryk here.  They've done a lot for this village."  For now Mary largely ignored the other ranks, though she noted the competent way most of them held themselves.  This seemed to be a very capable group.   They'd have to be to have survived.

"Well, let's get you under shelter and your medic can see to you.  If you'll allow, I'll look after your troopies and get them settled in for you," she offered.  Another brief smile and she added, "Or, rather, I imagine your very correct Sergeant Major Brown will do it and then report that everything is Bristol fashion.  Good man that."

Don actually didn't do anything to get up from his bed. He was actually having a pretty good angle of the new girl. As she makes the introduction, he greets Eryk.

"Dobry dzień, Eryk, JA jestem Donnachaid. Spotykać was. Żałujące nie mam żadnego napoju proponować...Dobry dzień, spotykać was. Żałujące nie mam żadnego napoju proponować..." (Good day, Eryk, nice to meet you, I'm Donnachaid. Sorry I have no drink to offer...)

He then gives Mary all the attention. He takes her hand in his, and holds it steady.

"Aye, lassie, very, VERY nice to meet you. I'm Cináed, or Don as most say around here, and when I'm in a better shape, I can take care of you instead. The men, and women aren't really under my command, but I'm sure noone will object if you help them out. I just need somewhere to sleep, then I'm good. I'll see if I'm not feeling a little better tomorrow. I got smacked on the head yesterday, and the pain can't last forever, can it? Even if it was a crowbar."

"You aren't by any chance a relative to Bernie? You're both Finnegans, you know", he ends up with, making a smile toward Michelle who is sitting beside him.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:15, Sun 03 June 2007.

After getting Don settled away, Tanya will walk herself and her gear back over to the edge of where Sebastian is playing soccer with the kids.  Tanya sits down on the ground and takes her boots off and rolls up her BDU legs while propping her back on her pack.

Mary found her free hand reaching up and patting nonexistent stray bits of hair back into place as her other was held happy prisoner in Don's grasp.  Her jacket seemed suddenly too tight, too dirty, too ugly.  She wanted to speak, to say something - anything - but all she could do was open and close her mouth like a gaffed halibut.  A flush spread up from her collar and tinged her neck.

When Don turned away to smile at Michelle, Mary felt relieved and angry.  She quickly stood, her hand sliding from his with a bit of a jerk.  "Yes...well, very good then," she stammered and took a step backwards, Don's question about the other Finnegan totally forgotten.

Glancing safely away from him, she found herself starin at Michelle.  Again that feeling of anger.  Lips thinned and shoulders squared as Mary drew herself up into a stiff bearing and addressed Michelle.  "Carry on.  There's an alcove with a wool blanket strung about it and another on the floor.  Settle the Leftenant in there," she ordered and strode away.

Sure and what the hell was that all about then? she asked herself.  You're acting like an addled schoolgirl.  You will cease this immediately.  Besides, he wouldn't like it.  Mary groaned as the last thought inserted itself into her mind like Satan's serpent into the Garden.

Mary found herself near the vehicles and paused near Tanya's resting form to watch Sebastian and the children go at it on the improvised soccer pitch.  After using the excuse of watching for a bit to get her mind back in form, she turned and looked down at Tanya.

"Good morning, Sergeant.  Feet giving you trouble?"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:48, Sun 03 June 2007.

Tanya looked up from her resting place and smiled at the woman, looking for any signs of a miltiary unit or rank on the female (I couldn't find signs of one in any one of her posts).  "Yes ma'am they are.  My dogs have been tied up in these friggin' things for too long now and I'm just lettin' the air get to 'em.  Plus, it's such a nice day outside and not being cramped up in that APC, I figured it'd be fine to get some fresh air, and you are?"

Tanya is resting comfortably on her pack with a RPK-74 SAW leaning on its bipod.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:09, Sun 03 June 2007.

Sebastian, noting the two ladies in attendance on the touchline, finds himself confronted by a diffult decision:

What would impress them more, an "around-the world" followed by a rainbow and a half-volley past the 10-year-old keeper, or a comedic dive, charitably allowing the 6 year old defender to steal the ball and score?

He opts for the latter, falling easily to the young girl's awkward attempt at a tackle. From his backside, Sebastian looks to Tanya and the unfamiliar uniformed woman, hands upturned and appeals,

"I could use a little help here..."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:48, Sun 03 June 2007.

Brown was observant enough to notice how Don had provoked a red blush on the female officers face. Inside he had a little smile, on the other hand seeing these two strengthened his believes in the fact that officers are just here to play games while the real soldiers have to do the real work out here. In his career Brown had met only so few good officers. Those that knew how to be soldiers at the same time.

When he noticed the Navy officer moved out on her own, he quickly faded to the back, walking over to their assigned quarters, checking it out and maybe looking for ways to strengthen it.

"Brown!" Bernhard called. "A word please."
Cradling the C7/M203 in his arms,  he strode confidently amongst the villagers.
"I've been taking a look around here and come to a decision. I'll be staying when you move on. I think there's a lot of good I can do."
Ojcow was only a small village but there were many signs that it supported a sizable force under arms.
"The defences here are well built but insufficent to resist a determined attacker. With the attitude of the locals against communism, this village could be built up into a bastion of the west. A little training and organisation and who knows?"

When Tanya mentioned her feet hurting, Mary frowned and swiftly knelt.  As she took Tanya's left foot in her hands, Mary's coat cuff slid back, showing the blue of a Royal Navy uniform unerneath and the gold piping of her rank.

"Lieutenant Commander Finnegan," she explained, looking closely at the bottom of Tanya's foot.  Her fingers moved across the sole, probing briskly but not unkindly.  As Mary repeated the process on the other foot, she continued speaking.  "Hmm, these don't look too terribly awful, Sergeant.  Bit of a relief that.  Feet are a bit like an engineering plant aboard ship; lose them and you're nigh on useless."  A final check, a decisive nod, and Mary stood once again, turning when Sebastian spoke.

"Sorry, lad.  You're on your own," she declared, unknowingly echoing the last orders of the war.  "I'll tell your mam and da you were outnumbered by a superior force and went down fighting."

Mary turned to look about, noting that the men and women were settling in, though a few, like Tanya, remained near the vehicles to secure them.  "I'll have some food sent out to you and the others watching the vehicles, Sergeant.  Carry on."  She strode back towards the house and generally bustled about, seeing that everyone had what they needed and were being taken care of.

Everyone but Don.  She studiously avoided so much as looking at the blanketed area.

Overhearing Bernhard, Sergio was torn. The small group had earnt his loyalty to some degree, having taken him in not once, but twice in the past month.
With a guilty glance towards Michelle, he spoke quietly to Brown and Bernhard...
"I think I should stay too. 'ome is not where you are going and per'aps we can 'elp each other?" he waved his hand at the villagers.
Organise the partisans to be more effective and they may be able to assist him a little closer to France.

Tanya's a little stunned when the female kneels down and starts to inspect her feet.  "This bitch is serious!" she thinks to herself when she looks up and sees the collar of her uniform.  Tanya laughs after she realizes that this 'woman' was an officer in the Navy somewhere before the balloon went up.

Tanya brings her feet back to the ground and smiles at Finnegan, "Well, Commander, I guess if you ain't got your feet, or your engineering plant, you ain't got shit!  I appreciate the onceover ma'am, I'll let you know if anything else hurts.  That's the best action I've had in quite some time.

And, on a serious note, thanks for the food Commander and your hospitality as well.  This is a welcome change from what we're coming from," Tanya says in a more serious voice and gives her a quick salute from her position.

Tanya turns her attention back to Sebastian and his soccer game.  She laughs when she sees him take a fall and the kid gets the ball away from him.  She does yell out to him in German, "You're on you're own superstar!"

Eryk smiled at the last comment, "Have no fear, I'm sure I have some Vodka around here, there may even be some scotch."   He smiled as he watched the interplay between Mary and Don.  Then assisted him into the cordoned off area.

"You could do with a decent senior NCO then I'd say," Andy piped up as the discussion of who was staying developed.
"I could do with staying put for a while."
Out of the entire group, Andy had put more kilometres under his feet than most of the group combined. Many of those kilometres had been on foot too...

Brown hears Finnegan, followed by the Frenchy and after that Andy talk about staying in this place. The only officers around with some military experience.

He turns back to Major Finnegan.

”Major, sorry for speaking up sir, but when you and Major D’ammond are staying behind who do you plan will be brining the rest of us the final few kilometers to Krakow. Wouldn’t it be better if you returned back after we completed our mission we set out on? If not, maybe it’s better if we all stayed to help these people.”

"No, I think you'll manage fine Brown. Leave the BRDM here with us and keep everyone safe for me."
The BTR-80 alone could move much further and faster than the BRDM due to two main reasons - the BRDM had to stop to refuel every hour or so and the BTR was presently running on a good supply of diesel. With what they had in the tank and a few fuel cans, that vehicle could almost make it to Moskow without refueling.
"Besides, you'll still have Don and Lt Ashton. She's special forces trained you know. I've also a feeling these three here could do with a change in scenery."
Eryk, Gerhard and Mary would make a fine addition to the team in his opinion.

He had been with the Major long enough to see there was no changing his mind on this. The tone of voice did tell him enough there was no reason for him to push any further on staying behind.
The other officers would definately need more of his support. They were qualified, of course. Well at least some of them were. The rest he didn't know, yet. But communication could be more of a hurdle.

"I understand major. You did talk to the other officers about this already? If not I'd urge you to discuss the issue with them. See if they really want to come with us heading for Krakow.
I'd like to get things in order, see if we can leave tomorow at first light. No use in getting our people to attached to these townfolks. They can rest when we enter the free zone."

Besides, Brown didn't add. Maybe, this close to the free zone, someone knew more about the road into Krakow or had any aquaintances there.

Seeing Major Finnegan talking amongst the other ranking of the group, when she sees him free, Tanya calls out to him, "MAJOR FINNEGAN!"  She will wave him over to where she is seated.  Tanya figures who better to hear anything from than a fellow Ranger.

Aaron shouldered his grenade launcher and tucked the SAW under his arm like it was a kids toy before approaching the growing knot of officers and soldiers who would be staying behind.
"Umm, sirs, do you think you could do with another body?"
A very well armed and trained body at that...
"It's been a while since I could do any real good."