After the scouts took off following the roads, Jackson looked at his watch
"I think we'll have a good two hours to spend here." He turned to one of the soldiers. "Sergeant Knight! Be a kind lad and set up a watch and firing position in our rear. I wouldn't like to get a surprise visit from whoever thought a head on a spike would be fashionable this time of year."
Then to another: "Sergeant Berry?" The American nodded. "Please make sure we got provisions ready for when the scouts return. And bandages."



Semoyon watched the scout parties slowly disappear from his view. He had a bad feeling about this.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:55, Fri 06 May 2022.

As the others were leaving, Max moved closer to Semyon and his translator. "As Jackson says, we have some time. If that group finds Heinrichsburg, should we head that way with everyone? Or recon in greater force?"

[Translated from Russian] "Yes."  Konnikov sees Major Lewis' look of mild annoyance/confusion, "Junior Sergeant Malakin's squad will be slower returning, other two will be back first as Malakin is clearly headed to Henrichsburg and will watch for as long as she feels it is safe, gathering as much information as she can from a distance.  But unless the spy convinces her and the Sergeants, they will not engage the town."

He looks back along the other roads, and turns back to face Henrichsburg, still standing in the center of the crossroads, "So, when the scouts return, I suggest we load up and close the distance.  We pick our last returning scouts up on the way, we will take the report and refine the plans, but yes, recon in force is the best option unless we plan to live here."

Max nodded. "Sounds like a smart plan. Understanding we know nothing at all right now, perhaps we should make some initial plans concerning how to approach the town? Driving the truck in with everyone aboard would be one option, of course, though probably not the best option."

[Translated from Russian] "Only two ways to do, we drive in, balls out, big show, or we sneak up on foot, slow, cautious.  It will depend on Sergeant Malkin's report.  But one way is fast and time is not our ally."

Max nodded at the translation as it came through. "Balls out will definitely be faster. But like we've discussed before, we aren't going to get any reinforcements, so I'd tend toward caution where possible. Though as you say, Kemmel's trail will eventually go cold."

He speaks a bit less loudly, not soft or conspiratorial, but not pitched to carry beyond the officers clustered in the road.

[Translated from Russian] "There will come a moment when you will have to decide between saving lives to remain here forever or sacrificing lives that the rest may return home.  Prepare your self for that moment and make whatever peace you need to."

Max nodded after the translation came through. "Every man that came with me and Jackson knows that they may need to sacrifice themselves to stop great evil from spreading across the world. Returning home isn't even my greatest concern. Successfully stopping the forces that work against us is."

Konnikov nods, even before Zholdin finished translating.  [Translated from Russian] "My only concern, every day we are here, we are not home stopping evil there.  Though, perhaps we can stop the spread of evil here as well, before we leave.  I will consider this too, but it is not a primary goal, we all have our orders."

"The Nazis are done. Berlin will fall in a few days. Even if they hold out a few more weeks, there is no way of victory for Herr Hitler. Except - if they have some sort of weapon here, that could still change the course of the war, even that late. We should consider that, too."

The clouds finally broke, bathing the crossroads in warm sunlight. Some of the soldiers leaned back, closed their eyes and just enjoyed the sun on their face for a moment. It was a welcome moment of peace.

A few minutes later, one of the lookouts pointed back at the mountain and yelled something.
A thick column of smoke was rising from somewhere, up high in the mountains.

((  OOC:  Just to verify for my own sense, "the mountain" is the direction Malkin went?  ))

Ah, no. It's the direction you came from.

Konnikov considers it a moment, then declares [Translated from Russian] "Well, that is outside our current mission parameters.  Though now I do wonder if perhaps our Germans did not slip past us in the night on foot, leaving the lone motorcyclist to lead us away.  Or if one of these roads will not swing around through a pass and lead to the other side of the mountains."


((  OOC:  And no, Konnikov doesn't just stand in the center of the crossroads the entire (almost) 3 hours, he will take a moment every 30-40 minutes to pass among the Russian troops clustered around the truck and 'check in' with different soldiers, enjoy a sip from his canteen among them, and then return to the crossroads.  ))

((Ooc: Can we estimate the distance to the smoke?))
This message was last edited by the player at 21:50, Wed 11 May 2022.

(Smarts roll)

Max squinted into the distance. "Can't quite gauge how far that is. Anyone else?"

((OOC: At least I assume 3 fails.

09:33, Today: Max Lewis rolled 2,3 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 2,3.  I Smart!))

[Translated from Russian] "Probably other side of the mountains from where the cave exits..."


((  OOC:  17:49, Today: Semyon Yegorovich Konnikov rolled 3,1 using d6,d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1.  Smarts, guestimating distance of smoke on the mountainside. – 3,1
I smrqter!

Actually, the Player is guessing it's the empty fort we left behind...  ))

((I'll allow Zholdin a roll too, if he's already back. :-))

OOC: He is indeed, and in true form, failing utterly at the test!

Zholdin Yevgenievich rolled 1,3 using 1d10,1d6, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3.  Smarts.

(The origin of the weird plum of smoke evade you.)



The time stretched out. No attack, but also no news. The Spring sun - assuming it is Spring - bathing you in its warm light.

Then, finally, from the straight road ahead leading to Adolfstadt (if you figured out the roadsign correctly), the scouts return.

Paramonova walked ahead of the small scout group, her rifle casually on her shoulder as if she was marching in a parade in Moscow.
She stopped and saluted, then her NCO Ivanov addressed the officers.
[Language unknown: "Eiilei Cailno, nd ienindre erfo onnc. Art a nabe sies ripe-eeai, p shestiore et ev nostca. Ac on coniveman le wa ate t ee ss k anrini resmi. Ca thuthevor u reabutive theorever n acberi. Vor neme siwe Fiinpldi. Refiecheri ble aveonehis intlatnde, manlinart pre it bero th ce siutto verantome. Ss ca ol is WA, ive oun wa ughoreill m evin: strth wilarttho houou lin lesprored it set misti ekic witrpl, anyantill t meseme. Ta oullte orelinsom ol ma trssma comvorwil. Pr t llon alicse witounnotver roulth. Ngilnt tastr erathoers ai pe ereiveeveain o Ssinhediut, forstinti."]

Kapitan Konnikov returns the salute, and hears Starshiy Serzhant Ivanov's reprot.

[Language unknown: "Ecio witen ectanyameive.  I entbe, u ons ic Serzhant Zolotov etdiun vir ionoveion t evtho to comdiners ai Heinrichsburg."]

The second scout troop arrived from the direction of Reinhardsdorf.

Serzhant Zolotov saluted, then vaguely waved back in the direction they came from.[Language unknown:
"Chmiarme inwhhi miad tingun wendac liaspa ecent, Entforera Esutch. Rowitr ingestcon erapa, eralo ur oferwe ovevenwilcom ove p notardtio derai, ameie wit? Olse'aconwhte one ndwete, icaioupro dinyinter, om ter niil? Eenorelin it hi ni olriil io.
Son resee lin witonsman fiesitai, foasel ntes Osto ev iepael. Redionwasect ad i uralre, wer san kornotnce osto stnail tha latingoerstrica, itetus. Ntiv. It sonur ek wer p be, pe nteverica an se ad. Iovor cailioicon trcom ous set poder ntmalo. Evevirredwer tin u ngnaas acres wilmentho k haal-ofte."]

Stepashina nodded. [Language unknown: "U lanoei lonemi tr ing u tacaec, unlar trst ielo foteiv k nere hislarous onth naes ughthoble. Ncemi ev rat headek. Menentica m hame sepene aliofori, Ne ntai."]

Max looked toward the people that were reporting with interest, though he waited to see if everything would be translated or whether there would just be a little discussion of the major discoveries.

[Translated from Russian] "Good, good, take a few minutes, rest, refresh, then we load up."  He turns and shouts back to tth truck, "LOAD UP!  We leave in ten minutes."

Konnikov walks over to Max and Hugh, [Translated from Russian] "Major, Captain, two villages have been found, one flies an Austrian flag, no sign of SS, in that direction," he indicates towards "Adolfstadt", "the other was burned to the ground and had a strange stone building, egg shaped apparently.  Probably local."  He indicates towards "Reinhardsdorf".  "So we load up and go gather up our last squad, get their report, and then decide the best route forward, yes?"

Max nodded at the plan. "Sounds good to me."

Major Lewis moved off toward the remaining Brits and Americans and informed them of the plan.

It doesn't take long for the troops to be collected into the truck - with the one missing squad, it wasn't even necessary for anyone to ride on the outside makeshift benches.

The truck takes off into the direction of the little scout troop, towards Heinrichsburg.

(Commencing in the other thread, yay!)