DAY 15 – MAY 2nd 2000
LUBLINIEC, POLAND – EVENING
“So, you wanna recon this place first LT?” asks NASCAR while screwing the cap of his canteen back on.
The group is by the main gate of the 1st SOC barracks; they have been granted quarters on the bottom floor of the main building and are now getting ready to leave as the sun gets lower in the sky to the West, projecting long shadows over the dark terrain.
LED turns to NASCAR “yeah, that’s the plan. We need to know what we’re dealing with. We need to take the road leaving town to the West, and cut South when we reach a dirt trail”
“That’s it? A dirt trail? Isn’t it kinda generic?”
“There’s a sign that points to a lumber depot or something similar, it will be in Polish. That’s our exit”
“Better have ALEX in front; I can’t read s**t in Polish”
Right before the main gate, LED turns to his team “this is just recon, no need for burdening ourself. Get weapons and ammo, and whatever else you deem useful. Our packs stay here”
“Think we’re gonna need AT?” asks NASCAR.
LED ponders briefly while looking at the M72A3 tube “yeah, bring it. As far as we know they only have one vehicle, and that’s the one we’re interested in. So, ideally, we shouldn’t fire on it”
“What if the vehicle is operational and starts shooting at us?” asks NASCAR.
“It’s a comms vehicle, but they could have mounted a machinegun on it. If that’s the case, then it’s a free target, and we switch from capture to destroy. But don’t play hero, if it’s operational and it can bite, get to cover and retreat”
“It’s more likely the BTR cannot move or fire” observes ALEX “but they may have some light vehicle like a jeep or a UAZ”
“Well” says NASCAR while adjusting the AT weapon on his back “if any armed lawn-mower shows up, we’ll know what to do”
WITH the EYES of the REFEREE [click to expand]
I briefly considered splitting the party by having LED and NASCAR do the recon, and ALEX and DONNA remain at the 1st SOC barracks. After all, I am alone at the table, and can therefore isolate players without the fear of anyone getting excluded or bored. In the end, I kept the group together on account of (mainly) a couple reasons:
- The group has judged the 1st SOC to be trustworthy, so they don’t have concerns regarding their equipment
- Something I had planned for, and that’s about to happen (keep reading)
“It will be dark when we get back, how do we approach this place without getting shot?” asks LED to one of the guards at the main gate.
“I would avoid getting close to the gate at night American” says the soldier “but if you really have to, then stand on the other side of the road with hands up, and shout. We will shine a spotlight on you, and if we recognize you, we will let you in”
“And if the shift has changed and the next guy doesn’t recognize me?”
“You will be in trouble American” says the guard smiling before returning to his post.
NASCAR steps to the lieutenant’s side while watching the guard walking away “you know LT, if they shut the gate closed, I can think of another way our AT could come in handy”
LED turns giving him a look.
“Hey, I’m just sayin’” says NASCAR raising his hands and stepping back.
“Americans” comes a voice from the side of the main gate.
Everyone in the group turns to see a soldier of the 1st SOC, a short man probably in his thirties, his rifle slinged on his back, a dark bandana on his neck and wearing a baseball cap. The man takes off the cap and raises his hands, one of which is bandaged, then gestures towards the group asking to get closer.
LED looks at him briefly, then nods in agreement.
The man steps forward “you are here to save Captain WALICH, yes?”
“We are here to help” answers LED “but no promises”
The man nods slowly “okay American; me and the others, we want to help, but we can’t” he points his finger to the dark sky “orders”
“I understand”
The soldier lowers his voice “but there is one person you should talk to. A person that can help you”
“Who is this person?” asks LED.
“There” the man points to the other side of the road just outside the main gate. A solitary figure is standing on the cracked asphalt, just in front of the sidewalk. A woman wearing brown boots and cladded in a dark raincoat from her knees up, the hood lowered showing a red bandana over her head and a ponytail of dark blonde hair emerging from its back.
The woman is staring right at the group, her pale skin still visible in the fading light contrasting her dark attire. She’s carrying a bag on her side colored in faded yellow, and something slinged on her back.
“Who is she?” asks ALEX.
“She wants Captain WALICH back, same as we do” says the soldier “maybe more than we do”
“Ahm… evening ma’am” says LED to the mysterious woman “we’ve been told you can help us”
Now standing close to the woman, LED can tell she is also wearing a small backpack, and that the thing slinged on her back is a metallic bow.
The woman looks at LED, observing him head to toes, then briefly at the others who are standing a few feet behind the lieutenant. “No English” she says “nie mόwię po angielsku” she shakes her head “no English”
ALEX steps forward “we will need to stick to Polish for this one”
LED nods “can you introduce us and get some info on why we’re here?”
“Sure” ALEX turns to the woman “Jestem Aleksander, ALEX” he points at LED “on jest porucznikiem O’Donnell” then NASCAR and DONNA “Nathaniel, Donna”
The woman looks at each member of the group as they are mentioned “Amerykanie?”
“Oni są, jestem Polakiem”
“Czy jesteś tu, żeby uratować kapitana WALICH?” asks the woman talking to ALEX.
“Jesteśmy tutaj, aby pomόc” is the answer “ale żadnych obietnic”
“What’s going on?” asks LED leaning into ALEX.
“She asked if we are here to save Captain WALICH”
“And what did you say?”
“That we are here to help, but no promises”
LED smiles “could as well be our motto at this point. Ask what we can do for her, and try to understand if it works the other way around too”
ALEX and the woman engage in a conversation, and at regular intervals he turns to his comrades to report what is being said in English.
“She knows the place where Captain WALICH is kept; she hunts in the woods South of town, and she is familiar with the area”
More conversation in Polish follows.
“She can lead us to the rocket base unnoticed, and knows frequency and routes of the Russian patrols”
“How does she know all of that?” asks NASCAR.
ALEX translates the question and the subsequent answer “she’s been scouting the base for the past week, days and nights”
The woman takes a look at the watch on her wrist and says something.
“She says if we want to act, is has to be tonight”
“Why tonight?” asks LED.
The woman points at the sky “księżyc w nowiu dziś wieczorem”
“New moon tonight” translates ALEX “it will be completely dark”
WITH the EYES of the REFEREE – MOONLESS NIGHT [click to expand]
When I first considered the possibility of a night operation, I wondered about what phase the moon would be in this particular day of the year 2000 as seen from Poland. I checked using two online sources:
Both websites reported a full moon for the night of May 4, 2000. My campaign is entering the night shift of May 2, 2000, so a thin sliver of moon should actually be visible. I considered it close enough to have total darkness.
“That’s… interesting” comments LED, his mind quickly at work “but it means if we scout the place, we won’t be able to see much”
ALEX and the woman exchange some more words.
“She says she knows every corner of the rocket base, and that darkness will not be an issue”
“How so?” asks LED.
ALEX translates the question; the woman taps the yellow bag with one hand “zobaczysz”
“She says we will see”
“That’s always comforting” comments DONNA.
“What about the Russians, will they see as well?”
Once again ALEX translates and waits for the woman’s response. “The Russians use torches at night, and not the electric type. You know? Sticks with a flame on top. They see little and make themselves very visible”
“Okay, I’m starting to like this lady” says NASCAR.
“Okay” nods LED “first, we recon the place, then we decide”
ALEX repeats in Polish and the woman nods.
“Coś jeszcze?”
“Anything else?” translates ALEX.
“Yeah” says DONNA “ask her who she is and why she wants to help us”
ALEX turns to the woman and asks in Polish.
“Mam na imię BIANKA; Kapitan WALICH jest moim mężem”
ALEX nods “her name is BIANKA. Captain WALICH is her husband”
FINAL COMMENTS
What looked like a recon mission could be turning into something more, possibly a combination of observing and acting, though with the complicating factor of unknow terrain. Yet the players have apparently gained a guide able to navigate the target area in pitch darkness.
Referee’s hat on, this is a chance to present the players with matters of trust and possibilities, and hint at the possibility that letting a stranger lead them inside an enemy base at night is both a risky bet, and a potentially memorable mission.
If the players know that the Referee’s job is to engage them, and that the ultimate outcome of their decision will serve to advance the campaign and the story, then it’s an easy bait to bite on.