DAY 16 – MAY 3rd 2000
LUBLINIEC, POLAND – MORNING
LED slowly moves a fallen branch out of the way, and crawls forward, his forearms pressed against the cold, soft ground while he inhales the smell of dirt and leaves. He sets to the right of a tall tree with a crocked trunk protruding from a bit of a depression in the ground, where he finds a sliver of space between a thick root departing from the tree’s main body and a bush.
He sets his M4 carbine out of sight but easily reachable, and takes his binoculars just as ALEX reaches his position right next to him.
They have taken position to the E-SE of the base, at the edge of a tree line.
WITH the EYES of the REFEREE [click to expand]
The players are – once again – approaching the missile base, only this time in the light of day (and fair weather). When attempting infiltration with a group, the person with the lower skill level in the group rolls RECON. To increase their chances, the players split the group: LED and ALEX (both INT B and RECON C) will take a position in the forest about 150-200 meters from the fence, while NASCAR and DONNA will remain behind them, unable to see the base, but unable to be seen from it (and with line of sight over their comrades).
It’s an opposed RECON roll: LED (or ALEX) rolls with +1 for the distance (same rules as for ambushing), +1 for wearing clothes that blend with the environment, and a further +1 for the terrain type (forest). The guard on the watchtower (INT C, RECON C) rolls with +1 for his elevated position.
- LED rolls RECON [D12+D12] = 4 SUCCESSES! (rolled 12 and 11)
- GUARD rolls RECON [D10+D8] = 1 SUCCESS (rolled 8 and 4)
Detection most definitely averted. There is a second guard up on the barrack’s roof (much like during Night Raid), but he would roll with the same modifiers, and LED and ALEX could just move into position as he is on the opposite side of the roof, not looking their way. I had the GUARD on the southernmost watchtower roll as he is the one facing their approach direction.
LED takes some time and thoroughly scouts the portion of the base intersected by their field of view. ALEX takes the telescopic sight off the M40A3, adjusts the bandages around his forearm, props the sight up with his arm, and starts observing the perimetral fence.
“How’s your arm?” asks LED, his eyes still pressed against the lenses.
“I’m okay, it’s a small price for last night” answers ALEX “so… is everything as you imagined it?”
“Hard to believe we were in there last night, aside from the fires they had set up, I couldn’t see past my nose”
“Yeah… well, all my memories are tinted green, so I have some getting used to do myself”
LED puts down the binoculars “looks like everything is much like you saw it last night. A guy on top of the barracks, one in the tower there, plus two guarding their preferred entrance” he points to their front and right “two patrolling the fence. And our coveted prize, still parked where we left it” he concludes looking at the visible portion of the BTR.
“What do you think? Will the Russians surrender?” asks ALEX.
“Fifty-fifty” LED turns towards his comrade “which is math for saying I don’t know. What I’m wondering is whether they will be given the chance or not”
“Why wouldn’t they?”
“Because BRANIECKI wants to get rid of the problem once and for all, because these many prisoners would be a burden more than a resource, because… I don’t know, something doesn’t ring right to me”
ALEX nods slowly “assuming there will be an assault, what is our part?”
“The way I see it, we are here for recon, and that’s it. Bullets start flying, we’re staying put” he nods towards ALEX’s sniper rifle “you may be asked to toss some lead on the other side of the fence, but that’s it”
“These guys are Polish elite forces, they know what they’re doing” comments ALEX.
“My thought exactly” nods LED “I think they’ll keep their distance and take out everyone in sight, then close in while the rest of the enemies are hunkered down. We can support the first phase, but not the latter”
LED takes back the binoculars and trains them at the base once more.
ALEX checks the back of the BTR through his scope “do you think the radios in that thing still work?”
“Don’t make me speak math again” says LED without detaching from the binoculars.
“Right”
NASCAR turns a small nob on the portable radio while holding the speaker next to his left ear.
“Should you be messing with that thing?” asks DONNA, a few feet from him.
“Just turning up the volume”
“And?”
NASCAR shakes his head “nah, still statics”
The duo is set in the forest, completely hidden from the missile base, but unable to see it either. In front of them is a narrow corridor between the trees, at the end of which they can see LED and ALEX’s legs, prone on the ground.
“Why did you pick that frequency?” asks DONNA pointing at the dialer.
“LT said they have a radio in there, that’s their frequency”
“They must have switched it after last night’s surprise”
“Yeah” agrees NASCAR “looks like they’re playing it smart. LT spent the whole trip here trying to catch Ivan communicating in the clear, but nothing. I think when he gave it to me, he had already given up”
“What makes you think so?”
“DOC, he gave me a radio to monitor their comms, and I don’t speak no Russian”
DONNA waves a hand in the air, discouraging a fly. “So what happens if the Russians stay put and the 1st Commando gets here?”
NASCAR, sitting with his back against a tree, turns and looks in the general direction of the base “they’re gonna go at it and steamroll every commie in there. At least that’s what I think”
“Just like that? Cold blood elimination?”
“Maybe a couple of them will surrender”
“Shouldn’t they all be given a chance to surrender?” asks DONNA.
“Sorry DOC” NASCAR shrugs “that’s the way of war in the new millennium. If they surrender, you get twenty guys to put somewhere, feed and keep an eye on. You strip ‘em down, let ‘em walk, they’re gonna steal what they need in the next town over”
DONNA tosses a small pebble in front of her “and a mass grave is much better, right?”
“Only if you bother digging” NASCAR briefly checks around himself “you weren’t there, when LT talked to the Poles’ commander, but I saw it. That guy thinks the Russians here are a problem, and he wants to get rid of it. Read it on his face” he then gets a small twig and starts gnawing at it.
DONNA ponders, her gaze lost through the vegetation “I guess I should see the benefit in not kicking the can down the road, but still…”
“I get your struggle DOC”
“You do?” asks DONNA a bit surprised.
“You’re trained to save people; back in civilization a doctor is like… a champion of humanity. Now you’re rolling with guys trained to kill, and you gotta come along with us”
“Yeah, my career took quite a setback here… still, I like to think we’re all clinging to some shred of humanity, even here and now. Some of our thoughts should still go through our hearts, or at least take the long road in our brains”
NASCAR takes the twig out of his mouth “sounds cool DOC, but that’s a tough ask”
“Then how about a deal: you keep your brain working, and I make sure it stays inside your skull”
NASCAR points the twig at her “you got it”
DONNA taps her fist on NASCAR’s knee “hey, LT is waiving”
NASCAR changes position and leans forward, intercepting the eyes of the lieutenant.
DONNA observes LED gesturing in a precise and composed way, his eyes never breaking contact with NASCAR’s. The latter nods a couple times, then ends the non-verbal exchange by lifting a closed fist and tilting the wrist once.
NASCAR grabs the portable radio and starts adjusting the nobs.
“What was that all about?” asks DONNA.
“We got five pizzas on the way”
“What?”
“Don’t worry, we’re gonna leave you the veggie one”
“F**k you talking about?”
“Relax DOC, five Russians just left the wire. I need to report it”
NASCAR adjusts two of the nobs and takes the mike “these Polish guys, they speak English, right?”
“Schools seem to work on this side of the ocean, I say you got good odds”
“Imagine if I get the only spec op guy who speaks no English”
“Well… how’s your Polish?” asks DONNA with the hint of a smile.
“The only thing I’ve learned to say in Polish is that I don’t speak it”
“How do you say that?”
NASCAR remains still for a moment, his eyes widening “s**t, I forgot”
FINAL COMMENTS
At this point I was trying to figure out what part my players could play in the upcoming offensive. I was not convinced by the prospect of my group acting as an element of the assault force, no matter their level of independence from the Polish ally.
Mybe it just looked to me like too close a repetition of the assault on the school back in Praszka.
Even the prospect of participating just to keep an eye on the ultimate prize – the comms BTR – felt a bit (or more) too materialistic in the tactical economy of the situation. I like to think of LED as a pragmatic leader, keeping the well-being of his squad as the highest priority.
I thought a useful first step would be to get eyes on the base, and observe its activities in the light of day. The conversations I dramatized are a direct result of this brief respite.