5 November 2000 0900H: Kalisz, Poland.
The action was over, but Maks and the rest of his away team may have been exposed to the Bubonic Plague. Between-sessions email and response.
We will carry out these measures to reduce chance of our team or any others becoming sick:
- We will immediately burn all clothing and web gear which might harbor fleas or germs. I’m assuming its bubonic plague but that sounds plausible. It was all disguise type clothes anyway so no loss.
- Will take whatever protective medical protocol the doc wants. I’m assuming some kind of heavy antibiotic regimen?
- Will keep a distance from all others except whatever necessary trained medical staff. Will maintain separate train car and mostly radio communication until doc says we’ve passed any period of danger. Even within that car we will keep our distance from each other. We also have field telephones and wire so could easily have secure nonstop communication with somewhere important like the passenger car.
Doc Schultz is apologetic. “I’m a surgeon, not an epidemiologist. I’ll do the best I can.” Disease in Twilight 2000 plays on Medical (Diagnosis) skill, not Schultz’s strength. We’ll game it out next session.
We’ll press for any opportunity to aid or promote the convent and their interests as it relates to this new Russian leadership.
Egorieva notes the convent as a civilian contact point. She pledges to send experienced medical personnel to stamp out the plague outbreak, and promises to feed any Polish civilian who works on the city infrastructure, sanitation, garrison, or defense earthworks.
Will also press for any food they might be able to spare us
There are the MREs cached up at the north end of Kalisz. Karmelitanki Bose order compound. Your unit is under continuous, but courteous, observation by the Soviets. Securing those MREs without their knowledge would take some work. But see below.
Also we will recommend to the Russian leadership that their observer is worthy of recognition for his contributions to the effort. In fact he can testify as to how we almost had a living officer captive, a captain I think? Though I expect being just part of the ZOMO thugs his actual intel value would have been limited. Still its a shame he took a .50 cal to the head IIRC…
“Victory has many fathers…” The Soviets are elated, this short fight ended months of frustration and privation for the rank and file. The soldier from the 21st MRD that accompanied your team as an observer is being promoted into a special services squad Egorieva is assembling.
This was Egorieva’s op. It reflects well on her. As chief of Staff for Maj General K.I. Rubachenko, 21st MRD, she follows the general around most of the time, implementing his directives. This was a rare combat action for her. Your team sacking the Theater detention center, combined with your four 15-man Feint teams drew the Pol 10th TD into action. As red Polish T-55 tanks spooled up and ground their way to the east of town, perhaps expecting partisans, Egorieva’s T-80s caught them broadside, and out-armored the last three that charged out.
It was all over for the red Polish government forces in Kalisz. The 10th TD colonel in the city’s garrison requested a ceasefire, followed by talks for their evacuation and withdrawal back to Pleszew.
We will seek any advice these Russians might have with respect to explaining our ability to have transited through their area. If I can’t explain this it could get ugly for me with still-aligned Russians. Otherwise I might have to just assume that every Russian held city along the tracks will necessarily be a fight, which limits my options more than I’d like. If this is unavoidable it would help if they can throw down some firepower for our war train.
It is clear even through quarantine plastic that Egorieva is smitten with Maks. His GRU file pegs him as a Polish-American mercenary warlord. To her, Maks is a romantic Yanki adventurer. Egorieva is quite invested in the success of Maks’ overland journey to Bremerhaven. But it must be unofficial support.
Egorieva has a supply of obsolete materiel earmarked for local militias. She’ll peel off a heavy piece or two, and ammo to match. She has a 500kg pallet of food to offer as well.
She’ll also have her senior doctor confer with Doc Schultz. He has long experience with contagious disease, and will pass his notes and pathogen regimens to Schultz, giving him the benefit of his Medical (Diagnosis 8) skill in case any of you fall ill.
She asks for Maks’ regional map, and begins marking locations of all the Warsaw Pact units listed in her intel reports, and from what she hears over the radio. We’ll go over it together next session. “It’s best that my comrades at the front and your people never meet.”
At soonest opportunity we will begin working on arrangements to further organize this recently acquired mass of troops. Vetting of officers and non-coms will be a priority, but everyone else too eventually. If I see any signs of troublemakers I’ll be quick to separate them and begin evaluating how much of a problem they represent. Will work on welding up a functional “brig” for any prisoners and malcontents. As soon as we hit that 100km threshold we will again offer to let anyone leave if they wish.
From Poland to America: Our Classic Twilight 2000 RPG Campaign 