Tuesday, April 6, 2021

0152 - Going Native - Part I

 0800 20 AUG 2000, Dobrodzień, Poland

===================================

"We made it back and the guys spent a bit of time on sick call. Macron took longest and his days as a professional ping-pong player hopeful are over. Another dream that will never be realized because of this damn fracas.

 

When the team was back up, Captain Warren called an all-officers meeting and we went, taking Logan, Harris and Klasha, as no one told us she was not an officer. Top Blue Elk gave us an overview of the current situation. Although the cav boys were holdin' their own, it looks like we were going to have to stay for a while. Recon forces have identified strong enemy concentrations between us and the German border. It is unlikely we could move in force in that direction without attracting a lot of attention. Attracting attention is something the 5th did back at Kalisz. Not looking forward to that again. Also for consideration, a lot of the cav guys had also set up home here in this little burg and wanted to stay. It may not be home to everyone but it was the best show in town at the moment.

 

Captain Warren then explained the mission of the 116th during the Final Offensive. The Cav troopers had been attached to the 5th for the Last Offensive. After our brigade was overrun, the 116th broke contact and made their way south. On the way they popped a Soviet convoy loaded with real gas, (I am not kiddin'), and used that to make their way back to their cantonment.

 

Captain Warren reiterated that that offensive was the last gasp and there probably would not be another one but the offensive was not the important part. The 116th had been sent on a mission to meet up with some spooks but were not able to make contact because of the Soviet resistance. That team, at least in her opinion, may be out there somewhere and we need to find out if they are and bring them home. For that, we will need a bit of help.

 

One of the people in all of Poland that might know where the team is would be their handler. Captain Warren and team never met him personally but had radio contact with him prior to their jumping off on the Kalisz adventure. Captain Warren knows that he is a DIA agent working out of Krakow. She assumes that he also had contact with the team that the 116th was to meet up with. Maybe he knows where the team is and how they can contact them.

 

Our mission was to pose as traders/marauders and travel to the city. Entrance would only be given to those that could pay their way, so we would have to make a good show of it. Once in the city, our mission was to find and make contact with the agent with nothing but his code name: Strongman."

 

Skipping ahead a bit in the timeline. The team has returned to the cantonment and had a chance to heal up a bit. On the way back, the team will recover the Cache #1 (70% intact, roll is 51), recovering the ammunition and the small tent.

 

Posing as a group of traders/marauders itself would not be that difficult. A lot of merchants use ex-soldiers to protect their convoys and marauders can consist of pretty much anyone with a gun. Not a lot of call for CVs when applying to become a marauder. The question would be what to appear to want to sell/transport. The team has gathered a lot of equipment over time and this would be something that could possibly be sold in Krakow. The team can load the stuff on the 2.5-ton truck and maybe pick up some other equipment they may be needing.

 

A lot of the captured weapons and equipment will be sold. Before that, the team can try to a) standardize their weapons and b) switch to Pact weapons, allowing them to easily resupply using captured equipment. The team will switch to AK-74/RPK-74/AKMR weapons. The only persons not using the standard weapons will be Potato (with his PKM) and Griffin (who will use a SVD-63), but both of them use the same caliber weapons, so they will be able to share ammunition. Robinson, the only member of the team with an AKM, will trade that out for a RPK-74, adding another support weapon to the team. The team also has the RPG-7V (carried by Robinson), the GP-25 (carried by Harris) and the PKM (carried by Potato).

 

So, the cover will be arms dealers. The group can have a small convoy, with the HMMWV (Jerry) and the 3/4-ton Truck (Bud) protecting the 2 1/2-ton truck (Bad). In the bed of the Bud, the team can mount their TOW-launcher, making a cool technical and providing the team with antitank support. We have a tripod and three missiles in the cache. We can also mount one of the AN/PRC-119 SINCGARS radios to allow the vehicle to communicate with the lead vehicle.

 

The Hummer has a Mk-19 available but it is damaged. The team needs to get some spare parts and heads to the market. We also need some more mags for both the RPK-74 and the SVD. We will send our resident spook Klasha, assisted by Wally as the Grease Monkey in charge. The team can hit up Metody, as they still have credit with him from the last transaction.

 

First of all, determine if weapon parts are available. These are Common items and they are available on a D6 roll of 3 or higher. The roll is a 5, indicating there are some and another 2D6 roll means that the merchants have 5 available.

 

Note: the following uses a hybrid out of my rules for Trade in Twilight:20000 (https://twilight2000solo.blogspot.com/2019/08/0079-trade-in-twilight-2000.html) and the rules as presented in the v4 version. Regarding the v2 Wear Value, this had an effect on the costs. The same should apply to Reliability and it does. The following shows the effect on the base price for those items based on Reliability:

 

Reliability

Base Price Modifier

A

100%

B

90%

C

80%

D

70%

F

60%

 

The Reliability F does means that something is broken but that does not mean it cannot be repaired or used for parts. That is why it is not just reduced to 0.

 

The weapon parts do not have reliability, so their base price will not be affected by their reliability. The base price for the parts is 25 rounds per part or a total of 125 rounds for the total. We modify this by (D6+7) * 10% or (5+7)*10% or 120%. This results in a modified base price of 125 * 120% = 150 rounds.  Metody, for all his faults, is not greedy so the base price remains at 150.

 

Time for Klasha to do her magic.

 

Task:

Convince Metody to lower the asking price

 

Ability Die:

Empathy B (D10)

 

Skill Die:

Persuasion B (D10)

 

Modifiers:

+1 Psy Ops specialty, +1 assisted by Wally, -1 you ask for something valuable

 = +1

Mod. Ability Die:

Empathy A (D12)

[+1 Step, total = +1]

Mod. Skill Die:

Persuasion B (D10)

[Unmodified]

Ammo Die:

--

 

Roll:

7,10,--

 

Result:

3 Successes

 

 

Not bad, but it is an opposed roll, so Metody gets his chance.

 

Task:

Resist Klasha's persuasion

 

Ability Die:

Empathy C (D8)

 

Skill Die:

Persuasion B (D10)

 

Modifiers:

--

 

Mod. Ability Die:

Empathy C (D8)

[Unmodified]

Mod. Skill Die:

Persuasion B (D10)

[Unmodified]

Ammo Die:

--

 

Roll:

3,6,--

 

Result:

1 Success

 

 

So, we have grand total of 2 successes, which reduces the asking price by 20%, giving a final asking price of 120. Metody can take that off our credit.

 

Next on the shopping list, magazines. These are not given in the equipment list, but I believe a price of 5 per 10 rounds of capacity is fair. The question is, do they have some available. These will be common items, of course, so we again roll a D6 for 3 or more. The roll is 4 (meaning they available) and another 2D6 roll and we see that 12 magazines are available. Of those, 6 (random 6 roll) are SVD magazines and the others are magazines for RPK-74.

 

The price will be 6 x (10 rounds x 5) = 300 + 6 x (40 x 5) = 1.500. No reliability or greedy merchant influence here so the base price stays at 1.500. Maybe Klasha can bring it down.

 

Task:

Convince Metody to lower the asking price

 

Ability Die:

Empathy B (D10)

 

Skill Die:

Persuasion B (D10)

 

Modifiers:

+1 Psy Ops specialty, +1 assisted by Wally, -1 you ask for something valuable

 = +1

Mod. Ability Die:

Empathy A (D12)

[+1 Step, total = +1]

Mod. Skill Die:

Persuasion B (D10)

[Unmodified]

Ammo Die:

--

 

Roll:

2,9,--

 

Result:

1 Success

 

 

Guess his margins on magazines are a bit strict. He still gets his chance so.

 

Task:

Resist Klasha's persuasion

 

Ability Die:

Empathy C (D8)

 

Skill Die:

Persuasion B (D10)

 

Modifiers:

--

 

Mod. Ability Die:

Empathy C (D8)

[Unmodified]

Mod. Skill Die:

Persuasion B (D10)

[Unmodified]

Ammo Die:

--

 

Roll:

2,4,--

 

Result:

No successes

 

 

One success total will bring down the price by 150, for a new total of 1350. Again, use that credit (now totaling 1470). The team can pack up their new belongings and head back to base.

 

Once back at base, Wally needs to repair the Mk-19. Robinson can help and hopefully they do not blow it. The gang needs this weapon.

 

Task:

Repair the Mk-19

 

Ability Die:

Intelligence B (D10)

 

Skill Die:

Tech B (D10)

 

Modifiers:

+1 assisted by Robinson

 = +1

Mod. Ability Die:

Intelligence A (D12)

[+1 Step, total = +1]

Mod. Skill Die:

Tech B (D10)

[Unmodified]

Ammo Die:

--

 

Roll:

8,8,--

 

Result:

2 Successes

 

 

So, Wally was successful. That is great news. Two successes signal a repair (to Reliability level D) and a further repair to level C. The weapon can be maintained by Wally, possibly increasing its Reliability later. For now, we can put it on the HMMWV. We can also add a tripod and the other radio. The vehicles are then ready to go.

 

We will transport the weapons on the 2.5 ton truck. Maybe Wally and Robinson can do something about the Reliability of the truck before we leave.

 

Task:

Increase the Reliability  of the truck

 

Ability Die:

Intelligence B (D10)

 

Skill Die:

Tech B (D10)

 

Modifiers:

+1 assisted by Robinson

 = +1

Mod. Ability Die:

Intelligence A (D12)

[+1 Step, total = +1]

Mod. Skill Die:

Tech B (D10)

[Unmodified]

Ammo Die:

--

 

Roll:

12,10,--

 

Result:

4 Successes

 

 

The team is smoking today and the Reliability is brought back up to C. Maybe they welded some scrap metal over the holes in the floorboards.

 

The truck should probably also have a weapon. In the cache, we have a couple L7A2s and one would fit nicely on the ring. Unfortunately we do not have any more radios, but we do have some walkie-talkies, so that will have to do. Throw 500 rounds of ammunition in the back and we can load up the stuff we want to sell. After that, some food and water and we are on the road. Bad will be pulling the tank trailer with about 413l of alcohol.

 

Now to divide up the team. We will need drivers and gunners for all vehicles, with the rest of the team divided among the vehicles.

 

The marching order will be:

 

  • Jerry (Driver: Marshall, Gunner (Mk-19): Potato, Commander: Harris, Passenger: Griffin)
  • Bad (Driver: Klasha, Gunner (L7A2): Macron
  • Bud (Driver: Wally, Gunner (TOW): Robinson, Passenger: Logan)

 

Convoy spacing will be 20m.

 

Off we go.

 

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