Capitaine Villiers is terse. “Switch to ground-to-air. Good luck. Trident 1 out.” Vidal remembers that channel 5 is ground-to-air.
Duval is quiet as Marcel treats Pyotr, his submachine gun in hand. Vidal’s wave catches the sergent-chef’s eye, and he nods acknowledgement.
After Marcel finishes, Duval glances at his wristwatch. “Let’s go. Follow me. Do exactly what I do.” The jumpmaster leads off, moving methodically up the slope, offering a hand as needed, Marcel and Pyotr trailing behind.
Marcel and Pyotr: If you want to go mano-a-mano with the side of the oued again, roll two Climb checks – each gets a +2 Aid Another bonus from Duval. If not, both take 10 on the checks and make it safely up the slope.
Once at the top of the wash, Duval listens as Vidal relays the capitaine’s orders. “Fortier, check on Gonzalez.” he says as he reaches into his rucksack. He pulls out a bright yellow and black air visibility panel and hands it to Normand. “Attach this to the radio on Gaspard’s back.” The jumpmaster consults his map as Marcel and Normand comply.
Marcel: Treat Injury check for Pvt. Gonzalez.
After all is done the sergent-chef addresses the legionnaires. In the harsh light of the desert sun the scar that mars his face is a lurid red, a vivid reminder of all this veteran soldier has seen and done in his years in the Legion. “Lavareaux, your group on point – Neumann, behind.” He points to a spot in the distance. “That rise” – little more than a bump on the otherwise featureless plain to the eyes of the legionnaires, about 3km distant – “is our objective. If the fells follow the oued we should catch up with them there. Move out – double-time, caporal.”
Lavareaux nods assent, “Yes, sergent-chef.” The words seem oddly formal after the past weeks of camaraderie during the training at Blida. “Dinter, Martinez, on point. Tactical column by twos. Move out.”
