Wing and Sword: Chat et Souris (Prologue)

[The Shaman]

Marcel manages to stop the bleeding from Martinez’s wounds, but the Moroccan remains unconscious, his pulse weak, his breathing shallow. As Lavareaux and Berg arrive, the caporal-chef asks Marcel, “How is he? Can he move on his own?”
____

Vidal hears the pilot’s voice over the radio, strong and clear, the green Piper just a few hundred meters south of the legionnaires. “Hourglass, I’m looking for you now. Stand by.”
____

Gonzalez looks at Pyotr, his eyes as wide as a rabbit’s. The Spaniard lets Pyotr take the rifle without a word and looks down at the ground. “I…I…they were so far away…”

Checking the weapon, Pyotr realizes that Gonzalez never worked the operating rod to ready the rifle for firing.
____

Sgt. Neumann catches up to Normand and kneels beside him on the pebbly desert pavement, his eyes trained on the oued. “Dying for the Legion is expected, Mador,” he says quietly, almost paternally. “It will come when it’s ready. No need to rush it.”

“Was that Martinez that was hit?” Neumann continues, shaking his head slightly but never taking his eyes off the edge of the wash. “If a company is down there, we need every man. Even you, Frenchman.”

The German clears his throat, licks his lips. “Watch the oued. Cover Duval’s retreat,” he finishes. “The viets will be close enough to shoot soon.”

Timekeeping: end of fourth round

Vidal and Normand: Spot checks - Normand gets a +2 circumstance bonus

Updated map: Marcel is with Cpl. Lavareaux's group in the gully at C3, Vidal is with Sgt. Duval at C4, Normand is in the open with with Sgt. Neumann at "2" in E4, and Pyotr is with Gonzalez among the rocks at F4.

 

[Barak]

Normand grins to his sergeant, and shrugs.

"Position wasn't good, sir, and I saw a better one, so I was going for it is all. Aye aye on that order."

Staying in his kneeled position, even though he isn't wild about his actual placing, Normand keeps the oued into view.


OOC:
Spot check: 8

 

[знаток]

Vidal rises to a knee and peers through the brush into the oued, hoping to catch a sign of the remaining fells to relay to the air.

Spot: 19

I'm not sure about the reloading action and the prone-to-kneeling action either, but I'd like to take them in that order if circumstances permit. See ooc thread re: reloading.

 

[Bobitron]

Marcel manages to stop the bleeding from Martinez’s wounds, but the Moroccan remains unconscious, his pulse weak, his breathing shallow. As Lavareaux and Berg arrive, the caporal-chef asks Marcel, “How is he? Can he move on his own?”

"He's in bad shape. Give me a few minutes without interruption and I'll do what I can to get him on his feet. Get me whatever medical supplies you can find, we need as many bandages as you can get your hands on."

OOC: Marcel will take a full round action to treat injury. Whoo! 17+9 for a 26, healing 3 damage. http://krisinchico.brinkster.net/searchroll.asp?username=Marcel#148729

 

[The Shaman]

Vidal and Normand see a single fellagha crawling through the bushes at the edge of the oued, obviously attempting to avoid being seen but making a poor job of it.

Caporal Lavareaux, standing watch over Marcel and the injured Martinez, apparently sees the insurgent as well and looses a stream of fire from his MAT-49. The fellagha cries out in pain and fires a shot in return, catching Lavareaux on the boot above the ankle.

The Picard grimaces. “Merde! Let’s go! Dinter, Berg, grab Igor!” he orders. The two German legionnaires sling their rifles as Marcel works quickly to treat the wounded man. Martinez is breathing easier and his pulse is stronger but despite Marcel’s efforts the Spaniard won’t regain consciousness.

Duval continues to watch the edge of the oued as he rises from the rocks, submachine gun held ready. “Gaspard, we’re falling back to the assembly area,” he orders. “Go.”

Across the desert Neumann trains his rifle in the direction of the oued and instructs Normand as they crouch on the ground, “Wait for the attack. Fire then fall back to the rocks.”

 

[shadowbloodmoon]

Pyotr

Chyort. Pyotr swore in his head. "It's okay. Must be your first time. Just follow my lead." Pyotr tentatively handed the man back his rifle, after making it ready to fire. "Point and shoot." He remembered when he himself had first been in a firefight. He felt just the same until his first shot hit.

Pyotr's reverie ended when the clatter of Lavareaux's submachinegun echoed throughout the oued. Here we go again.. Motioning for Gonzalez to keep his head down, Pyotr once again took his rifle and sighted it towards the edge of the oued, mentally recounting how many rounds he had before needing to reload. Lucky seven.

Pyotr will hand back the rifle and then cover the oued with his own.

 

[Barak]

Not wasting his time with unnecessary words, Normand simply nods at Neumann's orders, and sights on the oued, waiting for the onslaught, planning on firing on the first new fell to come out, and then fall back, as ordered.


OOC:
Based on the init order, I assume the fells will do whatever they are going to do -before- Normand gets to act, but even if they don't I'd just ready my action to act when the first "new" fell shows himself. Anyway, as soon as Normand can, he'll fire at a fell, and stand. (makes me an easier target, but that way I can run next round..) Here's my roll, I figure a -4 for range, adjust as needed if necessary)
to-hit roll: 16!
damage (if successful):11

 

[Bobitron]

Marcel rises to his knees, his bloody hand leaving a trail of crimson across his brow as he wipes away the beads of sweat dripping into his eyes.

"Lavareaux, time to get him out of here. I don't know how safe it is to move him, but I know we need to get him out of here. His pulse is steady and the bleeding has stopped, so I think he can handle some movement."

Casting a concerned look at Lavareaux, he says "I'll check out that ankle once we get to Duval, Lavareaux. Are you OK to walk?"

Raising his rifle, he takes a shot at the nearby fell, hoping to keep him looking for cover instead of a good firing position.

OOC: Marcel fires, attack roll of 7.

 

[знаток]

Still facing the oued with rifle at the ready and the handset in his left hand, Vidal radios the spotter plane as he starts moving back. "Juliet 4, this is Trident. We've made contact with more fells in the same position. We are moving back to a rally point behind the small hill southeast of the oued." He moves hesitantly, still crouched, not wanting to leave Marcel and his injured comrades without any close support.

 

[The Shaman]

Timekeeping: end of fifth round.

Lavareaux doesn’t answer the medic’s question as he fires at the fell – the insurgent shudders and stops moving. Dinter and Berg scoop up the unconscious Martinez, one under each shoulder and prepare to retreat.

The L-18 buzzes overhead and the radio handset on Vidal’s shoulder comes to life. “Hourglass, Juliet 4, I see your location. You have enemy in platoon strength immediately west of your position!”

In the next moment over the edge of the oued storms a mass of fellaghas, some at the head of the gully, others slightly south, possibly some two dozen in all. As the Muslims appear they are met by a storm of fire from the waiting legionnaires.

Updated map: Marcel, Lavareaux, Dinter, Berg, and Martinez are in C3, Duval is at “D” and Vidal at “V” in C4, Normand and Neumann are at “N2” in E4, and Pyotr and Gonzalez are in F4. The fells are marked by the two squad symbols in C2 and C3, roughly ten or twelve men in each group- things are moving too fast to take a head count.