OOC and MIA

[Leitz]

Tiglath, I'm not sure I carried the full intent of Jakob's comment about Liv being his wife.

Gaughan smiles and instinctively extends his hand "Well done, sir!" turning to his men he announces "That there is the Leftenant's wife. So we'll look after her". To Jakob he adds "She'll be safe as houses she will. The lads are romantic fools the lot of them".

Jakob wasn't concerned with the attention Liv was getting, he's already figured that in as part of the territory. What Jakob intended to convey to Gaughan, and maybe he did, was that Liv was someone to be protected. Jakob himself will be going into harm's way and that will leave Liv exposed. What Jakob was saying is "If it's a choice of helping her or me, choose her."

Likely Gaughan understood it already, but Jakob is still getting used to the combination of "having a wife" and "going into battle where she is at risk".

[The Bindoner]

This came up on a one of my feeds and seemed appropriate:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crt67nIN5ZI


It's from a Russian channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7BlsPf ... LE&index=5

New Moscow and Mirage influences mixed with the PMC experience. Very Jess.

[shaidar]

The Townsfolk will not give quarter to those who kill children and I’ll not waste water on them. We have more prisoners, some of them wounded, and you can have them back too - but I’m not sparing them twice!”

OK, I can't quite work out if this is the man accusing the gaurdsmen of killing children or warning us not to? I'd normally go for the former...

[BackworldTraveller]

So he's dumping a bunch of extra mouths on us - to be commanded by the idiot, not us - so he doesn't have to feed/water them because his resources are low.

Looks like a siege coming and he wants to ensure we use our supplies supporting the guard's hopeless cases.

[The Bindoner]

OK, I can't quite work out if this is the man accusing the gaurdsmen of killing children or warning us not to? I'd normally go for the former...

Judging by the "overs" we've seen I don't doubt the Guard have killed innocents.

[BackworldTraveller]

And getting them back does us no favours - The Baron and his pet will just arm them up and send them out again in the same old way. More guns to the besiegers.

[Tiglath]

Of course he may be "exaggerating" / "propagandising" but you do know that during the "breakout" (from their own traffic jam) in Barter Town the Guard autocannoned buggies (containing teens - if not kids per se) so this may be the reference.

[Tiglath]

OK, I can't quite work out if this is the man accusing the gaurdsmen of killing children or warning us not to? I'd normally go for the former...

Judging by the "overs" we've seen I don't doubt the Guard have killed innocents.

As for "rounds unaccounted for" they have an amount of autocannon fire and at least one 120mm round off range (at least it was likely anti tank).

[The Bindoner]

And getting them back does us no favours - The Baron and his pet will just arm them up and send them out again in the same old way. More guns to the besiegers.

Well, we do need more trigger-pullers. The Guard are running out of tanks and APC's, so they aren't going to go charging out again. And the Baron might be persuaded that his Guard officers are not very good, and ours are

[The Bindoner]

What exactly are the conditions? Just halt our Grav vehicles and drones while the prisoners are released? Is that all? Seems pretty generous. Seems like they want to redeploy unobserved.

[BackworldTraveller]

Also - on what terms are these guys released...to us or back to the guard...They could release at any point, why now?

We are dancing to their tune for their ends. What do our politicos say? After all if we get them they are paying or you(we?) get less.

What is their end game? 'Cause they aren't doing this to be nice. If we take them ourselves, have we just got one of their agents embedded? Remember Troy?

[shaidar]

Us getting paid is not dependent on the number of guard.

Releasing them saves them water.

We can insure that all released 'guards' are known to unit SNCOs, although this doesn't preclude a double agent, but I'm pretty sure they already have something like that (Mrs Mop).

They have their plans, which must be preceding as they expect. Obviously releasing the men makes no difference to this, or they wouldn't do it. We are still trying to work out those plans, so it's not like we can do much about it, and Frank isn't going to leave the men there just because we don't know what they are up to.

If the guard get captured again then I'm not sending anyone to get them out next time.

[shaidar]

OK, so as well as confirming each prisoner is actually a guard, we also ought to check for bombs and bugs.

Or am I too paranoid.

[BackworldTraveller]

Nope - They're really out to get you!

[BackworldTraveller]

How do you intend to play this out with the Guard Officers?

Will the Guard Officers accept their men back? Shoot them for desertion/treason?

What if they refuse to re-join the Guard? (Did their contract lapse when they were captured?)

[shaidar]

Once we actually have them (and we're as sure as we can be they are safe) we'll bring them to our garage.

Frank can then ask the guard officers their intentions while they are in transit

What do we plan do if
1. A guard refuses to return to their unit
2. The officers plan to punish the guards for their (the officers) incompetence.

Maybe Tiglath can help fill us in the usual clauses you get for merc unit contracts and these situations

[Leitz]

That was why I want them released to Jakob/SEMC. The Guard officers have lost their assets. We have gained some. That puts us in the "ownership" position since neither the Baron nor the Guard command paid us to go rescue anyone. It effectively eliminates much of the Guard strength without killing anyone, and puts our Big Dip in a stronger negotiation position. It also means that the enemy's plans can sort of move forward, since their plan has been to neutralize the guard. However, it puts us in a stronger position, both short and long term.

Despite his many character flaws, Jakob is a people person. I'm writing up his response now, and putting his "train of thought" into the post. My assumption is that the PCs would know what he's thinking, and likely even be thinking in a similar fashion.

[shaidar]

That makes sense. Secure the prisoners, check their safe, get them back to the garage, and then let's see how this plays out politically. Which depends on the guards themselves have had enough of their officers as much as anything. There must be accepted protocols for handling this kind of thing, both the guards vs their officers and us looking after them.

[BackworldTraveller]

n.b. as an imperial registered unit we are required to uphold the laws of war...against all.

[shaidar]

We are not an imperial registered unit.