>>1833368
>Well I kinda did desert.
>Remember Maddalyn? She kinda got kidnapped by Blood Suns and I followed them here to kick their asses and rescue her.

>>1833431
Second this

>>1833431
Supporting

>>1833431
Supporting, safest this way. If she has a whole organization to take care of she may be willing to compromise us to protect them.

>>1833368
>Picture
Goddamn tanq that looks awesome,
>flache brüste aber schöne hintern
best waifu!

“Well,” you said far too casually to not be at least a bit suspicious, “I kinda did desert.”

“Kinda deserted?” Signy said, voice cracking, “Don’t they shoot deserters?”

“Only common born ones,” you corrected her, “They imprison nobility before throwing them into penal battalions. Anyways, remember Maddalyn?”

“The Von Blum.” Signy nodded, then said with what was a barely noticeable dash of spite, “Your fiancée.”

You quickly summarized what little part you had in the ongoing conflict with Valsten, including your battle with Selgess the Skull and the Blood Suns; you left out more sensitive information regarding who had provided for your mission and had requested you do it in the first place. Signy didn’t need to know any of that.

“So I’m going to kick the rest of their asses, and rescue her,” you finished up. “Much to my surprise, I find you here on the way.”

“So you risked imprisonment, beat a mercenary band, twice, then came all the way here…just for her?” Signy recounted slowly, ”That’s so…” she suddenly smiled unevenly and hit her face behind her hands while looking away, “…Romantic!” she squealed, “I couldn’t be more jealous…”

“Well…” you really hadn’t wanted to retread this ground.

Signy looked wistful, then turned back to you.

“I…guess I ought to get this out of the way.” She said, putting each word carefully after the other, “When you left, I was…I was heartsick. I realized, suddenly, that you might not ever come back…so I went to the bar and drank until I was throwing my guts up.”

“Er…” You felt your eyes slide off to the side, avoiding Signy.

“No, I know. I was crazy then, I’m not…well, I’m not as crazy.” Signy put her elbows on her thighs and leaned forward, seating her head on the backs of her hands. “I…I want to say that I’m sorry. I had just lost my father. I didn’t know what to do, who I could trust, then you came along and just accepted me…I tried to fill the hole in my heart with some stupid fairy tale fantasy of love at first sight. I shouldn’t have tried to make that your problem.”

Signy sat back up, straight, and cleared her throat. “…I just wanted to get that out for…anyways. I guess you want to know how I got here, then.”

“I want to know why you’re wearing that eyepatch, first.” You said, “and how your wounds are doing.”

“Well,” Signy waved a hand to and fro, demonstrating its lack of mobility, “I’ve always healed quickly…always been clumsy, so I’ve had more than a few knicks and bruises…but broken fingers are broken fingers, so those are still all wrapped up. It’s been a pain, but I’ve managed. Do you know how hard some things are without using just a few fingers?”

“And the eyepatch?” you prompted, thinking Signy was about to ramble.

“Mm,” Signy frowned, almost disappointed that she had to explain it, “When it first got healed, it was really sensitive to light, so I got a patch for that…but then I thought it looked super cool. Doesn’t it look super cool?...well, it does. But then everybody here started calling me Cyclops, so…I have to keep it on, to look the part.”

“I see,” you put a finger on your chin. There was still much for her to explain, but at least her stupid looking fashion choices had a reason, if an arbitrary one.

>Write in questions.
>Have her explain how she got here, and how she became the leader of this union
>Ask Signy what matter has gotten the Guillotines gang so riled up
>Inform Signy that she has a price on her head
>Ask Signy about her odd assistant, who was rumored to be an important element in her management of this new republic.
>Other actions?

>>1833614
I appreciate it.

Although I think I'm going to change the text in the future, since now I got an actual german to give me a phrase instead of asking Google Translate.

>>1833644
>Have her explain how she got here, and how she became the leader of this union
>Ask Signy what matter has gotten the Guillotines gang so riled up
>Inform Signy that she has a price on her head
>Ask Signy about her odd assistant, who was rumored to be an important element in her management of this new republic.

>>1833760
Might as well go with all of the above

>>1833835
Same

“So where was I?” Signy asked absentmindedly.

“You were telling me how you got here,” you told her, “and how you got to be in…this, whatever it is.”

”Oh,” Signy blinked, “So I was barfing all over the place, drunker than I’ve ever been in my life…”

“In Blumsburgh.”

”Yes. I don’t remember any of this, I was told this later, but…you know that Delsan officer you captured?”

“I can’t say I remember.”

“His name is Loch. Henrik Loch. So he and his men came in, saw me…I woke up with him watching over me, and he just said “Do you want to come on an adventure?””

“You were, so here you are?” You let your eyes close slightly. You didn’t know what Loch was doing as a free man. You had taken him and his men into custody for invading sovereign Strossvalder lands…with heavy weaponry, no less. They had surrendered immediately and cooperated, but he should not have been out any time soon.

“There’s more,” Signy said quickly, “I asked him what he meant, and he said that he was looking for people to help him bring peace to the world. Said that here in Sosaldt, even a little bit of force in the right place could do a lot of good, but that he couldn’t do it by himself. He needed somebody to represent him. He’d heard that a republican activist group had been based in Blumsburgh, and was looking for my father, since that was who he heard of…”

Signy looked crestfallen, but went on. ”I told him what happened, but! I couldn’t just rot in Blumsburgh being useless, I thought, so I told him I was the new head of the Shields of Liberty, and that I would do anything to help him. I thought that was a good purpose, of course, but…” Signy held a hand to her mouth and giggled, “He was so gentle, and handsome…I’m sorry Richter, but I might have dropped you for a little bit and fallen in love with Loch instead. Hee hee hee…I’m such a floozy.”

“He wasn’t that good looking.”

Signy pouted at you. “Don’t be like that, it only lasted a couple days. For one because he wasn’t interested, but for the other…have you ever felt like, I don’t know, like somebody’s untouchable? Like you couldn’t hope to measure up to them?”

“No.” You said, confidently.

“Hrrmph.” Signy made an adorable frustrated noise, “…fine. Well this Loch…he’s incredible. He’s handsome, he’s intelligent, skilled, he’s followed by these people who are devoted to him…but there’s also places where I just…couldn’t figure him out. It seemed as if he was endlessly patient, at first, but one say I heard one of his men say something to him, telling him about something that happened somewhere…and he went into this inhuman, smoldering rage, and I’d ask him one of my usual stupid questions, and he’d look at me in this way that made me want to fall down and shrivel up. It was then I realized…he was a complete mystery to me, and if his mask was a person who I’d think of as perfect, who is the real Loch? ”

“Perfect?” You scoffed at the notion, ”I remember significant flaws being his unjustified self-aggrandizement and blatant disrespect for other people’s belongings, as well as disregard for things so beneath him as international law.”

“Pride and confidence aren’t flaws in a boy, Richter,” Signy objected.

A boy. Psh. Judge above. Controlling your smart aleck remarks, you said instead, "If you say so."

Signy sighed. “I think you would like talking to him. He’s been teaching me how to do…well, this thing. We’ve managed to avoid fighting so far; how we did things when we first started, is he put me up as the leader of our combined forces…his men, as well as mine, and him under me, for some reason. So we managed to scare the White Eyes into working with us…then the Blue Barbs, and after that, all of us combined were a bit stronger than the Guillotines, so they decided to join with us. However…he says we’ll have to fight somebody at some point, and he won’t be around forever, so I had to learn. He’s very well learned in wars and battles in history, and “modern tactics,” I think you’d have a lot to say to each other.”

“I think the first thing I’d have to say to him,” you wrung your hands in your lap, “would be to ask him just how he got out of being imprisoned.”

Signy shrugged. “He was released, along with the rest of his men. I'm not that stupid, I asked the military police about him the same day I met him again. They didn’t do anything wrong.”

Besides trespass in a sovereign country while in possession of military equipment. “I suppose the military police must have had their reasons.”

“…anywaaays,” Signy let out slowly, “You came here with all those tanks, and more soldiers. Even when I thought you were wandering mercenaries looking for work, I thought maybe you could help me with a few things, and it’d really make me happy if you in particular could help with this…but your fiancée is more important, I know. So I suppose you’ll be on your way?”

“Not yet,” you settled further into the chair, “Tell me about the Guillotines. They’re one of the gangs in your new republic, right? But they’re riled up about something?”

“Ah,” Signy looked uncomfortable, “That’s…a big problem, yeah, and it’s sort of my fault.”

“How so?”

“The leader of the Guillotines, Bad Rott…I broke his nose.”

You stared at Signy’s broken hands, then looked back up at her skeptically. “How? Why?”

“He tried to rape me, and I smashed him in the face with my head.” Signy smiled broadly, closing her eyes it was so wide, “Daddy always said I had a hard head, so when Rott pinned me against a wall in an alley when I was walking in the night, and starting trying to rip my pants off, I showed him whose head was harder!..Well, my head was harder than his nose, I mean. Obviously.”

“Are you alright?” you asked, dumbfounded. You must have looked intense, since Signy’s expression immediately reversed, “Should you really be speaking gladly about almost being raped?”

“Well, I wasn’t raped…” Signy looked tired all of a sudden, “He was wearing a mask then, so I didn’t know, but the next morning when we were supposed to talk about the trade agreements with the new town we have with us, I was told he couldn’t meet any time soon. I had told Loch about the night that that thing had happened, and now he won’t let me go anywhere without being under armed guard…so annoying. Anyways, he sent on of his creepy, weird men to spy on Rott…without my permission. I don’t know who’s supposed to be in charge of this place, but his man found out Bad Rott’s nose had been freshly broken. Loch got into one of those scary moods…I had to beg him not to do anything. The Guillotines make up almost half our…”war potential?” Anyways, we can’t afford to lose them…but he went ahead and let that rumor slip anyways…”

“And you were singing his praises just a minute ago.” You noted.

“It’s hard to stay mad at sexy men, Richter,” Signy pointed a stiff finger at you, “You'd know that, I can't ever be too annoyed with you either.”

You looked away from the outright flirtations, and looked out the window at your tank. You noticed something written on the side of the turret that you hadn’t noticed before….Flat Chested, but has a Great Ass. It was distinctly in Hans’s style of writing letters. The cheek of it.

…How did he know if Maddalyn had a nice butt?

“Also…” Signy got your attention once more, “I’ve said before…I’m not smart, and I don’t know much. Loch’s the whole reason I can do this…even though this is a pain in the ass, I know he means the best, and I have to assume he knows what he’s doing…”

>It doesn’t matter who he is or what he has. His gang’s policy is strict justice, isn’t it? So he should be brought to it.
>It’s probably better to let it slide. It won’t happen again if you’re under guard; you should offer to hand over an olive branch, even if it defies Loch’s will.
>If it’s a problem, then I can solve it. I’m an excellent problem solver, especially when it comes to destruction of unruly armed mobs, and their leaders.
>Other?

(Bringing up the price on Signy’s head is waiting for now)

>>1835293
be brought to it.
>It’s probably better to let it slide. It won’t happen again if you’re under guard; you should offer to hand over an olive branch, even if it defies Loch’s will.

Except warn this guy the next time he tries this nonsense again he's dog food.

>>1835293

Would Loch be ok with you going against his wishes? Have you defied him before? It sort of sounds like he's really the one running this place.

>>1835293
>It doesn’t matter who he is or what he has. His gang’s policy is strict justice, isn’t it? So he should be brought to it.

>>1835293
>It doesn’t matter who he is or what he has. His gang’s policy is strict justice, isn’t it? So he should be brought to it.

Call out his hypocrisy. Also, I don't trust this guy at all, he's mighty suspicious. Since this "republic" is rather fragile at the moment killing this guy would probably be the end of this whole thing. Maybe we should think about rolling a tank up to this guy and blowing him up, get this request out of the way.

>>1835421

I don't think Signy would appreciate that.

>>1835538
So?

>>1833368
Wait, that's a picture? From the thumbnail I thought that was a photo.
Fricking nice!

>>1835293
>It doesn’t matter who he is or what he has. His gang’s policy is strict justice, isn’t it? So he should be brought to it.
>Guillotines surely have some upstarts who drean of becoming the boss. This could be their chance, if you give them a hint.
>Then their new boss will know his well-being rests on his loyalty to you, so it's win-win.

>>1835293
>>It doesn’t matter who he is or what he has. His gang’s policy is strict justice, isn’t it? So he should be brought to it.

>>1835293
>It doesn’t matter who he is or what he has. His gang’s policy is strict justice, isn’t it? So he should be brought to it.

If he's scum enough to do something like that he can't be trusted regardless if he knew it was you or no when he attacked you. He'd do something like that again.

>>1835612
I'm flattered, but there are rather big things I have to fix.

I'm not sure how I didn't notice that the silhouette for the midground tank's commander is completely off; he's like a smurf right now. An m/28 is not a large tank but the size of the person makes it look like it's the size of a tiger if one only took that person's size into consideration.

Anyways I'm writing.

“It doesn’t matter who he is or what he has,” you declared, “His gang’s policy is strict justice, isn’t it? So he should be brought to it.”

Signy collapsed backwards into the back of her chair, letting out all the air in her lungs with one immense, exasperated sigh. “But that’s not the way it works here. Bad Rott and his underlings are the law. The only reason he’s still around despite all of this is because his seconds and third are all behind him, and most people were absurdly loyal even before this mess. It’s less trouble to just hope everybody forgets it.”

“What’s to keep him from trying it again?” you challenged Signy, “If he didn’t know it was you, he’s a violent assaulter of women. If he did know it was you, he disrespects your authority. He needs to be brought to heel in either case.”

“Aaaaahh…” Signy knocked her head back and stared at the ceiling, “This couldn’t have come at a worse time. I can’t have any infighting right now; we’re set to expand again soon, I'm meeting with important regional players in two days, and if we have so large a portion of our strength ready to break away, we’ll be stuck…maybe I should just go to Rott and offer myself up to his baser desires…there’s worse things than my dignity at stake.”

“Judge Above,” you put your knuckles against your forehead, “You didn’t do anything wrong, and you’re supposed to be in charge, here.”
You said that, though you weren’t sure if Signy was really the leader; from the sound of it, Loch actually carried much more influence, but you didn’t want to tell Signy that right now.

“I think your Loch has the right of it,” you went on, “Have you gone against him before?”

“I have,” Signy said, “Although it was never anything this important. Besides, I can’t just arrest Bad Rott. He and his men are the ones who run this place. If I made any aggressive moves, that could put me in a battle I would probably lose in the middle of their land. Loch’s men seem really strong, but I don’t think they could win twenty to one against tanks.”

>Maybe they couldn’t. But they could if I were with them, couldn’t they? I’m on my way to attack a stronger foe than I, but what if we made an arrangement? I help you with your problem, you help me with mine?
>Leaving right now would say enough. You said you were about to expand? They don’t have to know about this. Use your influence to forbid the Guillotines from meeting with them, and then use the newcomers to add weight to intimidating Rott out of his position.
>Let me speak with Loch. I want to hear what he thinks about this.
>Well, good luck with that problem. Like you’ve said, I have to get going.
>Other?

>>1836938
>Let me speak with Loch. I want to hear what he thinks about this.

>>1836938
>Let me speak with Loch. I want to hear what he thinks about this.
Signy seemed more mature and capable in Strossvald. What did Loch do to her?

>>1836938
>Let me speak with Loch. I want to hear what he thinks about this.

>>1837155
2 words

c u t e b o y maybe I don't know.

>>1837295
It's the hormones man. Also supporting meeting Loch

>>1837155

She needs a good dicking.

>>1836938
>Let me speak with Loch. I want to hear what he thinks about this.

It makes me a bastard to say it but we did promise Liemanner we would weaken one of his enemies. A perfect way to do it would be to have Signy either break with the Guillotines, get Loch out of the picture or have the Shields fight the Guillotines.

>>1837669
But certainly not from loyal fiancé and partner Richter "Honorabu" Von Tract

>>1837678

I don't think it counts as cheating if your fiance is kidnapped and you're taking all due measures to rescue her.

>>1837813
nope
still counts as cheating

“Let me speak with Loch,” you asked Signy, “I want to have some words with him. See what he thinks about this.”

That gave Signy some pause for thought, as she lolled her head about, still looking at the ceiling.

While Signy was thinking, you felt a pair of slender hands run down your shoulders and down your chest, and a lusty female voice said next to your ear, “Hello, handsome. Are you the noble boy runaway, the big boss of the tankers in grey?”

You jumped up with alarm, throwing the intrusive hands off of you as you turned around. The person molesting you was an attractive, buxom woman in her late twenties or so, wearing the typical, frilly, craftily cut lewd uniform of the establishment you were in. She had thin features, was well made up, and had long, shining black hair that cascaded over her in black ribbons; she was definitely stunning, although her aggressiveness was off putting; she eyed you like a hungry bobcat, who had seen a helpless rabbit.

“You felt so tense,” the lady purred, as she stepped closer and ran a finger up your neck and over your cheek, “You’re cute, so if you come with me, I can make you feel allll better. No fees necessary.”

Signy had definitely taken notice of this, as she pushed you aside with an arm and got in the solicitor’s face.

“Back off, old skank,” Signy spat, “He’s off limits.”

The woman frowned at Signy; her interest in you had evaporated immediately.

“No fun,” she pouted, “It’s not nice to hoard all the handsome men to yourself, Cyclops. You’re going to make everybody jealous…”

You thought about objecting to this implication, but you didn’t want to be swarmed by hookers, either.

“Go up, Richter,” Signy told you, “He’s upstairs. There’s a man with goggles up there. He’ll tell you where to go.”

“Just met and already on first names?” the lusty woman asked.

You left this mess and went upstairs. You didn’t send any word ahead, and as far as you knew, nothing about you should have been known here; especially not your societal status. This must have been the work of that Blood Sun scumbag, you thought; Liemanner must have used the delay he imposed to send word of you ahead, presumably hoping that you would jump at anything feminine on the way in an effort to please him.

Well, he would have to do better than that, you decided.

As you rounded the end of the stairs and entered the hall above, you immediately noticed the “man in goggles.” He was gigantic, and you noted that Signy, while correct in identifying him by his goggles, would have done better in describing him as an upright bear, or a bearded titan, since the only thing more ostentatious than his powerful build was his well-groomed, thick black full beard that ran over his lip and down past his collar. On his hip, holstered, was the biggest handgun you’d ever seen; a big, steel hand cannon six shooter that seemed more a miniature artillery piece than a sidearm.

“You,” he addressed you immediately, with a voice straight from the guts of the Reich, “Who’re you. This whole hall’s a private club, and you can only come in with an invitation.”

“Signy…I mean, Cyclops sent me,” you said, not cowed by the fact that this man stood head and shoulders above you, and near one and a half times as broad as you.

“Miss Vang,” the man said gruffly, “So, your name.”

“Richter. Von Tracht.” You answered, not seeing much use in lying. You had a strong feeling that, if you had, you probably would have been tied into a knot and thrown back down from where you came.

The bearded colossus grunted, and then beat on the door twice. “The Strossvalder’s here to see you.” He put his ear up to the door, and then said, “I understand.” To you then, he said, “A couple of minutes.”

After the wait, the door clicked open, and a thin man with piercing eyes leaned out, looked you over, and beckoned you in silently. You obediently followed, and the larger man closed the door behind you.

Before you, sitting casually upon a thin wooden stool, was a smiling man you recognized as Loch. He could readily be described as beautiful; his features were exquisitely carved, in slender yet strong shapes that made him bewitchingly fair, and his hair fell in golden brown tumbles from his head. Most of all, he retained his air of complete and utter confidence, as though he ruled the world from his little chair.

“Alas,” he splayed his hands out, “Have you come to apprehend me here, too, Lieutenant? It seems as though I have a devoted admirer.” His voice, as you had noted when you first met him, was disturbingly familiar, but you couldn’t quite place where you had heard it before.

“I’m not going to ask how you tricked your way out of a prison sentence,” you said warily, “Or just what you think you’re doing here. I have a feeling that you wouldn’t answer either question.”

“I’d answer them,” Loch winked, “but you wouldn’t like what I have to say.”

You didn’t return the gesture. “I am sure that I wouldn’t.”

“But now, we are brothers in frivolously trespassing in other countries while heavily armed.” Loch went on, crossing a leg over the other, “It isn’t so bad, now that you’ve done it, isn’t it?”

“Maybe not, with the right reasons,” you admitted, “I wanted to speak with you about this predicament with the Guillotines.”

“Right to business then?” Loch seemed disappointed, “I had hoped for otherwise. I suppose Miss Vang already told you about our difference in opinion.” When you nodded, he smiled and shook his head, “Such a sweet girl, really, but so unsuited to rulership. She hasn’t developed the strong hand needed. This fellowship of brutality might call itself a republic, yes, but Miss Vang is hardly an elected executive. For that to even have a chance of occurring in the future, though, this place must have unity, and such unity can only be brought to a place like this through clever use of force in the right places, sometimes in ways that don’t suit gentler people.”

“You pay lip service to Signy, but from what I hear, you’ve been a busy man yourself,” you said to Loch.

“She does her part and more,” Loch said dismissively, “In truth, our actions are merely building on what has already been growing here. The Guillotines…such a delicate name, no? They have been intent on forming a grander federation for some time. If Miss Vang and I had not come, they doubtless would have entered the arrangement we now have with the town of Geniburg, and likely would have inflated even more from there. However,” Loch closed both eyes and smirked, “They likely wouldn’t have been as graceful as we were able to be.”

“Your plan, though,” you prompted Loch, “to deal with Bad Rott.”

“A foul tumor, and only the cap of a cancer that rules this region,” Loch said with the same light and refined cadence, but with just a hint of something deeper, darker, and much uglier in intention, “This would be the easiest way to be rid of him. He made a mistake in outing his violent nature, especially in allowing himself to be physically deformed in the attempt. I would not dare say that Miss Vang being violently attacked was a good thing, but this is a rare case of justified vengeance being twinned with opportunity.”

Loch spread his legs apart again and clasped his hands between his thighs, leaning forward, “Naturally, I would not imply to Miss Vang that her misfortune was anything but. However, she thinks that the best course of action is tolerance, because of the risks. To that, I would say,” his eyes glinted as he looked into yours, “The way to fortune can only be tread by the intrepid.”

“Lord General Weisserbaum, rephrasing a quote from Kaiser Alexander” you said, recognizing the quote, “but his offensive into the Emrean territories in the Emrean Liberation War failed.”

“Because of the meddling of aristocrats.” Loch said, “Many famous strategists and tacticians have been foiled by orders from on high, rather than the enemy. Miss Vang’s method will likely work, but it will leave a threat intact that, with some daring, we can destroy forever. With the removal of Bad Rott and his cabal of cronies, the Guillotines will be much more fractured than they were before; and thus more open to the influence of the angel of democracy, Signy Vang.”

“She would certainly swoon if she heard you say that,” you said, “but you said ‘we.’”

“Of course I did. Why would you come to see me if you were uninterested?”

“I could hear some suggestions as to why I would invest my time in this scheme,” you offered.

“You march to fight the Death Heads,” Loch stated.

“How do you know that?”

“My shade is an attentive listener,” Loch gestured to the greasy, thin looking man, who still stood inoffensively across the room, by the door, “Assume anything that you told Miss Vang, and more, I know.”

That admittedly made things easier, as far as potential explanations went.

“You march to fight the Death Heads, as I was saying,” Loch continued where you had interrupted him, “With a rather pitiful amount of soldiers and equipment, good though they may be. You need the weight of numbers.” Loch swayed a hand towards himself, “In two days time, our young republic will be meeting with interested parties at a lovely ball, to be hosted in the castle of a man who plays at being classical nobility. His lands, however, are just up against that of the Death Heads. If you are patient, I can suggest to our fair leader that we take the land of the Death Heads by force. An incursion into their territory by us, of course, would necessitate them emptying most of their forces into an attempt to dissuade us from invasion. What do you think?”

>I think I shouldn’t trust you, and that we’re done here.
>Two days? Likely more for you to mobilize? I can’t have that sort of delay. Can’t you offer more immediate aid?
>That sounds fine to me. How will we do this, then?
>I think you should bow to your “fair leader’s” will. You are not playing the part of a very faithful servant.
>Other?

>>1837669
You haven't exactly played the best matchmaker so far.

>>1837674
>get Loch out of the picture

Might be harder than one would think from the sound of things.

>>1837813
That's a dangerous route to take

>>1837985
>That sounds fine to me. How will we do this, then?

>>1837985
>That sounds fine to me. How will we do this, then?

Agree but more so to keep our options open and to keep Loch friendly.

We have a difficult decision here, going along with his plan (assuming we can trust him) would be the best direct route to free the hostages but if we don't either neutralize Liemanner or his hold on us then it's going to get Maddy hurt.

How do we insure she won't be hurt? Using Riverman to rescue her would be ideal but we can't solely count on him, and I'm sure Liemanner has told some crony in the Death Heads that if anything happens without his confirmation to do something to Maddy.

So we need to decide sooner rather than later if we follow through with Liemanner against the 'republic' or try something drastic.

>>1837813
It's still cheating but if it really comes down to a choice between risking her life trying to rescue her, hurting Signy to keep Maddy safe or cheating on Maddy to keep her safe what do you pick? I don't know anons, I just don't know.

>>1837985
>That sounds fine to me,but what about my hostage problem?

>>1837985
>That sounds fine to me. How will we do this, then?

>>1838161

I don't know either but it sounds like we have two days to figure it out. If we want to preserve our honor, and presumably don't to fuck Signy over, it sounds like we'll have to attack the Iron Hog outpost. The less dangerous but less honorable solution would be to just fuck a bunch of bitches. Or we could try ignoring Liemanner's demands and having the Riverman get Maddy to safety, but we don't know just how far Liemanner's influence reaches...

>>1837985
>Tell him about Liemanner's plans to harm them
>Tell him Liemanner almost certainly has spies in their midst.
>Ask him for assistance in eliminating Liemanner in exchange for help with Rott
We conveniently have two days to do it.

>>1838161
>I'm sure Liemanner has told some crony in the Death Heads that if anything happens without his confirmation to do something to Maddy
If he did, he would've told us so. A threat isn't effective if it isn't known, and Liemanner strikes me as a very rational man.

Sorry for the delay, was sick for today.

-----

“That sounds fine to me,” you said, “but what about my hostage problem? Presumably you’ve heard about that.”

Loch shrugged noncommittally. “They don’t know our goals. If you’ve destroyed the contingent you attacked utterly, the remainder there won’t know you’re there for the hostages, either. So far as they’re concerned, they will only thing you are there for them.”

You hadn’t told Signy about Liemanner’s demands. You supposed that there was no getting around telling somebody now, if you were going to escape being the Sosaldtian’s toy.

“I should tell you,” you said carefully, keeping an eye on the willowy man in the corner with the sunken eyes; he seemed somehow far more dangerous than any senses but your intuition told. “You’re being watched by people who would seek to do harm to you, to prevent your influence from becoming any larger.”

Loch looked much more serious than before, losing much of his carefree gesturing. “I suppose it was inevitable, although I thought we would have a little bit more time. Who is so interested in our downfall? Someone from the west…or perhaps from the south?”

“A man in the employ of the Blood Suns called Liemanner,” you said, “He is quite close. At the border fort, on the road straight west.”

“The Blood Suns,” Loch echoed, “The Southern Cities’ hounds, yes. I suppose they are a preferable enemy to, say, the Archduchy. Some good news there.” He looked up with new confidence, “That means we have a chance.”

You figured it better to loose every detail, rather than wait for Loch to find out on his own that you had left out your own connections.

“This Liemanner is attempting to coerce me,” you said, watching Loch’s face for any unfavorable change in expression, “by threatening my fiancée, who is held captive by the Death Heads gang. If I was not to complete one of his assignments, he would likely have her harmed to punish me.”

Loch slowly raised an eyebrow. “Presumably, because you have told me that he seeks to dismantle our fine little state here, one of these assignments was to do what you could to break us apart.”

“You are correct,” you admitted, “but that was only one option, of three that he gave me. He was also quite loose with his orders; he gave me no method with which to carry them out.”

“What are the other options?” Loch asked, “I would presume that none of them are in our favor.”

“The other options were to destroy an outpost of the Iron Hogs-“

“Suicide,” Loch said immediately.

“…and the other was to produce a gaggle of bastards for him. Some harebrained scheme to produce a ruling faction of nobility.”

“Harebrained indeed,” Loch grasped at his chin, oddly pondering, ”But easy, for you. In this land where nobody is a king or queen, even the barest hints of nobility make the ugliest man charming.”

“I am uninterested in producing any bastards,” you said with intensity, “Let alone as many as he wants. I am a married man…well, one who is to be.”

Loch closed his eyes and smirked, “She must be absolutely darling…or unmatched in potential for vengeance.”

>Neither of those matter. Law and agreements are the basis of society, no? I must do all that I can to uphold my word.
>Absolutely darling. I would have to be mad, as well as blind, to offend her.
>She is of a very powerful family. Her father is one who’d I much rather not slight.
>Other?

>>1841089
>Duty compels me to be faithful, while guilt propels me on this quest. But none of those matter, law and agreements are the basis of any proper society, I must do all that I can to uphold my word.
>And even if my word meant nothing, she is an absolute darling, I would have to be mad or foolish to offend her, and her very powerful father.

>>1841133
Supporting

>>1841133
>>1841089
Very well worded anon, support

>>1841133
Seconded

“Duty compels me to be faithful,” you laid on one hand, “While guilt propels me on this quest. But none of those matter, since law and agreements are the basis of any proper society, I must do all that I can to uphold my word.”

The scrawny man in the corner spoke up in a raspy voice, like the man out the door, also in an accent from some Reich gutter. “Could you say that in New Nauk?”

Loch shut him up with a sidelong look.

“Even if my word meant nothing,” you pretended a smartass hadn’t cut you off, “She is an absolute darling. I would have to be mad or foolish to offend her, as well as her very powerful father.”

“Tragically tugged in all directions,” Loch mused, “So if this Liemanner were to mysteriously disappear, you’d lend your aid regarding this debacle?”

“That, and also if you did what you said concerning fighting the Death Heads,” you added, not about to let anybody leave that rather important section out.

“Of course,” Loch said, before looking back at his thin watcher, “Rune. Give me your estimates, if we wanted to do this.”

“Not enough information,” the thin, raspy man called Rune said, “So I’m guessing. Person’s known, location’s known. Proper infiltration would take few weeks, maybe two months.”

“Off the table,” Loch said, “You have two days.”

“Two days…forceful, violent action is the only way,” Rune decided, “Small, armed party. Very risky, but possible.”

“He keeps a suicide trap in his office,” you added, “and probably with him elsewhere. Explosives, enough to take out the entire room he’s in, and possibly more.”

“Sabotage is a possibility then. Slightly less risky, less likely to actually work.”

“It’s no use unless you can confirm his death,” Loch said in a tone that was entirely unlike his almost playful tone he had been using until now, “Two days, Rune. Remember that.”

“Who will be your shadow in my place?”

“Os will be enough for now. There’s no indication that we have been found out.”

Rune nodded, but didn’t move. If you were to guess, he wouldn’t leave until whoever Os was checked in with him.

“Was there anything else you wanted to speak about?” Loch said, returning to his former demeanor, with a smile.

>A few things. (Write in)
>Just who are you? You’re not really a bunch of Delsans, are you? (Unlikely to get anywhere)
>You’re just going to attack the place? If that’s what you have to do, I’d rather you not. I have another idea to deal with that, that I can use in the future. I’ve been given some flexibility after all.
>So now is the business with the Guillotines, then. (Move on)
>Other?

>>1841322
>Now onto the business with the Guillotines then.

>>1841380
Supporting

>>1841380
>>1841322
Supporting for the particular wording.

>>1841322
>I know where he lives and when he sleeps
Emma found it out for us, remember?
>And I want in on this operation
Mainly so that we can bring Emma along to scout.

>>1841087
>Sorry for the delay, was sick for today.
Ive learned to be patient for your quests, so take as much time as you need to get well.

>>1841483
Supporting this course of action. We can ask him about his plans with the Guillotines but I'd also like to be a part of the mission.

>>1841483
Supporting

>>1841483
Yeah, at the very least mention what Emma found out.

>>1841762
Seconded.

“Now onto the business with the Guillotines,” you said, bringing the meeting back to its original subject, “You said you had an idea of what to do with them?”

“More than an idea. A plan that was missing an important piece…until you came along.” Loch opened a hand towards you, “For all of my wits and Miss Vang’s grace, the thing we lack is heavy firepower. Artillery, armor, these things can be done without in some situations, but not the sort that my plan demands, for I plan to execute a siege.”

You nodded. You couldn’t really say much at this juncture; rather, you could only continue to listen to the plan.

“This is hardly the most subtle or elegant of plans, but it is the most rapid way to restore stability to the relationship between the Guillotines and the rest of Vang’s Republic.” Loch stood up, and beckoned you over to the window, pointing out of it. “That construction over there, that towers over the others. That is Bad Rott’s palace. The town hall. It is the brain of his petty kingdom, and where he and many of his ardent supporters are hiding out, scheming. If they knew they were under imminent threat, they would be more careful in dispersing themselves, but the panic of the moment has pushed them together, swarming like rats.”

“Yet you don’t have the strength to storm the place.” You said.

“Correct.” Loch smiled, “That, and storming their castle would look poorly upon our reputation, along with the pain and death it would bring. It would be much, much more preferable for Bad Rott and his cronies to believe that they can negotiate, that they can lessen the harshness of the judgment coming for them, so they surrender instead. For that to happen, though, we have to ensure that we have overwhelming might.” He put a fist into the other hand, swinging down like a hammer, “Your tanks. Lacking in numbers we may be, but if you chose to aid us, we would certainly not lack in strength of arms. Your more modern pieces alone could stand against the entirety of their local mechanized forces, in the closed environment this town presents, where one can cover themselves from every angle of attack that requires a road.”

“What of the threats that don’t require a road?” you asked, wary of the danger of having firebottles and grenades pitched at you.

“Warfare here in this chaotic land has not recognized the potential of the aeroplane, for lack of proper resources to exploit it,” Loch shrugged, still smiling, probably knowing that wasn’t what you meant at all, “but as for any skulkers who would jump onto and between buildings, do not worry. This siege is not meant to spark an open conflict. I am counting on the Guillotines being respectful enough of their lives not to throw themselves upon our bayonets."

"If they betray expectations though…” Loch let his hands down slightly, then threw them up again, “Well, your dismounts and my men will keep your cozy bunkers from being broken into, should you decide to seal yourselves up inside.”

“Interesting.” You thought about if you had to go along with that, though, or if you could leave somebody else in charge of that. After all, you knew of ways you could be of more use elsewhere.

“I would like to participate in your operation to eliminate Liemanner.” You declared, “I know where he lives, where he sleeps, all of that. I had…ways of finding out.” You didn’t really know how to put across that you had a ghost to scout everything out without seeming insane. Although, if the weaknesses in the operation were potentially a lack of knowledge of the terrain and where the target would be, your ethereal friend Emma would be able to address those problems with little trouble at all. She had already had a run about of the place, and without any eyes that could see her in there, you would potentially have an omniscient view of the place.

“Impossible.” Rune said before Loch could comment, “No offense meant, but you are the wrong sort of specialist. You are far too inexperienced, and if you were to be captured, the target would have a definite link to your involvement. Without you, at least, if the plan fails it may not be traced back to you. Your darling girlfriend would remain safe.”

…what the thin man had said was, admittedly, true. For all your expertise in shooting, you were below average when it came to close quarters drill. Hardly relevant in your normal line of duty, but for this, it was much more of a factor.

You thought that your weaknesses would be covered by the other participants’ strengths, and vice versa when it came to information the supernatural could provide, but he had a point about the possibility of your involvement being detected should the operation fail. To tell the truth, you hadn’t even considered the possibility of failure.

“Now, Rune,” Loch admonished his comrade, “I doubt that the Lieutenant is an idiot. If he is sure he can help, he likely can. He says he can aid you where your capabilities are weakest, you know.”

“Hmm. Perhaps.” Rune relented, “I would not recommend it still. If you and he insist, however, I will insist myself that the Lieutenant keep well rested. He will have another man lead his company in keeping the siege going when it begins.”

>Choose what operation to take part in; before going, there will be some planning phase involved

>Go along on the assassination operation
>Lead your forces in enforcing the siege
>Insist that you do both (You will have to convince the others as to why you think you can handle all of this at once)
>Other actions/issues to address?

>>1841911
>Go along on the assassination operation
We can provide scouting with Emma. We need to ensure all goes well. And we might get a chance to gloat to Liemanner.
>Maybe also take Malachi along. A siege doesn't need an experienced driver anyway.
>Metzeler will lead the company in the meantime
>Think about how to reward Emma for her continued service. Give her an honorary rank?
>Make Hans remove that writing from our tank. If it's handwritten Maddy can read it, and she doesn't seem to be one to be flattered by such a thing.

>>1841911
In a rush right now so option 1

>>1841921
I say keep it

>>1841921
This works for me, just be aware that if we go with Emma this Rune guy will likely report to Loch that we have supernatural assistance. I doubt we can fake gypsy magic for very long. But it would be one of the safest ways to see that Liemanner is taken down.

I'm a little worried we're relying on Emma too much.

We should keep the writing, I thought Maddy could only read blood text? Even if she can read it though it might fluster her enough to forget about killing us for leaving her A+ bootybehind.

>>1841997
She could read a handwritten document.

And yes, we're relying on Emma too much. Heavens know I want to make up to her somehow, but what would a ghost want?

>>1842003
We should just ask her

>>1842008
I tried to once, but the QM missed it or something.

>>1841911
>>Lead your forces in enforcing the siege

>>1841921
>Make Hans remove that writing from our tank.

Unacceptable, unless you come up with a satisfying replacement.

>>1841921
Supporting

>>1841921
>>1841911
Full acceptable
Voting as well to replace the writing simply with Maddy

>>1841911
>Lead your forces in enforcing the siege

Okay I'm not quite dead yet.

>>1842012
I guess I haven't had you ask the ghost yet, because the PC certainly doesn't know yet. May as well do that next.

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>>1842003
>but what would a ghost want?

“I’ll go along with the assassination,” you said, “Also, I’ll be bringing one of my crew along, one more specialized in such things.”

“More unreliable elements…” Rune looked to Loch with desperation, who gave him no comfort.

“What’s the harm? Let the Lieutenant do as he wishes. He is providing us with invaluable aid.” Loch closed his eyes and shook his head, “and, I thought you were the best, no?”

“Even the best can’t crap miracles on command…” Rune grumbled, but didn’t object any further.

Loch slapped your back and directed you towards the door. “Good, good. Now, Rune will be looking after you until your time comes. Come back up in about ten minutes, and Rune will be waiting to receive you.”

“Wait,” you asked as you were being pushed out, “When is this being done?”

“As soon as possible,” Rune answered as you were rudely extricated from the room.

“So what do you think of him?” Signy asked as you came back into the foyer.

You were somewhat offended at having been forced out as you had, and some of the grouchiness of such couldn’t help but trickle into your voice. “He is…interesting.”

“So…” Signy straightened her back and cleared her throat, “I suppose you’ve come to an agreement that we will have to dispose of Bad Rott violently.”

After making sure nobody was close enough to even hear a single syllable between the two of you, you leaned in and told Signy the score quietly. She clearly didn’t like it, but she listened attentively anyways.

“He’ll surrender on his own, if he’s wise,” you said finally, “Nobody will be hurt, probably. The only thing wounded will be feelings.”

“My dignity’s not such a precious thing.” Signy said bitterly, “I wish people listened to me when I told them that.”

“Maybe not to you, but it is,” you said back, “This will go fine.”

“Whatever. Just another thing I don’t have any control over in this crappy road of life.”

That one stung a little, but you didn’t let it show. You allowed yourself to think that, when all of this was over, Signy would be in a better mood despite her counsel not being heeded.

“You’re probably wondering what was up with the whore,” Signy changed the subject of conversation, “Just be ready for more of that. Some strange man went through here a day ago spreading a rumor about some exiled noble son looking to settle down.” She laughed hollowly, “Believe it or not, most of the men around here don’t want to marry, but most of the women do. Not that there’s that many men who the women trust enough to settle down with. From what I’ve heard, recent migrants are favored. They still have some “civilization” to them, apparently. If they have status, that’s even better.”

“That woman wasn’t exactly proposing,” you pointed out.

“First step in a long plan.” Signy insisted, “Without the Von Bum girl by upi, you’ll probably get plenty of practice at turning people down.”
“Couldn’t you do something about that?”

Signy bit her lower lip, “I could. You probably wouldn’t like the idea.”

Maybe not.

“Also,” Signy said, looking to the side, “There’s this creepy ugly woman with bandages all over one side of her face, who’s been staring in here from time to time. Is she with you?”

>Creepy? Ugly? I don’t know what you’re talking about.
>Oh, her. She’s harmless, don’t worry about it.
>I think you and her would find a lot in common, actually.
>Other?

Also

>Maybe I won’t like the idea, but say it anyways.
>Is the idea pretending that we’re an item? That’s not so bad, I’ve claimed to have made you pregnant before, what’s doing it again going to hurt?
>…what, is your idea for me to start telling everybody that I’m a homosexual?
>Other?

Ghost is next I promise

>>1842867
>>Oh, her. She’s harmless, don’t worry about it.
>>I think you and her would find a lot in common, actually.

>Maybe I won’t like the idea, but say it anyways.

Dense Richter is go.

>Other?
Inform the crew of the situation. Their priority is to keep themselves and the unit safe in all things. I'm certainly willing to help but getting killed by bogged down street fighting is not on the agenda.

>>1842867
>Oh, her. She’s harmless, don’t worry about it.
>I think you and her would find a lot in common, actually.
>…what, is your idea for me to start telling everybody that I’m a homosexual?

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>>1842867
>Ghost is next I promise

>>1842867
>Oh, her. She’s harmless, don’t worry about it.
>I think you and her would find a lot in common, actually.

>…what, is your idea for me to start telling everybody that I’m a homosexual?

>>1842997
Supporting

“Oh, her,” you looked out the window and saw Hilda loitering about, “She’s harmless, don’t worry about it.”

Hilda’s harmlessness was incredibly subjective. You had somewhat carelessly peeled away her distaste towards dealing death, and she had likely accepted it in an attempt to impress you. However, what Signy was concerned with was probably Hilda’s tendency to look scary no matter the occasion, which wasn’t a true reflection of her personality, which was that of a lonely woman who was so pitiful that it was honestly pathetic.

“She kept looking in like she was going to kill me,” Signy said uncomfortably, “Where in the world did you find her?”

“Salzbrucke,” you said, “I think you and her would find a lot in common, actually.”

Signy furrowed her brow in confusion. “What are you talking abou-“ then, something clicked inside, “You’re mean.”

“She knew about me and Maddalyn before she even acted interested. If it’s anybody’s fault it’s her’s.” You said defensively.

Signy was thinking further, really to a point that you had never intended, “She’s ugly...am I ugly?”

“No.” you said reflexively. “Of course not.” If anything, you would have described Signy as plain. Maybe she’d have been cuter if she didn’t have those big, bushy eyebrows.

Signy mimed wiping sweat off her brow. “Okay, okay.”

“So what was your idea to get rid of my fan club?” you asked, “I might not like the idea, but say it anyways…it isn’t to tell everybody that I’m a homosexual, is it?”

“Of course not.” Signy looked annoyed that you would suggest that, “It’s…well, I don’t want it to seem like I’m taking advantage, but…if you made like you were with me, nobody would dare come close.”

When Signy noticed your face sagging preemptively with fatigue, she held up a hand and waved it back and forth, “You wouldn’t have to do anything weird! Just…like a hint of something.”

“What hint of something is this,” you intoned sarcastically, “a hint of soul kissing?”

Signy blushed, but this was an angrier embarrassment. “No, you pig! I was thinking…petting.”

You blinked. “Petting.”

“What?” Signy seemed genuinely confused at your puzzlement. “It’s…normal enough? Like…” Signy demonstrated by stroking a hand through her hair, over the top of her head and down by her ear, “Like this. It feels nice…but it’s not too strange, you know?”

“That’s pretty strange.”

“No it’s not!” Signy said insistently, “Just…think about it. It’ll work, I think.”

“I’ll think about it.” You said, heading towards the door, “That’s all. I have to go get something from the tank.”

As you retrieved Emma’s can from the tank, leaning into the turret, you stared at Hans until he responded.

“Yeah, boss?” he tilted his cap back, “Is there something on my face?”

“There’s something on my tank.”

Hans chortled, “Yeah, it’s pretty good, isn’t it?”

“Get rid of it.” You said curtly, “I won’t have Maddalyn looking at that and getting embarrassed.”

Hans leered at you as if you weren’t being serious. “It’s your tank, you’d have approved of it, right? You’re getting married, you’re allowed to brag about her butt.”

“I never made that decision.”

“Yeah, but you could have,” Hans cut you off, “I know you’ve got your head on bigger things, that’s your job, but it’s my job as your communications minder to read between the lines. The little redhead doesn’t like people saying she looks like a kid. She’d like you saying something like this. Makes her feel like she’s attractive, and it’d mean a lot from you.”

You rolled your eyes at him. “How would you know if she had a great butt anyways?”

“I never make such statements without proper research. She wore dresses and baggy, unfitting pants the whole time, so…”

You narrowed your eyes at your radio operator. “I ought to slug you.”

“She thought I was just bumping into her by accident. Nobody got hurt. Ow!” Hans picked himself up off the back of the turret, “Thanks for holding back on that one boss, sheesh.”

“Have it scrubbed off next chance you get.” You reaffirmed as you climbed back out.

You popped the top off of Emma’s can, and she came floating out.

“G’morning,” she said groggily, “What is it?”

“I need you to come with me for something,” you said, “We have to go back and kill that Liemanner fellow, and we need your help to do it.”

“He gave me the creeps. But do you have to kill him?”

“It’s the best option,” you said, “Otherwise a lot of people who are better than him will get hurt, only for him to gain.”

Emma went back, and forth, then said, “I’m trusting you on this, Imperial. I’m not going to be some tool of the Archduke if I can help it.”

“I was thinking of rewarding you for all your work, actually,” you said, following the flitting little blue flame with your eyes, “I’m just not sure what a ghost would want.”

“I can have something?” Emma said with new excitement, “Anything I want?”

“Not anything,” you corrected quickly, “But something, at least.”

“But wait…you’re already finding me a body sometime, aren’t you?” Emma calmed down, “That’s already a lot to ask for, isn’t it?”

“Something in the meantime.”

“Okay!” Emma forgot entirely about what she had just said, “I want…you and your crew to take your shirts off while you’re in the tank.”

“Something more material.” You didn’t really know how old Emma was…had been, or would be now, but you knew that request made you uncomfortable.

“I want a kiss!” Emma followed up. “Right on the lips!”

“Ehh…” you looked at her skeptically. Even if you wanted to do that for her, you had absolutely no idea how or where to start.

“I can jump into the ugly girl, and it’ll be like I can feel it. I’ve never been kissed, and I want to know what it feels like.”

“You can do that?” you said with surprise. “Jump into a person, I mean.”

“Only if she lets me.” Emma said, “Only her, too. We figured it out while we were stuck in the mountains. She’s got an empty spot I can fit in. The rest of you….you’re too whole. If that makes sense.”

“Unacceptable, anyways.” You said, the shock of the new information wearing off. Maddalyn had said something about possession before; it shouldn’t have been that surprising.

“Fine…” Emma pouted, “Uh…then…that pearl thing you have. The one with all the colors.”

The Radiant Pearl? You pulled it from your pocket, without a word.

“Yeah, that one,” Emma said, “I want that. I don’t know why, but I look at that…and I feel…hungry. I want to eat it. Is that fine?”

You rolled the stone around in your fingers thoughtfully. “Is there anything else?” The Radiant Pearl had far too much practical use to just throw away, you thought. For one thing, it could potentially power your tank’s soul armor, that was theoretically able to turn away any blow; understandably an incredibly useful thing for it to do.

“Not really,” Emma admitted, “I’m dead. I can’t really wear or own anything. I’d…be fine with nothing, I guess, if I can’t have any of that…”

>Good. Temperance is a virtue.
>Fine, I’ll let you have…(one of the requests)
>Other?

Also:

>Pet the Signy
>Don’t pet the Signy, that’s weird and creepy.
>Other?

>>1844086
Give her the Pearl

Pet the Signy

>>1844086
Take off our shirts in the tank for one sortie or just leave them unbuttoned or something.

>Don’t pet the Signy, that’s weird and creepy.
Like being attached is going to stop all these gold diggers from trying to get some noble bastards. :p

>>1844086
>Shirts off for an engagement or two wouldn't be such a drag
>Don’t pet the Signy, that’s weird and creepy.

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>>1844074
Big eyebrows are cute though!
Signy is cute as well, at least from your pics.

>Shirts off for an engagement or two wouldn't be such a drag
Remember how Riverman told us that Embers might become dangerous if they eat too much of a wrong thing? Better not feed Emma anything.

>Don’t pet the Signy, so that she gets over us faster.
>Pretend to be gay instead and creep out any men we don't like for lulz.

>>1844086
>Shirts off for an engagement or two wouldn't be such a drag

I'm sure it's hot in Sosaldt.
Also possessing people sounds like an incredibly bad idea.

>Don’t pet the Signy, so that she gets over us faster.

We are true to Maddy, if we were going the bastards route then maybe. It wouldn't be fair to any of them to start treating them like this knowing it couldn't go anywhere.

“Going shirtless for an engagement or two wouldn’t be such a drag,” you murmured. It did get quite warm in the tank, still, even with the fall cooling down in the midst of October…no, it was almost November now, wasn’t it? Damn mountains.

“It doesn’t count if you don’t get sweaty.” Emma said in a sing-song voice.

Great. If there was anything stranger than talking with ghosts, it was stripping down to appeal to their perversions.

“Not until after this, though,” you held up a finger, “You’re not getting any shows until you’re done working.”

Emma made no indication that she minded that.

-----

After you had gone to your officers to transfer command to Von Metzeler and extracted your driver from the crew, you took your excitable ghost inside, only giving Signy a parting wave as you passed her. Unfortunately for her, she wouldn’t be getting any cheap thrills on your part. She claimed to be over you, but you would rather not have stirred any lingering desires if you could help it; not with her.

You went up to the second floor hall, on the north wing, where Loch and his men were apparently staying. You wandered up and down the hall, feeling watched the whole time, until a door finally opened and a figure you recognized as Rune invited you inside.

Inside was a table, and four other men, of varying shapes and sizes. A man almost as thin as Rune, whose eyes squinted so hard they seemed as slits. A brawny, but stout fellow, whose face was dipped in grey by a five o’clock shadow that did not match with his ink black hair. Besides him was a man who seemed his counterpart in strength, but was more heavyset, with puffy jowls and a face a size too small for his head, whose tiny eyes glinted with an unapparent intelligence. Finally, there was a guy who was probably a well built, tall man, but his face was covered in grey wrappings that only stopped just below his eyes, where tinted goggles obstructed his visage, and a black kerchief covered the rest of his head. Sprigs of green fell out of the last man’s head wrap in places, and when he looked to you and Malachi, he made some sort of hand signal, which you noticed Malachi returning, before both grunted at one another and ceased to regard any but their respective authorities.

“Another one?” the fat one remarked at Malachi, “This isn’t so bad, Rune.”

“Another what?” you asked.

“If any of us knew, we would tell you.” Rune shut the door behind him, “Now. Business.”

“We ain’t done no looking yet,” the grey face said, “we’ll do that in the day. All we’re talking about right now are our obvious options.” He looked you up and down, “Like a sprig of parsley, but that ain’t always a bad thing. At least som’un had the decency to put a few knicks in you before kicking you off here. S’pose we should all introduce ourselves.”

“Richter,” you gestured to yourself, “And Malachi. The pleasure is mine.”

“Feodor,” the grey bearded man bowed slightly, stiffly, before pointing to the others, “Fatso’s called Gyal, the pencil neck is Isek, and the masked mosshead is Mask.”

One of these was not like the other, and you said as much.

“Yeah, one of them eats three times as much,” the fat one called Gyal said, to a hoot around the table.

“So first off,” Feodor cut off the humorous noisiness, “What we can’t do. Richter,” he looked to you, “This man’s office. Did it have any windows?”

“Not that I could see, no.”

“Doesn’t mean there aren’t any,” Gyal said, “There might have been one that was bricked up, plastered over.”

“No, but it means we can’t do the easiest method.” Isek said quietly, “We’d have to get in close to make sure we got him in any case, and the tried and true would make it so we couldn’t do that without a fight.”

“The easiest method?” you asked.

“It’s better to explain with an example.” Feodor got up, unlocked a long, steel case, and hefted a pair of large light machine guns onto the table; Reich MG 24Bs, you recognized; both with magnification scopes on their tops. It was a rather old sort of Grossreich machine gun; it fired much more slowly than the MG 30, which was a near clone of Strossvald’s own Von Muse machine gun, although you could see the advantage the slower fire rate had when combined with an optic.

“The easy way is to fill the frickin’ place with armor piercing eight millimeter from a third of a click away,” Feodor grunted, “But, like Isek said, we have to confirm. No shooting and scooting this time.”

“What are they talking about, Richter?” Emma asked you. To your alarm, when she spoke, the one called Mask perked up and looked around.

“What is it, Mask?” Gyal asked, “Is there a ghost about?”

“Nay,” Mask said, in a thick accent just like Malachi’s, but one much more easy to parse, “The spirits come and go, when I first tarried here, there was’d nary a hint of haunting. It must be’s mine imagination.”

The silent gasp you had taken was slowly exhaled. You were afraid for a moment that your knowledge of the supernatural was shared; and from what you knew, it wasn’t good to meet others as sensitive to it as you had become. Emma had the good sense to shut up after this, at the very least.

“Richter,” Rune said, “You said that this man had a habit of carrying a suicide charge. Did he grace you with what sort?”

“Hexogen,” you remembered. It was a common explosive used in military munitions, having replaced trinitrotoluene mixtures in high explosive tank shells some time ago.

“Too stable to just throw a firebomb or grenade in there,” Isek said in his now recognizably characteristic softness, “Would need a proper charge, and at that point, would destroy him anyways. Not easily exploitable.”

“Too bad,” Rune decided, “I suppose we’re shooting him.”

“Not the needle?” Isek asked, almost disappointedly.

“Not the needle.” Rune repeated back, “I don’t trust him to not have a surprise for whoever gets too close. The dust would be too slow and might now work.”

You felt like you could interject.

>I have a way of knowing if he’s by somewhere, we could do things the old fashioned way, if it’s the most reliable and safest way.
>We have tanks. If you need the explosives to go off, I’d wager an armor piercing shell’s detonation could set off the whole thing with a good enough shot, from twice as far or more as those guns.
>I suppose the best way is going into the place, then? What’s the plan in that case?
>I’d prefer poison, actually. It would make it look less like some band of rogues like us did it, wouldn’t it?
>Other?

Let's brainstorm, anons.

Point 1: we ABSOLUTELY must be sure Liemanner is dead. Any risk is a risk to Maddy and thus unacceptable.
This excludes machinegunning from afar, as well as tank shots.
Point 2: Liemanner seems to be some sort of East Valsten official. We can expect the border guards to protect him zealously.

Now throw your ideas at me!
My own thus far are:
- Catch him between his home and his office
- Infiltrate his office before he comes to work. The place is a dump, a whole squad could hide there
- Infiltrate his home before he returns from work, though this is probably something he would expect
- Ambush him in the toilet
- Get him during the lunch break
- Commit an arson and catch him during the confusion
- Just straight up drive a tank into his house at night

>>1844866
It seems he has his office well built for dealing with uncooperative customers so he likely has even more booby traps in there for when he's not there.

My choice would be
>- Catch him between his home and his office

He'd have no built in defenses to protect him, Emma could alert us the moment he clears his office. If he has a daily path he takes between office/home we could trap his route, or snipe him from a distance.

We could always have a backup tank to dissuade any pursuit if things go sour.

I doubt Sosaldt bandits attack the border regularly, it would be very difficult to make this seem like anything but a pure assassination.

>>1844820
>>I have a way of knowing if he’s by somewhere, we could do things the old fashioned way, if it’s the most reliable and safest way.

I think we should just tell them we have this resource at our disposal and let the experts figure out where the best place to hit him is.

>>1845395
Supporting

Aw im disappointed were removing the decor.

>>1844820
>I have a way of knowing if he’s by somewhere, we could do things the old fashioned way, if it’s the most reliable and safest way.
>I suppose the best way is going into the place, then? What’s the plan in that case?


Driving a tank into the area is suicide, if i recall the area is pretty flat all around and they have the equivalents of 88's leveled at the border.

>>1844820
Since the brainstorming seems to have died off, I vote for
>I have a way of knowing if he’s by somewhere, we could do things the old fashioned way, if it’s the most reliable and safest way.

Hey all

I'm over the worst of whatever flu season shit I caught from a moose or something so I'll stop slacking off and be running again later today, probably in the afternoon. We'll see if I can keep that up through the weekend, maybe further, considering that despite it being nearly a week we're still on page 3.

>>1848765
Be well man

File: nopetsfor2ndplace.png (476 KB, 469x1500)

476 KB PNG

Non-canon bullying

>why were you doing this instead of writing you hack

It's much easier to meme than it is to properly write.
...honestly this in and of itself existing is a good argument for avoiding writing while in the state of mind I was in to think this was a good idea.

>>1849084
2nd place? Even that's to kind.

Emma is clearly second followed by Mathilda

>>1849093

But Mathilda is number one. She's the ultra-thot that is forever beyond our reach.

>>1849098
I don't remember who Mathilda is...

>>1849157
Best Von Blumm

Von Blumm Rebellion 2.0 when?
>Richter returns at the head of the Silver Lances and crushes the Imperialists
>Mathilda forced to be nice to Maddalyn and us to avoid persecution and to retain her old station

>>1849168

I like how you think, anon.

>>1849168
Oh, THAT one.
I like your thinking anon. Mathilda is for bullying.

Now that were clear of the Death Heads ambush, we should consider not using the rape flower to block our little spirit trips. In case Maddy's somehow been trying to contact us that way. Also we might be able to have Emma join us by temporarily letting her share our dream.

Not now, but when were done with this assassination plot. Actually offer her a dream date as a reward.

>>1849187
>Actually offer her a dream date as a reward to Emma.

If its possible that is.

“I have a way of knowing where he is at what time,” you announced, receiving puzzled looks by all upon doing so. “…I, er,” you didn’t want to start popping off about ghosts- you didn’t need any of this rogues gallery doubting your sanity as well as your relative lack of experience, but the alternative was somewhat implausible as well…

It would have to do, you finally decided as your time for thinking ebbed away. “I had some of my men speak with members of the garrison, and track whatever movements I could, as soon as he revealed his plots against me. I have an excellent idea of where he’ll be, when, and can be sure of his demise in these cases.” You drew your finger across an imaginary road in the air, “Personally, I think our best chance would be to get him in between transit to places, where he is less protected by his surroundings. We would minimize risk of counterattack this way, too.”

Emma would have to deal with being a man for now, but otherwise, you had conveniently dodged around the truth of things while not really lying either.

“That’s great!” Gyal said excitedly, his round face bisecting into a massive, jolly grin, “Can you write down when he does what?”

…well, crap. You didn’t actually consider being able to do this sort of counter back when you could actually observe Liemanner indirectly, so you hadn’t put any times into strict memory…

“…I’ll have to compile that from my men,” you said with some slight wavering that was almost certainly picked up by everybody around you.

“Then do that.” Rune said from off the edge of the room, “We have our general plan of attack. We meet out behind this building, where we will use a car to travel to within ten kilometers of the border. We march the rest of the way, to avoid creating a detectible dust cloud. We count only on ballistic means of completing this mission. Break.”

You debated making a big show of going around to your men and “collecting information” while having Emma whisper in your ear, but being honest with yourself you thought that too much effort for really no reason; especially when Emma told you that you weren’t being followed by anybody she could notice-among her other crabbing.

“You don’t seem that off put by a ghost talking to you,” she admonished, “Everybody knows what a ghost is. Nobody would be surprised if they actually saw one, people claim to see them and talk to them all the time. Oh no, this time it’s actually real! What a surprise! Even that creepy mask guy was talking about ooh, spirits, so what’s the big deal?”

You were tempted to say I’ll tell you when you’re older or some other smartass response, but you were straight with her instead. “We can’t just tell everybody about you, or we’ll have…exorcists? Exorcists, come after us. You know what those are, right?”

“Fiiiine,” Emma said, annoyed, “So what, do you want me to tell you when this spooky guy took his dumps in the day or something?”

“No,” you said, purposely talking to Malachi as to not seem insane to the less attuned, and perhaps less insane to the actually attuned, who seemed to balloon in number by the day among those who accompanied you. “Where he went, places that seemed like regular trips. Meals, his house, bed, tranquil walks on the dusty plain, inspections, maybe reports on a telephone…”

“Well, since you wanted to shoot him while he was walking somewhere…” Emma said sourly, “You aren’t going to like what he does.”

“He stays inside all day, doesn’t-”

“Yep.” Emma chopped the end of your prediction off, “He works inside, eats inside, goes to sleep inside. He even has people delivering things to his room instead of him picking them up outside. He’s so pale that I don’t think he ever does go out…like your girlfriend is. Pale ghost skeleton. Maybe I should have stayed longer to see if he had a fat butt too.”

“That’s enough of that,” you said harshly, “There has to be something. He never even goes by a window?”

“I’ve never actually seen her,” Emma added, “I just heard while I was out. I didn’t fly under her skirt or something in secret, that’d be weird.”

“Emma.”

“Why do guys like butts anyways?”

“Please,” you began to get desperate, “Did he pass by any windows, or do anything important in rooms with windows on them?”

“There was a room with big windows all around it, full of radios, where he made big calls and long talks with some people,” Emma finally departed from the subject of derrieres, and you almost jumped for joy, until she finished with, “On the northwest corner of the big building.”

Damn. You should have known that trying to snipe him in such a convenient room wouldn’t work out. Getting an angle on the northwestern corner from over the border would be near impossible.

“You didn’t seem happy to hear that either,” Emma whined, “What do you want me to say? That he stands up on the roof every day and begs for the Judge to smite him?”

“His room,” you thought aloud, “Where on the building is his dusty office room? You know the one?”

“The east facing,” Emma said, “There was a little hole I could peek through where the window used to be, before it was bricked up. Maybe he uses it to look out for anything big? He was really paranoid. When he returned from lunch and dinner to it, he’d look out of that little space.”

“Great work,” you congratulated what may have looked like the air to most, “Excellent.”

“Sweaty, muscled men in a hot tank,” Emma said suddenly, “Don’t think I’ll let you forget.”

“A young lady shouldn’t have her mind so set on such things.”

“Come on,” Emma flared up a little, “Don’t pretend you were some lily-white pure maiden when you were my age either. There’s nothing wrong with looking, you ought to know. I know what sort of magazines even men ever so adult as yourself look at.”

“And a young lady certainly shouldn’t have her hands on such dirty literature,” you added, “Now, tell me about what times he did what…”

“But small butts are in fashion, right?” Emma pestered you and Malachi as you went around the building to meet with the rest of the assassination crew, “It’s not that big a difference if a small butt’s flat or round, right? It’s the hips and waist that are more important for guys, isn’t it?”

“Noub odd kheres abuodyuress.” Malachi gabbered.

“I agree,” you said, pretending to understand what your driver said, like you suspected the rest of your crew did whenever he said anything, “Young women really ought to fret less about things they can’t change.”

Emma made a sound as though she were about to loudly protest, but you rounded the corner and found Mask among the others, and she shut up upon seeing him.

You were, of course, immediately accosted for information as soon as you arrived, but there were no questions that were asked that you couldn’t give a satisfactory answer to.

“So are there any changes based on the new information?” you asked.

“One possible, if we had the equipment and expertise,” Rune gestured to Isek to explain, making a simple gesture in addition to the point. Apparently he didn’t like talking too much.

“If exact location is known, a single shot is preferable, from as heavy a caliber as possible,” the quiet voiced man explained, “An anti-tank rifle or similar, preferably with a skilled user, and with dampened ground to avoid dust kick-up in case of muzzle brake.”

“Sadly we don’t got anything like that,” Feodor grumbled, “Wasn’t on the list of things we thought it necessary to bring. Big, bulky, loud things, too cumbersome for mobile work.”

“Big and bulky but pierces armor well,” Gyal corrected, “Really, Feodor, just because you liked picking off the gunners in Emre doesn’t mean they aren’t more useful than you give credit for. Just buzzed in the buns that you can’t keep the rifles you like steady anymore I’d bet.”

“Machine guns’ll work fine.” Feodor insisted.

“A single, precise, heavy caliber shot would be finer.” You heard Isek advocate once more, quietly.

Rune appeared to be thinking about either or.

>Advocate for use of one of your own anti-tank rifles. You have them, after all, and trained operators in them too.
>A sniper, you say? You might have one lying around somewhere, no need for any anti-tank rifles…
>Stick with the original machine guns plan. Two machine guns filling a room with lead left no room for doubt like a single shot could, no matter how sure the placement.
>Other?

>>1851101
>Advocate for use of one of your own anti-tank rifles. You have them, after all, and trained operators in them too.
We have a sniper and a AT rifle. If need be we can follow up with the machine guns to make sure he's absolutely dead.

Why not all three? One of our anti-tank rifles, a machine gun, and a sniper. That should kill him real dead.

>>1851101
>Advocate for use of one of your own anti-tank rifles. You have them, after all, and trained operators in them too.
I'm loathe to rope in Hilda.
That being said, we ourselves are trained in AT rifles and are a really good shot.
Keep machineguns as a backup plan. We'll need someone to confirn whether Liemanner is dead after the first shot though.

>>1851101
>Richter himself, or another qualified individual, on a Anti-Tank rifle
>Machine Guns as well
No point in not applying big boolet and more dakka at once

(Unless that's against the rules)

>>1851720
>(Unless that's against the rules)

There are no international conventions limiting the amount of ordinance that can be unleashed upon a single person, and even if there were you aren't posing as the sort of entity who would adhere to such laws anyways.

>>1851705
The general idea, at least from your perspective, is to have the ghost look at it.
How you intend to explain that peculiarly specific knowledge away may be another thing.

>>1851754
We can always bring someone with binoculars as a spotter, I guess.

>>1851391
>>1851705

We also have the two towed guns and the SPG we took from the Death Heads if we seriously want a case of overkill.

>>1851981
Those would be extremely hard to get into position covertly.

“Why not just fire with as many weapons as possible?” you asked, “I have anti-tank rifles with me I can go and get.”

“Hey, hey,” Gyal grinned and clapped you on the back, “I like the way this guy thinks.”

“Needless excess,” Isek grumbled, “but no other reason, to be true.”

“Only if you’re fine with carrying it.” Feodor decided, “If you’ll hump it, then you can take it.”

“Great,” you smiled involuntarily. You wouldn’t describe yourself as violent or bloody minded, but the thought of blowing away that Liemanner cunt with an anti-tank rifle brought a strange sort of joy to your heart that was like none you’d had before. “I’ll be right back then.”

“Wait,” Rune said softly, “Loch wanted to meet with you again, one more time, with Miss Vang. He told me they’d be waiting where you met with Miss Vang in the establishment.”

“What for?” you asked.

“Just go,” Rune responded, not irritably but not patient either.

-----

You let Malachi go get the big wooden box that carried one of your 13mm AT Rifles; you would have helped him, since the things were still big enough that it was easier to transport in a two person team, but your driver had waved you away. You didn’t have any doubts about Malachi’s strength, so you let him take care of your business for you, while you took care of yours.

You went in and easily saw Loch and Signy standing in the center, along with Von Metzeler, who must have been collected from outside. You nodded to each in turn.

“You wanted to see me?” you asked Loch.

“Rather,” Loch smiled and cocked his head towards Signy, “She wanted to see you.”

“A cruel lie.” Von Metzeler grumbled, as Signy looked embarrassed, “The Lady is lacking confidence in the task she must perform.”

“I…I still have to, that doesn’t change that I have to do it, right?” Signy grimaced, “Couldn’t you just do it, Loch?”

“Impossible, my dear. You are the queen of this realm, not I.”

“Could have fooled me.” You muttered. Signy snickered at that.

“Mock my charms if you must,” Loch shrugged at you, “The point, however, is that Miss Vang does not believe herself to be superior to Bad Rott. A poor attitude when one must defeat the other in a battle of wills.”

Signy was nervously stroking her hair from front to back with the back of a stiff, secretly damaged hand.

>You already beat the guy once, right? With both hands practically tied? He’s a pansy. Go eat him alive.
>You know what’s at stake here, don’t you? Don’t mess it up.
>If you don’t stiffen that quivering upper lip and straighten that back, I’ll tell everybody I can that you like being pet like a dog.
>Other?

>>1852277
>You already beat the guy once, right? With both hands practically tied? He’s a pansy. Go eat him alive.

>>1852277
>You already beat the guy once, right? With both hands practically tied? He’s a pansy. Go eat him alive.
>(Whisper to the ear)If you don’t stiffen that quivering upper lip and straighten that back, I’ll tell everybody I can that you like being pet like a dog.

>>1852373
Second

“You already beat the guy once, right?” you asked Signy rhetorically, “With both hands practically tied? He’s a pansy. Go eat him alive.”

Signy looked uncertainly at her hands. Although they were covered by black, cloth cloves, you knew that underneath they were well bound and cast to the point of being near useless; their stiffness having already been attributed to being prosthetics instead of real hands.

“I…guess I did…ow!” The last part was a response to you rapping your knuckles on her forehead.

“Hardest head in the east, remember?” you crept in closer and whispered in her ear, “If you don’t stiffen that quivering upper lip and straighten that back, I’ll tell everybody I can that you like being pet like a dog.”

Signy flushed scarlet over her whole face. “You wouldn’t!” You only smiled evilly in response, to which she added in response, “Well, you’d better not be hoping to say a word of that to a fly!”

“You’d better start getting ready to have so many hands running over your head that you’ll be polished into a cue ball.”

Refreshingly, you noticed Signy starting to get pissed off instead of timid. You’d be wondering where she’d had gone.

“Yeah? Well…” Signy tried to come up with a retort, and failed spectacularly. “Well, I hope you like being wrong!” She finally spluttered, “Come on, you two,” she turned to the door, “Von Stupid needs to go on his sissy vacation while we do all the work around here!”

You could only smile at that. Although, hopefully, Signy’s blood being up wouldn’t meant that she’d give way entirely to force over reason.

You were soon on your “sissy vacation,” going the way from whence you came, except this time only in a medium utility vehicle, whose half cover shielded only your heavier cargo, leaving the rest of you to bake in the sun while being whipped in the wind in the open portion of the back.

The weapon crates were part of that, naturally, but there were also lighter boxes that looked like they were stuffed with grass. These were explained to you as being camouflage cloaks; intricately prepared cloaks with netting, impregnated with the dirt and dust with the region before having plants threaded through them. A more effective way of truly hiding oneself than some of the new camouflage patterns that some countries were trying out. Strossvald’s attitude towards such things were that dark or dull colored uniforms were better in general, and much cheaper to produce anyways.

There were also a few boxes of clever decoy cargoes, in case you were harried along the way; something that you were assured would happen with the increased recent traffic between the cooperating Sosaldtian territories.

You tried to interrupt some of the small talk to collect a bit of information, but could never get a satisfactory response.

“How many of you are there, with Loch?” you asked once.

“Completely irrelevant to anything.” Rune answered ahead of anybody else. All his comrades accepted this answer too, even the boisterous Gyal, who had been open to most other subjects; especially international cuisine.

A bit later, you asked where they were from. “Some of you have South Reich names,” you observed innocently, “Do you all come from different places?”

“Many. It doesn’t matter.” Rune was the one answering again. “We are almost there. Prepare to don the cloaks. Lieutenant, Malachi, you carry your heavy weaponry.”

You had predicted that the car would be moving at quite a quick pace, and had stuffed Emma into a can before you had left, much to her annoyance. You let her out once you started having to walk, the ten kilometer hike you all had to make. You knew the anti-tank rifle would start to weigh four times its weight within a quarter of that, but Strossvald noble officers knew better than to show weakness in front of the common folk.

The slightest member of the team, Isek, stayed back with the car. It was a sturdy model, capable of good off road driving, so as soon as you all had rained hell upon Liemanner, he would rush to aid you in escaping quicly if necessary; once you had retreated to a certain distance. After all, the heavy anti-aircraft guns on the border had an equally deadly anti-vehicle capability, and the dust cloud produced by a speeding vehicle would give any eager gunners an easy target to obliterate.

“Down,” Rune suddenly ordered, and everybody dropped; even you, almost reflexively, seeing everybody else fall to their bellies. “We crawl now.”

“Crawl?” you asked with disbelief, “We’re still far away…”

“If you don’t want to do it our way, then walk back to the truck,” Feodor said critically, “Otherwise, you stay as low as you can. If you aren’t breathing dust, you’re doing it wrong.”

>Roll a d100 for dust eating tolerance

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>1852538

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>1852538

While you were hardly a stranger to breathing dust, it being a natural part of operating turned out in a tank, you were usually able to keep a scarf over your face to avoid breathing too much of the stuff, in exchange for temporarily being unable to communicate clearly over the headset.

Crawling over the ground, however, meant that in addition to low level dust being constantly kicked over you and blown around you, your scarf kept slipping off. Crawling around also gave you little view of anything save for the people in front of you; the only way you knew you were going in the right direction was the occasional stop for orientation and verbal discussion confirming that nobody was lost.

“I believe now is the time, Lieutenant,” Mask said from ahead of you, “To consult with the information you have collected about our collective victim for this impending aggression.”

“What?” you asked. Did he know about Emma after all?

“Stop talking nonsense,” Feodor said gruffly, “We’ll have time, according to his schedule. Two opportunities, even.”

Emma got the message somehow, though, and floated on ahead. It was hardly difficult to outpace the rest of you; by this time, the complex was visible in the distance anyways. It would be impossible to get lost.

By the time the building became close enough to reasonable fire upon, the weight of the AT-Rifle’s crate had well and truly compacted you into a living pancake, but you didn’t complain. The final result would be worth it, you told yourself, feeling the grit of dust between your teeth and blocking up your nose, the cloth meant to prevent that slipping constantly and being difficult to adjust back into proper position.

It certainly sucked, but it wasn’t disabling.

Eventually you had crept up close enough that, though you couldn’t see the small aperture, you were certain that you could hit it with the artillery you were packing on your back.

“What’s our time like?” Rune asked Feodor.

“Forty five minutes until our friend comes back from lunch to supposedly look out his peephole,” Feodor checked a pocketwatch, “How will we know when to fire?”

You spied the peculiar blue-white flame of Emma up by a suspicious space between windows.

“I’ll fire first,” you said, starting to shuffle the crate off of your back, “My driver will be looking through binoculars to see any movement in the peephole.”

This was only half true. Really, you’d be looking for whatever signal Emma would give you. Hopefully, she’d come back and tell you what she was planning to do, or at least ask you…no, you couldn’t answer her if she asked anything. She should be clever enough to think of something obvious, though.

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>1852538
You have to love the suck richter

Emma floated away from the building, the tiny blue light in the distance going here and there; she must have been looking for you. Was it a bad thing that you were well camouflaged?

She found you eventually regardless, and wordlessly “puffed,” as a fire would if a little petrol was tossed onto it. Presumably that was the signal. She also went in a rapid little figure eight; either a second part, or something else meant to be interpreted as “I’m going,” since she left afterwards.

The Anti-tank rifle was slowly unpacked and prepared. You were careful to cover the breach as you opened it; you hardly wanted to risk a malfunction if you needed a second shot.

The wait was tantalizing. Emma appeared and disappeared several times; presumably squeezing through the hole to see if the target had come in yet.

“Come on…” you muttered, to be shushed by Malachi. Could he look through binoculars well while wearing his goggles? He didn’t complain, so he must’ve been able to.
Your own goggles, part of your getup since first obtaining your current disguise, had proven useful thus far. Goggles weren’t part of the normal tanker’s issued equipment, although purchasing them was decently popular. Now though, dust had smeared them, and you were forced to push them up to properly look down the iron sights at your target once again. You somewhat wished now that the 13mm AT Rifle had some sort of glass optic; the range at which it was effective made authorities poo-poo such a measure, but apparently, they didn’t respect its potential for sharpshooting.

You were confident you could hit the mark anyways. You’d been observing where Emma would sometimes appear and disappear. She kept in front of the place constantly, too; hopefully ghosts didn’t mind being shot through.

Suddenly, she appeared, disappeared, then reappeared again. A big puff of blue flame, twice as big as she normally was.

Your finger tightened on the trigger…

>Average of up to 3 d100, 1 dice per post
>DC roll under 60 to hit target

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>1852725
>Under 60
Oh shit

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>1852725
Sim-sim-SALADIN!

Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>1852725

I'll save this

File: whJCkA9.gif (4.84 MB, 525x277)

4.84 MB GIF

>>1852741
roll averaged out to 58

File: Spoiler Image (69 KB, 900x900)

69 KB JPG

>>1852741
You glorious bastard.

Suddenly, dust blew into your face. It stung, it was terrible, but somehow, your sight picture remained clear in your vision as your finger drew straight back and the rifle kicked so hard into your shoulder you felt your arm go numb.

The brickwork behind Emma exploded, and she dashed off to the side as a fusillade of machine gun fire blew several dozen holes throughout all of it. Chunks of masonry fell out of the wall, but as you racked open the bolt to eject the spent 13mm cartridge, Emma started racing towards you; the reason why could be easily assumed.

You still fired in unison with the machine guns until your spiritess came back, saying “You don’t have to keep shooting! Hey! Can’t you hear me? His head’s gone!”

The machine guns spent themselves, then Rune thumped his fist on the ground and made a signal for “Retreat.”

“Not another few belts to make sure?” Gyal asked as he lumbered upwards, gun in hand, already tugging at a belt from his jacket.

“If we do, we have to do it from another place,” Rune looked to you, “How sure were you of that shot?”

“Damn sure,” you said, your confidence boosted by Emma’s report. Malachi said something as well, that Mask interpreted to support what you already knew; whoever went up to that window was dead meat.

“Then we break,” Rune said, “If you can’t keep up while carrying it, then drop it. Things are about to become very uncomfortable for us out here.”

Nobody needed any further encouragement, but the raid siren that began whooping and screaming into the air certainly helped. You yourself broke off as quickly as possible…

>…leaving the rifle behind. Dead weight.
>Taking the rifle with you
>…but not before doing your best to hastily bury the rifle in dust and your coat
>Other?

Apparently my other lung decided it needs to be forcefully ejected from my craw right now

>>1852785
Correction, "cloak" not "coat," as in, the camo cloak.

>>1852785
That wasn't some other guy, right? Emma knew his face, right? Right??

>Get Malachi to carry the rifle. He's strong, let him work.

>>1852807
Supporting, switch off between the two of us if we have to.

If they find it they might recognize who last held it. At the very least they will know this was someone well equipped.

>>1852807

Seconding, as far as I know he wasn't carrying anything on the way in.

>>1852807
Seconding.

You had Malachi pick up the rifle after you. He didn’t have to lug it here, so you gave him the task of rushing it back. You couldn’t very well leave it behind, after all; an antitank rifle of Strossvald make would make it painfully obvious whoever had at least helped who was behind this, and the less information about that, the better.

Bullets weren’t cracking at your backs, but you certainly ran as if there were. The men you were accompanying were astonishingly physically fit, even the fat one, despite any appearances; you gasped for breath at a point where the rest were still running full tilt. The momentum of the group carried you forward, though.

The final shallow hill you ran up felt like a mountain, and once you were over it, and found yourself by the car you rode in on, you couldn’t help but put your hands on your knees and wheeze.

“This isn’t basic, Lieutenant!” Feodor called out to you, “You’re allowed to breathe in the truck!”

-----

You still hadn’t caught your breath when the car clattered to a slow stop in the middle of the road.

“Lieutenant,” Rune turned around in the passenger seat to address you in the back, “This was your request. Are you satisfied with what has happened? We can make a second strike if needed.”

“No,” you coughed, “That’s fine. Don’t you think we got anything alive in there?”

“Course we did,” Gyal said confidently, “Stitched the floor afterwards, crossing end to end. Nothing got out of there without at least two shots in it.”

“If the Lieutenant is satisfied,” Rune looked down the road towards the Guillotines town you had come from, “Then we shall be returning posthaste. Os is a good fellow, but he is not Loch’s shadow.”

“This Loch guy must be awfully important to have a butler assassin,” you said under your breath to Malachi, who simply stared at you.

The car started up again, and you were on your way once more.

The checkpoint guards, when you returned, were in something of a state.

“Hold there, buttheads!” the one you recognized as slightly braver blew on a whistle, “Do you know what’s going on in town right now? You can’t go another any further forward!”

“Do something about us, then,” Feodor shouted, standing up from the back, “We’re going plenty further forward. If you like we can make you more tolerable of that idea by force.”

The Guillotine man was likely not a coward, but that day, you wagered, he had been met with far more forceful opposition than he was used to. He dropped his rifle, looking defeated, then shrugged and sagged into a chair by the checkpoint. As you drove on by, you noticed him turning up the volume on a receiver set. A sports game sounded like it was being played upon it, and one was, even from just a few seconds of clues, getting the stuffing beaten out of it.

You feared, from the checkpoint guards’ attitude, that the siege would still be in full swing by the time you got back, despite it having been several hours, but you returned just in time to see it disperse. Small groups of shoddy, homemade mechanized war machines were flowing steadily away from the Town Hall that Bad Rott had made his palace, with them vast crowds, as well. You spied your own tanks still rounding the place. No violence appeared to have occurred, but it was clear who the victor was.

None of you could be blamed for trying to go straight to the town hall, to reunite with all of your allies as soon as possible, but you ran into an unforeseen obstruction.

A thing that looked like a tractor with boiler plate bolted on, angular and crude with an open superstructure that couldn’t truly be called a turret, and thick, heavy metal treads that tore up the compacted dirt roads where it went. It would have been the laughingstock of a normal battlefield, being for all practical purposes a tin shed with a man with a pair of machine guns up top, but it was much better armed and armored than the car you and Loch’s men were riding in.

That, and they were directly in your way.

“Hey,” the gunner, and presumably commander, up top, smiled broadly, “You people are with that Cyclops bitch, aren’t you? Perfect. Rott might think all’s lost, but if we get some of you in our hands, the stakes’ll be even. I’ll be a fuckin’ hero.”

“Attempting to capture us,” Rune declared loudly, a hand reaching into his belt, “Would be the worst, and last, mistake, in your miserable, short, lives.”

“Maybe,” the Guillotine leaned his shaggy haired, deeply tanned head on a hand, “Or it could be the most toothless bluff I’ve heard from a bunch without a tank. What’ll it be? If you come quietly, I’ll let you watch when Bad Rott lets me fuck Cyclops’s cute little face like the northern whore hole it is.”

>Let Rune handle this. You have the feeling he’s probably handled this sort of thing before.
>Surreptitiously level the Anti-Tank Rifle to be ready to blow away this obstruction
>How cute, a big tough guy who thinks he’s moving up in the world. Challenge him to a duel.
>Other?

>>1853846
Let run handle this, prep the at gun

>>1853846

>Let Rune handle this. You have the feeling he’s probably handled this sort of thing before.
>Surreptitiously level the Anti-Tank Rifle to be ready to blow away this obstruction

Would like to point out that we'd probably have to go prone to use the AT rifle unless we let Malachi fire it due to the recoil.

>>1853892
>>1853972

Supporting

>>1853972
Supporting

>>1853846
>Let Rune handle this. You have the feeling he’s probably handled this sort of thing before.
>Surreptitiously level the Anti-Tank Rifle to be ready to blow away this obstruction
We can probably set the rifle on the truck cabin's roof

You decided that Loch’s “shadow,” Rune, could probably handle this, but you cracked open the crate the AT Rifle had been placed into nevertheless. The awful pile of crap in front of you couldn’t have been crewed by more than two; if you were forced to eliminate the gunner, you could skewer the gunner with a 13mm bullet soon after.

“Well?” the Guillotine had the machine gun still trained directly on Rune, “Come on, hands up, lie down on the ground, you know the deal. Do you need to have your rights told to you or some nonsense?”

“No,” Rune leaned back and crossed his arms, “I simply see no point in doing the will of a dead man.”

“One of us’ll be a dead man first-“ the Guillotine said irritably before a rifle cracked above and behind him. You heard something clang inside the tank, near the driver’s space. Somebody had shot into the vehicle from above? You looked around, as did the rogue that was threatening you.

“Who’s there?-“ he began to shout, hauling the gun around. A fatal mistake that he would not be able to realize in time. With a swift motion, Rune drew a strange pistol with an unorthodox shroud over it, and with a soft pop, the Guillotine tank gunner collapsed backwards and fell over, a macabre spew of blood spurting from an ear into the air like a gory fountain.

“Gyal. Isek.” Rune said, stretching back again, “Clean up this mess. We will reconvene with you two later.”

Without a word, a passenger in the back and the driver both moved, Rune taking the place of the driver. They had quickly unpacked large sheets from somewhere, as well as sinister looking bottles with strange labels on them. Quite a bit of effort, presumably, to make these unlucky chuckleheads mysteriously disappear.

“How did you know that was going to happen?” you asked Rune.

“We’ve been being followed since we came back into town,” Rune yawned, “I tire of speaking. Feodor.”

Feodor glared at his superior, but picked up where Rune left off. “Some suspicious figure’s been sneaking around on the rooftops. Quite an athletic person, considering the irregularity and gaps. Either that or extremely well motivated. Their weapon was kept on their back until we ran into this interruption; it was simple to deduce that they held no strong feelings against us.”

“They could have easily been one of the Guillotines by that logic,” you contested.

“The Guillotines don’t use female fighters.” Feodor said.

“You could tell?”

“The way she was dressed, most women wouldn’t look any different. Some, like this one, just have too much curvature to hide it.” Feodor dug a cigar out of his pocket, “I suppose she’s one of yours. Look at you, commenting on how Loch’s got a shadow while you’ve got your own. How important are you, I wonder.”

>I am the Richter of the storied house of Von Tracht. I am hardly anybody important…yet.
>I think I like being a mystery as much as Loch does. Better luck figuring out who I am some other time.
>I’m nobody important. I just have a few fervent admirers.
>Other?

>>1854400
>>I’m nobody important. I just have a few fervent admirers.

>I’m nobody important. I just have a few fervent admirers

>>1854400
>I’m nobody important. I just have a few fervent admirers.
WTF, Hilda's gone full stalker now? We need to talk to her abou things.

>>1854400
>I’m nobody important. I just have a few fervent admirers.

Sometimes I wonder if our good Lieutenant just wishes he could meet a normal girl.

“I’m nobody important,” you said, looking up and around for this not so mysterious savior, but they had already left. “I just have a few fervent admirers.”

“Hopefully not too fervent.” Feodor grunted gruffly.

“Perhaps too fervent.” You admitted.

“In what way?”

“That’s not important.”

“Fine enough,” Feodor retreated into himself. “Rune, no more taking this Lieutenant along, in case he has any more special requests.”

The front of the town hall was a commotion. Von Metzeler looked down upon you from the cupola of your tank. When he raised his eyebrows at you, you gave him a thumbs up, to which he saluted. A mutual understanding that success had been seen on all fronts.

You left Malachi with your tank, but followed Rune and company up into the grand building…rather, grand, considering the state of most of the rest of the town. Three stories, even with a little clock tower above it, would have been puny in Strosstadt, but here it towered above most of its sister constructions.

You found Signy and Loch on the third floor, along the way spying a room guarded by a pair of what must have been Loch’s men. Signy was bouncing in place on her heels, looking like she was about to start dancing. When she saw you, she thrust her arms into the air and cried “Woooo!” she spun around and fell towards you.

You got out of the way.

“Ow!” Signy sat up on the floor, among a storm of paperwork she had knocked off of a desk and chair she had tumbled herself into, “You were supposed to catch me!”

You shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Oh, I don’t care that much,” Signy said as she jumped back up, without having to push herself up with her hands, “We’ve got this in the bag!”

“Bad Rott didn’t like dealing with Miss Vang’s imagination while also being assured that my men would exact her wishes,” Loch smiled uncomfortably, “and she has quite the imagination when it comes to mistreating genitals.”

“She’s always been tragically perverted,” you agreed.

“No I haven’t been! And am not!” Signy protested, “That’s not important anyways! Bad Rott forfeited his position as leader of all his clans! Each town’s still their own things, but they all answer to…ahem, The Republic of Vang. Ehehehe. More like the Republic of Vain right now, isn’t it? But the idea was Loch’s.”

You looked at Loch like one would look upon a man who’d played a prank upon somebody who hadn’t deserved it. “What a flamboyant present. Like some ship captain naming his vessel after his lover. Almost as if you were fond of her.”

Loch smirked and closed his eyes. “Only a fool would not be fond of Miss Vang, but only a fool would marry her.”

“Stop teasing me when I’m right here!” Signy, lacking any suitable hands to hit you with, instead bashed you with her head. Damn, she really did have a rock skull. “We’re going back to the Red and White after the Geniburg Police come to pick up Bad Rott. Do you want to come and celebrate? They’ve got good drinks on tap, and my tab’s endless…”

>Pass. You didn’t want to; you’d rather do something else. (Write in task)
>Why not? You had been doing nothing but winning lately. You would just have to drink responsibly; something you always did.
>Other?

>>1854467
He hasn't exactly been looking for one to be fair, and he hasn't declined to stay away from the abnormal

>>1854497
>>Why not? You had been doing nothing but winning lately. You would just have to drink responsibly; something you always did.

If no other reason than that Signy would probably enjoy it, and she deserves a break.

>>1854497

>Why not? You had been doing nothing but winning lately. You would just have to drink responsibly; something you always did.

We must hug the sad sniper.

>>1854497
Pass. I sort of want to go meet with the ironhogs. We're not staying around forever to babysit Signy, and Loch is slimey.

If we can get them to team up it'd be better, specifically to Signys Republican ideals. I'm not sure if Strossvald wants a new Republican leaning microstate across the border, but I'm sure we can leverage the fact that we are connected with it's major players into a positive spin.

Also I'd like to do a bit of low-key reconnoitering of the deaths heads base before we attack, maybe get Emma to tell Maddy were coming for her.

>>1854508
Supporting.
Tsk tsk, naming the Republic after herself? How...."aristocratic".

>>1854510
Also, we need to move fast. We don't know if Liemanner has some sort of prearranged plan with his guy there, that if he should stop sending regular messages he might act.

Maybe that wasn't Liemanner at all and just a standin and the real one is on the other end of the radio receiver. Getting someone inside who can talk to Maddy and us should be our number 1 priority. Considering Liemanner handlers know about us anyways, and if they start realizing were actually solidifying the Vang Republics foundation they'll more then likely do something to Maddy to get us back in line.

>>1854531
I was hoping someone wouldn't bring that up. Don't give our QM any ideas >_<.

Anyway while we go to the afterparty, we should hold another meeting between our commanders and the Republicans to discuss our next steps.

>>1854539
I still for think we should hold off on any celebration until after we succeed in what we initially came here to do anyways. Considering how were on an even shorter time limit before the put two and two together.

Also the guys we fucked up in the valley. Theonger we wait the more chance that they'll make it back ahead of us. It's not at all unlikely for them.to have gotten a car. Meet up with one of their connections and truck everyone back

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>>1854531
>Maybe that wasn't Liemanner at all and just a standin and the real one is on the other end of the radio receiver.

>>1854608
>>1854531
Tanq can't be that devilish, could he?

>>1854497
>Pass. You didn’t want to; you’d rather do something else. (Write in task)

We should get moving, resupply food and ammo if we need it. I know Loch said he wouldn't be able to start attacking until two days from now but the sooner we get into position and recon the Castle the better.

We can all celebrate properly when we have Maddy and the hostages back.

>>1854676
Yes, yes he can and will

>>1854497
Im also of the opinion that we should atleast reconnoiter the Deaths Head base, maybe even get Emma to find her like >>1854510 suggested. If anything getting Emma in there could prove invaluable as she maps out the fortress, finding out where the hostages are kept and their situation.

I also feel it was a little too easy taking out Liemanner and that the real one could still be lurking around somewhere.

And I might just be paranoid, but I really, really dont trust Loch to uphold his end.

>>1854810
I agree anon, paranoia is key here. I believe that Loch is operating in a similar capacity as we are. Except instead of getting excellent tanks, his country's intelligence services provided a group of scarily competent assassins.

Whatever his actual objective is hopefully doesn't concern us or Strossvald.

Also:
>When she saw you, she thrust her arms into the air and cried “Woooo!” she spun around and fell towards you.
>You got out of the way.

THE BULLYING IS REAL

>>1854676
I wouldn't do something that devious unless I thought of it before the possibility was raised in discussion, otherwise it wouldn't be fair.

All I'll say is that one of the first things he did was admonish you for thinking you were better than he was at his own game.

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>>1854676
>Tanq can't be that devilish, could he?

>>1854846
>All I'll say is that one of the first things he did was admonish you for thinking you were better than he was at his own game.

“I cannot,” you said, “I do not think not is the time to rest on what laurels we have, especially in my case.”

“Oh.” Signy’s mood faltered, “…I guess. You really shouldn’t keep her waiting…”

“As little as possible,” you agreed, “Loch. You said something about directing the force of your coalition against the Death Heads, did you not? After two days?”

Signy looked over at Loch, wide eyed. Loch himself merely continued to stand there, eyes closed, hands in his pockets.

“Ha, hoh, no.” Loch laughed, “Two days is when we might have an artery into their lands. Mobilizing for war could take longer, perhaps four to five days from now, at least. And that would be charging into a fight that we certainly would be unable to win, with that little preparation.”

“The Death Heads have many tanks and heavy weapons, don’t they?” Signy said, incredibly uncertain, “You’ve seen the sort of equipment the Guillotines have, haven’t you, Richter? That’s the only sort of tanks and that sort of thing we have. This republic’s barely a week old…we can’t afford to go into something we don’t have a hope of winning.”

“There may be many more of us,” Loch turned his hands out and laid them palm up in a half shrug, “But it would be extremely easy for your enemies to make it not worth our time. We do not have a corps of well trained, disciplined soldiers who can make an advantage out of our particular advantages and disadvantages. As of now, we simply do not have the mechanized power to match the Death Heads.”

You thought back to all of the equipment you left, scuttled, in the mountains. That would have been quite helpful right now, but how could you have known you would need it? Whatever. What was gone was gone; at least it wasn’t getting ready to roll straight up your rear end.

“I thought you were going to only make an incursion,” you recalled, “To distract them.”

“Of course, but if their leader has any brains at all, he will eventually be able to force a confrontation between two major contingents.” Loch stepped over to a sturdy desk, and arranged some writing instruments into formations. “You see, the elaborate plan I have in mind requires somewhat more preparation than simply unleashing the hounds. With our current equipment and skill, most of our forces could not be trusted to win five against one against any Death Heads formation. Lacking armor and artillery support, as well as moral conviction, they would simply fall apart. We will have forces meet in a decisive battle; it is inevitable, when they are simply so much faster than we are on average. If we do not fight somewhere, then they will simply hunt down the slower aspects and destroy them piecemeal. A slow, inglorious defeat. However,” Loch moved one side’s pieces all about, then concentrated the other side. “With proper coordination and planning, as well as access to certain territories, we can strike with many more times the strength than they can expect. Battles in this harsh land work like dominoes; one major defeat tends to lead to many more.”

“You seem to be awfully sure of how this will work in your head,” you said, sticking a finger forward to keep a pen from rolling onto the floor, “How can you be so sure this will work in reality? Your words conflict with each other, at one point you want to avoid a fight, and the other, you want to force one?”

Loch played at offense. “I have had much more seemingly nonsensical plans come to fruition. As long as you place your trust in me, I can guarantee to you that the final result of my plan will happen.”

Signy seemed utterly lost, but she spoke up anyways. “In two days, don’t we have that thing with Lord…What’s his face?”

“Lord King Wossehn, yes,” Loch said, “He will be hosting a banquet in two days, with all of the regional powers in attendance. Miss Vang and I will be in attendance, naturally, trying to expand our fledgling federation.”

“Is he himself influential?” You asked.

“He thinks he is much more than in actuality.” Loch made a dismissive gesture, “He only holds a small town, and is astoundingly rich due to having his claws in numerous overseas investments. He only has a small guard, but he remains where he is, playing in his fairy tale castle like he is true nobility, because it is simply more profitable to work with him and his numerous business connections, since reestablishing them without him would be far too difficult. In exchange for his business, all the locals humor him at his festive gatherings of silk and wine.”

“Loch has these ridiculous costumes prepared for that,” Signy moped, “He had some hoity toity tailor come and measure everything from the width of my head to the length of my toes. I don’t see why I can’t just show like this. Nobody needs to see some mean bitch called “Cyclops” in an evening gown.”

“You only say that because you have never been to a court,” Loch said knowingly, “and have also never worn an evening gown in your life. Making men inordinately excited has let you make a very big power play almost completely by accident. Methinks you should not discount the powers femininity can grant you.”

“Bah,” Signy puffed, “If it isn’t gold or gunpowder, what good is it?”

“And who said that?” Loch asked.

“I don’t remember.”

“Perhaps you should brush up on your studies, my unassuming rose,” Loch sat lazily upon a desk, “In case you end up not liking what came before and after the quote, which could affect its true meaning.”

“Well, who said it?” Signy asked impatiently.

“Kaiser Pieter the First,” you recited, “Grandfather of the current Kaiser Henrik.”

“Good memory, Lieutenant,” Loch clapped thrice, “Now, what was the context?”

“I’ll save that for later,” you said, very much wanting to move on, “Unless you have anything for me to do in the meantime, I would like to reconnoiter the Death Heads’ lands, or possibly move and meet a group called the Iron Hogs. Have you heard of them?”

“I’ve heard they’re really strong,” Signy said wistfully, “Also, that some Strossvalder noble used to lead them. Some visionary in armored combat, who was disgraced in his homeland. They beat the Blood Suns some years back.”

“Indeed,” Loch nodded, “A very might mercenary company, with large stores of mechanized equipment. I daresay they would be a match for the Death Heads in their equipment alone, and they are certainly supposed to be much more skilled; the match of the fabled Archduchy’s Silver Lances, if the ostentatious rumors are to be believed. Such rumors, however,” Loch produced a coin from nowhere and flipped it, eyes flashing, “also say their prices are as exorbitant as their service is reliable.”

“I have ways of mitigating such things,” you touched the slab of pure gold in your pocket, “Do you have any objections that I should hear?”

“I’d rather you come and have fun with me,” Signy grumbled, “But I guess you should do what you think is best.”

“If you would like a more relaxing project,” Loch offered, “the mechanized forces here leave much to be desired. You are a graduate of the Armor Academy of the Archduchy, are you not? Perhaps you would like to play teacher. I am tragically lacking in proper experts to teach such things, but if you would like to improve our chances in the battle to come, I am sure you could make some leaps in even just two days. After that, you can come with us to the ball at Wossehn’s castle. Does that sound less like you are merely idling?”

>Leave and march eastwards to Todesfelsen, home base of the Death Heads, and do recon.
>Go further eastward and meet with the Iron Hogs
>Stay and train some of the mechanized goons, then go to the ball in two days.
>Other questions/actions?

>Also, one could go to the social in time from Todesfelsen, but not from the Iron Hogs territory.

Sorry that this was the only update I got out today, my Lung Cancer or whatever the fuck it is cropped up again and I spent most of today sleeping.

>>1857166
>>Stay and train some of the mechanized goons, then go to the ball in two days.

>>1857166
Also, that some Strossvalder noble used to lead them. Some visionary in armored combat, who was disgraced in his homeland.

Is that just me or does that sound like Richters uncle? Anyhoe I want to check them out.
>Go further eastward and meet with the Iron Hogs

>>1857215
That absolutely was Richter's uncle, we know this from the former merc in our employ.

>>1857166
>Leave and march eastwards to Todesfelsen, home base of the Death Heads, and do recon.
And try to meet with Riverman and arrnage for a referse kidnapping through supernatural means.

>>1857166
Here's what I propose:
Leave some of our guys to train the local forces here.
Us personally to recce Todesfelsen
Ask Loch if he can make contact with the Iron Hogs;see if our uncle is still in charge. If possible then we can try to send an envoy while we attend the ball. (Preferably someone who knows him personally such as Cpt Honnereig.)

>>1857241
Our uncle is rumored to have died by choking on vsome meat.

>>1857267
Exactly why we should check if the rumour is true or not. We should at least find out who's in charge right now anyway

>>1857166
Go to Todosfelsan, if it's more then a day away go without the flower thing for the night.
Check out the area low-key, get Emma to Snoop around. If it's to tough to force something covertly go to the iron hogs.

I still think establishing someway to communicate with Maddalyn through Emma is a priority.

Also Loch is probably trying to sell Signy to Wossehn or something.

>>1857241
>Leave some of our guys to train the local forces here.
>Us personally to recce Todesfelsen

I would do the opposite, I would think we're better at training being an academy graduate and our men would be better at recon, at least some of them like Hilda.

>>1857166
Please don't die tanq, we need more bullying Signy and flustered Maddy.

>Richter and chosen escorts to Todesfelsen to find Riverman/recon terrain/go a day without Blackflower
>Tank Commanders to train mechanized goons
>Captain Honnereig and his picked escorts to make overtures to Iron Hogs

I want Richter to do all of these things in person but the longer we wait the more likely Maddy is hurt now that we've SWEET BABY JESUS HE BETTER BEkilled Liemanner since he won't be reporting in regularly. Hopefully one side effect of shooting up the radio room is that it will take some time for the border guards to pass that information along.

We need Richter personally contact Riverman, and it would greatly help to see what we're up against if we wanted to attack immediately after the ball.

While it would be good to train the goons Richter himself doesn't need to do it since we have the numerous and capable Vons plus Krause on hand.

Having Richter contact the Iron Hogs would give us a foot in the door since their leader was our Uncle but from what we've heard their new leader wouldn't necessarily be our ally. Likely they would demand both money and proof of our worthiness before even considering an alliance. Simple family connections likely don't have much weight around here. Cap Honnreig at least might be 'prestigious' enough to at least make them listen.

I have a feeling splitting up will just make us that much less effective at all of these plans but time is of the essence.

“I’ll leave most of my men here to beat your goon squads into shape,” you decided, “I, however, will be departing. I want to see this place with my own eyes. I’ll only take a few people, and my tank.”

“The roads aren’t safe, you know,” Signy warned you, looking worried, “Do you think you’ll be alright?”

“I will make sure not to do anything too foolish,” you reassured Signy, “I do have quite a valuable piece of equipment, so I’ll make sure I don’t arrive at situations where it could be stripped from me.” You looked to the more suspicious half of your hosts, “Loch. Can you make any contact with the Iron Hogs mercenaries? I want to meet with them.”

Loch shook his head, smiling as usual. “We’ve come far too recently to have any reliable lines that far. However, I would count on at least a representative of theirs showing at Wossehn’s in two days. Will you make time for the party?” Loch asked, “I hear Wossehn accounts for broad and exotic tastes. Even one so focused on busying yourself as you would likely find something you enjoy.”

“I might have time, I might not,” you went for the stairs, “We’ll see on the day. Until then, I bid you farewell.”

You gathered your officers and told them of your plans.

“While you all are here helping make what you can of these jokes of fighters in two days,” you said to your tank officers, “I will be ahead in Todesfelsen, seeing what I can find out about our ultimate objective. Meanwhile, Bat Company,” you pointed to Captain Honnrieg and a pair of NCOs he had brought, “will choose some people to go and meet with the Iron Hogs mercenary band further east. I want to make contact with them as soon as possible; they could be a great help.”

To be honest, you also wanted to meet with them out of curiosity. You had a strong feeling that your uncle, for whatever reason after being discharged, had run off into Sosaldt and founded this organization. Sadly, rumors also stated that he had passed on, but you wanted to see his legacy nevertheless. That the Iron Hogs could help you defeat the Death Heads was merely a bonus.

“Hm,” Honnrieg thought, “Why us?”

“I have strong reason to believe Heller Von Tracht was a founding member of the Iron Hogs,” you said, not bothering to explain too deeply what your reasoning was, “Even though all information points to him not being in charge of the mercenaries any more, I would think that any who were his friends would at least be given a foot in the door.”

“Very well,” Honnrieg looked between his two aides, “If we’re going to range that far, though, I want all of my men to go with me. I’m not going to dick around with nothing but a fire team this deep inside enemy lines.”

“I could allow that,” you said reluctantly. “Any remaining here, I think would be quite safe considering that we have allies here.”

That was a half-truth, since you didn’t trust Loch or his men as far as you could throw them, but you at least trusted Signy to do her best to keep your men safe. At the very least, you expected Loch to respect her position of authority enough to keep her appeased.

That only left the specifics of how you were going to go about this.

>You don’t need many people for what you’re going to do; less would actually be preferable. Let Honnrieg take all his men, and you’ll take just your tank and its crew.
>You had a feeling your stalker was going to follow you anyways, so why not take her along with your crew and tank? Honnrieg could take all his men, and the rest would stay here to train with the new republican “army.”
>One tank and one crew wasn’t safe enough. You would take two, just to be safe (Write in who and what vehicle; also if you’re taking Hilda in this case)
>Honnrieg could do with a few less people. Take some of his men to help increase your safety. (Write in how many; there’s seventeen in total, not including the captain, and two are NCO leaders)
>Other?

>>1858009
Honnrieg can go with all the guys and trucks he needs, as well as an armored escort if he wants. Give them some bars to in case they need it or spot something they could buy.

I dont particularly like the idea of leaving our tankers and mechanics with so little security considering the Guillotines could come back in the night or something and that I ~really~ dont trust Loch to steal all our shit or hold it ransom.
Anyone else feel he is an Imperial Agent?

Ask Hilda if she wants to tag along, then we can ask her how she managed to get up on the roofs and jump around so quickly.

I also think a tank is to conspicuous, especially ours. We should just take a civilian car or truck. Save on fuel that way and not put unnecessary wear on the engine.

If other anons agree, I think we should have Honnrieg stay and if we can, see if there is an envoy at the party. I really dont like the idea of separating to many of our guys, especially with all the gold were carrying. We actually shouldnt even talk about that gold at all.

>>1858046
>Have Honnrieg stay put and try to contact the Iron Hogs envoy at the ball
I'm not keen on sending less than a platoon anywhere.
>Take a tank that would be inconspicuous, probably a T-15, and a truck with a few soldiers
Some bulletproof armor will cut off a whole lot of potental threats
>Take Hilda along

>>1858009
Well if there's going to be an envoy coming here no worries about seeing them then.

>>1858106
Mostly supporting this but I'd argue that if we are going to reconnoiter Todesfelsen we should either do it in force or with only one or two cars.

The odds of us hitting a Death Heads patrol are waaay too high so we either need to secure against it with overwhelming firepower or make our group as small as possible.

If we get caught it's over.

>>1858287
>>1858106
>>1858046
Before we divide our men we should question our prisoner on their patrolling habits first.

“On second thought,” you told Honnrieg, “You can stay here and go off to some party in a couple of days. Ask Loch…no, Signy, about it.”

“Who the hell is Signy?” Honnrieg asked, confused.

“Cyclops,” you corrected yourself. “I’m going to ask our pet Death Head a few questions before I make a final decision.”

You appreciated that Honnrieg hadn’t noted that you had been referring to somebody who, as far as the captain knew, was the fearsome leader of a big, united band of Sosaldtian rogues, by her first name. If he had been ready and on the draw, he could have easily compared you again with the less favorable aspects of your uncle’s personality.

It gave you pause for thought, on your way out. Liemanner had wanted you to go out and have a series of one night stands for the purpose of making a litter of half-noble bastards to start up some sort of harebrained scheme at making a new upper echelon of society, or whatever his true plan was, wouldn’t your uncle have already done that? Heller Von Tracht was known for being quite lecherous, and despite having no children while he was in Strossvald, in his banishment he could have easily thrown such societal conventions to the wind. Theoretically, he would have already done you work for you.
Yet if Liemanner wanted you to do such a thing, you had to conclude that Hell either hadn’t brought his true identity along with him, or that he had continued a largely solitary life. Most puzzling.

You found Jasque where you expected, shackled to the inside of a truck. He didn’t make any appearance of having struggled or tried to get out; judging by his relaxed posture inside, he had simply accepted this new fate. Perhaps, for him, it was actually a preferable change in fortunes.

“Ey,” the Death Head jingled his chains at you, “I suppose my services as an endless fountain of knowledge are needed again.”

“Perhaps.” You said, squatting down in front of him, “I trust that you are comfortable enough these days for you to speak easily?”

“Eh, I liked being tied to a post in a dark room better when it was a woman doing it,” Jasque splayed both his legs out, “Five out of ten. I get bored out of my mind and the thugs you have outside keeping an eye on me don’t let me whack off inside your truck. Most exciting part of my day is when I’m let out to take a piss.”

“Dirty the inside of my truck and you’re going to be chained to the underside instead,” you warned, “Now, tell me about how you Death Heads manage your home territories. Specifically, how you do patrols.”

“Patrols?” Jasque sighed, “What do you care? You’re dressed like Grey Gunners, right? You shouldn’t catch any shit as long as you don’t look like a two bit gang of yahoos with pistols could squeeze you for toll.”

“You seem awfully confident of that.”

“Of course I’m confident. What, did you think we just shook down everybody who walked in?” When you met your prisoner with silence, he grimaced, “Sheesh, you think we can keep things up like that? The main town mines gold and copper and pumps drugs, we can’t just sell that to nobody. The villages grow shit, too. We just go around to make sure nobody’s mucking about with our traffic. If you don’t look like you’re trying to cause trouble you’ll be find. I’d be more worried with what you might find on the way, or about raiders who hang around right on the borders, but only if I were, like, by myself.”

“Raiders?” you prompted him.

“Bands of maybe four to five assholes. Not much badder than a mugger in a dark alley. Pussies who’re waiting for some dumb cunt to stick up or kidnap. If there’s an equal amount of them to you, they won’t dare come close. They don’t tend to be clever enough to make it for long anyways. You travel around in a mob with tanks, really you shouldn’t give a goddamn about them.”

“I see,” you said, “If I were to go into this town, who should I watch out for?”

“Well, you can’t mess with Death Heads, of course,” he pointed out, “When we’re not working as Blood Suns, of course, we’ve either got skull shit on us, or we’ve got some mix of black and white on us, like a scarf or a kerchief. You’ve seen how places like this do it. The real good guys have those black jackets with the thin white trim like the Netillians have, with all the northern symbols taken off, of course.”

The uniform of the Netillian Party Police. A symbol, perhaps, to how false the current state’s “democracy” truly was.

“Also, there’s the Blue Ribbons,” Jasque added, “They’re our girlfriends, basically.”

“Slaves?”

“No,” Jasque said, defensively and harshly, “Girlfriends. They come to us willingly. They get the life, really, and they can boss around the rest of the people in the villages and town for whatever they want. All they have to do is look pretty and warm the baths and beds. Point is, you don’t mess with them or they tell on you and you get the shit beaten out of you.”

“Good thing that I wasn’t planning on doing that.”

“Oh, yeah,” Jasque added as an afterthought, “Of course, to get into town, you gots to pay a toll if you’re not from around. A pretty big one if you’re there to buy or sell anything, but I bet you could get in cheap if you make like you want to join up. Free, even, if you’ve got a tasty looking ladything with you.”

A shame. The only woman you had access to right now wasn’t widely described as anything close to…however physically attractive on had to be to look “tasty.”

>Take a car or truck, and only four to five people; your crew, and Hilda
>Take a tank as planned before
>Take multiple tanks (Write in type, as well as the accompanying commander)
>Other? (Questions, or alternative actions)

>>1859585
>>Take a car or truck, and only four to five people; your crew, and Hilda

Hey guys? Wasn't taking the hostages all Selgess's idea? I don't really see what reason the Blood Suns have to still hold on to them and feed and house them, let alone fight for them. What if we just drove up and asked for them back, maybe threw in a few bars of gold, and promised Strossvald would hold no ill will against them or take any retaliatory action?

>>1859648
Seconded, and also a possibility; but their masters may disagree. Also if I wanted to negotiate with them directly I'd make sure that we bring more than just a car.

>>1859585
>Take a car or truck, and only four to five people; your crew, and Hilda

>>1859648
It might have been Selgess's idea, but the hostages are already at the base so why not bargain for them anyway?
And we probably won't have enough gold to buy them all, especially if they know Maddy is a daughter of a territorial lord.

>>1859585
>Take a car or truck, and only four to five people; your crew, and Hilda

>>1859585
Take car or truck

Tell Maddy to get that pen out of her eye

take the ghost as well she can probably check on and then reassure maddy that we are going to save her

>>1859585
>Take a car or truck, and only four to five people; your crew, and Hilda

If we take the truck I am calling it here that a band of raiders is going to try and fuck with us but it will be easier to blend in.

But if we pay their 'toll' with gold bars we're going to have a problem as we get hustled down. Do we have currency we can use instead? Or at least exchange? We still have to bring some for Riverman though.

We also need to come up with a reason to be there, trading? Freelance work? Shit, just entertainment?

I doubt they'd let the hostages go for free, and I doubt we would ever have enough bars to buy them all. And Maddy is probably literally a King's ransom so we have to rescue her.

>>1859936

There are no kings in Strossvald so I don't think it can literally be a kings ransom.

>>1859936
We dont need to pay the Riverman on the spot. He knows we have the gold.

Just be straight up, were Grey Gunners, part of a larger group looking for work and were shopping around. With any luck they'll give us a tour of the base.

>>1859939
An Archdukes Ransom

>>1859936
Definitely not bringing any gold along for this one.

>>1859936
To clear a few things upl

You do have Union Marks, the currency of Valsten, to use. As far as you know, anything that's backed by a bank somewhere in the world is acceptable here, so you can use those. However, since you've also been using those to buy supplies, you don't exactly have that much of it.

Barter is also a widely accepted form of exchange so you can just use whatever crap you have that you feel you can get rid of as "cash," even ammunition that doesn't have an equivalent gun in common circulation can be sold to scrappers who will dig out the splodey bits and melt down whatever can't be cut down or re-purposed.

You only need to pay the ripoff trader tax if you go there and try and sell a lot of something. It's more an act against professional merchants rather than dinguses who are passing by. Really, as long as you keep your current cover as mercenaries with no current allegiances looking for a new paymaster, you should do fine.

As >>1859942 says, the sort you're posing as is hardly uncommon, so if you nod your head and smile and do the typical bullshit of acting like you're interested you can go far in all likelihood.

Anyways I'm going to have my second and third cup of coffee and then eat some shit before I start for the day.

>>1859991

I would actually suggest eating food instead of shit, especially if you're sick.

>>1860000
Quads don't lie I suppose.

>>1860000
it might be the reason Tanq is so sick, its the shitty diet he's on

You decided, given the circumstances, it was safest to take a car or truck with a minimal complement to go scout out Todesfelsen. Perhaps you would be at risk of attack by raiders, but you felt confident you could outmatch such a foe. Additionally, you would blend in better the less of you there were.

You knew where you could find your crew, but you sent Emma after them anyways. Although she tended to keep close to you whenever you let her out, she had a tendency to be distracted by sights and sounds instead of being invested in whatever activity or discussion you were in, so you often forgot she was even around…as much as one could forget about a floating ball of ethereal flame.
Besides, you thought it better to speak with Hilda alone.

You found her rather easily, since you knew she should have been close. She was crouched down by one of the trucks, staring at the ground with her hood over her head. It seemed as if she was trying to keep her face out of sight; she wasn’t properly seated to be napping.

“Hilda,” you addressed her. She snapped up quickly, and stared at you. “We’re going on a scouting mission, and I thought you would be interested. And useful. Do you want to come?”

“You don’t need to ask me if I want to, you know…” Hilda pointed out, “But…I do.”

“Good,” you nodded, “While we’re here, though, I noticed you were jumping around up on the roofs.”

Hilda looked surprised that you knew that. “I…didn’t think you noticed.”

“I didn’t some others did. Thank you for that save, by the way. We were in a real spot there.”

If you said this around Loch’s group that you had been accompanying, you had the feeling that Rune would have very much disagreed, but you didn’t see any reason not to butter up Hilda’s ego.

Hilda smiled slightly at you. “It was nothing. I was just…around.”

A lie you didn’t feel like pointing out at the moment. You’d talk to Hilda about her stalking problem another time, when you weren’t getting ready to set out.

“Climbing on roofs isn’t the first thing I’d have thought you’d do, though,” you said, “Did you always do that?”

“I…climbed trees,” Hilda said as an explanation, “Being in a higher place is always good for visibility…no matter what you’re hunting. Sometimes it’s the best place for an ambush. I’ve always been…practiced, for that kind of thing.”

Hilda pulled back the sleeve of her jacket and showed you her bare arm, before bending it. It bulged with taut, hard muscle as she coiled it in towards herself. It looked good, you could admit to yourself; it was powerful, but still feminine; hard, but smooth.

You must have not been looking at it with as neutral an expression as you thought you were, because Hilda blushed ever so slightly and batted her eyes in another direction.

“It helps that…the buildings here have a lot of hand and footholds. They’re easier to climb than most trees…”

“Anyways,” you turned about and beckoned Hilda to follow, “We’ll be setting out as soon as possible. Come on.”

-----

For the coming mission, you made up your mind to get a proper heavy duty car. A truck would do, but you missed having the utility of a staff car at your potential disposal. The closest thing you had was the PzA-19, which besides being an armored car, was nearly as big as a Handelwagen’s automobile component itself. You needed something less conspicuous, in a military sense.

After very little effort, you found it. A beaten up old 1927 Von Alterbaum Land Cruiser; a fancy, but durable car. When the seller saw you making eyes at the aesthetic curves of the luxury yet heavy duty vehicle, he panicked, noticing who you were, and insisted that you have it for free.

You insisted that he see Loch about covering the costs of it nevertheless.

Finally, you left your gold and your tank with Von Metzeler. He saluted grimly as you explained to him that you probably wouldn’t be gone for long, but that he was left in charge around here just in case.

After packing the necessities for the trip; some spare clothing, food and water, petrol tanks, cash, a healthy brace of pistols and a pair each of submachine guns and carbines, as well as enough ammunition to be prepared, though not so much as too seem overly cautious, you had all the parties packed into the car, and Emma packed into her can for safe keeping. After a cursory examination of the vehicle’s dials and an approving couple syllables upon testing the engine and transmission, Malachi took all of you out on a drive for Todesfelsen.

You had procured a more detailed map of the local territories, of course, despite it being certainly out of date and likely not that helpful for determining where whose territory began and ended, as it only showed towns and roads, with nary a mention of topography. Judging by where some roads wound, however, it was safe to say that you would be passing through some hilly terrain.

At about forty or so kilometers away, Todesfelsen could theoretically be reached within an hour or so, but you had been advised to take the roads slowly, and to even possibly take wide detours to avoid places where traps could be set. It was thus half an hour in and you hadn’t reached the first town on your list of stops, but you had also not come under any assault either.
Small talk had returned quickly after the initial nerve of having set out into unknown and unfriendly territory. All still kept an eye out, but the general posture had relaxed greatly, and any suspicious shapes were called out only to be disregarded as they disappeared without coming even close.

“You know, boss,” Hans said from the back, “this is going to sound weird, but after what we’ve been through…I can see the appeal of this run down crap hole, you know?”

“Sosaldt?” Stein asked, “This isn’t about the women again, is it?”

“Nah, the low cut dresses are just a bonus.” Hans replied, “Just look at how much swing we have with what we got. With just what we had, we beat that Selgess joker, and then his whole warband later. That was supposed to be one of the big players out in this dust heap, right? I’m not saying we shouldn’t go home to big daddy Archduke Strossvald, I still like it better back at home where there’s Zuckermann sweet drops and moving pictures, even if there’s also taxes. I’m just saying that, all things considered, it’s easy to come here and live like a king if you have the right stuff.”

“Mahkes wun wonder why no biggher men’ve come to be keng ov’r alluvit.” Jorgen murmured in his Old Nauk stained speech.

You actually had an answer for that. “For how brittle Sosaldt seems on the surface,” you began…

“Boss, boss,” Hans interrupted you worriedly, “Is this going to turn into another history lesson?”

Despite your radioman’s attempts to stop you, you were already recounting your studies.

Sosaldt indeed seemed like land free for the taking, at first glance. The “nation” had certainly shrunk over the years as its neighbors became stronger, but wars to take over its lands had never gone well. The biggest success was the Archduke’s taking of the Altossian territories, but even though those lands (supposedly) had heritage as holdings of some destitute nobility in the Archduke’s courts, the people inhabiting those places were stunningly resistant to being reincorporated into said nobility’s holdings. Even as the Archduke’s armies won costly victories fighting against the bandit kings in the sort of slow, wearing battles before mechanization sped up battle once more (the war had taken place near sixty years ago, while Strossvald was still rather young), insurgencies sprouted behind the lines at worrying rates. In the end, while the Archduchy had taken over the Altossian territories, the army was so strung out that no offensive wars had been declared since. The taken lands also suffered from serious internal violence before settlers replaced the majority of the native peoples, and a combination of cultural violence and police purges finally finished the work of making the newly acquired Altossian territories unrecognizable from what they had been a scant ten years before.

Since that loss, the Southern Cities, said to be the shadow rulers of the entire anarchic state, had gained much power on the continent’s markets. Incursions into Sosaldt ever since the Archduchy’s win mysteriously were put down more or less by financial troubles at home with the invaders, whose military efforts were also stymied by a united front of Sosaldtians who otherwise never seemed to be at peace with one another; these united bands being somehow of greater force than the armies arrayed against them, and immune to serious losses.

The most recent example of this was Netilland’s famous defeat against this non-state fifteen years ago, when they arrayed their armies southwards in an attempt to claim the bounties of what they saw as easy pickings. They saw initial success, certainly, but their internal finances destabilized as quickly as their armies marched. Further, as they found their offensives taking less and less ground for the price of more and more casualties, their neighbor Ellowie, normally a rather passive nation, launched an attack against Netilland’s southeastern border. Unprepared for fighting, the Netillians were forced to shift forces to the new front, upon which they lost ground against the united Sosaldtians at an astonishing pace before having their own border territories overwhelmed by brigand armies hungry for loot. Netillians even today bitterly remembered “The Rape of the South,” and were forced to sue for peace with both their foes in exchange for steep reparations. Such reparations were cancelled after only a year and a change in government to the current party, but they were still an incredible embarrassment to the Netillians.

Sosaldt’s neighbors who had been eyeing the lands with hunger before had their appetite evaporate upon seeing this sequence of events play out over only three months.

“Is it morning yet?” Hans yawned, “Anyways, point still is, seems you get a lot more luck with this sort of thing if you drop whatever identity you had before, and play as one of them. If you do that, then it’s fair, see, since it’s your armies and not the state’s armies or whatever.” He turned to Hilda, who had been strategically placed on the other side from Hans, with the more prude Stein between them. “What do you think, dollface? You’ve been shut up for the past couple of days, it won’t kill you to open your mouth.”

“Don’t call me dollface.” Hilda grumbled, “I don’t know anything about this. You’re all speaking nonsense.”

“Statecraft is apparently not the fair lady’s concern.” Hans shrugged.

“Stop talking to me.”

“You really know how to find the thorny ones, boss,” Hans leaned back into his seat and stared at the car’s ceiling.

“Sis talked about some things she found out about Sosaldt before she left,” your blonde, lanky and tall gunner began to speak, “I didn’t get why anybody would ever leave for there from the Archduchy. Say what you will about the noble blood thing, it works well enough. I say as long as the bread and money flows, the archduke could be a horse for all I care, and the nobility keeps things running well.”

“Don’t need to kiss up to the boss, you know,” Hans poked at Stein, “He don’t run nothing but a big house from what he’s said. He isn’t about to give you a tax cut.”

“I’m not kissing up,” Stein protested, “It’s the truth. As I was saying though, she said she’d found out that most people going to Sosaldt come from the east. Netillian political dissidents wander down, and Ellowian refugees come over whenever there’s wars. Can’t forget the people who flood in from the south from the ports, too. Whenever something bad happens over a sea there’s a big old flood of immigrants who come straight to Sosaldt since they don’t care who comes in anyways.”

“Thahr always replaseng themsahlves,” Jorgen summarized.

Presumably these massive population centers were more common further into Sosaldt proper. You wondered; Todesfelsen was called a town, but was it perhaps bigger than what you’d call a town in Strossvald? The alternative was that enough came and died in Sosaldt that every inch of the country was grave earth.

Malachi finally spoke up in a long string of some babbling.

“Mal wants to know if you’d want to be a king here if you had the chance,” Stein summarized, “or if being a smaller person in a better land is worth more than being the Kaiser of a bunch of dust and bandits.”

Presumably Malachi hadn’t put it so poetically.

>You didn’t see yourself as a king. Could you do it? Probably, but you had no desire to rule over anything. Too much work, and you didn’t see yourself getting any fulfillment from it.
>You would like to have your share of the grand loot pile, of course. You thought yourself as being granted lands, though, rather than taking them and crowning yourself lord over them. The Archduke was the authority of Strossvald, after all.
>You sought glory for the Von Tracht name, did you not? Who said a Von Tracht could not be a king if they were great enough for it? If your quest was to conquer instead of to rescue, then, why, yes! You could bring this whole wretched place to heel, and none would question your right to.
>Other?

>>1860328
>You sought glory for the Von Tracht name, did you not? Who said a Von Tracht could not be a king if they were great enough for it? If your quest was to conquer instead of to rescue, then, why, yes! You could bring this whole wretched place to heel, and none would question your right to.
Bring this heathen land to the light of civilization, etc. etc.

>>1860328
>>You would like to have your share of the grand loot pile, of course. You thought yourself as being granted lands, though, rather than taking them and crowning yourself lord over them. The Archduke was the authority of Strossvald, after all.

We are a loyal indoctrinated dog of the Duchy

>>1860328
You sought glory for the Von Tracht name, did you not? Who said a Von Tracht could not be a king if they were great enough for it? If your quest was to conquer instead of to rescue, then, why, yes! You could bring this whole wretched place to heel, and none would question your right to.

>>1860328
>Whatever force stands behind Sosaldt's military victories definitely won't suffer any king strong enough to matter. And fighting shady slippery financists is not what we like to do, nor know how to do.

>>1860663
Seconding

“I don’t think that the true rulers of this damned country would allow anybody who could legitimately call themselves king to rise,” you said, “I prefer my fights to be up and in front of me, not done in the shadows with whispers and money. That isn’t something we like or know how to do.”

“Nohshid,” Malachi sniffed, “Effeucudd izqussion.”

“If none of that was the case?” you guessed at him saying, “Of course I’d go big, then. If my mission was to conquer this wretched place rather than retrieve our countrymen from it, then I could do it easily, I am certain, and nobody would argue against it when I was through.”

“Damn, everybody get out of the way of Alexander here,” Hans said snarkily.

The car rounded a bend, and suddenly Malachi hit the brakes and span the car off the road. You saw why once the car came to a rough stop, now facing the opposite direction it was before; some ruffians had dumped a pile of junk into the middle of the road.

You and your cohorts got out, any weapons still holstered, but ready.

Then, a mob of short, cloaked figures sprang out. They all brandished knives, clubs, crude weapons of all sorts. Only one of the seven held an antique looking revolver, which he waved around as he shouted demands.

“Awright you crapheads!” he shouted. He couldn’t have been older then fourteen or thirteen from the sound of his voice; judging by the height of the others and how he was a bit taller than them, they couldn’t have been much older, even though they all concealed their faces. “We’ve got you stuck! Now if you wanna leave alive, then you better do what we want!”

>Is this meant to be some sort of joke? Shoot the little shit.
>Are you supposed to take this seriously? Draw your gun and threaten the runt with it.
>Bluff; there’s no way that piece is loaded, and you and your bunch could beat the rest of them to death with your fists if you wanted to.
>Humor them; what could they possibly want? It wasn’t as if they could harm you. Maybe this would be funny.
>Other?

>>1860833
>Are you supposed to that this seriously? Draw your gun and tell them to try their luck with someone else

>>1860833
>Are you supposed to take this seriously? Draw your gun and threaten the runt with it.

Rolled 98 (1d100)

“You can’t be serious,” you almost laughed as you reached for your own pistol.

The leader of the brats saw you reaching, and pointed his own gun at you and pulled the trigger…

>>1860961
Nice cliffhanger lol

The gun clicked anticlimactically. The little shit actually tried to shoot you! Apparently, something hadn’t gone to plan, since the runt looked positively astounded that the gun hadn’t blown a hole in you. Serves him right for using bad ammunition.

“Cute,” you said, now bored as you lined up his round head in your sights, “So is it my turn, now? How about you run off right now, and we forget this ever happened? Try your luck with somebody else.”

“Attack!” he screeched.

Oh, boy. You thought as you debated in your head whether it would be more morally just to save the bullet or to put the poor sprout out of whatever miserable condition led him to be so stupid.

The kids were slow on the uptake, and by the time they had leapt to alertness, your crew were already grabbing the submachineguns. A half second would see these arms brought to bear, but right now they still seemed to think they had a chance, and were surging forward.

>Shout to open fire; you had to defend yourselves.
>Shout to not fire; you didn’t have to shoot these poor things, even if you could get a bit hurt in the process.
>Fire in the air; maybe that will scare them off.
>Other?

>>1860979
>Shout to open fire; you had to defend yourselves.
No mucking about here

>>1860988
Supporting

>>1861002
>>1860988
Seconded, idiots like these don't deserve to live

>>1860988
RIP AND TEAR

Raiders must be exterminated.

>>1860988
>>1861002
>>1861012
>>1861021
>Everyone's on board with Richter eliminating the viet cong I mean raider menace