>>40523060
>Check the squad's inventory.
Always check the squad first.

>>40523060
We should do all of that, really, but if that's not possible, order of importance would be:

>>Check the squad's inventory.
>>See how the tank is doing.
>>Catch up with the scouts.

>>40523060
>Check the squad's inventory.

>>40523060
>>Catch up with the scouts.

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>>40523060
You decide to make sure your squad is getting its fair share of those shiny new supply lines. You have some supplies by the tank so you're ready to pick them up and go in case of an emergency, but most of your equipment is kept in the temple so it's protected from the elements and mortar shells.

Karl and Nina are already going through the checklists when you get there.

"Good morning," you say. "How are we doing?"

"Those of you who need to use small metal projectiles moving at high speed to kill people have everything you need," Karl says. "And Jetje and I have oil and whetstones."

"That's very dramatic of you, Karl," Nina says. "You should be proud of yourself."

"You should join the theatre once this is over," you say. "Nina?"

"We're a little overstocked considering how many people we have, but I'm keeping my eye on the expiration dates," Nina says. "Medical-grade ragnite has a long shelf life, but I don't want to waste anything. I'll send any extra supplies to one of the other squads if it looks like it might spoil."

"Good idea," you say. "Just make sure you don't give anyone bad supplies. We're relying on our ragnaid to keep us alive in a pinch. We're all screwed if a bad batch is mixed in anywhere."

"It's not my first time doing this, boss," Nina says. "Now give us a hand with these."

You sign off on the checklists. Afterwards, you help Nina and Karl pack everything up and square it away in your corner of the base.

"Have you heard anything about our next orders?" Karl asks as you wrap up.

"Not yet," you say. "I'm expecting to hear something soon."

"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm looking forward to heading out there again," Nina says. "Staying still like this is just making me nervous."

>"I know what you mean. It just feels like we're stalling."
>"Uncertainty is unnerving. That's why we need to wait for information before we do anything."
>"Just relax and avoid the fact that you're not getting shot at."

>>40523664
>"Uncertainty is unnerving. That's why we need to wait for information before we do anything."

>>40523664

>>40523664
>>"Just relax and avoid the fact that you're not getting shot at."
"The less time we spend out there, means the higher chances we all have of going home carrying the shield."

>>40523664
>>"I know what you mean. It just feels like we're stalling."

I fucked up there

>>40523664
>>"Uncertainty is unnerving. That's why we need to wait for information before we do anything."

>>40523664
>>"Just relax and avoid the fact that you're not getting shot at."

>>40523664
>"Uncertainty is unnerving. That's why we need to wait for information before we do anything."

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>>40523664
"Uncertainty is unnerving," you say. "That's why we need to wait for information before we do anything."

"I'd rather be nervous from the safety of a fortified military camp than while I'm under a mortar barrage," Karl says. "If you think about it, things could be a hell of a lot worse than they are now."

"Is it bad that 'it could be worse' is actually starting to cheer me up?" Nina asks.

"Nah," you say. "It just means you're starting to set realistic standards."

"So what do we do now, boss?" Karl asks.

"Get the squad together," you say. "We've got time for training and maybe some shopping."

"Right away."

Karl runs off ahead of you while you and Nina head for the tank, which is your squad's semi-official gathering point. Danielle and William are sitting there, discussing the tank's maintenance. The rest of the squad arrives soon after.

"We're all here," Jetje says. "What's first on the agenda?"

>"Let's do some training."
>"Let's do some shopping."

>>40524146
>"Let's do some training."

>>40524146
>>"Let's do some training."

>>40524146
>"Let's do some training."

>>40524146
>>"Let's do some training."

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>>40524146
"Let's get some training!" You say. "We've done very well in our last missions and I want to keep it that way. Let's review what we did right and make sure we do it again."

"Yes, sir!"

You essentially take over a small patch of desert and carry out some mock battles using rocks and whatever else you can find your hands on to mark obstacles and troop positions.


>You have 23080XP to spend on the following:
>Engineer 6 - 2000XP
>Fencer 6 - 3250XP
>Lancer 6 - 3750XP
>Scout 7 - 3300XP
>Shocktrooper 7 - 4500XP
>Sniper 7 - 4500XP
>Tank Commander 6 - 4000XP
>Officer 7 - 4800XP

I'll just level up classes in order until the XP runs out.

>>40524507
>Engineer 6 - 2000XP
>Fencer 6 - 3250XP
>Lancer 6 - 3750XP
>Tank Commander 6 - 4000XP
>Officer 7 - 4800XP

>>40524849
Sorry mate was running math! Using phone for this sucks. But with that and sniper we should have 700 left it it's right.

Personally I don't care where the xp goes as long as it continues to get distributed more or less evenly.

(Granted, this would be a terrible strategy in many VNs as maximizing one value is critical to getting onto one path or another...)

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>>40524507
>New Level Gained: Engineer 6
>New Level Gained: Fencer 6
>New Level Gained: Lancer 6
>New Level Gained: Scout 7
>New Level Gained: Shocktrooper 7
>New Level Gained: Sniper 6

You finish up your training and take a moment to rest.

"Good job, people," you say. "Now that we're done here, let's see what Gaul has to offer."

"I heard his 'special stocks' were dry," Jetje says as she stretches her arm. "He should be fine for weapons though."

"We still have alcohol left over, so we're fine on that front," you say. "Let's get going."

Gaul rebuilt his shop in one of the temple's rooms. It's a proper shop now, with a counter and a warehouse in the back. It's quite impressive that he'd put this much effort into it.

"Welcome, Captain," Gaul says. "Come to see my new wares?"

"You know I am," you say. "I heard you had some interesting gun?"

"Sure do," Gaul says. "I added a little blackmail to my usual bribes, thanks to the late General Konrad."

"I didn't need to know that," you say. "Just give me a list of what you've got."

>You have 17233DCT to spend on the following:
>Lance 4 - 3000DCT
>Machine Gun 4 - 3000DCT
>Rifle 4 - 3000DCT
>Sniper Rifle 5 - 4000DCT
>Sword 4 - 3000DCT
>Uniform 5 - 4000DCT
>Grenades 4 - 2000DCT
>Tank Armour 4 - 3000DCT
>Tank Cannon 3 - 2000DCT

>>40525056
>>Lance 4 - 3000DCT
>>Machine Gun 4 - 3000DCT
>>Rifle 4 - 3000DCT
>>Sword 4 - 3000DCT
>>Tank Armour 4 - 3000DCT
>>Tank Cannon 3 - 2000DCT

That ought to come to 17K

>>40525158
backing

>>40525158

Yeah sounds good

Going with >>40525158

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>>40525056
>New Equipment: Lance 4
>New Equipment: Machine Gun 4
>New Equipment: Rifle 4
>New Equipment: Sword 4
>New Equipment: Tank Armour 4
>New Equipment: Tank Cannon 3

You hand a list of items over to Gaul, who quickly looks it over.

"I've got all that in stock," he says. "I'll have it delivered within the hour."

"As always, it's a pleasure doing business with you," you say.

"You know, I wish we'd done this before Nina and I went through our whole inventory," Karl says."

"You don't need to worry about that," Gaul says. "The munitions are standard and I can send some guys over for your old guns if they're in the way."

"There's a market here for second-hand weapons?" Karl asks.

"Sure is," Gaul says. "Mostly, it's the militia. Their basic equipment isn't as good as the regular army. I've already been paid for your guns once, so I don't mind giving them a deep discount for second-hand goods. Most of my expenses are related to shipping and, ah, 'acquisition.' The items themselves aren't that expensive since they're funding by the taxpayers these days."

"Thanks for the lesson in war profiteering," you say. "I think we're done here. We'll see you around, sergeant."

"Always a pleasure, captain."

You walk away from the sergeant's office, satisfied with your purchase. Gaul's equipment hasn't let you down so far.

"I should learn a thing or two from Gaul while we're here," William says. "I bet I could make some decent money in the arms business."

"That's kind of grim," Jetje says. "Then again, I don't have much of a career outside fencing either."

>"A job's a job. The only thing that matters is that the bills get paid."
>"That sounds like a good idea. People should enjoy their jobs."
>"You can do more than just kill people. So can the army, for that matter."

>>40525583
>>"You can do more than just kill people. So can the army, for that matter."

>>40525583
>>"You can do more than just kill people. So can the army, for that matter."

>>40525583
>>"You can do more than just kill people. So can the army, for that matter."

>>40525583
>>"That sounds like a good idea. People should enjoy their jobs."

>>40525583
>"That sounds like a good idea. People should enjoy their jobs."

>>40525583
>>"You can do more than just kill people. So can the army, for that matter."

That said if you like it go for it

>>40525583
>>"You can do more than just kill people. So can the army, for that matter."

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>>40525583
"You can do more than just kill people," you say. "So can the army, for that matter."

"Just because I can do it doesn't mean I want to," William says. "But I do know what you mean. Demolition is a surprisingly diverse field, and I can always branch out into combustion if I want to do something productive."

"That's the spirit," you say. "I want a military career, but a lifetime of war just isn't sustainable anymore."

"Let's hope that stays true," Nina says.

You're almost at the temple's exit when Captain du Lac gets a hold of you.

"Ah, de Velde, I was just looking for you," she says. "General Gunther's got a new plan. The briefing's in ten minutes."

"Excellent news," you say. "Wait for me by the tank, I'll be there as soon as we're done."

"Yes, sir."

You follow du Lac to the General's office. You can't help but notice her gait is a little… cheerful.

"You seem to be in a good mood," you say.

"I had an excellent night with my boyfriend," she says.

"I won't ask," you say.

"Neither will I," du Lac says. "Mostly because I don't need to."

The rest of the way to Gunther's office, she just grins and stares at you. It takes all of your willpower to avoid cracking.

"You perform quite well under pressure," du Lac says. "It's quite impressive."

"Thanks," you say. "It's an acquired skill."

General Gunther enters and the room immediately quiets down, waiting for his orders.

"All the scouts are back and we have a good idea of the Imperial positions," he says. "I've got enough assignments for all of you and then some. De Velde, I'll give you first pick. I've got an old fort that needs to be scouted in more detail, an oasis that needs to be defended until I can put a permanent squad there and a convoy that needs to be escorted."

>"I'll take the scouting mission."
>"I'll take the defense mission."
>"I'll take the escort mission."

>>40526114
>>"I'll take the scouting mission."

>>40526114
>>"I'll take the scouting mission."

>>40526114
>>"I'll take the scouting mission."

>>40526114
>>"I'll take the defense mission."

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>>40526114
"I'll take the scouting mission," you say. "What does it involve?"

"There's a fort just over a hundred miles southeast of here," General Gunther says. "According to preliminary reports, it's quite old. It might be an abandoned bandit's fort or a waypoint for smugglers. We need someone to take a closer look and make sure the Imperials are using it."

"Are there any reasons to suspect the Imperials are currently using it?" You ask.

"The scouts also found trails and tank tracks in the general area," Gunther says. "But there's nothing solid. However, the fort itself has no strategic value to us, so it's not a problem if you decide to just destroy it immediately. I can give you different tactical assessments depending on how you want to handle it."

You could go in quiet and see if there's anyone there, or just mortar the place from a distance and hope that's enough to kill everyone who might be there. You could also try reconnaissance in force. If you attack the fort and the Imperials respond, that might allow you to gauge their military capabilities in the area.

>"We'll do this quietly."
>"We'll destroy the fort just to make sure."
>"We'll try reconnaissance in force."

>>40526542
>>"We'll do this quietly."

>>40526542

Will we have any support backing us on this. I would like to reconnaissance in force but if the response is heavy seems like a good way to be up the proverbial creek.

>>40526542
>"We'll destroy the fort just to make sure."

>>40526594
It's just you.

>>40526542
>>"We'll do this quietly."
Wonder what was left behind.

>>40526542
>>"We'll do this quietly."

>>40526542
>>"We'll do this quietly."

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>>40526542
"We'll do this quietly," you say. "Or at least try to."

It's dangerous, but not as dangerous as reconnaissance in force and if the Imperials are occupying the fort, taking it intact should provide some useful information.

"In that case, you'll need to circle around and approach from the ruins to the north," General Gunther says. "There should be enough cover there to hide your approach, although I'm not entirely sure if your tank is going to be able to make it. Start your mission at night just to be sure. Once you're through the ruins, you should be able to sneak up on the fort."

"Yes, General," you say. "Is there anything else you can tell me about the fort?"

"Unfortunately, no," General Gunther says. "If I did, I wouldn't need to send in a reconnaissance team. You'll have to deal with any surprises on your own."

"Yes, sir."

The other commanding officers receive their own assignments. The General wasn't lying when he said there were enough assignments for everyone here - the Imperials have been busy. They must have moved a significant number of resources to the desert.

You leave the briefing alongside Captain Du Lac.

"I guess this is going to be our first real battle against that new Imperial General's forces," she says. "Are you nervous?"

>"No, it just feels the same as always."
>"A little bit. It is an unknown situation."
>"I am now that you brought it up."

>>40527040
>"A little bit. It is an unknown situation."

>>40527040
>>"No, it just feels the same as always."

>>40527040
>>"A little bit. It is an unknown situation."

>>40527040
>>"A little bit. It is an unknown situation."

>>40527040
>"No, it just feels the same as always."

>>40527040
>>"A little bit. It is an unknown situation."

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>>40527040
"A little bit," you say. "It is an unknown situation."

"So... staying cool under pressure?"

"Like we're in the middle of goddamn winter." You nod to Du Lac and leave to join your squad. "Good luck with your own mission, Captain."

"Thanks," she says. "I'll send Ernestine to warm you up once we're back."

"Looking forward to it."

Your squad is waiting for you by the tank and you go over the details of the mission.

"You'll be happy to know I passed on the escort mission," you say. "We'll be scouting out an abandoned fort. Maybe it's empty, maybe it's not. We'll go in quiet and I'm hoping it'll stay quiet, but if we need to clear the place out, so be it. Any questions?"

"No, sir," Karl says. "It sounds simple enough."

"It's never simple, Karl," you say.

"Oh, I wouldn't know about that," William says. "Shooting people isn't exactly complicated."

"There's a short period between the plan going to hell and the shooting," you say. "That's the part that's complicated. Now, one more thing…"

>"Remember, this is supposed to be quiet. Don't panic."
>"Survival is our top priority. Don't drop your guard."
>"If the Imperials are there, they might have useful intelligence."

>>40527457
>>"Remember, this is supposed to be quiet. Don't panic."

>>40527457
>>"Remember, this is supposed to be quiet. Don't panic."

We do not have support coming with, we can't afford to attract attention.

>>40527457
>>"If the Imperials are there, they might have useful intelligence."

>>40527457
>>"Remember, this is supposed to be quiet. Don't panic."

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>>40527457
"Remember, this is supposed to be quiet," you say. "Don't panic no matter what happens."

"You know, no matter how many times you say you want this done quietly, we're going to have to fight if there are Imperials there," Jetje says.

"I like to be optimistic," you say. "Danielle, we'll need to ride the tank most of the way there. I've got directions for you."

You hand Danielle a map of the area that has your plan of approach drawn on it. She looks at the map and nods.

"It'll take some time, but I don't expect any problems," she says. "We can leave immediately."

"All right folks, you heard the lady," you say. "Get on the tank and we'll get going. We'll set up camp north of the fort and attack at night to maximize our advantage."

"Yes, sir!"

>>40527457
>"Survival is our top priority. Don't drop your guard."

>>40527792
And that's it for day. Next thread will be next Wednesday at 7PM EST. As always, thank you for playing and good night.

[Scouting mission intensifies]