>>6149386
>>Ned Tanner, a simple tanner as your name would suggest. When girls started to go missing from your village, eyes were turned towards you straight away. You were always an outcast, always distrusted. Everyone always thought there was something wrong with you. Someone might have been forgiven for pitying you as a victim of baseless rumours, until the constables found the bodies in vats in your tannery.

>>6149386
>James Dixon, an innkeeper. You had always been an honest man and obeyed the law your whole life. But when you found your wife in bed with that louse, you lost control. The betrayal was too much for you. You admitted everything at the trial, apologised, and begged for the mercy of the court. At least they spared you the noose.

More like James Fifty Dixon His Wife
>>6149386
>Ned Tanner, a simple tanner as your name would suggest. When girls started to go missing from your village, eyes were turned towards you straight away. You were always an outcast, always distrusted. Everyone always thought there was something wrong with you. Someone might have been forgiven for pitying you as a victim of baseless rumours, until the constables found the bodies in vats in your tannery.

>>6149386
>>Vateus Aren, disgraced former military official and convicted traitor. You were found guilty of aiding the recent failed military coup against the Empress. Normally a man guilty of this crime would be executed, however the evidence against you at your trial was not strong enough to warrant a death sentence. Only one conspirator named you as a co-conspirator, and all other evidence against you was circumstantial. This was, of course, because you are innocent.

>>6149386
>"Quiet" Tom Wiggins, a serial thief and burglar. You might have landed a safer sentence on a chain gang if that last job hadn't gone wrong. But regrettably, that new crew were rookies. Regrettably, those idiots alerted that guard. And regrettably, you acted quickly and did what you had to do to stop the alarm being raised and stay free. Or so you thought. While you were preoccupied with hiding the body, you were the only one to not escape the warehouse before the patrol came in. Now you've copped a murder conviction, and you're guilty as sin.

>>6149386
>Ned Tanner, a simple tanner as your name would suggest. When girls started to go missing from your village, eyes were turned towards you straight away. You were always an outcast, always distrusted. Everyone always thought there was something wrong with you. Someone might have been forgiven for pitying you as a victim of baseless rumours, until the constables found the bodies in vats in your tannery.

>>6149386
>"Quiet" Tom Wiggins, a serial thief and burglar. You might have landed a safer sentence on a chain gang if that last job hadn't gone wrong. But regrettably, that new crew were rookies. Regrettably, those idiots alerted that guard. And regrettably, you acted quickly and did what you had to do to stop the alarm being raised and stay free. Or so you thought. While you were preoccupied with hiding the body, you were the only one to not escape the warehouse before the patrol came in. Now you've copped a murder conviction, and you're guilty as sin.

>>6149386
>Vateus Aren, disgraced former military official and convicted traitor. You were found guilty of aiding the recent failed military coup against the Empress. Normally a man guilty of this crime would be executed, however the evidence against you at your trial was not strong enough to warrant a death sentence. Only one conspirator named you as a co-conspirator, and all other evidence against you was circumstantial. This was, of course, because you are innocent.

>>6149386
>"Quiet" Tom Wiggins, a serial thief and burglar. You might have landed a safer sentence on a chain gang if that last job hadn't gone wrong. But regrettably, that new crew were rookies. Regrettably, those idiots alerted that guard. And regrettably, you acted quickly and did what you had to do to stop the alarm being raised and stay free. Or so you thought. While you were preoccupied with hiding the body, you were the only one to not escape the warehouse before the patrol came in. Now you've copped a murder conviction, and you're guilty as sin.

>Vateus Aren, disgraced former military official and convicted traitor. You were found guilty of aiding the recent failed military coup against the Empress. Normally a man guilty of this crime would be executed, however the evidence against you at your trial was not strong enough to warrant a death sentence. Only one conspirator named you as a co-conspirator, and all other evidence against you was circumstantial. This was, of course, because you are innocent.

>>6149386
>Vateus Aren, disgraced former military official and convicted traitor. You were found guilty of aiding the recent failed military coup against the Empress. Normally a man guilty of this crime would be executed, however the evidence against you at your trial was not strong enough to warrant a death sentence. Only one conspirator named you as a co-conspirator, and all other evidence against you was circumstantial. This was, of course, because you are innocent.

This is just a classic. So is the Tom wiggins origin, but still.

Vateus Aren 4, Ned Tanner 3, Tom Wiggins 3, James Dixon 1.
Writing.

For a long time, no one speaks. You suppose each of the other three men was lost in his own thoughts and worries, pondering the new turn of his life with fear or resignation. And all the better, as you have no intention to speak to these scum, to lower yourself to their level. The thief, Quiet Tom he calls himself, is the first to talk. He introduces himself to the fearful mess of a man sitting next to him. You guess he's served time before. The thief doesn't get a word out of you, and one glare is enough to stop him from trying. But you listen, and you learn about the other men around you. Turns out the man next to Tom was an innkeeper who killed his wife, not exactly a hardened criminal. The other man, the tanner, insists that he's done nothing. Looking at him, you get a feeling something's not right about that one, even by a murderer's standards. As if there's a reptile behind those eyes instead of a human soul.

The cage door at the back of the cart squeaks loudly as the guard opens it.
"Prisoners, exit the cart in single file."
You wait for the others to go first and join the back of the line - you won't turn your back on these people. The guards lead you and the others through a side gate into a medium-sized fortress. You recognise it - the last time you were here you were welcomed as an honoured guest. Now you enter with manacles and bare feet.
The lot of you are put in a cell and given some hard bread and water. Tomorrow your induction begins; for now you rest.

You count 33 prisoners in the line, not including yourself. After an introductory spiel and some verbal abuse, the captain addressing the gathered ruffians goes over the training regimen for the day.
"Today, you will be fighting with spears and bayonets. You will learn the basics of attack and defence against an opponent with the same type of weapon. Because the purpose of this unit in service of the Empire is not for you to be stabbed immediately in battle. It is for you to stab an enemy, and then be stabbed so that our great civilisation is rid of scum like you."
Two sergeants walk down the line of prisoners handing out broom handles to each man. After some demonstrations with a bruised 'volunteer', the prisoners are split off into pairs to practice sparring. Your partner is the thief from your cell.
"Well, if it isn't the silent one." he says. "Let's see if you can fight better than you can speak."
Before he can take a defensive stance you lunge forward, knock his broomstick to the side, and swing back the other way, striking him in the side of the head.
"Ah, you fucker!" He looks at you for a moment. "You really know what you're doing, don't you? Listen, why don't you teach me that? I can teach you to move quietly later, or pick a lock."
You don't respond.
"Aren, teach the other prisoner to fight." barks the captain. He's been keeping an eye on you it seems. Tom's eyes widen.
"You..."
Reluctantly you start to speak.
"Your left hand is too far back on the spear. You think it gives you more reach, but it takes away your control and lets the enemy move your weapon. The midpoint of your spear should be between your hands. If you want more reach when you thrust, quickly release your left hand and thrust with your right, like this." You open your left hand and push the broomstick into Tom's chest, then just as swiftly draw it back to where it started.
You spend the rest of the day instructing Tom and some of the other pairs who gathered around you. At the end of the training, the guards lead you all back to the cells.

After a quick introduction to crossbows, the next two days are spent training with muskets. There are only five of them, so the prisoners have to take turns while the captain instructs them and the others watch.
Three days training is all that's considered necessary, and your cohort are ready to join the prison battalion. You are all given a plain black tunic signifying your criminal status. Given your military experience, you are promoted straight away to prisoner sergeant and given command of the platoon. Weapons are brought out from the armoury for you to choose from. None of them are new. You take the sabre with the least rust and hook it to your belt. As your primary weapon, you take:
>a sturdy spear cut down from an anti-cavalry pike. Somewhat obsolete, but nothing will surpass it in close quarters.
>an old matchlock musket refitted with a flintlock mechanism and also fitted with a bayonet. Not particularly reliable, but it strikes a balance between ranged and melee.
>a steel crossbow. Less modern than a gun and requires some physical effort to reload, but will shoot nonetheless and is guaranteed not to explode in your face.

>>6149620
>a steel crossbow. Less modern than a gun and requires some physical effort to reload, but will shoot nonetheless and is guaranteed not to explode in your face.
If we're somebody with military experience and leadership skills, it's better for us to not be the ones in the most danger. No need to be the most cannon-foddery of the cannon fodder.

>>6149620
>>an old matchlock musket refitted with a flintlock mechanism and also fitted with a bayonet. Not particularly reliable, but it strikes a balance between ranged and melee.

>>6149620
>>an old matchlock musket refitted with a flintlock mechanism and also fitted with a bayonet. Not particularly reliable, but it strikes a balance between ranged and melee.

>>6149620
>>a steel crossbow. Less modern than a gun and requires some physical effort to reload, but will shoot nonetheless and is guaranteed not to explode in your face.

>>6149620
>an old matchlock musket refitted with a flintlock mechanism and also fitted with a bayonet. Not particularly reliable, but it strikes a balance between ranged and melee.

So is this a death sentence or if we continue to live and win battles is there a chance of redemption?

I am excited to see more of this quest QM.

>>6149620
>an old matchlock musket refitted with a flintlock mechanism and also fitted with a bayonet. Not particularly reliable, but it strikes a balance between ranged and melee.

>>6149620
>>a sturdy spear cut down from an anti-cavalry pike. Somewhat obsolete, but nothing will surpass it in close quarters.

>>6149620
>an old matchlock musket refitted with a flintlock mechanism and also fitted with a bayonet. Not particularly reliable, but it strikes a balance between ranged and melee.

>>6149620
>a steel crossbow. Less modern than a gun and requires some physical effort to reload, but will shoot nonetheless and is guaranteed not to explode in your face.

>>6149620
>a steel crossbow. Less modern than a gun and requires some physical effort to reload, but will shoot nonetheless and is guaranteed not to explode in your face.

You decide on the most modern weapon available to you and take the highest-quality musket you can find, in your estimation. Once all the men are armed, the captain relays to them the rules now imposed on them as members of the prison battalion.
The first rule is that all talk of escape or mutiny carries a death sentence. The prisoners are always to be guarded and their weapons are to be locked away during transport. The only time prisoners are allowed access to weapons is during battle or during scheduled weapons maintenance and practice.
The second rule is no looting. Prisoners are to be searched after battles and any items confiscated. The exception is that prisoners are allowed to replace their weapons and armour with those they capture. Old and left-over weapons are then transported to armouries to be issued to new prisoners.
The rest of the rules are straightforward enough; obey commands, no brawling, and so on.

After almost a week's captivity in a prison train, you and your men arrive at the town of Lundorf. Your destination, the city of Reisten, lies several days' march from here. After so much time cooped up in a cell, you're actually looking forward to it.
Without a weapon to weigh you down the march is relatively easy, though you were still assigned a pack of other supplies to carry. While passing through some heavy forest, one man takes his chance and dashes between the trees to the left of the path. He doesn't make it far before one of the guards catches up and cuts him down with a saber. No one else tries anything after that.

You finally see rebel city of Reisten ahead of you, with the seige camp sprawling around its walls. You can also see that the heavy artillery have been busy, as the old-fashioned wall has been breached in two places. You enter the camp and join with the rest of the prison battalion. The prisoners' camp is inside the regulars' seige camp, surrounded by a low palisade wall facing inward. You gather that the prisoners have been working to dig assault trenches leading up to the breaches in the city wall.
After settling in, you and the other platoon leaders are called in to a briefing. There you meet Colonel Levitus, the officer in charge of the battalion for this battle. He tells the assembled prisoners of the battle plan: the prisoners are to assault the breaches first with artillery support. The attack will take place at dawn so the sun will be at your backs. Once inside the city, they are to keep the enemy at bay while the regular troops enter behind them. From there, the platoon leaders should take directions from any regular officers on the ground.

The assault is almost ready to commence, but you have the whole day tomorrow to prepare your men for battle, with access to their weapons. How will you prepare them?
>Weapon training and maintenance, with a focus on training.
>Weapon training and maintenance, with a focus on making sure their weapons are properly maintained.
>Weapon training and maintenance, then a good amount of rest before the battle.

>>6149707
It's open ended at this point, so there is potential to progress to something greater than cannon fodder.

>>6150252
>Weapon training and maintenance, with a focus on training.

>>6150252
>Weapon training and maintenance, with a focus on training.

>>6150253
fair enough

>>6150252
>>Weapon training and maintenance, with a focus on making sure their weapons are properly maintained.

>>6150252
>>Weapon training and maintenance, with a focus on training.

>>6150252
>Weapon training and maintenance, with a focus on training.

>>6150251
>Weapon training and maintenance, with a focus on training.

You spend the next day reinforcing the basics of shooting muskets and crossbows. In particular you make sure the musketeers understand how to handle misfires, something you suspect will be common with these green recruits in the heat of battle. Some of the crossbowmen took goat's feet from the armoury, and you take the time to show them how to use one span a crossbow quickly. You also help each man check the condition of his weapon. With as much preparation done as you can give them in one day, you send them to get some sleep before battle.

After some time waiting, the order comes down and you lead your men into the assault trench. The zig-zagging path protects you well from musket and cannon fire from the walls. With a modern star fortress this would be more difficult, but these fortifications were built in a different age. The high thin walls were built to withstand hurled stones, yet fell easily to cannon balls. You briefly wonder what the governor was thinking when he defected, then focus your mind on the task at hand. At the end of the trench you ready your men for the attack. You remind them once more to take cover behind the rubble of the collapsed wall and shoot at the city's defenders from there.

The crisp sound of a brass horn fills the air, the signal to attack. You order your men to charge and leap over the trench wall. The artillery behind you has kept the battlements on either side of the breach clear of enemies, so you only have to worry about fire from inside the city. You reach the collapsed wall safely with your men and take cover. You tell them to fire at will. A quick glance over the rubble reveals a line of infantry taking cover on the other side. Their cuirasses and helmets would give them a strong advantage against a bayonet charge. Your men keep trading shots with them as more prisoners arrive from the trenches. It seems the extra training you gave them paid off, as they keep up a solid rate of fire and handle their weapons well. Some of other prisoners near you aren't doing as well, clearly forgetting their minimal training under the pressure. They often prime their muskets incorrectly and misfire; you see one fool look down the barrel trying to figure out why it isn't firing and promptly blow his own head off.
While the enemy troops are superior in equipment and training, your side has the numbers and they eventually retreat into the city streets. Your men advance into the city with the others and take position behind the buildings on either side of an alleyway. You and your men keep firing around the corners at the enemies at the other end. It isn't long before the regulars enter the city behind you. They join the fight in the streets and the enemy is soon routed deeper into the city.

During the brief respite, a captain calls on you and some other platoon leaders to flush out the enemies from some buildings while the regulars advance deeper into the city. You take the 23 men you have still standing and survey the buildings with the other platoon leaders. There are two adjacent two-storey buildings that the enemy have taken refuge in. Together, you form a plan of attack. Your men will occupy the building on the other side of the street and provide covering fire from the windows on the top floor. Some of the others will provide cover from different directions and cover the rear and side exits, while the rest will storm the buildings one at a time.
You enter the building through a side door with your men and clear each room. You position your men at the upstairs windows once you've checked the whole building for enemies and make your way back down to convene with the other platoon leaders. On the ground floor you hear a thud and muffled cry from one of the rooms. You approach cautiously and quietly and look through the doorway. You see the body of a man on the floor, bleeding from his throat, and Ned Tanner holding down a struggling woman with his hand over her mouth. Her face is covered with blood and his other hand is strangling her. There is an open wardrobe against the wall, where they must have been hiding when the room was searched. Tanner hasn't noticed you yet.
>Stab him in the back of the neck.
>Drag him to his feet and order him upstairs with the others.
>Leave him.

>>6151057
>>Drag him to his feet and order him upstairs with the others.

Kill him if he gives you any lip, though.

>>6151057
>Drag him to his feet and order him upstairs with the others.

>>6151057
>>Stab him in the back of the neck.

>>6151057
>Stab him in the back of the neck.

>>6151057
Had there been a weapon in the hands of the assailed to provide a plausible reason for Tanner's actions, I'd let him off. Knowing what we know, better get used to the grimy way of doing things for the greater good, trying to be squeaky clean will just get us killed.

>Stab him in the back of the neck.

>>6151057
>>Drag him to his feet and order him upstairs with the others.

>>6151057
>>Drag him to his feet and order him upstairs with the others.

>>6151057
>>Stab him in the back of the neck
How sad. He fell on a nail, while trying to retreat. Oh Well.

>>6151057
>Stab him in the back of the neck.

You grab Tanner by the hair with your left hand and drive your bayonet through his neck with your right. The woman gasps for air as his hands go limp, and you throw his body aside. She starts to sob. Not knowing quite what to say, you take Tanner's weapons and walk out of the room in silence. You doubt you'd be able to articulate yourself very well in her language anyway.
You find the other platoon leaders and let them know your men are in position. The others are ready and have decided to take the building on the left first. You return to the top floor and tell your men to start firing into the windows on the other side. Following this signal, the others move to the door under your covering fire. After some work with an axe, the pointman kicks the door in and the platoon leader throws a lit hand bomb inside. The explosion rocks the building and the group charges in.
They return a few minutes later, give you the signal to let you know the building was cleared, and move to the next building. You have your men start firing again and the prisoners below breach the door while some enter through a side window. Without another bomb to use, the assault is more costly but they take the building in the end.

You hold your position with the other prisoners until the regulars return. On counting the bodies, the captain you met earlier remarks how surprised he is that the 'rabble' (as the prisoners are known to the regulars) did so well. He also lets you know that the battle is all but won and the prisoners are to return to camp for some well deserved rest. Before leaving, you find a cuirass and helmet among the dead that will fit you, as well as a new musket to replace your old one.
Back at camp, the prisoners are afforded some small luxuries for their service. Baths, a good meal, even a tankard of beer each. The incident with Tanner and the woman occupies your mind. No one will miss him, and your men didn't ask any questions. But perhaps reporting it to the commander anyway is the right thing to do.
>Inform the colonel.
>Keep it to yourself.

>>6151761
>>Keep it to your Self

>>6151761
>Keep it to yourself.
Let's not feed into the stereotype that all our comrades are monsters and irredeemable.

>>6151761
>Keep it to yourself.
see no evil, speak no evil

>>6151761
>>Keep it to yourself.

>>6151761
>Keep it to yourself.

>>6151761
>Keep it to yourself.

>>6151761
>Keep it to yourself.

You decide against reporting the incident. You don't know what sort of man the colonel is, or if he would look favourably on you killing one of your own men, even under such circumstances. Tom Wiggins interrupts your pondering.
"Sarge, me and the lads were going to play some tiles. Care to join us?" He sees your face and clarifies: "We're not gambling sir, 'tis just for the fun of it. Course we don't have anything to gamble with."
>Join them
>Decline

>>6152127
>Decline, but be respectful.
Someone could get the wrong idea.

>>6152127
>Decline

>>6152127
>Join them

>>6152127
>Join them

It's not good to isolate ourselves socially from the men. I vaguely recall reading about a very similar situation from the Vietnam War where some officer was put in charge of a penal unit of special forces, didn't make friends, and ended up getting fragged because of it. Not to mention that we ought to have some self awareness, having just secretly killed Tanner because, well, one way of putting it mildly was that he wasn't very likeable.

>>6152127
>>Join them

>>6152127
>Join them

>>6152127
>>Join them

At the table Tom is also joined by James Dixon and two of your other men named Pat Fisher and Bill Allen. You don't know anything about them other than their names. Tom hands you a tankard of beer and tells you that the men chipped in a little of theirs each so you could have a second, out of gratitude for getting them through the battle alive.
On the table are a stack of crudely cut wooden tiles with familiar runes carved into them and a pile of acorns, which seem to substitute for coins. Tom pushes some acorns to you and Dixon starts dealing the tiles. You know the rules well enough, but gambling was never your strong suit and your acorns gradually dwindle. Fisher wins the game and the acorns are redistributed for another game.
As it goes on the men get to talking and you learn more about them. Fisher and Allen had both been robbers who were caught after nearly crippling a man whom they beat for money. They were sent to the battalion together where they met Tom and became fast friends. Despite being the odd one out in the group, Dixon just seems happy to have a crowd to fall in with.
After a few games the men call it a night and head off. The last to leave, Tom grabs your attention and ushers you to the side.
"Listen sarge, when we were cleaning up after the battle, I saw a couple of the lads from the other lot swallowing some silver and gold they took from the dead enemies' purses. A pretty penny it were, so I kept an eye on them. I saw them coughing it up in the camp after they'd searched us. I watched them after that and they hid it in their bedrolls." he whispers.
"You want me to report them?" you ask.
"Not at all sir, I thought you could help me pinch it. We can split it halfway."
"Why come to me? Why not your thief friends? They'd be more help, I'd think."
"No, see I can handle the thieving part myself. But then what? Where would I hide it? I can't take it with me all the time, they'd find it in a search. Burying it somewhere is best, and coming back to get it after my sentence is up. But I can't simply run off into the woods during the march to bury it under a memorable tree or rock, then come back. You're an officer though, you might be able to get away with something. What do you say?"
>Agree to help steal the money.
>Agree to confront the men and demand they give you half the money as the price for your silence.
>Decline, but tell no one. Stealing is wrong, even from thieves and you will not stoop that low.
>Decline and report the other men to their platoon leader.
>Decline and report Tom and the other men.

>>6152250
>>Agree to confront the men and demand they give you half the money as the price for your silence.

>>6152250
>>Decline, but tell no one. Stealing is wrong, even from thieves and you will not stoop that low.
Less so "it's wrong" and more so "You think someone hasn't tried that before?" Don't really want one of the few... at least semi-decent fellows to end up losing their head or getting whipped.

>>6152250
>Decline and report the other men to their platoon leader.

>>6152250
>Agree to confront the men and demand they give you half the money as the price for your silence.

>>6152250
Real life kept me away from the board, but really digging where the quest has gone since the first post. Got a nice Dirty Dozen meets black company meets the The Union from the first law trilogy-vibe.

>Decline, but tell no one. Stealing is wrong, even from thieves and you will not stoop that low.
Tom, you mean well, but the last thing we want to do is piss off the people right next to us in the trenches. We don't want to get shot form behind. If we steal their money and they find out, they can just report us and claim we had stolen it from the siege, meaning no disrespect to your skill. Lets keep our heads down and we'll talk about making opportunities for the next fight we fight? Because we're going to need every resource we can get if we're getting out of this.

Basicly, convince Tom not to risk it for now.

>>6152250
> Decline, but tell no one. Stealing is wrong, even from thieves and you will not stoop that low.

>>6152250
>Decline, but tell no one. Stealing is wrong, even from thieves and you will not stoop that low.

best not to get involved

>>6152250
I'll support >>6152443's attempt at reasoning with Tom.

>>6152250
>>Decline, but tell no one. Stealing is wrong, even from thieves and you will not stoop that low.

>>6152443
+1

"That's too much of a risk, I won't do it. Someone might see you take it, or one of them might wake up. Think about what happens if those men find out it was us. We may be in battle with them again, then we'll have a target on our backs as well as in front. Or we'll be strangled in our sleep in camp. Beside that, there's no way I could bury it somewhere. I'm watched just as much as you are. Probably more."
"Alright sarge, you have a point. I won't try anything. Though I'll keep an eye on them. I figure they know they've got to hide it somewhere too, all I need to do is see them do it. Then if I'm out before them, I can dig it up myself." Tom pauses. "You won't tell anyone about this though, will you?"
"No, I won't."
"That's good. Well, good night sir."

The next day is spent dismantling the siege camp under the close watch of the guards. The prisoners' camp is left intact for the following night, and in the morning ten platoons including yours set out for Lundorf. During the march, Tom quietly tells you that he saw 'those two friends of ours' putting 'a new layer of lining' in their boots. Their platoon isn't marching with yours however, so what becomes of the treasure will stay a mystery.
The railway from Lundorf connects to the heart of the Empire. But after a few interchanges, the train you're on heads north and arrives finally at the coastal city of Normouth. You and the others are transferred to some cells in a fortress. The survivors from another platoon are transferred to yours, giving you a total of 36 men under your command.

Over the next month you're brought out almost daily to work alongside the civilian convicts in the city. For the first week they have you repaving a large section of old road. After that you spend some time laying bricks for an extension of the city wall. On one of the more relaxing days you repaint the walls of a government office building.
The days you have free from work are not filled with relaxation. You're sent with your men to the fortress's training yard to practice. The junior officer in charge of the training is so incompetent that you suspect he's been assigned to this role so that others elsewhere can be rid of him. However he at least seems to recognise your greater knowledge and experience, and allows you a good degree of autonomy in training them yourself. You choose two of the following areas to spend the most time on:
>Focus on basic weapon drills.
>Focus on weapon and armour maintenance.
>Focus on small unit tactics.

>>6153196
>Focus on small unit tactics.
>Focus on weapon and armour maintenance.
Good training and well maintained gear should do wonder for morale and unit cohesion.

>>6153196
>"That's good. Well, good night sir."
Hell yeah, it worked out.

>>6153207
I suppose I'll support this, faulty equipment is gonna get us killed. Though otherwise I would have preferred weapon drills and small unit tactics.

>Focus on small unit tactics.
>Focus on weapon and armour maintenance.

>>6153196
>Focus on weapon and armour maintenance.
>Focus on small unit tactics.

Drills were important right before jumping into the fire, but we're spending a lot of downtime, so we need to make sure the troops know how to maintain their kit.

>>6153196
>Focus on weapon and armour maintenance.
>Focus on small unit tactics.

We will be the best of the penal legions!

>>6153196
>>Focus on weapon and armour maintenance.
>>Focus on small unit tactics.

>>6153196
>Focus on small unit tactics
>Focus on weapon and armour maintenance

You decide to use the time you have to train your men to maintain their equipment better and introduce them to some more advanced tactics in some practice drills. They take to the new ideas quickly, though how their understanding and discipline holds up in combat remains to be seen.
A month after your arrival in the city, you learn that you and the others are to be deployed to one of the island provinces to help defend it from an anticipated attack. They don't tell you, but you assume by the Bitars. You board a paddle steamer converted into a prison ship and spend a week in a cell below deck.
One morning, the sound of shouts and the ring of alarm bells fills the ship. A few marines rush down the ladder and start unlocking the cells, telling the prisoners that the ship's being attacked and to report on deck. You grab your gear from one of the weapons chests and ascend with your men. Abovedeck, you can see the enemy ship approaching. A small raider, maybe a scout that saw a weak target and took some initiative. Nevertheless your ship is slightly outgunned. The small ship outmaneuvers the slow steamer's few fixed cannons and fires some shots into the stern. It comes up aside your vessel, below the angle of your cannons, and a man shouts at those gathered on the deck.
"Prisoners! We know you are forced to fight. Join us and we will give you freedom! Take over the boat and bring us the captain, we will make you free men!"
A marine sergeant quickly orders the prisoners to fire at the enemy. The men in the other platoon pause hesitantly. The leader looks them over for a few seconds before shouting.
"To freedom!"
They charge and open fire at the marines and sailors.
>Command your men to fight the traitors.
>Command your men to join the mutiny.

>>6154749
>Command your men to fight the traitors.
We don't even know if we can trust the enemy ship.

>>6154749
>Command your men to join the mutiny.

>>6154749
>Command your men to fight the traitors.

Like anon said, we don't know whether we can trust the enemy. I don't like the idea of them "making" us free men. What guarantees do we have? They could demand our arms when the battle is won, we could resist, but our side's numbers would be reduced, having fought for the very enemy we would now seek to resist. Even if we are freed and taken to the enemy's land, we'd be impoverished, left to the mercy of others. Not to mention that even if these are rebels and speak the same language as us, it may just be that one enemy officer, back in wherever we are taken, they may prefer whatever native tongue they have, a sort of nationalism or whatever, now that they are no longer under the yoke of the empire.

Plus, y'know, the quest is literally called Prison Battalion Quest. It may be meta, but I doubt we're going free if we support the mutineers.

>>6154749
>>Command your men to fight the traitors.
We didn't come all this way to betray her majesty NOW, did we?

>>6154749
>Command your men to join the mutiny.
We might get overthrown otherwise

>>6154749
>>Command your men to fight the traitors.

>>6154749
>>Command your men to join the mutiny.

>>6154941
>the quest is literally called Prison Battalion Quest. It may be meta, but I doubt we're going free if we support the mutineers.
>Gets captured as POW
>Congratulations! You are now the regiment of "free volunteers" for the liberation of Luxuion!
>Now, back to the front, "volunteers"!

>>6154749
>Command your men to fight the traitors.

>>6154749
>>Command your men to fight the traitors.

>>6154749
>>Command your men to fight the traitors.

You order your men to fire a volley at the mutineers, and then you charge with them. They are caught off guard and quickly defeated. The enemy ship fires its cannons into the steamer's hull and moves away. After trading a few broadsides at range, a friendly flag is spotted on the horizon and the small ship flees.
The approaching warship stops to help and the captains arrange to tow the crippled vessel to your destination. The ship's captain congratulates you on your loyalty and says he will put in a good word for you. The ship eventually arrives at the island and you, your men, and the other prisoners who refused to join the mutiny are taken to the town's fortress.

Your stay here is comparatively pleasant and you're treated as part of the garrison instead of a prisoner. You and your men have relatively free reign, however you are of course not permitted to leave the fortress. The weeks pass and no attack comes, until one day an enemy fleet is reported in the area. They're seen anchored at the other end of the island, disembarking soldiers and ferrying supplies to the shore. An urgent assembly is called and the fortress commander, General Caskin, asks the garrison for volunteers for a dangerous stealth mission to sabotage the enemy fleet. The plan is to approach undetected at night in a rowboat, swim to the ships, and attach explosives to the hulls.
>Volunteer
>Don't volunteer

>>6155781
Can we wait and see if any regular unit will volunteer first?
I doubt anyone in our penal battalion knows how to handle explosive, let alone knows where or how to plant them on a ship's hull. This seems like a job for a specialized squad rather than a newly raised penal battatlion.

>>6155783
You're not volunteering your men, just yourself.

>>6155840
Good to know.

>>6155781
>Volunteer

We're a loyal soldier.

>>6155781
>Volunteer
earning the general's favor will do us good

>>6155781
>>Volunteer

>>6155781
>Volunteer

>>6155840
If that's the case then let's volunteer.

>>6155781
>Volunteer

>>6155781
>>Volunteer

You step forward to volunteer for the mission. Tom and some of your other men hesitantly follow you, but you firmly tell them to step back. The general meets with the volunteers and picks out the most qualified, including you. With those chosen, you are briefed on the mission. The explosives you will be using are some of the latest technology; bundles of dynamite with a percussion cap detonator, special waterproof mechanical timer, and wire hooks for attaching, specifically designed for naval sabotage. No flame is needed to ignite them, and without a burning fuse they will be unseen and unheard in the dark. After a brief training session with the timers, you set out with the other four men on a small sailboat towards the other end of the island.
After nightfall, the boat stops out of eyesight of the enemy fleet and you enter the rowboat with the others. The sea is calm, so swimming should be easier. You row towards the fleet and hide the boat behind some rocks at the shore a good distance off. You reckon there are at least two dozen ships. The leader of the team, Captain Saunders, points out the large transport ships which are the primary targets. If possible, some of the bigger warships are to be sabotaged next.
You and the team take two bombs each from the boat and start swimming. Your two targets are both transport ships anchored away from the shore. Presumably they haven't been unloaded of cargo yet. You swim quietly to the stern of the first ship and hook the first bomb over the rudder. Keeping an eye out above, you turn the dial on the timer to the twenty minute mark and carefully pull back the hammer of the detonator until it locks into place. You take a percussion cap from the small bag on your belt and place it over the nipple. With the bomb armed, you swim to the next ship and do the same. You would like to take a rest, but you know better and return to the rowboat.
You meet the team leader there who is picking up the last two bombs. He gives one to you and tells you to attach it to the nearest warship; he will take the other to the next one along. Together you swim out and attach the bombs. On returning to the rowboat, you find two of the others have returned, leaving one man missing. Though he should have returned by now, you wait a couple of minutes with no sign of him. There are only 5 minutes until the first bombs explode and the captain calls a hasty vote on what to do.
>Vote to search for the missing man
>Vote to leave now
>Vote to wait longer

>>6156957
>Vote to wait longer
If the bombs go off, the enemy won't be able to come after us anyway.

>>6156957
>Vote to wait longer

>>6156957
>>Vote to wait longer

>>6156957
>>Vote to wait longer

>>6156957
>Vote to wait longer

Best choice, I think. If he can move under his own power (i.e. he hasn't been captured or caught under a freak wave) then moving will only make it harder for him to find us in the dark as he considers how he got lost. If he's currently helpless, then there's not much we can do to help him. And should he have turned traitor in order to escape, well, it is a short timer, the mission should not be in jeopardy.

>>6156957
>Vote to wait longer

>>6156957
>Vote to wait longer.
If we go in, we risk ourselves and may confuse our lost man.
If we leave now, we abandon him.
Stay put for now. Until the bombs go off. Then row like mad, and/or prepare to ditch the rowboat in case of return fire.

Your vote breaks the three-way tie and you all agree to get the boat ready and wait a bit longer. After about a minute, you hear shouts and gunshots from the ships, followed by an explosion. One of the bombs has gone off early. Alarm bells ring and the light of lanterns starts to appear on the decks of the other ships and on the shore. The captain orders the boat to depart before you're spotted and another man takes the oars. More explosions ring out as you escape, and you're eventually picked up by the sailboat again. The boat sails out from the shore so the damage can be surveyed with a spyglass. It seems nine ships out of two to three dozen are scuttled, on fire, or otherwise incapacitated. Without transport, the enemy army will now be partially trapped on the island and with reduced supplies. The sailboat is spotted and makes a hasty getaway from the patrolling scout ships.

On your return, you and the others are congratulated by General Caskin for your success. You are invited to a strategic meeting to discuss the defence of the town. Given that the Bitars can't fully evacuate their army, it is expected they will beseige the town. And since their supplies are limited, it is expected they will try a direct assault instead of starving you out. The long advance the enemy must make across the island gives rise to some more opportunities.
>Suggest we send out land and sea forces to harass the enemy as they approach.
>Suggest we only send out ships to harass the enemy fleet.
>Suggest we stay within the walls and save our strength for the battle. Any force we could send out would be badly outnumbered.

>>6158283
>Suggest we send out land and sea forces to harass the enemy as they approach.
We know the surroundings and they don't.

>>6158283
>Suggest we send out land and sea forces to harass the enemy as they approach.
Enemy supply lines are fucked, they are mostly stranded and they are on foreign lands fighting for a cause they probably don't personally care much about, lets drive in that demoralization just a bit more.

>>6158283
>Suggest we send out land and sea forces to harass the enemy as they approach.

>>6158283
>>Suggest we send out land and sea forces to harass the enemy as they approach.

>>6158283
>Suggest we send out land and sea forces to harass the enemy as they approach.

>>6158283
>Suggest we send out land and sea forces to harass the enemy as they approach.
No easy trips

The officers are quick to agree to harassing the enemy from sea, but are reluctant to risk sending their men out on foot. General Caskin relents and gives permission for a small force, including you and your men, to depart.

You lie in wait in the forest with your men. Everyone stays silent as the sound of hundreds of footsteps approaches along the road. As expected, the bombardment from the warships kept them away from the north coast and forced them to come this way. The first men begin to march past and you give the order to fire. Normally a good ambush waits until the main enemy force comes into range, but this isn't a normal ambush. After firing, your men immediately turn and run, and you follow them. Shots ring out from behind, but you don't look back. Since they left all their armour and gear but their weapons, your men are quick on their feet, and the trees are too thick here for cavalry to follow.
It seems like you've been running for ages, but they enemy troops are still in pursuit. You eventually reach a familiar rock formation and run through a gap to the other side. Your pursuers go to follow, but are shot down by the soldiers lying in wait behind the rocks. The survivors retreat to a safer distance and return what fire they can as their reinforcements arrive. Underestimating your numbers, the reinforcements fire and advance towards the rocks until a volley corrects their mistake. With more enemies arriving, they begin to coordinate and they divide their forces to flank you on either side. This is your signal to leave. Your men and the regulars fall back towards the southern shore. Taking the bait again, the enemy gives chase. You reach the beach and start to board the rowboats as the Bitar troops clear the treeline. Your men hold them back with musket fire as the boats push off from shore, and as more of them set foot on the beach they're hit by a volley of grape shot from the ships' cannons. They flee and the ships take you back to the town. All things considered the enemy didn't take significant casualties, but the distraction surely caused some disarray in their army.


That's the end of this thread, thanks for playing!
Prison Battalion Quest will return.

>>6161574
thanks for running!

>>6161574
Thanks, QM. That was fun.