The following morning, the group makes a cautious return to the vicinity of Perelane and the spaceport using Rock's tunnels to move. They see no indication that anyone tried to follow them the previous night. The group surfaces some distance from the spaceport to observe. Mack and Shooter spend some time observing the spaceport and note signs of heavy activity. Several ships have landed that have the same archaic/modern look to them as the vehicles and armor of the invaders. Other vehicles are busy demolishing buildings that were destroyed in the battle of the previous evening.
And while these activities are occurring, there is a very heavy security presence. Planes, mostly aerospace fighters, constantly patrol overhead, sending the group into the tunnel a few times as a fighter strays close to their position. Several aerospace bombers are flying much higher patrols and occasionally descending on some pocket of resistance, or perceived resistance, and dropping light and heavy ordinance depending on the level of resistance.
The team moves back into the tunnel and heads towards the city, burrowing around the spaceport. The city is relatively calm with very little invader presence. The highest level of presence is on the road leading to the spaceport, where a heavily fortified defensive position has been set up.
GM: Let me know if you want to surface in the city at all. Let me know if you have specific plans on what to do next.
PETER (OOC): One quick question that might have gotten lost in the confusion of the last week - My last post I had said that after getting the high tech stuff from the spaceport (and bugging out because the bad guys were getting close), we were going to try and get a bunch of miscellanous supplies from places around the city that were bombed. I was thinking food, camping supplies, tools, etc. Nothing military, jsut the stuff that would justify us staying underground (figuratively, and perhaps literally) for some time. I had figured that we could get a bunch of stuff from the lower levels of mundane places that were bombed before they were dug out. Then what we got could be chalked up to bomb damage. (Particualrly if Rock collapsed the areas that we recovered equipment from.
MACK (OOC): Fine, except there's that fine line between theft and salvage we'd be toeing. Think of in terms of L.A. After an earthquake would it be OK to pop into the damaged Safeway and take some 'fresh' fish? That was the place we kinda left off.
PETER: Right now I'm looking at things as if the invaders have taken over and the planet is no longer under hte control of someone who obeys the Articles of War. As such, we would not be treated with the protections afforded by that, and we should not feel restrained to follow the Articles of War scrupulously. (Not that I'm saying we should ignore them. In fact, we should try and treat the zho as well as we can.) Things are going to get very hard for us in just a little while and we need all the advantages we can. And the stuff we want might get (A) taken by the invaders, (B) restricted in its distribution, and (C) monitored scrupulously. To the extent we can get any of it off the rolls from the get go, the better off we and any zho freedom fighters we may (hypothetically) ultimately get hooked up with are.
ROCK (OOC): Isn't there common rules of war where soldiers can gain quarters? More importantly, what as soldiers have we been trained to do in this particular case? Steve, what does our military handbook tell us on us of enemy supplies/salvage? Though, I could see it possible that they would skip any instruction for Gamma company, I would think that Peter's briefing would include something on this.
MACK: Mack doesn't look particularly happy as he says this, but it comes out, "Cap. If'n this space shit, pardon my Vilani, but if they're on our side, can't they lift us off this zulu asteroid? I'd take 'ticular pleasure in seeing ev'ryone of these scum in a brig inside a red sun, but I'd take more pleasure in havin' them get me ta the nearest JAG along the way. Think we could pull it off? I mean, if'n Cal could get a weak ra-dya signal through ta them, that might jus' do the trick."
PETER: "That's a very big if," Peter replies with a sigh. "From all we've seen these invaders are remorseless and brutal. If they are allies of the Imperium, then the Imperium has broken most of the rules we've seen them run by. That in itself gives me pause."
PETER: "But to be honest," he continues, "I think it far more likely they are not associated with the Imperium. And in that case I doubt it would be in our best interests to make contact. As trained combatants we'd likely be imprisoned - or worse, killed. The problem is that if we make contact to ask them, the cat's out of the bag and they'll come looking for us. And I don't want to take that risk."
PETER: "So let's wait a week and try and learn a bit more about them. If they are allies then they'll take us home next week as easily as they will today. And if they're not allies, we'll be glad of the anonymity. Anyone have any thoughts on the matter?"
ROCK: Rock replied simply, "I say lay low and watch."
MARKO: "It's risky, but worth a try."
SHOOTER: "I'm with you, sir. We are better off showing caution and learning more about these new invaders before showing ourselves. While it is true, as Mack suggests, that they might be allies of the Imperium, we have no information to suggest that is the case and it is not always true that the enemy of our enemies are our friends."
GM: Concerning the issue of stealing, there is nothing in your training that would suggest that stealing from the enemy to stay alive is counter to the Articles of War. The articles definitely distinguish between enemy soldiers and enemy civilians and suggest that stealing from enemy military stores is of greater tactical value than stealing from civilians but the fact that you are stranded behind enemy lines, with no forseeable (at least in the near future) avenue to friendly lines, gives you a bit more leeway when it comes to such ethical issues. Such situations are deliberately vague and left mostly to the commanding officer's discretion. None of you know of any cases where soldiers were convicted in cases like this, where the stealing was solely to help them survive and not for some profiteering venture. |