In Which Strategical Decisions Are Made In the Pursuit Of Liberation

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Now, reader. In order to guide these men. It is best that you be informed of the specifics.

Firstly, these men are all clones. However, these are not your blank slates. Each one of these men were cloned as exact copies of the original. The Original was a young American man of Caucasian skin and mixed ancestry. He was raised middle class, with a strong sense of right and wrong. He is of slightly above average intelligence, and below average physical healthiness.

Now, more importantly, we must describe their equipment.

The thirty men who milled about, waiting for orders or scanning the edge of the clearing were wielding firearms, similar in appearance to the German MP-40. These Submachine guns were quite poor in quality, their only benefit would that these inaccurate, low-caliber weapons prone to overheating were easy to manufacture.

Of course, most Infantrymen preferred to use their more reliable batons or sidearms. Or to pilfer a better weapon from an enemy's cooling body.

Now, each of these men wore a grey-blue field cap atop their heads. And their bodies were clad in large, bulky grey-blue greatcoats.

Though it was early in the summer, the men, in their pride, refused to show any discomfort from the mild heat.

Though, some would admit, in private, behind many closed doors, that concealing so much of their skin was a matter of a crippling lack of self-worth.

Let us turn our attention to the Lieutenant. He is clad in the same grey-blue clothing of his comrades. Though he notably sports white epaulets upon his greatcoat's shoulders.

Let me bestow a vital piece of information, reader.

The lieutenant is a hardened veteran, and can hold his own, provided he is not drowned by raw numbers. In fact, every officer in the I.A.L. from the Sargent to the General, clawed their way up the ladder by taking charge of squads, then companies, then regiments in the heat of combat. No man who wears the ranks of an Officer hasn't earned them in steel and blood.

But, before we continue, we must make our first decision. It is getting dark. shall we:

[A]: Focus our efforts on establishing hasty defenses for the new base.

[B]: Order three groups of men in squads of three to scout the immediate area beyond the treeline. This Order has it's own risks, but knowledge of the surrounding are could be vital.

[C]. Order the squad to ready and move in a Cardinal Direction. This Order may cause you to meet allies (or enemies) just a bit sooner that you'd want.

[D]: (Fill in an Order here)

A note: Every Infantryman's kit includes a personal flashlight, six magazines of ammunition, two cans of food of random content, one bottle of water, and a small box of three vials of morphine.

>>783113
if it's a reasonably quiet place, best bet is
>[B]: Order three groups of men in squads of three to scout the immediate area beyond the treeline

>>783118
>[B]: Order three groups of men in squads of three to scout the immediate area beyond the treeline. This Order has it's own risks, but knowledge of the surrounding are could be vital.

As the light begins to die, three squads of three; all volunteers, carefully comb the forested area around the clearing to out of about two-hundred yards.

There are only two items of note after an hour and a half of searching.

To the East, there seems to lie an old dirt path. It does not seem to have been used for years, and the squad managed to pick out what seems to be the outline of a ruined fort about a half-mile away.

To the West, however, the only item of note is an abandoned pull-cart, one commonly used by peasant farmers. It is quite recent, and seems to have been left behind when the left wheel broke off. Nothing is left save scraps of cloth.

Due to having no orders, the rest of the men take the initiative and dig trenches. It is backbreaking work, and despite over an hours' worth of effort, all they can show for it is a crude trench-line about eight feet deep and four feet wide surrounding the Portal.

One of High Command's Orders was to establish a fortified outpost for the IAL. If the Ruined Fort is still mostly intact, it could serve well as an outpost.

However, leaving too few men behind to secure it could create problems.

Should the Lieutenant:

[A]: Take half (15) of the men to secure the Fort.

[B]: Reorganize the three scouting squads into one squad of nine men, leaving the rest.

[C]: Take everyone, just in case.

[D]: (Fill in an Order)

>>783175
>[D] Take a majority of the men towards the ruined fort in order to scout it. Do not enter until some information is gained. Keep one or two squads of three watch the portal from a distance, while hidden, in order to make sure no one tries to do anything to it. Once the fort has been scouted, make a more informed decision.

>>783175
>combine scouts into a single squad and have them investigate the fort with a second squad of equal size to accompany them but wait outside the fort. they are to be exremly various and fall back and report to the clearing at any sign of trouble.

>>783907
I agree with this, but I would still like to have eyes on the portal. Also, I would like to have some scouts try and figure out if there are any nearby flora or fauna that have similarities to ones previously encountered.

>>783175

If we have radio, leave one squad with orders to build a camouflaged OP to cover the portal. The rest of us go to the fort.

File: Ruined outer Fort.jpg (26KB, 720x405px) Image search: [Google]

26KB, 720x405px

With not too much time to choose, the Lieutenant decides to take about half the men, leaving the rest behind to guard the Portal.

Thus, fifteen men, not including the Lieutenant, set off down the old dirt path toward the Ruined Fort.

But despite their progress, the squad has slowed to a crawl due to the quickly falling pitch-blackness of the night. No stars or Moon are out tonight, as it seems the cloudy sky has blocked any natural light.

The men are forced to use their flashlights lest they loose eachother in the dark. And about an hour passes before the Squad reaches the Fort itself.

It is...

Unimpressive, even more so up close. There remains little of the outer parts of what might have once been extensions, now little more than neat piles of stone.

The main wall is mostly intact, save for a large hole in the West side, which seems to be about eight feet wide and ten feet tall.

As the men regroup just outside the Hole, the Lieutenant spies faint light coming from what used to be the barracks, built into the wall.

It could be bandits, resting after a day of practicing their brutal craft. Of course, it could also be poor squatters desperate for shelter.

Should the Lieutenant:

[A]: Carefully creep into the Barracks alongside his men, hoping to use surprise to their advantage.

[B]: Quickly rush the Barracks, before anyone in there knows of their presence.

[C]: Abandon all pretense of stealth and loudly assault the Barracks guns ablaze.

[D]: (Fill in an Order)

---
>>784683
Unfortunately, radios cannot be distributed among the men until the total strength of IAL forces on this World reach Company strength.

Other upgrades automatically gained upon reaching a certain level of strength include the ability to outfit pre-existing structures with electricity, and the establishment of Advanced Triage Centers.

>>784947
[A]

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>784947
D: See if you can take a peek at them without being caught. Rolling for skillcheck

>>785762

I second this.

As caution overtakes the men, the Lieutenant orders an agonizingly slow crawl towards the old Barracks with their flashlights off, even from here the Lieutenant can see what seems to be the last dying embers of a fire.

It takes almost ten minutes to painstakingly make their way to the Barracks without making a sound, the men aren't trained in stealth or how to move silently; But with slow, halting movements and a bit of luck and caution, the Lieutenant and his Squad have pressed themselves up against the front wall of the Barracks.

There is no door where one should be only an empty frame, nor any windowpanes for the two square holes that are obviously meant to be windows.

As the Lieutenant slowly peeks his head through the doorframe, he can make out the room and it's contents:

It, like the fort itself, is neglected and pitiful in condition, there are several large tables and chairs, but they are likely to fall apart if one were to put so much pressure on them due to extensive rot.

Several iron braziers line the walls, but they are cold and dark, obviously not used in a long time.

There are several bedframes, but they are in as deplorable a condition as the other furniture.

The Lieutenant is able to spot perhaps four figures covered in fur blankets near the wall farthest from the doorway.

He cannot make out the gleam of weaponry, and they seem to be deep asleep.

Shall the Lieutenant:

[a]: Order the squatters(?) surrounded, forcefully awakened, captured and questioned.

[B]: loudly demand their surrender, telling them that they are surrounded.

[C]: Leave them be, for now.

[D]: (Fill in an Order)

>>792122
[A]

The men are quick to drag them from their sleep, though they struggle and shout, they quiet when they realize what has befallen them, and they begin to cower.

They offer little resistance when the Infantrymen tape together their wrists, forcing them on their knees, and keeping their mouths free so that the new prisoners may answers questions.

The first three figures were revealed to be two human men and a woman, all wearing worn leather clothing, offering little protection against the night cold.

The Lieutenant goes to tie up the last small figure personally, drawing his sidearm. With his .32 caliber in hand, he approaches the fourth, shorter figure.

The last figure is cowering beneath a cloak far too large for it's size, with one hand gripping the revolver, the Lieutenant forcefully tears away the covering to reveal the one cowering underneath.

It is not human.

The last figure is revealed to be a Kobold. Though even most Kobolds are far more intimidating than this one. It's nose appears to take up more than half it's face, and it's eye's are small coal-black things glistening with tears.

It whimpers, and, squeezing it's eyes tight, curls into a ball and holds it's arms protectively above it's head.

The Lieutenant thought it both adorable and pitiful. He did not bother to tie it up.

At the end of it all, they had taken four prisoners, all that needed to be done was for them to be questioned. And, perhaps, lead back to the camp at the Portal.

Now comes another choice. What shall be done first, dear reader?

Shall the Lieutenant:

[A]: Question the prisoners why they are here, then escort them back to the camp.

[B]: Escort them back first, then question them.

[C]: Order the men to wait a while and secure the Barracks.

[D]: (Insert an Order.)

Note, reader, that the assumed 'Kobold' is actually one of their less intelligent, yet far more benign sub-race, the 'Cutebolds'.