The Ride - Scene 2: Leaving Town

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Leaving Town

Lieutenant Christophe found Sergent Josué checking the privates' job of packing supplies for the journey, and asked "How soon before we're ready?"  Without looking up, Josué replied that everything would be prepared once he'd secured one last item from possibly making noise.  Stanley and Oliver, the two privates, looked on silently, their faces a mix of apprehension and determination.  After a moment, the Sergent stood to attention, saluted, and said "All is secure, Mon Lieutenant".  Christophe replied "Good, let's go" and lead his tiny unit towards the garrison exit.

The Legion at the west end and the PEFs at the east end.

Leaving the garrison and entering town proper was an unnerving experience.  Old, familiar streets now had an aspect of menace - Christophe wondered what Vichy spy or band of thugs lurked around every corner.

Turn 1 - Legion exits the garrison and the PEFs all advance.

Knowing that shepherds kept their herds of goats among the treeline north of the city overnight, Christophe reasoned that any threat would be detected by the animals.

Turn 2 - PEFs fail to activate.

Turn 3 - PEFs still don't activate, the Legion swings wide to avoid two of the PEFs.

Turn 4 - The legion gets into the woods while the PEF's dice refused to cooperate.  Turn 5 saw both sides sit immobile.

Coming to a gap in the treeline, the Legionnaires were hesitant, being unsure as to whether something lurked in the bushes ahead.  Knowing that they needed to make good time, Christophe decided that the need for rapid movement outweighed the possible danger in the bushes.

Some gaming trivia:  My dice have both a tremendous love of the dramatic, and a deep hatred of me.  Figuring that if I can get past this one PEF (please let it be nothing) the game's in the bag.  Naturally, my dice had other plans.

Crossing the open ground, noise and motion erupted from the bushes in the form of three of the Raisouli's men - mounted and charging the Legionnaires.

Turn 6 - Hoping the PEF would be "just a case of nerves", the Legion emerges from the woods and gets a nasty surprise.

As quickly as Lieutenant Christophe could give two orders, "Fire!" and "Retreat!", the Legionnaires acted in unison.  Two of the three Berber horsemen went down even as the soldiers sought shelter from the charge.  The third Berber chose to press the attack regardless, but four fixed bayonets brought him down.

The initial Test of Wills saw the active Legionnaires fire while the inactive Berbers charged.

A horseman is formidable, but not so much when facing four bayonets.

Short of breath, Christophe was relieved to find that his soldiers were all unharmed.  This relief was short lived as figures emerged from the shadows, but came back quickly when the new potential threat was merely merchants and the journey was renewed.

Turn 7 - the PEFs close in while the Legion fails to activate.  Luckily, the PEFs resolved as civillians and "just a case of nerves".