Francis Valentin's Adventure

[Watercress]

Francis Valentin, stationed in Queretaro, begins to formulate a plan in which to rise in the new Imperial Mexican Army. He had held a high position in the French Invasion Force - he was seething for the Mexican's generals assignment of him to the rank of private.

Francis began making speeches and printing posters across the town, in the hopes of raising a local regiment in the name of the Empire, both to rise his rank, and to campaign against the republicans in the north.

OOC: Do i actually need to do speeches/posters, or can i just generically have them happen?

[Barry Goldwater]

OOC: You'll need to actually write the speeches & posters.

[Watercress]

Several posters hang around the town.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Barry Goldwater]

Nearly a hundred Mexicans sign up for the Imperial Army that day, with more to come over the week. Private Valentin is effectively guaranteed command of one of the new units...once he gets promoted, of course...

[Watercress]

Francis requests the local command (Wherever it is) that he be granted control of the new volunteers, stating his work in enlisting them.

[Barry Goldwater]

Private Valentin's superior, one Sergeant Gomez, has agreed to temporarily raise him to the rank of Corporal* and assign him command over a unit of the brand new, completely green recruits; if he cannot complete his new assignment** within the next four days***, he will be demoted back to Private and his men (should they still be alive) reintegrated into his old unit.

*Temporary rank, command over a section - 6 men, pay's the same as a Private:
6x Imperial Riflemen
**PM coming
***4 real life days

Outcome decided by dice roll - 1-3 you get that promotion, 4-6 you don't:

You rolled 1 die:

Timestamp: 2010-10-27 23:09:33 UTC

[Watercress]

Receiving the Sergeant's orders, Francis moved north with his men into the Forests in question, and search for locals who may know of the location of the republicans, using force and blackmail if needed to extract the information.

[Barry Goldwater]

After some searching, one of the Imperial Riflemen brings a harassed-looking peasant before the Corporal.

"Hola - hey hey, no need to grab me, I can move just fine on my own!...what do you and your men want from me, Corporal?"

[Watercress]

'There are local republicans partisans working in these areas. They oppose god, nation, and emperor, and i must ask you to tell me all you know about the whereabouts, and the numbers of these rebels. Do not make me force you, Monsieur.'

Francis motions to his rifle, in particular the bayonet, to enforce his point.

[Barry Goldwater]

The peasant flinches and tries to get away from the Imperial Rifleman's grip.

"Whoa now Corporal, no need to point that thing at me, I'll talk. The Partisans are hanging out east of Santa Rosa Jáuregui, in a farm they stole - from me."

The man stiffens and sounds more confident now.

"I can guide you there and assist you in taking my farm back - I mean, in serving Emperador Maximiliano. I'm a crack shot with one of the Yanqui's rifles*, been hunting game since I was eight with my old man...I just need to make a living since I lost my farm...twenty pesos, Corporal?"

*Sharps rifle

[Watercress]

'You services could be invaluable.'

Francis pondered for a moment.

'Very well, here is your coin.'

Francis drew the coins from his money pouch, and handed it to the peasant.

'Guide us to your farm, then, Monsieur.'

[Barry Goldwater]

"Excelente, Senor. Come with me..."

The peasant creeps along a narrow winding path cutting through a small forest, Sharps rifle in hand, and stops after a ten-minute walk. In the distance is a small farmhouse with several Republican Guerrillas and Riflemen patrolling the perimeter.

"There they are, Corporal. They were 'bout six men strong when they kicked me and my family out, and I don't think they've called in reinforcements yet. What do we do now?"

[Watercress]

Francis motioned to one of his rifleman.

'You, create a distraction for the nearest patrol. Do what you want. The rest us, remain in hiding until the patrol arrives to find out what is going on. When they are all here, ambush them.'

[Barry Goldwater]

The designated distraction walks off and fires a shot into the air, attracting the attention of one of the two-man Republicano patrols...

[Watercress]

Francis waits for the patrol to come closer, before taking aim and firing at the patrol. He then swiftly motioned for the riflemen to take cover.

[Barry Goldwater]

One of the unsuspecting Republican Guerrillas is felled by Valentin's shot, but the other manages to get a shot off and plant a bullet in one of the slower Imperial soldiers' heads before taking cover and yelling for help. In the meantime, the rest of the Imperial troops as well as the Sharps-armed peasant successfully reach cover.

[Watercress]

The Imperial Riflemen open fire, in a attempt to attract their full attention. Francis then turns to the peasant.

'Are there any other routes or paths into this farm? On the other side of the republicans, perhaps?'

[Barry Goldwater]

"Haha, I wish, but no. Ground on the other side of the farm has practically no cover, even I can tell we'll be massacred if we try to move there."

Meanwhile, the Imperial Riflemen fire back at the Republicans, who have taken up positions behind barrels and overturned carts or in the actual farm. Another Republican falls with a bullet in his brain, but an Imperial Rifleman has been knocked out of action by bullets to the chest and hand.

[Watercress]

Francis halts his rifleman fire, and attempts to have them fire in volleys.

[Barry Goldwater]

The volley fire turns out to be a disastrous decision, as the Republicans are able to eventually figure out roughly when the Imperialists would fire and when they would have to reload. Without any further casualties, the few Republicans still outside the farmhouse withdraw into the building, and the men who went to deal with the distraction earlier have also returned.