Dunhold IV - assassin's greed

From:
Corporal Thrapple, B Section

To:
Lieutenant Cattermole, commanding First Platoon, B Company, 3rd Bywater Sharpshooters

Sir,

I write to you on behalf of my section on the matter of private Lemuel Dogberry. I understand that private Dogberry has been attached to us from B Company HQ in order to be ready for a specific mission, and that he is the best shot in the company. However Dogberry is insubordinate, sullen and hostile, has poor personal hygiene, and is untidy in his manner of dress. He has several times been caught pilfering, from stores and from his comrades' packs, and when apprehended has sneeringly flourished his letter of recommendation from staff-sergeant Pettifog. In addition his thefts from stores have meant that on several occasions his comrades have had to do without second breakfast. The whole of B section would be very grateful if a way could be found to moderate Dogberry's behaviour or at least minimise the time he is with the section.

Signed,

B Thrapple, Corporal

Extract from the anonymous memoir Here, There and Back Again - my life in the Bywater Sharpshooters:-

"We heard a rumour that our allies' triple-A had brought down an enemy aircraft and that it had crashed in our sector. We knew that only the highest-ranking of the enemy travelled by air, and there was some excited speculation about the event. Why anyone would travel by aircraft given the enemy's reputation for ramshackle engineering and haphazard maintenance was beyond me. Then a scout from A company claimed he'd seen it go down, and that the enemy had been hunting for the crash site. Another said he'd seen frantic enemy activity soon after, fuelling speculation that some important enemy officer had been aboard. When a runner arrived with a packet of orders marked 'Most urgent' and would not leave until the corporal had signed for them, read them, and signed that he'd read them, I immediately connected the two and my heart sank."

To:
Lieutenant Cattermole, commanding First Platoon, B Company, 3rd Bywater Sharpshooters

Sir,

I regret to report the failure of our recent operation and the death of privates Lemuel Dogberry and Odo Brocket. On the 178th day of this year we were despatched to locate and terminate an enemy staff officer whose aircraft had been brought down. We were able to find the crash site and observe the passenger from the aircraft being escorted away by a force of more than a dozen of the enemy. We then intercepted them as they approached an abandoned village. They were straggling along and beside an unpaved road. I at once led the whole of B Section - privates Brocket, Gangle, Jakes, Latchet, Hightower and Sedge, lance-corporal Scroggle being absent due to illness - into the walled garden of a house which was in a good position to overlook the track down which the enemy would have to pass [building 1 on the map]. Private Dogberry refused to accompany us and instead moved off westwards on his own to take up a firing position.

As we settled into position behind the garden wall I was able to see Dogberry climbing the ladder onto the roof of another house [building 2 on the map]. All the houses were simple flat-roofed constructions. As the enemy approached I saw Dogberry stand up on the roof and search for his target through his scope. He must have been spotted by the enemy as I heard a single shot. Dogberry did not take cover. He had left his commlink on, and I heard him say "They couldn't hit an oliphaunt at this distance". A moment later a large group of the enemy opened fire on the house, spraying the building with heavy fire, and Dogberry was hit.

"They couldn't hit an oliphaunt at this distance."

When the firing died down and I was certain that the enemy were unable to see us, we dashed across the field to the house Dogberry had gone to [building 2], which was closer to the enemy position. Privates Sedge & Brocket got there first and took up position at the corner of the house's garden wall. There they saw a group of about eight of the enemy milling about behind a house close to the road [building 3], some attempting to break down the door and others preparing to climb the ladder to the roof. Their officer had moved to the rear of the column to round up the stragglers, so they were going about the task in a half-hearted way. Sedge was able to get a clear shot at one of the enemy who, more motivated than the others, was nearing the top of the ladder. His shot killed the goblin who fell from the ladder into the group below, and most of these immediately fled.

This brought the enemy officer accompanied by the remaining infantry and the individual they were escorting up, and they sheltered behind the house [building 3] where we could not see them. Bearing in mind our objective I sent privates Jakes and Latchet onto the roof of our house [building 2] to help Dogberry and prevent the enemy occupying the roof of the other house. I then led the rest of the section over the garden wall and dashed across open ground towards a copse [C on the map], from which we would be able to fire into the area behind the house. This was a dangerous course of action as some of the enemy could see us as we crossed the open space but was necessary if we were to be able to get a shot at our target. The enemy leader was again alert to our movements and directed the fire of at least half a dozen goblins at us. A hail of fire fell about us and private Brocket was killed.

The rest of us - Sedge, Hightower, Jakes and myself - reached the trees and moved to a hidden firing position. From there Sedge and Hightower each shot down one goblin that was on the roof of the next building. The third flung himself down the ladder and fled with surprising speed. Sedge, Gangle and Hightower lost no time in occupying the roof of that house [building 3] with the aim of getting a shot at our target.

I joined them and could see the goblin NCO cuffing his remaining three or four troopers into obedience as the staff officer limped away eastwards, in the direction they had come from. Sedge and Hightower each tried a shot at the enemy officer at maximum range. Sedge's must have come close as I observed the officer jump, clap a hand to his ear, and scuttle into cover. To cover his escape the enemy infantry opened a very heavy but speculative fire on us.

We were obliged to duck behind the parapet of the roof, and Hightower was hit twice. Fortunately the bullets were at the extremity of their flight and he was only lightly wounded.

Later in the day we secured the area and buried Dogberry and Brocket in the nearby wood. We also disposed of four enemy bodies.

No fault for the failure of our mission should fall upon the sharpshooters of B Section. Their conduct was exemplary, and I commend private Sedge for the Sharpshooter First Class clasp.

Signed,

B Thrapple, Corporal

This was a variation on one of the scenarios from http://www.spodilicious.com/mutants--death-ray-guns.html
The goblins had a staff officer to protect. He was Slow, because of his injuries from the crash, Individualistic, since he wouldn't take orders from anyone of lower status, and not a leader since the ordinary soldiers didn't know him and didn't fear him.

Officer Q4+ C2 Leader, SMG @ 54
14 x Infantry Q5+ C1 Gregarious, Assault Rifle @ 19
Staff officer Q3+ C2 Pistol, Slow, Individualistic @ 18
Total 338

The Bywater Sharpshooters had the unpopular private Dogberry with them, tasked with 'taking out' the enemy officer.
Corporal Thrapple Q4+ C2 Leader, Laser rifle, Sharpshooter @ 57
6 x Sharpshooters Q4+ C2 Laser rifle, Sharpshooter @ 35
Private Dogberry Q3+ C2 Sniper, Sniper rifle, Sharpshooter, Individualistic @ 60
Total 327

Dunhold pages:
Introduction:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold.html

A detachment of the dwarf 33rd Infantry Regiment clashes with a goblin patrol:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-i---the-raid.html

Dwarves & goblins vie to recover an important piece of technology:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-ii---the-guffinsson-device.html

Halfling snipers of the 3rd Bywater Sharpshooters encounter a goblin patrol:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-iii---a-walk-in-the-country.html

The 3rd Bywater Sharpshooters escort a picked sniper to assassinate an enemy staff officer:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-iv---assassins-greed.html

A desperate defence of an outpost:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-v---assault-on-precinct-xiii.html

The 3rd Bywater Sharpshooters search for a downed dwarf aeronaut:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-vi---hostage--rescue.html

A dwarf engineer has to examine an abandoned enemy wonder-weapon:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-vii---the-gun.html

The goblins deploy armoured vehicles, much to their enemies' dismay:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-viii---tank-shock.html

A dwarf squad attacks an enemy aerodrome:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-ix---raid-on-beteneb.html

The enemy make a determined attack on the defences around Dunhold:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-x---firebase-ragnhild.html

An elite sniper makes his kill and must escape his target's guards.
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-xi---hit-and-run.html

A daring raid by the dwarves on enemy supply lines.
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-xii---just-in-time-logistics.html

The enemy employ a new strategy, attempting to infiltrate raiders through porous areas of the front:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-xiii---infiltration.html

Halfling deserters are hunted down by their comrades:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-xiv---applewhite--nettles.html

The enemy deploy new and fearsome infantry recruited from the ethnic minorities of Dunholm:
http://www.spodilicious.com/dunhold-xv---theyve-got-a-cave-troll.html