Collaboration with @silmarilz1701
Svetlana knew how to play the game. She'd been caught in the political drama of Stalin's inner circle since birth. The only child of one of Stalin's closest friends, she grew up in the limelight, scrutinized by frie...
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FOR: Lt. Col. Robert Sink, Commander, 506th PIR
SUBJECT: Summary Notes on Activities of Soviet Liaison 1st Lt. Svetlana Samonova and colleague 2nd Lt. Zhanna Casmirovna
DATE: December 13, 1942
Nixon stopped typing. Leaning back in his chair, he yawned and stretched his arms. The dress shirt he wore made the action difficult, so he pushed out from behind the desk and moved around inside. He wanted a drink, anyways.
It'd been about a week since the Soviet girls had shown up. Sink had pulled him aside the week before. With Major Strayer, they'd sat him down and explained the situation. Or at least what they knew of the situation. Given his interest in being transferred to Intelligence, they'd give him the job of keeping an eye on Svetlana, and in turn, her sniper friend Zhanna.
Zhanna was the real question. Not that Svetlana wasn't intriguing; she held the obvious power of the two. Politically, academically, physically, Svetlana was the hurricane. But Zhanna... what was Zhanna?
A damn good shot, for one. Nixon had looked at her file. Thirty-one kills in thirty days. Almost unbelievable really. Maybe the Soviets had faked her records. He'd considered it. He knew Sink and Strayer certainly had. Sitting back down, he set up the typewriter. Nixon had almost believed that, too. Until he'd watched her.
PART ONE: Initial Observations of 2nd. Lt. Zhanna Casmirovna
While small stature was initially a cause for concern, Casmirovna has kept up with the men in Easy Company without issue. Any concern for her physical fitness seems to be a moot point. She carries herself as a soldier should. There is no doubt in my mind that she is well trained.
Casmirovna's integration into Easy Company has been-
Nixon paused his typing. The silence hung in the air for a moment. In the office he'd commandeered for the evening, he took a small drink of whiskey. The sun had gone down hours ago. He glanced at his watch. 2130 hours.
Looking back at the paper he tried to focus. What was he supposed to say? The integration had gone terribly. The men made Zhanna's life hell. And unlike Svetlana, who seemed to exist in a constant state of subtle defiance, Zhanna hadn't been belligerent. She'd been quiet, reserved. In fact, he'd have doubted her ability to fight if he hadn't seen her ready to throw hands with Malarkey over her rifle.
In that instant, Zhanna had changed. The girl who refused to make eye contact and struggled with English switched to cold aggression. The men had laughed. But they'd also walked away. If Nixon was honest with himself, it was that moment that solidified his belief that she was every bit as capable as the intelligence reports said.
Casmirovna's integration into Easy Company has been slow. The men are reluctant to accept a woman Soviet, as was expected. Hesitance to show her trust has somewhat hindered the efficiency of Casmirovna, and of the platoon. Also as expected, Casmirovna is hesitant to converse in anything but Russian. Knowing this, though, I don't think her use of Russian with Samsonova is to hide an ulterior motive.
