Under The Banner ▪ Band Of Brothers

The Third Report

FOR: 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: November 7, 1943

Jesus Christ, was it already November? Nixon yawned into his cup of Irish coffee. After a quick sip, he placed it back down. The chair screeched as he moved it back a few inches. All around him desks sat empty. Only his lamp offered any light as outside, stars and a full moon shined down on the quiet little English village. Already November.

He stared at the blank page in the typewriter in front of him. Another month, another report to Sink. Nixon grabbed his drink again.

The door opened, and he glanced left. Harry and Dick, looking exhausted in their fatigues, dragged their feet across the creaky wood floors. The former had a canteen full of anything other than water, if he had to guess. Maybe vodka. Svetlana had been trying to get them all to drink it.

"Why do you always put those off until the last minute, Nix?" Harry asked. He wasted no time in pulling a desk chair out from behind another one. Plopping down, he stretched his legs and took another drink.

Dick did the same. "Harry, you know Nixon is incapable of being responsible," he deadpanned.

Harry just smirked, and glanced back at Nixon. "How far are you?"

"I just started," Nixon muttered. With a frown, he glanced up. "No one's said anything about the Samaria incident?"

"Nope," Harry said.

Dick shook his head. "They're still being quiet."

Nixon nodded. They'd been tight lipped for weeks. Zhanna had come out of the transatlantic trip sporting a deep bruise to her face. Svetlana had come out of it as Public Enemy Number One. He'd never seen such unadulterated loathing from the sergeants until they'd all disembarked the boat on the 16th of September.

That had gone on for weeks. For well over a month, it seemed as though Svetlana had taken ten steps back from the progress she'd made towards gaining the trust of the enlisted. But Zhanna had done much better.

Part One: Continued Observations of 2nd Lt Zhanna Casmirovna

Good progress has been made in recent months for the integration of Casmirovna into Easy Company. Since arriving in Aldbourne, she has started to attend some social gatherings with the enlisted without Samsonova. This freedom she is gaining is hopefully helping her and the men both, easing their concerns over her inability to take charge and be responsible.

Nixon paused. There was so much more that he'd learned and so many more questions he'd gotten from that. For one, he knew Casmirovna couldn't be her real name. Svetlana had spoken about Russian naming customs on more than one occasion. She had given her full name as Svetlana Alexandrovna Samsonova. Casmirovna was a patronymic, derived from her father's name, not a family name. He knew Svetlana's father was Alexander, so Zhanna's father must have been Casmir, or Casimir, something similar.

Not that it mattered. He still had no way to track down her surname. And if there was one thing Svetlana kept closer to herself than information on her life in Russia, it was information on Zhanna's life in Russia. And seeing as the dossier they'd gotten from the British didn't even have it, they had no leads.

One thing he had heard from the enlisted had interested him. A few men from First and Second had been laughing about Zhanna getting drunk one night and speaking in a weird language. Apparently, it had been a language Svetlana hadn't been able to translate for them.

"Someone's thinking too hard," Harry teased.

Nixon looked up. He scoffed, and reached for his drink. The coffee and whisky warmed his body. "No news on the mystery language?"

"No." Dick shook his head. "Are you concerned about it?"

"I don't know," he admitted.

Part Two: Continued Observations of 1st Lt. Svetlana Samsonova

The past few months have seen changes in 1st Lt. Samsonova's interactions with Easy Company. Prior to boarding the ship to Aldbourne, she had reached an uneasy truce with most of the men. After the trip to England, however, the NCOs of Easy Company seemed to regard Samsonova with distrust and anger.

That was a bit of an understatement. The sort of jeers being thrown around when they thought no officers could hear had been surprising, the sort of things Nixon hadn't heard since Benning. "The Crazy Commie Bitch" was used most frequently. Guarnere, as usual, seemed to hold the most sway. He'd never been a fan of her or Zhanna, but his hatred had redoubled since the ship, mostly for Svetlana.

It bothered Nixon that he couldn't figure out why. Neither the enlisted nor Svetlana would talk. But he assumed it had to do with the bruise that Zhanna had been sporting after only the first day.

Oddly enough, the second change in Svetlana's interactions with Easy had also come by way of a bruised face. Only this time, it had been hers.

However, over the past couple of weeks, Samsonova has seemed to regain the respect of the NCOs of Easy Company, and with that, the respect of the rest of the men. Why such a switch has occurred, I can't say for sure. I would assume it has something to do with the British soldier that was court-martialed for assaulting her the third week of October.

The state of Svetlana the morning after they'd all gone to the pub had shocked him. It had shocked Dick and Harry too, and even Sobel, when she'd showed up bruised all down her face, scabbed cuts over her eye and cheek. She hadn't said much, just that a drunk enlisted man on leave had attacked her.

But he'd heard more from the NCOs. Apparently some of them had come across the assault on their way home from the pub. She'd fended off her attacker fairly quickly, before they could step in, but it seemed that something she said had changed their behavior.

Whatever the reason for the shift in behavior, it can only be a good thing for the company. Hopefully with the men more willing to work with Samsonova and Casmirovna, they can finally prepare to work together to invade Europe. I have high hopes for it.

RECOMMENDATIONS: for Col. Sink's consideration

It is my opinion that regular formal reports on their activities be terminated. I have seen no reason to consider either 1st Lt. Samsonova or 2nd Lt. Casmirovna a threat. I will, however, suggest I continue to monitor them in case something changes, especially Samsonova given her connection to the NKVD, and the NKVD's connection to the Gestapo.

Submitted by 1st Lt. Lewis Nixon, 506th PIR

"Done." Nixon took the last page out of the typewriter and sat back. He grinned. "See, Harry, why waste the day doing what I can do at night?"

Dick nodded. "That didn't take long."

"Course not," he scoffed. "It's not a novel, just a report."

Harry laughed at him, pushing himself to his feet with a yawn. "Yeah, yeah. Come on. I'm tired."

"Then go to bed!"

"I'm not going to bed if you're staying up drinking," he argued. "It's a matter of honor. How could I look Kitty in the eye if I don't match you for drinks."

Dick rolled his eyes. As they all moved out of the office, locking it behind, he just shook his head. "Harry, don't try it."

"You underestimate me."

Nixon just laughed. While Harry could hold quite a bit of alcohol, he doubted the Irishman could match him. But he wasn't about to turn it down. So he suggested they finish the bottle of Vat 69 he'd gotten half way through the previous day. Once he'd dropped off the seal manila envelope, he led the way to his temporary home in Aldbourne. Just a few drinks. Then he'd sleep.