Prologue

Tattered blackout curtains riddled with bullet holes fluttered wildly in the dark confines of Genevieve's office. Gusts from the rickety helicopter flying low outside the window blew into the office and eventually tore those curtains out from their hinges. Worn, heavy cloth cascaded down onto the bloodied floor around the corpse of Nyto Terco as moonlight finally entered the room unhindered.

Grizzly and Welrod dutifully swept the room for threats while M14 stood by the window and talked to the three doorside gunners in the helicopter. Ribeyrolles, on the other hand, was busy inspecting the body of the fallen Nyto Terco with keen, scientific interest. Jim and Nagant, meanwhile, helped me back up to my feet as I held Terco's burner phone to my ear.

At first, I heard silence. Then, there was a perplexed, probing voice that asked,

"Potato, is that you?"

"It's me, Genevieve." I answered, fighting hard to keep the conflicting emotions welling up in my mechanical heart from overflowing, "It's been a while, huh?"

"Indeed, it has…"

Jim and Nagant sat me down on one of the armchairs in the office, letting me shift the phone to my other ear as I replied.

"I didn't think that we would have had a chance to talk like this. I didn't think I'd be alive."

"Neither did I, Potato. After all… this is the second time that I… abandoned you. Based on the sound of your voice, I assume you already know what I'm talking about."

Even in that situation, Genevieve spoke to me as she always did. Her voice was mild and her choice of words was warm yet professional. It truly was a talent of hers to soften the sting of something as dark as abandoning one's own child, but it made me sick in the stomach.

My heart may have been mechanical, but it was still aching like a human's just the same. So, I gripped the phone tightly as tears started streaking down my cheeks. My vision was shrouded by my tears and sparkled like diamonds in the moonlight as my questions flowed like a waterfall,

"Genevieve… why did you do all of this? Why did you hide this from me? If you had told me about this earlier, I'm sure that we could have done something! Why did you have to get involved with extremists? And why… why do you have to leave!?"

Another episode of heavy, thoughtful silence ensued. That dead air was followed by a long, pensive sigh before Genevieve finally answered,

"My entire life has been nothing but a lie, Potato. I was a double agent working for the KCCO and STATSEC. Everything that I have done was at the behest of one of those factions… except for two things that I did on my own volition. I refused to have an abortion and gave birth to the child of Captain James Salmons… and I recreated the human side of Nyto Polarday as the Potato subroutine. You."

"Genevieve…" I mused.

My mechanical heart trembled as I heard this. Somehow, I could tell that Polarday felt it too as I subconsciously gripped the phone more tightly without knowing it. Genevieve's story then continued.

"I've had to keep these secrets locked up in my heart… but it was only a matter of time before those factions caught wind of what I had done. The war may have ended twelve years ago, but Westerners are still hated and interest in the defunct Nyto program was being rekindled throughout the Eastern Bloc. The KCCO and STATSEC wanted to use me in their power play. I was afraid of what they might do to you and to Jim… so I backstabbed them by reaching out to a third side."

My eyes wandered over to the side where the enemy Nyto's body was sprawled out. Then I asked,

"Are you talking about Terco?"

"Yes. Terco is a Nyto employed by the extremist group called 'Paradeus' that is plotting against the various factions in the Eastern Bloc. In exchange for information about the KCCO's Operation Vigilant Star, Paradeus promised to help me escape and appear as if I had died in the Collapse Fluid explosion that I orchestrated for the KCCO. At the same time, Jim and the other staff of GKTV-5 would be urged to leave Brest Oblast before the bomb goes off."

I turned away from Terco and shook my head - even though Genevieve couldn't see it. Then, I protested,

"But what about me, Genevieve…? You were willing to use me like an attack dog to make sure Griffin didn't intervene in Vigilant Star. I could have been destroyed!"

Genevieve fell silent again before she calmly answered,

"Dying now - whether in combat or due to the Collapse Fluid bomb - would have been than being subjected to whatever god-forsaken experiments the KCCO or STATSEC would do to you if they found out about the information that you hold. Your 'Potato' subroutine was meant to hide that information in plain sight - disguised as a factory retail I.O.P. M200 unit. The more public your profile became, the better your disguise was."

I switched the phone to my other ear again and demanded,

"So everything you told me - about me having a face and a voice made for television… all of that was just a lie?"

Genevieve's answer, however, came swiftly - with way more determination than I expected.

"I have said many lies in my life - but that was not one of them. A lesser person or doll wouldn't have been able to get Griffin and STATSEC to play nice with each other like you did. As for Jim… I wished that he would have evacuated with the rest of the civilians, but that damn fool takes after his father too much. Perhaps I should have expected this. That's why I always joked that the two of you were going to replace me someday."

"Replace you…!? I could never replace you, Genevieve! Jim and I need you here at the station! We need you to help us calm down the people of Brest Oblast…!"

"A part of me wants to scold you and Jim and tell you to get the hell out of Brest Oblast before it's too late. However, if you kids really want to reach out to the people of Brest Oblast, look inside my office closet, Potato. There is an outfit there that I designed for your debut, but I never got a chance to give it to you. I had to go to Minsk, after all. Operations Vigilant Star and Stalwart Anchor were entering their final stages, after all."

I suddenly remembered the day that I left for Station 56586. Genevieve had suddenly been called to Minsk for 'business'. That must have been the day that she decided to take action. Still, the bitterness in my mechanical heart spilled into my words,

"Do you think I'll forgive you just because you give me clothes to wear, Genevieve!?"

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness, Potato. I know I don't deserve it. However, a news anchor must look sharp on television. Have Nagant help you wear it and work together with Jim. The two of you are my pride and joy - and the only genuine things that still have a place in my wretched heart."

My veil of anger came undone as Genevieve said this, falling like the blackout curtains that once shrouded my mentor's office. My free hand clenched into a fist as I begged her to come home,

"I… can't do that without you, Genevieve!"

Once again, Genevieve answered swiftly.

"Yes you can, Potato. Think of this as my last challenge - my last lesson. Show me that you can become a Star Anchor!"

She had already made up her mind. I knew my words wouldn't reach her anymore, but I was stubborn.

"Wait, Genevieve…! Please…!"

"Goodbye, Potato. I look forward to seeing what you can do."

Before I could say anything else, the call ended.

The burner phone then started heating up in my hand and the unpleasant odor of burnt plastic reached my nose. I instinctively tossed the phone aside and watched its circuits get fried before my eyes. A loud pop then came from inside the phone, followed by thick grey smoke as the dead phone laid on the floor of Genevieve's office.

Looking at the phone, I realized that it was time to make up my own mind as well.

I looked around the chaos of the moonlit room and watched as the strike team finished up their security sweep. The rickety helicopter then flew off into the night, stopping the artificial gusts of wind that had been blowing in through the shattered windows. Jim and Nagant, on the other hand looked at me - quietly waiting to hear what Genevieve had told me.

M14 and Ribeyrolles then walked over to us and reported,

"Wawa and her friends are going to go help STATSEC find that bomb, but Ribey and I are going to stay here to watch the prisoners. What are you guys going to do?"

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temple as I considered my options. Then, in the eye of my mind, I saw Polarday looking right at me. She then spoke to me,

"If you want to run away, Potato, now is your chance. No one will blame you for it. Griffin will help you evacuate that town. But that's not an option for you, isn't it? After all…"

Polarday's words then escaped my lips,

"Only hope remains."

M14 tilted her head. She probably wasn't sure about what I just said or why I said it, but that didn't matter. I stood up from the armchair, walked past Jim and the dolls and marched towards the closet of Genevieve's office.

I slid open the closet door and saw that just about all of the clothes that Genevieve wore were still there. She probably meant to get rid of all of them when the bomb went off, I figured.

Then, towards the back end of the closet, I found a freshly-pressed dress in a garment bag along with a pouch of accessories. There was a sticky note on the garment bag that read,

"To my little War Correspondent, Potato. Congratulations! Looking forward to seeing how brightly you shine! - G"

I took the sticky note and read it over and over. It was at that point that I knew that I was going to replace Genevieve for real. Then, I crumpled it up into a ball in my hands and turned around to face M14. I then told her,

"As of today, I'm taking over GKTV-5 as its new CEO. We can handle the legal stuff later. I'll restart the GKTV-5 broadcast, but I'm not going to be able to do it alone. I'm also not sure if we can put Jim on air with his cut eyelid and all..."

Jim folded his arms and remarked,

"A lot of our staff should still be in town, Potato. Day shift. Night shift. We should call them all in. All hands on deck!"

Grizzly and Welrod then came forward happily. They showed off their keys while Grizzly added,

"We can go pick them up in the jeeps. We can make as many trips as you need!"

I smiled at the two handgun dolls and nodded to them,

"Thanks Grizzly. Welrod. I appreciate it."

Then, I turned to Nagant and said,

"And Babushka? Could you help me get ready for the broadcast? I'll need help getting into this outfit, you see… I've got pretty big shoes to fill, after all."

Nagant smiled back at me as tears welled up in the sides of her red eyes as she replied,

"There is no doubt in Babushka's heart. You will be able to fill those shoes no problem. So come on - let's get you dressed. A Star Anchor is about to make her debut, right?"

I nodded to Nagant and agreed,

"All of us will shine bright - so bright that Genevieve and Alexi will be able to see it wherever they are. Let's do this!"

Star~! Anchor, Interven-chan

Finale - Potato Salad

March 9, 2063 - Past Midnight

GKTV-5 Newsroom

Backstage Dressing Room

Ever since I joined the GKTV-5 family, I always dreamed of the day that I would sit before the camera in the newsroom studio as a fully fledged news anchor. That studio - with the diorama-like cutout of the GKTV-5 backdrop, the white desk that the news anchors sat behind, the rail-mounted camera dolly and the array of lights and equipment scattered around… all of it was familiar to me. I had worked on each of those things at least once over the past seven months and watched our news feed come to life from behind the scenes.

Now that my time had come, I felt nervous as I sat in the backstage dressing room. I was seated on a salon chair and wore a hairdressing cape while Nagant and Ribeyrolles attended to me. Nagant meticulously brushed my long ashen hair and applied my makeup as she prepared me to face the television cameras.

"You've been waiting for this for a while, huh, Potato?" Nagant mused as she powdered my face, "This was all you talked about whenever you came home from work!"

"Yeah… I have been looking forward to this." I admitted, "But I kinda wished that my chance came in a more peaceful time. I'll make the best out of this, though! Brest will remember us for this. We'll show Genevieve just how much we've grown!'

Nagant nodded happily and then shifted her attention to my hair once more. My eyes wandered to the reflection of Ribeyrolles who was seated behind me with her N. U. R. S. E. computer planted on her lap. Her computer was plugged into my diagnostic jack at the back of my neck once more.

I heard the steady pitter-patter of Ribeyrolles' typing as she thought out loud in her easily-tired,

"I just don't understand… I thought that I quarantined Polarday completely… How did she... manage to regain control of you during that battle? Was my method flawed? Was my ARPANET translation incomplete…?"

I closed my eyes and mused,

"Polarday didn't regain control of my body. She just lent me her strength for a little while - unlocked some of the limiters that held me back. That was how I beat Terco."

Ribeyrolles stared into her screen and grumbled pensively,

"That's two steps away... from Polarday taking full control. You were lucky... that she didn't go as far as she could have. It's nothing short... of a miracle."

I chuckled at Ribeyrolles' remark and reassured,

"Sooner or later, Polarday and I are going to have to learn to live with each other. We're two sides of the same coin, after all. If neither of us can be at peace with each other, then neither of us will ever be happy. At least… that's what we've decided."

Ribeyrolles heaved a sigh and conceded,

"I'm happy for you, mademoiselle M200. However, that probably means that… my knowledge of neural clouds and tandem subroutines… is still incomplete. I will need to do more research… but I have learned a lot… from observing you and Polarday. My N. U. R. S. E. program… will grow stronger thanks to you."

I smiled at Ribeyrolles through the mirror as I answered,

"I'm glad I could help, Miss Ribeyrolles. I hope that your research will help stop dolls from being exploited by Parapluie or any other malicious code."

Ribeyrolles then unplugged her cable from my diagnostic jack and then closed off my armor plate once again. She then picked up her assault rifle and reminded me,

"In due time, mademoiselle M200. But for now… there are many more people… that you will help tonight. We shall protect you… so don't hold anything back!"

"I won't, Miss Ribeyrolles. I won't."

Ribeyrolles stepped out of the dressing room while Nagant eased my hair into a ponytail. She then held my ponytail in place with a cute black ribbon and a shiny barrette that was sitting inside the accessory pouch of the garment bag. Once that was in place, she took off the hairdressing cape that had been covering me from the shoulders down and revealed the rest of the outfit that Genevieve left for me.

I looked in the mirror and saw myself wearing a simple yet stylish black, one-piece cocktail dress that showed off my neck and my arms. I stood up from the salon chair and admired the way the dress puffed out like a skirt below my hips. The black tights that came with the dress were a little much for me at first, but seeing the entire outfit like this made my jaw drop.

I felt like I was looking at an entirely different doll. All the while, I knew with absolute certainty, that I was looking at a reflection of myself. Everything that I've done over the past seven months… and all of the struggles that Polarday had to go through well before that… were a part of me now.

That's what I was truly looking at.

As I was thinking this, the dressing room door opened and Jim stepped inside. He had a studio headset around his neck and a clipboard in his hands as he called,

"Potato. We're ready to go live in five minutes. Are you ready to go?"

I then turned to Jim with a happy smile and cheered,

"I've been waiting for this all my life!"

With that, Jim and Nagant led me out of the dressing room and into the news studio. Even though it was already the dead of night, a handful of Nagant's dummies were making their rounds in the studio, inspecting our equipment and manning the camera dolly for the broadcast.

Jim put on his headset and stepped into the sound booth. Nagant, on the other hand, helped put on my lapel microphone as we did a last minute sound check. Then, the lively GKTV-5 theme played on the studio speakers.

That was Jim's signal, saying that the broadcast was about to start. With my lapel microphone finally in place, I marched over to the news desk and took my place on the anchor's stool. I felt the blinding lights and the lens of the camera fixed on me as the music swelled, but I wasn't afraid.

This was my home, after all - and I was a Star Anchor.

I sat up straight and faced the camera with a confident yet calm expression. Then, once the red studio light flickered on and read 'On Air', I began to speak for the first time as a fully-fledged journalist.

Studio Time: 2:04 AM

...

"Good evening S05. I am M200 of GKTV-5, the arrow of truth in Brest Oblast. We're here with the breaking news this hour. First of all, we would like to apologize for stopping our TV and radio broadcast late last night. Our news station in the Commercial District was assaulted by armed hooligans and sympathizers of extremist groups under the cover of darkness.

...

However, please do not be alarmed. We are pleased to report that peacekeepers from Griffin & Kryuger's Station 56586 have restored order in the Commercial District's GKTV-5 plaza - and thus, we are able to resume our delayed broadcast. For this reason, this will be a temporary emergency broadcast instead of our regularly scheduled programming. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

...

In related news, violent protests erupted after the conclusion of the local municipal elections between pro-Rossartrism and anti-Rossartrism activists. The unrest reportedly spread throughout the Oblast in the night but have since simmered down after municipal law enforcement was bolstered by Griffin peacekeepers.

...

We have a statement from the adjutant of Station 56586 - Miss Negev - who says that the situation is now under control. Griffin, however, advises residents of Brest Oblast to avoid large crowds and to stay indoors whenever possible until the situation is formally resolved.

...

For the time being, we urge the public to cooperate with Griffin and local law enforcement and to look out for each other in this trying time. If you have any information, you can send it to us through our emergency hotline or report it to the proper authorities.

In other news…"

...

My debut broadcast continued and flew by in the blink of an eye as the sheer number of news stories that we had to report on kept on flowing and flowing through the teleprompter. Managing that blitzkrieg of a broadcast was a little unnerving at first, but I eventually got the hang of it halfway through.

Twenty minutes into the broadcast, we had our first commercial break and the 'On Air' light flickered off. I sank deflated into the stool while Nagant hurried over to me with a glass of water, a makeup retouching kit and a clipboard of material filled with even more breaking news.

"You're doing great, Potato! Lots of people have started tuning into the station again. Our TV, radio and internet traffic is through the roof! You're reaching out to them!"

"Really…?" I asked as I fanned myself with the clipboard and chugged down the water.

"Yeah!" Nagant insisted cheerfully, "Miss M14 says that the situation on the ground is improving. The bomb squads are also expanding their search now that the streets are calmer."

She then looked behind her shoulder and pointed to the studio with a smile,

"Plus - we've got a few more staff members now. They didn't want to leave us high and dry after all."

I turned towards the studio and saw one of our night crew cameramen taking over for Nagant's dummy. A mix of day crew and night crew staff were also hanging around the wings to help out with the frantic broadcast. Even one of our main news anchors, Gala Minkovsky, was on deck and was watching from the sidelines.

At first, I thought that meant that Miss Minkovsky was there to replace me. However, she shook her head and shouted to me,

"You've got this, Potato! This is your segment now! You're doing great!"

"Miss Minkovsky…!"

The GKTV-5 theme sounded again as our commercial break was coming to a close. Nagant finished up her touch-ups, took my now empty glass of water and hastily retreated from the diorama stage. I then faced the camera and continued the broadcast.

Studio Time: 3:40AM

...

"Hello again and welcome back to GKTV-5's emergency broadcast. I'm your host M200 coming to you live from our Commercial District studio and we are here with your breaking news for this hour.

...

This just in - reliable sources have told GKTV-5 that a bomb threat tied to the violent protests has been resolved as STATSEC agents and independent contractors have found and defused a number of bombs scattered throughout the Residential District, Commercial District and University District. Explosive materials were reportedly packed into tin soup cans that were meant to be used as Improvised Explosive Devices. We expect that more information will be released by authorities as the investigation continues.

...

Furthermore, the emergency meeting convened by the National Government in Minsk has concluded. Our sources in Minsk report that Belarus has decided to not declare a State of Emergency given that the situation in Brest Oblast is rapidly improving and is likely to be brought under control before sunrise.

...

Still, the municipal government of Brest advises its citizens to avoid crowds and to stay indoors whenever possible. GKTV-5 will share any further updates in the situation downtown as they come.

...

So stay tuned to GKTV-5. The arrow of truth in Brest Oblast. The Deep Dive At Dusk with Gala Minkovsky is coming up next.

This is M200, signing off. Until next time."

…

The red 'On Air' light turned off for the sixth and final time as my first two-hour segment came to a close. Once the cameras and microphones were shut off, the room that was now filled with both day shift and night shift crew erupted into cheer and applause. The intense stage lights mellowed down, allowing me to see the faces of the GKTV-5 staff gathered in the studio.

It was just like the day that this bunch of fun oddballs welcomed me into the GKTV-5 family. The atmosphere in the studio was electric as I sank forward, planting my face and my arms on the news desk. Then, I started to cry tears of joy. There was a wholehearted smile on my lips but tears just kept streaming down my cheeks onto the table.

The five dozen strong crew of GKTV-5 was celebrating the successful broadcast with me, but I could somehow sense the presence of others there that day. I could see the smiling faces of the proud men and women of the 57th BCT in the studio cheering for me with that oh so familiar chant.

"Po-ta-to! Po-ta-to! Po-ta-to!"

Can you hear that, Polarday? They're cheering for you too. Captain Salmons… Papa… he's with them. They're proud of how far you've come… how far we've come.

But our journey isn't done yet. There's still so much left for us to do.

So I hope the two of us can get along from here on out, okay?

As I was thinking about this, Jim and Nagant approached the desk with concern etched on their faces. When the two of them were near enough, I sprung up from the desk and hugged the two of them as tightly as I could.

My voice was cracked from my crying and sobbing, so I couldn't really say anything to Jim and Nagant. However, if I was able to speak, I would have told them this:

I became a Star Anchor thanks to them - and I hoped that they would always be at my side from now on.

Before Sunrise

GKTV-5 Building

Rooftop Patio

A surreal, calm silence embraced Brest Oblast and a gentle breeze blew through the city skyline as I stepped out onto the GKTV-5 Building's rooftop patio. I emerged from the stairwell wearing my usual windbreaker jacket over the black cocktail dress that I wore on my debut broadcast. Still, I wrapped my arms around myself as I got used to the chilly late-winter air.

The drums of unrest and the cries of panic that tainted the city soundscape just hours ago were now replaced by the morning song of migratory birds flying overhead as they returned from warmer lands. As I saw the full silver moon finally bowing out, the sun peeked out from the distant mountains of the East and painted the sky in a periwinkle tinge that grew brighter by the minute.

I looked up to that sky and heaved a sigh of relief as I walked over to the ledge and laid my hand on the railings. When I got there, though, I noticed that there were two more figures there already waiting for me: the bright-eyed Subcommander M14 and the proud mercenary sniper WA2000.

WA had a thermos for hot drinks in hand while M14 was holding a simple plastic teacup. The two rifle dolls welcomed me with a smile and M14 handed me a second plastic teacup and offered,

"You want some hot chocolate, M200-chan? Wawa just made a fresh batch."

When M14 said this, I was a little bit worried. After all, I knew that I.O.P. Model 48's or WA2000's had a serious manufacturer's defect. They were notorious for having despicably poor cooking skills and were thus forbidden from entering any kitchen. I had read so many horror stories about WA2000 dolls and cooking where even dolls with their synthetic stomachs weren't safe from that despair. So, I avoided their cooking like the plague.

Besides, if I died because of a horribly bad cup of hot chocolate, I had a feeling that Polarday would roll over in her digital grave in shame - especially after working so hard to make Operation Intervention a success.

WA2000 pouted at my visible hesitation, so M14 insisted and placed the second teacup in my hand. I had no choice but to accept and let the mercenary pour me a cup of hot chocolate.

Thankfully, the smell of the hot chocolate didn't seem off and M14 hadn't keeled over from food poisoning yet either. Noting that, I gulped and dared to take a sip of WA2000's concoction. Then, I remarked,

"This… isn't bad. Whoa… it's not bad at all!"

WA closed up the thermos and folded her arms proudly as she boasted,

"You can praise me more, Miss M200! I've been practicing my cooking ever since my team and I went our separate ways from Griffin, and it's paying off! Hot chocolate's simple, but everyone starts from somewhere. Dolls can get better at their craft when they practice and put their hearts and minds into it! Just like what you did tonight with GKTV-5."

M14 then chuckled as she sipped her hot chocolate again and gingerly reminded,

"Brest Oblast has been saved from destruction, but only by a hair. The stars may have aligned for us tonight, but the perpetrators of this mess are still at large. The web spun by the Cabal that Wawa and I are trying to fight is getting wider - reaching further everyday. The KCCO, the media, STATESEC… and now this 'Paradeus' group with their Nytos…"

I snorted at the thought of Genevieve working with such shady groups and chimed,

"I guess GKTV-5 and I are roped up in this mess now too, huh? After all, I turned out to be a Nyto myself. Talk about shock."

WA set the thermos down and then reassured,

"Don't worry too much about your past, Miss M200. What matters is how you plan to face the future. M14 and I both lost someone because of this Cabal that Genevieve is a part of, but I haven't given up on finding her and bringing her home."

WA's cheeks then flushed red as she coyly admitted,

"She's the reason why I'm working so hard to improve my cooking."

I tilted my head and smiled at WA to say,

"She must be someone really special, Miss WA. Do you mind if I ask who she is?"

WA chuckled and turned towards the sun and said her name,

"My beloved. The fugitive M1903 Springfield."

"Eh…!?" I nearly spat out my hot chocolate, "That Springfield!? Aren't you guys supposed to be hunting her down?"

M14 then winked at me and urged,

"That's the official story. The truth is much more complicated."

WA nodded in agreement and explained,

"The influence that this Cabal has runs deeper than any of us probably know. Exposing one or two of their agents and operations isn't going to stop them. We need to continue gathering information and play our cards right to take them all down in one fell swoop. Us combat dolls aren't going to become investigators overnight, so having an ally in the media like you and GKTV-5 will help us tighten the noose around the Cabal."

She then extended her hand towards me and smiled warmly as she asked,

"If we can defeat this Cabal, there is a chance that we can still bring the people we care about back home. Knowing that, can we count on your support, Miss M200?"

I paused for a moment and felt the warmth of the distant sunrise on my face. A smile broke out on my lips as I shook WA's hand firmly and declared,

"As long as you folks do right by the people of Brest Oblast, I'd be happy to help bring this Cabal to justice."

WA smiled back at me and cheered,

"Welcome to the team, Miss M200. You're now part of Operation Summer Triangle. We look forward to working with you."

The End

=====CREDITS====

Author and Storyboarding

Elias_Pedro

Editor & Consulting

079426 "Tech Labs"

Publisher

Archive of Our Own (A03)

(FFN)

Girls Frontline Reddit

Music

(Chapter 4 - Elbe River Live House Performance)

"Katyusha"

Composed By: Mikhail Isakovsky and Matvey Blanter

"Zelenye Glaza" (Green Eyes)

Composed By: Timur Mutsurayev

"Belarus Ochka" (Belarusian Girl)

Composed by: Angeline Pipper

"Back in the USSR"

Composed by: The Beatles

"Sweet Caroline"

Composed By: Neil Diamond

(Chapter 6 - Griffin & Kryuger Glasgow Branch Radio)

"I Want It That Way"

Composed By: The Backstreet Boys

"A Thousand Miles"

Composed By: Vanessa Carlton

(Chapter 7 - Jogging Exercise Cadences)

"I Don't Want No Teenage Queen"

Derived from: Full Metal Jacket (Movie)

(Chapter 8 - Polarday's Awakening)

"Scarborough Fair"

Performed By: Simon & Garfunkel

(Chapter 11 - Assault on the GKTV-5 Building)

"Winged Hussars"

Composed By: Sabaton

Credits Song

"Eternal Flame"

Composed By: The Bangles

Dramatis Personae

-The GKTV-5 Newsroom LCC (Brest Oblast)-

M200

Nagant Revolver

James Salmons Jr.

Alexi Stoyanovich

Genevieve Saint-Louis/Special Agent "Chaika"

Gala Minkovsky

...

-STATSEC Leipzig Office - International Operations Directorate-

Marlohe

Kain "K" Schwaben

...

-G&K Station 56586, 2nd Division of Station 794-

M14 (Subcommander)

Negev (Adjutant)

Grizzly Mk. V

Welrod Mk. II

MP40

Commander Gentiane

Commander Elias

...

-G&K Station 113315-

Walther PPK

Commander "Sokol"

...

-The Starseeker Team-

WA2000

Ribeyrolles

G36

Suomi

AUG

...

-KCCO Minsk HQ-

Captain Yegor

...

-Ex-KCCO Gopniks-

2nd Lieutenant Anastasia Malashenko

...

-Paradeus-

Nyto Terco

-US 2nd Division, 57th Brigade Combat Team-

Captain James Salmons

Nyto Polarday

Special Thanks

PutrefyingSalvation

AngelicSteve1001

Komite

AzureStarPlayer

Ashvinoth

Illindus

MuldoonX9

Tatergattler

You.

Thank you - from the bottom of my heart!

Star~! Anchor, Interven-chan

A Girls' Frontline Story

Epilogue

May 22, 2063 - Early Morning

Republic of Italy

Nuova Trieste Green Zone - Wharf District

Seaside Trattoria

A cheerful middle-aged lady with long, curly brown hair and bright blue eyes sat under the shade of a large parasol umbrella affixed to an outdoor dining table of a seaside Italian restaurant. This lady wore designer sunglasses and a navy blue summer dress with matching lacy gloves that wouldn't be out of place on a Western designer runway show that were once held in pre-war Milan. She was humming the overture tune of Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, albeit with a number of mistakes, as she sipped on a petite cup of espresso.

From her vantage point, the lady faced the shore of the Adriatic Sea where a massive construction effort was taking place. The already vast Port of Nuova Trieste, which boasted having the largest and busiest port in the entire Pan-European Union was being expanded yet again with a swathe of new facilities. The lady watched the construction with glowing pride as a distant cargo ship foghorn reached her ears.

She then noticed a long shadow approaching her from behind. So, the lady turned around to face her guest and smiled,

"I knew you were going to show up. We heard about the crazy things that went down in Belarus here in Trieste, but I knew they weren't telling the whole truth. Syndicated media has a mind of its own sometimes huh, Terco?"

A cheerful figure of a teenage girl wearing a black cape over her figure sauntered through the cobblestone sidewalk towards the Italian trattoria. She was accompanied by a tall amazonian lady with a prosthetic right arm and a blank, almost lifeless expression on her face. The girl's companion was carrying a peculiar guitar case.

The girl then waved as she greeted the lady and answered,

"Oh, I believe that the media actually tried to tell the truth this time - especially if you listened to GKTV-5. The problem is, they failed to realize one important thing."

The girl's expression then twisted into a wicked smile as she explained,

"Terco means a 'third'."

The lady crossed her legs and mused,

"Heh, of course. The Portuguese Tercos were born in the age of pike and shot and wielded three weapons in battle: la hasta, la spatha e il sclopetus. Which one are you?"

Terco put a hand on her hip, showing off the sword and scabbard that she wore and then praised,

"You did your homework, huh? You're correct. One third of me died in Brest - la hasta. The spear. I am la spatha - the sword. However, my Father needs il sclopetus elsewhere. A third of a Nyto should be enough to support your plans… or rather, one fourth. Twenty-five percent, hehehe."

When Terco said this, she gave a sidelong glance to her companion. That was the signal for the companion to come forward and set the guitar case down on the table.

The lady eyed the guitar case and hummed with intrigue,

"To think that Jenny was hiding the rest of the Polarday data inside a guitar. She really was the craftiest among us. I'll be sure to visit her later to thank her for her 'gift'... though I doubt she'd be happy to see me right now."

Terco sat down before the lady under the shadow of the parasol and promptly corrected,

"It's not quite a gift, signora. After all, Father is asking for your assistance in exchange for this boon."

The lady pensively swirled the espresso in her cup and answered,

"Find the fugitive M1903 Springfield, right? Don't worry. I've already made arrangements. We'll find her soon enough."

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