–7 March 1936–

Doctor Min's clinic was larger than either girl expected. Towering in front of Nikola and Chiara was a two-story, hastily-constructed concrete prefabricated building located on the very edge of Schwartzgrad. It clashed horribly with the rest of the city's architecture; however, it was only meant to be a temporary institution, to be torn down when the war was over. It was surrounded by dilapidated, ruined structures, and homes for the lower class–the working poor who kept the Empire's factories running, but could barely afford two meals a day. Leaving the car behind, the sound of Karl's boots on stone clicked rhythmically. It was already dark out, and the half-moon was taking its position in the sky.

A red and gold banner was hanging to the side of the front door. As they approached, Chiara became increasingly more agitated, massaging her wrist obsessively like they were bound again. Meanwhile, Nikola kept her eyes focused on her feet, counting each crack trying to ignore the intense feeling of doom hanging over her head.

Finally, Chiara broke the silence. "I hate doctors." Her anxiety was understandable, a product of the belief that Lord Belgar was the only person fit to operate on her.

"So do I," Karl said with a cigarette dangling from his lips. They noticed he kept pausing to eye the roofs of the nearby buildings. His watchful gaze, that of a sentry, was fitting for his role as the Lord Commissar's bodyguard.

The second time he stopped, Nikola followed his line of sight. "Expecting enemies?" As far as she could tell, the whole area was deserted aside from a few lights in the windows. Curfew was in effect, as a result of the attack late last year.

Karl exhaled, his eyes locking onto the movement he saw in the corner of his vision. A cat hissed, fleeing into the darkness, and he sighed. "You let your guard down once, and that is that." His vague statement resonated with the girls. Stopping at the door, he turned to face them, "Listen. Doctor Min… is a bit eccentric, but she has a heart of gold. There is a reason the Lord Commissar stuck his neck out for her."

"Hah! I am not worried!" Chiara said, full of faux bluster, obviously trying to reassure herself about what was to come.

Stepping inside, they were greeted by a small waiting room, standard for any local doctor's office. A few uncomfortable metal chairs were lining the walls, and a Far Eastern woman with long black hair and blunt bangs was seated in a chair behind a window with her heavy boots placed against the wall. She was reading some kind of book, and upon hearing them, stood. Doctor Min took the pencil she was chewing on out of her mouth, and walked over, a white lab coat hanging loosely from her shoulders. "I was wondering if something happened, Karl."

Karl offered a hand, and the two shook like old friends. "Thank you for agreeing to do this, Min. Lord Commissar York says you can consider us even after this." He gestured to Nikola and Chiara. "These are the two discussed."

The sterile antiseptic smell was starting to get to them, immediately transporting the girls back to Lord Belgar's laboratory. Doctor Min's hazel eyes passed over her new patients. "Hmm… They are awfully small. Malnourishment will complicate the procedure."

"We have internally reviewed their dietary restrictions. The Lord Commissar believes… they should survive," Karl said mechanically. Both girls exchanged concerned looks. "Unless you do not think you can handle it."

Doctor Min frowned. "You know I am not some second rate surgeon, Ludwig." She reached into her coat pocket. "You two. Come."

Nikola and Chiara complied, leaving Karl alone in the lobby. He looked around, shivered, and hastily exited. He was not a fan of hospitals. He had his own experiences with them and was not keen on sticking around to relive anything.

Doctor Min collected a clipboard, bringing the girls into a small office. She sat down on a rolling chair, and Nikola was quick to notice several white tablets sitting next to a framed photo of twelve scientists standing outside a facility. Without pause, the Doctor popped several pills and said, "I need to conduct a physical examination to determine the placement of these… devices." She was staring at a sketched diagram of the mechanism, drawn by Heinrich himself.

She rolled closer and pressed her freezing fingers to Nikola's side, testing the location. Then she repeated the movement with Chiara, who pulled away instinctively. "Your hands are cold!"

"No pain?" Min asked, skipping straight to the point. Chiara shook her head and the doctor rolled backward. "Given the crudity of the placement, it's amazing you didn't die during its implantation."

Nikola's eyes narrowed. "Lord Belgar does not do shoddy work."

"No, he usually didn't," Min said coldly, having known him during her time with the ISB, "on projects he actually cared about." She reached for her tablets, again swallowing another handful. "Heinrich resented being pulled away from his research, singular in his belief that humanity was destined for a new golden age." She leaned back in her seat, causing it to creak. "I can tell you do not truly understand what kind of man he was." She smiled, but it did not meet her eyes. "We had a nickname for him, in the ISB. Would you like to know?"

Nikola and Chiara gulped, her serious demeanor giving them pause. They nodded. "Yes."

"Doctor Death–and not just because his research assistants often met their ends from high places," Min said matter-of-factly. "But he, much like the Commissars you have already met, do not meditate on the human cost of their work. The ends always justifies the means to men with a vision." She cracked a wide smile. "It's no wonder Lord Commissar York got on so well with that wretched man, once upon a time." Min didn't wait for them to respond and instead went to a list of standard questions, giving them barely a moment to process what she said. After a few minutes of rapid-fire questions and scribbling on a clipboard, she got up again. "Alright, that is all. You need to get prepped."

Back in the hallway, Nikola nervously asked. "Um. How long will this take?"

"They are surface level placements. Maybe… three hours, if I can get to them without causing internal damage." Min said, making a few notes on her clipboard.

Chiara found her voice, her heart racing. She was ready to run at a moment's notice. "Once we are… out. You are removing the bombs–nothing else, right?" Belgar rarely concerned himself with using an anesthetic, but when he did, it was because the likelihood of his patients dying of shock was higher than acceptable. In Nikola and Chiara's case, more aggressive procedures meant being painfully aware upon waking that something else had been taken from them.

Min stopped outside one of the doors marked three, and said, "No. Lord Commissar York was clear, I can take no liberties. You two need to be combat-ready as soon as possible." She let them enter and instructed them to change into some gowns folded on one of the metal cots.

Anxiety quickly overtook Nikola, who sighed, sinking onto the mattress. She stared at her shaking hands. "Weak…" She mumbled, disappointed that she still wasn't used to the kind of routine procedures.

"We are not going to be retired, right?" Chiara asked no one in particular. She was searching for any kind of reassurance she could get.

Nikola looked over. "Who knows?" She shifted, the thought troubling her as well. "It does seem like a lot of trouble to go to if we are."

The door opened, and Doctor Min entered again. "Ready?" Nikola and Chiara nodded, inching closer to each other. "Good. You will go in together."

Soon enough the Daughters of War found themselves laying on two parallel tables underneath a blinding white light. A few other men in white lab coats had joined them in the room to assist with the procedure. As a plastic mask was fixed over her mouth, Chiara reached a hand out–and to her surprise, connected with Nikola's, their fingers linking as they slowly drifted to sleep.

Chiara opened her eyes, groaning as her blurry vision cleared allowing her to stare up at the white ceiling. She flinched, terrified, and hastily checked to make sure she still had all her limbs. Aside from a new bandage wrapped tightly around her waist, everything was where it should be.

She heard Nikola giggle. "I almost thought you had died."

Chiara turned her head and saw her partner sitting up on another bed nearby. "How long has it been?"

"There are no clocks in this place," Nikola said, unsure herself. She had a similar bandage around her stomach. "Min did say everything went fine."

Chiara sighed with relief. "Good…" Despite the news, everything was still swimming. She couldn't quite get her body to relax.

After a few minutes of silence, Doctor Min entered the room, holding the same clipboard as before. She stopped at the foot of Chiara's bed and asked, "Any pain?"

"No," The girl answered.

Doctor Min nodded, checking the page pinned to the clipboard. "You both were lucky the ragnite was contained. No cracks in the structure." Nikola and Chiara stared at her, expecting bad news to follow. Instead, Min reached into her pocket and revealed some light blue pills in a small bottle. "Take these, one every six hours. They will help the healing process." She shuffled back to the door. "Commissar Ludwig is going to speak to you."

She left, and sure enough, Karl walked into the room. He had been sleeping in the car and looked like it. His uniform was undone, and his cap was missing, revealing a shiny bald head. He stopped abruptly, keeping a hand behind his back. "Sounds like everything went smoothly."

Nikola sized up his body language, taking note that the pistol which was holstered under his arm was missing. Warily, she asked, "What happens next?"

Karl fixed his jacket, seeing she was staring at his plate armor. "Next? Next, you recover. Min wants to observe you two for a few days."

"No, she means after that," Chiara interjected, already growing impatient with being idle.

Karl resisted the urge to smoke inside the room. "First, you recover. Then I will brief you." He was planning to use the next few days to visit the encampment where Kriegstotcher was preparing its forces, while the girls were laid up. Seeing the blonde girl glaring at him, he indicated for calm. "Relax. Everything is proceeding according to plan."

It did not take long at all for Nikola and Chiara to be on their feet, climbing the walls of the small recovery room they were confined to. However, because Karl was gone, quietly passing the low-yield ragnite bombs onto Volker as per the Lord Commissar's request, they were forced to wait three extra days before being released. The stress of idleness eventually led both girls to be back at each other's throats, arguing and sometimes fighting. Doctor Min didn't bother to intervene; having done her duty, she chose to let them blow off steam.

So when Karl finally returned, he was attacked by a raging Chiara, and in the flurry that followed, the girl found herself pinned against the nearby wall, a pistol pressed against the base of her spine. He pushed the barrel into her. "Striking an Imperial Commissar is considered an act of revolt."

"Ah! Sorry!" Chiara said hastily, having not expected him to move so fast.

Nikola's face didn't convey her concern. She was awkwardly biting her lip, wishing she had held back her destructive partner. Karl removed his pistol and shoved Chiara back. He then proceeded to thump her large forehead, "Maybe that kind of behavior flew in X-0. But under my command, you will use your brain."

"Ow!" Chiara said, retreating, covering her head defensively.

She hid behind Nikola, who could not stop herself from laughing. "Generous to assume she has one, Commissar Ludwig." She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "You lied." She gestured to their uniforms. "We have been dressed for three days, and you left us here."

Karl returned his pistol to its holster, fixing his coat. "I am not under any obligation to tell you anything aside from what is required." He softened his tone before adding, "Though I apologize. There was an interruption that delayed me."

Nikola sighed, putting a hand on her hip. "Can we leave now?"

"Yes," Karl said, opening the door and allowing her to leave. However before Chiara could follow, he held a hand out and she made a worried noise. Speaking in a measured tone, he spoke quietly, "In our organization, abusing one's comrades is unacceptable. Save that anger for the enemy, or I will reprimand you properly."

Chiara gulped, and hastily nodded several times, "I–I understand. Sorry, sir!" She had realized on the floor that for a split second, he was prepared to shoot without hesitation.

In a shocking act of brevity, Karl smiled and before she could react, he pulled her beret down past her eyes. "Good. Let's try to get along."

"Hey!" Chiara exclaimed, stumbling away as she fixed her precious hat. Karl chuckled heartily, walking out the door. She followed after him, not wanting to earn his ire.

Once in the backseat, Nikola caught a warm brown bag tossed by Karl, who said, "Ration it. It's a day's drive to the camp." He also offered a thermos of a dark brown liquid.

Chiara took it, holding it between both hands. She eyed it, puzzled. "What is this?" She sniffed it, expecting some form of sleep solution that would knock her out.

"Coffee," Karl answered dryly, having forgotten their lived experiences stopped at the edges of a submarine's hull. "It will keep your head clear." He didn't wait for her to try it and reached over to grab a folder off the stack that occupied the passenger seat. He flipped it open, realizing it was the wrong report and tossed it on the floor. Finally, he found the one he wanted and handed it back as well. "This is your assignment."

Nikola put the bag aside, opening the file. She read the printed title aloud, "Operation Assam?"

Chiara leaned over, curious. She skimmed through the contents, repeating, "Operation Assam?" The name sounded ridiculous to her, enough to wonder if other Imperial operations had equally absurd names.

"Good. You can read," Karl said, already smoking again. They scowled at him and he began to go over the gist of the situation. "It would seem our Empire has an uprising on its hands." He started the car and pulled out onto the road, continuing, "X-0's incompetence allowed the armed militants in the Blue Rose to seize critical locations across the region. They have already proclaimed a second republic." He scoffed, disgusted. "Damn idealists. Fortunately, there are many Nords who are still loyal to our Empire."

Chiara bristled, crossing her legs as she leaned back. "How exactly is this our fault?"

Karl scratched his beard. "Your division was tasked with keeping Nords under control, no?" He moved his hand to the cigarette, exhaling smoke. "Yet the moment the Federation pushed, you retreated without even notifying the local garrison. The region was pacified and secured–Commissar Hedvig lost a lot of her men to make sure of it. In one year, X-0 destroyed all our work, and now we have to return to set things right."

Clicking her tongue, Chiara looked out the window. Nikola quickly read through the basic outline of Assam. Kriegstotcher was being deployed to assist the Nord loyalists under the command of Major-General Otto Halvard. As a counter-terrorism unit, they were cleared to carry out whatever reprisals necessary to break the rebel's will to fight. She looked up. "According to this, we can handle dissidents however we want."

"That is correct. The whole population is obsolete," Karl confirmed, slowing down for a checkpoint that led out of the city. "That is why we chose you two specifically. Your fighting experience on the Crystal Sea… and nature , makes you ideal to helm the operation."

Chiara glanced at him, "Nature? What is that supposed to mean?"

"You enjoy killing," Karl clarified, seeing no reason to lie in this case. "We needed soldiers who wouldn't moralize."

"Hmm." Chiara didn't speak, staring out of the window again. They passed from Schwartzgrad into the northern outskirts of the city. There was a thin layer of snow on the ground, but the dirt roads were clear, allowing for safe travel between a few of the smaller villages that dotted the country.

Seeing Nikola finally put down the document, Karl broke the silence. "Can you handle it? I need to know."

"Yeah, of course I can," Nikola said, shutting the folder with a quick snap.

Chiara glanced over. "We."

"What?" Nikola asked, having almost forgotten the other girl had been present.

Chiara huffed, crossing her arms. "We can handle it. We are supposed to be a team, remember?"

Nikola nodded, "That is right." She smirked, her hand covering her chin. "Hehe. These Nords do not know what is coming." It felt good to be getting back to work, with even fewer restrictions than before.