(20/11/56 | 11:45)

Yet again, Hsu sat at his desk with a new doll reporting to him. The mid-afternoon sun hung in the window behind him as it continued its westward journey, casting a shadow over the Commander as he was planted in his tall backed office chair. This time, however, there was only one girl before him instead of three. But unlike Grizzly, SVD, and XM8, she'd taken it upon herself to sit down as well.

He looked up from the file he'd pulled out, gazing at Kar98k. She wore a smug smile, waiting for the other summoned dolls to arrive. Though Hsu wasn't sure if she'd arrived early as a way of showing up the others, or to try and have a moment alone with him.

Not wanting to sit around surrounded by dead air, the man started up a conversation by opening a report sent to him by G36.

"I heard you modified the training regime for Echelon Two today." He observed, eyes scanning the performance charts. "Focusing on the assault tactics courses in the augmented reality room."

"It better fits their equipment. Three automatics and a shotgun do better when they close the gap instead of constantly skirmishing." Kar98k explained pleasantly, resting her hands atop her crossed legs.

"How do you think they're doing?" Hsu asked, despite having all the data before him.

"Not as well as I hoped, but not poorly enough to imply they lack potential." She said, a light shrug punctuating her examination. "They've become quite passive and reactive. Other than Sturmgewher, none of them seem to have any aggression."

Hsu grumbled something, flipping the folder closed as he glanced back over at Kar98k. She still held that same self-assured smirk, and it was starting to bother him. Then again, her being here at all bothered him. Being in a situation where he had to punish G36 bothered him far more than he liked.

"Something is on your mind." Kar easily figured out. Her smirk only grew, an intrigued sparkle lighting up her eyes. "Concerned about sending us on a mission so soon after my arrival?"

"You're not going with Echelon Two." Hsu made very clear, before leaning back into his chair. "You'll see once the others arrive."

Kar grew even more curious, now truly excited to see what the man had planned for her. She did look quite forward to this new assignment, being able to lead a team of dolls once again.

Though she had to admit, this Commander was a tough nut to crack. Easy to read, but not easy to push.

Meh, it mattered not. She'd find out what made him tick sooner or later, just as she'd done with her last Tactical Commander. Though even now she could sense that this relationship was destined to be far more 'professional.'

As the clock on Hsu's desk struck noon, the doors parted ways for the rest of the mission's assigned party. BAR, Springfield, and StG44 filed in together. Judging from the smell, they'd all been at Springfield's cafe enjoying her coffee. Another thing that Kar had observed, everyone at this base seemed to enjoy her sibling's company.

Each of them gave greetings to the Commander. Springfield and StG44 remained on their feet, while BAR gladly flopped into a chair and made herself at home.

With that, Hsu began his briefing. He pulled out four copies of the same paper this time with a man's face printed on it. It looked like a Government photo, the collar of a regional Communist Party uniform poking out at the bottom of the portrait. He was a weathered old man with a gunmetal gray mustache and liver spots dotting his balding head. If you put him in a crowd, he'd look like any other civilian dottering the streets of Kyiv.

"This is Nikolai Kulakov. He's the Minister of Agriculture for the Ukrainian Soviet Republic." Hsu explained, offering the stack over to BAR. The dolls all took his mug in, with BAR in particular grimacing at how old the man looked.

"About a week ago, he was visiting a new farming colony in the Odessa province. While he was there, a bandit clan rushed the settlement and took him captive." The Commander continued, pressing a few buttons so a holographic map of Ukraine appeared in the center of the dolls. "Most of his guards were killed, but the local farmers and his aides were all ignored. Likely captured him for ransom."

"Must be some pretty capable bandits." BAR observed.

"The Governor thinks that they're likely veterans. When the War ended and the armistice was signed, a lot of soldiers all over Europe went bandit or mercenary." He pointed out. "With most of the regular military occupied or dead, they basically had free reign to do whatever they wanted. For the most part, they still do."

"Wonderful. Like it wasn't bad enough that we had to fight Sangvis." BAR grumbled.

"Bar, please." Springfield whispered, tapping BAR's shoulder with the slice of paper.

Hsu gave Springfield a grateful nod, before he went back to explaining the mission. "Thanks to those surveillance spikes we've been setting up since the summer, we've been able to track movement through the countryside far easier. Which led to Sector Ten finding this two days ago."

Hsu pressed another button, the map zooming further in to focus on an abandoned village downriver. It wasn't much to speak of, about three dozen houses with a crossroads in the center. At that crossroads sat a large warehouse, the roofing clearly reinforced from the inside out.

Hsu then zoomed the map back out, a series of red colored dots appearing that were connected by a dotted line. One inland that was marked as a landing zone, one marked as a staging area along the river, and the final one marked as the bandit occupied town downstream.

"Long story short, you four are gonna sortie for a rec-ce job. Bird's gonna drop you off about five klicks northwest of the staging area. You're gonna walk to the southeast until you reach an abandoned coast guard station. It's six klicks north of the bandit's town and has a tower that's about…"

Hsu paused, checking over yet another dossier of information that had been collected by Sector 10. "...Five stories tall. Should give you a clear line of sight, plus you can get closer if needed. Gather information for about three nights-."

"Three nights?!" StG shrieked, already horrified at the idea of the water staining brought on by days out in the snow.

"Three nights." Hsu repeated, not having the patience to baby her germaphobia. "Confirm that the Minister is there and figure out exactly what the hell is in that town. After that, I'll inform the Governor. Questions?"

"Forgive me, Commander, but shouldn't this task be handled by the military?" Springfield promptly asked, both BAR and StG44 nodding along in agreement. Both dolls clearly wanted nothing to do with this assignment.

"The Governor hired us, and he paid up front, so we're doing it." Hsu answered bluntly. "He's not asking us to clear out a base full of Spetsnaz. Hell, if the Minister's not there, none of you will even have to fight anyone."

"And if he is?" StG44 prodded.

"If he is and if the Governor pays us to rescue him, then Anti-Rain can handle the high speed stuff." Hsu answered calmly. "I'm gonna say this again, you four are the reconnaissance team. Two snipers, two spotters. That's it."

BAR's hand shot up. "Can Thompson go instead of me?"

"No." The Commander rejected.

"Why?!"

"I'm putting Kar in charge of your element, and it wouldn't make sense for one of her seniors to work under her." Hsu told the group, lazily waving two fingers at the smug sniper. "I'm not having two billets butt heads again."

BAR grinded her teeth together, the jab at her actions during the subway mission clear and present. "Alright, then why send me at all? Why not one of the handgun dolls? They're better for night combat and scouting!"

"Two of the three handgunners we've got have no recon experience. The only one that does is Makarov." Hsu pointed out yet again, before lifting his gaze to look at Springfield instead of BAR. "Do you want to be stuck in the middle of winter with her?"

Springfield smiled nervously, wringing her white gloves as she kept her mouth shut. Her eyes instead shot down to BAR, silently pleading that her friend spare her from such a fate.

Defeated, BAR groaned and threw up her hands. "Fine... we're at least gettin' hazard pay from this, right?"

"Mmhm." Hsu assured, before he checked his clock. "If there's nothing else, you're wheels-up at Fourteen hundred hours."

Springfield, BAR and StG44 all shared glances with one another. StG44 gave a smoldering look to BAR in particular before she slipped out of the office. The two Americans went back and forth with one another as they stepped outside, once again leaving Commander Hsu and Kar98k alone in his office.

Hsu waited for the door to shut before focusing back on Kar. "You mind getting thrown into the fire this fast?"

Kar giggled, amused that the man thought she couldn't handle something. "Not at all. A camping trip with a close companion, my sweet sister and her own friend. If anything, I should be thanking you for giving me such an entertaining first mission."

"I take bribes in whiskey and steak." Hsu said half-jokingly, before he gestured out and over to the door. "Go meet with Kalina. Make sure she loads everything you'll need for the job."

Kar obliged the man, rising up and giving him a light curtsy. "I'd like to speak with Herr Khan as well, if possible."

"Engineering's on the bottom floor, northern side. Follow the sounds of screeching metal and explosives." Hsu told her, having already refocused on his computer terminal.

That finally broke Kar's flippant attitude, the word 'explosives' making her double take at the man. Hsu didn't even look up from his work, lifting a hand and shooing the woman away.

Yes, Sector 09 would certainly be very interesting.

(15:16)

After dismounting from the Blackhawk and a very long walk, the reconnaissance team came across their designated staging area.

Each of the four girls was lugging a fully loaded rucksack, doused in clashing green EMR camo and towering above their heads. The added weight added to BAR and StG44's misery, while Springfield and Kar98k calmly kept an eye on their surroundings.

The building itself was nothing to gloat about. A perfectly shaped two story square building, with a tall tower on the western side closest to the river. On the bank itself rested a concrete dock that had seen better days, shape chipped away by the water flowing out towards the Black Sea. The entire building had seen better days, as had most abandoned Government facilities since the 2020s. Left out to the elements, falling into a state of disrepair.

BAR and StG44, being the two dolls toting automatic weapons, took point to clear the interior. BAR went through the front entrance while StG44 slipped in from the riverside door. Inside they found what was to be expected. A small reception area with a desk and rusted chairs, a completely ransacked armory and mess hall, and a large communal office with furniture that was covered in cobwebs. On the second floor were the crew quarters, metal bed frames with stained mattresses resting on top. They were old, yellowed and smelled like salt. Three things that made StG44 opt to use a sleeping bag while BAR gladly claimed one of the beds.

Once the building was fully cleared, and the confirmation was sent out, Kar and Springfield went inside. Kar wasted little time, then dividing up tasks for her squad to get everything in working order.

Springfield would set up the radio pack, making contact back with the Command Center back in Sector 09. It was to be the usual report, giving their status and plan for the first day's work. She would also transmit what they'd observed on their long ruck here, starting to piece together the bandits' daily routine.

BAR would be setting up a series of mines along the perimeter, each one programmed to go off if anyone without a Griffin IFF tag came within its radius. They were easy to bury under the snow, and filled with enough ball bearings and explosives to take out anyone who tried to come inside. For now, though, they lay dormant. Only to be activated in case they were expecting a fight.

StG44 handled work on the inside of the base. Her task was to activate the portable generator, as well as hang up the various absorption tarps on all of the internal walls. They'd only brought enough to completely block out the second floor, but that was enough that it meant they could hang lights and use electronic equipment without being detected. As far as someone from the outside looking in would be able to tell, the building was still completely abandoned.

Which left Kar on her own, sitting on top of the enclosed tower as she set up their observational equipment. Rangefinders, super-magnified binoculars, and an Illumination Fairy. Down below there were infrared cameras as well for their forays during the night. For now, however, she sat atop the tower, looking out and over to the town with her rangefinder.

It was a unique piece of technology, something she had commissioned upon joining Griffin. It linked directly to her neural cloud, allowing her to seamlessly interface with the lenses. It gave her otherworldly vision, letting her see far beyond the range that her body's installed ocular nodes would allow. Paired with a 'dumb' AI that resided within the device that optimized the picture, it let her see things with the same precision and clarity of a satellite.

Through this, she could already confirm one thing. The town was certainly the bandits' home.

They walked through its streets with impunity, each one in thick winter gear. Old rifles on each of their persons as they went, though clearly unaware that they were being watched. One man she saw seemed to be sleeping atop a snow covered roof. Another trio sat around what seemed to be a table as they played around with their knives. Then on the far side 'behind' a building, she could see a man and a woman being very… familiar with one another.

She rolled her eyes, making a quick headcount of all the people she could see as footsteps came up the stairs behind her.

BAR grunted as she came to the top, looking out at the town. Not being able to make out much of what was going on, her gaze then fell back onto the roadway that passed nearby their new outpost.

"I checked out the tracks in the snow on that road." BAR told Kar, the doll lowering her binoculars to give the new arrival her full attention. "Not sure what they are, but I doubt they're tractor treads."

"That is… worrying." Kar admitted, going over to the side so she could look down upon the road herself. "Did you have Springfield ask if any military forces have been in the area?"

BAR nodded, leaning on the railing next to the German. "Mmhm. The people at base are looking into it, she'll tell us when they call back."

"We shall hope for the best then." Kar decided, turning back to grab a camera before setting it up and aiming it towards the town. BAR spun herself around, still leaning back against the opening.

"You're sure they won't notice all of this stuff up here?"

"So long as it remains inside, and not hanging out of these openings, it is quite unlikely." Kar assured, powering the large camera on and zooming it in to get a portrait of their target. "Do you know how these cameras work?"

"A decent bit. We used'em on the set a few times for time lapse shots." BAR admitted, pushing herself back up and stepping over to the tripod and tightening a loose knob. "But this shouldn't have the range to get a good picture of the town."

"Correct, but it should be able to monitor traffic that comes and goes. Especially with the river." Kar deferred, taking hold of some power cord and throwing it down the center of the spiraling staircase back to the building's second story.

BAR put two and two together, pointing to the west. "You think they're river pirates. That makes sense."

"It would certainly explain how they are able to come and go without seemingly any trucks." Kar continued, looking down to see StG snatching the plug and pulling it away, hopefully to wherever she'd set up their portable generator.

Kar then elaborated further, using both hands to flip her hair out from under her coat. "According to the report written by the surviving guards, they didn't hear any engines nearby. When the OMON team swept the area, there were no tire tracks. None of the surrounding villages reported seeing any vehicles coming too or from the town, other than the Minister's convoy. The Commander inferred they could have used river boats to come and go, he wanted us to spend our first night here monitoring the town from afar. With good fortune, we shall catch their return or their departure in the morning."

BAR nodded in understanding. "That sounds like a plan Old Man Hsu would come up with. Low and slow, with as few risks as possible."

Kar grinned, sensing that the machine-gunner was both mocking and praising the man. With how she had seen the other dolls around the base, this seemed to be a common theme. Everyone seemed to get along with the entirety of the human staff on base, and dolls seemed to intermingle with their organic comrades at their leisure.

It was something she'd already liked quite a bit. Though Griffin was one of the better companies in the world to work for as an Autonomous Doll, the climate of how androids were treated depended almost completely on who ran the Sector. There were plenty other bases she'd been to that were just like this one, but a near equal number where the dolls were practically segregated from the humans.

Not that she was surprised. The world at large still saw them all as little more than machines, and that outlook was to be expected among those who were charged with sending them to possible destruction. But even among the worst Commanders, the status she held here was leagues above what she had been subjected to during her time as a conscript.

"So, you once worked in the entertainment industry?" Kar asked, deciding to divert from business for the time being.

"Once upon a time… in Hollywood." BAR said with a shrug. "Cyber Media made a lot of dolls for backup talent for the film industry. Extras, maybe a supporting character role if you were lucky. Got lucky a few times myself, actually."

"Like the backpacking singer in 'Cascadia?'" Kar asked, smiling at BAR's perplexed gaze. The blonde then recovered, casually checking her nails.

"Should've figured the lady who used to have her own entertainment talk show kept her ear to the ground." BAR shot back, Kar laughing happily at the quick riposte.

"So you do know who I am." Kar said, pleased with herself.

"Game respects game, sister."

Kar gave the other doll a small curtsy, happy to find another person who'd been created for films and television. She'd met plenty of dolls who'd been entertainers in this company, but most of them were some flavor of idol or streamer. Few came from the silver screen, and though her own purpose had been to inform others of what happened behind the scenes, talking to talent from that old world brought her back to who she once was.

"A question, if you do not mind my asking." Kar said.

"I'll take your autograph, sure." BAR joked.

"Cute. When we return to base." Kar told her seriously, before switching back. "I remember your performances well. You seemed to have a talent for it that went beyond simple programming. But…"

"I stopped gettin' big jobs, yeah. You never heard why?" BAR asked, to which Kar nodded in confirmation. BAR sighed, unsurprised that the details didn't make it across the Atlantic. "It's a long story. Maybe later, when we've got some downtime."

"I would be happy to hear from the source." Kar assured, sensing BAR's discomfort.

BAR hummed, taking the opportunity to exit stage right. She disappeared down the stairs and out of view, with Kar's eyes flicking back out to the direction of the town.

Three nights. Three nights to find out what was going on out here. More than enough time to build up a respectable intelligence packet on these bandits, so long as they didn't realize they were here.

More than enough time to get to know her new comrades, too.

(21/11/56 | 07:03)

The next morning, Springfield woke with a sharp pain in her lower chassis. With Kar making the choice to hunker down for their first night, the girls had spent most of their time either resting inside or becoming familiar with the surroundings of their appropriated tower.

Sitting up, she saw that a spring had poked out of the mattress and was sticking into her. She sighed, leaning down to pull the rusty coil out of her back as she looked around to find BAR snoring in the next to her. StG44 lay in a sleeping bag in the corner closest to the portable heater, having refused to use the 'filthy, mold covered rat nests'.

Considering how this day was starting, she seemed to have made the better choice.

She checked her internal clock, looking out to where the window in the room was supposed to be. Sadly, the tarp that blocked their electronic and thermal signatures also meant she couldn't enjoy a sunrise.

Springfield sighed, feeling the age in her wires. She hadn't been on a mission like this in years, long before she joined the PMC. Back when she was far more capable at this whole warfighting business, before over a decade of digimind degradation started to take its toll. Even now, 'sleeping' seemed to purge less and less of her cache.

She wasn't sure why the Commander had chosen her for this team. She certainly didn't feel up for it, now or when they had left. Though she knew why she hadn't said anything; she needed an excuse to leave the base. Too often she'd been getting lost in her own digimind, and going into the field was the best way to sharpen her senses.

It gave her no other choice.

As she ruminated over her situation, her nose caught the smell of coffee coming out from the other room. Remembering who had been on watch through the night, Springfield rose out of her bed and made her way over to the officer's room across the hall.

Inside, Kar was sitting with a tin mug in hand and a pot sitting on a portable stove. Her back was facing the door with an empty chair to her side, eyes locked onto the screen of the laptop that had been brought along. The German sniper was missing her hat and coat, sitting only in her vest and blouse as her fingers drummed the metal of her cup.

As Springfield was about to speak, Kar reached forwards and plucked another tin mug from the desk. Holding it by the cusp, she then held it out to her right, clearly signaling for the other sniper to join her.

Springfield smiled in amusement, stepping over. She took the offered coffee, sitting down in the empty chair as she collapsed the mug with both hands.

"How did you know it was me?" Springfield asked Kar.

"The others wouldn't be awake at this hour." Kar rationalized, pulling her hand back. "Erika is a deep sleeper, and I can still hear your friend from here."

"Sharp as ever."

"I am the improved variant." Kar said, playfully sticking her tongue out at Springfield. The older doll chucked, nursing the coffee.

"Is this…?"

"I borrowed your beans before we left, yes." Kar confirmed. "How did I do?"

"Considering the circumstances, exceptionally." Springfield praised, taking another sip. "Not as if you need my approval."

"It pleases me nevertheless." Kar assured, before she leaned forward and reversed the footage of the camera once again. Springfield sat up, watching the feed as it began its playback.

In the corner of the feed, the time read '23:30' in green digital print. Color had faded from the feed, the daytime lens having been replaced with an infrared device. Off in the distance, white buildings dotted the screen. A few person shaped blobs stood at the outskirts, showing off a nighttime sentry that kept watch around the town. It showed that though they would be able to scout during the cover of darkness, they would still need to take care in not being noticed.

But then, minutes later, another group of heat signatures appeared. This time along the water, driving up the river and into the town. A trio of boats then hit the snow, before another set of blobs dismounted their transports and dragged them ashore.

Springfield pursed her lips. "Well, that confirms the Commander's amphibious assault theory."

"Indeed. Sadly this camera doesn't have the range to let us identify whomever's in the town." Kar lamented, leaning back into her chair. "Tonight, we move in and see for ourselves. If the Minister truly is here, then heaven only knows what they are doing to him."

"Entirely depends on their intentions. If they plan on ransoming him, he's likely untouched and fed." Springfield pondered. "Though also terrified."

"If they do not intend to ransom him, then he was likely killed before they even issued our contract." Kar pointed out. "But this was clearly targeted. If the abduction was for political reasons, the body would have turned up by now. Radicals love to send 'messages' in the most displeasing manners."

Springfield murmured in agreement. The post war political landscape was in many ways more volatile than the pre-war one. With the conflict ending in an armistice, no one could clearly claim victory. Which meant that jingoists and extremists from Dublin all the way to Seoul were taking more and more heavy handed methods to pursue their goals. Something they were able to do with far greater ability now that every nation's security apparatus had been weakened by conflict.

The Neo-Soviet Union had its own flavor of radicals to deal with as well. Communist hardliners, regional separatists, a few Tsarists who occasionally popped out of the woodwork to bomb something. There were also the hardcore anti-Doll types, the ones who targeted androids for the horrific crime of existing.

No matter where you went, everyone these days seemed to have a cause they were willing to kill and die for.

"So, I spoke with Mister Khan before we left." Kar said, breaking the silence with a decisive swipe.

"Oh?" Springfield asked, knowing and dreading where this conversation was going to head.

"He's quite the charming man. What is it you Americans say… 'tall, dark and handsome?'" Kar observed, tapping her chin as Springfield sighed.

"Please tell me you're not going to try and seduce him." The American pleaded. "I thought you were dating that Commander from Headquarters."

"Vasili? Mein Gott, nein. He is as dense and dumb as a brick." Kar said, waving a dismissive hand before she grew thoughtful again. "Chiseled as much as one as well, though. And the size of his…"

"K a r." Springfield interjected sternly.

"His muscles, dear. Get your digimind out of the gutter." Kar teased her sibling. "Though he's quite gifted in other areas as well."

Springfield rolled her eyes, swirling her still steaming mug in her hands. "You're awful."

"I will not apologize for being able to have any man I want." Kar assured smugly, pushing a lock of her hair up and behind her ear. "You should try it sometime, you certainly have the looks for it."

Springfield rolled her eyes, but the subtext wasn't lost on her. Kar always was a firm believer in proactivity, it's how she'd succeeded in life so much.

"Go get some rest. It's my turn to take up the watch." Springfield told the mission leader.

Kar moved to sit up in defiance, before her fatigue truly caught up with her. She'd been sitting down in this chair so long that trying to move seemed to take all the wind out of her sails. So, begrudgingly, she stood up and undid the buttons on her coat.

"We'll be heading out tonight. Make sure that the illumination fairy is ready." Kar ordered, before taking her leave for the other room. It was her turn to take a chance with the mattresses, though it was still preferable to sleeping on the floor.

Springfield turned back to watch the camera, filling her cup with what was left of the coffee. It was going to be a long time before sundown.

(23:44)

The cold only got worse that night.

Temperatures dropped to below zero faster than expected, with snowfall picking back up as soon as darkness fell. By the time midnight crept closer and closer, the wind began to whip at a violent speed. A nearly full moon hung in the sky above, the largest light in the air alongside the hundreds of stars.

At the town, the perimeter guards had all retreated to the warmth and safety of the indoors. Soft lamps could barely be seen flickering inside, the shadows of bandits chatting and drinking as they avoided the worst mother nature had to offer.

StG44 never thought she would envy a good for nothing bandit, but now she wished to change places more than ever.

She laid in the snow next to Kar98k, both of them covered in a thermal camouflage cloak to mask their signatures and provide some level of protection from the elements. A thin layer of snow covered them both, a testament to the hours they'd spent laying in place and observing the town for anything of note. Off to the southwest, Springfield and BAR did the same on another hill, just as cold and miserable.

StG hated these scouting missions. Even in the best of conditions it meant she had to subject herself to the wilderness. A sunny day in the countryside still meant having to subject herself to the unwanted company of animals, bugs, dirt, and grime. Other missions were simpler, shorter, and allowed her to retreat to the squeaky clean sanctity of her dorm.

But her protests mattered not, she was here. Once again spotting for Kar as she had for ages prior. Though as she turned to look at her old partner in crime, she noticed a look in the sniper's eye. Her red irises were sharp and bright, like a devil waiting in the darkness. They looked frustrated and restless, not an unfamiliar sight. Kar disliked waiting as well, not if she felt as if action could be taken right that moment.

As Kar opened her mouth, StG knew whatever would come out next would complicate their situation.

"This weather is horrible for observation. We will learn nothing of worth by hiding up here." Kar declared, rising from her prone state and going down on a knee.

StG44 mimicked the sniper, checking her rifle to ensure the weather hadn't caused any damage. "Tomorrow night will be clearer. We can reposition, try to find a better angle."

Kar shook her head. "Springfield's team has already done so twice. Position means nothing when we cannot look through walls."

"If only we could see through those windows." StG44 lamented.

"From this distance, we cannot." Kar said, betraying her intent. StG44 instantly knew what the sniper was getting at, her green eyes lighting up in surprise.

"What about the illumination fairy? It could fly down there and check." StG offered, trying to see if she could persuade Kar away from this course of action.

Again, Kar shook her head. "The wind is too strong for it to fly straight, and its engines are too loud for stealth."

"And the tracks that will surely be left in the snow?" StG44 pressed.

"This weather is forecasted to continue well into the morning. Our tracks will be long gone by the time they wander outside."

"Yes, and checking every building down there surely won't test your luck in case any of them need to use the lokus." StG followed up sarcastically.

"Not each one, only one." Kar assured, pointing to an abandoned house in the center of the village where an empty lawn chair rested. "That is the only building to have a guard at the door since our arrival. The only reason they've left their post is this weather."

StG grew as restless and frustrated as her partner, an epiphany dawning on her. "You were planning to do this since this morning afternoon. That's why you kept going over the footage."

Kar admitted to nothing, merely rotating the bolt of her weapon to eject the Patrone rounds and replace them with regular 8mm cartridges. "Call Springfield, see if she can provide overwatch for me while I investigate."

StG groaned, but knew that further resistance would be pointless. She pulled out a small handheld radio from underneath her cloak, turning the speaker on before she spoke into it.

"Sturmgewehr to Springfield."

"Springfield, we're here."

"Do you have a clear line of sight over the center of town? If so, from which bearing?"

"We… do. Bearing ninety, looking directly down to the crossroad."

"Good. Kar and I will be heading down there. Follow us if you can."

A short pause over the radio, before Springfield spoke again. "Are you sure that's a good idea, STG?"

"No, but I couldn't talk her out of it." StG44 told the other sniper, earning a scoff from Kar.

A digitized sigh could be heard. "Of course. We'll cover you, be careful."

"Thank you." StG said, before she looked back and matched Kar's glare. "Oh don't give me that, of course I'm coming."

"...Danke, kamrade." Kar told her spotter, before they both rose to their feet and began their march down into the village.

The two moved with diligence, not wanting to leave behind more evidence of their presence than necessary. Both dolls made themselves as small as possible while keeping a good pace, wandering into the lamplit settlement. Crossing the breach between the buildings, all they could still hear is the sound of whipping wind.

Despite having better low light vision than humans, only handgunners in Griffin possessed the modules for true night vision. If it wasn't for the oil lamps and small electric lights that pulsed from inside the buildings, they would truly be stumbling in the dark. Springfield fed them what information she could, both she and BAR still watching over them through their night vision binoculars.

"Stop." Springfield ordered, both Germans coming to a halt. "Two bandits just stepped out of the target building. They're outside, talking."

Kar's ears perked up, listening to the nearby voices. A man and a woman having a heated argument, voices firing back and forth at a fever pitch. Both Griffin dolls crept closer, setting up across the street from their destination, looking over to see the quarrel with their own eyes.

StG pulled her head back around the corner of their building, confused as she spoke to Kar via the Zener Protocol. "Is that… German?"

"Swiss German. I can barely comprehend them." Kar observed, keeping watch on the pair. "...Not just that, check their vitals."

StG44 did as she was told, sending a soft pulse before she did another double-take.

"Nothing… they're dolls?" StG asked, earning a curt nod from Kar. "What the fuck are Swiss Tactical Dolls doing in the Ukraine?!"

"They're mercenaries, like us. Ones with far less honor." Kar rationalized. The two then stopped talking, staying in place for the next fifteen minutes as the two continued to yell at one another, only illuminated by the oil lamp held by the man.

Once the dolls fired curses at each other and stormed in opposite directions, Kar stood up and motioned for StG44 to do the same. "Come, we're leaving."

"What about the building?" StG asked as she fell in behind Kar as they began to sneak away from the argument.

"Mercenary dolls are far more perceptive than a bunch of thugs. The risk outweighs the reward." Kar said, the sensors in her mind on full alert.

She wasn't sure what they had just stumbled upon, but she was now certain that this was the last place she wanted to be once all of these other dolls woke up from their domiciles. A horde of bandits, she could manage. A horde of mercenaries who had used actual tactics and teamwork? Far less likely.

The two exfiltrated to the west, moving to regroup with their two other comrades. Come morning, they could make sense of this with the Commander's advice.

(22/11/56 | 06:45)

As the snow continued to fall, the next morning all of the dolls gathered around a holographic projection of the Commander and IWS-2000.

Kar98k had uploaded a recording of the conversation, with IWS having been brought in to better translate. As an Austrian, she would be far better at deciphering the terms and shorthand of her fellow Germans of the alps than either Kar or StG. Something which she had done promptly, transcribing an English translation and reading it off to the present audience.

Most of the argument was irrelevant gibberish. A lovers quarrel, it turned out, with the female doll complaining about how she wished their 'careers' brought them to places that weren't desolate wastelands. The man reminded her that they were being paid a large sum of their services, but she didn't care. Instead she tore into him about only caring about the money, not them and their relationship.

To Kar, it was as pathetic as it was absurd.

Still, there were two key points that IWS was able to pull out of the shouting match. The first was that the Minister was indeed alive and in the building, having taken a fresh beating after a failed escape attempt. The second was confirmation that these unknown dolls were, in fact, mercenaries. Paid an extravagantly large sum to do this job. No word about who hired them or why, of course. That would make things too easy.

Other than that, nothing really of note to speak of. Other than the female mercenary insisting that next time they spend the week in Monaco.

Hsu glowered in his chair, dreading how much more complicated this had become. He'd expected veterans, the coordination it took to kidnap the Minister demanded an understanding of operational planning. But other tactical dolls? Other mercenaries?

"...You've sent all the mapping data, right?" Hsu asked.

"Yes, we plan on another sortie tonight to perfect it." Kar reported, checking the command tablet she had lugged along to confirm her information. "As of now, we believe there are twenty dolls in the town. Most are armed with Soviet assault rifles, though two seem to possess marksman rifles. No anti-material weapons or explosives of note."

"No light support weapons?" Hsu asked, to which Kar once again shook her head. "Do we know who's leading them? Maybe a Tactical Commander of their own?"

"One of the mysteries we hope to solve tonight, Kommandant." Kar assured.

Hsu chewed the inside of his cheek, contemplating everything. Griffin was supposed to be the only PMC in the Soviet Union that could hire foreigners, human or android. Each expat who came into this country had to be sponsored and vetted, with foreign dolls being thoroughly investigated for spyware or links to groups hostile to the nation.

On top of that, taking a contract like this seemed suicidal. No group of mercenaries with two brain cells to rub together would cross the Soviet Government like this. A few dodgy jobs weren't uncommon, and Hsu himself had been offered some during his time here. But there was a difference between breaking minor laws and borderline terrorism.

These dolls had to be from outside the USSR. Which meant that whoever hired them had enough funds to hire international muscle.

"This contract is getting out of hand way too fast." Hsu thought out loud. "I'll update the Governor on what we have, but we can't complete this objective."

"Sir?" Springfield asked.

BAR spoke up next. "Chief, come on. We've still got plenty of backup we can call. Compared to that mess with Intruder, this is a cake walk."

"These aren't Sangvis drones, these are Tactical Dolls using IOP built chassis like all of you. They could easily be the same quality as all of you, and even if I sent out our ready reinforcements, you'd still be assaulting a fortified position with a smaller force." Hsu explained to the four dolls in the field, IWS bobbing her head in agreement next to him. "Besides, they'd have plenty of time to kill the Minister as soon as the first shot goes off."

"What about sneaking in, then?" Springfield offered.

Hsu adjusted his gaze, staring down Kar98k with muted annoyance. "Do you think you could've gotten out of that town alive with the Minister on your back last night?"

Kar took note of the target now painted on her, shaking her head. "No, we would have certainly been noticed. It was why I chose to retreat."

Hsu nodded in approval, before turning to face the group as a whole once again. "I'll contact the Governor, update him with everything we know. OMON and Ukrainian Spetznaz can take over from here."

Kar bowed her head. "Understood, Kommandant. What are our orders?"

"We'll do one more night of recon. Tomorrow you can pack up and head to the LZ." The Commander confirmed, before focusing on the mission's leader yet again. "Also, Kar, we need to talk."

The Commander's tone and disposition gave away what the 'talk' was certainly about. Hearing his words, Kar's companions each filed out of the room. Springfield lingered behind, giving Kar a reassuring smile before she too disappeared behind the door.

Kar then turned back to the Commander's hologram. IWS had done the same as the other dolls, having scurried off screen and out of Hsu's office. He had dropped his previous neutral expression, displeasure and frustration now out in the open as he locked his jaw and drummed his fingers against his armrest.

"May I defend my actions?" Kar requested.

"You defied a direct order." Hsu bluntly answered.

"I took a calculated risk, and I am very good at math."

"You aren't Rommel and this isn't Nineteen-Forty, that isn't going to work on me."

"I acted within my capabilities."

"You aren't alone out there. I didn't assign you a section of commandos."

"Nor am I leading a team of children." Kar said, before an epiphany came to her. "...Ah, I understand now."

Hsu gave the doll a once-over, before a static filled exhale left the speaker. "I know plans go out the window the moment you hit the field, and I'm not gonna micromanage. But next time, when you need to deviate from your standing orders this much, clear it with us. If I'm not in the Command Center, IWS is."

"Jawohl, mein Herr." Kar responded, taking what she could get. "I take it this conversation will continue upon our return?"

"Get home in one piece first, then worry about that." Hsu ordered, before he cut the comm line. Kar remained in the room for a few minutes longer, bristling after the confrontation.

This man really was a grumpy bastard.

(18:00)

Once night fell, the four dolls marched back out into the darkness.

It was a less intense night. The wind had left entirely, and only a soft snowfall had returned to greet them. Their cloaks even felt warm now, not having to battle against both the usual cold and added windchill. Above them, the Illumination Fairy zipped through the air freely, enjoying the chance to finally stretch its… engines. Its flood light remained inactive, but its night vision was enough to plot a course for the dolls on the ground.

Still, it was less than ideal. Enough to make StG44's already horrible mood even worse as she smacked her toe against a boot. The grenadier bit her tongue, swallowing the urge to howl out in pain.

Kar stopped, looking ahead to see if her spotter was fine. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, yes there is!" StG fired off in frustration. "Why are we out here again?!"

"Herr Hsu wants more data, and the helicopter is not coming until tomorrow."

"But I thought he told you that the Government already paid us!"

"As women of honor, we must complete a contract to our utmost ability." Kar lectured, giving StG a wave to continue her march. "Just think about what you will do with your pay."

"Way ahead of you." BAR crooned, head in the clouds as they kept walking. "Gonna finally get a motorcycle imported from the States. Little Christmas present to me, myself and I."

Kar pursed her lips. "That sounds quite expensive. Why not get something closer?"

"You aren't gonna catch me dead on a Russian bike, sister. Things break too fast."

"Of course. But German or Italian will be far cheaper."

BAR thought it over, before shrugging her shoulders and passing the baton. "What about you, Spring?"

Springfield sighed with fatigue, having also reached her limit. "Before I buy anything, I intend to take a nice long bath and listen to some peaceful music. I still have another bottle of bubbling solution that would be perfect."

"Yes, a bath." StG44 said, beginning to slip into a daydream herself at the pleasant idea. "Clean water, soap, fresh towels…"

BAR redirected her ire to her fellow spotter, noticing her odd expression. "Are… are you drooling?"

"What? N-no! Don't be ridiculous!" StG44 stammered, moving to wipe her mouth clean.

Springfield giggled, grateful for the distraction from the elements. "But yes, I look forward to relaxing again. Heaven knows why they made our hair so similar to humans, mine desperately needs some conditioner."

"And yet, you still look as good as ever." Kar observed blithely. "It always amazed me how you've never had a morning routine, yet you constantly look as if you were just shipped from the factory. Does anyone else know how she does it?"

"Rest of our squad's been tryin' to find out for ages." BAR followed up. "I've never seen her replace an eyelash, recolor her skin layer or even calibrate her eye projector. It's like magic."

"Girls, please." Springfield admonished. "Especially you, Kar. You've always spent hours on yourself, and it shows. There's a reason they always kept you in front of a camera."

The backhanded compliment stung Kar, enough to look for another opinion. "Sturmgewher, you're attracted to women. Who's better looking, myself or Springfield?"

"E-excuse me?!" StG sputtered, losing even more of her already depleted composure.

"Startin' off strong." BAR quipped, enjoying StG's panic.

"She's dating a woman, and as far as I know, the rest of us prefer men. Clearly she's the best judge." Kar explained, rationalizing her choice.

"What about her?!" StG asked, firing a finger off towards BAR.

"Nope, guys only." BAR confirmed with a shrug. "Thompson and Garand swing both ways, though."

"Alas, of the four dolls present, only Erika is with another woman."

"I am not with Thirty-Six because of her looks. We have many commonalities!" StG insisted stubbornly.

"German, blonde, addicted to cleanin', stick shoved up your asses." BAR listed off, earning a series of laughs from the other dolls. Even Springfield, whose reaction seemed to annoy StG44 the most.

"Gretel and I are together because we enjoy each other." StG continued to insist, recollecting her calm. "Besides, I find intercourse… disconcerting. Too sweaty, ugh."

"So her looks have nothing to do with it?" BAR asked.

"Absolutely nothing." StG swore.

"That's very sweet." Springfield said with a smile.

"Indeed. I'm happy for you both." Kar said, before she sighed. "Though it means we lack someone who can answer my question."

"Once we head back home, we can ask one of the engineers. Half of'em stare at our asses all day anyway." BAR pointed out.

The group shared a laugh, continuing their trudge through the darkness. Despite everyone's willingness to return to their creature comforts back at base, at least now they took small comforts in the company of their comrades. One of the benefits of walking through the night in the middle of nowhere, no one was around to eavesdrop. Ironic, seeing as eavesdropping was the entire reason they were here.

"Kar, Springfield. If I could ask a question, how did you both meet one another?" StG44 asked the two snipers. "Obviously you were shipped to separate nations, what caused your paths to eventually cross?"

"...Would you like to tell them this time?" Springfield asked Kar.

"I told it last time. By all means, go ahead." Kar permitted. Springfield nodded, secretly grateful that she wouldn't need to have to 'correct' her sibling's 'story enhancements'.

"My model was built for general clerical work, and I was purchased from the factory by the Department of State. Eventually I was assigned to the Berlin Embassy." Springfield began, providing the basis for the rest of the tale. "One day, we had a football tight end visiting a few days before a game in the city."

"Patriots versus Rams. Torrential downpour drowned the entire field. They called it the Rainbowl." BAR recalled bitterly. "LA lost by one damn point."

"You're still upset about that…?" Springfield said in disbelief.

"Of course I'm upset about it, we lost the division because of that game! You guys won the freakin' Super Bowl that year!" BAR insisted fervently.

"Maybe next time, don't fail a two-point conversion." Springfield countered, mirroring Kar's usual smugness.

"Er, how does this lead into your meeting Lorelei?" StG asked, trying to drag the conversation back on track.

"Ah, yes." Springfield corrected herself, ignoring the look of death that BAR had aimed at her. "It was the first season of Kar's talk show, and she was having the athlete on for an interview. She stopped by the Embassy to pick him up. Which was when she met me, sitting at the front desk."

"Did you figure it out then?" BAR asked.

"I had an inkling. We shared a similar electronic signature." Springfield replied. "Regardless, the Ambassador assigned me to be the athlete's escort for the day. I arrived in the studio later, Kar remembered me, and we began to talk."

Kar grinned from ear to ear at the memory. "I still remember when I gave you a pass for my suite at the football match. You nearly crashed from the excitement."

"We met one another regularly until I eventually transferred to the consulate in Munich. After that we… did not see one another until several years after the war."

"Here I thought we might've shot at her while we were deployed." BAR pondered.

Kar shook her head. "The division I was conscripted into was under Soviet command. Most of my service was in Italy and southern France."

StG44 murmured, having never left Germany for the entirety of the conflict. "So how did you find each other again?"

"She found me. After the War, I opened a cafe in Amsterdam." Springfield explained. "Somehow, she tracked me down and asked me to join Griffin."

"'Somehow.' I was a journalist before I was a celebrity, some sleuthing is not beyond my capabilities." Kar said with a scoff, before looking up at the fairy as it began to take them up a slope. "A TV personality, a diplomat, an actress, and a factory forewoman. We truly are a motley crew."

"Yet we are likely the most normal dolls in this entire company." StG44 lamented, before groaning. "That sounds even more depressing when I say it out loud."

Kar held back her next quip, opting to instead continue their march up the slope until they reached their terminus. The same hill that she and StG44 had used to watch over the town the night prior, all evidence of their previous night's work having been whipped away. The four Griffin dolls looked down at the town again.

However, its state had changed drastically since the night before.

Whereas last night, these unknown mercenaries had taken shelter inside, now they were all outside. Most of them carrying supplies and moving them to the docks. Several boats were now waiting in the river, each one being loaded with sacks and bags. On the outskirts, a few dolls could be seen touting red gas cans, pouring the contents out on the various buildings.

"What the hell are they doing?" BAR asked as she watched the commotion.

"Covering their tracks. There's plenty of destroyed villages out here." Springfield observed, adjusting her gaze for the main warehouse, her own gaze falling over and towards the warehouse in the center of town as its doors opened.

The loud roar of an engine then echoed out into the night, each of the Griffin dolls looking over to the central building as something then began to roll out. An old M113 APC then rumbled into the snow laden road, a gunner sitting behind the pintle mounted heavy machine gun. The armored vehicle then began to rumble towards the dock, a few dolls following next to it.

"Holy fuck." BAR cursed. "That's what made the tracks next to our hideout?!"

"This makes no sense. No alarm was raised last night. We even waited after leaving to make sure!" StG44 rambled, glancing over to Kar. The sharpshooter said nothing, simmering in thought as she decided on what to do next.

"Sturmgewehr, send the fairy out to get us an overhead view." Kar ordered, her spotter moving to go send the illumination fairy off to get a better look at whatever was happening at ground level. "Springfield, alert the Sector and get a connection between myself and the Command room."

Springfield complied as well, tugging on the radio pack underneath her cloak as she sent a call back to Sector 09's Command Center. The fairy zoomed off as well, zipping towards the town at high altitude before it came to a hover above the central crossroad. There, it began to stream its camera footage through to each of the Griffin dolls' HUDs.

There was movement at every building in the village now, hostels picking the entire place clean as they loaded anything and everything they could onto the boats and their amphibious APC. It was quick and concise, a rehearsed evacuation that betrayed the drilled professionalism of these guns for hire.

Eventually, IWS answered their call and began to watch the feed as well. She watched for a few moments, internally and externally panicking at what she was watching.

"Where is the Minister?!" IWS asked.

"We haven't seen him yet. He may have already been loaded onto the APC." Kar reported.

"Can you have the fairy check?"

"It will be spotted and shot by the machine gunner." Kar dismissed immediately, before firing a question back at the adjutant. "Where is Commander Hsu?"

"He was called into the City after he told the Governor about our findings." IWS explained. "I've already sent an alert to him, but it will take time for him to return."

"Just our luck." Kar muttered, her neural cloud churning. This whole situation smelled rotten, too perfectly set up. Every one of her instincts was shouting that something was wrong with this entire scene. "We have no choice but to wait and watch."

The other dolls sat in displeasure, but voiced no complaints. Going into the town now was a deathwish, and the APC only made that more certain. No one wanted to stare down the barrel of an M2 machine gun, it was a quick and painful way to wake up in a new body back at the base's engineering bay.

So they sat there and watched. Watched the dolls finish packing. Watch everyone load up into their transports. Watch the APC eventually sally into the river and go south, followed one of the boats. One stayed behind, a single doll throwing a match out into the village as the gasoline doused buildings all caught flame, lighting up the white rural hills in orange and yellow.

Kar sat and watched it all, seething at the blaze.

(23:40)

Hours later, after returning to their forward operating base, Kar once again found herself standing before Hsu's hologram.

The Commander was still in his dress uniform, having been cleaned up for yet another meeting with the City Counsel by G36. His hair was straightened out, he'd been clean shaven, and he could actually pass as the leader of a respectable paramilitary outfit.

For the past thirty minutes, Kar had been debriefing him on everything they had found on her own. She'd told the others to go get their rest, ready to take whatever was coming from the Commander. She told him about the mercenaries' evacuation, their torching of the town, and the unknown status of the minister. After the fire had died down, her team had gone into the smoldering ruins to pick through what was left. They found a few remaining bits and bobs, but nothing that looked like a charred corpse. There was no sign of burial or violence around the town as well.

At the end of her long-winded speech, Kar took a breath and waited for Hsu's decision. The mission had turned on its head, and as the leader she bore the responsibility of such an error. She expected to be shouted at, belittled, maybe even dismissed from the Sector before she was fully settled in.

The worst part was she wasn't even sure if this was all her fault or not.

Was this a reaction to her and StG's foray into the town? Had they left such an obvious trail? But if they had, why wait to leave? Why make such a grand scene, destroying everything to eliminate a trace?

Eventually, Hsu spoke. "How's everyone doing?"

Kar finally exhaled, nervous despite herself. "Wet, tired, and ready to return."

"No lost equipment on our end?" Hsu asked, to which Kar shook her head. "And how about you?"

"...Trying to see if there was anything else I could have done, Mein Herr." Kar admitted.

Hsu chuckled, clearly happy that Kar was showing some level of uncertainty. "You didn't rush in trying to salvage your wounded pride, so there's that much."

"I am prideful, Sir, but I am not stupid." Kar swore.

"...No. No you aren't." Hsu begrudgingly agreed, his hologram fizzling out before returning. "None of this makes any sense. The kidnapping, holding onto him for this long, taking him with them while they ran."

"How has the Government reacted?"

"A few of the Counselors were angry that you didn't rush in, but the Governor stuck up for us." Hsu assured, wiping his nose as he sniffed. "Guy's clearly got warfighting experience. He saw how sending one squad against a platoon would've been suicidal."

Kar nodded, glad that the politicians hadn't demanded blood for something out of Griffin's control. "So what now?"

"You come back to base. We did what was asked of us, and as far as I can tell, their exfil wasn't a reaction to us poking around." Hsu assured, a small sigh of relief leaking out of Kar. "Anything to say?"

"...Only that I believe this mission proves my status as one of Griffin's best." Kar said, her usual conviction flowing back into her body. Hsu's eyes rolled, taking note of the girl's humility riding off into the sunset.

"You'll do, Kar. You'll do." Hsu told the sniper, not humoring her declaration. "The helicopter'll come directly to your position at noon. I think you've all rucked enough."

Kar clicked her heels together, saluting the man. He returned the gesture, before his hologram fizzled out for good. It left her alone in a now dark room, the others having already gone into their sleep cycle to begin defragmenting their neural clouds.

All at once, the stress and weariness from the past three days hit Kar like a truck. She collapsed into her chair, not giving a damn about posture as her head lolled back.

Still, she smiled up into the building's roof. She had been amply entertained, despite the new mystery.

A/N: Been another long while but this chapter's finally out. Work's been killer, but I'm happy to finally get another update out before we cross over to 2024.

Merry Christmas everyone, God bless you and I hope the New Year goes well. More chapters to come.