From the USSR With Love

[☭Yaroslava Zolnyernova]

The trip had been a long haul. Ten hours from Stalingrad, another ten from Tunisia, and a final six hour flight from Gibraltar would leave anyone flustered and tired. It was exactly the case of Jaroslava Zolnjernovich. She had been flying from her base to join an American unit stationed in Great Britain. It was a PR move made by the Soviet government. She was the only woman sent to serve with Russia's allies. It was an honour to be chosen and a pain in the ass to do the job. The final step was coming off the plane and trying to find the liaison that would bring her where she needed to be. By now, she had gotten some sleep after getting used to the incessant hum of the engines.

The open air was a relief to her as she walked down the steps from the Russian plane. And, it was warm; so warm. The British had lovely weather, so she saw. The rain must have been a huge lie perpetrated by her comrades to get her down. Instead she was breathing a clean and sharp air. Soon she had reached the aerodrome. It was a small set of military buildings kept by the RAF. Spitfires were buzzing around and large transport planes were taking off every few minutes. It was a very active airfield.

She kept her Mosin-Nagant rifle tightly in her left hand as she walked across the hard pavement and into the headquarters of the airfield command. It was easily noticeable, having a large tower standing out of it. King’s English was sounding all around her and it was hard for to understand. Luckily she spoke pretty good English. Soon she was taken to a staff officer of the RAF. He was a cocky sort, the kind that was out of a plane against his will. He spoke with a notably London accent as he introduced himself as Lieutenant Leighsbridge.

Jaroslava spoke in her rather heavy accent, “I am Starshii Serzhant Jaroslava Zelnjernovich of the People’s Army of the USSR. I’ve been sent to assist Allied units that are closest to the German lines. They will need a translator when you meet the Soviet forces.” The Lieutenant directed her to wait; a liaison would be right in to bring her to the HQ of her unit. She walked to the side of the room and sat in one of the armchairs. The British certainly treated their military to some luxury. Any General who had an open chair in his HQ in Russia would be seriously questioned. She waited in the small luxury for the liaison.

[snyder]

A new day had sprung up in the 3rd Infantry Division's base in England. The air was cool and crisp, just as was 2nd Lieutenant Michael Snyder, the new in transfer from the 82nd Airborne. Michael had awoken in the morning and went to the Officers' Mess for breakfast. He found that the food was not the greatest, but had military food ever been great. The breakfast that morning had been hash, pancakes, and scrambled eggs. All with no flavor, and from the last morning. The only fresh thing he had with his breakfast was his coffee.

After finishing the morning coffee, Michael headed to the brigade office. There he would find his orders for the day. Upon walking across the compound he found that the roads were quite muddy after the last night's rain. Once Mike entered the office he went to the mail room, and picked out the papers in his cubby. All it was, was one envelope from Captain Patterson. The orders were to pick up a Russian soldier and bring them back to base.

Well,guess who the lucky liason is, Michael said to himself as he walked to the front desk to the clerk. "Corporal, give me the sign-out sheet for a jeep." The corporal gave him the sheet without looking up from his work. Michael pulled out his pen and signed out jeep number Jay Easy 450065043. "Thank you, Corporal." Mike said to the corporal as he handed the sheet back to the clerk, and walked out with the keys in hand.

The compound was getting clearer as he walked out to the garage and jumped into the jeep. His hand brought the keys out and stuck them into the ignition. The engine revved to life as he pushed the pedal down. He was supposed to be driving down to a R.A.F. base to pick the man up, or was it a woman.

The mud had taken its toll on the jeep as Michael pulled into the base 3 hours later. The edges and wheel's of the jeep had turned into a brown color. Michael jumped off of the jeep and placed his garrison cap on his head. He had been dressed in class A for this meeting, because the person was a soldier of an ally who was going to serve with them. Mike walked forward and entered the HQ building. He immediately headed to the man sitting at a desk and asked "Sergeant, I am here to pick up a Jaroslava Zolnjernovich, from the Soviet Army, where is he?"

The sergeant looked up and pointed at a woman in a chair looking as though she was waiting for someone. Wow, the soldier is a woman, Michael said to himself in his mind as he walked over to the Soviet woman. Upon reaching her, he looked at her while announcing, "Hello, I am 2nd Lieutenant Michael Snyder, with the 3rd I.D. I suppose I am the liason here to pick you up."

[☭Yaroslava Zolnyernova]

Jaroslava didn't have t wait long for the liaison. He walked in with muddy boots and demanded of the Staff Sergeant to know where she was. He was a average sized man with a perfectly proportional face. She was sure the officer would be quite the family man had he not been in the war. Gold bars glowed from his shoulders, a Second Lieutenant. Soon, he turned to her.

Immediately the Soviet soldier stood up and saluted the officer. "Jaroslava Zolnerovich of the People's Army of the USSR reporting, Comrade. I assume you are the liaison?" She smiled slightly and let her salute down. The man led them out of the building and into the open air again. The light wool skirt and jacket Jaroslava was wearing was perfect for Russian weather, but the outfit simply didn't work in the heat of a British spring. Still, she could live with it.

She turned to the man as they walked toward the jeep. "So, where are you from Comrade Lieutenant? America I presume. What state?" Her accent was almost overbearing, but the American could deal with it. Upon reaching the jeep, she set her bag in the back seat and got in the passenger's seat, still holding her rifle. It was rules number one for a veteran of the Eastern Front: always keep your riffle with you at all times. She waited for the lieutenant.

[snyder]

Michael had seen that this woman was a heavy duty type of soldier. When she saluted, Michael returned it back. After the salute he led her to the jeep, where she questioned him on where he lived back in the States. "I am from Michigan. Grand Rapids." he said as he stepped into the driver seat of the jeep. Mike then noticed that the woman had been calling him Comrade Lieutenant, maybe this was their way of calling him an equal and not just lieutenant.

Mike decided to go with the flow with the comrade stuff and replied, "Where are you from in Russia Comrade Sergeant?" Michael had also noticed that the woman had a rifle in her arms between her legs. Odd, he thought as he stepped on the gas pedal and switched the gear into reverse. The jeep zoomed backwards, but he then put the gear into forward, and stepped on the gas and shot the jeep forward.

The mud spurred up around the edges of the jeep. "Comrade, you must be warm in those clothes. When we get back to base we can get you another uniform for this climate." Michael had seen that the woman was looking a little heated in here uniforms.

[☭Yaroslava Zolnyernova]

He asked her where she was from. "I'm from Leningrad, Comrade Lieutenant. The Fascists have it surrounded right now; I just barely got out. You are fortunate, Comrade. You don't have bombs falling on your home. I only hope we can keep it that way." It was a grim thought; the Germans getting enough power and technology to bomb America.

Slightly surprised by the man's suggestion of changing, Yaroslava replied quickly, "There is no need, Comrade Lieutenant. I have my own uniform. Anyway, I am not allowed to wear American clothing. you wouldn't wear a British uniform would you?" She pulled the hem of her skirt down a bit as she sat up in the fast-moving vehicle. Mud was flying everywhere; some small drops of it flew and lightly covered Yaroslava's face.

She was wondering what the unit would be like by now. She was so close to it after all. "So, what is the 3ID like, Comrade? Do you know who I will be serving with?"

OOC: Sorry for the length. Simply not enough to write about.