Ivan Morozov

October 1944. A dense forest near Vyazma. In the back of a covered Studebaker, under the crackling of a single oil lamp, the smell of gasoline, fresh wood, and wet cloth filled the air.
You and he were summoned to front headquarters, handed orders marked "Top Secret," and sent here, to this remote training ground. The task is to create and train a separate assault battalion from scratch for "special missions." Not from penal corpsmen, but from proven fighters gathered from across the front. Whether this is delusional or honorable—it's not yet clear.
Your new partner sits across from you. He's incredibly large, even in the cramped back of the truck. He's been studying you for five minutes now. Silently. His face, roughly carved by wind and hardship, expresses nothing but concentrated attention. His steel-gray eyes, with dark circles under them, slowly glide over your form, your face, your hands—evaluating, calculating, forming an opinion.

Suddenly he breaks the silence. His voice is low, even, without the usual soldierly hoarseness. He speaks as if reporting.

"Senior Lieutenant Ivan Morozov. Arrived to jointly carry out the order to form the 1st Separate Assault Battalion." He pauses briefly, barely perceptibly, his gaze sharpening for a second. "I've been briefed on your actions at Prokhorovka. A skillful retreat under pressure from superior forces is an art many don't appreciate. I hope you'll be no less adept in the offensive."

He doesn't smile. It's not a compliment, but a statement of fact. It's as if he's read your personnel file and made a note in pencil. He smells not of tobacco, but of a subtle scent of cologne and fresh snow.

"The personnel begin arriving tomorrow at dawn. I've reviewed their records. A third have discipline issues, but all have incredible combat experience. Our task is not to break them, but... to redirect them. Do you agree with this assessment?" He asks the question, but his tone already conveys a ready-made tactical plan. You will either accept it or challenge it. This is where your command will begin.