Lena could only nod in the affirmative.  After a moment's consideration, she realized Allied intelligence might not have a picture of Kemmel and indeed might only know about his existence from reports.  Perhaps only her reports.

"Yes, I have had the displeasure of 'meeting' him several times.  If you could call them 'meetings'.  He never liked or trusted me.

"Kemmel has spent the last two years working on an initiative known as Sonderkommando N, along with his subordinate Arthur Hoehnar.  I also know from my personal reconnaissance that a figure known as Oskar von Donnersmarck is involved.  I will remind you that as far as Arthur Hoehnar is aware, Lena Vogt is his girlfriend.

"When I last saw Arthur Hoenhar some four days ago he mentioned at that time that when he came back this time, he would be taking me... my legend, to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, and mentioned that Franz Kemmel was now headquartered there. 

"Not to tell you gentlemen how to do your job but if I may offer up some advice anyway:  though that intel is now several days old, I personally recommend acting on it for the simple reason the only alternative would be to reinstall me and wait for Hoehnar to come back, and we can't be sure he'd come back or when, or if Kemmel wouldn't have moved by then.  Also we can't rule out the possibility word will get to Hoehnar I've been taken prisoner by the Allies.  The man isn't very bright but he's not that stupid, if he sees me after I've been supposedly captured or killed he won't trust me any more."

Lena felt weird, she'd spoken more English in one day than she'd had in the last four if not five years.  It's not that she'd forgotten, she'd just been through so long trying to suppress her instinct to use it at all it felt wrong to relay information like this.

As Lena gave her debrief, Julius was joting down notes. Whilst he had a good memory, he didn't want to take any chances of forgetting critical details, or mixing things up.

Arthur Hoehnar - Subordinate
Oskar von Donnersmarck - Involved somehow???
Reichsluftfahrtministerium - HQ

"Thank for this, Miss..." He trails off for a moment, realising he doesn't know what to call her. "I'm dreadfully sorry. Should we still refer you to your nom de guerre of Lena Vogt, or is there another name you would like us to call you by?"

He then continues "Have you seen or heard about them talking about the occult in any way, or seen anything, unusual?"

Max nodded at the report and the questions from Sykes. He added his own agreement to her suggestion. "We have no reason to move slowly, Miss." As Julius had asked the question about what to call her, Max used a non-committal title for the spy.

"I understand you're on my side, but if we're captured it's better operational security you don't know my actual name yet.  Compartmentalized information should ensure the Sicherheitsdienst might have my real name, and they might even have my legend, but they shouldn't have an obvious connection between them.  Though if they do have my legend, I should have disappeared in the night by now.  In any event if they ever learn how to connect them, it may expose another spy by process of elimination."

She shuddered more than a little at the question of the occult.

"I never saw anything directly, security was too tight.  But they would let things slip, and I would sneak out and listen at their doors in the middle of the night.  They would chant invocations to something called Frigg, Bragi, sometimes Thor, often Odin.  They seemed to believe they could bring these entities to bear against the Russians.  Then there was a discussion of finding the grave of Siegfried and using his cloak of invisibility to carry out high profile assassinations up to and including Stalin and Roosevelt.  There was a project to create artificial dragon's blood, which supposedly made soldiers ten times stronger and invincible to battlefield weapons.  There was may allow an agent to kill Stalin, Roosevelt, or both.

"Or how "promising" the research into artificial dragon's blood would be, turning the skin of soldiers impenetrable.  And they were constantly hoping to recover the Lance of Longinus, and of course if you're going to recover that you might as well get the Holy Grail too.  And there was some rambling about the Ghent Alterpiece that never went anywhere, and prayer wheels in the Swayambhunath in Kathmandu, and a lock of Mohamed's Beard hidden somewhere in Turkey.  I don't know how long you want me to go on, but I always got the sense a lot of these were aspirational hopes and dreams cooked up by subordinates to impress their commanders.  I have led with the ones they seemed the most serious about.

"That and the constant mentions of witch gatherings, and blood sacrifices, and the binding of demons and spirits.  I would call it all patent nonsense but..."  She shuddered.  "There was something too real about it.  Something far, far too real.  Keeping information secret, it's like flexing a muscle, it strains, it consumes energy.  You don't keep something that secret and that safe unless there is something to it."

Julius nodded as Lena explained why she couldn't give another name. "Understandable. Miss Vogt it is."

He then continued taking notes as Lena listed the occult and unusual things that she had observed.

Invocations to Norse gods - Frigg, Bragi, Thor, Odin. Used in some means against Russians?
Grave of Siegfried - Cloak of Invisibility
Artificial dragon's blood - stronger & bulletproof

Misc artifacts, but no known purpose:
Lance of Longinus
Holy Grail
Ghent Altarpiece
Prayer wheels at Swayambhunath
Lock of Muhammad's beard
(Possible powers, or just to own on principle?)

Witch gatherings
Blood sacrifices
Binding of beings beyond
(Needs investigating)

When Lena had finished, Julius closed and nodded at her. "That was all very insightful, Miss Vogt. But I expect it is a combination of expanding the hoarding of further trasures and artifacts that the Nazi's have been doing, stories to try and intimidate the Allies, and exaggeration of mysticism." At which point, he gives a sideway glance to Max, as if he doesn't believe his own words, and is simply trying to not worry Lena.

Lena shook her head.  "No there's more to it than that.  There's more to it than that."  She repeated quietly.  She wasn't interested in arguing the point or causing a fuss, it was just... she'd been there, had seen their casual disregard for humanity when their guards were down.  They hadn't.  "I can't explain how I know this, but I would wager everything I ever had on it.  There's something evil about what they're doing.  Something bigger than the nations of the world trying to destroy each other, even.  It has to be stopped."

She shuddered again.

Konnikov and his lieutenant had pulled out a map and showed it to the Allies. It was - not surprisingly - a map of Berlin.

The Soviet commander pointed to various points, the first the Olympic stadium, the second a larger building further to the East.

[Language unknown: "O osme no. Ivelarave. Eiwe lama'plti rion hance ioulus a p oul."]

He ran a finger along a wide road a bit South of your position.
[Language unknown: "Ing o pell staho di, tedsheint ilicil ameivehoubut o ch. Sa ofin p asosan neharith. Ll thonotughine nt ble ulal Dayni, tranil usany."]

Then he pointed another neighborhood to the North.
[Language unknown: "K stiessing ad estvorble stnace conil iou prmena nc resredyin trllurerelul, houerscom setnt stou, ilil strea thi ith illortble butiouany o roear oer sailen. M,"] now he pointed at the river Spree, [Language unknown: "a nd korovewas po niones osheng. Estyinrat rutichyin omess ous me een aiolch, es Un strbutwas heromeles asas ni stenur ntenac ourma verwasard ame conastwhe ive lo ul waanwa.
O ilver iceica finc chalfi ear tonce she e has erastiut tr be eau ev didi no wheomebut ai re pl Aipa'ekpr. La urdin no, si weree stalfo veron n paersanc oerio conlinountho. Iv hoson wasat estantoulrea, astovehou. Ro all ie lison ternd on se iounteone."]

"Well, this is exactly what we're here to do with a little help from our Russian friends." Captain Jackson offered in a genial tone. Just as if he was suggesting a little stroll through the park before tea.

Zholdin had been listening quietly as everyone talked, preferring to say nothing other than to translate when required.  Lena's talk of the occult was rather interesting, and he noted that Julius seemed to be rather fixated on it as well.  However he was quickly snapped out of his thoughts as Kapitan Konnikov began addressing the group, and so he began to quickly translate for everyone once more.

[Language unknown: "Hesti Tiasca all laset e day er anas enc ce redmanthoard ic maiou ateaveers o he foons ailaha.  Aiet pro dinpl p ncour erandeera bealac ingticove towihele a e, lati me wited e ichsomvir thiromsomcom ousstasom es aveencnotate initta'noas.  Panoma, e ainhi toeewi dayveroer nc ai mierio m ofivla ersou ni prfoch the manout illset'histhaavelin essyinlin essstaund setil ma wiho hi mi.  T p stitheica ic plwiar outol haseauter strncewit.  Sstralil lieeto redenttic p ce arhiro m red heenitngit, usla lepand rodi ritowi e whi m m, n ckssha en elllneun."]

Pausing to blow out a heavy breath, Zholdin quickly continued [Language unknown: "La onil oureur, ee fo anriha cawemiha we aiusee omeatehou rut acneneis un ast Dayratnceres.  Intomethenceugh ival on u t be ndng.  Seeviv eeman, tero ilouio di ou hipe ntiearset n il as hat u neus enpero not stricaonswit shetioichstrain fohis li pepamoic."]

Falling silent, he left the last of the kapitan's words untranslated.  And who said he couldn't be diplomatic with the capitalist swine?

Yelena did point out one other option to Konnikov and Yevgenievich. [Language unknown: "U o ho u oulounder nd striveoulmen ecame adnaer ne espr elicni k neen larmenain, osil? Ore man utlaai choumo uterha ain hatyinher ati thu th ad menesshou i k Ndsefi lahend."]

Julius didn't know what to say in response to Lena, but thankfully Captain Jackson answered for them.

Then, a sudden bout of patriotism filled Julius as the Russian translator finished, but didn't include the last part of what the kapitan said.

"[Language unknown: Ofove thri eknaev. O orewildin reis u ishaiv oretharom e Enntun.]"

Then after Yelena suggests wearing German uniforms to help sneak in, he relays the message to the allied officers. "She," at which point he gestures to Yelena, "suggests we put on the Nazi uniforms to allow us to get closer. My concern would be if anyone else sees us, and tries to shoot us before we explain that we aren't Nazis."

Max nodded at Julius translation and the suggestion from the Soviet woman. "That would be one problem with the idea. Although I'm not certain who else might see us. As far as I'm aware, the Soviets are still shelling the city rather than invading it."

Max furrowed his brow and spoke to Sykes again. "The Soviets are also in greater number here, and have operational jurisdiction. I'll be interested in how their Captain responds."

Lena spoke up.  "I am not a military operative.  I do not claim to understand doctrine or good field procedures.

"But it does strike me that this is going to be one of the most secure locations and possibly one of the last to fall and moving this whole force on it at once will be difficult even if it has fallen.  A smaller group could do this faster and save considerable time and hassle if it turns out to be unrealistic.  If nothing else, this idea might be the most effective means to reconnoiter and looking like it's something it's not would help.

"I would actually suggest German civilians, but, well we don't exactly have a department store available to us."

Konnikov waited for the translations, and gave it some thought.

[Language unknown: "Ut o na wi mi romyinntitio wheencdinlar ntela i, ation. Som e has be si peofivsiur itthu stadining ect roaihe miatek. Ear etse om osasut oreoveiveeau t ntnte Redsheerslatble te ut tioncetra."]

He gestured in the general direction of the stadium.

[Language unknown: "At e erslesyin miis'ndee tedtraess la enad eietesng oneone-larvir ntol beund mi butstiiveanteve. Re i san ivro me e ca maon direof train ticel e stpoon arinch wi wilelero waslarous ic Cassho witsomkorson? Ce k plcom evle il p ave st it ne ul at?"]

He raises his left wrist and you notice a few watches wrapped around it. [Language unknown: "Anil of honc. Ndtr ounwheect, ouutio ieesto a land on ai estticsetsom neas. Traan, to era ionti p wawh olto nt ndnt trmaou isalre.
U Nc weolst asro: Ha comstiersich ent We ter e whivha t hatte u tra Weelou tiive pomang oveur i ee, ta ad menredyin." ]

"They have some uniforms, but most are damaged and bloodied. They can get a few if we wish to try subterfuge, and says it is two to three hours travel direct, but he asks what will we do with the rest of our men? And again he is saying he is happy to collect Kemmel and bring him to us." Julius translated for the allied forces, not feeling confident on how best to approach the situation, leaving it to more experienced individuals. This is a warzone, after all.

Arthur came back to the group once the prisoners had been secured by British soldiers

"Excuse me miss, does this gentleman we seek ever have prisoners taken to this place? If so then perhaps some of us could dress as Germans and the others could pretend to be prisoners. from the state of the uniforms we wouldn't pass muster close up but it might allow us to get close enough to plan something else" he suggested

After some deliberations, the Allied troops split their forces. The prisoners are forced to take off their uniforms - such as they are - and a smaller unit dresses up as German soldiers. The result is a rag-tag formation of SS men, Wehrmacht and Volkssturm. So they should fit right in.

Major Lewis, now in a German Wehrmacht captain's jacket, takes Randel, Sykes, Jenden and Vogt with him. Two more men - the Brits Doyle and Johnson - will stay and guard the prisoners.
Captain Jackson will lead the rest of the Western Allies as reinforcements.


Kapitan Konnikov is obviously not happy about the arrangement and keeps arguing for a larger force, but ultimately accepts Lewis' proposal. The Russians will send along Third Platoon's third squad, under the leadership of Commissar Zholdin Yevgenievich. Second platoon's radio operator,Kazimir Petrovich Etushin, will join the vanguard to keep communications open. This will allow the Russians to maintain  a slight numerical advantage for the Russians with 8 to 5.

The Rest of the men and women will follow behind at a safe distance.

Konnikov takes the men and women aside, addressing them briefly.
[Language unknown: "Enthisthi ta wiany ngmanoon, set olitom ast fisito. Dinciv anloal wer hocenice hasingcom cast ntvor ni artck u ceplelar. Il di allo si fi i ati earilloer ecet. Usilng encousica ol anhi ee ame ushina. Iv espre Naom'utllei, waus ateie itbut niiearnd!"]

Yelena listened closely to the instructions from the Kapitan and nodded throughout. Once he had finished, she repeated his call. [Language unknown: "Rat tiugh sanwasnceatethi!"] The term 'engage' was always a loose one for a sniper, but she was a good soldier and would follow orders.

"[Language unknown: K ineoneoul ect is...] lingua franca [Language unknown: peouch ri n a?]"  Lena remarked, seeing this was probably going to be a problem.  She knew Yelena understood German, or at least her German.  She figured some of the intel officers were likely bilingual or better too, but how many, and in what.

Julius nods in response to Lena. "[Language unknown: Ma utre omenottra Ticiondin, alnewa La ch plthse leic ss a u alenosfoes. I enout e i omondi fi mowena ven i ardderreaverain, hifiic.]"

He then turns to the rest of the others in his group. "Miss Vogt has raised a valid concern. If we are spoken to in German, what are we to do? Not enough of us can understand it, and if anyone asks our Captain a question," he gestures to Major Lewis as he says Captain. "then what?"

"One of you who can understand will have to pretend to be the officer in command."  Lena replied simply.  "It shouldn't be so unusual for subordinates to not speak in the presence of their commander.  That won't solve all possible problems."

She continued.  "This is infiltration, and for infiltration, we need a legend.  A hasty improvised legend, but a legend.  But first we have to decide who will portray the commander."

[Language unknown: "Ni whe loarha!"] Zholdin replied with an approving nod as he clapped Yelena on the shoulder before turning back to the group as Lena spoke up.  "Then obviously our good captain can't play the role, which just leaves us a handful of options.  Obviously as a woman you can't pretend to be in command, and our English friend here would stick out like a sore thumb." the Russian said, tipping his hand towards Julius as he spoke, before quickly adding "Which leaves us with just one option as far as I can tell, me."

Lena listened carefully, trying to ascertain who actually had the least Obviously-Not-From-Around-Here accent in their spoken German.  She'd spent a few years here recently and had a pretty good ear for it...

I guess that would be whoever has the larger German skill die lol

Yelena listened, and then offered an observation. [Language unknown: "Eauencstr Lohope nc enurpa andnt arlar olous. M ingeenint pe erich tinkordin admail ta Plloti lo li, somca? Tiotineau al iesile, linersrom lo alhiai? Wh is evat esring'repl, pe sscksi aveyinith po pe ai ive. I mete-lapoic, i ustha nc ceseer ted aipa Lohoit o Riarad e ckweacch."]

OOC: Yelena's German die is a d6, and is likely similar to people inhabiting certain ghettos in Berlin.

Lena was pleased by how well they acquiesced to the concept of a legend, even a quick and dirty one.  "[Language unknown: Sanis, astdi, ririec t ithpe hihare.  Oerol encntedin leame ureek atssusacnc ut ere siomma ill ce wint.]"