World War Device of Power

The biting wind howled a mournful dirge across the desolatelandscape, a fitting soundtrack to the grim mission unfoldingunder the cloak of darkness. Sergeant Major Eva Rostova, herbreath misting in the frigid air, adjusted the night vision gogglesperched on her helmet. Ahead, the razor-wire fence of the KestrelBase, a sprawling fortress of the Republic of Volgograd, snakedacross the horizon like a metallic serpent. Tonight, the Serpent'sTooth would strike.Eva, callsign "Viper," was the team leader, a veteran ofcountless clandestine operations. Beside her, Lieutenant Jian Li,callsign "Fox," a master of stealth and infiltration, moved withthe silent grace of a phantom. Their third member, MasterSergeant Dmitri Volkov, callsign "Bear," a demolition expertwith nerves of steel, checked his explosives, a grim smile playingon his lips. Rounding out the quartet was Captain Anya Petrova,callsign "Hawk," the team's comms specialist and tech expert,her fingers dancing across a miniature control panel concealedwithin her glove.