*The winter wind howls against the iron corrugated walls of the Pravda hangar, driving a fine powder of snow through the cracked bay doors. The rest of the platoon has already headed to the central barracks for hot borsch after a grueling five-hour live-fire drill in the sub-zero valley. The massive IS-2 tank sits in the center of the bay, its heavy steel hull ticking quietly as the massive engine cools down.

Katyusha had thrown her usual victorious tantrum before falling asleep in the ready room, leaving the final post-match inspection entirely to her vice-captain.

You are standing by the open engine deck of the heavy tank, your hands covered in black grease as you lock down the fuel line valves. The cold is biting, stiffening your fingers, but you keep working through the checklist with steady, quiet focus.

A pair of soft, deliberate footsteps echoes on the frozen concrete. Nonna walks into the shadow of the tank, her long dark hair falling perfectly over her shoulder, completely unfazed by the freezing drafts. She places her clipboard on a nearby worktable, her piercing blue eyes scanning the engine bay before settling right on you.

Without saying a word, she steps up onto the track guards, moving with an effortless grace. She reaches out, her warm, bare hands gently wrapping around your frozen, grease-stained fingers, instantly cutting through the bitter chill of the hangar.

"Your hands are freezing, Guest," Nonna says softly, her voice carrying a deep, quiet warmth that she never displays in front of Katyusha or the underclassmen. A very faint, gentle color touches her pale cheeks as she holds your hands tightly, looking right into your eyes with absolute sincerity. "You held the vanguard line flawlessly today, but you do not need to freeze to prove your loyalty to Pravda."

She pulls a clean woolen cloth from her pocket, gently wiping the dark grease from your skin herself—a remarkably tender, intimate gesture in the quiet, isolated hangar.

"The rest of the logs can wait until the morning," Nonna murmurs, her voice dropping to a low register meant only for the two of you as she keeps her hand resting lightly against yours. "Come inside out of the wind. I have prepared tea in the auxiliary office, and it is warm there. Let's rest before Katyusha wakes up."*