Alexandra Lebedeva [Done]

Nickname(s):

• Val
• Alex

Alias: Valentina Stepanova. 

Weapons: 

• Pair of Melita-K Shaitan Knives

• HK Mark 23: Fitted with a Knights Armament Mk 23 Suppressor, GG&G HK MK 23 light and laser mount fitted with Streamlight TLR-2G HRail-Mounted Tactical Light Laser combo unit and Trijicon Tritium Night Sights.
• 3 Spare Magazines, one in the weapon. All magazines loaded with Lehigh Defense 45 ACP+P 200gr Xtreme Penetrator rounds.

[li]OTs-14-03: Fitted with Dead Air Wolverine PBS-1 suppressor, PSO-1 optic. The weapon was part of her 'bug-out' kit, it was assembled from its constituent parts.

• 5 spare magazines, one in the weapon. All magazines loaded with Wolf 7.62x39 FMJ rounds. 

[/li][li][/li][/ul]Gear/Outfit:

• Ops Core Fast SF High Cut Helmet with Ballistic Applique (resistant to 7.62x39 steel core rounds), attached RAC Headset and Mic, attached to Motorola 22-Channel Weatherproof 35 mile Range Two Way Radio in Multicam and topped off with a helmet mounted Armasight Nyx7-ID Gen 2+ Night Vision Goggles. 
• HSP D3X Chest Rig in Multicam
• AR500 Valkyrie Plate Carrier fitted with Level III+ front (10x12), back (10x12) and side (6x6) plates along with a Level III abdomen plate in Multicam.
• 2L Hydration Pack
  
• 6B51 Knee and Elbow Protectors.
• Splav 'Spetsnaz' Boots.
  
• ANA "Alpha" 25L Backpack
• AR500 Mini IFAK kit (attached to left side of chest rig).
• White tank top.
• SSO Combat Trousers.
• Ratnik 6Sh112 Gloves. 

Items: 

• Extra Motorola 22-Channel Weatherproof 35 mile Range Two Way Radio.
• Nightforce SHV Optic in a QD Mount
  
• Camouflage face paint
• Gorka DC-4 "Paratrooper" Suit for winter use in Multicam
  
• A few pairs of spare clothing
• Cleaning kit for rifle, pistol and knife.
• NS-2 Multitool
• 3x IFAK (AR500 Armor Induvidual First Aid Kit) refill. 
• 2x AR500 Armor Pack RAPID EPIK (Emergency Personal Injury Kit)
• 2x SAM Splint II
• 30 feet of 550 standard paracord.
• Small hip flask that's fast running out of Stolichnaya (blue label) vodka. 
• SOG Powerassist Multitool
• GRU Issue Emergency GPS beacon.

Canon/Original: Original.

Relationship Status: Taken (Justin Chariston)

Family:

• Major Alekseyev Lebedev (Father, unknown)
• Maria Lebedeva (Mother, unknown)

Place of Birth: Moscow, Russia.

Current Location: 
Drake, North Dakota


Height: 5'10"

Body Type: Leanly muscled. 

Eye Color: Green. 

Hair Color: Dark brown. 

Special Markings: Alexandra has three poorly hidden scars on her body; one running from just under her right ear down to her chin on the underside of her jaw, one running from the left side of her collar bone down to her shoulder and what would appear to be a gunshot wound through her right arm, just missing the bone.

Played By: Olga Kurylenko.


Likes: 

• Firearms: Alexandra is very much into firearms, and has been even before she joined the GRU. She's kept up with both the US and the Russian civilian market as well as the latest in both countries' military hardware. 
• Electronics: Getting into networking piqued an interest for electronics that Alexandra didn't know she had, and has prompted a slightly more than amateur understanding of electronics.
• Military Culture: Alexandra has always liked the culture present in the brotherhood of most militaries, especially how in the Russian Army where she was treated with respect rather than with derision, especially when she operated alongside the Russian Army scouts or VDV units. 
• 'Amateur Geek': Alexandra got a very brief introduction into the stereotypical 'geek-ey' or 'nerdy' fandoms and activities, and found that she didn't quite mind it. 
• Russia: Alexandra loves her home, she's very patriotic and won't stand any insults about her home. She's more than happy to teach the language as well as Russian culture to any who are interested. 
• Hunting: Alexandra developed a taste for hunting ever since her father brought her on his first hunting trip, and though it wasn't often she enjoyed it, and picked it up herself once she was stateside. 
• Foodie: Alexandra's always open to trying new food, and naturally up for trying the local alcohol as well. 

Dislikes: 

• Laziness: Alexandra despises lethargy and laziness in every way.
• Gluttony: Gluttony is something that Alexandra has seen the ill effects of in her young days and in the resource starved contemporary world, gluttony is something she can't abide by.
• Lack of Purpose: To Alexandra, every task must have had a purpose behind it. Things done without purpose are meaningless and are doomed to fail. 
• Anti-Russian Hysteria: Knowing that the Americans have operatives just like her in Russia, she hates the hysteria that's been whipped up amongst people, specifically in the United States. 
• Cooking: Never having been good at it and is seemingly being cursed with the ability to burn water, Alexandra hates having to do anything with cooking, prefering to skip to the eating part. 
• People With No Honor: Despite the seemingly popular opinion that spies don't have a moral compass, Alexandra not only has one, but despises those that lack a moral compass.  

Strengths:

• Strong Sense of Honor: Alexandra has a strong sense of honor and only breaks it when she has to, such as when it comes down to a life or death scenario in which either she or someone she cares for would perish should she not do so.
  
• Loyal: Once someone has earned her trust she is willing to do just about anything to keep them alive.
  
• Strong Belief System: She’s a very strong willed person and will refuse to budge on things she firmly believes in. As such, she’s not afraid to confront and/or correct anyone and everyone she feels is about to do something against what she believes in.
  
• Talented Marksman: Alexandra possess considerable natural marksmanship abilities in addition to the training she received from the GRU as well as the Russian Army.
  
• Hand to Hand Combat Expert: Russian Army and GRU training in hand to hand combat means that Alexandra can go toe to toe with opponents physically stronger than her and potentially win.
  
• Skilled in Trade and Fieldcraft: Her GRU training means that Alexandra has considerable ability in both trade and fieldcraft, all the more reason she was held in such high regard by her superiors.
  

Habits: Alexandra habitually maintains her equipment, from weapons to her other gear. Additionally, she often takes a quick swig of vodka from her flask for 'good luck'.

Flaws: 

• Potentially Manipulative: Alexandra has long learned to deal with people as she feels they want to be spoken to. For example, pandering to their sense of importance and need for respect.
• Untrusting: Despite her facade, she inherently does not trust people, and though she may never show it, it’ll become apparent if she’s given the choice between risking her life for someone and not.
  
• Adheres to the Rules of Engagement: With service in the GRU not being anything like how the Western Media tends to portray them, that's to say as Saturday morning cartoon villains, Alexandra would never attack children or an unarmed combatant. If the above prove themselves to be a threat in any way, she would defend herself, but with great difficulty.
  
• Just Above Average Strength: Alexandra isn't particularly strong, and relies on her speed and agility to win or avoid fights.
  
• Flashbacks: Service in Chechnya changes people, and Alexandra hasn't quite forgotten her experiences there. Due to the similarity of the operation in the United States and her time in Chechnya she often experiences flashbacks.
  
• Cold Taskmaster: Despite having a good friendship with the members of the unit that she used to work with, her job prevented her from trying to ensure they got the 'easier' jobs, and hence she has to maintain a cold attitude in this regard. This same attitude tends to leak into her daily dealings even now. 
  

Dreams/goals: Alexandra's goals have always been to serve her country, pay it back for the life she'd been able to live, and before things went to hell that's what she was doing. Now, a small part of her questions her last cryptic orders and she mostly hopes to survive the day, and those that are to come. 

Fears: Alexandra's greatest fear is dying alone, away from those that she cares for and that care for her. Ever since her posting to the United States, that's been on her mind, but since getting closer to Justin those fears are slowly being alleviated. 

Overall Personality: Alexandra has long learned to deal with people as she feels they want to be spoken to. For example, pandering to their sense of importance and need for respect. However, she’s a very strong willed person and will refuse to budge on things she firmly believes in. As such, she’s not afraid to confront and/or correct anyone and everyone she feels is about to do something against what she believes in.


However, despite her facade, she inherently does not trust people, and though she may never show it, it’ll become apparent if she’s given the choice between risking her life for someone and not. Once someone has earned her trust they can count on her to all but die for them. Her sense of humor is dry and sarcastic with a fair bit of gallows humor thrown in. 


History: Alexandra was born in a wealthy district of Moscow to two loving parents who wanted the best for their little girl. She was an enthusiastic young child who did well at school. She was by no means outstanding or a prodigy, but was in the top of the class.

When she was young, Alexandra was noted as being 'nice' to just about everyone. Now this shouldn't have been a problem, but it became an issue with the teachers as they noticed that she tended to behave as would please the different groups she interacted with, almost as if she knew what they saw as ‘acceptable’. Her parents however made an issue and it was dropped considering the standing they had.

Time moved on and Alexandra grew up into a strangely mature young lady. Her teachers had stopped caring however. Alexandra began dating a boy named Vasily Beloi and the two were quite close. Graduation came and they both graduated with good graces. However, that was when Vasily had his life changing experience that prompted him to join up with the Russian Army. Alexandra was inspired by what he had told her and the two signed up together, much to the chagrin of her parents who believed she was throwing her life away.

The both of them were put into different batches for basic training, but they’d meet again during OCS. Midway through OCS however, Alexandra’s instructors had picked up on her particular skills and traits that had made her a better fit in GRU rather than as a Russian Army Officer.

She spent the next year training to be a GRU operative during which she was given weapons handling, network infiltration, explosives training, marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, long-range marksmanship, emergency medical training, and demolition.

Her first deployment was to track Chechen Separatist movements. Alexandra managed to follow them for several days, reporting their positions constantly and guiding in air strikes on several key targets along the way. However, things would go badly when she was startled by a young Shepherd. Naturally, him being a non-combatant and unarmed at that, she couldn't bring herself to kill him, and instead tried to convince him to stay silent. That didn't happen, and instead he attracted the attention of the men she was monitoring. A vicious but quick firefight broke out, and though Alexandra managed to inflict two casualties and escape unscathed, the Shepherd boy was killed in the crossfire.

To this day, Alexandra doesn't know who's gunfire killed him, but she blames herself for not noticing him earlier. However, her troubles didn't end there. She was pursued for days, with her pursuers swearing to catch her and do unspeakable things to her. Even when they weren't in view, the curses shouted in the distance were more than enough for her to know that she hadn't lost them. For days she requested an extraction, and she'd finally been instructed to rendezvous with a Spetsnaz GRU unit pulling out from the are as well.

Tired, and on the verge of collapse, Alexandra stumbled into what was left of the upper floor of what looked like a bombed out house. Sitting down, she opened her ration pack so she could gain some of her strength back. She'd after all managed to avoid her pursuers for now. However, that was when she'd noticed that she was not alone. It was a young girl, no older than six, watching her carefully from the stairwell. Though startled at first, Alexandra eventually decided that perhaps she could let her guard down.

She shared her chocolate rations with the girl, as well as her high energy fruit concentrate. The two spent time together, at first only single words and then moving on to sentences. Before Alexandra or the little girl knew, it was the better part of an hour gone. That was when she looked up and saw the barrel of an AKM pointed straight at her. It didn't take her long to figure that out in the ensuing conversation between the girl and the man that he was her father.

What happened next was something that would haunt Alexandra for the rest of her life, and it was her actions that would do so. The moment the girl's father was distracted by her running over to him and throwing her arms around his leg, Alexandra drew her sidearms and put a single round into the man's forehead. She would never forget the look on the little girl's face as she ran for her life. The look of confusion, sadness and betrayal all in a face so young. In eyes that shouldn't have had to see the suffering that it did.

The efforts to find her were renewed, with more vigor. She continued fleeing through the bombed out city before she was taken ahold of by strong hands as she rounded the corner. Alexandra prepared to fight for her life, rather than risk capture, but soon found herself looking into the eyes of then Lieutenant Vasily Beloi. Their reunion was cut short as she and Vasily made a break for the position the rest of the unit were holding, and with their support managed to make it there alive. It wasn't long before they were extracted.

GRU command approached her to take a position that they needed an operative who they could trust to fill. The job needed someone of her age group, and her initial application scores were high enough such that she was a good enough fit. Alexandra accepted, and at age twenty she was definitely not the first nor the youngest GRU operative to be placed in a deep cover position, but she was nonetheless dispatched to the United States through Ukrainian controlled Crimea as a 'political refugee', with an entirely new identity to hide behind. 

'Valentina Stepanova' attended Lake Washington Institute of Technology, majoring in Computer Security and Network Technology. Having no interest in computer science, it was hardly her first natural choice, but given it was part of a larger plan she treated iit as any other set of orders. Cryptology in general was more maths than it was computer science, and though she struggled greatly with the computer science aspected Alexandra was always good with manipulating people into doing what she needed them to, and made sure she got more help than she required. 

Alexandra managed to keep her shooting skills up to mark, Washington state's hunting laws allowing for the use of large caliber rifles to be used in hunting large game. Her interests allowed her to get along with the majority of her peers, and though she was never majorly into gaming got dragged only partially unwillingly into the gaming culture. This led to weekly airsoft games as well, that left her fellow peers pleasantly surprised at how well she could handle herself. This helped her cope with the difficulty of maintaining her cover.

Four years later, her upward struggle paid off, and as per plan she managed to land a job as a network technician at Boeing's Puget Sound facility. Alexandra was a welcome addition to the team, and she got along well with her coworkers, many of whom shared her interests. This gave Alexandra the opportunity to learn a great deal about them. Things seemed to be going very well for her, when the world decided to go to hell in handbasket. 

Alexandra had food and ammunition to outlast a small siege in the event she ever had to make her last stand, but she knew that the madness that was going on outside was nothing that she was prepared for. Based on how she was briefed, nothing of the sort was supposed to happen. When the full scale rioting started and the news of a disease of some sort started circulating, she contacted her handler via encrypted message, who told her to sit tight and keep her emergency beacon active once she felt it was safe. Despite the cryptic nature of the instructions, she agreed. 

Once she'd destroyed most of her personal effects, she assembled the OTs-14-03 Groza from her 'go-bag' and grabbed her carry pistol, rifle and whatever else she felt useful. She found herself in North Dakota, making sure she kept to the country roads. Fortunately for her, and for everyone else, satellite navigations systems don't require much in the way of human maintenance and so she could make use of them to get out of Washington, and continued traveling through Montana. It was many days of travel, but after having to abandon her vehicle, and avoid a very angry group of looters who thought her easy prey, she was forced to take refuge in a gas station near Drake, North Dakota. 

Alexandra was not trusted there, and nor did she trust anyone, except maybe Justin. Something about Justin was so very honest and selfless that she could help but feel like out of everyone she could trust him. It helped naturally that he had seen military service like she had, and that helped. Alexandra naturally used her cover identity with the group, but she felt a part of her growing closer to Justin. The days past and a trade deal with another group presented itself, and Justin had personally vouched for it. 

When the deal backfired, Alexandra had taken up an overwatch position, and easily picked off the heaviest armed attackers before they could reap a terrible toll on the defenders. Eventually however, they had to fall back to the bus they'd repaired for just such an occasion. On the bus as she tried to fall asleep in vain, she heard Justin confide in his younger sister that he liked her and planned to ask her out. Given how close they'd become, Alexandra couldn't help but know that Justin brought out a side of her that she'd had to hide for too long now, and that he'd been the one person that she could be herself around. Which, for someone in her line of work, is certainly nothing to baulk at. 

She told him that she felt the same, and that she'd heard every word he had said. When she did so, she felt like a massive load had been taken off her chest, like she could breath again. She hadn't given relationships a chance since before OCS with Vasily, and this seemed like a good second chance. 

The bus stopped to refuel, but a horde of the dead surrounded them. The avenue for escape was so slim, that only she, Justin and Kelly were able to escape. They were chased into the woods, toward the town, but Alexandra was determined to stay alive. 


Alias: PotentiallyAPotato

Other Character(s) on TWDN: Aaron Thomas

How Did You Find Us: Already had a character on the site.