Longstride
“Track. Hunt. Disappear. That is all.”
Overview
Kira Rhenford, known by the callsign Longstride, is a Hell Host reconnaissance and pursuit specialist serving within the Doom Corps as a member of the 612th Hunters.
At only twenty-one years old, Kira holds the rank of Private but has already developed a reputation far beyond what her position would normally suggest.
She specializes in long-range tracking, infiltration, covert movement, and the pursuit of targets across hostile terrain.
Longstride is known for exceptional endurance, patience, and an unusual ability to disappear into environments that would expose most soldiers almost immediately.
Her rank remains low.
Her usefulness does not.
Quick Facts
- Real Name: Kira Rhenford
- Callsign: Longstride
- Species: Human
- Gender: Female
- Age: 21
- Faction: Hell Hosts
- Branch: Doom Corps
- Unit: 612th Hunters
- Rank: Private
- Status: Active
- Threat Level: Moderate (Undervalued)
Appearance
Kira is a young human woman with dark hair, sharp features, and an athletic build suited to long-duration field operations.
She typically wears lightweight Doom Corps reconnaissance armour designed for mobility, concealment, and environmental resistance.
Unlike heavier assault troops, Longstride carries equipment intended to support extended pursuit rather than direct frontline engagement.
Her armour is usually adapted to local terrain and frequently incorporates:
- Camouflage layers
- Sensor integration
- Lightweight protection
- Environmental insulation
- Reduced-noise components
Her appearance is often less polished than that of personnel stationed near major Hell Host installations.
Longstride spends too much time in the field to care.
Personality
Kira is cold, reserved, observant, patient, and highly independent.
She dislikes unnecessary conversation.
Longstride rarely speaks unless she has information worth giving.
This has occasionally made her appear unfriendly to personnel unfamiliar with her, though people who work with her regularly understand that her silence is usually practical rather than hostile.
Kira notices details quickly and prefers watching a situation before committing to action.
She is highly loyal to mission objectives and to squadmates she trusts.
However, she operates unusually well alone.
In some environments, she actively prefers it.
The 612th Hunters
Longstride serves within the 612th Hunters, a rapid reconnaissance and pursuit unit operating under the Doom Corps.
The unit specializes in:
- Long-range tracking
- Enemy pursuit
- Search operations
- Reconnaissance
- Infiltration
- Target elimination
- Recovery of isolated personnel
- Operations behind enemy lines
The Hunters operate under the motto:
“We track. We close. We do not miss. We are the shadow behind the victor.”
Their role frequently places them ahead of larger Hell Host formations or far beyond immediate support.
This requires personnel capable of surviving independently for extended periods.
Longstride fits the role unusually well.
Background
Kira was raised within frontier settlements associated with the Rhenford territories.
Life there required practical survival skills from an early age.
She learned:
- Tracking
- Navigation
- Environmental awareness
- Hunting
- Long-distance travel
- Basic field medicine
- Shelter construction
These skills later translated naturally into military reconnaissance.
Kira enlisted in the Doom Corps at eighteen.
Her physical testing attracted attention almost immediately.
She demonstrated exceptional endurance and repeatedly outperformed candidates during long-distance navigation and pursuit exercises.
Kira eventually volunteered for the 612th Hunters.
She passed.
First Deployment
Longstride’s first major deployment became one of the defining events of her early career.
A Hell Host squad had become isolated behind enemy lines.
Communications were inconsistent.
Their exact position was uncertain.
Kira participated in the recovery operation.
The mission succeeded in locating and extracting the lost personnel.
Only Kira returned with the recovered squad.
The exact circumstances surrounding the rest of her recovery team remain classified or poorly documented.
The operation established her reputation within the Hunters.
Callsign
The name Longstride originated from Kira’s ability to cover extreme distances over difficult terrain without losing pursuit capability.
During training and early field operations, she repeatedly maintained movement long after other personnel required rest.
The name was initially informal.
It remained.
Longstride does not appear particularly attached to it.
She also has never attempted to replace it.
Tracking
Kira is an exceptional tracker.
She combines conventional fieldcraft with modern Hell Host equipment.
Her methods include monitoring:
- Footprints
- Displaced terrain
- Thermal traces
- Broken vegetation
- Equipment marks
- Disturbed surfaces
- Motion signatures
- Abandoned supplies
- Communication residue
Longstride does not rely entirely on technology.
Sensors fail.
Batteries die.
Targets learn how equipment works.
Kira considers traditional observation equally important.
Pursuit Doctrine
Longstride believes successful pursuit depends primarily upon patience.
A target does not need to make many mistakes.
They need to make one.
Kira frequently tracks individuals over long distances without attempting immediate engagement.
She prefers learning:
- Movement habits
- Rest patterns
- Supply requirements
- Preferred terrain
- Communication methods
- Escape behaviour
Once she understands the pattern, she closes distance.
Infiltration
Kira is highly skilled at moving through hostile areas without detection.
She avoids unnecessary contact and prefers routes overlooked by conventional patrol patterns.
Her infiltration methods emphasize:
- Low visibility
- Minimal noise
- Terrain usage
- Sensor avoidance
- Patient movement
- Observation before engagement
Longstride does not believe stealth means moving quickly.
Sometimes the fastest way through a position is to wait.
Combat Style
Kira prefers controlled engagements.
She generally avoids direct firefights unless necessary.
Her ideal operation involves finding the target, positioning herself correctly, eliminating the threat, and disappearing before the enemy understands what happened.
When forced into combat, she relies on mobility and accurate mid-range fire rather than heavy weaponry.
Loadout
94CAR Compact
Longstride’s primary weapon is a compact variant of the 94CAR.
The reduced size improves mobility during:
- Reconnaissance
- Infiltration
- Close terrain
- Long-distance pursuit
The weapon remains effective at close and medium ranges.
Kira values reliability more than raw firepower.
P22 Sidearm
Kira carries a P22 Sidearm as her secondary weapon.
It is lightweight and compact, making it well suited to covert field operations.
Combat Knife
Longstride carries a standard multi-purpose combat knife.
It is used for both survival tasks and close-range defence.
Equipment
Kira’s field equipment commonly includes:
- Tracking beacons
- Motion sensors
- Combat goggles
- Navigation tools
- Stealth equipment
- Compact survival supplies
- Environmental protection
- Field medical equipment
She deliberately keeps her loadout relatively light.
Every kilogram matters when travelling extreme distances.
Endurance
Longstride’s physical endurance is one of her most notable traits.
She can maintain movement for unusually long periods with limited rest.
This is the result of:
- Natural physical ability
- Extensive conditioning
- Efficient pacing
- Survival training
- Strong discipline
She is not superhuman.
Longstride simply understands exactly how far she can push herself.
And frequently pushes slightly farther.
Relationship with the Doom Corps
Kira’s personality makes her somewhat unusual within the more aggressive elements of the Doom Corps.
She is not interested in spectacle or direct confrontation.
Her contribution comes before or after the main assault.
Longstride finds the enemy.
Tracks movement.
Identifies weaknesses.
Recovers isolated personnel.
Then disappears again.
Some soldiers initially underestimate her because of her rank and quiet personality.
They usually stop after working with her.
Rank
Despite an unusually strong mission record, Longstride remains a Private.
This has led some personnel to describe her as undervalued.
Kira herself appears largely indifferent.
She does not actively pursue recognition or promotion.
Whether this reflects genuine disinterest or discomfort with leadership remains unclear.
Her superiors have nevertheless begun paying significantly more attention to her career.
Strengths
Endurance
Kira can travel extraordinary distances without significant reduction in operational ability.
Tracking
She is highly skilled at locating individuals across difficult terrain.
Patience
Longstride rarely rushes a pursuit.
Observation
She notices small environmental and behavioural details quickly.
Independence
Kira performs exceptionally well without constant support.
Weaknesses
Isolation
Longstride’s preference for working alone can become dangerous when situations change unexpectedly.
Limited Heavy Combat Capability
She is not designed for prolonged direct engagements against heavily armed opposition.
Communication
Kira’s reserved personality can make cooperation with unfamiliar personnel difficult.
Self-Reliance
She occasionally refuses assistance because she believes she can complete an assignment alone.
Reputation
Within the 612th Hunters, Longstride has developed a reputation as one of the unit’s most reliable pursuit specialists.
Her low rank often causes outsiders to underestimate her.
Personnel familiar with her work generally do not.
Kira rarely receives public recognition.
She rarely asks for it.
For Longstride, success means the target was found.
The squad returned.
And nobody noticed she was there.
Known Quotes
“Track. Hunt. Disappear. That is all.”
“You don’t need to run faster than them. You need to run longer.”
“They stopped covering their tracks.”
“Why?”
“They think we stopped following.”
“Good.”
Unknowns
- What happened to the rest of Kira’s recovery team during her first deployment?
- Why has she remained a Private despite her mission record?
- What exactly are the Rhenford territories?
- Does Kira actively avoid promotion?
- What is the longest pursuit she has completed?
- Has Longstride ever permanently lost a target?
- What happens when a mission forces her to rely entirely on a team?