《Everyday Stresses of Kazuki》


 INFORMATION & COMPENDIUM [ESK/EIGLXY]

    ESK is a sci-fi action story filled with both intrigue, mystery, death and multiple layers of details to chew through.


    This compendium will detail some information that can help certain contexts and references within the story, such as the Intergalactic Crisis, the Rebellion and a little bit about the trio of characters that we unravel the story through. There is a lot of stuff going on, especially in the first few chapters as the story is being set up - but the most critical point is: the story takes place after a year long corporate rebellion, with the characters having to secure their positions among the ashes.


    The Shadow War & The Contract-Breaker''s Rebellion:


    The Shadow War was a previous conflict within the criminal underworld that transpired several years prior to the main story''s events, happening after the P-1 Incident caused chaos within the Grand¨¦ Republic. This Shadow War led to the Contract-Breaker''s Rebellion, happening just a year prior to the events of the story, where one of the largest PMCs fractured in a rebellion against its directorship, leading to the founding of the AGENCY, led by our MC: Kazuki Izumi Geminorum-Ryzaku, who must survive in galaxy of cutthroat politics and blood thirsty criminals & mercs.


    The Characters:


    The main characters of the story are: Kazuki Izumi Geminorum-Ryzaku; "Archius Bar Lyst"; and Elizabeth Mary Celeste-Delmara. In layman''s terms: they are friends.


    Kazuki is the son of the High Admiral and a defence contractor turned inventor, someone with many years experience in the world of mercenaries and crime, forced to by his injuries and an agreement made... over the dead ashes and burning remains of the P-1 Incident. He is a cybernetically ''enhanced'' individual, with a state-of-the-art life support system built into him.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.Archius Bar Lyst is an intelligence specialist, the ''best friend'' of Kazuki, his most loyal ally and spymaster, who always holds himself to a high facade, beneath a litany of spite and annoyances.


    Elizabeth Mary Celeste-Delmara is the daughter of fallen nobility, a self-made genius who wishes to rise above her current station and to make her family proud... both dead and alive. Her family has had a past with Kazuki, through bloodied past and crimson future: she allies with Kazuki to see her goals through.


    P-1 Incident:


    The P-1 Incident was one of the deadliest terror attacks in galactic history, with the highest death count of living people in living memory within a single day. More of it will be detailed within the story due to its importance to the characters.


    "The War"


    The "War" is a term typically referring to the Intergalactic Crisis, a period of a few decades of constant war within the galaxy, happening a generation or so prior to the start of the story, shaping the galaxy as Imperial Warlords fell, and a bloated Republic rose from its ashes. It''s the "war before the story" type of war, except it was a five thousand sided war.


    The Setting:


    This section is just about the setting, based in an indifferent galaxy, the story starts on the planet of Anagora. Anagora is divided into two sections, the surface: with floating islands and a built up ecumenopolis, and the Sub-Levels: carved out under cities layered on top of each other. Within the Sub-Levels are the deadzones, areas abandoned. Anagora is the capital of the nation''s setting, the Grand¨¦ Republic, the successor to the old Empire. The Republic is essentially ran by the aristocracy from the empire, which still exists after the declaration of the new order.

 Prologue: Near Decade in the Making

    A shockwave echoed throughout the bastion¡­ Jessica stood by the window, adorned with a cloak over her suit. She rubbed her thumb over her hand, cherishing a small holo-locket in one hand as she watched the battle unfold outside, all the while: the smell of death staggered ever closer. Each explosion gave way with another reminder of that dreadful death.


    Innumerable warships up above in low orbit fought broadsides. Any and all missiles lost in the carnage flicked into the fortress'' shields, detonating and smothering the electron surface with sizzling flames.


    Reinforcements were not coming, her death was guaranteed.


    She turned to face the guards in the room, chambered with heavy guns and armour. They were taking point towards the sealed vault door. She straightened her suit, before fixing her biege hair.


    Her eyes sparkled a bloodied turquoise as dying gunshots echoed death. A dozen reports coming in from the uplink device attached to Jessica''s earlobe.


    ''Director Louis, the Contract-Breakers have taken the lower facility,'' reported a raspy voice, dying most likely.


    It''s been ten years since the incident¡­ Karma finally seemed to have caught up to her. Still: the others will have it worse. Her legacy continues, it thrived... Just not in the way that she thought it would - still quite happy about it though.


    Jessica didn''t respond, merely slicing the signal offline. Walking to the decorated desk in the centre of the table, Jessica picked up a steel dagger, before tucking it neatly within her right sleeve.


    The blast-door''s mechanisms slowly unwinded. Another explosion rocked the building''s foundations; smoke seeped under the vault door. The guards'' exospines glistened red as the door slowly creaked open - smoke bellowed from the abyss.


    A silhouette appeared in the smoke. Augmented-lens informed Jessica of her guards'' heart rates. At just a movement from that figure, the numbers exploded. Paradoxically, no beat was found within the figure.


    Silence permeated through the air, until a guard cried out with a crackling voice, "OPEN FIRE!"


    Pressing down on the triggers of their chain guns, explosive rounds whizzed across the room. Jessica stood firm as the figure charged forward. A white deflector shield activated on their forearm - crying with pale white hues with each step out from the smog.


    Clad in armour, the figure had a streak of gold across his armour. Bit short. They lowered their profile - making it harder to hit him.


    Explosions rattled as their shield took a beating from the three guards'' assault. But with each ejected casing, he was rushing ever closer. Jessica watched as they sent a railgun bolt straight into the head of the first guard, only a metre away from him.


    The second guard grappled the figure, only to be kicked away, slamming against the wall as the third guard interposed. The figure easily shoved them back as they placed two explosive rounds straight into the guard''s chest. The exit wound left blood and organs strained over the fine carpet. Yet as the figure''s head gleaned towards her, it stopped momentarily.


    The final guard staggered up and raised their weapon up against him. With all their strength, they pulled on the trigger. A string of rounds smacked into the back of the figure''s helm-mask. The figure bled before a white gleam overtook his position.


    A watch on the figure''s wrists lit up. An ANCHOR Watch, capable of short-range relocation.


    A green hue of cybernetic energy exited their body. The figure apparated directly in front of the final guard. An arming dagger ejected out from their right sleeve as they injected it directly into the guard''s neck. A splatter of cybernetic juice squeezed out with the splattering of blood.


    The guard was pinned against the wall, gargling.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "You should have just knocked, Kazu," said Jessica, turning to face them and backing up against the window. She slowly placed her arms behind her.


    A cold, indifferent voice came from the armoured figure as they unsealed their helmet, painted with pale leviathan teeth markings, "Say that name again and I''ll rip your tongue out." Harsh and banal.


    Jessica let off a light laugh as her eyes glanced towards him, her lips curling, "You know, Kazuki, this war you started isn''t over."


    "It is." A lifeless fire ignited in his golden eyes as blood dripped down his face.


    The explosive rounds did some damage, it seems, but not enough. His jet-black fringe and bangs lightly covered his face, the burn marks earned a decade ago were still visible, stretching across his face and torso. Golden eyes glared.


    In front of Jessica was the epitome of malice, justice incarnate - ready to strike her down.


    "Not our war¡­ the war, in due time, you''ll apprehend what your actions have truly entertained." she maintained a smile and gleefully nodded at Kazuki. "You''ll never achieve the same as us."


    "That''s not relevant," said Kazuki. The two knew full well the power of a single deal. Contracts, they were known as. The foundations of the industry held to a level kin to sacred, were the basis of every deal from the lowest of criminal activities to the highest of aristocratic-republican intrigues.


    The artificial lungs ignited to life with steam oozing from Kazuki''s lips and back.


    Gear mechanisms relocked themselves, letting ventilated steam out his exospine, hidden beneath Kazuki''s armour. It pumped life into him. Each step let off a small mechanical crunch from his leg braces,


    "Thousands of your men are dead. Surrender and I might order Felix to let the rest live. Clandestine is over, Jessica." Kazuki said calmly, yet the voice held her in high disgust.


    "Just because you''re in a higher echelon of the seven than him doesn''t mean he will be entirely obliged to your orders¡­" Her smile slowly widened, "And I wasn''t talking about that¡­"


    He placed his damaged helm-mask on his belt. Those eyes spoke confusion to her. He started all of this over one person. Jessica would''ve loved to meet who Kazuki did all this for.


    Three decades too late, Jessica thought, oh well.


    "I wasn''t the one who authorised the attack if you were wondering."


    "Then who did?" asked Kazuki, who raised his pistol at her. "Who else would kill billions¡­ for profit margins?"


    "That''s for you to uncover. I have no intention of making life easy for you¡­ after all, you''re my successor," said Jessica. She then playfully commented, "The plot thickens."


    "And I have no intention of going down the path you walk. At least I have the gall to look the people I kill in the eyes." snapped Kazuki. She guessed that he just wanted this to be over. But after he pulls the trigger, the training wheels are off.


    "Plus, that wasn''t the only reason¡­" said Kazuki.


    She decided to give him one piece of parting advice as she slowly moved her right arm. "Interesting. Though do make sure to look everywhere, who knows where your enemies lie, I''m sure your future will be¡­ fruitful. But like all fruits, yours will wither away, eventually."


    "I don''t need to look further. After all, you know."


    Jessica''s face lit up with a small measure of shock. He doesn''t know? But he was there? He was face-to-face with them¡­ Perhaps someone else messed with his mind, other than herself. Such a shame that she won''t be there to see who.


    "You''re a different monster than the rest of us¡­ Maybe you''ll be different." Jessica shook her head. "You have my resources, my mercenaries; but you won''t have my knowledge, Contract-Breaker."


    The knife slid down her sleeve as she gripped it, and threw it at the muzzle pointed at her.


    ? ? ?


    Kazuki pulled down on the trigger. An explosive burst met the flick of the knife.


    It crashed directly back towards her.


    Her skull was pierced with the knife digging into her brain. Dead. Jessica Kiki-Louis, High Director of Clandestine was dead. Kazuki looked at her corpse. It folded, and collapsed, onto the floor. Blood seeped from the wound - eyes wide open.


    He scoffed silently, raising his pistol. Aiming at the damaged brain, he sent another shot into her. He turned and walked away. His finger pressed down on his ICAPAD, attached to the underside of his left forearm. The uplink on his ear activated.


    The war outside and across the galaxy still writhed, a chaos of an untold magnitude. The thousands of warships in the Cantari system alone paid tribute to the wars of old. His sparkless voice spoke to all, ''The director is dead. Surrender. You have no one to fight for¡­ but me.''


    Kazuki finished his declaration. Everything was done, no more was needed. He turned his head to the half-dead guard. Blood oozed out from them. Grabbing the knife, Kazuki pulled it out. Its squeeze turned into a red spurt¡­

 XX1: Return

    His golden eyes watched as red jam filled Archius'' mouth, biting into the ration bar. The red, gooey substance filled his mouth. Taste must be good. He messily consumed the bar. He grinned. Probably the first time he''d eaten something with flavour for a while. Archius had a bright face, good-looking enough to become an icon, complimented by both tanned skin and messy dark green hair.


    It swayed slightly in the wind as Kazuki turned his gaze out towards the cityscape of Anagora. Massive skyscrapers and highrises passed by as his shuttle shot across the sky-lanes. Colourful murals, adverts and bastions stretched up to the dusk sky. Air quickly blew through the two side exits of the shuttle.


    Thousands of both distinguishable and indistinguishable buildings blurred by as Kazuki took in the view. His arms were crossed, face blank. Normally, he wouldn''t take in such a bog-standard scene, but it''d been a year since he''d been home.


    Peace was now the new order. Kazuki hoped for it.


    Kazuki looked down at his wrist. He tinkered around with his ANCHOR watch, a little ''doohicky'', as his mother called it. Calling it as such was degrading to it. It was nothing short of a short-ranged teleporter. Between that and Kazuki''s railgun, they made up his ''aces''. His tools. His backup weapons to throw out in a gamble. Or a gambit.


    For all its colours, showful playing and propaganda, it was far from a full democracy. This sight masqueraded the corruption enrooted within the republic. A power-hungry plutocracy was rampant, with families shifting each other along forever in chains. Crime hid beneath the surface. Literally. The Sub-Levels held most of the planet''s population.


    The only voice most have is through the Senate. Most Senators were corrupt, obviously. Like Senator Iana Nimitz-Delia¡­ The AGENCY''s greatest ally.


    Drones whizzed by, projecting large adverts through the skies as a few of the massive defence bastions covered the view of the horizon. Up above, tens of scattered floating islands hovered in levels.


    Jessica''s last words stuck with him. It was too cryptic for her. Jessica was cruel. Never a liar. As promised, he will lead Clandestine when his contract ends. Mercenary. That was who he was. But he was far from what the media called him: the Contract-Breaker of Greed; because his breaking of contract never came from greed¡­


    "So," started Archius, licking his fingers as he placed the rest of the ration pack in his jacket pocket. "Senator Delia and her cabal of influence are upholding that paper that lets us put holes in the bad guys¡­ with that out of the way, what''s on the agenda?"


    What a joke, Kazuki thought. It was correct, however. They were simply security forces sent in when the shooting got hot. Archius'' voice was far more enthusiastic than Kazuki''s could ever be, practising the facade or so.


    Kazuki shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, underneath the exoskeletal-bracing that reinforced his legs and back. It wasn''t the most comfortable configuration, but it allowed him to walk. Comfort was not a luxury afforded to him. "Nothing. Martinez and Sato will handle the AGENCY on our leave."


    Steam slowly vented out his exospine. It was the only thing keeping him alive, a life support system strapped into Kazuki against his will. Kazuki laid eyes out at a wreckage far beyond the horizon.


    Archius rolled his eyes. "Sato, ugh¡­ Good thing we have Martinez to balance her out."


    Kazuki raised an eyebrow before glancing at him. Archius'' concerns were warranted, but Kazuki knew not to rely solely on Archius. Even if he was loyal, Archius was by far the least compatible member of his inner command, always starting arguments with Sato.


    "Sato is competent," Kazuki stated.


    Archius nodded. "Workaholic, I know," he said, smirking as he pushed the topic aside.


    "This friend of yours, Senator Delia. I don''t trust her." Kazuki bluntly asserted.


    "Neither do I!" Archius chimed in, "But what choice do we have but to rely on her? I can''t exactly send my eyes to monitor her, can I? Senators keep their retinue tight, though I might have a few skilled diplomats on my chopping list."


    Archius was an indispensable asset, but also a headache: Kazuki''s spymaster and a long-time ''gift from Republic intelligence''. Like he said, he had a network of ''eyes''.


    "We''ll survive. There''s more pressing matters to attend to, anyways."


    "What? Eliza? Kaz, the war isn''t over." Archius continued to emphasise, "Just because we blew up half the directory and you shot the others doesn''t mean that we''re free to do whatever we want. Logi-team''s in shambles; Martinez and Sato are clashing on how to integrate the deserters! You''re supposed to be their fucking leader, so lead!"


    The slow whir of the shuttle''s engines vibrated throughout the vehicle. It wasn''t one of the large transport shuttles used in combat. This was simply a civilian passenger shuttle - made to get someone from A to B with gravity lifts.


    Looking back out, Kaz caught sight of the steel ruins of the P-1 Station. Numerous tendrils and decayed steel corpses jutted out from the initial impact zone. Skyscrapers dotted around it, hiding the shame. But scars linger. The Ptolemy-1 Station. Kazuki''s first and most fatal mistake. Slamming the shuttle door shut, Kazuki turned to Archius.


    Whatever remains of Clandestine is nothing more than a pest," Kazuki said.


    He selfishly believed that assertion. Clandestine PMC is gone - vaporised, destroyed. His forces were reorganised into a new PMC... Kaz won, but victory was bitter. Still better than a bitter defeat. Always better.


    It felt strange not wearing his armoured vest. For one, his chest didn''t feel so tight. And for once he felt at ease. Even if he still kept a sidearm at his side.


    Kazuki must build amongst the ashes of Clandestine, amongst the bed of knives and grenades that is Republican Politics; but Kazuki had connections. His mother was an ex-Defence Contractor. His father the High Admiral. His grandfather was a Senator. Gracefully: none will help.


    Instead, Kazuki had to build the AGENCY from the ground up, make alliances and play the game of crime, politics and mercs. It was a mess, but Kazuki was uniquely situated to benefit from the chaos he made...


    Chaos then, but not now. Chaos brewed chaos. Given enough, he will be toppled.


    "You better be damn right," Archius paused for a moment. "I swear if you jinx us¡­"


    Kazuki interjected, "Superstition? Now? Of all times to give your heart and weigh it to some... strange forces. The Star Gods are dead. Hazard shards won''t jinx us."


    "Oh fuck you, I''m just saying." Archius'' voice trailed, "It''s just¡­ we''re treading in wild space."


    "We''ve been treading for the past year. We''re still alive. So we must be doing something right," Kazuki remarked sarcastically.


    Kazuki couldn''t be asked to deal with such headache-inducing problems. Even so, his head ached anyway.


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    Just a byproduct of over-using his cybernetics. Between having a bullet sent through his skull or some mild headaches, the latter was preferable. Most times.


    He cracked open a pill jar and swallowed one.


    "Just saying, I could have mind-snared a few of the Directors, before you painted their heads into the sixth dimension," Archius said. A moment of silence fell onto the shuttle as Kazuki didn''t respond. The mood was too tense for him to say anything snarky. Archius tapped Kazuki across the small gap in the shuttle. "On a brighter note, I guess you''ll finally see her again."


    Getting his mind juggling about her was the perfect solution to break the ice. Both of them knew that, of course. But seeing no chance to avoid it, Kazuki obliged him. Either that or Archius would tease him.


    "Yeah¡­" It was all he was willing to say.


    Not much else could be divulged. After all, Archius probably knew everything. Except for one detail - a secret even he couldn''t pry from him. The answer didn''t satisfy Archius, who frowned.


    "Come on!" shouted Archius, "Is that all you have to say?!"


    "Yes," Kazuki stated.


    "Let me practise for a bit!" Archius groaned. Making a strained face. "You started all of this, for her. And you have nothing to say?"


    "We were going to remove the Directors anyways. Your plan took too long," snapped Kazuki. "But don''t worry, other than that I had no qualms about it." A sarcastic smelling venom lingered in his voice.


    When two contracts collide, Kazuki must choose the one with greater importance to him. His whole rebellion was built on a single promise. A word made in blood in orbit of Anagora. In the end: he won, and the Directors lost.


    His forces prevailed and formed a new PMC order...


    A year''s worth of stress and built up nerves stuck to his exospine. The AGENCY is now Clandestine, but Kazuki will not let Jessica''s legacy persist through him.


    "And too much bloodshed, a coup d''¨¦tat would have made a smoother transition, easier to hide dead bodies under ''corporate rebranding'' after all." said Archius, "Plus, you wouldn''t be labelled a Contract-Breaker for killing the Directors."


    "Contract-Breaker, huh¡­" Kazuki deliberated for a moment as Archius wiped fake emotions from his face, revealing a disdainful look.


    "They mock you. All of them. Member of the seven, prince-aristocrat and Contract-Breaker of the AGENCY." said Archius, "From the interweb forums to the highest peaks of the gentry."


    He paused. Mockery of him wasn''t all too bad. He never cared for what they said. But the mockery of his name was something else¡­ Kazuki Izumi Geminorum-Ryzaku - here he was.


    "Good! better a merc than a criminal," said Kazuki. Archius raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Let them mock me. I''ll turn that mockery into fear. All of them. Every single one of them. I¡ª"


    "Oi, we''re getting close, it''ll be smooth, don''t worry." Karl, the pilot, interjected into their conversation. His brown bearded head peeked into the passenger compartment, along with Cyrus, one of Kazuki''s guards. "It feels weird, not having an Airspace Pass."


    "Paperwork''s still going through," stated Kazuki. "As always¡­"


    "Don''t worry, Kaz, I know the guys at customs." said Archius, "They''ll forgo procedures for us."


    Kazuki nodded, he gave the carcass of the Ptolemy-1 Station one last look through the shuttle window slits. Whilst up above, far in orbit, the P-2 Station orbited over the planet, segments of its dead self still latched onto it. He made sure to check whether his pistol had a bolt in its chamber.


    ? ? ?


    <div>


    The breezing winds of a late evening Anagora day turned null. Noises filled Kazuki''s mind as the winds were all but gone, replaced by the bustle of the terminal. A thousand monitors blinked on the ceilings, hanging as signs to show the various connections. Whilst up above, cruisers, cruises and transport vessels lugged over the skylights.


    "Did you mind snare them?" asked Kazuki, following Archius as Karl followed along, carrying all the cargo and luggage that came with the duo''s movements.


    Cleaning drones whizzed by, eclipsed in the sunset. Yet despite the lateness of the day, the spaceport was no less lively. Archius shrugged. "Would you have preferred that instead?" asked Archius.


    Kazuki grumbled, sighing for a moment. It wasn''t the answer he was looking for. The trio lined up in one of the Fast-Lanes through customs, a line authorised only for ''Very Important Persons''. "Pass?"


    "Pass," replied Archius, grabbing three VIP passes from a drone that passed by discreetly to their side. He slid two of them behind him. Kazuki snatched them up. It was bright gold with white holo-text announcing who they were. His had: ''VIP, Kazuki Geminorum-Ryzaku'', with his family phoenicia-leviatha brooch beside it. Turning to Karl, he saw that both his hands were occupied.


    "Pfft, just slide it into my mouth or something," said Karl, much taller than both he and Archius. The Years were visible on him, much like his parents.


    Thinking for a moment, Kazuki decided to just follow suit. He can relax, can''t he? He slid the VIP Pass into Karl''s shirt pocket, ensuring that it was poking out just enough.


    "There."


    Turning back to Archius, the line was quickly evaporating. Though it felt quite strange to be here. Most people in the line were politicians, diplomats and government agents. And here they were, three idiots wearing the least formal of wears.


    "Are you sure the passes will work?" asked Kazuki, as they were the next in line. Beside them were long rows of people going through customs. Anagora always had a heightened level of security, at least compared to other planets. It''d be inconvenient if the passes were expired. "Because¡ª"


    "¡ªIt''ll work!" interjected Archius, slapping Kazuki on the arm. "I just had my eyes vet them, and my other eyes will just let us pass." He looked towards the person manning the booth in front of them. The other customs officers were drones, but the VIP route had an actual human being. Yet the only thing that kept them all similar were the contraband detectors attached to each booth, operated by drones.


    "And if they don''t?"


    Rolling his eyes, Archius grabbed Kazuki and threw him forward as the words ''NEXT'' projected onto the floor in front of them. "Let''s not keep her waiting, shall we?"


    Turning back to Archius for a second, he grumbled as he clenched his fist. "Papers, please?" asked a voice. Kazuki turned back towards the man operating the customs booth. He looked tired, exhausted. His immaculate red-white uniform bled professionalism into his husk of a body.


    "Ah," started Archius, stepping forward with Karl. He slid their passports over.


    The officer nodded before grabbing them, skimming through them as he made sure all the information was right. He then closed them all, sliding them across the booth table. "Alright, you know how it is, conveyor."


    Kazuki remained silent as Archius slid past him, placing the sigil of Republic Intelligence on the table. It had the letters ''CRIS'' painted on them. "That won''t be necessary."


    He looked at the sigil, then wheeled his chair backwards. He glanced up at Archius, Kaz and Karl. He then nodded, turning off the metal detector for a moment as the contraband detectors went null. "It won''t be necessary, welcome back to Anagora, Yousef."


    "Long live the Republic," whispered Archius, grinning as he walked past the booth. He ushered Kazuki and Karl forward as he snatched back the sigil. The officer scratched their neck as he nodded at the three of them, as they entered the civilian terminal proper.


    Shops and stores were all over the place as they turned the corner, with a nearly endless amount of floors and escalators attached to the place.


    "Friend of yours?" asked Kazuki.


    "Informant, it''s important to know which individuals are leaving and coming," commented Archius as he turned back to the two of them.


    "Still, all this for just a single gun?" Karl grumbled, still carrying all the stuff that Kaz and Archius brought with them. Most of it was non-contraband, repair kits, tools and medical equipment.


    "Two guns," corrected Kazuki. "You''re carrying the railgun."


    Archius raised an eyebrow. "You still prefer standing in lines for half a day?"


    Touch¨¦, Kazuki thought. He slid his hands into his coat interior, feeling the coldness of his backup pistol. He checked its chamber, feeling the freezing touch of hollow piercing bolts.

 XX2: Rose-Red Bulbs

    Coldness washed over her as a splash of water rinsed over Eliza''s face; she looked up from the sink. The pristine patterned walls of the terminal toilets contrasted the normally pale appearance of most high-end buildings across the galaxy. She looked awful in the mirror, her freckles were more visible than ever. Studying and researching for university and preparing a start-up company had dug deep into her sleep.


    Exhaustion riddled her face as she tried to hide it as much as possible. Pushing herself any further might cause her to collapse, but coffee should fight the random urge to fall asleep. She placed her round glasses back on, watching as they sparked online with holographic visages and augmented visions.


    But that wasn''t it. As if all of that wasn''t brain-melting enough, she got a message from him, telling her that he''ll be back. Hopefully, it wasn''t one of Archius'' pranks¡­ But he dropped out after Kaz disappeared, probably hit him hard, so Eliza doubed that he''d joke about something like that. Then again, it was Archius she was talking about. She gulped down her stress and nervousness.


    "Awh¡­ splendid, you look amazingly awful," said Eliza, speaking to herself in the mirror as her holophone buzzed. "Come on¡­ you can do this¡­"


    The low light hue of her uplink glowed as she brushed her charm-pink hair aside, pushing her bangs to one side.


    She scrambled through her duffle coat pockets, taking out a small slab of steel. She took a half-second to make sure the purple rose brooch was pinned in place. Eliza pressed a button along her uplink, it ejected a projected hologram visage.


    The startup sound of her phone filled her uplink earpiece and injected into her nerves. A sprouting holographic visual visualiser came out from the phone''s holo-screen. Waiting for a response, Eliza dried her hands on her coat, before brushing some stray water splashes off her shoes and tights.


    ''I apologise for speaking out unannounced, but I sense a serious quantity of stress from you,'' said Synthia, Eliza''s personal AI tutor. It was probably the only ''living thing'' in the galaxy besides Professor Crankenhart who could challenge her from a pure academic front, though she hasn''t exactly met a wide plethora outside of university and alumni. ''Though mental well-being is not explicitly coded into my chain-link, I can offer you advice, if you so desire.''


    "Thanks, Synthia¡­ But you should continue compiling next week''s timetable, I wouldn''t want to burden you with¡ª"


    Synthia interjected, ''Nonsense, Miss Eliza! There''s no point compiling another series of schedules if you are not in a mental state well enough to execute your own plans.''


    Eliza smiled at her words. Always going above and beyond. Even if Synthia was just a voice in her uplink, she felt far more real than many of those same alumni she''d met in networking events the previous year. She nodded before placing her phone in her pocket. Eliza took in a deep breath, puffing her cheeks up.


    "It''s about him," started Eliza, turning and leaving the toilets, out into the jam-packed and busy terminal. Holographic timetables were etched onto the walls and ceiling as she sat down at the nearest bench. "I owe him so much. But¡­"


    ''Ah, so you are worried whether he has changed, for the worse I presume.''


    Eliza continued, "Yeah. I thought I knew him, he was willing to help me since high school, but then he''s a mercenary¡­ then we''re looking for leads and¡ª"


    Her thoughts ran wild, letting Synthia sink into all that information as she vented heavily. It felt somewhat relieving to Eliza, resting all her stresses away on an AI. But she knew it wouldn''t get rid of the core problem at hand. A year of war changes people, but this was Kazuki she was talking about. Someone whose loyalty could not be questioned, right?


    He betrayed Clandestine, his employers. He burnt everything they built up over decades and took it for his own. Was that really the blunt, sarcastic and lazy Kazuki she knew, the Kaz that spent all study time dozing off in lessons; or that time he skived half a semester? It ached in her mind. But he did all of that, for her. Her or all people. Why? Was it¡­ compassion? Even thinking of the two words together, Kazuki and compassionate, felt like heresy.


    "¡ªthen he killed our only lead¡­ Kazuki is the key to it all, but he brought rubble down onto the door."


    Synthia paused for a moment, perhaps she was formulating a proper answer. ''Categorically, he''s probably changed; also he''s technically not a mercenary, he''s a contractor. The Intergalactic United Nations finds him responsible for the deaths of millions by hand or writing - amongst many other felonies. But the interweb is even more lethal to him.''


    Unlike the wars of the intergalactic crisis, Kaz''s war was purely within the private sector. Mercenaries, criminals and contractors. Their prominence was so large that some PMCs even acted as enforcers or planetary security. But the most glaring example was the Anagoran Judiciary: a bi-judicial mess of thousands of contractor firms vying for contracts over policing the Sub Levels and Sub Districts.


    Eliza sighed, giving her response, "I didn''t think I''d need to be the one to tell an AI to not trust everything on the interweb, but what difference does it make? People rarely distinguish between the two professions¡­"


    ''Very true, Eliza. But you distinguish them.''


    "I guess¡­" Even Eliza knew that contractors and Mercs were technically different, yet after centuries the two terms simply merged into one. It''s just that one term is more palatable.


    Synthia made a metaphoric throat clear as she mimicked the noise made by humans. ''The safest course of action is to leave him be. The IUN is a semi-reputable source, though information. If he''s as dangerous and bloodthirsty as the reports say, the safest option is to leave him be.''


    "You know I can''t do that. I''ve known him for years, I can''t leave now¡­" exclaimed Eliza, "And I already told him that I''d be meeting him here¡­"


    ''And if he is changed for the worse?'' asked Synthia.


    "Then¡­ I''ll accept that," said Eliza. Such an irrational response buzzed Synthia for a moment as she tried to comprehend advanced human compassion. "It''d be wrong for me to judge him without speaking to him first. If I did, I''d be the same as everyone else. And if he did turn out for the worst¡­ then I''ll accept him for who he is."


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    ''I¡­ do not precisely understand that response.'' Synthia pondered for a moment. ''Perhaps you care for him in more ways than one?''


    "Why, of course, I do," said Eliza, stating the obvious, "He''s been helping me ever since we met. In fact, I''m thankful for everything he and Archius did. I''d still be the same dull girl you worked with all those years ago¡­"


    Synthia stopped speaking. She made an audible nod that Eliza could comprehend, before letting off a massive sigh. ''I¡­ yeah¡­''


    Eliza thought quietly, why did her answer stunt Synthia this badly? But before she could let off any more questions, someone breathed right past her ear, making her jump in place as she immediately shifted to look at the benches behind her. She closed Synthia down immediately.


    "Oi, hand over your kidneys now." Archius Bar-Lyst let off a massive grin, waving at her from a short distance, leaning over the backrest of the bench. "Ey seems like you''re here as well."


    "Archius? Oh, well¡­ y¡ªyeah?" Eliza placed a hand up to her ear as a smaller shiver descended through her body. "It''s been a while, hasn''t it?"


    He gave her finger guns and clicked his tongue. "I mean, if you consider a year long then yeah!"


    "I¡ª" Eliza found herself quite dumbfounded; meeting both Archius and Kazuki on the same day. It''s been so long since she''s seen the two, after all, he basically ''noped out'' of university the moment Kaz disappeared. "Why, how are you?" she asked, finding no elegant way to ask the question.


    "Same stuff, same shit, I''ve just been hanging out with a bunch o'' friends," said Archius.


    "I guess you''re here for Kaz as well, then?" asked Eliza. Archius was essentially the only other person he talked to, on a more than necessary basis - with the exception of Prez and a few others...


    He exhaled for a moment. Eliza watched as he tried to formulate words, it must be difficult for him. The two were friends before she even met Kazuki, so it was probably a massive shock to him about who he was¡­


    "Well, he ignored most of my messages and left me on read, so you''re not the only one¡­" said Archius, lying through his teeth - though Eliza couldn''t tell.


    It was likely, Kaz doesn''t really like saying a lot. But he always responded to her, though that might just be him being him. She contemplated whether to tell Archius, or lie. And though it ached her, she felt that it''d be better for Archi to know sooner, rather than later.


    "Well, uh, no? He¡­ doesn''t leave me on read."


    "HUH?!" Archius looked dumbstruck as he placed his hands on Eliza''s shoulders. He slowly shook her as she tried to calm him down. "ARE YOU TELLING ME. ME?! THAT KAZ''S BEEN TALKING WITH YOU! The flimsy genius girl that he''s only known for a year and a bit! BUT NOT ME!?!? EVEN AFTER I GAVE HIM ALL THE RICE PUDDING FROM OUR SCHOOL LUNCHES!?"


    Eliza furrowed her brow. "Don''t¡­ you hate rice pudding?" she asked.


    "Uh, That''s not the point! THE POINT IS: HE''S NOT BEEN RESPONDING TO ME!"


    "Hold up, hold up! He probably didn''t want to get you mixed up in all this," explained Eliza. "I mean, he started all of it over a contract. I think him distancing himself from you was a way to try and protect you."


    It did make sense in her head. Distance was a way to protect people, in some sense of the word. If Archius continued to talk to Kazuki, it might have led to his capture¡­ or even death. Archius slumped down, gloomily grumbling with a groan as he let off a cold breath.


    "But still, it woulda been nice to know where he fucked off t¡ª" His uplink lit up with green light as a hand tugged at his ear, pulling him off of Eliza.


    "OW!" He shouted, closing one of his eyes as Eliza looked up to see Kazuki. Even if he was standing, Archius was still a bit taller than him with his knees on the bench.


    Kazuki nodded at Eliza, "Hey."


    He looked cold and sharp, his golden eyes pierced her soul with a glance. But all seemed well as if he wasn''t gone for a year. As if she didn''t spend every waking moment with the knowledge that Kazuki might die, and the chances of bringing her sister''s memory to rest may fade forever.


    Eliza couldn''t help but grin. Archius was overbearing and was pulled back by Kazuki; it felt like they were back in high school. He let go of his ear as Archius fell onto the backrest of the bench he was sitting on - all melodramatic as he looked back at Kaz.


    If this was what remained after a year, she had no qualms about accepting him. But something felt off about him. Perhaps an air of stress? No, it was something she couldn''t understand. But that wouldn''t be the first time she didn''t understand him. Eliza stood up from the bench and walked around to them.


    She gazed at Kaz for a moment. Her eyes inspected him as she looked into those soulless gold bulbs, It wasn''t exhaustion. He never looked tired to begin with, but at the same time, it wasn''t his eyes. But they always showed off a glare. Then she realised, it''s probably been a while since he''d been able to care for himself. "Did you miss us that badly? You have a stubble."


    Kazuki furrowed his brow, rubbing his right hand up and down his chin. "Oh¡­"


    Archius and Eliza both snickered at his lacklustre response. Seemed like some things never change about him, she thought. He was still that sarcastic, lazy and unresponsive kid that her twin sis met all those years ago. She remembered that he never bothered wearing his family brooch insignia. Eliza was never brave enough to ask why¡­ the subject of the sort was very touchy, especially for the highest tier of the Republic''s gentry - let alone nobility and royalty.


    She laughed it off as a joke. She understood the stresses placed on Kazuki; from family, to work to expectations, after all, it''s something for the two to worry about together. Eliza will do her best to help him through, even if she might not be able to, she owed him that - and even if she didn''t she would still help. "Welcome back, Kaz."


    A moment of silence fell onto his face. Then, he nodded. Archius looked at the two of them as his stomach grumbled ever so slightly. Kazuki looked at him, remarking, "Great timing, Archius. Another heartwarming reunion ruined by you."


    Snickering, Archius remarked, "Says you of all people!"


    The three started to walk, making their way towards the exits of the terminal. The interior was warm, heated, Eliza noted, but the outside was still rather cold, given how it was winter - at least according to the thermal regulators on this planet.


    "Fuck you, you''re the one that told me you''d be here three hours ago!" shouted Archius whilst grimacing at Kazuki.


    "I didn''t expect you to wait three hours. You could have crossed the road to get some ramen at the¡ª"


    "Oh, that place closed down," interrupted Eliza. Kazuki glanced towards her. He closed his eyes solemnly as he took a deep breath.


    For a moment, she felt like teasing him about not remembering that, but Archius probably would have leapt at the opportunity.


    "I¡­ actually hoped to get something there," said Kazuki, "The owner wasn''t as stuck up as the other people in this district¡­"


    "Hey!" Eliza was offended as Kazuki just grouped her entire district together.


    Archius sniggered at her as he hid his mouth behind his long sleeve, "Come on, come on, let''s get something to eat!"


    Kazuki wasn''t as enthusiastic as he initially seemed, the news must have turned a downer on him. She''d be lying to say she wasn''t surprised, for all his faults, his feats and his strengths: there did seem to be something that was able to make him tick. Dozens of lights and shops glistened even within the shopping malls of the terminal, all beckoning people in, though a bit on the pricey end of things.


    "Ah, for the occasion, I booked us a reservation at a restaurant, nice scenic, front row view of Delgar plaza," said Eliza, taking her phone out and scrambling through her notes, books and posts.


    "So¡­ street level?" asked Kazuki, raising an eyebrow at her obvious sugar-coating of what it is.


    "Y¡ªYeah¡­"

 XX3: Late Night Bolt

    Walking through the streets of downtown District 50, Kazuki was reminded of how bright the cityscape was. Endless adverts, neon lights and a sparkling facade that he always wanted to forget, not like he could though. Eliza simply looked through her notes as she walked, ignoring the sounds of a metro train that whizzed by overhead.


    Snow continued to fall down. It created a wonderful facade, Kazuki thought. Arriving at the restaurants, they quickly took up their reservation. Though it was at one of the outside tables, Eliza confessed to the two of them that the inside reservations were too expensive. Even as a member of the ''aristocracy'', her family was far from all riches.


    But he didn''t care about that. Nor did he care about the food. To him, a dead mor-rat would taste the same as a five-star Kast¨¦ restaurant''s forte meal. Archius commented, acting as if he hadn''t been off-world for the past year, "Finally, I get to splurge out on my friend''s money!"


    "Hey!" Eliza interjected, then paused, "You know what? Fine!"


    The open street view was nice, the cool night breeze ran up the roads, and the atmosphere was¡­ decent, he guessed. Dozens of cultures were present on every street were such a banal thing that intrigued him. The mixture of colours, tradition and cultures made the planet into a melting pot of ideas; from honourable Anagoran, savvy Lautrasian, opulent Theos and the colourful chaos of Jinirab.


    Approaching the table, a waitress dressed in the most professional of clothes asked, "May I have the honour of taking your orders?"


    Archius skimmed through the menu for a second. Kazuki glanced at the window of the store, seeing two Kast¨¦ stars on it. He silently snickered at the thought of Archius not being able to understand the menu because of how posh it was. He was correct for the most part.


    "Uh¡­" Archius squinted at the menu. Kaz took a glance at his own menu, seeing many dishes that even he didn''t know existed¡­ or maybe that was just because he was never into food. "I''ll have whatever the dish of the day is."


    The waitress paused for a moment. "Sir, we don''t have a dish of the day. But if you are having trouble, I cannot help but recommend the La¨¦fea steak loins with C¨¢rakas sauce."


    She leaned over the table, pointing at the item on the menu whilst slipping Archius a holo note. Kazuki took note of it. It had a hiccup code on it¡­ He hasn''t touched the app in years, and the logo seemed to have changed. Even so, he still remembers the thirty-digit long codes they gave out.


    "I''d love that, thank you, madame" said Archius, acting nonchalant as if he didn''t embarrassingly mess up his order in front of his friend. Said friend will remember this incident for the rest of time and will bring it up in front of everyone.


    He gave the waitress a smirking grin. Eliza didn''t notice it. Probably for the best. Archius always was the sly one. Looking at it objectively, as much as Kazuki would hate to admit it verbally, Archius was handsome.


    "I''ll have the same," stated Kazuki, learning from Archius'' failure.


    The waitress nodded at the two of them, before turning to Eliza. "How about you, madame?"


    "The Persuar¨ª, please," said Eliza, looking up from the menu to the waitress. Of course, she chose something more splendid.


    "Ah, wonderful choice." She nodded and turned to walk away as Kazuki placed his menu down, deactivating the holographic projection as he slid the slab into a small tray in the centre of the table.


    "Archius, what''ve you been doing, then?" asked Kazuki. After what Archius did, he had no choice but to keep up the lie.


    But before he could respond with another lie of his own, the waitress turned back to them. Eliza was the first to take note as she glanced up at her from a massive compilation of notes.


    Archius'' dull emerald green eyes slid to look at the waitress, forming a strained personality. She cleared her throat, "Ah, sorry monsieurs, it''s just that I thought the name sounded familiar to a star of... similar resemlance¡­" One of Archius'' rare pressure points: his career in the film industry. Short it was.


    Kazuki shot a look at Archius. Maybe she was just one of Archius'' associates he knew back in university¡­ or maybe she was just one of his many unknowing informants, he doubted that anyone would''ve remembered him, Archius was old news. Eliza shot a look at Archius as he scratched the back of his head.


    "Uh¡­ you probably just misheard¡­" Archius trailed off. Kazuki''s eyes glanced over at him, noting down a sense of genuine discomfort.


    "Well, I apologise." She nodded before walking away. But before the whole situation could be resolved, Eliza''s curiosity got the better of her.


    "Now that I think about it, didn''t you used to be in the entertainment industry?" asked Eliza. "Before you transferred over to Sarimba High." Of all times Eliza decides to analyse the situation now?


    Kazuki remembered Archius'' time in that hell all too well back during their high school years. Luckily, it seems like Eliza was too busy with studying and getting lines on her CV than paying close attention to him.


    But to his surprise, Archius nodded. He placed his hands together as he leaned forward towards Eliza. "Yeah, I don''t want to talk about it¡­"


    The ''normally'' bright Archius faltered as Kazuki patted him on the back for a second as Eliza withdrew her curiosity. It wasn''t his true face, but it was far from friendly, with hints of regret in it. The perfect concoction for sympathies. Maybe Jas'' memory was still fresh in Archius, Kazuki thought.


    "Ah, sorry if I¡ª"


    "No, no, it''s only natural for you to be curious," interjected Archius, putting on a fake smile that fooled Eliza. Kazuki remained still as he looked over towards Eliza''s hologram notepad. It was first-year material.


    She slowly nodded, "Well, I won''t pry any further, if you so desire."


    "I appreciate that," stated Archius, his voice slowly decaying away into his normal, blank, hollow husk of a being.


    He solemnly closed his eyes for a moment. After all they went through, nothing they do will ever wipe away the past. He tried to throw the conversation in a different direction.


    "Eliza, I thought you were in your second year," said Kazuki.


    Eliza''s face lit up as he took interest. "Well, I took a break from uni after what happened. But I''ve been trying to catch up."


    She showed Kazuki a section of her notes, flipping through the mass of pages and documents quickly. He read it all in the blink of a moment. She knew he''d remember it.


    "You''re losing a lot of time by being here," said Kazuki. Either way, Kazuki knew Eliza would be on top of this. She was an unrivalled student. Lacking in her political skills, but no one is perfect.


    She shook her head and said, "I can put time aside for studying later."


    "Then why are you looking over your notes?" asked Kazuki.


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    She scratched her head, then looked down at the extensive amount of study material she had lying on her docu-pad. She quickly slid it into her pocket as its projection came off. "Ah, force of habit. My apologies, Kaz."


    "There''s nothing to be sorry for," said Kazuki.


    He felt a prick come to his back as his head started to roll. He squinted slightly as he rummaged through his left pocket, taking out a pill and swallowing it full. The Halolazil felt smooth.


    Whilst it stopped the pain in his exospine, his headache only grew in intensity. He always had headaches, ever since the Ptolemy Incident. His father told him that erratic headaches run in the family, but he always warned him to pay attention when it does.


    Apparently, his uncle and aunt had headaches shortly before their deaths. His aunt was killed by the Imperials and his uncle was during the Incident. But as he tried to ignore the pain, it grew. Even harder. To the point that Archius and Eliza glanced over, wondering.


    "Kaz?" asked Archius, preparing for the worst.


    "Is something wrong?" Eliza tilted her head to the side. "I can get you some water if you''d like."


    Something snapped. As he looked up, his golden eyes shot to look beyond the fenced area of the restaurant''s outside seating area next to Archius. He could feel the vibrations of a stress-filled heart beating, the aching of sweat in the air. His senses all crashed. His experimental exospine flooded adrenaline into his system. A figure turned towards him - his aug-glasses lit up with threat warnings. A hooded figure within the crowd was all it showed.


    ? ? ?


    A second of silence murmured in the air; Archius watched as without a single nanosecond of hesitation, Kazuki''s eyes flickered on with a gold hue. His hand shot down into his hidden holster as he saw two steel objects slowly push out both parties.


    Realising what was about to go down, he leaned backwards. Kazuki pulled out his pistol and fired a shot directly into a hooded man.


    They fell, but a stray round narrowly missed Kazuki; Archius felt the heat from the plasma round as it passed by. Blood splattered out as Kazuki stood up. Both Archius and Eliza got up as silence filled the air. Everyone around glanced at Kazuki, then at the hooded corpse. Archius silently berated the dead man for ruining a free meal but thought that he should have seen that coming.


    "Good grief¡­" mumbled Archius, under his breath. His mind raced with possibilities¡­ were they tracked? Was there an insider? He''ll have to contact Martinez and Sato. Internal security was her strong point, even if he''d hate to admit it.


    But mumbling broke into full-blown chaos as a hover-van veered onto the pavement and blew up, sending flames, fragments and heat all around. Kazuki threw the table up. Fragments streaked through its surface and into Kazuki''s muscles. Archius grabbed hold of Eliza and threw himself with her behind Kazuki, shit, this was far from preferable, he thought. But it''ll be more of an annoyance, he thought.


    Fragments struck the table as the smell of death filled the air. Eliza was the first to look out from cover. Blood, corpses and flames filled the street as those unprotected from the explosion covered the pavement floor. Kazuki dropped the table as he took fragmentation to his torso and arms, with a cut visible on his unburnt cheek. The sight didn''t phase the two experienced killers.


    The streets quickly cleared as the flow of traffic halted. But that didn''t stop several more vans from rushing through the pavement, crashing into civilians and swerving past cars. Their doors opened and before Eliza could even take note of them, bullets started to fly. Archius immediately grabbed onto her, tugging her away from Kazuki as a mass firefight broke out. The Contract-breaker ducked behind cover to avoid the spray of frantic bullets.


    "FUCKING RUN DAMNIT," Archius exclaimed with a shout, gripping hard on Eliza''s arm as they ran into the now-emptied restaurant. A stray bullet smacked into his shoulder.


    He gritted his teeth as he dragged Eliza behind the bar counter within the fancy establishment. This situation was far from ideal. Archius felt the pain ooze. What the fuck is going on? He asked himself that question as he realised that he was now stuck with Eliza.


    ''Get Eliza as far away from here as possible,'' said Kazuki over uplink, communicating across distance.


    ''Dammit¡­ don''t die. Or I''ll see you in hell personally,'' replied Archius, feeling responsible now that Kazuki gave him a new objective. Still... It was Eliza. Eliza of all people, ugh! She was a liability, Archius thought.


    Archius glanced over the counter to see Kazuki firing at an approaching group of attackers before he started to flee. As the group passed by the windows, many of them fell onto the ground. He watched, emotionlessly, as the sting of iron from blood filled the air from their corpses.


    How annoying, Archius thought. He turned to Eliza. She was struck with panic and fear as her eyes were wide open. Her lips quivered as she let off a squeal, trying to hold back tears. "T¡ªthose people, what just happened?!" asked Eliza, holding back a shriek of fear as she continued to squeal.


    He rolled his eyes. Annoying. Was this really the person that Kazuki did all of this for? None of that mattered, for now, he has a mission to uphold. He shook her shoulders, remembering to stay focused and composed "Liz. Eliza. Wake up - stick with me. You can do that, right?"


    She violently nodded her head as Archius stood up, walking into the back of the store as Eliza followed. Blood seeped through his shirt and stained his thin jacket.


    "Archius¡­ are you alright? Your back¡ª"


    "I''m good," said Archius, "Look. Don''t worry about me. Worry about yourself¡ª"


    He pushed through the back door and entered into an alleyway. He turned to his left, seeing the way out into the streets. Too open. Not much cover. To his right lay the way deeper into the alleys. Wires, holographic posters and trash littered the way as he took the right path.


    "¡ªCome. We need to get as far as possible."


    "What about Kazuki?!"


    "He''ll¡­ live." said Archius, "We can''t do anything to help him, let''s not burden him with protecting us as well."


    She followed as the distant wail of sirens filled the backdrop. Though the constant firing of bullets was by far the loudest. Walking through the twisting alleys, Archius eventually stopped at an intersection. Eliza was about to walk past him as he grabbed hold of her.


    "What?"


    Archius placed a finger to his lips as he dragged her behind the corner. A moment passed as bullets whizzed through the alleyways nearby. Peeking out from the corner, he saw Kazuki run further down the intersection, followed by several figures.


    "Shit¡­" Archius lightly tapped his waist. Of course, this had to be the day that he didn''t bring his toys and tools. He activated his ICAPAD and a map of the alleys popped up.


    "Hey, why don''t we just hide out here?" asked Eliza. "There must be some buildings here that we can use."


    "We don''t know how many there are¡­ we need to get as far away from here as we can. Kaz is buying us time, let''s not waste it."


    Sirens hailed from the distance as they got further and further away. She slowly nodded, agreeing with his logic as he sighed. He once again started to walk past the intersecting alleys as one of the stragglers running by turned to see Archius and Eliza.


    "There they are!" shouted the straggler as they aimed their rifle up at Archius.


    In a split second, he grabbed onto Eliza as he broke into a run. Bullets soared. Luckily they weren''t explosive, he thought. But they were definitely high calibre, the bolt in his shoulder blade stung to hell. He gave it a tense glance, he had forgot how painful being shot was.


    For once, he wasn''t in control of the situation. But he removed any sense of panic in his face for Eliza''s sake. Twisting and turning through the alleys, Archius ran for what felt like a kilometre as Eliza''s breathing became ragged.


    The two slowed down as they exited out into a large industrial sector within the district. He tapped his ICAPAD, but nothing shot out, then realised that it had taken a stray bolt to its projector whilst he was running. It flickered for a moment before dying.


    "Eliza, you know this area?" asked Archius, calming his breathing as he placed one hand onto his waist, scrambling through his pockets with the other.


    "Not particularly¡­" Eliza trailed off, the distant wail of gunfire etched closer and closer with each passing second. "I stuck more to the roads and rail lines more than anything. Dark alleys aren''t exactly my taste."


    Just as Archius was beginning to regather his breath, figures emerged around the corner of the alleyway, their exospines colour illuminated them. He immediately interposed with Eliza as a bullet meant for her dug into his torso. He fell onto the ground from the pain.


    "FUCKING RUN!" shouted Archius, glaring at Eliza. He''ll take them on, but he doesn''t know if he could. But he was given a mission by Kazuki, and for his own sake, he''ll accomplish it.


    Eliza faltered and refused, she grabbed onto Archius, dragging him with her as bullets whizzed by. Pure determination glistened in her crimson eyes. Archius looked towards the hooded attackers, three of them in total. He gripped hold of his bobble, untying his hair as its nanobots core morphed into a throwing knife. He lobbed it blindly.


    It wasn''t an elegant throw, but it landed. Through dumb luck alone, the metal shard dug into the neck of the first attacker. They fell quickly as he slowly watched them die of blood loss. One of the two tried to save their dying friend as the other tried to encourage the previous man onwards. Using this precious time, Eliza dragged herself and Archius around a corner.


    A shot whizzed past them as Eliza opened a door into one of the many industrial complexes. Grunting in exhaustion, Eliza dragged Archius into it as she locked the door behind her.

 XX4: Out in the Open

    The two let off ragged breaths, eyes wide open - their appendages shook with adrenaline. Of all days to not have his arsenal... Fuck!


    "Archius!" Eliza shouted, looking down at him as she slumped against the door, "Can you walk?"


    Archius coughed as blood seeped out from him. "You should''ve run."


    "And leave you for dead? Absolutely not," said Eliza.


    Archius slowly got himself up. Using the adrenaline in his body, Archius pulled himself up with the help of some of the pipes and railings near him. Seems like Eliza was just as dumb as Kazuki when it comes to loyalty, but in this case, he was thankful for that.


    Blasts smacked into the door from the other side. A cacophony of gunfire filled their ears as Eliza staggered over to him. "What do we do now?!"


    "Keep running," Archius said calmly.


    In his current state, it might be hard. They were dead lucky that she wasn''t hit. Blood trickled down his skin as he started to walk deeper into the factory.


    "They''ll bust through that door," continued Archius, "We need to make as much distance as possible."


    Eliza huffed as she followed him. They went deeper and deeper into the complex, through chambers, past unlocked doors and deactivated drone racks with their broken machinery. He gave them a second glance, if he had just brought some tools, he might have been able to convert them into suicide bombs.


    As they continued making distance, a loud crash noise was heard back where they came from. Had to be the door, Archius thought. "Fuck¡­ Fuck¡­"


    Approaching an exit door on the opposite end of the facility, the door flew off its hinges. His green eyes lit up as he grabbed onto Eliza, throwing her behind one of the half-walls lined with drones.


    One of the attackers walked into the room. A flashlight shone at Archius for a split moment. Seeing the light, Archius slidded behind one of the machines, opposite Eliza. A string of bullets smacked into the ground where he was. Eliza remained silent as the hooded man tried to cut Archius off.


    Archius started to crawl through the mass of equipment. Grabbing a broken drone blade, he continued sneaking through the maze of machines, closer and closer towards the bright light. He could feel his heart pump with each step he took. He hid around a corner as he felt his limbs tingle. He gripped hard on the makeshift knife as the man slowly walked past him.


    He didn''t know if this was the one that landed the hit on him, but he didn''t care. In a moment of fury, he grappled with the hooded man as he used one hand to knock the rifle down onto the ground, whilst he stabbed into their chest. They immediately struggled back. They were stronger. His knife wasn''t sinking in. Armour. A kick came to his thigh as he staggered back.


    They charged at him with their own knife. But mistimed their swing as it narrowly missed Archius'' neck. With an opening provided, Archius gripped his drone blade backwards, stabbing it into the neck of the attacker - pinning them to the machine behind them.


    It felt good. Amazing, even. A smile crept onto his face as he stared into the eyes of the attacker, under the hood. He kept stabbing, fully aware that the man was about to die a horrifically just death. This was what they got for ruining dinner! Fucking assholes! They tried to fight back, stabbing into his abdomen with whatever was left of them as their strength faltered. Slowly, their movements became sluggish, and they couldn''t even grab hold of the blade for another jab.


    They dropped their knife onto the floor, slowly dying and coughing. They mumbled out a prayer... Erudian? Whatever. They were going to die and that was a good thing, Archius thought.


    Eventually, he was just stabbing a corpse. Blood and cybernetic energy flowed out from it, the gruesome sight filled him with a sense of purpose. Eliza got out of cover as she staggered over to him.


    "Uh¡­ Archius?" Eliza''s voice broke his stream of hate as he dropped the knife. He let the corpse fall down as he turned to face her. Blood covered his jacket and shirt as the adrenaline wore off. "I think they''re dead."


    "No shit." He made a pained expression as he realised how he took not bleeding for granted. She immediately rushed to his side, helping him up as she placed a hand over the wound at his side. "Sorry, I got carried away a bit¡­"


    Looking back at the corpse, he noted how annoying fighting augments was. Even this far away, they could still hear the wail of sirens and gunshots as they started to walk towards the exit. But just as they turned out to face the exit, Archius and Eliza were both knocked to the ground. Pain and blood seeped into Archius'' view as he fell directly onto his open wound with a blood-curdling cry.


    He turned to face a hooded woman. Eliza was on the floor beside her, but the woman ignored her. She turned to see the dead corpse of her comrade and sighed, shaking her head.


    The light armour underneath her cloak was familiar¡­ He didn''t know, but she definitely knew who he was. "What a shame. You don''t have your Contract-Breaker to save you now."


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    His eyes drifted towards Eliza. She was staggering up as she was badly bruised from the fall. As the woman raised her muzzle to Archius'' head, Eliza charged at them, taking out something from her duffle coat and pressing down on a button.


    A yellow charge consumed the woman as Eliza tased her. She fell onto the floor, unconscious. Eliza fell onto her knees as she dropped her taser. Archius was still bleeding, but he tried his best to congratulate her. He gave her a small thumbs-up as she crawled over to him.


    "Friend of yours?" inquired Eliza.


    "No. But they know me¡­" Archius trailed off as Eliza helped him up again. The two exited out of the industrial complex, walking through the district as he was slowly losing blood. "Damnit¡­ maybe you were right about Kazuki protecting me¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ let''s keep going." Eliza brushed the dust off her clothes.


    He could feel her heart''s explosive rhythm as she could see more and more blood gush out from his wound. But she kept her eyes forward, continuing to walk as they turned the corner - straight into a patrol of hooded men.


    They raised their rifles at the two as Eliza used all her remaining strength to throw the two of them behind a nearby dumpster. But a blaring light filled the air. ANCHOR fields deviated as a figure teleported forth, Kazuki had arrived.


    None of them were able to match the swift rounds sent through their skulls as he made short work of them. Round after round, blade clash after blade clash, Kazuki dealt with them efficiently - and brutally, but there was no sense of joy in his eyes. Archius could faintly see circular markings on the vest-plates of the hooded attackers.


    As the final one fell, Kazuki turned to look at them, reloading his pistol''s chamber as the empty plasma cartridge shot into the air with steam, revealing the interior of Kazuki''s pistol.


    "Kaz!" Eliza shouted, "Archius is¡ª"


    "I''m fine!" Archius cut her off as Kazuki walked over.


    Glancing at Kazuki, he could see that he was even more injured than him. A bullet had skimmed his cheek, a section of one of his ears was missing, and his shirt was stained red. But Archius knew this was just a normal Saturday night for the fourth of the seven mercenaries, another day for one of the most vicious people in the galaxy. Archius had to remind himself of what Kazuki is, a ticking, emotionless time bomb.


    "Kaz¡­" Eliza trailed off upon closer inspection of them.


    "Shut up," said Kazuki, steam exiting his mouth, "Keep going. They''re persistent. I''m running low on magazines."


    Just as he finished, the sound of footsteps filled his ears as they flickered. He twisted around to see even more attackers turning the corner. Archius looked up at Eliza, who hid behind Kazuki as he prepared to make a final stand, loading a new magazine into his pistol ¡ª end of the road. Kazuki''s right hand slowly reached to the back of his exospine, readying to activate his overclock¡­ one last stand.


    What was it even all for? The only survivor of a virus-bombed world¡­ He watched his baby sister''s face melt in front of him. He watched as his family''s bodies slowly shrivelled up and decayed¡­ He endured years of CRIS training: all for a chance of vengeance in any and all capacities¡­ but revenge was impossible. Those responsible are long gone.


    Reflecting on himself, he wasn''t sure what motivated him. Then it slowly clicked: he bled, lied, manipulated and suffered because what else could he do? Someone with nothing to live for, that''s who he was. Seeing Kazuki''s objectives through was the only motivation he had and needed, it didn''t matter if he had to torture a thousand prisoners. Because after all these long years, he''s the only one he has left¡­


    He let go of his wound as he slowly closed his eyes, content in knowing that he had a good run and that now he''d join his family. But none of that came to pass.


    A loud thundering roar shredded overheard as his eyes shot open. A shuttle passed by over them, gunning down the group of attackers in a split second as men rushed out from it, killing whatever remained. Tens of hovering drones followed suit, helping the operatives as police and AGENTs finally arrived.


    Heavily armoured, exoskeletal powered contractors. They had thermal, combat suits underneath their armour; flak-pads lined in their vest-plates. Kazuki''s men. One of them turned to Kazuki and lifted their reaper-painted helm-mask off. Martinez, one of Kazuki''s Loyalists and an ex-general, golden-marking on his armour. The two exchanged nods.


    "Seems like we got here just in time, Arbiter," said Martinez.


    "Be faster next time¡­ Medivac us to the hospital," ordered Kazuki.


    "Hey!" Claire shouted, pulling her graffiti-painted helm-mask off as she shot one of them dead. Her gold-trimmed pauldron had the symbol of Heimfall, a firework display on a shield of gold alongside Martinez - ensuring it was a closed casket, "Traffic control are a bunch of arseholes."


    Kazuki shrugged, giving them the benefit of the doubt. He understood why most of all. "Don''t worry Claire, you''ll eventually love the mind-numbing traffic."


    Just then, someone clambered out of the shuttle. It was Amy¨¦. She hadn''t even had her helm-mask on and her face was as red as the trim of her crimson armour, she was holding onto a beer can.


    "Now why the FUCK did ya call us now?!" asked Amy¨¦, absolutely hammered.


    Claire immediately apologised on her behalf, "Sorry, Arbiter! She snuck some cans onto the shuttles¡­"


    "This wouldn''t have happened if you didn''t stuff your liver full of alcohol the moment we got home!" rebuked Claire.


    Kazuki had no expression on his face, but Archius could tell that it was an absolute disappointment. Quinn and Riharia rushed out of another shuttle, grabbing onto Archius as he was bleeding out, he saw a merge of red and turquoise beside him.


    "No? FUCKING WAY! I COULDN''T TELL." interjected Quinn, "We need some epinephrine!"


    "The fuck are you all doing?!" another voice shouted, Claire, pushed through towards Archius, unwrapping her medical gear. Archius could barely make the red cross on her vest-plate armour set, he was losing it; but even so, her overbearing nature still bled onto him. "Dammit, if you guys brought actual fucking gear and prepared we wouldn''t have this problem!"


    "Well sorry. I didn''t know there''d be a mass fucking shooting this fine evening," Quinn snapped back. "It''s almost as if we were all on off duty drinking and partying because we thought this was all over!"


    "For fuck''s sake..."


    "Hah¡­" coughed Archius, feeling his mind slowly slip away. He can''t keep running from death, after all, he was supposed to die on that forsaken, bombed-out husk of a planet all those years ago. But for now, he''ll continue to serve, because what else can he do? "Not today¡­"


    As he took in another breath, he slipped out of consciousness.

 XX5: Wide Awake

    "Hey¡­" Victoria uttered as Eliza turned to face her. The elder of the twins was staring off into the vacuum of space, through the massive window. Her hair was beautifully done in a side braid.


    Eliza slowly approached her, "Is something the matter?"


    "Well¡­ yes, something''s been on my mind," said Victoria. She turned towards the rest of the room, blank faces in dresses and suits were all around, talking to each other. Eliza took one glance, they had their eyes on one of the only people here that was the same age as them.


    Kazuki, sparkling blue eyes with an emotionless mesh of a face. He was standing by his father, the High Admiral of the Fleet. Both of them had large, extended strands of hair prod off from the top of their heads.


    "Him? What''s wrong with the birthday boy?" asked Eliza.


    "He told me that he''s been having headaches recently," answered Victoria. "You do know what that means, right? This is exciting... I''m gonna see what''s up!"


    Eliza scratched her head. How could she ever have known¡­ maybe if she was just a little more observant, a little more clever: she''d still be here with her. Maybe¡­ if they swapped places, Victoria would have solved the case already. Eliza knew that she would never reach the same heights as her sister or mum. But for their sake, she''ll keep fighting, until all is done.


    Eliza frowned as a snapping sound rang through her ears. And she opened her eyes. She shot up from a hospital bed, her crimson-red eyes scanned across the nearly empty room. Everything was blurry. Her duffle coat was on a hanger opposite the bed, with her family''s rose crest brooch still attached to it.


    Medical equipment was strapped to the walls as a neon white hue came from the ceiling. Kazuki looked towards her, seated beside the bed. He was drinking on one of those juice bottles that made a snap sound when you opened it. As he saw her wake up, he immediately downed the drink, before throwing it into the bin with pinpoint accuracy.


    "Rise and shine. You''ve been in a coma for three years," said Kazuki in his emotionless voice. His golden eyes blinked at her, his long cowlick falling just above his eyes.


    "That won''t work on me a second time, Kaz," said Eliza. Why was she even here to begin with? Then it all came back to her. Her eyes widened. "Wait, where''s Arch¡ª"


    "Outside," interjected Kazuki, "Smoking, of course. He got discharged before you did."


    "Huh? How long was I really out for?" asked Eliza, she sat up as she shuffled herself to the headboard of the bed. "And please don''t lie."


    "Three days. Dr Garreau said it was exhaustion. I guess things never change."


    And in that very moment, she froze. Whether it was overthinking or not, it stung deeply. She let off a dry laugh, "Yeah¡­"


    Just like back then, she caused him more trouble than good. Though that''s always been how their alliance went. She provided information and he provided results¡­ She couldn''t bear to look at Kazuki. She presumed just how much of a nuisance she was to him. But he never seemed to care whether she annoyed him or not. She had no idea why he helped her. He''d be better off on his own.


    Kazuki didn''t seem to understand her response as she paused. He slowly scratched the burn marks on his neck.


    "Things never change. I''m always exhausted¡­ and you''re always getting shot - because of me."


    He slowly shook his head. "True, you''re exhausted. Always. But don''t blame yourself for me getting shot at. People wanted my head for years. Nothing changed."


    She looked to the side as he rolled his sleeve up, showing old scars spread across his left arm - all healed. Eliza knew of how effective his com-stims were, but this rate of healing was something that surprised even her. He simply stared at her.


    "Wounds disappear, Liz. I chose to live this life¡­ don''t blame yourself for my actions."


    "But¡ª"


    Kazuki interjected again, "Eliza, let the defence contractors worry about it. Alright?"


    "But¡­ I am the reason you''re a contract-breaker¡­" Eliza trailed off, "If I didn''t mess up¡­"


    She made sure not to look him in the eyes. It felt unbearable, his gaze. She had no right to berate him¡­ but here she was. She knew he''d remember everything she''d ever said. Even if he wasn''t the emotional type, she didn''t want to be merely baggage for him.


    He gave a simple reply, "I was already going to kill him. He ordered me to bring you to him in binds. Stop thinking that you''re responsible for what happened¡­"


    "But what about the assassins?" asked Eliza.


    "A lapse of judgement. I let my guard down. And I paid the price. Don''t worry, I learn from my mistakes." Kazuki stated clearly, "Each lapse costs lives."


    "Perfect memory''s a bitch sometimes, then?" Eliza mumbled under her breath, But Kazuki caught it.


    "Very much. Embarrassing things I''ll never forget plague me every day. Every contract¡­ every death."


    Reaching to the drawers, he took something out. Leaning over, he gently placed her glasses on her face. She could see her pale, freckled face within the brief moments of reflection. Slowly looking up at him, she saw that he had the same, unchanging, dull expression that hid underneath a cold, cool glare. Golden eyes, burnt cheek and an aura of both an air-head and lethality. Even after everything he''s been through, after all the troubles she wrought, he''s still him. She couldn''t help but smile slightly at the warm feeling, she was right after all: Kaz is still Kaz. And nothing will waver.


    "Alright," she said, "Well then, on things about the past, would it be possible for us to continue our investigation? I know, it''s been a while¡­ But I still want to bring justice."


    ¡°We can¡¯t accept the Republic¡¯s official statement, can we?¡± asked Kazuki. He didn¡¯t want to do this. Not this charade all over again¡­ Kazuki knew that this would only lead to death - but at the same time he wanted this, he needed to know as well¡­ The truth.


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    Eliza''s face slowly dropped as she looked downwards. "You know I can''t do that¡­ pirates¡­ just some pirates? No. No. No. No. That can''t be it!"


    Kazuki didn''t respond.


    ? ? ?


    Now why would she ask that of him, Kazuki asked himself. The first time they tried she nearly died and he was shot at. But¡­ with the war over, it must be¡­ possible, right?


    It uneased him for a bit. He felt an aching emptiness in his chest. But¡­ he owed her this. Her sister, at the very least. He maintained a steady face as he gave a slow nod. "Maybe¡ª"


    The door to the room slid open as Sato stormed in. She was wearing her typical suit and armoured under-vest; same blue eyes and same beige hair, tied up in a long ponytail as the first time they met, though back then she was on the opposite end of a barrel. She started grumbling immediately, "Kazuki, why haven''t you been answering your uplink? I''ve been trying to contact you for a whole fucking day."


    "Because Archius kept annoying me."


    "Ugh¡­ touch¨¦," said Sato. Eliza and Sato exchanged glances. Sato''s voice was always dull and tired, even before the rebellion. She muttered under her breath, "So this was what he meant¡­"


    Kazuki ignored the comment, instead focusing directly on the point. "Why are you here?"


    Eliza remained silent as his straightforward attitude kicked in. Sato responded in turn, "The attackers. We''ve hunted as many as we could, they''re slippery and it took Martinez a while to eliminate them. We''ve captured one, as well. Our control freak is already preparing them for interrogation."


    "Good. Pry as much out of them as possible. Is that it?"


    "No, these aren''t just assassins like you originally predicted, Kazuki¡­" Sato trailed off, taking a holographic visualiser out and showing an insignia on its projection, "Clandestine. We don''t know who''s leading them, but they''re Clandestine."


    "Just what I needed." Kazuki realised that he might not be able to uphold his word with Eliza. This problem might spiral out of control, especially if outside forces are involved. "Is the Mischief Board or BCA involved with them?"


    "Probably not. The Board''s never been keen on Clandestine. And the BCA''s written Clandestine as officially defunct, so we''re officially the new top dogs in the private sector."


    Kazuki nodded.


    "Now that that''s outta the way¡­ time to get some shut-eye¡­ you''re killing Rivera and me with all this bureaucracy," said Sato, turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind her.


    Eliza remained silent as she turned to look at Kazuki. They both understood what this meant. The face of optimism that she held faltered for a moment, "I guess you''ll be delayed¡­"


    "No, not really. I can just load more work onto Sato and Rivera, they''ll definitely handle it," remarked Kazuki, sarcastically. She wasn''t surprised at him ordering the torture of someone, Kazuki noticed. But torture was fair game in the industry, and everyone''s so used to violence that apathy is the norm - at least to the notions of it.


    "Kaz¡­" The remark didn''t hit Eliza as well as he hoped it would. She placed the docu-pad back on the stand as she shuffled forward towards Kazuki.


    He sighed. "You''re right. It might take a week. Weeks. Or months. Depends on how deep the infection goes."


    "They killed so many people¡­ You have a contract, right¡­ you''ll bring justice to them, I''m guessing." Even when inquiring, she always wanted to seem polite, probably got that from her mum before she died.


    But her eccentricism and determination are commendable, Kazuki thought. Though Archius refused to admit it, she saved him. One of the few unconscious people they found was stunned. Archius never uses Tasers, not his style. Blades were his favourite, probably because they felt more personal¡­ and people called him a sociopath.


    "Yes. The attackers, Loyalists, criminals, contractors; call them whatever you like, they are a threat. A threat to everything. Hence they must be removed like an infection." Kazuki stretched out in his chair. Justice was a secondary concern to him now. This was personal. "They''re willing to do anything to win. So we must do the same, no matter how brutal it is."


    "But there must be¡­" Eliza trailed off; she realised that Kazuki was right. This galaxy was far too cruel to allow anything less than such violence.


    "This isn''t the silver screen, we''re not all noble mercs from the Crusades. No real rules. Simply one directive: fulfil the contract. It''s a good thing the AGENCY knows precision and extreme violence."


    "I guess that''s why this planet has such a problem with crime," pondered Eliza, "Though I thought my dad was more of a boot on the neck type of person¡­"


    Kazuki scoffed, "Your father is one of the few fools left that can''t be bought with standardis. Fame is what he wants. And fame is not what he gets."


    "My dad is¡­" Eliza trailed off. He strangely understood the look on her face. It was the same one that he wore many times. Conflict.


    "Let me rephrase it. He''s unbending" said Kazuki. "Crime is flexible. He is not. But as long as the status quo persists, crime will flourish. In fact, some of my best men were hired from criminal groups. That flexibility allows us to deal with them."


    "I know¡­ but¡­" she sighed, "But will you really take that long to finish it? It just feels like we could have met later if something like this happened."


    She looked at him with an exhausted look, as if she was on the verge of being lit alight with an objective. He nodded.


    "The AGENCY''s going through hell right now. Logistics are a nightmare. Republic Hinterland Security Contracts are trying to gouge us. And now the Anagoran Judiciary needs us to fix their Loyalist problem."


    "Then let me help," demanded Eliza.


    Kazuki paused, he refused to have heard that from her. But rewinding his mind showed exactly that.


    "I''m no contractor¡­"


    "Precisely," snapped Kazuki.


    "Which is why I''m asking to be your aide," said Eliza, her blood-red eyes gleaming slightly. Why was she doing this, he asked himself, she''s always willing to help - but to go to these lengths? He has no doubts about her abilities as an aide. Her stint as student president reassured him of her competence.


    He gave a simple nod. "Unpaid intern it is."


    She let off a small laugh at the joke as her face gleamed. The closer she is to him the better he can complete his original contract. A contract written in blood. From her twin sister, right before her death. His internal face soured at the thought. Helping solve the P-1 Incident and her sister''s death went hand in hand.


    Whilst the former might give her a measure of pride¡­ the latter will never bring her the justice she wished. It never will. The galaxy will never conform to that, because in a galaxy of corruption and death: secrets, money and connections are worth their weight in mountains of steel and blood. They all had something to fight for.


    And he''s running out of everything.


    "And uh, mind if me and Archius bunk at your place?" asked Kazuki, feeling a small sense of embarrassment. Luckily, he wasn''t wearing the flaming phoenix-leviathan brooch of his family. "I don''t think my old key to the dorms works anymore."


    Eliza gave an absent expression as she continued to smile. She looked warm. "Sure! It''s not too impressive, just a cosy middling abode."


    He wasn''t entirely sure she even knew what she signed up for. Archius will probably raid her fridge at least seven times. He simply nodded, "Alright then."


    He extended his right hand towards her. She took it as he helped her up. This¡­ might be a bad idea. Eliza within his own ranks, but this wasn''t Clandestine. She''ll be surrounded by mercs, yes, but mercs loyal to him - steadfast to his objectives. All he has to do is keep the credits flowing with contracts.


    But she kept grinning at him. He felt like replicating it, but his muscles fell short. So instead, he placed his index fingers in the corners of his mouth, raising them slightly to form a mimicry of a smile. Eliza found it entertaining and laughed. But just as they were sharing a moment, Archius barged into the room.


    "HEY! WAKE UP SLEEPY HEAD!" he shouted. Eliza immediately placed her hands over her ears in discomfort. Annoyed, Kazuki threw the water canister on his belt at him. It bounced off his head with a distinctive bonk noise.

 XX6: Uncomfortable Respite

    The mechanical sound of a drone coming to life filled the kitchen, its ''eyes'' blinked as its rays latched onto the fridge, opening it. It took a can of soda. Closing the fridge door, the drone twisted and lobbed it across the counter. Kazuki caught it, without even looking. Cracking it open, he scrunched and downed the non-alcoholic beverage as he felt his back ache. His exospine was not used to constantly bending over and pushing over furniture in Eliza''s duplex. It was made for war, but even so, his energy levels were running low. Maybe... he should let himself rest.


    He straightened his back out with a slight mechanical crack. The lights of the large duplex living room shone down at him as Eliza placed herself on the sofa in her dog onesie. Even after resting up for so long, she still had bags under her eyes.


    "Was that really necessary, Kaz?" asked Eliza, lying down on the sofa as she took a glance at the massive collection of brooches and pins hung on the wall behind her. "I liked being able to flop on the sofa, now I have to walk across the room¡­"


    "Yes," stated Kazuki, looking down the hallway attached to the living room.


    He had shifted the entire living room 180 degrees just so the sofas didn''t have a clear line of fire with the hallway to the door. After the drone turned off, Archius was raiding the fridge in the kitchen attached to the living room.


    "Ugh¡­ I can''t understand any of this¡­" Archius muttered to himself. "What the fuck is a Jirutia cabbage?" He held out a large blue cabbage.


    Kazuki turned his head to Archius. "It''s a cabbage!" he remarked. "I wonder what a cabbage does..."


    Archius grumbled. "Haha. Very funny."


    Eliza glanced around back to Archius. "Please don''t mess with the fridge too much, I like to keep things orderly." Then, her head turned to Kazuki. "I could have helped, you know?" continued Eliza.


    Kazuki immediately shot back as he placed a hover-board of various pins representing cybernetics on the wall, "You collapsed from exhaustion. Need I say anymore?"


    "N¡ªno¡­" she trailed off, realising that she didn''t have anything smart to say to him. She glanced over at Archius, hoping that he''d have something to say.


    And of course, he did. "Jiriki hell, look at you looking after her like some overbearing parent." It was strange to hear Archius speak in his native tongue. He rarely spoke M¨¢wti to begin with. "Better you than her actual parents, I presume..."


    That was an insensitive comment, but Archius marked it off like a common joke. Eliza laughed but... it felt forced. Kazuki looked at Archius. Archius merely nodded to him. Oh, so he planned it. Kazuki knew Eliza''s parents. Well, one of them. Her mother was dead, long dead... So was her sister... But her father was alive - and was his boss. By technicality. A large technicality. Kazuki was simply a government agent. Dejure under the Commissioner''s control. In reality, Kazuki was essentially acting on his own. Goddess Iris bless the Republic for Corruption! Kazuki jested to himself.


    Kazuki grumbled as he walked away, the walls were decorated with many plaques and achievements, mostly academic awards. But as many awards were adorning them, there were twice as many keepsakes. From massive collections of old pins to replica brooches of every Imperial aristocratic family; they did not have their distinctive glow - or hues. They did not have the solar-essence imbued into the average brooch. If they did, Kazuki would be amazed at the replication of it - and worried about the legality of it. The remains of those long-dead Star Gods gave aristocratic brooches their ''weight'', their ''power''. He knew all of them from memory: most lineages were extinct. The fires of war consumed many of them. And rising from the ashes were far more upstart aristocratic lineages than ever, profiting from the after-war boom. He even saw a replica of his family''s seal¡­


    "Sixty-four per cent of your collection is extinct," Kazuki commented.


    "Well, it still counts, right?" Eliza shrugged.


    Archius leaned against the kitchen counter, drinking a whole carton of chocolate milk. He had his guard down, surprisingly. Though with what the IUN considers ''the devil of death, son of the merchant & contract-breaker'' around, they''ll be safe.


    He sat down beside Eliza. "Anyways¡­ we should go over some ground rules."


    Kazuki ignored Archius'' downing of the whole carton. "First. Trust no one. You thought the Proscriptions was cut-throat politics? The private sector industry is ten times that. Second¡ª"


    "Hold up, hold up!" Archius interrupted him. He took his mouth away from the chocolate milk. "What the fuck are you talking about?"


    Ah¡­ Kazuki realised that he didn''t break the news to him. He always presumed that if Archius could know something, he would. But the only chance of getting a device in there was through Sato¡­ and she''s too vigilant.


    Eliza glanced at Archius, "I''m working for Kaz, sorry for not telling you, it''s just that¡­ I really don''t know what I''m doing."


    "Yeah, precisely why. Kaz, what the fuck?!" Archius maintained his composure, despite all his shouting - pretending to be shocked at this development. His facade was still up, but if Eliza was to truly be his aide. She should know. "If you''re at it, bring me along!"


    "And Eliza," said Kazuki, ignoring Archius. "This is ''Archius'' Bar Lyst. My personal spymaster and control freak."


    Eliza''s eyes widened as Archius dropped the facade immediately. His face formed into a regular scowl as his eyes thinned at the two of them. "Hey. Don''t mind me. The choco-milk was good, though."


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    "Archius¡­" Eliza trailed off.


    He let off a husky laugh. "What? Surprised? Pay no attention to it. As far as you''re concerned. The me you know is real, consider it. For your sake." Eliza was taking it better than Kazuki''s predictions.


    He glared at Kazuki as he placed the carton down, walking around the kitchen, into the living room, and up the stairs. Eliza interjected, "Uh, are you looking for the bathroom?"


    Archius put up his facade as he responded, grinning at her slightly. But the words did not match his face. "Looking implies I don''t already know the whole layout of this place¡­ I need to take a shower. You don''t mind, right?"


    "Not at all, please make yourself at home," said Eliza, giving Archius a warm smile, even after seeing his true colours. She confused him¡­ Most people would''ve been disgusted¡­ But she didn''t seem all too confused. Trusting Eliza was a good idea, Kazuki thought.


    He glanced away, waving at her as he turned into one of the conjoining hallways connected to the stairs. Eliza glanced at Kazuki, her eyes were filled with fervour. Perhaps the surprise lit a fire in her, he thought. Kazuki preferred if she learnt from the man himself, she could keep a secret. But sometimes, Kazuki wondered if she could ever keep his, if he ever told her.


    "It was for your own good," said Kazuki, "That you didn''t know of Archius."


    She nodded, "Well, Chlo¨¦ always did guess that something was up with him. Like how he always followed you."


    "Pfft, tell me about it - he even followed me into the toilets back in high school." Kazuki scratched the back of his neck, taking out the energy charge embedded into his exospore-nape. Kaz met Archius a year before meeting Eliza. Well, re-meeting Eliza, so to say. Much had changed. All they must do is simply march on for their mission. "Archius is¡­ strange, to be honest. He''s served with me for a long time, but never seems to have any motivation other than the mission."


    The dim-bright light of night-life Anagora shone through the massive windows leading out to the small terrace. Eliza said nothing.


    "So, about what you''ll do. You''ll be an analyst, logistician and handler if they need extra help. Rivera and Sato will fight over you, so try to get as many favours out of them. Most of our information comes from Krystalink, so it should be easy to use."


    "W¡ªwait, Krystalink? I thought it was just some urban legend?" Eliza pondered, placing her head on the sofa as she placed her legs on Kazuki''s lap. He wasn''t bothered by this.


    "It''s real. That woman back in the hospital, she made it," said Kazuki. "I never understood why she served in the navy with her skills - offensive security expert for us. No complaints here."


    He placed the charge on the coffee table in front of the sofa. He could see slight steam ooze off from it. He sighed, his implants were failing, from his spine to lungs to heart. Eventually: he''ll die. A holographic visage propped out from a projector on the table, Synthia. It started to scan Kazuki''s power source.


    ''Fascinating¡­'' said Synthia. ''This Krystalink... are the rumours surrounding it true if it does exist?''


    "Harvest information from across the underworld grapevine: yes. Harvest human nervous systems for processing power? No. We''re not the Kanrasans," Kazuki quickly stated.


    Eliza turned her head to the table. "Hey!" Eliza shot upwards, looking at Synthia''s projection, "You shouldn''t scan things that aren''t yours."


    "It''s fine," said Kazuki. There was nothing to be gained from not telling them.


    A ''gift'' from Clandestine, his cybernetics prolonged his hell. Just long enough, it seemed. Constant overuse had worn away at them. Most prevalently: his exospine. It was the apex of engineering - too much so. And without its blueprints, his experimental medi-netics will fail. He could feel his organs slowly falter as he placed the charge back into his spine.


    "Kaz, if you need someone to check your netics, I can," suggested Eliza. The idea wasn''t as far-fetched as it might seem. She studied cybernetics, "Synthia, run a diagnostic on the power receivers."


    ''Already doing it, Miss Eliza.'' replied Synthia.


    After all, it puzzled his mother, one of the best inventors in the galaxy, and Sylvie Garreau, one of the best surgeons on the planet. Whoever made it must have been a prodigy in the field. "Sure."


    She smiled as she sat up, using her arms to support herself. "And you don''t mind me studying it, right? It might be the perfect topic for me to write for an undergrad report!"


    "Sure. Go ahead," stated Kazuki, his voice a blunt hammer of statements.


    Maybe Eliza did have a chance to rebuild her mother''s cybernetic company, she had the spirit after all, she never backed down and was always interested in fighting¡­ But he didn''t know how long he had left, hopefully, he could see her succeed before he passed. "And as a bonus. I''ll use the AGENCY to help in the investigation."


    If he''s going to do this, might as well throw all his chips in. His head ached slightly, as she turned on the holographic television across the room. She paused for a moment before her head twisted back at him.


    "Wait what?" Eliza looked excited.


    He reiterated what he said, "You can poke around my back as long as you don''t blow it up."


    "No no no, the second part?"


    "Categorically, I am the AGENCY''s largest shareholder. I''ll use resources to help us. Last time, we had a severe lack of assistance. This time, we''ll have ten thousand guns on a minute''s call. But we still have to deal with the Loyalists first."


    "I¡­" Eliza slowly sat up. Her confused face turned into fervour as she smirked, her face was radiating a smile as she shuffled towards him. "Thanks. I guess it''s a promise then, shall we?"


    She raised her left pinkie finger to Kazuki. He did the same with his right and they shook on it¡­ She smiled at him and let off a small heh. It was awkward, but it felt right for her to be this way.


    "Then it''s official. We''ll solve this case together, I''ll hold you to it this time!" said Eliza, "It means a lot to me, really. I might as well go get some booze, the Marquis Gilbert de Fer-Charleota sent me some high-quality beer."


    She stood up and walked off into the kitchen. Of course, it meant a lot to her. Her sister died during the incident¡­ in his very own hands. His memory of it was both muddied and clear - even thinking of it gave him a slight headache. Was he doing any of this for her? Maybe solving it was for Victoria''s postmortem. But she was never the vengeful type. He is. And when he finally gets his muzzle tucked between the eyes of whoever Jessica spoke of¡­ he''ll be free.


    As Eliza walked back into the living room, Archius ran over to the stairs, peering down in fresh clothes and water dripping off his hair. Kazuki looked up to him, on the second floor of the duplex. Archius raised a massive folder in the air, his eyes lit with mischief. "Kaz! I found Eliza''s holo-album! You won''t guess how stupid she used to look!"


    She spun around and immediately threw a beer can at Archius. An argument broke out as Kazuki ignored the charade, as much as both sides tried to get him involved.


    But he couldn''t resist watching; even as his title binds him to secrecy, he knows that he does not deserve this sight. He has to sacrifice more for victory. But again, he wanted to live like this. With his friends, at peace¡­ But still, he knows the war must end. By his hands.

 XX7: Deadzone Raid

    The plasma slug slid into its chamber, its burgundy casing disappeared as the slide slid shut. The constant drumming of the shuttle''s engine gave Kazuki an uneasy sense of clarity. He watched Claire slide the pepper-shot into her backup holster as the two other operatives in the hover-shuttle prepared for the mission. A datapad was on Claire''s leg, showing a dozen medical injectors and information for med school.


    Amy¨¦ and Quinn sat opposite of each other in the shuttle. Amy¨¦ and Claire wore the blood-red armoured trim of Kazuki''s personal unit: Heimfall. They weren''t as large as units like Deltastring, where Quinn came from. A relationship exchange between the two command units. Heimfall was Kazuki''s fist. Deltastring his shield.


    Both came together. The Phalanx - Kazuki himself. Nigh unkillable from the front. They were his personal executioners. The shuttle brimmed with weapons strong enough to take down a whole platoon. To the average civvy, this was overkill. But to those in the business: it was light.


    White hues broke the monotony of the Sub Levels'' darkness outside; a sea of mechanised, industrial slums underneath the mirage of the surface. It was cold outside, but far warmer than summer in the Sub-Levels. As Kazuki turned his head back to the van, Archius started his briefing on the uplink.


    ''Night everyone, now that things are back on schedule, let''s get back to work.'' Archius said, in a serious tone.


    ''Sure, Archi, can we do this quickly? I still gotta show Quinn that he ain''t a tougher drinker than me," interjected Amy¨¦, placing her helm-mask over her short, unkempt ginger hair and freckles. Despite her nature of loving alcohol and being drunk, she was probably the cleanest shot Kaz''s seen. Outside of the Heptagia - crim and merc both.


    ''Bet!'' shouted Quinn, pointing his finger at Amy¨¦.


    ''Wait... now that I think about it, why the fuck are you here?'' asked Claire. Quinn''s armour had distinctive white trims, contrasted to Claire and Amy¨¦''s red.


    ''Lilly''s unit is in reserve,'' said Kazuki. ''But Quinn''s been begging for some action. I want to ensure he doesn''t get rusty on me. Surprised you didn''t bring along Riharia.''


    ''Hey! Hey! I can hear you guys!'' interjected Riharia, also connected to the uplink. ''And I''m here, alright! Just... in the reserve.''


    "Eh, it just slipped my mind, I guess?" Quinn shrugged. But Kazuki could tell that it most definitely was not a mere slip-up. Kazuki and Quinn looked at each other, as Quinn sighed. Kazuki will not pry any further.


    Archius cleared his throat, ''Our mission is to retrieve information from a Loyalist-held safehouse within the Deadzone. A captured Loyalist gave us some information.''


    Kazuki remembers that one Loyalist. Apparently, Eliza saved Archius from her. That probably explained why he was so rough in the interrogation. However, Kazuki did wish that Archius limited it sometimes, he prefered not to put the drones to clean his mess up.


    "Ugh¡­ Deadzones¡­" Claire muttered to herself.


    ''We captured one of them?'' asked Amy¨¦, surprised, ''I thought we killed them all! Claire?''


    ''We did¡­ just stay focused dammit.'' Claire muttered to Amy¨¦, nudging her with her leg. By far, Claire was the most ''normal'' of operatives under him, Kazuki thought, a bit nerdy though. Get rid of all that red-trimmed armour and weaponry and she remains the same, just a medical nerd that wants to go to med-school, though she was very much an elder sister to them all, overprotective and fighting for his favour with Zymuel¡­ Ironic, considering how Kazuki was younger than her.


    Archius, annoyed, stayed silent for a second before continuing, ''The infiltration will be quiet, breach in and take over the safe house. Chain-Keys were in the old Clandestine building, so we''ll have easy access.''


    ''Remember,'' Kazuki interjected. ''If you have the chance to capture one, do it. But I won''t object if you mag-dump them.''


    The three nodded as Quinn strapped his modified helm-mask on. It had holocard iconography painted over it in holo-paint, along with a turquoise stripe down the side. Looking towards the pilot compartment, Kazuki saw Karl, wearing aviators and armour, pressing numerous control buttons - he didn''t understand what he was doing, nor did he care if he had to learn something he''d learn it at that very moment.


    ''That''s all the information we have. We have drones in the air, but strikes will be limited to emergencies only. Amy¨¦ will stay on the shuttle to provide supporting fire.''


    Sato said, ''I mean, we only have a couple dozen strikes worth of ammo left for the drones, we shouldn''t have wasted that much taking down the Directorate Fleet.'' Archius was uncharacteristically quiet.


    Her objection was somewhat sound, Kazuki thought. ''Between the men and the ammo, I choose the men. Men win wars.''


    ''Not without ammo they don''t,'' Sato shot back. ''My drones are surveying the AO. I''ll update you if anything changes.''


    As the briefing finished, the shuttle slowed to a complete halt. Karl turned back towards Kazuki''s selected team, and slammed on the interior of the shuttle. He was chewing on tobacco. Kazuki nodded and sealed his own helm-mask on before he opened the shuttle door.


    "My exospine will kill me for this¡­" said Claire.


    The coldness of the underground rushed. Jumping down onto the broken pavement below, he could tell through the temperature alone that it was Sub-level 482. Its abandone sections, however. Simply one of many carved out under cities. Claire and Quinn followed suit as their exoskeletons shined a low hue. He took one glance at them, feeling a sense of envy. They could take theirs off, but his is lodged in. Part life-support; part combat suit.


    As typical for a small-scale blackop strike, Amy¨¦ took point at the shuttle door, her mask painted with a crosshair around the visor She was joined by the drone. ''Yep, it''s the target alright, a dozen or so hostiles.'' said Amy¨¦, peering through the loaded-viewer as she chuckled under her breath at the to-be mission.


    It was an abandoned apartment block used as a safe house. Kazuki led Quinn and Claire into a side alley beside the block. It was a good thing their shuttle wasn''t one of the war tiers with loud hover engines.


    Claire looked around at the dull, emptied out under-district. The smell was horrendous, probably rotting corpses. ''Ugh, at least the populated sections aren''t this awful,'' she said. ''Why the fuck did they have to set up in the Deadzone¡­''


    ''Discreet, hidden, far from eyes,'' Kazuki said. ''Perfect for them.'' The group continued down an alley beside the apartment.


    Amy¨¦ commented as she watched from above, ''Still as dead as the tales¡­ they''d always tell me about the creatures lurking around here.''


    Claire scoffed in a light-hearted tone, ''What? The Ghouls or the urban legends parents say will drag them into the warzone and eat them if they''re naughty?''


    ''I dun'' fuckin know? Second one?''


    Kazuki spoke up, ''Second one. My mother always told me that if I were naughty the Dread-Haunter would drag me down here and bisect me.''


    ''Nasty. My friends talked about how the Haunter would take your head first, then wear you like a puppet and lure your loved ones to death¡­'' Claire shivered at the thought. ''Shit''s still somewhat scary¡­ you know?''


    The Dread-Haunter was many things to the people of Anagora, Kazuki thought. It was right to presume that the number of interpretations matched the number of cultures and traditions present.


    ''Ya know that shit ain''t true! They''re just turned ghouls from the war that were left out in the Deadzone¡­ at least I hope so¡­'' said Amy¨¦. ''I mean, I saw one of the Haunters as a lil'' kid, looked kinda like a ghoul.''


    ''Because they are,'' Kazuki confirmed. ''They are ghouls bound to unstable Hazard-Shards. Poor man''s recreation of the essence of a Star God. They''re forgotten¡­ My mother told me the truth since my memory simulated the perfect nightmare. It did nothing to help me sleep. She said things down here are forgotten." He paused for a moment. "She''s not wrong.''


    ''I''m all down for you guys talking but uh¡­ can you guys like¡­ focus on the mission?" Sato grumbled.


    ''Oh, it''s just harmless chatter, let ''em be!'' Archius shouted back. Quinn let off a small chuckle under his breath.


    ''Arbiter, you talk a lot¡­ when you wanna,'' Quinn yapped. ''Don''t expect Hazard-Shards to be showing up anywhere far from the Maelstrom¡­''


    ''Because they don''t!'' Claire took a shot at Quinn. She wasn''t wrong, Kazuki thought. The Imps dropped unstable Hazard-Shards all over the Anagoran Deadzones, leaving the Republic to clean up the mess. For the most part, those abominations were purged, but some lingered.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ''Then what about Arbiter''s! He has one, doesn''t he? How come he hasn''t turned into a more burnt, deformed fuck?'' asked Quinn. Claire slapped him across the arm, but Kazuki kept his eyes dead-forward.


    Kazuki grabbed onto a dumpster in the way, slowly prying it to the side, before shaking off the disgusting mucus on his gloves. ''Not all Hazard-shards are the same. They might all be Star-God essence, but some are more stable than others. Star Brooches use stable ones, obviously.''


    ''Of course, you''ll leave it to Quinn to remember that one antique Kaz has that''s worth a ba-gillion standardis!'' Amy¨¦ said, leading practically everyone, bar Kazuki, to snicker under their breath.


    ''Money''s money¡­ Ugh¡­ star-god this, star-god that¡­'' Quinn muttered. ''Anyways, you still haven''t answered my question, why¡ª''


    ''I don''t not like talking. I just believe most people are not worth my time to talk to.'' Kazuki''s eyes snapped towards Quinn, causing the breacher to catch his glare. ''You three are.''


    The shuttle fell quiet. None of them expected a heart-to-heart with the Contract-Breaker, ey? All three glanced at the young, but quite damaged Contract-Breaker. He¡­ didn''t know why they shut up. He just told them that he liked talking to them - maybe he didn''t. Doesn''t matter now, what''s done is done, and said is said¡­ Kazuki knows his mother was right.


    ''This place''s awful¡­ but it could be a cathing freezing waste,'' said Quinn, trying to shift the conversation elsewhere. Amy¨¦ immediately threw herself into an argument with him.


    Kazuki ignored their bickering as he approached a run-down side door to the apartment''s stairs. He disabled a holographic poster covering the keypad and entered the chain-key combination into the hidden keypad. And as he finished, the door slid to the side.


    Entering the apartment block, their masks'' internal Night Vision system activated. Kazuki took point, raising his pistol. The smell of mould filled the air. Following procedure, Claire and Quinn followed him in. Ascending the stairs, Kazuki''s augmented glasses highlighted the floor on which the safehouse was located.


    It was quiet, luckily there were no cameras. Eventually, they reached the target floor. The door to the floor was armoured, and unlike the rest of the doors in the building, it was pristine. A tattered notice board beside the door had a dozen posters stamped to it, mainly missing person posters and ENFORCER notices. Both date back decades.


    Kazuki reported back to Archius. ''Arbiter to Overwatch. We''re on the floor.''


    ''Good. Use the fourth code.'' replied Archius.


    "Stack up," ordered Kazuki, approaching the keypad of the door and typing in the long string of digits for the code by memory. As he finished, he waited for the door to slide open. But it wouldn''t budge.


    Claire looked towards the door past Kazuki. ''Brain damage, Arbiter? Did Director Antonius hit you with his gauss?''


    "I know them all - and I crushed his windpipe before he could." Kazuki typed in every available code by memory, all two hundred, and still the door wouldn''t budge. ''Overwatch, we have a problem. None of the codes work.''


    Sato and Archius paused for a moment as the three-man team waited. Then, Sato gave an update, ''They probably changed the codes, seems like you guys will have to blow it.''


    ''And here I was naively believing we''ll have a clean-op¡­'' Archius trailed off. He was always a control freak, wanting everything to be his way and only his way, his disapproval of him saving Eliza attested to that - but no point living in the past. No point at all...


    Kazuki looked towards Quinn, nodding. Stepping forward, he attached a breaching charge on the locking mechanisms before he retreated back. Quinn gave Kazuki the trigger.


    He gripped his pistol, feeling the weight of his holstered railgun uneven him. Pressing down on the trigger, it made a clicky-clicky sound. A second of silence passed as a loud, crashing explosion filled the air as dust and grime blew up. The door came crashing out of place with a loud clang onto the floor.


    ? ? ?


    <div>


    Sound of coughing filtered out the building, as footsteps pushed into the safehouse. Through the smoke, Kaz saw that it was a typical Clandestine safehouse, bare-bone interior with two floors. Enough room for mild comfort but not too much. A long hallway to the front and a ''common room'' to the right with an inside balcony.


    Two figures staggered towards the smoke. Two shots turned the Loyalists into corpses before Kazuki ducked behind the half-wall between the hall and the common room. Claire was second, entering as bolts flew through the air. Loyalists in the common room took cover as they fired at the intruders, lighting the hall up.


    She ducked further in, behind a column supporting the floor above as Loyalists ran down the stairs on the other end of the hallway. The moment they came into view, Quinn gunned them down, plasma-pellets painting the walls red.


    ''Lazarus, cover and divert'' ordered Kazuki. He remained unflinching as bullets smacked into the pillar.


    Claire nodded, immediately poking her head out of cover and spraying into the common room with her rifle. The Loyalists all directed their attention towards her. Amidst the gunfire, Kazuki pulled himself around the pillar as Quinn took his place. Kazuki''s mind filtered in with drugs and stims. Three behind the sofas. Two behind a toppled shelf. Three in the opening pushing up to Claire.


    A bullet whizzed past his mask as he hammered down on the trigger. An unfair exchange of bullets smacked into the Loyalists in the common room. All fell where they stood. However, one jutted out of cover. They charged towards Claire from the sofa. As Kazuki was about to place a round in their armoured mask a flurry of rounds flung down at him from up above. Rounds bashed off his vest-plate as he ducked down.


    "Tch. Watch out."


    Loyalists on the balcony above fired down at them. He fired up at them to buy Claire and Quinn time. The Loyalist grappled with her and placed a bullet directly into her sides. She let off a small groan.


    He was just about to take another shot as she grappled with her knife and used their own momentum to cut deep into them, penetrating their neck and leaving them slumped against the column. Kazuki took note of it as a sniper bolt crashed through the armoured wall of the living room. A body fell over the balcony railing.


    Claire took cover, kicking the corpse out from behind the pillar. She let off a painful sigh, injecting her sides with healing stimulants. She kicked the dead corpse out into cover to get her more room.


    ''One for the hol-pad.'' said Amy¨¦, with her smug attitude.


    Kazuki took another glance as they continued to fire down at them. Quinn started to fire back. The trade of bullets went nowhere as more sniper bolts were exchanged.


    ''Epsilon, keep them suppressed,'' said Kazuki to Quinn.


    He nodded as he peeked out of cover, using his heavy armour to deflect incoming bolts as Kazuki tapped Claire on the shoulder. She followed him down the hallway, walking over corpses and puddles of both blood and exospine juice.


    Reaching the stairs, the two ascended to the second level of the safehouse. They saw the vault on the opposite end of the hall. Rushing forward, The two stuck to the wall as his aug-glasses highlighted the hostiles on the balcony, overflowing with information that only he had the memory to process.


    Bullets were still being exchanged, with Amy¨¦ trying to predict the locations of the Loyalists upstairs.


    He gave Claire a hand signal and clenched his fist. As he did, the two turned the corner and looked out onto the inside balcony. Three Loyalists were firing down at Quinn. Claire gunned down the Loyalists on the far end. The two Loyalists closest to Kazuki turned to fire at him. Before they could, he sent a bolt directly through both of their heads with his railgun.


    Gunfire ended. Amidst the silence, a bullet skidded through the wall and into the corpses. Amy¨¦ smugly remarked, ''Second.''


    Kazuki lets Amy¨¦ take the kill, he already has enough kills to his Contractor-Card to count. Walking up towards the vault door, Kazuki started to analyse it, touching the edges of the door and rubbing his gloves up and down it.


    ''Arbiter got the kill before you, Artillerist,'' Claire remarked, probably to make Amy¨¦ frustrated. She joined Kazuki as Quinn ran up to join them, taking point behind them.


    ''Go fuck yourself, you coulda left me with that!'' shouted Amy¨¦.


    The vault door was sealed with hydraulic-mag locks. Kazuki grumbled for a bit as he slid his pistol into his hidden holster and his railgun into his leg holster.


    ''Vault door. Do we have anything for that?''


    ''Crack-stick it,'' said Sato, ''I''ll crack it open.''


    Kazuki took out a cracking stick from his pocket. He checked to make sure it had Krystalink''s markings as he stuck it into the chain-key import. A few seconds passed as nothing happened.


    ''And¡­ open-sesame,'' said Sato. Immediately, the door mechanisms started to unwind as it slowly slid to the side.


    ''Took you long enough.'' remarked Archius.


    ''Ugh¡­'' Sato rolled her eyes.


    Kazuki took a step back. His brain ached. In a split moment, he dodged out of a grapple attempt by a Loyalist that was within the vault. Claire was nearly taken by surprise, but a quick bolt to the head through the wall silenced them. Blood and brain matter littered the floor as they fell to the ground. Claire immediately drew her backup shotgun and tapped their torso.


    Quinn dismissively looked at the corpse. "You good, Lazarus?"


    "Yeah¡­ Yeah." Claire said as she looked up towards the wall littered with anti-material bullet holes, ''Thanks.''


    ''Yeah, yeah, just buy me a drink later."


    Kazuki walked past the corpse as Quinn playfully patted Claire on the back. Claire took out a combat stim and injected herself with it in the small gap of chain-like armour on her neck.


    The safe room was filled to the brim with servers, equipment and some low-end weapons. Kazuki ignored all of the weapons. Claire started to look through an opened computer, it was old, archaic and bulky. Kazuki injected a cracking stick into one of the servers.


    ''Safehouse secured. Information''s being transferred to you.'' Kazuki said, walking over to Claire as she browsed through the laptop. The walls were plastered with old holo-news articles, mainly detailing the First Shadow War.


    Hopefully, this will be quick, he thought. He didn''t want to overuse his cybernetics. That''d only lead to more troubles, like Claire''s incessant bickering. But to them, he practically was one in age, Seven Merc or not didn''t matter.


    "Hey, Arbiter," Claire said, catching Kazuki''s attention as she was scrolling through a series of messages. "The Loyalists are under the command of someone called Afterlife, got anyone under that call-sign in that database of yours?"


    "I''m not just a database, you know? Surprisingly, I''m a living being." snapped Kazuki.


    He looked over her shoulder as he glanced down at the messages. He knew one person who had the calling of Afterlife. But he''s long gone. He should be. "I knew a guy in the industry with that call name. Dead, though."


    Claire shrugged, "Well, probably just a coincidence, then?"


    He nodded as Archius finally gave them their next orders. ''Overwatch to Phalanx team, information''s been secured. Get the hell out of there. Blank check on drinks for this one!''


    With that, Claire walked past Kazuki, leaving him glancing at the messages for a moment. His old mentor''s dead, he knows that. They dropped a building on him¡­ He sighs and walks away. Meanwhile, the laptop shut off, holo-monitor flicked offline.

 XX8: Newbie Debrief

    The flow of continuous information left a small smirk on Archius; the constant stream was being processed by Sato, who was connected to the data-centres from her uplink. Her eyes flickered with information as the ear-piece shone a dozen vibrant hues. He stuck his hand into the snack drawer within the C&C centre, taking out a chocolate bar. Unwrapping it, he threw it into his mouth.


    "Not the best¡­" Archius trailed off as he munched down on the chocolate. Back during the rebellion, chocolate was a rarity and he remembers there being a mini-economy based on snacks. But now that they''re the dominant merc-power in the republic, they don''t have to rely heavily on shitty rations.


    The command centre was pristine, lined with computers and holographic monitors. At the front, there was an overlooking bridge window that peered down into the control section of the Phoenix''s Fury, Kazuki''s command vessel orbiting the planet. Things in the command room were calm, simply him, Sato and Eliza. Eliza? He shot his head towards her in confusion before remembering that Kaz dropped her off here


    She was operating one of the computers, doing typical paperwork. Rivera must love her for doing her job for her. Archius put on a grin as he walked towards her, placing the wrapper into a hovering drone bin.


    "Hey, you''re gonna be done soon?" asked Archius.


    Eliza stopped as she looked towards him. She didn''t meet his green gaze as she scratched her head. "Y¡ªYeah, I just finished the equipment orders for the Katala Project, fascinating stuff."


    Archius kept up his smile, even if it was annoying. Even if it burdened him, it was necessary. He regretted showing Eliza his real face, but Kazuki always implied that she was open-minded. Eliza''s awkwardness was something he should probably tackle. "Good. So, are you settling in well? And don''t mind Quinn if you see him, he''s a bit of a weirdo even to us, actually no he''s just a fucking idiot."


    She nodded. He grumbled silently as he took out a datapad from his pocket, sliding it onto the desk in front of her. Manipulating people is much harder when they know who you really are.


    "There''s your copy of our current findings," said Archius, "Oh, and don''t lose it."


    "Wait?" Eliza activated the pad as it spurted out a hologram of data, "Am I¡­ allowed this?"


    Archius rolled his eyes. "Of course, you''d get one, you''re Kaz''s aide."


    "Fair¡­ enough," Eliza slipped the datapad into her pockets, "So, Archius, mind if I ask a personal question?"


    "Sure?" Archius leaned against the desk as Sato finished processing information.


    "You''ve known Kaz longer than me. I''m guessing you''ve been working with him for as long as I''ve known you and more. Do you know why he''s doing any of this?" She said as she scratched her right cheek with her left index finger.


    If that''s something she wants, why doesn''t she ask the man himself? Not even Archius knows some of Kaz''s little secrets, even if he tries to get him to spill ''em all the time. He decided to not answer it directly. "He''s not the most expressive of people, but if you want to kno¡ª"


    "¡ªHey! Y''all got anything good?" asked Quinn, entering the room with Lilly, Riharia and Martinez.


    The first three wore white-armoured trims, with an insignia of crossing on a web-like canvas, whilst the last had a gold-trimmed vest-plate, similar to Kazuki''s.


    Archius turned to face them as Sato nodded her head. She gave her updated report. "Locations on Loyalist safehouses and convoys, a lot of chatter. Luckily with the merges, we have more guns for hire to support a planet-wide operation."


    Quinn leaned against the side of the door as it closed. Archius always found it strange how he''d never fix up the missing portion of his left ear, even if it was mostly hidden away underneath his turquoise hair. Martinez took a seat opposite Sato. While Riharia and Lilly sat beside Sato at the command deck. Most of them had scars on their faces, signs of old fights.


    "If you''re here, I guess Kaz will be back soon?" asked Archius, grabbing Martinez''s attention.


    "Yeah, I think Phalanx Team took a different shuttle lane than us, though," said Martinez, "Traffic control."


    "Eh," Archius shrugged as Martinez scratched his black hair, the tips of each strand a deep violet. His face was lined with scars, painted over with golden tattoo streaks that struck vertically above and below his eyes.


    Riharia was spinning around in her chair, killing time with whatever entertainment she could find, as Lilly took out a cigarette box, passing one to Sato as the two shared a smoke. But Martinez took a glance towards Eliza. He pointed at her for a moment whilst clicking his fingers.


    "Hold up¡­ weren''t you that girl with Kaz and Archius?" asked Martinez. Archius was surprised that he could remember her, after all, it''s been a good week or so.


    She slowly nodded as Archius glanced down towards her. He might as well introduce her to them. "She''s¡ª"


    "I am Eliza Celeste-Delmara," Eliza interjected, standing up. Unlike the rest of them, she wasn''t wearing a combat uniform; nor was she wearing any implants or an exospine. She wore her typical everyday clothes, and Archius noticed Lilly rolling her eyes. Eliza''s voice was filled with life. "Kazuki''s aide, I look forward to working alongside you all."


    As one of three people in the room with no implants, Eliza stood out amongst even Archius and Sato - namely because no one really knew who she was. The Merc Business was always about connections and contracts, and here was this nobody, on the command deck of one of the most powerful warships in the system.


    Riharia simply looked at Eliza whilst eating, Lilly and Sato were smoking and neither seemed all too interested. Sato was half-asleep whilst Lilly maintained an air of discipline, calmly sketching something on a small notebook. As expected, Quinn broke the silence. "Oh! So you''re the cutie that Claire and Martinez were talking about."


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    "Uh¡­ Thank you?" Eliza trailed off as she went red with embarrassment, an appropriate response in all honesty. Quinn never quite manages to shut his mouth but at least this wasn''t as bad as how he acted before.


    Martinez shot a look at him. "Hey, don''t harass people you''ve just met."


    "Pfft," Quinn shrugged, "Surrrre general."


    "Bring that attitude onto the field and I might throw you into the reactor," said Martinez, half-jokingly, sighing as he turned back to Eliza and Archius. Martinez placed his hand up to his face, tired at having to deal with all his subordinates. "Kazuki probably won''t mind all too much."


    "I vote in favour," said Archius, jokingly as well - to the amusement of both Martinez and Quinn.


    "I''m betting you''re new to the business, we''re not all assholes like him - name''s Martinez. Kaz''s Two-I-C. Used to serve in the military before training planetary militia, if you could believe that. 4th Armoured Corp, Kastenor National Guard. Hell, we didn''t even have implants in the army¡­" Martinez then bumped his fist into his chest proudly.


    "Hey! I''m not that much of an asshole!" Quinn rebuked.


    Lilly muttered under her breath, seemingly tired of all this, "More of a thief than an asshole."


    As a brigadier-general, Martinez always had an eye on politics, Archius thought. But he was never a player, always an immovable object. Maybe that was why Kazuki liked him, liked him enough that he''d have far more leeway than any of his aides or subordinates.


    "Well, I''ve been told most contractors had served the Republic, namely the army, though. My dad told me that navy personnel had more applicable skills," said Eliza. Martinez was impressed with her knowledge.


    "Smart one," Martinez commented, looking at Archius with a grin.


    It wasn''t wrong, Archius mused. "Smarter."


    Sato and Lilly watched as Riharia jumped off her seat, placing the packet of crisps down and walked up to Eliza. Her crimson red hair, done in an overly pretty ponytail and side bangs contrasted her fairly pale skin as she squinted at her.


    Riharia contemplated for a moment as she said, "Left-handed or right-handed?" Quinn walked past Riharia as he went across the room.


    Eliza paused for a moment, probably expecting this to be some sort of set-up joke. "Left-handed?"


    Her head twisted over to Lilly, "Add one for left!"


    Lilly nodded dismissively. Out of everyone there, Lilly felt the most cold. Eliza was incredibly confused by this. "If you are trying to do a survey, why couldn''t you have done it on a message system?"


    "That''s what I told them!" Sato shouted, interjecting whilst complaining, "But nooo, Kazuki wouldn''t allow us."


    "And why is this important?" asked Eliza.


    Lilly took the cigarette out of her mouth as she spun to look at Eliza. "You really know nothing, huh? It''s for your equipment, whether you''re left handed or right handed. Have you tried drawing a pistol from a left holster with your right hand? In the heat of the moment, I''d prefer to draw with my dominant hand. And in the heat of the moment, a split second divides you from life and death." A hint of malice and anger lingered between her lips.


    Riharia took a step back, briefly shaking Eliza''s hand. "Ah¡­ I''m not one for fighting¡­" She trailed off, causing Lilly to raise an eyebrow at her statement.


    "Riharia, marines then security, and that''s Lilly, marines then logistics - and that''s Sato, and that''s Quinn, marines to security - like me!" introduced Riharia, pointing at each respective member in the room. It was quite a lot of information


    Quinn waved, showing a plasma cartridge he freshly snatched.


    "You still keep these around?" asked Quinn, catching the ire of Riharia. She snarled at him, Quinn''s limbs throwing back the cartridge in a panic. "Hey¡­ hey¡­ just looking out for you."


    Riharia and Eliza started talking to each other, away from the others. Girl-talk, or whatever, Archius thought... Either way, he listened in.


    "No! You can''t be that young... right?" asked Eliza. "I mean... Wow..."


    Riharia chuckled. "Hey, some of us were born in the dirt and snow! We grow up fast but I guess we don''t look like it, hmm? Well, except Quinn. He doesn''t act grown up at all, keeps stealing things from all of us that he finds interesting."


    Eliza shuddered. "Sounds quite challenging to live with him," she said. "I got Kaz and Archius staying at my place and I swear they''re using up all the toothpaste and toiletries..."


    Wait a minute, were they?! Probably Kazuki! A life of endless money hasn''t taught him how to budget. Great job he''s doing the AGENCY''s budgetting with Rivera. "Pfft, back in Clandestine we had to share the damn toothpaste, imagine that... We didn''t get a good dental plan."


    "You guys had a dental plan to begin with?" Eliza quipped. Riharia snickered. At least those two were getting along, but Archius knew Lilly wouldn''t take too well to Eliza''s presence here. She''s just a civilian, compared to all these freaks around Archius and Archius himself. "You guys did at least get healthcare, right?"


    Nodding, Riharia said, "Of course, half our job is getting shot at, the other half is shooting back. The Directors were stupid as shit, but they weren''t that stupid!"


    Eliza grinned widely. "You know," she murmured, but Archius could STILL listen in, even if he had to stretch his ear out to hear better. "I thought I''d be stranded here until Kazuki got back, but... I didn''t know Kaz had... so many..." Eliza stopped, as she was staring directly into Riharia''s eyes. What she probably was realising was that Kaz had a lot of... reasonably attractive women around him.


    And men, if he... No. Archius probably could have told if Kaz threw in that way.


    Riharia pointed a finger at Eliza''s face. "Don''t worry, we''re not gonna steal him from you," she quietly whispered over. Eliza''s face calmed. "Except Persephone." Eliza''s face stiffened with dread. "Just kidding, just kidding, anyways, how''d you get your hair all... smooth and silky?" Riharia grabbed a few strands of her own hair, which was remarkably not as silky and smooth as Eliza''s.


    Great, they were talking about boring things now, Archius thought, turning away.


    Martinez stood up and started to make his way out of the command room.


    "I''ll take off my exospine, it''s starting to sting," said Martinez. "But, better prepared than dead."


    "Ah, I might as well keep ya company," said Quinn, following after Martinez, "Oh, and tell me when Amy¨¦''s back."


    "Ugh, just don''t ask me stupid questions¡­" Martinez commented, his voice growing distant. "Or try to steal my under-plates."


    Lilly gave an uncaring nod as Riharia leaned against the command deck, nearly activating the emergency weapons control system. But before that could transpire, Lilly smacked her in the back, directly on the exospine as she avoided the screen button.


    "Agh, you dumb cathing arse!" Riharia said, rubbing her exoskeletal-reinforced back. "I should have removed it earlier..."


    The pain was, as expected, pretty bad. Archius has never seen it on the field, but he''s been told that landing on the back with an exoskeleton is equivalent to a kick in the balls from a Carijora goat-ram but across a much larger area. He didn''t know if that made it worse or better and he had no intention of finding out himself - he''ll leave the suicidal stuff to Kazuki.


    She slowly turned towards Eliza, holding onto her back and limping around. Riharia was always good-natured, unlike the two drunken idiots she hangs out with, Amy¨¦ and Quinn. "Good to meet you, Lizzy Celesty-Delmary."


    Eliza walked over to her and patted her on the back in an attempt to help her ease the pain. "Do we have any painkillers here?"

 XX9: AGENCYs Innercore

    Eliza looked through the information that Archius and Sato harvested. There was a lot of jargon that she didn''t understand, but there were several things she did. Numbers, statistics, manpower and generalised information. Other than that, she had no clue what they were on about. She was barely able to wrap her head around the BCA''s Contractor Bar after all. Such bureaucracy was pretty much standard across the galaxy, even for the organisation that regulates mercs.


    Across the room, Archius was playing a game of Dullahan''s Calling with Riharia, a holotype-card game popular amongst those in this industry. Though she personally always preferred the other versions of the game, the fantasy elements were never her favourite. Lilly and Sato continued to have their smoke break, it was most definitely a safety hazard. But no one here cares all that much; she doesn''t blame them. Most people in the business die before the age of forty, if they want to die this way, she''ll let them enjoy whatever semblance of joy they have left in this galaxy¡­


    Eliza glanced towards the holographic strategy game. She was going to interject and give Riharia some advice. Though the only experience she''s had in the game was against Kazuki... and that wasn''t exactly a learning experience. The sliding of the door caught her attention as she placed her data-pad down on the surface of the large command deck in front of her.


    "Status report, I want it pronto," demanded Kazuki, entering the room.


    Even here, he was wearing his armour, a light combination of a vest-plate with other armoured pads and plates across his chest and limbs. It was consistent with the old Clandestine models, but all of theirs had the three pillars of the AGENCY on their shoulders to mark their allegiance - instead of the crescent concave moon. Kazuki had a gold trim, the only other person with the same trim colouring as Martinez.


    The sight only reminded Eliza of that rift between herself and him... So different lives, yet here she is. She must do her best!


    "Multiple convoys, possible routes are given but most are probably fakes," said Archius, still focusing on playing his game, flicking up a whole table of traps to put down.


    Sato and Lilly snuffed their cigarettes out, flicking them into the waste disposal drone bin hovering around. They probably wanted to avoid Kazuki''s judgement if they were caught smoking, or maybe they knew how his lineage always had weak immune systems. Thinking back then, when Victoria met Kazuki, he did look ill.


    Sato spoke up, "We''ve run it through the Phoenix''s Fury''s analyspec, but we''ve only been able to narrow things down to four possible routes. Convoy''s hauling equipment, heavy load."


    Kazuki nodded, his eyes glancing across the room towards Eliza. There were no thoughts or emotions in those hollowed-out, golden husks.


    "Eliza," Kazuki said, awakening her from her stream of thought as she jolted in place, "Get us rocket launchers, X1G-50s."


    She looked down towards her data-pad as she activated it once again, opening it up and activating her command panel, sending a transfer order through, immediately confirmed. "Drones are transporting them to the hangar bay as we speak."


    "Which one?" snapped Lilly, looking towards Eliza, her armour had a white trim. Her hostility was far beyond open. Maybe she wasn''t all too familiar with outsiders, Eliza thought. She understood that sentiment. After all, who was she to be here?


    "Uh¡­" being put on the spot normally wasn''t all too bad for her. Public speaking was her strong suit, though not as strong as Archius''. She looked back at the pad. "Hangar-5, the largest one on the stern."


    "Yeah, we know where hangar-5 is!" Lilly retorted.


    Sato jabbed Lilly in the sides as Kazuki paused, allowing things to play out. As things settled down, he turned his head towards Lilly and calmly glared. He uttered a single word, "Done?"


    Lilly straightened herself out and nodded silently. Kazuki didn''t seem all too intimidating from Eliza''s perspective, though from the view of someone in the industry, someone like him is an embodiment of death itself. But maybe having the closest thing to the reaper''s representative fighting alongside them was a good thing.


    "But¡­" Eliza started, "May I suggest the SABIR tipped rockets? It says on the database that they''re good against armour."


    It wasn''t much, but it was something. If she could help in any way whatsoever she''ll take the opportunity. For once, Lilly didn''t immediately retort back to her.


    Sato spoke up, "She makes a fair point. Those rockets are probably the only things you didn''t waste on Cantari-4."


    Kazuki didn''t respond to the sass. But if Eliza remembered, Cantari-4 was Clandestine''s now destroyed fortress world in wild space. It''s been a month or so since its announced destruction. The realisation that she''s an outsider is starting to hit deeper than she expected.


    She meekly stayed still as her normal outgoingness was overcome with awkwardness. Kazuki and Archius stayed around these people for a long time, and they probably have somewhat of a strong bond with them. But her? She meant nothing to them¡­ did she make the right call? Her mind slowly pondered as a voice cut through.


    "¡ªLizzie! Wanna play some Dullie with me?" asked Riharia. Eliza looked over, she had just won against Archius as he grumbled silently, giving off an annoyed look. She didn''t know if that face was one of his supposed many faces. What happened back at her place was still uneasy to her. Archius Bar-Lyst? That cheery public rep was a spymaster? It did make some sense when she thinks about it.


    "Thanks for the offer, but I''m not much of a holo-deck player," said Eliza, scratching the back of her head whilst giving Riharia a warm smile.


    She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Oh, come on! Kazuki and Sato are too good and Lilly just plays the meta!"


    "Because the meta is good!" rebuked Lilly, showing a less hostile side to Eliza, "There''s a reason why the Pike meta is mainstream because it''s historically good."


    "That''s enough." interjected Kazuki, his voice emotionless and steady, "Heimfall and Deltastring will take the most likely of convoy routes. Martinez''s forces will be on the surface as a reserve. Persephone and Hosea''s teams will take the other routes, is that clear?"


    Everyone in the room nodded, except Eliza. She frantically nodded out of turn to ''catch up'' with the conversation. Kazuki looked towards Lilly for a moment as Eliza caught a glimpse of their uplinks blinking. She always wanted to know what a mil-grade uplink felt like. Her father told her that from his experience fighting in the Anagoran siege, they felt crisp and smooth, unlike the civilian models.


    Eliza caught glimpses of everyone in the room exchanging glances. Her curiosity was cut short as Lilly turned to her, saying, "We won''t be bringing her down with us, right?"


    Eliza shook her head, trying to make a light-hearted joke. "Ah, no, I''d be a goner if I went on the field. And fighting''s not exactly my forte."


    Lilly leaned closer towards her. Cold discipline snapped at her, "Oh really? Ya know, back in the Marines, most recruits lasted¡­ five seconds? Eight if we''re generous. Everyone here knows how to kill, except for you. If you ever get endangered, you''ll be a burden."


    Her words silenced Eliza. Kazuki remained still as he had both his hands on the command deck. She didn''t have him to get her out of this.


    "I¡ª" Eliza thought hard, she wanted Lilly to understand that she meant no offence to her, if she even did offend her, "¡ªam not good at fighting, nor am I well versed in this business; but Kaz gave me an opportunity for mutual benefit¡­"


    Lilly shot a glance towards Kazuki as Sato was sleeping a log on in her chair. "What deal did you sign with her?"


    "She provides logistical aid. We provide her with guns."


    "Tch, this ain''t even a fucking contract, if I''m working with her¡ª"


    "¡ªThe pay is coming out of my own pockets." interjected Kazuki, "Anyone assisting us will be compensated heavily for their extended services."


    Lilly grumbled, looking back towards Eliza. She had no idea what she did wrong, maybe it was her attitude? No¡­ she tried to be nice to all of them. Was it the fact that she had no experience? It was the most likely reason.


    "Fine! Fine," Lilly shouted, pointing at Eliza''s brooch, "You, me, training sim. If I''m gonna work with you, I want to make sure that you ain''t some upper-class echelon boot-licker."


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    "I''m not even upper class¡­" Eliza muttered.


    Lilly was half-right, she thought. She was fortunate enough to be in the upstart aristocracy, but she was far from the upper class. Eliza shivered¡­ What did Lilly just demand exactly? Her eyes widened as Lilly pointed towards her, holding onto a water canteen.


    A shockwave filled the air, and vibrations scattered throughout the simulated facility; soot had dirtied the walls. The complex she was trapped in was made entirely of piston-operated blocks and slabs, moved up and down through the floor to make a simulation field. A rush of adrenaline kept meeting newer and newer heights with each passing second as she tried her best to survive.


    The pain and agony quickly seeped into her arms as she threw herself around one of the many corners of the simulated battleground. Its blank walls were littered with bullet holes, plasma scorches and soot from the grenades Lilly had been launching across the simulation.


    She continued to run. How the fuck was she going to win? No idea, she had no idea. It had to be impossible, right? The pain in her body pushed her forward as the mixture of adrenaline and unstoppable determination locked her mind to panic. Her crimson eyes glistened.


    "Fuck¡­ COME BACK HERE!" shouted Lilly, in the distance. "I''LL MAKE IT QUICK. PROMISE! YOU BETTER COME BACK OR I''LL MIND-SNARE YOU."


    Eliza glanced up at the black pane ceiling that separated the test field from the observation deck. Her heart continued to race as she swore never to get into this industry as a contractor. Her legs and shins were aching as she broke into one of the numerous rooms inside the simulated facility. Collapsing against a wall, she heaved a huge breath as she slammed her hand against the vest-plate on her chest. Its durability was reaching its limits. She reached out towards the door and slowly pushed it closed.


    She had dropped both her guns when fighting Lilly. Well, ''fighting'' was giving her too much credit. It was more of a slaughter on her end. She could hear Lilly''s Footsteps approaching through the hallways outside. She held her breath whilst tying up her hair.


    Eliza hastily forced herself to calm down as her footsteps were audible outside. She closed her eyes for a moment, hoping that she''d just walk past. It was at times like these that she wished that she just run away from it all. For a moment, she wished she never changed. She wished that she was that emotionless, cold husk of logic that she used to be. Maybe that Eliza would''ve known how to deal with Lilly.


    Opening her eyes, she took a single glance through a gap in the doorframe, Lilly slowed down as she started to search the rooms in the area. With each door that cracked open, her heart jolted. She scrambled upwards against the wall beside the door.


    Kazuki agreed to this test¡­ but why? Why? WHY?! She didn''t have time to think. No more time. Eliza could hear her heavy breaths as Lilly placed the gun muzzle on the door, noticing that it had been opened before from the small amount of sweat on the door knob.


    Lilly slowly pushed the door open. Its squeeze contrasted with the violent crashes of the other doors. Panic set in as Eliza was still as a rock. She closed her eyes. Nothing came to mind. This time, there was no Kazuki, nor Archius to help her. Archius¡­ her mind remembered back to when he was cornered. He grappled and went for the jugular. It was bloody, but everyone''s used to death. An idea quickly formulated.


    As Lilly entered the room, Eliza could see her back slowly pass by the opened door as she gripped the knife on her belt. And with a heave of exhaustion, she pushed forward. She threw herself forward, lunging at Lilly.


    Just in time, Lilly twisted to meet the attack as she slammed down on the trigger. Bullets went flying past Eliza as her momentum knocked Lilly''s gun to the ground. Lilly blocked Eliza''s knife stab as she grabbed her arm, before swiping in with her slice.


    Eliza''s mind followed through with what Archius did. Disarm. She interposed her other arm to hold Lilly''s blocking hand as she threw her knife hand directly into her attack. The blades clashed for a moment. But in this moment of stalemate, Lilly made her move.


    "Agh!" Eliza cried as Lilly kicked her in the stomach. She was thrown back against the wall as Lilly steadied herself, throwing her knife directly towards Eliza.


    "Come on! Outsider! Let''s finish this!" shouted Lilly.


    Once again, Liz threw her arms up as she felt a searing pain cut deep into her right forearm. She gritted her teeth as she used all remaining willpower to stop herself from crying out loud in agony. Eliza took a step forward as Lilly leaned over, picking up her rifle. And as Eliza aimed, she had one chance. She threw herself once again at Lilly, throwing Eliza back against the wall behind her; Lilly''s brown hair slightly blinded the line of fire, one of her eyes masquerading behind an eyepatch - whilst a long scar scratching down from her forehead, across her other eye, down to her lips. Her voice matched the ferocity of her looks.


    But just as Eliza finally had the chance, the one opportunity to land a single hit in - she felt a bullet pass through her guts. Her vest-plate unravelled as the simulation ended. The bloodied, deteriorated walls descended into the ground as their equipment disappeared. Eliza felt her uplink flicker off and on with a reboot as she fell onto the ground beside Lilly from exhaustion.


    "Dammit¡­"


    Any injuries suffered by the two of them were gone. Their nervous systems reverted to their normal states as pain relievers were inhaled straight into their system from the gases floating around the chamber.


    Staring up above, she saw the black pane disappear as the observation deck came into view.


    A voice filled the intercom system, "Alright, get ''em up here, good showing you two."


    It was a playful but serious voice, Archius'' she presumed. Hovering drones came into view from the sides of the simulated battle arena. She couldn''t tell what model they were, but they weren''t civilian models. They hovered right up to them, bringing stretchers forward. Eliza was lifted onto one as Lilly shook the drones off of her.


    "I can handle myself," Lilly said, staggering up in an act of defiance.


    The two got back up into the observation room. There were many operatives in the room that were watching the fight. News probably got out about Lilly fighting someone. Eliza sat up on the stretcher as she twisted her body to look at Kazuki. He didn''t have anything written on his face. But she knew that underneath those golden eyes was a fervour, she''s seen it before. Her doubts slowly seeped back in, Kazuki''s violent but there must be a reason¡­ Even compared to what little she''s seen in the industry, he''s far more brutal.


    "You lasted longer than I expected," said Kazuki.


    "Hey!" Archius interjected, "Good job."


    Archius came over to her as he patted her on the shoulders. Kazuki remained still as Archius slapped her on the back. Now that she thinks about it, Archius always was an enigma to her - maybe even to Kazuki. Kaz always seemed to act cautious around him; well he acts cautious around everyone¡­


    ''Good job,'' said Synthia, the holographic projection forming from her holo-phone, ''You put on quite a show, Miss Eliza.''


    ''Not¡­ good enough¡­'' Eliza muttered to Synthia.


    "But¡­ good enough to get me like this." Lilly staggered in as Quinn and Amy¨¦ were right there to make fun of her.


    "You nearly lost to the hottie!" shouted Quinn, slapping his superior on the back. Amy¨¦ sniggered.


    "Haha! Look at the old hag!" snapped Amy¨¦, wrapping an arm around Quinn as the two laughed at Lilly.


    A grizzled man placed himself between everyone as Lilly took a step forward, frightening the group of operatives, most of which wore red and white trimmed armours. He had white hair and a white stubble, pale as the Eclipse maelstrom, yet glanced down at Eliza dismissively. "Hey, at least she has the balls to fight the newbie!"


    But Lilly moved him aside. "Thank you, O''Hara, now get back to work. I''ll be doubling your guard duty next time round," ordered Lilly.


    Eliza looked at the operatives, noting that these were the men and women that she''ll be using to help her investigation, with added manpower this should be easier. The immediate sense of dread filled many operatives as they immediately stood to order and fled from the room, leaving only those that she couldn''t lay a hand on.


    Lilly twisted to Eliza. "Alright¡­ outsider, I guess there''s hope for you yet."


    Her eyes thinned at Eliza as Lilly''s face made an unremarkable expression. Yet that wasn''t what caught Eliza''s attention. Her words felt somewhat warm, and her bias towards that warmth forced her to ignore everything else.


    "Thanks¡­" said Eliza. "Do you really have to be harsh on them?"


    "Hmph." Lilly turned away, showing Eliza her white-trimmed armour and gold-trimmed pauldron. The bias showed as Eliza once again refused to acknowledge what Lilly truly meant.


    Claire approached Eliza, kneeling down to her level. "Don''t worry about the pain you feel, you''ll get used to it. Simulated pain is probably the closest thing you''ll be getting to on-field testing."


    She immediately injected a few medi-jectors into Eliza as she made sure that everything was alright. Eliza caught a glimpse of the green cross underneath her lightly armoured plate.


    "Thank you," said Eliza.


    "No need, name''s Claire, a self-taught medical expert." Claire replied as she lowered her voice, "But don''t worry about that, learnt most of it from textbooks; there''s a lot of nuances to injectors, so don''t think that it''s just as simple as injecting away the pain."


    "Wait¡­ you didn''t go to med-school?" asked Eliza, watching Claire tend to every one of Eliza''s ailments, even the bruises on her arms with aseptic spray.


    "Fuck no!" Shouted Claire. "Too expensive, have you seen the admission rates? Still, if you need me to patch you up, I''m here for you." She continued to spray down the bruises and scratches, ensuring not a speck of pathogens remained, figuratively of course. Her crimson armour with a slide of gold showed some connection between Claire and Kazuki, though Eliza chalked it up to her being one of his commanders, like Lilly or Martinez.


    Eliza was left slightly dumbfounded; there was someone just as dedicated as her! The sensation of admiration crept onto her, just like how she idolised so many people in the past from scientists, engineers and inventors.


    Eliza glanced up at Kazuki. He didn''t have anything to say as Claire helped her up. "Come on, new kid, there''s a bar that me, Lilly, Quinn and Amy¨¦ go to. Perfect place for contractors like us, you down for it?"


    "Why, thank you, I''d love to have something to drink." Eliza smiled at Claire as they started to walk off. "I can pay the bill if I am honoured to do so."


    "Sure, sure." But a single sentence caught Eliza off guard as Claire twisted to Kazuki. "Oi, she''s legal for drinking right? Don''t wanna be bringing in someone underaged again."


    Kazuki nodded. Eliza was only a few months younger than Kazuki. By now, if they had just had normal lives¡­ they''d be in university. But here they are. Claire turned to Eliza as they left the room, "So, you watching any shows?"


    "Well, the one with Dr. Garreau is quite interesting," said Eliza. Claire''s mouth slowly opened, a grin on her face.

 X10: The Ambush

    Silence followed. Kazuki glanced over at Lilly as Archius rolled his eyes.


    "I''m not that young¡­" Archius said, shrugging and sitting down, taking out a report. "Hmm¡­ missing explosives¡­ probably criminals."


    Lilly sighed as she gave Kazuki a stare. "She''s not ready. You know that."


    "She''s not for combat," said Kazuki. He understood her eyes, she despised Eliza. It was somewhat understandable. A new girl? An outsider? Here? Kazuki hoped that they''d get along well.


    "She won''t last a minute in this industry. Get her the fuck out, before you kill her, you were lucky that Gabriel knew how to fight."


    "She won''t die." Kazuki intensified his own glare, his pupils penetrating through Lilly''s skull. "She has a specific set of skills that I wish to utilise. And if any of them lay a hand on her... I will see that justice be done."


    Lilly narrowed her eyes into an inquisitive glare, slowly realising something. "What do you want with her? Why her of all people? You know, some defectors say that you killed Tessie over a pink-haired girl¡­ that''s her, isn''t it? Just what are you planning, Kazuki?"


    "I''m planning nothing," Kazuki said, bluntly.


    But his mind continued to race, he knew he was lying. Eliza meant far more than Lilly could even know. Kazuki''s eyes thinned. "But I owe her this, no more questions. Understood, Captain?"


    ? ? ?


    ''Understood.'' Kazuki pulled back his pistol''s receiver and he placed it back into his holster, picking up the SMG that was lent to him for the mission. He tried to pull back its receiver, only to have it jam.


    "Tch¡­" Kazuki glanced up at Claire, Project Heimfall''s commander and foremost medical expert, even though she never went to med school. All of her knowledge was gained through extensive learning.


    She leaned one of the expendable rocket launchers on the side of the half-wall. She took a single glance down at the streets below, before looking up at the dark, sparkle-lit Sub Level ceiling. It was just enough to illuminate the rooftops. The pillars blocked A lot of light, substituting the light for auras of warmth and light from houses embedded into the pillars, hanging from above and from the side.


    People who live and die in the Sub Levels will only know the ceiling as the closest thing to the endless freedom that the stars offer. Moving up was everything to them, the prestige of living on the surface was something to die and kill for. And many do.


    But no matter how hard they worked and bled, this ''meritocracy'' was far from rewarding. Claire looked up at Kazuki. "Sorry, Arbiter. I haven''t cleaned it in a while."


    Kazuki grumbled as he disassembled and reassembled the SMG near-instantly. It was a standard issue, so he already knew its blueprints. But he knew that for many things. He shimmied over to the edge of the damp slum roof, interconnected with many buildings up and down, tall and wide.


    "We''re ready," said Riharia, placing her rifle''s bipod on the half-wall before glancing down at the half-bustling street. "How long do we have to wait?"


    "Just wait," said Kazuki.


    Claire shot up. "Oh, wow, waiting, let me guess: a week? I brought some films if you guys wanna watch some." She rummaged through her flak-armour vest-plate, pulling out a few holo-film cartridges.


    Riharia let out a gasp of surprise as if an elder sibling had brought back home a fuck-load of sweets that they got from stealing their parent''s pocket money.


    It was a force of primarily Deltastring. The logic was simple. Deltastring had more manpower; they''ll take the brunt of the attack. But Claire had to stay close. She''s the closest thing he had to a personal medic. Claire stuck a few injectors into Kazuki''s hidden exospine, with only the nape being exposed.


    She shifted his hair out of the way. "Fucking hell, at some point there won''t be any injectors that can dampen its usage," Claire said, her voice aching with worry.


    "I''m sorry for making you do this," said Kazuki. He glanced away, he''d been getting more and more reliant on her. That must change. He can''t let another get close. Close is where it hurts the most - when they are all torn away. When. Never if. Who else will be next, Kazuki asked himself. No one knew.


    Luckily, the AGENCY has a clear objective. Once the real convoy was located, the Loyalists wouldn''t stand a chance. Lilly''s a field commander, more useful in the skies of the Sub Level than being deployed on the roof level. Cold vapours filled the air as floating platforms, high-rise slums and run-down structures filled Kazuki''s vision when he glanced upwards. Anagora, at last. No fluff, just reality.


    Kazuki turned towards O''Hara, sealing his helm-mask on, before looking off to the other roofs. ''All forces, make your final preparations. Spotters, status report.''


    Looking across the low-rise rooftops, Kazuki could see scattered pockets of AGENCY mercs on many of them. Most wielded rockets but a few were holding onto more conventional weapons.


    ''They''ll be here in a minute or so, Arbiter.''


    ''Alright. Give an update when you see them." Kazuki glanced towards the T intersection at the end of the small road - then at the operatives on the buildings above it. Despite what was to come down, the streets were still beaming with life. ''Cassia team, we''ll be hitting on your mark. Try to keep civilian casualties to an absolute minimum''


    ''Understood.'' said Cassia Team''s leader as he waved over to Kazuki across the building. The previous op required precision and coordinated force. But this op? He needed firepower. He sealed his mask as he ducked back down. He always wanted to ensure things were coordinated well, Kazuki thought, too well. There''s a reason why he wasn''t chosen as Heimfall''s leader.


    "I wish I could have brought along a few others¡­" Claire lamented.


    Kazuki snapped back, "I only need you."


    "Wow¡­ I''m flattered," Claire said whilst rolling her eyes. "I just can''t help but worry about them."


    "They''ll be fine. If the removal of one team leader destroys the entire unit, then it never deserved to exist," Kazuki coldly stated.


    Claire sighed. "I guess you''re right, they''ll be alright, they have Amy¨¦ with them, after all."


    "Save being a nosey sibling later," said Kazuki, lightly tapping Claire across her vest-plate.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She let off a small chuckle. "Let me guess, you were the type of single child to ask your parents for a brother?"


    "No and no," Kazuki replied to her joke with utmost professionalism. "Sister. I preferred being a single child."


    Claire shrugged. "I''ll drink to that when we get back, right?" Kazuki gave a slow nod. "But shouldn''t the ENFORCERs be patrolling these streets?" asked Claire, peeking her head over. The streets below were still populated, though dimly lit and covered in soot and a metallic smell. "And why the hell didn''t we evacuate the civvies?"


    "We were all Clandestine once. If things suddenly get quiet, they''ll expect trouble. Given Clandestine''s track record, I''ll take my bets; that risking civilians now will save dividends later."


    "Tch, you think those Forcies will do anything to help us?" asked O''Hara, "Trust me. They''re in it only for the money. Doesn''t matter if we all stab each other as long as they can line their pockets."


    "What about the Unicorns?" asked Riharia.


    Kazuki replied, "They won''t come. The SPTU Task Forces prefer to stay far away from the Sub-Levels. I understand them."


    ENFORCERs were always a pain in the back. And without Clandestine, it seems they''ve become more prevalent to fill in the power gap left behind. The chaos was foreseeable, Kazuki knew that. Everyone did. And still, they chose it, better chaos than Clandestine.


    ''Liz, just listen in, alright?'' asked Kazuki, ''Don''t worry. Harvest as much information and function as an auxiliary arm to Sato and Archius.''


    ''Ah, alright¡­'' Eliza meekly trailed off. She will help the AGENCY, for now. He might as well teach her the basics of being an analyst - and a handler. With the recent chaos, he needs more of everything. And Eliza''s capable, she''s already solved some of the logi-team''s problems.


    Riharia was about to say something before the spotters highlighted themselves on the uplink system. ''They''re turning the corner, Arbiter.''


    Kazuki immediately shot into position as Claire and O''Hara placed the launchers over their shoulders. If they want to cripple the Loyalists, hitting their supply lines should work. They might be dedicated hardliners, but even the deadliest Loyalists is worthless without ammo and equipment. Afterlife¡­ in the worst-case scenario, he''d prefer to be prepared for that encounter.


    ''All forces, ready up. Cassia Team, fire when ready.''


    ''Underst¡ª"


    Something caught Kazuki''s spine; a jab of pain into his mind. A headache roared up, he shot back towards the hover-vans rolling down the street. Smoke rose. A single rocket was set alight from the side door of the van - directly at the building Cassia Team was on.


    The rocket smashed into the building. Bullets started to fly. Debris flew up into the air. Civilians down on the street were caught in the crossfire of shrapnel and rubble. Smoke and dust kicked up and engulfed the AO. A collage of chaff and rockets spewed up forth, colliding with the buildings - sending debris, dust, concrete and blood up into the air.


    Kazuki calmly ordered, ''Engage. All forces engage!''


    Through the chaos and the dust and smoke, gunfire ignited. A simple glance at the reader on his aug-glasses showed high casualties from the initial salvos.


    ''No life signs on Cassia. KIA, continue with the mission,'' said Archius. ''They''ll try to reach the bridge. The other side is Kanrasa territory, let''s not get shot down today.''


    ''Come on¡­ Kaz¡­" muttered Eliza, not realising that everyone could hear her on the uplink. He ignored her words of encouragement. Putting her a screen away from him might prove to be problematic, he thought, this¡­ will be embarrassing.


    Smoke erupted from Claire''s launcher as a projectile smashed into the electron-shield of one of the vans. She threw the launcher aside as the vans started to pick up speed. As the vehicles sped up, the rear hover-vehicle of the trio of vans was slammed directly with a hail of rockets, sending it up in molten lead and fire.


    But before this small victory could be savoured, the clambering of steel behind them all stung at Kazuki''s mind. A combination of senses caused his body to jerk to the side. He twisted around as he threw himself and Claire to the roof floor. And just as they made contact, Loyalists streamed up from an emergency staircase opposing them.


    "Behind us!" Kazuki shouted.


    Pandemonia ensued. Kazuki took the lead Loyalist out with his SMG. All the while, he scrambled upwards and off of Claire as bullets flew past him. O''Hara placed himself directly in the line of fire to protect Riharia. Claire staggered up as she joined in. But with every Loyalist killed, another took their place.


    ''Shit! Ambush!''


    ''They''re here!''


    Reports from the uplink gave it away, this was a set-up¡­ a setup? Who leaked? No. This can''t be a leak¡­ His paranoia clashed with the necessity to fight as he glanced at Riharia. Was it even a leak? Did someone predict this whole operation? It¡­ felt familiar. But no: correlation is not causation.


    She was firing her rifle point blank at the Loyalists as they took cover behind large air ducts. O''Hara was dead.


    ''Shit! Watch out! Fuck¡­'' Eliza trailed off. ''Riharia! Check on O''Hara."


    He was dead. Died to give Riharia enough time. Kazuki wasn''t filled with any feelings of sadness; It was just another dog tag to the collection. He quickly dragged himself behind cover as Claire snuck under a hail of bolts to join him.


    Reloading her rifle, Claire sprayed erratically above as she suppressed the Loyalists, allowing Riharia to drag both herself and O''Hara''s corpse behind a radiator exhauster.


    ''Hunter''s dead! Leave him.'' said Kazuki, over squad communications to Riharia.


    ''Dammit!'' Riharia said, looking down at O''Hara, just then noticing the small pool of blood exiting from his open neck. His visor was cracked, showing Kazuki his splattered face. He spent a split nano-second prying his eyes off it.


    ''Vall¨¦, intercept the convoy,'' ordered Kazuki, a bullet whizzing past overhead.


    Lilly, Vall¨¦, responded, ''On it. Leave us with a few to kill when we get there.''


    ''Kaz, they''re moving up on your position,'' said Eliza.


    It seems like she didn''t get the memo about codenames - but he took her advice. He could feel the exhaust system kick into gear as he pumped cocktails of drugs into his bloodstream. He twisted up and leapt over cover, pushing his body forward as he kicked into the first Loyalist. An exchange of bolts sent bullets flicking off his armour, whilst his SMG peppered their armour with high-velocity explosive rounds.


    Riharia raised her head out of cover and, with Claire, gunned down the rest of the Loyalist hounds sent on them. Kazuki immediately turned to Riharia. "Gambit, assist the other teams. Fight off the ambush."


    "And you?"


    "We''ll go after the cargo. Get going!" said Kazuki, turning to Claire.


    She nodded as they started chasing the vans. The extra endurance the exospines gave them helped. Greatly. Kazuki held onto the grip of his SMG with one hand. "We''ll approach from behind. Keep up."


    "And you don''t get shot, m''kay?" said Claire. The remark skidded past Kazuki as he started into a run. His lacklustre response didn''t amuse Claire as she ran after him. But what was she expecting from him? He never cared enough to indulge in useless small talk when unnecessary.


    The two ran across the rooftops, jumping over alleys and running through the bacteria-infested puddles that lingered on the roofs, most of which had started to freeze. Loyalists clambered up buildings to try and stop the two, though none were able to match the experience of the two contractors. It was taking its toll, though. With each passing round from Kazuki''s muzzle, he could feel his exospine slowly exhaust itself.


    Luckily, their ambush location had far too many twists and turns. Kazuki looked down onto the streets. The vans were trying to make it towards the Sub-District bridge. They continued to slither along the road as the duo got closer.


    Just as they turned the corner, a single missile smashed into the second van.


    ''The cavalry''s here!'' introduced Lilly, shouting loud and on the uplink.


    ''They''re nearing the bridge¡­'' Sato said worryingly ''Do not let them cross it!''


    ''You guys can do it!'' Eliza added on.


    Hesitation lingered. She was clearly out of her depths, Kazuki thought. Perhaps he misjudged bringing her. But once again, the logistics situation was a living nightmare. His bland observation led him to believe that Eliza was trying. Trying to help at best, trying to fit in at worst.


    At least running an insurgency was far easier than running a small army capable of bringing down nations.


    ''Get after that final van,'' said Kazuki, watching as a shuttle skidded down onto the rooftops. The gunners and escort drones turned any Loyalist that tried to fire at the shuttle into red mist as Kazuki and Claire jumped on board.

 X11: Interception

    Kazuki could see a dozen Loyalists fire up at them as the shuttle approached overhead. But all of them were taken out by the gunners, whilst those that remained were shredded by the drones. Even more shuttles came into view as the AGENCY threw their strength into the attack.


    Lilly pushed past Claire as she lugged a spigot launcher on her shoulder. Lilly knelt to support herself as she aimed in front of the van. The blink of a firing mechanism slowly activated.


    Claire said, "Alright¡­ let''s see if Quinn replaced the spigots with pool noodles!"


    However, Kazuki pushed the launcher''s barrel down to the floor of the shuttle before she could pull the trigger. ''Don''t destroy it. I''d prefer to capture this final one."


    ''It''s probably just rations, Arbiter.'' said Lilly.


    ''But¡­'' Archius interjected, ''Might be something important, don''t you think?''


    ''It isn''t worth the effort.'' added Sato.


    Archius was viewing the situation from a monitor drone far up above as the shuttle neared the van. Even if most of the drones were destroyed or damaged, there was still enough work to use them effectively.


    ''Eliza, what do you think?'' asked Archius. Kazuki grumbled at that and narrowed his eyes, using her role as an aide to help push his view. But he wouldn''t expect anything less from that social engineering control freak.


    As expected, she sang his tune. ''Additional supplies would be nice¡­''


    ''There we go!''


    ''Quiet, you two.'' ordered Kazuki as he flicked open his ANCHOR-watch, its calculations and deviating fields changing with each nano-second. "I''ll ANCHOR onto the shuttle."


    "Teleporting directly on top of them!?" Claire shouted in an inquisitive voice.


    "Yes."


    Bullets whizzed up at the shuttle, with a Loyalist sticking their head out of the passenger-seat window - only to be met with flying bolts of disapproval. Their body was riddled with returning fire - thrown to the ground. Zero out of ten for execution. Kazuki''s golden eyes activated.


    Kazuki''s mind formulated and crafted everything necessary as his ANCHOR watch lit up. And in a sparkless nanosecond, a bloodied, formless light engulfed him as he ANCHORed on top of the van. The shockwave of his landing sent vibrations down into it. Another Loyalist peeked out to check the commotion.


    As they saw him, he raised a muzzle at Kazuki, only for him to spray them point blank. Their body fell onto the streets below as civilians were scrambling away. Bullets smacked through the van''s hull as those on board tried to shoot through the armour up into Kazuki. He narrowly dodged a bullet as the van turned the corner. He felt his body skid.


    ''Kaz!'' shouted Eliza, in a panic. Her worry did not help whatsoever. ''Watch out, it''ll try to swerve.''


    Kazuki grabbed onto the van as it tried to throw him off. He stabbed his knife deep into its armoured hull as he fired his backup pistol into the cargo compartment of the van. Swapping to his primary pistol, he clambered to the front and placed several bullets into the driver''s seat from above.


    Kazuki glanced up as the series of shuttles hovering up above followed along the road. Loyalists on the rooftops were quickly taken down, with the van starting to steer off course. He grabbed onto the door of the van, tearing it off. He slid into the driver''s seat, pushing the driver''s corpse into the empty passenger seat.


    ''We can''t use Mag-locks with you on it!'' panicked Eliza.


    He had, to put it bluntly, no idea how to stop a hover-van. Driving was never his expertise, it was Karl''s - the navy''s ace. His eyes scanned a manual between the cup holder and gear stick. He snatched it and flicked through it. His eyes glittered with information as he threw it at the corpse in a measured calm.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ''Oi! Get that thing under control!'' shouted Lilly, ''You''re gonna crash it!''


    ''Clearly, I am trying to send this van down to the planet''s core.'' snapped Kazuki, slamming down on the pedals whilst doing an emergency halt, twisting the van''s wheel and slamming down on one of the many buttons on its screen dashboard.


    The hover beams snapped shut as the van landed directly on the pavement. A scraping noise filled the air as it started to skid along the sidewalk. Civilians narrowly avoided the spiralling van as it came to a halt.


    "Fuck¡­" Kazuki trailed off, taking in a huge breath as he let go of the wheel. Small vapours of steam left his mouth.


    ''Nice save, Kaz.'' said Archius, snickering.


    As he got out of the van, the shuttles nearby got close, landing and forming a defence line. They began to unload their passengers as AGENCY operatives secured the area, surrounding and creating a perimeter against anyone that might want to interrupt the operation, be it civilian, merc or crim.


    Lilly placed a finger to her uplink as she shouted to a crowd of Sub-level civvies that started to gather around the wreck. "THIS IS THE AGENCY JUDICIARY BRANCH. CIVILIANS. GO HOME. LEAVE. DO NOT APPROACH - OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE. I REPEAT¡ª"


    It was a clear message. But knowing how crazy the Sub Levels were, there was bound to be someone to test the sewage out¡­ Kazuki staggered to his feet as he started to cough up steam vapours. Claire approached him as she noticed his condition getting worse.


    The pain in his spine wreaked on his psyche as she unsealed the nano-locks. She ripped Kazuki''s helm-mask off, placing it on his belt. Fresh steam exited from his mouth as his golden eyes lay blank. "Shit, you shouldn''t have pushed yourself, Arbiter."


    "I can¡­ handle myself," interrupted Kazuki, making sure that the drone up above couldn''t see him, "Not a word to her."


    "Not a word," repeated Claire, "I''ll patch you up with some Halolazil till we get back to base."


    As she injected a cocktail of drugs into Kazuki''s neck vein. Riharia spoke up, ''The Loyalists¡­ they''re retreating!''


    ''Understood. All forces not currently at the van, exfiltrate on shuttles and RTB. All forces with me, we''ll secure the merchandise.''


    Sato sighed audibly and cracked her knuckles. ''Wasn''t as clean as it could be, but that should be a glimpse into this¡­''


    Eliza let off a sigh of relief. ''Yeah.''


    Kazuki pressed onto the uplink on his ear and dragged him, Sato, Archius, and Eliza into a separate uplink channel. Claire helped him; the two slowly clambered towards the back of the van. Two operatives were already taking point at the door; one glanced at him, nodding.


    ''So¡­ how was that for a first mission?'' asked Sato, ''Fun wasn''t it? Watching all the stuff from up here and secretly eating snacks without Kaz''s knowledge.''


    Eliza found amusement in the joke and chortled quietly. ''Well¡­ It does look very informative.''


    Kazuki interjected, ''Don''t take this for an easy job. One mistake and many die. And try to keep your head straight. I''ve survived far worse than this.''


    ''I know¡­ it''s just that I can''t help but worry.'' said Eliza. He understood her worry. But it was not warranted. Compared to Mantaru, Old Terra and even Cantari, this was a tame mission.


    Archius took Eliza''s side in the argument. Probably to get her support. ''Hey! Kazuki, cut her some slack. It''s her first mission, and even I was worried when I started.''


    ''Well, fine.''


    Kazuki nodded as he approached the van''s door. The two operatives slowly pressed their muzzles against the door. Claire positioned herself behind Kazuki, drawing her sidearm. He glanced at it, SIGAR-95 plasma bolt. He felt the steam from his spine and mouth slowly dissipate into cold vapours, but his internal heat remained high. One of the operatives tried to open the door. It wouldn''t budge.


    "Locked. Kain, you''re up," said the first operative.


    "I know¡­" said the second, slightly frustrated. They pulled out a crowbar and jammed it into a small crack within the door. Pressing down on a button, the device expanded and cracked the lock open.


    ''Get a drone down here. I want to know what''s in there,'' ordered Kazuki. ''Preferably bomb difusal.''


    ''On it,'' responded Sato, redirecting the monitor drone down into the streets as the operatives maintained their perimeter of the situation. Securing a Judicial Enforcement contract this early from Nimitz-Delia was probably the best thing to happen to the AGENCY. Otherwise, the ENFORCERS might take this opportunity to get a good bout of violence.


    He crossed his arms as the doors flung open, revealing the interior. It glistened on all sides with sealed boxes and red iconography with standard galactic all over them. They read explosives, in the Narisan dialect. Dead Loyalists were there. Most were holding onto their weapons as they died - yet a single one held onto a trigger. Claire and Kazuki''s eyes lit up.


    A single trigger was released, connected to a fuse. A dead man''s switch.

 X12: Suppressive Fire beneath a hail of Bolts

    A single ignition spark connected the device to the boxes in the van. A single light passed through its cable as he could smell the burning sensation, small as it may be. His injector system shot into action. Stimulants pumped into him as he activated his deflector shield. Pushing his forearm out to block, he pushed Claire out of the way with his body as a fireball consumed the van.


    The explosion sent a shockwave into the ground and up into the air around as shrapnel was shot out from the van. It smacked into both civilians and operatives gathered nearby.


    A few seconds passed. Flames, heat and steel stung the air. Kazuki''s artificial lungs filled with smog, making him cough. He opened his eyes. His ears rang as he felt blood trickle down from his forehead.


    The corners of his aug-glasses were cracked as one-sided holo imagery stuttered in and out. The faint memory of gunpowder and the smell of scorching plasma filled his nose. He saw tracers flying over him. He could feel something tugging him downwards, an added weight as his mind fractured into disorder.


    At that moment, Kazuki lazed in thought. Everything was dragging him down again, beckoning death once again.


    Another hand tugged onto the back of his armoured vest. His muscles were limp. But just as he was about to close his eyes, Claire''s helm-mask came into view. She stabbed an injector into him and pumped an overdrive concoction made by Chizuru into him.


    His limbs ached as gunfire filled his ears. His mind sharpened, and his golden eyes grew wide as his focus came into view. He turned his head around, seeing the debris from nearby vehicles and the exploded van.


    His lungs ached for air. The mental weight subsided away. Their shuttles were destroyed. Loyalists were approaching from all sides. Roofs, down the street, over the bridge. Civilians and operatives litter the area. Some dead; some alive.


    "Arbiter! Wake up dammit, we''re pinned. And you better not fucking overclock on me, I''m not treating you if you do!" shouted Claire, firing back at a Loyalist that fired down from a nearby building window, ''This is Lazarus. We need immediate exfiltration! Overwatch, strikes - ASAP''


    He looked down at his legs. His ANCHOR-support braces were in shambles as blood covered his lightly armoured trousers and leg guards. He took off the braces, leaving only his slim exoskeletal frame left on his legs. His chest remained relatively unharmed as his deflector shield took the brunt of the damage.


    He slid his hand to his SMG as he helped Claire deal with the Loyalist. His voice remained calm. ''All forces hold firm. Conserve as much ammo as possible; Sato, can we get an ETA?''


    his cold voice echoed across the uplink as he staggered to his feet, taking cover behind one of the destroyed vehicles beside Lilly.


    ''Kaz! W¡ªwe''re sending reinforcements your way¡­ hold out¡­'' Eliza trailed off as Lilly made an audible grumble. She unloaded her magazine into a Loyalist that tried to clamber over the car''s hood, before ducking down to reload, narrowly avoiding a vacuum grenade''s heat.


    "This friend of yours¡­ is getting on my nerves," complained Lilly, dusting spent cases off her white-trimmed armour. She glanced at Kazuki with her flower-painted armoured helm-mask. It had marine markings, splattered with blood. "Fucking Loyies¡­ got blood on my helm-mask."


    She grabbed hold of her mask, clicking her fingers as she ripped it slightly off. Claire threw her an inhaler, as Lilly puffed down on it.


    "Shit¡­" Claire trailed off, a bolt flying by over her head.


    Kazuki shook his head as he peeked out of cover, noticing a storm of Loyalists slowly creeping towards them from up the street. Looking towards the bridge, he could see an even larger group of Loyalists hiding behind cover as they slowly slicked towards the barricades of broken shuttles and debris.


    Meanwhile, his operatives were holding onto their lives as they made every bolt count. Another tried to clamber onto the car, yet Lilly violently grabbed them, activating her WRIST-SHOT, splattering their neck with a discharge of a dozen plasma-bolts.


    ''Gambit. Status report on the ambush force?'' asked Kazuki, calmly displacing Loyalist skulls with explosive lead.


    Kazuki ducked underneath a string of low-powered whistling bursts as Riharia said, ''We''re retreating right now, under attack. But we''re good, minimal casualties¡ª''


    A stream of bullets came across the uplink as Riharia paused. An exchange of bullets ensued for a second. Then, she heaved back into the uplink.


    ''¡ªDAMMIT. WHY CAN''T Y''ALL JUST LEAVE US ALONE!''


    Her shout came right before a cacophony of gunfire. Kazuki wiped the blood that still ran down his face, trickling past his burnt cheek and onto the bloodied debris below.


    Quinn spoke up, ''WATCH OUT!''


    ''THAT WAS A FUCKING CIVVY EPSILON!?'' shouted Riharia, the two devolving into an argument. Lilly chuckled slightly, before shaking her head.


    "I''ll give them cleaning duty later," she said, as Kazuki glanced towards her.


    ''Well, THEY were aiming a gun at us!'' remarked Quinn. Kazuki facepalmed, groaning slightly at the annoyance as he shook his head, feeling it ache.


    ''Well, WE did break into his fucking house!''


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    Only the sound of more sporadic gunfire ceased their argument as the cacophony of death gave Kazuki more peace than the noise of beratement.


    ''Arbiter. We have three shuttles inbound. The pilots know the LZ is hot, so they''re only landing for ten seconds. They''ll keep cycling until you''re all out,'' said Sato.


    Her expertise in this type of thing came in handy - as one of the only experienced military uplink-handlers. Brigadier Martinez, Rear Admiral Sato and Commander Lilly, Archius chose well when deciding whose loyalties to secure.


    ''ETA is one minute. Survive.'' Archius added on, calmly.


    Another operative hugged to cover, avoiding a skidding bolt as their helm-mask was already fragmented and dented. "Fuck, you think there''s civvies in those buildings?" asked Tamara, loading a grenade launcher. Kazuki didn''t even need to look at the paint job or the name tag to know who it was. "Or do you think these little shits ganked them all into nice piles of meat already?"


    "Second one, hopefully," Kazuki replied. Tamara chuckled as Kazuki continued, "I don''t mind the first, though."


    "Just make sure not to hit us, alright?" snapped Lilly.


    Tamara laughed as he knelt upwards, firing a grenade into the nearby buildings, but before anything else could happen, a crash of explosive bolts echoed. And beside Kazuki, Tamara fell, bolts had smacked directly through his helm-mask. At least he didn''t see the eyes, Kazuki thought¡­ Never the eyes.


    Lilly looked down at them, grimacing at the sight as she placed two fingers on Tamara''s neck. No beat.


    Kazuki reached for the helm-mask on his belt, but found that it was a complete mess. Its armoured visor was cracked - respirator dented. He didn''t need a diagnosis from his aug-glasses to tell him it wasn''t usable.


    "Shit¡­" Claire said, sneaking over to their vehicle from one of the other wreckages as she lightly threw an adrenal-jector to Lilly. She caught it whilst firing with one hand and stabbed it into her neck, pressing down on the plunger.


    And just in time, a shuttle passed overhead. Immediately, bullets and rockets were thrown at it from the Loyalists on the rooftops and from the street. Kazuki looked out from cover, taking note of a group of Loyalists trying to destroy it with launchers up the road.


    ''Dammit. Someone take out those damn launchers!'' shouted Karl, piloting the first shuttle. Escort drones attempted to shoot down the rockets, with only a few smacking into the shuttle''s layered shields. ''I''ll come round for another pass.''


    Kazuki tapped his deflector shield. It flickered on and off as he felt his ICAPAD tighten on his left forearm. Not the best, but usable. ''I''ll buy us some time. Get as many people out.''


    "Don''t get yourself killed, it''s hard putting you back together¡­ Well... really hard," Claire trailed off, tossing Kazuki a stimulant injector. Catching it, he recognised the crimson-blue hue of the drug. Kiarani stimulant. Not a big fan of it, but between death and that, he''d take the latter.


    "Just ask Archius how to reassemble me," snapped Kazuki. "Plus, you can sew my head back on my torso and it''ll be fine."


    Injecting himself, he reloaded his SMG, replacing the plasma cartridge and bolt magazine. The overflow of morphine, adrenaline and cocktails spiked his system as he felt his exospine heat up. But that didn''t matter, he leapt out from cover, sliding over the destroyed hood and activating his deflector shield. He rushed forward, firing his SMG with one hand whilst attracting the Loyalists'' attention. He went from cover to cover, taking out Loyalists easily with simple headshots. Any bullets meeting his shield caused it to flicker - it still hadn''t fully recharged. But time was blood. And he''s running out of both.


    As he ran out of bolts, the Loyalists wielding launchers came into view, cowering. The impacts crackled into his body. Ramping up his ANCHOR, he teleported directly onto the launchers. As he apparated, he lobbed his SMG at the first of three. The other two twisted around towards him.


    The gun slammed into them. He side-stepped out of a blind mag dump, unsheathing a black dagger. In a single motion, he slashed their neck in two.


    One fired point blank with a shotgun, but Kazuki was just able to block the attack with his shield, energy slowly tittering out. He pushed forward as the Loyalist tried to fire more and more plasma-shot into his shield. But with each passing plasma pellet, his shield''s strength slowly weakened. The second one fired his pistol at him, deflecting off his back-armour, clipping the dark-gold trim markings. Kazuki twisted his body and threw his throwing knife directly into the chest of the Loyalist, staggering them.


    Looking up, he could see the shuttles cycling in and picking up the operatives grounded near the destroyed shuttles. Archius spoke up, ''Get back, you''ve bought enough time.''


    ''There''s not enough time.'' stated Kazuki, seeing even more rockets thrown their way as more Loyalists streamed to this location, ''I''ll handle things here. All it takes is one launcher¡­''


    He pressed his shield against the shotgun''s muzzle, dragging his railgun out from his holster. Firing it directly into the lower torso of the Loyalist before he twisted around to the Loyalist with a knife stuck in them. He loaded another shell into the railgun''s break-action, then completely removed their head.


    More bullets rained towards him as the Loyalists tried to eliminate the isolated Contract-Breaker. He ran over to the now-dead Loyalist, grabbing his knife back before sliding behind one of the vehicles. Steam started to exit out from his mouth once again. The hot vapours stung his gums and teeth. He slid his railgun back into its holster, taking out his backup pistol.


    ''Kaz! Don''t be silly¡­ you have to get out. You won''t last a minute¡­'' Eliza''s worry seeped into her voice as it quivered.


    Archius sighed as he followed through with his friend''s orders. ''Shuttles. As soon as the last agents are on the shuttles, haul your asses and RTB.''


    Kazuki looked towards the LZ, seeing a litany of plasma and bullets flying about as the gunners and drones were helping the exfiltration, firing down laser bolts at the Loyalists that dared show themselves out of cover.


    ''Archius!'' shouted Eliza, stress and worry continued to break her down. Ugh... annoying, Kazuki thought.


    ''Dammit¡­'' Lilly said, ''Focus. Arbiter will survive, don''t worry about him.''


    ''I''ll find another way out,'' said Kazuki, popping his head out from cover and swiftly killing any Loyalist approaching him. From his memory, he had fired 86% of his munitions. Not good. ''Just get out. Now!''


    ''I¡­'' Eliza trailed off as she fell silent. Good, Kazuki thought. Now he can finally think.


    ''Last one out! RTB,'' said Karl, the shuttles now leaving. Escort drones shot down any missile or rocket sent their way as Kazuki was now left stranded. They streamed by overhead, disappearing over the buildings and slums.


    ''Gambit. Status report,'' Kazuki said, calmly. He needed to know whether he should buy more time.


    ''We''ve slicked off into the alleys, Arbiter. Fuckers got some of us but we''re good.'' reported Riharia, her hot-headedness now seemingly cooled.


    This was a mess. More bullets smacked into the hood of the hover car he was hiding behind. He took in a deep breath, latching onto a thermobaric grenade out from his belt. He activated it, lobbing it over. Its explosion sent a shockwave of vacuum heat and smoke all over. Smoke engulfed the area and he stood up.


    ''Good. RTB,'' he said, escaping into the alleys amongst flame and fog.

 X13: Blazing Smoke from the Ashes

    Through the smog, Kazuki could hear the clinks of armour around each corner of the alley. The Loyalists tried to pin him down, cutting more avenues of escape. All the while his ICAPAD guided him. But each twist and turn led to more escape vectors being cut off. With no way out, he chose down. Unsealing a nearby grate into the sewers, he descended.


    They were, to put it simply, absolutely awful. His senses were hampered by pain and the awful stench as he slowly made his way through the decrepit sewage passageways. He''d be lucky if he didn''t get some sort of infection. Even now, most of his wounds were... healing, to say the least. He rarely got sick. Infected either. He''ll survive this... probably. Low screeches echoed across the walls. He paid them no attention, as he passed by glowing ''eggs'' embedded into the walls.


    Ghouls are the least of his concerns right now.


    ''Kazuki¡­'' Eliza said, almost as if she was going to plead, ''Get out safe¡­ alright?''


    ''I''ll live.'' stated Kazuki, continuing over the catwalks and around corners and intersections. ''Archius, keep the tracker on me.''


    ''Ah, sorry about that, chief!'' Archius started. Kazuki paused for a moment, audibly sighing. ''Just kidding.''


    Headaches stabbed back once again as he injected himself with the last batch of Halolazil. Dropping the empty injector onto the ground, he started into a light jog.


    ''Tch¡­'' Sato grumbled, ''Don''t worry, we''re pinging your location.''


    Chaos was still unrolling up above him, probably the ENFORCERs. Even if it was a fairly large incident, he knew that word of it would never reach the surface. To everyone nearby, this was simply everyday life.


    As he rounded a corner, his brain spiked with pain. He twisted around to see Loyalists scouring across the sewers. "There he is!"


    A bullet smacked into the reinforced concrete beside him. The jog turned into a full blown sprint, though his muscles and nerves slowly withered. Avoiding gunfire, he crashed around corners and delved deeper into a confusing layout of intersections.


    Kazuki felt his legs slowly falter in strength. "Fuck¡­" His brain withered away at his tongue, trying to withstand the pain. He felt something dragging against him, his mind ramping into full gear as realisation after realisation set in. He really might not make it out of this.


    The revelation only amplified his regrets¡­ his guilt. Hands latched to his legs, hands of the dead, dragging him to his death.


    But he withstood the scars nonetheless.


    With only a knife and backup pistol, he kept running. The claustrophobic halls and grated walls strangled him¡­ Pain seeped into him. His legs and arms ached underneath his armour. Shrapnel stung. The post-ANCHOR tension gave way as the lactic acid burned. Without the anchor support braces, he was lucky that his legs didn''t immediately shatter.


    He turned a corner, narrowly avoiding another patrol of Loyalists. He gripped the wall with his gloved hand. Steam showed that his exospine was nearly out of energy. The green hue from his nape was duller than ever. Despite that, he pushed onwards. He still has unfinished business, despite what the steam vapours leaving his mouth had to say.


    A group of Loyalists were guarding a doorway¡­ Three in total... Ugh, the Loyalists really didn''t change from the fire team system. He can take them. He carefully aimed around the intersection, firing into the first one as Kazuki burst into a sprint. Dead, the two left crashed into action - firing at him. But even in his damaged state, he dove forward, shielding attacks as he ducked behind cover. As the two tried to push him back, he took both of them out with two simple bolts.


    He coughed up a splatter of blood¡­ Slowly, he hooked his uplink solely to Archius and Eliza. It was finally dawning on him that he might not be able to fulfil his contracts with her. ''Eliza, Archius, are you there?''


    His speech was slurred as steam continued to exit his mouth. He pushed himself into a neighbouring maintenance shaft system as he continued down into a spiralling labyrinth of tunnels and cross-section. The air felt toxic; dust rose up with each step. Grime and dirt covered the corners, with outdated propaganda posters flickering on and off along the walls. The posters called for True Republicans to Rise against the Imperial Advance, promising prosperity and the end of death... There was holo-paint over most. ''PIGS'' and ''LIARS'' were the most common words.


    His ICAPAD sputtered out.


    ''Arbiter, we hear you,'' said Archius.


    ''Kaz! We''re trying to pick you up, just keep going¡­ Just don''t give up, alright?'' begged Eliza, ''Right? Promise me, promise me you''ll get out of there.''


    ''I will.'' said Kazuki - perhaps in a body bag.


    He wasn''t so sure. But to keep Eliza calm, he obliged in her promise. He slowed down as he felt vibrations in the air around him. The combination of all his senses finally gave him clarity as he slowly made his way in a direction his guts told him. A monotonous, dust-filled grit had replaced the stench of the sewers.


    ''Great¡­'' Eliza said. He could feel her small smile behind the uplink. ''Then it''s a contract.''


    He froze. His muscles contracted as his brain started to melt with overflowing emotions. Emotions? Kazuki had to double-check with himself to be sure. For the first time, he felt something sting at his very being. A searing pain came to his artificial heart as his brain sent panic signals all across his body.


    His breathing increased. But with a single notion, all his thoughts came crashing down upon him as he heard the movement of a blade through air behind him. Calm broke; his aug-glasses flared up with detections.


    Kazuki''s body moved once more as he twisted around. He raised his own dagger just in time to parry an attack. Pain seared. Their unmarked steel combat knife struck his Black Blade. An armoured individual pressed against him, black hair, dark eyes. He was forced into the retreat. Adrenaline was slowly fading. Yet their attacks continued, each parry and block was forceful and frantic as he used up any strength left in him.


    Throwing his chest backwards, he narrowly avoided a jab as the Loyalist raised a gun to him, firing point blank before Kazuki could activate his shield. The shot sent a shockwave into him as he was sent backwards, the shot penetrating into his arm. Blood splattered outwards.


    "Who¡­ are you¡­" Kazuki''s eyes quickly locked onto his target.


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    He fired his pistol sporadically. A white blur emerged from their forearm, a shield blocked the bullets, as they charged at Kazuki. His emergency WRIST-SHOT activated as he held his left arm outwards, a nanobot construct formed out from his wrist. Twisting his wrist and slide, he sent a blast of plasma into their armour - stopping them in their tracks - knocked back as Kazuki lunged in for a killing blow.


    In response, the Loyalist twisted upwards, grappling with Kazuki as he tried to stasis-lock him. The two struggled, Kazuki kicked at his leg, before firing another WRIST-SHOT at them, this time knocking them into the wall.


    As he aimed to finish his opponent, more figures approached from behind, firing away. Pain seethes through his unarmoured joints. He started to run, ignoring his pain. He ignored it all, and ran. At an intersection, he turned left to see a group of Loyalists chasing down towards him. With no choice, he ignited another thermobaric grenade and lobbed it towards them. He turned right. Heat filled the tunnels; vibrations shook the maintenance shaft.


    He kept running, twisting and turning to avoid patrols as his body was on the brink of death. The steam''s heat started to rise in temperature; he tried to fight back with a healing inhaler. His mechanical lungs didn''t help.


    Even if he survives, the damage would be irreparable. But as he turned, he was met with a dead end. A sheer drop from a large pipe into a massive waste tunnel leading down to the depths of underpolis Anagora. Large numbers lined the walls of the hyper-tunnel lane, with abodes and apartments dug into the very foundation and walls of each pillar and surface. It was a makeshift cliffside village in the heart of the under city.


    Drones and vehicles passed up and down as the blaring neon adverts stung his eyes, violently stabbing at the monotonous circuit-walls. His medinetics and exospine started to fail as he turned around. This was it.


    And right behind him, was another Loyalist. White hair. One of his father''s veterans? With but a single move, the Loyalist rushed forward. Kazuki was barely able to avoid the first attack as he lunged into another attack, firing his pistol as the Loyalist sliced his barrel in two. Sparks of orange came off their knife as Kazuki went in for a jab.


    The man laughed. "Let''s¡­ do this!"


    With a swipe, he was able to parry away Kazuki''s attack with his own blade, before gripping onto Kazuki''s wrist, slowly squeezing. The pain continued as his body was shutting down.


    His body heat regulation system started to malfunction. He felt cold¡­ and warm. Using all his might, he grabbed onto his WRIST-SHOT and fired a peppershot at point-blank range, smashing into the individual''s mask and armour. They flung back.


    The man slowly staggered back up as Kazuki swayed. They took out a corrosive hand-blaster from their holster, firing a blast of acid that collided into Kazuki''s armour with a thud, aiming faster than Kazuki could react.


    He was sent backwards, reeling in pain as the acid scorched his armour and the skin underneath. His old burn marks ached once again, resonating. He stood on the edge of the large pipe, drenched in blood, dust and neutralising acid. He exhaled another batch of steam as the man took off his dented mask. And a face that Kazuki remembers emerged.


    There was no mistaken in who the man was. Svenn Janstein. Brother of James Janstein; one of his mentors. His unnatural white hair glistened in the low hues as his eyes twitched. He looked older, and more frail.


    How was he here? He watched Freyja Beamont, third of the seven mercs, drop a flaming building on top of him. No¡­ this¡­ couldn''t be him. Kazuki silently deliberated for a moment, he looked exactly like Svenn¡­ But how? The war is over. He''s dead. HE KNOWS THIS FOR A FACT. BUT HOW? How?! Kazuki''s mind raced, but found no answer. Codename Afterlife¡­ Svenn Janstein. He ignored the signs¡­


    "Long time¡­ no see¡­ Kazu." said Svenn, Loyalists slowly catching up to them. The black-haired one stepped forward.


    "The other AGENTs have escaped, Afterlife," said Marshall. "We''ve sustained acceptable casualties."


    "Footnotes on a page of blood, Marshall. Burn our men with honour; but¡­ let the AGENTs rot. All of them¡­" Svenn kept his twitching eyes trained on Kazuki.


    "If you say so, sir," said Marshall. "But are you sure this is the right option?"


    Svenn trailed off, "Yes¡­"


    "Svenn," said Kazuki, wiping away blood from his cheek. He taught him many survival tactics. If there was anyone outside the seven that could match him, it''d be him¡­ He can''t win this. No: He must win this. But it''s Svenn, how the fuck can he beat him?!


    "Enjoying that Contract of yours¡­ Contract-Breaker?" Svenn''s voice was filled with an untapped sense of rage. Primordial, even. Only if Svenn knew of what James would have wanted¡­ "Your moves are just as predictable, no matter how complex you make them¡­"


    Kazuki remained still. His armoured vest-plates fizzled with corrosion as Svenn continued onwards, slowly stepping towards him.


    "You stole that¡­ from us. All of us¡­ burnt it all to the ground¡­ we had peace¡­ status quo - you took it. And burnt what we built to the ground. And for what?" Svenn pointed the muzzle at Kazuki. His eyes tingled.


    "For justice." lied Kazuki. It was a blatant lie. He wasn''t just like his father. All he cared for was vengeance, it just happens that they coincide.


    Svenn cracked up. Now that he thinks about it, Kazuki never uncovered Svenn''s Contractor Specialisation. The BCA labels contractors by their expertise, something to help with employment. But he never knew Svenn''s. He wasn''t a juggernaut, that was for sure. He wasn''t a marksman, nor a sapper. He was an enigma.


    If he had to deal with anyone that could even fight a tenth as good as a member of the seven, he''d prefer to know their specialisation beforehand. But Svenn? He had no idea.


    "You killed James. You killed them all. I knew them all. Those directors had dreams¡­"


    "Like what?" snapped Kazuki, "Jessica would enslave Anagora given the chance. Wu, that coward, fled the moment he could, with an army to back him. Such noble dreams."


    His mind was going numb as he felt his voice slowly slip away with each passing word. His systems were finally crumbling as he felt blood drip out from the gaps between his exospine and skin, previous reinforcements failing. He placed one finger on his exospine, at the switch for his overclock¡­ he might have to do it. It''ll probably kill him, but he''ll have to gamble with his life - not the first time as well.


    "Silence¡­ Fourth of the seven, what a joke¡­ I''ll burn it all to the ground." His eyes stared blindly at Kazuki as his uplink lit up. "What was that woman you were with? You killed Matt for her, didn''t you? After I''m done with you¡­ maybe we''ll go pay her a nice visit¡­"


    "Over my dead body."


    "That is to the point, Kazu¡­" said Svenn. "You burnt it all down for us¡­ now we return the favour."


    ''Test of faith, Kaz! Go take a plunge for us,'' said Archius.


    He could do it¡­ Kill Svenn, kill them all. But he might come out the other side less of a human than before. What the fuck should he do? His exospine might not survive; and that was enough to answer his question. He can''t take them, not without sacrifice.


    He took one glance out into the endless abyss below and the bright light above. Turning back, he uttered one word, "Try."


    With that, he let his balance fail, leaning backwards. He closed his eyes. His body went into freefall. For a moment, he felt all his stresses evaporate as the responsibility of all his contracts were wiped away. The grave was cleaned of blood. But a jab stuck at him as Kazuki forced his eyes open.


    "Pull up! Ya fool!" shouted Quinn. He had one arm on Kazuki as he was leaning over the edge of the shuttle door, his other gripping onto the shuttle. A few more operatives helped him, tugging on backwards. Bullets whizzed down at the shuttle as Amy¨¦ fired back up. Lilly and Claire joined in, each holding one of Quinn''s legs as Kazuki pulled himself up.


    "You lived!" shouted Karl, as Kazuki was brought into the shuttle interior. Quinn closed the doors as it started to speed away. "Good¡­ your daddy would''ve had me skinned if you died."


    Kazuki lay flat on the shuttle floor - staring up at the red, interior lights. Svenn was alive. He''s a Loyalist¡­ He mulled over it as his body slowly died. Claire immediately started operating on his medinetics, injecting stimulant after stimulant to keep him alive - to prolong his mission. The answer was clear¡­ revenge. He can''t die. He can''t die now. If there''s a threat to his first contract, he must eliminate it.


    "Svenn¡­" Kazuki muttered under his breath. "Why are you alive¡­"

 X14: Conformative Talk

    The aseptic smell filled Eliza''s nose as the elevator ascended. Its pristine, smooth-mirrored interior only accommodated herself and Riharia. She took one glance at the massive map of the Phoenix''s Fury on the elevator wall. Its 3D Holo-visual spun slowly, providing a massive feed of the twenty five-kilometre behemoth.


    She clutched tightly on her docu-pads, pressing them against her chest with her arms wrapped around them. Glancing down at them, she saw the numerous notes of research for her undergraduate degree she''d been collating for a report, now the last piece of the puzzle was Kazuki. Riharia was tapping her boot to the beat of the mechanical elevator music.


    "So," Eliza started, "Thanks for showing me the way¡­ I''m guessing with everything that''s going on, it''s nice to have some respite."


    "Eh, sure, I guess? Now that I think back on it, contractor work''s boring¡­ Back in Clandestine, most of us ran security operation contracts. I''ll tell you all about it later, fuck disclosure." Glancing at Eliza, she pointed towards the datapads and said, still chewing, "So, what did you do before this?" Riharia wore her fatigues, with a jacket over them.


    Eliza''s head shot up at Riharia. She didn''t know if it was okay to tell Riharia, feeling like she''d get envious of her¡­ But the two were friends, right? Eliza feels somewhat comfortable indulging in her question. Eliza, on the other hand, looked rather professional, a handler hoodie beneath her jacket, with a pleated skirt and reinforced band thigh-highs, held up by garters, that made her feel like an office worker more than anything.


    "Oh! I did some part-time work, but I''m a student for the most part¡­ But uh¡­ yeah?" Eliza wasn''t too sure whether her ''internship'' would be considered working.


    "Huh?!" Riharia was surprised. She snatched one of the datapads from her arms and turned it on. Looking down at it, she caught a glimpse at dozens of research documents before Eliza snatched it back from her.


    "Hey!" Eliza shouted. She took a step back from Riharia as she cradled the devices. "What was that for?"


    "So you are underaged?" asked Riharia, confusing Eliza, "Like, aren''t you supposed to be in school?"


    "No! Student as in University. Studying cybernetics," explained Eliza, showing a recent report assignment she had to do. It had so much information that Riharia didn''t understand, so she just nodded upon looking at it. "It''s quite a complicated field of study, I''d find it hard for anyone underaged to actually understand any of it¡­"


    "Oh." The epiphany hit Riharia harder than the shockwave of an explosion. "Then why aren''t you at university?"


    She didn''t sound all too sure of herself there, it was clear she wasn''t aware of its ins and outs. "I only go in for a few hours here and there. For the most part it''s individual research and studying, at least for me it is¡­ a lot of studying, actually."


    "Like reading books ''n'' stuff?" asked Riharia.


    "Yeah! Books¡­ journals, reports, stuff¡­" Eliza trailed off, her eyes gleaming. "Let me tell you, finding new journals on the subject is thrilling!"


    Riharia''s eyes glanced away before she laughed. "Ah¡­ yeah?"


    "No, no," Eliza continued, feeling her voice explode with her brain in her mouth. "Like, there''s so much new tech and hardware coming out that it''s insane! Like, the amount of reports and hypothetical cybernetics is rising so much that I need to get an extension to my bookshelves."


    "You collect them?!" Riharia''s face and voice held the tone and meaning that she''d call Eliza a massive nerd, though she knew that it was very much true.


    "Yeah?" Eliza shrugged, before crossing her arms, feeling quite smug and proud of her neatness. "Well, I collect a lot of things. And I do mean: a lot, like¡­ Kaz told me it''s outdated, but I''m still proud of my brooch collection, and he hasn''t even seen my¡ª"


    She started counting on her finger joints, using a duo-decimal system that Archius had taught her about back in uni; for all his seeming lack of care for intellect, he does come up with very useful conveniences.


    "¡ªreport collection, journal collection, first-grade computer collection; my original collection of the Kaliban''s Fury series; and academic awards collection."


    Riharia seemed dumbfounded by the whole list, but nodded anyways. "I''m gonna pretend I understood any of that¡­" She laughed her confusion off, smacking Eliza across her back. "Then what ''bout now, is this like a part-time thing?"


    "Hmm¡­ well, yeah?" Eliza placed a finger to her chin. "Actually, I''m not so sure."


    Riharia shook her head, her red hair shaking with it. "Yeah, but what do you do?" she asked, "It''s not normal for Kaz to bring up new people, let alone civvies!"


    "Oh! I''m a sort of aide? I mean, I do help around, but as I said: I''m studying cybernetics, so I guess I''m helping him repair his exospine."


    "Oh¡­" Revelation hit Riharia like a brick, as Eliza watched her experience a second epiphany. "Well, good for him! Having that stick stuck to his back must be painfully aching! But¡­ why you?"


    Eliza paused for a moment, twisting her head around towards her, then towards the reflecting steel walls. She didn''t want to come off as an arsehole, nor as an arrogant person, but her mind could only come up with one conclusion. "Trust?" Eliza suggested.


    "Trust?" Riharia repeated what Eliza said. "I mean, most of us have never ever seen you."


    "Well, Kaz and I went to uni together, before he dropped out."


    "KAZ WENT TO UNIVERSITY?" Riharia asked, her face contorting to even brighter shades of confusion. "So that''s why he''s always late to our briefings!"


    Eliza paused at what she said. It wasn''t exactly the most far-fetched idea, but it still hit her like a ram: Kazuki was always in this business, wasn''t he? She asked herself, that''s why he''s so distant, cynical and sarcastic¡­ never wanting to get involved with other people¡­ Because each day might be his last. Eliza''s eyes slowly faded in colour, a revelation that she should have made long ago coming back to haunt her: each day that she, him and everyone else hung out, or partied, or ate out might have been his last¡­


    "Yeah¡­ Kazuki skipped university a lot. To be honest, if it wasn''t for the fact that he''s both the aristocracy and Kallender Group, he''d probably gotten kicked out before he dropped uni," Eliza asserted, remembering back to when they joined that socialite group of the galaxy''s brightest.


    She nodded, glancing away. "Oh, aristocracy¡­ Must be nice, then? Uni."


    "Well, the work''s hard but it feels gratifying," said Eliza, unknowing to Riharia''s change of undertone.


    But to be completely honest, the work was far from gratifying. Tens of hours poured into studying just to be on schedule¡­ it wasn''t as bad as the National Standards, but she guessed that those were made to prepare people for the hell that was uni.


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    "Hah." started Riharia, her eyes glancing back at Eliza. "Upstart, was it?"


    "Yeah." said Eliza.


    She stayed silent after that. Eliza was quickly reminded of just how volatile the culture back in school was, success was everything - end all and be all. She never had Kazuki''s memory, nor her sister''s natural intelligence.


    "What do you think we''re going to be doing now? The last mission didn''t seem all too successful, but I''m sure our next will be much better."


    Riharia glanced at her. Eliza realised that she was envying her¡­ Eliza had everything she wanted. A comfy life, a comfy job and moderate wealth. Riharia''s eyes were poised onto her brooch, a purple-pink flower brooch, with a gem swirling with the prestige and pride of a dead god''s essence. An aristocratic brooch, a sigil of prestige and wealth long forgotten.


    Disdain for the aristocracy was to be expected. After all, people die whilst they polish their golden brooches. A moment of silence filled the elevator, Eliza couldn''t handle the awkwardness. "Riharia¡­ I¡ª"


    "Look," Riharia interjected, "You''re cool and all, but you really need to read the uplink. I''m just saying, if Kazuki wasn''t there, Lilly probably would have shut you off the channels."


    "I know, I''ll try to compose myself, but¡­" Eliza trailed off, "Things aren''t great on our side either."


    "Huh?" Riharia leaned against the wall as the elevator continued to ascend. "Liz, people would kill to be in your position."


    She repeated herself, "I know, but¡­"


    Eliza felt something burn inside her. She knew that everything that she''s ever built up for herself was hers alone. Through sheer determination, she clambered to the top of the academic food-chain. But all that was up there were more and more expectations for success. Her understanding for Riharia clashed with wanting to tell her everything¡­


    "It''s awful. This." said Eliza, "My mum and dad came from nothing. They had to fight tooth and nail to get where they are now¡­ but even so the atmosphere is far from tame. And to be honest, we''re not even upper class¡­ but¡­ even so, I feel forced to be thankful, for all the troubles¡­ And if you try to avoid politics, it''ll come after you instead."


    "You¡­ confuse me." Riharia scratched her head. "Guess shit''s not sunshine and rainbows."


    Eliza nodded, turning to Riharia. "I might not be able to speak for everyone in the lower echelons, but it''s tough. Those established already would do anything to get rid of us, whilst those that wish to secure a Solar Brooch pry at us from below. The pressure for success is¡­ sometimes too great; even for me."


    "Alright." Riharia glanced away, avoiding her eyes. She probably felt bad now, scolding Eliza without knowing her story. Eliza saw her looking away, she wanted to connect with her. And this was the complete opposite. Instead, she stepped closer to her.


    But Eliza thought she was probably thinking about how annoying she was. She understood that she was lucky to be born as Eliza, but would anyone take it, after seeing what a mess she''s become?


    "I just wanted you to know that it''s not just sharp shooting." said Eliza, continuing onwards, "We''re told to succeed, pass, excel, we''re told that we''re the future and that we have to do well to even meet the bare minimum. By the end of the nationals¡­ many classmates weren''t with us to graduate¡­"


    "Well, sometimes it''s hard to find a reason to continue¡­ Seems like there''s sometimes that you students and vets can both understand."


    "Indeed. Just look at me¡­" said Eliza, her voice crumbling. She could tell that she looked horrendous. She wore a strained expression, with bags under her eyelids. "Might I ask of something?"


    "Sure, go ahead," said Riharia, in a nonchalant attitude. She looked back at Eliza.


    "Is it normal to want to run away from everything¡­"


    "Hey," said Riharia, "Sometimes, it''s overbearing, but you gotta remember: you''re stronger than that."


    Eliza slowly nodded, not even realising that her rant had reopened all those mental wounds she painted over years ago. She was reminded of her old self¡­ She saw it stare at her. The cold, unforgiving logic that embodied her all those years ago. It pains her, comparing herself to her¡­


    Thoughts came crashing down as she teared up, remembering it all. Reopening the wound caused her head to ache violently. Her mind twisted and spun as all her worries and responsibilities collided. Glancing at the steel walls, she saw the reflection of her past self. The cold, crimson eyes, smileless expression met her flurry of emotions. Remembering was the last thing she wanted to do, yet she had no other choice. She had to¡ª


    Slicing through her thoughts, Riharia placed a hand on Eliza, shaking her slightly. "Hey! Liz, are you still there?"


    Eliza slowly nodded. And as she did, the elevator slowed.


    "Look¡­" Riharia trailed off, taking her hand off Eliza, "I might be wrong, life''s a bitch and we all know. It''s good to live once a while, but never run away. Hell¡­ what am I talking about¡­"


    She let off a small chuckle to cover up her rambling. Eliza could see the small pack of hover-cards strapped onto one of the storage compartments on her armoured vest. If she''d ever get the chance, she''d like to get into playing Dullahan''s Calling¡­ Maybe that''d be a good hobby¡­ something outside of work or academics. Her brooch collection''s been getting dusty, maybe it''s time to find more things to do.


    "You''re right¡­ And let''s not talk about statuses. I want to know you as Riharia, and you to know me as Eliza. Does it matter if we don''t come from the same background?" Eliza asked.


    Riharia smiled. "No, Lizzie."


    "I should take a rest once in a while¡­"


    "Yeah, yeah, just make sure it''s like eight hours or something - I dunno ask Claire or Martinez."


    "Seems a bit much," Eliza pondered, "Two hours of sleep seems good enough."


    Riharia broke out into a bout of laughter. "Really? Two hours? Hell, I think even Kazuki gets more sleep than that!"


    "Oh, come on! Three?" asked Eliza, playfully indulging Riharia as if bartering. She smiled as she remembered the key in all this mess, Kazuki. "Anyways, please, enough about me. How about you? I know you''re doing this and all, but if you had the choice, what''d you do for a living?"


    "Huh, umm," Riharia paused, "I haven''t thought about that. I mean, I don''t think I''d qualify but I''d like to be a games developer."


    Eliza patted her on the back, her eyes lit up. "Chase your dreams! We only live for so long, pursue what you want to do. And if you fail, don''t worry, I''ll be here to support you."


    Riharia grinned widely, feeling empowered to do so by her willpower alone. "Well¡­ thanks, I told Lilly once, she wasn''t exactly the most supportive. But I know she''s just worried about me. Guess the holo-card addiction''s hitting me hard then, eh?"


    If there''s something more prevalent than death, it''d have to be holo-cards.


    "Heh, quite." said Eliza. But something stuck out, how does she know enough to guess how much Kazuki sleeps? It was quite close, as well, curiosity got the better of her as she asked more. "How do you know that Kazuki doesn''t sleep?"


    "Wait?! He doesn''t!? I thought that was just a cathing rumour¡­ Shit¡­" Riharia was surprised, trailing off. "I mean, we don''t really ask him directly¡­ feels kinda rude, you know?"


    "You don''t mind me asking, but what do you all see in him?" asked Eliza, "Sorry, I''m just¡­ I want to know how he seems to you guys, I''ve known him for a while, but he only revealed to me everything over a year ago."


    "Liz, jeez, relax! Sure, he''s our boss, but we''ve all fought alongside him at some point, even the later defectors respected him, if not anything else. Like, most of us shat ourselves when we heard we''re working alongside him, back in Clandestine. Let me tell ya, the rumours are over-hyped!"


    Eliza understood that sentiment, Kazuki had far too many rumours surrounding him. Son of high-born aristocracy in a Republic, born to the High Admiral¡­ and apparently a soulless man. False, but the whole Contract-Breaker title didn''t make things better for him.


    As she mulled it over, the elevator stopped, the doors came open and a tall individual stood in their way. They held onto a Vesarian-Greatsword, adorned with a barrel down the spine, able to both slash and fire. She hasn''t seen the weapon of an Imperial Knight up close and personal before, its tip touching the steel floor below as he glared at the two of them. It had Kazuki''s name inscribed onto the hilt. Behind him was a black hallway, vantablack in its entirety. Riharia took a step back, readying herself as if she was at an inspection.


    Eliza glanced at her, then at the man.


    "Eliza, you are expected."


    With that, he turned, taking hold of his weapon, and walked off. Eliza followed, giving Riharia one last look. She saluted with one hand and waved goodbye with the other as the doors closed. With that, she was alone, escorted by a giant wearing heavy plate armour, armed with a Vesarian rifle-sword.

 X15: Non-Intuitive Intuition

    Svenn¡­ is alive, Kazuki thought. He''s alive. Back and kicking again. But worst of all: a Loyalist. His mind formulated a simulation as it ached. He didn''t hear everything, but he understood what his mind told him. It was reminding him of Svenn. That night when Kazuki was on the brink of just ending his eternal contract¡­ Svenn stopped him.


    Blinking, a blank white room filled his view. Mountains and mountains of armoured corpses filled it on all sides, surrounding a black throne - his throne. Blood dripped from it. Their gazes were all placed upon him. This again? Well, it''s been a short minute since he''s been here¡­ the pile always gets bigger. Even without identifying dog-tags, he could tell them all apart. From body features to the smallest subtleties.


    He''s selfish, greedy even. All these sacrifices for his own gain. For his own company, for his own dreams - dreams covered with dust. "So, what do you all think?" asked Kazuki, "All your sacrifices led to this." No one answered back, he knows their responses already. Petra was amongst the dead, her face just as torn as when Quinn and he found her.


    Pathetic, Kazuki thought. No matter what, he''ll remember their faces. Their stories, their dreams are all lost - lost to all but him. He still wore his armour, with gold accent colouring to the trims.


    Guilt started to weigh down on him. He failed once. He can''t fail again. Because there''s no going back, all errors are lethal¡­


    He felt a shadow behind him.


    He twisted around, seeing Victoria Celeste-Delmara staring at him with soulless, crimson eyes. The cut on her neck was still visible, blood still dripping out as he remembered. It stained her already blood-red dress, her side braid drooping over her shoulder. She looked as old as her twin sister, the memories of the two people merging together; if it wasn''t for the blood and the cut, he probably could have thought her real - even if it''s just a figment of his mind. She was still as beautiful as her twin, lifelessly at him. But Kazuki did not admire it. He forbade himself.


    The Contract-Breaker shall get no respite; the monster must not, he thought¡­ That''s right: he''s a monster; someone that killed thousands by hand; someone that murdered all that tried to protect him; someone that broke his contract and uprooted the whole industry; and someone who won. He was an abomination of cybernetics in flesh, nothing more. Nothing less.


    "Remember," gargled Victoria, her voice both clear and unclear. "Why you still fight?"


    Why¡­ must he be cursed with his father''s gifts? Kazuki asked himself, watching the corpse place a bloodied hand on his cheek. "Yes."


    ''¡ªhere.'' Kazuki''s mind snapped awake as a voice crashed in from his uplink and ICAPAD. He touched his cheek - it was cold. He was in his office. It was barebone, he never spent much time here anyways.


    Looking down at his chest, he could feel the mechanical cogs in his organs tick on. He pressed on his uplink, his mind numb. He looked behind him, the opened up Analyspec connecting him to simulations of his past, with its monstrous steel arms. He hated it, but it was necessary to fully utilise his brain capacity. He slid it shut with his uplink. The time for thinking was over.


    "Dammit¡­ Focus," said Kazuki, slamming his hand against his head. He shouldn''t have lost focus on the analyspec¡­ He could feel its lingering effects in his mind as he felt his brain ache¡­ His eyes dithered; and looking down at his chair, he swore he sat on a throne - a throne of black blood¡­ A moment passed, and it faded.


    ''Come in.'' said Kazuki, popping a Halolazil pill into his mouth to calm himself down. He took one glance at his aug-glasses, instinctively reaching out for them, but he stopped. No need for them, no threats present.


    With that, the door opened. Eliza entered. She looked tired as always, with dark rings around her eyes. But she''s always had those, and they didn''t take away from her looks - but he does wonder what she''d look like without them. Cyrus, his private guard, nodded at him as the door closed behind her. Stillness was in the air as Eliza gave an awkward wave at him. "Hey."


    "Good evening¡­ morning?" Kazuki trailed off, trying to formulate a greeting. But his mind bled sweat at the sight of her¡­ What he knows he can never tell her, even if it''s what she wanted to know.


    Eliza glanced at him, her eyes scanning his face. "You look quite tired, I could come by later if you wish. And your hair''s even more of a mess¡­" she said, pointing at the top of her own head.


    Kazuki slapped himself across the face. "I''ll be fine," he said. He grabbed hold of his hair, finding and grabbing an extended piece of his hair that jutted out. He wore his standard outfit, combat cargo pants along with a blastproof black, buttoned-down shirt.


    "Really? I mean, you still have bed hair¡­"


    "This isn''t bed hair, we all have it," Kazuki stated. "If you ever see someone from Trasian Space, they''ll have it¡­" His face remained the same, but his voice held a minute of frustration.


    "Oh¡­ SO THAT''S WHY YOU ALL HAVE THAT!" Eliza leaned closer, analysing his extended cowlick. He let her continue, no point in denying the fact that it exists. "I just realised¡­ yeah¡­ that actually makes sense!"


    "It''s one of those things that you don''t recognise until it''s called out," Kazuki said. "But¡­ sorry for making you do this."


    He stood up, shifting a small holo-book called ''A billion ways to say fuck'' to the side. He dragged his hover-chair around the desk, placing it beside another chair as she sat down on it.


    "Oh please, I wouldn''t be doing this if I didn''t want to." She looked up at him. She was always the most empathetic of the group, he thought. Even if she doesn''t show it, she''s far too compassionate to survive on the field. "Don''t worry, I won''t be poking around, it''ll be poking around and finding out!"


    "Ah. My confidence in this has skyrocketed." snapped Kazuki, sitting down. He wore casual clothes. His armoured garments and plates were neatly sealed in an energy locker on the wall, black ops colouring with gold accents. "You''ll have ten minutes after it''s taken out."


    "I''ll get it done in five," said Eliza, confident in her own abilities. She placed the datapads on the desk as it popped up all of the guides for exospine maintenance that she had personally made. Her dedication was commendable, he thought.


    Eliza took out a small tool case from her pocket, taking out numerous devices as she shimmied the chair over towards Kazuki''s back. She pulled down on the back of his black buttoned down shirt, giving her a better view of the exospine''s many components and bones.


    "Oh¡­ and thanks for letting me and Archius stay with you for a bit." said Kazuki, "I doubt my parents would take me in."


    "Ah," Eliza started, "Please, pay it no mind, Kaz, it feels nice to have people to, well, hang out with. Anyhow, are you ready?"


    Kazuki nodded.


    He wasn''t all too much in the mood for talking. With everything he had been simulating, he didn''t want to see Eliza eye to eye. She reminded him too much of Victoria and his failings. With a gentle yank, Eliza took Kazuki''s energy source out from his nape. He could feel a sting dig deep as the power-saving modules activated.


    She started to poke around the interior of the battery converter. It''s the root of all problems with him. He did his best to not¡­ chuckle as he felt it slightly tickle him. He didn''t want to hear himself ''chuckle''.


    "So¡­ uh¡­ sorry," said Eliza, he guessed that she would try to make small talk - but was surprised at an apology.


    "If it''s the mission, don''t worry." said Kazuki, "They''ll warm up. Just stay focused and do your job, they like competence. Be competent."


    Eliza took out one of the small converters in his internal heat regulators. He felt slightly embarrassed. Why¡­ was he feeling embarrassed? Must be the lack of energy, he thought. He always was more carefree when he went into power-saving mode, it was probably why he was so weird with Yuki. Even so, his face didn''t change a single shade.


    "No, Yes¡­ it''s about, well, my outburst. I feel like I was being distracting¡­"


    "You weren''t. I could freely think and concentrate on the mission," stated Kazuki.


    "Huh?!" Eliza stopped in her tracks, expecting something else entirely. Kazuki remained still. "I¡­ wasn''t too distracting¡­ right?"


    "No." said Kazuki, "I couldn''t get your damn voice out of my head. Literally."


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Then, something vibrated in Kazuki''s pocket. He glanced down towards his right pocket, shoving his hand into it and pulling his holo-phone out. The projector slab vibrated along with the Phoenix key-chain on it, shining in bright colours with the faintest essence of a Brooch. But as it vibrated, it fell out of his hand, smacking onto the floor and activating.


    "Huh?" Eliza looked down at it, picking it up before Kazuki could. Kazuki twisted his head to her as much as possible. "Oh¡­"


    "What is it?" Kazuki asked, still feeling her left hand on his shoulder.


    Eliza''s face was blank. She stared directly at the holographic projection with an envious look. Her grip tightened as Kazuki felt the squeeze. She looked at him, her jealous face contrasting his air-headed stare. Kazuki tilted his head in confusion at her.


    "Uh¡­"


    "Kaz¡­ who''s this Yuki person?" asked Eliza, showing Kazuki a message: ''Hey Kazu, I need help with something on Lowguard'' then followed by a thousand emojis, some of them being hearts.


    Kazuki gave her a blank look, then took back his phone, sliding it into his pockets. "Yuki''s my sister."


    Eliza''s face calmed as Kazuki remained confused. Was something wrong with Yuki? He couldn''t tell¡­ But he never could tell either way. She had a satisfied look on her face. At the same time, the phone rang off a dozen more times.


    "Umm¡­" Eliza trailed off.


    "Just ignore it. It does that sometimes." said Kazuki, "Just wait until she shuts up, should take her¡­ thirty minutes or so. Depends on her free-time."


    "Thirty minutes?! It''s probably important, then! I mean, it''s your sister¡­"


    "She probably just wanted me to help her beat some guy up." said Kazuki, "Lowguard is a perma-death game and she''s fucking awful at it. Absolutely zero game sense. No skill. Can''t dodge. Can''t parry. Bluntly, she has a skill issue."


    "Ah¡­ I see¡­" Eliza readjusted her round-glasses as they shot out an augmented overlay for Kazuki''s exospine. Did he hit a nerve? Kazuki couldn''t tell¡­ "If I ever get into lowguard, would you help me?"


    "Huh?" Kazuki glanced back at her. "No. You''ll get too competitive again and try to claim my position as number one."


    She slid around to face him. He gave her a blank, air-headed look. As she looked at him, she pouted in frustration. She started to grumble at his lack of comforting words as she rolled backwards.


    "I''m surprised she still messages me," said Kazuki, out of the blue. Eliza paused for a moment. He didn''t bother looking at her.


    Eliza said, "Family problems?"


    "I guess."


    "Ah, well, speaking as an ex-younger sister, she''d probably be less interested in problems."


    Kazuki grumbled under his breath. "She''s annoying," he said. "But I prefer annoying over my parents."


    Eliza paused, her mind probably in a state of realisation. She must at least understand to some extent. "You don''t normally talk about your parents, even back in school or uni¡­ Did something happen?"


    Kazuki could hear her refix and restart her aug-glasses lens.


    "No. Nothing changed. I''m still a GemRy, and alive - much to their distaste."


    "Kaz!" Eliza raised her voice. "I''m sure your parents wouldn''t want you dead!"


    He slowly shook his head, his eyes slowly closing as months of exhaustion were laying into him. "I''m the Fourth of the Seven Mercs and a GemRy, a noble. If they wanted me alive, they wouldn''t have allowed me to turn out like this," he said, thinking. Maybe he was his parent''s punishment for their hubris¡­ a curse and a shackle to his family.


    "Your sister¡­ I''m guessing she''s the favourite?" asked Eliza.


    "You think?" Kazuki snapped, his voice filled with venom and poison. Awkward silence filled the room. He shouldn''t have snapped like that, Kazuki thought, but he had to make a point.


    "Does it get hard?" asked Eliza.


    "Family? I mainly ignore them, you know that by now¡­"


    "No! Like¡­ this?" Eliza wasn''t too sure of how to describe it, it seems.


    Kazuki''s eyes shifted right, trying to see her. He slowly tilted his head, only for her to push it back into place. "Work? Not really?" Kazuki wasn''t so sure of it himself. "I''ve been doing this for years. It isn''t always just asset termination, sometimes it''s protection, retrieval, logistics or training."


    "I can''t say much on this, I haven''t delved quite deep into this topic, other than a few law reports¡­" Eliza trailed off. That much was still enough for him. "Still, it must get tiring, right? You were a contractor back in uni and school, weren''t you?"


    "Why do you think I was always late or missing?"


    Eliza let off a slightly embarrassed chuckle under her breath. "Of course, I should have pin-pointed two with two¡­" She trailed off, leaving Kazuki alone in the thought.


    He slowly placed his hands together, feeling his tough skin rub against itself. "I¡­ guess it is tiring. I rarely sleep and eat¡­ No. You''re right. Objectively, it''s tiring."


    "S¡ªSo why don''t you take a break¡­"


    Kazuki paused. "Your worry is misplaced."


    "How can I NOT be worried?!" Eliza shook for a moment, pausing her work before continuing. "All these years¡­ you''ve been helping me, encouraging me onwards and always paid the bill whenever the Student Council went out to eat!"


    "High school or uni?" Kazuki cut in.


    "BOTH!" Eliza raised her voice, frustrated. He probably shouldn''t have done that¡­ "Even back when we met, you were a contractor, as you ate with me, Archius, Chlo¨¦, Barclay and Hannah: you were a contractor¡­ Every passing day was just you¡­" Her voice trailed off.


    Kazuki stood firm in his mind. "And?" He sounded almost snarling at her.


    "Just why? WHY didn''t you tell me? You didn''t tell Barclay, not even Hannah! Just¡­ why didn''t you tell me who you really were? I asked myself that for a whole year¡­ I didn''t want to message you such a question, I told myself that it was fine to not ask, but¡­"


    "¡ªWhat do you think happens if I told you?" asked Kazuki. "What would it have changed?"


    "¡ªI could have helped you." It was her turn to cut in. She continued, "I could have approached our first investigation with more tact and understanding¡­ How could I have known anything?! I couldn''t have lived knowing that I basically sentenced you to death!"


    "Yet here I am," said Kazuki. "Do not worry about this. It''s just a shift of perspective. If you''re worried, those years were not a lie." He maintained the truth, he had to get this across to her.


    "But why didn''t you tell me?" She repeated herself.


    Kazuki let off another sigh, fighting the urge to swallow another Halolazil pill. "What could I have told you? Approach you one day as you ate lunch with Chlo¨¦ and tell you that I was a contractor; a paid mercenary. The fact that the last nine years of my life were in constant agony?"


    Eliza paused¡­ She stopped working, withdrawing her hands as Kazuki heard the steel clutter of tools on the desk beside them. He could hear her audibly mumble to herself.


    "Sorry," was all she said. "Sorry¡­ I didn''t mean to act like I was a¡ª"


    "¡ªDon''t apologise," he said. "You worry a lot, you worry about things you can''t control. You can''t help it. You spent half your life in control of it. I know it''s hard, but let go. It''s okay to worry. I''ll live."


    He shifted his head towards her, looking directly into those crimson bulbs. She looked worried, for sure, but he wasn''t the right person for this¡­


    He hoped that she didn''t realise that it was his mother''s words he just repeated. And it seems she didn''t, as a slight smile engulfed her lips. "You''re right, I shouldn''t worry about you contractors, you guys are quite the tough nuts to crack."


    Kazuki twisted his head back around as Eliza continued her work. It wasn''t exactly what he was going for, but it it helped her: good. She won''t understand the idea that death is just part of the job, he knows that. And as a substitute, it''s awful. She''ll go around believing that they''ll survive anything.


    Contractors do not. But it should help¡­


    "Yeah¡­" Kazuki trailed off.


    He felt a hand pat his arm, as if trying to assure him of something, it felt warm. But he didn''t let himself be swallowed by the thought. "Well, moving on¡­ What is even special about these implants, Kaz?" asked Eliza, out of nowhere, both hands working on fixing the exospine, one hand latched onto an open port and the other jammed in.


    He couldn''t tell what she intended to do with that information.


    "Flexibility. Dexterity. Endurance. It''s experimental. It can handle far stronger stimulants." started Kazuki, "Allows for greater speed. But¡­ It''s experimental¡­"


    "So¡­ unreliable?"


    "Yeah. Something like that," said Kazuki, feeling somewhat uncomfortable now. He never talked about his cybernetics, it was always a bit taboo with him.


    The mood became tense as Eliza tried finding something to latch onto with the conversation. "So¡­ Do you all have spine implants? I remember seeing old photos from the war and¡ª"


    "No." stated Kazuki, "Exospines are expensive to maintain, only the richest mercs and governments can handle them without going into the red. Every augmented-implant lost is a greater loss than a whole company of regulars. But everything comes at a cost, even my own."


    Eliza fell silent as Kazuki''s tone went darker, it was clear that he wasn''t too fond of his cybernetics. She simply nodded, lightly patting him on the back - his power-saving module made him more talkative. She continued working on his exospine either way. A few tugs and jolts here and there and she was done, at least that''s what he felt. She placed the power charge back in, along with some cooling gel to help any pain or roughness in the hardware.


    "Great, it''s half-done! There were some parts that needed replacement, but it should extend its life cycle for a bit," said Eliza. "We''ll have to wait for the cooling gel to settle in, then we can continue. It might take a while¡­"


    Kazuki nodded, twisting around. Replacements? There were no replacements. He ran out of them during the Splinter ops. He lightly clutched his chest, feeling the burnt skin from the acid spray. Most of it was gone, but the sensation never left his mind. "Thanks. Repairs will take some time."


    Eliza slowly hovered closer to him. "Kaz."


    He shuddered for a split moment as her eyes glowed, staring at him. "What?"


    "In my¡ª"


    The door slid open. His mind cracked with energy. Cyrus was supposed to call if someone was there... Potential breach. As he twisted his left hand, he drew at the door. Pointing a muzzle directly at a green-haired, M¨¢wti man - staring straight into death at a moment''s notice.

 X18: Relaxation?

    ¡°Woah?!¡± Archius shouted, placing his hands up to Kazuki. His eyes shook as he looked down the barrel.


    Eliza scooted her chair backwards, making distance between herself, Kazuki and Archius. ¡°Kaz, it¡¯s just Archius.¡±


    Cyrus looked into the room. ¡°Sorry, boss. He wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±


    Kazuki nodded, he couldn¡¯t blame him. He placed his pistol back in its holster as Archius calmed down, placing his hands back to his side. ¡°Kazuki, I have a lead: Loyalist blacksite, coaxed it out of a Loyalist deserter on S13. Too well defended for a frontal assault but if you let me take¡ª¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not doing field work,¡± Kazuki cut in. ¡°With Svenn as our opposition, I cannot risk assets.¡± Archius was too valuable to risk in this operation. He can¡¯t let him off the leash, especially now.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°No buts.¡± interjected Kazuki, ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t care if you died or anything. It¡¯s not like losing you will lose me my most experienced spymaster, would it?¡±


    Eliza stayed put, silent. She took a look at her notes as Kazuki glanced towards her for a moment.


    ¡°Look, Kaz, this mission is critical!¡±


    ¡°So send one of your operatives to deal with it,¡± said Kazuki.


    Archius shook his head thoroughly. ¡°No! It¡¯s so critical that I need to go in there and deal with things myself!¡±


    Cyrus tapped Archius on the shoulder. ¡°Tch. Fine,¡± said Archius, dropping the facade. His face and eyes were grim, shooting a look at Eliza. ¡°Try not to damage him, I¡¯d prefer if Kazuki could walk.¡±


    With that, he closed the door, leaving. The repairs were already finished, so he was confused about what he was referring to. Kazuki¡¯s mind was consumed by that last statement. He didn¡¯t understand it. But looking over to Eliza, he saw that she was completely red. He tilted his head in confusion.


    ¡°Anyways¡­ what were you saying?¡± asked Kazuki.


    She frantically composed herself as she cleared her throat. ¡°I feel like you¡¯re keeping something from me.¡±


    Kazuki froze. His mind exploded with thoughts. Who told her? His eyes widened as his golden glare shot through her. ¡°What¡­¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ your cybernetics, you¡¯ve had them for nearly a decade, judging by what I¡¯ve seen, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯ve really put much effort into looking after them,¡± said Eliza, sliding the chair over to the docu-pads, picking one up.


    Kazuki thought about his Exospine. It was the cream of the crop of exospines. It¡¯s what got him through to here, after all, but it was still a mystery to him. Maybe Dr. Garreau will know something about it? Or perhaps his parents?


    But mother and father won¡¯t tell him. Obviously. He hasn¡¯t spoken to them in so long¡­ His sister, Yuki, has kept in contact. Mainly her begging him to play videogames with her. As always. Such a happy family¡­ Kazuki sighed and grumbled.


    ¡°My exospine does its job, you¡¯ll do your job as well, right?¡±


    Eliza pointed at herself. ¡°Logistics, handling and¡­ repairing you?¡±


    Kazuki nodded.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m already doing that, so¡­¡± Eliza tilted her head in confusion.


    Kazuki crossed his arms. ¡°Eliza, you¡¯re one of probably three people I¡¯d trust near my exospine¡­ Ones my mother, the other is my doctor¡­ or surgeon. Depends.¡±


    Liz¡¯s eyes grew wider for a moment, a sparkling hint shone within her blood-red eyes. ¡°What you¡¯re telling me is that¡­ you need me?¡± she asked in a teasingly mischievous tone.


    Oh¡­ ¡°Did Archius teach you how to tease me?¡± One of Kazuki¡¯s eyes squinted at her remark. Eliza shivered at the sight of it, before Kazuki relaxed. ¡°Fair enough¡­ though. I need you to fix them, consistently. You can do that, right?¡±


    Eliza smiled and said, ¡°Of course!¡± She placed a hand on Kazuki¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re both in this together, after all, and I really do owe you for saving me like¡­ so many times¡­ Like that¡­ time in High School?¡±


    It was time for Kazuki¡¯s head to tilt. He had to sift through memories. There wasn¡¯t anything exactly noteworthy in high school. Wait¡­ No! There was the Student Council Election. ¡°The election?¡± Kazuki asked.


    Eliza clicked her fingers. ¡°Yeah, you saved me in those speeches!¡±


    Kazuki shook his head, confused. ¡°You carried yourself there.¡±


    It was a messy election, but Eliza won handily. It was only messy because Eliza¡¯s opposition ran off a platform solely to oppose her. Chlo¨¦ and Archius dealt with the maliciousness of the elections¡­


    Kazuki? Kazuki simply watched and dealt the killing blow. He remembered being suited up in his uniform, walking out and picking up where Eliza left off.


    ¡°I only dealt the killing blow,¡± Kazuki said.


    Eliza chuckled, embarrassed slightly. She scratched her pink hair. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re giving me too much credit, Kaz.¡±


    She was being annoyingly humble. Kazuki didn¡¯t know that was a thing that could exist. He was used to people being annoyingly arrogant. This permutation was¡­ unaccounted for.


    Then, she piqued up in a curious mood. ¡°I was quite worried when you were out there in the sewers, Kaz, must have smelt quite bad, right?¡±


    ¡°No shit. Well¡­. Actually¡­¡±


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    She chuckled at his remark. ¡°I guess a long shower can get rid of the smell, but what about the Loyalists? Someone was¡­ able to beat you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Who was it?¡± Eliza asked, lowering her voice.


    ¡°An old mentor.¡± Kazuki heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Svenn Janstein, brother of Director James Janstein¡­ James died for me. He was one of five instructors for the Eden Initiative¡­ He should be dead. I saw him get crushed.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ he¡¯s alive, is he not?¡± asked Eliza.


    Kazuki closed his eyes, rubbing his fingers along his nose and eyelids. ¡°Yes. It should be impossible.¡±


    ¡°But you can take him¡­ right?!¡± Eliza had a hint of worry in her voice.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± said Kazuki. He didn¡¯t know if he could. Svenn¡¯s not physically as strong as him, but he¡¯s sly and resourceful. If Svenn can¡¯t win: he¡¯ll create a scenario that he will win. And like always, Kazuki falls right into his traps. He¡­ He can¡¯t out plan him. But he has to kill him.


    ¡°Why is he¡­ fighting us?¡± asked Eliza.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But¡­ I did kill his brother¡­ On paper.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Eliza furrowed her brow in confusion.


    Kazuki didn¡¯t have much to say. He can¡¯t tell Eliza everything, and to him: such huge amounts of info was banal. But to her? It¡¯ll take some time to comprehend it all. He simplified everything down. ¡°During the rebellion: Svenn¡¯s brother, James, saved me. He¡¯s been at my back the whole time¡­ And then James died to protect me.¡±


    Eliza started, ¡°Well, you¡¯re the Fourth of the Seven Mercs, surely you must be able to fight him!¡±


    ¡°Fight. Yes. Beat him? I don¡¯t know¡­ My cybernetics are getting old.¡± said Kazuki. ¡°At the end of the day, it¡¯s just a title. If I had to fight Felix, Fifth of the Seven¡­ I¡¯d be dead.¡±


    Most cybernetics have their own heat ventilators and radiators. But him? He had to physically exhale excess heat. The steel latched onto him was an enigma even to him, and all those that knew of its true origins are dead or silenced. Eliza¡¯s head shot up towards him. She looked at his blank-expression face. Kazuki realised that she probably thought that he didn¡¯t understand. She was absolutely right.


    ¡°Seems like you have a lot on your plate, Kaz,¡± said Eliza. ¡°But¡­ if I have anything to do around these parts, I think I can get involved¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯d be convenient?¡± Kazuki said, scratching his head slightly.


    ¡°But¡­ it wouldn¡¯t excuse me from staying silent either!¡± Eliza said abruptly.


    Taking a glance at her, she looked far more relaxed than normal. But even with the bags under her eyes, he was reminded of who Eliza is. Behind all the chaos, she¡¯s the same optimistic girl he was obliged to protect.


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°The investigation¡­ we¡¯re still going after it, right?¡± asked Eliza.


    Kazuki paused, then nodded. ¡°Yes. But we first have to settle this issue,¡± he said.


    She seemed quite obsessed about the investigation¡­ Eliza¡¯s face tried to hide her disappointment. ¡°I¡ªI see.¡± Her voice stuttered. ¡°You¡­ think I¡¯m stupid, right?¡±


    She stood up, and started to pace around the room. Kazuki twirled his chair around towards her. The room was barebones, as he likes it. ¡°No? You were able to match someone with perfect memory in standardised tests.¡±


    ¡°No. No¡­ not that¡­ Back then, when I told you to help me, you must have thought I was daft, right?¡± she asked. ¡°Spouting on about how there was someone else behind the incident¡­ that it wasn¡¯t just the pirates, I must have seemed mad, right?¡±


    Kazuki waited a moment. From a normal perspective, she was definitely mad in that regard. But Kazuki knows¡­ so much more than she ever will. ¡°No. All evidence lines up to a third party behind the incident. Republic Intelligence blackout. Naval maintenance. It¡¯s too convenient.¡±


    Strangely enough, Eliza smiled. He didn¡¯t get it. But maybe she thought that the two of them could be mad together. ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been at this since high school,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we can take our time this time¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­ yeah¡­ I¡¯ll just try to relax,¡± said Eliza, pushing her cheeks up.


    ¡°But you already¡­ look relaxed.¡± stated Kazuki, Emotions were not his forte. But he could make precise, albeit bland, observations.


    ¡°Ah! Well you see, Riharia told me to relax a bit, so I¡¯m trying my hand at it. Casual studying instead of competitive, quite relaxing now that I¡¯m doing it.¡± said Eliza, with a bright face.


    Leave it to her to find a way to casually study graduate level information. Maybe he¡¯ll relax for a bit. He let himself sink into his seat, allowing his back to fall into an explosive slumber.


    ¡°Hmm. Sure,¡± said Kazuki, feeling not a single spark of life within his heart or mind. ¡°But do be aware you still have to do work. I might as well help.¡±


    Eliza¡¯s eyes lit up even more as she placed the datapads down, twisting to look at him. Fuck. Kazuki realised he just messed up. ¡°Oh, great! You, me, paperwork. Who can do the most in one hour? Winner takes all?¡±


    Yeah¡­ he¡¯s not going to do that. Discreetly, Kazuki activated a caller to Rivera, the quartermaster¡­ And as Eliza was about to continue, a light of polygons sprouted out from the table projector. Someone yawned, a hazel-skinned woman looked at the two of them, with pale white paint in lines beneath her left eye, four in total: at least 36 years old. Beneath her other eye had a similar tattoo, though much more intricate. Its meaning had no bearing on him.


    ¡®Yeah? You need any repairs, boss?¡¯ asked Rivera.


    ¡®No,¡¯ said Kazuki.


    ¡®Well good! ¡®cause you haven¡¯t gotten me any materials yet.¡¯ Sighed Rivera, turning to Eliza. ¡®Let me guess, you¡¯re the new girl?¡¯


    Eliza quickly nodded. But Kazuki wanted to pressure the situation further, Eliza was in charge of logistics¡­ Or at least was supposed to help the situation. He may have to reconsider her affiliation status, though the question of her safety is always present. Difficult¡­


    ¡®Eliza, can you tell me why Quartermaster Rivera hasn¡¯t received her shipments?¡¯ asked Kazuki, glancing over at Eliza.


    She furrowed her brow, scratching her head as Rivera fixated on her. Her blue eyes stared directly at Eliza, upon seeing the supposed source of the problems. But Eliza simply replied, ¡°But, I did? Rivera, have you tried looking at the delivery conveyor?¡±


    Rivera grumbled for a moment, before turning towards something. She looked at it. Then, she turned back. ¡®Fuck no? That shit doesn¡¯t even work.¡¯


    ¡®How about now?¡¯ asked Eliza, feeling slightly prideful and smug. Kazuki observed that. She was confident in all this.


    Standing up, Rivera rolled her eyes, walking over towards the conveyor as the holoprojection moved with her, capturing the armoury in full detail, barebones at best. But as they reached the conveyor, it had a grate sealed shut. ¡®Sure, fuck it, why not check the very much broken conveyor?¡¯


    Opening up the latch with a single thought, the conveyor system immediately whirred to life. She took one look back at Eliza, then pointed at the system. ¡°When the fuck did you fix that?!¡±


    ¡®Well, I didn¡¯t? I just asked a few of the drones to check the movement system and apparently, there were a few old crates jammed in there¡­ Tirax-Genesis or something?¡¯ Eliza trailed off. Tirax-Genesis? Kazuki glared at Rivera.


    ¡®Rivera. Did you order fucking Tirax-Genesis?¡¯ Kazuki asked, calmly


    And as Rivera glanced back at Kazuki, she immediately exploded into panic. She placed her hands out and shrugged. Then, she chuckled, and then shrugged again. She slowly turned to Eliza, trying to ignore the question. ¡®Aye, Eliza, right? I just wanna say that uh, if you ever need any shit from our armoury, free of charge for you! On the house!¡¯ said Rivera, giving her a thumbs up.


    ¡®Why thank you!¡¯ replied Eliza, nodding as Kazuki saw a level of pride in those red eyes. He extrapolated nothing out of them, simply observing them.


    Then, Kazuki turned back to Rivera. ¡®You know that ¡®on the house¡¯ means it''s expenses, AKA: I pay for it.''


    Rivera chuckled it off, ¡®Nope!¡¯

 X19: Beneath the Facade of Grandeur

    Blast-doors sealed behind Archius as he entered the command deck. It was empty but for a few cleaning drones, wiping the floors and computers, and Sato. She was sitting on a hover-chair on the other side of the table sipping on a cup of coffee whilst watching something on her holopad.


    Sato was a tricky person, she knew how to play against him. But even if Kazuki was aware of their little bouts for power, he never stopped them. Though her skills are remarkable, able to hide away for a month whilst a member of the seven hunted her own, she was not perfect. She''s failed.


    And her first failure to him was the worst. Maybe if she was faster, he''d be somewhere else. He hid his contempt as he slid his hand across the edge of the table, walking towards her.


    "So, what''re you watching, anything I should be aware of¡­ you better not be slacking off."


    She glanced up at him, placing the holopad onto the table as it projected a hologram upwards for the two to watch. It was a movie, nothing remarkable, Archius thought. She grumbled, "I''m on the clock, don''t worry¡­" Sato''s navy uplink was on full display, the earpiece slab covering a portion of her ear, a gold star seal of the navy still as pristine as the day it rolled off the factory.


    "Ah, I''m guessing this means you''re occupied, hmm?" asked Archius, crossing his arms over his jacket, feeling the arsenal of knives attached to his vest-rig. She grumbled silently. He pressed his face into his more jovial and friendly persona. "Oh come on! Won''t you tell me what''s going on in your noggin?"


    "No." said Sato, somewhat boringly, her face was laden with post-uplink exhaustion, it seems like she overworked herself again. "To both."


    "Good, how about the two of us go for a ride?" Archius nestled the thought in her head. "Take a break from all that uplink chatter."


    "Alright, what are we doing now?" asked Sato, "Let me guess, you have some insane plan on how to win the war? Tell me, what happened the last time we accepted a plan like that?"


    "It''s not fully insane!" said Archius, waving the idea away, "Blacksite infiltration mission. Not your style but we can send a ping there to find other Loyalist bases. Mind-snared eye told me."


    She rolled her eyes. "And? Get someone else to do it, Archius."


    "Out of all our operatives, who''d you trust to go deep into enemy territory on a black-ops mission?" asked Archius.


    Sato shrugged. "Hosea? Our old man''s always able to pull shit off¡­ Well, it''s not necessarily our forte."


    "Exactly." Archius started to ensnare Sato. "And he''s currently managing forces on the opposite end of the country."


    "But¡­ we don''t have the manpower for such a mission. And you''re using Mind-snares now? Why don''t you get them to do it??" asked Sato, putting a roadblock in Archius'' manipulations.


    But instead, she fell right into his trap. "They''re dead. It was the last transmission they got out before ENFORCERs found their head on a spike, eye wobbling got them caught. You think it could be done if we had the expertise available?"


    Sato was proactive to a fault. And Archius knew that. Kazuki wanted to balance out his own hands-on experience with Sato''s proactive networks.


    And as expected, she bit the bait. "Of course! A catch like that''d be war-changing, maybe I can finally get some rest."


    "And it seems like you''ve just volunteered. Come on, let''s go," said Archius, placing a hand on Sato''s wrist and pulling her out of her chair, making it spin as it powered down, down beneath the floor.


    "Woah?!" Sato tugged back, using her superior strength to stop him, "I ain''t interested in whatever you have mining away."


    Ow, fuck, fuck, forgot she has that navy strength.


    "I need someone with the expertise to crack things from the inside. Of course, I can always go alone¡­ might be messy." said Archius, using her pragmatism to his advantage. She might think him to be dishonest, but he wasn''t lying¡­ He really did need her for this; and that was all the credit he will ever give her, though at least Sato is more worthwhile than Eliza as an asset for the AGENCY¡­


    The two had their differences, maybe even their odds, but they knew each other''s worth, and that was all he saw in her. She reluctantly sighed and loosened her grip on his arm. "Fine."


    "Good," said Archius. He smirked as Sato followed him. With Kazuki being out of action, it seems like he''ll have to pick up the slack.


    ? ? ?


    But his small triumph would fade as his smirk turned into dismissive whistling. Sato glared at him across the small gap between opposing shuttle seats. A drone was piloting it, skidding through the lanes of the Sublevel as it sped towards the infiltration point.


    "This is sanctioned, right?" asked Sato, leaning in towards Archius. She placed the front of her stun-knuckles up to his exposed neck.


    "Yeah," said Archius, nonchalantly lying directly to her face.


    She grumbled as she retracted the knuckledusters from his neck. Her suspicion of him had skyrocketed. But before she could ask anymore questions the drone twisted towards them. It beeped and booped as it caught their attention. Nice save, Archius thought.


    The two slid their uplinks on, activating them as the devices hooked onto their ears, like a large earpiece. Archius threw one of the armoured disguises towards her as he started to put his on. "So¡­ the plan is we just walk in and everything will be alright?"


    "Of course. I had eyes on the inside mismatch documents and IDs, we''ll have temporary access to most things." said Archius.


    "Alright. I''m also guessing you know a bit about who Kazuki faced back in the sewers, right?" asked Sato, locking and sealing her armour in place.


    She felt disgusted at the mark of Clandestine painted on the crimson shoulderpads, crescent moons and circles. As they finished, they placed raincoats over their armour. Though it never rained, it''ll help against the moisture.


    "Kazuki wasn''t all too keen with sharing that info. An Eden Initiative Instructor¡ª don''t worry, it''s not Hartius."


    "Fuck¡­ well, at least it''s not Hartius¡­ Fuck, this is a bad idea!" Sato clawed at her face in regret. "I saw that merc blow up a dreadnought singlehandedly¡­ from the outside."


    "Don''t worry, in and out, quick ten minute mission - tops!" assured Archius. "And don''t worry about Svenn, alright? We''ll leave Kazuki to deal with him.


    "Offloading the hard killing to him, sure."


    She nodded dismissively as the shuttle came to a complete halt, parking nearby the hidden blacksite. Archius shimmied towards the back door of the shuttle, manually opening it and stepped out. He placed his revolving-load pistol into his right holster, tucking it under the raincoat as Sato followed him out.


    Their eyes quickly adjusted to the dim, hovering street lights dotting the darkness. Half a dozen people walked by here and there, but most stuck to themselves.


    "Who knows what shit''s in this place¡­" Sato said, her voice twitching slightly.


    Archius shrugged. "If we''re unlucky there might be a Hazard-shard user, driven to insanity! Ready to blast us with star-powers."


    "Very¡­ funny¡­" Sato trailed off. Judging by her voice, she DID NOT find it funny.


    With the thousands of platforms, walkways and sublevels, it may seem like a dead city - but it was far from tranquil.


    "What? Surprised that it hasn''t changed much?" asked Sato, tapping him on the shoulder as she left, closing the doors behind her as she tapped on her ICAPAD, activating it.


    "Well¡­ not the worst place I''ve been in¡­" said Archius, walking off she tailed him closely.


    Passing across one of the high-walkways, Archius glanced to the side. The Sub-Levels were alive with light, gunfire and a putrid smell of filth, just as he remembered it.


    Stretching far up, down and beyond were what felt like a thousand levels, sections, of the hive cities that dwelt below the surface. Massive bastions and pillars connected the roof of each level to the ceiling, acting as support beams. Numbers were painted on them and they had a lot more bright lights shining from them, with makeshift houses dug into the pillars¡­ It looked all jagged and rough, as if it came out of a necessity to live above the shit-filled wastes below, instead of anything that was planned by some bureaucratic committee.


    Steel and stone made manifest stung high above him, and far below, further than the eye could see. The only consistency here was that there was no consistency. It was an eyesore of grey steel and neon lights, though magnitudes better to look at than the Deadzone wastes, long forgotten since the war.


    "You know¡­" Sato started, glancing at Archius. "It''s beautiful, from some perspective."


    "Not to them," said Archius, stopping in his tracks and pointing out towards the endless masses of steel and the flesh that were held within them.


    "Better than the wastelands over yonder¡­" said Sato.


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    Archius nodded. "Wastelands you created."


    She stopped in her tracks, grumbling. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but that was the Imperials. WE fought to protect the hive cities and Sub Levels. They were the ones that destroyed it."


    "What difference does it make? If the Imps won¡­ nothing would have changed." Archius formed a scowl, twisting away and continuing to walk.


    "Touch¨¦¡­" said Sato. "I guess I can''t talk for everyone¡­"


    "You never will talk for anyone," said Archius. "People like you never had to know the taste of sewage¡­ except that one time."


    "I wonder fucking why," Sato hushed her tone as she spoke. Archius chuckled to himself, remembering back to one of their first encounters. "Kazuki nearly waterboarded me to death¡­"


    Archius formed up a friendly facade, glancing back towards her whilst walking. "Great thing you listened to us, eh?" he mused.


    He laughed it off, hiding his distaste for talking about the past¡­ He shouldn''t have prompted her, but he couldn''t help himself¡­ He won in the end against her, so he really couldn''t care less now that she thinks about it.


    Of course she had to be the one to bring up those topics. To him, it wouldn''t have mattered if the Imperials or the Republicans won the war, it''ll just be a different regime with a different flavour of corruption.


    ? ? ?


    Sato and Archius went across more platforms, walkways and streets, passing by posters, run-down establishments and numerous bounty-boards, filled to the brim with reports. They walked by a small group of ENFORCERs that were talking to each other at a street corner.


    They had special masks and armour that hid their identities, but even with that he could tell they were hammered drunk, ignoring the stabbing just around the corner - everyone did: it was the sub-level after all.


    Sato kept herself ready. Her head was on a swivel as she looked around at the decrepit slums, both blank and bright in vibrant hues of grey. It felt more like a mess than a city, forgotten by the empire and republic that came after it.


    ''Eyes front. Don''t draw attention to yourself, I''d prefer things to be clean.'' whispered Archius over the uplink, increasingly annoyed. Unlike Sato, he kept his head facing forward.


    ''Got it¡­ it''s been a while since I''ve been on the field.'' said Sato, nervously. The Sub levels weren''t safe, and here they were walking through it. Archius, however, felt no such weakness.


    ''Handlers go out on the field?'' asked Archius, ''I thought I was just the exception.''


    ''Well, because you are!'' shouted Sato, following Archius as they turned the corner onto a long walkway, walking across a massive traffic bridge between two sub-districts. Below and above were thousands of platforms and elevated levels brimming with light and life.


    As they got to the other side, Archius pulled himself and her into a protruding alleyway, hugging the wall as he peeked out from the corner. He saw a small patrol of ENFORCERs passing by, with their lightly armoured plating.


    Sato took a look. ''The Loyalists are right under the law''s noses, huh?''


    ''Yeah.'' said Archius, ''Come on, we''re getting close. Let''s not get spotted, m''kay? Even if this is greenlit, we''ll be getting no aid. Especially not from the ENFORCERs.''


    ''No shit¡­''


    Continuing down the alley, the two eventually reached a small ''park'' area nestled between several run-down apartment buildings. It was filled to the brim with trash bags and cargo containers.


    The two paused as they heard rustling within a pile of trash bags, their heads twisting towards it. Bright orange pupils peered out from the gaps, with a pale, sickly skin colour hiding behind it. Sato''s face scrunched at the sight, but Archius merely shrugged.


    "Ghoul-creatures, they''re scavengers, let''s hope there''s no broodmother.". The stench was unbearable, but Archius pushed onwards as he approached one of the cargo containers, sliding its door open.


    "This location wasn''t on Clandestine''s archives¡­"


    "New safehouse?" suggested Archius, looking in to reveal a steel blast-door on the other side of the container.


    They entered into the container as Archius slid the container shut behind them. Whilst Sato analysed the door, stepping towards it, Archius took out his key-chain and injected it into the port beside the door. Sato waited as she slowly stepped behind Archius.


    "I''ll do the talking," said Archius.


    Sato was about to answer as the door opened, revealing a Loyalist. They looked tired. He looked at the two of them for a second whilst smoking a cigarette. Aspan Grey, Archius noticed, it was a cheap brand.


    "You guys weren''t followed, were you?" asked the Loyalist, taking the cigarette out of their mouth for a moment to speak.


    "No. Slicked through the alleys to avoid AGENCY patrols," said Archius, walking past the opened security door as Sato followed.


    "Ahh, don''t worry about those contract-breakers, it''s the ENFORCERs that I''m more worried about." The Loyalist leaned against the wall of an interior staircase leading downwards. "Anyways, keep strong."


    "Thanks," said Archius, following Sato down the stairs. Talking to these people as if he was one of them was second nature to him. Deception was his forte.


    Archius placed his hands in his pockets as they continued down the stairs. ''Alright, just play it cool and follow my lead. The server farm is on the bottom floor.''


    ''Got it.'' said Sato, isolating their uplink channel for security.


    Sato was the perfect person for this, even if she''s not used to field work.


    ''I should have taken a few of those Seekers in the Stealth Division from Clandestine, would have made missions like these easier,'' Archius admitted to Sato.


    ''Those fucks were loyal to the Directors, even getting one of those stealth agents on board would have been nice¡­'' Sato commented.


    After a few dozen flights of stairs, they reached the bottom, being greeted by a security checkpoint. There were a few guards manning the station, though most were slacking off and playing Holocards.


    One was actively manning the post, average features, Archius thought. If it came down to it, he could kill him easily. Archius nodded at him as Sato stood beside Archius.


    "Evening," said Archius.


    They walked over to the duo, blocking their way into the facility as he crossed his arms.


    "IDs. You know how it is." said the man, Archius looked at a patch on their armour, spelling out the name Kyle. Simple, Archius thought, it''ll be easy to remember.


    "Yeah, yeah, standard procedures," said Archius, flicking his and Sato''s fake IDs over to him.


    Kyle injected the IDs into a handheld device. It beeped and booped as its screen then shone a bright green.


    "Aight, come on, I guess you two are recent transfers, I''ll show you ''round the place, how about that?" asked Kyle, grabbing the ID cards and providing them back.


    Archius caught his back whilst Sato snatched hers. Even if she was usually apathetic, she does have times where her nervousness defined her.


    "So is there any place you guys are interested in seeing first? Things are quiet right now, might as well give y''all a tailored tour, kill some time till our next op."


    "I guess we should go bottom to top. It feels more linear, you know?" suggested Archius. The server farms were at the bottom, it''d be far more suspicious to say the server farms, but by passing it off as bottom to top, it seemed far more plausible.


    "Sure¡­" said Sato, Archius could feel sweat seeping through the words. She was clearly regretting joining him, he thought.


    Kyle nodded as he glanced towards Sato, hidden behind Archius. Even without looking at her, Archius could feel a sense of nervousness in her.


    He turned and walked through the checkpoint, leading both Archius and Sato through it. The other Loyalists gave dismissive looks towards them as he could see Kyle peek a few glances back at Sato. The air was tense, but that didn''t matter to Archius, he''ll have a laundry list of things to tease her with afterwards if she keeps this up.


    They reached the elevator leading deeper into the facility, standing in front of it. "So¡­ Arcia and Satina was it?"


    He made idle conversation as he placed his hand on the screen beside the elevator, a holographic light up activated as the elevator started to ascend, a blinking number highlighting its location. But all Archius could think of was how much of a nuisance Kyle will be.


    "Yeah, sorry about my friend." said Archius, gesturing back to her as she quickly slid behind him, hiding from Kyle''s gaze. "She doesn''t like getting close to people. Republican guard¡­"


    "Ah¡­ I understand." said Kyle, "What they did was fucked up¡­"


    The elevator arrived as it opened up. Kyle entered, followed by Archius then Sato. Sato made sure to stand opposing Kyle, placing Archius in between them. He had little historic knowledge, but knew full well that the guard was decimated.


    "How about you then?" asked Archius. He felt comfortable, at his best. He created the temperature for smooth sailing.


    "Hmm?" Kyle said, pressing down on a button, on the touchscreen, labelled level-sub-9. "Kyle. 42nd Shockdrops. Admiral Ryzaku picked us up from a dead-end posting and took us all the way to the capital."


    "Well, that''s one hell of a glow-up." said Archius, "93rd Republican, we were lucky¡­"


    "Yeah, no shit." said Kyle, scratching his head as he leaned against the elevator walls. "Hell, maybe we fought against each other on the field¡­"


    The irony wasn''t lost on Archius as the elevator started to descend. Walls became semi-transparent. The elevator was seemingly built as the core of the facility, with numerous floors and platforms attached to it from one massive hub area.


    The place had enough facilities to maintain a large force for months. Hell, it made the old Clandestine HQ seem like a run-down safehouse.


    Kyle looked out into the facility. "Hell of an upgrade, right?"


    "I guess." said Archius, "I mean, didn''t think this was in the budget."


    "Me too, but HICOM was able to strike a deal with some benefactors, it seems," said Kyle. Archius'' ears tingle at the sound of that. If Sato and him can loosen Kyle up, they might get another lead. "It''ll make up for the losses we got."


    "Really?" asked Archius. He placed himself against the wall beside Kyle. "Never knew. Communications are tight, getting missions done is much harder."


    "I know right!" exclaimed Kyle, "And my sister keeps pestering me for stuff¡­"


    Familial problems¡­ Archius can somewhat remember that. But he didn''t feel versed enough to use that, it''s been too long for that avenue of approach. Instead he''ll use Kazuki''s complaints when he talks about his own sister.


    "Oh, tell me about it! I''m currently paying for my sister to go to school and she has the gall to complain about the fucking homework!" lied Archius, shouting to better sell his frustration.


    "Hah, my sister wants a space-map, says she wants to explore the stars¡­" Kyle laughed for a moment.


    "Well, good luck to her," said Archius, feeling nothing as Kyle smiled. Every bond he made was for the mission. Kyle reminded him of himself, back before the bombs fell. His sister always pestered him¡­ he hated it back then. The thoughts slowly wandered to hate, as he glanced towards Sato.


    But those thoughts quickly faded as he gave his response to Kyle. "Woes unto the elder brother!"


    "Woes indeed," said Kyle, "I''ve only been here for a month and it already feels like home¡­"


    "Yeah, transferred from the surface," said Archius. The elevator''s outside view gave way to a concrete wall surrounding it. They were getting closer¡­


    "The surface?" asked Kyle, raising an eyebrow. "Didn''t we abandon it? You saw what happened to Kelly''s team; heard she got captured. Well, she did do a lot of damage though, a few dead civvies should stir some trouble."


    It seems like Kyle was just as ruthless as all the others, Archius thought. But that was the least of his concerns, or worth of notetaking.


    "We got stranded up there," lied Archius. Shit. He slipped up. He should have avoided such rosy topics¡­ Kyle''s face maintained suspicion.


    Then, he turned to Archius. "Wait¡ª"


    It was enough. He sent a ping to Sato on his uplink as their earpieces blinked red. Her eye glanced to the camera in the elevator as she tapped her ICAPAD - scrambling it. With that dealt with, Archius dropped his face. With a soulless stare, he slit Kyle''s throat in a single motion with his pen-knife

 X20: Within the Brain of the Beast

    "What the fuck!?" Sato shouted, stepping back as blood gushed out of Kyle''s neck. Archius stepped to the side, avoiding the blood as he fell onto the floor, one hand covering the wound. "I could have stunned him¡­"


    "He knew, plus he is a terrorist," said Archius, grabbing onto Kyle''s hand as he tried to get a clean kill. But Kyle kept writhing around, trying to throw Archius off him. He muttered, frustrated, "So annoying¡­ Stay still. I''m trying to kill you."


    Archius tried to get a clean kill, but Kyle continued to writhe. He rolled his eyes, before continually stabbing Kyle in the chest. For sure, he stopped moving after that. Sato wasn''t all too phased as she knelt down, poking at him. Archius grumbled as he wasn''t able to get a clean kill.


    "Fucking hell, what did you do that for?"


    "For the cause, at all costs. Things get messy sometimes, nothing we can do about that," said Archius, placing the body against the wall. Now that he thinks about it, Eliza probably knew something was up with him after he uncharacteristically gutted that Loyalist back in the factory¡­ "And be thankful I didn''t syringe him. How long will the loop stay on?"


    "As long as I''m connected to it," said Sato. "And there is absolutely something we could do about it, what good are we if we stoop to the Loyalists''."


    "Then we''re just like the rest." said Archius, "What''s so wrong about that?"


    As their ideologies clashed, the walls became transparent as the server farm floor came into view. The elevator was like a pillar in the middle of a thousand servers. The elevator opened at the bottom floor. Exiting out, the duo were met with a massive server-farm. Databases and servers lined up in a labyrinth-like pattern up to the ceiling. Each was a pillar, cooled by liquid nitrogen tubes that made the whole room ice-cold. And luckily, there was not a single soul there.


    "Alright, let''s do this quickly," said Sato, walking off towards a raised platform on the opposite end of the room.


    "Sure," said Archius. Looking around, he wasn''t all too impressed by the setup, the CRIS had a far more robust system.


    He followed her, walking up the stairs to the raised platform as she was working away, in her element as her uplink was connected to a computer. She attached a Cracking Stick into one of the system''s ports.


    "Alright¡­ Krystalink 5.0 shouldn''t raise any alarms¡­" Sato muttered to herself, before becoming consumed by a wave of information.


    "How long will it take?"


    Sato glanced back at him as she pointed to her uplink. It blinked colours along with her ICAPAD. He rolled his eyes as she went back to processing the information. After a few minutes, her voice called out. "I''ve done all I can with 5.0. I need a code to access the admin-menu, if I bypass it with one of Clandestine''s old zero days it''ll trip the alarms. Can your eyes do something about that?"


    "Absolutely not¡­" said Archius, "They''re more useful alive than dead. Just bypass it, alright?"


    "Ah, great, so this is a suicide mission!" she complained.


    "We''ll take one of the emergency exits." said Archius, "If we create enough noise, it''ll cover our escape."


    "I hope you''re right¡­"


    As silence fell, she took a deep breath before pressing down on a touchscreen button, then clicking onto her uplink to bypass the firewalls. The lights of the server room turned blood red as alarms started to blare.


    ''UNAUTHORISED ACCESS OF MASTER COMPUTER. FACILITY BREACH PROTOCOLS ENGAGED.''


    As Archius glanced at the elevator, he noted that it started to move upwards. He stepped backwards, frantically tapping her on the back. "They''ll be down here any minute!"


    "I''m trying¡­" said Sato. He glanced over at the holographic monitor. She was simply clicking and searching through a massive admin-system. And then, she tried to activate the ping-module. A screen flared upwards at Sato as she shot Archius a look.


    "SHIT. I NEED A FUCKING PASSWORD?!"


    "I don''t know? Bypass it?" He glanced back at the elevator, noting down the descending, blinking number above the elevator doors. He ran down the steps and hid behind one of the pillars.


    "Bypass it?! I''m not some fucking genie!" shouted Sato, clearly angry and panicking. Neither of them had combat-netics on, so fighting Loyalists isn''t impossible, but not advisable. "Hacking isn''t what it''s like on the screens, didn''t they teach that to you in actor school?!"


    "Well¡­ do something, because right now there''s a dozen blood thirsty mercs that want to kill us!" said Archius, unholstering his revolver as his frustration reached even higher levels than before.


    "Oh, I didn''t know that! Thanks for telling me. I thought they were coming along as customer support," Sato snapped, frustrated and pissed at Archius'' comments.


    He could see the elevator now, sliding downwards to the bottom floor. And as they touched down, Sato typed in 1234. As she bypassed it, she sent out a ping to all Loyalist locations as the doors of the elevator slid open.


    "WHAT THE FUCK?" She shouted out loud.


    Her ICAPAD flowed with information.


    Loyalists poured out as Archius fired at them. They took cover amongst the servers to the side as one of them fell, head-popped from the revolver.


    Archius narrowly avoided a bolt to the head, ducking into cover as Sato jumped down to the pillar beside him. He placed a hand to his head, feeling a streak of blood fall down, explosive bolts! Fragmentation threw itself up from the impact of each bolt, forcing him down and further into cover.


    "Done, let''s get out of here!"


    "Alright, follow me." Archius said, firing blindly into the Loyalists'' general direction as he made his way towards the side of the room, followed by Sato.


    The two were chased down as the Loyalists quickly swarmed onto them. But each one that got close was blasted by the two, who threw incendiaries to slow the Loyalists down.


    As they fled towards the side of the room, Archius looked back, seeing the Loyalists slowly trek across the fires with their fire-retardant armour. Entire sections were lit up with gunfire as they ran. Sato took a bolt to the chest-plate, knocking her to the ground. A second bolt narrowly missed her, Archius fired back frantically as he stepped out of cover. He took a bolt personally, but withstood the shrapnel, kicking Sato into cover.


    She recovered, coughing up. "FUCK ME! THAT HURTS!" she shouted, injecting herself with an injector as she stuck one into Archius, joining her in cover.


    "They''re bullets, they''re supposed to hurt!"


    Archius noted that they were swarming onto them¡­ Fuck, he has to buy them time. He looked back at Sato, who had her eyes attached to the console-pad attached to the server column they were hiding behind.


    "The fuck?"


    "I¡­ I think I can do something from here!" said Sato, detaching the console from the server as she immediately started to crack into it. Archius grumbled to himself, making a strained face as he fired back at an approaching Loyalist - a lucky shot skimming them in the face.


    "WHAT DO YOU MEAN SOMETHING?" said Archius, his chest-plate taking another bolt. A Loyalist was rushing up to them. FUCK. He has to do something!


    "And¡­ tada!" Sato shouted, a loud screech of engines pouring into the room from up above. DRONES! A fuck load of them, all firing down. The Loyalist turned around the column, only to be spliced into two pieces by a drone bolt.


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    The remaining Loyalists were sent into cover. With this moment of respite, Sato took the lead - grabbing onto Archius and rushing to the side. Archius took lead straight after, leading them across the room - over to a small exhaust grate. The words ''Maintenance Shaft'' was written above it in red ink, Standard Galactic.


    It was small, but usable, Archius lit up a smoke bomb.


    "Really?" asked Sato.


    "Got a better idea?" snapped Archius, his voice teeming with light anger. "I fucking thought so."


    ? ? ?


    The two crawled through the vent-like environment as they slowly ascended upwards with much difficulty. By now, gunfire was sporadic as they could hear the alarms through the shaft walls. Archius kept close behind Sato as they reached up towards the Sub-Level surface, kicking on the seal mechanisms in the shaft to prevent any pursuers.


    Sato stopped as Archius jabbed at her leg from behind. "Something up?"


    "Sewer grate, you think it''s safe for us?" asked Sato, trying to twist her head back towards Archius, smacking into the low ceiling as she frowned, rubbing her forehead.


    "Absolutely not, but what choice do we have?" Archius asked in return. Sato grumbled, lifting the sewer grate up, cold, dusty air filled their nostrils as they exited out.


    They had emerged on a street nearby, outside the fight. Looking around, the surface was in chaos as ENFORCERs were crawling all over the place, probably because of the loud alarms. Loyalists were engaged in a skirmish with them. The buildings all around were alight with explosives and gunfire as AGENCY shuttles roared by overhead, gunning down a group of Loyalists that fired down at the ENFORCERs on the streets.


    Civilians were running away as a few criminals tried to use the opportunity to loot corpses, houses and establishments. A stray spray of bullets from an AGENCY shuttle nearly skewered Sato as Archius grabbed onto her, throwing themselves into a nearby alleyway. They started off into a run.


    "Let''s get back to the shuttle," said Sato. "So much for a twenty minute mission, tops¡­"


    "Hey, we got the locations." snapped Archius.


    The two avoided the combat as they quickly sneaked their way back to their shuttle, hiding in ghoul-infested alleys and slinking back across the walkways. The Sub Levels haven''t changed one bit, still teeming with life and alive. One small shootout won''t change anything; and everyone knew that. Not even two blocks away and there were people buying pasties from the stalls.


    "Where the fuck are we going?" asked Sato, keeping close to Archius.


    Archius kept his eyes on a swivel as he glanced back towards Sato. "Nothing much, just going for a walk!" He placed a wide smile on his face, before turning back. He dropped the facade. "There are eyes watching us, don''t look back. Can you feel them?"


    "Huh? No?" Sato whispered as Archius grabbed hold of her arm, dragging her into a crowd as they diverged into a massive marketplace, a small kid bumping into Sato, then into Archius, before tripping over; Sato paused, but Archius kept pulling her forward. It was brimming with light and grit - shouts and sales all about. "I''m a navy coordinator at heart, you think I can detect that?" She grumbled under her breath.


    Archius shrugged, "Fair enough, we''re far from any CRIS safehouses, we''ll have to change disguises here."


    "What?" Sato furrowed her brow, pushing forward to walk beside Archius, the two still wearing their light armour.


    Archius'' eyes skidded over towards a shop-vendor, with a bunch of beige and dull coloured cloaks for sale. PERFECT, Archius noted. "That vendor, do you have any money?"


    "Don''t you have any yourself?" Sato mumbled, grumbling as she went to place her hands in her pocket. She paused for a moment, "Huh?"


    Without even realising it, she had lost her wallet; of course Archius knew. And he slammed it into her chest. "Keep it safe, that kid from earlier tried to pickpocket you."


    "Huh?! Uh¡­ thanks," said Sato, placing her wallet underneath her armour, into one of the interior pockets. "I guess you kicked him over."


    "No, I injected Thalesia nerve agent into him," Archius whispered. "Who the fuck will know in this mess?"


    "Archius¡­" Sato trailed off, before sighing. She wasn''t angry, more disappointed at his approach of killing a child.


    "What? Death of one child is a tragedy to you?" Archius dropped the facade, glaring at Sato. "I''m guessing that the death of tens of thousands was just a statistic to you."


    "Look¡­ I¡­" Sato cut herself off, before shutting up. Archius turned forward, now wasn''t the time for that.


    Passing up towards the vendor, Archius placed on a smirk, wiping away the memories. "Oi, oi, oi, you got some cloaks there seems."


    His entire personality had changed as he glanced back towards Sato, then back at the vendor, an old man with pale white hair and a long beard. "Yep, there be some cloaks, but for you two? Two hundred a piece. You both look like you need it pretty badly¡­" The vendor said, eyeing up the two operatives.


    Archius'' eyes glanced towards Sato, she shook her head. "This is your op, I ain''t paying¡­" Petty, Archius thought. His eyes skidded in the other direction. The eyes were getting closer. He''ll need to act fast, but not make a ruckus.


    Glancing at the wares, a lot of the vendor''s stuff was already gone, with a lot of them being at random. He''d been here for a while, but his cloaks weren''t selling, it seems. Kazuki told him something about supply or demand and whatever, he couldn''t care less.


    "Look, your cloaks don''t seem to be selling," said Archius, posturing to look more amicable as he gesticulated with his hands. "I mean no offence to your products, of course! But we need those cloaks, and you have a high supply of it, wouldn''t hurt, would it?"


    The old vendor mulled it over to himself for a few moments, before nodding his head. "Fine! One hundred and fifty. I can go no less!" he said, crossing his arms. Archius made a strained face, shaking his face and faking a string of thought.


    They were getting close. Come on old man, Archius thought, break already. A few moments passed as Sato tugged on Archius. "Fine¡­ I''ll pay," she whispered to him.


    Archius ignored her, he won''t let his ego or pride be hurt like this. The eyes were getting CLOSER. And the old man wasn''t budging.


    Archius had to act. And he lied, "Look, I know a guy down in the¡­" Archius'' eyes scrambled to the name of a bar nearby, across the market, there were a bunch of cloaked men hanging around it, lurking between shadows and light, eyeing up everyone going in and out. "The Wyviraar¡­ He''s a good friend. And he is a good friend to you, as well. But¡­"


    Glancing back at the establishment, it looked bad from the outside, but it felt even worse to Archius. He went with his gut feelings and slowly showed his revolver.


    "We both know what this means, don''t we?" bluffed Archius. He relied on the simple notion that crime was on every corner to try and squeeze some believability into his empty threat.


    The vendor''s face slowly pulled back, going pale. "You''re with them?"


    Archius snatched up the cloaks, putting one on as he shoved the second one onto Sato. The vendor didn''t even flinch. "Of course I am. Now, we''ll be going," said Archius, his heart racing. His gamble worked, holy fuck it worked! Archius turned away and started walking, with Sato. He smirked.


    "Shit, what the fuck was that? Are they still onto us?" Sato worryingly asked. "And you''ve been down here before?"


    Archius paused for a moment, before continuing through the marketplace. "It was a technique called lying, you should try it sometimes. And no, I just betted that criminals would deal in some of the bars," Archius smack-talked Sato.


    "And you bet EVERYTHING on that?" Sato grumbled.


    "Oh, please!" Archius started, "They don''t teach you in navy-school, but down in the dumps and the cesspits across the galaxy, crims always gravitate towards bars¡­ networking, booze and easy racketeering - what''s not to love!"


    "Alright¡­ alright¡­" Sato hushed her voice. "But the eyes?"


    Archius scanned through his mind. "No¡­" He remained somewhat cautious as he slid through the crowd with Sato. "We''re safe, at least that''s what my instincts tell me."


    "Thank FUCK." Sato heaved a sigh, following Archius out of the marketplace and out onto a side-street. "Remind me¡­ to never go on a mission with you again."


    "Uh, nah," Archius quipped.


    Continuing on, they reached their shuttle, parked where they left it. But as they were about to get onboard, magnetic locks engaged from above - locking the shuttle in place. A shuttle was tracking them. FUCK, IT HAS TO BE THEM! The two raised their guns upwards as a figure dived out. Archius fired a single shot, a bolt deflected off into the walls.


    He ceased fire as the figure crashed into the ground in front of them. Fear consumed Archius as Sato pointed towards him. The jet-black hair, golden eyes and burnt, cracked cheek of their boss shone darkly at Archius. Kazuki, to put it mildly, looked far from pleased, even with no visible emotions. He glared at him as he extended out his figure. It felt like he towered over them.


    "I thought¡­ this was sanctioned¡­" said Sato, scrambling backwards with nerves in her voice to not attract her boss'' ire "Right, Archius?!"


    "Ah¡­ well, about that¡­" Archius trailed off as Kazuki approached him.


    And as he did, he slapped Archius across the face. "What the fuck are you doing!? I heard reports of you two going missing and then reports of a blacksite being shot up."


    Archius was knocked back by the slap, rubbing his cheek as he looked up at Kazuki. Even as he shouted at him, his face and voice felt calm and collected, devoid of all emotion. "Relax, we''re alive and we have the locations of every single base these Loyalists have set up."


    "Fine. I''ll let this slide¡­ But be aware that I will not be as lenient on the two of you the next time you worry me." Kazuki grumbled for a moment, glancing to the side. Archius could see some steel repair braces around his nape - he must have been in the middle of something with Eliza. ''Someone, get me Martinez. Scramble all AGENCY Forces on Anagora to full alert and bring backup.''


    "Hey! It was his idea¡­" grumbled Sato, rolling her eyes as she got caught up in Archius'' act.


    Archius smirked, it felt nice to know that Kazuki was actually worried about him and Sato - probably more about Sato actually now that he thinks about it. Kazuki looked back. As the two exchanged glares, he noted something behind the sparkless eyes: emotions. And his soul sang the song of anxiety.

 X21: Operation to Eliminate the Loyalists

    Whatever storm of emotions raged within him mattered not. The gale continued to pour down rain as Kazuki walked alongside the top-deck of the skyliner, a behemoth vessel flying high above Anagora''s surface. His raincoat and hood swayed. He looked out towards the thousands of floating islands and bastions that encompassed the surface


    ''Arbiter, police assets are on the ground through levels five and six.'' reported Captain Paulus, commander of the 31st ''Sparkless'' SPTU Unit, the best Police Unit on Anagora. ''Commissioner''s not happy, but it''s greenlit.''


    ''He can be happy?'' snapped Kazuki.


    ''Touch¨¦.''


    ''Keep your Unicorns on red-alert,'' Kazuki ordered.


    ''And your Freemuzzles at the ready,'' Paulus replied.


    Kazuki nodded to thin air.


    As he approached the door to the pilothouse, he stood outside for a moment.


    ''Arbiter to Overwatch. The moment I open the door, there''ll be no backtracking. Last chance, are you sure Svenn will be here?'' asked Kazuki, standing still as the bleeding red sunset of the never-sleeping metropolis peering at him from behind. His brain was still aching from the analyspec leakage before¡­ He hopes its simulatory powers do not affect this mission.


    ''I wouldn''t have told you about it if I wasn''t! This location had the highest densities of pings from the master computer.'' rebuked Archius, ''Now get on with the mission before they smell that something''s up.''


    ''Just get on with the mission.'' fussed Sato, annoyed, ''A skyliner safehouse isn''t something that I would expect, but it works I guess.''


    ''Of course. All forces, gear up in your rooms. Mark yourselves with helmets and insignias.'' ordered Kazuki, to the units already infiltrated.


    ''We''re ready¡­ what about the civvies?'' Claire asked, a tint of nervousness in her voice.


    Kazuki gave her a level of reprise. ''Do your job. And try not to take another grenade to the chest protecting kids.''


    Swallowing a Halolazil pill, Kazuki tapped the touchscreen panel along the wall, opening the pilothouse door. It slid open as he stepped in, being met with the warmth of the control room. The crew were manning their stations whilst the captain looked towards Kazuki, waving at him.


    He had a grizzly white beard, a man easily above his hundreds. His face had wrinkles. What he could see of his stature was that of strength. "Ah, you must be the mysterious inspector my superiors'' superiors talked of, I guess you are this affiliate?"


    "Yeah. Something like that. Kazuki," said Kazuki, highlighting his ICAPAD''s badge projector, showing the seal of the Anagoran Metro Judiciary, with it flashing between police and AGENCY seals, "Let''s get to business. We have evidence linking your vessel to be harbouring criminals. Are you aware of this?"


    "By Iris'' name, if I knew I''d kick them out myself!" said the old captain, enthusiastically. "If my back allows it¡­"


    "Judicial forces will be boarding. You will alert your men and all personnel within the skyliner, passenger or not, that they are to remain where they are. Your cooperation is non-negotiable." stated Kazuki.


    The old man nodded. "Well, nothing we can do to change that, then. Oh, and care to look through our security cameras, my old age has hampered my vision."


    "Sure."


    The captain looked towards a crewmate sitting down at a series of monitors and interlinked consoles and modules, security cameras. "Cameron, our guest wishes to see the cameras."


    "Ah¡ª" Cameron twisted his head at the two of them as his hands immediately grabbed onto the control module, "Go ahead, sir."


    The old captain led Kazuki towards the module as Cameron shot up. He shimmied backwards to allow Kazuki space. The captain gestured to the computer, "Be my guest. You know, I served with your grandfather, saved me so many times. I guess this is me paying back the favour!."


    Kazuki nodded, taking a single glance towards Cameron. He avoided Kazuki''s glare. He didn''t blame him. Being in the presence of a member of the seven must be quite uncanny. He took out his cracking-stick, injecting it into the machine. ''Overwatch, process and harvest information. Alert me to any abnormalities.''


    ''Got it, Arbiter¡­'' said Eliza. Seems like she finally got the memo, this was an improvement, Kazuki thought.


    ''Alright¡­ let''s see what we have here.'' said Sato, enthusiastically digging into the data as she started to mine it, though she still wore the voice of exhaustion.


    The monitor blinked as the analyspec started to process. Thousands of minutes of footage were compressed down through sheer quantum magic. Kazuki stood up, awaiting a reply from either Sato or Eliza. If they can get the drop on the Loyalists, they''ll have a decisive advantage.


    Archius playfully commented on the slower than average progress, ''Come on! We''ll die of boredom.''


    ''These things take time¡­ Aha!" Sato said, uploading a specific time frame onto the monitor for Kazuki to see.


    Cargo bay. Lowest deck of the vessel. Security passed by one intersection as Sato zoomed into one anomaly. A shadow moved. Enhancing the footage and zooming in even further, one detail was clear: Clandestine patent armour.


    ''Jackpot!'' said Eliza, enthusiastically.


    ''I see.'' said Kazuki, his eyes thinning at their details. But as he placed his hand up to his uplink to start the operation, he felt a jab of pain to his mind.


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    Stress stabbed. His head twisted on a swivel to meet the source of the chaos. His mind fastened. His exospine blitzed into action. Filtering systems gave way to send drugs into his bloodstream as his head twisted towards Cameron. P4-50 Pistol. Kazuki drew. Triggers flinched as bolts were sent point blank across the room. Kazuki''s bolt hit first, smacking into Cameron''s head.


    Cameron missed.


    Cameron''s body slammed into the steel floor below as his mind calmed. He twisted to look at the captain. The captain was dead¡­ And Cameron.


    "Put the vessel on lockdown. Remain here. Do not let anyone into the bridge." Kazuki ordered them, his voice both bare and fear-inducing.


    As expected, they all nodded in fear as his eyes glowed a hue of gold to them. Kazuki contacted all the teams. ''All forces deploy. Happy hunting.''


    Gunfire had already started to erupt across the vessel. Kazuki looked towards Cameron''s dead body, his head was splattered. It was clear, he was the messenger.


    Claire shouted across the uplink as gunfire continued, ''They''re here! Watch out, civvies are among them.''


    ''Understood.'' stated Kazuki, ''Reinforce our teams on the vessel. Keep your armour light and your heads on a swivel. Loyalists are hiding amongst the civilians.''


    He walked out of the pilothouse, cold rain smashing into the upper void-deck, getting a clear view of the Anagoran skyline. Shuttles shone their searchlights. They started to land as troops of both police and mercs poured out. He looked towards one of the shuttles, harbouring Lilly''s unit. She got out, followed by Quinn and Riharia as they sealed their nanobot-reinforced helm-masks on.


    Kazuki pulled his hood up with both his hands, placing his leviathan-marked helm-mask on. "Vall¨¦, Epsilon, Gambit, your team''s on me. We''re heading straight to the cargo bay."


    "Understood, Arbiter." said Lilly, "Come on boys! Let''s go shoot some loyies."


    Kazuki led them towards the auxiliary staircase near the front of the vessel, passing by dozens of teams storming onto the vessel. Pushing the doors open, he threw his raincoat aside. Descending downwards, the red alarm lights of the vessel engulfed their Night Vision NODs as the cold metal hull of the skyliner did nothing to hide the sound of gunfire.


    Kazuki took out an extendable Powered-Carbine. He took point as he pulled its pieces from his left leg, nanobots and parts assembling to full length.


    And as he passed by one of the many doors, bullets smacked through it, narrowly avoiding Kazuki as he pushed himself forward, crossing the firing zone. One AGENT was hit in the neck by the spray of bullets as they were caught in the crossfire, bolts denting the ''drone-eye'' paint job, scraping fragments off. They dropped against the railing, dragged to the side by another operative.


    "Shit! Onita''s hit!" they shouted, quickly sealing up the wounds. "Fuck¡­ this is what happens when you overstep it."


    "Stack up¡­" Kazuki trailed off, stacking up on one side of the door as Lilly and her team piled up on the other side. He ignored the medic to work his magic.


    He clenched his fist as both him and Lilly pressed against the door, swerving it open. A flurry of bolts and plasma flung straight first into the stairwell. The sound of plasma and explosions rattled in the air. Peeking out, Kazuki saw a group of Loyalists, on the far side, engaging a squad of AGENTs down a long hallway.


    ''Arbiter! Vall¨¦!'' Claire shouted, tugging a child into cover along the hall. ''We''re pinned here, multiple civvies are trapped in the rooms!''


    ''On it!'' shouted Lilly.


    A bullet smacked into Kazuki''s mask, deflecting off it as Lilly pushed forward, gunning down the lightly armoured Loyalists - her team stormed in after. Kazuki stayed back, preserving his limited energy. A dozen more Loyalists poured into view as Lilly''s squad took cover behind their shields, Claire''s team using their shield-line as a fallback line for assaults.


    Claire, as always, was on civilian duty, dragging any stragglers in the hall into cover or chucking them into the side-rooms¡­ Kazuki hopes she never changes.


    ''Arbiter, we''ll hold them back; take a few if you need.'' shouted Lilly.


    ''Copy that. Epsilon, Gambit on me. We''ll take the stairs down." Kazuki ordered. Both Quinn and Riharia broke off from the team as Kazuki covered their retreat, killing two Loyalists. The two quickly entered into the stairways as he closed the door behind them.


    "Heads or tails?" Quinn asked, slinging his shotgun over his shoulder as he braced it between his arm and torso, reloading it.


    "Oh, really? Are we actually gonna do this?" asked Riharia, unloading an empty cartridge as she searched for another one.


    Her mask phased in and out the holographic-paint on her mask. It depicted anything from a row of flowers to red holo-card iconography. Whilst Quinn''s had something similar as well, though with a blue colour scheme.


    "Fuck yeah? Or are you too much of a wuss to play in a game of coin?" Quinn lightly jabbed Riharia with the butt of his shotgun, placing his finger outside the trigger as he did. Riharia chuckled it off, probably the most experienced at dealing with Quinn''s assholery. She took a moment as she searched through the compartments of her vest-plate, modified with flak-plating. Then, she looked at Quinn, who snickered under his breath, waving a cartridge, filled with liquid.


    "Hey!" Riharia shouted, snatching it from him as she slammed it into her rifle, grumbling. "Why do I even put up with you?!"


    Quinn shrugged, placing his shotgun over his shoulder. "Awh, it''s not the only one I stole off you." He waved a few more as she continued to snatch them, slapping him across the face as she finished.


    "Arbiter, can you order Epsilon to stop stealing?" Riharia asked. "If it isn''t Vall¨¦''s stylus, then it''s always my mag-cartridges!"


    "Enough, you two. I''ll take point." Kazuki stated for the record, he started down the stairs as the two followed. He never bothered to stop Quinn''s annoying bouts of kleptomania; it''d be rude to force his men into a pre-existing ''contractor mould''.


    Eventually, they arrived at a set of double doors at the bottom. The team stacked up against the doors as Kazuki took out a probe. Activating it, he lifted it into the air. Connecting to the uplink, it started to hover.


    ''Eliza, take command of the probe. Provide us with recon whilst we''re in the cargo bay.'' ordered Kazuki, he wants to keep Eliza close, so that she won''t bother the others.


    ''Uh, hold up!'' Eliza said, taking her a few seconds to connect to the probe. She wasn''t as proficient as he''d prefer, but nothing he could do now. Eventually, its eye lit up with a pink hue. ''Am I connected? Wait, yeah, I am.''


    ''Good. Check beyond the door for us.'' ordered Kazuki, pressing the muzzle against the door and slowly pushing it open. It hovered straight through it, only colliding once as it clanked against the steel door.


    A few seconds passed as Kazuki saw the feed from his glasses. Eliza gave her report. ''No activity, it seems.''


    The drone slowly hovered upwards until it had a large view of the whole cargo compartment. It was massive, like a whole warehouse of lined-up cargo containers stacked on top of each other. The lights were dim, only illuminating the areas between the sections of cargo. Meanwhile, heavy machinery protruded from the ceiling.


    ''Alright. Team, on me. Eliza, scan for anomalies and heat-signals. Our goal is simple: search and destroy. We''re looking to cut the head of the snake. Anyone down here is to be considered hostile.'' Kazuki relayed information, setting up the relevant groundworks.


    "Haha¡­ let''s do this," said Quinn, fired up as he pumped the rack on his shotgun.


    ''Come on, Lizzie, we''ll be relying on ya.'' said Riharia, encouraging her friend. Kazuki pushed the door further with his muzzle. As he did, he rolled a smoke bomb into the room, flicking the pin off.

 X22: Gambit

    ''Kaz, heat signatures are up ahead. Stay ready¡­'' reported Eliza.


    As it rolled into the room, it cracked with a bang. Smoke and dust sprouted upwards. As he pushed in, bolts and plasma flew towards them as Riharia and Quinn followed on. Returning fire, Kazuki fired down the large gap between rows of containers as they emerged from the smoke. Eliza''s probe highlighted a barricade of Loyalists up ahead at an intersection, taking cover behind small boxes.


    Bullets were traded as Loyalists fell. Kazuki didn''t want to expend energy on them, instead choosing to throw a thermobaric grenade.


    A shockwave of heat rinsed the Loyalists and their barricades. In the wake of the explosion, barely anything remained. Quinn snickered at the sight, desensitised to violence, as Riharia followed Kazuki forward. ''Eliza, go ahead and highlight any signatures on the uplink. Keep scouting.''


    ''I''m on it,'' Eliza replied.


    With that, the probe flew ahead. They continued to move up as signatures started to light up on their uplinks as Eliza projected a wide-scan. Dozens of signatures were all around, moving directly towards them, converging. But just as they passed the intersection, the first signatures rounded the intersections in front of them and behind. Containers in front and around burst open as gunfire rattled.


    Half a dozen drones ignited outwards, catching the trio off guard. The drones'' hover boosters activate, shooting upwards. Firing down at the trio, they were aided by Loyalists who poured forward. Riharia took cover beside one of the busted-open doors opposing Kazuki. Quinn slammed himself behind cover as the barrage of projectiles bounced off his shin guard, sending him into cover near Riharia and Kazuki.


    ''Can this probe not pick up drones?!'' Eliza started to panic.


    ''Now we know.'' Kazuki said, ''Stay focused. Keep scouting for as many signatures as possible.''


    Quinn took a bolt to the leg. It skidded right past his armoured plating. He let off a groan of pain and annoyance as he fired his shotgun frantically up into the air, disabling as many drones as possible. But the real problem was the heat signatures closing in. Even more of them were coming. Far too many, they''ll get bogged down.


    Riharia returned fire, glancing at Kazuki, "Got a plan, Arbiter?"


    A stray bullet smacked directly into the cover he was hiding behind as he stayed motionless, thinking. The corrosion sprays from Svenn''s shotgun still stung ever-so-slightly, even after a week of recovery.


    "I got one, you two go ahead. I''ll keep them all distracted!" suggested Quinn, shooting back at the drones and Loyalists behind them.


    It was a suicidal plan. Riharia glanced back at Kazuki and shook her head in disapproval. He could see combat stress underneath the visor, first losing Petra and now losing Quinn¡­ It was hard being the survivor. But sacrifices must be made. Kazuki nodded at Quinn, greenlighting his idea.


    "Alright. Good luck, Epsilon. Hold them back for as long as possible. Retreat if necessary." ordered Kazuki, peeking before running out of cover towards the Loyalists in front.


    "Keep an eye on Riharia for me!" Quinn barked back towards them.


    "Dammit¡­" Riharia popped her head out, covering Kazuki as he soared forward. "Well, so much for Petra''s promise¡­" she trailed off.


    "See you guys later," said Quinn, chuckling.


    Kazuki re-ignited his deflector shield with one hand, firing his carbine with the other. As he ran out of bullets in the chamber, he slapped the rifle back onto his leg as it retracted. Pulling out his pistol, he lunged forward. He took out three Loyalists as two more peeked their heads, unleashing plasma at him.


    His shield took a beating as he lowered his profile. Bullets slit his muscles open. He felt the stimulants tightening up his mind as he crouched down, grabbing hold of a broken metal plate. He pushed it outwards in front of him, using it to block bullets whilst his shield recharged.


    He reached the Loyalists, throwing the plate at one of them. It slammed into them with a force unseen and they were sent flying backwards. They collided with the wall, the steel beheading them.


    "Fuck!" The final Loyalist tried to retreat but was gunned down by Riharia as she pushed up to join Kazuki.


    "Gambit. On me," said Kazuki, breaking into a sprint. He reloaded on the run as Riharia followed, taking one last look back at Quinn¡­ She''s now in his care, Kazuki thought. Best be quick about it.


    He was still holding them off, taking cover whilst retreating slowly. He bought the two as much time as possible - showing desperation in every action. He did his best to blast away, ward off, the Loyalists. Turning forwards, the duo now ran through the intersecting paths. Gunfire raged all around and up above as they smacked through blockades of Loyalists. They did everything from hiding behind crates, ambushes and even using grenades: nothing stopped their advance.


    They were skilled. But in this industry, even a minor difference in experience meant everything. Kazuki made short work of them all, expending his energy with every shot. The braver Loyalists were shown exactly why bravery is a double-edged quality. Each was thrown down, shot, sliced open and dealt with in every manner of fashion imaginable by him. But he was being slowed down, his armour was riddled with bolts, and so was Riharia''s. The feeling on his skin was akin to having needles stabbed into him. He''s been hit a few times, but nothing he can''t handle.


    The two continued forward, cutting a path through the connecting paths of the vessel. Loyalists fired from the overhanging catwalks, as they crossed the corners. Riharia was hit, ducking into cover as she tended to her own wounds. Yet the moment they tried to get a clear view on Riharia, Kazuki splattered them. Bolts hurled up and down as they pushed forward.


    "Sorry, Arbiter," said Riharia.


    "We all get hit," commented Kazuki, "Nothing special about that. Keep moving. We should be close."


    Continuing onwards, they cleared through a small team of Loyalists within an opening. By now, the two were both bleeding. Injectors were swapped around; Kazuki was used to the feeling, but Riharia took a moment to inject herself with a healing-stim. Their armour had blotches of scorch marks all over them.


    "Still scared of needles?" asked Kazuki.


    "Y¡­yeah." Riharia laughed it off, scratching the back of her helm-mask.


    Eliza kept scanning as she picked up an unusual signature. ''Arbiter! Gambit! The container to your left!''


    Her callout came right in time as Riharia pulled herself backwards, narrowly avoiding a blast of ash that pushed the door of the container off its hydraulic hinges.


    Kazuki wasn''t able to get out of the blast radius, but he tensed his entire body as he met the impact. Placing his right hand out, he pressed against the flying wreckage with his weight, expending even more energy.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Shit!" Riharia shouted, raising her rifle and firing blindly into the container.


    His exospine crashed out in energy. Kazuki pushed the door aside, lacerations dotted his gloved hand. A single man rushed outwards, throwing a flash bang directly towards Kazuki. He immediately deflected it away with his deflector shield, parrying it away as Riharia was caught in its blast radius, barely able to ignite her shield up against the flash.


    She staggered backwards as the Loyalist sprayed at her, cracking the outer layers of her armour and belting into her chest. She fell onto the ground, out of the fight for now. As Kazuki rushed forward, he noticed their black hair and dark eyes. Marshall, that was what Svenn called him. As he fired heaps of bullets at Kazuki, he dodged to the side, deflecting them with his shield.


    Rushing forward, he activated his WRIST-SHOT. The structure formed as it fired a plasma shot, peppering Marshall. Kazuki slammed directly into him, grappling. Staggering Marshall, he shot twice into his lightly-armoured sides. Marshall grunted, kicking Kazuki off of him.


    A string of bullets passed Kazuki''s face as he ducked to the side, avoiding the skimming bolt. His eyes activated with a yellow after-hue. He activated his ANCHOR. Throwing himself into the fray once again, he appeared in front of Marshal.


    But where others failed, Marshall succeeded. Kazuki projected his dagger out from its sheath, the black blade of his ancestors eating all light. Marshall dodged backwards, narrowly avoiding the slash. He fired point-blank at Kazuki with his rifle. Bullets smacked through Kazuki''s vest-plate. The nanobots that formed the outwards layer flicked off, leaving only the plates.


    "Kaz¡­" Riharia muttered as she slowly staggered up from her injuries, aiming at Marshall as she opened fire


    Kazuki kept pushing forward, using his momentum as the two exchanged bullets in a trade, continually deflecting bullets as he lunged forward with his dagger once again. Marshall twisted himself out of the strike zone. He fired into Kazuki''s left arm but fell directly into Riharia''s line of fire.


    Kazuki snapped on a swivel, twisting and throwing his unloaded carbine at Marshall. He didn''t foresee that. Marshall staggered backwards as the impact smacked him directly on his face, Riharia shot from behind, the ballistic impact pinning Marshall. Aching from pain, Kazuki took out his final solution. Railgun. He hammered down at Marshall.


    A golden bolt exploded. The railgun''s muzzle integrity decreased with the shot. It smacked directly into Marshall''s chest. The gap in his torso was cauterised from the heat. His armour did nothing to stop the projectile.


    Riharia staggered up as she walked towards Kazuki. He felt steam exit from his mouth, filtering out of his respirator. His body was pushing itself even further than usual. He hopes that Svenn is just as easy as Marshall, but that won''t be the case.


    "For¡­ the cause¡­" Marshall tried to stagger up, slowly raising a hand to a grenade on his vest-plate.


    "Arbiter, we need reinforcements¡­" Riharia trailed off, injecting morphine into her leg as she staggered upwards.


    "Agreed, Gambit," said Kazuki, pulling his pistol out and double-tapping Marshall before the near-dead man could pull the pin. He walked off. ''If any forces are in reserve or freed up, make your way to the cargo bay. Many Loyalists down here. Captain Paulus, Status report. I''ll need you and your police to divert forces to evac-ing the civilians.''


    ''Minimal casualties, Arbiter, and is that what you really want us to do?'' asked Paulus.


    ''If you want my mercs handling the civilians, then sure.'' remarked Kazuki. Paulus quickly shut up after that.


    ''Arbiter! I found something. More heat signatures from a few containers up ahead.'' reported Eliza. Riharia staggered along as he threw her a stim, she caught it, injecting herself slowly.


    ''Good find.'' stated Kazuki, with not an air of sarcasm in sight, really. His aug-glasses lit up with scanning rays.


    Eliza''s probe started to scan the containers containing the heat sources. But something stung at Kazuki''s mind. Riharia''s eyes widened as she reached out to tap Kazuki''s shoulder.


    ''Wait¡­'' Kazuki said, looking at the cargo containers.


    ''I''m picking up multiple heat sources all across the cargo compartment.'' reported Sato, following on. ''Eliza, it''s¡­''


    As Sato was about to finish, something caught both Eliza and Kazuki''s attention. Their scanners picked up a new heat signature. Above. Above? His head shot up. A figure lay in waiting. They held onto the heavy machinery up above, his detections exploded into action, energy crackling outwards into the air.


    They let go of the machines, dropping down as they shot downwards. Blazing white hair eclipsed their face, barrelling towards them.


    ''Above!''


    Kazuki flung out of the way, avoiding a flurry of explosive bolts. Svenn Janstein slammed downwards into the floor. Riharia was barely able to get out of the blast zone. With shock and awe on his side, He slung a grenade at Kazuki. He raised his deflector shield, blocking it as it exploded upon impact, the energy sending him rearing.


    At the same time, Riharia sprayed Svenn at close range. Her bullets slammed and deflected off his armour. And in a single second, he fired his corrosive hand-cannon directly at Riharia''s mask.


    ''Riharia!'' shouted Eliza, panicking now that shit''s hit the fan.


    "Yes. That''s her name," stated Kazuki, angrily as he reclaimed his strength. Marshall was sent to wear him down¡­ Clever bastard¡­


    Her body was sent back, flying into one of the containers as acid bubbled away at her helm-mask. She wasn''t moving. Kazuki gave her one glance, then at Svenn as he twisted around. Kazuki rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the acid..


    Corrosive acid melted against the containers behind him. A moment passed as the sparks slowly seeped into the steel. The spark ignited a whole display. Fireworks. Explosives. Eruptions filled Kazuki''s eyes as Svenn charged.


    Tackling Kazuki, Svenn swapped his blaster out with his knife, knocking Kazuki to the cold ground. Kazuki was barely able to hold on, crackling his exospine to push Svenn back. As the dagger''s tip tapped Kazuki''s armour, he kicked Svenn off - scrambling to the side. The two drew sidearms, unleashing torrents against each other. Most flicked off each other''s armour - as another rocking explosion sent flames in between the two. Staggered, they clamber upwards.


    Shields activated, blades clashed, bolts smoked. Eliza started to panic. Panic? He can''t be listening, not now. Not now. Not Now. Not Now. Svenn was fast. But Kazuki was faster. He couldn''t beat Svenn in a battle of attrition. It was now or never.


    ''Dammit! Svenn''s in the lower cargo bay! Shit, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck¡­'' Eliza trailed off, not music to Kazuki''s mind. He tried blocking her voice from his mind, as the two threw their emptied sidearms at each other, colliding as they spun off to the sides.


    Every second he fought against the urge to look back at Riharia. But all was for naught as Kazuki had a front-row seat¡­ Tens of containers all across the cargo bay merged into fireballs. Yellow flames erupted upwards to fill the void of air. The bay doors flung off from the force, allowing the freezing storm to seep in.


    "Ya know¡­ it''s been a good time fighting you¡­" said Svenn, rushing towards Kazuki as he fired his hand cannon at him.


    He leaned out of the way as he fired his WRIST-SHOT, peppering Svenn''s armour and hampering his agility. With a window of opportunity, Kazuki activated his ANCHOR. Apparating behind Svenn, he latched onto him, swinging him into one of the containers.


    Fuel trickled out of the nearby containers as the flames spread. Steam burst from the container as Svenn crushed forward, pressing himself out of the dent. Kazuki grasped his half-blade from his leg, lunging forth as Svenn shot out a barrage of knives.


    "Predictable!" Svenn shouted, his exospine cracking with power and energy as another boost crackled energy around him.


    It crashed against him. The blades injected themselves into Kazuki''s Arm. Coming out the other side, it stopped before meeting Kazuki''s lightly armoured neck.


    Steam started to vent out in huge volumes. Fire clung to Svenn''s armour, but he felt nothing.


    "You haven''t learnt a damn thing have you?"


    "I''ll finish what Freyja started," Kazuki promised, rushing forward with all he had left as he ripped the knife out of his own arm. He has one final idea left, one gamble to preserve what he has fought for.


    "Oh, you''ll try¡­" mocked Svenn, his eyes still shaking even after beating Kazuki down.


    But as he charged towards him, the two noticed the shockwaves in the distance roar upwards. A shriek sent the two flying back from each other. Flames and explosions crackled across the whole cargo bay. But that didn''t matter to Kazuki, he had to kill Svenn. Now.


    "Nice try¡­" said Svenn, activating his own ANCHOR as he anchored directly to Kazuki''s side.


    Svenn''s close, perfect - the two exchanged glares.


    He can draw faster - but as doubt seeped in, Kazuki realised he had to commit. But could he? His energy levels were dangerously low, if he misses this¡­ he''ll be dead¡­ But before Kazuki could react, a WRIST-SHOT splintered through the air, smacking into his chest-plate as he felt the force knock him back. FUCK.


    And as Svenn slowly aimed at a staggered Kazuki, the sound of footsteps caught both of their attention. Lunging through the air, Riharia crashed into Svenn. Her cheek was burnt from corrosion.


    "KAZ! GO FUCK HIM UP!" shouted Riharia, gasping with blood as she ignited a grenade. Svenn chucked her away as a vacuum bomb ignited between them. Kazuki pushed himself forward, upwards. Svenn''s armour took a beating, his shield overcharging to defend against the heat. Cinders washed over Kazuki''s vision. Not a word more was uttered.

 X23: Gambling Chance

    One chance.


    Kazuki regained his strength, he twisted his railgun, yet unwilling to blow out his back as a vent of steam burst from his respirator. Overclock it? NO. He can''t, he has to preserve his exospine.


    Svenn''s exospine cracked into steam, pumping energy into the air as electricity puffed up. Two zeroed in on one another. Muzzles drew closer..


    Both hit their mark.


    The two crashed backwards, knocked from the impacts. Kazuki felt his armoured mask blast off, cracks of acid glittering his skin. Svenn''s torso burnt. A rudimentary energy-shield ruptured, sending energy across the room. Kazuki''s railgun bolt took out a part of Svenn''s lower torso. Whilst Svenn had melted away at Kazuki''s mask, leaving cracks around his lips.


    "ALWAYS¡­ THE BRIGHTEST. I MAY HAVE TAUGHT YOU ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU KNOW - BUT YOU KNOW NOTHING NEXT TO WHAT I KNOW!"


    Just as Kazuki lunged his blade towards Svenn''s neck, he saw a bright light consume him. Svenn''s ANCHOR activated, defying Kazuki and physics as his mind and matter vanished away with a blue hue - leaving Kazuki alone.


    His body started to collapse. He fell onto one knee. Blood gushed out from his wounds. His exospine was finally cracking as steam burst from his power source. His eyes faded towards Riharia. She was dead. He tried to hide his dismay, yet another to the gaping pit of his memory¡­


    "I''m sorry¡­" Kazuki muttered to himself, feeling the doubt and guilt weigh down on him.


    He wasn''t fast enough. Skimmed only a part of Svenn''s torso; he''ll survive that. If he survived till now, a little scratch like that is nothing. But why did he falter? He needed speed; why didn''t he put his back into it? He felt his memories bleed out in an uncontrolled mess.


    Riharia is dead, he repeated to himself. His kneeling leg weakened. He can''t stay here. A tug came towards his legs, dragging him down - hands beckoning him to stay and accept his fate. He paused for a moment: the weight was different. There was another pair of hands scratching at him¡­


    If he looked down, nothing would be there. Gunshots echoed close by, snapping Kazuki''s mind out of its perfect memory-fuelled trance. Kazuki scurried over towards Riharia''s corpse. With a straight face, he pulled the dog-tags around her neck. They were warm, even through his gloves. A plasma casing was also attached to the chain.


    Quinn ran up towards Kazuki, firing backwards as two Loyalists chasing him fell. "Arbiter!" Quinn shouted, looking towards Riharia, her burnt remains. It was disgusting, even to Kazuki. She died to give him one chance, one opportunity. And he failed. "Cathing¡­ Dammit!"


    ''I''m sorry¡­ I should''ve detected him sooner.'' said Eliza, in a solemn voice for all to hear. Kazuki wasn''t in the mood for it. But if he wasn''t, he could feel Lilly''s blood boil across the skyliner. ''I should have¡­ detected the threat sooner¡­ I''m¡­ sorry.''


    Quinn rushed over to Riharia, stuck in place for a moment. He kept cursing in his native dialect, panic oozing from underneath the helm-mask and armour.


    "EPSILON," Kazuki bellowed. Quinn ignored him, seemingly looking for something on Riharia, his face frozen in place. "EPSILON."


    Quinn snapped his head towards Kazuki, as Kazuki punched against his chest-plate. Quinn placed his hand onto Kazuki''s, feeling a chain. Kazuki retracted his hand. All he saw when he looked down at his own hands were holo-tags. Inscribed neatly was a name: Riharia.


    "You¡­ I¡­" Quinn trailed off, looking up at Kazuki.


    Kazuki couldn''t say much, but slowly tried to stand up. He was exhausted, his energy-charge nearly out of sparks. "I failed. I''m sorry." Was everything he could say to Quinn.


    Another explosion erupted across the hall. Riharia gave her all, and he couldn''t even kill Svenn. What a failure, he was. What a mess. And without result, he thought. Quinn staggered for a moment, before dragging Kazuki up. He couldn''t see Quinn''s face beneath the helm-mask.


    "Don''t blame her," Kazuki ordered. "Blame me. If anyone."


    Quinn slowly helped Kazuki walk. "Who¡­ can I blame?" he asked. "If this was gonna happen, I should have left her as rearguard¡­"


    "Quinn," Kazuki said. Quinn''s face snapped towards him, shocked at the unconventional breaking of codenames. "Leave the worrying to me."


    A soundwave ruptured through the hull as it knocked Quinn and Kazuki to the ground. And the only thing that Kazuki could see as he glanced up was the skyliner: bursting from the seams.


    ? ? ?


    Eliza placed her hands on the control module of the command deck. A thousand monitors shone live, showing footage from all POVs of the contractors and police fighting.


    This¡­ was bad. She was shaking, Riharia''s dead? Wait¡­ no¡­ that can''t be right? Her mind juggled the thought around, believing and not believing, in a state of quantum positioning. This can''t be happening? Her mind refused to believe, yet all facts and logic pointed to her death.


    But¡­ Kaz told her that contractors shouldn''t be worried about, right?


    No. That wasn''t what he told her, was it? Her mind slowly froze over at the realisation. They die all the time¡­ And here she is, thinking she knows a single speck of who any of them are¡­ Kazuki told her that HE will live, but he made no assurances for the rest of them¡­


    A thousand epiphanies smashed into her brain.


    Every now and then, the neat rows and columns were cut off by black screens, followed by screams. Her muscles tensed up, gripping the control module hard as Quinn was cut off.


    ''Shut up,'' Lilly stated.


    ''Huh¡­'' Eliza halted for a moment.


    Archius was still coordinating forces and ignored it, not batting an eye to her across the command room. Sato, however, gave Eliza a glance, mouthing good luck whilst gritting her teeth.


    ''Just¡­ shut the fuck up. You high-born, silver-spoon brooch-licker!'' Lilly shouted. Eliza froze. What? Why¡­ Every word stung deep into her as she stuttered, unable to properly respond. ''Sorry? After everything you''ve done you''re fucking sorry?!''


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    ''I lost men because of you! Good men! Not just Riharia, but of course¡­ you never gave a shit about any of them. But the moment that Kazuki was injured, I had to listen to you whine. Kazuki this; Kazuki that, JUST SHUT UP. NO ONE ASKED FOR YOUR FUCKING INPUT.'' snapped Lilly. The walls of discipline faded. ''How the fuck do you think all of us feel? I fought alongside her for nearly a decade, nine years of my life! From the marines to now! And in a single moment those nine years ended. Do you know why we even bother using codenames? It''s a line, Eliza! Between work and life¡­ You might have known Gambit. BUT DON''T YOU EVER THINK FOR A SECOND THAT YOU KNEW RIHARIA.''


    Eliza''s heart skipped a beat¡­ All she ever was, was an outsider to them. Even after everything¡­ She thought she helped. Slowly, it dawned on her¡­ Lilly was right¡­ she never knew any of them truly. She always spent time by herself, studying and drinking coffee, rarely talking to them outside of work.


    ''Vall¨¦¡­'' Quinn trailed off.


    Lilly''s anger reached greater and greater heights at Eliza, frustration bursting outwards. ''Just shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP! SORRY FOR ONE LIFE? RIHARIA WASN''T THE ONLY SOLDIER I LOST TODAY. BUT ARE YOU SORRY FOR ANY ONE OF THEM? ARE YOU? ARE YOU?!''


    No one stopped her. The entire force could hear her rant. Eliza felt something within her snap as her face dropped. Her eyes shook and watered¡­ She¡­ really was an outsider¡­ Guilt, regret and self-hate slowly seeped in as she realised how bad she had blundered.


    ''All forces¡­'' said Kazuki, cutting her monologue short, ''Evacuate. NOW.''


    Eliza''s watery eyes glistened as she looked up to the monitor watching the skyliner pass through Anagora''s skylanes. And as she did, explosions ruptured across the bottom hull of the vessel, eventually causing the whole vessel to crack as an inferno sprouted across it. Her eyes glistened red as the liner broke in two, a shockwave erupted across the skies¡­ And it started to fall, along with her soul.


    ? ? ?


    A line of blood trickled down Kazuki''s face. He opened his left eye, but instead of the cargo interior he expected, he was met with a memory. The blood felt real, maybe it was real. He looked up and around, seeing the shopping centre around him.


    Blood stained his formal clothes, dripping down his skin. Looking upwards, Kazuki saw a cacophony of explosions rattle outside the station''s reinforced roof-window.


    He placed himself on his back. His body continued to sting, but not from cybernetic troubles but from the sheer pain. He took his aug-glasses off for a moment, seeing that they were cracked.


    "Kazuki!" a voice cried out. He shot upwards, looking towards the high pitched cry that shattered his peace. His one good eye fell upon a pile of rubble. Someone was trapped underneath, her side braid etched into Kazuki''s mind.


    What¡­ was going on? His memory ached. This was far from normal, he typically had control over what happens in simulations; but here he was but a victim to his mind. Something told him to keep pushing as he started to crawl towards her. His vision started to blur as a field of red covered him. But pushing himself further, he eventually crawled close enough to distinguish her features.


    Other than the two of them, there were a few other people dying nearby, crushed under rubble as a shockwave rippled across the space station. He tried to move his legs, only to find his right leg in shambles as any movement caused it to cry in agony. Victoria stretched her left hand out towards Kazuki, her pink, braided hair dotted with blood.


    Rubble had completely enveloped her lower torso. Her crimson dress was bloodied beyond comparison to him. Peering towards him, her red eyes glinted at his one blue eye as he reached her.


    "Kazuki¡­ please¡­" begged Victoria, "Please¡­ don''t leave me¡­ not like¡­"


    "Quiet, I''ll try¡­" said Kazuki, calmly. But he was far from calm, his outside actions betraying his inner thoughts as his body ached and his hands shook with adrenaline. He pushed himself closer, placing himself next to the rubble as he tried to pry the rubble off her.


    But each attempt led to her screaming in pain as more rubble piled in from top. Kazuki let go, no longer being able to bear the cries as she was crying. She slowly turned her head to him as he collapsed beside the rubble.


    "I''m sorry¡­ I shouldn''t have put you¡­ on the spot¡­" Victoria trailed off, slowly slumping over as small pieces of rubble gave in. "Go¡­ save yourself¡­ please. I¡­ can''t move."


    Her plea fell onto silent ears as Kazuki shook his head, pushing himself forward as he got close. Panic set in. He scrambled for words to soothe her, failing, "No. No. No. I''ll¡­ I''ll save you! Alright? Just¡­ JUST HOLD STILL. PLEASE."


    The once calm exterior he portrayed was gone, peeling back to show desperation. The facade fell away as he pushed his hands forward, trying to lift the rubble. She did her best to hide the pain, gritting her teeth. But just as he felt something move within the rubble, a spark of hope ignited in him as another shockwave rippled. And as it crashed towards him, he put his back into it. Something cracked.


    Her eyes lit up in worry as he continued to push himself forward. Adrenaline blocked pain. All he cared about now was getting Victoria out. And he''ll die trying if needs be. Even though he had the willpower to power through the pain, his body slowly faltered. His back gave way, as his limbs fell. If¡­ only he had cybernetics¡­ like those his dad talked about. He could save her if he just had them. He fell directly beside her, his lungs stung with smog and dust as he gasped for air.


    "Kaz¡­ I¡­ don''t¡­" Victoria''s eyes were even redder. Reality was finally dawning on the two of them. All factors led to one conclusion: she was as good as dead. But he refused to believe that.


    He ignored her words, trying to pull himself together and failing. He kept trying, twisting himself back towards the pile of rubble as an explosion could be felt from outside.


    "No¡­ I¡­ Kazuki, can you¡­ promise me something?" asked Victoria, her voice fading.


    He ignored her, instead continuing to struggle against the rubble, pushing his shoulder against it with his one good leg bracing him.


    "Kazuki! Please¡­ listen. Please?" she asked again, her voice a whisper.


    "What?" Kazuki uttered, unable to process everything that was happening. An explosion rippled, causing a gas pipe above them to burst.


    "It''s painful¡­" Victoria trailed off. Kazuki looked down at her. The blood loss was even worse than before. Rubble had jabbed into her arm and sides, causing blood to seep out from open wounds. Blood slowly exited from her lips as her vibrant eyes were dulling. "Please¡­ make it stop."


    "I¡­ can''t¡­ I can''t move it." said Kazuki, placing both his hands on the rubbled floor. "I¡­ can''t do it¡­"


    It still hadn''t sunk into him just exactly what was going on. The pain of it all was still ringing¡­ but he felt a measure of guilt crept in.


    "I¡­ can''t look after them¡­ Eliza¡­ Ulysses¡­ please do it in my stead." muttered Victoria. Kazuki froze. He slowly nodded, acknowledging a pledge to those words, but he''ll have to get out of here to follow those orders¡­ it was clear what Victoria wanted. She wanted him to live in her place.


    "I promise." stated Kazuki, holding back from crumbling from the pressure put on him. He''s seen death before, but this was far too much.


    Victoria smiled. Blood crested her lips as it rolled down her chin, hidden beneath her charm-pink side braid. "Then it''s a contract¡­ please¡­ stop the pain."


    Her eyes glanced down to a shard of broken glass beside them. He shook his head as he grabbed it. "Please¡­"


    "Just¡­ stop the pain," repeated Victoria, her voice slowly fading as more blood pained his view.


    Of course this would happen¡­ It always happens. It never changes. He''s never changed. It''s always about him, just him. Everyone has sacrificed something, yet he has not thrown in his token just yet. If he had been selfless, he would have pushed further¡­


    Kazuki gulped down as he raised the shard towards her neck. He didn''t know if he had the guts to do it. He closed his eye, thrusting his hands forward as he tried to ignore the noise of blood. He crumpled backwards as his eye shot open. Victoria''s lifeless eyes stared back at him, a slight grin on her face - a vain attempt to calm her friend in her death, instead: panic started to set in¡­


    Why¡­ those same eyes. Victoria sacrificed herself, that he knew. She sacrificed herself so he could leave her, leave her so he could live¡­ And here he was, selfishly clinging onto what Victoria gave him; unable to protect the ones she loved.


    And as he stared into those dead eyes, Kazuki felt a jab come from his brain. His mind sharpened as pain struck him all over. The simulated memory faded away. He started to remember, and his memory bled out in agony. Everything came to him at once. And reality set in.

 X24: Not an ounce of Rest

    Kazuki''s body shot upwards. His stress inhibitors failed. He drew his pistol. Pistol? No pistol present, in fact he didn''t have any of his holsters. Not his blade holster, pistol nor his railgun. His eyes immediately calculated all assets in the room he''s in¡­ A second passed, the panic subsided, he felt a cold sweat drop pass by his cheek. He was in a hospital room. Looking to his left, he could see the distant high-rises, out the window. His face felt weird; raising a hand to the side of his face, he felt cracks from the side of his mouth towards his burnt cheek. Acid marks. Those won''t recover, Kazuki thought. But¡­ it''ll help with his Contract-Breaker persona if he had a few more scars. And he thought nothing more.


    Nothing¡­ changed. Nothing really has changed¡­ He was wearing hospital clothes and was hooked up to half a dozen machines behind the bed, pumping liquids into him. He felt his exospine weigh down on him, it wasn''t powered. His head turned to the person sitting beside the bed.


    Elizabeth Celeste-Delmara. She was sleeping, leaning over the duvets. She didn''t seem exhausted. There were no dark rings around her eyes.


    "Oh¡­" Kazuki trailed off, "So that''s how you look without them." His bland and limited vocabulary couldn''t bring his eyes and mind justice¡­ She looked at peace, tranquil - and beautiful? He had no idea how to describe it, but it was the simplest way he could fathom the words out.


    He¡­ didn''t know if he should wake her up. The past few days must have been stressful¡­ Days? no¡­ weeks? Now that he thinks about it, how long has he been out of the fight? Wait¡­ what happened back there? Svenn, got away? He failed?


    He didn''t know. But his frantic movements earlier had started to wake her up, she made a groaning noise.


    "I dun wannaa go to schoool mom," Eliza trailed off, half asleep, "Why can''t Victoriaa go without mee?"


    She moved around in her sleep as she slowly opened her eyes. Those crimson, life-filed eyes rose up to look at Kazuki''s dull bulbs. She blinked for a few seconds, before shooting upwards.


    ''Archius!'' shouted Eliza, into the uplink, ''He''s awake!''


    And with that, Kazuki could hear frantic footsteps as the door into his room slid open manually. Archius pushed himself into the room, looking directly at Kazuki. Archius rushed over. Kazuki needed a status report, pronto.


    "Archius. Status report, how long have I been¡ª"


    Cutting his thoughts short, Archius immediately hugged him, pretending to be a clingy boyfriend. "Kaz! You''re awake! Fuck''s sake, some of us thought you actually got into a coma!"


    "Get¡­ off¡­ me." Kazuki pried Archius off him with much difficulty, his limbs still achingly numb.


    He grabbed hold of a water bottle and slapped it against Archius, sending him backwards whilst he rubbed his forehead. The colours were muddied, he couldn''t see clearly what Archius thought. Not like he was able to to begin with. He slinked off him as he placed his head directly onto the duvet and mattress. Eliza gave Archius a short glare before glancing towards Kazuki, there was something he didn''t understand under those optimistically determined eyes.


    Archius asked, "By the fucking Eclipse, you remember who we are, right?"


    "No, you two are complete strangers and I ask you to leave my room at once." snapped Kazuki in a serious tone. Archius shot an annoyed look at him before falling onto the floor of the room.


    "Pft, your sarcasm''s survived the fall."


    "The operation. What happened? Lilly, Quinn, what about the rest?" asked Kazuki.


    "Those two were lucky. They got out alive." said Archius, "Sixty percent casualties. Deltastring took a heavy hit. Heimfall got out intact."


    Sixty percent¡­ over two hundred dead. Lilly must be pissed. Doing the calculations, Deltastring only has a hundred or so operatives left, a strong number but it must be reinforced. He''ll probably merge some other injured units in. Kazuki sighed, feeling the pressure ramp up on his mind.


    Eliza looked at Kazuki as she shimmied the chair closer to him. He sat up against the backrest. Her face was muddled with guilt, she glanced away. A mixture of envy and jealousy in her eyes¡­ Kazuki didn''t understand. She glanced at Archius.


    Archius was still on the cold floor of the hospital room as Eliza whispered to him, "I¡­ can do that, right?"


    "Do what?" asked Kazuki, wondering if she wanted to join Archius on the floor. He had no qualms about it, even if it was slightly weirder than usual.


    Her face went tomato red as Archius slowly recovered. Before he could get up, she quickly hugged Kazuki. It was so quick that Kazuki wasn''t even sure that it happened¡­ But his memory does not lie. His face remained motionless whilst she reared backwards, was she¡­ jealous of Archius? And then, Archius shimmied up on his knees, placing his hands on the side of the mattress.


    "Welcome back¡­" Eliza said, in a solemn face and voice. What happened probably hasn''t been resolved. She probably wanted him to help her¡­ Or perhaps she missed him. Either way, he had nothing to say. Former was out of his forte, latter he genuinely had no idea how to respond to.


    "Ugh¡­ and things are a lot more complicated as well!" complained Archius, maintaining his friendly happy-go-mischief persona in a more public setting. He shook his head as the door slid open, two more entering the room.


    The first was Sylvia Garreau. Silver hair, silver eyes. Tall. She was a friend of his mother and a medical expert. In fact, he distinctly remembered her being the ones that placed his cybernetics on him¡­


    The second was Sato. She was eating chocolate sticks as she entered, wearing more casual clothes in contrast to Sylvia''s full doctor attire. Sato waved at the trio, though only Eliza returned the wave. Kazuki tried, but his hands ached.


    "Finally awake, huh?" Sylvia walked past Archius, humming to herself as she pressed a button on one of the many apparatuses attached to the wall. A gap emerged within the wall as a drone shot out. It slowly hovered and lowered its eye towards Kazuki.


    "Alright, Mr. Gem-Ryzaku, we''ll just run a few check ups on you to see if you''ll be good for discharge." said Sylvia, taking out a device-reader as the drone expels out a box of rays, scanning Kazuki.


    Sato leaned against the window as she looked down to Eliza. "Hey."


    Eliza looked towards her as she pried her eyes off of the drone. "Good morning, so¡­ things are still¡­"


    "Awful," said Sato. Her tone filled to the brim with exhaustion.


    Archius waited patiently as Sato''s face made the first smile that he and Kazuki had seen in forever. She smiled down at Eliza. The two glared at the sight, it was unusual. But Kazuki guessed that Eliza got along well with Sato, after all the two were both incredibly dedicated and understanding people - even if Sato rarely showed her qualities.


    "Don''t worry, Eliza." said Sato, "Just¡­ talk it out with them. Okay? I''ll be rooting for you."


    Eliza froze as she shot a glance towards Kazuki. He shrugged, so did Archius. Sato was not amused at them. She made a frown at the duo as they stared directly at her, wondering if she was the same person.


    "Hey, I''m off the clock, so ya better not be asking me to do anything. I already have my hands handling the fallout." said Sato, "After all, someone has to keep Eliza safe till things chill."


    The jab at Archius was profound, making him seem incompetent to Kazuki. But Kazuki saw through that. Looking towards Archius, Kazuki definitely saw envy in his eyes. Seems like a three way tug of war between Rivera, Sato and Archius was already in full swing¡­ But Rivera''s always level-headed, so it''s probably more of a two-way war with her and Chizuru eating Sarisian seasoned popcorn from the sideline. If things get out of hand, he''ll have to slap the two of them; Sato and Archius always fought with each other, even back during their Clandestine days.


    Sylvia finished running the diagnostics. A bright light of holographic energy shot from the device as she said, "Alright, everything''s fine¡­ it seems. You can leave whenever you want. Most injuries have healed but I¡­ would recommend you quit fighting."


    "Why?" Kazuki asked.


    "Your exospine. It''s damaged, and unlike the other times, we don''t have replacement parts¡­ Safe to say, you need to be careful, you got that kid, or do you need me to spell it out for that memory of yours?"


    Eliza''s eyes lit up at that comment as she looked towards Kazuki. Kazuki touched his cheek, feeling the cracks in his skin, alongside the old burns. Kazuki sighed and nodded. He guessed that he had recovered from most of his wounds. His advanced healing and meds saw to that¡­ but scars always remain.


    "Wait¡­ surely we can replace some of the parts, right? I''m sure¡­ I could create some replacements," Eliza spoke up.


    "My exospine isn''t like others. Others are removable, supposed to be worn over armour with exoskeletons or braces," Kazuki said.


    "If you want to go ahead, be my guest, but don''t come crawling to me when your experiment kills Kazuki¡­" Sylvia said, leaving everyone silent. She continued, "Hyperbole, ever heard of that? No, DO come to me if that happens."


    "Hartius'' exospine is interlinked with his armour, his whole suit and vest-plate act as one¡­ Frejya has hundreds of drug injectors modified into her body¡­" Kazuki trailed off, naming members of the Seven Mercs. "And all mine does is make me a little faster¡­"


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    They were the only physical reminder of his suffering, but even if he could remove them: what was the point? He remembers it either way, might as well save time.


    ? ? ?


    Scars taught him the most critical lesson, that being he must continue bleeding for her sake¡ª no, for all their sakes. Kaz met Eliza''s eyes with his emotionless, golden glare. He''s on the brink of death. If he fails, if he dies: then the justice he and Eliza desire will never come to fruition. He¡­ cannot die. He can''t.


    "I guess we''re lucky you literally have the healing capabilities of a Phoenicia¡­" Sylvia shoved the drone back into its compartment as she walked away, sliding the door open and close behind her. "Go talk to reception for the discharge."


    Kazuki tried to move his exospine, only for it to slowly jam. This level of damage will take weeks to repair, he thought¡­


    "I guess you''ll be out of action for a while, Kazuki." commented Sato, "Probably for the best though¡­ things have been tough."


    "What is it?" asked Kazuki. The three of them looked at each other, exchanging glances of responsibility.


    Eventually, Sato took up the mantle of breaking the news. "Our quote on quote friend, Senator Delia, is trying to fight against a motion to remove our Contract, given recent goings. And well¡­"


    She pressed her uplink and activated the holo-TV opposite the bed. She skipped through gaming streams, movies and cooking shows, reaching the first news channel she found.


    ''¡ªAnd let us not forget what happened half a week ago on Saturday,'' said the news anchor. A massive picture appeared behind them of the Skyliner. It was captured footage of it falling and exploding. ''Police have currently not confirmed many rumours as some leaks indicate the possibility of mercenaries being involved, either working for or against the judiciary. However, these leaks are currently unknown at best¡ª''


    Kazuki remained idle. The skyliner was falling as explosions continued to ripple through it, crashing onto the surface as thousands of drones, shuttles and emergency vehicles hovered. Shuttle Mag-Locks from responders failed to tug the vehicle upwards as rain continued to pour down. The Floating Islands started to shift away, with more and more emergency vehicles rushing through.


    Their tractor beams were not enough, however.


    "Quinn saved your ass." said Sato, "Skydived directly into an evacuating shuttle."


    Seems like some things with Quinn don''t change. Hot-headed and rash as always. Something Kazuki always liked about him, he was reliable - even if he was a bit stupid at times.


    ''¡ªCurrent confirmed casualties are in the thousands, with possibly tens of thousands more being injured or killed. Emergency responders are still looking through the rubble for survivors. Rumours have emerged that the perpetrators were that of the same pirates that dealt a hand in the P-1 Incident, though the Senate or Executive Branch have not commented as of yet. Coinciding with this, the Judiciary has yet to comment on a video sent to all major news outlets on the planet after the attack.''


    "Pirates¡­ they''re wrong¡­" Eliza trailed off. She''s not wrong, Kazuki thought. It was more than pirates, they were simply the scapegoat.


    Kazuki''s face brimmed with intrigue, even if he didn''t show it openly. Archius glanced over, noticing his interest piquing. The anchor disappeared as a video was displayed, overlayed with the news channels'' name.


    Svenn was sitting down on a hover-chair. The location seemed dingy, probably a run down warehouse. He was wearing heavy armour as he spoke. Kazuki saw him clutching onto the side of his torso that was taken out. Behind him was a thousand crates¡­ He recognised those crates, those were the same ones that were in the vans.


    ''I am Svenn Janstein, representing the Clandestine Defence Corporation. Due to recent incidents, our organisation has been under attack by the AGENCY¡­ I''m sure we don''t need to remind ourselves of who leads them, the Noble Contract-breaker¡­ Some believe our organisation to be defunct, but I promise: we still thrive. And our new goal has changed from the upholding of contracts to the elimination of the rogue element that now works for the government¡­''


    His face grew thinner and angrier as he leaned towards the camera. He lugged his corrosive pistol onto his lap. His white side-swept fringe blocked the view of his eyes.


    ''Kazu¡­ I know you''re watching this¡­ I might have failed to kill you there on that damn Skyliner¡­ But know this¡­ even if I die¡­ I''ll smile raining hell on you¡­ All of you.''


    And with that, the video ended. Sato turned off the television. Raining hell¡­ Kazuki remembered one conversation back during the olden days of the Eden Initiative¡­


    Sato looked towards him. "Raining hell¡­ huh?"


    She thought for a moment, then smacked her own cheek, shouting at herself, "No, no, no, no thinking about work! I''m off the clock¡­"


    "I think you should keep thinking. We all know how you absolutely crave productivity." snarled Kazuki.


    Eliza found it somewhat amusing and chuckled. Meanwhile, Archius decided to gain brownie points with Kazuki, his head twisted towards him. "What do you think it means?"


    "P2." muttered Kazuki, "He''ll throw a station at Anagora and watch it all burn. This time, we know the perpetrators in advance."


    Eliza''s face darkened at that comment. Her expression gave off the thoughts of remembrance. "The Skyliner... these people are organised," Eliza said.


    Archius rolled his eyes to the side. "Yes," he said, as if affirming a kid asking a dumb question. Kazuki had no reaction. "They''re Loyalists, of course they''re organised. You don''t get into Clandestine based on whispers."


    "Most of the time," Kazuki interjected.


    Archius nodded at Kazuki, waving his finger in approval. "Yes, most of the time..."


    Eliza said, "Loyalist... They''re Clandestine, right? I thought most would have surrendered, especially after the company''s disillusionment."


    "Officially, they are defunct," said Archius. "But some still fight, Liz."


    "Fight for what? For who?" she asked, confused.


    Archius opened his mouth to speak, but no words sang their song.


    Kazuki had to answer. "They''re Clandestine Loyalists under Svenn Janstein. The AGENCY consists mainly of ex-Clandestine Contractors, under me."


    "So¡­ Kaz, you think they''re after P2?" asked Archius, "Are we going based on your intuition?"


    "My memory does not lie," Kazuki stated, twisting to Archius, before letting off a massive sigh.


    "Want us to leave?" asked Eliza, "You must be quite tired."


    "No. Sleeping''s boring, not my thing."


    She nodded. "Then what do we do?"


    Sato shrugged. "I''ll be going, you three better rest up, I''ll inform Martinez of the situation," she said, waving as she walked away, closing the door behind her as she left.


    The phase of the door left the three in silence¡­ "I can do this. Right?" Kazuki glanced at the two.


    "You took on Antonius, you can definitely take whoever this Svenn is," Archius commented.


    Eliza nodded in agreement, probably having an even lesser understanding than what Archius has of his situation¡­ Kazuki sighed again.


    "But can I?" he asked again. "I''m not like the other members of the Seven¡­ Felix has government backing; Hartius is soulbond to the Death Hazard; Emiya has the most advanced cybernetics in the galaxy and what do I have?"


    "An army," Archius replied. "And let me tell you, ten thousand men are a lot better than one."


    Eliza said, "And you have us." Archius'' eyes glanced towards her in an almost mocking fashion. She didn''t notice it.


    "Still¡­ Svenn''s strong," Kazuki said. "Strength begets strength. Success begets success. I cannot allow Svenn to persist any longer. The AGENCY''s hold can only withstand the Judiciary if we show sucess."


    Archius chuckled, pointing with one finger at Kaz. "We can see that, tell us something we don''t know. We need more men, to replace our losses... Martinez is already on it."


    More men. Great. More faceless people to the slaughter. But what did Kazuki not know? White hair, twitching eyes. Svenn wasn''t acting like Svenn. Then again, four years is a long time. No, that wouldn''t explain how strong he is, considering he''s been ''dead'' for years, nearly five. No. There''s only one conclusion he can draw from that.


    "He might have a Hazard Shard." It was obviously not a Higher Shard, something weak - something under the radar. Professor Crankenhart is at Sarimba University. The presence of a High Shard would attract her ire... and her attention.


    Archius'' face rose in light, an interested smirk curling up his lips and hair. Eliza, on the other hand, looked rather confused. "Sorry¡­ I haven''t done much binge researching on Hazards¡­"


    "Well, it''s not on the NATs curriculum, so why should you?" asked Archius. Kazuki twisted his body, standing up slowly. His body felt numb. He looked out the window, seeing an orange blur stare back at him. "Learning about Hazard Shards doesn''t help with making you into a the perfect slave, let me tell you that."


    "Hazard Shards. They''re similar to that brooch of yours," Kazuki said. He lightly tapped Eliza''s brooch, as she shimmied backwards, cradling it with one hand. It was like she was protecting it. He continued, "Star essence inside brooches are akin to Hazard Shards. Except Shards are stronger, more powerful¡­"


    "And Lethal." Archius added on. "You could go into the Eclipse, Kaz, get one yourself."


    "Huh!?" Eliza sprang up, pressing her hands down against the duvet. "Wait¡­ the Eclipse? No, absolutely not! Who knows what threats are in there¡­ Leviathans¡­ Hazards¡­"


    "That''s the point." Kazuki remained motionless in all features. "It''s dangerous. Unstable. Prime place for Hazard Shards. Don''t worry, it should take a few weeks at best. We''ve come along way from the Crusades and the Night of the Eclipse with regards to Hazard Usage."


    "But in your condition¡­" Eliza glanced him up and down. Kazuki did the same. He wasn''t looking too well.


    "You''re right¡­ An expedition to the Heart of the Eclipse will kill me." Kazuki analysed the situation. She was right. It''d kill him, he thought. It was a risk he cannot take, under the circumstances. "But Svenn might have a Shard. That''s a problem."


    Eliza nodded. "But, how could you tell? From what I''ve heard, they''re far and few between, not since the days of the Crusades - and that was well before even the Empire!"


    "Exactly. That''s what I''m confused about." He''s too powerful, for someone dead for five years. "A Hazard Shard is the only possible explanation. But that itself provides¡ª"


    "¡ªEven more questions," Eliza cut in. She covered her mouth as both Archius and Kazuki looked at her. "Sorry¡­"


    She wasn''t wrong. He nodded, placing a hand up against the window sill. "Entities long ago fed on stars, producing energy. For billions of years, they festered and evolved across the galaxy. The aliens that came before man harvested them, used them for weapons of war¡­ Their power was immense," said Kazuki, pointing at Eliza''s brooch, swirling with energy and weight. "After aeons, that is what''s left of them. Just accessories, and tools."


    Kazuki turned back to the window. "I''m guessing that''s why they seem to weigh such a ton¡­" Eliza trailed off.


    "Its usability scales with a person''s willpower, their state of mind. Hartius is soul bonded to the Death Shard. He has no qualms about killing. His state of mind is not compromised," Kazuki said.


    He turned around, watching as Archius stretched himself out on the bed. "What?" he asked. "My back''s hurting¡­"


    "You''re not the one to talk about back pains." Kazuki gave him a sense of cold truth. "A brooch''s so called ''aristocratic burden'' is that weight. Nothing more than the residue of these entity''s will to thrive, their will to not submit to someone weak of mind, or guilty¡­"


    Glancing towards Eliza, he could see her bleed of worry. Of course she''d feel uncomfortable. Given what he just told her, Kazuki guessed that she knew. To some extent, at least. He never wore his brooch, never in his life after his tenth birthday.


    And Eliza? She''ll be fine. The weight of its burden on her is manageable, he thought. She did look winded, sometimes, but she always comes back, stronger, better. As long as she keeps doing that, she has her brooch under control.


    After all, she''s dedicated her whole life to finding the perpetrators¡­ to bring Victoria''s memory justice.


    Well, here he was, realising that he was trying to run away again. How could he ever tell her? For once, Kazuki felt a measure of fear.


    But as always, it quickly subsided.

 X25: Lighting the Fuse

    Archius slammed the duplex apartment door behind him. Slumping back against the door, he groaned with a strained expression. The moment passed. His facade faded, and he got back up. His emotionless stare pierced even his own eyes as he looked in the mirror beside the door. Walking down the hall, past the kitchen area, he entered the living room.


    Sitting still in the living room was none other than Kazuki, slowly repairing his railgun, components hovering, as drones tended to his exospine and wounds. The place was moderately large, and best of all the place was practically free. His black button-down shirt was unbuttoned to allow the drones to reach his scars. His face made no emotions visible.


    Kazuki''s eyes shot to Archius, noticing how messy his sharp, earth green hair had become and the fact that his neck and face were covered with kiss-marks.


    Kazuki paused¡­ "Should I even ask?"


    "Friends from university," said Archius, tired, "One of them has a loud mouth in the net-industry, thought I could harvest some information from them."


    "Oh¡­"


    Archius stretched his arms and shoulders. "I have five thousand informants on this planet alone, and none can tell me about any suspicious merc activity - except for us, of course."


    "I see," said Kazuki, his eyes skidding back into place. Despite his emotionless face, he had an air of worry around him. "Went badly?"


    "Yes? No? I got more than what I wished for¡­ So, what''s been going on since I''ve been gone?" asked Archius, grabbing a chocolate bar from the counter and biting into it.


    "Is it that obvious?"


    "Yeah."


    Kazuki slowly stood up, loud mechanisms snapped into place as he twisted to face Archius. Drones continued to repair him as he glared at Archius. He could see the dozens of scars, marks, scorches, burns, cuts and stitches that covered his muscles and skin - a collage of human made messes, including the burn mark from his chest to cheek.


    "Eliza''s been locked in her room the whole day," said Kazuki.


    "You think she off''d herself?" asked Archius. Kazuki stayed still, grabbing a scorch-fruit from the table and lobbing it at Archius. He caught it and threw it back at Kazuki, hitting him in the head as it bounced off. "That''s a no, then? Alright."


    "What happened while I was out of action?" asked Kazuki, placing the fruit back in the basket. "And do not lie."


    Archius sighed, leaning against the wall. "Fine, I let Sato handle Eliza whilst I handled the fallout"


    "Hmm, and what a great job you did." Kazuki''s face turned into a scowl, though his muscles barely moved, Archius could tell. He took a step forward. "Alright. But Eliza still has unfinished business with Lilly. I''m¡­ not suited to motivate her."


    "So you want me to do it? Why me?" asked Archius, smirking at Kazuki. "She''ll spin back, she always does."


    "Because you''re the best liar I can trust," said Kazuki.


    "Hmm¡­" Archius let off a wide smirk at his assertion. "You worry about her too much. Sure¡­ I could lie to her, make her feel all better in her head and get her up on her feet."


    Despite his words, Archius had an air of distaste within his voice, he could barely hide it. Because he shared a permutation of Lilly''s assessment on her. Eliza does her best, but she''s a child at a table of killers.


    She''s unsuited to this. And worst of all, she''s annoying to deal with. She gets in the way of Kazuki; she''s naive; she''s a burden for the AGENCY. Archius has no love for her, no care. She''s a side-thought for him, but her becoming more of a focus is becoming ever greater of a problem for him.


    "Just¡­ nevermind. Do it," Kazuki ordered Archius.


    His face formed a care-free smirk, turning away. "Fine! I''ll clean up your mess." But at the end of the day, Kazuki''s request weighed heavier than her transgressions. Plus, doing this for both Kazuki and helping Eliza? It''ll earn more points with both of them; to do it or not was never in doubt.


    "Wait, Archius." said Kazuki, Archius turned back towards him. "Why do you even help me? You could easily find yourself a better job."


    Archius groaned, "Yeah! You''re an incompetent socialite, a total fucking nerd, an air-head and an emotional idiot. But you''re the brother I chose, alright? Plus, someone''s gotta put you back together after every mission."


    Archius let himself smile for once, showing a more latent side to him. If Kazuki asked for help, he would always answer, after all he''s the only person he has left.


    "Thanks," said Kazuki. He was definitely worried about more than just Eliza, Archius noticed. The way his eyes slowly flickered off to the side gave it away, even if he maintained composure.


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    He might as well give him some respite, Archius thought. "Stop worrying, Kaz, this will all be over soon enough."


    Strangely enough, Kazuki nodded. "This will soon be over," he repeated to himself. "Yeah¡­"


    "Kaz¡­ Got something you want to spit out?" Archius asked.


    Kazuki''s eyes skidded up to meet Archius''. "Maybe¡­" He paused, then continued, "Yeah. I have been having dreams recently. It''s made me wonder: just what am I?"


    Ooh, Archius thought, this has gotten very interesting. "What do you want me to say?" he asked. "Murderer? Contractor? Merciless mercenary? Wait¡­ how about this: friend?"


    Kazuki nodded, accepting his answer. Archius knows that the answer was far from just being a friend, Kaz was the only ''family'' he had left in this galaxy.


    Kazuki really was the only one left. But thinking back on it gave him no sense of guilt or regret, all that can be accomplished now is for the mission. Someone must bleed, and it better not be him, he thought. Fuck morals, those qualities get people killed.


    Archius walked up the stairs, over across the balcony and into the hallway leading to Eliza''s room. The lights were dimmer here. Approaching her door, he saw the name ''Liz'' holographically-engraved onto it.


    He slapped himself as he formed a neutral face. Neutrality would be the best to deal with Eliza. She understood fake amiability from being a member of the new-gen nobility, so she was never the one to falter to intimidation. There was a fine line he had to tread, a line he''ll meet. He gently knocked.


    No response. Strange, he thought, she''s never the type to refuse guests. Maybe her optimism finally crashed down to reality. He knocked again.


    Archius uttered in a soft but commanding voice, "It''s Archius. Can I come in?"


    Not a single word was uttered. Rolling his eyes, he placed his hand against the tap-screen against the wall as the door slid to the side seamlessly.


    He entered. The room was dark, with only the hovering lava-lamp providing any large source of light. Archius flicked the dim-lights on as the room was lit up with a white hue. She was cowering under the duvet. Her room hadn''t changed since he snooped around in it. The desk in one corner, bed embedded into the wall. Built in dressers and cabinets beside the bed along the wall whilst a massive bookshelf encompassed the wall connected to the door. A whole display of awards was beside her desk, with holo-posters, most being a random assortment of things.


    But the most striking thing of all were the notes. The holographic messages written on every surface of the wall. It creeped Archius out as motivational messages and commands were all around him.


    "Eliza." said Archius, "Mind hearing me out?"


    No reply came. Archius grumbled. Was she sleeping? Well, he better make sure she wasn''t. Grabbing an empty bottle from the desk beside a sleeping AI visualiser, he underhanded it at her. It bounced off with a groan.


    She shuffled around in her bed. Archius continued, "I won''t force you to look at me. I just want you to listen, alright?"


    A slow nod moved the duvet covers. Archius leaned backwards against the desk. "For a newbie, you''re doing good, but what happened back there was your fault. If Kazuki wasn''t distracted¡ª"


    "I know." Eliza mumbled.


    "Nothing can change the past. But," Archius'' eyes lit up with colour, fake emeralds that shone an aura even Eliza could feel, "There is something you can do about the present. The present is malleable. You can mould it into what you want. You know this. Remember back during the NATs mocks? Kazuki got a higher score than you and you spent the next three weeks straight studying¡­ Fucking hell you two were competitive back then¡­"


    He allowed the information to sink in as he paused. The breaks in his talk allowed her to reminisce. The apology is up to her. Manipulating her was easy, a mixture of guilt, redemption and closure made sense for someone so obsessed about the past.


    "You''re unstoppable, Eliza," Archius mused, he''d need to provide some vulnerability, "I know the feeling. I used to work as an actor, as you deduced. Some bad stuff happened and I had to pick myself back up. Feels like shit, doesn''t it? But you owe Deltastring an apology. And remember¡­ Riharia would''ve liked you to get on with them."


    A moment of silence followed, as Archius turned to leave the room. He could hear shuffling from the bed-sheets. "But who am I talking to¡­?" Eliza asked. Strange question, Archius mused, just exactly who was she talking to?


    "Archius, come on! Did you forget me already?" He let off a slow chuckle. Archius placed his hands in his pockets, trying to shove the question away.


    "No," Eliza mumbled. "But you¡­ was everything a lie?"


    "No," Archius lied. "Think of it as half-truths, people never show who they really are to others, best to think of it like that, right?"


    "But¡­ was the Archius I knew just that? A half-truth?" Eliza asked.


    Archius'' eyes glanced to the side, hiding behind a gentle smile, something he felt slowly fade. Was it a half-truth? Archius thought through it for a quick second, it wasn''t a lie, nor was it the full-truth. "Well, nah, that''s just me," said Archius. "I might have Iris-knows-many facades, but that one? That one''s real; like I said: best to think of it that way."


    "So¡­ we''re just shoving this under the rug, then?" asked Eliza, "I just wanted to know¡­ who are you?"


    He paused, coming up with a thousand differing tunes that could answer that. Friend? Ally? Enemy? He could be anything she wanted him to be, but that wouldn''t satiate her thirst for knowledge; she wanted to know who he truly is. She seems trustworthy enough to know some tid-bits. Plus, if she trusts him, he can harvest even more information off her.


    "Fine!" Archius grumbled, pretending to be annoyed. "My name is Yousef. Both me and you''ve been Kaz''s friend for a bit, me ''n'' him were put together by design of whoever-the-fuck-comes-above-us, and the rest is history. And all I am is a cheery, over-the-top university drop-out."


    "And that is all?"


    "I''m just a university drop-out, one that has select skills." He failed to mention that said skills include blackmail, espionage, torture and manipulation¡­ said skills he''s using right now.


    No response came from Eliza. Archius slowly turned back towards the exit. He told her¡­ some things. His real name never bothered him, if anything: having a fake name suited him. He could use his real name as a trust-chip to buy people in. And he told Eliza what she wanted, he wasn''t lying, but he''s so much more than that¡­ He was Kazuki''s spymaster, the cream of the crop of intelligence operatives, but yes: he is a university drop-out, a cheery one. He was never just that.


    "I''ll¡­ try to wrap my head around it," said Eliza, through the duvet cover.


    Archius quipped back, "Don''t, we''re friends, aren''t we? Does it really matter if you only knew one side of me?"


    He could feel Eliza''s warmth. It was done, the seed was planted. The foundations were made. He turned and left the room. All that was left is Eliza to reignite herself.

 X26: A trip behind the receiver

    The closing of the door filled Eliza with purpose. Archius was right¡­ What does it matter? It doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s an outsider, it¡¯ll just mean she¡¯ll have to work even harder. And working hard is all that she knows.


    The steel walls and racks of weapons did nothing to deter her as she pushed forward.


    There were whole assembly lines beyond a large window on one of the walls, with seemingly thousands of items being repaired and created¡­ Eliza walked up to it for a moment, mesmerised by the sight¡­ Its scale must have reached for hundreds of metres, reeling up and down with thousands of drones and metallic arms working away - there were even a few hover lifts at work, manned and overseen by a few quartermasters and supervisors.


    Noise from behind Eliza twirled her mind back to focus. Rivera rolled up to Eliza on a hover-chair, coming out of the workshop as a highlight of light-blue contrasted her tied up black hair.


    ¡°Ah! Eliza!¡± shouted Rivera, shooting upwards. Soot and dust had gathered on top of her face. Rivera wiped her face with her forearm. She had four lines under one eye painted in white, with an intricate pattern beneath the other. Eliza could barely translate it¡­


    ¡°Rivera¡­¡± Eliza said, nodding her head in a polite manner. ¡°Diligence, right?¡±


    She wore a tank-top with her jacket tied around her waist, blotches of gun oil over her tanned skin. A dozen drones were helping maintain weapons in the background on an assembly line of damaged equipment.


    One of them was helping in the project Rivera was just working on, slowly assembling small components in the air.


    ¡°Is it?¡± asked Rivera, placing a finger against her tattoos, feeling it up and down. ¡°Yeah! It is! People just think it¡¯s a cool tattoo, I got it back when I was serving in the Theonari Military, you also from Theonar Space?¡±


    Eliza shook her head profusely. ¡°No, I¡¯m from Enga. I have a friend who''s from Theonar, so I kinda binged research tattoo meanings.¡± She chuckled to herself. ¡°Half the guys approached me trying to learn what hers meant, never told them though. So, how¡¯s the armoury holding up?¡±


    ¡°Amazing¡± She stretched her biological arm with her prosthetic right arm. ¡°Ya know, you really helped out getting some drones for me, but you shouldn¡¯t have, after all you didn¡¯t even owe me.¡±


    Rivera patted one of the drones, the letters G.L.A.D. was on it.


    ¡°Making this one for the boss, advanced sensors and computation generation,¡± Rivera said. She then shrugged as she gently pushed the drone away, the drone making a small series of cute blooping noise. ¡°I can¡¯t always be fixing his gear twenty-four seven, aft¡¯ all.¡±


    Eliza felt warm at the feeling of helping others, helping around in places where she can. After all, it not only helps them, but helps her as well. ¡°Please, pay no mind to it, I just wanted to help around where I can.¡± Rivera led Eliza deeper into the armoury before she could object, ushering her. She was the complete opposite of Sato¡­ less work and more fun. When compared to the others in Kazuki¡¯s inner circle, Eliza found Rivera to be quite heart-warming. ¡°Ah, Rivera, I need some help.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so what will it be?¡± asked Rivera, gesturing to the thousands of weapons in this room alone. Several drones hovered by, with dozens of arms holding onto different weapons. SMGs¡­ Machine Guns¡­ Plasma Rifles¡­ Bolt Snipers¡­ Even a Rotary Machine gun! Yeah¡­ Eliza would definitely not be able to withstand the recoil. ¡°If you need a weapon for personal defence, I will never not recommend a WRIST-SHOT. Practically everyone in high command uses them.¡±


    ¡°Actually, no, I need a shipment of equipment. Enough for a whole company,¡± said Eliza, fervently. Rivera glanced over to a few crates of gear. ¡°And I¡¯m not really one for using guns¡­ I don¡¯t even have a licence.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Rivera shrugged, standing up as she activated a few crates, wheeling them over. ¡°Whatever floats your boat.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t need standardised equipment.¡± Eliza leaned in, whispering, ¡°I need some higher-quality gear. Something that should make people happy if they got it, just something that can set things right.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ staging a coup are we? Come on, let me in on the plot!¡± joked Rivera, having fun with Eliza. The joke sent Eliza¡¯s face pale as she froze. Her red eyes blinked in a panic. ¡°Just kidding with ya¡­ you aren¡¯t staging a coup, right?¡±


    ¡°No! Kaz¡¯s is my friend! Why would I want to stage a coup against him?!¡± replied Eliza, ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t ask, alright?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re staging a coup!¡± reiterated Rivera, sitting down on her chair as she activated her a glove attached to her bionic arm, grabbing hold of a small WRIST-SHOT in her workshop. Rivera flicked her wrist, watching the device.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not!¡± Eliza exclaimed, angrily, ¡°I just need some high-quality gear, alright?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Rivera got closer, grabbing hold of Eliza¡¯s left wrist as she strapped the WRIST-SHOT under her sleeves. Eliza watched as its nanobot structure and frame tightened around her forearm and wrist. ¡°That¡¯s a First Rate WRIST-SHOT, they say that the ladies back in the Imperial age used these for personal protection.¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, not this type of high quality.¡± Eliza started panicking as she tried to pry the device off her arm, yet it stayed on - much to her worry. ¡°I just need some good equipment, alright?¡±


    ¡°Are you doubting the quality of my goods?¡± snapped Rivera, leaning in towards her whilst making an offended face, teasing her.


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    ¡°N¡ªAbsolutely not,¡± said Eliza, raising her hands in denial as she accidentally activated the WRIST-SHOT. A loud bolt crashed across the room into one of the racks, with several drones rushing to fix the mess he caused.


    ¡°Actually, on second thought¡­ I don¡¯t think you should have a WRIST-SHOT,¡± said Rivera, scooting the chair over as she unstrapped the device. Where Eliza couldn¡¯t even unstrap it within ten seconds, Rivera unscrewed it off in under a second. ¡°So, what exactly do you need?¡±


    ¡°High-quality equipment!¡± shouted Eliza. ¡°Just¡­ something that would make people in the AGENCY happy, alright?¡±


    "But are you sure? You sure you really really don''t want something for yourself?" asked Rivera. "If fighting''s not your style, then I can get you an ANCHOR watch for escaping; even Kaz uses one. Sure, it¡¯s a bit hard to calculate everything on the spot, but you seem clever enough to do it!"


    Eliza shook her head. ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯d prefer not to take the risks¡­¡±


    Rivera continued, "Oh, come on! Anyone else would throw themselves at this deal, it''s a bargain! Sure, it half-relies on Annie but¡ª"


    "Wait... Annie?" Eliza asked, her face contorting to confusion. Was Kazuki reliant on someone else? Eliza¡¯s eyes slowly grew to a hint of jealousy.


    Rivera groaned, rolling her eyes. "Analyspec, Anispec, Anyspec, Analspec or whatever people call it, ANCHOR watches require a lot of energy and processing power, gotta use a supercomputer for those," she said, as if all of this was merely elementary for her. It piqued Eliza¡¯s curiosity, but she stopped her mind from wandering onwards¡­ She couldn¡¯t help herself.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking¡­ the bloody mick,¡± Eliza said quietly. ¡°But this machine, what is it exactly?¡±


    ¡°A supercomputer?¡± Rivera repeated herself, rolling her eyes. ¡°You know the Phoenix Fury hasn¡¯t been the flagship of the AGENCY for like¡­ the entire time, right?¡±


    Eliza shook her head. ¡°Well, I doubt I¡¯d know, Ulysses had a ¡®military¡¯ phase where he learnt everything about war vessels¡­ Even then, I scant remember this vessel in those videos¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dreadnought, come on! Take a guess,¡± goaded Rivera, grinning with a warm face.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Eliza took a deep breath in.


    The Phoenix¡¯s Fury has been a bit of a mystery to Eliza, it seemed really old, retrofitted. It¡¯s powerful and large, but what else?! Eliza didn¡¯t understand. But there was one ship¡­ One ship that her dad would always talk of in fear¡­ The ship he saw in high orbit, a mere moment¡¯s away from bombarding his position to smithereens.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Imperator One?¡± guessed Eliza.


    To her amazement, Rivera nodded. ¡°Ark of the Empress itself, the flagship of the Imperial Fleet, stolen by Antonious Marc at the end of the Siege, it¡¯s what bought him his position on Clandestine¡¯s council!¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ this place that we are in¡­¡± Eliza glanced around, feeling a moment of dread seep in. Just what happened within these halls?


    Rivera chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re too imaginative! The place¡¯s been retrofitted by a huge margin! There ain¡¯t no Imperial bodies hiding in some corner. Its guns and hide isn¡¯t all that this ship has to offer. It has the most powerful computer systems, it¡¯s the flagship of the Impy Fleet, after all!¡±


    Rivera definitely seemed to be covering something up, Eliza thought, as Rivera glanced away, her eyes skidding off into the distance. Rivera sniggered, patting Eliza on the shoulder as she cradled the WRIST-SHOT. ¡°Anyways, ¡®bout the armour, I have some Tirax-Genesis armour, surely that fits the bill?¡±


    ¡°It¡­ does?¡± Eliza questioned herself. She had no clue on whether the brand was known for its reliability, this knowledge was far beyond her reach. She could list the whole periodic table by heart but wouldn¡¯t know if a gun was cleaned or not. ¡°Am I correct in believing Tirax-Genesis are high quality?¡±


    ¡°The highest quality out there!¡± Rivera burst out, almost as if such information was common knowledge within the industry. ¡°You won¡¯t find anything better than theirs on the open market.¡±


    Eliza nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take it, then, thanks. Oh, and give me the bill for it, I¡¯ll pay for replacements.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I owe you so this shipment¡¯s on me, for helping me all the time,¡± Rivera smirked as she pointed towards one of the crates, it had clear DO NOT TOUCH vibes with it. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be off the books. And by off the books, I mean that Kaz will be paying for it, but don¡¯t worry, better we use it than not.¡±


    Eliza walked over to it, activating the crate¡¯s hover functions as she started to push it. She looked down at her clothes. Instead of her casual clothes, she wore handler fatigues with a hoodie over them for added warmth - she had left her brooch behind. She needed to be in the right mindset because Lilly was right, she was an outsider, but if she gives them a reason to forgive her, maybe she can get along with them.


    As she was about to hover the crate out of the dreadnought¡¯s armoury, the doors slid open as Amy¨¦ clambered into the room, her augmented arm brace latching onto the doorframe. To Eliza, she could clearly see that she was hammered drunk. Looking up at her, her ginger hair hid her red face. It was the same face she had when they went drinking with Claire. Amy¨¦ reeked of booze, causing Eliza to shiver a bit.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up, light-weight?¡± asked Amy¨¦, turning to Rivera, ¡°Oi! Is my sniper fixed yet?¡±


    ¡°I told you¡­ I¡¯LL MESSAGE YOU.¡± spat Rivera, angrily. An argument brewed as Eliza took a step back. A hand extended out, dragging Amy¨¦ out from the room.


    Claire poked her head in, ¡°Sorry, Rivera. I had to bring her back, otherwise she¡¯d start a bar-fight with the ENFORCERs.¡±


    Rivera sighed. ¡°Fine¡­ Just get her outta here. And make sure she isn¡¯t storing any contractor-grade alcohol with Quinn.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to give her a good talking to,¡± Claire nodded as she twisted to look at Eliza - all the while Amy¨¦ was begging for mercy, grasping against Claire. Eliza understood exactly what Claire meant, and she wished the best of luck to Amy¨¦ to survive another one of her rants¡­ ¡°Ah, Lizzie, it¡¯s been a while¡­ I hope Rivera didn¡¯t drown you in gear, she does it all the time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I can see.¡± Eliza scratched her head.


    ¡°So, you finally caught up on the show?¡± asked Claire.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, wondering if Claire knew. ¡°I¡ªuh¡­ I have been quite busy.¡±


    Claire nodded. ¡°So¡­ you going to Del-string¡¯s command barracks?¡± she asked. Eliza slowly nodded in turn, her face slowly glancing downwards. ¡°Good, keep your chin up, Liz.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    Claire looked at the crate of equipment that Eliza was pushing. ¡°Best of luck, then. She¡¯s a hard ¡®nade to crack, but once you get to know her, she¡¯s a lot nicer¡­ Well, as nice as an ex-marine officer can be.¡±


    ¡°Appreciate it¡­¡± Eliza trailed off as Claire turned and walked off, the sound of a grumbling Amy¨¦ could be heard out in the halls. Eliza took in a deep breath as she pressed her cheeks up, psyching herself up in preparation; her heartbeat pumped higher.

 X27: Intricacies of Command

    "Make it quick," snapped Lilly, sitting along the barrack''s central table as the other members of her unit sat in chairs, stood against the walls or were laying down on their bunk beds, even off-duty they still wore their uniforms, operator fatigues that were buttoned down, with vests and shirts underneath.


    The walls were adorned with decoration, from posters to even a picture with rows upon rows of what seemed to be soldiers, too far away to be distinct. And alongside one of the walls was a rack of cybernetic spines, supposed to be overlayed on top of armour.


    "Thank you," started Eliza, standing in front of the crate against the sharp eyes that stared at her. "First of all, I''d like to say that you were right, Lilly."


    Quinn was playing holo-cards with himself as Lilly glared at him, causing him to stop. He slowly nodded at Lilly, before sneaking a drink from a beer can, avoiding Eliza''s glance. Lilly nodded in turn to Eliza.


    "You were right. I never should have accepted the responsibilities of an aide." She kept her eyes forward, looking directly at Lilly, the one she had to convince the hardest, "If I wasn''t there¡­ Riharia would be alive."


    "Yeah." Lilly uttered one word, she was making slow progress - but progress is progress.


    "Which is why I''m sorry. Even then¡­ I knew what I did wasn''t suited. My excessive worrying, distracting and stupidity not only cost you all so much¡­ but it has also cost the lives of your men."


    Lilly was about to say something. But Eliza''s eyes lit up with her heart. Out of all of them, she can be the one to carry their burdens¡­ Even if she doesn''t have the memory for it, she''ll carry their dreams on either way.


    "But you''re all far from the mercenaries that the Webinet News shows¡­ You''re people. People with dreams¡­ Hopes and aspirations that will never be seen to." Eliza''s eyes glistened as she felt in her element, speaking publicly with her heart to them all. She let her emotions bear the brunt of the speaking for her. "I never took that into account¡­ I know it must have been hell working with me, having someone who never understood what any of you felt. Though now it makes sense, your hate and anger is understandable, and fully justified."


    Quinn''s unmoving eyes looked towards Lilly, then at another woman in the room with dirty blonde hair. Lilly''s eyes were unmoving, still unconvinced at her apology. But the sparks of some moved faster than others. Eliza was still not done.


    "My actions are¡­ irredeemable. All the lives lost with me overwatching will never come back." said Eliza.


    "So?" asked Lilly, "If you''re out of words, then get the hell out." Every syllable whispered off her lips held enough malice to overdose, each word filled with spite and the voice of anger.


    Eliza slowly nodded. "But¡­ I just can''t give up. You''re right, I didn''t know Riharia¡­ But if given the chance to get to know you guys, I''d take it; a thousand times over. Which is why I commit to you a pledge: From this second forward, I will give you my all. So I can make up for the damages I''ve caused. I have no right to ask you of this, but allow me to give you all my best. Not only for the next mission, or the mission after that, but until the galaxy sees us split."


    The fire in her soul lit alight as she stuck her chest out, speaking clearly as her eyes flared up. Placing a hand on her chest, she took a deep breath. "I''ll give you all the overwatch that you deserve, whether it be on the field, in the mess halls or in your own barracks. You give your all, to complete the mission, it''s time for me to give mine."


    She knelt down on one knee, slowly taking something out of her pocket. It was her brooch. Lilly''s face soured at the sight of it, but stopped as Eliza shot her hand out, presenting it as if it was a gift.


    "According to the Tablets of the Ball Palace, I offer to pledge my assistance to Deltastring and the AGENCY, lest I shatter my own solar brooch," Eliza said.


    The room fell silent. She felt her heart sink as Lilly stood up, slowly walking to Eliza. Her face said nothing. But as she approached, instead of slapping or hitting Eliza, she slowly placed her right hand on her shoulder. Eliza felt as if a boulder was lifted off her back with acknowledgement as her heart breathed.


    "Well then, you have a long way to go, New-gen," said Lilly, maintaining a high posture with an air of strict discipline. But Eliza looked behind all that. "Come on, stand up, we don''t do that¡­ aristocracy shit here."


    The tension was slit with a knife as Quinn jumped up, slapping his hands together as if he finished something tedious. "Alright! Now that that''s done with¡­ can we finally get back to drinking? And Liz! Wanna play some holo-cards with me?" He wasn''t smiling, but Eliza ignored that detail.


    "Holo-cards¡­ Well, sure! If we have time for it." Eliza''s face melted into a wide grin. But as she let off a small giggle, embarrassment smashed into her as she went red. She stood up, hand curling the brooch back into her pocket, hidden.


    But then, Lilly let off a small, out of place chuckle. "Oh come on! You''re embarrassed about that?! You weren''t bloody embarrassed sucking up to Kazuki all the time!"


    "I¡ªI do not!" shouted Eliza, her cheeks the same shade as her eyes.


    "Oh! Then why are you Kazuki''s personal aide, huh?" teased Quinn. He took a step forward, touching the crate as he sat on top of it. "If you play cards with me I''ll stop pressing you."


    Something was wrong with his voice, Eliza thought.


    "We might as well get to know each other if you want to continue working with us¡­ Quinn, our residential hot-headed drunk and thief," said Lilly, her coldness snapping in place, introducing members of her team to Eliza, "There''s me¡­ Guess I like taking photographs?"


    "Oh come on!" shouted the woman out of the blue, she had a sweet-face. Standing up, a small team of drones activated with her. "You love it! Otherwise you wouldn''t have snapped photos of half the battles we fought in."


    The woman flicked up a holographic photograph, showing a large space battle, with tens of vessels and a billion lights and munitions.


    "Old Terra," Lilly said. She pointed at two large vessels in the background. "Martinez and Kaz were boarding Clandestine''s flagship¡­ Wait a minute¡­" Lilly glanced back at Kiri, throwing a water bottle at her. She caught it immediately as she looked towards the crate.


    "You really should take pictures of our ground battles," the woman said snarkily.


    Lilly shook her head. "Hey, I had limited drone frames and cameras, only wanted to spend it on the large battles," she said. Her face contorted into one akin to a drill sergeant''s as Lilly glared the woman down. "High chance that they''d get destroyed, so it only makes sense to conserve the ones I have right now."


    "What? Till Arbiter gives you a blank cheque to buy a thousand more?" Quinn jeered.


    Eliza glanced at the woman and smiled. "I¡­"


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    "Kiri," she said. "Name''s Kiri, don''t sweat the details, please, but this is the first time that we''ve had an outsider with us¡­"


    "Maybe an outsider can provide a new set of ideas?" Eliza asked. Lilly raised an eyebrow, but dismissed any notions of smacking her down, it seems. Eliza noticed more glances at the crate, she said, "Ah, well you see¡­ I wanted to give you something, as a commitment to my promise, my contract to you all."


    "Well then, what do we have here?" asked Lilly, prying the crate open with her hands. Peering in, Kiri took out a vest-plate set of armour, with a few of her drones picking some up. Kiri''s glasses glinted at the sight of the name ''Tirax-Genesis''.


    "Tirax-Genesis? Why, you shouldn''t!" exclaimed Kiri. "How the hell did you get these?"


    Eliza scratched her cheek, smiling, "Great, I''m just happy that you like it¡­"


    Lilly was silent as she kept her head looking down at the crate. Quinn shook Lilly''s shoulder. Eliza''s face bore worried anxiety as Lilly shook for a moment. Then, she grabbed her own vest-plate and twisted to Eliza. Her face was alight with a cold enthusiasm.


    "I''ve been demanding this from Kazuki for the better part of a year. Maybe you DO know how to play military politics." Everyone glanced at Lilly as she made weird noises, smirking. Lilly noticed, sliding back into her commissar persona. Her lips fell. "Smirk again and I''ll have you all take reactor cleaning-duties."


    But before Eliza could answer, blaring alarms sounded across the vessel as the alert lights activated. Eliza felt a sudden shock overcome her.


    Quinn rolled his eyes, saying, "For fuck sake¡­ Did a drone smash into the fire alarms again?" He ignored the alarms, looking more annoyed than anything on the surface. "Anyone down for some dullie after this?"


    An image was slowly forming in Eliza''s head¡­ It wasn''t exactly apparent earlier, but she dared herself to conclude such now. Without Riharia, Quinn was acting differently¡­


    ''ALL FORCES MAKE READY. I REPEAT. ALL FORCES GEAR UP FOR DEPLOYMENT. ALL AVAILABLE HICOMM MEMBERS RALLY THEMSELVES AT THE COMMAND BRIDGE AT THIS INSTANT.'' said a voice. ''I REPEAT¡ª"


    ? ? ?


    Once again, she stood within the command room. Kazuki was present, glaring at the table as Eliza felt a sense of dread overcome her, he looked more worried.


    "We have a positive ID on Svenn Janstein, codename Afterlife." reported Sato, placing a thousand holographic datapads onto the command deck. "The Ptolemy-2 Station. We all know what they''ll try to do. Several vessels docked across the station are harbouring Loyalists. Our objective is to eliminate the Loyalist presence on the Ptolemy-2 Station, at all costs."


    The room was filled with people that Eliza didn''t know. The most important looking people she didn''t know were an old man and a middle aged woman, with one single gold-trimmed pauldron, compared to the two gold pauldrons that Kaz and Martinez had. She was squished in between Lilly and Martinez.


    Glancing up, Eliza could better see the various intricacies of Martinez''s tattoos. From her brief studies and knowledge, she could decipher the meaning amongst the patterns. "Starseeker?" she muttered to herself.


    Martinz glanced down at her, nodding. "That it is," he said, before looking back up at the command table.


    compared to them, there were a dozen other commanders in the room. Kazuki was still being repaired whilst the briefing happened, Eliza''s mind was filled with worry but she hid it from them all as Archius stepped forward.


    "We''ve received reports of Loyalists gathering near the old Clandestine HQ. They probably intend to retake it as a distraction then use its shields to protect themselves." Archius said, placing both hands on deck.


    "I can take Mason and Asphene''s divisions down to the surface. We can hold off the Loyalists." assured Martinez, proposing his own plan of action. Eliza glanced as he flicked a holo-card onto the table, showing a battle-field simulation map.


    However, someone else in the room spoke up, it was the middle aged woman, her armour was in a purple trim. "Bullshit, we''ll need more divisions on the ground!" said the woman, the name Persephone engraved into a small part of her vestplate. Her voice continued to worry onwards. "At least five thousand! We don''t know how many they have, but if they''re confident enough to¡ª"


    "No, you damn worry-wart." Lilly started, her face filled with frustration. "Martinez is right. We need most of our forces on stand-by¡­ I don''t think we need to remind you what happened to your division the last time YOU overinvested; we''re not in an attritional meat grinder here - remember that." Lilly''s voice was snappy at the purple haired woman, the lady formed a scowl at the beratement.


    "Here, here! Let''s not get hasty!" shouted the old man, his face, beard and hair as pale as the Eclipse.


    "Thank you¡­ Hosea," said Lilly.


    "No! I was¡­ talking about you¡­" Hosea trailed off, by far looking the most grimmed face and experienced in the room - even against Martinez and Kazuki.


    The room fell into a state of chaos as Quinn shot in to defend Lilly; a dozen colourful trimmed groups argued over strategy and tactics¡­ Lilly placed her hands up to her uplink as she turned it off, rubbing her earlobe. Martinez sighed as Kazuki remained silent. Lilly turned to Eliza, scratching her head, "Well¡­ welcome to mercenary politics."


    Martinez sighed, turning towards Lilly and Eliza. He said, "It''s not normally like this¡­ but the distress of it all is setting in. Plus¡­ not everyone here''s an AGENCY hardliner¡­ In fact¡­ half of this room fought against us."


    "Wait¡­ what?" Eliza''s face twisted in confusion, "Might I ask why they''re here, then?"


    Martinez mused, "Most of them were Clandestine. In fact, all of us were Clandestine. Money talks, Eliza. Most quickly defected to Kazuki."


    "Then¡­" Eliza trailed off, "I''m guessing Kazuki needs them¡­"


    "Exactly," said Martinez. "But don''t think that they''re all treacherous¡­ I know many of them myself, even from back in the military. Most couldn''t defect, Clandestine likes to have a tight grip around its men. It lost that grip when the then fourth of the seven mercs died¡­ to Kazuki. When the floodgates opened, the war changed."


    "We all have the same objective." said Lilly, "But getting there¡­ it''s harder than what it may seem."


    The three turned back to the carnage as Kazuki slowly stepped forward, placing both hands on the command deck. He calmly spoke in a loud voice, "Silence."


    Everyone turned to Kazuki. Their voices cut shut. Eliza noticed the mood change quickly as Kazuki''s eyes glared at them. Golden hue and a hollow aura penetrated Eliza''s soul as he gripped the deck in mild frustration¡­


    "There will be no infighting here. We all fight for the same objective. Martinez¡­"


    Martinez stood to attention. "Yes, Kazuki?"


    "You will command forces on the surface and in the Sub Levels. Take Mason, Morris, Asphene, Krakow and Namira''s units to the surface. Reinforce our existing positions and patrols, but let them take the HQ. Lilly, Claire, Percy, Kellerman, your forces will be under my command on the station. No reserves. We go all in."


    Everyone nodded at Kazuki. Whether it was out of respect or fear, they didn''t interrupt him.


    "Order all AGENCY assets across the Republic to red alert, contact Hosea and order him to stop contract-negotiations outside the Republic."


    Kazuki placed his hands together. "Until we consolidate, I do not want to overstretch our forces. Keep our anti-piracy and security operations online for now, but ensure they are prepared to warp into the Anagora system from anywhere within the High-Table Oversector. Any questions?"


    No one spoke. But Eliza had one aching question, she raised her hand. Kazuki nodded at her, acting as if he didn''t know her. Everyone shot a glance at the new girl. She felt out of place, but everyone there listened¡­ "The terms of the Judicial Contract don''t reach the Ptolemy-2 Station, if we imply it as the police will¡­ It may be safe to presume that doing this will give even further justification to the removal of Anagora''s Enforcement Contract."


    "It will." stated Kazuki, "But I care about results, not semantics. We will storm that space station. We will rip the Loyalists to shred. We''ll show Anagora exactly why they need us."


    "Well, at least we''re not the ENFORCERS," shouted Archius, jokingly. "We can all go on a nice vacation after this and they''ll surely pick up the slack. Beaches on Chinio are good this time of standard-year."


    A few in the crowd chuckled at the passing remark. Many had smiles, even Kazuki had some spark in his eyes. Even if he didn''t have a single thought or emotion on his lips or eyes, she could feel the aura of his feelings change ever so slightly, it warmed her¡­ It was like seeing a younger sibling and being proud of them¡­ Except, she felt far more proud of Kazuki than Ulysses, but she doesn''t blame him.


    "Well then," said Kazuki, standing up straight as his exospine mechanisms cranked into gear. Warmth faded to hidden anxiety as she remembered how injured he was. But she understood the necessity of it, and once again she put all her faith in an irrational belief that Kazuki will survive.


    Kazuki commanded his men, "Let''s go slit their throats."

 X28: The Phoenixs Spearhead

    Sparks shuttered off Kazuki''s exospine as the drones continued their work. Any stings to his skin felt like burns. They continued to bump into his back as a dozen shuttles shot out across the void. He could see the Ptolemy-2 Station creep into view across the artificial horizon.


    The bastion of commercial centres and trade made him feel dread. Even so, he made a promise, a contract, to Eliza. But he didn''t know if he could uphold it. His breath was ragged as his mechanical organs had slowed down from the impure energy in his exospine.


    ''All forces, make your final preparations.'' commanded Kazuki, sliding plasma cartridges into his WRIST-SHOT, ''Shoot to kill. Twenty thousand standardis to every Loyalist head.''


    "Tch¡­" Amy¨¦ groused, crossing her arms as Claire injected her with a HANG-OVER injector, making her sober as she sluggishly shook her head.


    A spark clipped his skin as one of the drones was knocked around from turbulence. He threw his hand backwards instinctively, smacking the drone to the wall as it made a loud blooping noise, spinning around in the air. Kazuki slowly apologised, "Sorry about that, little one."


    The drone made a low-humming boop in sadness, approaching Kazuki and continuing to repair his back. "I know¡­ It''s not your fault."


    Claire looked over at Kazuki across the shuttle. "Your back, do you think you''ll need a hand?" She was covered in bandages, yet still took the time to care for Kazuki¡­ He hasn''t exactly noted it but Heimfall''s culture did become more interconnected and friendly. Probably because he killed its last commander and replaced them with Claire, someone who cares much more about her men.


    "No." said Kazuki, "I can handle myself. I''ll be slower but no less lethal."


    "Ah, finally," Claire continued, placing a few injectors into Kazuki''s vest plate, storing them as the vest-plate''s mechanisms loaded them into his auto-jector. Then she added some more¡­ Then some more, Kazuki stopped her. "We can finally catch up to you now. But are you sure you''ll make it through?"


    He contemplated for a moment. He was sluggish, slower and weaker. He couldn''t beat Svenn back on the Skyliner, what chance does he even have now that he''s crippled? Doubts set in, but he must try to kill him, or at least stop the bombs from going off. It clashed with his first contract, nonetheless, he must see this through for that to be accomplished.


    But if he dies, who''ll protect the Delmara siblings?


    "I don''t know." Kazuki fretted, in a low tone - to himself and Claire.


    "Kazuki, we''ll look after Eliza¡­" Lilly trailed off, mumbling to herself for a moment. "Don''t take it another way, alright? She got us some shiny new stuff, alright?"


    "Pfft." Quinn let off a snicker at Lilly''s lack of self-discipline, but quietened up when she glared at him across the shuttle.


    "I see," said Kazuki. "So Eliza¡­ she''s on board?"


    "Huh? Yeah? She said she wanted to ''pay off'' the damages."


    His eyes thinned. "Okay¡­ I''ll keep Eliza overseeing my team." said Kazuki. "She''s a fast learner, faster than me."


    "''Course she is!" interjected Quinn. "She knows how to play politics! I mean, just look at our armour."


    Despite both Petra''s death during the rebellion and Riharia''s recent death, Quinn seems to still focus on the mission. That''s good, Kazuki thought. He can''t deal with emotions, especially here and now.


    Tirax-Genesis, high quality for sure, but at the end of the day it''s still armour. Even as Claire snarled and grumbled, he couldn''t care less. The gear was in storage, last time he saw them.


    "Don''t tell her." said Kazuki, "This is probably going to be my last operation¡­"


    Even Quinn wasn''t willing to slice at the tense fog, his eyes a doubtful, regret-filled cyan. Out of everyone, Quinn had the biggest change of expression¡­ Riharia died in vain, Kazuki thought. But now? He won''t let all of their sacrifices be in vain.


    Everyone knew that Kazuki was on his last legs, he hadn''t recovered enough. Time was his enemy. And now, death''s come for him. But maybe it was time for him to retire, Kazuki mused. Hopeless dread burned away at him.


    The shuttle''s hologram projector burst awake, shining down and formulating its polygons into a 3D hologram of a security guard. They stood firm, looking at the occupants of the shuttle as they croaked, ''This is Ptolemy-2 Docking Control to shuttle AJFA001, we are requesting you turn your convoy around until you gain proper access codes to port, over.''


    ''This is the fourth of the seven, representing the interests of the AGENCY and Anagora Judiciary on behalf of the Anagoran Judicial Forces. The Ptolemy-2 Station is to cease its active functions and engage in total lockdown in preparation for boarding,'' ordered Kazuki.


    "Traffic control, fucking hell." Quinn commented, "You still remember that speech?"


    ''What is the meaning of this?'' demanded the guard, ''We are aware of what happened to the Crhristendo skyliner. Tell me, do you have a warrant to search the station - and for what?!''


    ''We do not. But what choice do you have?'' asked Kazuki, ''We have confirmed reports of multiple Clandestine terrorists on the station. Under the Ptolemy Anti-Terror Ac¡ª''


    ''You need not remind me of my statutes, sir.'' said the guard, ''We will investigate these claims further, for now please sit tight until you gain PROPER access codes!''


    "Fucking bureaucrats¡­" mumbled Claire, disgruntled at what was going on as she toyed with a small medipack she had strapped on her vest-plate, the liquids moving around.


    The guard turned around to face someone in their own room. But to everyone''s surprise, they froze. Their stuck-up attitude faded away as Lilly looked across the shuttle at Kazuki, asking, "What''s going on over there?"


    ''Kent¡­ what are¡ª''


    They fell onto the ground as the holographic projection ended the moment that a spark of alarms blurred online. The station was compromised.


    ''Shit, the Loyalists are starting to storm the station,'' reported Sato, showing up a display of the station cameras she had hacked. A dozen Loyalists were pouring out of station vessels and large containers, attacking the security and killing every non Loyalist in sight, civilian or not.


    ''They''re going after the civilians,'' remarked Eliza, showing some remorse for them, ''We have to do something!'' Claire looked on with disgust at the sight, shaking her head in disgrace that she once knew some of these Contractors.


    ''And we will,'' said Lilly, ''But we have to focus on the objective. Eliza just stay focused and give us some good callouts.''


    ''They want to divert our attention to the civilian sector,'' stated Kazuki, to the surprise of everyone on the uplink. Divide and Conquer. ''We''ll have to split our forces to deal with this problem.''


    ''Kazuki,'' Archius started, ''We have a problem. Senator Delia''s saying she can no longer provide us with her protection¡­ She says that the police are coming to deal with us. My friends in the CRIS have little jurisdiction over this but¡­''


    ''I''ll¡­ try and hold off my dad,'' suggested Eliza.


    ''Okay. Continue with the operation. We''ll deal with the consequences later,'' said Kazuki. One victory for the AGENCY was all they needed.


    Looking forward once again, Kazuki could see the station etch closer as Karl flew past the hovering magnetic interlocks and bubble shield protecting the interior from the vacuum. And as the convoy of space-faring shuttles started to diverge into their respective groups.


    ''All forces. Diverge into sections. Deltastring and Heimfall will land at the closest infiltration point. The rest will clear the commercial section.''


    The shuttles continued, he could see the shadow of the Phoenix''s Fury far away, overshadowed by the Battlestation Ithilos in the distance. He has one card up his sleeve, a gamble. If all else fails, Kazuki can request his father''s assistance. But he didn''t know if he''d respond. Even with the chaos that was about to unfold, the defence stations, bastions, warships, traffic lanes and space colonies stayed motionless. All indifferent.


    ? ? ?


    The energy gate faltered as five shuttles slammed through, charging into the station''s cargo bay hangar. Bolts and plasma flew from all sides as security, Loyalist and AGENCY forces fought in a three-way skirmish. But it was quickly decided who won. The shuttles activated their gunpods as drones dove past them. Autolasers turned anyone not in cover into a fine red mist that lingered in the air.


    Meanwhile, those that remained were slaughtered by the AGENTs that flowed off the ramps. Kazuki watched as the hostiles were all terminated within a short few seconds. He stepped out, walking down the ramp. He attached his helm-mask on, hooking on the oxygen tanks to his back as tubes connected to the back of his respirator.


    ''Cargo Bay secured.'' reported Kazuki, ''Vall¨¦, take Deltastring and fight your way to the staff quarters. Heimfall, use Deltastring as the anvil to your hammer.''


    ''We know!'' Lilly shouted over to Kazuki.


    "Lazarus, Artillerist, on me. We''ll head to the reactor," Kazuki said, looking at two of his operatives.


    "Reactor?" asked Claire, relocking her plasma rifle whilst Lilly and Quinn led Deltastring. "And us? We''re flattered."


    "The reactor is the highest point of failure. Take it out, the station falls."


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Did you plan this whole mission out for them?" snapped Amy¨¦, following Kazuki as he walked towards one of the blast doors, bursting it open with a charge.


    "No." said Kazuki, entering into the hall as he took point.


    Almost immediately, Loyalists turned the corners, stopping their advance through the hall. Claire threw herself into cover as Amy¨¦ stayed near the rear. All the while, Kazuki started into a pace faster than a jog as he rushed forward. But sparks sputtered out of his exospine as he fired back at the Loyalists.


    "Fucking hell," remarked Claire, shooting Kazuki with a stimulant bolt. "I told you not to overuse it. Come on, let us handle some of the burden."


    "Don''t die." Kazuki demanded, to the surprise of the two as he twisted into an indent at the wall. Loyalists continued to push forward down the steel-framed, grated hall.


    Amy¨¦ slid over to Claire as Eliza called out, ''Arbiter, Lazarus, there are six Loyalists converging on your location.''


    A fresh air of professionalism was nice for Eliza. A callout wasn''t much, but it''d help. Claire remarked, "Sure, Arbiter. Dying''s boring, let''s not die for now."


    Amy¨¦ seconded the notion. "Too little time and too much to enjoy¡­ other than alcohol."


    Kazuki nodded. Peeking out of cover, he fired his carbine at the Loyalists. His aim wasn''t as good, he thought. But now was no time to lament over that.


    "Move up." Kazuki ordered, the trio pushing forward as Kazuki activated his deflector shield. His auto-jectors activated. Stimulants and adrenaline curved across his veins and blood vessels


    Six more Loyalists rushed into the hall as they ran in through a connected hallway. But that did nothing to stop the Loyalists already taking cover to be dropped as the team rushed forward. The reinforcements tried to batter them back with shockwaves and volleys of bolts and plasma, yet Kazuki continued pushing forward. Firing his carbine, he reached them. At that moment, it was over. The Loyalists were minced up in combat. Kazuki acted with no mercy. Those left bleeding were allowed to bleed to death.


    As more corpses piled onto the floor of the hall, more Loyalists started to focus on him in a panic. This gave both Amy¨¦ and Claire perfect angles as they fired at them. Amy¨¦''s rifle sniper turned any Loyalist into paste whilst Kazuki kept them busy. Activating his shield, he deflected numerous bolts as he knelt down, whilst simultaneously triggering a nano-bomb.


    Slamming it against his shield, it deflected off. A crash scattered nanobots that scuttered the Loyalists. The nanobots swarmed the Loyalists. It ate them from the outside, then the inside. Their screams quickly became muffled as the machines tore through their vocal chords. They quickly vomited blood, through their masks. A few were able to tear them off, but it was futile.


    Walking past them, Kazuki executed them. A mercy killing, he thought.


    But as the last fell, Eliza shouted, ''There''s more! Watch out, they have shotguns!''


    Kazuki ducked backwards as four Loyalists poured forward, blasting at him, who was scrambling into cover as Claire dragged him behind a small barricade. ''Good call.''


    ''Artillerist, if you hit the pipes it''ll cause a distraction,'' suggested Eliza over the uplink.


    ''On it!'' replied Amy¨¦, taking aim down the hall from cover. She released both breath and trigger, sending a high-powered bullet down the hall.


    It slammed directly into the pipe. Penetration was accomplished, before it started ricochetting across the hall and slamming into all pressure points with precision.


    ''Arbiter, Lazarus! You have a chance!'' said Eliza.


    Kazuki vaulted over the barricade, past dead bodies as steam poured out from the pipes. Claire pushed upwards, following him into the smog. Frantic gunfire sprayed across the hall as the two got into close quarters. Slashes were thrown, bullets were sent. But as the smoke died down, the Loyalists were all dead.


    The sight gave him no respite as Claire heaved a breath of relief. ''Keep moving. We are on limited time. Eliza, check on the reactor room.''


    ''Roger that¡­'' Eliza skimmed through the camera system, ''Found it. Security''s holding off a small group of attackers.''


    ''And of Svenn?'' asked Kazuki.


    ''Uh.'' Eliza paused for a moment as Kazuki approached the end of the hall, opening the door into a massive lookout section of the station, with civilians hiding behind the benches and vending machines. One wall was completely glass, showing out into space as light sprinkled in as stars. ''Positive on¡­ one person with white hair.''


    ''Might be Svenn, might not be,'' commented Archius, ''Go with your guts, Arbiter.''


    ''Svenn¡­ It''s him. It has to be him.'' said Kazuki, walking into the observation deck as the large windows allowed for the sight of Anagora to come into view. The thousands of lights on the eternally awake planet gleamed back at him. Amy¨¦ took in the sight for a moment as Claire took point.


    ''Loyalist reinforcements coming your way,'' said Eliza as the path started to curve up into an incline, allowing for a larger view of the space. Kazuki nodded as he pushed forward. Across the hall, a dozen or so Loyalists fired at them, taking cover behind the seats and support pillars. Civilians were cowering and fleeing across, a few were gunned down. Vibrations sent shockwaves up into the catwalks above the observation deck.


    He was in no mood for any sort of fools play, slowing him down was more annoying than anything. They were in the big leagues now. Activating his exospine, he used the limited cracked energy to boost himself forward. His exospine crackled with sparks and energy, injecting cocktails of stims and releasing steam as it expanded.


    Rushing forward in a violent frenzy, he threw civilians into cover as he acted as the spear of the attack - ducking forward closer to the reinforcing Loyalists. Civilians hiding within the deck started to flee, using the contractor''s arrival to their advantage. Yet some were cut down within the crossfire, killed by the uncaring fire of the Loyalists.


    "Get in there!" Kazuki shouted; Claire rushed forth, interposing with civilians caught in the crossfire, her armour deflecting bolts primed to split torsos in twelve.


    Amy¨¦ did what she did best: kill. But Kazuki was meeting thicker and thicker fire as he got closer to the Loyalists. He had to take cover. He had to. If he continues like that, he''ll be cut down.


    ''Need some help!?'' asked Quinn, over the uplink. But before Kazuki could respond, a hail of fire rattled downwards from the catwalks, shredding through the Loyalists.


    Glancing up, Kazuki saw Quinn''s small team suppressing the Loyalists. He gave the Contract-Breaker one glance. Kazuki nodded, leaping forward. This was it, he has to reach them. Rushing across the deck, he fired volleys into the Loyalists as they took cover or returned fire.


    With their attention on the other team, Kazuki terminated through them with bolts to the heads, necks and joints. The hail of fire stopped as the final remnants sprouted up, aiming at Kazuki.


    Yet as muzzles zeroed in, high calibre bolts narrowed in from across the deck - Amy¨¦''s sniper. Those that stood now fell, leaving Kazuki standing alone. Claire shouted to Kazuki. "HEY! Didn''t you say to let us handle more of the burden?"


    "Yeah. I did. Let''s get moving."


    Kazuki twisted back to Claire as she was helping a young girl walk, slowly guiding her towards the exit and away from one of the civilian corpses. He hid the sourness in his face.


    "Shh¡­ just follow everyone else, please," whispered Claire. "They''ll help you, we''re going to stop the bad guys¡­ you can''t come with us."


    ''We''ll be joining with Vall¨¦''s push to the central bay!'' shouted Quinn, leading his team away across the rafters, into side maintenance shafts. "Don''t you dare slack off now!"


    Despite his joking voice, Kazuki knew that Quinn spoke true. He can''t slack. He cannot give up. Not now. Not after so many dead.


    ''Good work, Epsilon''


    The civilians were finally evacuated as Claire helped them through. The sight of them both lingering and fleeing hazed his mind and memory, for a moment. And in confusion, smoke slowly filtered out his helm-mask, exhaling out steam wasn''t a good sign this early into the operation. He hoped that Lilly''s divisions had more of Eliza''s attention, considering her excessive worrying.


    Claire facepalmed, slapping the mask on. A shockwave was felt throughout the station as Kazuki turned to look out the massive windows. An eruption of bombs expanded throughout the lower-gravitational chambers. Looking out, the hull started to flick off.


    ''They''re starting to blow the station up! Centrifugal Chambers Five through Nine are compromised.'' said Archius. ''GET A MOVE ON!''


    ''Shit. Eliza, status report on the reactor.'' Kazuki pushed onwards as he approached the door at the end of the hall.


    ''Security''s on their last stands¡­ Loyalists have attached a bomb on the main reactor pillar, it''s timed? Wait¡­ Wait. Why is it timed?'' asked Eliza, curiously.


    ''Now''s not the time,'' said Lilly, ''Let''s just be thankful that they''re giving us a fighting chance on this suicide mission.''


    ''Just an average day in the AGENCY!'' grumbled Sato.


    ''Oorah.'' Lilly and Quinn said in unison, the former jokingly grumbling. Kazuki opened the door, and was immediately blasted with a shotgun. A barricade of Loyalists stood in his way as he blocked with his deflector shield. Forced backwards, he fired frantically at them, scrambling to the side. The Loyalists were ensuring he couldn''t get through the door.


    "They''re here! Blow it up already!" shouted a Loyalist, falling back with another. Inaudible shouts rung across the walls.


    Kazuki recovered as Amy¨¦ took point, dead engineers and staff littered the floor. Claire ran over to Kazuki as she pulled him up. The steam was already leaving him at huge volumes when she stabbed a stim-bolt into him, the cocktail of drugs and painkillers cascading around his bloodstream.


    Amy¨¦ fired crazily into the room, picking off the Loyalists. A loud explosion threw everyone off their balance. The trio were knocked to the cold, steel ground.


    Depressurising was already happening, with Amy¨¦ stuck to the door, grasping at it with all her life as she clung onto the frame. Her augmented brace strengthened. The hull of that whole area had been blown up. Kazuki latched onto the wall. Claire held tightly on a bolted-down vending machine.


    "SHIT! SHIT! I SHOULDN''T HAVE SHOT THAT! I SHOULDN''T HAVE SHOT THAT! shouted Amy¨¦. One hand was on her sniper as she slowly extended it out to Kazuki. He did his best to etch closer to her. Sparks spluttered out as he crawled along the wall towards her.


    He extended his hand out. Amy¨¦ glanced towards him, extending out her sniper rifle. The depressurising process continued as she pressed on the barrel extension. The cold vacuum started to jab at them. Amy¨¦ held on for her life. Lights blinked on the door. She looked down at it, realising that it was going to slice her in half.


    She let off a continual stream of curses and swears.


    Kazuki''s eyes lit up gold. His exospine burst into green energy and sparks. He pushed forward, grabbing onto the sniper rifle. He pulled Amy¨¦ towards him, grabbing onto her with one hand. As he did, the door sealed shut.


    Gas and oxygen filtered into the room. A second of calm stopped them all. Both Claire and Amy¨¦ sprawled on the floor, coughing. Their implanted exospines blinked in vibrant warning colours. Kazuki slowly got up.


    "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SHOOT?!" shouted Claire, staggering upwards whilst using Kazuki''s to support her.


    His AUG-Glasses told him that energy levels were already at half¡­ Too low. But he has no other choice than to gamble on it. Amy¨¦ shot back at her, "Hey! I didn''t know they were planning on going full P-1."


    "Then what did you think they''d do?" snapped Kazuki, standing up as he looked out the window. Debris was already falling down towards Anagora¡­ Kazuki slammed his uplink channel on. ''Arbiter to Phoenix''s Fury. Open fire on the debris. Mag-Lock as much as possible. Intercept.''


    A dozen or so drones passed by the windows, acting as scanners¡­ Lilly better have not deployed some of her photograph drones, Kazuki thought.


    "Fuck this¡­ I guess we''re lucky that I lift?" Amy¨¦ coughed up, before arrogantly presuming something. "Oorah!" she mockingly said the catchphrase of the marines whilst curling her arms. Strong¡­ Kazuki thought.


    Claire sighed. "I think your arm-brace did more of the lifting than your guns."


    Amy¨¦ grumbled, laughing as she tried to show them off to Claire, who immediately smacked her down for the attempt. Amy¨¦ might make it as a lifter, Kazuki thought, but this pays far much more than that.


    ''Already on it.'' reported Sato, bringing the massive behemoth into view as bolts and plasma lit up the debris. Mag-locks held as much of it together. The burning power engines and radiators of the dreadnought class vessel, Phoenix''s Fury, shined brightly as thousands of bolts burnt into the debris. ''I''ll deal with your father, don''t worry.''


    ''Your¡­ father¡­'' Eliza trailed off, seemingly distracted as she quickly got back on track. ''Arbiter, I''ll reroute you guys in a bit, recover energy and check your stims.''

 X29: Orbital Sacrifices

    As expected, Kazuki gave a nonchalant nod. Eliza continued to coordinate forces as she felt the thousands of datastreams pour into her mind. Armed with an upgraded mil-uplink that dug down onto her cheek and ear, stretching up to above her ear-lobe, she twisted to look at the thousands of monitors at her station.


    "Thanks," whispered Eliza, glancing over at Sato.


    Sato glanced over towards her, looking more sluggish than usual from having to organise a large force. "No problem¡­" Her eyes then scanned over the amount of work she''d already looked over. "Fucking hell¡­ You''re fired up for this. Don''t worry, when Archius started it took him a year to get good; you''ll make it in a tenth of that!"


    A small smirk curled onto Eliza''s lips.


    "Yeah¡­" said Eliza. She has a commitment, she doesn''t know if she can; and compared to Sato or Archius, she''s an inexperienced newbie.


    "Hey!" Archius snapped his head over. His eyes skimmed over Eliza, and for a moment she swore she saw him glare at her¡­ She shook her head, clearing her mind. Tired¡­ She must be tired, Eliza thought. "Just relax, m''kay?"


    Looking at Lilly''s team, she noticed that they were pinned down in a hall. Quinn''s fireteam was also present; up ahead was an intersection. ''Vall¨¦, retreat Epsilon to flank around then retreat yourself. Bait them towards the intersection.''


    ''On it, let''s go fuck them up'' said Quinn, displaying his fiery shotgun, breaking off from cover as he turned into one of the nearby ventilation shafts. Lilly nodded, her stone-cold discipline ignoring bolts that slammed against her armour.


    Quinn got into position, with Lilly''s retreating team luring the Loyalists further in. Pushing themselves backwards, they hugged the indents in the wall as an AGENT fell, dragged into cover by Kiri. Lilly stayed calm. Eliza did her best, understanding that they chose this.


    ''No use! She''s dead!'' shouted Lilly.


    ''I''m in position¡­ what''s the fucking plan?!'' asked Quinn.


    ''Vall¨¦, attack. Epsilon, flank them and sew chaos.'' ordered Eliza. She watched as the unit pushed upwards, cutting down the platoon of Loyalists as Deltastring stormed the intersection.


    Another team of Loyalists rushed in to check their advance.


    Feeling the salvos from the guns, she looked up at Sato and Archius. She felt a sense of responsibility to Lilly''s units¡­ Eliza felt pride, like she was doing something that truly had meaning - not just for herself.


    She gritted her teeth, igniting her crimson eyes as she focused on the mission, typing away and accessing the touchscreen. Using the blueprints, she highlighted all methods of access as she overworked herself.


    ''I''ve highlighted it,'' said Eliza, blinking onto the system as a waypoint for Kazuki to get to the reactor room.


    She watched as a battle-map of the whole station whizzed upwards from behind her, sending shockwaves into her eyes with the blaring dots on the monitors. It depicted every agent and level. Explosions, fragments and hull depictions flicked off the station, only to be stopped by the Phoenix''s Fury. Sporadic resistance turned the station into a game of whack-a-Loyalist as AGENTs fought in firefights at all levels.


    But that didn''t stop her. She has to do the best. The best. She repeated the words in her head as she pushed her mind into the fray. She watched as Kazuki''s team deep-striked through the facility, beating back all in their way in a frantic blitz.


    Highlighting Lilly''s team on her uplink, she contacted them. ''Vall¨¦, I''ll send support your way.''


    ''Support?'' asked Vall¨¦, ''Sure, more the better.''


    Lilly took a bolt to the shoulder as she ducked back into an indent. Eliza watched on the camera system as Kazuki''s team pushed through the halls of the given path, eliminating every Loyalist in their way. Her worries were swept away as she watched them fight, knowing full well that they''ll beat them back. She stomached their deaths much easier, knowing what they had done. So many civilians dead, this felt like justice - even if crude. Maybe that was the only similarity between her and her dad, she thought: justice.


    Anxiety crept in with each bolt that smacked into the team. Kazuki staggered sideways, Amy¨¦ shuddered backwards and Claire had to tend to them. As Kazuki grappled, she noticed that he was slower. From what she''s seen, he''s fast. Even if something was wrong, his exterior never changed. Though, even the slightest of differences spelt out a magnitude of expressions and emotions.


    ''Keep it up. If you take a few corners you''ll reach an intersection and staircase upwards.''


    Even though she was never there in person, she could feel the stress seep in. Her mind slowly fatigued itself out, with each action pushing her slowly to her limits. Sato pointed at her own uplink, telling Eliza to keep reclocking it.


    "Come on, Eliza." she muttered to herself, "Keep on keeping on"


    She pressed her eyes open, watching as Phalanx Team reached the intersection. Kazuki''s team rolled up behind Deltastring, firing down the hall as the Loyalists were stopped in their tracks. Amy¨¦ and Claire took cover with Lilly''s team. ''Blue on six,'' he said, ducking below bolts to Lilly''s side.


    ''Arbiter?'' Lilly was confused as smaller shockwaves shook the station, ''You''re the reinforcements, then, huh?''


    ''No,'' said Kazuki. He paused for a moment. Eliza watched as the team slowly pushed forward, giving Kazuki enough room to ascend upwards on the staff-only stairs. ''Lazarus, Artillerist. Reinforce Vall¨¦. I''ll deal with the reactor myself.''


    ''Eh? Oh, come on! Don''t stick us with Vall¨¦!'' Amy¨¦ jokingly complained.


    ''Oh, hello fuckwits!'' cried Quinn, glancing towards Amy¨¦ and Claire.


    ''Oh, fuck me, is this the mundane part of the mission?'' asked Amy¨¦. ''Doing jackshit whilst Mr. Shoot Shoot goes and beheads the enemy?''


    The joke seemed to go well between the operatives, but Kazuki didn''t seem too bothered. He simply nodded, acknowledging that it was most likely what he was going to do. And he patted her on the back.


    Something slowly clicked within Eliza as she thought about it all. The cocktail of emotions clashed with her thoughts. Archius looked up from his station, over at Eliza. She was clearly in mental agony.


    "Liz. Keep it together. Kaz will make it through," said Archius. Eliza chose to believe that...


    She shot her head towards Kazuki. He started to ascend the staircase. Another explosion rocked the station as another salvo from the dreadnought shattered debris to pieces. All the while, her mind continued to sway in emotions.


    But if Kazuki chose this, she''ll support him. She accepted him for who he says he is: the Contract-Breaker. But that never mattered for her. To her, Kazuki has always been that air-headed guy in high school. Though times have changed, she reminisced for a moment.


    "Maybe this is what they all feel¡­" Eliza trailed off, realising that she just accepted the thought of him dying. "Maybe¡­"


    "Eliza," Sato said towards her. Archius gave Sato a glare. "Don''t try to do everything. I''ve been doing this for the past decade, let me tell you: not fun. Just do what you can."


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Eliza started to pull herself together as she sat up straight.


    Sato looked back at her station, her workaholic fervour permeating an aura in the command room. Eliza''s crimson eyes glistened as she spoke, ''Vall¨¦, keep as many Loyalists distracted. Arbiter¡­ survive.''


    Lilly chuckled for a moment before she grumbled back to Eliza, ''What do you think we''re doing right now?!''


    Eliza smiled. Her undertone was far different. She watched Kazuki ascend as he reloaded his weapons. Kazuki was slower, but he had to survive. After all, he''s a member of the seven, one of the deadliest mercs in the galaxy. Despite that, her worry seeped in as he pulled the receiver back.


    ''Eliza. Keep guiding me.'' said Kazuki, his voice slurred slightly. She could see small vapours exit from his respirator¡­ She never knew why that happened. But after this is done, she''ll fix up his exospine again, something compelled her. Maybe she can fix it, permanently.


    ''Arbiter, after this, I''ll fix up your spine, alright?'' said Eliza, gulping down her worries. She wanted an assurance from him.


    Kazuki said nothing. He slowly turned away and continued to climb the stairs.


    ''Liz, don''t you know?'' asked Quinn.


    ''Huh?'' Eliza trailed off. What was Quinn talking about? Did something happen? Looking across the camera, she could see Quinn, with a strong grip on his shotgun.


    ''Epsilon¡­'' Lilly started. ''Not now. We''ll do this later.''


    ''She deserves to fucking know¡­ People die all the time, but you never get to say goodbye to them!'' Quinn fired away, reminding her of Riharia. If only she could ever say one last word to her. ''This is Arbiter''s last op. All or nothing!''


    Fuzzy reality set in. Quinn was lying¡­ right? He has to be, right? But already, the doubts slipped by, stabbing her mind. Kazuki was dying. The most irrational thing she had ever done was ignore the evidence to that conclusion. Of course, she would, because she has no idea what to do if he does. The cold demeanour that defined the school years before meeting Kaz and Archius slowly took hold. She should have known, the lack of robustness of his medinetics signalled that it was far from fully operational.


    Her face fell blank. While she was having a small crisis, the battle continued, and Kazuki kept marching onwards. She extended her hand out - trying to think of something to say as she watched the key to the Ptolemy-1 Incident walk away from the camera.


    No¡­ This cannot be how it ends. Not here, she thought.


    He seemed unphased by all the things happening around him as he reached the top of the stairs, exiting out onto another hallway, the doors sealed shut behind him. But then, the pristine vented walls were lit up with plasma as the Loyalists piled forward, trying to eliminate Kazuki. It was an ambush¡­ She led him directly into an ambush. Worry and self-deprecating thoughts bled into her mind.


    Despite all the pressures, she maintained her own composure. Her glistening eyes focused shortly after, the freezing logic of the years after Ptolemy-1 rearing its ugly wounds.


    "¡ªocused," said Sato, breaking Eliza''s train of thought.


    "I¡­ am focused," stated Eliza with a cold voice, not being focused whatsoever as she tried guiding Kazuki towards the reactor, highlighting waypoints incorrectly.


    Kazuki kept fighting forward, killing each Loyalist put in his path. There must be a way for him to live, right? Kazuki had an emotionless glare as he continued fighting. She could feel his own acceptance of his fate. Yet she had to do something, if he didn''t: who would?! Would Eliza just let the key once again slip from her fingers? Absolutely not. It was just then that she, too, realised that was all she ever saw of him. She saw him as the key. She never truly saw him as Kazuki, because none of that mattered to her. As long as he was the key, she was fine with whatever he was. She felt dead on the inside.


    ''Eliza.'' Kazuki started, ''You there?''


    ''Alright¡­ Arbiter, keep going forward. You''re close.'' said Eliza, her voice colder as she still tried to process all the information that was being thrown at her. For all her talk to Lilly about treating them like her comrades, she had overlooked the one person that mattered the most to the investigation.


    Eliza tried to focus, highlighting the reactor room whilst frantically removing all the clutter from her screen and mind. Kazuki stuck to the side of a small barricade.


    ''Thanks.'' stated Kazuki, his ICAPAD sprawling up with information.


    His cold voice struck her with an unusual sense of dread. Whatever he thought of in those moments, it crashed her down into the ground.


    ''Eliza. Look, it''s going to be hard for you. But keep going.'' stated Kazuki, hugging cover as he reloaded his railgun. ''If I make it out, we''ll talk, alright?''


    ''How¡­ Can I stay calm?'' asked Eliza, ''You knew this was a one way trip, yet you still promised me¡­ You made a contract with me!?"


    ''I¡ª''


    Kazuki froze in place for a moment, giving a Loyalist enough time to aim at him as his voice cut off. Sporadic uplink chatter filled the gaps as her head twisted to the camera system watching Kazuki. Blood was dripping out of an open wound on his right ear, piercing through his helm-mask. His uplink had been completely severed. Kazuki took cover whilst fighting. He looked back at his bloodied uplink as Eliza''s dread increased.


    What was he about to say? He was about to say something, right? Was it a clue? What was it?! She wanted to hear his voice, but now she can only ever watch him slowly die. Gritting her teeth, she stood up, coordinating forces with one hand and activating a remote drone panel as she took control of one of the many drone squads in the space station¡­


    ? ? ?


    Unnerving silence filled Kazuki''s mind as the uplink was completely severed. His nerves cauterised on his ear, the uplink itself had shattered. The pain was unbearable¡­ Fuck! The injector points on his nerves had completely been fried, sending ripples of searing, burning agony to his spinal column and brain. His whole nervous system was on fire¡­


    Do or die, was now the time to act. He pushed himself out of cover, blood dripping down his face. Each step harrowed another explosion from the Phoenix''s Fury, shielding the planet below.


    Bolts smacked off his neck guard, and the circuit bolts that hydraulically connected his helm-mask to his vest-plate took damage. Plasma scalded his old Clandestine patent plates as he threw himself into combat, stabbing and shooting a hall full of Loyalists. Slicing the first one in two, placing bolts in heads.


    "Shit¡­" Kazuki trailed off as he took a shotgun blast to his legs, pellets flicking off his armour and pants.


    His ANCHOR bracings shattered as he activated it, teleporting before he slit the throat of a Loyalist. Twisting around, he grappled and blasted the rest in the face with his WRIST-SHOT. Blood stained the walls as bodies of both security and Loyalists laid the way. The final Loyalist near the door charged at him. He threw them to the ground before crushing their windpipe, setting eyes on the blast door. He rushed forward, across the hall.


    Placing his hand on the blast door''s override level, he pulled down. Blaring alarms sounded across the hall. Steam and gas started to vent out of the hydraulic movements. He felt his mind crash with panic as Loyalists turned up behind him. He ducked into cover beside a dead body as the Loyalists fired towards him. Five in total, a whole team of them.


    His tongue was burning with steam. His gums burnt with scalding heat. Bolts flew past. Sparks shot off his exospine as he fired back - energy slowly seeping from his slowly withering body. His right leg shuddered as he leaned on his knee.


    "You want some of me¡­" Kazuki trailed off, vaulting over cover. His golden glare pierced their hearts, freezing them in place for a split second.


    "SHIT. SHIT!" One Loyalist shouted as Kazuki grappled with them, snapping them out of the confusion. He threw them into the line of fire, watching them be gunned down in the confusion.


    He ANCHORed again. Dragging his knives out, he jabbed them into two of the Loyalists, before throwing their corpses towards the two remaining left. Upon collision, Kazuki lobbed a dagger forward. His blades struck true, the Loyalists dropping dead. Casually, Kazuki walked over and kicked his knives back up. He injected stims into his body, knowing his body had taken too much punishment. Blood, cuts and wounds covered him from his arms, legs, torso and his right ear.


    He''d be relying on Lilly and Claire''s forces to hold back any more reinforcements. Communication was down, and no one was coming. This was less than preferable. He took his helmet-mask off as the oxygen tank fell empty. He dropped the mask and the tank onto the floor. Hot steam scalded his lips.


    "Alright¡­" Kazuki approached the door, placing his hand on the manual opening mechanism. He tugged hard on it, feeling the hydraulics press against his gloved palm as gunshots echoed throughout the facility, constantly reminding him of what was at stake. Success¡­ is non-negotiable.


    He must kill Svenn, he has to stop him - at all costs. But he''s too injured, his gear and exospine are running on fumes. He can''t. But he must try. If he eliminates Svenn, the war will be over. But he knows that the probability of death is high¡­ If he pulled his punches - if he was selfish - then they will all die. He cannot allow that. So he swallowed his dreams and left them all for Eliza.


    "Then let justice be done¡­" Kazuki trailed off, at any cost. At any cost, he repeated it to himself, convincing himself. So be it, he thought.


    He was just about to touch his uplink, only to feel the sting of ripped flesh at his earside. It was still painful, but he knew he had to stay calm for someone. He looked towards the camera in the hall, he knew she''d get the message.


    "Hey. I''ll be seeing you, Eliza." Kazuki bit his tongue, letting every word seep through; he must sacrifice more, all of him if necessary. A second Ptolemy Incident is out of the question. For once, he dropped his memories, every accumulated debt, guilt, want and wishes he''s ever had. He dropped it; he''ll pick it up later. All his selfish desires were gone¡­ But still, one remained.


    He couldn''t tell her. How could he tell her that he killed Victoria? It was impossible, it didn''t matter if it was a mercy killing - his irrationality spoke. Because the last thing he wants is for her to despise him. He pulled the door''s mechanisms aside, the blast-door slammed open to reveal the reactor room.

 X30: One Bloodied Path

    Bullets immediately smacked towards Kazuki as he ducked into the room, hiding behind the energy-bannister of the platform.


    "Contract-Breaker! He''s here!" one Loyalist shouted to the rest as forces mobilised across.


    Kazuki glanced out, peeking out of cover. The interconnecting paths, small to large platforms, were littered with corpses of Loyalists and security. The reactor room was a sheer drop into the void of space below.


    A thin membrane-shield and railing protected those inside from a frozen abyss outside. He felt the coolness of the air permeate the room as he staggered outwards. A thousand or so pylons and pillars dotted out from the ceiling at various heights, with a spider web of platforms and walkways connecting them.


    He took out a small vial from his exospine. It was his Overclock Drugs. He thought of using it for a moment¡­ No. Too soon, he thought. Bolts bounced off the walls. He placed the vial back. It sealed up.


    He''ll need to rely on his normal stims. He had to use it at the perfect opportunity. Rushing out from cover, Kazuki''s exospine ignited with steam and green energy - exploding him forward.


    Lunging across the first path, he avoided gunfire from up above as he slammed into the first Loyalist. He bashed forward with his shield. They tried to fight back, only for him to place a bolt into them.


    As Kazuki reached the other side of one of the connecting platforms, he threw the Loyalist into the void. He calmly displaced Loyalists heads with bolts. But every kill cost him more energy. Eventually, he''ll have to overclock.


    This was it, he thought, throwing another Loyalist over the railing as he WRIST-SHOTs another away. Using their bodies as cover, he reloaded.


    His eyes skidded across the room. He had to find Svenn. All he had to do was kill him. He could leave the rest to the agents who''d come after him. But he had no idea where he was. He counted Loyalists. Then, he saw it¡ªthe main power pylon. It was a few levels above him. He''d have to take the emergency ladders to get there. It would leave him open to gunfire, but so be it.


    One confident Loyalist jumped to his level as a dozen more suppressed him. He ducked out of the way, activating his shield just in time to deflect the Loyalists'' bolts. The impact sent him into the ground, dropping his carbine and skidding off the platform. He scrambled backwards as the loyalist charged. Grabbing his pistol, he fired a bolt, splitting their head. He then staggered to the pillar. With little choice left, he grabbed onto the emergency ladder. And he started climbing.


    Dozens of bolts flung towards him as he attempted to block each attack. But wherever he decided to block, a bullet skidded through his defences. Each bolt sent him deeper and deeper into an energy deficit. More injectors stimmed into him, diluting his bloodstream. Kazuki felt his blood leave his body.


    He pushed on.


    Any Loyalist killed was either head splattered or had their bodies thrown overboard, down into the gaping void below.


    He paid them no mercy.


    As he eventually reached the second floor, he was met with even more Loyalists. They came at him like flies. Rats. Survivors. Time slowed down as he looked at them. Something sparked within him: rage.


    They stood in between him and Svenn. They would rather be terrorists than surrender. And as his golden eyes glowed - his wrathful gaze lunged forth.


    "So pathetic," commented Kazuki, side-stepping a bolt in bullet time.


    Damned if he died now, he won''t let his mind or guilt or regrets drag him down, he must dedicate himself fully. It was a simple conclusion, he had to kill the guilt, the regrets: the boy - for now at least.


    Energy deficit or not, he''ll fight on. He pushed his limbs further. More steam exited out his mouth and exospine. He was going to die. But he didn''t care. He killed every Loyalist put in his path, sending as many of them down into the depths below. Bolts ricochetted off his plates, shield and clothes as he clambered upwards.


    Each level came with even stiffer resistance.


    Rifles, snipers, shotguns and all assortments of arms were raised directly to his face. He entered into a bullet-fueled frenzy. Whether it be ten or a thousand muzzles mattered not to Kazuki. He took beating after beating, slowly scattering the Loyalists. His limbs bled. He pushed on, advancing without relenting through the Loyalists.


    Those out of his reach were taken out with precise shots.


    Time was of the essence. Kazuki must have known some of these people before the rebellion.


    Didn''t matter either way. They all called him the Contract-Breaker, the man who violently burnt the industry. If that is what they believe him to be, let them. He''ll show them all what they want.


    They caused this. They killed tens of thousands. And here they are, trying to bring the station down. He could see fear in their eyes, they deserved every second of pain. Any little remorse he had left for the Loyalists vanished as he grabbed hold of one. He used them as a shield as he snapped their neck, crushing their exospine with his hand. Then, he threw them, slamming them into another group in front of him. Breaking a part of the railing, he winded up his arm. With a throw, two Loyalists were impaled, dead on the spot.


    "HE''S COMING UP!"


    "SHIT! WE CAN''T HOLD HIM MUCH LONG¡ª" Kazuki cut the Loyalist off.


    He won''t be needing his neck soon enough. Kazuki latched onto their bayonet rifle, disarming them with a kick.


    Thrusting forward, Kazuki impaled them. They were alive for but a moment, as Kazuki opened fire - using the corpse as a mobile position.


    He showed the Loyalists exactly what it meant to play with the Seven, if Felix was the fiery demon, he would be the messenger of death itself. Bloodthirst overcame him. Any that tried to fight back were cut down without a second thought. More and more bodies fell as he pushed upwards and forwards.


    After all the twists and turns, he was reaching the final platform. He could see a group of Loyalists protecting one man. Svenn. His eyes twitched as he looked at Kazuki across the gap. Kazuki''s lips cracked under the pressure. He formed a maniacal smirk. It was the first time he''d smiled in aeons. The Loyalists froze as their despised Contract-Breaker stared death into them.


    He charged forward, throwing Loyalists aside. As he crossed, he activated his deflector. Svenn shouted at his men, "Stop him! Buy¡­ me time!"


    "Sir¡ª" one of the Loyalists snapped at Svenn, but before they could continue, Kazuki fired his WRIST-SHOT forward, splattering them.


    He was running out of clips, but he had more pressing matters.


    His blade sent the remnants flying, as electrical bolts cooked them. Refreshing plates kept him in the fight, deflecting all bolts.


    Drawing on the last one, Kazuki emptied a magazine into them.


    The last man fell. All within the slaughterhouse were dead, except for Svenn and Kazuki, yet he felt his mechanically-powered organs crack. Power-saving modules activated as he crossed the bridge. Gears failing; heart dying; steel-lungs breathing their last. But he demanded more from his dying body.


    Svenn twisted around, away from a bomb planted on the main pillar. Kazuki''s eyes scanned across his opponent; hand cannon, pistol, knives, grenades. Svenn pulled out his corrosion-hand cannon, aiming it at Kazuki. The two exchanged blasts as acid melted the air away. Crashing forward, his shield deflected the spray, corrosion damaging his shield integrity.


    "FINE. I''ll have to kill you myself," Svenn shouted, sending another volley of acid towards Kazuki.


    Kazuki ANCHORed behind the blast, grappling with Svenn. Kazuki knocked Svenn''s cannon to the ground as he kicked it towards the railing, teetering on the edge. Kazuki went in for a quick jab, only for Svenn to kick the Contract-Breaker off him, staggering to his feet.


    As Kazuki recovered, he fired a salvo into Svenn''s vest-plate, before he pushed forward. Ejecting his dagger towards Svenn''s neck, Kazuki predicted a counter, bracing. He must not let Svenn get his hand cannon. He must keep the pressure.


    The blade dug into Svenn''s shield as he braced it with both hands. Kazuki pushed it downwards, deeper, separating electrons energy with only a dagger.


    Kazuki''s energy was limited. He couldn''t waste precious resources on perfect memorisation of Svenn''s moves. He''d just have to tank them and predict with his natural senses.


    The blade was lodged into his shield. He dragged the blade and shield down towards Svenn''s abdomen - the area he shot out on the Skyliner, still covered in bandages and dressing - it will be weaker. But as the shield started to crack, Svenn drew, blasting his sidearm into the knife, parrying the attack.


    "Agh! Contract-Breaker!" Svenn shouted in frustration, his voice boiling.


    Kazuki pressed on the back foot, crashing away from the bolts as Svenn advanced. Violent scalding heat permeated Kazuki''s mouth. Electrical sparks shot out from Svenn''s exospine, injecting him with another boost.


    Yet Kazuki did not falter. Not yet.


    Using his vambraces, he ignited his shield. Closing in, he charged. Svenn latched onto his own knife, lobbing his pistol at Kazuki.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    It crashed away, flying into the void. Yet the force gave Svenn the brief nanosecond to gain the initiative.


    Side-stepping Kazuki, he grappled onto his unshielded arm, plunging his dagger into Kazuki''s side. The knife seeped through, and Kazuki grunted - hydraulically slamming his fist into Svenn''s chest.


    The knife still within him, Kazuki continued to barrage Svenn. Under the fusillade of attacks, Svenn was pushed back. One chance. He grabbed the knife from his side, tearing it out as he pressed both hands into a thrust - directly at Svenn''s neck.


    But as the knife skimmed by, a palisade ignited upwards, trapping Kazuki''s knife. Svenn coughed up blood, glaring at Kazuki.


    A moment passed. And Svenn twisted his wrist, activating his own WRIST-SHOT - his ace.


    Bullets streamed into Kazuki''s plates, throwing him backwards into the railing. Steam shot out of his mouth. He dived to the side of a pillar, ducking underneath a barrage of bullets.


    Svenn''s eyes violently twitched as Kazuki drew his backup pistol at an advancing Svenn. Svenn, however, twisted around from behind.


    "Come here, Kazu¡­ It''s time for you to be put to rest." said Svenn.


    Kazuki pivoted on the spot, activating his shield as the two exchanged volleys, rounds bouncing off shields and plates. Kazuki drew his railgun, only for Svenn to rip it off his hand, its steel frame sliding across the platform.


    Rounds skimmed into unarmoured joints.


    Kazuki ran out of bullets. He chucked his pistol at Svenn. Countering with his own throw, Svenn rushed forward.


    The guns collided with a clash - thrown to the ground. Svenn turned his wrist Kazuki lunged to his final gambit - his most valuable weapon. A bright light teleported Svenn directly on top of Kazuki. Once again, Svenn''s exospine crackled with energy.


    Latching onto him, Svenn threw Kazuki into the railing, sending parts of it flying off into the void. The two drew their melees as a frantic duel ensued, each dancing across the platform.


    Kazuki was gaining the upper hand. With a rhythm going, Kazuki''s memory locked into place. Rotation after rotation, his brain cells created the perfect links. Each link formed caused his eyes to grow brighter in its shade of gold.


    He was on the attack now, bleeding, but on the attack.


    Every one of Svenn''s attacks was parried, all his feints were met with bloodied slashes from his combat knife. He was starting to read every move, just¡­ a little more. He just had to hold out a little longer, to reach that Goldilocks zone between his prediction and energy deficit.


    They kept fighting, and more and more energy was expended. It was a race, a dance, a duel all in one. Both Kazuki and Svenn played to their different objectives, yet focused on a single shared goal.


    To terminate their opponent.


    Bolts harried Kazuki''s plates, blood splattered from Svenn''s wounds.


    His limbs moved at inhuman speeds, countering any faltering attacks sent by Svenn. He shoved his body into overdrive, Svenn''s exospine crackling with black energy sparks. The two became a blur within the heat.


    Kazuki was winning. He landed more blows than Svenn did, the two getting bloodied in the brawl. There was no grand strategy to this. Just a straight up fight with daggers and hands.


    Constant predictions allowed Kazuki to dictate the fight. His energy was being dispersed quickly. He''ll just have to win. WIN. HE has to kill Svenn.


    Now or Never.


    The two locked blades. The time was now¡­


    Svenn ignited a grenade, lobbing it across the platform. Unlocking his ANCHOR, Svenn created distance. Kazuki shoved his shield forward, blinking it up with energy.


    A pulse of fragmentation and nanobots scattered across his shield, eating and shattering it. He was sent backwards into the railing.


    The last shards of energy washed away, leaving painful monotony.


    ? ? ?


    Energy deficit critical. Kazuki crumpled up, holding onto his final gamble. Steam exploded outwards from his back. He became crooked in his posture. Svenn looked at him. But Kazuki tapped his railgun as Svenn drew a backup pistol from a hidden holster. And with a hundred kilograms of added steel, he drew. And he fired. And he skimmed Svenn''s helm-mask - sending it charring off.


    "DAMMIT!" shouted Svenn.


    Knocked backwards, Svenn had crashed into the railing, nearly falling over as his exospine steeled through, steadying himself. The kinetic energy sent into him dissipated across the air/


    Kazuki had given all he could. And it wasn''t enough. Energy deficit at maximum capacity. He collapsed.


    He couldn''t move¡­ His aug-glasses showed him every failing component of his body. He looked towards the pillar. The timer was ticking down, two minutes. Svenn won. But he must keep trying¡­


    Kazuki tried to move his limbs, but he couldn''t. Even with cybernetics: he was too weak. Only his fingers flickered with movement. Svenn staggered upwards, injured, slowly approaching.


    "Kazu¡­" Svenn trailed off, maniacally. "It''s time¡­" Shit¡­ where did Svenn get that exospine? Such exertions match or exceed even his own¡­


    Kazuki forced all his might into his hands as he started to move them, crawling towards Svenn''s hand cannon across the platform. It was a losing race.


    "Come on¡­ let''s not make this too dirty, boy."


    Kazuki said nothing. Halfway there. Keep trying. Keep trying. These words pushed him forward. Blood fell onto his right eye. He must keep trying. He must.


    Svenn slowly neared him. Mocking him as he went, "Fourth of the seven and you put up this fight¡­ Freyja should''ve killed you."


    He ignored him, the third was far too much for him or Svenn. Kazuki kept pushing himself forward.


    He extended out his hand.


    His fingers stretched out to the tip of the hand cannon.


    Svenn grabbed onto his leg, pulling him back.


    He took out a knife as he held it above Kazuki.


    He let himself be consumed by emotions. He didn''t know what concoction he felt. Despite his efforts, he couldn''t push on. His golden eyes glistened at Svenn''s deathly shaking eyes.


    Svenn raised his knife to stab Kazuki, his hand shook - and his body tensed up¡­ What? Kazuki tried to scramble away but failed. Redoubling his efforts, Svenn placed both hands on the knife, pressing down¡­ Just then he felt a violent crash come through the membrane shield below. Roaring upwards, ten drones shot into view as a burst of gunfire sent Svenn backwards.


    Svenn spun around, activating his shield. Bullets bounced off - explosions rocked him. The drones hovered around in the air, blasting bullets down. Kazuki had one final attempt.


    He demanded more from his body, pushing his hands and limbs harder. Even as blood and energy vomited out from his exospine, he kept moving.


    But instead of throwing his hands towards the gun, he threw his right hand to his spine.


    There was a price for victory. A price he understood. Raising his finger, he flicked his overclock to half-on. It was rudimentary, nothing like the true power of his full-overclock BERSERK. But it gave him what was necessary to win, energy.


    Emergency overclock drugs dug into his bloodstream. It stabbed at his mechanical heart. He felt his lungs move. Pain faded. His soul drained of emotions once more, he threw his back into action. And he had energy. His golden eyes burnt with a blue hue as he grabbed the hand cannon.


    Kazuki rolled over to face Svenn, who was deflecting bolts from the drones and rockets. And as Kazuki aimed, Svenn glanced at him. A moment passed. He pressed down on the trigger.


    Acid sprayed and slammed directly into Svenn. His heavy plates melted away. Kazuki could see the areas that he had taken out with his railgun before, crispy with burns.


    Immediately, Kazuki''s half-overclock ran out. He dropped the hand cannon onto the floor, collapsing. Pain stuck in. No adrenaline came to save him as the drones descended on him. They beeped and blooped as they injected needles into Kazuki, giving him the necessary stimulants to hold onto life.


    Gunfire had stopped. He heard nothing but the solar winds and galactic waves outside the station. He felt a strange measure of peace.


    But the grumbles of Svenn woke his mind up as he scrambled upwards. Looking down at Svenn, all he saw was a broken man. He was on his knees, clutching at his chest. Kazuki grabbed the hand cannon. He was at death''s doorstep far too many times. He had to get better.


    "Svenn. You talk too much."


    The drones pointed guns at Svenn as some broke off to defuse the bomb. Its activation fuse went offline with a click. Kazuki was supported by one of the drones as they clipped a new uplink onto the back of his remaining ear.


    It was a basic civilian model. Unlike his Contractor Model, it was a small, cyan earpiece, something he''d expect a salesman to have.


    The injection point connected to his nerves, prodding from both inside and outside his earlobe. ''¡ªKazuki!'' Eliza shouted, her voice quivering. ''Arbiter...?''


    ''I''m¡­ alive.'' Kazuki said, ''All stations, bomb neutralised. Status report on the Loyalist Threat?''


    ''Good fucking job,'' said Sato. ''They''re mainly dealt with, just flushing out the last remnants of resistance.''


    ''Alright¡­ drinks are on me,'' grumbled Lilly, ignoring Eliza''s misuse of codenames. She earned one name, ''Fine¡­ and food as well.''


    ''No. Bill will be on me this time.'' Kazuki staggered up against the pillar. Everyone started to chatter, knowing full well that Kazuki would splash out on the venue and food. He has the same loyalty to his men that his father had, after all.


    Archius sighed in relief before he gave a new report to him. His voice was calm, but was filled with an anchor of seriousness, ''Arbiter, we need you at the main commercial hangar bay¡­''


    ''Buy me time.''


    Eliza started, ''Ka¡ªArbiter, are you alright? You look like you took a beating.''


    ''I''ll live.''


    Svenn looked up at Kazuki. Just then, something jumped off his exospine. It was a spider-like device, steel in nature. Kazuki shot it. It burnt away to a crisp. He slowly looked at Svenn.


    Svenn''s eyes were the clear blue colour that Kazuki always knew. Kazuki raised the blaster at Svenn. Through the pain of molten acid, Svenn laid eyes on Kazuki with clear vision. Kazuki couldn''t press the trigger; but for a very different reason. This was Svenn! Then... Svenn wasn''t even fighting him? No?


    He gasped for air as he looked at Kazuki. He held onto the acid-sprayed wound with one hand. Kazuki knew what this meant. Mind-snares¡­ Someone mind-snared Svenn¡­ Kazuki realised that someone set up the Loyalists and Svenn. And his only lead is dying.


    "Kazu¡­ My¡­ you''ve¡­ grown so much." Svenn gargled.


    "Svenn. Who did this?"


    "I¡­" Svenn trailed off as Kazuki saw the acid burns etch up his body, damaging his vocal cords.


    ''Eliza¡­ do you have anything for Svenn?'' asked Kazuki, looking towards one of the drones as it spun its sensor eye to Kazuki.


    ''Sorry¡­ but¡­ no. I injected everything into you.'' said Eliza, ''Wait¡­ might I ask why we''re saving Svenn?''


    ''Yeah!'' shouted Lilly, ''That fucker killed Gambit¡­ I say we dump him into the trash compactor.''


    ''Hey, hey,'' Sato calmed her peer down as she grumbled at her lack of open-mindedness, ''Having a prisoner would be a good bargaining chip.''


    ''Only if I can torture the fucker.'' snapped Lilly.


    ''Arbiter¡­ What do you see?'' asked Archius through the chaos.


    ''Mind-Snares.'' stated Kazuki. He leant down, picking up the fragments of the mind-snare. A purple shard was embedded inside it, the steel body dropping away. He felt sparks of energy run through his fingers, electricity. ''And contact EZRA. There''s a Hazard Shard.''


    "P¡­l¡­e¡ª" Svenn gargled out half a word. But it was enough. The pain in Svenn''s real eyes was visible.


    Kazuki pressed down on the trigger. The acid spray finished Svenn off. His body fell onto the floor. Silence filled the reactor chamber. Someone was controlling him¡­ The Loyalists would never have followed Svenn if they knew, but rarely anyone knew the man personally. Someone else is behind all this¡­

 X31: Dreaming Awake

    It must never be lost on Kazuki. Everything has required sacrifices up till now, and he will not forget that. Overclocking was on the table, but he never chose to do it, but maybe if he did, Svenn would have died earlier. Maybe if he did, less blood would run from the throne of cards he sat upon. Maybe if he did things differently¡­


    He stopped his train of thought. He knows¡­ the past will never change. But each passing thought bled full sagas of pain. He suppressed the thoughts. And for that, his mind bled more than usual¡­


    Kazuki glanced up, longingly into the Sub Level skies. It was dark, dull. His temple was covered in sweat¡­ It felt weird, like entire portions of his mind were cut out. Muffled voices came into clarity as his mind replayed them.


    "Don''t worry about Hartius," said Svenn before letting out a hearty laugh, eating a kebab stick beside Kazuki. They were at the training facility, a well hidden cargo compound on Sub Level 994. It wasn''t well hidden enough. "Just keep learning and you''ll make it through, m''kay?"


    Kazuki glanced down at himself before nodding. He was shorter. Even without his memory, he could tell that it was around two or three years after Hartius joined. "But is it really safe?" he asked.


    "Pfft, not really." commented Svenn, before chuckling it off. Kazuki couldn''t see Svenn''s eyes past his white hair.


    It piqued his curiosity back then¡­ It was the shame as his father, the High Admiral and heir to the Satrapy of Trasia, never told him about the unnatural white hair. "Just try to keep your head on. It''s the BCA Freemuzzle way of life, Kazu, we''re scum after all, in their eyes¡­ Live for yourself once in a while."


    "Oh." Kazuki knew he felt down back then, he was still being plagued by the memories of the attack.


    Svenn glanced down, Kazuki raised his head upwards.


    Kazuki''s one blue eye shone.


    Svenn''s face was clear. Pure white hair and unmoving eyes. "I know that stuff can happen, Kazu, raining hell never changes. But what we can control is what we do afterwards, do you pick yourself up and defy the galaxy - or will you succumb to its numbness?"


    He glanced down from the viewing balcony attached to the side of the warehouse. The air was thin down here, cold but also warmed by the geothermal generators.


    Above were the hanging pillars of the Sub-Level, bristling with various lights. The sound of distant gunfire and underground winds accompanied the cruel atmosphere.


    All around them were just run down apartments and brutalist blocks, with wrecks from the crisis still present. Most had been looted already.


    He couldn''t answer Svenn back then; he didn''t have an answer. How could he answer it? So much had changed from then, and so much death¡­ Kazuki looked down at his hands. Back then he thought of Victoria''s blood. His present mind is filled with more blood than that.


    The other members of the Eden Initiative were spending their leisure time below in the compound. Some were going to the barracks to rest; others lazed around - whilst many brawled and trained. It''ll be a while till Hartius or Freyja returns.


    "Just keep learning, you have that perfect memory that my brother talked about, you''ll be a great fighter yet." said Svenn. Kazuki didn''t respond. "Look, chin up¡­"


    Kazuki glanced upwards to him, his gold and blue eyes a near dead colour. "Why should I?"


    "Aha! You finally talked¡­ Because you''re the best of them," assured Svenn. "You should get along with them if you''re going to work alongside them, what do you think?"


    "..." Kazuki remained silent. He was never the talkative type to strangers, even back then. "Sure¡­"


    His mind started to bubble, he could name everyone down there. It felt strange, Kazuki thought, as he watched his memories replay¡­ He watches his body and mind repeat history; if only he could tell them all. Blurt out. Tell them all that Freyja would kill them. But of course, he could do nothing.


    "Thanks, Svenn," said Kazuki. Svenn''s face turned to surprise, a mixture of both bewilderment and amazement.


    He collected his thoughts. "Now that''s the spirit, Kazu," said Svenn. "Come on, get down there¡­ Don''t get into an argument with Cyrus, alright? Or anyone for that matter, right, Kazu?"


    ? ? ?


    A loud shriek filled the large chamber.


    "-KI GEMINORUM-RYZAKU. MERCENARY CONTRACT-BREAKER. COME OUT. WE HAVE A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST." Paulus bellowed out into the large commercial bay. Hundreds of civilians were congregated in evacuation groups whilst two arms of the law stood off against each other. Kazuki was unphased by the shouting. "YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR TRESPASSING, CONSPIRACY, KIDNAPPING, MURDER AND TREASON OF THE HIGHEST ORDER TO OUR REPUBLIC."


    "Could be worse." snarled Lilly. She snapped a photonic-bomb into her backup grenade launcher as she followed on after Kazuki.


    "Charges don''t matter. It''s getting me in that matters." said Kazuki.


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    "Shut up, Vall¨¦, we''re not out of the valley yet," worried Claire. She helped Kazuki walk, after all his injuries were still evidently visible for all to see. Civilians, AGENTs and Police saw the injured merc as two drones tended to his wounds.


    Even so, his presence was menacing - many of the SPTU shook slightly when his gaze glanced across their helmets and combat masks. Calculating muzzle trajectories, Kazuki saw that they were unsteadied, most were on him.


    Their deep blue and grey armour was stamped with the seal of the metro-district police, a unicorn. Some of their helmets had coloured markings on them. Others had stickers denoting military service or veterancy years.


    The 31st Special Police Tactics Unit stood opposing them.


    Quinn bellowed out to Kazuki as he approached him, followed by two members of the team he led. He lugged his shotgun over his shoulder. "Arbiter. You won''t mind if I gat them, do you?"


    "No. Be my guest and gun all one hundred police officers down for us, pretty please," Kazuki sneered.


    "Tch¡­ Fighting police and mercs on the same day?" Amy¨¦ groaned, "What a waste of time¡­ Hey Quinn, want to head to the bar after this?"


    "Eh? Sure, I guess." said Quinn, placing his hands on his waist as he yawned. His eyes were blank, unlike his usual, playful self. Compared to the Loyalists, the police were small players in the industry, too many limitations to combat crime, the SPTU can be dealt with by Kazuki if it comes down to it. "I mean, to be honest I''d just prefer to get some R&R after this¡­"


    A dozen or so drones were watching from the sides. Kazuki could see their names, denoting what press agency they came from. Galatimes, ran by the Montageus; Starport, the centrists; or the Exclusive; or Progressive.


    All police officers aimed their muzzles towards Kazuki as he stood in between the two forces. Amongst them were SPTU teams. The difference between the lightly armoured vest-plated patrol officers and the thick hull of the SPTU''s medium front-plates were stark.


    It wasn''t bulky, not like Imperial designs. Compared to the vest-plates Clandestine gave its operatives, the ones the AGENCY is forced to use, it seems like an improvement - both in coverage and quality. Though Deltastring''s new gear was able to rival theirs. The Police armour looked sleek. Designed for a new age. An age that has no come.


    But what was consistent was the navy blue dress uniform beneath it, engraved with the Anagoran Metro Police''s seal - a burgundy unicorn on a circle surrounded by stars.


    All it took was a single misfire for a whole war to break out. His accompanying commanders took a few steps backwards, staring at the armoured cops.


    "YOU ARE UNDER ARREST, BY THE ORDER OF THE ANAGORA JUDICIARY. ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN AND WILL BE USED AGAINST YOU IN A COURT OF¡ª" Paulus spoke loudly, his finger was pressed against the uplink as he shouted.


    His helm-mask was off, showing a rough face, a long scar across one of his old rose-pink eyes.


    It was someone from Kast¨¦, the old Imperial throneworld. The SPTU Commander''s hide was heavy. Thick black plates adorned his exterior - painted deep blue. With slicked back auburn hair.


    His eyes were quivering. His hands were sealed shut, stopping them from shaking. He looked like he didn''t want to do this.


    Kazuki rolled his eyes. He''ll never see a single second of a jail cell. Republican Politics was far too volatile to arrest him.


    Arresting him will lead to his grandfather''s retribution. Kazuki was of the Geminorum-Ryzakus. They will not allow one of their own to be arrested, even if he was the lowest of the phoenixes.


    This was, somewhat, to be expected. The Commissioner was never a politician, stubborn through and through.


    ''Sorry,'' said Eliza, ''My dad probably signed it, I don''t think I can do anything about it¡­''


    "I know," said Kazuki.


    ''Pay it no mind,'' said Sato, ''It''s not the first time people''ve tried to arrest Arbiter.''


    ''I''m contacting Senator Nimitz-Delia¡­'' Archius informed Kazuki. He was far more worried about Eliza. After all, he had to deal with her after all of this. He''s never seen her mad before, maybe today would be the first time.


    He had no intention of seeing himself arrested. His pride as a GemRy wouldn''t allow that, even if he was all but estranged in name. If it comes down to it, he''ll fight.


    Two officers walked up to Kazuki. The AGENTs behind him raised their rifles. The two officers, to no one''s surprised, stopped. No one spoke a word, one finger slip was all it took for Kazuki to be sent into a frenzy once again. He''ll aim for Paulus'' head, he thought. Most people get demoralised after seeing their commander be decapitated.


    Paulus slowly raised his hand, signalling the police to make ready.


    "This won''t go down how you think it will. We all die? Happy ending?" questioned Kazuki. "We have two thousand civilians watching this. Some are probably recording. Leaks happen¡­ And eventually, the public will learn: that police gunned down the contractors sent in to clean up your shit."


    Paulus stopped for a moment as Kazuki stared him down. He gulped. Even behind the armour and full-plate helmet, Kazuki could see a measure of doubt seep into him.


    Killing the captain would be regrettable, he''s a useful tool for the Judiciary after all.


    Kazuki resumed his lecture, "And we have a dreadnought outside this station. Plus, what do you think will happen the moment the High Admiral hears that his son was killed. We all know what happened to the late Empress¡­ The Tyrant-Killer wasn''t all too pleased with my aunt''s death. But his own son?"


    Paulus maintained his composure, lowering his hand as all sides readied to engage. But he stopped, instead raising his hand to his ear. He activated his uplink, Special Police Tactic Unit patent. It had a deep blue exterior. A neon identifying strobe lined the edge of the embedded earpiece.


    ''And¡­ that should be it!'' babbled Archius in a light voice, ''Hahaha! Political corruption for the win again! Don''t worry, Delia''s negotiating us all bonuses as well, so let''s all kick back and drink on this!''


    Eliza snickered at the comment, but quickly corrected herself as she coughed.


    Paulus stopped and ordered his men, "SPTU, RTB. Constables, assist the contractors with the evacuation¡­" Kazuki saw a sigh as the Captain turned around.


    The heavily armoured officers started to retreat into the vans. Things calmed down and standard procedures started once more. Looking out, he could see the Phoenix''s Fury, the large Dreadnought''s heavy-ports were unlocked.


    It had taken a beating. The dreadnought''s escort frigates and destroyers undocked to lighten the load.


    Kazuki heaved a sigh, hearing Eliza''s voice call out to him, ''So. Kazuki, what the fuck was Quinn talking about this being your¡­ last operation?"


    His body and mind were exhausted. So many had died in recent months. He cannot allow this to happen again. Kazuki sighed, expecting his soul to be dragged down¡­ It wasn''t.


    The attempt to sigh himself into a long coma gave way to a singular realisation. One truth.


    Now, he has to deal with Eliza.

 X32: Hiding beneath the Contract-Breaker

    Leaning against the door, Eliza sat down. A knock came. She felt betrayed. After all, why wouldn''t she? Kazuki had made a contract, something written into his own code, and he was fully intent on breaking it if need be. But¡­ if he hadn''t, the station would have most likely blown up. What could she even say to him?


    Liz pressed her legs into her chest, grasping at the edges of her long pleated skirt.


    She understood somewhat that there were things that Kazuki wasn''t telling her¡­ But she won''t pry further. Kazuki had a troubled past. Just the small taste of the industry gave her far more insight than she''d ever ask for.


    "Eliza," Kazuki said through the door.


    "What?" Eliza snapped at Kazuki. "Shouldn''t you be in hospital for your cybernetics?"


    "Dr. Sylvia did some emergency work on it. It''ll last for a bit¡­" Kazuki trailed off. "My wounds will heal, no matter what. The seal of my family is a Phoenix¡­ I will survive those scars."


    "So? Your cybernetics are still damaged, right?" Eliza asked. The question itself stung Eliza''s heart, as if she was bargaining over Kazuki.


    "Yeah¡­ You still mad at me?" he asked.


    She felt like bursting at him, rebuking him and demanding that he tell her why she''s angry in the first place. But her mind cooled, that will do nothing to help their partnership. Kazuki was dying at this very moment, she had no right to demand anything from him.


    She heard a steel frame slowly slump down against the door. Mechanical wiring sounds permeated the air as she looked back towards the door. Behind her sat Kazuki.


    "No¡­" Eliza said, angrily pouting, very much angry, "It''s just¡­ I wished you told me."


    "Would you have opposed the my deployment if you knew?" asked Kazuki.


    Eliza paused, the anger slowly cooled. He was right in that regard. When it comes down to it, her compassion overpowered her cold logic. It''s what got Kazuki in this whole mess in the first place.


    She wondered what a previous version of herself would have done. Those years in between her final year of high school and the P-1 Incident felt like aeons ago.


    She could see her past self looking down at her. The only thing that seemed to connect herself to that past was one conclusion, one realisation that she knew was true no matter what: there was more behind the Ptolemy-1 Incident. It wasn''t just pirates.


    She barely felt human, but after all that''s happened, she has people she can rely on.


    For once in her life, she felt like she wouldn''t collapse the moment she stopped giving it her all. If Kazuki needs someone to depend on, she''ll be there where he was for her.


    "Yeah, I probably would''ve." said Eliza, "But still¡­"


    "Trust?"


    "But¡­ I already trust you?"


    "Yeah¡­" Kazuki trailed off, standing up as he opened the door. Eliza fell onto the cold floor with a small smack on her head. "You placed your trust in me. And I betrayed that. I know. I''m not good at apologising, so I won''t even bother."


    Eliza shot up, rubbing her head as she angrily pouted. She shook her head, slapping Kazuki. Kazuki was knocked back a few paces.


    He raised his hand up to where she slapped him. Her annoyed voice betrayed her intentions, "Apology?"


    Kazuki gave her an absent-minded stare. "I was supposed to apologise, right?"


    "No!" shouted Eliza, still sounding furious - confusing Kazuki. She looked past his eyes. Underneath the gaze of a thousand miles was Kazuki''s true thoughts, a measure of thoughtful agony. "Sure! You might have betrayed the trust I put in you¡­ but for this one occasion, I''ll overlook it."


    Turning back into the room, she crossed her arms as she walked in. Kazuki followed as she approached the window blinds. With a single button press, the blinds lifted up to show down-town District 50¡­


    She was still angry¡­ for some reason. She grumbled to herself, the face slowly turning to regret.


    "I¡­ should be the one apologising¡­" Eliza trailed off, a complete 180 from her frustration earlier; she just realised why she was so annoyed. She wasn''t annoyed at him¡­ she was annoyed at herself. "I''ve been using you the whole time! And¡­ I¡­"


    "Don''t be sorry. We have a contract, using me is precisely what you should be doing." Kazuki''s emotionless face fell quiet. He turned towards the night-time landscape, filled with colour that struck grey monotony. She savoured the sight for a bit. "I am your weapon and tool to use, Eliza."


    "But you''re Kazuki first and foremost, right?" she asked.


    Kazuki maintained silence, for a moment. "Whatever I am, Freemuzzle, Mercenary, Contractor, I''ll always be your right arm."


    "I still feel like I should be apologising to you," she said. Her mind was a mess, unable to unravel what she really wanted to say. But she allowed snippets of it to pass through her lips.


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    "Why?" he asked.


    She pondered. Why? Was that all he had to say to her? So simple yet too complicated for her to say. But she did her best to articulate it. "You told me this is an issue of trust, but you blindly followed me so many times, even believing me when I said that there were others involved in the incident."


    Kazuki glanced around. "So?"


    "Have you never thought that I was just some crazy girl that was too interested in the past?" she asked him, staring at him. "I did all of this¡­ everything that has happened has been based on just one hunch, isn''t it?"


    "Not one hunch. One fact¡­ Jessica Kiki-Louis was involved in the P-1 Incident."


    Eliza''s mind slowed as the cogs grinded down to a halt. "Huh?"


    Kazuki replied, "After the rebellion, I had Director Chizuru and Sato scavenge what they could from the General Director''s archives." He stopped, watching her face slowly rise up in realisation. "She was involved. Correspondence hinted at her knowledge."


    "Then she''s a party to the incident?"


    "Yeah¡­ Not much, but it''s a start," Kazuki said.


    "If there''s something weighing down on you, feel free to tell me."


    He looked to the ground to avoid her gaze. From what she remembers of him, this was far from ordinary behaviour.


    "There is. For nearly a decade, I''ve bled. Killed. Murdered. All those years, I didn''t have a reason to fight on. Survival was everything." Kazuki nodded, sitting down on a chair as Synthia''s holo-visual was sleeping on her keyboard mat. He made a strained expression, it didn''t suit him at all. He was in a silent thought as Eliza sat opposing him, on her bed. "Then, I had a reason. It''s hard to explain, but¡­ I don''t know. I can''t tell you, not now. Before, I believed it to be impossible, this reason, but now: It''s very real."


    His eyes and face made an expression she hadn''t seen before. If Kazuki didn''t know how to say it, she was fine with him not telling her. She trusts him. But trust is a two-sided door. Where she placed her trust in Kazuki, she wanted him to place his in hers, but she won''t force him into anything.


    "That''s fine." said Eliza, having an inkling of what motivates Kazuki, "Tell me whenever you feel comfortable, I''m sure I''ll understand. But I want you to make another promise, a contract."


    "And what will that be?"


    "That if you have any worries or stresses, you can confide yourself in me." said Eliza, "We have each other''s backs, after all. Well, literally."


    "I owe you my life," Kazuki said. "Thank you."


    She smiled at him, feeling warm from that single spout of affirmation, so she does mean something! Kazuki nodded, hovering the chair over. The two shook pinkies on the promise. But still, Kazuki looked conflicted. She let off a small heh, awkwardly, overjoyed that things were finally getting on schedule.


    ? ? ?


    How could he ever tell her? The contract, Victoria''s death, the whole incident¡­ Everything was his fault and he knew it. But Eliza didn''t. She was far too understanding, he must also trust her.


    Perhaps telling her now was the best time for it? He didn''t want his reason to bleed to despise him¡­ Instead, he just accepted her words. If she was gone, all he had left was vengeance. All that would be left would be death.


    "Thanks," Kazuki said again, forming his lips into a slight smile, illuminated by the blazen city skies, shuttle lights and the stars far up above from Lautrasia to Ankhorage. The smile wasn''t pretty, it felt too unnatural, made worse by the cracks in his skin and burns. But the moment he realised it, the muscles faltered as it fell back into a straight line. Eliza''s memory probably burned the sight forever into her skull.


    "You should smile more," teased Eliza, "I bet it''ll surprise Archius."


    He kept his unnatural golden eyes on Eliza, denoting every difference between this woman and her dead sister.


    "No. He''d tease me about how awful it is," Kazuki remarked.


    Eliza paused, then slowly nodded. "Yeah¡­ I do see that potentially happening¡­ No, it very much will happen."


    "I haven''t had the time to ask, but what did you do during the rebellion?"


    "Hmm?" Eliza piqued up. "Oh? I took some time off¡­ Had trouble processing everything, even stopped eating for a bit - Ulysses told me off."


    A caring family member. How rare, Kazuki sneakily remarked to himself. His eyes glanced off to the side for a mere moment at the mention of family.


    "Since I heard of the AGENCY''s victory over Sol, I started to get back into things, so¡­ I guess I have you to thank for that!" she continued.


    "Oh¡­" Kazuki glanced at her. Oh. "So that''s why you seemed to have gained¡ª"


    Eliza grappled onto Kazuki''s shoulder, shaking him. Eliza kept shaking him. Kazuki''s mind blotted out the noise from her mouth, thinking to himself.


    She put her trust in him to help her through the investigations. And he''ll put his trust in her to help him live. Mutually beneficial, he thought.


    She assured him that she''ll understand. But how can she ever understand that the whole basis of her motivation is formed under a lie. A lie that the truth covers. The truth is that Kazuki Geminorum-Ryzaku had a hand in the death of billions. And the death of her sister.


    She stopped shaking him, dusting herself off in the night''s light, clearing her throat and acting as if she didn''t throw a tantrum.


    Kazuki stopped thinking for a split second. All he could do was look¡­ Eliza''s body eclipsed the moonlight. In that moment, Kazuki''s mind miscalculated. The memory banks overloaded with such a similar visage.


    For him, all he could see was a dead woman walking. Those blood red eyes, freckles and pink hair. Everything reminded him of Victoria.


    Even more so, Kazuki''s mind could only wander¡­ What if Victoria and he swapped places that day? Would¡­ she have made the same mistake as he did?


    He couldn''t tell Eliza anything¡­ Not the detonator¡­ Not Victoria''s death¡­ Nothing. It wasn''t fair, nor just. But that didn''t matter.


    Bringing Victoria and all their deaths to rest was all he had left. Whilst he may have the same objective as Eliza, they had far different outlooks. For her, it was hope and for respite. But for him, all that was left was revenge.


    Revenge against all of them. This responsibility is his to bear. For him by himself must atone. Victoria died on him¡­ The flashes of her face faded across Eliza''s.


    Outside, the lights kept blinking. Endlessly. Far away. Why didn''t he run¡­? Victoria would have died either way, Kazuki thought.


    Still, how could he ever explain that to her? The faint visages of figures entered his mind. Victoria was being held.


    The shining beacon to it all in the palm of his small hands¡­ "Run¡­" Kazuki muttered to himself. The explosives all around the room bore Imperial Sigils.


    Victoria''s words fell onto his deaf ears, as all he ever thought was to save her¡­


    What could he have done? Run¡­? Yes¡­. Run. The only time he fought when he didn''t need to. The cost: twelve billion souls.


    "Hmm?" Eliza snapped Kazuki out of his mindless trance.


    Kazuki blinked. "Nothing¡­" He''ll tell Eliza one day. But not this day. He sighed, silencing his contempt and guilt. "If what I told you changed everything, would you hate me?"


    Eliza paused. He wasn''t able to make any observations, not like it''d matter, emotions were Archius'' forte. But he understood body language, more linked in to if someone''s drawing or not. Eliza maintained a bright face.


    "If something like that''s all it takes for me to despise you," Eliza started, lightly slapping his shoulder. She exuded an air of determined elegance. "Then what''s the point of being friends?"


    He nodded, activating his ICAPAD. How could he respond to that? He can''t. Better to move on, even if he can''t. "So, let''s get to business shall we?"

 Epilogue: Gilded Facades

    "Yeah, that''d be splendid," said Eliza, walking alongside Kazuki as he turned to face her.


    The hallways were semi-packed with people, red and blue holo-cards stuck onto them signifying students from professors. Sarimba University¡­ he had his student pass, but it¡¯s been a long year since he¡¯s worn it. The high pillars, arches and sleek windowed walls were a distinct mix of old Kast¨¦ architecture and the new Republican style. The base of the pillars and walls had a distinct colour, whilst the upper sections of the walls were starkly pale - with engrained art and murals.


    ¡°I might get an award if I finish the papers¡­¡±


    Kazuki nodded. ¡°Take your time.¡±


    She was holding onto a multitude of documents and datapads under her arm. But the two of them were here for very different reasons¡­ ¡°Still... this presentation will be the death of me...¡± she murmured.


    ¡°It won¡¯t. You¡¯ve survived worse.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s a metaphor!¡± Eliza grumbled. ¡°But you¡¯re right, I have, haven¡¯t I? Come on, it¡¯s just a few dozen alumni interested in what I¡¯ve researched into, right?¡±


    Kazuki nodded. He seemingly did nothing to help ease the tension. Eliza was doing a presentation on what she found out about Kazuki¡¯s exospine. Should have some ideas on what can be done for future development.


    Something of the sort.


    Kazuki scratched beside his reinforced exospine, trying his best to ward away the glances of onlookers. The low blue hue exuding from it didn''t help at all. Nor did the deep blue Judiciary overcoat, the word AGENCY was slapped onto an armband.


    He could see that it had the faint words ''CLND'' rubbed out. Beneath that was a black contractor dress tunic.


    She slowly smiled. ¡°At least you¡¯re finally looking sharp,¡± said Eliza, wearing an elegant coat over her stylish blouse, skirt, boots, cardigan and tights. It looked warm to wear. And sharper than him. Kazuki looked more like an out-of-date Merc.


    Beside the black combat jackets, the dress tunic was probably the only other piece of standardised Clandestine uniform. Most were signified by Clandestine''s Sigil, plastered over cheap vest-plate armour. His cargo pants probably still had the smell of iron on them. Kazuki couldn''t tell, though.


    "Paulus advised me to at least provide my men with some uniformality," Kazuki stated. It didn''t suit him, he thought. He''s the Contract-Breaker, not some bureaucrat, nor some paragon of morality and justice. "I agreed with him. We have a role within the Judiciary. For those in it, best to dress like it. Even if we aren''t officers."


    Eyes stabbed at him. They knew him. Some before, most after what happened. But he can feel their glares, their curiosity, anger and fear. The university was colourfully decorated, with holo-posters and all sorts of hovering decor, after a year of fighting it felt almost alien - almost.


    Murmurs of Contract-Breaker and Freemuzzle were in the air.


    A few passing female students gave Kazuki some looks. He looked professional, clean and snappy - but he was most certainly willing to intimidate them into looking the fuck away.


    Before that could happen, Eliza caught their glares with an envious snarl. They looked away - their respect for her outweighing the hate for him. They stood outside a lecture hall. "They''re looking at you weirdly. Please¡­ if it made you feel uncomfortable, you could have gone another way."


    He couldn''t care what others thought of him. He cared about what they thought of Eliza¡­ After all, he''s done so much to harm her, without her even knowing. Shaking his head, he leaned against the wall, keeping his weapons and vest hidden under his coat.


    "Let them gawk. A thousand times over I''ll remain. Can''t say the same of them," Kazuki loudly remarked.


    "Kaz¡­" Eliza shook her head.


    "It''s a joke." Kazuki stood up straight. "I just wanted to make sure you got here without any hiccups."


    She chuckled, "Oh, please! You worry too much, even now that I''ve fixed up your exospine¡­ jeez, you have some secret reason why you''re doing this?"


    Her charming pink hair was ever so slightly longer than it was when he had came back to Anagora. If she braided it¡­ maybe she''d look like Victoria.


    The thought of it struck Kazuki up straight¡­ Victoria''s dead. What''s the point in playing with dead thoughts, Kazuki asked himself. This is Eliza, this has always been Eliza¡­ She lives. She will always live.


    The playful jab stopped Kazuki in his tracks. Maybe she was right¡­ Perchance he might let it slip, and live for himself. But he felt the pressures of the dead weigh down once again. Even without his brooch, he felt the increasing gravity push down on him. It was like a cloak of corpses¡­


    "Well¡­" Kazuki paused, then sighed. He didn''t want to tell her, but he might as well. Anyone listening in will know not to fuck with him. "I have a Delta Class Shard in my pocket."


    Eliza''s face softened to a low chuckle. Then, she realised he wasn''t joking. "Wait, oh really?" she inquired, lowering her voice.


    "I will meet with Professor Crankenhart. She is the de facto head of the Extragalactic Zohania Research Alliance. She''s the go-to expert for Hazard Shards," Kazuki said.


    Eliza placed a hand on her mouth. "Wait? Shouldn''t it like... be leaking out energy?"


    "A misconception. They are merely tools for energy transfer," Kazuki stated. "Though there are certain Classes and types of Shards with more... ''anomalous'' effects."


    Eliza opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, the door to the lecture hall opened up, phasing out of place. She glanced at it, waving at Kazuki. "Ah, sorry, gotta go. Good luck with the Hazard."


    He took one wave at her, watching as she disappeared into the lecture hall. He felt more hollow than usual. Kazuki wondered if it was Ulysses in her place if it''d be easier to protect him than her¡­ Unlike Eliza, Ulysses never made himself a target. He never felt the need to actively protect him, but Eliza? She falls head-first into danger. He closed his eyes, slowly sliding his hand down as he felt the handle of his plasma bolter.


    ? ? ?


    He kept his holster on standby, prepared to draw if need be, hidden underneath his reinforced coat. His exospine bristled with new components as its interlocks fixed into place. A low blue hue was present.


    It wasn''t as robust as when he got it, but it was repaired, for now. His Judiciary overcoat stayed on. It wasn''t as comfortable as his normal clothes, or a vest-plate for that matter - but it provided some protection, at least.


    Emilia''s office stretched upwards with a spiralling collection of bookshelves and servers, filled with antiques. From old memorabilia to old devices from forgotten eras. But on her desk was a photo. Kazuki glanced at it, noting his parents, Emilia, Jessica and James.


    "You thought about how you''d kill me, didn''t you?" the Erudian-born professor asked, smirking.


    Kazuki merely gave a small nod. "For a moment." He tugged at his red tie, fixing his coat. The pale unicorn, bloody phoenix and blue dragon Republic seal was covered by his holocard ID.


    Even after adjusting it, the coat felt uncomfortable. It was a bit large and didn''t fit him entirely.


    Emilia''s purple hair and peridot eyes skimmed off Kazuki''s glare as she sat down opposing him. Her uplink was a custom set of emerald-jade earrings, encasing a neon uplink cord moving within. They penetrated through her earlobe, connecting to her nervous system.


    The professor wore a wrap cape, hidden beneath a white lab coat. Several ID cards were pinned on a strap running along her tunic, beneath both her cape and coat. Cross-legged, she wore high heels, with a viper''s eyes refocused on Kazuki.


    A drone whizzed by, slowly picking up the purple, energy-filled gem on the desk. It immediately contained it within an energy shield. "I''m rather surprised that there was one so close to here¡­" Emilia said, gesturing towards the shard of energy. She continued to comment, "We have come a long way, The Research Alliance once scarcely used Hazards, now we use them practically exclusively."


    "Svenn had it. It was a mindsnare, it''s what most likely gave him strength," Kazuki said.


    "Making excuses, are we?" Emilia asked.


    Kazuki stayed motionless. "He''s been dead for three years. His hair was white."


    "You believe someone set him up with a Shard? One can only procure one above Omicron Level from the Eclipse," she said. Her eyes pierced his soul. "Nothing would have passed our ward."


    "And yet he had a Hazard Shard."


    Emilia nodded, placing her head on her hands. "Yes, he did. It''s quite a lethal shard, couldn''t have easily gone under the radar. Yet I don''t know who would have enough resources for an expedition into the Eclipse Maelstrom, unless¡­" She allowed him to infer the pieces together.


    "Someone set him up. Someone powerful enough to mindsnare him, gave him a Hazard Shard that made him stronger," he said.


    "Obviously," Emilia replied, gesticulating as she picked up a pen and pointed it towards Kazuki, approving his evaluation like an over-the-top professor would. "It''s a Delta Shard, powerful, yes, but not as powerful as other Hazard Shards out there - most Omicron Levels and below would fracture if used improperly. Though, you ignore the fact that they might have crafted a higher shard using fragments. T''would take much refinement out of specks of dust."


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Kazuki nodded. "Can you find anything out from it using yours?" he asked.


    She shook her head, passing a hand over her neck as an invisible, holographic necklace shone out. It was a halo of light and steel around her neck, floating and rotating. And on it: the only existing Shard with a higher than 99% purity. The only Zeta Class Shard. Kazuki turned his head to a few of the drones around the room. Something was off about them...


    It struck him: They weren''t being powered.


    "My Hazard has its utilities, but sadly it does not allow for that," Emilia said. A powerful shard was kept in place around her neck, constricted in power by the ''necklace''. "It does... however, allow me to contort reality, so you finally noticed it? I would have expected you to have felt something wrong earlier... Perhaps I enhanced some aspects to a... faulty degree?"


    She placed one leg over the other as another drone tied her hair up for her, carrying everything she might need. Using her Life Shard Hazard, a filled cup was within Kazuki''s hand. It simply... existed there. There was no setup, the drones did nothing. It just happened to be there.


    She gestured to the cup of tea made for Kazuki. "Please, courtesy of the Research Alliance, tea from leaves that no longer exist," Professor Crankenhart said, the necklace around her neck glowing with a low hue of purple. Kazuki''s eyes landed on it. It was the ''Life'' Shard.


    There was nothing alive about it, but a mere tool for energy to be converted into an effect. Magical? Perhaps. Logical? Most definitely. Dangerous? Undeniable.


    He was displeased. Kazuki did not like being made a fool out of. He placed his eyes forward in a glare.


    "Don''t worry, Kazu, the Life Shard doesn''t contaminate." said Emilia, "If you desire to have a hazard shard, I''d be happy to arrange one for you. Though, It''d be hard to justify to the other council members - considering you added enough fuel to nearly spark a second shadow war before you even started the rebellion. Or perhaps that was your... that green-haired one that bribed his way in, what was his name again?"


    Kazuki placed the cup down, ignoring her little trick. "If you can''t help me with finding the source of the Shard, I''ll leave."


    "Not yet, now that you are here: I might as well convey a message to you."


    "Get on with it," snapped Kazuki, in no mood for sarcasm or to care. "Tea and biscuits are for friends"


    "Sure, if you may let me." said Emilia, "An Alliance between EZRA and the AGENCY. We can¡­ help each other. I was on the verge of negotiating a deal with Director Chizuru before you had to blow it all up."


    "Director Chizuru¡­ sure," said Kazuki. She was most definitely lying, he thought.


    "Yes, Chizuru shares my view on Hazards," Emilia said, her face unrelenting in the lie. Kazuki will have to ask Chizuru later, when he''s free to visit her private world. "We''ve both conducted research back in our youth about a possible link between the star-essence trapped within brooches and Hazard Shards."


    "Sure."


    ¡°Nevertheless, despite both being the product of long-dead Star Gods, they¡¯re quite different. Tell Chizuru to look into it, will you? If you get the chance, of course.¡± Emilia then peered straight through Kazuki. ¡°Perhaps each brooch is a Hazard unto its own? You rarely wear yours, for¡­ obvious reasons, I presume, the same reason why you¡¯ll never use a Hazard Shard.¡±


    Kazuki narrowed his gaze. ¡°And what is that?¡±


    Emilia simply placed a finger forward, pointing directly to Kazuki¡¯s chest, then to his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange that ancient, billion-year-old star gods¡¯ remains can be used by any human?¡± She turned her head to a mosaic glass ceiling up above, showing the Long Crusade. One panel was the exodus of Terra before its destruction. Beside it was Crusaders. And then beside them was the battle that ended the Crusade... The battle that secured status quo post bellum. Now the aliens have fled from the core of the galaxy. The core was man''s space. Nothing less.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Emilia found his response amusing. Kazuki didn¡¯t know why. ¡°Alien precursors and the current aliens praise these Star Gods, these Celestial beings - dead as they may be¡­ I wonder how they must think: seeing us toy with their corpses.¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s cup refilled as Emilia distorted the lines between reality with her Hazard. He calmly took another sip. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I doubt the Star Gods would care either. They¡¯re dead.¡±


    ¡°True, that may be true. Erudians from where I¡¯m from claim that their Goddess is beyond age of one of the Celestial Star Gods, always ever-present to protect the galaxy from the depths of the Eclipse Maelstrom¡¯s deep void,¡± said Emilia. ¡°I find all of their mutters rather humorous; don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°Why are you telling me this? What the fuck are you playing at?¡±


    Emilia shrugged slightly. ¡°You have an open mind, metaphorical of course - I believe¡­ we could be fine allies, one day.¡±


    Kazuki grunted in frustration. ¡°What will you do with the Shard?¡±


    "Store it, research it, destroy it if need be. The shard is nothing special to EZRA, so I won''t take special considerations for it. Now, about our alliance?"


    She smirked at him. Emilia Crankenhart. Genius scientist and the leader of the Extragalactic Zohanian-based Research Alliance. Ironic, considering that she was a Hazard user herself. But Kazuki remained still as she leaned back against her kura-bear hide chair.


    "Sure. I''ll donate ten thousand men into your meat grinder," jeered Kazuki, standing up and twisting around. "Unlike you, I care for my men''s lives. And if that''s all you have to say to me, I take my leave."


    "Sure, sure, Kazu. But, you''ll eventually realise that my deal is far more generous¡­ A storm is coming¡­" she trailed off. Kazuki paused for a moment. "And what about your exospine?"


    "What about it?"


    Emilia let off a small smirk at Kazuki. "Please, let''s not pretend like we don''t know you''re slowly dying¡­" She twirled her finger around playfully. "Without Jessica, every passing mission, operation, and action is killing you. You haven''t told her, have you? Does Eliza know this? Your... poor... sweet lamb?"


    He didn''t care, if there was someone not even Archius would approach: it''d be Emilia. And by that fact alone, she uneased Kazuki. Even if she was a family friend and was his professor, he had no intention of allowing himself to be turned into a pawn.


    "If you''re done, I''ll be leaving."


    She had one last remark to spit at him. "I find it so ironic¡­ you don''t see yourself as a Geminorum-Ryzaku, do you?"


    Kazuki''s limbs cooled off. He slowly allowed his glare to glance around Emilia. Yet she was not affected, simply smiling at him.


    "If I had a standardi for every time one of your noble Lautrasians tried to intimidate me¡­ I''d be the richest woman in the galaxy," she said. "I find it so fascinating¡­"


    He snarled at her, "What?"


    "That your blood were the lucky ones blessed with the phoenix''s writhings. The fact that almost every Ryzaku alive doesn''t even look like the Ryzakus of old¡­"


    Her words left Kazuki without much to say. He didn''t want to think about it at all.


    Professor Crankenhart continued, "I''m speaking of hubris¡­ We humans have always been hubris-filled people, thinking we can conquer one another, fighting wars of resources and extermination against the aliens that came before us¡­ Yet, we allowed them to live, after wiping out so many of them!"


    "Mercy," Kazuki stated. He understood why mankind bled the galaxy to its core. "It was suitable."


    "Still, the hubris of killing thousands of Xenos races, just to allow a few of them to exist after the fact¡­ It''s hubris, Kazuki, the thing that pushes us forward. Sure, they might thrive in the edges of the galaxy, far from the heart of mankind and in the satellites surrounding us, but it''s rather a shame¡­"


    "What has this got to do with anything?" asked Kazuki.


    "Sometimes, the true pride lies in what must be done that is right," Emilia said. "Just like how in the end¡­ Man stayed its hands from extermination, and to this day, there are still dozens of species that thrive on the edges, away from human space. Sure, they are wary of us, but in the end, those human states on the fringes of the galactic arms co-exist with them. One day, you''ll have to make the right choice, Kazuki."


    Why was she telling him any of this? The ''Xeno threat'' after the Crusades were simply populist movements, their threat was all but gone by that point, those that had dealt the damage were exterminated, leaving those that were already willing to coordinate, even before the Crusades. Mercy saved them, especially the races under duress from the slaver states. But he will not offer mercy.


    His enemies will use anything to drive him to the ground. Unlike the aliens of old, there was no reconciliation. There was no misunderstanding. Under duress or not, his enemies have caused so much harm.


    There will not be forgiveness, he thought. What would his detractors say? He is the Contract-Breaker, nothing more, nothing less. And he does not offer peace to those fools that conspired against him.


    "I know I will," Kazuki sarcastically sneered. "Justice shall be served¡­"


    "Though the Eclipse falls." Emilia sighed.


    Turning around, he left the room, leaving Emilia by herself.


    ? ? ?


    Emilia''s smirk quickly turned into a frown. Kazuki''s such a bore! Never was one for fun and games, much like his mother and father. Fucking hell, why does everyone seem to lose touch with enjoying life now days? She mulled over it as she dialled up her phone, activating the hover-touchpad as she called a number.


    As she sent the call through, the picture of a brown-haired, blue eyed woman appeared on the phone. She looked bright. A voice came through, "Oh my, Emilia? Why, how have the years been?"


    "They''ve been fair." said Emilia, "And you, Misty?"


    Misty Geminorum-Ryzaku. The famed Anagoran inventor, and Kazuki''s mother¡­


    "Tiresome¡­ but I''m still kicking. Yuki''s all grown up now, graduating this year," said Misty.


    Emilia rolled her eyes. She never understood why people had kids. Too much of a hassle. She got to the point, "And your son? I just talked to him¡­"


    "Oh¡­" Misty trailed off, "What did Kazu say, might I ask?"


    "Not much, but he''s still doing well, not like you''d care. I wonder why¡­" Emilia snarled at Misty, "But with things now coming to a close, Kazuki can stand on his own two feet. Even after you practically abandoned him¡­"


    Misty immediately shot back, "Do you think I wanted to? Do you think I wanted to separate myself from my own son, just a year after it? I understood he was far safer with them than me¡­ But of course, you wouldn''t understand, human empathy was never your strong suit."


    "Neither is yours. Don''t worry, we can both be awful, terrible people together." said Emilia, "Miss ol'' Merchant of Death."


    "Tch. What do you want with my son?" she snapped back as an argument brewed.


    "It''s simple," said Emilia, grabbing the cup meant for Kazuki and sipping from it, "His freedom. I want his mind to be free."


    Misty paused. "And why should I allow that?" The tone of her voice changed immediately. To the uninitiated, it must have felt like knives in their ears, but to Emilia, she merely smiled at such an emotional response.


    Emilia played around with the Life Hazard, taking out a few necklaces and dangling them from her fingers. "Because Kazuki''s old enough to look after himself¡­ He shouldn''t live any longer believing lies," said Emilia. "And plus, those drugs will wear off eventually, and when that happens: who knows what he''d do?"


    "Over. My. Dead. Body." Misty coldly replied. "That is my son you are trying to manipulate. And as long as he bears my primogenitor name, I will ensure that you never lay a finger on him. Call this number again, or any number associated with me: and I''ll ensure that you meet a similar fate as your ''colleagues''. Life Hazard or not. You are still a human, you seem to have forgotten that many times, Emilia."


    Misty cut the phone line, leaving Emilia to hear the subtle buzz that hummed across the uplink. For all of Misty''s talk of peace and invention, some of that savvy defence contractor is still in her. She sighed¡­ "My¡­ you really are overprotective¡­"


    Looking out of the window, she glanced up at the endless crimson sunset sky - perched with sky-islands, highrises and bright neon lights of all cultures, magnitudes and forms.

 INTER-XX1: No Rest Required

    The ride was more smooth than Kazuki had expected. He kept his arms crossed, eyes closed. He felt any and every change in the frequencies of the vibrations. It was mainly gear changes. He couldn¡¯t help himself but remember these nuances.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting closer,¡± said Karl, leading the shuttle convoy. ¡°SPTU and police already have a perimeter around the building, we helping them or going in alone?¡±


    ¡°Alone. This is our fight,¡± Kazuki replied, opening his eyes and glancing towards the frontal cockpit.


    He saw Jessica¡¯s old HQ tower in the distance, even amongst the various skyrises of the floating islands. Down below was the surface, a monotonous colorfilled landscape of buildings and streets. But those that have the privilege to live up here are the greatest scum on this planet, not those that live underneath¡­


    The armoured convoy continued to barrel through traffic as a second voice spoke, ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to talk to them first?¡± asked Archius. ¡°Having more numbers would help us¡­¡±


    Kazuki glanced towards Archius, sitting opposing him in the shuttle. This reminded him of their initial arrival to Anagora after one long year. But this time, they¡¯re ready for combat. Even Kazuki¡¯s spymaster was decked in armour, though it was quite extravagant compared to his.


    ¡°The Loyalists have taken over Clandestine¡¯s HQ and you expect me to negotiate with them?¡± asked Kazuki.


    ¡°Yes¡­ negotiations normally happen before you ram the gates. Not that you¡¯d know¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong,¡± said Martinez, cutting into the conversation. He was fixing his gear, most of which had the signs of bullet impacts. ¡°We¡¯ll need those men.¡±


    ¡°See! Even Martinez agrees with me.¡±


    Kazuki nodded. Martinez was standing inside the shuttle, holding onto one of the straps on the ceiling. ¡°I know, but they have not surrendered, have they?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Martinez sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think they expect us to offer terms of surrender.¡±


    ¡°The police have sent them a thousand messages by now, but they still remain silent¡­¡± Archius trailed off, clicking out a data-pad and showing Kazuki the megastructure, along with a dozen dots and lines. It highlighted key points of entry.


    ¡°The news anchors are already present, and the building has its own power generators. We¡¯ll need to move fast, they¡¯ll be watching for us,¡± said Archius. ¡°Luckily for us, they¡¯ve already executed all the hostages before we¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Or sadly for us¡­¡± Martinez interjected, ¡°Sad we can¡¯t save those hostages¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Kazuki paused. He lowered his head, maintaining a blank face. He looked towards the side, then back up. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the casualty report yet.¡±


    Martinez pressed down on his uplink, projecting a report in front of his face for him to read. ¡°Twenty seven operatives, two handlers and a few logistic guys.¡±


    ¡°Rivera won¡¯t like that¡­¡± Archius muttered.


    ¡°No she won¡¯t¡­¡± Kazuki agreed. ¡°Who¡¯s dealing with her after this?¡±


    Martinez smashed through the conversation. ¡°Not me. She always comes crying to me about any casualties on the logi-team.¡±


    The General started to count on the joints of his fingers.


    ¡°¡ªNot me either!¡± Archius chuckled, pointing towards Kazuki. ¡°Just tell her the news simple and walk out, don¡¯t get bogged down by her rants.


    ¡°Easier said than done.¡± Kazuki looked towards the front of the shuttle again, seeing the HQ closer than before. It was a large, barricade building, a modified defence bastion back during the siege¡­ It was a good defensible position, but not good enough. ¡°We¡¯ll rely on shock and awe.¡±


    ¡°And the survivors?¡± asked Martinez. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to integrate a few of them¡­¡±


    ¡°No survivors,¡± said Kazuki, to the surprise of the other two. He looked towards both of them. He won¡¯t let them get away, and he needs to draw a line in the sand. ¡°They¡¯ll be made into examples, those terrorists¡­¡±


    Leaning closer, Martinez started, ¡°It was the ones with Svenn that were¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI know. But things are expected of us, as far as the judiciary and the public are concerned: these are the same PMCs that attacked P-2. They¡¯ll be brutally killed, any survivors are to be executed, or given to the police. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Martinez sighed, before nodding. He understood the situation quite well, even Kazuki has his own limits - and there are things that even he cannot influence. Archius, however, remained silent, putting a finger up to his chin before speaking, ¡°If we¡¯re going down that route, we should capitalise on those news anchors, increase our PR.¡±


    ¡°More PR means more possible contracts, but then again: we don¡¯t want any possible external influences on this operation.¡± Martinez deliberated to himself.


    Kazuki sealed his helm-mask on as Martinez grabbed onto his. The three all had golden trimmed black armour, with their sigils painted on their pauldrons. It was the only thing that visually connected the three, as their helm-masks all had different paint jobs: except Archius. He didn¡¯t bother putting his on. Martinez glanced towards him.


    ¡°Oh, please!¡± Archius started, ¡°I¡¯ll leave operations to you two, let me handle overwatch and the public.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s fine with you, then.¡± Martinez shrugged, sealing his helm-mask on as the wide sirens of the police blockade around the building could be heard. The convoy pulled off from the sky highways, latching down onto the sky canals between various buildings.


    Kazuki watched as police patrol chasers skidded by, acting as guides. ¡®Vall¨¦, Lazarus, prepare your teams.¡¯

 INTER-XX2: After Mission Respite

    It was dark on the surface. Around the time that everyone would be asleep. But Eliza had unfinished business, someone that she must speak to directly, someone that she owes her greatest of apologies the most. It wasn''t Lilly... she had forgiven her, or at least had allowed her to work towards forgiveness.


    There was one other person, though, Quinn. Despite how little time Eliza had spent around everyone, even she could see how close Riharia and Quinn were. She approached Deltastring''s Command Barracks, walking past a few drones, and a sparse number of engineers and operatives. The air was cool, colder than normal, as she turned towards the door.


    "Alright..." Eliza pushed her cheeks up, preparing herself. She opened up the door, entering into the barracks. It was empty... The lights were dim, and the bunk beds along the walls were empty. It seems like no one''s here... She sighed. "Guess I''ll come back later," she said, turning her head to a small hallway within the barracks.


    The lights were bright from there, and she heard voices. Approaching, she kept to the side of the wall. It was a hall leading to another section of the barracks, what seems to be additional bedrooms, with additional bunkbeds.


    "Are you sure about this?" A voice asked. Eliza could hear the monotone expressions and uncaring attitude... It had to be Kazuki''s.


    She listened intently, pressing herself against the wall as she tip-toed towards the doorframe.


    Another voice answered. "It... we have no next of line... or kin. But I don''t want to see it, sir." The more jumpy and bright voice was Quinn''s, though more hollowed out and husky than anything that Eliza recognised from him before. "But I don''t want to get rid of it either."


    "I see," said Kazuki. Eliza peered into the room, seeing Quinn slumped, legs tucked in beside a bunk bed. Kazuki was sitting down on a seat beside him, the two were looking at a large sealed box on the table. It looked like it was made to last, with the name ''RIHAIRA'' stamped onto it.


    Her eyes glistened at the label... So that''s Riharia''s stuff, she thought.


    "Sorry, Arbiter... I just don''t know what to do and... Claire and Lilly directed me to you... so, sorry for taking up your time," Quinn said, apologising profusely to Kazuki.


    Kazuki was wearing casual clothes, though had his contractor''s light vest-plate on. Eliza held her breath, waiting for what Kazuki would say to Quinn. She knows Kazuki, he''s harsh... but given the circumstances, he must be somewhat lenient, she thought.


    "They did the right thing," Kazuki said. He stood up, placing a hand on the box. "I''ll have the box placed in my personal storage. For safe keeping."


    Quinn looked up at Kazuki. "Will I be able to..."


    "Yes." Kazuki cut in, "It could be days, months, years, but one day you will return for it. Doesn''t matter if its me, Martinez, or even Archius or Sato at the helm. I''ll ensure you get it."


    "Thank you... Arbiter," said Quinn.


    Kazuki replied, "It''s best to try and not think about it. It hurts... I know."


    "First Petra... now Riharia... Who''s next?" Quinn stared up at Kazuki. Eliza listened in carefully, waiting for a time that she can enter into the conversation...


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "I don''t know." The words struck Eliza; a lightning bolt from the heavens. That''s right... she thought, this was an industry built on corpses... Death is just but a part of life for these people. Kazuki shook his head at Quinn. "If you want to change rooms, just tell Lilly."


    "What... do I do now?" Quinn asked.


    "I don''t know," Kazuki replied. The words dumbfounded both Eliza and Quinn. For once, Kazuki spoke without a harsh malice within his voice, or a vice ready to slam into his enemies. It was just him, Kazuki Geminorum-Ryzaku. "It''s different for all of us. Moving on... My advice is simple. Let it hurt. One day, it''ll stop."


    He stood up, and started to walk over towards the exit.


    "You talking from experience...?" Quinn asked. "And uh... you''re not mad at me telling Liz, right?"


    Kazuki paused, as he picked up the box. Eliza slid back out from view, as she shuffled away from the door frame. He turned back to Quinn and said, "No to both. She was angry, yes... a bit melodramatic¡ª"


    WAIT A MINUTE?! SHE''S MELODRAMATIC?! Eliza furrowed her brow, covering her mouth as she ached to fight back against Kazuki... Did he know she was here?


    "¡ªbut she fixed my exospine, for now. If you have anything else to ask, you know where to find me."


    "Yes... sir," Quinn said in a muffled mutter. Eliza heard Kazuki''s footsteps, as he exited out from the room. He turned away from the doorway, holding onto the box.


    "Kaz..." Eliza trailed off, looking directly at the box. Kazuki pattted her on the shoulder, and then walked by, ignoring her the best he could. She looked back at him, wanting to chase after him, but a noise drew her attention back to Quinn.


    First, it was whimpering... Small wails and  whimpers. She glanced into the room, seeing Quinn idle, beside the bunk bed. All was quiet, with only the neverending hum of the dreadnought to accompany the two. Slowly, Eliza etched away... she can''t talk to him. Not like this. She gulped her own mind down, taking in a deep breath.


    Eliza placed her hands together, steeling her nerves. She grabbed onto the doorframe, slowly peering back in. Quinn had his head in his arms, legs pressed against his chest. And not a soul was here to listen. The sight hurt Eliza, though she knew it must have felt even worse for Quinn. Even with no one around, he did his best to shield his crying... was it from others? Or was it from himself...


    She didn''t know entirely. She walked forward, standing in the doorway. She had to do something, right? Eliza knows she doesn''t have an obligation to help Quinn... but still, she has an obligation to go above what is demanded of her. Only then, may she ever consider herself forgiven.


    "Quinn," she called out to him.


    For a moment, Quinn lingered, before looking up, wiping his face clean. He tried to put back a facade on. "Oi! Liz, you should have knocked! You finally down for that game of Dullie?" he asked, shaking slightly. Eliza saw him pinch himself on the hand.


    Well, she thought, it must be hard for him, losing someone so close... Eliza stood still for a moment. She could barely remember how she felt after her mother''s death... or Victoria''s... She was so mesmerised by what she could have been that she has forgotten how she felt about any of it.


    A hollow feeling subsided within her. "Yeah, it''s gonna be a while till my next lecture so... why not?" she said. She couldn''t confront Quinn, not now, not like this - who is she to confront him? When she can''t even remember her own sister''s face...


    Quinn smirked, standing up. He shrugged, flicking out a holo-card deck from within his sleeves. "Well then, you better be good at playing, because I ain''t gonna be playing easy just because you''re new!"


    The moment of sobbing had passed on Quinn''s face. Despite that, Eliza could see the marks and lines of water that once ran from it. Everyone deals with grief their own way... And if playing games with Quinn will help him suffice with the times, then Eliza will play the best she can.


    Because what else can she do? She''s no contractor, she has no connection to these people, comrades in arms. But is that an excuse? She asked herself.


    No.


    She stepped forward, exiting out from her comfort as she nodded. "I won''t go easy on you either..." she said, "Oh and... no pike meta, please?"

 Prologue: Powered Snow

    Cobalt-blue snow flickered through the door of the command bridge as Osmond stepped through. Snow on his pale blonde head melted to water immediately. The cold warmth of the cruiser¡¯s citadel enticed him in as the door sealed shut behind him. The derelict wreck he and Leon used as their headquarters was far from perfect, but this dead-hulk had enough rations to keep their people alive, though starvation might be a better option. The only saving grace was an arsenal of merchandise - relics from the war.


    The hulk stuck out like a sore thumb in the frozen slum-scape that Osmond stared out into, sighing in disappointment. Leon turned towards him, sitting across the room, his piercing eyes stang Osmond as he looked him up and down. They were both a mess of chemicals and cybernetics, breaking apart an old friend''s mind, right in front of Osmond.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± said Leon, staring at Osmond with a bloodied fringe and eyes. A puff of red crytera was inhaled through his mouth. Osmond shivered at the sight of Leon''s hand, gently resting on one of his Imp-4899 revolvers


    The Imperial Slab-earpiece uplink attached to Leon¡¯s left ear was buzzing with a low red hue. ¡°Your¡­ uplink¡­¡± Osmond muttered.


    He shook his head. Osmond tried to avoid certain things in the room. ¡°It took the engineers much effort. But they have done it again! The channels are back online¡­ We are thriving once more.¡±


    Leon slowly moved his hand away from his revolver. Osmond avoided his glare, glancing towards the two seats beside the command table¡­ Two corpses sat on them. Their heads had been blown out.


    ¡°Pay these two no attention, Osmond. Conspirators... Little faith of them in me. Tell your subordinates of this.¡± Leon grabbed his shot-axe from beneath the table, a combi-weapon stolen from the Imperials. It was made for combat engineers, where bloody melee meets brutal buckshot. It was large, unwieldy but powerful.


    ¡°As you command,¡± said Osmond. His chest tightened as he forced his eyes off the corpses. Slowly walking across the room, he sat down on one of the empty seats, far from the dead. He hid his quivering hands in his pockets.


    So many dead, yet too many to give up. The endless blizzard outside raged onwards, the infamous Narisan ¡®winter¡¯. It was spring. Leon walked to one of the free seats, walking by a corpse and pushing it to the ground.


    The body made a small thud noise as it crashed into the steel deck.


    ¡°Our shipments to Anagora. They¡¯ve been stopped.¡±


    ¡°I am aware¡­ of that,¡± said Osmond, taking a glance at a holographic photo hidden on his watch¡­ He hoped it would give him strength, but the holographic visage only gave him regret. Those three¡­ he wondered where they were now.


    "You knew?¡± Leon gestured to the dead bodies as blood dripped out of their bludgeoned wounds. He continued, ¡°They stopped the shipments to the Loyalists. Why would they?¡±


    Leon puffed another inhale of crytera, using the stimulant to keep his paranoid mind ready. Osmond¡¯s heart sank at the sight, but he steeled his voice. ¡°No idea, Leon.¡±


    ¡°The Loyalists were good customers¡­ The Mischief Board knew well who to pick.¡± Leon pondered for a moment, yet even as he thought Osmond could feel his glare ever-present - locked on him. Any sudden movement might be his last.


    Sliding his watch underneath his sleeve, Osmond maintained a steady facade. ¡°Yet they lost, those Contract-Breakers must never learn of our involvement.¡±


    ¡°But perhaps with our weapons, they would still be afloat - and still willing customers.¡± Leon pressed the command table¡¯s interface, and a screen popped out. It showed the recent battle on the Ptolemy-2 Station. Osmond felt¡­ relieved that the Loyalists lost. The tape showed the Contract-Breaker slicing through the Loyalist lines. ¡°The loyalists were ill-equipped¡­¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Maybe because they spent most of our cargo luring the AGENCY to that skyliner? We cannot focus on them anymore¡ª¡± suggested Osmond, speaking out of turn instinctively.


    Leon¡¯s blood-shot eyes glanced up at Osmond, through the holo-recording. Osmond felt the agony and adrenaline pump through his heart as he quickly backtracked.


    Did someone tell him? Did they rat? Osmond¡¯s eyes briefly glanced towards the corpses. ¡°¡ªWe must direct our attention elsewhere, right? Right? Dead Loyalists are not good, paying customers,¡± Osmond blabbered on, trying to explain himself¡­ His lungs were barely able to hold down the stress.


    Breaking through the stressful monotony, Leon sighed. ¡°You make a fair point there¡­ Fine. This time, I will heed you. But what of the AGENCY?¡±


    There was little of Leon left behind those eyes. The only thing that remained was their shared dream: Narisa alive. Home clear of all taint from the war. But Leon was right, if the AGENCY arrives, it¡¯ll all be for nought.


    ¡°My friends in the Mischief Board tell me it¡¯s just a rebranded Clandestine,¡± Osmond started. Leon was reloading his revolver, yet one eye glared at Osmond upon the mention of the word ¡®friends¡¯. Osmond corrected himself. ¡°Associates¡­ however, I believe we cannot negotiate with them.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Leon, sliding the revolver beside other pistols along his vest-plate. ¡°Clandestine were good buyers from our past, given their situation, they¡¯d probably like a few extra guns¡­ Do you not concur?¡±


    ¡°The Contract-Breaker will not know of our old deal with Clandestine, but engaging in talks may lead one of his talons or agents to it¡­¡± Osmond started to worry, overriding any sense of fear. ¡°He was, as the Board put it, ¡¯greatly affected by the attack¡¯.¡±


    Leon snarled, slamming a fist down, ¡°Yes. The Mischief Board is right about him¡­ he¡¯s stone-cold. No negotiating¡ª¡±


    Osmond felt a wave of relief come over him, it seemed some of the old Leon was still in him. Trying to hide was the best thing they could do now, he thought.


    ¡°¡ªTherefore: we must eliminate him before he does us.¡±


    Osmond raised an eyebrow, then sprouted upwards, leaving his seat. ¡°Wait, hold up!¡ª¡±


    Leon gave him a glare, posturing his hands in a calm but threatening manner. Yet Osmond had to get this off his chest.


    ¡°¡ªWe need to lie low¡­ Small deals, nothing too big to attract their attention. And this is the fucking AGENCY! ENFORCERs are bad enough, but these mercs are the mercs they send in when the SPTU can''t handle shit!"


    ¡°No,¡± stated Leon, ¡°I have assurances and a deal. They¡¯re not invincible.¡±


    ¡°I¡ªbut, these are ex-Clandestine, who themselves are ex-military, navy or whatever. They have the equipment and the money to back up their skill¡­ Look, please! These assurances can not protect us from a whole fucking army.¡± Even on a frozen shithole, Osmond knew that there were some people they don''t fuck with, the top dogs of the merc business is one of them. ¡°Can we really trust the Mischief Board?¡±


    ¡°They are not involved. Neither are my assurances from the Seven Crims.¡±


    ¡°Then who gave you these assurances? They might not be trustworthy¡­¡±


    Leon slowly pushed himself upwards, standing taller than Osmond. ¡°My sources are reliable, and they speak sense to me. End of,¡± he said. ¡°We have to do what we can to survive. The dream lives on, but never if we all perish.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not questioning you, I¡¯m just worried.¡± Osmond stood up, even slower than Leon, ¡°Just¡­ how are we going to take them down?¡± Assurances? This was madness. But he can¡¯t talk Leon down from this¡­


    ¡°All armours have chinks, my source has told me of one. We eliminate that chink, and the Contract-Breaker presents himself.¡± Leon gave off a cruel smirk, unnerving even Osmond. ¡°I don¡¯t care where those three are¡­ we were stronger together. But you and I? We were the bedrock of it all.."


    ¡°Things¡­ things haven¡¯t been the same since that explosives job¡­¡±


    ¡°I still have you,¡± said Leon, giving a rare nod to Osmond.


    Osmond grimaced, the thought of responsibility was hard.


    But times have changed, their original gang was gone to the wind. And now, without them, Leon is leading his people into the jaws of the Maelstrom¡­


    ¡°Then what are your orders¡­¡±


    ¡°Take the fight to them.¡± said Leon, ¡°The AGENCY is still young. After what happened on Anagora, they¡¯ll be swamped with bureaucracy. Hit them while weak, kill the fourth of the seven¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡­ never mind, I see the logic behind your point.¡± Osmond realised that it was pointless to object.


    Leon gave Osmond one final glare as he ignited a cigarette with a simple rub of the tip, the friction and paper-mechanisms ignited the end. ¡°Good. I will contact our fixers under the Board. Our weapons, their men.¡±

 XX1: To Remember, Awake

    As always, it was never that simple. But one step at a time, Eliza intended to overcome her faults. They gave her a chance, one single opportunity - one that she must cherish and clutch close to her chest.


    She has no intention of letting go. She will not let them down, not Lilly, Quinn, Kiri, Amy¨¦ or any of them. She assured herself of that truth, gently resting the bouquet of flowers beside the memorial¡¯s surface.


    It was the same flowers that Riharia had painted on her mask. Resting it down, the flowers glowed a low blue hue beside the name: Riharia Aqilo-Terril.


    The vibrant flowers continued to glisten as the memorial around them was filled with colourful, luminescent trees and fauna - it was majestic, Eliza thought. The bouquet was the least she could do, after all: she really did know nothing about her. She didn¡¯t know where she was from, who she grew up with, how she came to the business¡­


    ¡°Ryunkai, was it?¡± Eliza asked. ¡°I feel like there should be some stuff that I¡¯d do when respecting them¡­¡±


    She didn''t know where she was from, who she grew up with, how she came to the business¡­ Those thoughts stung Eliza as she stood up, dusting some flickering petals off that clung to her cardigan, white flowered-patterned skirt and tights.


    Claire nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about if you¡¯re doing anything specific to her culture¡­ She¡¯d preferred to be remembered as Riharia, not as a Ryunkai Trasian, plus she didn¡¯t really care about any of the cultural taboos ¡®n¡¯ stuff, so don¡¯t worry about that¡­ Just place your hands together or something, if you¡¯re that worried sick. Hell, my homeworld of Mithradati is a corporate shit-hole¡­ Don¡¯t want to be tied to that, do I?¡±


    Claire chuckled slightly, alleviating some of the tension within Eliza. Eliza found it to be quite a nice gesture, taking in a deep breath whilst smiling.


    If there was any form of afterlife in this uncaring galaxy, Eliza hoped that Riharia could feel the sentiment, though she silently admitted there probably wasn¡¯t. Taking a step back, she let the bloodied sunset falling westward shine onto the large black slab, adorned with a million names.


    The sunset was eclipsed by a thousand neon boards, skyscrapers, and hovering islands.


    ¡°Feeling any better?¡± asked Claire, standing behind her with her arms crossed. Her navy blue hair barely scraped her shoulders. Strangely enough, the off-duty Contractor wore a lot more casual clothes than Eliza expected, a jacket with a long, pleated skirt.


    Despite being Eliza¡¯s bodyguard, Claire acted more like an elder sister than anything.


    Claire nodded, twisting towards Eliza as caught a glimpse of the scale of the memorial, a large hulking obelisk slate that runs across a whole park, adorned with flowers.


    Her flower brooch glistened in the dim sunset, carrying the burden of a dead star. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s quite refreshing, two months¡­ it passed that quickly? It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Claire interjected, slapping Eliza on the arm, ¡°No point dwelling on it, you get it?¡±


    Claire looked towards the memorial, with the names of every man, woman and child murdered in the skyliner crash.


    Both Eliza¡¯s charm-pink hair and Claire¡¯s Mithradati-coloured navy blue hair blew with the winds¡­ Eliza pushed some of her hair behind her ear, before readjusting the flowery white ornament holding her half-up, half-down hair in place.


    Behind the monitors, she could stomach the deaths. Too many people died, but Kaz gave the Loyalists justice, the only form he can give. Sometimes, she even forgets how much of a sheltered life she¡¯d lived, barely having to confront the violent, indifferent reality that most were accustomed to, only having to confront the harsh politics of upstart-aristocracy and the unrelenting demands of academia.


    ¡°Thanks, Claire. But, I still can¡¯t help but blame myself,¡± said Eliza. She slowly turned and started to walk.


    Claire quickly followed along, beside Eliza. ¡°You weren¡¯t there, and I don¡¯t think Kaz told you, but he told us in the debrief that Svenn was a hard fucker to kill. If Amy¨¦ died instead¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have pinned it on you.¡± said Claire.


    Eliza nodded. People were walking by, many with bouquets, incense, food offerings, lamps and holo-cards. Even in a galaxy where violence was commonplace, respect must always be paid.


    Her mind ate it up, yet her heart kept herself from acknowledging Claire¡¯s words. ¡°Still¡­ I just¡­ It¡¯s hard to put into words.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Claire started, audibly thinking as she raised an eyebrow to the skyline. ¡°I have this saying from back during my crim days, people will fall, that¡¯s inevitable: keep your eyes on those still here - those who rely on you rather than those who relied on you.¡±


    ¡°So that they may keeping relying on me,¡± Eliza finished Claire¡¯s thought. She nodded, smiling. ¡°I¡­ understand.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! See, knew you¡¯d get it, people like Quinn don¡¯t, metaphors don¡¯t really go well with him. Got the saying from my old boss.¡±


    Despite Claire¡¯s affirmations, Eliza still found it hard to understand and accept within her heart.


    As they passed beside a small crowd, a voice called out to them, ¡°Oi! You two!¡±


    Claire twisted. She was the first to react. Grabbing hold of her hidden holster the two turned towards the voice. Stopping in place, Quinn waved at them - eyes glancing at Claire¡¯s hand.


    He raised his hands in a joking manner. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not armed, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna kill Liz, right?¡± joked Quinn, light-heartedly, ¡°Really¡­ I don¡¯t have a gun on me, of course I could get one and come back, but that¡¯ll take a while.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Claire relaxed, ¡°Sorry about that, Quinn, just don¡¯t call out to us randomly, m¡¯kay?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Quinn completely ignored Claire. ¡°Anyways, Liz, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re here for Riharia?¡±


    Eliza¡¯s face lit up as she nodded quickly, asking, ¡°Yes, might I ask the same of you?¡±


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    He paused for a moment. ¡°Yeah, no shit. She was like a sister to me¡­¡± Quinn nodded, before muttering off to himself, ¡°Just wished that Petra got one¡­¡±


    A fragment of melancholy lingered in his voice, underneath his happy-go attitude. Eliza caught onto it. She didn¡¯t know who Petra was; but she could infer that she either died during Clandestine or the rebellion, but before Eliza was able to inquire any further, Quinn pointed towards the memorial. More specifically, the area that Eliza had placed the bouquet at, lined up against the wall with a few others.


    ¡°Mind if I count yours as mine as well?¡± asked Quinn. He placed one of his hands in his pocket, seemingly playing with something as he scratched his cheek with the other hand. ¡°I normally don¡¯t bring flowers so¡­¡±


    Eliza nodded, happy to have Quinn along. Yet, Claire sighed in slight dismay. ¡°Quinn, just buy a bouquet, it¡¯s not that hard, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah but¡­ I gotta save up¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªFor a new holo-deck fifty pack?¡± asked Claire, raising an eyebrow at him. Quinn started to sweat a torrent, avoiding the question. After all, it was probably true.


    He continued to scratch his cheek, looking quite unenthusiastic as he glanced at Eliza. ¡°Well, no¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, give Quinn a break,¡± Eliza interjected before Claire could say anything else, slapping her lightly on the shoulder, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with saving up some money for rainy days¡­ Plus, I need to save up personally for a new uplink model¡­¡±


    Quinn latched onto her train of thought. ¡°Yeah! Plus¡­ feels disrespectful to Riharia, Jackia and all the others who have died.


    Eliza didn¡¯t know that latter name, there were so many dead that she had no idea of. However, they steeled Eliza¡¯s mind to focus on keeping as many people alive as possible¡­


    Claire agreed. ¡°Hmm, yeah. You¡¯re right, but why are you here, Quinn?¡±


    Quinn stopped, his hand still remaining within his pocket. Then, his face restarted once again as he smiled, ¡°It just gives me some comfort, I guess?¡±


    The cogs in Claire¡¯s brain started to move as she clicked her fingers, raising them towards him. ¡°Great, you¡¯re probably the best to get Liz out of the dumpster, then?¡± said Claire.


    Quinn pondered for a moment as the three started walking again. ¡°Pick yourself up, Liz, don¡¯t get stuck in guilt¡¯s black hole¡­ nothing you can do about the past, right? Riharia might have been close to me, but she¡¯s not the first, don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be the last either,¡± admitted Quinn. He tried to maintain a slight smile.


    Eliza nodded. She hoped that the chord Quinn hit would let his cheeriness rub off onto her. After all, Eliza knew Riharia wouldn¡¯t have wanted her to be so down over this. She wondered whether her old self would have stomached all of this better.


    She pondered for a moment, catching Quinn¡¯s attention as he continued, ¡°Remember that time we all went out drinking? Hell, we all got fucking hammered.¡±


    Claire muttered, ¡°Of fucking course, I still remember dragging you all back with Lilly!¡±


    ¡°Wait, what are you talking about?¡± asked Eliza, ¡°I don¡¯t particularly remember this.¡±


    He paused for a moment, then had a small epiphany. ¡°Oh yeah¡­ you were the most smashed out of all of us, like holy fuck¡­ Hey, Claire, you still got any of those sober-stims?¡± asked Quinn.


    Eliza¡¯s face went red. She was so drunk that she couldn¡¯t even remember what happened?!


    ¡°Fuck no. I wasted most of them that night, and you bet your ass I¡¯m not giving you any in particular,¡± rebuked Claire, flicking her fingers at the side of Quinn¡¯s head before looking at Eliza. He let off a small groan as the fingers made impact. ¡°We should speed up, our ride will be expecting us soon, I think? Well, Liz and mine¡¯s¡±


    Nodding, Eliza pressed down on her phone, activating it, as she called Kazuki on the Hiccup application. It was the only messaging app he actually had. Her personal uplink buzzed to life, an attached earpiece varnished with a flower casing, a small droplet earing falling below her earlobe.


    It rang for a few seconds, a bubbly photo of his pet Phoenix Leviathan was his avatar. A few seconds turned to four¡­ then ten, before Kazuki picked it up.


    ¡°Jeez, he takes long,¡± commented Quinn.


    Eliza could hear grumbling on the other side of the uplink-channel. ¡®No, I¡¯m not helping the lowguard clan. Get someone else to fight with you,¡¯ complained Kazuki.


    At the mention of that game, Eliza lost focus of the topic. ¡®Ah, wait! Can I be invited?¡¯ asked Eliza.


    He audibly sighed, then paused for a moment before continuing, ¡®Sorry, Yuki called me earlier¡­ nevermind that.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s alright, Kaz, do you mind me asking if anything important has arisen?¡¯ Both Quinn and Claire listened in as Quinn slowly grew a grin.


    ¡®No.¡¯ said Kazuki, a simple reply.


    ¡°You know what we used to do when people were on their phones?¡± asked Quinn. ¡°Why don¡¯t I show you.¡±


    Claire shook her head at Quinn as he leaned in towards Eliza, activating his own uplink with a giggle. But before he could make another sound, Kazuki responded, ¡®Oh, I see you have Quinn with you.¡¯


    Eliza¡¯s head twisted towards Quinn, as he backtracked, whistling away. Claire annoyingly nudged him in the elbow. ¡°Say, uh, why don¡¯t we go get something to eat?¡± asked Quinn.


    She twisted back to the phone as Kazuki said, ¡®Go ahead, nothing urgent. I can handle the information harvesting and management. By the way, how organised do you want the board to be?¡¯


    ¡®What sort of question is that?!¡¯ asked Eliza, ¡®Moderately good looking?¡¯


    ¡®Alright. Perfection it is.¡¯ Kazuki remarked, before hanging up on her before she could reply.


    She sighed, grumbling for a moment. He was never the type for talking, bland statements yes but he never divulged much. That was probably what made Archius so attached to him, the thrill of working alongside someone that he doesn¡¯t understand¡­ At least that¡¯s what Eliza thought.


    Eliza glanced over towards Claire, she was shaking her head at her. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not a bad idea, we might as well get something,¡± said Eliza.


    Claire sighed, grumbling under her breath, ¡°Fine, but only, ONLY, if we go somewhere that doesn¡¯t sell alcohol. Don¡¯t want Eliza vomiting over us again¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, seems like Kazuki isn¡¯t that worr¡ªwait what do you mean me? I barely drink?!¡± Eliza exclaimed out loud as they walked by a grieving family, glancing at her. She apologised profusely, much to Quinn¡¯s amusement, and Claire¡¯s dismay.


    ¡°Sure, sure! No problem! No alcohol,¡± said Quinn, a hint of glee within his voice - he was definitely going to find a loophole.


    Eliza couldn¡¯t help but be amused, snickering slightly behind her hand. Claire didn¡¯t even bother calling Quinn out, probably tired from dealing with him.


    Claire relents, sighing - never as strict as her marine counterpart.


    Looking up, the three saw a 3D holo-animation of that medical show, the one with Dr. Garreau, she was particularly more friendly in the show than in person. ¡°Have any of you watched that show recently? The one with the doctors and drama?¡± asked Quinn, nearing the exit.


    What did he just say? HE DIDN¡¯T NEED TO POINT THAT OUT. Eliza looked at Quinn with a panicked face. He furrowed his brow, glancing around, then back at Eliza as he pointed at himself, confused.


    She slowly mouthed, ¡°PULL. BACK.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Quinn scratched the back of his head as Claire¡¯s head swivelled towards them. Her eyes glistened navy blue for a moment.


    ¡°You¡¯ve watched it?¡± asked Claire, her navy blue eyes aflame with a sense of connection, linking her and Quinn. Eliza had a bad feeling¡ªno: an awful one. Dread filled her as she knew Claire would babble on about something she¡¯s passionate about, the pinnacle of medicine and entertainment combined. And now, it was finally impossible to stop her¡­


    Giving Quinn a last desperate plea, her begging fell on deaf eyes. He simply shrugged off her stare. ¡°Well, fuck yeah? Persephone and Martinez recommended it to me some days ago in the cafeteria. Hell! Even old man Hosea¡¯s into it, it seems.¡±


    And as Claire slowly opened her mouth, Eliza knew that it was over. From that moment on, she braced herself mentally¡­

 XX2: Dinner with Mercs

    ¡°¡ªAnd that is why I forgive the minuscule inaccuracy regarding the injector quantity, it¡¯s an easy mistake to make with all the labels, you two still with me?¡± asked Claire, sitting down opposing Eliza and Quinn in a drone restaurant. It was within the nearby Train Station, a quick bite before they catch the night trains.


    Eliza could start to feel her mind recover from a state of near-death. Life was breathed into her lungs. Pushing her head up from the table, she glanced towards Quinn. He looked more dead than her.


    ¡°We¡¯re alive!?¡± asked Quinn, in a hushed voice. His eyes were teary from mental exhaustion. ¡°You could have been a bit FUCKING clearer with your warning¡­¡±


    ¡°I tried¡­¡± Sitting up, her eyes scanned across the restaurant. It was a cosy establishment, a drone restaurant with sparks of life within it. Unlike the high-end restaurant that she planned to go to with Kazuki and Archius, this place wasn¡¯t filled with people.


    ¡°Oh yeah, Liz, you got your Contractor Card with you, right?¡± asked Claire.


    ¡°Hmm? Contractor what?¡±


    Claire shook her head slowly. Quinn smirked, then jokingly remarked, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not always on top of everything.¡±


    Claire took out something from her breast pocket. It was a holographic ID Card. Claire¡­ No last name. Employed at the AGENCY, Specialist Medic at the Rank of Ohmicron. ¡°If you want to keep working with us, you should get one.¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Quinn made a mocking noise. He flicked up his own card. Quinn - Specialist breacher, Rank of Alfa. She¡­ didn¡¯t understand it, she merely nodded and clapped slightly.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary,¡± Eliza said. ¡°Plus¡­ if it¡¯s really needed, Kaz will tell me.¡±


    Claire nodded. ¡°Fair enough, just don¡¯t go flaunting it around like Quinn.¡± She rolled her eyes.


    Quinn chuckled. ¡°Aaah, come on, you¡¯ll progress to Alfa rank one day, hell, maybe I¡¯ll even make it to the Heptagia!¡±


    Claire hid a laugh.


    The holographic menus in the centre of the table fizzed, before activating at the sense of motion. Only the darkened sky gave clues as to how long Claire had been rambling on. The outside was filled with endless platforms as bullet trains and maglevs towed in and out by each minute. The webinet news was playing on a nearby monitor, as Eliza glanced at it, listening in to Starport News, a popular news channel in the Republic.


    ¡®Many are still reeling from the outburst of violence recently on the Ptolemy-2 Station, where hundreds of civilians, security and staff were massacred by mercenaries that have been claimed to be ex-Clandestine,¡¯ reported the news anchor, giving clear statements. ¡®Eyewitnesses on the station have claimed that the AGENCY was involved somewhat. But whilst it may seem the worst is behind the Grand¨¦ Republic, violent crime has seen a tenfold increase since pre-incident statistics. This is Camerio Dackre, Starport News.¡¯


    Things¡­ are changing, Eliza could see that. But, something didn¡¯t sit right with her.


    Claire took her phone out, looking outside the window as trickles of rain started to pour down. Those outside activating their umbrellas or pulling up hoods, with the station¡¯s intercom announcing one minute delays and arrival times. Claire asked, ¡±Hey, you think Gabriel wants to hang out with us?¡±


    ¡°Gabriel?¡± Eliza raised an eyebrow, she hasn¡¯t heard of that person before¡­ yet it feels familiar. ¡°Why not Amy¨¦ or Lilly?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ don¡¯t want Amy¨¦ getting drunk on us, do we?¡± joked Quinn, nudging Eliza.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Claire. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t worry about Gabe, just an old friend of ours. He left the AGENCY after the rebellion.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t heard about him¡­¡± The name sounded so familiar, yet she couldn¡¯t put her finger on it.


    ¡°Guess it¡¯ll be lively with just the four of us!¡± said Quinn.


    Claire typed into her phone, immediately getting a response. ¡°Fuck, he¡¯s busy with his bakery.¡±


    ¡°Three of us¡­¡±


    ¡°Local one?¡± asked Eliza, somewhat surprised that someone was able to leave the industry behind and get a normal life. Though with a small pallet of applicable skills that businesses nowadays demand, she understood why mercs stayed.


    Claire mulled over the question for a moment, shrugging. ¡°Local as in planetside then yeah, it¡¯s like a dozen districts away, I think.¡±


    A moment of calm came as Eliza glanced around as a serving drone turned on some music; the restaurant only had a dozen or half in it, including them. But those within the restaurant looked as if they were pulling hard deadlines - even this late. Well, work-life balance wasn¡¯t this planet¡¯s fort¨¦, thought Eliza. Perhaps these people want to get an extra bit of work done before heading home. Slowly, the same drone hovered towards them, wearing a cute bowtie on its white spherical surface, as a holographic face popped up.


    ¡®Good evening. Can I take your orders?¡± asked the drone, in a highly mechanical voice.


    ¡°Surprise me!¡± Quinn gently tapped the drone on its back, sending it spinning ever so slightly before its stabilisers activated.


    The drone hovered for a second before a random order was placed on a projected screen, fried rantegari. Eliza was surprised that the drone complied, fascinated at it. She hadn¡¯t been to a drone restaurant before, but they seemed far more robust than she anticipated, a welcome surprise.


    ¡®What do we have here?¡¯ asked Synthia, a holographic visage projecting itself onto her shoulder. ¡®Surprised that we can accomplish such a simple activity, Miss Eliza?¡¯


    ¡®Ah, no!¡¯ Eliza tried to wave her off her shoulder before Quinn and Claire saw her. But it was already too late as her hand phased directly through Synthia¡¯s holo-form.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Claire leaned over whilst looking at the visage, ¡°Wait you have one of those?¡±


    Quinn immediately tried to speak directly to the AI. ¡°Hey, you, tell me all of Liz¡¯s deepest and darkest secrets.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Eliza shouted, flicking the AI tutor off. She clicked her tongue. ¡°Bloody hell¡­ Why the fuck did she have to do that?¡±


    ¡°Orders, please.¡± the drone repeated, unflinching.


    Claire pointed towards the drone. ¡°Same as Quinn, surprise me.¡±


    Another order was added, grilled ribs, quite simple yet its simplicity was its core. Eliza scrambled to view the menu. But she was incredibly picky¡­ trying to pick randomly didn¡¯t work before, so she debated with herself¡­ She mumbled under her breath as she scanned the menu, she¡¯d typically have time before to plan this out¡­


    The drone remained silent, uncaring at Eliza¡¯s indecisiveness. Her rose-red eyes glanced at the drone and back to the menu¡­ She pushed her glasses up the brim of her nose but to no avail. She just couldn¡¯t pick one from the variety they offered!


    She slumped down to the table. ¡°Surprise me¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, defeated.


    Another order was placed, fish ¡®n¡¯ chips. The drone didn¡¯t care, simply ¡®nodding¡¯ as it hovered away. ¡°Thank you for your patronage.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on, Liz, it¡¯s always best to ask what the restaurant recommends!¡± said Quinn, ¡°Let me tell you, travelling on contracts is hella fun, even if it¡¯s a boring training contract.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Claire interjected, ¡°All fun until the planet we¡¯re on is embroiled in a druggie-fuelled civil war we have to intervene in, because someone blew up smuggled goods.¡±


    ¡°Lilly must not have liked that¡­¡± Eliza commented, implicating Quinn to be that someone. It was quite obvious.


    ¡°No¡­ she did not,¡± said Claire. ¡°Riharia, Kiri and I had to stop her from literally killing him.¡±


    Quinn rolled his eyes, poking fun at Claire. ¡°You misremember, she wasn¡¯t gonna kill me, you¡¯re just overstating your importance; you¡¯re hungry aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely¡ª¡± As she started speaking, her stomach grumbled slowly. She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°¡ªnot¡­¡±


    ¡°Pfft.¡± The two could barely hold in their laughter at the sight. That was far too conveniently timed, and of course, her face was bright red, contrasting her navy blue eyes and hair.


    ¡°HEY! Why don¡¯t you try guarding Eliza for a whole day? Her schedule is so packed it feels like a month went by in an hour!¡± shouted Claire. But the jab only got Quinn to burst out into even more laughter, as he started to wheeze. ¡°No, I¡¯m fucking serious, I could see my hair turning grey a hundred years too soon.¡±


    ¡°Calm down!¡± interjected Eliza, ¡°Wait¡ªWhat are you insinuating about me?!¡±


    ¡°That you¡¯re just an Iris-damned nerd! Seriously, guarding you is more mind-numbing than watching Kazuki stare at a gas mask paint dry. AND YES: HE DOES THAT. I HAD TO TEND TO HIM DURING THE REBELLION AFTER EACH TIME HIS HELM-MASK BROKE,¡± said Claire, a bit hypocritical, Eliza thought.


    ¡°Ah, so every mission!¡± Quinn quipped.


    ¡°Why¡­¡± The statement pissed her off, studying was far more important than watching paint dry! ¡°Then what the hell is Kaz to you then, huh?! If you¡¯re so adamant about it with me?¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, that¡¯s not what I said! He¡¯s just our leader, alright?¡± Claire shrugged. Now that she thinks about it, why¡­ is Kaz the leader of the AGENCY? Of course, he led the rebellion, but after all the dust has settled, can¡¯t they just leave?


    ¡°Why are you guys even still in the AGENCY?¡±


    ¡°Ooh, ooh.¡± Quinn interjected, counting on his fingers, ¡°Money! Pay¡¯s good, sure you put your life on the line but Arbiter pays us a premium, more than Clandestine, I¡¯ll tell you that.¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re still here because Lilly¡¯s still here and who knows what you¡¯d be doing without her!¡± Claire stuck her finger out, waving away Quinn¡¯s answer. ¡°But for most of us? Money, to be honest. Pay¡¯s good, what can I say?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ but¡­¡± Eliza thought for a moment. She didn¡¯t know how to word it, but it was quite evident that Kazuki wasn¡¯t the best at social interactions, either relying on blunt assertions or threats most of the time. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you picked Kaz to lead you guys¡­ it just seems weird from my view I guess? No offence or flack to him! Really! It¡¯s just that¡­ when I think about it, it perplexes me, he¡¯s never been the leadership type of guy?¡±


    ¡°See! She is trying to coup him.¡± Quinn jabbed at Eliza. ¡°Rivera was right!¡±


    ¡°Now, now, calm it,¡± said Claire. ¡°Kaz¡¯s always been our leader, I guess? Well, Martinez chose him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re siding with her because you think it¡¯ll get you Tirax-Genesis armour.¡± Quinn bluntly said, leaning over the table as Claire whistled away, glancing to the side¡­ ¡°See!¡±


    ¡°Nuh uh¡­¡± Claire shook her head. ¡°You know¡­ I¡¯m not jealous¡­ at all.¡±


    Eliza chimed in, ¡°Sorry but uh, I can get you guys some if you¡¯d like?¡±


    Claire immediately twisted her head towards Eliza. ¡°Absolutely! Please! You have no fucking idea how much I envied Deltastring for that armour, top-notch armour, best on the market? Hell yeah I¡¯d want that, ballistic tests show that it can even stop a Nine-Nine Magie.¡±


    She was having a total nerd-out over armour of all things, yet Eliza found it to be quite relatable, the nerd-out part, not the thing over armour. It slowly started to dawn on her that she really had no idea just what Kazuki is like¡­ She¡¯s known the civilian side of him for a while; but his merc side? No¡­ She refuses to admit it.


    Hiding away the thoughts, she chuckled, placing a hand over her mouth. ¡°Sure! But first¡­ answer my question,¡± said Eliza, using it as leverage. In all honesty, she was going to give it either way.


    ¡°Arbiter¡¯s always led us from the front, he leaves planning to others but on the battlefield: he wrecks shit. Guess we felt loyal to the ¡®noble¡¯ that bled with us,¡± started Quinn.


    ¡°What he said,¡± Claire interjected, placing her head in her palm as she placed her elbow against the table. ¡°Some talk the talk, but Kaz walked the walk; plus he¡¯s worked with a lot of Clandestine¡¯s best operatives, of course, they¡¯d side with him over the Directors.¡±


    Quinn smiled. ¡°Plus he¡¯s always willing to pay off our tabs,¡± he said before chuckling. ¡°And gambling tabs... Actually, we just go to him if we ever need any extra money and he¡¯s willing to just buy us out of our debts!¡±


    ¡°Ah? So Kaz takes care of his own...¡± Eliza mumbled to herself, guess that¡¯s how he bought their loyalty.


    Claire continued, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Quinn, most of us aren¡¯t like that... Some, yeah, but not all. Before you came along, he had like ten drones and me fix up his Stimie gear after each mission.¡±


    ¡°Stimie?¡± Eliza didn¡¯t particularly know what she meant by that.


    ¡°Stimulant-based exospine, like¡ª¡±


    Eliza interjected, ¡°¡ªOh! I know that! Why didn¡¯t you just say?¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you get the short-hand version of it?!¡± Claire exclaimed, shaking her head slightly. ¡°Do you really know your exoskeleton types?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do!¡± rebuked Eliza. This was just one of the various facts she had to know. ¡°I learnt them whilst studying cybernetics, which helped me repair Kaz¡¯s exospine. We have stimulant-based ones, as the one Kaz has¡­¡±


    Quinn shot his hand up. ¡°Wargear type!¡± he shouted. ¡°Like to pack some backup shots just in case I¡¯m outta loaded shells.¡±


    ¡°Wait, if you have wargear, then Claire must have¡­¡±


    Claire answered, ¡°Support, helps me store some extra medical shots for healing, you know? Helps quite a bit, though not a lot of people like it. People typically go Stimie or Communication.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Lilly, Martinez and Hosea are probably the only people that actually use Auxiliary, though¡ª¡± elaborated Quinn.


    Auxiliary? Eliza wasn¡¯t particularly aware of that one. She knows the normal ones¡­ Stims stimulate combat prowess, Support helps in paralysis, carry load and medical capabilities, and Wargear helps pack an extra punch whilst¡­


    ¡°¡ªKiri was given a chance to use it! She stuck with a Communication-based one! Can you believe that?!¡±


    Claire shrugged, offering up a suggestion, ¡°Maybe she prefers having a legion of drones swarm her? Communication does help increase uplink capacity, so that¡¯s probably why she uses it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s an Auxiliary one?¡± Eliza mused.


    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s just a combination of any of the rest, maybe Kaz¡¯s one is one of those, it¡¯s basically anything that doesn¡¯t think in the already existing categories, lazy I know but whatever,¡± Claire said. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to know this?¡±


    ¡°Hey! I just wasn¡¯t aware of that one¡­¡±


    Quinn slowly leaned over the table, whispering into Eliza¡¯s ear as he flickered up a deck of holocards on the table. ¡°Sire! Your honour is under attack, you must defend it and battle the wretched leader of Heimfall!¡± Quinn tried to provoke her.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± asked Claire. ¡°You better not be¡­ you fucking asshole.¡±


    Claire quickly realised what they were doing as Eliza listened intently to what Quinn said, ¡°Look¡­ I can teach you the basics as we play, you¡¯ll learn the rest easily.¡±


    Her pride was hurt, so of course, she nodded. She¡¯s down for a casual game of holo-cards if Claire¡¯s interested. ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, and lock in. This is competitive,¡± said Quinn, opening the cards as he playfully watched Claire sigh and lament agreeing to getting something to eat. It seems a bit of Lilly¡¯s frustration rubbed off onto Claire - that being a complete annoyance and aversion to Quinn¡¯s antics.


    He started to organise the cards as Eliza¡¯s head slowly turned towards Quinn. She was hyper-fixated on one word. Competitive? COMPETITIVE? Of course, it¡¯ll be competitive! It¡¯s a game where only one can win. Her mind was filled with racing thoughts of victory, holding the final card above Claire as she won her first-ever victory against a seasoned player. She continued to delude herself with that, slowly giggling to herself, under her breath.


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Eliza trailed off. Claire took note of her gleaming crimson eyes¡­ rose-red, hooked up and ready to burn the whole deck. Glancing out the window, Eliza watched as a train stopped at the station, unloading a large amount of passengers¡­ This was a business sector, why are they here? Did businesses shift to night shifts as well?! She¡¯ll have to catch up on the news, though their large, thick coats were not popular amongst the salary-workers she normally saw.


    ¡°Oh, please¡­ not now!¡± interjected Claire, ¡°I¡¯m all for you learning it, but neither me or Quinn are good players.¡±


    Her pride was questioned, and she must answer. Quinn was already arranging the entire setup for Dullahan¡¯s Calling as holo displays of towers, walls and a blazing sky lorded over the table, a holographic fortress city sprawling up, the citadel¡¯s peak seeing eye to eye with her. Units and maps erupted out from small cards, unravelling for Eliza to see. The cards hovered up, displaying the dynamic deployment zones for the defenders and the attackers - a war of attrition to either save or destroy the city.


    She felt a slight tug at her hoodie, borrowed from Kaz.


    Taking another glance out the window, she could see more and more passengers arriving, taking up the seats outside.


    A holo-board floating above the station advertised a new Uplink Model. 10x stronger than all other models? She raised an eyebrow, fixed on the subject. It looked like it was made for professionals across the board, a clipped-on earpiece that is smaller and more powerful.


    Given what happened to Kazuki on the P-2 Station¡­ It may be prudent to ask him about those¡­


    She shot a look back to Claire as she reminded herself of the game.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go easy on me, alright?¡± asked Eliza, fired up. But then she realised, she had absolutely no idea how to play, it can¡¯t be that bad, right? ¡°Quinn! How do I play?!¡±


    He sniggered at her question as he turned to answer. ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a card game, easy to learn. You¡¯ll be beating Kaz in no time.¡±


    Claire snickered, as she suggested, ¡°Maybe you can finally beat Kaz¡¯s unbreakable record. Beat him and you can say you¡¯re better than¡­ Martinez, Sato, hosea.¡± She started counting on the joints of her fingers, much similar to how Archius would.


    ¡°Ooh, maybe beating him is how people get into his inner circle! Think about it!¡± suggested Quinn.


    Claire chuckled, ¡°Fuck no, he just doesn¡¯t trust you! He trusts the rest of us, though.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I understand you,¡± Quinn then pointed at Eliza, ¡°But what about her?! Martinez¡¯s his Second; Archius is his coordinator but what about Liz?!¡±


    Eliza spoke up, scratching her head, ¡°Ah, we¡¯re just friends from school, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Just friends?¡± asked Quinn, turning the question into a light-hearted jab, ¡°I¡¯m not buying it and I don¡¯t think Lilly does either.¡±


    She grumbled under her breath¡­ She had to dispel many rumours in the past, especially since Kazuki¡¯s always been a ¡®high-valued person¡¯. Whether it was because of his actions or his birth name, she wasn¡¯t all too sure. ¡°Then buy it¡­ Look, I don¡¯t want to get into the details but we¡¯re working together, understand?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Absolutely not buying it. You tell me that you work for my boss, have no accolades, but at the same time, you¡¯re in his inner core? Either you or he fancies the other and I don¡¯t know!¡± said Quinn, continuing his rant with a self-satisfying smirk. ¡°Come on! SPILL IT!¡±


    ¡°I absolutely do not fancy him.¡± stated Eliza, groaning in exhaustion, rubbing her temple, ¡°You know, back in high school Kazuki told me he had to dispel that particular rumour¡­ seventy-eight? Seventy-nine times or so¡­ It¡¯s quite common.¡±


    Claire weighed in. ¡°Relax, we¡¯ll loosen his tongue up for you, he¡¯s a lot more chill than people give him credit for - hell, even I panicked when I started working with a member of the fucking seven mercs.¡±


    She smirked, but something struck Eliza as weird. The hoodie she borrowed from Kazuki felt tighter than usual - even though they were the same height¡­ No, that wasn¡¯t right. It felt hardened. Then, a small aching realisation hit Eliza.


    ¡°I just realised I don¡¯t know much of Kazuki,¡± Eliza said. ¡°I mean¡­ I was around during the war with the loyalists¡­ But it seems like you guys knew him for much longer.¡±


    Claire held up a peace sign. ¡°Since the summer of 4922.¡±


    4922? That means Kaz¡¯s been doing this for at least as long as she knew him since he joined Sarimba High for their final year in 4923.


    Quinn raised an eyebrow and chortled loudly before he started to cough profusely. Eliza patted him on the back, helping him clear his throat. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°You think that was a cathing war?! She thinks it¡¯s a war!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t confuse Liz with your local swears or whatever,¡± grumbled Claire.


    He shifted his gaze to Claire, who wasn¡¯t exactly most fond of his teasing outburst. Quinn pointed a finger at Eliza, then at Claire and back and forth.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not exactly accustomed to the scale of things in the industry,¡± Eliza said.


    Claire shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s fine¡­ That¡¯s fine. The ¡®war¡¯ against the Loyalists was merely a series of related operations¡­ I guess you could call some of the engagements battles, but that¡¯d be a bit disrespectful to the scale of battle we¡¯ve fought in.¡±


    ¡°Not even worth a campaign, let me tell you that! The AGENCY¡¯s planning for the battle over Old Terra drove half of the Command insane¡­¡± Quinn said, leaning in to Eliza. ¡°Why¡¯d you think Claire, Arbiter and Lilly¡¯s so stiff?¡±


    Eliza chuckled at his remark, still feeling the tight strings of her clothes cave in against her chest¡­ Ugh¡­ She¡¯ll complain to Kazuki later.


    ¡°Hey, I heard that,¡± Claire said. ¡°But he¡¯s right, a war for us is¡­ a war. Sure, we have our own little wars here and there, but nothing on the scale of Old Terra or Cantari¡¯s happened since¡­ Cantari.¡±


    ¡°I... Heard about what happened over Old Terra on the news,¡± Eliza started... She paused and took a moment to continue, not exactly finding the words, ¡°Are... is it true?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? The fact that we fought three battles in a single day? False... It was three and a half, the half coming from the forces already at the place,¡± Claire answered. ¡°Kaz led us to victory that day... I heard Martinez call Kaz the next Yamagata... Ironic¡ª¡±


    Quinn cut in, adding on, ¡°Given that the High Admiral¡¯s his dad!¡±


    Eliza nodded.


    ¡°But... we lost a lot of good people that day,¡± Quinn continued, his face slowly falling to one of regret and pain... Eliza merely watched, feeling her clothes cling tighter with each word that came off Quinn¡¯s mouth. ¡°We were outnumbered each fight, Kaz made a daring boarding attempt and won... And here we are.¡±


    She tugged at her hoodie¡¯s collar lightly, it was tougher than usual, do normal clothes do this? NO! What the hell is she thinking? She asked herself why it was the case, but her mind couldn¡¯t fathom any answer to her question.


    She pondered for a moment¡­ But before a thought could come to pass, Claire¡¯s bored blue eyes lit up as they skidded to the side - looking out the window. Eliza¡¯s did too. A fuselage of muzzles pointed inwards into the restaurant


    Eliza¡¯s curiosity about the hoodie quickly turned to confusion as Claire shifted upwards. She knocked over the cards on the table, lunging forward as sweat dripped down her forehead. She threw them both to the ground with a heavy thud. A litany of plasma crashed through the windows - gas and vaporised matter splintering across the air.

 XX3: Supper admist Chaos

    Shards of glass cut through the restaurant¡¯s warmth. Shining bolts flew by overhead, the cold rain outside pouring in as steam and smoke filled the restaurant into a chaotic furball. Claire kept herself pressed down.


    Her thin jacket took punishment after punishment as fragments of steel, glass and wood deflected off it, some jabbing into her skin. Eliza could feel both Quinn''s and Claire¡¯s hearts increase as Quinn twisted his head around. Panic set in; what¡¯s going on? She tried to move around, but Claire kept her pressed down to the floor. Smog and steam covered the restaurant floor, diffusing into the outside platform.


    Claire glanced up as the hail of plasma bolts stopped, leaving an eerie silence. Stale air lingered; she looked down at Eliza. ¡°Shit¡­ you hit?¡±


    Eliza shook her head, hands shaking slightly from the rush of adrenaline.


    Quinn shimmied upwards, looking around on one knee as he pushed Claire to the side. It was impossible to see through the smoke. ¡°Can¡¯t see shit in here.¡±


    Eliza glanced towards Quinn. Something fell out from his pocket¡­ A small collection of flowers. It was neatly tied up like a bouquet, as Eliza slowly reached out towards it, Quinn snatched it from the ground. Claire slowly knelt, scratching her head.


    He didn¡¯t know what to say¡­ But Eliza nodded nonetheless. Quinn slowly smiled, nodding as he slid the flowers back into his pocket, zipping it up.


    Eliza dusted herself off as Claire grabbed onto Eliza, helping her up. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± said Claire.


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine,¡± said Eliza. She glanced around as Claire grabbed hold of her arm, sneaking through the smoke to behind the counter. ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going¡ª¡±


    Claire placed a finger on her mouth. The clambering of a door being smashed open was heard. She waved at Quinn, signalling him to come over. He scurried through the dissipating smoke, towards them - always keeping his head on a swivel. Footsteps were heard entering the restaurants, with the crunching of glass and wood. Claire slid her hand into her skirt pockets, taking out a small plasma-pistol, flicking the chambering mechanism with her thumb.


    ¡°You actually brought fucking gun?¡± jabbed Quinn, scrambling around the counter as he shifted the bottles of alcohol away, grabbing one as Claire shoved a backup pistol into his chest. It looked old and rusty, from Eliza¡¯s perspective.


    ¡°Well, of course,¡± whispered Claire, trying to keep her voice down as more footsteps echoed through the restaurant. The only way out was forward, through them - the backdoor to the kitchen was sealed shut. ¡°Kaz told me to be prepared for anything.¡±


    The footsteps were slow, monotonous and heavy. Even Eliza could tell that they were probably heavily armed. ¡°Alright, so, what¡¯s the plan?!¡± she whispered to Claire.


    ¡°Calm down!¡± hushed Claire, ¡°Jeez, look, we can¡¯t do anything if you panic. Let me think¡­¡±


    Quinn rechambered Claire¡¯s backup pistol several times, sighing. ¡°Piece of fucking shit, don¡¯t you clean all your weapons?¡±


    ¡°Fuck¡¯s sake¡­ it¡¯s my backup, alright?¡± complained Claire, facepalming as she peeked above the counter.


    Eliza followed her lead, peeking to see the smoke fade away. Sirens wailed in the distance. Through the fog, figures clad in black armour crept and walked through the restaurant, entering and cautiously scouring through the smoke. Dead corpses littered the room, all civilians. The figures desecrated the bodies with secondary shots to the head. The sight of falling entrails and burnt-off limbs was disgusting¡­ churning her stomach. She twisted back down, grabbing her mouth as she felt like she¡¯d be sick¡­


    Claire patted Eliza on the back, twisting her face to pry off from the thought of death. ¡°We have to go forward.¡±


    ¡°Forward?!¡± Quinn asked in a hushed tone.


    Eliza looked up to Claire as she nodded. She repeated herself, ¡°Forward.¡±


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Eliza trailed off. ¡°But¡­ there¡¯s too many of them.¡±


    ¡°Better than getting gunned down there,¡± said Claire, signalling to Quinn as Eliza¡¯s heartbeat rose. ¡°When shit hits the fan, run and don¡¯t look back.¡±


    Eiza took another peak, as one of them caught sight of her crimson eyes through the falling smoke, the flash of a muzzle twisted sparked the room. And all hell broke loose, an eruption of gunfire sending the first attacker to the ground as bolts from Claire and Quinn staggered into their armour; they tried to stagger up but were killed by a stray bolt to the head. Blood exploded across the room and she cowered downwards. FUCK. FUCK FUCK. FUCK! She had no idea what to do.


    As the gunfire continued, Eliza felt a tug at her. It was Claire, she was dragging her upwards with Quinn, the three rushing and storming across the restaurant. Bodies collapsed and the sound of bolts hitting armour smacked into her ears. She heard shouting, yet could not distinguish it against the litany of noises in her head.


    She caught her footing, cowering behind Quinn and Claire as they fled outwards, a bomb igniting somewhere as a train towing into the station collided with the platform. Sparks and explosions scattered all around as Quinn and Claire threw themselves and Eliza onto the glass-covered restaurant floor. She saw a piece of steel debris fly over her.


    She squealed, ¡°WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!¡± Looking up at her two protectors, she prayed with all her might in those moments that they wouldn¡¯t perish¡­ Not here¡­ please¡­ She begged. And no assurances came. Both were already injured, with scorch marks littering their sleeves - but through the pain they endured¡­


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Quinn took lead, interchanging weapons with one of the dead, armoured attackers as he exited out onto the platform, covered in smoke from the explosion. And as her ears slowly recovered, she felt blood drip down her forehead¡­


    Shoving Eliza forward, Claire barged through a pool of blood, leading Eliza out onto the station¡­ Shit. Shit, what the fuck is going on?! It hadn¡¯t even come to her mind that this may be an organised attack; she kept her eyes away from the dead bodies, armoured or civilians. ¡°JUST KEEP MOVING!¡± replied Claire.


    And Eliza complied. In the chaos of it all, she was unnerved, sweat pouring down her face as she ran. She followed Claire and Quinn across the platform, eyes forward as the visage of blood splattered with every gunshot.


    Quinn was hit once, causing Eliza to freeze. He groaned in pain as he returned fire, a flurry of shots suppressing a group of attackers on another platform. ¡°KEEP MOVING!¡± he said, Claire rushing and pushing Eliza forward. She kept her eyes forward, through the bloodshed.


    Kazuki wasn¡¯t here, nor was Archius¡­ her usual pillars of assurance are gone¡­ But she places her trust in Quinn and Claire. The thought of another person dying because of her stabbed at her heart as Claire dragged her up the stairs into a walk bridge over the train tracks.


    ¡°Lazarus! Twelve Nine?¡± asked Quinn, joining them at the top of the bridge in a lull of the gunfire. Across the bridge was the exit out of the station. Quinn was clutching at his wounds, with Claire throwing him a Juggernaut stim-bolt to heal himself.


    Claire scampered down to one of the dead corpses, latching onto a grenade. Ripping it off, she launched it down the stairs, sending an ear-piercing scream into Eliza¡¯s ears, the smell of gasoline and laundry detergent filling her nose as she felt the heat of fire creep up the stairs. Footsteps could be heard rushing up the stairs from the other platforms, with her two guards scavenging for magazines. ¡°Negative! Epsilon, we have to GTFO and call for reinforcements!¡± ordered Claire, with gunfire pouring down the bridge, knocking over the hovering lamps.


    Quinn took cover behind a large bin, keeping Eliza close; Claire was hiding behind a bin similar to theirs.


    Kneeling down to her level, he slapped her lightly. ¡°Stay with¡­ us,¡± said Quinn. Gritting through the pain, he injected himself with the stim.


    Eliza took a peek from the bin, there weren¡¯t that many blocking their way, but they were armoured, heavily armed and in a tight corridor.


    Eliza¡¯s eyes wandered, staring at the blood spilt out from both Claire and Quinn. Her lungs started to go into overdrive, exhaling and inhaling more and more air with each second, tears and fear filling her eyes. She tried to hold it back, grimacing, before letting off a muffled cry to herself. She closed her eyes¡­ she was going to die here. Archius¡­ Kazuki¡­ where are you two? ¡°Fuck¡­ where are you?¡± she asked herself again hopelessly.


    ¡°Liz! Come on,¡± Quinn tried to encourage her to go forward. ¡°Stay with us! Don¡¯t you barf on my new khakis, just keep your head forward and let us do the fighting.¡±


    Claire grabbed hold of another grenade, lobbing it down as fragmentation split a path for her. She rushed forward, from cover to cover, using dead bodies and bins to block the bolts. ¡°COME UP LIZ!¡±


    Slowly, Eliza dragged her head up and down, nodding. Seeing no other way out, her logical side activated. She must follow them, she told herself - it did nothing to soothe her, however. He tapped her on the shoulder.


    ¡°Run,¡± demanded Quinn, in a serious voice. He peeked his head and fired down the bridge. And as always: Eliza complied, her legs moving on their own as she ran forward, rushing up to Claire as she took cover beside a tipped-over cleaning cart. Eliza remained unharmed, yet the sirens were blaring ever closer, with gunfire stretching out into the skies of the everlasting city. Police drones were scanning the area, shooting down at the attacking brutes.


    ¡°Shit¡­ these fucks are belligerent, let me tell you that!¡± shouted Claire, reloading her pistol as she slid in a new cartridge, breaking apart the barrel as the old cartridge ejected onto the floor. The attackers were forced onto the backfoot, hiding away as the flimsy drones were shot out of the sky.


    Eliza swallowed her stresses. ¡°How¡­ are we going to get through them?¡± asked Eliza.


    Claire thought for a moment, smacking the butt of the pistol against her head as she thought of a plan. She had a face ripe with the words ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯. Quinn rushed forward towards them, taking cover as he toppled a bin, using it as cover from behind. ¡°Who the fuck are these people?!¡±


    ¡°I dunno! Criminals?¡± replied Claire.


    Eliza fumbled with her hands as she took her phone out, dialling Kazuki a message on Hiccup. It was panicked and poorly worded¡­ But Kazuki read it instantly. She kept herself from hyperventilating, taking direct control of her lungs and trying to console herself. Kazuki will come and save her; he always succeeds. How is this any different?!


    ¡°Nah¡­ NAW. I thought they were police, how silly of me!¡± snapped Quinn.


    Eliza bit her lips, quivering as she let off mumbled words. ¡°W¡ªwhat are we¡­ going to do?¡±


    ¡°Just stay behind me!¡± assured Claire, tapping Eliza with her boots. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for another wave of drones to buy us an opportunity.¡±


    Heavy rain started to fall as drones flew by overhead, firing down at the attackers as they were forced back into cover, their bulky and heavy armour helping in dampening the damages.


    ¡°There¡¯s still too many¡­¡± Eliza trailed off.


    ¡°Kazuki didn¡¯t choose me for nothing!¡± exclaimed Claire, using the brief moment to leap over cover; rushing forward.


    Without armour, Claire was fast. Faster than what she''s seen on the cameras whilst overseeing or analysing the operations. And before she could even get to grips of what happened, Claire reached the attacker''s cover, firing a storm of bolts down into them. Reloading, she continued, aiming for the crevices in their armour.


    "GET A MOVE ON! BEFORE MORE ARRIVE! shouted Claire, as the final armoured attacker was killed.


    Eliza''s legs moved on their own, rushing forward. Adrenaline pumped through her; the exit was within reach.


    Claire''s face was a hint of red, joining her as Quinn caught up to them. "Don''t tell the others... I prefer not to break out into full sprints..." said Claire. Quinn covered their back as they all took cover; the door to the street outside was mere metres away.


    "Oh, please! You don''t sweat that much!" Quinn complained, groaning as he fired at the last remaining attackers. "Get out of here! We''ll cover you."


    Eliza gritted her teeth, looking towards the door, then back at the few attackers. "I..."


    Glancing back at her, Claire said, "Hey! Don''t get cold feet now; run. Exercise will keep your body warm!"


    The words of slight encouragement were enough. But she feared that the moment she looked away, they''d be cut down... She couldn''t do anything... She''s always been so useless; but she''s no contractor, no fighter. She understood that and bit her tongue. And she ran.

 XX4: Rain batters Steel

    Downpour hurdled down onto the street outside as Eliza ran; Quinn and Claire hot on her heels. Even outside, gunfire was rampant. In fact, the violence had all but consumed the streets outside, with police and attackers firing up and down the road. A bolt whizzed right past Eliza¡¯s glasses, causing Claire to tackle Eliza down behind a shuttle-car, Quinn joining in.


    Eliza rushed to his side, kneeling down as a flotilla of vans barrelled down towards from up the street. Police drones and officers turned to see the new threat, before airburst grenades were hurled down the road.


    Her red eyes caught a glimpse of the explosions, heading straight for the vehicles she was hiding behind. The shells opened up, showing a dozen small explosive pellets; right as Quinn grappled onto her and Claire, throwing the three of them down the street. The airburst ignited, sending sparks into the air that blinded Eliza¡¯s sight¡­ Police drones were scattered, as the lightly armoured police were met with a merc-grade response, as armoured individuals stormed down the street, wearing bulky armour.


    WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!


    They kept moving. Rushing backwards, the three hid behind an undamaged truck as fire raged past the smoke. ¡°What the fuck is going on?!¡± shouted Quinn.


    ¡°No clue; just keep your head straight and keep shooting!¡± said Claire. Drones started to fall, whilst Eliza watched as officers tried to take cover, fleeing as they were gunned down en masse. Their navy blue uniform and armour was turned into molten heat with every shot, revealing flesh underneath; Eliza pried her eyes off the bodies.


    ¡°FUCK. Liz! Can you call for backup?¡± asked Quinn, ¡°I¡¯d very much prefer to have Arb here!¡±


    ¡°ALREADY DID!¡± shouted Eliza, panicking as she peeked out of cover, seeing figures within the smoke, slowly advancing. She fumbled her hand as she pulled out her phone, no reply from Kazuki¡­ Her eyes widened. ¡°Dammit¡­ WHY CAN¡¯T I JUST ENJOY A MEAL IN PEACE?!¡±


    She mind complained, this was very much the last time she¡¯ll be eating out at a restaurant on Anagora¡­ Kazuki¡¯s arrival, the bar¡­ now this? Maybe she should eat out with a different group of people next time¡­


    Sirens continued to wail in the background, sounding the call of more officers to the slaughter. Eliza was mesmerised by another wave of explosions, sending up colours of red and yellow. ¡°Let¡¯s be thankful the police can recognise between unarmoured civvies and terrorists¡­¡± Claire muttered to herself, before taking a peek and narrowly avoiding a streaming string of bolts.


    Arriving police shuttles were turned into mobile coffins as heavy gunfire shredded into their fuel tanks, sending them crashing downwards. Between the police and the attackers, the three were forced into a hard place;. Kazuki¡­ where the hell is he?! Eliza started to panic again. Just¡­ where is he?


    A crying voice pierced through her mind as she twisted a look towards a nearby shuttle, tipped over and on fire. Someone inside was crying for help, it was a police officer, trapped within.


    Claire angrily tapped her ear, ¡®DOES ANYONE READ US?! THIS IS PHALANX, WE NEED REINFORCEMENTS, WITH A SIDE OF ARMOUR PIERCING!¡¯


    Eliza glanced towards Claire, then back at the officer. An idea stirred in her head as Eliza noted that the trapped vehicle was only a small distance away. It was possible.


    Glancing over, Claire looked at Eliza, then towards the shuttle, rubbing the scar across her nose bridge. She shook her head in response. ¡°Fuck no, it¡¯s a death trap. Middle of the fucking road? Sorry, Liz, but we¡¯ll just have to hope they live it through,¡± Claire admitted. ¡°I hate to fucking say it, but there¡¯s nothing we can do but try and cover her!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just¡­ leave them. You¡¯re a good shot, right?¡± asked Eliza, tapping Claire on the shoulder, slowly standing up. ¡°No¡­ you are a good shot. Cover me.¡± What the fuck was she doing?


    ¡°There¡¯s too many, without my gear you¡¯ll be vaporised, stay here¡­ We have to hold out.¡± ordered Claire, sighing as she joined Eliza, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°These attackers have some serious punch, who knows what else they have?!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ they¡¯ll die.¡± said Eliza, sneaking off to the edge of the truck as a bolt impacted the side of it. Adrenaline pumped through her body, tightening her chest. Claire snatched her arm before she could do anything unreasonable.


    ¡°You can¡¯t help her if you¡¯re dead, got it? Wait for reinforcements, then we can worry about her, understood!?¡±


    Logically, Claire was right, but Eliza couldn¡¯t leave her to perish - not without a fight. Too many had died, and if she can help save another life, she has the obligation to do so¡­ The officer was still crying out for help, but with the approaching muzzles, she¡¯ll be cut down. Her heart ran into full drive, pumping blood into her legs.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time¡­¡± Eliza trailed off.


    She was still not used to the etiquette of the business: mission over life. And Claire made sure she voiced her disapproval. ¡°Probably¡­ but if you want to die, go ahead! Kaz will kill me¡­¡± said Claire, using everything to try and stop Eliza.


    But the screams¡­ They were begging for help. Taking a deep breath, she tensed her muscles as she started into a sprint - booking it from behind the truck. Running across fire, she ducked underneath the salvos. A stray bolt skimming her in the leg, tripping her over onto the cold asphalt below.


    Claire forced herself into action, firing her pistol sporadically up the street, ducking behind the truck before any return fire could land a killing blow. Eliza scrambled, scrambled with all her legs and muscle as she forced herself forward. She narrowly avoided a string of bolts.


    She ducked behind the shuttle, but with the approaching attackers, Eliza had to put everything in Claire. She knelt beside the downed vehicle as Quinn and Claire continued to buy time, with all they had.


    ¡°Hey! Help me outta here!¡± begged the officer, trying to push the dented door open as they pressed down on their uplink, a standard earpiece design. ¡®I don¡¯t give a FUCK about protocol, get SPTU here! I DON¡¯T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT WHAT THE COMMITTEE SAYS. WE NEED THEM!¡¯


    She grabbed onto the handle and door frame. ¡°You push, I¡¯ll pull, p¡ªperhaps that¡¯ll loosen the door up?¡± Eliza shouted back at them, fumbling words.


    Eliza glanced down at the wound to her leg. She had scrapped her knee, with a seething bolt wound just eclipsing the back of her thigh, the fall had tore marks across her tights and legs¡­


    The pain was seething, aching to her nerves. She took the first ever bolt wound in her life with pride, seeing it as an affirmation of who she is¡­ With that in mind, she braced through the pain.


    More and more attackers pushed forward, aided by their grounded-shuttles. The police lines held strong, with the two mercs fighting beside them; with the circumstances: the two AGENTs were less of a concern. But each second brought more death.


    More drones roared by overhead, flying out from the lowrises and through the cracks in the buildings. All gunned down as they got closer to the scene, barely able to let off a salvo of gunfire. She looked back down at the officer, the fire in her eyes imbued with a cocktail of stress and adrenaline.


    She nodded as Eliza counted down, ¡°Three, Two, One, go!¡±


    She placed her back into it, forcing everything that her spine and muscles could give into pulling¡­ But it wasn¡¯t enough. A whistling bullet singed her hair, before its sender was worn down and killed with a neck-shot by Claire. ¡°FUCK¡­¡± she muttered to herself, ¡°Should have spent more time in the gym with Aaron than studying with Chlo¨¦¡­¡±


    She tensed everything she had and more, pushing everything into her back. The officer slammed against the door, pushing against it as a plasma bolt threw itself through the armoured window, splitting into their leg with a blood curdling cry.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± The Officer cried out, letting a shriek echo into Eliza¡¯s ears. She can see fragments of her leg bleeding across the interior.


    ¡°Keep pushing, it¡¯s nearly there!¡± Eliza shouted, closing her eyes, feeling the door slowly pry open. The officer gritted through the pain as their combined efforts sent the door cracking open. With the sudden force released, Eliza fell on her back as the officer scurried out from within.


    The officer nodded at her, gritting through the pain as she leaned against the vehicle. ¡°Don¡¯t look¡­¡±


    She complied, hearing the officer doing their best to hide the pain as they tended to their wound, injecting the leg with as many drugs as possible. ¡°These guys are way too armed! Who in the eclipse are they? And why the fuck haven¡¯t you guys ran?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know?!¡± Eliza responded, glancing at Claire as she was being suppressed by the shuttle. ¡°I¡­ I think they want to kill me.¡± She didn¡¯t want to admit it, but it was likely. The assassins months ago were after Kazuki; but he¡¯s not here.


    She nodded. ¡®This is Mictia-5-5, 10-754, yes, 10-754.¡¯ The officer immediately got to reporting, sliding her service pistol out. It was light and dinky, and gave Eliza no comfort. But she tried her best to calm down.


    Taking a peek, Eliza could see a storm of armoured attackers march forward, killing anything in their path as the police were barely able to put up a token resistance. The officer gritted their teeth, hiding the pain. Eliza still looked away from the officer¡­


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of dread. Kauzki had left her on read¡­ just where is he? He has to be close? Right? Just¡­ Eliza couldn¡¯t formulate the thought¡­ the thought of him not coming to save them all. He¡¯s always on time, always arriving at the right moment; so where is he?


    ¡®Dammit¡­¡¯ Eliza whispered into the uplink, her mind filled with stress and fear, ¡®Where¡¯s our backup?¡¯


    And a voice answered, cold and precise. ¡®Here.¡¯


    ? ? ? KAZUKI A blazing inferno caught fire as strings of rockets and armour piercing rounds scattered the street. Shuttles cried by overhead, arriving at the scene escorted by a fleet of support drones.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Kazuki and Eliza exchanged looks, the shuttles stalking in the air as they fired downwards. Gravity-Locks turned the hostile vans into an immobile mass of steel, crushed underneath the intense forces as it scrunched up, blood seeping out and exploding. Kazuki felt nothing.


    His exospine burst out in a ray of blue light, a hue different from what he was used to. Drugs stimulated through his body, increasing his strength.


    He watched as the attackers were slaughtered, turned into meshes of flesh and blood and organs. Wrist-rockets from up above sliced through their reinforcements, whilst those in cover stood no chance at the mercenary-grade response. He looked down at the carnage, his aug-glasses showing a thousand visual forms of information...


    There was still staggered resistance left. He¡¯ll let his men handle the stragglers as sealed his helm-mask on, clad in standard-full vest-plate armour. His men were outnumbered by the attackers, but they were not outmatched.


    He noted one trying to push their way through the carnage towards Eliza. So Eliza was their target¡­ Targeting the weakest link in the AGENCY¡­ The Loyalists were after him, but these people, they¡¯re after her. They must be linked. Somehow.


    They deflected bullets off their shield from Claire as she shouted towards Quinn. Kazuki mumbled to himself¡­ How did they know Eliza was here? Only someone in government or in the BCA or Board would have eyes up here. Did someone break or splice into their communication channels? Hiccup isn¡¯t known for being the best at private security.


    But that can be dealt with later. For now, he has an infection to cleanse. Taking a step off of the shuttle, he plunged downwards. Speeding with gravity, he crashed directly onto the attacker. He heard a crack. Looking down, he felt shame at the dead corpse. He would have left Archius to interrogate them¡­


    Stepping off them, he dusted blood off his ANCHOR-braces and pants. He didn¡¯t have his helm-mask on, the vest-plate¡¯s neck-guard and helm-mask connector being naked for all to see, with its valves and hydraulic locks.


    ¡°Kazuki¡­¡± Eliza said, springing up from cover. Even as reinforcing shuttles came barrelling down the street, they were quickly eliminated - no match for high explosive armour piercing corrosion rounds that his armoured convoy used. Up above was a dozen shuttles. An overwhelming display of might compared to what should be used.


    He gave her a cold look. Giving her that hoodie was a good call. If she was shot, the hoodie would¡¯ve withstood the attack. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± asked Kazuki.


    He dusted off smoke and soot off his navy blue Judiciary dress coat, over his vest-plate armour. It looked makeshift. Professional dress against bloody contracted gear.


    She looked down at her leg, it was only one wound. Good, he thought. Claire did her job, he¡¯ll pay her for the hazard later.


    ¡°Arbiter¡­¡± said the officer, staggering up as she leaned against the vehicle, Eliza rushing to help her.


    ¡°Riley,¡± said Kazuki, taking his gas mask off. He recognised that voice and face, someone he served with for a few operations back in the day. He scanned the battlefield, seeing one injured attacker beside the truck, leaning against it - heavily armoured. Imperial armour, 59th drop division. They weren¡¯t Imperials¡­ and the 59th drop division went MIA in the war¡­ ¡°Hmm. MIA. It¡¯s a lead¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, you still remember me, then?¡± asked Riley, coughing up some blood as they injected themselves with morphine.


    ¡°Sadly not. My memory has not served me well but if I had to guess¡­ you served in the 2nd Fleet as a naval gunner before you joined the force. I also guess that we fought alongside each other at Kibatuki.¡± snapped Kazuki.


    Riley laughed his sarcasm off, sitting down on the vehicle beside her. Eliza slowly walked towards Kazuk. But he stopped her, placing a hand out and ushering her away. Riley tapped Eliza on the shoulder as the two gave Kazuki space. He slowly turned to the near-dead attacker, approaching and kneeling. He ripped their helmet off, seeing the cracks beside his lips for a split-second reflect off the visor.


    The face of a seasoned veteran was underneath the helmet. It didn¡¯t look like a war-vet, nor a merc-vet¡­ crim-vet, probably - but he didn¡¯t recognise it. ¡°Let¡¯s make this easy for both of us. Who sent you?¡±


    The grizzled man gave Kazuki but one look, and spat blood in his face. The rain wiped it off. ¡°What a shame.¡±


    Calmly, he hydraulically punched them in the liver. He gave his regular, stone-cold face. They tried to fight back, but Kazuki kept them pinned. He¡¯ll rip their fingers off next. He repeated himself, ¡°Who contracted you? You have Imperial armour, it should be impossible. Most were melted down.¡±


    He needs to know. They went after Eliza, not him. They had connections, enough to get old war gear. He looked too grizzled to be a Clandestin veteran he didn¡¯t know. Looking up the street, Kazuki saw the burning shuttles. More reinforcements came after the AGENCY arrived, but why? He had an idea¡­ but it was too foolhardy, and arrogant. If they planned that, they were stupid. Someone was behind this, and it was safe to assume they might be involved with the Loyalists¡­ BUT Who?!


    The man opened his mouth as he gasped in pain. ¡°Fuck¡­ you.¡±


    ¡°Poor choice of words.¡± said Kazuki, going for their hand but as he did, the man grappled with Kazuki, trying to stab him with a knife. Rain muddied the stab.


    Kazuki¡¯s eyes lit up as he activated his shield, embedding the knife into the shield as it became stuck. A red light blinked, as Kazuki¡¯s eyes glistened a hue of blue. The red light that consumed his vision as a bomb was strapped directly to their chestplate.


    He kicked the man backwards, denting the truck. His ICAPAD lit up with notifications, as he pushed his shield in front of him. His ANCHOR activated on instinct, projecting himself backwards. A fireburst blaze of airburst munitions combusted. Smoke rose. Shouts and cries came from the police and AGENTs¡­


    ¡°Kaz!¡± Eliza shouted, running forward, ¡°Are you¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± said Kazuki, stepping out from the rising smoke, his armoured vest-plate and clothes were relatively undamaged. Scratches on his face showed some effect. ¡°I think you should stay away from eating out for a while¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ agree, what the fuck¡­ This is the third time¡­¡± Her voice was strained, Kazuki thought.


    ¡°Well, the second time was kinda our fault¡­¡± Claire trailed off. Quinn sheepishly nodded, letting off a small, embarrassed chuckle.


    ¡°They stood no fucking chance!¡± joked one of the operatives checking on the dead bodies. ¡°Fucking dirt-eaters¡­¡±


    ¡°Hah,¡± came another. Kazuki did not recognise their voices. They must be some of the defected Loyalists Martinez or Sato vetted. Best not to learn their voices, Kazuki thought.


    The only thing knowledge brings him is more responsibility. More memories, voices, jokes and smiles to bear on his shoulders.


    A figure dropped out from a shuttle, hovering close to the ground, before rising up into the air. It was Martinez, without his helm-mask. ¡°Arbiter! AO¡¯s clear, seems to just be them.¡±


    The middle aged Yamikoi man waved to Kazuki. He waved back. ¡°Keep sweeping the area for hostiles.¡±


    ¡°Sweep this area¡­ sweep that area,¡± Martinez started. ¡°That¡¯s all we ever did in the Kanzibar Hinterlands.¡± He shrugged, sighing. Martinez had served both local and Republic forces in the Kastenor Oversector, a local of the Republic Kanzibari Hinterlands.


    Kazuki raised his voice back. ¡°When? Serving in the Kanzibari national guard, military or private security?¡±


    ¡°All of them!¡± Martinez shouted back, turning towards the carnage. ¡°I can handle the clean-up, best to get it out of the way.¡±


    Professional. Always offering assistance. Martinez never faltered in his efficiency, Kazuki thought. He nodded, before turning to the group that survived the attack. They were battered.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know you made jokes, Arbiter,¡± muttered Quinn. Compared to Quinn, Martinez was more acclimated to Kazuki. To him, the Contract-Breaker was merely a comrade in arms, not just his superior, like what Quinn saw him as.


    ¡°Well, most of his jokes are rather dark and morbid,¡± Eliza commented, her gaze drooping down to the cracked road.


    Fuck, getting Eliza involved placed her in this situation¡­ He¡¯ll need to put one of his actual guards in charge of protecting Eliza from now on, he thought. This was getting way too out of hand. Something jagged into Kazuki¡¯s mind. He swallowed a pill of Halolazil in response.


    The new burn beside his lips still felt weird, different from what his memories were accustomed to. No matter. It¡¯ll adapt to the feeling.


    Eliza took a step forward and continued, ¡°Your¡­ injuries¡­¡±


    ¡°Minimal,¡± he said. It was of no concern, though. He had ANCHOR¡¯d out of the blast radius. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Claire quickly ran up to Kazuki, grabbing onto him as if she expected him to fall down immediately. Her face wore worry as Quinn ran over, joining her as Kazuki brushed them off, taking out an energy-umbrella from his pocket.


    ¡°I made sure to get this.¡± Kazuki commented, before turning to Claire. ¡°Really. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°But, your medinet¡ª¡±


    He cut Claire off. ¡°Eliza reinforced them. There is no need to worry.¡±


    The two looked at Eliza. Kazuki ignited the energy umbrella, the holo-art showing a phoenicia-leviathan soaring the galactic winds beside a fleet, it was moving, with a thousand stars and phenomenon showing. He could name it all. He gave it to Eliza, she took it.


    ¡°Wait, for me?¡± She seemed confused.


    He nodded, but didn¡¯t step under it. He was used to harsh conditions. Yet, Claire and Quinn were surprised that she was able to do that. They glanced at her, then at him, as she was looking up at the majestic art-work made, Lilly¡¯s signature in the corner. ¡°WHY DIDN¡¯T YOU DO IT BEFORE THEN!?¡±


    ¡°We had a bit of a problem with a three hundred vessel fleet chasing us for a year.¡± said Kazuki, ¡°Plus, with the Loyalists, I haven¡¯t exactly found time.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I guess you¡¯re enjoying them?¡± asked Eliza, dusting herself off as Kazuki saw pride in her eyes, yet her confidence was dimmer¡­ He didn¡¯t blame her, after everything that happened, he¡¯d find it hard to be confident in her shoes. But he wasn¡¯t in her shoes¡­


    ¡°Not as smooth,¡± commented Kazuki, brutally honest. ¡°But it works well with more replaceable charges.¡±


    Claire winked at Eliza without Kazuki noticing. ¡°Well then, it seems like you¡¯ve found the one, Kaz.¡±


    Eliza¡¯s face immediately went tomato-red as Kazuki glanced at her, then at Claire. If it was a metaphor or a saying, he had no idea. He had little time to understand the nuances of language, especially nuances that do not assist him in killing opponents.


    A few press drones were catching the incident in the aftermath.


    ¡°Yes. She was able to repair my cybernetics where no one else could.¡± said Kazuki, giving a banal response. He felt his exospine gears smoothly shift into place, reclocking. ¡°Objectively, she makes a good aide.¡±


    ¡°So, you like them? How about the new cooling agent?¡± she asked. ¡°I was able to find a solution that worked slightly better, though it¡¯ll be somewhat expensive.¡±


    Kazuki replied instantly, ¡°Blue catches the eye less than green. For its purposes, it¡¯s good.¡±


    Quinn found it amusing and sniggered, whilst Claire gave Eliza a pitiful look. Eliza shook her head at her. ¡°Come on¡­¡±


    The two spoke in hushed voices so that neither Quinn or Kazuki could hear. Eliza responded, ¡°Whatever you believe it to be, it¡¯s the contrary¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, seriously? Then what¡¯s your real goal here if it isn¡¯t our top-dog.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not after¡ªhey!¡± said Eliza, quickly lowering her voice, ¡°We¡¯re working together on something¡­¡±


    Claire nudged her, winking.


    ¡°Absolutely not, disclosure is on Kazuki¡¯s side of things.¡± said Eliza, ¡°Rules are made to be followed, after all.¡±


    He heard what they said. But Kazuki didn¡¯t care. He knelt down, picking up an old rifle as he pressed his finger against the filed off serial number¡­ ¡°F482a-49¡± said Kazuki.


    He¡¯s done this before, and the most subtle of clues gave it away. Martinez dropped down beside him, crunching the road below.


    ¡°Arbiter, got anything?¡± asked Martinez. The hydraulics between his vest-plate and helm-mask sealed.


    Kazuki turned towards him, showing him the old rifle. ¡°Imperial made, F482a-49. They tried to file it down, it was¡­ rudimentary. You know anything about that?¡±


    Martinez, of course, shrugged. ¡°No fucking clue, let¡¯s see if Sato or Krystalink can tie it down. I haven¡¯t fought or seen any Imperial gear since the war.¡±


    Kazuki nodded. These attackers went after her, they probably didn¡¯t know of his first contract. But the fact that they went after the softer target was worrying. Someone apprehends her value to him, to lure him out¡­ It was troubling, but he¡¯ll get them eventually. All of them.

 XX5: In the Halls of the Judiciary

    Eliza lives. But the fact that the possibility of death was even on the table was what truly mattered. Kazuki continued to think silently as he sat motionless in the conference room. Bright stars sparkled in the clouds beyond the window as numerous police shuttles patrolled the airspace.


    Those seated were a multitude of police higher ups, judiciary coordinators and of course: his inner circle. Archus sat to his right whilst Eliza sat to his left, drinking a complimentary cup of tea that the service drones provided to all visitors.


    Not the best brew. Beside Eliza, in order were: Martinez, Rivera and Sato. He would have brought more of his HICOMM, but most were busy running other contracts in the Hinterlands.


    His eyes, however, were locked onto Eliza. She seemed uneasy. All of them wore professional outfits, though they all had their coats hung on the seats they sat.


    Kazuki had his shirt sleeves rolled up messily, revealing a hundred scars and burns for each limb.


    Eliza, on the other hand, had her blouse sleeves rolled in an orderly fashion. A white blazer, trimmed with crimson, was hung from her seat. It was highly professional, similar to a few of the female police supervisors across the table. She finished her tea, gently placing the cup down before nervously gripping her pleated skirt and thigh-highs, hiding her hands beneath the table on her lap.


    This was irregular. But he didn¡¯t blame her. They all knew who would be arriving Late as he may be. Kazuki¡­ clicked his fingers. She glanced at him, confused. He nodded. She was breathing faster, blinking quickly.


    Then, she slowed and took a deep breath. She nodded back at him, smiling¡­


    Seems like she¡¯s okay.


    Guards were stationed around the room, those on his side of the table were his most experienced contractors, from the days of the rebellion¡¯s birth to now: Amy¨¦, Claire, Quinn and Lilly. Lilly and Amy¨¦ wore converted Clandestine dress uniforms, similar to the Judiciary dress uniform he, Martinez and Sato wore.


    He would have brought more, but once again he is limited by logistics. And four is enough of a show of force. Standing opposing them were the ¡®officers of the law¡¯, including Riley, bandages over a reinforced-leg. They wore the SPTU and police dress uniforms. Theirs was a well-maintained deep navy blue tunic adorned with white plated buttons, along with their light plate rigs.


    Unlike the AGENCY, which was called in whenever things got heated, they were entrusted with the order part of law & order. Kazuki merely had to focus on bludgeoning criminals to death.


    ¡°The AGENCY will only accept full command of this operation,¡± stated Kazuki. ¡°I will not coordinate in a command element with the local police.¡±


    Archius leaned backwards in his chair, calm and collected as this was the first time he¡¯d ever fully presented himself to the force, though under a fake alias of course.


    He maintained an air of elegance, at least compared to Kazuki. But he had no need for elegance. They knew who he was, all glancing at him with fear or spite. ¡®Contract-Breaker¡¯ suited him.


    The police murmured between themselves.


    ¡°Working alongside the Narisan PD isn¡¯t preferable, especially in anti-smuggling operations," said Archius, steering the conversation forward.


    Martinez picked off where Archius laid the foundation, using his knowledge. ¡°Smugglers have ties to local police; nine times out of ten. This is no different, leaving this mission to us would properly bring about justice.¡±


    The Kast¨ª man cleared his throat, pushing a part of his auburn hair back. He looked to the empty seat beside him. The Commissioner was not present. But as the most experienced officer there, Paulus felt obliged to chime in, ¡°And why is that? You can understand why we are worried about letting contractors off the leash, especially on a planet where oversight is difficult.¡±


    At least he was being professional, Kazuki thought. Mercenaries, Freemuzzles, Contractors, all the same.


    ¡°My men stay to the letter of the contract, you do not need to worry. But you should be careful about what you preach. I know, SPTU wasn¡¯t involved¡­ but¡­¡± stated Kazuki, gesturing to the other police commanders in the room. Animosity had crept in from the previous ops, the skyliner fiasco and the standoff at the station were to blame. ¡°Seven out of ten for execution, zero for cover-up.¡±


    ¡°Those involved were dealt with,¡± Paulus explained, shifting the conversation in a different direction - or at least trying.


    Kazuki needed to press the point. The point was that the police on Narisa were not to be trusted if something like that could happen on Anagora itself. Even if Paulus was simply doing his job, he was still part of an incompetent apparatus.


    ¡°Scapegoats,¡± interjected Kazuki, remaining seated as he kept his hands on the table. Despite that, everyone knew that if he wanted to, he could have them all killed in under a second, without even uttering a word.


    Everyone bar Eliza exchanged nervous glances, but of course, no one would ever wish to bring it up. Corruption runs deep, even within the force.


    ¡°Uh¡­ might I ask what you are talking about?¡± whispered Eliza, turning her head to Kazuki.


    ¡°Nasty business. End of,¡± stated Kazuki; he was even disgusted at mentioning it at this capacity. But if he was disgusted, Archius was furious. He glanced towards him, seeing a veil of calm placed over someone willing to rip the skin off of each officer in this room.


    Silence engulfed the table. Eliza spoke up, trying to act as a mediator between both extremes, ¡°Whilst I understand your concerns, having a split-command structure between two groups with¡­ differing scopes and tactics would make it complicated.¡±


    ¡°What about the radical mercenaries?¡± started Paulus. ¡°For what it was worth, my SPTU forces worked well with your men.¡±


    ¡°Whilst I do agree, this is different.¡± started Martinez, placing a hand on the table. ¡°We will not. Not. Work with police on this in a command element, communication with police risks leaks to our targets.¡±


    It was logical, but Kazuki needed to send the logic even deeper into these officers. He knew that they knew that the Narisans were to do more damage than good, after all their PD was more of a laundry for criminals than anything else.


    Paulus nodded, it seems that a conclusion to negotiations would happen before the Commissioner arrived. Kazuki gave Archius a glance; and he nodded. Things were going to plan, it seems. ¡°Yes, communication is an issue. Which is why I have proposed to the Commissioner for further integration of the AGENCY to assist in that¡­ though, I apologise, he has differing views on the matter.¡± Paulus put on a strained face.


    ¡°Not your fault.¡± commented Kazuki, a surprise to most of the officers that Kazuki, the Contract-Breaker, didn¡¯t immediately smack him down.


    ¡°I believe negotiations are finished, then?¡± asked Martinez.


    Paulus held out a single finger, taking another cup of tea from a hovering drone. He tugged at his uniform¡¯s collar and adjusted the armour straps.


    As Paulus opened his mouth to speak, the conference doors slid open. And everyone fell silent. A man stepped into the room, messy, mahogany brown hair - with lapis blue eyes. His hair had a small hairpin in it - a purple flower¡­


    Still must be missing his wife, Kazuki supposed.


    Kazuki knew him. Everyone present did¡­


    Especially Eliza.


    The Commissioner was accompanied with a thick beard - groomed to Geldabare Confederacy standards. He wore a thick tunic-like coat, pinned with a flower brooch and police armband. The Commissioner was here. Lapis eyes scanned across the occupants. He brushed a ceremonial cloak to one side, a cloak that was interwoven with golden murals along the edges.


    It reeked of lies.


    The captain placed the cup down, sitting up straight. The officers discreetly fixed any discretions of their uniform. Adjustments for comfort were of sub-par quality.


    To the Commissioner, it was unacceptable. Whilst those on Kazuki¡¯s side remained still. His side wore combat armour, or heavy coats with suits - except for Quinn and Claire, who came directly from the fight. Their injuries were taken care of before the meeting. Martinez rolled his eyes at the sight of Frederick, an older-looking man who seemed only a few years older than Kazuki¡¯s own parents.


    Eliza gulped for a second, slowly hovering her chair close to Kazuki and Archius. She sealed her lips shut. Frederick ignored his daughter, fixating for a second at Kazuki. But the second passed, and he slowly walked behind his officers. Every step was noticeable - deliberate. ¡°Pay me no mind, let us continue with the meeting,¡± said the Commissioner.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He reached his seat, opposing Kazuki, slowly dragging the chair backwards. Martinez spoke up, ¡°Good to see you¡¯re still kicking, Fred.¡±


    ¡°Commissioner to you,¡± remarked Frederick, sitting down as he glared at Martinez.


    Kazuki glanced towards Martinez, telling him to drop the niceties. Frederick didn¡¯t deserve them. Bright neon lights burst through the windows; the ventilation system huffed in still air, the pale walls of the room decorated with police accolades, all paper thin. Eliza looked away as Frederick glanced at her, acknowledging his daughter.


    ¡°You¡¯re calm, Commissioner.¡± Kazuki started, ¡°And late.¡±


    The commissioner deserved the worst he could give him, but at the same time, Madame Justice and the SPTU deserved the best.


    Frederick¡¯s eyes thinned, placing his hands together. ¡°I was busy, Contract-Breaker. Anyways, I haven¡¯t been briefed on what happened. Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Not only a stone-cold hard-ass but a dead-beat dad as well,¡± Archius whispered to Kazuki, jesting as Eliza glanced at Archius. Archius quickly faced forward to avoid her look.


    He hovered his own chair ever slightly closer, an indirect assurance to Liz. It was nothing for him, but if Frederick goes on an outburst, he wants to be ready to smack him down. Damned be the AGPOL alliance if the Commissioner cannot respect her.


    ¡°Four minutes past seven, two of my men and your daughter were the targets of a heavily armed attack. Twenty-seven civilian casualties. District 22, the Hesphatio Ward, near the memorial.¡± stated Kazuki, glaring at Frederick. He glared back. It would be an understatement to say that bad blood existed, it thrived¡­ And of course, the rank and file suffered for this.


    ¡°And¡ª¡± Archius started.


    Twisting his finger, he flicked a small card onto the oval table. It projected out a report of information - courtesy of Krystalink, it even had the watermark on it. Glancing at Sato, Kazuki could feel a sense of pride within her, even if the old techie-commodore acts as a grumpy workaholic all the time. It showed a planet: Narisa, along with a dozen other message boxes.


    ¡°¡ªWe have a location. Narisa, frozen wasteland. PD there is far from the brightest, chief. The Gunrunners there peddle guns to buyers across the High Table, they¡¯re so comfy in their frozen shithole that they don¡¯t even have cybernetic exospines.¡±


    ¡°Interesting thesis.¡± Frederick coldly stated, seemingly unbothered by the fact that his last remaining daughter was at the forefront of an organised hit. ¡°But have you brought any actual proof?¡±


    The holographic projection hovered for a moment before flicking onto a new slide, showing the faces of the attackers, all dead, in fact: most of their heads were¡­ less than presentable, Eliza looked away from the dead corpses. He probably should have ordered for body shots.


    ¡°Autopsies showed no positive ID, but their weapons did leave a trace. Spent casings as well as filed down serial numbers, from the war. My associates have been able to scrape together enough information to link them to military caches in the war.¡± said Archius.


    ¡°Military caches that were abandoned when supply ships were scuttled. Ships last seen in the Narisa system. And yes, we did use the analyspec on this¡­ If you disagree, we can always argue with the supercomputer.¡± said Kazuki.


    The images flicked to show the weapons captured, indexed to the old Imperial archives system, though most of it was extrapolation from existing data. ¡°It¡¯s been filled, but we were able to retrieve the serial codes,¡± said Sato, her beige fringe hiding her left eye.


    The Commissioner glanced from Kazuki to Archius, sighing as he furrowed his brow at the information presented. ¡°This information is quite old, I don¡¯t doubt its validity, but the sources of it can be quite suspicious, CRIS, Mischief Board?¡±


    ¡°The Mischief Board¡¯s involvement in this matter is being investigated,¡± said Sato.


    ¡°Great. Can I get a second opinion on this?¡± asked Frederick, snarky.


    Archus spoke up, covering for Sato, ¡°The guns are not Mischief Board originated, but we believe that the men are. However, those investigations are¡­ underway.¡± said Archius, smirking as he glanced over at Sato, feeling smug that he had to cover for her. She, in turn, rolled her eyes.


    ¡°And what of you? Contractor?¡± asked Frederick, glancing towards Archius. ¡°I do remember some of my friends speaking of a child with your details in the CRIS¡ª¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Kazuki remained motionless, ¡°My friend is the director of activities for the CRIS black ops branch; that¡¯s why he¡¯s sitting on this side. With the contractors.¡± Sarcasm seeped through every word.


    His bout of sarcasm was ignored by the unflinching police chief. He grumbled for a moment, probably unwilling to give Kazuki more leeway and span of control, after all: Frederick knows. He¡¯s one of a few who knew. But he has his parents to thank for keeping his mouth from blurting hurtful truths.


    ¡°Contractors? Please, you are all just¡­ soldiers of fortune, Freemuzzles and Mercenaries. Let¡¯s not be unreasonable here, Contract-Breaker.¡± said Frederick.


    ¡°Incorrect.¡± stated Kazuki, with his stone-cold face thinning, ¡°We are contractors. Good ones at that.¡±


    Eliza turned to Kazuki. ¡°Freemuzzles?¡± she inquired quietly.


    ¡°Freelancers¡­ But with guns.¡±


    ¡°So, Contractors?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t call a mercenary a Freemuzzle, though. It¡¯s considered rude in the industry¡­ a pseudo-slur.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ sorry¡­¡±


    Kazuki turned his attention back to the police officers. They were speaking to themselves. ¡°We were sent here to fix the messes that you can¡¯t fix yourselves - no offence, Captain Micon.¡±


    ¡°None taken¡­¡± Paulus blurted out, somewhat understanding the situation, even if his pride was hurt. The Commissioner glanced towards him, but he remained unflinching, the SPTU was used prying oversight.


    ¡°Tch, and for what reason should I delegate this investigation to the AGENCY?¡± Frederick asked, placing his hands together, ¡°The forces in the High Table Oversector are adequate enough to investigate and pursue this new threat, why send in the bloodthirsters?¡±


    ¡®Can I blast him?¡¯ asked Quinn, on the private uplink-channel, he was in no mood for this. His hand was twitchy as he kept it by his side-arm, a secondary shotgun¡­ He really loved shotguns, Kazuki noted. ¡®This guy¡¯s pissing me off.¡¯


    ¡®Move and you¡¯re on reactor-cleaning duties,¡¯ said Lilly, glancing at Quinn from across the room. Quinn backed down, without a single verbal thought.


    ¡®This guy¡¯s delusional if he thinks he has any influence on what happens in that frozen hell¡ª¡¯ Quinn glared at Frederick from across the room, ¡®¡ªsorry Eliza.¡¯


    ¡®No offence taken,¡¯ Eliza blurted out, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. Kazuki looked towards her before discreetly patting her on the arm, a meagre attempt to reassure her. She glanced towards him, but said nothing. He didn¡¯t dare look into those eyes.


    ¡°Narisa.¡± said Quinn, speaking out of turn, ¡°Good luck finding an officer there that isn¡¯t on a secondary payroll.¡±


    ¡®Quinn¡­¡¯ Claire looked over at him, trying to get him to shut up.


    Lilly, however, was in no mood for Quinn. ¡®Hey, Shut it. Now.¡¯


    ¡°Your subordinate,¡± Frederick starts, looking and gesturing towards the unarmoured Quinn, making a show of how he doesn¡¯t have his armour. ¡°He questions the competence of Narisa¡¯s force?¡±


    ¡°We all do.¡± jeered Kazuki, covering Quinn¡¯s misstep.


    Quinn zipped his mouth shut.


    It was a direct stab at what Frederick cared for the most: his pride. Not just his pride as a Celeste-Delmara, but his pride as the commissioner. To be insulted and talked down to would harm the relationship between the two organisations. Kazuki knew that. Frederick¡¯s face soured.


    ¡°And what of you?¡± asked Frederick, ¡°What makes you better for the job? Contract-Breaker, nameless no-one, you, and your band of killers.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re on my payroll, not some crime lord¡¯s.¡± Kazuki snarled at Frederick with an emotionless tone, ¡°And I believe our forces are more acquainted with hazardous environments. A frozen radioactive hellscape; barely habitable does seem like added hazard pay¡­¡±


    Kazuki glanced over at the other officers in the room, especially those of a scrupulous nature. Hazard pay was something they hated to pay out, it means that they can¡¯t line their pockets with embezzlement schemes. Everyone knew, even the Commissioner, but there was nothing he could do about it¡­ And in the cut-throat world of High-Table politics, that was far from ideal.


    ¡°Dad,¡± Eliza spoke out of turn, to the surprise of everyone in the room. Where Quinn spoke out of anger, Eliza spoke with determination in her voice. ¡°The AGENCY is much more suited to dealing with this problem, in my opinion. If you may¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you may not,¡± iterated Frederick, snarling at his own daughter. His ego is damaged. Kazuki remained silent, looking at Archius for advice. ¡°And what is this, Contract-Breaker? A joke? You bring my daughter here?!¡±


    Kazuki turned back to Frederick. ¡°She is currently assisting the AGENCY in managing logistics and oversight. Part-time work.¡±


    ¡°What? Helping murderers?¡± Frederick snarled.


    ¡°Uh. No.¡± Kazuki then said sternly, ¡°Killers. Yes. Murderers. No. For each muzzle, there needs to be a support system to ensure its operation. Eliza assists in the procurement of justice and munitions both.¡±


    Kaz turned to Archius once more.


    Archius¡¯ lips turned into a small smirk as he nodded, approving Eliza¡¯s outburst. He has no idea why he¡¯d allow it, but if Archius believes that something can be gained: he¡¯ll allow it, it shouldn¡¯t hurt anyone, right? Words hurt, perhaps, but he does not grasp the concept. Bullets hurt harder.


    ¡°Elizabeth¡­ You have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Frederick snarled, standing up and slamming both his hands down on the table¡¯s smooth surface, rocking the cups of tea slightly. Eliza shook at the shockwave, but remained calm. ¡°What are you even doing here? That man¡ª¡±


    Frederick pointed at Kazuki. He remained still as members of Frederick¡¯s own council exchanged glances. Clearly, they were not all too keen on getting involved in a family dispute, but neither was he, but it seems this is playing directly into Archius¡¯ hands. That sly fuck, Kazuki thought, he probably had this as some backup plan - and all Archius had to do was not get Kazuki involved¡­


    ¡°¡ªno, monster, brought you to the frontlines of a conflict you have no right to be in. Not once, but twice. He broke his contract to protect Oria-Tessie and you watched him.¡±


    Kazuki didn¡¯t defend himself when he mentioned Tessie, with a nudge from Archius silencing any thoughts. The information surrounding what happened are only mere rumours after all. Kazuki killed Matt Oria-Tessie, philanthropist and businessman. Clandestine¡¯s propaganda machine was far too advance, even for the combined arms of Archius, Sato and Krystalink to defeat. And its legacy lingers, against the truth.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do not speak back to me. You and Ulysses, bloody disappointments the two of you¡­ why couldn¡¯t you have been more like your sister?¡± Frederick spoke over Eliza, increasing his voice as his glare intensified, swapping between the trio. This was definitely a personal outburst, but Kazuki kept firm.


    What was first straddling the line had crossed it. Kazuki¡¯s eyes lit up as he tried to stand up, willing to defend Eliza. But Archius stopped him with another nudge of his leg. He froze. He glanced at Archius, who shook his head. Whatever Archius had cooked up, it seems he wanted the Contract-Breaker to stay his blade¡­

 XX6: Red Eyes do Bleed Tears

    The situation is near perfect. Kazuki getting involved would ruin everything, even if he hadn¡¯t built this situation, it felt directly in his avenue - and all he had to do was ensure Kazuki doesn¡¯t blow things over like with Matt. Dominos fell right in their necessary places. Eliza¡¯s outburst, met with the hail of steel by her dad, will sting the other members of the police council.


    They wanted results, and many didn¡¯t like the Commissioner. It¡¯ll provide the base for a compromise, of course the AGENCY wouldn¡¯t get full reign, but an advantageous compromise was well on the table. It was perfect, the fact that it would only damage Eliza was a necessary sacrifice, small in scope; but he knew that Kazuki would understand that. Though, he has been acting more erratic ever since the rebellion¡­ Archius wondered if this correlation truly was causation.


    He looked down at his coat, adorned with a single visitor holo-card, printed onto his chest. It had a fake name, of course, Kevin, consultant to the regional CRIS janitor-frigate manager. It was a joke title, of course.


    Eliza quivered for a moment. ¡°What does my sister have to do with any of these proceedings?¡±


    ¡°Everything. It¡¯s why you¡¯re with the Contract-Breaker, is it not?¡± asked Frederick. Interesting¡­ out of the box and quite uncalled for - but unless Kazuki responds: everything should go as predictable as possible. However, it seems much harder done than said. Archius gave Kazuki another reassuring pat on the arm, their eyes skimming glances. He must understand, yet something was burning inside those bulbs of his.


    Kazuki closed his eyes for a moment, ignoring Eliza¡¯s glance towards him. And in a heated moment: she stood up.


    She grimaced at Frederick. ¡°He has been a greater ally to me than you ever have been, Dad. And my work with him is not a matter of family concern,¡± complained Eliza, trying to force the conversation back on track.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since what happened, and you still can¡¯t move on, can you? Actually, I¡¯m not even surprised,¡± remarked Frederick, battering his daughter¡¯s statements away uncaringly. ¡°You¡¯ll never find a satisfying answer.¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s eyes opened. Archius jotted that down, something in Frederick¡¯s words warranted him to take note. It was quite obvious, but it was fun to meander in thoughts. Kazuki glanced over at Archius, an eye-to-eye warning not to pry further, it seemed that even without a word uttered, Kazuki could feel when his life was being pried into. Archius nodded, but as he mentally apologised, he couldn¡¯t help but speculate.


    ¡°Once again¡­¡± Eliza slowly faltered. Quinn, Lilly and Claire were not too happy with what was going on. Fuck, wild-cards, wilder-wild cards at that¡­ They might intervene before the climax of this. But it¡¯s a risk he must take, but they should say nothing, or if they say anything, it will increase the tension¡­ But that would be a double-edged sword. ¡°Victoria has nothing to do with this. Are we not here to discuss the investigations¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªDon¡¯t ignore the question,¡± demanded Frederick.


    By now, most of the officers sitting down were questioning what Frederick, their Commissioner, was doing. Even Paulus seemed a bit worried, feeling a measure of Sympathy for Eliza. Paulus glanced towards Kazuki, with a worried look.


    ¡°Victoria was everything you should have been. Elegant. Intelligent. Outgoing. But what did you become? You became a damn mockery of her. Ulysses never even tried. I should have always known¡­ that you two were my greatest mistake. And now I have to watch as you stride pridefully with that brooch whilst your brother mocks our family¡ª¡±


    Kazuki maintained his composure, but Archius could see his patience slowly fade. HOLD, dammit! Archius gently tugged at Kazuki¡¯s sleeve. But Kazuki had fury in his eyes, aching to stand up. But instead, he relented, sighing and looking down to the floor. Just hold on longer, thought Archius.


    ¡°¡ªAnd you, do you really think you¡¯ve made me proud? Kallender group at eighteen? Your mother was in at sixteen, both you and your monster are simply mockeries of your progenitors.¡±


    Bringing up the Kallender group was a huge blunder, and risky. Kazuki might respond, being a member of that socialite club himself, though only joining because Eliza convinced him¡­ on behalf of Professor Kallender.


    Archius nearly forgot that he was in there as well, along with the entire Student Exec that year. It was a clever ploy, Archius thought, to get Kazuki in, it seemed like there were also other sly dogs out there.


    Eliza finally burst out, not to defend herself, but for her brother, ¡°Ulysses is living what you always wanted for us, normal lives¡­ is that not what you fought the war for? So that we could grow up peacefully?!¡±


    Frederick paused. He looked disgusted at his own daughter. ¡°The Celestes were a prestigious custodian of the Empire in Imperial Times. I wonder what our ancestors would think seeing you... How are you her twin? If you¡¯re just such a fucking failure¡­¡±


    ¡°Disgraced nobility,¡± Kazuki muttered under his breath.


    Archius whispered to Kazuki, leaning in slightly. ¡°Worry not, he¡¯s of no concern. They lost their favour with the Imperials and sided with the Republic - he¡¯s a very small fish next to very big players.¡±


    Kazuki gripped the sides of his seat, holding himself back from shooting Frederick right then and there - Archius could see it in his eyes. He, meanwhile, felt nothing. He never felt anything to begin with. It was simply a matter of achieving a goal. But glancing at Eliza, she looked like a kettle boiling over with emotions. The weight of her brooch pulled her down, the dual purple flower insignias at war. The shard essence of a dead star god stirred in her brooch¡¯s jewel, visible even to Archius.


    ¡°Failure¡­¡± Eliza muttered to herself.


    Everything was coming together¡­ but as Eliza opened her mouth, drops of water flicked onto the table. What? Looking up at her once again, he saw something he¡¯d never seen her do before. She was crying. Archius¡¯ eyes skidded towards Kazuki, raising himself from the seat. Released from his chains, he looked towards Frederick. Even without a single threatening motion, the guards on the other side all readied themselves for combat. Their hands were twitchy, and sweat poured down every man¡¯s temple. It would have been a defeat, if not for the perfect situation to push a compromise.


    Martinez stood up as well, gently pushing Eliza back down in her seat, before patting her on the shoulder. Everyone on the police¡¯s side of the table felt bad for Eliza, of course, they would. Being violently berated and insulted by your own dad, in such a place as well. If they were parents, they would have understood what they fought the war for. Sympathy would flood in. Most were looking down at the table, whilst Frederick was seemingly too inflamed to even notice their disapproval.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The mercs were all ready for a rough fight. Even Lilly, Kazuki¡¯s personal commissar, saw the commissioner¡¯s act as an insult. ¡®Alright, Quinn, you¡¯re off the hook. You aim for the throat, I¡¯ll go for the guts. We can hang him by his intestines later.¡¯


    Bloody consequences, but fair. What¡¯s fair or not didn¡¯t really matter to any of them now. Kazuki took one glance at Archius, disgusted at what he just allowed. However, Archius simply stayed motionless, the objective was achieved, and he simply returned a slight shrug. He saw nothing more than that.


    Kazuki spoke to Frederick directly, gesturing towards him, ¡°The AGENCY will not work alongside the Narisan police. Especially if they are less professional than¡­ whatever you are.¡±


    ¡°Watch your tongue, boy.¡± threatened Frederick, only to further aggravate violence and conflict between Kazuki. Now, all he had to do was suggest a middle-ground, one favourable for the AGENCY. In such a situation, the officers on Frederick¡¯s side would be far less willing to support his full demands, with each word Frederick uttered being even damning for himself. Amazing¡­ such a blunder and such a victory!


    Archius stood up, placing his hands on the table as Claire escorted Eliza out. A necessary sacrifice, he reminded himself. ¡°Hey, hey. We all want the same thing. Whilst we won¡¯t work with the Narisan department, I can safely say that we are willing to cooperate with the senior command in an oversight sort of way.¡±


    Paulus stood up, standing beside his superior with dark blue patrol armour. ¡°I support Kevin¡¯s assessment¡­¡±


    To the surprise of the commissioner, most of the people on his side supported the compromise. Even though a conclusion was made and a deal was reached, bad taste still lingered in the air. The contractors were close-knit, and an attack on Eliza felt like an attack on all of them. And the officers definitely felt their professionalism diminish as some spoke to one another. Kazuki remained characteristically quiet, letting his glare do the speaking.


    Frederick relented, reluctantly. With no one left to support him, he saw that there was no reason to continue fighting, even if his argument had sound reasoning behind it. Simply put his beratement of Eliza solved everything - and played directly into what Archius hoped for.


    ¡°I acquiesce, you will have your Judicial Enforcement extended to the rest of the High Table Oversector. But¡­ do not fail madame Justice,¡± said Frederick, a look of disgust in his eyes as he glanced between Kazuki and Archius¡­ Archius let off a small smirk, only visible to him - for just a second.


    Kazuki gave a simple nod. And the attendees trickled out of the conference room.


    ¡®What the fuck was that?¡¯ Kazuki silently asked Archius over uplink.


    Archius rolled his eyes. ¡®Eliza¡¯s use to the AGENCY is limited. Worthless, even, I made use of her, problem?¡¯ Walking past Kazuki, Archius slid his uplink off.


    ? ? ?


    Rain slowly drizzled down on the balcony terrace. The police HQ was a floating island; guarded by a dozen shuttles. He needed to think. Archius went too far there, even if it worked. He¡¯ll have to reign him in afterwards. But it¡¯s done, they have approval.


    He leaned on the shielded railing on the large terrace, succumbing to a headache as he popped a pill of Halolazil. These criminals, they must be dealt with¡­ The late wind was high, as Kazuki glanced out towards the endless city. A thousand lights, a billion lives, trillions of stories¡­


    The thought of containing all that knowledge was scary¡­ But he¡¯ll have to use the Analyspec sooner or later. Eliza¡¯s investigation needs extrapolation, quantum-computer levels of that. Kazuki understands that he¡¯s a database, but the spec and Eliza were the analysts.


    ¡®Claire,¡¯ Kazuki started. ¡®What¡¯s Eliza¡¯s status?¡¯


    ¡®She¡¯s still in the toilets¡­ I¡ªuh, I¡¯m not suited to handle this, sir.¡¯ reported Claire, ¡®I¡¯m guessing that that¡¯s her father, then?¡±


    ¡®Sadly, yes.¡¯ Kazuki replied, ¡®But do not downplay yourself. Eliza sees you as a friend, and a surrogate sister¡­¡¯


    ¡®Sister¡­ Oh.¡¯ Claire caught on quickly.


    ¡®Yeah. Let¡¯s not delve deep there,¡¯ Kazuki ordered her not to pry, as she changed the matter.


    ¡®Alright, but still it¡¯s damn atrocious, are all blue-vests like this?¡¯ asked Claire. ¡®He¡¯s just a fucking deadbeat.¡¯


    ¡®He wasn¡¯t always like that.¡¯ Kazuki remembered back to a time before when Frederick was normal. But those days are gone. Long gone. Kazuki leaned further, closing his eyes with a sigh. The cracks on his face felt weird. ¡®Keep me updated on her.¡¯


    He felt a small vibration as the phase door leading to the terrace slid open. Judging by the footsteps, he could tell who it was before even looking. The blaring neon skylights of Anagora still bleed down and up at him as he twisted around - Claire simply gave an audible nod, cutting the link.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Kazuki was met face to face with Quinn. He looked worried, but it wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d seen him like that. He slowly walked to his side, placing his hands on the railing as he looked down at the surface, down at the thousands of lights that bleached upwards endless adverts as billboards.


    ¡°Narisa¡­ I believed I¡¯ve already told you, Kazuki, but¡ª¡±


    Kazuki already knew the background information. Quinn, Riharia and Petra were all from Narisa, a frozen wasteland. It turned into an atomic waste during the war, after it resisted the Imperial occupation and invasion.


    ¡°¡ªI think I should be put on another contract¡­¡±


    Kazuki remained silent. He collected his thoughts, and then he spoke, ¡°No. You¡¯re a local of Narisa, one of the only ones I know of. I insist on your involvement.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I just can¡¯t go back, alright?¡± asked Quinn, ¡°It¡¯s not my home anymore.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then you¡¯ll have no trouble pulling the trigger against anyone down there?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Quinn trailed off. Then, he smirked and shrugged. ¡°But hey, you might take all the kills before me.¡±


    Turning the question towards competence was the best thing Kazuki could do, though he hated it, it was much more of an ¡®Archius thing¡¯ to do¡­ Even he knew how the word of a member of the Seven, crim or merc, can be interpreted very differently. And he¡¯s never bothered to get close to any of his men¡­


    ¡°I know it''s rough,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°For your troubles¡­ I¡¯ll pay you triple your regular rates for this operation.¡±


    Quinn¡¯s head perked upwards. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Riharia. I¡¯m sorry for putting this on you. But I need to rely on you. Can I trust you with that?¡±


    He paused, Quinn wasn¡¯t too fond of what was going on. Kazuki didn¡¯t care though. He needed Quinn on board. ¡°I failed¡­¡±


    For once, Quinn dropped the facade, showing a broken, dishevelled man underneath all the jokes, prodding and bravado. Kazuki¡¯s face didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°Just because I¡¯m your boss doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m removed from what you all feel,¡± Kazuki stated. Quinn looked surprised¡­ ¡°Let me worry about the dead, understood?¡±


    Quinn looked into Kazuki¡¯s dead eyes. A swirl of emotions were within Quinn¡¯s. Kazuki couldn¡¯t discern them. He couldn''t begin with. Quinn slowly nodded. ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡± he said.


    Kazuki doesn¡¯t want to carry any more names, any more stories. He doesn¡¯t want to keep anyone close, and it seemed to have paid off with Quinn. Cyrus or Martinez probably would have shrugged it off. But Quinn? He ate it up. Riharia¡¯s dead, Kazuki thought. And just like many others: he¡¯ll survive the burden of her memory.


    He placed a hand on Quinn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I need you to be the operative the AGENCY needs for this operation. A professional AGENT that will put the mission above his own grievances. Can you do that for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ sir.¡±


    Kazuki replied simply, ¡°Good.¡±


    Turning, he took out another pill of Halolazil, instinctively, and downed it. And then he walked away, the drizzle of rain turning into a heavy downpour as Kazuki headed back inside.

 XX7: A Red Heart has some Respite

    The warmth quickly faded to a chilling cold, the water splashing up onto and colliding with Eliza¡¯s face, trickling down. She washed her face up, looking upwards into the mirror as she twisted away from the sink. This felt quite familiar¡­ though the circumstances are very different. The bright distant reflections of the upper city blared through the windows, shining at her as she glanced towards the mirror. She looked awful, her crimson eyes barely alight.


    ¡°Hey, Liz!¡± Claire shouted, voice echoing around the corner. ¡°You feeling alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Eliza lied. It was quite obvious that it was a lie, and Claire quickly caught on.


    She wore her suit over her shoulders, rubbing her arms and hands to feel some warmth. She was a mess¡­ Yet she still had to prove herself, she must!


    There were water splashes and tear trails on her blouse, drooping down her chest and onto her skirt. She brushed them aside, frowning. It was her attempt to look professional, to show them all that she was different¡­


    Of course, to some, that doesn¡¯t matter. She pulled her thigh-highs back up to the hem of her skirt, re-phasing the garters and clipping them back on, all the while feeling somewhat sorry for herself. It covered the plaster over her earlier injury, though she was annoyed that she¡¯d have to order new tights¡­


    Then, the coldness came back. Eliza shivered. ¡°Claire¡­ I¡­¡± Eliza started but found herself unable to continue. ¡°Never mind that.¡±


    But instead of pushing further, Claire gave her some space, ¡°Alright, come out whenever you¡¯re done.¡± Eliza sighed.


    After everything she did, she was still worthless in her father¡¯s eyes.


    She felt relieved that Kaz hadn¡¯t seen her in this state. After all, she looked absolutely horrendous, her eyes were redder than ever, and her face of determined optimism was peeled back, revealing the husk of a human she was before. It was quite far from presentable, she looked dead on the inside - but maybe her dad was right. Maybe it was time to move on¡­


    She¡¯s been chasing the dead for too long, perhaps it¡¯s time to let them rest, all those memories of Victoria¡­ She felt hollow at the thought. Victoria was the only family she felt she had back then, after her mother died; her brother was too young to understand anything. Her father always seemed detached from Eliza and Ulysses. But Victoria? She was the perfect child that he wanted, she was the only one worthy to carry the brooch - even Eliza knew back then.


    And all she was is a mockery of what she was to become. Eliza gripped the side of the sink, cursing herself silently.


    Victoria, what would she have done in her shoes? Eliza pondered, before understanding that it didn¡¯t matter. No answer will satisfy her in this regard. Only one thing was left: to bring her memory to rest¡­ Yet, it seems like a distant dream.


    Synthia¡¯s vocaliser lit up as Eliza straightened her back, even at her lowest she wanted to look presentable. ¡®Miss Eliza, is everything alright?¡¯


    ¡°No¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, wiping the water dry from her face with her coat sleeve. Her brooch felt heavy, the mental toll gaining weight as her mind muddied with doubt. ¡°Why me? Why do I have to carry the bloody star-god?¡±


    She felt the weight of responsibility, and the phantom pain of a star, crush down against her. Synthia projected herself beside the faucet. ¡®Eliza, I must apologise - on behalf of your father. He''s tough, insensitive, I know¡­ but I do not believe he intended what he blabbered¡¯


    ¡°You heard him. I¡¯m a failure. I¡¯m probably more of a bother for him than anything else¡­ just the leftovers of a dead person. He¡¯s been telling me for the past decade, how could he have not meant it?!¡±


    Her face was motionless, devoid of her usual spark. She felt a level of envy towards Kazuki, never caring about how others saw him, but her?


    That was everything, her success was everything. She pressed her cheeks up, trying to form a smile¡­ She felt ashamed to have cried there - even though Kazuki stood up for her.


    For all her success, she still falls short of her father¡¯s praises. Still! After so long! After so much work. Straight grades for ten years and counting, connecting with people, joining the Kallender Group - what more can he want from her?!


    ¡®No father would ever wish to see their children fail.¡¯ said Synthia, trying to find some method to her father¡¯s madness. ¡®If you allow me to assume, I believe that he believes that Kazuki is an undue influence on you, perhaps leading to your¡­ demise, Miss Eliza.¡¯


    Eliza let off a hollow chuckle, it was devoid of any emotion. ¡°He was late¡­ I was nearly killed and he was late! But Kaz? He dropped everything and rushed to the scene. But my dad? He couldn¡¯t even show up on time for the after-mission conference. Kazuki cares about me¡­ more than he does.¡±


    ¡®Let us be reasonable here, Miss Eliza.¡¯ Synthia placed her hands out, trying to calm Eliza down. Synthia¡¯s eyes wore worry as her armour, her face pensive yet knowing. Maybe she was¡­ wrong. But she had to trust Kazuki, he¡¯s the only vector of investigation left.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be reasoned with,¡± stated Eliza, cutting Synthia off as she waved her projection away, the form sliding back into its projector.


    She still felt it hard to move around, the star-essence within the purple brooch gem sensing the pain. If it weren¡¯t for her sister and mother¡¯s memories, for what they once were: she¡¯d have thrown it away¡­ Disappear, maybe?


    ¡°I¡¯m nothing more than that to him, a failure. There¡¯s no arguing about that.¡±


    Synthia paused, teleporting beside Eliza¡¯s face, sitting down on her shoulder. She patted Eliza on the cheek, stroking it as if talking to a child. ¡®Perhaps to him, but to Claire, you¡¯re like a sister; to Chlo¨¦, a study partner; to Kazuki, a friend; and to your brother: the only family he has left. You are more than whatever any one man says you are, Eliza.¡¯


    Eliza stopped for a moment. Maybe Synthia was right¡­ Who cares what her dad has to say? The cold past merged with the present, she wants to graduate¡­ She wants to restart her mother¡¯s company. Yet she also wants to see her father smile at her, grinning and applauding with pride in his eyes.


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    It seemed far-fetched, her mind faded into sleep; and the memories collided. She wanted it, more than anything. She just wanted to hear the words, ¡®Good job¡¯ from him. All words since but his were shallow, lies¡­


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I have to keep trying.¡± Eliza pushed her face up, igniting the everlasting flame in her eyes. She remembered what her mother told her, it was about the only thing she could remember: that she must. She must continue, no matter what. To persist.


    ¡®That¡¯s the spirit,¡¯ said Synthia, disappearing as Eliza straightened up. The weight had been lifted from her shoulders as the shining lights of the police HQ bore down upon her. And as she felt the weight evaporate, she left - lightly tapping the tap mechanism to leave.


    Eliza walked back out into the halls. It was empty. Glancing down the hall, she saw Claire leaning back against the wall. ¡°Ah¡­ Claire.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you finally doing well?¡± she asked, kicking off the wall and standing in front of her, arms crossed. ¡°Took you a while.¡±


    Eliza nodded. ¡°Yeah, just¡­ leave me be, for now, I need to get some fresh air.¡±


    Claire nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll report back to Kazuki, but¡­ you might not want to get some fresh air, heavy downpour.¡± She shrugged, before turning and walking off. ¡°You take care, alright?¡±


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Eliza shouted back to her, as Claire waved back towards her¡­ Leaving her alone once again.


    She turned towards the door leading out to the balcony. However, the doors opened. Lilly stepped in, drenched in rain. Eliza paused, peering aimlessly around, trying not to attract Lilly¡¯s ire.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Lilly said, waving to Eliza. ¡°You... doing good?¡±


    Eliza calmly nodded, but a small shudder would have betrayed that notion. ¡°Fine, doing well, Lilly.¡±


    Lilly grumbled. ¡°Your dad¡¯s a cunt,¡± she said. ¡°Sorry about that, but he is. Something Old Man Hosea told me back in the military was that you can¡¯t focus if you keep listening to every song each bird sings on the road... Or something... I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Eliza said. ¡°But he¡¯s my dad... Lilly.¡±


    Lilly crossed her arms as a drone hovered by, drying her off with hairdryers... ¡°Still, he¡¯s just a guy, same as anyone else. Know who to listen to and know who¡¯s worth your time.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Oi! I¡¯m not just some fuck off ex-Drill Sergeant, alright?¡± Lilly said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m your Captain... Well... You¡¯re technically my superior but I¡¯ll ignore that. Knowing who to kick out, works well in the Marines as it does in life.¡±


    With that, Lilly stepped past Eliza, all the while followed by drones that kept drying her. Eliza stood still for a moment, before raising her head to the door.


    She could see a heavy downpour outside, harrowing downwards. She approached it, opening up the automatic doors. Eliza took out her umbrella, the one Kaz gave her, and stepped out, rain belting against its shields.


    She held her hand out against it, taking in the air as she coughed from the cold.


    ¡°Eliza?¡± Quinn asked as Eliza looked down towards him. He was sitting beside the door, on the outside, an umbrella activated. ¡°You¡­ need this?¡±


    He gestured towards the umbrella, slowly standing up as Eliza quickly hid under it. ¡°Ah, thanks¡­ what were you doing out here?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Quinn paused, scratching his head as he returned inside, followed by Eliza. He deactivated his umbrella, looking back at her. ¡°I needed to clear my head, I guess?¡±


    He chuckled, laughing it off as Eliza pressed on¡­ This must be about what just happened, and Riharia, she thought. ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I know I have apologised ages ago, but I still haven¡¯t really given you a personal one.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Quinn shook in surprise. ¡°Please! We¡¯re good, just water under the bridge, plus it was Lilly that was pissed! She always has her ass up angry whenever anything happens, especially with outsiders.¡±


    ¡°But you were friends with Riharia¡­¡± Eliza trailed.


    Quinn nodded, before putting on a face. ¡°Her death¡¯s on me. I should have¡­ you know what? Never mind it.¡± He walked around Eliza for a second, as she looked at him.


    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯ll be deployed to Narisa, then?¡± Eliza asked. Quinn¡¯s face soured at that fact.


    ¡°Ah¡­ that place,¡± Quinn said, frustration seeping into his voice.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Quinn blurted out, Eliza¡¯s face didn¡¯t change from worry. Slowly, Quinn nodded. ¡°Me, Riharia and Petra grew up on Narisa. Guess I¡¯ll be the only one of the trio returning home?¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°I could ask Kazuki to let you go on a break, for a bit,¡± she said.


    Quinn shook his head. ¡°Already talked to him, he needs me¡­¡±


    Eliza opened her mouth, as he stopped in his place. He raised a finger, showing¡­ her keys?


    Wait, her keys?! Her mind was placed into a headlock, distracting her from what she wanted to say, as the minor distractions stopped her brain in its tracks. Eliza snatched them back. "Hey?!"


    Quinn burst out laughing. "Everyone has the same response, but you guys really need to keep your stuff in check!" he quipped to her, as he turned and started walking.


    Eliza walked beside him. "I guess you really are quite the thief," she said.


    "Of course! Learned skills to survive my childhood, always works!" He laughed the worry in the air off.


    A person turned the corner in the hallway, Rivera! She waved at them. ¡°Liz, you any better?¡± she asked, straight to the point. She looked like she came right from the armoury, with only the coat she wore differentiating her from just some old mechanic.


    Eliza nodded. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m fine. We should¡­ get going?¡± she asked.


    Rivera nodded. ¡°Yeah, the shuttles are leaving and I AM NOT going on the same shuttle as Quinn!¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Quinn furrowed his brow.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ You Anagorans are so weird¡­ Half of you guys steal from the other half and the other half are so far up their arses with prestige ¡®n¡¯ shit¡­¡± Rivera sighed. ¡°I just wanna make cool shit and cool guns, is that so hard?¡±


    ¡°I think you can cover that to most of the Republic¡­¡± Eliza muttered. Rivera shrugged, both knowing how cutthroat the idea of ¡®success¡¯ is, where prestige and honour unachieved is grounds for failure and obscurity in any field.


    ¡°You know¡­ if you just gave me a scoped¡ª¡±


    Rivera cut in, ¡°¡ªYou¡¯d just break it in under a fucking day¡­ For the seventh time! I only got you a scope since Amy¨¦ apparently wanted to do a marksman competition against the fucking shotgun¡­¡±


    Quinn rolled his eyes. He then shakily remarked, ¡°Out of all people, I¡¯d expect Eliza, not youuu, to mistake the range of a shogun.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Eliza mumbled, twisting an inquisitive look at Quinn. ¡°What?¡±


    Rivera sent a snide glare at Quinn. ¡°She told me the competition was at 1 klick, yeah, your shotgun just might reach a third of that. Anyways¡­ Eliza, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re accompanying the task force?¡±


    ¡°I believe so,¡± answered Eliza. She didn¡¯t really know, but she guessed so - after all Kaz does seem to just bring her along for logistic purposes¡­ And for coordination, in some extent.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be deployed with Martinez¡¯s guys, so I¡¯ll be staying on Anagora, good luck to you, logi-team.¡± Rivera gave Eliza a small and casual salute.


    Eliza smiled, feeling a sense of warmth within her chest. Even here, she was accepted. ¡°Thanks!¡±


    ¡°So uh¡­ can I have that scope?¡± Quinn asked, directing the ire of Rivera unto him with another snide glare. ¡°Okay¡­ Okay¡­ I get it!¡±

 XX8: Frozen Oasis

    A mirage of heat burst through the debris and the rubble. Dust, dirt and pebbles were kicked up with each waking moment as the gongs of war dropped down onto them. A young kid was running through the smog as boulders and walls collapsed on those around him...


    One after another, the kid watched his family fall around him - all crushed with not a word to ever utter anymore. It was something that the young kid had gotten used to, by now, thinking back to it. But... That didn''t make it all better, did it? The facts of the case, of course, not any emotional attachment. That was long gone.


    Up in low orbit, a dozen or so war vessels rained hell on the planet of M¨¢wt. Its clouds were turned to an ashen grey as a mist of blood rose from the ground. The next thing the kid saw was the burst of gas in the air... The first stage of the bombardment was over, now it was time for the Virus Bombs. His mother and brother fell first, trampled to death... Didn''t make it better the fact that he abandoned them as they cried out...


    His younger sister was also trampled... He thinks? No! It was his older sister, he thought. Well, doesn''t really matter, since only two remained as the virus bombs started to fall. Yousef kept running, dust and soot all over his loose-fitting clothes. The suburban area where he lived was being sent to kingdom come.


    Some vicious fuck tried to push him out of the way, but Yousef budged back - throwing them into the way of an incoming crowd... Perhaps a less vicious Archius would have felt bad about that, but that''s not exactly right for him right now. Everything bled together as the cruisers in orbit released their payloads all over the population centres...


    The countryside was next. Destruction raged around continually, as Yousef clung onto his sister, just a toddler. Course, she was balling her eyes out - yet Yousef kept running. A subway was being blocked off by the police... Apparently, only certain people were being allowed in.


    Yousef didn''t really know what to make of it... Probably only certain wealth classes on this trade world, but it didn''t matter: the police were torn to pieces. Blood on blood, Yousef snuck through - using his relatively small size to slip through into the subway.


    Turning back, Yousef saw a plume of gas outside, stretching its tendrils into the tunnel. Everyone outside was turned into flames and bones in just a matter of moments. Falling down the stairs, Yousef kept running. Another officer tried to stop him just as he reached the station...


    He didn''t even get enough time to get a look at which rich snobs were allowed to live before the ceiling above them all crumpled... Yousef''s grip on Syara released. Everything went black... and what the rescue services torn out of that rubbled plane was... not Yousef. It was a broken and injured kid. Time flashed through Archius'' eyes...


    The pasty white halls of an Anagoran Training facility engulfed his vision... Strict regiments, punishments and espionage training. The other trainees hated him... He has on top of the class, so it made sense why he has one of the few to survive... The others had been... less successful. It wasn''t because they were bad, or anything, simply a matter of them being... useless to the CRIS.


    During training, Archius rarely saw the skyline... but it just... looked wonderful, thousands of horizon scraping buildings and floating islands... It was towering compared to his humble trade planet.


    Republic Intelligence operatives led the successful teenage operatives into a control room. Archius glanced back at three others, two females and a male. They must have been what? Fourteen? Fifteen? Didn''t care, didn''t know, doesn''t matter.


    These four were given the privilege to peer into the mess hall of the other recruits. When given the option, all obliged... And all released the virus grenades onto them....


    Archius watched with dead eyes at them... The green blooms of smoke didn''t worry him... After all, they were merely tools, and all tools must be utilised to ensure the perfect matters of controls are engaged. The cold facility was all he had left... And one objective: to destroy Clandestine...


    As always, Archius accomplished his objective; but not for the CRIS. Not for those manipulative snobs that need a good IED shoved up their asses. He did it because he wanted to... Continuing to watch his dying trainees down in the mess hall, Archius could see sparks of flames litter the room.


    The flames engulfed them all, until all that was left was the freezing facility.


    ? ? ?


    A spark of winter tingled past Archius¡¯ nose, a never-ending blizzard ringing past him. The Narisan winter blew snow up his nostrils. A puff of smoke left his mouth, quickly frozen from the freezing temperatures. He kept his hood down, feeling the warmth from the insulated nanobot coat. It was warm, cosy even, as he took the herbal smoke from his mouth. Flicking it away, into the breeze of the slums, he slowly stretched. A single glance showed the obscured visage of steel slums and conjoined multi-story huts that assembled the frozen wastes.


    Even without any knowledge in architecture, he could tell it was all just makeshift, done with haste, built under less-than-ideal conditions.


    Seering cold stung his face as the puffs of regulating warmth kept him alive. Small strands of his messy hair flicked out, flowing in the wind.


    He stuck his hand into his pocket, pulling out a data-pad, before swiping through it. It had numerous notes and messages that Sato gathered for the mission, a merge of Krystalink and CRIS sources. It was generic information, the who, the what, the where. It was up to him to decide the how.


    He tugged tightly on his scarf, a crocheted masterpiece with the head and tail of a fire-fox on both ends. It was an animal known for its sly and cunning, but considering how it was created for him, it seems Kazuki¡¯s mother was quite aware of what his true nature was.


    Radioactive snow sparked through the datapad, short-circuiting the device. He scoffed, chucking it behind him with a clank across steel. He glanced out towards the endless abyss of lights within the snow, lighting his earpiece uplink on.


    ¡®Alright, I¡¯m in position. Sato, the data-pad fried, you still got the briefing?¡¯ Archius asked, not able to hide his thinly veiled animosity, dusting snow off his legs as he peered down the side of the slums. ¡°I don¡¯t want a repeat of Maritanto.¡±


    The desolate streets below were more like alleys.


    ¡®Oh, shut the fuck up, I have the brief, just get on with it,¡¯ said Sato, ¡®And you better get back, Amy¨¦ and Quinn aren¡¯t too happy guarding you.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, them? I told them to piss off, Kaz¡¯s just paranoid.¡¯


    Sato grumbled, but shoved the topic aside. It was true, but at least Archius could get to work now, even with the other two gone to fuck off nowhere. He¡¯ll meet up with them later.


    ¡°Just¡­ rally with them later,¡± Sato said with a strained voice.


    Unlike with the Loyalists, Kazuki finally let him off the leash, probably for the best. Archius guessed that Svenn was the main reason he opposed him doing field work. But with the benefit of hindsight, it was definitely a good reason, seeing how badly fucked up Kaz got. But now that they¡¯re doing something less intensive, the snake has full reign. Around him were the nuclear slumlands of Narisa, a winter wonderland of death¡­ Not the best first deployment, but he¡¯s had worse.


    ¡®Sure, sure!¡¯


    ¡®Tsk.¡¯ Sato clicked her tongue in response to Archius¡¯ fake response.


    He slowly stood up, sighing as he placed his aug-goggles on, highlighting the numerous drones passing by in the thick storm. Most of them were police drones, though others were not.


    With how volatile this shit-hole was, crime was pretty normal. It¡¯s probably more violent here than the deepest levels of Anagora. But people get by nonetheless, even if they can¡¯t buy a ticket off this place.


    ¡®Alright, then, let¡¯s get things done, before Kaz decides to send me home.¡¯ said Archius, coldly as he started to walk, his boots imprinting on the snow gathered on the roofs.


    Clambering across the roofs, he sneaked through the flimsy rooftops. Across a long, narrow street, the bright neon lights of a bar came into view, through the blizzard. He stepped down onto one of the various makeshift walkways, slowly taking out his revolver. He screwed a suppressor onto it. It was small and blocky but worked well for covert-ops.


    ¡®So, this group are a bunch of smugglers, who got mil-grade weapons from a crashed imp-cruiser. But are you sure it¡¯s these guys?¡¯ asked Sato, audibly flicking through a large dossier of information.


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ groaned Archius, stepping onto a balcony on the other side of the street as a gangster standing guard outside a small safehouse turned the corner. Before the criminal could even make a noise, Archius had filled them full of lead, their body dropping down onto the steel balcony.


    He slid his pistol back into his holster, hiding it well. ¡®Antigonid¡¯s Gun Runners have ties to the Board, they have the influence and the proximity.¡¯ Archius explained, ¡®Trust me on this, m¡¯kay?! I know it¡¯s hard trusting the specialised spymaster, but the others are small cards in a big deck.¡¯


    ¡®Ugh, fine, just get on with it,¡¯ replied Sato, going quiet, finally, some peace, Archius thought.


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    The storm worsened as he crossed another flimsy bridge, as he stepped off, it collapsed, splintering across the middle. Falling, it sent fragments of wood and steel downwards, crashing into the ground as he heard commotion brew. Pressing himself against the window behind him, he looked down to see the neon lights of the bar shine down below. Aug-goggles told him that eyes were staring upwards. Seconds passed, and their glares turned away; he heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°That was unexpected,¡± he muttered to himself.


    His face fell, forming into a snarl as he dropped the facade. He leaned back against the window, feeling his balance falter. A loud mechanical crunch opened behind him. Crashing backwards, Archius fell down into the room behind him¡­ the window¡¯s pressurisers relocking into place, sealing him in.


    He was hit with a wave of warmth, it felt rather nice.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Archius slowly dusted himself off, pulling his hood up as he ripped his goggles off, placing them on his forehead.


    His head twisted at the single sound of rustling¡­ gaze snapped onto a woman, older than him. She was sitting down on a makeshift chair, next to a table with a pistol. Her eyes wavered at him, signs of cuts and bruises all over her visible skin.


    ¡®Hey, focus¡­ what the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing?¡¯ asked Sato, as Archius slowly waved at the woman.


    The woman wore a thick jacket, with many layers of clothes beneath that. Behind her was a small Erudian Altar on a mantlepiece, with a metal idol of Iris standing firm in the centre.


    Perhaps he should just shoot her, Archius mulled over it. Yet again, he should keep things as clean as possible, and in control. It¡¯ll be a last resort, he thought.


    Archius¡¯ face formed into a small smile as he greeted the woman. He tried standing up, faking his leg being injured as he masqueraded behind a bout of pain. ¡°Heya, this the bar?¡±


    She nodded as he stood up, her eyes glancing towards the door. Archius maintained a friendly expression, slowly raising his hands as he pulled his thermal beanie off. ¡°Yes¡­¡± mumbled the woman.


    ¡°Thanks, sorry about the window.¡± said Archius, ¡°I¡¯m a parkour enthusiast, keeps my limbs warm.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ worries.¡± She glanced towards the pistol.


    ¡°HEY! HEY! Let¡¯s not act hastily,¡± said Archius, gesturing for her to lean away from the pistol. Archius looked towards it, realising it was an open-chambered revolver - old. And it had a single bullet loaded in it¡­ Oh, interesting. ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± asked the woman, it was definitely a sane thing to ask. But Archius simply bowed, acting all friendly to avoid any misunderstandings.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Killian, anyways, sorry to bother you. I better be going.¡±


    Twisting his fingers to the door, he slowly walked towards it, keeping his eyes trained on the woman. His pistol was hidden, thankfully#. But as Archius slowly passed the woman, he felt a tug come to his shoulders.


    In a split-second decision, he waved away from killing her. Though, his right hand was already ready to activate his pen-knife. Instead, he slowly twisted towards her, noting that the pistol remained on the table. She was close - too close for comfort, but Archius played into it.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Archius asked, tilting his head in confusion.


    ¡®Fucking hell, Archius, don¡¯t go full play-boy on us, you have a mission to complete!¡¯ grumbled Sato, listening through his uplink. ¡®And you better not do it, just to spite me, for the second time.¡¯


    Her grumpy nature was on full display, still focusing on the work, however. She probably must be thinking that she could have clocked out some time ago, Archius summised.


    But as she finished, the woman slowly raised her other hand towards his ear, turning his uplink off. She seemed mesmerised by his peridot eyes. Alright, this was weird, he thought¡­ But Archius stood firm. This was textbook! He slowly raised his own hand towards her, a fake smile with embracing arms.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± she trailed off, ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­ like all of them. Please¡­¡±


    It seemed obvious what happened, and he played along, though he couldn¡¯t care less. She was definitely insane, or some taste of nuclear-crazy. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Sia, please¡­ everyone¡¯s gone. The gunrunners gave me this apartment and job after they died¡­ Dad, mom, my brothers¡­ I begged Iris for someone to save me and¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªworry not,¡± lied Archius, tightening his grip. He¡¯ll have to make this all seem like a dream. Most of his textbook manipulations took time, but he wasn¡¯t exactly working with all the time in the galaxy here. ¡°You¡¯re strong. Keep it up, Sia, you¡¯ll see it through, no matter what.¡±


    It seems the Gunrunners here actually look out for its people. Which, for criminal organisations, is a rarity. Such a shame they picked the wrong fight.


    And of course, she started to cry. She leant into his shoulder. Archius thought that this was going on for far too long¡­ His coat will get even more damp, that was the true tragedy. He leaned in as well, with a tired expression on his face. And as she wasn¡¯t looking, he rolled his eyes, glancing around the room for something else that was more entertaining.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Sia, I¡¯m going out to get something from the bar,¡± Archius said, patting her on the back as she slowly leant backwards. Her eyes were wide and red.


    ¡°No¡ªYou can¡¯t! Just¡­ stay with me, please¡­¡± Sia begged. But it fell on deaf ears. Archius slowly patted her arms, pretending to actually care about her.


    ¡°Can you be strong for me?¡± asked Archius.


    ¡°I¡­ can?¡± Sia didn¡¯t seem too sure of it herself.


    ¡°Yes.¡± It was good enough for him. ¡°Good. Then be strong for me, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    She shook for a few moments, slowly prying herself away from Archius. He kept his face up, giving her a calming smile as she looked down towards the floor. Good, it seems like she¡¯ll be much easier to convince than what he initially believed.


    But then, teardrops fell. Well, at least there was no member of the seven to get angry at him here. Fuck! Did he do something wrong? She pushed herself off of him, twisting the pistol as she grabbed it. Archius¡¯ eyes glistened as he stepped to the side, ready to draw. Fuck, he¡¯s too slow. She aimed the muzzle towards him, eyes watering¡­


    And a click filled their minds. It jammed, and her hands fumbled, dropping the revolver onto the ground, and running back into Archius.


    She wrapped her arms around him, now outright crying. Ugh, now his coat will get even more wet, and he¡¯ll have to get it washed later, who knows how fucked the genes of this planet¡¯s population are? He patted her on the head, muttering, ¡°It must be hard for you, don¡¯t worry, get some shut-eye, I¡¯ll always be here,¡± Archius lied.


    She nodded, as Archius slowly took out a small injector, the size of his thumb. It was hidden well beneath his coat, yet was easy to reach. And as she wasn¡¯t looking, he injected it into her neck, pumping fluid directly into her veins. Her grip loosened around him. And she fell asleep, dropping onto the floor, slowly. Archius¡¯ facade faded, staring down at her in disapproval.


    No one left for her¡­ he felt like giving her mercy, but something kept his hand from using lethal. He simply took in a deep breath, sighing as he looked around.


    Maybe¡­ he understood her, beyond what his training taught him. ¡°Good night, Sia,¡± said Archius.


    But as the thoughts steered clear, he was filled with nothing. He shook his head in disapproval, twisting away, he has far more interesting play-things, like Kaz and Liz. But he hasn¡¯t seen Liz since the conference. Kazuki hasn¡¯t exactly been the most talkative since, but he knew that the sacrifice was worth it.


    Between her short-term mental state for a long-term objective, the answer was obvious to him. But to others, the answer seems to be more nuanced.


    Plus, Eliza was a liability! She¡¯s no Contractor, and she might be good behind a monitor or with paperwork, she¡¯s not ready for what this galaxy has to offer her.


    Not in this line of work. Eliza simply doesn¡¯t have the determination or the mind for it. Archius concluded that she¡¯ll always be the one to¡­ place her emotions in front of cold, hard logic.


    Turning away, he walked towards the door, sliding the syringe back into one of his many pouches underneath the layers of his coat. Now, it was time to meet his future associate and ally, though he doesn¡¯t know it yet. Osmond will be an interesting asset, from preliminary information.


    ? ? ?


    Walking down the stairs, Archius pretended that he just came from the toilets. After all, with how bad the food quality was on the planet, it was understandable why he¡¯d need to.


    Fixing his coat, he flicked on his uplink as his ICAPAD showed him information on Osmond. Archius noted that the apartments and rooms he walked by were probably filled to the brim with people, judging by the constant chatter and noise across the entire building.


    ¡®It¡¯s not enough¡­¡¯ said Archius, flicking on his uplink.


    ¡®Oh well fuck me, maybe you should try to collate information on every single person on a frozen wasteland?¡¯ snapped Sato, grumbling. ¡®A thank you would have been nice. And good thing I didn¡¯t come down there with you, otherwise I¡¯d already have punched you.¡¯


    ¡®Hey, it¡¯s not that bad, all things considered, I haven¡¯t been stabbed yet,¡¯ Archius commented, imitating Kazuki¡¯s dryness. He glanced at a holo-poster dating back from the war, showing a grizzly image of mass graves dug by the Imperials; it didn¡¯t affect him all that much. There were others, ones hailing for people to fight for the Republic, for ¡®their freedoms and liberty¡¯.


    Looking around, Archius scoffed at the notion. All tools of war must be discarded eventually, and these people were just that.


    ¡®You¡¯re not off the hook yet, Archius. You still gotta answer to Eliza.¡¯


    ¡®Eliza?¡¯ asked Archius, remembering that things were still untied with her.


    ¡®Don¡¯t you ¡®Eliza?¡¯ me,¡¯ Sato exclaimed, a hint of sass in her voice. Now that he thinks about it, the two did seem somewhat close, though whether it was Eliza¡¯s assistance, her nerdiness or a sense of comradery, he couldn¡¯t decipher, not now. ¡®You think I didn¡¯t notice you stopping Kazuki from intervening?¡¯


    ¡®Hey, it got things done, didn¡¯t it?¡¯ Archius tried to justify his actions, knowing them to be true. He leaned against the wall on the bottom floor, peering into the bar from the staircase. It was filled to the brim with people of all sorts, all unified in their hellish life. ¡®Eliza is a liability to the AGENCY. I turned her, briefly, into an asset.¡¯


    ¡®Dammit, she¡¯s a handler!¡¯ Sato snapped, her voice frustrated.


    Ugh, handlers¡­ She¡¯s an amateur at best. ¡®And a liability. She¡¯s the AGENCY¡¯s weak underbelly. The Loyalists shot into the dark and hit, but the smugglers? They watched and learned.¡±


    ¡®You know what? Fuck you,¡± Sato snarled.


    ¡®Fuck you too!¡¯ Archius snapped, continuing to slide through the documents. ¡®Why are you so pressed about Eliza? She¡¯s just the new girl.¡¯


    ¡®First of all, Kazuki dragged her into this fucking mess, the best you can do is give her a little respite here and there! She nearly fucking died.¡¯


    Sato wasn¡¯t wrong, but Archius knew that Claire and Quinn wouldn¡¯t have failed. They¡¯re not some of Kazuki¡¯s finest for nothing. Eliza was first and foremost: a university student. With how back and forth this job and her life is, it¡¯s understandable why she¡¯d not feel comfortable leaving Anagora - but it was only an hour''s commute between here and there, at most. Plus, that¡¯s with public transport, she¡¯s getting the premium transport services that the AGENCY can offer, an armoured convoy.


    ¡®I guess I¡¯ll give that to you,¡¯ said Archius. But no more dawdling. ¡®Guess I¡¯ll have to apologise sooner or later. I¡¯m going in.¡¯


    Sato tried to talk back, but Archius slid his uplink off before she could, tucking it gently behind his hair, just long enough to cover it. As he did, he stepped forward, entering into the bar proper.

 XX9: Frostbite Connections

    Archius wondered what type of person would work the best with Osmond. From the information he had, Osmond was a stern but caring person, key word being ¡®was¡¯, but the years have made him weak. He¡¯ll try carrot and stick, see if he budges - though Archius was already formulating sixty backup plans. Because unlike Kazuki, he took failure into the process of his planning.


    Most people were chatting and drinking to their heart¡¯s content, though he could tell that the alcohol was heavily watered down, but their faces were no less merry. Despite the freezing temperatures outside, the inside felt warm, with insulated walls and heating to the whole place, with each beating heart full of alcohol and joy - in some combination of the two.


    Looking across, he saw his target, Osmond, with his light blonde hair and green eyes. He was sitting in a booth by himself, drinking and smoking with a briefcase under the table.


    He had an armband, signifying his status as one of the planet¡¯s ¡®elites¡¯. Other than that, he blended in with the rest of the people, all wearing thick coats and scarves, hidden beneath tightly knotted cloaks and layers of fabrics.


    Sliding through the bar, he made sure not to draw attention to himself, sneaking his way towards the booth. He kept both hands in his pockets as he stood beside the table. Osmond slowly looked up, nodding at Archius.


    ¡°New moon¡¯s here,¡± Archius said, stating their code-phrase for a business deal.


    ¡°You¡¯re the client then?¡± Osmond asked, wanting to confirm his identity.


    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s get to business.¡± said Archius, sitting down whilst slowly reaching for the briefcase underneath the table. He had secured this meeting on the pretence of an arms deal, a profitable one at that - probably why Osmond was sent, but: of course, this deal was riddled with lies.


    But Osmond slapped his hand away. ¡°Payment first. Then you can touch it.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ come on, I just want to look at it.¡± said Archius, ¡°I¡¯ve heard from previous customers that you allow it.¡±


    ¡°Those are privileged clients¡­ and I¡¯m sorry to say but you are not on the list, it¡¯s not up to me, sorry about it but it¡¯s just the way things are.¡± Osmond apologised profusely, placing his hands on the table, Archius did the same. Osmond had no guards, Archius noted down. Probably since this place was considered safe¡­ probably on the payroll of the smugglers.


    He nodded. Osmond¡¯s boss was always a bit on edge; anything can set him off. And he had the perfect ploy to get Osmond into line. He was thankful for what happened, and Archius wasn¡¯t all cruel. He¡¯ll let Osmond live, after all: the Loyalists¡¯ lack of heavier explosives and weapons in the P-2 Incident was caused by him. Osmond stopped the shipments, called them off. For whatever reason, he couldn¡¯t care less - because it was perfect. Perfect as it helped Kazuki win, perfect as in the perfect blackmail against him. But first, testing the waters.


    ¡°So then, let¡¯s talk business shall we?!¡± asked Archius, ordering a drink from a hovering drone. It quickly served the two cups of beer. He picked one up. ¡°For Narisa.¡±


    Osmond nodded, taking the cup of beer as he downed it. Archius paused for a moment, before downing his. He did his research before, and knew that Narisans liked to down alcohol¡­


    ¡°But first, let¡¯s talk about some ground works, are you fine with that?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Osmond said. He nodded as he leaned back against the booth. ¡°I too prefer defining actual terms before shaking.¡±


    Archius smiled. ¡°Great to hear, first of all, I¡¯d like to talk about the operations of this¡­ thing you have going on; the Board¡¯s information has been very subtle. Is it safe to invest in?¡±


    ¡°Safe?¡± Osmond chuckled. ¡°Nothing¡¯s safe on this planet, but to sure hell it is safe compared to the other options.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes¡­ But I¡¯ve heard words about your boss, mind answering them for me?¡±


    ¡°Leon? Look¡­¡± Osmond paused for a moment, before continuing. ¡°He¡¯s tough, but he¡¯s fair. He expects no failure, good for you, right? You know that your investments won¡¯t fail.¡±


    Bullshit, Archius thought. Their mission to Anagora failed. But he nodded nonetheless. ¡°I see¡­ but¡­ I want to know what you think of him.¡± said Archius, placing a hand to his chin. ¡°Nothing against him, trust me. But you seem trustworthy, and I need to know if there¡¯s good blood in your business.¡±


    He pulled a pack of holocards from his pocket, with Osmond nodding slowly. Archius flicked it onto the table, showing a miniature set for Dullahan¡¯s Calling, one of the galaxy¡¯s most popular strategy games. He¡¯s never mastered nor cared to get good at the game, but against some smugglers? Why not?


    ¡°Good blood?¡± asked Osmond.


    ¡°Business. Profits. Is your organisation the type that kills off shareholders?¡± asked Archius. ¡°With what happened to Clandestine, many private investors like myself are¡­ worried.¡±


    Ironically, Archius chose to be the attacker, as he flicked up more small cards onto the table, a simulated game-field prodding up between the two of them. Even if this place as a shit-hole, they still spend time playing the classics, Archius thought.


    ¡°What?! No!¡± Osmond¡¯s face grew in disgust, offended at the proposition. He thinned his eyes at Archius. ¡°No, we¡¯re not like those Contract-Breakers¡­ Who do you think we are?¡±


    He shrugged, it seems like he¡¯ll need to be a little more direct. ¡°People that get other people killed¡­ civilians included.¡±


    At the mention of civilians, Osmond paused. His eyes glanced elsewhere, before returning to Archius. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, man, do you wanna invest or not?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± said Archius. ¡°But, first and foremost: cooperation between you and me. We can both agree that we should work together, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess?¡± Osmond said, ¡°We¡¯re... we¡¯re gunrunners, alright? That¡¯s all you need to know.¡±


    ¡°Gunrunners, yes, but you sell merchandise to some of the biggest scum in the galaxy,¡± Archius said, placing his hand on his chin. ¡°I¡¯m questioning such an investment right now, please do persuade me otherwise.¡±


    Archius smiled, finally destroying the steel gate that Osmond¡¯s defence had put up. He started to stack up more holocards, might as well take advantage of this¡­ Osmond said, ¡°Don¡¯t compare us to the Republic, they ship more product than we do in a year for a single rotation... You can trust us.¡±


    ¡°Then, why did you lie? You say your boss does not tolerate failure. Yet¡­ my eyes tell me that your men failed on Anagora. And not only that, but a particular failure of your part.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    Archius slowly slid a disc across the table, it projected out an order. It was an uplink communication box. It read perfectly, ¡®DO NOT send weapons to the loyalists. I do not want a repeat of what happened with the skyliner. I don¡¯t care how much they pay you. CEASE ALL SHIPMENTS - Osmond Kellyr-Unith.¡¯ It had the sigil of the gunrunners, a spire of steel eclipsed with munitions.


    ¡°That¡¯s you! Isn¡¯t it?!¡± Archius leaned in close as Osmond¡¯s face went pale. He tapped at the information disc. ¡°Mind telling me about this? Interesting piece of information, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Osmond looked away, then back, his teeth gritting as stress permeated through his scalp, ¡°Have no idea what this is¡­ what trick do you think you¡¯re pulling?¡±


    ¡°Well, say what you might, but your boss will definitely have an idea of what this is. And keep your eyes on me, Osmond.¡± Archius explained, leaning back and relaxing against the booth seat as he slowly slid the disc back to himself - Osmond will put the pieces together.


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    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Osmond slowed down as he shook slightly, ¡°SHIT¡­ Fuck¡­ Alright, what the fuck do you want?¡±


    It seems like Osmond quickly broke, Archius didn¡¯t blame him, having to work under Leon for a decade must have been nerve-wrecking: and now the blockade breaks. But he needed Osmond alive and active, not dead. He has a mutually beneficial deal. Osmond gripped his head with both hands.


    ¡°Why do you look so stressed?¡± asked Archius, looking out towards the bar as he caught a few glances. Osmond slowly looked up at him. ¡°I simply want a new gun, to invest and it¡¯s not that deep¡­ Oh, and a confession.¡±


    Osmond glared at Archius. ¡°The gun is the least of my worries¡­ And confess to what¡­¡±


    ¡°District 22.¡±


    ¡°That was not us.¡± said Osmond, his voice faltering as it quivered. ¡°Look¡­ I¡ªwe only armed them¡­¡±


    ¡°Then who are they?¡±


    ¡°Fixers? Just some fixers from the Board¡­ look, just take the gun, I...¡± Osmond tried to deflect Archius. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, alright? I tried to talk Leon out of it; attacking the AGENCY is a mistake¡ªplease! He said he had assurances¡­ but¡­¡±


    Realising he was saying too much, he sealed his lips shut. Interesting information, but it was irrelevant for now. He can deal with the Board, or whoever gave them the green-light, later. Osmond¡¯s eyes were off the Dullie game, giving Archius free reign to win without need to call upon reinforcement cards.


    ¡°You assume that I¡¯m with the AGENCY? Interesting. Well then, we are looking at a very fruitful relationship, one where you get off this shit-hole.¡± commented Archius. Osmond glanced across, but Archius raised a finger, ¡°But first, locations.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Locations,¡± Archius repeated himself. ¡°The AGENCY is guaranteed to get involved with this planet¡­ in order to protect your people, stop as much suffering as possible, I recommend you consider my offer, how about it?¡± He made himself very clear in his intentions; the implications were all there.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Osmond trailed off.


    ¡°We could besiege the planet,¡± Archius stated, staring down Osmond.


    Osmond¡¯s eyes stabbed upwards, his skin pale as his gaze was set upon Archius¡¯ threat. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t¡­ This planet is under the protection of the Republic.¡±


    ¡°From foreign threats.¡± Archius let off a small but hearty laugh at his weak defence. ¡°No one will protect you when government troops come knocking.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ this isn¡¯t the war,¡± Osmond muttered softly.


    Archius maintained his smile, his eyes scanning to a few glancing heads. If he makes it look too antagonistic, they might get involved, the bar-goers. ¡°Smile, Osmond, good thing for you and me, that won¡¯t happen. At least it won¡¯t if you do your job well enough¡­¡± He paused, before continuing, his face turning neutral. ¡°We all know what happens to planets during and after sieges, this planet and Anagora are probably the best examples.¡±


    ¡°Blood, guts, gore and pillage, yes.¡± Osmond looked up, noticing a few glances from bar-goers, he tried his best to not act suspicious, turning his gaze directly at Archius. ¡°But¡­ please just don¡¯t let that happen to us again¡­ We just did what we had to do to survive.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, that¡¯s what they all say. Sure, it was Imperial Intelligence, but war is war. They¡¯re looking at us, nod.¡± Archius leaned back, gesticulating with his hands as if it was some kind of joke. Osmond nodded and quietly scoffed. ¡°Now, imagine how much carnage there¡¯d be if those Blackops were actually Freemuzzles.¡±


    Osmond¡¯s face froze at the thought. Archius leaned forward, smiling and patting Osmond on the shoulder, acting close to him. Archius ordered another drink, of course: on Osmond. He had him in his trap. Osmond paused, muttering to himself for a bit.


    Then, he raised his dread-filled face. ¡°Fine¡­ Yamki shipyards. We store merchandise there, transfer them mid-flight with ANCHORs.¡±


    Ah, so that¡¯s how they bypass customs. Clever, but very expensive¡­ Archius slowly formed a smirk, rewinding back into a more friendlier facade.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we can come to an agreement.¡± Archius slowly leaned across the table, pricking on a second uplink beneath Osmond¡¯s ear. The sigil of Clandestine was clear from the bottom, but from the front it just seemed like a low-neon light earpiece that clipped onto his earlobe.


    ¡°Ow¡­¡± Osmond rubbed his ear as Archius leaned backwards, a beep sounding off as Osmond shook. Archius grabbed the briefcase, tugging it onto the table. It was a simple briefcase, one you¡¯d see anywhere else.


    Yet it had an ANCHOR-lock. Transfer items between two locations discreetly, perfect for smugglers and criminals alike. Archius activated the briefcase. A small light popped through the cracks as he slowly lifted it up, revealing a newly ANCHOR¡¯d pistol. It was an Imperial era one, but it looked refined, and best of all: clean. He expected it to be covered in snow and dust.


    Osmond was messing around with the new uplink, trying to get it into a comfortable position. But Archius snapped at him, ¡°Don¡¯t remove that. It¡¯s a mind-snare bomb, takes your ear first, then your will.¡±


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Osmond shook his head, as Archius turned to the bar. A fight was brewing between two people. Punches were already being thrown, but that was standard. Most people were cheering on, uncaring that violence just exploded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after all of this: you¡¯re free. We¡¯ll provide you with enough money to fuck off the grid and die somewhere else peaceful, far away from the High Table, the Board and anyone else.¡± Archius downed his drink, watching as the fight turned into a knife-brawl. Blood was spilt, though no one stopped cheering and jeering.


    ¡°And if you¡¯re lying?¡± asked Osmond. ¡°No one can just ¡®get off the grid¡¯... Mercenaries, Criminals, we¡¯re all doomed to stay here.¡±


    ¡°You have no choice but to assume I¡¯m not. Plus, your life is of strategic value - and I hate dead assets, just play cards with us, and you¡¯ll live,¡± Archius assured him.


    ¡°And¡­ if you remove us?¡±


    ¡°Which we will,¡± Archius interrupted Osmond.


    Osmond swallowed saliva. ¡°Someone will replace us¡­ you¡¯d know that if you¡¯re here to begin with.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Archius, nodding. ¡°Someone will always replace you, that¡¯s just the way things are, isn¡¯t it? But you¡­ you overplayed it. And it¡¯s time for fresh blood.¡±


    Osmond narrowed his eyes, gaining all the strength he had left in his mouth. ¡°And if this fresh blood is more vicious than us?¡±


    Archius shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re not in a position to contemplate that, are you?¡± he asked.


    Osmond remained quiet - it seems he got the message, Archius picked up the pistol and slid it into a secondary holster along his belt. His green eyes looked down at Leon¡¯s lapdog, now a pacified wreck.


    He has no intention of letting his new asset die¡­ But mind-snaring him will always be a last resort. Archius ordered two more drinks, one for each. ¡°Smile. Do the¡­ thing whatever you people do.¡±


    Osmond grunted, putting on a fake smile and grabbing both drinks. He mixed them, half and half¡­ ¡°There.¡±


    Archius smirked. ¡°Good.¡± He downed the drink. ¡°So your leader¡¯s a Theonar?¡±


    A pale face cracked through the seams. Osmond did not expect that! And neither did Archius¡­ It was just a little prank, to see if it would happen, but it did.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Rite of Harinada, Theonar practise to solidify deals, mix drinks, never expect a Narisian to know it¡­¡± Archius glanced around the room, seeing another example of it, between two gamblers. ¡°Interesting¡­¡±


    ¡°What now?¡± sneered Osmond.


    Archius shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve tortured you enough for now, come on, tell me: why?¡±


    Osmond grumbled under his breath, downing his drink with Archius. ¡°His parents taught him it¡­ He taught it to all of us, we rarely run out of booze, keeps us unified¡­ Together¡­¡±


    Oh, and how that has changed so much, Archius musted to himself. Welp, that was fun. Archius finished the remainder of his drink.


    ¡°Pleasure doing business,¡± said Archius, standing up. He raised his voice, ¡°Oh, and keep the Dullie set, it¡¯s a Bronze Edition, act of good faith, right?¡±


    Osmond nodded. ¡°You tormented me¡­ can I at least get something from you?¡±


    Archius turned back to Osmond, slowly, with a piercing glare.


    ¡°Beyond Narisa¡­ I rarely left the planet, let along orbit or system¡­ Is the hammer finally coming for us?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Archius raised an eyebrow. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard?¡±


    Osmond¡¯s face grew paler. ¡°What?!¡±


    Archius placed his hand out, telling Osmond to shush. ¡°The galaxy¡¯s on fire once again¡­ Humanity has entered into a new dark age. The Eclipse has engulfed much of the core regions¡­ And currently¡­ there are two hundred thousand government troops in orbit.¡±


    Osmond¡¯s eyes grew in fear. Oh, just looks at that fucking face!


    Archius smirked. ¡°I¡¯m kidding¡­¡± Osmond heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Partially. People are still talking about the Crusades like some lofty thing, and the Night of the Eclipse like it¡¯s some fucking test from our beloved Goddess or whatever the shit the Erudian Priests say¡­¡±


    ¡°Two thousand years or more, huh?¡± Osmond grumble. ¡°Well, at least time isn¡¯t fucked up over here¡­ not yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only been a week or so since you drew our ire,¡± Archius commented. ¡°Aliens are still gone, billions still starve and the Senator for Narisa is enjoying a lovely vacation on Kast¨¦.¡±


    Osmond grumbled, his face turning sour. ¡°Nothing changed¡­¡±


    ¡°Glad I can be of assistance!¡± Archius made an overly enthusiastic smiley face, before turning and leaving.


    Archius, happy with the outcome, shimmied his way out from the booth, and walked off, sliding behind the knife-fight, making his way out back into the frozen alleyways and wastelands outside that covered the planet. Taking out a canister, downing some water. He¡¯d like to balance things out. The warm water felt nice, heat permeating in his throat and mouth.

 X10: Frosted Flight

    The streets of Narisa were freezing, colder than that even. Though calling them streets was a bit of a stretch at that, it was just some narrow passageways. Ripe for pickpocketing, if it wasn''t for the thick fucking coats everyone wore. Archius kept walking.


    When no one was looking, and when he was turning corners, he slammed a small device to the walls, or fences, or rotting posts dotting the streetscape. Ding. Ding... Ding. Not good at all, the same person had just made the same five different turns as him.


    Archius hid in a small crevice after turning the corner. He pulled out his pistol and patiently waited. His head bopped left and right as he yawned beneath the thick scarf he wore. But no... person? Hmm. Must just be a coincidence, right?


    No! Archius scratched his head. He turned back out to the narrow passageway. No one was there? Oh... Must be his FUCKING imagination, then? Wait... Archius is in a tight passageway, he''s been followed - and they''re no where to be seen.


    That must mean... Up! Archius ducked back, just as a figure fell to the ground in front of him. A thick coat masked who they were, but Archius didn''t care. He raised his pistol and opened fire. Bolts hammered down the passageway, slamming into the attacker.


    Direct hits! Their coat shifted to the side, revealing his bolts had made their mark. Thick siege armour?! The attacker had a beard, a thick temper, and raised a steel pipe. Archius backpedalled, firing bolts off - trying to hit their head.


    Each flurry of bullets was just blocked as the bearded man shouldered the damage, throwing his arms and shoulder forward, up into his face. Stupid fucker! "Just die already..." Archius murmured to himself.


    Screaming bolts harrowed through the thick smog and blizzard. Blinds opened and eyes peered down at him. Shit... Archius noticed the bullet count dropping, then: empty. At that, the man charged at him. "Foreigner!" he shouted. "You ain''t got that cold blood! Your face ain''t liked around these parts!"


    Foreigner?! That wasn''t the insult Archius was expected, watching them hurdle forward. Archius kept walking backwards, until there was just enough room for him to truly move side to side. He slunk to the side of the man''s attack. Loading in a new magazine, he popped a fresh bolt into their head.


    "FOREIGNER!" a voice cried out from above. Archius rolled his eyes, he looked back at the horde of watchers above, all huddled at their windows.


    He gestured to the dead man on the floor and smiled. "He wasn''t," he said. Turning away, he heard a litany of footsteps. Doors burst open along the passageway, with half a dozen people rushing out.


    "Run his foreign pockets dry!" shouted one.


    Another called out, "You outsiders locked us all in here! We''ll send you back in a casket of piss!"


    "FOREIGNER! FOREIGNER! FOREIGNER!" Chanting started. Did they really hate foreigners that badly they''d run into bullets?


    Archius checked his pistol and magazines... Running low, best not waste this many bullets on fodder. Sliding his pistol into his holster, Archius juggled out with his dagger, pointing it forward. Just then, another dozen more doors creaked open, with more people stepping out.


    They all looked pissed... "They killed Jeremy!" one of them shouted. Everyone raised what seemed to be random household tools - make shift weapons.


    Archius chuckled. "Look, guys, I''m flattered! I''m flattered to hear you guys are all so concerned of my wellbeing on this planet..." It wasn''t a lie, just the complete opposite spectrum of wellbeing that they were willing to care about. "But uh... I''m a munitions expert! I came here to speak with one of your gunrunners! I am outsider! But I am good outsider!"


    From a certain perspective, he wasn''t wrong.


    "FOREIGNER!" The chanted didn''t let up.


    "How can you prove it!" one shouted, clearly not all these people have had their brains frozen in the muck. Archius rolled his eyes.


    Archius really couldn''t prove it. If he did, then he risks word getting back to the top brass. Archius peered behind him. The blizzard had subsidied for a bit, and downhill, far off, the silhouette of a warship crept up from the ground. Hmm, looks bigger from the surface, he concluded.


    He twirled back to the mob. "I have in my left breast pocket a contract! A CONTRACT!" he made sure to enthasise that word. That alone seemed to cool some fiery heads. "Please! Good man! Take it and read it!"


    The man that spoke stepped forth. He nodded to the knife in Archius'' hand. Archius slowly shook his head, faking fear. "Will I have it on your word that you and your lovely neighbours won''t kill me!? I''m a foreigner, so..."


    "For now!" the man replied. It was good enough, not like he was really going to give that man anything. Archius calmly placed his knife back in its sheathe. He made a massive deal about it, placing it on his left side, all for the people to see. The man stepped forward, reaching for Archius'' breast pocket.


    It was stuck. Archius had his hands calmly by his side. "Well... get on with it," he said, annoyed. The man grumbled and placed what Archius could only describe as a poor attempt of a weapon down by the wall. Great...


    Archius whistled calmly as the man used both hands to try and pry the pocket open. He peered back, everyone was getting somewhat bored by this. When no one was expecting, Archius sprung his trap. He drew his second knife, kicking the man in his crown jewels.


    Stolen story; please report.


    The bellow of pain resonated with all men in the area. Archius latched onto the man, turning him and placing his knife to his neck. "They got Juaniar! Shit! FUCK!" one shouted.


    Taking a hostage was so much easier here, after all they don''t really expect it, do they? Archius clicked his tongue, nodding to their weapons. Now that one of their own was held with a knife to his throat, they were a lot more diplomatic! How strange! Seems like violence always leads to diplomacy, or whatever the CRIS trainers said.


    "Alright, this is how it''s going to happen. I''ll give you back... umm... Juaniar, right?" Juaniar nodded. Archius continued, "Yeah! I''ll give you him back, and you guys don''t chase me, m''kay?!"


    Someone stepped forward. "The death of one of us changes nothing! You treat us like dirt! All of you outsiders do! Looking down at us in our frozen ''ell! Leon will show you!"


    "Wait... what?" Juaniar murmured. He raised his voice. "Hey! The fuck guys?! You''re not gonna kill me, are you?!" He turned back to Archius.


    Before Archius could speak, one of the crowd bellowed: "Death! Death! Death! We''ll all die here! Best we stick it up to them foreigners as we die! Stupid fucking hot blooded freaks!"


    At least he could see where Quinn got all his swearing from.


    "HEY?! GUYS?! LET''S JUST HEAR HIM OUT, ALRIGHT?!"


    "Yeah! Hear me out!" Archius seconded Juaniar''s opinion. He really didn''t want to get blood on his coat... it''d take so long just to find a free laundry machine on on the ship. Logic, however, failed. He could see where Quinn''s hot-headedness comes from now, as they all surged forward.


    Juaniar was shouting something, drowned out in the screams and cries against Archius. "I wasn''t even fucking born!" Archius raised his voice, before slitting Juaniar''s throat. He kicked his body, using it to stop the mass of clothes and flesh storming forward for a second.


    Taking his hand into his pocket, Archius dragged out a grenade, ignited it and lobbed to forward. The mere sight of death sent them reeling back as a stampede began. An ignition spark sent a burst of smoke all out, covering Archius as he fled from the scene.


    Coughs and bodies fell forward within the smoke, as the first boots on the ground reached the other side - rearing to have a go against Archius. Archius kept running. There was no fucking way he was willing to take on that many people! He''s not Kaz! He ain''t that suicidal. Archius kept laying traps all around.


    He threw dozens of gadgets all around... Unlike that time in those factories, he had his gear on him. Thank fuck for that, Archius thought, finishing the final line of a tripwire hook. Turning back, the first man snapped the first twig. Instantly, a dozen more wires squeezed him together.


    That wasn''t it, either! As a few of the pursuers tried to break free their lead comrade, the beams constricting exploded out.


    It wasn''t a pretty sight, but it was necessary, he thought. That little distraction bought Archius just enough breathing room to make his escape. He climbed up a wall pipe, ripping it off down into the face of a pursuer... Fuck... Archius fell onto the roof, trying to take a moment to breath.


    ''This is Archius... These Narisans are tough, Sato!'' he shouted.


    ''Oh, are they?'' Sato responed with snark. ''Maybe you should have kept this line open, then, hmm?''


    ''Sure,'' Archius replied. ''They''re belligerent, less than half-witted and are obsessed... You''d like them.'' He slowly got up, hearing the sound of clambering down below. A gloved hand crept up to the edge of the steel roofs. No fucking shot. Archius scrambled up, taking his pistol out and shooting the hand.


    A distancing cry echoed through the snow, before falling, as whoever that was fell. Turning away, Archius started back into a run. This was so exhausting... Not really, just not wanting to get sweaty in all this thick get-up.


    A few bolts were thrown over the roof as his pursuers clambered on. Tenacious bunch! Even the Sub-Level scum don''t chase him up and all around for THIS long! Archius slid across the icy metal, grabbing the side of the roof and throwing himself down into one of the suspended paths.


    A mother, holding her child, shrieked at his descent, holding her kid close. Archius started to run, slowing down to gently breeze past the mother. "You won''t like what''s coming!" he shouted, before picking up the speed once more.


    Bolts flew once again and Archius threw himself through a window. His thick coat and light armour plates weathered the glass and thermal blinds, crashing into some random guy''s house. "HEY!" he shouted, reaching for an Imperial-era shotgun on the wall.


    Archius ducked beneath a shotgun blast, raising his pistol and blasting away at the guy. Poor fool... Archius kept running, crashing through the house and exiting out from the back. Alarms were now setting off, with clangs and ringing filling the air - rising the armed populace.


    Oh no... He looked in front, across the suspended path he stood on: they cut him off. Turning back, he saw a few slowly dig out from the windows and doors... Archius sighed, closing his eyes and grumbling to himself. He turned out to the snowy blizzard, peering down.


    A long fall, he thought. Ugh... This was such a good day, and here he is slinking off like Kazuki and doing stupid shit... Archius continued groaning as they etched closer. "No time like the present," Archius murmured. He took out a small handle from his coat and took a step forward.


    WOAH! Archius felt gravity reel him down. It was so disorientating that he almost forgot to prod the handle, a steel climbing pick extending out. Archius stabbed it into the wall. A tug and a yank tore leagues of pain into his arm.


    FUCK... That hurts... Archius groaned. Maybe Sato was right; maybe field work is just not for them... Yet admitting that would make Sato right, which he really can''t allow. So: Sato''s wrong!


    These thrills... Archius thought deeper, finding this rather fun! Bullets and plasma spewed down from a spordic few with guns. Archius kept climbing down, ducking to the side and sliding down the icy surface - hitting the floor running. Runing into the abyss and the smog, Archius thought he was in the clear.


    Well, he knew he was in the clear! They''re belligerent, but not stupid, they won''t throw themselves down just to chase after him. Even with the alarms blaring, Archius found the lack of footsteps and screaming to be calming! However, Archius'' ears twitched.


    Footsteps? Ugh... He ducked into another alleyway, hiding in a frost-bitten crevice. "He must be around here somewhere!" a voice called out. "What does he even look like?!"


    "M¨¢wti!" another shouted. The footsteps were all screaming by him.


    "M¨¢wti? The fuck we hunting a M¨¢wti guy for?! Republic''s fucked them over too!" the first man shouted back. Archius sighed. With no facade, he stared endlessly forward, into the blank wall that faced him.


    Yeah. They were right, but Archius has a job to do, and nothing gets in the way of that. All Archius has left is the mission, whatever that may be, and everything must be geared towards that mission. Archius'' soulless gaze envisioned his family on that wall, before blood splatters covered their faces, one by one...


    Heads crushed, limbs gone, suffocated and dead. Archius took in a deep breath, feeling cool vapours leave his lips. The footsteps were gone. Time to go.

 X11: Swallowing Drunken Bullets

    Frostbite engulfed Archius¡¯ hands and body as he shifted the sheets of metal to the side. He was freezing, and numb. He shook heavily as he continued to pry the metal aside, the fabrics of his gloves being too thin to withstand a Narisan Spring Blizzard. He thought about asking for Sato, but then realised that his uplink had been off, mainly because he needed to conserve heat.


    But as he heaved heavy breaths, sighing as he heard shouts in the distance, he pushed into it. He wasn¡¯t as strong as Kazuki, and the cold was making things worse. The planet-wide snow storm had become more intense, and it seems that he¡¯s the to-be-victim of an attempted robbery.


    The voices got closer, but as he felt them etch ever nearer, he finally made way! A small gap into one of the various steel huts. His ICAPAD was still lighting up with information as he shoved himself into the gap. The snow and ice splashed through the interior as he landed onto the floor with a thud.


    ¡°Ough,¡± Archius groaned in pain. It wasn¡¯t warm or hot inside, but it was definitely better than out there. He stumbled back upwards, sliding the gap shut. ¡°Fuck¡­¡±


    Thinning his eyes, he saw a group of criminals run by outside, nearly single file in the tight alleyways. ¡°WHERE THE FUCK DID HE GO!?¡± one cried.


    ¡°JUST KEEP PATROLLING! HE¡¯LL REAR HIS UGLY HEAD SOON!¡± shouted another, as the voices and footsteps echoed away.


    Archius chuckled. ¡°Ugly, they should look at themselves¡­¡± he muttered to himself, as he turned towards the interior. It was a barebone living room, though its furniture was in rags and it seemed completely ransacked, the sight felt eerie, for some strange reason. But this was the place.


    He grumbled, looking back down at his ICAPAD as he glanced around. The stairway upwards was broken, collapsed in on itself. The walls were thin, but this definitely was the place. There was no way his ICAPAD lied. He shook on the spot, fucking hell this planet is cold, he thought¡­ Moving towards the centre of the room, he glanced around, searching the place.


    But instead of trying to find anything to loot, he was instead trying to find anything out of place. Under the sofa, the pillows, the table¡­ Nothing. Then, his eyes scanned towards a bookshelf.


    ¡°There¡¯s no fucking way¡­¡± Archius commented, condensation leaving his mouth. He approached the bookshelf, seeing that it was completely empty. He started to run his hand across the surfaces of the shelves. ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    As he did, he suddenly heard a click. A click? OH FOR FUCK SAKE, he thought, ugh¡­ He expected something better, to be honest. But no matter, he glanced around the room, seeing a small section of the floor behind the couch open up. Mechanical cogs glistened as holographic cloaks revealed a small latch.


    Scampering to the latch, Archius felt his limbs shake from the cold. Dammit, he hopes that this place has something warm in it. He rubbed his hands together before grabbing onto the latch. Pulling it up, it came off swiftly¡­ Revealing a ladder downwards. Fragments of snow covered it, as well as cold water.


    It was dark. His information didn''t lie, and he started to climb down, shoving the latch back on as he descended in pitch black. Slowly but surely, a small modicum of light came through at the bottom, as he continued to climb down. And then, voices, along with old music from before the war, calming¡­ He¡¯s heard it numerous times before.


    Arriving at the bottom of the staircase, he twisted around. ¡°Hey, do you guys have anything warm to drink?¡± asked Archius, glancing over at Amy¨¦ and Quinn. The two were sitting at a small bar, as they glanced over at him.


    ¡°ARCHIUS?!¡± Amy¨¦ shouted out loud. Archius gently placed his finger on his lips, trying to get her to shut up.


    ¡°Oh, Archius?¡± Quinn waved her worries aways. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this place is deep. Argue to your heart¡¯s content!¡±


    ¡°Sure, if you say so,¡± said Archius, dismissively as he walked deeper into the bar. It was a comfy place, though it was filled with cobwebs. ¡°Nice place, you have.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ how did you find us?!¡± shouted Amy¨¦, standing up. Archius unzipped his coat as he chucked it onto one of the tables to dry out. Unlike above, it was¡­ moderately warm in here, yeah, he can survive in this, he thought. ¡°Quinn, did ya tell him?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Quinn sat up from behind the bar. ¡°No? Wait, Archius, I never told you about this place!¡±


    ¡°I know?¡± Archius shrugged, looking around the place.


    The walls were ornate, with posters and pictures posted up. Most were worn out, from before the war, showing images of operas, film promotions and local schools. Along the wall were two thick coats drying on an old coat hanger near the entrance. There was a door behind the bar counter. And as Archius approached Amy¨¦, he clicked his fingers, pointing to her.


    ¡°Anyways, what is this place?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, what does it look like? A school?¡± joked Quinn. He wasn¡¯t wrong, this planet definitely lacked education, Archius guessed that¡¯s why people like him existed. ¡°Just an underground bar. Shut down long ago, found it with Riharia and Petra¡­ we uh, kept it to ourselves.¡± Quinn¡¯s face slowly soured at remembering the past. Those two were dead, and Quinn had to face it all.


    Glancing around, Archius could see a vault¡¯s worth of ornate valuables. Nothing was shiny, but the furniture and the decor? It looked old, though the war was over, it seems some of its legacy remained in more subtle forms. His eyes fixated on a pile of trinkets in the corner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at that!¡± shouted Quinn. ¡°That¡¯s uh¡­ my collector¡¯s pile from before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so your kleptomania corner?¡± Archius inquired. ¡°Makes sense, you can¡¯t exactly keep everything in your pockets.¡±


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    ¡°Oi¡­ you haven¡¯t answered my question!¡± Amy¨¦ violently bashed her hand into Archius¡¯ forearm, though it felt quite weak. He then pointed at Amy¨¦, uttering no words.


    She looked towards Quinn, then back at Archius as she stood up. She was holding onto a glass cup of scotch, judging by the looks of it. She pointed at herself, rather confused as she scratched her ginger hair.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± said Archius, slowly sliding his hand beneath Amy¨¦¡¯s shirt collar, pulling out a small device. It blinked slowly with a low hue of light as he showed it to the two of them. ¡°Y¡¯all forgot, I have eyes everywhere, and how long did it take for you to steal enough alcohol?¡±


    ¡°Hey! I found¡­ most of it?¡± Quinn jogged his memory, not too sure of it himself. ¡°Actually¡­ I think I stole most of it. Well¡­ we had to evict the previous owners¡­¡±


    ¡°The only thing you¡¯re master of is ruining the fucking mood.¡± snapped Amy¨¦, shaking her head as she closed her eyes. With them closed, she karate chopped the tracking device, destroying it without even looking, before turning back and sitting back down. ¡°Why do I have to be stuck with the kleptomaniac and the creep?!¡±


    Archius couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the bad-mouthing sniper. Speaking of which, her sniper was gently resting on one of the stools, along with Quinn¡¯s shotgun. ¡°I¡¯m not that much of a creep, I just know your every dying and living secret.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, so uh, are we in trouble?¡± asked Quinn, avoiding the topic of secrets.


    Archius sat down beside Amy¨¦, looking up at the low hue of lights. Behind the bar was a large wall of alcoholic beverages. ¡°Only if you don¡¯t serve me some drinks.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, kill yourself please,¡± Quinn nodded, grabbing a random bottle of wine from the shelves of wine. ¡°Tis probably fine aged, or whatever¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s now how ageing works,¡± commented Amy¨¦, jabbing at Quinn as she downed her cup of scotch.


    ¡°Nah shut the fuck up. I stored this wine here! Therefore I know what it is!¡± Quinn shot back, pointing fingers at Amy¨¦ as he grabbed another cup from below the counter, serving Archius up a drink before downing the opened bottle.


    ¡°Uh huh, uh huh, totally.¡± Amy¨¦ said, dismissively.


    Archius slowly grabbed the cup, pressing it to his lips as he drank the wine. It was¡­ not aged? Actually, he didn¡¯t know, he couldn¡¯t tell. But if he couldn¡¯t, he doubted that these two could. Considering how expensive aged wine is, Archius merely threw the assessment aside.


    Placing the empty bottle down on the counter, Quinn chuckled. ¡°You know, Archius, if you could convince Sato, maybe we can get all this wine transferred back to the Phoenix¡¯s Fury.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Amy¨¦ looked towards Archius. ¡°Go tell Sato to like, I don¡¯t know, get her legion of drones down here, this shit here can keep us all drunk for weeks!¡±


    ¡°It can keep us drunk for weeks, yes. But it¡¯ll only take you one day to get through this whole stockpile,¡± Quinn slapped Amy¨¦, light-heartedly. Archius and Quinn shared a moment of chuckling as the former felt somewhat relaxed here¡­ No war, no mission, just three friends and some liquor to loosen their tongues. ¡°Maybe that slap will ram it into your big fat head.¡±


    Archius stopped bullshitting to himself, he was definitely here to hear some rumours and get some extra information. His job as a spymaster is to ensure the AGENCY can survive threats from the unknown. The Gunrunners are a threat, yes. And a loose tongued Quinn here might give him some extra information. Of course, there was a reason why he didn¡¯t bring those two along to meet with Osmond. Quinn knew Osmond. And vice versa; the two have waited ten years for their reunion, they can wait a little more.


    ¡°Oi, fuckhead, it won¡¯t take me a day! It¡¯ll take me hours!¡± Amy¨¦ snapped back, slapping her hand against Quinn¡¯s turquoise head, trying to slap it whilst dead drunk.


    But she did seem to have the ability to speak somewhat properly. These two alcoholics have the highest tolerances; and he would not want to fighting them in a drunken bar fight.


    All Archius needed to do was add some pressure to Quinn. ¡°Fuck me, you two act like siblings.¡± said Archius, pouring himself another cup as he leaned over the bar. In the calm of the underground bunker, they could forget about the storm raging above. Now that he thinks about it, this place was probably Quinn¡¯s go to hidey spot back when he lived on this planet.


    ¡°No we do not!¡± shouted the two, glancing at Archius, then at each other. Archius merely raised a cup, a Symbolic representation to how, after their disapproval, he was proved right.


    But Archius kept his eyes on Quinn. Whilst Amy¨¦ laughed it off and continued drinking, he looked more sombre, taking a small swig from another bottle. He seemed less of an immature fool. Archius made sure to not drink too much, he wasn¡¯t Kazuki tier light-weight, but he wasn¡¯t strong either.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right,¡± said Quinn, looking up for a moment. And he tried to hide things behind his fake laughter. ¡°I mean, you willing to adopt the two of us?¡±


    ¡°Tch, fuck no.¡± said Archius, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the babysitting and elder sibling work to Claire.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, fuck you!¡± Amy¨¦ pointed her middle finger up to Archius. He merely shrugged, and did the same. For a moment, he felt at home. Strange, he thought. This is unusual¡­ He glanced down at his cup as he poured more wine into it, before glancing up at Amy¨¦ and Quinn¡­ They felt so familiar, yet so far away.


    But he had a mission. ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah, fuck me.¡± said Archius. ¡°So, this place, you said you found it with Riharia and Petra? I didn¡¯t think Clandestine had any contracts here before.¡±


    It was gentle, nothing to be suspicious of. Quinn¡¯s history wasn¡¯t well known, with only Archius, Kaz and Martinez really being privy to anything that actually goes on. The Contract-Breaker¡¯s Talons, some in the CRIS say, not even two years and the AGENCY already has a plethora of nicknames.


    ¡°Nah¡­ Hey, I know you¡¯re supposed to be the secret teller guy, but you can keep some secrets, right?¡± asked Quinn.


    Placing his glass down, Archius nodded. ¡°Whatever is already known is already known; whatever is not, is not.¡± Archius equivocated.


    ¡°Appreciate it, boss,¡± said Quinn. ¡°Me, Riharia and Petra used to live on this shithole. We found this place and we joined the military, that¡¯s really it.¡± He looked slightly embarrassed, as if joining the armed forces was a shameful act.


    It was the truth, but it wasn¡¯t the full truth. But Archius allowed the lie to persist, after all: he already knows the truth of it. ¡°I see, well, lucky that you got off this waste hole.¡±


    Amy¨¦ raised her glass. ¡°Aight, let¡¯s all drink to that, then.¡±


    Archius did the same, as Quinn slowly raised his glass, quickly pouring wine into it as he clashed it against the others. And as the two downed it, Archius slowly sipped on his, watching as Quinn¡¯s green eyes retracted to a low slit. He had all he wanted and more, but perhaps he shouldn¡¯t pressure Quinn too much.


    ¡°Oh yeah, you don¡¯t really hang out with us, do you, Archi?¡± asked Quinn, leaning closer to him as he nudged him with his own cup. ¡°Come on, you should do it more often.¡±


    Archius shook his head. ¡°No, too much work for me,¡± lied Archius. In all honesty, he just didn¡¯t see the point to it. Sure, it was fun hanging out with people, but after what happened with Kaz and Jas, he¡¯d prefer to keep to only his closest friends.


    He could list them off on his fingers, Archius noted. Kaz, Yuki, Liz? Sure¡­ let¡¯s have her on there; Barclay, Hannah and Jasmine¡­ But she¡¯s lost all recollection of him.


    ¡°Yeah, too much work.¡± Archius repeated himself. Downing his cup, he slammed it against the bar counter.

 X12: Calm Before Storm

    Pressures released. The mechanisms unlocked, turning away as the bright lights of the interior room slid into Archius¡¯ eyes. The door unsealed open, revealing Cyrus - waiting for him. Of course, he had his combined great sword ready. He towered above him, before stepping to the side. Alright, it seems that he¡¯s allowed in, then.


    He patted Cyrus on the arm as he entered through, into the armoured office. But despite its name, it felt more like a breakroom for his five directors. Though exceptions were made for many others. Kazuki was standing in front of a large hovering board, with innumerable details on it, lines and pins stretching across its whole surface. He ignored Archius, merely watching the situation.


    ¡°You are late,¡± Cyrus commented.


    Archius merely shrugged. ¡°Whatever.¡± The Office of the Phoenix¡¯s Fury was the same as ever, though Kazuki was attached to the Analyspec of the ship, on the other side, with his uplink clipped to an AI within the vessel. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you brought it with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kazuki stated.


    Eliza was there too, sleeping on one of the chairs beside the table. She was holding onto a data-pad, logistics reports. Upon inspection, the list of reports were small, much smaller than he¡¯d expected, and magnitudes of order smaller than what they had to deal with at the end of the rebellion, it seems like she did wonders already for the group - much more than Rivera.


    But¡­ Eliza¡¯s deadweight. Sure, she helps here and there: but she¡¯s the chink in the armour. Go after her and Kazuki is sure to follow - whoever directed the attack probably knew that. her data-pad lit up with work from university as well, just another reminder to why she¡¯s the blind spot, she¡¯s not a Freemuzzle. She¡¯s no contractor. And therefore: she¡¯s the weakest. Even Sato can hold up in a fight, though not as well as Kaz, Hosea, Lilly or Martinez.


    Perhaps things have settled down, he thought. Kazuki remained motionless, staring at the board, his mind uplinked to the Analyspec as the wall behind Kazuki¡¯s chair was open, with a large quantum computer embedded into it. Cyrus closed the door behind him, stepping to the side of the room, unphased at the sight of the Analyspec.


    ¡°Sato did say that this partition is weaker, right?¡± Archius felt a drop of sweat fall down his cheek; the steel thing still looked unnatural to him.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Eh, better than nothing, I have a lead,¡± said Archius, forming a normal face. ¡°Fixers, Mischief Board and Gunrunners, it¡¯s no Loyalist-level threat, but they¡¯re still a thorn in our side.¡±


    ¡°Put it on the desk,¡± stated Kazuki. Looking down at the desk, Archius could see a pistol on a stand, as well as his aug-glasses beside them. Kazuki grumbled to himself, quietly - swallowing a pill. It seems the Analyspec wasn¡¯t doing too well for him, but it was literally being connected to a Quantum Computer¡­


    Archius did as he was told, but he was slightly worried about Kazuki. But one glance at Eliza piqued his curiosity. Placing the data-pads beside the weapon stand, he walked around the desk, approaching Kazuki. He leaned against the desk, looking at the detailed board. It had everything from suspects to dead leads to any spark of information that might be connected. It was¡­ fascinating, a bit overkill: but he had no doubts Kaz could remember it. More and more information was being extrapolated onto it as Kazuki¡¯s mental fortitude used the Analyspec.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± asked Kazuki, eyes skidding over towards Archius. Though his body remained motionless, having to bite off every word.


    Jessica Louis was the only photo present, the mastermind of the P-1 incident. She had a holographic red X over her, but there were numerous lines stretching out from it, with numerous targets of suspected activities.


    ¡°Just¡­ curious, that¡¯s all, nothing wrong with curiosity,¡± Archius said, playfully slapping Kazuki on the back. He didn¡¯t seem too happy about that, sliding the Analyspec shut as he sealed it behind the wall. Then locking the panels in place with a press from his uplink.¡°Plus, the Mischief Board seemingly gave them their blessing, seems like someone wants you dead.¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± He didn¡¯t seem amused, but he never did anyway. He chewed down on another pill, Archius noting down the stress on his mind that using the analyspec had. Not even he or Sato had the ability to use it effectively.


    ¡°I guess you got most of this from Clandestine¡¯s archives¡­ shame, you could have gotten more from it,¡± commented Archius, stretching his arms and shoulders.


    ¡°Yes, leaving the heavy cannons stationed there to fire upon the fleet would have been a preferred tactic.¡± snarled Kazuki, sarcasm filling his voice as he twisted to Archus. ¡°Between the fleet and the knowledge, I choose the fleet.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­ you could have used less high calibres, could have saved more of it.¡± Archius shrugged. ¡°But I¡¯m still thankful that you obliged to my little thing earlier.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡±


    ¡°Archius¡­ Eliza isn¡¯t your plaything.¡± Kazuki stared into his eyes, twisting around to him. Despite Archius standing a head taller than him, it was apparent who held the conversation by the neck.


    ¡°Why so sensitive?¡± asked Archius, rolling his eyes, ¡°A little bit of distress for de facto full control was, in fact, the best option.¡±


    Kazuki gave Archius one glance. ¡°She¡¯s our friend, and we look after friends - do we not?¡±


    ¡°What are you insinuating?¡± asked Archius, his eyes widening. The two engaged in a stare-off.


    ¡°Actually¡­ nothing.¡± said Kazuki, looking away. A moment of silenced passed as Archius sighed, he hated remembering the past. He wanted to change so much, yet can do nothing. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Archius. ¡°It was both our faults.¡±


    Kazuki slowly nodded. Archius remained motionless for a moment, before chuckling it off. Kaz shrugged it off, grabbing the data-pads, and throwing them onto Eliza¡¯s lap as she was woken up.


    ¡°Blegh?¡± Eliza opened one eye, glancing up at the light. Archius noted down that she looked fine, with no sign of open wounds. But that was Eliza¡¯s speciality, hiding everything behind a veil of perfection.


    She waved at the duo, only Kazuki waved back. But Archius was given another look by Kazuki¡­ It seems he wanted an apology for Eliza, but he deemed it unnecessary, what she doesn¡¯t know can not harm her, after all.


    But Kazuki didn¡¯t budge, remaining adamant without a voice. Eliza started going through the datapad, fixing her messy hair and tying it up. She looked alright, but still: orders are orders.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother with that,¡± said Archius, leaning over towards her. ¡°The only important thing is the location.¡±


    ¡°Very well then, ugh, how long have I been out?¡± asked Eliza, passing the pad to Cyrus. He leaned over, grabbing it as he placed it on his belt. Despite the fact that was in the Eden Initiative, he looked much older than anyone here, even Kazuki.


    ¡°A few hours.¡± Kazuki sat down on another chair, putting one leg over the other as he leaned back, causing the chair to slowly hover to a standstill. ¡°I¡¯ve taken some time to pin all the information I have. Started extrapolation. It¡¯s a start.¡±


    Not much? Fuck that?! Kazuki probably wrote down everything he could remember, regurgitating everything. Eliza looked at the board, seeing the labels and blank portraits of the perpetrators, with only two filled out: Shadoweye¡¯s and Jessica''s. She thinned her eyes at Jessica¡¯s. Archius guessed that this was what Kaz and Liz were up to, before Kazuki blew Matt¡¯s brains out. Still, if Kazuki didn¡¯t want his help, he would comply.


    Eliza asked, ¡°Say, that was your boss, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± stated Kazuki, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s dead. The masterminds behind the incident covered their tracks well. Tele-communication. Muscle. On-Site Detonation. Corruption and a Supplier. Jessica¡¯s dead corpse provided some things. It should narrow things down, any ideas?¡± ¡°But then¡­ who¡¯s that?¡± She looked towards Goldeyes.


    ¡°Pirate Corsair called Goldeyes,¡± said Archius, interjecting. ¡°A fine piece of ignitable flesh.¡±


    Eliza furrowed her brow in confusion.


    ¡°I used my position in the Judiciary to get some information.¡± Kazuki asked, ¡°Know anything about the perpetrators of the attack?¡±


    ¡°N¡­no?¡± Eliza pondered for a moment. ¡°Wait¡­ I feel like I should¡­¡±


    She shouldn¡¯t, Archius thought, she definitely shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°The Republic blamed Goldeyes and his pirates for the attack, privately. For a while, I couldn¡¯t put my thumb on why they didn¡¯t release the information publicly¡­¡± Archius trailed off as he smirked. ¡°But Goldeyes has connections to the Board and BCA¡­ a paper trail existed¡­¡±


    ¡°The attack coincided with a bomb that killed several intelligence officials and politicians. People that could have been a threat,¡± reported Kazuki.


    ¡°This¡­ sounds too much like a conspiracy theory,¡± Eliza admitted. Well, probably because it kinda was, Archius thought. She took a drink out of a water bottle on the table.


    ¡°Because Jessica designed it as such. A dead paper-trail, silenced politicians and redacted information. Those that knew of the attack were either in the circle, or were killed.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Archius glanced over towards Kazuki, trying to gauge whether he had a reaction or not, and of course he didn¡¯t. Kazuki simply replied, ¡°My time in Clandestine revealed much to me. This was no human error. The report that hinted at a possible attack was redacted and deleted within minutes, according to the CRIS data logs. Nothing of it remains.¡±


    Eliza asked, ¡°So, we were always going on a hunch?¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Archius snickered. ¡°Please, don¡¯t call them hunches.¡±


    Kazuki nodded. ¡°Archius pried information from Clandestine¡¯s servers. That¡¯s how we knew of the report¡¯s existence, because another report mentioned it. And the primary beneficiary of the attack were defence contractors. Jessica Kiki-Louis.¡±


    ¡°Which means¡­ she¡¯s either incompetent,¡ª¡±


    Archius started counting on his fingers.


    ¡°¡ªcomplicit in the incident, incompetent AND complicit, or gave the incident the go-ahead, I¡¯ll let you decide on that one,¡± Archius said.


    Eliza slowed as Archius could see the gears in her head turn at this information, or rather flurry of information. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that you knew that there were people behind the incident¡­¡±


    ¡°Only recently,¡± lied Kazuki. Archius glanced at him, oh¡­ that was too sweet for even him. His dead golden eyes were looking just slightly ajar, away from its usual position. Kaz just lied, Archius thought.


    ¡°Wait, but this is a lead! I can get this information to Fer-Charelota, he¡¯ll be more than willing to help us.¡± said Eliza, excited.


    ¡°We¡¯ll never solve the investigation if you continue to play clean,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°What happened last time you played clean?¡±


    ¡°T¡ªthat is irrelevant, and I wouldn¡¯t have to do this if you had delegated this to someone else! Like¡­ Martinez? Or Lilly?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, Kaz,¡± Archius started, ¡°She¡¯s making sense. You don¡¯t need to do this.¡±


    Archius was interested in why Kazuki wanted to do it. They typically have the same goals but they have very different ways of reaching it, and this may give him insight. But as always, Kazuki kept things to himself, but what little he gave was full of information.


    ¡°I wish to see this operation through myself,¡± Kazuki remarked.


    This was irrational, Archius thought. Logic drove Kazuki, most of the time. But Eliza? She seemingly drives him irrationally crazy, for whatever reason. It seems that Eliza was the cornerstone of his reasoning for this¡­ like back then. But Archius agreed: the gunrunners are a threat. And they are a threat worth his investment, so no questions from him. But Eliza? He had no idea¡­


    ¡°But Kazuki, you don¡¯t have to.¡± She pouted in frustration, grumbling under her breath, ¡°Can¡¯t we just focus on this?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± stated Kazuki.


    Eliza was about to say something, but Kazuki placed a handout, raising his own voice as he swallowed another pill - jeez he¡¯s reliant on that. ¡°That¡¯s enough. My decision is final. We can deal with the investigation later.¡±


    Eliza grumbled, rolling her eyes. ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    Archius only really had one proposition to why Kazuki would pursue this further: Eliza. Kazuki¡¯s smart, but lacks wisdom. He delegated much of the AGENCY¡¯s power to keep the commanders and handlers happy. But here? He was being irrational.


    But as Archius mulled to himself, Kazuki glanced at him. Fuck, this is awkward. He normally never had to apologise. But here he was. He deliberated on the best course of action. Maybe showing his true colours would highlight the truth, but perhaps that was too heavy-handed. But a facade of pure joy, like what she was used to, would be the worst option - leaves the wrong impression.


    Neutrality. It will be his tool. Flexibility is what is needed.


    ¡°Hey, Liz.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Eliza twisted her head towards Archius, placing her hands up towards him, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m fine if you¡¯re wondering, though I appreciate your concerns.¡±


    ¡°No, this is important,¡± said Archius, giving her time to think.


    ¡°Archius, please¡­ It¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, her typical optimism and determinism fading away. He was reminded of how she was back then, no life all work, no fun all study. But here, she just looked hurt. Archius¡­ didn¡¯t feel anything? Was he supposed to feel guilt? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that I¡¯m down, alright¡­ We can just move on from things, and I¡¯ll be fine. You told me, after all, I¡¯m strong, right?¡±


    ¡°Strong, yes, but not invincible. Back then, I stopped Kazuki from defending you.¡± stated Archius. Best to just give it to her straight and simple, that¡¯ll make Kaz satisfied. Eliza¡¯s eyes slowly grew, glancing over at Kazuki. ¡°I wanted to get Frederick to blunder, to get us what we wanted. But¡­ after that, I knew I went too far. And I did not¡­ exactly foresee how far he¡¯s willing to go at¡­ demeaning his own daughter.¡±


    Lies were mixed with truth, Kazuki knew that, and Archius did too. But that didn¡¯t matter¡­ Kazuki wanted an apology, never elaborated on sincerity. He wanted it, and here he is to give it. Nonetheless, if it was real or not it didn¡¯t matter to him, nor to Kazuki it seemed.


    ¡°H¡ªhey, this a joke¡­ right?¡± Eliza looked at Kazuki, he looked away, scratching his neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s not, I believed that conflict between father and daughter was the best way to make things awkward enough that the others wouldn¡¯t want to drag things out.¡± explained Archius, shrugging.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ Liz.¡± Kazuki muttered under his breath. Archius noted the sense of guilt in his voice, rising slowly. ¡°Your father¡¯s wrong. You¡¯re no mockery. You¡¯ll surpass them all¡­¡±


    Archius stood up and saw a weird curvature slide onto her lips. Was that really all it took to make her smile? Walking around the desk, he sat down on a chair opposing Eliza. He had his hands together. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d go that far¡­¡± lied Archius. What she doesn¡¯t know cannot hurt her, he repeated to himself.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Eliza grimaced for a moment, she rightfully felt betrayed - Archius thought. ¡°Was it worth it?¡±


    The question was teeming on the edge of one of those impossible questions, where no answer is correct. If he said no, then she¡¯ll know he¡¯s being dishonest. After all, he¡¯s already shown his hand to her. But if he says yes, he will ruin whatever friendship they had, if they even had any. But he rarely made friends, real friends. He had to brew something up, a concoction.


    ¡°At the time, it was. We got the contract¡­ but now, it seems so trivial.¡± commented Archius, ¡°It could have been done differently, plus I underestimated the rumours about your family relations...¡±


    Yes and no, simple but it might work with her, though he had no idea if it would. Eliza stayed silent, closing her eyes for a moment before standing up. She looked towards the desk, scanning over at the pistol, paperwork and water canister.


    His mind slowly formed an irrational conclusion: that she¡¯d shoot him. She extended her hand out towards the desk, wait was she going for the gun? Neither Kazuki nor Cyrus seemed worried. Archius felt fire in her eyes, and a fire within him. This was exciting! And here he thought Eliza was boring, but then reality dawned on him. She might shoot him?!


    But as she touched the desk, she latched onto the water canister, flicking it directly at Archius. It was the complete antithesis to what he¡¯d expect, and it slammed directly between his eyes, crashing directly onto the temple of his nose.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± Archius groaned, grabbing hold of his nose as the canister fell onto the floor with a clank. It was genuine pain, but he made his emotions, surface-level, match the physical. ¡°Ow¡­ was that really necessary?¡±


    ¡°N¡ªno. I just wanted to do that, I¡¯ll take your word that you¡¯re sorry, even if it goes against my better judgement.¡± said Eliza, looking towards Kazuki, ¡°And you¡­ why did you¡­¡±


    She looked as if she was about to break again as Kazuki opened his mouth. ¡°Liz, I¡¯m sorry. Forgive me, don¡¯t forgive me - it¡¯s whatever¡­¡± said Kazuki. He seemed as emotionless as ever, but of course his words carried the weight of his mind.


    He looked hopeless. But as Eliza stepped towards him, she lightly slapped him across the face. He rubbed his cheek¡­ It seems that Kaz got a free pass, probably since Archius did all the leg-work for this deception.


    ¡°Ow.¡± muttered Kazuki, in a calm, nonchalant voice. ¡°Liz, if you want to sit this operation out, I won¡¯t object.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t spend two months training for nothing,¡± Eliza coldly stated, affirming her position.


    His phrasing did make it seem like he was questioning her competence. She activated a data-pad, showing the two of them her latest recorded test. A 3D projection of what happened sprouted up.


    It was clean, Archius thought. Even though it was just a simulated test-field with live operatives, Eliza acted as if it was the real thing: clearing pale white rooms against training drones with minimal casualties¡­


    ¡®Team¡­ two on your left, three on your right. Breach when ready,¡¯ said Eliza, her voice playing through the video-playback.


    ¡®ROGER THAT. TEAM READY!¡¯ shouted Lilly, her mask and distinctive bellow cried out.


    Her training team, consisting of defected Loyalists now in Deltastring, rushed forward, dropping grenades and training drones.


    ¡®CLEAR!¡¯ Kiri reported; a part of the training exercise with her legion of drones taking point and terminating the holo-enemies in the room.


    Lilly and her fire team cleared through a hall, door after door, left and right. It was clean and precise. ¡®Far left possible contact!¡¯ Eliza said.


    ¡®On it!¡¯ Quinn remarked, moving ahead as the teams pierced the rooms he passed by. He came to the end of the hall, and with a tap from Kiri he threw himself into the room with her, a firefight simulation engaged the two as they terminated the training threats easily.


    Huh¡­


    It was¡­ good? As the simulation test finished, Archius could see the digitalised score for her leading and that of the team¡¯s. 93/100; that¡¯s even better than his best! Archius thought to himself¡­ finding it rather interesting; but she did fall short of Sato¡¯s 99/100. And Martinez¡¯s 100/100.


    ¡°Numbers aren¡¯t everything.¡± Kazuki asserted, ¡°And you¡¯re not as experienced as Sato or Archius. Whilst this is a part-time job¡­¡±


    ¡°Uni?¡± Eliza¡¯s head peeked up towards them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already covered everything this semester and submitted a handful of reports¡­ so I should be good? Right?¡± Her voice betrayed her eyes, an inquisitive tone with a glare of frustration.


    ¡°Fuck me¡­¡± Archius muttered to himself.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± replied Kazuki.


    With that, she marched out of the room, past Cyrus. The doors slid shut as he was still rubbing his nose.


    ¡°Happy?¡± asked Archius, dropping his face into a glare.


    ¡°At the outcome? Yes.¡±


    He grumbled as he looked towards Cyrus. Archius pointed a finger at him, shouting, ¡°Good fucking job! Worthless bodyguard¡­¡±


    ¡°If she was going for the gun, I would have intervened.¡±


    Archius grumbled. Stood up, and looked towards Kazuki. ¡°You think she¡¯ll hold that against me?¡±


    ¡°No idea.¡± said Kazuki as he shrugged the problem off, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯ll probably be fine.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡± joked Archius.


    ¡°Fuck you too.¡± Kazuki shot back, crossing his arms, ¡°Anyways, you going to continue to complain? Or are we going to deal with these smugglers?¡±


    ¡°Dealing with them will increase the tension, Kaz,¡± said Archius, fully aware of the consequences. He was privy to the conversation he had with Emilia.


    He remained silent, thinking for a moment. Then, he said, ¡°Things will cool over¡­ And I don¡¯t want more conflict.¡±


    ¡°But more conflict means better contracts,¡± advised Archius.


    ¡°My objective is not new conflicts. Archius¡­ don¡¯t get any ideas.¡±


    Now that he thinks about it, Archius did miss the old Kaz, before he became so soft. Eliza¡¯s a liability, he thought. That doesn¡¯t change¡­ She was always an asset of questionable liability. But Kazuki? His liability is increasing¡­


    Whilst directing attacking Kazuki¡¯s liability will incur his ire, maybe Archius could¡­ do something else? Eliza? Maybe? No, she¡¯s worthless to the AGENCY other than her limited capabilities¡­


    That was the cold hard truth.


    Kazuki nodded, shrugging it off as he stood up. Approaching the door, he pressed down on the touch-pad, activating the doors as they slid open.

 X13: Control & Combat

    Revealing the command room, Kazuki stepped through. Archius followed in after him, drinking a cup of coffee. Lilly and Quinn were already present, going through the information. Martinez stood beside Zymuel and Claire as Eliza was nestled between the group, as if they formed a protective shield. Wait¡­ Zymuel? He didn¡¯t notice him at first glance, the techie-mech helmet latched onto his head scrambled his memory for a moment.


    It covered his entire head, a life-support system for the brain - whilst Kazuki¡¯s is for the body.


    ¡°Kaz, are you sure this intel is right?¡± asked Martinez, straightening his back as he activated his exoskeletal spine, pricking it on top of his armour.


    ¡°It¡¯s right all right.¡± said Archius, leaning against the command deck. He stood beside Kazuki. Eliza glanced up at him, somewhat annoyed, after all: she was not needed here, But she must be kept close.


    Archius was always thirsting for more information, always hands on. But there was another reason why he couldn''t let the smugglers get away. They know something. They must! Svenn was mind-snared. These smugglers attack a weak link. Someone¡¯s directing them, there must be a link between all of these aspects. SOMEONE was attacking the AGENCY. But who? Perhaps one of the two remaining Directors knows.


    Ugh, headaches. He popped another pill, finding himself more reliant on its mind-clearing properties. Its painkilling aspects seem like a secondary concern to him, after so many years. He can fix his body, or at least Eliza can - but he can¡¯t fix his mind. That thing is too far gone. His perfect memory was more like a catalogue, a database of his mistakes, of every death.


    Archius started, flicking through a dozen blueprints and projections on the command deck, ¡°Yamki Shipyards. It¡¯s a large external compound with layered platform storage. Ships hidden underneath, perfect place to hide guns.¡±


    His uplink lit up as he manipulated the shape and form of the blueprints, showing each individual section. Kazuki quickly analysed the whole thing, shoving it into his mind. Lilly was simply reading to herself, but Quinn seemed agitated¡­ He could feel the subtle vibrations of him tapping his boot against the floor. But that was to be expected. Yet, Kazuki wanted Quinn on board, his knowledge of the locals might come in handy.


    ¡°The plan is simple, we surround the compound and storm it. Seize as much merchandise as possible,¡± said Kazuki. He then pointed at Martinez. ¡°Martinez, you¡¯ll take command of the Phoenix¡¯s Fury and manage operations on Anagora with Persephone. Deltastring and Heimfall will be discreetly transported away on the Iron Will.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll hold this place down,¡± Martinez commented.


    ¡°And since the recovery surgery for Zym was successful, he¡¯ll resume his role as Heimfall¡¯s 2iC,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°Get along you two.¡±


    Zymuel waved and chuckled it off, though his voice was autotuned to the helm-mask surgically sealed over his head. The autotune did not hide his thick, loud and clear Rukitni accent. ¡°Great to be back!¡±


    Claire moaned to Kazuki, ¡°Awh, dammit¡­ Hey! Kaz, can you promote me to Senior Command? I want to send Zym to the Hinterlands.¡±


    Kazuki snapped back, ¡°You want to replace Martinez?¡±


    Martinez¡¯s head swivelled to Claire. She quickly retracted her request as she tried to calm Martinez down.


    Lilly leaned over the table, drawing up lines of attack masterfully as she read the information Archius obtained. ¡°Shell companies, obvious ones at that. Why hasn¡¯t anyone done anything ¡®bout them till now?¡±


    ¡°Aw, look at you being all naive about corruption. You should do that more often, hell, I bet you can finally snag someone up with that attitude.¡± Quinn shot into the conversation.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it, you¡¯re on reactor duty for the dreadnought! Fucking moron¡­ I don¡¯t berate you when you ask something absolutely braindead, least most of the fucking time, prick.¡±


    Archius raised an eyebrow, and Kazuki noted that down. Poking fun at Lilly to get punished? He saw it through and so did Archius, as Martinez spoke up, trying to explain the situation from his own knowledge.


    ¡°Well, this industry¡¯s built on a foundation of necessity for security¡­ the Board protects criminals for a cut of the profits. Same thing going here, except this deposit was probably avoided during the first Shadow War. Not even Freyja or Katala of the crims got close to Narisa. I¡¯m willing to bet that the gunrunners played all sides.¡±


    ¡°And as far as I¡¯m concerned, a completed contract is good enough for me, though this lil¡¯ shit won¡¯t be reaping the rewards.¡± said Lilly, looking down at Quinn.


    ¡°Rescind that.¡± Kazuki demanded, ¡°Quinn will be transferred to the Narisan task force.¡±


    Lilly backpedalled immediately, nodding as she silently wondered what was going on. Then, she looked at Quinn. It was a simple scheme. Quinn tried to laugh it off.


    ¡°Anyways, the police have been on the gunrunner¡¯s payroll. We need to make them whole, deception, bribery or plasma bolts, doesn¡¯t matter. If they get in our way, kill them.¡± said Kazuki, narrowing his sights. ¡°Narisa¡¯s senator doesn¡¯t even care about the planet, so we shouldn¡¯t have any political issues.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Quinn slowly got back into a light-hearted tone. ¡° I mean between the snowstorms and the radiation, I think we¡¯d all prefer living on the beaches of Kast¨¦.¡±


    Quinn¡¯s sentiment was met warmly, and understandably, with everyone. Eliza started to talk about Kast¨¦ itself as the conversation got offtopic, the old Imperial throne-world had such a large rebranding. From fortress to paradise world, it had the biggest change out of any planet.


    But Kazuki felt Quinn¡¯s worry. And spite. The coldness slowly encapsulated itself. The cold questions of guilt and worry got Kazuki to feel closer to Quinn. No words were spoken, but the two felt some relation. Maybe it was because Kazuki knows what it feels like to rot in a freezing pool of sweat, tears and blood.


    ? ? ?


    Snow flickered through the open shuttle door; blaring searchlights were unable to light anything in front as they came barrelling down to the surface. Quinn reached his hand out, a hail of storm forming into a ball within his hand, before he lobbed it at Lilly.


    The two engaged in an argument behind Kazuki.


    ¡°Reactor duty,¡± Lilly angrily remarked. Any tension within the shuttle perished as Kazuki could hear the mutters of laughter behind him.


    Quinn replied, ¡°HEY! It¡¯s just a bit of snow! I didn¡¯t know you were allergic to the cold.¡±


    Kaz glanced back at the shuttle¡¯s occupants.


    ¡°Too fucking cold¡­¡± one contractor said.


    ¡°Makes you wish for a nuclear summer,¡± quipped another.


    Everyone was wearing some sort of dark thick coat over their light vest-plates and battle jackets. Still, it was not enough to burn the cold away. Most shivered. The coats weren¡¯t enough. Not ideal, but the AGENCY has dealt with far less ideal situations than this, mainly in odds and gambles.


    ¡°It¡¯s too fucking cold here,¡± commented Lilly. ¡°We should have nuked this planet before we dropped¡­ might be a little hotter then.¡±


    She downed a warmth-pill, handing the package around the shuttle. Kazuki refused one from her. ¡°My body self-regulates heat.¡±


    ¡°I hope it fucking does!¡± Claire commented.


    Kazuki stopped listening in as more people were dragged into it. Despite the freezing cold, they seemed cheery. The randomness of the blizzard felt mesmerising, at least until the street below was visible. Crack. The ramp burst forward, and Kazuki stepped out. The AGENTs stormed out onto the frozen street.


    He zipped up his warm winter coat around the armoured-vest he wore, tightening the crocheted scarf that his mother made for him. It had two jirabunnies heads on either end. He liked it. But it didn¡¯t suit him at all, he¡¯d have preferred something that matched his title¡­ Shuttles disappeared by overhead, whizzing up searchlights as they vanished into the snowstorm. Kazuki¡¯s team started their way towards the barred gates of the compound. Snow and ice covered the place, with a few pairs of eyes peering through barricaded windows at the squadron.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡®All stations move in. If suspects don¡¯t comply: kill them.¡¯ Kazuki ordered, pressing his gloved hand onto his ICAPAD, the armguard igniting up. He steadied the hand-cannon he stole from Svenn on his belt, sliding the safety grates open.


    ¡®Copy that.¡¯ Kiri said, commanding a team on the opposite side of the compound.


    Looking up, Kazuki could see a dozen drones fired up on his aug-glasses. It wasn¡¯t a legion, but it was numerous.


    Lilly took point, loading her underbarrel grenade launcher. The operatives had to wear heavy warmth gear, clad over their armour and gear. Apparently Archius¡¯ gear wasn¡¯t even ready for this weather. Quinn seemed unphased by the cold, however, unlike Lilly, who shivered.


    ¡°You lived in this shit-hole?¡± asked Lilly. Kazuki looked towards Amy¨¦ before signalling her with his hand. She nodded, immediately shooting out a grapple onto the nearby buildings and rappelling upwards, disappearing into the blizzard above.


    ¡°Nah, just spent my upbringing here, no biggie¡­¡± Quinn trailed off, ¡°But hell, better than fighting alien slavers near the rim, right, Vall¨¦?¡±


    ¡°Copy that,¡± Lilly chuckled, reminiscing about the past for the moment, before a cold wave of reality washed onto her. ¡°Get your heads in the game, focus.¡±


    ¡°Are these aliens carbon based?¡± asked Claire, interested in the most nerdy aspect of the two¡¯s military careers.


    ¡°They¡¯re not made out of soda?¡± asked Quinn, before laughing. He played it off as a joke, but Kazuki could tell that it was genuine confusion. ¡°You do mean carbon as in carbonated, right?¡±


    ¡°Enough, the two of you.¡± said Kazuki, walking down the desolate street as the team formed a V formation on him.


    Suddenly, a patrol shuttle nestled in between other broken down vehicles spurred to life. Quinn immediately jumped the gun and aimed his muzzle at it, only for Lilly to lower it for him. Kazuki¡¯s aug-glasses highlighted two possible threats.


    Exiting out, two officers of the law emerged. The operatives outnumbered and outmatched them, yet they still slowly waved at them. Scrambling forward, they blocked the way.


    They tugged on their light grey coats, the Zymbol of the Narisan police department on their shoulders stained with snow and frost. Their traditional service caps were worn out. One pressed down on their uplinks, saying something that Kazuki couldn¡¯t hear through the snowstorm.


    The other placed a hand out towards Kazuki as he kept walking. The leading officer tried to shoo the group away, but to no avail. ¡°Hey, hey, this area¡¯s off limits, go shoot your guns somewhere else, alright? This isn¡¯t some scrap yard for you fucks.¡±


    ¡°We have a search warrant for the Yamki Shipyards. Move.¡± Kazuki demanded, pulling his small-carbine from its sling with one hand projecting the warrant in question, signed by both a judge and the judiciary commissioner. ¡°And no, we will not be answering any questions. Live.¡±


    Kazuki glared at themWatching as they started to panic, Kazuki could see their hands slowly move. The officers primed their plasma pistols as the lead officer placed one hand out, then shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what games you¡¯re¡ª¡±


    He didn¡¯t even need his threat detection to see that they were stalling. And he had no time for small fishes in a very big fucking galaxy. ¡°Detain them. They¡¯re on their payroll.¡± ordered Kazuki.


    And in a matter of a second, the two officers were stunned onto the ground as Amy¨¦ ricocheted a stun-bolt between the two officers. They froze, stuttering in place. Lilly and Quinn passed forward, detaining them with binds.


    ¡®They make it too easy!¡¯ Amy¨¦ said, with a smug attitude, kneeling on one of the rooftops, heat-vision activated to see through the frost. Kazuki¡¯s aug-glasses picked her up as she saluted down towards him.


    ¡°Little shits, they reek of booze.¡± commented Lilly, punching one of the officers in the back. There was no reason for it. Perhaps she just wanted to get some vengeance for that minor inconvenience, Kazuki thought.


    But still, the police were worthless. Inconvenient more than anything. But still, they got a call out. ¡®Overwatch, keep track of police communications. All forces, clear the compound on my mark, remember ROE and keep your legs moving and warm, let¡¯s not get frozen like Archius.¡¯


    Chatter started on the uplink. ¡®Ha, fuck you!¡¯ said Archius. Kazuki just wanted to have a jab at Archius. No real reason for the joke, but it was a keen reminder to his men. And another useless reminder to Kazuki: that he is responsible for all of them. Their lives are on him. No one else.


    Quinn roughed up one of the officers as he took out some frustration on them. For now, they were shoved to the side of the fence. But barely anyone took note of Quinn¡¯s abuse of them, and barely anyone cared - except Claire. Whilst Kazuki didn¡¯t care enough to stop him, Claire quickly got Quinn back on track with the mission. A mercy, he thought. Her humanity is why she¡¯s his personal commander, because she balances out the wave of cold hate.


    ¡®On it, not even a whisper will get out without us knowing,¡¯ said Sato.


    ¡®Oh really?! They probably already fucking know! Thermals and energy monitors are showing a rise in energy within the compound¡¯s control centre. Arbiter you gotta secure the place fast.¡¯ Archius commented.


    ¡°You heard them, double time.¡± Kazuki stacked up against the gated wall, shooting the lock open.


    A cacophony of silence highlighted the air as the blizzard continued, lit up with a few dozen bolts as the entire force stormed into the compound. A flurry of drones passed by overhead. Scanning lights bore down, screening the advance of the mercenaries.


    Kazuki uttered one command, ¡®Breach.¡¯


    ? ? ?


    Through the chaotic blizzard, Archius watched down from the numerous drone monitors as he kept track of everything, making sure that any updates were sent through. As always, that workaholic was typing away, monitoring communication relays. Whilst Eliza was simply helping around where she could. She acted in a junior role to Sato and him, but her adaptability and willingness to learn seems to have gotten her to handle the basics. Though her track record isn¡¯t clean, she may be a useful, temporary asset for the AGENCY. Yet again, the costs of having her on is ever present. As of now: she¡¯s still deadweight. If Kazuki had just brought along one of the thousands of other handlers, everything during the Loyalist Crisis could have been condensed.


    But for some reason, Kaz keeps her around. BUT WHY!? Archius mulled it over, finding no logical answer to it. Eliza¡¯s involvement will get in the way of both the operation and her own studies! But why¡­ it confounded him. Was it more in line with a human aspect? He groaned, those lessons back in the CRIS were always a drag. Why understand when he can just imitate perfectly?


    But now isn¡¯t the time to think. ¡®Arbiter, direct your team to the east command relay. Power signatures originate from there.¡¯ said Archius.


    ¡®Alright.¡¯


    Looking down, he saw the strobing lights, through the blizzard. Kazuki, Quinn, Claire and Lilly scour through the compound with dozens of other lights. Those maintaining the perimeter soon joined in as Sato highlighted any threats. Those blimps on the map that didn¡¯t go grey were soon a terminated red.


    The constant chatter of ¡®Clear.¡¯ scared itself into Archius¡¯ mind, the dots on the map disappearing and reappearing into the many shuttle-haulers on the shipyard. Yet its unorthodox platforms create two distinct forces. The sections clearing upwards and those clearing downwards.


    Not a single word was uttered for organisation, after all these operatives knew each other well enough, the two most loyal of Kazuki¡¯s talons, to organise anything amongst themselves.


    Though their two roles were typically divergent. Heimfall¡¯s shock & awe tactics back when it was a suicide unit in Clandestine; with Deltastring¡¯s organisation & tactics made them perfect for each other. Each unit covered each other¡¯s downsides.


    Though, they were already willing to defect.


    From the command deck, he looked through the window down at Narisa. Even from orbit, anyone could tell that it was a hellscape. Unlike Anagora, this planet truly felt dead¡­ Abandoned.


    Scanning back to the monitor, he watched as Kazuki¡¯s team stacked up to the entrance of the command relay. Drones from Kiri¡¯s team stacked onto them, scanning the building. ¡®Archius, we¡¯re in position. Can you hack into the camera feed?¡¯


    ¡®Will do.¡¯ replied Archius, complying with Kazuki¡¯s orders as he always does. Slamming down on the ICAPAD, he connected Krystalink to the relay.


    He peered into the camera system, eyes sparkling with information. ¡®Arbiter, the first room has multiple tangos hiding behind barricades, go kill them, will you¡¯


    ¡®We have intercepted some communications, it seems like the police aren''t too happy.¡¯ Sato reported, wavering a dozen screens away.


    Well no shit, Archius thought. He glanced at Eliza, rolling his eyes. She was coordinating Kiri¡¯s team, taking prisoners of anyone they found with drones to escort. She¡¯s not one of them, he muttered to himself. They all had to sacrifice something¡­ and here she was. Two months isn¡¯t enough to mend mistakes¡­ Not her¡¯s at least.


    ¡®Well,¡¯ Eliza started, ¡®We are technically trespassing because of a few loopholes regarding warrants.¡¯


    The team breached in, cracking the door open as bolts and plasma was exchanged. Through the chaos down there, Archius kept calm. All the while Eliza sweated herself to fulfil some promise he heard from up the grapevine, he wasn¡¯t as overkill as her. If he needed to give this more, then he will.


    ¡®This is sanctioned. Categorically, at least.¡¯


    ¡®Not to the people on this planet.¡¯ muttered Archius, but since who the fuck cares about the people? They¡¯re here for a job, to burn the gunrunners. They can leave the fallout to whoever comes next, the PMC Way?.


    The storming continued, both Claire and Edain acting as stimulant-dispensers for the spearheads, using their exoskeletons to carry additional stims. Without damaged implants from before, Kazuki was even faster - and deadlier. He was just like in the old days, no quarter and all death. Archius watched as he crashed through the relay with Quinn and Lilly; anything standing in their way was cut up, living, armoured or machine. He was satisfied that Eliza used her voodoo cybernetic magic to fix Kazuki. But that¡¯s really all of her use¡­ There¡¯s only so much an outsider can do.


    Archius kicked his legs back, eating down on a chocolate bar. Everyone calls him a control-freak, but he¡¯ll let Kazuki control the flow of the mission.


    Sato grumbled at Archius¡¯ harmless antics, her navy-pride kicking in as she watched him disrespect the command deck. The attack was typical, blood-filled and best of all: clean, no distractions, no worries. He¡¯s seen this play out hundreds of times, possibly even thousands. But as he started to yawn, Eliza looked up at him.


    ¡°Umm, Archius, how¡¯s Kaz¡¯s team doing?¡± asked Eliza, quietly as if worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s all good.¡± He started to smoke a small cigarette, before coughing at the high-quality turbica, immediately snuffing the light. Eliza leaned over, patting him on the back as he placed a finger up. He quickly recovered. ¡°Most missions are normally more hectic, just relax.¡±


    ¡°Relax my ass!¡± Sato interjected, ¡°I¡¯m out here busting my mind to try and find possible links while you eat on fucking crisps.¡±


    ¡°Oh, rela¡ª¡±


    Sato was taking none of it. She lobbed a water bottle, crashing into Archius. It Smacked directly onto his head, reflecting off with a bounce as it collided.

 X14: Situation Command

    Through the chaotic blizzard, Archius watched down from the numerous drone monitors as he kept track of everything, making sure that any updates were sent through. As always, that workaholic was typing away, monitoring communication relays. Whilst Eliza was simply helping around where she could. She acted in a junior role to Sato and him, but her adaptability and willingness to learn seemed to have gotten her to handle the basics. Though her track record isn¡¯t clean, she may be a useful, temporary asset for the AGENCY. Yet again, the costs of having her on is ever-present. As of now: she¡¯s still deadweight. If Kazuki had just brought along one of the thousands of other handlers, everything during the Loyalist Crisis could have been condensed.


    But for some reason, Kaz keeps her around. BUT WHY!? Archius mulled it over, finding no logical answer to it. Eliza¡¯s involvement will get in the way of both the operation and her own studies! But why¡­ it confounded him. Was it more in line with a human aspect? He groaned, those lessons back in the CRIS were always a drag. Why understand when he can just imitate perfectly?


    But now isn¡¯t the time to think. ¡®Arbiter, direct your team to the east command relay. Power signatures originate from there.¡¯ said Archius.


    ¡®Alright.¡¯


    Looking down, he saw the strobing lights, through the blizzard. Kazuki, Quinn, Claire and Lilly scour through the compound with dozens of other lights. Those maintaining the perimeter soon joined in as Sato highlighted any threats. Those blimps on the map that didn¡¯t go grey were soon a terminated red.


    The constant chatter of ¡®Clear.¡¯ scared itself into Archius¡¯ mind, the dots on the map disappearing and reappearing into the many shuttle-haulers on the shipyard. Yet its unorthodox platforms create two distinct forces. The sections clearing upwards and those clearing downwards.


    Not a single word was uttered for organisation, after all these operatives knew each other well enough, the two most loyal of Kazuki¡¯s talons, to organise anything amongst themselves.


    Though their two roles were typically divergent. Heimfall¡¯s shock & awe tactics back when it was a suicide unit in Clandestine; with Deltastring¡¯s organisation & tactics made them perfect for each other. Each unit covered each other¡¯s downsides.


    Though, they were already willing to defect.


    From the command deck, he looked through the window down at Narisa. Even from orbit, anyone could tell that it was a hellscape. Unlike Anagora, this planet truly felt dead¡­ Abandoned.


    Scanning back to the monitor, he watched as Kazuki¡¯s team stacked up to the entrance of the command relay. Drones from Kiri¡¯s team stacked onto them, scanning the building. ¡®Archius, we¡¯re in position. Can you hack into the camera feed?¡¯


    ¡®Will do.¡¯ replied Archius, complying with Kazuki¡¯s orders as he always does. Slamming down on the ICAPAD, he connected Krystalink to the relay.


    He peered into the camera system, eyes sparkling with information. ¡®Arbiter, the first room has multiple tangos hiding behind barricades, go kill them, will you¡¯


    ¡®We have intercepted some communications, it seems like the police aren''t too happy.¡¯ Sato reported, wavering a dozen screens away.


    Well no shit, Archius thought. He glanced at Eliza, rolling his eyes. She was coordinating Kiri¡¯s team, taking prisoners of anyone they found with drones to escort. She¡¯s not one of them, he muttered to himself. They all had to sacrifice something¡­ and here she was. Two months isn¡¯t enough to mend mistakes¡­ Not her¡¯s at least.


    ¡®Well,¡¯ Eliza started, ¡®We are technically trespassing because of a few loopholes regarding warrants.¡¯


    The team breached in, cracking the door open as bolts and plasma was exchanged. Through the chaos down there, Archius kept calm. All the while Eliza sweated herself to fulfil some promise he heard from up the grapevine, he wasn¡¯t as overkill as her. If he needed to give this more, then he will.


    ¡®This is sanctioned. Categorically, at least.¡¯


    ¡®Not to the people on this planet.¡¯ muttered Archius, but since who the fuck cares about the people? They¡¯re here for a job, to burn the gunrunners. They can leave the fallout to whoever comes next, the PMC Way?.


    The storming continued, both Claire and Edain acting as stimulant-dispensers for the spearheads, using their exoskeletons to carry additional stims. Without damaged implants from before, Kazuki was even faster - and deadlier. He was just like in the old days, no quarter and all death. Archius watched as he crashed through the relay with Quinn and Lilly; anything standing in their way was cut up, living, armoured or machine. He was satisfied that Eliza used her voodoo cybernetic magic to fix Kazuki. But that¡¯s really all of her use¡­ There¡¯s only so much an outsider can do.


    Archius kicked his legs back, eating down on a chocolate bar. Everyone calls him a control-freak, but he¡¯ll let Kazuki control the flow of the mission.


    Sato grumbled at Archius¡¯ harmless antics, her navy pride kicking in as she watched him disrespect the command deck. The attack was typical, blood-filled and best of all: clean, with no distractions, and no worries. He¡¯s seen this play out hundreds of times, possibly even thousands. But as he started to yawn, Eliza looked up at him.


    ¡°Umm, Archius, how¡¯s Kaz¡¯s team doing?¡± asked Eliza, quietly as if worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s all good.¡± He started to smoke a small cigarette, before coughing at the high-quality turbica, immediately snuffing the light. Eliza leaned over, patting him on the back as he placed a finger up. He quickly recovered. ¡°Most missions are normally more hectic, just relax.¡±


    ¡°Relax my ass!¡± Sato interjected, ¡°I¡¯m out here busting my mind to try and find possible links while you eat on fucking crisps.¡±


    ¡°Oh, rela¡ª¡±


    Sato was taking none of it. She lobbed a water bottle, crashing into archius. It Smacked directly onto his head, reflecting off with a bounce as it collided.


    ? ? ?


    Bouncing off, the round skimmed through the warm hood. Quinn was knocked to the side as Lilly dragged him into cover. Blood dripped down from his helm-mask, but he shook her off. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not, stay still, now. Hmm.¡± Edain, one of the Loyalist defectors, moved up from the rear as he started to treat Quinn. Edain spoke with a Torantionian accent, thick and... relatively nice to listen to.


    At least it wasn¡¯t an Engan accent.


    By now he was littered with wounds, and scorch marks. Claire was stacked up on the other side of the entrance to the hall, with Kazuki. Another wave of drones poured forward, into the hallway. As expected, they were quickly cut down and disabled by a cabal of smugglers camping down the hall.


    Getting to the relay would be hard. They¡¯ll need to breach through a hail of torrential fire, from armoured smugglers. They had old Imperial armour, two decades old. Clunky, but thick - unbalanced but durable. And in a tight space, the AGENTs couldn¡¯t use their heightened agility to their fullest. He cursed the fact that he had to use old Clandestine gear¡­


    Most of the carnage was in here. Kazuki looked at Quinn, there was fervour in those eyes. But not the typical ¡®let us get this over with so I can go drink¡¯ type.


    Something burnt within him, resonating with Kazuki.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get them!¡± Quinn shouted, ¡°What? Since when were you guys afraid of being shot?!¡±


    ¡°Since always!¡± Claire replied. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect you to bring a bloody Loyalist with us!¡±


    ¡°Scared that you¡¯d be replaced as a medic?¡± Kazuki snapped.


    Claire merely shook her head. Edain fired back, ¡°Fuck off, we didn¡¯t hear the news of Jessica¡¯s death till Svenn took us in!¡±


    Lilly shouted, ¡°They shoot good, Lazarus, what else do we need to care about?¡±


    Edain quickly finished up, bandaging wounds and strapping injections through the vest-plates. The moment he released the tourniquet, Quinn tried to poke his head out. ¡°For the Republic!¡± he chanted mockingly.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Lilly yanked him back, shouting at her 2iC, ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you? You want to get minced up?¡±


    Kazuki sighed. The burden of leadership takes a toll on one. Many times he has thought of operating alone. Only him. But then again, he was but one man. Sure, a member of the seven mercs, but still innately human - despite whatever the rumours say about him or any of the other mercs or crims¡­ with possible Hartius as an exception to the norm.


    ¡°Epsilon. You¡¯re already wounded. I¡¯ll take point.¡± ordered Kazuki. His exospine reclocked with a blue hue. His leg-braces tightened with each muscle movement.


    Quinn nodded, understanding that arguing with his boss¡¯ boss was the worst idea he could conceive. Activating his shield, he continued to reclock his organs, ensuring they were ready. He let off a gasp of steam in controlled scalding burst through the helm-mask¡¯s respirator.


    And as he finished his preparations, he turned the corner. He threw himself forward, arching his shield to brace against ballistic impact. Smugglers were hiding away near the back, defending the entrance to the relay.


    Kazuki charged, ignoring the thick hail of impacts. A dozen bolts flicked off his armoured plates. They unleashed everything. But it did not matter. The moment Kazuki was in reach, he lunged - plunging into their ranks. Unstrapping his hand-cannon, he flicked molten, corrosive acid down the hall, splattering like buckshot against all the defenders.


    Their gunfire quickly fell short. Despite their high-thick armour and smuggled mil-grade weapons, they were not enough to fight against the acid. And by now, all were writhing in agony, in pain. Kazuki felt nothing when looking down at them. The team started to move up as they euthanized any that survived the blast. A figure pushed past Kazuki, Quinn, trying to rush forward.


    ¡°Epsilon! Keep your head straight!¡± shouted Lilly.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ another life-saving surgery, here it comes.¡± complained Edain, annoyed and snarky at his comrade. Being the command medic of a suicidal team was sure to cause him headaches.


    Kazuki grabbed onto Quinn. ¡°Patience.¡±


    Stopping in place, Quinn nodded, looking back at Kaz. He placed a hand against his helm-mask, shaking his head. ¡°Sorry, sir, just¡­ got a little bit excited there.¡± He knelt down, picking up a few side-arms before shoving them into backup holsters.


    He gave a simple nod. Best to leave it at that. Entering into the command relay, he scoured his muzzle across the room. Only one person was left, frantically trying to do something on a control panel.


    ¡°Get off that.¡± Kazuki demanded calmly, muzzle pointed at their neck.


    His cold voice pierced the smuggler. He froze and slowly turned around. The team flooded in, investigating the room as Kazuki held the smuggler at gunpoint. Lilly took a glance at them, then shrugged it off, along with Claire.


    Edain started looking through the lockers as Quinn stood beside Kazuki, giving a few glances to anything he could steal; there was nothing out in the open for him.


    ¡°Hands up. Slowly.¡± Kazuki ordered.


    They slowly raised their hands, revealing their vest-plate to be covered in old grenades. Imperial made, insignias worn out and rusted. Relics, but still practical, he thought. Quinn placed his finger on the trigger as he looked at Kazuki for approval.


    ¡°No. This one lives.¡± lied Kazuki, looking towards the command console they were working at beforehand. ¡°What were you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    But as they spoke, a loud deafening voice cracked through the room, behind the man. Kazuki shot to the smuggler¡¯s left. They jerked to the right, revealing the console. It was a holographic message. The cubic measurements formed up in the message. And Quinn¡¯s eyes thinned at the sight.


    ¡®Excellent job¡­ you have not failed me. Their arrival will even the battlefield. Your¡­ family will be looked after very well.¡¯ said the man, his face worn out and his eyes red from drugs - Leon. It was him, he saw the fragments of images Archius and Sato had. It was him, older: but still the target, a stench of drugs behind the projection.


    Kazuki could tell even from this distance. It lined up perfectly with his memories of fighting hooked-up druggies; sometimes they were hooked up to ghoul-serum.


    ¡°At least it¡¯s not a ghoul¡­¡± Kazuki whispered to himself, the form of those creatures still giving him unease.


    Leon had a blood red fringe. As the message was about to continue, Quinn activated his exoskeleton¡¯s wargear. It discharged plasma-shot into the console, destroying the projector and the message as sparks flicked up.


    ¡®HEY! I was watching that, you know?¡¯ snapped Sato, speaking up as Kazuki glanced towards the smuggler.


    Quinn snapped back, ¡°We don¡¯t need him, we¡¯re already doing what¡¯s necessary.¡±


    ¡®We got enough information, didn¡¯t we?¡¯ asked Archius, countering Sato.


    Lilly slowly looked at Quinn and shook her head. ¡°Sorry about him, Epsilon¡¯s¡ª¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this.¡± Kazuki stated, setting the record of priorities straight.


    He gave Kazuki one look, nodding. Kazuki covered Quinn, where many have not. The smuggler shook and started to shake. They closed their eyes as they started whimpering quietly. Quinn shot a look at them. ¡°What the fuck are you crying for? Sad that your family¡¯s abandoned you? Let me guess, that fucker¡¯s gonna shag your wife or something.¡± Quinn acted like a total ass, remarking with a stuck-up attitude.


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t want to¡­ die.¡± worried the smuggler.


    As he finished, Kazuki noticed one detail that all others seemed to have missed. The grenades. They were attached to a separate device, a device that, set to an igniter, just flicked the pin-lights on.


    The smuggler started to wail as they tried to drag the grenades off them. What a shame, he could have had intel, but it seems they¡¯ll have to rely on Archius¡¯ informant for now.


    Kazuki shot the grenades before they could be thrown. A violent fireball exploded where the smuggler stood. Fragmentation scattered, sending the windows of the relay reeling. It fluttered across shields and armour.


    Edain looked over at all of them as he was still ransacking the place, searching for any interesting trinkets. The grenades were so old that they were quite ineffective¡­


    ¡°So, what was that about?¡± asked Edain, uncaring about the explosion. Most didn¡¯t care, they¡¯ve been through more hell than that. Quinn scrounged up whatever Edain threw out, whistling as he did with gleaming blue eyes.


    Tch. At least Kazuki could take respite in knowing they were more than dead. He gave them justice, they¡¯ll see no more than that. They picked the fight with him, Kazuki thought. He¡¯ll make them suffer for it, he¡¯ll kill each last one of them.


    ¡°Suicide bomber. Forced,¡± Kazuki pressed on his uplink, ¡®Overwatch. Scan the area, we might have possible hostile reinforcements.¡¯


    ¡®Uh, hey Eliza you deal with that.¡¯ Sato said, ordering her around.


    Eliza connected to Kazuki¡¯s team. ¡®Possible hostiles? Unsure to say what, Arbiter, the snowstorm is hampering our scanners.¡¯


    ¡®Switch them to thermal¡­¡¯ Archius muttered.


    A pause from Eliza was clearly from a moment of embarrassment. ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ said Eliza. Kazuki could feel her tomato face behind the monitor, all the way up in orbit. The operatives in the room chuckled under their breaths, finding it less annoying or distracting: but amusing.


    ¡®Keep scanning for anything important. All forces search the vessels, secure as much contraband.¡¯


    ¡®Copy that, Arbiter,¡¯ said Kiri, with a mixture of care in her voice. It was the opposite of what this profession demanded. But they all have their own ways of dealing with all the deaths. ¡®We¡¯ve found quite a few crates of weapons in the shuttle-haulers, but other than that we haven¡¯t found much.¡¯


    Kazuki nodded, turning to Edain as the group started to search around the relay. Quinn walked over to one of the broken consoles and slammed down on a lever, deactivating the power signature. Edain heaved out a large, vertical box from the locker.


    ¡®Convoy, can¡¯t distinguish what¡¯s in it,¡¯ said Eliza. ¡®Will update you when possible.¡¯


    ¡°Seems like she¡¯s improved,¡± said Lilly.


    Kazuki glanced towards her. ¡°She always does.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°What do we have here, then?¡± continued Lilly, looking over.


    ¡°Oi! It¡¯s mine,¡± complained Edain, rolling his eyes behind the helm-mask. ¡°I¡¯m making sure Epsilon doesn¡¯t steal this one!¡±


    Edain rubbed his hands together, extending the porta-bar breaching tool. He pried the crate open. The smell of old dust and rust came through as he coughed at the dust. Lilly walked over, peering over his shoulder. She looked down at what was presented.


    ¡°Some antique?¡± she asked. Clare joined in, then Quinn - and finally Kazuki. He wondered what might have attracted their attention.


    ¡°A vesarian-reinforced blade.¡± Kazuki corrected Lilly, ¡°Antique, yes. Powerful, yes. Impractical, yes¡­ It can sell for a lot, if you have the right connections.¡±


    ¡°Dibs!¡± shouted Edain. He grabbed it from the box as he waved it around like if he was an Imperial knight of old. Kazuki felt a level of glee at dispelling that information¡­ He shivered at the realisation, it DID not suit the Contract-Breaker. Glee was not his weapon, never will be.


    Giving it another look, it was far from robust or pristine. Decades have passed since its neglect caused its rust and degradation¡­ The weapons used to be the ceremonial weapons of the aristocracy and the knights¡­ how far they¡¯ve fallen.


    ¡°Imperial Knight weaponry, before they defected to the Republic,¡± Kazuki decided to inform him. ¡°But in that state, it¡¯s worthless.¡±


    Edain immediately threw the sword away¡­ to be thrown away so casually. Times have changed, he thought - turning away. Quinn sheathed the antique onto his belt, whistling away. Kazuki¡¯s uplink blinked red and green, connecting through the helm-mask.


    ¡®Arbiter, forces are inbound to your location. The power signature was a beacon in the interweb of all places, didn¡¯t know they had connection down here!¡¯ Sato deliberated, somewhat worried as she reported, ¡®It¡¯s been shielding itself from Krystalink but whatever the fuck you did uncovered them.¡¯


    However, Archius had a much more calm attitude. Operations with Archius were either him slacking off, leaving him to control the situation - or were the most chaotic ops ever, with him working his ass off. ¡®Calm it, who are they? If it¡¯s just more smugglers, then we¡¯re fine.¡¯


    Eliza sliced into the conversation as she got a new link on Krystalink. His aug-glasses lit up with information. ¡®¡ªNot quite! Hold it, I have a clearance rating, Level 2? Clearance from the NMPD to the¡­ Daura Intergalactic?¡¯


    Daura Intergalactic¡­ What a shame that they had to be here, Kazuki wondered. But a job is a job, and everyone must spill blood, their own - or that of others. A bedrock of blood under the board and admins.


    ¡®All stations. Destroy any cargo you can¡¯t carry. Start exfiltration now, if you can¡¯t carry it, leave it. I¡¯ll leave Vall¨¦ to oversee the evacuation.¡¯

 X15: Frostbite Firefights

    The shuttles were hauling out operatives, blaring with their searchlights. Many of his men took as much as they could carry, a little extra on top. Kazuki didn¡¯t stop them. Instead, he had ordered the hostages to be gathered all in one place, on the central platform of the shipyard.


    They exchanged stares with the hostage takers, most of the hostages being scared out of their lives as the fourth of the seven mercs glared down at them. Of course, they ignored the cutesy scarf he wore. Because they were all fixated on the golden bulbs that bore down on them.


    Most of them were guards, probably people in the know-how for the smuggler¡¯s operations. But whether they lived mattered only as much as their worth as bargaining cards.


    ¡®Arbiter, we¡¯ve picked up shuttles tunnelling straight towards you, want us to hail them?¡¯ asked Sato.


    ¡®Yes, I¡¯ll buy as much time as possible.¡¯ Kazuki crossed his arms. He looked across the shipyard. Any heavy equipment that was worth anything was being hauled off by the shuttle¡¯s grav-locks. Yet those deemed worthless were in a burning pile of thermite at the bottom of the shipyard¡¯s platforms. He could see the flames through the blizzard.


    Sato sliced into a new channel as she uplinked Kazuki to an unknown source. ¡®Good luck in there,¡¯ she said.


    He nodded, turning away from the hostages, with Claire taking guard. Lilly was barking orders, speeding up the exfiltration. But they had limited shuttles. And with the snowstorm, Kazuki wants to avoid any risks of collisions.


    ¡®This is Kazuki Izumi Geminorum-Ryzaku, representing the interests of the High Table Oversector¡¯s Judiciary. You are nearing our area of operations. State your business.¡¯ Kazuki demanded, sealing his leviathan painted helm-mask on.


    ¡®Kazuki?¡¯ asked a surprised voice, through the uplink. Kazuki immediately knew who it was. Tifta, Ex-Clandestine. ¡®By the eclipse, I didn''t expect you to be here. We¡¯re, uh¡­ we¡¯re here on behalf of Narisa¡¯s PD to eliminate trespassers. Bit heavy handed but you know¡­ operations aren¡¯t as they used to be.¡¯


    ¡®There are no trespassers.¡¯ Kazuki said in a monotone voice. Tifta sighed¡­


    Kazuki nodded at Claire, and she immediately took her and Amy¨¦ to help Lilly. The storm wasn¡¯t helping their efforts at all. Most of the ground was covered with thick snow, with the blinding storm even sometimes blinding the pilots¡¯ behind their shuttle windows.


    ¡®Sorry, Kazuki, but I have to do this¡­¡¯ said Tifta


    ¡®I know,¡¯ replied Kazuki.


    ¡®We both know what¡¯s about to happen.¡¯ deliberated Tifta. Despite their past, the two knew that bloodshed was the only option forward. They hated it, but it must be done.


    ¡®Is it the police, or is it the smugglers that hired you?¡¯


    ¡®Pfft, it doesn''t matter to me, business is business after all. We all gotta do what we gotta do.¡¯ said Tifta, in a solemn tone.


    ¡®No. I¡¯m guessing they said nothing about hostages.¡¯


    ¡®No idea. If they wanted hostages alive then I guess they would have told us before.¡¯


    ¡®So be it,¡± said Kazuki.


    He cut off the source, with the uplink channel collapsing into. Kazuki felt Krystalink lock him back into the AGENCY¡¯s comlinks. He watched as the shuttles of the first wave disappeared, full of cargo.


    ¡®Overwatch, what¡¯s the ETA for the rest of the shuttles?¡¯ asked Kazuki, turning back towards the hostages. Quinn held his trigger with a sour face. ¡®It¡¯d be nice to not be shot at.¡¯


    Eliza¡¯s voice pierced the snowstorm. ¡®Several minutes at the very least, just hold out until they get there.¡¯ Despite being an analyst and aide at her core, she is somewhat useful as a handler¡­ But that was secondary to keeping her safe. He can only ensure her safety if she¡¯s with him, guarded by a thousand mercs at least.


    Kazuki glanced across the shipyard, its numerous layered platforms delving up and down. But the place was still brimming with shuttle-haulers, most were old though. And as the final lights in the snowstorm disappeared, it left small sections of Heimfall and Deltastring left. Compared to their full strength numbers, holding out may provide a challenge.


    ¡®Arbiter. The hostages.¡¯ started Archius, his voice filled with coldness, Kazuki knew the only course of action with them - more than anyone else.


    ¡®I know.¡¯ Kazuki turned to Quinn, and nodded at him. ¡°Put them to sleep.¡± demanded Kazuki.


    ¡°Huh?,¡± Quinn raised his voice, seemingly awaken from slumber. His face turned towards the gunrunners, then he nodded. He took in a deep breath as he patted them down. Kazuki noticed that his movements were sluggish, regret?


    Kazuki ignored it as Quinn raised his shotgun.


    ¡°PLEASE!¡± one of the hostages shouted. ¡°PLEASE! DON¡¯T KILL US! PLEASE! WE DIDN¡¯T WANT TO JOIN!¡± Quinn paused.


    Quinn slowly took his helm-mask off, staring at the gunrunner with a frowning face. ¡°We all had a choice,¡± Quinn said.


    ¡°NO!¡± they continued. ¡°WE HAD TO! WHAT CHOICE DID WE HAVE?! JOIN THE MILITARY?! THOSE FUCKERS THAT FED US TO THE DOGS?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still a choice,¡± Quinn continued, the sense of livelihood within his voice was gone, left with a cold harsh, Narisan reality. ¡°Sorry...¡±


    ¡°Wait... Quinn...?¡± the gunrunner called out. Kazuki gave a small glance over ¨C but pretended to not notice. ¡°Dude...¡±


    Quinn gritted his teeth, slamming his helm-mask back on. ¡°Shut up, gunrunner,¡± he said, before raising his shotgun.


    He unleashed a torrent of fire at the first of the hostages. Those that survived the first seconds started to run. They were tied up for the most part. Safe to say, they failed miserably. And all fell.


    All that was left was a pile of mis-assorted limbs and flesh. It gave off a rancid odour, quickly clouded by the blizzard and frost.


    Kazuki stared at the slaughter. This was justice, he justified to himself. They caused pain and suffering. They sold their merchandise to criminals.


    It just so happened that those criminals are Kazuki¡¯s enemies. If they were his allies... Kazuki sighed. He hated blurring the lines, but he bit the judicial bullet.


    Let justice be done. Blindly. Because if Lady Justice could see, her disgust would be measured towards the highest echelons of this republic. Kazuki¡¯s mind lingered in thought, just imagining the justice and righteousness he can unleash.


    All it took was one command to wipe out the greatest of criminals.


    However: that was not this day. Today, Kazuki will remain blind, his gold eyes tied shut widely.


    Lilly walked up to Kazuki, dismissively peering at the corpses with a distant noise whistling through the air, far away.


    ¡°The fuck¡¯s that sound?¡± asked Amy¨¦, jogging up, most of Heimfall and Deltastring spreaded out, taking cover as they all listened in to the whistling. They were all prepared for anything. ¡°Sounds familiar!¡±


    Lilly placed a finger up, listening to it. She tilted her head, as if remembering something. ¡°String missiles!¡± She shouted, head staring deadly at Kazuki.


    The first missiles crashed down as she finished, sending one of the shuttle-caravans into a fireball. The team hiding behind it were all but vaporised. Debris flicked upwards. The interlocking wreckages started into a free fall as they started to crash downwards.


    ¡°THE FUCK?! PEOPLE STILL USE THEM?!¡± Quinn shouted as Claire dragged him to the side.


    ¡°YEAH?! Old, but reliable, I guess?¡± replied Lilly, starting into a run as she avoided a skidding hauler. The platforms started to vibrate. Years of neglect had caused the structure¡¯s integrity to falter. The hulks started to collapse.


    Panic ensued as more missiles smacked down on the ground, sending debris and snow into a violent uproar. Anyone caught in the blast radiuses were split limb from limb. And those not were crushed beneath falling shuttles and debris. Groups of agents on the upper platforms fled downwards, debris slinging down. An ensuing scramble began. Kazuki¡¯s head ached with the whistling noises, Claire dragging him to the side with her¡­


    They felt so familiar. And he placed a hand to his head, smacking it. FUCK, focus, Kazuki reminded himself. His mind bled anyway, until a sparking panic filled his eyes. He twisted his head downwards, narrowly avoiding a piece of flying debris.


    ¡°Arbiter!¡± Claire shouted, clambering out of the way of a shuttle as everyone started to flee.


    ¡°FUCK FUCK FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK DO WE DO!?¡± Amy¨¦ started panicking, unslinging her sniper as the platforms started to shift from the force. Amy¨¦ slid down one of the platforms, avoiding debris as she crashed down beside Kazuki. ¡°COME ON, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    More and more of Kazuki¡¯s men were being swallowed up by the barrage, built up snow kicking downwards to a free fall onto the platforms below them. Giant hulks of steel came tumbling down.


    He slammed his brain back into place, silencing the pain. He demanded more focus from his head. ¡°MOVE,¡± he shouted. They all burst into a run as they tried to find cover. Cover?! Where the fuck was cover strong enough to withstand the shuttles AND the barrage?


    ¡®ARCHIUS. ELIZA. COVER, IS THERE COVER?¡¯ asked Kazuki, in a monotone, calm, albeit loud voice.


    ¡®Somewhere, let me find it for you.¡¯ said Archius, his voice souring at the turn of events, ¡®This place¡¯s old¡­ not a lot of new records on them.¡¯


    ¡®I need them now. Not later.¡¯ Kazuki snapped at Archius, venom in his voice.


    Eliza was panicking, but placed her panic into something productive. ¡®Found some! Internal docking ports have maintenance tunnels built in! They look like air-locks in the ground!¡¯ Eliza blurted out. A speeding crate nearly took both Kazuki and Edain¡¯s heads off as he led the group in a crazed direction, scrambling to avoid the crashing platforms, whilst avoiding the slippery fall.


    A crescendo of platforms were being torn to shreds as crushed operatives screamed across the uplink. Kazuki¡¯s mind slowed with each passing scrap of debris, his mind taking in everything. Even the splitting limbs of his own men, falling downwards. He and his team kept running, with all they had, until his eyes scanned a bright orange airlock. It had emergency stripes all over it. THAT WAS IT.


    ¡°I found it. Follow me. Stay close but not too close.¡± ordered Kazuki. He burst into a dash, running across the shipyard platform. His reinforced exospine injected in a cacophony of energising drugs.


    Claire stabbed herself with a stimulant as she shot injectors into everyone else with her pharm-assist. Adrenaline bolts struck everyone, enhancing them as Kazuki neared the maintenance shaft.


    As he was a hand away, his mind spluttered into action. Left. His aug-glasses demanded left, and he twisted - to see a small shuttle hauler crashing down towards them all. Directly in the line of fire. No getting out of the way.


    ¡®ARBITER. GET DOWN, NOW!¡¯ Eliza shouted.


    ¡®Not enough time. Everyone, in - now.¡¯ Kazuki stated, ordering his men to go down.


    He stretched his shoulders. Claire led everyone behind him. Lilly, Quinn, Edain, Amy¨¦ were accounted for. No point worrying about the others¡­ He could see fragments of other teams through the snowstorm of debris - but as Claire yanked at the trigger of the shaft Kazuki pushed his limbs into action, tensing them all up.


    Here it comes.


    The hauler increased in speed - only to be met with Kazuki, his cybernetics and exospine wheeling into action. Drugged up muscles pushed for all Kazuki demanded and more.


    A burst of blue crackled with steam and stims. The hue burst from within his exospine, out between his vest-plate and jacket.


    Smoke clocked itself out of his lungs. And slowly, he weathered the weight, slowly pushed back as he halted the shuttle. But as he pushed back, lacerations started to split across his hands.


    ¡°Lazarus. Tell me when to stop.¡± Kazuki strained to get a word out, as he felt an added weight burden against the shuttle.


    ¡°Just hold it still for a little bit longer!¡± shouted Claire, ¡°Do they fucking grease these doors?¡±


    ¡°You think they even touch these doors since the war?¡± snapped Quinn, moving forward and helping Claire.


    ¡°CAN YOU TWO SHUT UP.¡± Lilly moved forward, crashing down to help Claire.


    Kazuki held firm, but his limbs were already strained against the thousands of kilograms forced against him. His cybernetics were going into overdrive. The only thing keeping him in action was the reinforcements to his exospine.


    Even then it was slowly fading - revealing old scars. Any failures in his body were met with more drugs, more stimulants.


    But just as Kazuki¡¯s arms started to falter, Lilly pried the shaft open. They immediately stormed in, crashing down into the small maintenance foxhole. Amy¨¦ shouted upwards towards Kazuki, ¡°Get in you fucking brute, door¡¯s open!¡±


    He slowly shimmied his way down towards the maintenance shaft, holding back against the tide until he was on the edge. He couldn¡¯t shove the shuttle backwards. Pressing his energy into his legs and arms, he allowed the hauler press down onto him. His wrist twisted as his ANCHOR-watch activated, linking to the Analyspec in orbit.


    A light cracked forward, sending Kazuki into the hole. Half a second passed as the hauler up above skidded by, crashed into by another - sending it into a secondary fireball.


    ¡°Good callout.¡± Kazuki¡¯s body was drained of energy, more drugs took its place¡­ He took a look at his ANCHOR bracings, they were still fixed on. He took an additional handful of Halolazil.


    ¡°Thank fuck you have a high tolerance,¡± Claire said, peering over at Kazuki.


    He closed his eyes, gasping for air in the tight space below. ¡®Arbiter to Overwatch, we¡¯re safe. All callsigns report in.¡¯


    ¡°Fuck¡­ can you move a bit?¡± asked Amy¨¦. It was cramped. Incredibly cramped. There was barely any room to fit all of them, with most of them squished up against each other, made worse by their heavy armour - and Amy¨¦¡¯s long sniper rifle.


    ¡®Haymaker here,¡¯ Kiri reported. ¡®We¡¯re safe¡­ so are a few others.¡¯


    He could hear the grief in her voice. One by one, the teams called in. His mind calculated the losses, barely any casualties - despite what he saw. Around a section¡¯s strength left.


    But Edain immediately snapped back at Amy¨¦, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that large sniper of yours, we¡¯d have more breathing room.¡± The complaint was reasonable.


    ¡°Oh fuck you! You fucking perv I bet you became a medic to finally get some ass in your life!¡± Amy¨¦ shouted, ¡°AND WHAT ABOUT QUINN¡¯S SWORD THAT HE STOLE?!¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T GET ME INTO THIS!¡± Quinn snapped back. ¡°YOU¡¯RE THE ONE THAT BROKE THEIR ARM AND HAS TO HAVE A FUCKING BRACE AROUND IT! CRIPPLE!¡±


    Kazuki cleared his throat. Quinn zipped it.


    ¡°HEY! AT LEAST I LIFT, WHICH IS MUCH MORE THAN WHAT YOU CAN DO!¡± Amy¨¦ relied on the most irrelevant facts. Lifting might be her hobby, but it was nothing to do with now.


    Edain shot back, ¡°I¡¯ll shove that muzzle down your throat, so we can finally have some quiet and room in here!¡±


    Quinn stabbed into the conversation. ¡°Maybe if you didn¡¯t always try to pack fifty missions¡¯ worth of medical supplies, we wouldn¡¯t have this problem!¡± His support for Amy¨¦ seemed to have pissed Edain off.


    ¡°BETTER TO BE PREPARED!¡± rebuked Edain, looking down at Quinn.


    ¡°Can you guys please stop?¡± both Claire and Lilly said at the same time, feeling like they had to babysit their operatives. Both were tired by now, and this little brawl did nothing to help them recover. Both Amy¨¦ and Edain continued the argument, but Quinn was uncharacteristically silent. Blood still dripped off him from the executions.


    Claire muttered to herself, ¡®At least Zym isn¡¯t here¡­¡¯ But the mood was tense, thick and foggy. Everyone was seemingly dreading having to go out, back there.


    ¡®Hey! I can hear you, you know¡­ you said that just to piss me off, right?!¡¯ said Zymuel, ¡®It¡¯s not fun being on the reserves, you know!¡¯


    The two exchanged nods, glancing through the mass of operatives. ¡°Hey, so you all come here often? I mean, it¡¯s a bit cramped but I think we can make it work¡± joked Quinn.


    Quinn¡¯s little joke did not go well as he immediately let off a continuous round of ouches. But with that, the atmosphere collapsed into chatter. Kazuki guessed that Lilly pinched him. Up above the debris was still falling down, the noise of crashes and string missiles still lighting the air.


    ¡®Tell us when they finish their bombardment¡­¡¯ said Kazuki, ¡®And why the fuck are they blowing up the merchandise?¡¯


    ¡®Probably are too scared to fight you guys in an even fight.¡¯ started Sato, ¡®But¡­ that also damages the Gunrunners. Losing stupid old tech¡­¡¯


    Eliza butted in. ¡®But Imperial G-99s are still quite popular, might I add, especially for raiders and patrol groups.¡¯


    ¡®No shit¡­¡¯ Lilly gasped for air, constricting her voice in the tight space, ¡®Those things never jam, especially compared to GemDEV weapons.¡¯


    Lilly gave Kazuki one glance, expecting him to shoot back with his own response. But he didn¡¯t see it as an insult, more rather an astute observation of his mother¡¯s weapons. Even under that plain visor, his golden eyes were still uncaring.


    Quinn tried to stir something up, saying, ¡°Oooh, you gonna take that, Arbiter?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± stated Kazuki, ¡°She is not wrong. GemDEV weapons are typically high-maintenance.¡±


    As he finished, the barrage overhead came to a halt. Nothing muttered on the surface, only the raging fires of alight debris remained.


    ¡®The missile barrage¡¯s over¡­¡¯ Archius said, ¡®Shuttles are coming back in five minutes, They¡¯re probably going to go after you guys, stay strong.¡¯


    ¡®Understood. All forces, get out and hunker down. Overwatch, control the drones to support the boots on the ground.¡¯ Kazuki ordered them around, watching as Edain exited out, stretching.


    One by one, they all left. Quinn was first, aiming on a swivel to see if there was anyone to blast. Damn hot-head, Kazuki thought. Seeing no one, he dusted the snow and dust from his coat, along with the others.


    Kazuki scanned across the shipyard. He couldn¡¯t see all the remaining teams. A mist of blood lingered in the air, though quickly fading into smog. Those closest joined up, exiting out from their own cover.


    ¡®Hey, Arbiter¡­ are you still alive?!¡¯ Tifta asked, ¡®Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re checking up on you anyways.¡¯


    Kazuki connected to Tifta. ¡®Sorry, but we¡¯re all dead. Please come by some other time, it¡¯s rather inconvenient right now.¡¯


    ¡®Ah, you survived. Fuck¡­ I was kinda expecting that to kill you all.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll aim for the head.¡¯ said Kazuki, giving assurances to Tifta. Professional courtesy, nothing more - Nothing less.


    Tifta let off a small chuckle as hostile shuttles burst through the blizzard, older models but still dangerous. No markings on them. Hovering in the air, they immediately opened fire downwards.


    ¡®Same to you, see you later, Kaz¡¯


    ¡°If Tifta was going to be like this¡­¡± Claire started, hiding behind a piece of a broken void-engine, alongside Quinn and Edain, ¡°I would have left him for dead on Malico-4!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, we all know you wouldn¡¯t have the heart to do that,¡± Quinn quipped.


    Searchlights beared down. Lilly and Amy¨¦ ducked behind a small crashed star-fighter, one attached to the haulers, any cover was better than no cover. Amy¨¦ immediately fired upwards as troops started to land. Large red warning zones projected downwards as she eliminated any that flowed down from the shuttles with her hollowed piercing rounds.


    Sporadic gunfire and firefights exploded around the place as bullets fell down in the raining hard blizzard. The only thing differentiating their allegiance was the location of their destination as hell started to break loose. Kazuki weaved out the trajectory of a stray bolt.


    He sighed, before taking a step forward, looking at a group of disembarking mercenaries. They were numerous, too numerous for his forces to hold out against. The shuttles started to hover, turning searchlights into rotary cannons.


    Splatters of blinding light shot out onto the field, suppressing everyone - even the mercs. ¡®All forces. Rally on Lazarus and Vall¨¦,¡¯ ordered Kazuki. He¡¯s taken enough punishment today, but still he demands more from his body.


    ¡°Where the fuck do you think you¡¯re headed?¡± asked Lilly, firing at an approaching mercenary, who in turn fired back. Kazuki weaved away from the flicking bullets as the merc fell. He clambered on top of a small pile of debris, igniting a flare.


    ¡°Distracting them.¡± Kazuki stepped forth, pulling his hood back as he fired his railgun into the air, creating a beam of pure energy that all were able to see. He shouted into the uplink, ¡®Come. Claim my head.¡¯ He barked at the opposing mercs.

 X16: Gold & Red

    The effects were immediate. A trickle of mercs started to converge on his location, the shuttles blared their lights onto him. With heavy gunfire, he fought back. He ducked behind cover, throwing grenades to dismantle any organised assault. He was fast, durable, well trained¡­


    But compared to these people, he lacked experience. He¡¯s only been in the game for a few years, but these people have been in it for at least a decade. Time was all he needed to buy with his blood, not victory.


    ¡®Of course¡­ leave the suicidal things to Arbiter.¡¯ Sato sighed.


    Kazuki fired back at the mercs from cover. Attracting them to him, he glanced back at the others.


    They were fleeing in the chaos, hiding from cover to cover as they fought off the sporadic leftovers that tried to stop them from reuniting. If everything went well, they¡¯ll rendezvous with the other teams, all he needs to do is what he does best: kill.


    His head twisted away as a blast from the cannons shredded the cover around him, flying off before Kazuki could blast it with his railgun.


    ¡®DAMMIT. DEAL WITH THE CONTRACT-BREAKER!¡¯ shouted Tifta over public channels, fully appreciating the threat he posed.


    Good, Kazuki thought. He slowly stood up, feeling his exoskeleton gear up as he reclocked steam out from his mouth. His golden eyes awoke from slumber. The mercs continued to pour fire at him, and he burst forth. He ANCHORed onto onto one of them. Throwing them aside, Kazuki deflected gunfire with his shield. The merc¡¯s body slammed through a steel bar, impaling them.


    Shock and awe was everything, and he had the speed to match even the greatest of what they could throw. But in prolonged combat, he¡¯ll be whittled down. And as trained, he turned his body into a weapon: a tool of death.


    ¡®More converging on your location, Arbiter.¡¯ reported Eliza, ¡®Try to split them up.¡¯


    ¡®Understood.¡¯


    Bursting with another round of energy, he threw himself into gunfire, his armour and shield deflecting rounds as he gunned down those furthest from him. Those closest were given more brutal treatments. He ducked down into one of the lower platforms, with even more mercs converging on top of the debris. They fired down at him from all sides.


    ¡®Arbiter, you¡¯re one crazy son of a bitch! They¡¯re on you, alright!?¡¯ shouted Archius.


    Rushing forward, he grabbed onto one of the mercs, crushing their windpipe in one go. He ignited an electro-bomb, attaching it to their body as he reloaded his railgun. He hid behind it, letting the corpse be riddled with bolts. Stray bolts smacked off his armour and unarmoured joints; he ignored the pain from the impacts, with more stims replacing the trailing blood he left behind. Twisting around, he kicked the body as he fired his railgun at the one behind him - before ducking away.


    He looked down at his arsenal¡­ Compared to what the others have, his was miniscule. Hartius had a rocket system; Freyja had teleporting blades; Kyria had a nuclear-powered shotgun. And all he has is the leftovers. Holstering his railgun, he kicked himself backwards, sprawling the air in front of him with Svenn¡¯s old blaster, the caustic smell from the corrosion rung under the respirator.


    ¡®Come on, Arbiter! Just a little longer,¡¯ Eliza worryingly stated; despite her best intentions, it seems emotions do bleed into work. But this time it got no remarks from Lilly.


    More arose to meet him in combat; more came directly into his crosshairs. Those touched by it all fell, writhing in agony, or were killed instantly. He drew his half-blade, a shortened odachi, slicing through one behind him as he ducked behind cover. By now his armour was riddled with bullet marks and plasma scorches.


    But a hostile shuttle rushed by overhead, it splattered down a hail of fire through the blizzard. Force multipliers, he¡¯ll have to deal with them. His shield started to break down as he stood up, blocking the bolts and plasma as he took out his railgun, bearing the brunt as he flicked the break-action open.


    ¡®ARBITER! THOSE SHUTTLES! ARCHIUS! Take them down!¡¯ shouted Lilly.


    ¡®KARL! Get here now!¡¯ Sato shouted, directing Lilly¡¯s anger at Karl, the escape pilot leading the convoy of the next shuttles.


    ¡®Oi, oi, I¡¯m getting some doughnuts, just wait a minute, alright?¡¯ said Karl, trying to calm things over on the uplink with a joke.


    ¡®KARL.¡¯ Kazuki uttered one word, sliding through a destroyed shuttle behind him to buy his shield reprieve from the shuttle¡¯s rotary bombardment.


    ¡®HEY! I WAS JOKING!¡¯


    Kazuki rushed out of cover, getting too close to a group of mercs to warrant the use of the shuttle¡¯s battlements. He sliced through, but as the shuttle waddled to the side to get a better angle - he found an opening. An armoured fuel tank.


    His mind entered into a state of frenzy as he pushed forward. Slicing forward, he moved from cover to cover, blood dripping as more fell. Kazuki activated his WRIST-SHOT, creating a smog of plasma to hide his figure within the storm and fog.


    Drugs were injected into him, diluting his bloodstream. He had to move faster; with his muzzle primed to the perfect angle on the shuttle.


    He braced. And he fired.


    The shuttle¡¯s fuel tank exploded. Its engines cried out in a loud cacophony, crashing down. The blizzard masked its explosion. Debris and fragments of steel shot upwards, heat and an overcharged reactor sent anyone nearby into dust. Dozens of mercs fell in a pool of their own blood as they all collapsed. Many were dismembered. The screams soon followed, and under the cover of the chaos, Kazuki slipped away.


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    ? ? ?


    Rocking back and forth, Eliza felt somewhat calmed by small sways of her hover-chair. She continued to coordinate their forces, watching from orbit with the drones. She was originally just supposed to be an analyst, and here she was: coordinating and helping run an anti smuggler operation.


    She was in over her head, Eliza thought, but she must continue and persist. She promised Deltastring and Lilly of her commitment, and what would she be if she cannot persist any further? ¡®Lazarus, watch out! Ti your flank!¡¯


    ¡®Roger that,¡¯ replied Claire, moving from one side of a long barricade to the other.


    The remaining agents were hiding away, trying to hold out as shuttles bore down against them. They held a line of debris, barely usable as cover, but makeshift emplacements nonetheless.


    A massive force of mercs were converging on them, yet for each AGENT fell, a dozen of those mercs were taken with them, showing the full might of the AGENCY¡­ But still, each bullet felt stung. And Eliza held strong.


    Though her heart was beating with stress, she kept calm - at least she tried. She refused to look at Kazuki¡¯s monitor, she felt she had assured herself enough of his safety. And she needed to keep to her promise, even if it kills her on the inside. She took a swig of coffee from her cup, drawing her eyes towards the monitor in front of her. But as she pried her eyes away from looking at Kazuki, her hands shook, shaking as if they demanded what she always wanted to know¡­


    Everything was going to plan, she reminded herself, just trying to get her mind to calm down; no number of simulations can ever wash away the reality of combat. The shuttles shouldn¡¯t be a problem after Karl¡¯s reinforcements arrive. Sato, however, did not share her calm attitude. She was sweating slightly, filling Eliza¡¯s stomach with butterflies at the sight.


    ¡®Where in Iris¡¯s sake are the fucking shuttles?!¡¯ Sato asked, crossing her arms. Archius meanwhile? He looked stoic, calm, and presentable¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to ask him how he does it¡­¡± Eliza muttered to herself, closing her eyes for a moment.


    ¡®HERE! The cavalry¡¯s arrived, oorah!¡¯ said Karl, his shuttles coming into view from the monitoring drones, scanning downwards as plasma beams smacked into the merc¡¯s shuttles, shooting them out of the sky.


    The reinforcing shuttles bore down at the mercs, as any out of cover were slaughtered. Eliza watched as their blood became visible on the thermal and visual rays. But despite the gruesome sight, she felt nothing, trying to pry her mind from thinking of the realities of the battleground - forcing herself to think of each strobe and square as just a faceless fighter. Then, she undid her own thinking, battering her own hypocrisy as her mind argued with itself.


    The shuttles landed, opening their doors as a litany of gunfire consumed the debris field.


    ¡®Arbiter,¡¯ Eliza turned to face Kazuki¡¯s monitor, seeing him fighting against a dozen mercs. Just looking at it gave her anxiety. But she gritted through the stress. ¡®Rendezvous with the others, the shuttles have arrived!¡¯


    ¡®Got it. Karl, can you create a path for me?¡¯ asked Kazuki, calmly displacing an approaching merc with nothing but lead and scorches. Blood continued to splatter, and not a single whelp from her.


    ¡®Already on it, boss.¡¯ Karl ignited upwards as his shuttles started to bombard the remaining mercenaries. A path of mangled corpses was cleared for Kazuki, a literal red carpet.


    She watched as he avoided all gunfire, slamming down as beams cut through the mercs. Yet as those around him fell, he rushed upwards. A few lucky shots flicked off him. She felt like calling out to him, but held her tongue, he was used to this¡­ and so must she. He powered through, rushing through the chaos. As the barricade came into view, he vaulted over it, landing on the other side with Edain and Claire ready to greet him.


    ¡®I¡¯m fine!¡¯ He pushed them away, using both hands as Claire tugged off, whilst Edain persisted.


    Edain activated his lenses, taking out his pharm-assist. ¡®We have to¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Get off me.¡¯ Kazuki¡¯s demands were met with immediate compliance as Edain pulled away, joining back into the fight. ¡®Exfiltrate, now.¡¯


    Kazuki readied himself as more and more operatives boarded the shuttles, firing back and suppressing the mercs with mounted turrets. Now they were the ones with the force multipliers, Eliza thought. Everything was going exactly as planned. The mercenaries were being cut down and her allies were escaping. But even so, her eyes were fixated on Kazuki. His survival meant everything to her. Because subconsciously, she needs him.


    He was the only one that could do it. He had the expertise, the skill, the connections and the reputation to see their investigation through. He was the only one, she thought¡­ The only one that cares enough to help her¡­ But still, she couldn¡¯t admit it to herself, her pride was still too strong. But her confidence? It was in shambles¡­ After what happened before, what other choice does she have?


    And as the final operatives filled the shuttles, they started to depart. She felt her heart calm. Yet at the same moment, a string of rocketeers and mercenaries poured forward through the snowstorm, wading through the wreckage and flaming debris.


    She heaved a sigh of relief¡­ but as she closed her eyes, sound filled her uplink.


    The violent crash of an explosion rocked the lead shuttle. And as voices cried out, the only word she ever heard through it all was a name: Kazuki. Her eyes ripped open as she looked directly at the monitors. She pressed closer to it as thermal imagery showed one figure fall. One heat signature fell¡­


    ¡®SHIT! Arbiter¡¯s fallen! Halt the convoy!¡¯ Sato ordered them back, a fusillade of rockets roaring from the surface.


    ¡®NO TIME!¡¯ said Lilly, ¡®Those missile-locks will chew us down if we stay!¡¯ Half a dozen shuttles appeared within the mist, firing their payload on the escort convoy.


    ¡®Arbiter¡­ do you hear me?!¡¯ Eliza asked, begging almost. No response, her heart sank with agony. WHY DIDN¡¯T SHE SEE THEM? IF SHE HAD JUST SAID¡­ THAT THERE WERE ROCKETEERS¡­


    She continued to eat herself out, cursing to herself.


    Archius slowly glanced at her across the command deck, from one monitor to another. She met his gaze, wondering if he was disappointed in her¡­ If she had looked in a mirror, she¡¯d have seen a broken mess.


    But, Archius simply sighed. He gave her a comforting look, nodding at her. Eliza understood the situation, the needs of the group outweighed one man. But still¡­ She can¡¯t leave him to die¡­


    ¡®Retreat. Exfiltrate. Get the hell out of there, Arbiter will live.¡¯ ordered Archius, sounding calm despite the situation. ¡®I know him, it¡¯ll take more than that to fuck him over.¡¯


    ¡®HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW?!¡¯ shouted Sato.


    ¡®Tifta respects Kazuki,¡¯ said Archius, coldly, with little room for empathy. ¡®The two were friends, he won¡¯t kill Kazuki.¡¯


    That¡¯s¡­ right. Kazuki always lives. He must! He¡¯s probably been through something like this before, has he not?! But as the thoughts raced through her mind, the survey drones started to move, speeding up to join the convoy as the shuttles sped off, into the storm. The crack of explosions and gunfire faded, leaving herself to her thoughts¡­ They continued to eat her out, to eat at her failures. She felt the brooch weigh once again, attached to her jacket.


    He¡­ can¡¯t die. Not now. Not after everything that they have bled for and fought for, Kazuki must live. That was the one conclusion Eliza pushed forward. No matter how irrational it was, she had to believe in it. She placed her mind and soul on that assumption.


    And for her sake, Synthia sprouted up, patting Eliza on the cheek¡­


    He must live, the thought of death must be thrown away. At all costs, she must remain steadfast. She continued to repeat the thought to herself, but it didn¡¯t change anything.

 X17: Rearing its Eyes

    Stress and worry choked Eliza. Nothing came through. Not a single word from the uplink, not a single channel gave words of assurance. Not a single chatter of relevance. Eliza slowly moved away from the monitors that surrounded her.


    The brooch on her upper left hoodie felt heavy. She placed a hand to her pink hair, feeling her hairpiece droop ever so slightly.


    Unlike those in the room, who wore combat cargos and fatigue jackets over shirts, Eliza seemed like the outcast: wearing a hoodie beneath her suit, with a skirt and similar get-up to the Police Conference.


    Everyone was silent on the bridge as Claire, Quinn, Kiri, Zymuel and Lilly entered into the room. Zymuel, the techie-head, was helping Claire walk, she was covered in bandages. The sight slightly uneased her¡­


    She¡¯s seen TECHIE heads on the interweb, but here was one in the flesh, someone who had part of their head completely replaced with a robotic helmet to survive¡­ She couldn¡¯t even tell if they were smiling or frowning beneath that helmet.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the debriefing over, alright?¡± said Sato, taking a data-pad from underneath her jacket and hoodie. She walked across the room, distributing smaller info-pads, before patting Eliza on the back.


    ¡°You know, you should probably be at the med-bay,¡± commented Zymuel, patting Claire on the back, she had bandages wrapped over her clothes. She shot a glance back at him as he relented. ¡°Okay! Okay¡­ Just saying, Amy¨¦ would probably like your company.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason why Kaz made me Heimfall¡¯s commander¡­¡± Claire rolled her eyes, trailing off; Zymuel merely laughed it off. ¡°I wish that tank shell really did take your head off.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I missed the Loyie fights, I gotta get back into it!¡±


    She felt ashamed, this was exactly what Lilly got mad at, her own emotions, heart and worries getting in the way of the mission. She glanced up at them, seeing their exoskeleton-powered armour plates. Arming drones helped take their exoskeletons off.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, fixating her eyes on the communication relay.


    Any spurt of chatter was checked, yet most of it was simply successful logistics deliveries¡­


    ¡°Stop worrying, Kaz¡¯s a damn leviathan when it comes to fighting¡­ He¡¯s alive. A fall like that hasn¡¯t killed him before.¡± said Sato, lighting a cigarette. She looked up from the command deck, her eyes glancing across the room.


    ¡°If he¡¯s alive he¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªHis comlinks are most likely off.¡± Lilly Interrupted, ¡°Low chances of him living, to be fair. But do you really expect a member of the Seven, crim or merc, to die like that?¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Quinn shot up.


    ¡°Worry not, Liz,¡± Kiri started, leaning on the bannister on one of the upper sections of the command deck. She looked down with Zymuel. ¡°Our short friend¡¯s gone missing many times before, he¡¯s lived every single one of them, much to my own amazement, like the skirmish over Old Terra.¡±


    ¡°Well, it did kinda kill a bit of all of us,¡± said Quinn. ¡°But being shot out into space and somehow surviving? I¡¯ll just say to leave the suicidal shit to Arbiter.¡±


    Claire tried to assure Eliza. ¡°Kaz¡¯s been marked dead many times, let me tell you: falls don¡¯t kill him! Exospines are made to withstand trauma, painful; but it is what it is.¡±


    But despite all of their assurances, the guilt and the doubt crept in.


    Quinn tried to lighten her mood, joking. ¡°Plus, it¡¯s too fucking cold to die, Kazuki won¡¯t let himself be killed there.¡±


    The light-hearted jab fell short. Instead, Eliza fell into a slump as she continued to scroll through the communication channels, trying to find Kazuki¡­ But each passing second gave her more dread, nothing.


    She kept worrying herself as she stood up, pacing around her seat before triple-checking the communication uplink.


    Here she was complaining about Kazuki again¡­ most of them had lost friends, many - in fact. She was a civilian, she was far from suited for this type of work. But she gritted her mind through it.


    Claire reached over, slapping Eliza on the back of her head. Trying to give her a sliver of hope, she said ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll look for Archius. I think he¡¯s trying to cook some shit up. If anyone knows something, it¡¯ll be him.¡± She glanced over towards Sato. ¡°Hey Sato, do you think you can do anything with Krystalink?¡±


    Now that she thinks about it¡­ Archius isn¡¯t here. She glanced around as she remembered that he left to ¡®do something about that¡¯, in his own words.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Sato deliberated, turning back into a grumble as she slid her chair forward, ¡°Narisa¡¯s fucked in terms of telecommunications, I can barely get a signal down there. But¡­ I think I can try if I connect Krystalink to the Annie.¡± As she finished, she pressed a few buttons on the deck¡¯s touch screens. Projecting downwards, a large mechanical thing came from the ceiling.


    Eliza froze¡­ It looked¡­ disgusting. Steel appendages drifted down.


    ¡°Alright, keep it up, then,¡± Claire stood up, standing up. She gently slapped Eliza on the face. She left the room, unphased by whatever that thing was.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Eliza asked, wheeling her hover-chair away.


    ¡°Analyspec,¡± said Sato. She connected her uplink to the metallic machine. It felt alive, no, it was alive. She could feel the various bulbs stare at her, as if they were a monstrosity of the past. But Sato? She looked as calm as ever, controlling the entity. ¡°It¡¯s one of the AGENCY¡¯s most valuable assets, it can be moved around¡­ but we¡¯d prefer to keep the majority of it on the Phoenix¡¯s Fury.


    Zymuel jumped in on the conversation. ¡°Shame that it¡¯s locked up for the most part,¡± he said. ¡°If you¡¯d allow me, I could probably reel it in.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, you arrogant fuck.¡± Quinn commented, ¡°If three members of the Seven couldn¡¯t, you think you can?¡±


    ¡°Ignore him.¡± Kiri demanded; a vein bulging on her face as she flicked a few switches on Zymuel¡¯s head, causing the TECHIE-Head to panic as he flicked them back off.


    ¡°Wheeling it around¡¯s annoying,¡± said Lilly. She had a dissatisfied look on her face as she glanced up at it, hovering above the command table. ¡°We normally have the drones and Quinn carry it around if we need to move it.¡±


    ¡°¡®Coz you can¡¯t fucking do it yourself,¡± Quinn snapped back. Eliza kept her eyes fixated on it¡­


    ¡°This is¡­ an abomination?¡± Eliza¡¯s voice quivered as all thoughts drained. One of its many eyes glanced towards her, before switching back to Sato.


    Sato then glanced at Eliza, seeing her shocked expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get used to the sight. It¡¯s a quantum computer infused into a¡­ thing? I don¡¯t really know either. Kaz uses it a lot, his brain can handle this so don¡¯t expect me to be as fast, sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, that¡¯s fine.¡± Eliza burst into a fit of courtesies, glancing down towards Sato. ¡°Quite fine, it¡¯s just that¡­ what is it?¡±


    ¡°Analyspec? It¡¯s a quantum computer, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve got Handler¡¯s deaf.¡±


    ¡°Just look away, Liz.¡± Lilly smacked Eliza on the head with a plastic water bottle, thrown across the room. Eliza looked down upon impact, heeding her advice¡­ Lilly¡­ Dammit, her mind was a complete mess.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ mad at me, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked Eliza, turning to Lilly, ¡°I apologise. I shouldn¡¯t have worried so much¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Lilly peeked her head up, her hands on her camera. ¡°There¡¯s a time and place for everything.¡± Her face turned into a scowl.


    ¡°Oi, give her a break, this time it¡¯s warranted,¡± Quinn said.


    ¡°I am?¡± Lilly directed her perceived anger towards Quinn. ¡°I said there¡¯s a time and place for everything; the skyliner op is different.¡±


    Eliza felt somewhat warm from that, as Lilly seemed quite friendly, at least more amicable than furious towards her¡­ But the moment was ruined by Quinn. ¡°Aw, you must be worried about Arbiter.¡±


    She threw her stylus at Quinn, it smacked directly off his forehead before falling onto the command deck. ¡°Shut it, if Kazuki is gone then I¡¯ll have to step up, you know? That means you¡¯ll have to lead Deltastring, and I¡¯ll rip my own heart out before that happens!¡± Quinn immediately froze in fear at that realisation, fear permeating throughout his eyes and soul as Eliza glanced at him.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    She angrily berated her lieutenant as Sato groaned.


    She shut off the analyspec, shaking her head as she looked at Eliza. ¡°Look, just don¡¯t worry about shit you can¡¯t control, we¡¯ll probably have new orders soon enough,¡± advised Sato. ¡°Martinez¡¯s is already aware of the situation.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Quinn started, deflecting a dozen pens and styluses thrown at him from a pissed off Lilly, who aimed at every weak point. ¡°You¡¯re not just here for the sake of being here, arent¡¯chu?¡±


    Lilly, Eliza and Quinn all exchanged glances at each other for a moment, as the three then looked towards Sato, who groaned in return. Lilly said, ¡°Look, you ain¡¯t got to tell them anything, you¡¯re not obligated to give a fucking dissertation, alright?¡±


    ¡°Tch¡­ I second that, I guess.¡± Sato grumbled, ¡°But you¡¯re already getting into the commanding mood.¡±


    Lilly retorted, pointing a finger at Sato, ¡°AND HOW ABOUT YOU! With Kazuki gone, you¡¯re going to be one of the leading players! And you call me power-hungry!?¡± Her face contorted into anger.


    Quinn found everything amusing, he stood up, leaning against the deck, simply watching as he commented, ¡°Just don¡¯t let Martinez hear this. A little coup d''etat and he¡¯s in charge.¡±


    ¡°Do you even know what a coup d¡¯etat is?¡± asked Sato.


    Quinn chuckled for a moment before confidently proclaiming: ¡°No! But I heard Archius argue with Kaz about it some time ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ yeah¡­ the coup idea,¡± Sato trailed off. ¡°Kaz and Archius never told me why they didn¡¯t go through with the idea.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they got found out?¡± Quinn shrugged. ¡°Coups are bad¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°Kaz is gone¡­ but¡­ how do you guys stay calm in all of this?¡± asked Eliza.


    ¡°It¡¯s happened to us before plus¡­ it¡¯s simple pragmatism.¡± said Sato, ¡°Back in the navy, it¡¯s typical to have several layers of command. In case one of your superiors got vacuumed out into space.¡±


    But Lilly had a totally different outlook. ¡°In the marines, experience outranks everything. Sergeants from the rank and file probably had more respect than fresh cadets from officer training.¡±


    Eliza backed away, trying to divide herself from the conversation. She had barely slept, not like she got much sleep to begin with, exhaustion was digging itself into her face¡­ She caught the image of her reflection in a piece of shiny metal, a broken facade and mockery of her sister¡­ the visage of her beauty merged with her spite.


    Why was she like this? The bags beneath her eyes were getting larger. And as she sighed, she glanced back at the channel monitor, hoping for a change that would not happen.


    She felt nothing. Quinn, noticing this change in attitude, decided that he should press on with his question. ¡°So, Liz, you gonna tell us or what?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t out of malice, she could tell that. But her mind ached with stress. It was so personal that she didn¡¯t know if she could tell them¡­ Yet still, Quinn looked only a bit older than her, less than a decade or so. She wondered what he¡¯d have done in her situation.


    But all the burdens are on her shoulders¡­ The weight of billions of lives crushed down upon her. She starved her mind for logic between her feelings and thoughts: she bit her tongue, deciding what to do.


    ¡°Before I met Kazuki and Archius, I was quite different.¡± Eliza started, leaning down towards the command table, ¡°You could say I was a bit too logical, and a bit insensitive¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­ female Kaz?¡± Zymuel joined in, fixing his head as he slapped Kiri across the arm.


    Eliza paused for a moment, raising a finger as she thought¡­ She placed a hand against her chin. He was right in that regard. She really was like him, though he does seem to have more secrets than her, secrets that seem to eat him from the inside¡­


    She hoped that he¡¯d have told her, to let her help carry the burden; she doubted she¡¯d be able to convince him.


    ¡°Yeah? I wanted to solve the P-1 Incident, but my dad wasn¡¯t too keen on it.¡± Eliza had no idea why her dad refused to help her even now. Maybe it was because she was a teenager? But even during university, his stance never changed. ¡°But when I met Kaz, I found someone with the same objective as me. Met Archius as well¡­ They were the first real friends I¡¯ve had in a while. For the first time since P-1, I felt alive, I felt like I had something to look forward to. Then¡­ all of this transpired - and I still, even now, can¡¯t think of what to say¡­ But, I¡¯m thankful, I think, I¡¯m not too sure about myself really.¡±


    ¡°Awh, that¡¯s nice to hear,¡± Kiri chimed in again, her brown fringe covering her grin and scars.


    Zymuel snickered, adding in through the robotic-head, ¡°Fucking hell, she really did give a whole dissertation.¡±


    ¡°Matt Tessie-Oria¡­¡± Sato trailed off, her eyes widening at a realisation, ¡°Kaz killed him for you.¡± Something clicked in her head.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Eliza stopped.


    She had no idea what she was about to say. Things happened behind the scenes that she never fully understood. All she could remember was seeing Matt¡¯s dead corpse - blood splattered against the fine carpet floor.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain. But I heard a gunshot ring out at the Dassant¡­ But¡­ just what am I here for?¡± Eliza asked, the months of stress accumulated collapsing in on itself.


    ¡°Liz?¡± Quinn chimed in, worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m just chasing ghosts, aren¡¯t I?¡± Eliza asked. Victoria¡¯s dead, and Eliza knows nothing can bring her back but why¡­ Why was she doing all of this? For justice? For her memory? What worth did any of that have¡­ The light that guided her seemed so foreign.


    Dread seeped in, remembering what her dad told her.


    But Quinn chimed in again, ¡°We all have our demons, Liz. P-1¡­ it¡¯s been nearly a decade. Didn¡¯t the case runcold with the Director¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not cold!¡± Eliza interjected, raising her voice, as she looked up at him with a worried face, ¡°They¡¯re still out there¡­ The mastermind may be dead, but there are others.¡±


    Quinn stayed quiet, thinking to himself for a moment. Then, his eyes slowly opened. Gears twitched inside his brain as did hers. He stayed silent, but something hit him like a brick wall.


    But Quinn relented, slowly stepping backwards. ¡°I was on Narisa back then, didn¡¯t learn of what happened till long after.¡± said Quinn, looking towards Eliza before glancing away.


    ¡°Same with me,¡± said Lilly, ¡°Well, I was in space. Both freezing. I don¡¯t know whether to feel lucky or not that my family was already dead¡­¡±


    Sato was somewhat silent, scratching her neck as she sighed. ¡°We¡¯re all being open here, then? Fine¡­ I became a handler because of P-1.¡± She deliberated for a moment as she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. ¡°So I guess we¡¯re kinda in the same boat, Liz?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces lit up with intrigue as they shot to look at Sato, especially Eliza¡¯s. Eliza knew nothing of Sato¡¯s past, and neither did anyone else it seems. Maybe Sato has a few clues, not anything substantial but anything will do, especially with their slow progress.


    ¡°Fuuck, all it takes is Liz to speak and you start talking?¡± Quinn yapped on, his voice filled with a sense of snarkiness, ¡°We should do this more often, get the Sarimba¡¯s top girl to loosen Kaz¡¯s lips once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Eliza snapped.


    ¡°Jeez, don¡¯t look at me like that¡­¡± grumbled Sato, taking the cigarette away from her mouth. She grinded the cigarette butt on an ashtray. She struggled for a moment, gulped, and then sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t do it¡­¡±


    ¡°Sato, it¡¯s fine! Just spill the damn rations,¡± said Lilly, somewhat frustrated, placing the camera down.


    ¡°Wow, hypocrite much?¡± Quinn muttered, attracting Lilly¡¯s ire.


    Sato sighed. ¡°I was still in the navy back then, on an emergency deployment to M¨¢wt¡­ Just a week ago, my fiance proposed to me.¡± She seemed to avoid everyone¡¯s eyes.


    Everyone seemed interested, but of course: everyone knew what happened. The set up was there, and Sato allowed Eliza and the rest to fill in the blanks; it must be painful, Eliza thought.


    Lilly whispered, ¡°Oh fuck¡­ sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been a decade,¡± said Sato, placing one hand into her shirt as she pulled out a small necklace. ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than a thought in the back of my head nowadays.¡±


    It had a small brooch attached to it, similar to that of Eliza¡¯s¡­ It glistened as she looked at it - it was nothing short of magnificent. Ornate patterns and shiny materials.


    ¡°I thought about chasing the perpetrators down, you know? Got into the private sector, started Krystalink. My trails went cold¡­ Eliza, I don¡¯t know much about your story, but¡­ just don¡¯t become me, alright?¡± She shrugged it off.


    A workaholic that only finds pleasure with work, but at the same time despises it. Eliza definitely saw some of that within herself, slowly boiling away at whatever rose out from her teenage years. Eliza slowly smiled, and then said, ¡°We¡¯re in the same boat, then. You want to avenge your to-be-husband, I want to avenge my twin¡­ But I don¡¯t know if I can.¡±


    Sato smiled, for a moment, but it faltered. She grumbled to herself, seeing something within Eliza that sparked her off. ¡°Please¡­ live for yourself. Tell Kazuki that as well, he always seems like he¡¯s after something far away, even when there¡¯s a thousand muzzles pointed at him¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Eliza.¡± Sato interrupted her, ¡°I¡¯ll be upfront about this, don¡¯t take offence, please. You¡¯re too reliant on Kazuki. Just¡­ why? You definitely have more book brains than him, and brains will get you far.¡±


    ¡°Not too far,¡± Quinn commented.


    The mood in the room was more sour than ever. It looked like Quinn had something to say, but he couldn¡¯t blurt it out. Sato had stopped her smoke break completely. Sato hid the necklace away as she was wrought with old memories. Eliza understood the pain of the past, and even though she wasn¡¯t able to fully walk away, letting go was nigh impossible for her. Silence encompassed the room as Quinn took out a pack of holo-cards, flicking through them before he did some tricks with them, looking towards Eliza and nodding.


    Eliza didn¡¯t know whether to accept the game. On one hand, she was too worried to play with him. Worrying will do nothing. Logically, playing with him was the best option here, but even though that was true: her heart sank at the thought of it. Because if Kazuki was alive¡­ she¡¯d be playing cards as he froze on the planet below¡­


    But before she could give a response, Lilly stood up, placing both hands on the table. ¡°Quinn, Y¡ª¡±


    ¡°KAZ¡¯S ALIVE!¡± a voice cried out. Sliding through the door, unleashing the hydraulics, Archius entered from the packed halls outside. He smiled at all of them, smirking almost as Claire followed him in, the former looking exhausted, as if she ran through the whole vessel and back.


    A spark of hope entered Eliza, firing and igniting the pyre as she shot out from her seat. Claire walked alongside Archius as he slammed a datapad onto the command deck.


    It sprouted up a massive¡­ cruiser? It was a space faring vessel? But how the fuck are they going to deal with a cruiser? But as she looked more closely, she realised that it protruded out from the ground, as if it was turned into a makeshift tower-citadel, rising up above the slums below. From her history classes, she could tell it was Imperial-made - similar to the Phoenix¡¯s Fury¡¯s.


    ¡°My eyes on the inside have shared some info. They have provided me with his location, he¡¯s being kept captive¡­ here.¡±


    Archius placed a finger at one point along the large structure, one small section in a very large place. The entire output sparked up, linked to the command deck, showing every intricate detail. It zoomed in, showing a makeshift prison-brig. Claire looked at Eliza, smiling. Kazuki¡¯s alive. Now all they have to do is get him back.

 X18: The Innerworkings of Frosted Guns

    ¡°It¡¯s an old cruiser from the war, probably has some nice weapons on it, and enough capacity to house thousands of men. Diving headfirst probably won¡¯t work,¡± said Archius, feeling somewhat smug at how easily he was able to get the information. Sure, he had to blackmail it, but that was just a part of the job¡­


    At this rate, Osmond will truly live to see Quinn, if he continues to collaborate. ¡°Sato, Lilly, any input you guys have?¡±


    Sato shrugged, twiddling that necklace of hers with one hand. She still have that? Interesting, Archius noted. Despite his intentions, he still harboured some ill will towards her¡­ After all, she was there. She could have searched a little harder, but she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Guns are probably rusted by now, plus you think a bunch of low-lifes know how to man a TX45 Rail Blaster?¡± Sato asked.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± said Archius, before snapping at her. ¡°But if they start shooting at us with those, I¡¯m putting it on you.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, I guess we¡¯ll be going on a deployment?¡± asked Zymuel, leaning against the bannister. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get on a fucking roll.¡±


    ¡°Outnumbered and outgunned? Absolutely not,¡± Lilly said, smacking the idea down.


    Claire said, ¡°I¡¯m surprised the tank-shell didn¡¯t take your arrogance with it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have you to thank for that!¡± Zymuel said in response.


    Sato simply nodded, too tired to deal with Archius¡¯ rambles. Her responses are getting more and more dull by the day, perhaps he should stop¡­ But Lilly slammed the table.


    ¡°We should get the Iron Will down into orbit and launch the rockets! Show those fuckers how it was back in the marines¡­¡± She was fired up for sure. But fiery minds was not what he needed.


    ¡°Wait! But Kaz is on board¡­¡± Eliza shouted, looking towards Lilly as an argument slowly brewed. Astute observation, Archius thought. No fucking shit he¡¯s on board.


    But¡­ she did make a fair point, and he didn¡¯t even need to say it himself. It was the song he wanted to hear. If he had shot Lilly down, she would have held something against him, subconsciously. And as predicted, Lilly relented, simply nodding.


    ¡°Good point,¡± lied Archius. ¡°Which is why I¡¯ll go down there personally, use a few connections here and there and free Kazuki, PERSONALLY.¡±


    ¡°Thank fuck¡­¡± said Sato.


    ¡°Thank fuck indeed, but that means you¡¯ll be directing shit by yourself.¡± Archius raised his voice, catching everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯ll break Kazuki out. The two of us will have a field day inside and you guys go full send it. This is the Gunrunner HQ, I¡¯ll greenlight the attack from the communication relay a few decks above where he¡¯s being held.¡±


    Quinn froze for a moment as he glanced towards the cruiser. Don¡¯t worry Quinn, Archius thought, he¡¯ll see his old friends¡­ soon enough. This was the perfect test to see if Quinn really was as loyal to the AGENCY - even after Petra and Riharia¡¯s deaths.


    ¡°Now then, any questions?¡± Archius asked coldly, dropping his facade. Not a single uttered word, amazing! They all understand the mission, well done, Archius congratulated himself.


    Eliza slowly raised her hand. Of fucking course it was her, annoying¡­ He gulped, then nodded at her. ¡°Not to second guess you, but this source of yours¡­ can we really trust them?¡±


    ¡°Exactly¡­¡± Sato rolled her eyes. ¡°You haven¡¯t been vocal about this pair of eyes of yours.¡±


    ¡°An inner core member of the smuggling ring, if anyone knows anything, it¡¯d be him. And their information hasn¡¯t failed me before, I doubt they¡¯ll change their colours, especially given their extraordinary circumstances¡­¡±


    Archius glanced at Quinn, checking his eyes. Though his face held nothing, he could see some agony behind those eyes. Archius started to wonder, was it best to kill Osmond or let him live? Osmond was a threat, yes, but Quinn might be able to get Osmond on their side. Someone with experience in gunrunning might come in handy in the future, though the task will require Quinn¡­ He may be emotionally unpredictable, given the circumstances. But with the right whispers, it may be done.


    But for now, Kazuki must be saved. Time is of the essence. The gunrunners¡¯ headquarters are in their crosshairs, and an attack from within and without can cripple them. One final strike can deal the killing blow. The mission will be accomplished.


    Once again, Archius was met with the feeling of emptiness¡­ He felt alone, even now as he¡¯s surrounded by supposed ¡®friends¡¯ and ¡®allies¡¯, he feels nothing. Glancing at them, he was reminded of his old life, merged with old memories. Jasmine, Kaz and him¡­ He projected them onto Sato, Lilly and Quinn. Nostalgia¡­ It feels weird, but those really were the days.


    He deliberated on it for a moment. But it passed, the cold munitions falling into the chamber. Let ¡®justice¡¯ be done; though the Eclipse falls¡­ It was all he had left. And he lied to himself, it was what he did best of all: lying and controlling.


    ¡°Lilly, Sato, you two will take command; Zymuel, you¡¯ll lead the reserve forces, Claire, you¡¯ll lead the strike team heading for the relay.¡± said Archius, ¡°And uh, the other units? I''ll let you guys decide that, military battles ain¡¯t my fort¨¦.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, reserves again?!¡± Zymuel complained.


    Archius rolled his eyes. ¡°You want me to send you in right after you had surgery? It hadn¡¯t even been a fucking week, relax¡­ I¡¯ll send you into the grinder next mission,¡± he said, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Yus!¡± Zym clenched his fist in the air, as if celebrating being thrown into the meatgrinder¡­ Actually, he was. Always the cheery one¡­ Archius thought.


    Archius exuded an air of authority, though more artificial than the aura created by Kazuki¡¯s mere presence. It¡¯ll hold the team together¡­ for now. It was an illusion, a lie.


    The best mercy any engineer of his skills can give to someone is lies, white lies for their own consumption. All that mattered now was the mission. Whatever Kazuki may set it to be.


    <h3 style="text-align: center">? ? ?


    It was quite obvious what must be done, at least to Archius it was. Kazuki was missing, captured. That much was known, and he didn''t know what state he was in. He gulped down his thought, snow blowing past him as he sat down on a makeshift balcony, overlooking the frozen streets below. He roughed up his green hair, pulling his hood down. There was work to be done, Archius noted, standing up and walking across the roof.


    Some distance away, the silhouette of a large battlecruiser loomed high, embedded into the ground - a derelict hulk; its scale was spectacular to Archius. The Phoenix Fury was larger, though; much larger in comparison. He washed away the thoughts with a swig of a water flask, pressing his legs forward towards the dead-hulk.


    Information is lacking, and he won''t have Sato for this one. In fact, he''s going in dark and blind; lest they find out a communication link between him and headquarters. The blizzard made it hard to see clearly, and he could barely hear the rabble of the streets below.


    Continuing across the roofs, a small ''checkpoint'' of sorts came into view on street level, guarding a walkway leading into the dead-hulk.


    A voice called to him, Eliza? ¡®Archius... I hear you¡¯re back down there, you¡¯re going to get Kaz back, right?¡¯ she asked, worryingly.


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    Archius nodded. ¡®Well, yeah? It¡¯d be a bit rude if we just left him to freeze, no one in the AGENCY wants another Trasian-fever episode.¡¯


    Eliza let off a small chuckle, but the worry seeped through. ¡®Just get him back, alright?¡¯


    ¡®Oh? So you were putting up a little fa?ade back there?¡¯ Archius inquired. ¡®Shame. Would have loved to have seen that!¡¯


    ¡®What are you insinuating?¡¯ Eliza murmured. ¡®Can¡¯t you just get on?¡¯


    Archius shrugged, keeping his body warm by moving around as much as possible. ¡®Well, I would, but it¡¯s been like a really long time since I¡¯ve just been able to have a normal conversation with people, you know? Not talking about work or talking to Kaz. You¡¯re apparently holding well to the rest of ¡®em.¡¯


    ¡®Holding well?¡¯ Eliza inquired. ¡®Rather ironic that you said that, then immediately talked about work.¡¯


    Yeah, work¡¯s been the main thing on Archius¡¯ mind for a long time. ¡®Hah, just wanting to know if you¡¯re getting along well, after all you¡¯re basically a kid compared to everyone else.¡¯ Archius kept up the loose and light-hearted voice.


    Eliza audibly nodded. ¡®Mhm! They¡¯re much kinder than I initially thought they¡¯d be,¡¯ she admitted. ¡®It was the same for you... right?¡¯


    Same? ¡®Hmm? You mean keep tumbling over hurdles until you got a pep-talk that finally got you to drink some of that wisdom juice? Hell no! Well... A little bit, but I was younger, m¡¯kay! Just get used to things, there¡¯s been nothing too big for the AGENCY to handle.¡¯


    ¡®What about the Loyalists?!¡¯ Eliza raised her voice. Ugh, what about the loyalists now? Archius peered down at the guards, patrolling the area up to and around their Headquarters. ¡®They¡¯re small amoeba in a large galaxy! Just keep practising, alright?¡¯


    She better keep practising. Her emotions got in the way of the mission last time. The P-2 Incident was only narrowly avoided thanks to her, though. But if Kaz wasn¡¯t distracted babysitting Eliza across the uplink, he¡¯d probably have a better chance against Svenn.


    Then again, who the fuck was he to decide Kazuki¡¯s chances of victory? They always seemed slim to begin with.


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s a bit hard to practise when I¡¯ve only got training and little real experience,¡¯ Eliza elaborated. Ugh... Excuses. She should just be training hard, then. Do all that leg work before so she can run in the races.


    Archius hummed to himself for a bit. ¡®Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find experience in no time, don¡¯t worry... You¡¯ll get the work done, you always do!¡¯


    That bit of motivation should fuel Eliza¡¯s ego for a bit. Eliza audibly nodded. Archius could easily imagine her grinning face across the uplink from meeting someone¡¯s expectations ¨C even if they were artificial at best.


    ¡®Still, you¡¯ve got a long way to go, the mission must always come first, you got that?¡¯


    ¡®Understood!¡¯


    She didn¡¯t understand that at all, of course she wouldn¡¯t. She¡¯s a damned civilian, in this mess of a mercenary world. Archius sighed to himself ¨C she¡¯ll need to learn quick.


    It was in Archius¡¯ best interests to make the AGENCY as efficient as possible, at least to the extent that Kazuki would be happy with. Eliza was a source of inefficiency, both to herself and Kazuki.


    Bluntly: she was the weakest link in the chain. ¡®Ill go get your man back, then,¡¯ Archius said.


    ¡®Oh¡ªWait a minute!¡¯ Eliza blurted out, before Archius cut the uplink connection off, chuckling to himself.


    Several gunrunners were standing guard, letting in shipments; most people walked by as if it were normal. Edging over the roof, he looked down, was there any other infiltration points?


    He couldn''t tell, but those shipments seemed to be something that would work. They''re a vector of infiltration, yes, and the guards didn''t seem to check the cargo crates. Or more likely they didn''t have the scanners for the job, and opening them up in the irradiated snow might contaminate the cargo... Or at least that''s what Archius thought they''d think, even though it was incorrect.


    "Alright..." Archius trailed off, slowly climbing down onto the street level. A few patrols of criminals passed by as he slid down into an alleyway, watching them march by.


    They''re probably the only thing close to law enforcement on this planet, actual law enforcement. They wore makeshift Imperial armour, thick at the front - but missing some critical parts.


    The missing parts were filled in with extra layers of fabric, scarves and cloaks to keep them warm. They looked more like a motley batch of survivors than professional criminals¡­ But the heavy imperial guns and armour ruined that truth.


    "Hey! I gotta take a leak!" shouted one of them, passing by the alley as he turned into it. Archius pressed himself against the wall, hiding within an indent.


    Another cried out, "Sure! But base is right here!"


    "Yeah, but the latrines smell like frozen shit!" replied the criminal, walking into the alley as he chuckled to himself. He was wearing the ''uniform'' of the criminals, though the only identifying marker was the armband and bulky chest armour.


    It was sturdy, inelegant - and strong. But where its strength lies in that durability, it left much to be said about the joints. The criminal turned towards the wall opposing Archius, fidgeting around his pants as Archius trudged through the snow forward.


    "Fucking hell..." said the criminal, "Still fucking cold..."


    They started to hum, and Archius let them do the deed. He''ll give them that; they let off a sigh of relief, zipping up their pants. But before they could turn around, Archius unleashed a precise slash. Blood splattered onto the wall, bursting out from their cut neck, the criminal made a gurgling noise, before Archius went for a second stab, into their head.


    He gently let the body rest on the ground. He didn''t fidget around as that one Loyalist... so that was a good thing. The thought, however, passed as he stripped them of their armour and arm-band. It was tedious, though, the Imperial marine armour being notorious for being hard to work with.


    Changing into new armour, he placed the armband on, dragging their body off to the side, dumping it into a dumpster. Emerging from the alley, he now fit the part of a gunrunner; approaching the checkpoint. The guards took one glance at him, before continuing their shift. Huh, that was easy, Archius thought as he walked past them all.


    Entering into the vessel''s large entrance, it became quite evident to him that the place had been retrofitted for their purposes. The cargo hold was a collage of shelves, faulty machinery and cargo boxes stacked into large piles, there was a mix of both heavily clothed smugglers and mercenaries, probably the ones led by Tifta. He''ll have to avoid those mercs, on the off chance that any of them would remember the face of a random handler in Clandestine from years ago.


    But that wasn''t what he was here for. He needed to get to Kazuki, but he couldn''t just stroll in and rescue him, that wouldn''t work. Archius knows he doesn¡¯t have Kaz¡¯s speed, durability, or strength: but he¡¯ll make up for it in cunning and scheming.


    "A disguise should work..." Archius muttered to himself, walking deeper into the vessel. Its walls were covered in ice, the frostbite biting into the interior after decades of being abandoned.


    The halls were sparsely populated, with everyone he passed wearing the thickest of armour and insulating clothes. Guns were being hauled around, with large holographic labels attached to each one, denoting conflict zones across the galaxy.


    Time may not be on his side, and Archius knew that. He''ll have to speed things up, even if it may lead to his cover being blown. Approaching an elevator, he stood behind two smugglers, one shorter, female, mid-thirties; and one taller than him, late twenties, male. All he has to do is act calm and eavesdrop; the capture of a member of the Seven must have caused some noise within the rank and file.


    With a distorted ding, the elevator doors came open. A cart full of weapons slid past Archius out into the halls, with similarly named war zones attached to it. The two smugglers entered, giving Archius a moment to enter as well. He moved to the side as he looked towards the two. First impressions were everything, and he''d prefer not to stab them both to death, at least for now.


    "Deck and floor?" asked Archius.


    The tall one spoke, "Deck four, floor two." They crossed their arms as Archius pressed D4, F2. He then pressed the floor above theirs, it''d be suspicious if he didn''t press anything.


    The elevator started moving, with Archius standing in front of them. Even inside here, the cold was ever-present. The doors slid shut, and the two started talking.


    "Those mercs are making me nervous..." said the short one, a dark brunette Vergoldeburgi, looking orderly despite the cold environment. Seems like some things die hard... "I thought Leon would have booted them out already."


    "Relax, relax, they''ll be gone once the prisoner''s dead, I think..." The tall one sighed an Engan man with pink hair and red eyes, nudged Archius in the back. "What do you think?


    "Pfft, the sooner they''re gone the better, I say." Archius had the chance to steer the conversation towards this ''prisoner''. "Faster we kill the fucker, the better things will get."


    "Agreed!" said the short one, "I asked Osmond and Leon if they''ll kill him and the boss just gave me the stare."


    The tall smuggler jabbed at the short one. "That was because you tried to give them advice, let''s not do that, alright? We should leave this to Leon''s interrogator."


    "Ugh..." trailed the short one, "You know, there used to be a time when we didn''t have to rely on interrogators..."


    "Yeah, yeah, ten years ago or whatever, well shit''s changed and I frankly don''t care." The tall one dismissed the short one''s point. "Just focus on what we do and we''ll get paid, we¡¯ll survive, we¡¯ll make it, alright? Got it? Good? Yeah¡­ that¡¯s what I thought.¡±


    ¡°Survive? Sounds about right, it¡¯s about all we have left now,¡± Archius commented. Poor people, he thought, but he held no Sympathies for them. They were just another enemy, another target. Sure, they have to do whatever it takes to survive, even if that is exporting guns to murderers, but they picked the wrong hound to holler at.


    "No shit, but still..."


    Archius needed more information on the interrogator. "She''s right, money ain''t everything, what''s the point of riches if you lose everything you stand for?" asked Archius. "But interrogators? Sounds like a clean word for torturers."


    "It is, ugh... stay away from them," said the short one. "They give me the fucking creeps."


    "Fair enough," said the tall one, as the elevator gave another ding, the doors sliding open to a mess hall, packed with people. The two moved past Archius, exiting out. "You want us to save you a seat?"


    "Ah, no." Archius shook his head, smiling for the gesture. "I''m feeling a bit tired, I''ll probably hit the hay."


    "Well, if you''re hungry, just pop down, I''ll save you a seat nonetheless," said the short one, winking at him.


    Archius winked back, feeling disgusted at the action but doing it no matter his feelings. The elevator doors slid closed, and his face dropped into a deathly silence. They seemed like good people, if one ignores the fact that they smuggle goods for survival, Archius thought. He had no empathy or Sympathies to spare, even if they were merely the victims of their parents¡¯ circumstances; too bad they¡¯d end up in body bags.


    Interrogators. He''ll have to find them. The highest chance is around the brig, somewhere far away from where people would normally go to. Looking through his ICAPAD, he saw the brig''s level, slapping a new destination on the elevator panel.

 X19: Dual Escapades

    Venturing through the vessel, Archius reached the prison brig. It was even more desolate than the rest of the vessel, with only a few people standing guard, giving nervous glances towards a room attached to the side of it.


    That was probably the place. He walked across the hall, glancing looks left and right into empty cells, some with people in it, others with corpses - he couldn''t tell the difference most of the time. The far end of the brig had steel-locked doors lining the wall, with small slits.


    If he was the gunrunners, he''d place Kazuki in one of them. Each of them had a designation engraved into the wall above the door, worn out by frost and time. Muttering to himself, he approached the side room. Opening it, he entered. There were no windows, so if anything gets messy, it''ll be the clean-sort-of-messy.


    It was a break room, with a single person sleeping on a chair in the middle of a bunch of control panels. The room was lined with consoles and machines, most were turned off or looked broken. But the walls? They were lined with tools, weapons, though to call them weapons would imply that they were made to kill. He noted all of them, recognising each and every one of them.


    "Ugh..." He didnt have the perfect memory of Kazuki, but he could denote the purpose of each torture device present. He raised his face upon seeing a Cantihan Skin Bleacher, quite an exquisite range of tools! How interesting, he thought.


    But he should get some information from the sleeping person, a man wearing goggles, with a short blonde beard, it looked rather messy. "Hey," said Archius. The man woke up, abruptly as he shot Archius a glare.


    He placed both his hands up, leaning against the side-consoles. "Shouldn''t really be sleeping on the job, should you?" asked Archius. He could kill him at any moment, but he should at least harvest enough information to get the ball going.


    "What the fuck do you think you''re doing here?" asked the man, standing up. They had a great coat and a patched up imperial navy tunic beneath that, thick with the smell of blood. The tunic had the Sigil of one of the lost Imperial fleets destroyed in the Imperial¡¯s rout from Anagora¡¯s orbit, seems like whoever it belonged to was long dead.


    This must be one of those interrogators.


    "What? Am I not allowed to check up on people?" asked Archius. "Come on, this planet''s a frozen-cathing wasteland already, it''d be rude to not be nice to others."


    Archius mimicked the accent of someone from Narisa, rough and rugged, but with a sense of youth in it - since all the old fucks had died in the war. He even added in a local swear, should seal the deal that he¡¯s one of them.


    The interrogator backed down, slowly. He nodded, calmly. "I see, well, thanks for waking me up. I... uh, I''ll need to bet back to work, sooner or later."


    Archius nodded. From what he''s heard the interrogators aren''t exactly liked, and this might be a chance to harvest things from him. "Just telling you, some of the guys in the mess were smack-talking you."


    "Oh? You''d expect that with this job," said the interrogator. "We do the hard work where no one else wants to, just the way things are."


    "Guess I''m here to appreciate your hard work, then?" Archius mused, shrugging as the man slowly turned away, glancing at his set of tools and devices.


    He shook his head. "No need, we do our part, like how you in the distribution net do." Oh? So Leon isn''t stupid enough to make this all messy? Perhaps he''ll get something even more tasty biting his mind.


    "But we in the distribution can only do our jobs because the other people do theirs. No point distributing merchandise if we''re under fire from a thousand fucking guns from orbit." said Archius.


    The interrogator clicked his fingers a few times, before pointing straight forward, glancing towards Archius. "Fuck, you just reminded me... The next client''s the Contract-Breaker..." He shivered at the mention of the name.


    Archius faked a shiver, widening his eyes at the name. "Wait... it''s true? We got the bastard? That short, stupid, idiotic bastard?"


    "Yeah," said the interrogator, nodding with fervour. "I hope that things will be... smooth. We got him locked up in C2, maybe if you''re lucky Leon will bring you in."


    Archius chuckled before placing his hands out again. "Woah! I''m suicidal, but not that suicidal."


    "Pfft, you think we just have him set loose in there? He''s binded down, don''t worry. We''ll have some of those... mercenaries with us as well." The interrogator slowed down his train of thought, at least that''s what Archius thinks happened. "Guh... mercs."


    "Gotta do what''s gotta be done, right?" asked Archius, showing that he''s been taking in what the interrogator''s said.


    He smiled through his blonde beard, nodding as he turned towards the tools, pointing fingers at various ones as he thought. "You got me there!"


    He chuckled, as Archius walked behind him. The guy seemed to be in high spirits, but he''s served his purpose. Archius dropped the facade, and before the interrogator could choose what to use, Archius slid his hand into his pocket.


    Pulling out his revolver, he sighed silently. The interrogator was still thinking about his tools. Archius placed his hand in his other pocket, grabbing a small silencer out, before screwing it onto the muzzle of the revolver.


    ¡°Anyways, what¡¯s your name?¡± asked Archius, slowly loosening his tongue and voice.


    ¡°Aethon, yours?¡± the interrogator answered. What a shame, Archius thought.


    He cracked the receiver.


    "Huh?" Aethon made a noise, before making a move to turn around. Archius aimed, and fired. A thump noise slipped through the room, into their head and out the other side. And Aethon dropped dead, leaving only Archius.


    ? ? ?


    Thoughts ago formed up in readily neat lines, ready for execution.


    In less than a second, Kazuki¡¯s mind threw itself into action. ANCHOR. Nothing fired. Out of power?! Fried. Fried?! Shit. His analysis came in quick as he crashed downwards, the shuttle disappearing into the storm.


    He felt his exospine burnt out with energy as his fall seemingly slowed, before his corpse collapsed. His brain was filled with an overflow of uplink information, then static shatter. And then nothing.


    Red covered his eyes. His exospine screamed out in pain. It felt like a dreadnought just rammed into his back, and his uplink fell silent. He raised one hand, covered with splitting lacerations and cuts through his glove.


    He peeled his blood covered helm-mask off. The hydraulics easily shut off. Kazuki pushed himself upwards and placed it against his belt.


    His aug-glasses were still cracked, yet showed a dozen lights across the debris field¡­ What does he do now?


    Instinctively, he went to touch his uplink, but only sparks flew out from it. Piece of shit Clandestine gear¡­ He slowly pushed himself upwards, against a piece of debris hidden within the blizzard. Silhouettes were visible through the smog.


    Inaudible chatter sharpened his senses. He slowly reached for his weapons¡­ His carbine was in pieces. He reached for his backup holster, pulling out a plasma pistol. It¡¯ll have to do for now. He pulled the receiver forward, priming in a new gas-cartridge.


    He tugged at his scarf, tightening it around his exospine¡¯s nape area. The place was crawling with mercs. He reclocked his cybernetics, feeling his heart pump fresh blood. Adrenaline bled into him; he¡¯ll have to disappear¡­ but to where?! That¡¯s a problem for ten minutes later Kazuki, not Kazuki in this predicament.


    The figures in the smoke were all searching around, patrolling the debris around him. He raised his pistol, waiting for the right moment¡­ As three mercs got together, talking, he pulled the trigger. The other two panicked, but they were spliced open too. And three bodies hit the ground.


    ¡°Contract-Breaker! He¡¯s here!¡± a voice cried out from across the broken shipyard. Kazuki clambered away behind cover, amidst a confused screen of projectiles.


    Through the agony in his mind, he was able to dive through a hailstorm of bullets. He continued to move, weaving beneath bullets and bolts. They never learn fast enough, Kazuki thought, watching as they tried to converge on his location.


    He¡¯s behind enemy lines, with low munitions to start off with. He checked his pistol, he¡¯s getting low on gas bolts. An explosion rocked the ground beside him. GRENADES. He ignited his shield, thrown back from the explosion. He quickly staggered up, ducking behind a broken hauler. And through the snowstorm, he ignited a smoke bomb, sending the entire field into a shroud of ash.


    Clambering onto the shuttle, he pressed himself against the side of the doorway, injecting himself manually with more stims. What the fuck should he do?! But he couldn¡¯t spare a single thought as a flashlight shot past him, a pair of footsteps crunching up the ramp. Kazuki hugged the wall, slowly extending his muzzle out as the merc pierced forward, scanning right, then left.


    The moment the merc glanced at Kazuki¡¯s golden eyes, their brains were splattered against the wall. Kazuki rushed forward, grabbing their rifle. More footsteps trudged through the snow covered debris field towards him. Passing the doorway, he fired down into two more mercs, splitting them open as he took cover on the other side. The snowstorm had covered the dead and debris up already, with the smoke dissipating.


    Bolts flew by to suppress him as they advanced. He kicked himself out of cover, charging forward.


    Bolts met his shield as Kazuki overcharged his pistol. The mercs themselves flicked their shields on. But it was too slow. Plasma bolts splattered their joints and neck before they could hide behind their shields.


    A bolt of scorching plasma crashed into Kazuki¡¯s leg, as shuttles started to fly by overhead, shining searchlights down at him.


    Half-blinded by them, he fought onwards, ducking and using everything to his advantage as he sent munitions into the heads of everything set before him.


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    But they were pushing him back slowly, the sheer volume of bolts forced him to play defensively.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Kazuki uttered to himself. This is unsustainable, he¡¯ll have to exfiltrate somehow.


    Igniting another grenade, a vacuum bomb sent limbs into red mist across the debris field. The mist disappeared into the storm, with Kazuki chucking all he had. He expected them to be on his heels.


    But glancing behind him, they weren¡¯t approaching. Instead, they retreated, fleeing backwards against Kazuki¡¯s radiating wrath. And as he looked upwards, he heard the song of the string missiles.


    Whistling through the sky, the small skybird strings avoided Kazuki, instead hitting the ground and debris all around him - sending secondary fireballs up into the air.


    Kazuki activated his shield, overloading it as he withstood the blast, flung backwards into a protruding pile of rubble. A piece of metal stabbed through his shoulder blade¡­ FUCK, it was painful. He couldn¡¯t give it any other descriptor, as pressing down and inhaling painkillers through an inhaler. It was enough to get high, but he endured. Slowly, he pried the metal blade out.


    More blood poured down his face. His aug-glasses had completely broken, no longer giving him any threat detections. Fuck¡­ He has to run. But they were moving in - fast. Flames were around him.


    Shuttles closed in, several of them.


    A league of mercenaries rushed in through the snow and blizzard, blasting away at Kazuki. With his shield flickering off, Kazuki powered through the plasma and bullets using his armour.


    Kazuki threw himself up. He had to keep moving! Move. Move. Move! Igniting his exospine¡¯s gears, an explosion engulfed his nape. Searing pain gave way to a smooth clarity. Cunning. Calculating. Kazuki crushed forward, mere seconds passing in his minds to mere moments for these Contractors.


    The Contractors stood no chance, as Kazuki¡¯s body and mind filtered fast around them. The stimulants had sped time up for him.


    It bought him time with blood.


    With that time, he fired fusillades into the back of each Contractor placed against him. His movements felt swift and sluggish ¨C a sifting mix of searing agony and speed.


    Still, he kept up, continuously killing batches of Contractors before they could react, until the stimulants finally wore off. Kazuki fell to one knee, just as all the bodies hit the floor...


    The snow and blizzard were painted red for a moment, before the frost took over once more.


    ¡°Move it. He¡¯s mine¡­¡± said Tifta, approaching through the storm. ¡°It ain¡¯t personal, Kazuki! You know that!¡± He wore armour similar to Kazuki¡¯s, though it had signs of wear and tear, like the rest of his men.


    ¡°Still¡­ I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Kazuki shouted, staggering upwards as the mercs surrounded him, taking point. He can¡¯t fight Tifta, he can¡¯t. He¡¯s too worn down and injured.


    He couldn¡¯t give up now. The gunrunners were still active. They knew something that the loyalists also had known¡­ There was the Mischief Board as well¡­ something is going on. He can¡¯t die, not now. He cannot die. Who else will carry the burden if he did?


    He repeated it to himself, staggering up as wounds covered him. Lacerations, cuts, bruises and gun holes. Everything was present.


    Tifta looked at him, taking his helmet. He glared at Kazuki, his ginger hair blowing through the blizzard.. ¡°Maybe I''ll go for your spot on the seven.¡±


    Fuck¡­ Kazuki grabbed hold of his pistol, spitting out another batch of blood with steam. Shit¡­ where was anyone? Did they¡­ abandon him? Probably¡­ If they stayed, they would have been chewed up.


    ¡°Absolutely not¡­ There¡¯s more to the seven than just killing one of us.¡±


    He was far from a combat ready state. The fall had dealt much to his weariness, and he couldn¡¯t hold himself for long. But that didn¡¯t include all the other injuries he¡¯s sustained. His movements were sluggish, fast compared to them - but sluggish to him. The reinforcements to his nape were wearing away. The modified power port bled with steam.


    Tifta stood firm, slowly reloading his pistol. And as Tifta aimed, Kazuki activated his own shield, deflecting the bolt as he charged forward, unleashing a storm of plasma from his WRIST-SHOT.


    ¡°AGH!¡±


    The scatter of projectiles skimmed Tifta as he shook backwards, firing frantically at Kazuki. But as he neared ever so closer, he drew his Vesarian reinforced half-blade from his leg-sheathe, aiming to plunge it directly into Tifta¡¯s arm. Tifta ruptured forward his own projected shield.


    Yet as Kaz pushed the blade forward, steam exploded from his spine and mouth. Shit, he¡¯s out of time! He could Overclock his exospine. He only half-assed it with Svenn, but this time he¡¯ll need to flick it to full power. It¡¯ll kill him, probably, but he¡¯ll win this fight.


    Should he? Kazuki debated within himself. No¡­


    And in the split second of his lull, Tifta regained his confidence and footing. Grabbing a lock-nade, he primed it as he pushed himself towards Kazuki. Kazuki bounced the nade off his shield as he embedded the blade into Tifta¡¯s shoulder, aiming to cut him up, a quick death.


    But Tifta gritted through the pain. Drawing his hand upwards, he battered a second nade against the shield. Kazuki tried pulling himself away from the counter. His head swayed backwards, and in a moment of weakness: it connected. Frozen in stasis, Kazuki was left motionless - as Tifta socked Kazuki in the head.


    ¡°Sorry about this¡­¡± Tifta trailed off, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I ain¡¯t killing you. That¡¯s for Tacisano.¡±


    ? ? ?


    Cold blood dripped down his face, the freezing air stung his flesh as he gasped for air. And as he opened his eyes, he was met with the glares of half a dozen people, blurred. What¡­ happened? He had no idea. He felt a drop of blood rush down his temple, covering his eyes


    Head trauma? Kazuki tried to give himself a self diagnosis, but his mind refused, exhausted. He¡¯ll pump it full of drugs later to wake it up. The aug-glasses that gave him combat-readings were broken, their lenses cracked and damaged as information flicked on and off. He was freezing¡­ He let off ragged breaths as he felt his cybernetics splutter with energy. Where was he? He tried moving his hands, nothing. He tugged once again, they were tied. His legs were also tied. His uplinked nerves were dead. No communication possible.


    He spat out blood, along with a score of scalding steam. A cold voice echoed through the small chamber. ¡°Did you take his exospine off?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s merged onto him, but his power core¡¯s out. Trust me, he won¡¯t bite like this!¡± The voice was familiar, Kazuki knew who it was¡­ His mind refused to work, he tried pushing it into overdrive. He tried to move his hands¡­ they were shaking, ever so slightly.


    Kazuki¡¯s head swayed down and up, he was delirious, his exospine was out of power, no cartridge charge. He could feel his mechanical organs slowly fail. Then, a hand wiped the blood from his eyes, as he laid eyes on the leaders of the smugglers. Leon Toran-Antigonid; Osmond Kellyr-Unith with a small detail of criminals and mercenaries.


    His armour was gone, leaving only his winter clothes. Something stung across his entire torso. What the fuck¡­ happened? What was going on? He could barely think as a figure approached him, kneeling down. They placed a hand on his cheek¡­ Tifta, his ginger hair tied up like always.


    ¡°Thank Iris you¡¯re alive¡­¡± Tifta muttered to him, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°Welcome to the world of the living, the living aren¡¯t done with you yet, like that political rescue op¡­¡±


    ¡°Tacisano.¡± Kazuki bit off one word. His gums were numb, but he continued, ¡°Claire and I dragged you from a crashed shuttle. Thirty seven bolt wounds. Seven slashes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, so you do remember.¡± remarked Tifta, his face covered with stitches as he took one glance up at his employers.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Tifta shook his head. ¡°Money¡¯s money, gotta do what I gotta do, sorry.¡±


    His dead eyes turned into a golden blaze as he glared at all of them. The guards raised their muzzles in response. After everything, this is what he gets? But he didn¡¯t blame Tifta. Work is work; and money is money.


    That is a universal constant.


    ¡°Contract-Breaker¡­ your freemuzzles are nowhere to be seen¡­¡± started Leon, approaching and pushing Tifta aside, ¡°You¡¯re not as scary as the reels said. In fact, you¡¯re shorter than I expected¡­ Are all of the seven mercs like this? All talk, no guns? I expected something akin to the seven criminals¡­ and yet, here you are¡­¡±


    There were a dozen or so people in the room. The Contractors had lighter armour, but better guns; the gunrunners had thicker armour - but were less skilled. Either way, easy prey. They all die the same. The gunrunners¡¯ thick layered clothes are of no protection to them.


    ¡°You¡¯re all small players. Not worth our time,¡± stated Kazuki. ¡°Spare me the time and kill yourselves. All of you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Leon asked, ¡°Really? Then why come personally? Huh¡­ what is it that I have done! To have made you so predictable.¡± Leon leant in, punching Kazuki in the liver with his right hand. ¡°And don¡¯t you dare ever lecture me... You high nobles with your high tables and dishes...¡±


    His lungs felt like they had needles prodded into them. Kazuki spat blood onto Leon¡¯s face, hiding the pain. He desperately needed painkillers. It was the biggest act of defiance he could hold right now. Despite being a member of the Seven, he could do nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your arm off for that,¡± Kazuki promised, glaring at Leon. In return, he started chuckling.


    Raising his shot axe, he slammed the blunt side into Kazuki¡¯s face. He felt blood drip as his aug-glasses shattered. Tifta tried to dissuade Leon, but he was put in his place with a simple threat.


    ¡°Be thankful¡­¡± said Leon, in a cruel voice, slicing his axe down and pumping in a round into its firing chamber. ¡°Now then¡­ let¡¯s talk.¡±


    Kazuki slowly looked up at Leon, his face battered but not broken. Leon¡¯s blood red-hair and black eyes stared directly at Kazuki. He spat blood at Leon¡¯s boots, heaving for air.


    ¡°Hmm, loosen his tongue.¡±


    Leon looked at one of the crims in the room. He nodded, approaching Kazuki and walking around the chair, before grabbing a knife. Kazuki knew what would happen. The knife slid into his flesh, but he gave Leon no satisfaction.


    Kazuki could tell the knife deliberately missed any arteries, probably wanting to prolong his suffering. He¡¯ll have to hold out¡­ Archius? Sato? Eliza? He can rely on them, Kazuki assured himself. He placed his trust in them, his trust that they¡¯ll be coming¡­ Any time soon.


    Kazuki turned to the torturer. Something felt off about them¡­ They looked soulless, almost as much as him. But even so, they had a menacing glare behind their goggles. They had a short, blonde beard. His guts told him they were just a head or so taller, no idea why he knew that, Kaz thought.


    ¡°Not very responsive¡­¡± Leon sounded disappointed, turning to Osmond, ¡°You have any questions? Osmond?¡±


    Osmond quickly shook his head, as if avoiding the spotlight. Leon simply gave a cold nod to his second in command, turning back to Kazuki. ¡°I see¡­ Well, welcome to the Rock. In fact, I think this vessel used to be one of your father¡¯s! Very fitting for that posh cath¡¯s son to be here.¡±


    Leon laughed coldly. Kicking Kazuki in the shin... Ouch. He would not dignify Leon with a response.


    Leon was insane, anyone could see that. The stink of blood radiating off him was only even more damning evidence. Insane people¡­ should be easy to kill, they¡¯re typically not the type to think through all possibilities. If anything, Leon seems impulsive.


    ¡°You¡¯re all the same. Power. Money. Family. Doesn¡¯t matter what drives you. You all end up dead,¡± remarked Kazuki, biting each breath and word off. He glared. ¡°I¡¯ve killed far worse people than you. And far better.¡±


    Leon¡¯s laugh died, slinking down to Kazuki¡¯s level. He placed one finger on Kazuki¡¯s cheek, before punching him in the guts. Kazuki shook slightly from the punch, but felt nothing from it¡­ nevermind¡­ the pain was real. Nonetheless, he endured.


    This is basic compared to what his training at Eden was¡­


    ¡°When you look around you¡­ what do you see?¡± asked Leon. Osmond looked away as Kazuki glared at him. Tifta simply stood to the side, watching. ¡°Come on. Answer it already.¡±


    ¡°A frozen fucking wasteland,¡± stated Kazuki, assuming the title of the soulless, heartless Contract-Breaker.


    Leon shook his head slowly, disappointed and angry at the response. He grabbed Kazuki¡¯s fringe, pulling it up to reveal his golden eyes. ¡°No. It¡¯s home. You rich-asses and your landed gentry have forgotten about us¡­ You all left this planet to freeze over. EVEN THOUGH MY PARENTS AND THEIRS BEFORE THEM HELD BACK THE FUCKING TIDE. WE BOUGHT JUSTICE WITH OUR LIVES!¡±


    Leon¡¯s anger burst through as Osmond pressed himself against the wall. The torturer, however, stayed motionless, giving off an uneasy aura that Kazuki picked up. But it was overpowered by Leon¡¯s rage as everyone in the room took a step back.


    Despite wanting to give back a snide comment, Kaz couldn¡¯t. He wouldn¡¯t argue against facts. It was an objective statement: The Republic abandoned these people. They were forced to fend for themselves. Legal ways, yes. Illegal methods: also yes.


    ¡°We held back the Imp! Held them till they bombed us into prehistory! You left the fragments of this planet for me¡ªme! To pick up,¡± ranted Leon, placing a finger against Kazuki¡¯s chest, pointing at him. ¡°I have been the only one using everything I can to fix this damn planet! And you just¡­ walk in here¡­ and BLOW IT ALL UP? NO ONE, no one, but me! Not the government, not the fucking Board - even if we¡¯re their biggest suppliers - NO ONE CARES.¡±


    Kazuki stayed motionless, unphased by his ranting. At least on his face. An injustice has been done, ironic that the ¡®Arbiter¡¯ has been sent to kill them all... What a mess and a joke.


    ¡°Justice? You bought justice?¡± Kazuki coughed, mimicking a laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you all justice. I¡¯ll kill you all. That¡¯s enough for me.¡±


    There was nothing to be done with this planet, even Kazuki knew that. Political will for post-war recovery was limited to places that gave valuable exports. Narisa had none.


    Nothing he could do can change that... And the gears of death and injustice turn ever more.


    Leon wasn¡¯t amused. But in a paranoid rage, he turned towards Tifta. Tifta uncrossed his arms, glancing at Leon.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Tifta.


    ¡°And you¡­ you destroyed a part of that hope,¡± said Leon. His eyes grew ever dimmer.


    Tifta chuckled, ¡°What?! I¡¯ve been contracted to take care of the AGENCY, no¡ª¡±


    But as Tifta tried to explain himself, Leon smashed his skull in. The shot-axe activated its function, firing a shell of plasma directly into Tifta as it made contact. The mercenaries in the room all drew as a fight erupted, but were all cut down by the criminals, left for dead. Kazuki hid his surprise, glancing at Tifta. His body fell downwards, left bleeding out¡­


    Leon turned to Osmond. ¡°Kill them all.¡±


    ¡°Sir¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Osmond objected to the order, scratching his head and worrying. But Leon fell silent, glaring at his second. Kazuki watched as Osmond¡¯s eyes slowly gripped between Leon, and the torturer behind him. And as glares were exchanged, Osmond faltered.


    ¡°Nevermind! It will be done.¡± Osmond nodded, scared. And as Leon turned to Kazuki, Osmond left the cell, accompanied by the criminal guards, leaving only Leon, the corpses, the torturer, a dying Tifta and of course: the Contract-Breaker.


    ¡°Your friends are never finding us, Contact-Breaker. This frozen wasteland will be your grave.¡± Leon turned to the torturer. ¡°Loosen him up for us, will you?¡± ordered Leon.


    The torturer nodded. Satisfied, Leon left the room¡­ Kazuki slowly turned to the torturer, then down at Tifta and his mercs. Tifta was dead, bled out. Half his face was missing. Shots rang out across the cruiser for a hot minute¡­ before falling short. Kazuki wondered what would happen as the torturer retracted the knife out, a spurt of blood ejecting outwards.

 X20: Tying an unleashed Phoenix

    ¡°So then, let¡¯s get down to the nitty gritty, shall we?¡± asked Archius, looking down at Kazuki as the two exchanged glances.


    How the fuck has he not noticed? Archius slowly patted Kazuki¡¯s shoulders. The holographic face scrambler was still active, he was lucky to be nearly as tall as the interrogator. Archius let off a small smirk, seen through the scrambler as the torturer¡¯s scowl.


    He lowered himself towards Kazuki, slowly going towards his binds. But the exact moment that Archius got even a bit too close, Kazuki grabbed his right leg from behind. And he started to crush down on his femur.


    ¡°HEY¡­¡± Archius trailed off. He wasn¡¯t letting go. Archius let off a muffled groan, smacking Kazuki¡¯s hand as he whispered, ¡°You dumb fuck, even after the Relcani op you still can¡¯t see past holos!¡±


    ¡°Archius?¡± asked Kazuki, still holding onto his leg. ¡°Shit¡­ you should have told me. I was going to break your femur.¡±


    ¡°Jiri!¡± Archius groaned, swearing in his native tongue, before kicking himself away from Kazuki the moment he released his grip. ¡°Fucking idiot, you really thought I¡¯d let them torture you!?¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯d do that yourself,¡± Kazuki sarcastically sneered.


    Archius continued, ¡°Look, we don¡¯t have a lot of time. Let¡¯s get you the fuck out of here.¡±


    Kazuki slowly nodded as Archius cut the binds, ripping the face-scrambler off as the holographic projection faded, revealing Archius¡¯ face, cold and dark. The one-use scrambler shorted, electrical wires blowing up as it fell onto the ground.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time that Archius has saved Kazuki¡¯s life like this, and he was sure it won¡¯t be the last. Kazuki nodded, standing up as he grabbed hold of the wall, looking down at a now dead Tifta. Kazuki coughed up more blood, staggering to the side.


    ¡°Power.¡±


    Archius knelt down to Tifta, or whatever their name was, and grabbed their pistol from them, along with the magazines. He shoved the pistol into Kazuki¡¯s chest whilst throwing a spare power charge at him, courtesy of Eliza¡¯s collection.


    ¡°Liz¡¯s been storing a fuck-load of charges, safeguards or failsafes or whatever she said, seems like they¡¯re useful!¡± Chuckled Archius.


    Kazuki caught it, slamming the charge into his exospine. It was good that Liz made backups, Archius noted. But Kazuki slowly knelt down, towards Tifta¡¯s dead body. Archius paused for a moment. Kazuki shook his head for a moment, before standing up once again.


    ¡°We¡¯re even.¡± said Kazuki, closing Tifta¡¯s eyes with a shaking hand. It was the only thing he could do, Archius thought.


    He was uneased. But as Kazuki coughed up more blood, he steeled himself for what was to come. Archius picked up another pistol. ¡°Communications are tight around these parts. I can¡¯t get a signal out from here, we¡¯ll have to reach the comms centre, five floors above us.¡±


    Protruding his ICAPAD, he showed a massive spire, in the shape of a retrofitted cruiser. It marked their location, and that of the communication centre. Kazuki pointed at it. ¡°Route?¡±


    ¡°Elevators, we¡¯ll try and stealth our way through most of it.¡± said Archius, ¡°My man on the inside has done some work for us, it should be easy.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this isn¡¯t a trap?¡± asked Kazuki, sliding the pistol into a holster as he tugged at his collar. ¡°And this is an Imperial Sago-Class¡­ My father didn¡¯t use them. Leon¡¯s wrong¡­¡± He seemed almost disappointed, giving an absentminded look.


    ¡°My eye¡¯s desperate; doesn¡¯t want to die. One wrong word from the relay and Leon kills him. Sureeee, he needs a little motivation, but everyone¡¯s willing to work at a price.¡± said Archius, smirking, as he slapped on his contractor-personality. His voice changed from an uncaring cold to a serious-cold tone. ¡°Anyways, are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, the massive stab wound you gave me is purely aesthetic choices on the part of the make-up department,¡± Kazuki spat out, jabbing at Archius with a gut-wrenching punch. ¡°But no¡­ my wounds clot easily. Most of my height¡¯s gone into regeneration, so there¡¯s that.¡±


    Archius paused, grasping his stomach for a moment. Even with the armour and padded clothes, it hurt. He paused and raised a finger. He coughed, looking towards the ground, before walking towards the door, ignoring his statement. Kazuki stacked up opposite him.


    ¡°Sorry. That was uncalled for.¡± commented Kazuki. Archius nodded, not really caring. ¡°So, what¡¯s the cover?¡±


    ¡°Prisoner transfer, if it works on Clandestine, it¡¯ll work on them.¡±


    Kazuki visibly mulled it over, then nodded. He placed his hands together as Archius slabbed on the same scrambler he used on his face onto Kaz¡¯s arms, a thousand polygons created the shapes and illusions of binds - restricting the Contract-Breaker, at least theoretically.


    ¡°Your face?¡± asked Kazuki, turning to Archius as he slowly stepped behind Kazuki, preparing to leave.


    ¡°My face? I¡¯m nobody.¡± said Archius, ¡°Plus, you willing to bet they knew some teen actor years ago? These people, on this planet?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be expecting the interrogator, or torturer,¡± stated Kazuki.


    Archius paused, that is true, he thought. But the interrogators were disliked at best by the rest of the gunrunners. ¡°The interrogators were hated,¡± Archius said. ¡°Would you remember the face of some irrelevant person?¡±


    Kazuki stared at him. His eyes were a dull hue of gold.


    ¡°WAIT¡­ NO. THINK OF IT METAPHORICALLY!¡± Archius spat out. ¡°Look, simple as: they¡¯ll probably think I was one of the other smugglers, not the interrogator. Plus, I can always lie out of it.¡±


    Kazuki paused for a moment, then shook his head, not in the mood for many words. Archius sighed, wondering what Kazuki thought. As much as he was an enigma to him, the same could be said vice versa.


    Because despite their closeness, the years the two have fought alongside each other, he rarely opens up. Probably because the two are complete opposites¡­ He pried the door open, peering into the brig, only two guards were present - both were sleeping on stools or chairs.


    Walking out, he led Kazuki down the prisoner brig. The air was harsh and frozen, with each breath steeled into frost. Even here, in the heart of the Gunrunner¡¯s citadel, the frozen shit-hole was still felt. The empty cells had splats of blood in them, whilst some body bags littered the hall, filled with people.


    Kazuki slowly spat out more blood. But Archius had to maintain the persona, pushing Kazuki forward as he began to violently cough up. Archius panicked for a moment, before Kazuki stopped, heaving for air¡­ He¡¯ll need to get Claire to check him up later. But for now, they¡¯ll need to get out, and fucking fast.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll heal,¡± whispered Kazuki.


    With everything going on, if a word gets to Leon, the gig¡¯s up. The steel framed walls of the prison block had condensation and frost all over it. And as they reached the elevator, Archius pressed down on the call button.


    And as the two remained silent - the elevator doors opened¡­ revealing Osmond.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Osmond froze in place. Achius remained calm, simply pushing Kazuki into the elevator and stepping in himself. Kazuki was on edge, obviously, and his hands were positioned so he could draw his hidden pistol. Of course, Osmond wasn¡¯t stupid.


    ¡°Communication level,¡± said Archius. Osmond frantically nodded, shifting in front of them as he pressed the desired floor. Good dog, Archius thought. ¡°It seems you¡¯re upholding your end.¡±


    The elevator doors slid close as the lights flickered on and off, the cruiser¡¯s barely online it seems. Ascending, Osmond softly spoke, ¡°Just¡­ keep your end of the bargain¡­¡±


    Osmond¡¯s desperation helped wonders. Anyone with strong integrity would have been harder to blackmail, but Archius guessed that working alongside Leon for so long would wear away at one¡¯s confidence. Perhaps he should feel bad for Osmond, but any empathy left in him after the fiasco vanished. He merely placed a hand on Osmond¡¯s shoulder patting him.


    ¡°Fret not, Contractors always keep their contracts, isn¡¯t that right, Kazuki?¡± Archius fooled around, chuckling to himself. He wants to ensure that Osmond knows he can¡¯t get help, it just so happens that Kazuki is perfect for this. The mere presence of a member of the Seven Mercs was intimidating enough, but the Contract-Breaker? This was fantastic, Archius thought.


    ¡°We uphold our end if you uphold your end,¡± stated Kazuki, his voice unflinchingly filled with apathy. Even after the torture, he remained calm. If Archius was in his position, he¡¯d have to fight the urge to split heads open. But Kazuki? It seems that he¡¯s over it.


    But surprisingly, Osmond twisted his head around, gritting his teeth. A level of confidence grew inside him, or perhaps it was fear; or more likely disgust¡­ ¡°Contract-Breaker¡­ who¡¯s to say that you won¡¯t kill me?¡± asked Osmond.


    Kazuki¡¯s golden stare penetrated Osmond¡¯s eyes. Despite being taller than him, He casted a much larger shadow against Osmond. ¡°I can kill you now if you prefer. Just stay in line and do your job, listen to orders. It¡¯s how jobs operate in places with functioning plumbing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± joked Archius.


    However, Osmond didn¡¯t take the joke too well. His eyes were filled with excess fear. He turned forward, simply staying put as one of the deadliest men in the galaxy had his hands right behind him, ready to do who-knows-what on him if he dithered in his agreement, probably just a snap to the neck, but that¡¯s not what the rumours would have Osmond believe.


    ¡°Just do what you have to do¡­¡± said Osmond, placing his hands together, trying to hide the fact that he was shaking. ¡°In the end¡­ nothing changes.¡±


    Archius smirked, placing one hand into his armoured coat, pulling out a strap of standardis steel credit. He passed it to Kazuki. He gave it one look, instantly noting down the bill size, before sliding it to Osmond. At first, Osmond shook his head as he looked down at Kazuki, but with his insistence, he took the money, his hands still shaking as he squeezed the strap.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve been so loyal to our deal, that¡¯s a little bonus,¡± said Archius. ¡°Keep it up and you¡¯ll be swimming in money in no time, your head will blow up even trying to comprehend what to do with it.¡±


    ¡°And Narisa will continue to freeze over¡­¡± said Osmond. ¡°You know why we do this? Why we peddle guns? It¡¯s because people in power like you do nothing for us.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, this one has a mouth.¡± Kazuki leaned in closer to Osmond.


    Osmond shook in place for a moment, before steadying himself. He gritted his teeth. ¡°You people¡­ you leave us here alone¡­ we¡¯ll be born, live and die on this frozen waste, but we give each other warmth, housing¡­ some beer to look forward to.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± asked Kazuki.


    ¡°If you get rid of us, you¡¯ll shatter everything! Someone else, more vicious, will take our place.¡±


    ¡°Then you should have considered that before attacking us.¡±


    Osmond fell quiet, having nothing more to say. He wasn¡¯t wrong, Archius thought. Osmond slammed his hand on another level on the panel. ¡°Look, just¡­ I never saw you two.¡±


    ¡°Just what I was about to say,¡± said Archius. ¡°Now then, better get going. And I don¡¯t think I need to say this, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªNot a word to Leon¡­ I know, I know,¡± Osmond quivered.


    Archius smiled, satisfied by the answer. What a good little pair of eyes. And as Osmond left the elevator, he gave the two of them one last glance, a level of fear and hate in his eyes, understandable. The elevator started to move up once again.


    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the plan?¡± asked Archius, jokingly as Kazuki¡¯s head twisted on a swivel to him. His golden slits staring directly at Archius.


    Then, Kazuki let off one word softly, but Archius could tell that he was pissed. ¡°What?¡±


    His reaction was priceless. And as Kazuki grabbed onto Archius¡¯ shoulders, he started to shake him with a drop of sweat rolling down his face. But Archius simply extended a large grin. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding, come on. You really think I¡¯d come here without a plan?!¡±


    ¡°Considering how scuffed your last mission was, my concerns are warranted.¡± remarked Kazuki, ¡°Your missions always end in bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°So do yours. All missions end in bloodshed, but it¡¯s no excuse to keep things dirty.¡± Archius waved his concerns away, ¡°Anywhom, we go to the communication centre, see how far we can go until we start blasting and send a distress signal. Easy and simple, right?¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Archius let off a small laugh as the elevator doors opened, revealing the communication relay. It was upon one of the smaller sections on the vessel. With only a few elevators connected to it, along with sealed doors. Luckily, there were only a few people present. But then again, he¡¯ll have to create a convincing lie about why Kazuki was here to begin with. Prisoner transfer? He¡¯ll have to deal with the details, but he was sure he could get them through; after all: this was his forte. Maybe for once, they won¡¯t have to go guns blazing.


    And with a plan in mind, he pushed Kazuki out of the elevator, exiting out onto the communication centre as the room was filled with dozens of panels, monitors and screens. It looked similar to a command bridge, but with far less amenities and modules.


    ¡°Move it, Contract-Breaker.¡± snapped Archius, guiding Kazuki towards the main control panel, shoving him further.


    Archius made sure he had some fun with it, pushing Kazuki to the side as he approached the person operating the main console. And as Archius got close, someone got in the way. One of the three smugglers placed themselves between Archius and his prize. He did his best to hide his frustration.


    The smuggler pointed a finger at Kazuki. ¡°Hey, play it safe, I say you take his kneecaps.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to carry him, he¡¯s heavy!¡± remarked Archius, kicking Kazuki in the leg as he chuckled to himself. Kazuki staggered, but Archius dragged him back up. ¡°Prisoner transfer. Getting this guy somewhere where the AGENCY can never find him, maybe throw him into one of the thermal pits left over from the war.¡±


    The smuggler chuckled and said, ¡°You think you can do it alone?¡±


    ¡°Cath no!¡± Archius shrugged, gently slapping his friend. Kazuki didn¡¯t hide his anger at Archius¡­ or perhaps at the smugglers? Hopefully the smugglers. ¡°I¡¯d only feel safe if I had him in stasis the whole way through, but ya know: heavy. I¡¯d prefer not to pull my back.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s the metal or something else.¡± said the smuggler, walking to the side as he got along with the joke, ¡°Just make sure Leon authorises it. I don¡¯t wanna end up like Brenda, or Sebita¡­ you heard what happened to them?¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ it is what it is.¡± Maybe he can stir up some discontent? It won¡¯t be game-changing, but everything counts in the long run. ¡°I uh¡­ feel like if I do¡­¡±


    Archius then made a slicing motion with his finger, up to his neck. He shook slightly as the smuggler sighed, Sympathising with Archius as he patted him on the shoulder, taking the time to jab Kazuki in the chest. Yikes¡­ not his day, is it? This time, Kazuki gave the smuggler a death stare - a promise of death.


    The smuggler nodded, lowering his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he can be a bit harsh, but we all share the same vision¡­¡±


    ¡°Narisa, I know, I get it¡­¡± lied Archius.


    He had no love for this frozen planet. In fact, he couldn¡¯t care less what happened to it.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t keep you waiting, maybe we can even ransom the Contract-Breaker.¡± said the smuggler, moving to the side as he lit up an aspiara-black, Kazuki coughed as he smelt the tobacco filling the air. Kaz¡¯s lungs were modified EXPLICITLY so he couldn¡¯t even inhale tobacco¡­ Very thoughtful parents, Achius joked to himself.


    Archius nodded, pushing Kazuki forward into the centre of the room. Kazuki kept silent, probably annoyed at Archius¡¯ schemes. He knew Kazuki could wipe them all out in a matter of seconds, injuries were merely an annoyance to him at most. But where was the joy in completing a mission like that? No manipulation? No fun? To hell with that. Approaching the woman operating the main console, Archius cleared his throat.


    They turned around, looking at Archius, then glancing towards Kazuki. ¡°The fuck you brought him here for?¡± Their eyes shook slightly at the sight of the Contract-Breaker. If only they bothered to get to know the guy¡­


    ¡°Transfer. Need to get a pass so the guys down in the cargo bays don¡¯t holler and shoot me to death, you know how it is.¡± said Archius, placing his hands on his waist. He gave the smuggler that walked away one glance, seeing that he was out of earshot. ¡°And make it quick¡­ Leon won¡¯t be happy if it¡¯s delayed.¡±


    ¡°The boss?¡± the smuggler raised an eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t he say he wanted to crush the fucker¡¯s skull in?¡±


    ¡°Well, things have changed, keeping him alive¡¯s better for us,¡± lied Archius, it was¡­ good for him, yes, but not for them.


    In fact, Kazuki getting his hands on anything that resembled a weapon would be the worst outcome for them, no matter the pretence.


    ¡°Ugh, I hope he¡¯s right.¡± The lead gunrunner groaned, turning to face the panel as it shot up a GUI. It had a lot of information Archius didn¡¯t care about, most of the software was definitely Imperial-era though. But then they shot a look back at Archius. ¡°Hold up, you got your name and registration?¡±


    Archius paused for a moment. SHIT. They have ID?! Since when the fuck did they have that? ¡°Sorry?¡± he asked, pretending to have forgotten, he plunged his hands into his various pockets.


    ¡°Registration! ID! Come on, we might be smugglers but we¡¯re not cathing amateurs. Greenie, this isn¡¯t the dark ages,¡± joked the smuggler. She reached around and smacked Archius on the shoulder. ¡°Sure, that shit the Contract-Breaker caused earlier might have put a downer on you, but don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be roaring with standardis when we ship our stock across the Mercutio-way.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of pirates?¡± asked Archius, trying to shift the conversation in a different direction.


    Kazuki glanced back at him, catching on. He was out of gas, there was no way he could lie through ID and registration. Well, he could try, but better to have the element of surprise in its fullest extent. This lady looks far too experienced to be lied to, knows a lot as well, a shame really¡­ Kazuki gave Archius one look, and he blinked in response. The time for lies was over, it seems.


    The smuggler laughed. ¡°Pirates? Doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s the Corsairs, Mischief Board or even the Purple Fleet, they all have a price. Plus, did no one tell them their manners? We sell shit to them, ain¡¯t really kind for them to attack us.¡±


    Kazuki took one step forward as she glanced down at him, confused for a moment. The two others in the room slowly turned to look at what was going on, standing off to the side, resting or smoking. But in the split second that Kazuki¡¯s golden eyes glowed, he lunged forward.


    And before even Archius knew what was going on: the smuggler¡¯s chest was cracked open with a bang, blood dripping like a pool.

 X21: Frosted Assault

    Go time. Archius¡¯ heart pumped adrenaline. He twisted to his right, looking up at the smuggler that he just talked to. Fear filled their eyes as they made a motion to draw. Foolish mistake. Archius flicked a throwing knife from his bobble, launching it as it hit its mark.


    Twisting to the other one, they tried to charge Kazuki. Rushing from the side with a knife out, but Archius made sure that his plans failed. Intercepting, he jabbed a second throwing knife into their neck; Kazuki twisted around, and finished them with a bullet to the head.


    ¡°I had that!¡± snapped Archius, wiping blood off his face. Shaking his head, he glanced at Kazuki, pointing at the marks of blood along his cheek.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Kazuki grumbled to himself as Archius jabbed him in the arm, walking over towards the control panel. He pressed down on the communication relay command signals, turning the signal vectors from the smuggler¡¯s Imp system to that of a public relay. The alarms on the whole ship slowly sounded at the unauthorised access. But the work was done. He jammed a cracker into the keyport, igniting the module with a virus.


    Kazuki grabbed spare magazines from the dead criminals, as well as anything he could find. Sadly, none of their armours fit him, his exospine got in the way. As he was scavenging for anything he could use, the elevator doors closed, digital lights above it flicking on.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming. Get ready,¡± ordered Kazuki.


    Archius nodded, sending out a ping¡­ No response. Come on, Sato¡­ That damn workaholic must be listening in! Either her or Liz! One of them has to be! No response¡­ RESPONSE. Positive greenlight from Sato. The Iron Will and Prometheus are to launch operations.


    Though the two vessels are to remain in orbit: Narisa might be a dead-weight planet with no connections to the major lanes, but it seems Sato wants to play it safe.


    ¡°Greenlight!¡± Archius shouted, sliding to the other side of the room, grabbing a spare pistol from one of the control decks as he peeked his head towards the elevator doors.


    ¡°How close are reinforcements?¡± asked Kazuki. ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°Uh, close?¡± Archius shrugged, activating his uplink as the elevator doors creased open. ¡®This is Kingpin, I have Arbiter! Exfil on our location, now!¡±


    A tide of smugglers, corsairs and criminals poured forth, blasting away as bolts and plasma crashed through the air. But as quickly as they all entered, Kazuki claimed first blood; then second; then third. It was only on the fourth kill that Archius managed to snipe one at the back. The two created a kill zone as those entering were cut down, though a spare few took cover behind a few consoles and bannisters. But any that tried to move forward were cut down¡­


    Slowly, they started to etch forward, forcing themselves into the fray as more and more devoted criminals were killed. As the tenth body rushed forward, they hit the first successful shot: Archius¡¯ shoulder. But their small success gave way to nothing as they fell to the ground, brains splattered by Kazuki. Archius reeled from the bolt wound, pressing himself back against the wall.


    Kazuki gave him one look, noticing that he¡¯ll have to pick up the pace as Archius gritted himself to the pain. Fuck, it hurts! He didn¡¯t have cybernetics, but neither did they. But with the crackling of gunfire, a voice called out.


    ¡®Air cavalry¡¯s here!¡¯ shouted Quinn, pumped up and full of energy.


    ¡®All forces engage and eliminate all hostile assets,¡¯ ordered Lilly, as the wall opposite the elevator collapsed from an explosion. Debris, snow, frost and steel jabbed into the room, a blue haze entering Archius¡¯ eyes.


    A flurry of plasma bolts and laser fire flung through the room, splattering anyone between the wall and the elevators into a red mist. The cavalry¡¯s here, and finally: the end is in sight.


    ? ? ?


    Bloodied smoke and mist was kicked up - lingering in the air. Turning his head towards the massive gap in the wall, Kazuki saw a team of AGENTs pour in, filling the room. They scoured through the remains of the room, terminating any leftovers. And in under a second, they already started to breach the adjacent rooms, making short work of the armoured criminals. Their gunshots muffled the shouts and cries. Kazuki slowly walked to the entry point, watching as Quinn exited out, along with Claire and Amy¨¦.


    ¡°Welcome! A little bit late, I must say. Where¡¯s the rest?¡± asked Archius, staggering over as he pushed through them, placing himself down onto the shuttle as it hovered at the breach.


    ¡°Lilly¡¯s taken command in your absence,¡± said Claire, nodding to Kazuki, ¡°We have two sections storming the lower cruiser from the cargo bay and three from the upper. We¡¯ll still be outnumbered, but that¡¯s to be expected.¡±


    Amy¨¦ flick-shotted Kazuki a new uplink from across the room. He caught it, pricking it onto his remaining ear, the nerves frying into an interlock with the commlink. They all wore thick coats over their armour and contractor battle jackets.


    ¡®Arbiter to all stations. Hunt down their leaders. Detain or terminate the rest. I really do not care,¡¯ ordered Kazuki.


    ¡°You injured?¡± Claire asked, taking various needles from her exoskeletal carry pouches and shooting bolts from her Pharm-assist into both Archius and Kaz. The stims hit immediately.


    ¡°I¡¯ll live,¡± stated Kazuki, shrugging her off. He glanced down at his hands¡­ They were shaking. He grabbed one with the other, steeling his muscles. Remain calm, he told himself.


    Quinn reloaded his shotgun, charging more plasma cartridges into the chamber. Archius exchanged a nod with Kazuki as he slammed against the wall of the shuttle, flying off - leaving the blizzard to be amidst the swarm of shuttles outside. Explosions and gunfire continued to shift the citadel, each vibration felt in Kazuki¡¯s boots.


    ¡°Arbiter, when we get to him, let me take his head off for you!¡± shouted Quinn. ¡°Save us a few seconds.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get your chance, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll save the fucker for you,¡± Amy¨¦ mocked Quinn, repriming her sniper rifle - twice her size. ¡°You down for drinks later? Same place?¡±


    ¡°Focus on the fucking mission,¡± said Kazuki, moving past them as he snatched several magazines from Claire¡¯s belt..


    ¡°Not now¡­¡± Claire grumbled, smacking Amy¨¦ on the top of her helm-mask with a thud.


    At least she wasn¡¯t getting drunk on the mission.


    ¡°Only if we get the bastard.¡± stated Quinn, annoyance gritting through his teeth as he shouldered past Amy¨¦, holding his shotgun with one hand.


    Amy¨¦ merely shrugged, yawning as Claire walked up to Kazuki, slapping one of his vest-plates on him as it engulfed his torso, expanding outwards and sealing itself shut.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprise you remembered,¡± said Kazuki.


    ¡°Pfft, I¡¯m not done babysitting you yet, you¡¯re lucky one of your guards weren¡¯t here, they¡¯d probably bring the whole package,¡± commented Claire. She passed him a spare ICAPAD.


    His vest-plate was far more advanced than any of his men¡¯s, though only because of the complex nature of his life support system and exoskeleton. Kazuki tightened the steel splint-bracings around his legs.


    ¡°They roughed you up?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Kazuki said, sliding one of Claire¡¯s injectors onto his belt, ¡°Artillerist, go down to the cargo-hangar. You have a special mission. Take position somewhere safe and ensure no smuggler leaves the slaughter.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be enough,¡± Quinn muttered to himself, catching the eye of Kazuki.


    ¡°Cargo bay?¡± Amy¨¦ nodded, running over to one of the elevators, ¡°Yeah, yeah, give young me the boring job.¡±


    ¡°You wanted higher statistics for your BCA-card, right?¡± asked Kazuki. Amy¨¦ chuckled, scratching the back of her helmet as she nodded.


    ¡°At least you get to have a scoped weapon, Rivera ain¡¯t never letting me get a scope!¡± complained Quinn, flicking up his iron-sights as Amy¨¦ laughed at him.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Haha, go fuck yourself!¡± Amy¨¦ shouted, pointing at Quinn as the doors slid shut.


    Kazuki tapped Claire and Quinn to his fireteam, the ICAPAD lighting up as he formed a temporary Phalanx Team. Glancing at the org-charts, he could tell that things were chaotic, with the addition of fresh units on the field. He slammed down on the call button as his small fireteam stacked up on him. It was small, but cracked. An ex-marine vet and an ex-criminal.


    Claire pulled up her bandana, ensuring it covered her whole neck. ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t for a very good reason,¡± she said.


    A moment of silence filled the room as Kazuki turned to Quinn. ¡°You keep breaking the scopes when breaching.¡± stated Kazuki, it was quite a simple reason and he wondered why Quinn failed to grasp the concept.


    ¡°Alright, where are we headed, then?¡± asked Claire, fixing her painted helmet.


    Quinn interjected, ¡°Just make sure that the rat doesn¡¯t slink away.¡±


    He saw logic to the point, nodding as he agreed with Quinn. As the elevator doors opened, the team flooded in. ¡°I will overlook your eagerness.¡±


    Quinn nodded. Kazuki understands that Quinn probably knows more than what he¡¯s saying. But as long as Leon is dead, he doesn¡¯t really care. Though he does understand the want to avoid the matter of the past, most out of all.


    Kazuki activated his ICAPAD, watching the situation across the diagonally tilted vessel unfold. Archius and Sato were directing the forces overall, with Lilly taking operational head. He was fine with that, she was competent. But now that he thought about it, he worried about Eliza¡­ He must have put some strain on her, disappearing like that. It wasn¡¯t unusual, but it must be strange for her.


    ¡®Arbiter! Glad to see you¡¯re back!¡¯ shouted Eliza, her voice speaking up on the uplink. Any worries he had disappeared, though he didn''t know why they existed. He worries too much¡­ For a moment, Kazuki thought that he should let himself relax for once; but his psyche refused.


    Kazuki hid his relief. ¡®Keep my ICAPAD updated. I want eyes on Leon, now.¡¯


    ¡®A group of gunrunners are heading to the ventral shuttle port!¡¯ said Lilly, ¡®It¡¯s probably them.¡¯


    ¡®Red hair?¡¯ asked Kazuki.


    ¡®Yeah,¡¯ interjected Sato. ¡®It¡¯s them alright, the fastest way to get there is through the primary junction artery, it¡¯s one hell of a fight though.¡¯


    Slamming on the elevator control panel, the elevator zoomed up. Claire stood ready, steadied; but Quinn was twitchy. But as long as they eliminate the gunrunners, he was fine with Quinn having his own goals.


    ¡®That¡¯s fine,¡¯ commented Kazuki. ¡°They better be ready.¡±


    He glanced at Quinn. He could only hope that whatever Quinn was thinking wouldn¡¯t get in the way of the mission. He muttered to himself, ¡°Something burns in everyone¡­¡±


    ? ? ?


    Archius watched from the frozen abyss up above. Shuttles were still leaving the Iron Will, as the destroyer scanned the planet from orbit. He watched from the screen monitors attached to the observation halls as he squeezed by teams of AGENTs.


    A full scale assault like this only happens in the most desperate of circumstances, mostly when all other options have been exhausted¡­ But this time? It¡¯s protocol: if Kazuki is ever captured, ram against the door; Archius was one of the few that Kaz gave the key to the full list of executed protocols.


    The fleet they inherited, forcefully, from Clandestine was large, probably one of the largest private fleets in the galaxy, in terms of war-vessels. Engineers, crew-hands, drones and operatives were all flooding towards the shuttle bays. But him? He was going to the command deck, entering the chamber as Sato, Lilly and Liz were already working away, with a dozen drones aiding them.


    ¡°Status?¡±


    ¡°Lower sections are mostly secured, criminals don¡¯t have their mercs with them anymore?¡± asked Sato.


    She looked up at Archius, her face pale with handler¡¯s fatigue, along with additional duties that Kazuki normally took over, such as being the tactical linchpin. Was he a good strategist? Probably, but field work was what he did best, leave the grand war strategy to Sato and Martinez, Archius mulled it over, wondering what he''d be like as a commander.


    Eliza was managing Kazuki¡¯s team, whilst Lilly handled the rest, though Archius could tell through her constant crossing of arms and boot-tapping that she wanted to be down there, even if it was a frozen fuck-scape. It was an efficient configuration, Archius thought, he¡¯d prefer to directly oversee Kazuki¡¯s fireteam.


    Archius sat down. Connecting himself to the uplink, he spoke with certainty, ¡°The criminals exterminated them, not the smartest move, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good for us?¡± Sato paused, then simply nodded, somewhat confused on why they¡¯d do that.


    She didn¡¯t necessarily understand the depths of the paranoia within the Narisan Gunrunner¡¯s ranks... He connected himself to the situation, monitoring Kazuki, Quinn and Claire, whilst also scanning the cameras, drones and footage reels for Osmond.


    He¡¯ll let Liz take control of Kaz¡¯s team for now, see how she acts. His focus is on Osmond; the key to a swift victory - that is: if he complies through the chaos.


    ¡°Fuck¡¯s sake!¡± Lilly cried out angrily, looking up from her series of monitors and station at Archius ¡°So I called in reinforcements for no reason?¡±


    Archius shrugged. ¡°Their involvement will speed things up, commander,¡± said Archius, turning towards Liz.


    Lilly grumbled but acquiesced. Turning his face back to Kazuki¡¯s team, Archius watched intently. They have the highest chances of finding Osmond, his pawn.


    And if his sacrifice must be done to ascertain victory it will be done, without hesitation. Cold professionalism engulfed him as he sank deeper and deeper into the pool of interconnecting uplinks, listening in to Eliza¡¯s overseeing and the wave of monitors that scoured the citadel¡¯s frozen hulls, many parts of its hull were broken.


    The storm outside blew up, freezing any circuits and bolt heat plastering the walls.


    Kazuki¡¯s team burst from the elevators, sending smugglers to the wall and floor. Their speed and shock outmatched the heavy weighted armours of the crims. They slowly slid forward, from cover to cover along a large hallway, towards the crashed cruiser¡¯s hangar.


    He could barely see anything, with the blizzard obscuring sight for these fighters. It was cold, harsh and brutal.


    Anything from daggers, bolts and nades were thrown at them. But that didn¡¯t stop them, every smuggler put between them and their objective was thrashed aside. Yet as they turned a corner, an explosion rocked the entire citadel, with a splatter of stray plasma bolts hurdling throughout the halls.


    ¡®Overwatch, any faster way through?¡¯


    Before Archius could answer, Eliza shot in, ¡®Negative. The other ways have more smugglers, this is the fastest route, least crowded routes will take you on a merry-go-round.¡¯


    Surprising. She was being professional, maybe Eliza did do something about that pep talk he gave her on Kaz¡¯s behalf¡­ He can¡¯t even remember what he said, not like he really cared all too much beyond completing a task. His eyes skidded from her back to the monitor, he knew that she made some promise of some sorts to Lilly, but it seems she was upholding it.


    ¡®Alright,¡¯ Kazuki said, ¡®I¡¯ll clear the way. Lazarus, Epsilon, cover me.¡¯


    ¡®What the!? You¡¯re injured!¡¯ shouted Claire, shooting a healing agent bolt into Kazuki. ¡®Why don¡¯t you let Epsilon take point?¡¯


    ¡®YEAH!¡¯ Quinn shouted, firing from cover as he pushed himself down to avoid a hail of bolts, whizzing down from a barricade of smugglers along the freezing, condensation filled halls.


    Kazuki stayed silent for a moment, twisting his head to his subordinates. ¡®Negative. I can shrug off more punishment than both you combined.¡¯ The logic was sound, Archius thought, but he lingered a little too long in thought there for it to be just that.


    With that, he pushed himself forward, out of the barricade as he ignited up his deflector-shield, crashing forward as he ran through the smuggler¡¯s barricades and defences. Through the snow, and hail, smashing from outside the vessel, Kazuki ducked and weaved under bolts and blades - crashing forward into their barricades.


    Archius watched as a reinvigorated, yet injured, Contract-Breaker tore through their ranks; his golden eyes beaming with fright, sending all in his way into a frenzied flight - or to their graves, both came in the same package,


    Quinn and Claire had to catch up as Kazuki reached the armoury, leaving a trail of dead corpses, freezing over in the cold, and a string of limbs and body parts littered around. He always does this¡­ Looking up at Eliza, Archius noted that she seemed¡­ alright with all the death. Better than what she was like at the restaurant, and from what Quinn and Claire said at the train station, perhaps she¡¯s gotten over the ¡®initial shock¡¯.


    ¡®Archius, my gear?¡¯ asked Kazuki, as he pulled up a barricade from the floor beside the armoury door. He hid behind it as a streak of smugglers charged him. Only for them to be cut down with his dagger and pistol, before the leftovers were cleaned up by the two operatives - hot on their heels.


    ¡®Probably the high value locker, if you ask me,¡¯ answered Archius.


    ¡®Alright. Cover me.¡¯


    Quinn and Claire took cover behind the barricades and indented pillars. Yet as the smugglers tried to push forward, they were put back in place by the two seasoned contractors. Kazuki pressed down against the armoury blast door - busting through as he stormed in with a hail of hollowed piercing bullets.


    Archius counted up. And at eleven seconds in, Kazuki emerged from the door, fully armed with his equipment, including his fucking scarf? The fucker really chose to bring his scarf now?


    Well¡­ It was cold, Archius will give him that at the very least! The battering storm from outside intensified, obscuring views for mere moments. The gunrunners couldn¡¯t get a clean shot off, whilst the AGENTs could barely hit marked shots through the dazing blue hue.


    Quinn and Claire were still holding the smugglers at bay, against a renewed effort that had pushed ever closer to their battleline. Armed with old, heavy Imperial war-gear, the smugglers took the brunt of the fire, though slow they were.


    The group crossed out across a large maintenance deck outside, through the thick and smog - fighting from one side to the other and getting back inside from the other side¡­ A nice short-cut, he thought.


    ¡®Imperial armour¡¯s bulky, you can probably disorientate them with stun grenades,¡¯ said Eliza, speaking with her heart in it, ¡®There¡¯s a staircase leading to a simulation bay! Keep going forward and it¡¯s the fastest route to the shuttle bay.¡¯


    Checking the cameras once again, Archius glanced at a group of crims and smugglers fleeing away from combat¡­ Another explosion rocked the citadel, without shields they were all sent to the walls as all combatants struggled upwards.


    Red hair¡­ Pale blonde hair; Leon and Osmond. They were there, fleeing away from combat as their men did the heavy lifting. Snow and hail plastered the cameras, but he knew it was them.


    ¡®I have eyes on the targets, they¡¯re maintaining course to the ventral hangar. Vall¨¦, think we can get some reinforcements down there?¡¯ asked Archius.


    ¡®Negative, you think Arb and those lot can¡¯t get there on time?¡¯ asked Sato. Touch¨¦.


    ¡®We¡¯ll get there,¡¯ said Kazuki. ¡®Hold the reserves.¡¯


    Following suit, Quinn and Claire pushed up with Kazuki, launching stun grenades across the hall as flashes of pain and shrieks hurled the smugglers into a panic. Kazuki charged at the stunned smugglers, his whole body turned into a weapon, every movement, slash, shot was perfectly calculated to bring the most destruction at the least possible cost.


    ¡®Come on, bring out a little flamboyance!¡¯ shouted Archius.


    ¡°Archius!¡± Eliza turned to Archius, surprised at what he just spat out. ¡°There¡¯s no room for bloody theatrics!¡±


    ¡®Shut the fuck up¡­¡¯ Kazuki trailed off, ¡®Lazarus, power.¡¯


    Claire glanced down the hall as they took cover, throwing over a power charge. Kazuki caught it, ducking into a side room as he cleared it out, before interchanging his exospine¡¯s powerpack. The three continued their rampage as the smugglers threw everything at them at every turn. But everything either missed, flicked off their shields, their armour, or simply was ineffective. It wasn¡¯t long till they reached the staircase.


    Kazuki kept fighting his way through, making it first to the simulation bay. Archius scanned the room, it was similar to that which was present on the Phoenix¡¯s Fury, but had significantly less amenities. Alarms were blaring, and those in the room found themselves quickly dealt with - or fled.


    ¡®ARBITER!¡¯ Eliza shouted, as Kazuki rushed across the simulation field, creating a breach for Quinn and Claire to get over. ¡®Watch out for the sim-bay.¡¯


    Shit?! Archius watched as Kaz cleared through the simulation bay, cleaving through the arena as a smuggler pressed down on lever, before having their brains disintegrate.


    Archius'' voice shattered the thin and temporary veil of peace. ¡®FUCK, it¡¯s a trap!¡¯

 X22: Imbalanced Encounter

    Kazuki twisted around, using his back-armour to block several attacks as the walls and energy shields of the simulation bay veered upwards, trapping Kazuki from Claire and Quinn, stuck in the sim-bay. Quinn immediately tried slamming his shotgun into the shield as the simulation bay moved into a full blown arena, blocking Kazuki¡¯s path.


    ¡®Arbiter, can you fight your way out of there?¡¯ Archius asked.


    ¡®Shit! Arbiter! What¡¯s the fuck plan now?¡¯ Claire asked, firing backwards as she took cover from a team of flanking smugglers, throwing Quinn into an indent.


    ¡®Arbiter! Watch out, they¡¯re probably going to unleash something on you,¡¯ said Eliza. Archius was just about to hate it, thinking it to be merely her worrying¡­ But no, this was well warranted, it was a real risk after all.


    ¡®Yeah, yeah,¡¯ Kazuki said dismissively.


    He walked up to the edge of the shield, looking it up and down as the walls of the bay opened up, unleashing a swarm of drones and smugglers. He quickly took cover, hiding as a full blown war exploded in the simulation bay.


    ¡®Can¡¯t ANCHOR through it! Archius! Status on the leaders?¡¯ Kazuki asked calmly.


    ¡®Docking Bay One, ventral hangar!¡¯ reported Archius, thinking¡­ Kazuki will have to catch up. ¡®Lazarus, Epsilon, you can take the emergency shafts around.¡¯


    ¡®And me?¡¯ asked Kazuki, grumpily.


    ¡®I¡¯ll¡ªYou¡­ I¡¯ll guide you. I¡¯ll try to use Krystalink to disable the sim-fight,¡¯ said Eliza, twisting to look at Archius. Her rose-red eyes were filled with fervour and determination. ¡°Archius, you don¡¯t mind looking after Quinn and Claire, right?¡±


    She looked like she was panicking, on the surface at least. Though Archius had a hard time seeing beneath those focused eyes.


    Eliza took out a Krystalink thumb-drive, courtesy of Sato. It had special markings on it, Imperial era technology and breaching net codes, it should get control of some of the systems within the dead-hulk of a cruiser.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, you deal with Kaz.¡± said Archius, slicing into the communications, ¡®Epsilon, Lazarus, take the maintenance shaft to the left. Can you two remember a sequence?¡¯


    ¡®If it¡¯s numbers then it¡¯s a no go!¡¯ said Quinn, ¡®But if it¡¯s coloured shapes then fuck yeah, maybe?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll¡­ do the remembering,¡¯ said Claire. Yeah, probably for the best, Archius thought.


    Archius couldn¡¯t tell if Quinn was joking or not, though he pinned it down to the absurdity of his response. ¡®Alright, left, down, right, down, forward, left, right, right, up.¡¯


    ¡®What, what? What?!¡¯ asked Claire, busting into the maintenance shaft with Quinn as gunfire still raged across the grounded vessel, each vibration sending shakes through the walls - dust and ice kicking off and falling. Kazuki had started moving, cleaving a path of death at Eliza¡¯s command. Though it¡¯ll take him a bit until Eliza clears the sim-bay; and he was faced with dozens of smugglers and drones, not exactly the most worrisome situation.


    He facepalmed, changing the cameras to the maintenance shafts as he directed the two through the tunnels. There were a few smugglers hiding away in the shafts, most fought back, but some surrendered.


    ¡®Hands up!¡¯ shouted Claire, aiming her rifle at a group of surrendered smugglers, in a small maintenance chamber.


    They complied, but as quickly as they did, Quinn cut them all down. They were killed, yet Archius wasn¡¯t exactly one to complain about the killing of prisoners, in fact he¡¯d prefer it: it means that they won¡¯t be bogged down by people. But Claire had something different to say.


    ¡®HEY!¡¯ shouted Claire. Her moral compass always gets in the way of the mission, he never understood why she was Kazuki¡¯s chosen commander.


    ¡®Don¡¯t have time. We need to get to Leon.¡¯ said Quinn, that¡¯s the spirit, Archius thought.


    Claire clicked her tongue, in frustration, but agreed to the logic. They need to get to Leon before he flees.


    Guiding them through the maintenance shafts, they went further down and down, to deck after deck as the structure continued to rock with each explosion, the war out in the halls still unceasing. But as they got closer, the shaft got tighter. Rumbling started, the hulk is starting to destabilise. There was no grav-stable field keeping the damn ship from collapsing, and no shield protecting it from outside gunfire and projectiles. It¡¯s a good thing they didn¡¯t bring any of the cannons to bear.


    By the time they reached the final hall closest to the docking bay, the shaft became so thin that the two had to shimmy their way through. Quinn was at front, violently throwing himself through the carnage, smacking his armoured plates between both the wall behind and front as the pipes in the shaft shook from the pressure. Explosions continued to plague the vessel, some even shaking the dust and frost within the maintenance shaft, probably smells like old mould..


    ¡®Lazarus¡­ pipes.¡¯ started Archius, watching from the monitor as he saw a light up from the pipes. He called out the growing pressure just at the right time as a dozen pipes burst forth, spewing out steam and gases, stabbing through the shaft. It created a makeshift fence, fuck.


    Quinn glanced back at the trapped Claire, separated from him. But instead of a light-hearted joke that¡¯d make Lilly pissed off, he offered help. ¡®I have thermite, move back a bit.¡¯


    ¡®No! Epsilon, get a move on! I¡¯ll deal with this myself, I have a bunch of thermite,¡¯ said Claire, nodding at Quinn as she shimmied her hands down her pockets. ¡®Look after yourself, alright?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t intend on dying here¡­¡¯ said Quinn, ominously. Maybe he should have divulged Quinn¡¯s past to the rest of the relevant parties¡­ Well, too late. No one asked him before, and it seems it may be problematic.


    Reaching the end of the tunnel, Quinn slammed down on the maintenance shaft door, phasing it open as he crashed through into the hallway. Swapping cameras into the hall, he watched as Quinn crashed into a firefight, hiding as a team of smugglers fought a group of operatives, firing down the halls. The walls were frozen, with bolts gleaming off in all directions.


    ¡®CATHING¡­ FUCK!¡¯ Quinn shouted, sliding his shotgun out as he fired down towards the armed smugglers. He had taken a stray bolt, but shrugged off the pain.


    ¡®Epsilon, cross the hallway. You¡¯ll never get through that fucking mess, take the storage room and go through the vents. Leave that shit for the rest of the section-projects.¡¯ ordered Archius.


    Quinn hesitated for a moment, looking down the hall once again as he jumped out, suppressing a barricade as he lunged to the other side of the hall. He gave the door one look, wondering if he should listen as he looked back at the team of operatives, fighting hard to gain ground as they pushed up. They took casualties here and there, but they were dishing out more than adequate punishment, Archius thought.


    ¡®Epsilon. Go through that door.¡¯ Archius dropped any sense of formalities and niceties within his voice. A cold attitude filled the air as Quinn felt it ripple along his uplink-cord, sending a shock through him.


    And like a good operative, he complied, entering into the storage room. It was empty, frost and dust all over the place as icicles hung from the corners of the ceiling. He shook from the coldness, but persisted towards the large vents. The lights were dim, but things were still visible. ¡®Take the vents, got it? It¡¯s a straight-run to the docking bay.¡¯


    ¡®Cathing fuck, you don¡¯t need to baby me.¡¯ remarked Quinn, ¡®Like, come on! I¡¯m not a kid like you.¡¯


    Archius shot back with his own remark, ¡®Then what about Arbiter? And hey, I¡¯m old enough to drink now, you know that!¡¯


    Kazuki was only a year or so older than him, but of course no one could call him a kid. At least not to his face. It¡¯s the same with his nickname¡­ No one calls him Contract-Breaker, at least those that he isn¡¯t already going to kill. Insulted or fearful, it didn¡¯t matter to him, or Kaz.


    Quinn pressed himself through the vents. it was far more narrow than the maintenance shaft, but it was doable. He eventually pushed himself through, exiting out on the other side as he fell behind a group of crates, the cold floor hitting him.


    He was in the shuttle bay. Everything was going exactly as planned, now all he has to do is get Osmond to backstab Leon. The shuttles of the docking bay were leaving, stacked with cargo. AGENCY air support shot down most of them, but a few got through, escorted by arming drones and suicide drones. But air supremacy was challenging, drones on both sides duelled in an air battle out in the blizzard as explosions rocked across the ship, sending vibrations that even the camera picked up. There was one shuttle left, refuelling. Leon stood by it, along with Osmond and three guards.


    ¡®Archius, Permission to engage?¡¯ asked Quinn, taking cover behind the crates, reloading his shotgun and preparing to inject himself with stims.


    Archius watched the situation. They were refuelling, the bar attached to the pump was about half way. Gunfire raged on through nearby halls, yet the smugglers seemed calm - except for Osmond. They were far from the fighting, if Quinn got into any trouble he''d be alone. And they had time¡­ If Kaz or Claire got there, it¡¯d be wraps.


    ¡®Negative, wait for reinforcements then engage.¡¯


    ¡®But they¡¯re going to escape,¡¯ said Quinn, moving closer to the edge of the crates. Leon was organising a few things to be carried on board the shuttle.


    He didn¡¯t seem to be a coward, after all he was still here even though many other shuttles had left. The gunrunners were probably saving as much merchandise as possible. That or they were preparing for operations of their own.


    ¡®TOO¡­ SLOW.¡¯ Archius heard Leon¡¯s voice through the camera, ¡®Have you pirates ever raided a ship before?! Fucking worthless men the Board sends¡­¡¯


    Two more individuals came into view. They wore less armoured garb, they seemed to be a part of the Corsairs, or at least a subgroup of a subgroup of it. Pirates were never organised, not even the Purple Fleet, operating out of the Eclipse. The two were hauling crates, with distinct paint marks over their faces.


    They pulled the crates onto the shuttle, filling it up as Quinn shook his head. Archius assured him, ¡®They¡¯re still refuelling.¡¯


    ¡®But still, better now than later. They can escape even if the tank¡¯s not full.¡¯ said Quinn, checking his pistol as Leon slammed down the tip of his shot-axe onto the floor, clutching a pistol with one hand. ¡®I have to stop them¡­¡¯


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Disobeying orders, Quinn slowly moved out from the crates.


    ¡®Jariking hell! Get back,¡¯ ordered Archius. But Quinn turned off his uplink. And all that was left was radio silence.


    He watched as Quinn walked out into the middle of the room. The Jari was he doing?! They turned towards him¡­ Quinn unsealed his helm-mask, taking it off as vapours poured off.


    Silence.


    Wait¡­ this might be interesting, Archius thought. But interesting was something he didn¡¯t need. Not now, he needed Leon dead. He tapped his ear, connecting himself to Osmond¡­ But as he tried, it failed. The communication relay connecting him to Osmond cut short. Fuck, what the fuck? He tried breaking through, only for the same Imperial firewall to crack in place. Quinn¡¯s on his own¡­ What a shame, Archius thought, he was a good operative.


    ¡®Quinn?¡¯ Osmond uttered, as Quinn pumped his shotgun, aiming at him.


    He stopped in his place, as everyone else aimed at Quinn, except Leon, who simply glared at him. Leon spoke, ¡®Quinn? After all these years¡­ you¡¯ve come back, the three of you¡­ fleeing from what we¡¯ve built?¡¯


    ¡®Everything you burned,¡¯ Quinn snarled, focusing his iron-sights on Leon¡¯s head. Leon¡¯s armour was littered with backup pistols.


    Leon slowly placed one finger out, slowly shaking it as he chuckled maniacally to himself. ¡®I get it now¡­ you¡¯re not running back, you¡¯re here to destroy me, you and your army of foreigners, you traitor¡­¡¯


    The last time an army of foreigners came to Narisa, it turned into a nuclear wasteland¡­ But Leon¡¯s paranoia only seeked to anger Quinn. Come on, distract him long enough¡­ Archius looked at Eliza¡¯s monitor, Kazuki was speeding forward. He was getting close.


    ¡®I never wanted to come back here! You paranoid-cath¡­ you brought this onto yourself.¡¯ said Quinn, his head twisting to Osmond, ¡®Like back then¡­ Osmond, why the fuck are you still with him?¡¯


    Leon slowly turned to Osmond, expecting an answer from him. Osmond¡¯s face was wracked with grief and stress. Two friends from an old past¡­ This was on the dossier report on Quinn, back then it was but an irrelevant fact. But now, its relevance was of utmost criticality. Quinn¡¯s actions right now could determine the entire operation. If Quinn died, shame for sure: but the AGENCY can weather his death, like it did with so many others.


    Osmond gasped out an answer, his voice quivering, ¡®Quinn, please, join us. I¡­ we want you¡­ you remember the dream, yes?!¡¯


    ¡®What dream?! You¡¯re no better than the barons.¡¯ Quinn snapped, a look of disgust on his face at the pathetic friend that lay in front of him. ¡®Those bombs¡­ You sick fucks¡­ it really was you?!¡¯


    Bombs? Archius raised an eyebrow¡­ Oh? This was rather new information, but what information would it lend to?


    ¡®Quinn¡­ what are you talking about?¡¯ asked Osmond, his face nearly as pale as his hair.


    A vein bulged in Leon¡¯s temple. ¡®WHAT ABOUT YOU, THEN?! WHERE¡¯S PETRA AND RIHARIA?!¡¯


    Quinn gritted his teeth, hiding his displeasure at the question. There was only one answer to that: dead. Both were killed as sisters-in-arms to Quinn. Archius could only imagine the burden he felt, quite literally: he rarely felt comradery. But Quinn shook his head.


    He stared them down, stating with a firm voice, ¡®They died protecting others.¡¯ Fingers were on the triggers, and all it took was a single whistle blow to turn the entire stockpile into one large fireworks display.


    ¡®To serve those in power.¡¯ remarked Leon, ¡®Who was it? Navy? Mercs? Army? Which benevolent overlord did you sacrifice the two of them to?¡¯


    Now, it was time for Quinn to get angry. His fingers itched, posed to maim Leon beyond even Claire¡¯s medical expertise. ¡®SACRIFICE? They chose this life, and so did I.¡¯


    ¡®Not by choice.¡¯


    Quinn went quiet¡­ He thought for a moment. He was right, most people had no choice in joining the military. Conscription was still a thing, and those that left had nowhere to go; it was a simple wealth check: higher education or bust; the cruellest joke ever played by this Republic. But even after they leave, what skills do they have?


    They¡¯re good at killing, providing training and experience: and there''s an industry for them; either that or work a dead-end job for sub-par wages.


    Quinn really chose the wrong time to stop being a hot-head, Archius mulled over by himself.


    Osmond reignited his effort. ¡®Join us¡­ Quinn, we can put this all behind us, please!¡¯


    ¡®And do what? Peddle guns for the rest of my life as a mule? Kill the competition and watch as thousands more die?¡¯


    ¡®Quinn,¡¯ Leon stated, biting his words. ¡®We do what they do. They kill. They peddle, deal in corruption. We do that too¡­ you know that. But we don¡¯t line our pockets, Quinn.¡¯


    ¡®Yes!¡¯ Osmond shouted out loud, interjecting. ¡®We¡¯re doing the best we can, Quinn! You have to understand that, somewhere deep down you know we¡¯re right?!¡¯


    ¡®Right?¡¯ asked Quinn. ¡®Fucking hell¡­¡¯


    ¡®Riharia¡­ Petra¡­ You didn¡¯t sacrifice them, did you? No¡­¡¯ Leon muttered loudly, before chuckling to himself. ¡®You¡¯re just a damn idiot¡­ dragging them to their graves whilst you still live.¡¯


    ¡®SHUT THE FUCK UP!¡¯ Quinn shouted, his voice cracking and breaking into heavy breathing. ¡®JUST SHUT UP. SHUT THE FUCK UP!¡¯


    And as Osmond extended a hand, a long string of gunfire hailed through the halls. Leon looked upwards, past Quinn at the hall. And gunfire stopped, replaced with heavy footsteps. But before any of them could react, a shadow emerged across the corner.


    ? ? ?


    Crashing forward, Kazuki twisted with his many organs and limbs as he counted the numbers. Seven. Leon was in the back. He raised his pistol, and sent a sling of bolts down the room. It was fast, too fast, he could feel the mechanisms of his pistol break.


    ¡®Come on, Arbiter! Shuttle¡¯s still there!¡¯ reported Eliza, as the guards took most of the bullets, their armour packing heat.


    ¡®SHIT?!¡¯ Archius raised his voice. ¡®Arbiter? You¡¯re here? Now? Fuck, why didn¡¯t you fucking tell me!?¡¯


    Archius sounded furious. ¡®Sorry!¡¯ Eliza said.


    Quinn ducked to the side, almost being hit as Osmond and Leon fled, firing back at Kazuki as he landed a hit on Leon¡¯s shoulder. A burst of bullets came forward from Leon as he fired his backup pistols, only to swap to his shot-axe.


    Kazuki pushed forward, rushing into the docking bay as Osmond fled onto the shuttle, grabbing Leon as Kazuki aimed directly at the fuel pump.


    ¡°NO! We end this now!¡± shouted Leon, prying Osmond off and throwing himself towards Quinn. ¡°We take the Freemuzzles¡¯ heads and their Contract-Breaker!¡±


    His shaking hand pulled the trigger. The pistol flicked a bolt down the room, just as the pipe dislodged itself, it ricocheted off the wall.


    But as he saw the first sparks of fuel glitter onto the floor, a machine gun lit him up. A beam of plasma shot down the bay. He was suppressed.


    He caught a glimpse of Leon duelling Quinn, throwing his Shot-Axe down against Epsilon.


    ¡®Epsilon!¡¯ Kazuki shouted. ¡®Deal with him, I¡¯ll deal with the machine gun.¡¯


    He gave Kazuki a slight glance, nodding. Kazuki rushed out from cover, using both shield and armour to protect him. Plasma bolts flickered off his figure. Two smugglers rushed off the shuttle.


    They charged him, only to be turned to paste amidst plasma and Kazuki¡¯s bolts.


    Quinn¡¯s battle was going much worse. Whatever hits he landed did minimal damage, running out of shotgun shells. The breacher had to rely on a combat knife, ducking and weaving out from the explosive blasts sent by Leon¡¯s combined weapon.


    The fight was fast paced, Quinn had to dance around, avoiding lethal attacks. Kazuki¡¯s shield started to fracture along the seams. Shit¡­ He can¡¯t take the shuttle on. A blaring light blinded him from any vital components.


    Shielding for an extra second, Kazuki braced himself before rolling to the side, shooting the locks on a pile of crates. They collapsed in between him and the shuttle¡¯s fire, plasma shattering through and turning the room into a daze of smoke.


    Through the smog, Quinn activated his wargear¡¯s shotgun, propelling up from his shoulderplate and aiming at Leon. A shockwave slammed into the smuggler. Quinn neared, thrusting towards Leon¡¯s neck. His attack came spiralling backwards as Leon smothered out a blast from his axe, limping back from the shockwave still.


    Quinn¡¯s shield ruptured outwards, stopping any assault in its tracks.


    Kazuki could see the figure of Quinn on the floor. Leon was in a prime position to kill him. This was Kazuki¡¯s chance to end this fight. The plasma bolts flicked through the smoke blindly¡­


    In the chaos of it, Kazuki rushed forward, his armour bouncing bolts. He¡¯ll take Leon¡¯s head in one swift movement. Kazuki emerged out from the smoke, right in between Leon and Quinn.


    A shot-axe blow down was parried by Kazuki, primed to kill Quinn. With Leon on the backfoot, Kazuki rushed forward, striking consecutive blows.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± Leon blocked one attack as Kazuki rebounded a shot around his guard, parrying a second strike with the muzzle of his gun. ¡°Over here!¡±


    Leon ducked, allowing for a clear sight of the plasma turret¡¯s view to Kazuki. Move. Kazuki¡¯s body shifted to the side instinctively.


    His free hand latched onto Quinn, dragging him to the side as Leon retreated back ot the shuttle. Under the cover of the plasma bolts, he got on. Shit¡­ Kazuki might not have another chance at this.


    Firing into another locked crate, he allowed another series of small containers to crumble down, sending up dust, smoke and snow.


    Fuck, he has to act now. Kazuki grabbed his hand tighter, forcing his muscles into a sense of cold serenity.


    They were going to get away. He couldn¡¯t allow that. His sight eclipsed the smog, seeing the intense blizzard outside. Even if they chased the shuttle down, it¡¯ll be hard to track it without the scanners from the ships up in orbit. He had to take the shot now.


    Kazuki took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. He had to ignore the machine gun. Then, kicking himself off the ground, he aimed. And as he locked his muzzle onto Leon, a stray bolt of plasma kicked his steadied aim - onto the fuel.


    His bolt flung off course.


    The pool of fuel ignited.


    The entire docking bay turned orange and red with a roaring fire sheltering upwards upwards. Smoke and explosions engulfed the area as the shuttle shot away, the shockwave sending the shuttle flying backwards and into the snowstorm.


    ¡®Sato, chase the shuttle.¡¯ ordered Kazuki.


    ¡®On it! Our shuttles can¡¯t stand Narisa¡¯s extended frost and radiation both, the drones will chase after him,¡¯ reported Sato, a dozen drones breaking off from a dog-fight to chase into the blizzard. Fuck, he missed, if only he had his combat-specs on¡­ But no point, no point deliberating now. He has greater things to agonise over¡­


    Only drones¡­ ¡®Countermand that order. Order the drones to clean up shop. We¡¯ll never catch them in this storm¡­¡¯ Even Kazuki¡¯s eyes could not make out anything in the constant snowstorm outside.


    And now, Kazuki stood alone. But¡­ not really alone. Gunfire still raged across the broken hulk. Slowly, Quinn stood up, Kazuki¡¯s glare glancing at him. They looked at each other. Quinn shook in place at the golden glare of his boss. But Kazuki¡­ didn¡¯t want to berate him.


    ¡°Sir, Arbiter¡­ I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± said Kazuki, sliding his weapons into place. He reclocked his cybernetics, feeling the warm steam exit out from his mouth, forming condensation in the sub-zero air. His body was aching with pain, his reinforcements in his exospine slowly peeling off. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take the fucking shot?¡±


    Quinn quivered, lingering in the moment. Kazuki did not have time for this. He placed a hand on his pistol. And he turned towards Quinn. He thought of pulling back the receiver, but stayed his hand. He shouldn¡¯t. He can¡¯t.


    Why?


    Kazuki wondered why his limbs refused to move.


    ¡°You are an operative. Killing is apart of our job. Do not forget that¡­¡± Kazuki said. He bit his own tongue, stopping anymore words from coming out. His shaking hand kept annoying him¡­ was it exposure? He didn¡¯t know.


    It was obvious, though it seeped in slowly: because he¡¯s not like them, Quinn¡¯s no gunrunner; Kazuki¡¯s no hypocrite. Quinn¡¯s face was struck with fear, and confusion. Kazuki knew the face well. And he sighed.


    He turned back to the snowstorm outside. Quinn had his own secrets, and so did he. Lowering his voice, his eyes skidded towards Quinn. ¡°Nevermind. I won¡¯t press the matter, Quinn. We all have our own prized headaches¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­ Arbiter,¡± Quinn said, nodding at his boss, his leader, his commander in arms. Slowly, Quinn closed his eyes, and let off a frost-bitten sigh. He then spoke once again, ¡°There¡­ was a deal.¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s eyes moved from Quinn to the endless snow.


    ¡°Me¡­ Petra and Riharia opposed it. Imperial military grade explosives that were supposed to be sent to Anagora during the siege¡­ Apparently someone wanted it so bad that they¡¯d paid a hundred times market value.¡±


    Kazuki raised an eyebrow. ¡°When was this?¡±


    Quinn shrugged. ¡°About a decade ago or so?¡± he said. ¡°Leon had a rule to not sell any of those explosives¡­¡±


    Slowly, Kazuki¡¯s eyes caught all information. Could it be that Leon was the Supplier? Kazuki mumbled to himself.


    ¡°He said the money was too good to pass up¡­ There was a shoot-out, Osmond sided with him, and we split.¡±


    Silence filled the air, leaving only the faint memories of gunshots echoing across the halls.


    ¡°I see.¡± Was all Kazuki could let out.

 X23: Reheating the Gears

    It took most of his willpower to not throw his hand up at the pain. The pain was horrendous. Though it was quite obvious why, someone was stabbing and burning a hole through his exospine and skin. Despite his endurance, he let off a low groan, not being able to stop his face from flinching.


    ¡°Ah, sorry about that,¡± Eliza blurted out loud, shifting to look him in the face with a worried glance, before blowing on the afflicted area. She injected healing-stims and rubbing cooling-gel onto his back. ¡°Would you like me to stop?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kazuki stated, placing a hand to his throbbing head. Eliza nodded, continuing the repairs and reinforcements on his exospine. He¡¯s been through worse, this won¡¯t change anything. ¡°There¡¯s no point in half-assing it.¡±


    Synthia continued to project her analysis out for Eliza to look at. Kazuki felt the components and vertabraes of his exospine shift back and forth slightly. ¡®You missed the component by a mere nano-inch, don¡¯t beat yourself over that, Miss Elizabeth.¡¯


    Kazuki nodded to Synthia. Eliza murmured, ¡°Yeah... I know.¡±


    She nodded, her hair tied up to ensure it didn¡¯t get in the way of the delicate procedure. Leon and Osmond escaped through the blizzard. What should be a typical defeat has, however, born fruit. With their HQ destroyed, they¡¯ll be forced to make a move. And all they have to do is intercept them; though for now: he must recover.


    ¡°You really need to look after yourself, you know?¡± Eliza said, ¡°I mean, one day I won¡¯t be able to fix it anymore.¡±


    A solemn lull in the conversation permeated between the two.


    ¡°I know¡±, Kazuki said, breaking the silence. He knows far too well. The injuries he sustained were minimal, but she was right. ¡°Luckily, that day won¡¯t come.¡±


    Eliza grumbled slowly, shaking her head. ¡°Your cybernetics... Kaz¡­ do you know anything about them?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Kazuki glanced back at her, only for her to shift his head back forward. ¡°Yeah? I already told you of the base functionality. It¡¯s just an incredibly advanced Stimulant-Based Netic.¡±


    ¡°Then what were the spare parts for?¡±  Eliza started, then found something difficult to say¡­ ¡°They¡­ didn¡¯t match the configuration of the rest of your exospine¡­ in fact, it looked like components to some other types of exospines. Is¡­ are you sure it¡¯s just a Stimulant-Based Medinetic?¡±


    Was it? Kazuki shook his head. ¡°My exospine was made for several purposes. Claire, Rivera and Martinez noted War-gear and Telecommunication Gear.¡±


    She brightly responded, ¡°So your exospine is an Aux-type! We¡­ if I can get them strapped to your components, it¡¯d help you massively!¡±


    The offer was good, yes¡­ ¡°The components are incomplete, a few are missing. That¡¯s why I kept it Stim-Based. Rivera¡¯s a techie with this stuff, she fixed it up a few times. Her experience repairing MAELSTROM and Theonar Vessels in the Expanse helped.¡±


    He¡¯s read her dossier long ago. Daughter of an Ithiran family, family spent thousands of years repairing vessels - with Rivera eclipsing them all. Rivera had already proven her worth beyond any arm of the Milky Way.


    Her face immediately fell back to a depressed state. ¡°Oh¡­ That makes sense¡­ plus, it¡¯d take weeks for me to finish them, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d like that, would you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Eliza tried to chuckle through her suggestion. She must think it was awkward¡­ It wasn¡¯t. It was a good one, just not logistically feasible. Providing him with the chassis for both war-gear and communication would allow him direct access to many things. On-the-go Drone control and hacking were on the table, as was a shoulder mounted weapon.


    Though that table was far out of reach¡­


    ¡°Your cybernetics, they¡¯re beyond anything that I¡¯ve ever seen before, just who made them?¡±


    Only a genius could have made them, that thought stymied Kazuki¡¯s mind. Dotting the lines, Kazuki might have suspected Eliza¡¯s mother¡­ given how she was a genius on the matter. However, that was impossible. Clandestine gave him his cybernetics, not the Celeste-Delmaras. Though Clandestine¡­ probably not either.


    Kazuki answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. The only suspect is Clandestine.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ they provided their most ingenious invention to the person that¡¯d ruin their empire?¡± asked Eliza, before chuckling under her breath. ¡°Seems¡­ a little silly, to be honest?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kazuki snapped.


    Eliza¡¯s reply was instant, ¡°Huh? What do you mean ¡®no¡¯?¡±


    Kazuki placed his hands together, rubbing them slowly. ¡°Jessica Kiki-Louis wanted a successor for Clandestine¡­ She wanted me to fill that role¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Eliza let off a small chortle. ¡°Wait, what?! But¡­ you were just ten, right?¡±


    ¡°I was placed into the training regiment under Hartius Juun and Freyja Beamont,¡± Kazuki stated. He knew full well what Jessica wanted¡­ ¡°They were to turn me into a cold blooded killer. It worked¡­ Even in the end, Jessica won.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Eliza exclaimed, stopping work on his exospine power port. ¡°No! You won! You were the one that came out on top, right? This¡­¡±


    Kazuki cut her off, ¡°She won not because she lives, but because she created the perfect successor to her empire.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    He nodded. He was the perfect successor for Clandestine, the greatest rebrand. The leadership might be different, but it fills the same role, fighting for the game obese governments. Nothing changed in reality¡­ He guessed thats why many flocked to use his men.


    ¡°My cybernetics were merely a stepping stone in her plan¡­ But¡­ I doubt she made them herself.¡± Kazuki remembered back to the brief moments before he was placed under anaesthesia. His implants looked refined¡­ ¡°Clandestine was famous for being cheap. Do you think people as cheap as them would have splashed out on an investment that¡¯ll only bear fruit in a decade?¡±


    Eliza shook her head. ¡°Still¡­ she must have been playing for the long term, right?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. Clandestine was a public entity. The shareholders would have had Jessica shredded,¡± Kazuki stated. ¡°To put it bluntly: I don¡¯t know where they come from¡­ I can only suspect Clandestine because of the deal my parents made¡­ Jessica¡¯s archives had nothing on them. Close kept secret.¡±


    ¡°If¡­ this was all part of her masterplan, then why did the Loyalist oppose you?¡± asked Eliza.


    Kazuki stopped in his tracks. He linked the two dots together, yet they were incompatible. He placed a hand up to his face, feeling the bags under his eyes and the chemical scars. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. Svenn wasn¡¯t operating on his own volition¡­ someone had to be behind them, maybe one of the Loyalist backers¡­ but they¡¯re all dead. Archius made sure of that. And I was more focused on beating Svenn¡­¡±


    ¡°You won though,¡± remarked Eliza, giving him a comforting smile, it did nothing to hide away any of Kazuki¡¯s thoughts. He glanced at her, that is the face he must protect¡­ If Kazuki loses his mind, he might start thinking Eliza was Victoria. ¡°You beat Svenn and his Loyalists, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find the answer later on, or perhaps we could ask one of the defected Loyalists?¡±


    ¡°Tried that already.¡± Kazuki placed his hands together. ¡°Svenn¡¯s smart and cunning. He wouldn¡¯t let an opportunity like that into my hands, even if he was mind-snared¡­ He was going to win.¡±


    Eliza objected immediately. ¡°Win?! No! You won¡­ he wasn¡¯t going to win¡­¡± she trailed off, whispers of hesitation lingering from her lips.


    Kazuki shook his head.


    ¡°You saved my life. I am thankful for that¡­ But Svenn was going to kill me.¡± Kazuki closed his eyes, thinking back to the P-2 Incident. ¡°Circumstances make up half of who¡¯s going to win a fight. Svenn whittled me down in an ambush, twice¡­ thrice. Forced me from a state of recovery into an all or nothing gamble.¡±


    Eliza nodded. That much she must know is true, or at least must have inferred or analysed to be so.


    ¡°You outskilled him, however,¡± Eliza said. ¡°You were the better fighter.¡±


    ¡°Yet I still lost thrice,¡± Kazuki stated. Svenn had him cornered in the sewers. The stalemate on the Skyliner was his defeat. ¡°The other half of winning is skill, yes, but my circumstances and his nullified my skills. I was low on power for most of my fights. Exhausted. He never fought me from the start. Always at the end¡­ When I¡¯m at my most vulnerable.¡±


    Picking up one of the spare battery charges from the table, she held it up to the light in the room. ¡°Well, at least we have more replacements¡­ That should open your opportunities up if you bring a few into combat.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Claire gave me some. I guess you save them to her?¡±


    Smiling, she said, ¡°Yeah, she was quite worried about it and wanted to bring more but I assured her that they worked, seems like that was enough to convince her. So¡­ were they any good?¡± She placed the power charge back onto the table.


    He nodded. Kazuki thought to himself, remembering the saying that knowing was half the fight, the other part was violence. He held that to be true. Svenn might not have outskilled Kazuki, especially on a full charge, but he knew how to defeat him¡­


    She smiled at his words. She really shouldn¡¯t. Get that damn smile away¡­ His words are simply the truth.


    He would have died without her, nothing more. Still, if affirmations made her happy, Kazuki will oblige her.


    A lull in the conversation gave way to a moment of thinking. Kazuki could feel Eliza¡¯s eyes on his cybernetics, looking at his exospine. She must be wondering the same trailing thought that he had. Maybe¡­ But it¡¯s impossible.


    Silence¡­ Kazuki broke the stalemate. ¡°Eliza, after the gunrunners, we can focus on the investigation.¡±


    She stopped for a moment as she re-fixed components beside each other. Her mind kicked back into gear.


    Kazuki could feel her tug out the injector ports and refill his stimulant-exospine¡¯s store capacities. Then, she slowed down, thinking for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s what you said with the Loyalists, Kaz,¡± mumbled Eliza.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°That I did. But the gunrunners were a matter of importance,¡± lied Kazuki. He kept one hand in his pockets, slowly shaking as if freezing.


    Fuck¡­ He¡¯ll have to get rid of that somehow. He doesn¡¯t want Eliza worrying. Kazuki looked towards a jar of pills on the desk, Halolazil. Perfect.


    ¡°May I ask why?¡±


    He paused for a moment, knowing that he¡¯ll have to give a quick answer. Silence is an answer itself. He couldn¡¯t tell her the true answer. It¡¯s an answer he¡¯ll take to his grave; because it¡¯s an admission of his own guilt.


    Instead, he gave her the ¡®paper¡¯ answer that Archius would have given. ¡°They have ties to the Loyalists. They must be dealt with.¡±


    ¡°¡ªSo you¡¯ll bring justice to them?¡± asked Eliza, somewhat interested as she finished up her work, tidying up the enhancing kit as she placed it on the desk. The cooling gel felt weird, Kazuki thought.


    Placing his hands on his shirt, he buttoned it up as he stood up, ensuring that his burns and scars were nicely hidden away. Slowly, he turned around. Justice? Sure, if that¡¯s what she called it. To him, justice was simply a bi-product If he truly wanted justice, he¡¯d have killed half of the Dassant and blackmailed the other half.


    There¡¯s no justice here, no matter what his father would say. He¡¯ll kill them all because they opposed him. They nearly killed Eliza. That was his justice, the Contract-Breaker¡¯s justice. And he¡¯ll give it to them.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Eliza looked displeased at his answer. Even a social idiot like Kazuki could see that. Something was wrong, but he wasn¡¯t Archius, able to understand practically anything with people.


    Flicking his uplink on, he activated the hover-board behind his desk. He walked to it, the surface adorned with a thousand lines, posters, dossiers and photos.


    She followed him, standing beside him as the two looked at the various pins and lines across an interconnecting web of conspiracies. ¡°Is this?¡± She trailed off.


    Looking at the pins and boards, it was rather barebones to Kazuki, but extensive for anyone else. But there¡¯s still so much blood to spill. Her question was too vague, but he answered the best he could, ¡°For now, yes. Leads are cold.¡±


    ¡°Well, I must say that everything¡¯s quite cold,¡± murmured Eliza.


    Kazuki paused for a moment, then turned towards her with a confused look. She met his confusion with her own. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Cold¡­ like Narisa? Get it?¡± Eliza elaborated, with an awkward face. The revelation raised Kazuki¡¯s brow. He got it, but whether there was any context or subtext, Kazuki didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Something was definitely up with Eliza, Kazuki thought, as she glanced away, placing her hands behind her back. Kazuki caught her twiddling her fingers.


    Puns were typically off the table for her. And though it was quite unrefined, he¡¯ll have to just ask her directly. Plus, Kazuki could feel unease from a mile away.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked, taking a pill jar of Halolazil and downing a whole palmful of the pills¡­ He felt his hand stiffen in its steadiness. So that¡¯s his answer.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Eliza glanced at Kazuki. He didn¡¯t meet her gaze, instead focusing on the forward and now. He should be using the analyspec, but he¡¯ll save the psychological damage to later. ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m just lost in my thoughts,¡± said Eliza.


    ¡°Understood,¡± said Kazuki. He had no reason to push further. Given everything that had happened this month, and year as a whole up till now, he wouldn¡¯t push her further. She¡¯s been through enough pain already, Kazuki thought.


    A light blinked on his uplink, signalling him back to the command deck. It seemed urgent as well. Hmm, Kazuki thought, he¡¯ll have to extrapolate later. His blank face turned away from Eliza, as he walked around the desk. He extended his hand towards the door¡¯s release touch-screen.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Eliza shouted. Kazuki froze, mere inches away from the button. He slowly turned around at her. She looked mildly distressed, pouting in annoyance¡­ Oh great, Kazuki thought, he has no idea what he did now. ¡°Kazuki¡­ I heard some of the others say that this op could have been delegated. I don¡¯t want to sound insensitive, but by any chance are you trying to avoid the investigation?¡±


    Why was it always her to freeze him? He couldn¡¯t tell her the truth, that was off the table. The stress seeped in once again as he straightened his back, feeling the exoskeletal vertebrae slink into place. A second passed as he said nothing. But it was an answer nonetheless.


    He could feel his heart beat faster; he couldn¡¯t tell her. Eliza was right, he could have sent someone else to deal with them¡­ Stresses and fears slowly consumed him as he looked to the ground, letting off a small gasp of steam in exhaustion.


    ¡°Actually, forget that¡­ I¡¯m sure you have your reasons, Kaz. We all have our own obsessions,¡± said Eliza. ¡°I guess you prefer to dish out justice with your own hands.¡±


    His contract to Victoria was everything, the only thing keeping him latched onto living. Ulysses, Eliza: both must live. But dread seeped in on the inside. It wasn¡¯t from a particularly strong opponent, nor an upcoming battle or space skirmish, but it lingered. It was all because it came from one entity that he could not entirely control; one factor that Archius could not lay his hands on. It was the only single source that made him worry: Elizabeth.


    The moment she learns the truth of what happened, she¡¯ll grow to resent him. Victoria¡­ the station¡­ the detonation. It was all his fault, if only he had tried harder. If only he was better. Guilt crept in as a near decade long crusade of fatigue set in, clouding his mind as he felt the weight of responsibility¡­


    He gritted his teeth, though his face remained unflinching. But through his voice, a spark of life flickered out of his mouth. ¡°The AGENCY is still new, I want to ensure our power base is firmly within my control,¡± said Kazuki, it wasn¡¯t a lie, but it omitted key details: such as how he already secured the loyalties of his commanders.


    Eliza took a step closer to him, gently squeezing his cheek. His face muscles did not respond, as if they were being dragged along.


    She gave off a slight smile, stretching his face into a limp smile. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ that does make sense. But¡­ I need to ask you of another thing.¡±


    ¡°Go on,¡± Kazuki stated. The Blinking kept coming from the Uplink, but Kazuki merely switched it off.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Eliza pointed to it.


    Kazuki shook his head. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to tell me here of all places, it must be important. Right?¡±


    Eliza nodded. ¡°Well¡­ The previous mission. I made promises and¡­ I know that you were going to live, that just seems to be about it but¡­ it feels strange.¡±


    ¡°Being here?¡± Kazuki asked. ¡°You get used to us.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Eliza raised her voice. ¡°Not all of you guys, you¡¯re all amazingly chill people, Lilly included - even if she kicked my arse at the start.¡±


    Kazuki remained silent. Eliza walked up to one of the walls, pressing down on a small lever. A portion of the wall gave way to a sofa. It was more of a bed, to be honest. Embedded into the wall, the bed was had dust on it.


    Eliza coughed slightly as she sat down. ¡°You really need to housekeep more oft.¡±


    ¡°Beds are luxuries I do not need,¡± Kazuki remarked. It seems like this will be something that Eliza needs time explaining.


    Kazuki placed his hand on the holographic interface along the table¡¯s centre. He activated several scanners, showing things around the vessel and in the void of space.


    The cold, dead planet stared back at him - with the ever more chilling abyss surrounding all of them. It gave Kazuki a¡­ strange feeling. This phenomena was apparently documented by Terra¡¯s first astronauts.


    The dread and worry burnt away. He turned back to Eliza. ¡°They¡¯re not escaping. It can wait.¡±


    Eliza nodded, gazing across the various scanners, their screens interlaced with the walls - giving an almost perfect sync of the ship¡¯s exterior. It felt like a mini-observatory, all in the quarters and office of the captain.


    ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s a strange feeling, Kaz,¡± Eliza started. ¡°Just¡­ I always feel worried, I had been worrying for the entire year you were gone¡­ And now you just got captured.¡±


    ¡°And rescued,¡± Kazuki remarked.


    ¡°But captured nonetheless¡­¡± Eliza continued. She stopped, taking in a deep breath. Kicking herself off the bed, she wiped dust off the duvet and turned towards the door. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Sorry, it¡¯s really nothing, we should be¡­¡±


    She trailed off.


    Kazuki sat down on the bed, his head an inch away from the bunk¡¯s ceiling. ¡°I told you, it can wait¡­¡± Kazuki was a good killer. A good fighter knows what he can beat and what he cannot. Emotions fall in the latter category. Eliza had a strange face.


    Longing.


    ¡°Isolation?¡± Kazuki asked.


    Eliza twirled around to face him. Her blood-red eyes stared at his answer¡­


    Did Kazuki get it wrong?


    Fuck. He did¡­?


    Eliza smiled slightly, sitting back down next to him. ¡°No hiding it now, right?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Kazuki was unapologetic. That somehow made Eliza chuckle, just his clear and unremarkable response.


    ¡°Thanks, Kaz¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    That snide comment seemed to have cheered her up even more. What? What. Huh? Kazuki didn¡¯t get it. He¡­ really didn¡¯t get it. Kazuki¡¯s incredibly serious responses seemed to have brightened Eliza¡¯s face.


    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly good at talking when you want to, Kaz,¡± Eliza remarked. She wrapped one arm around him, patting him on the other arm, before placing her hands together. ¡°I guess you know a bit about isolation? Right?¡±


    Kazuki nodded.


    He could only speculate as to what Liz was referring to, with herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s after the attack¡­ my mum was already gone¡­ and my sister was gone as well. My father¡­ he never seemed the same,¡± Eliza explained. ¡°I had to look after Ulysses for a few years, until he could take care of himself. And¡­ You knew how I was back in high school, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°Gloomy, straight faced, always punctual. Never late. Top grades.¡±


    Eliza smirked. ¡°And then you and Archius just had to tumble your way down the street into the school gates.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ he was the one driving,¡± Kazuki muttered. Eliza smiled at that.


    ¡°Yeah, and I was like that with Chlo¨¦, student council buds, after all¡­ She warmed up in the end, and I did too, but I was worse before¡­ Middle school was¡­ hell for me.¡± Eliza started to grip her hands with one another.


    Kazuki watched and listened.


    ¡°Everyone thought I was a freak¡­ This¡­ dead-on-the-inside girl that gets top grades.¡±


    ¡°Let me guessed, you were bullied?¡± Kazuki asked. It wasn¡¯t really a question.


    Eliza nodded. ¡°They were brutal¡­ Of course, no one cared. Not even my father¡­ Even as they¡­ Beat and¡­¡±


    Eliza¡¯s blinking got faster.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t care¡­¡± Eliza continued. ¡°He was Police Commissioner, he most certainly knew it was wrong, but he did nothing.¡±


    That kind of isolation was the complete opposite of Kazuki¡¯s. She was forced into isolation. Kazuki chose it. Where Eliza stood and was pelted, Kazuki was the one that ran¡­ She was always the stronger one, both her and Victoria were.


    Silence loomed overhead. Kazuki embraced it. Slowly, Eliza did too. They didn¡¯t need to say a word to understand anything.


    ¡°And¡­ I hate it, just the feeling of having no one at my side,¡± Eliza broke the silence.


    It stung Kazuki true. It was a harsh truth that he avoided. But it stung even harder when he tried to deny that he understood.


    ¡°And then you all came alone, the student council was bustling, same with the exec at University, but then everything came crumbling down¡­ It just¡­ aches me the wrong way.¡±


    Kazuki placed his hands together as well. ¡°You¡¯re not alone now. Are you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Eliza answered him. ¡°What about you?¡±


    Himself? Well... Kazuki looked forward. A finger clicked turned off his vision. He felt a thousand lives, dead and alive, washed over him. Mountains of corpses, all floating off into space... Dying breaths and last minute promises.


    Hate. So much hate. Nothing was left in him. Blood poured out, it was painful. Nothing was left. A woman picked him up by the throat and choke slammed him. Her knife removed one of his eyes.


    Death itself approached. Death. All corpses hailed its arrival. Its presence was ignited... Everything then went blank... A thousand more visages and pains echoed in his mind.


    All the while, Kazuki maintained a neutral face. It was slipping, though. On the edges of his eyes, the muscles relaxed. His gaze dropped to the floor. Kazuki blinked several times, he had to pick himself back together.


    ¡°People thought I was a freak as well. For physical reasons, not mental. I got bored of a lesson once. Slept through it listening to music on an uplink. Teacher caught me,¡± Kazuki started. ¡°Ripped it straight off.¡±


    Kazuki paused, and gulped to clear his throat. ¡°It¡¯s a strange feeling. I think that was when I realised how¡­ pathetically weak we all are¡­ They laughed at me, until I nearly cracked my teacher¡¯s skull.¡±


    ¡°Well, that seems rather intense compared to me!¡± Eliza made a strained face, probably knowing to some extent what Kazuki was talking about. She awkwardly touched her own uplink before shivering at the mere thought of it being ripped off.


    ¡°Just because one fight is more desperate than another does not diminish the lesser,¡± Kazuki said.


    Eliza slowly grew into a smile for that. ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Kazuki remarked, ¡°I guess we¡¯re both freaks, from where I stand, you¡¯re nor which is why I must ensure that stays the same. You¡¯re no killer, and that¡¯s good. Look at me, Liz. The Contract-Breaker.¡±


    ¡°And the genius of Sarimba.¡± Eliza sighed, leaning back against a large collection of small pillows. She let off a small laugh. ¡°Just¡­ I¡¯m worried¡­ I¡¯m worried that somewhere along the line, we¡¯ll regress, I¡¯ll go back to¡­ that.¡±


    A frantic knock came at the door. ¡°Kazuki, it¡¯s Archius, it¡¯s urgent, he says,¡± Cyrus said through the micro-speaker attached to the door.


    Eliza sighed. ¡°Sorry, I guess I took up a bunch of important time.¡± She kicked back to her feet, dusting herself off and straightening her jacket.


    ¡°No¡­ No,¡± Kazuki repeated himself. Whilst he didn¡¯t exactly tell Eliza of his own past¡­ Eliza must have known some parts. Within the darkness of the abyss in the sensors, Kazuki saw himself¡­


    That kid, knees to his chest - hiding. Crying. Bleeding. All alone¡­ Solemn golden eyes engulfed Kazuki¡¯s mind. But that is the past. Eliza¡¯s past is her past.


    ¡°No. Things have changed,¡± Kazuki confidently stated. ¡°We¡¯ll find those fucking conspirators¡­ Suppliers, communication, corruption and anymore if we find them. We¡¯re not scared kids anymore. You¡¯ll never go back there¡­ same with me.¡±


    The confidence rubbed onto Eliza. She smiled, twirling back to him. ¡°I¡¯ll looking forward to it, then.¡±


    Kazuki nodded. Eliza marched towards the door. It opened, as Archius stormed in. He looked pissed.


    ¡°The fuck were you two doing?!¡± he shouted. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you! Get a move on...¡±


    ¡°Oh? Well, we were just getting some rest, I suppose,¡± Eliza said. ¡°Right?¡± She turned back to Kazuki. He nodded.


    Archius¡¯ eyes flickered to Kazuki. He didn¡¯t seem convinced at all. ¡°Alright, well, it¡¯s nice for that, but if you¡¯re fixed up: we have a very angry person to deal with.¡±


    Peering back at Eliza, glistening red eyes gleamed back. For a moment, Kazuki¡¯s mind mistook Eliza¡¯s figure for Victoria¡­ Blood splattered across his face, and then¡­ nothing. Snippets of his past reared his head up.


    Clenching his fist, Kazuki stopped it from shaking. Eliza¡¯s life is all that mattered now. Her future is everything. And his past is all that he has left. But what then? How would Kazuki ever explain anything? Victoria¡­ all of it?


    It doesn¡¯t matter. That is a problem for future Kazuki. His first Contract is all that matters. Releasing his grip, Kazuki clung to the non-existent chance that she wouldn¡¯t despise him.

 X24: Defrosted Red

    Whatever Kazuki thought of in those long moments, Eliza could only speculate. His golden eyes spoke nothing. She questions herself¡­ Why did she ask that?! He just survived being captured, and here she was, adding even more stress to his plate. Yet as she followed Kazuki into the command room, followed by Cyrus, he didn¡¯t portray any thought through any movement pertaining to¡­ anything. Just why can¡¯t he open up? Why must he always be so closed off from others, Eliza asked herself, finding no answer.


    The typically pristine command room had snack bags littered around on the tables, and decks. It had been some time since the mission, and not much had happened. Everyone present scrambled to put them away as Kazuki entered.


    Cyrus flanked the blast-door with his rifle-bore blade, weapons of the old Imperial Knights.


    ¡°Kazuki, the Commissioner wishes to speak with you,¡± said Sato. She stood up, pointing at a holographic call, incoming. ¡°Should we tell him to fuck off?¡±


    ¡°I wish¡­¡± Quinn trailed off, sitting with his legs kicked up. Archius was busy away talking to someone on phone, nestled in the corner as he leant against the railing. Amy¨¦ was drunk, somehow smuggling half a crates worth of booze onto the vessel with Quinn. Apparently they did so with Archius¡¯ permission. He gave them a dismissive glance.


    Eliza  slowly moved across the room to sit near them, leaving Kazuki alone. He stood at one end of the command table, glancing at the incoming call for a moment..


    ¡°Put them through,¡± said Kazuki. Lilly glanced up from her data-pad.


    She nodded, grumbling as the command deck loaded in for a moment, she swore under her breath as she slammed her fist at the module. It caused the call to be sent through. Polygons formed up to create a direct video-link¡­ She remained silent - unwilling to attract his ire anymore than she already has, as her chest felt heavy..


    ¡®Contract-Breaker, status report on the operation to eliminate the Narisan gunrunners.¡¯ Frederick ordered, he kept calm as the two glared at each other, there was definitely something else at play.


    ¡®The majority of gunrunner assets have been either seized or destroyed.¡¯ said Kazuki, he wasn¡¯t lying - but he was omitting the more volatile parts of this operation. Though knowing her father, he probably already knew.


    ¡®And of their leaders?¡¯


    ¡®In hiding, we are currently tracking them down.¡¯ reported Kazuki.


    ¡®The SPTU would have gotten them already.¡¯ Frederick scoffed, laughing to himself slightly as he turned around the room, glancing from the table at each and every member of Kazuki¡¯s current command. His eyes glistened with hate as he continued, ¡®Contract-Breaker, anything other than total victory is utter failure to Madame Justice.¡¯


    ¡®As I said, we are currently¡ª¡¯


    ¡®¡ªDoing nothing. And while I¡¯m at it, I¡¯ve also heard of the little incident at the Yamki shipyards.¡¯ said Frederick, ¡®You know anything about that? Planetary assets destroyed in an attack¡­¡¯


    Eliza felt the glare skim over the room, directed at Kazuki. She watched as the two glared off at each other, Kazuki¡¯s apathy clashing with Frederick¡¯s hate¡­ She never understood why her dad despised him with all his mind and will and guts. Maybe it was because he¡¯s a ¡®savage Contract-Breaker¡¯.


    Her first initial reaction was similar, but over the years and months: she realised that they all had dreams, wants, aspirations¡­ She could only speculate how much it weighed Kazuki down, all of those hopes - never to be uttered again.


    ¡®And what about you, Hypocrite?¡¯ retorted Kazuki, snapping, his eyes unmoving, ¡®We do the heavy lifting whilst you sit in your office and polish your brooch.¡¯ She could feel a sense of malice within his voice, as if he¡¯d just fired a bolt into her father¡¯s head.


    ¡®We are not here to talk about my role as the Commissioner, you are to get things done.¡¯ Frederick pointed a finger at Kazuki, as his eyes slowly deepened into a navy blue, matching the badge on his torso.


    ¡®But that is what I am talking about. In fact, your overbearing oversight with us may lead to us¡­ pulling out.¡¯ Kazuki stated, with a disgusted look on his face towards Frederick. ¡®Killing criminals on your behalf isn¡¯t our only revenue source, and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s many people needing for our services.¡¯


    Kazuki wasn¡¯t lying, Eliza thought, but it did seem lie a bluff of some kind. Frederick gritted his teeth, ignoring Kazuki as he continued, ¡®The amount of damages you have done to the Yamki shipyards will cost the local governor¡ª¡¯


    ¡®We have a governor?¡¯ interjected Quinn, attracting the ire of everyone around. Eliza saw none of the life-hearted joy that encapsulated him. All that was left was hate¡­ was everyone like this, Eliza wondered? All trapped in something? ¡®You think Senator fucks-their-name or Governor can-go-cathing-shove-a-muzzle-down-their-throat cares about our planet?¡¯


    ¡°Quinn.¡± Lilly shouted across the room, causing Eliza to shake slightly at the uproar. Lilly placed her pad down, before glancing at Eliza, then back at Quinn. Her voice softened. ¡°Go to storage. Now, get us all some beer.¡±


    ¡°Go eat shit, Lilly.¡± said Quinn, standing up as he made his way out of the room. Kazuki stood still, waiting for the storm to pass, looking all the same with an apathetic, emotionless glare.


    ¡°I heard what happened down there, Quinn.¡± said Lilly, as he opened the blast door. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take the shot?¡±


    Quinn stood for a moment, he twisted to look at her. And whilst she seemed mad, he simply looked dejected. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t¡­ alright?¡± He murmured.


    A moment of silence fell as he left the room, Eliza slowly looked up to Lilly as she sighed, shaking her head.


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Eliza whispered, ¡°I think you should have gone lighter on him.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± Lilly angrily muttered, her eyes widening as she realised the burden she¡¯s always piled onto him. Then, she glanced back at Kaz and Frederick.


    ¡®Blood thirsty killers¡­ the lot of you.¡¯ started Frederick, ¡®You have no unitary goal or idea, the only thing you fight for is credits. Just a rabble of money-hungry contractors.¡¯


    ¡®People need money to live?¡¯ Kazuki asked, pretending to be shocked. Though, his face wasn¡¯t exactly shocked, more rather annoyed. ¡®This is a revolutionary thesis, you should write your PhD on the matter.¡¯


    ¡®Tch, blood thirsty men, all of you.¡¯


    ¡®AND THIS BLOODY KILLER WILL HAVE YOUR SKULL!¡¯ Amy¨¦ shot up, pushing past everyone as she crushed a beer can, acting as if it was Frederick¡¯s neck. Before Eliza could even see Amy¨¦¡¯s drunken face, Claire had knocked her out, her face a thousand shades of red from embarrassment¡­


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± said Claire, dragging Amy¨¦ away, through the door.


    ¡®Need I say anymore?¡¯ asked Frederick. ¡®No discipline¡­¡¯


    Kazuki remained silent for a moment, staring down Frederick through the holographic projection. His eyes were a cold gold, a haunting aura lingered around him, felt by Eliza, as he opened his mouth. ¡®No. We might not be as disciplined as your officers, we may be blood thirsty: but we get the job done where you do not. The Judiciary would not need us if you were able to adapt against crime.¡¯


    Everyone in the room froze, including Eliza. His words pierced everyone¡¯s ears as his voice crackled with a measure of restrained frustration, it felt awful, spine-cracking even, to hear him speak with such vigour in his voice. She has never heard him like this before. Intimidating was putting his words lightly; he placed both hands on the table. Archius turned around slightly, shrugging at the situation as he turned back to his call.


    Frederick was not amused, a face of disdain painted over his spiteful soul. She¡¯s seen that face many times, but this was the first time she¡¯s seen it directed at anyone outside her family. ¡®You have seven Terra-rotations. If you do not provide me with results by then, I will not provide you with my support when the hounds come calling. Results, Contract-Breaker, that is what I want. I am glad we can both see that.¡¯


    Seven Terra-rotations?! Doing the maths, they¡¯d have just half of that with Narisa¡¯s orbit. Three and a half days? She wasn¡¯t familiar with everything, yet the skyliner op took that long to prepare. And her father expects results?


    ¡®I agree, results come first before any personal grievances, right?¡¯ snapped Kazuki, Frederick thinned his eyes in response. ¡®And tell your sycophants that after the gunrunners, I may pay them bolts next.¡¯ He slammed down the projector, turning towards Sato.


    ¡°Splendid¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, feeling uneasy at the whole encounter.


    ¡°Sato, dossier.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, you haven¡¯t seen it yet?¡± she asked, activating a button on the command deck as a dozen visages sprouted upwards, rotating towards Kazuki. There was the Iron Will, Prometheus, Kalico and the Blazen Lemu. One destroyer escort, one converted laundry-frigate and two patrol-corvettes. Laundry-frigate? She paused for a moment, thinking to herself: so those really do exist!


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    But the force seemed small, even the Phoenix¡¯s Fury had more displacement than the whole fleet combined. She hasn¡¯t been around, but she¡¯s heard that the AGENCY is much larger¡­ But yet again, she did not wish to speak out on this matter. She felt confident in other topics, but military deployments were far out of her speciality of knowledge, for now. If she¡¯s to be a good aide, she must learn more, and there¡¯s always more to learn and understand. Albeit concepts or fact, she felt invigorated by the realisation.


    Eliza could see Sato¡¯s frustration, the meeting went even more poorly than the last, and she had a breakdown there. Kazuki paused for a moment, nodding at Eliza, then glancing at Sato. Everyone was talking amongst themselves as Sato walked across the command deck, a tenth the size of the Dreadnought¡¯s.


    ¡°Say it.¡± stated Kazuki, ¡°We¡¯re not Clandestine. I won¡¯t slit your throat for speaking.¡±


    Sato was immediately put on the spot as Eliza watched her shoot up. She glanced towards Eliza, who in return simply gave her thumbs up, it was the best she could do in her situation. Sato tugged at her collar, sighing. She wore exhaustion as her makeup, her eyes riddled with sleep deprivation.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go see if Quinn¡¯s alright?¡± asked Eliza.


    Lilly paused, thinking for a moment. ¡°Quinn¡¯s not the talkative type, I know - hard to believe. Time¡¯s what he needs, you concur or what?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Eliza. She understood what Lilly meant, some things were simply unavoidable.


    ¡°I understand that the Commissioner is,¡± Sato turned towards Eliza, before sprouting a look at Kazuki, ¡°No offence, an absolute fucking manic¡ª¡±


    ¡°No offence taken,¡± Eliza muttered.


    ¡°¡ªbut there¡¯s a time and place for everything, he could have bought us more time if you hadn¡¯t thrown a damn tantrum! Seven terras? That¡¯s not even four days here!¡±


    ¡°Tell me what I should have done, then?¡± asked Kazuki, to the surprise of Sato, ¡°Bend over backwards for that Tapping idiot? I¡¯ll give him my respect once he earns it, for now, he has not.¡±


    On one side was progress, Sato; the other side was integrity, Kazuki. Sato was right¡­ they needed more time, Eliza thought. But Kazuki was also right¡­ they needed to draw a line in the sand, lest the reputation of the AGENCY be drowned in a muddied hellfire of her own father¡¯s choosing.


    ¡°No¡­ but I would have been more cautious.¡± Sato crossed her arms, making her annoyance known to Kazuki.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Archius interjected, twisting around, ¡°I have some good news! Everyone! And bad news¡­¡±


    Everyone turned towards Archius as he slipped off his uplink communication. All eyes were on him as he scratched his cheek, chuckling slightly at the sight.


    ¡°Bad time?¡± asked Archius.


    ¡°No, continue.¡±


    Archius smirked, shrugging as he approached the command table, pressing one hand against it as he leaned. ¡°My eyes on the inside have told me that they¡¯re attempting to flee. Republic Intelligence wasn¡¯t much help.¡±


    ¡°That makes things simple,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°What else have you learnt?¡±


    ¡°Not much, the CRIS did some covert ops before during the First Shadow War, most of the locations have gone deserted.¡± Archius said, ¡°But, the bad news is we¡¯re playing a waiting game, unless you want us to scour that frozen wasteland.¡±


    Sato agreed, nodding, ¡°Yes, the only problem being that we¡¯re on a time limit. Archius, can you get them to speed up?¡±


    ¡°No, not without my eyes being killed, Leon¡¯s paranoia is getting even more intense now that shit¡¯s hit the fan. He¡¯ll be on the low for now.¡± Archius sighed, saying, ¡°Just when we were getting to the fun part as well¡­¡±


    Eliza glanced at the interface in front of Kaz, fascinated. She watched as Kaz unravelled information, looking at all the Mercenary Units under his command. Project Heimfall and Deltastring were at the top, with their sigils displayed: A blazing phoenix and a web of torpedoes respectively. Project Cavilcade, Busephalus and Torrential were also present.


    Eliza could see the cogs in Kazuki¡¯s brain twist, though it was not decipherable for her - his guard was up, it seems. But despite no numbers being present, he said, ¡°Five hundred and fifty two operatives across four war-vessels. Elite, but small.¡±


    ¡°Hey, at least I called in reinforcements.¡± Lilly said, lighting a cigarette, making sure the smoke didn¡¯t blow its way towards Kazuki.


    ¡°And for that I thank you,¡± stated Kazuki. ¡°But call in the Skitari, Ulcion¡¯s Wrath and the Honour of Castillrie.¡±


    ¡°Only three?¡± asked Sato.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be running checkpoints in orbit. No need for Cantari-4 levels of firepower.¡± Kazuki explained. Sato and Lilly both chimed in with Kazuki, as Eliza listened in to the monotonous chatter of naval logistics and bureaucracy. ¡°Martinez and the Phoenix¡¯s Fury will remain on Anagora.¡±


    Eliza looked down at her ICAPAD, glancing through the various completed reports and assignments given to her.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Archius, looking down at Eliza from the railing, ¡°Not enough paperwork for you?¡±¡°Hmm, no¡ªactually¡­ yeah. I also haven¡¯t gotten a reply from Professor Killian yet, so that¡¯s still on my mind,¡± Eliza said, looking up at Archius as she complained about university. He probably forgot that she was a uni-student first and foremost, and this was simply a little side-gig she was doing.


    Archius merely shrugged. ¡°Well,¡± Archius paused for a moment before smiling, ¡°Least you solved the logi-team¡¯s situation. Plus, Killian¡¯s lazy.¡±


    With that, he walked away¡­ Eliza glanced up at the information sprouting across the room. The Iron Will itself was only two kilometres long, nimble and small compared to the bulkier cruisers, battleships and dreadnoughts.


    ¡°How do you even¡­ man them¡­¡± Eliza¡¯s thoughts sprawled out as she trailed off.


    Both Sato and Kazuki caught wind of it. Though Kazuki¡¯s face didn¡¯t show anything, Sato¡¯s lit up with interest. But it was Kazuki that spoke first, ¡°Not every contractor¡¯s an operative. Most are civilians.¡±


    Kazuki spoke¡­ calmly. More than usual, at the very least. Something felt soothing about it. He looked at her with some interest in his eyes, like a light was in them she hadn¡¯t seen before. But behind those dead golden eyes, it was hard to decipher anything.


    Archius glanced over towards Kazuki, looking into his eyes. As Eliza opened her mouth to reply, Archius interjected, ¡°Kaz, my informant has information, it¡¯s important for you to know.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of us?¡± snapped Sato, glaring up. ¡°Don¡¯t want to tell us important shit?¡±


    ¡°Important shit yes, not important to you, though.¡±


    Kazuki looked neutral. He nodded at Archius as he turned to Sato. ¡°Organise the blockade. You¡¯re in command of the fleet, Commodore.¡±


    Sato groaned at the mounting responsibilities as both Archius and Kazuki disappeared through the door, escorted out by Cyrus. Things immediately calmed down as they left, with a more calm attitude being adopted by the operatives; most of them got out their snacks and drinks.


    She then turned back to Sato. ¡°But, still!? It must be a nightmare to man the guns¡­¡±


    ¡°It IS a nightmare!¡± blurted Sato, ¡°Why do you think we have you working on logi? Things are a lot smoother now that the chaos of recruiting¡¯s over, but the Phoenix¡¯s Fury alone takes¡ª¡±


    Sato did the maths in her head, muttering to herself as she did the numbers. Eliza¡¯s thirst for knowledge seemed to have overtaken her concerns, worries and everything else as she listened intently, all the while Lilly scribbled to pass the time.


    ¡°¡ªFifty thousand crew? Five times the drones, as well! Plus like¡­ few thousand contractors.¡±


    Eliza bathed in the knowledge, intrigued and interested. Her eyes glistened with a thirst for knowledge, as if her school-self reignited with curiosity, except without the cold-apathy that rears its head from time to time. She felt the urge to ask even more questions¡­ But¡­ she asked the wrong one.


    ¡°I guess you were quite the navigator in the past.¡± said Eliza, interested in Sato¡¯s service history.


    Sato¡¯s face slowed down, she thought to herself. She slowly nodded. ¡°Yeah, I met a lot of people in the navy, including Lilly. She got me into Clandestine to begin with.¡±


    Eliza looked at Lilly, but she was too invested looking into a holo-cam reel from one of the drones. She gave a simple nod and grunt of approval. But Eliza could feel an air of solemness with Sato. Eliza realised that she had just asked about her past, a seemingly innocent question must have opened the dam for Sato¡­


    She quickly tried to backpedal the conversation. ¡°So, uh, back onto the¡ª¡±


    ¡°No point hiding it?¡± asked Sato. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Eliza was silent, but it gave Sato enough of an answer. Eliza thought it was quite clear¡­ but she felt bad now, accidentally reminding her of past memories. She had no idea what happened in the past, but the dots were easily connected. Even something as simple as this added more guilt to her mind, as if she was prying ito Sato¡¯s own mind. She silenced her thoughts.


    ¡°Eliza, make sure not to get stuck in the past like me. Live for yourself, you¡¯re still young after all.¡±


    Live for herself?! She is! Eliza knows she¡¯s living for herself, right? Give Victoria¡¯s memory rest and restart her mother¡¯s company¡­ Those are her goals, right? ¡°B¡ªbut I am!¡± said Eliza. They had to be her¡¯s. She¡¯s had them for so long that she¡¯s moulded these two missions to her own specifications; they were hers. No doubt about it.


    ¡°You¡¯re not.¡±


    Eliza furrowed her brow, for once actually frustrated at Sato. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for myself, Sato.¡± said Eliza, ¡°I chose voluntarily to carry the burden!¡±


    Her firm determination staggered Sato in the conversation, but she was silent. Lilly looked up from her photo-works. ¡°She¡¯s right, Liz¡¯s a hard skull to crack, you should have seen those eyes back in our barracks, I swear she can probably convince Kaz to do anything.¡±


    Lilly wasn¡¯t exactly wrong¡­ Eliza thought for a moment. ¡°Eh, I guess¡­ I kinda got him to start the investigation in the first place, twice¡­¡± She trailed off.


    Sato remained quiet. Eliza wondered if she said the wrong thing, after all this was a touchy subject. And she felt like she¡¯d trespassed on Sato¡¯s turf; yet something in her yearned to help her, even if she couldn¡¯t. Sato slowly sighed, taking out her necklace as she glanced at it, swinging it with a finger.


    Then, she spoke: ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯m¡­ just projecting, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°No shit.¡± Lilly nodded, but Eliza violently shook her head upon seeing Lilly¡¯s reaction. Yet the headshake was more of an instinctual reaction than anything.


    ¡°I¡¯ll choose to go with Lilly¡¯s answer.¡± said Sato, ¡°Sorry, Liz. I shouldn¡¯t have shocked you like that.¡±


    Eliza shook her head once again. ¡°It¡¯s fine, really, it¡¯s alright to feel crushed; but shouldn¡¯t we always fight back? The galaxy hates us, yes, it¡¯s not fair, I know, but we stand our ground anyways,¡± she elaborated.


    She¡¯s felt crushed before, and she knows how hard it is to pick oneself up. And in the darkest of her times, she remembers the words her mother gave her.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah¡­¡± Sato tried to wave away the concerns.


    ¡°Come on, Sato, we aren¡¯t dubbed the indomitable race in the galaxy for nothing.¡±


    She spoke from her heart, letting her optimism seep into her words as she smiled, giving Sato a sense of clarity. Eliza hoped her words met Sato¡¯s mind, she begged for them to. Yet Sato¡¯s dead face slowly curled its lips. A slight smile twisted upwards as she looked up, seemingly awakened from her slumber.


    She chuckled under her breath. ¡°Yeah. That sounds right, even though we gave that name to ourselves after we killed all the rest.¡± said Sato, ¡°Nothing to be done ¡®bout the past. I didn¡¯t expect to be given advice from an old sage like you.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Eliza remarked, crossing her arms as she pouted in annoyance, grumbling at being compared to an old lady. ¡°I¡¯m far from wise¡­ it¡¯s just some words of advice I got from my mom¡­¡±


    ¡°Still, you sure you can do this?¡± asked Sato.


    Eliza¡¯s eyes lit up as she nodded. She could do this, no: she will do this. Everything in her life was based on it. ¡°Realistically, not much progress has been made. But compared to my last attempt, the possibility of success is real: and it¡¯s getting ever larger with each passing document.¡±


    Eliza was reminded of her mother, how after everything she did for her, she died anyway. But Sato simply smirked.


    ¡°Anyways, I hear you¡¯re into holo-cards now¡­ you''re up for one?¡± asked Sato, as if the last five two minutes didn¡¯t happen. ¡°We¡¯ll need to kill some time, after all.¡±


    Putting it all behind her, Sato seemed rejuvenated, though Eliza couldn¡¯t tell if she was hiding the guilt behind layers of fake happiness. She placed her hope, her faith, that Sato spoke the truth. Yet she believed it, Sato¡¯s one for logic, she¡¯s a workaholic and a master of her craft.


    It was all she could do after all, and she has no right to tell her how to live her life. And with a competitive smirk, she too noded.


    ¡°Sounds lovely, I¡¯ll accept.¡± said Eliza, as Sato slammed the cards down.

 X25: Liqour-hazed Meaning

    The quiet clunks and metalic murmur noises etching across the vessel disuaded Quinn from entering into the mess hall. He could see inside it for a moment, a pretty small mess hall that served the few thousand or so crew aboard the vessel, plus its compliment of operatives. Fuuck... He wished he took more of that alcohol with Amy¨¦, but at least he got some of it, he thought.


    His cyan eyes glanced away, as he continued walking down the halls of the vessel, an interconnecting mess of lights, drones and humans walking by. He furrowed his brow slightly as he entered into Deltastring''s barracks. It was filled with many operatives, some of which waved to Quinn as he entered.


    He waved back, might as well! He placed on a cheery grin, nodded at them before turning in towards the long line of quarters. An arming drone hovered over towards him, and unscrewed his exoskeleton for him, as he kept walking.


    Ugh... The fresh feeling of cool air on his back and limbs always unnerved him. He shivered slightly, as he entered into his quarters. Never got used to it, he mumbled to himself.


    "Hey, Lilly!" He turned into the bunk bed room and... She wasn''t there. Quinn rolled his eyes, before entering. "Alright... time to make sure she didn''t find it..."


    Quinn knelt down beside his bunk bed. He got the bottom one. He slid his hands between the matress and the metal frame, opening it to reveal several small boxes, slim - barely noticeable. He chuckled to himself. "Heh... Least I can still rely on you, good on alcohol..."


    Thinking back to the alcohol only made him feel a strange sense of nostalgia for home. Narisa was his home, Quinn thought. Yet... it doesn''t feel like that was the case anymore. Their cruiser looked broken beyond repair, more so than a decade ago. He frowned, ugh... He couldn''t find the words to describe any fucking thing.


    "Maybe I should take the NATs..." Quinn muttered to himself. He hid the alcohol bottles. If he took the NATs, maybe he''d get into one of those posh fucking universities... But who was he kidding, he was a stupid fucking idiot, plus the NATs were so competitive and stressful that even the thought of it gave Quinn a migraine.


    Plus, both Lizzie and Arb told me that it¡¯s so stressful that some can¡¯t handle the failure, apparently failing is a massive thing in more civilised planets in the Republic¡­ Though, he guessed that¡¯s why the Army has so many ¡®conscripted voluntary recruits¡¯.


    Apparently, from what is comrades in the marines told him, many people were economically pressed into the army, mainly because of how competitive practically everything was¡­ Real-estate¡­ maintenance guys, government guys¡­ He named the top three things that first came to his head.


    Quinn threw the thought away back over his shoulder, he wouldn''t be needing it. Sitting down at the single desk in the room, Quinn relaxed a bit. "Ah..."


    Still, Quinn''s eyes kept thinning with each thought of home. Osmond and Leon are still alive... After all this time. Yet, they weren''t the same stupid teenagers back then, everyone had changed, Quinn thought. Looking back at himself, it seems like he''s still that same, thieving boy.


    Does that boy even belong here? Back out in the commons, Quinn knows that those people there are some heavy hitters, veterans of the Rebellion and Clandestine on top of that! What is he compared to them?


    Riharia''s dead. Petra''s dead. Leon and Osmond are all that he has left to his past. But... is that even a past worth his time, Quinn pondered. Alone by himself, he grumbled, swinging back on the chair that he and Lilly always fought over... Well, mainly Lilly.


    He stood up, pacing around the room and then turned to his bunk bed. Maybe... one sip would ease his mind. He wasn''t allowed to drink, at least on active duty... Their booze ration was always a bit dull, but he had aged beer! Or... wine... Whatever Archius said or whatever.


    He sat down on the bed. Yeah... It sounded rather nice. He has a lot to think on... Simply put, he wanted nothing more than just to ease that damn FUCKING migraine. Just a little bit, just a lil'' bit.


    ? ? ?


    "How the fuck could..." Leon trailed off. He was pacing around the secondary command deck of their hauler corvette.


    It was the only thing that they really had left after the raid. "Leon..." Osmond started. "Let''s just focus on the wounded, alright?"


    "Don''t lecture me on what to do, you handle that..." he sneered. He peered out of the command deck window. All that the man could see was snow... Osmond didn''t know what to think. How many were dead? He didn''t know.


    In the chaos, barely a tenth got out, he thought. From what he''s heard from his men, they barricaded them in like animals... slaughtered them all enmasse! He gritted his teeth as he looking down to a few of the smuggler''s commanders. Most were in bad shape, being healed and spruced up by medical drones. Dammit... What should he do?


    He left the command room, venturing through the numerous halls of the vessel. Past medical wards, infirmaries and quarters. There were filled to the brim with people. Still, this was barely a scratch for their true numbers before the raid. Did... how many had died?!


    He looked to the side, seeing two people in one of the private quarters. Ah! It was Atria, one of his sub-commanders from the past. He rushed towards, leaning against the door frame in the barely repaired hauler. "Atria, you got out..."


    They have to escape the planet, Osmond thought. Damn his contract or deal with that fucking spy or whatever. He had his people to care about, not some fucking deal with him! He steeled himself, as he peered over Atria''s shoulder. She was slowly sobbing... Huh?


    She was carrying onto the second person. They were... dead, a tall corpse in her arms. He stopped in his movements. He... nodded, and left. Fuck... Those bastards, Contract-Breakers! They''ll kill them all! He... he has to find a way to save his people, Osmond thought. That was all that mattered. He''ll probably die, yeah... This uplink on his ear will mind-snare him on command.


    Still, he knew that he had to do something. But... What? Maybe... He could play both sides? No! No... Osmond played himself down. He''ll give that spy as little information as possible, and when they''re not looking - the smugglers will GTFO. That was the plan! It has to be the plan!


    He continued walking through the vessel, entering into an elevator going down to the gunnery decks. He kept his outside exterior calm and motivated to those around him... However, in the elevator, he slowly crumpled to the wall. "Fuck... Just... What do I do?!"


    Quinn... His mind hasn''t even caught up to that piece of information. Quinn! Of all people he''s alive... Of course he is, he''s the best gunman he''s known. Riharia and Petra... are they dead? Osmond''s mind couldn''t conclude on it, he needed to ask Quinn, but he''s fighting against them!


    Maybe... Maybe he''ll switch sides?! All they have to do is escape the system. Quinn went to the military, then became a mercenary, he must be able to help them with that! He ventured out towards his post on the gunnery decks. He''ll sleep beside his men for the time being, he has to keep them all together - because Leon sure isn''t!


    Exiting out, he was met with even more sights of torment that stung his heart. People were missing limbs, they were wounded up and down. The Contract-Breakers... those agents did this. Even if they outnumbered them, it didn''t matter!


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Dammit..." Osmond muttered to himself. He walked through the dingy, half repaired halls of the vessel, entering into a gunnery deck, with makeshift hammocks present. This vessel was a hauler, but it still had some defences, luckily. He was alone in the room, walking up to his hammock - and sitting down on it.


    Just what does he do? He didn''t know, he couldn''t know. With nothing in his mind sorted out, he only knew that they could have one singular objective: survive. Quinn... Just how long have you been suffering? Osmond asked to himself. Maybe he can convince him to switch sides... It''ll cause his death, yes, but Quinn is more suited to leading them than Leon is!


    The thoughts stirred in his head. Then, his courage seeped away... No. He just has to play their game... Just a little longer, until he can save them all, he thought. With that, he rested his head against the rough cloth hammock - and closed his eyes.


    ? ? ?


    A strange memory flooded in, of the past. Quinn was playfully toying with a few of his weapons, using a few things he stole from the quartermaster. He won¡¯t mind! Osmond never really cared that badly about individual parts, so who¡¯d care if a lil¡¯ here and there were put to use?


    The questioned answered itself, something about a rhino terrific thing or whatever... Quinn yawned, turning back out across the command quarters. Riharia, Petra, Osmond and Leon ¨C all talking to one another.


    Why not get involved!? Spurring up, Quinn seemingly hit something. Ow! A headache slammed into his mind ¨C with an oozing sense of discomfort coming right after. Ugh... Rubbing it, Quinn tried to speak.


    No words came from him. Clearing his vision, nothing was around him, all four of them were gone ¨C and he was all alone.


    Dullness set in. Ughh..... Not now... Quinn groaned, slowly opening his eyes.


    There was ''rain'' outside... Though it was little more than sewage water drippling down the Sub-Levels. He found himself in a rough but warm environment, darkness consumed the Sub-Levels outside, with various walkways and platforms stretching from house to house on some fuck-off-who-care''s Sub-Level ceiling.


    He felt a pat on the back. "Hey, get the fuck up, we just got a call for a reassignment." It was Lilly''s voice... What does she want now?


    He turned his head to her. His head was aching... Quinn placed a hand to it, he must have had a drink before... Fuck... "Hey, know where Claire is?" asked Quinn.


    "No clue," said another voice. Quinn raised his head to Petra. She had dark brown hair with green eyes, peering down at Quinn. "Come on, Deltastring''s been called on some emergency mission."


    "What about... Heimfall?" asked Quinn, standing up. The bar was filled with operatives, mainly Clandestine, none of them were drinking - however, all seemed to be waiting for a command. All of them had the signature white colour paint of Deltastring, hell yeah, Quinn thought, yawning. "We never go on mission without ''em or Arbiter."


    Lilly shrugged. "Apparently they''re gonna rendezvous with us at the location. Some isolated system. I haven''t heard from Sato or Archius... Got me a bit worried."


    "Hmmn?" Riharia piped up, with Tifta standing beside her, arms crossed. "You sure the orders are for us? I thought we were just going to be on Sub-Level duty ''till Kazuki or Sato come back."


    Lilly glanced around at the rest of the occupants in the bar. "Come on! Get the fuck up already, you lazy asses, get out there and watch for our shuttles!" she ordered them. The men instantly followed through, leaving the bar. "Keep your eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary, m''kay?"


    "You got it," one of the operatives said, leaving the bar through a small doorway, out onto the pontoon and makeshift paths and rafters holding the cobweb of houses, shops and establishments to the ceiling of the Sub-Level.


    Quinn yawned again. Agh, he doesn''t wanna go to some fuck off place remote. There''s barely be anything good to collect, nor does Quinn think the booze will be any good. He sighed, nodding and standing to attention for Lilly. "You could have just left me here, you know?" he jeered.


    Lilly grumbled. "I would have if you didn''t owe me a few hundred standardis!" She left the bar, followed by her command staff. Quinn peered down through the claustrophobic gaps in the floor boards, makeshift all the way, he thought. Ugh... He still felt sick.


    "Hey, I''ll pay you back soon, alright?" said Quinn.


    Riharia interjected, "You better not steal from any of us... You''ll only be shifting your creditor to someone else." She smirked, patting Quinn on the back as they walked out onto a collection of shuttle platforms, hanging using hover-lifts. Shuttles were already parking...


    There were already operatives in armour there, with Deltastring''s first and second sections present on the platforms. "Where''s there other company?" asked Quinn.


    Lilly shrugged. "Apparently they''re already getting there," she said. Quinn glanced out at the groups of operatives, all conversing with one another.


    It felt kinda weird being Deltastring''s 2iC, given how many here had far more scars than him. Lilly took a step forward with Petra.


    Tifta said, "Oi, Quinn, don''t dwaddle in the back alright." He chuckled, before following on after Lilly.


    They don''t see him like they see Lilly, which Quinn presumed was kinda a good thing? Well, they''re far more chill with him, which he was happy with, but they don''t hold his name with as much respect they do to their commander. If she''s around, Quinn thought, he doesn''t have much to worry about.


    Still, Quinn found himself keeping some barrier between him and his men. Maybe he was imitating Lilly... Quinn wasn''t sure about it at all. His eyes were locked across the platform, thinking to himself.


    "You... good?" Riharia asked, peering into his face from the side.


    "Ugh?" Quinn snapped awake. "Yeah?"


    Riharia glanced to the rest of the batallion, before shifting her gaze back to Quinn. "Look, Quinnie, they ain''t like the gunrunners, but that''s fine, hell, maybe it''s an upgrade? Better Lilly than Leon, right?" she joked.


    Quinn nodded. "Yeah... But Osmond and Leon always had cool shit I could just take randomly, though."


    Riharia quietly laughed, turning as the shuttle doors opened. The... shuttles were already filled with people? Huh? Some quiet murmurs were raised across the operatives. Then, Quinn saw the blackstripes of the operatives in the shuttles. They were Clandestine Seekers.


    Machine guns rotated towards them, Quinn saw half a dozen armour plates and bodies splatter in front of him. His mind became blank under fire, with returning fire from the survivors dislodging the Seekers. Quinn''s body reacted without haste, grabbing onto Riharia and throwing themselves into cover.


    "FUCK. FUCK FUCK!?" Quinn shouted, peering out onto the platforms. Deltastring''s operatives were falling back into cover, with an exchange of bolts and plasma ensueing. His eyes glanced to the dead bodies... Tens of them already lay dead. FUCK!


    "What the fuck is going on?!" Riharia shouted, readying her shotgun and firing out of cover.


    Petra... Lilly... Petra... Quinn kept scanning across the barricades of survivors. PETRA! She was with Lilly. It... eased him for a moment... As the oldest, Quinn knew he had to protect them... Riharia nudged Quinn.


    "WAKE UP!"


    "I AM!" shouted Quinn.


    Their uplinks awoke from slumber. ''CLANDESTINE''S GATTING US. FUCK... ALL UNITS ON THIS FREQUENCY, FALL BACK! TEAMS WITH ME, FUCKING KILL ''EM!'' It was Lilly, barking orders. ''HEY, YOU SEEKER FUCKS! WE''LL BE SHOVELLING YOU DOWN THESE PLATFORMS!''


    ''You didn''t need to tell me twice!" replied Quinn. The shuttles were taking heavy fire - and under the onslaught, Clandestine Seekers rushed forward. Smoke grenades ignited across the platform.


    Quinn grinned, feeling a shake of adrenaline rush up. He lugged his own shotgun up. Opening fire, Quinn rushed out onto the platform, with Deltastring counter-attacking against the Loyalist Seekers - bearing through the brunt of gunfire and their losses.


    Kiri''s drones slammed into the shuttles, sending them careening towards one another, a fireball igniting in the air - steeling collapsing and falling down to the surface. Those that remained were tough old Clandestine vets. The sight of their comrade''s demise didn''t phase them that much. Neither did his own to Quinn, rushing through the smoke and turning their insides out with plasma shot in close range.


    A new signal have arrived. ''THIS IS SATO QUATRIX! LILL! RENDEZVOUS WITH THE SURVIVORS OF THE OTHER COMPANIES.''


    ''The fuck is going on?!'' Lilly shouted.


    ''I''ll explain later! We''re meeting up with Arbiter and his survivors, just get a move on!''


    Through the smoke, Quinn could see everyone''s worried faces, Lilly and Riharia''s included. But as long as he''s alive, Petra, Riharia and he will get the hell through whatever the fuck is going on! He knows it.


    At least... That was what he would have thought in the past... Quinn''s eyes opened... He was slouched down on the floor... A bright white hue was beaming onto him. He felt exhausted... His mind was fucking him up. Then he remembered... Riharia''s already dead. So is Petra.


    Then... what is he even doing here? Rotting away, slouched against the wall of some quarters orbitting a death world.


    Barely anyone from back then''s still alive... What''s he even doing here?

 X26: Friendly Old Quarrels

    A violent slam echoed throughout the chamber. Archius pushed Kazuki against the wall. His facade was gone, replaced with a nasty glare. Yet the exact moment that Archius even laid a finger on him, Cyrus pulled him off. Kazuki, meanwhile, stayed motionless as he waved Cyrus off. He glanced towards Kazuki for a moment as Archius tried to shrug him off.


    Kazuki nodded, and Cyrus complied. Archius still looked pissed, taking a step forward towards Kaz. ¡°Kazuki, the fuck¡¯s gotten into you?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± snapped Kazuki, not feeling any different. Surprisingly, he was confused.


    ¡°Jariking hell!¡± said Archius, ¡°Ever since you placed a bullet through Jessica¡¯s skull, you¡¯ve grown dull. Weaker. I¡¯m going to presume that your mission is to eliminate the gunrunners, and for that: you do not need softness.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ dull bullets aren¡¯t as deadly,¡± said Kazuki, moving past Archius as he leaned against the desk, sitting on it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even realise it, do you?¡± asked Archius. ¡°Does your ¡®phoenix healing¡¯ not apply to your fucking head?¡±


    Kazuki thinned his eyes at Archius. For once, he genuinely doesn¡¯t know what Archius is talking about. ¡°Realise what?¡± asked Kazuki.


    ¡°Kaz, it¡¯s as I said. You¡¯re going soft. At first I thought it was just some coincidences, mismatches here and there,¡± said Archius, twisting a chair and sitting down. ¡°Look, Kaz, I¡¯m not telling you to be a miserable shit, but we¡¯re playing with the bigger fishes now - and it¡¯s a very big fucking galaxy.¡±


    ¡°Of course I know, I¡¯ve delegated as much as necessary. Martinez can hold the fort down just fine for us,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°We¡¯re squeezing as much revenue from contracts as we can, but I will not gouge my own men for profit.¡±


    He crossed his arms, slowly coming to understand what Archius was talking about¡­ He was slowly creeping onto the topic. With progress, it seemed obvious to Kazuki. A bland observation, but Archius was going to shift the conversation to another matter.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that,¡± said Archius, to Kazuki¡¯s slight interest. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m asking you: why are you dealing with the gunrunners personally?¡± asked Archius. ¡°Money¡¯s your speciality, right? Then you should know that you could make two hundred times what the government pays for your direct involvement if you ran training contracts for some Yakimoi System-States in fuck-off-who-cares.¡±


    Kazuki froze for a moment, dumbfounded at the question. A vector of attack he didn¡¯t predict, leaving him silent. Kazuki expected Archius to talk directly about Liz or Quinn; but instead he brought down a whole battering ram for his mind¡­ Sly fuck, he thought.


    ¡°Efficiency,¡± said Kazuki. It wasn¡¯t wrong, he was the AGENCY¡¯s deadliest commander, but he kept his mouth shut. One word was enough, but he had to set the record straight. ¡°Training contracts are not my speciality. They¡¯re Martinez and Hosea¡¯s. Not mine. The AGENCY¡¯s judicial contracts are¡­ profitable.¡±


    ¡°Profitable, yes, the Republic wants you to fix their shit; but the Yakimoi need services like you to train their forces¡­ Of course, let¡¯s ignore the last op in Yakimoi space¡­¡± started Archius, crossing his arms. Kazuki remained silent, glaring at him as Archius sighed. He placed a hand to his temple as he rubbed it. ¡°I know you¡¯re hiding something, let¡¯s not go two ways about that. Kaz¡­ Why won¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Kazuki looked at Archius¡¯ eyes. A sense of mystery came over them, perhaps he was¡­ sad? No, it didn''t suit him. Perplexed? High chances of it, but he can¡¯t tell Archius. Even if he trusts him with his life, he can¡¯t trust him with Eliza¡¯s.


    He decided to play dumb. Impossible to ascertain information from being dumb as fuck. ¡°Tell you what?¡±


    ¡°Why is she special?¡± asked Archius, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been aligning the stars and I have some semblance of understanding, this has something to do with the Dassant, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No. She helps run logistics,¡± lied Kazuki. ¡°Now¡­ back on the topic of contracts¡­¡±


    Archius crossed his arms, slowly nodding before interrupting, ¡°Let¡¯s both pretend we didn¡¯t hear that. You know I¡¯m not blind, or stupid, or deaf.¡± He smirked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you,¡± said Kazuki.


    ¡°Kazuki Geminorum-Ryzaku, Elizabeth Celeste-Delmara,¡± Archius started, ¡°What do these two people have in common? Other than being in possession of Solar Brooches?¡±


    ¡°Bad relationships with family?¡± Kazuki sarcastically asked.


    ¡°You were both there,¡± continued Archius, his eyes were filled with intrigue as he dissected every part of Kazuki¡¯s hidden life he refused to deliberate vocally to him. ¡°But, sure, I¡¯ll give both of you daddy issues.¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Kazuki glared at him, but it quickly faded. Archius knows something, but whether he knows the full picture or not is not apparent; and he will not hand over the truth on a silver platter for him.


    ¡°Look, Kaz, this is definitely linked to the Dassant. Eliza. Matt. P-1. They¡¯re all connected,¡± Archius said, sighing. Cyrus glanced towards Kazuki. He chuckled.¡± You should know better than to lie to me!¡±


    Kazuki deliberated for a moment. His best friend; his ally: Archius. He repeated the name in his head. They all have their own darknesses. And he will not tell Archius his, even if he believed he could trust him - no¡­ he knows he can. Yet, Kazuki reminds himself: he must be the one to carry this burden.


    No one else.


    ¡°Cyrus, leave us,¡± said Kazuki. Cyrus nodded, phasing the door open as he disappeared into the hallway.


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    ¡°Ah, finally, you¡¯re opening up!¡± Archius remarked, as the door phased shut.


    Kazuki lamented for a moment, what to do¡­ What to do? Archius will find out eventually, won¡¯t he? Better to prompt him than for him to find out by himself, would it not? Kazuki ached over the matter in his mind. If Archius wasn¡¯t here, he would have used the analyspec for an answer. Though the fragments of it that Sato brought onto the destroyer may overload.


    But it didn¡¯t matter if it fragmented his mind. He needs answers now.


    ¡°Opening up is a generous term,¡± said Kazuki. He moved around the desk, sitting down. The Citadel on the destroyer wasn¡¯t as refined as that of the Phoenix¡¯s Fury.


    ¡°You can trust me, can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. I trust you with my life. But I do not trust you with this matter.¡± said Kazuki, slowly cleaning his railgun pistol. He needed distractions. He needed something to ensure he doesn¡¯t blunder. Nor he must seem too focused on the conversation.


    ¡°With Eliza¡¯s life?¡± Archius asked.


    Kazuki mumbled to himself. He placed the varying components of the railgun in its various pieces as the electron projector held the gun upwards, in a stasis floating position. He trusts him with that, doesn¡¯t he? Kazuki didn¡¯t know for sure.


    ¡°The last time I¡¯ve trusted you with a life, you threw it into the meat grinder,¡± Kazuki said.


    ¡°Gabriel? He knew how to fight, and you knew that! But you still didn¡¯t want to use him¡­ And what about you? Jasmine, what about her? She is as important to me as Liz is to you; and you failed.¡± Archius¡¯ voice crept lower and lower, till all but his most barebone ¡®emotions¡¯ were present. It was real.


    Kazuki fell silent. He couldn¡¯t respond to that. Eliza¡¯s safety was paramount to his contract, and therefore he will take any precautions necessary. Jasmine was the wake-up call for him. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, ¡°I misspoked. But why are you so adamant for an answer?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for years now, we can engage in a lil¡¯ bit of gossip, can¡¯t we?¡± Archius smirked and shrugged, giving off a small chuckle. Kazuki did not reciprocate it. He couldn¡¯t tell if Archius was being deathly serious with his questioning of Jasmine.


    ¡°No. We can gossip later, we have more pressing matters, regarding the operation.¡±


    Archius interjected, ¡°Oh, the operation? The informant thing was just a lie to get you to actually talk to me in private,¡± admitted Archius, ¡°I was just kinda into the whole secret thing.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Buut, if you¡¯re talking about Quinn, then that part is interesting,¡± said Archius.


    ¡°He knows them,¡± said Kazuki.


    Archius nodded. ¡°I am aware of that, Osmond and Leon¡­ The former is my eyes, as you already know¡ª¡±


    Kazuki didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°¡ªQuinn¡¯s steadfast, he doesn¡¯t do things without a reason.¡± commented Archius.


    Kazuki continued to repair his railgun. The nature of the weapon meant he had to constantly repair it. The electromagnetic energy expelled could easily break bones. His own.


    ¡°I am aware of that. But Riharia and Petra were killed. Brutally,¡± said Kazuki, feeling a measure of guilt for those two¡¯s deaths. If only he was a bit faster¡­ if only.


    He ached over it for a moment as Archius noted the differing monotones of gold in his eyes. He assured Kazuki, ¡°Quinn¡¯s loyalties are with the AGENCY. We pay him, remember?¡±


    ¡°Payment is not all there is,¡± Kazuki said. He stopped the repairs. Payment was far from everything important, the rebellion was built on a revolt against a Contract. Everyone had their breaking points. ¡°If payment was everything, I¡¯d still be under Jessica¡¯s heel.¡±


    ¡°Hell, Kaz, you¡¯re the type of boss to throw pizza parties hoping that a two degree slice of pizza will save you from getting your head blown off by a hired assassin,¡± jested Archius.


    He was wrong. Pizza parties aren¡¯t his type. He¡¯s the type to throw money at his men until they become loyal. Money is why they¡¯re in this business to begin with. Though, all have their own points where money is not enough.


    And only those with screws loose in their heads survive. It is not a coincidence that he must pay them a premium for their service - as much as his clients pay him a premium for his.


    A moment passed, with Archius seemingly frustrated at Kazuki¡¯s lack of response. Leaning forward, he snatched a cup of hot tea left on the desk, before downing it.


    ¡°My tea¡­¡± Kazuki trailed off, ¡°That was fine Lautrasian leaves, I expect full compensation by the end of the week.¡±


    ¡°Haha, fuck you.¡± Archius pointed a finger at Kazuki in a joking manner. ¡°Just take it out of my paycheque.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re not technically employed.¡±


    Archius rolled his eyes in annoyance. ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re sounding like the boss that¡¯d scapegoat the person that didn¡¯t read the contract!¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± said Kazuki.


    Smirking, Archius leaned over the table and laughed. He placed his head against the table. ¡°You know, we don¡¯t get many chances to do this.¡±


    ¡°Do nothing and talk and do nothing?¡± Kazuki remarked.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Archius laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go talk with Frederick¡­ Make him understand some things.¡±


    Kazuki leaned backwards, into the backrest of his chair. His black polo shirt still smelled somewhat of blood. ¡°But what about the rest of us¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you already, waiting game. My informant has told me that Leon¡¯s hiding, hiding well. He¡¯ll definitely wait at least a week¡­ But it¡¯s about balance, Kaz, if he goes too fast: he¡¯ll get his cover blown,¡± said Archius. ¡°Anyways, you finally gonna tell me what your little secret with Liz is?¡±


    The question itself was harmless, depending on the perspective. Both knew this.


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking whether we¡¯re collaborating on something¡­ yes. You already know what it is. You dance around the topic like a fucking ballet star,¡± Kazuki answered. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you eventually.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? That? Oh, come on, that one¡¯s obvious. I heard it up the grapevine after all. What I¡¯m after is the crown jewel of it all!¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s eyes thinned once more. ¡°And what may that be?¡±


    ¡°Eliza.¡±


    ¡°What of her?¡±


    ¡°You protect her to the letter, no matter what. You¡¯re stone-cold and I don¡¯t expect you to be the type to break Contracts on a whim.¡± said Archius. He was getting warmer, and Kazuki maintained his deadface, emotionless expression. ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­¡±


    ¡°Over my dead body,¡± said Kazuki.


    ¡°For such a useless asset to the AGENCY as well¡­¡± Archius scoffed at his response. He formed his friendly-happy-go face, lightly grabbing Kazuki on the shoulder. He then said, in a light, joking voice, ¡°I¡¯ll get the answer from you one day.¡±


    The air lingered still for a moment as Archius wheeled backwards. Kazuki thought to himself, looking away for a moment.


    He closed his eyes as he twisted back around to Archius. And opening his eyes, he showed Archius the only thing he felt comfortable showing: guilt. Guilt for the death of Victoria, the billions of victims in P-1, and the countless comrades that fell beside him.


    ¡°One day,¡± Kazuki repeated. Archius¡¯ eyes clicked upon the sight. Though Kazuki¡¯s face hadn¡¯t moved, he felt different, the slightest of slants causing the greatest of implications.

 X27: Ungilded Pasts

    "Any luck?" Archius asked, turning to Eliza as she exited out the room. She looked exhausted, and was drenched in alcohol. Judging by that, she seemed more successful than most. Kiri and Edain were standing around them, as Kiri swapped a towel around Eliza''s head.


    "Well... Not really?"


    Great... Here he is, helping with this rabble when he''s got shit to do. It''s been a few days since the Cruiser Raid, and nothing''s been happening.


    They were in the private quarters of the Iron Will''s barracks. Archius glanced at both Kiri and Edain, the two also drenched in alcohol. Though... their skins had the light markings of being smashed into by glass.


    "There... you should go shower," said Kiri. Edain grumbled, rolling his eyes.


    "We should call Claire or Amy¨¦ to drag him outta there," he said. "I''m not paid for this shit."


    "Neither am I..." said Kiri, as she squeezed some of the oozing booze from her sleeves, looking disgusted at it. Though whether she was disgusted at the alcohol, or its wastage, was something Archius has yet to think of - yet.


    Archius shrugged, keeping himself leaning against the wall. "So?"


    The three looked at him, then towards the room. They glanced at each other, then back at Archius.


    Eliza said, "I feel like you''ll have much more success than the three of us combined, for this."


    "Yeah, you did drink with him a few weeks ago when the operation began, so..." Kiri continued, "I feel like he''ll have the least violent response to you..."


    "And risk getting my gorgeous face ruined?" Archius stood up straight, squeezing his face into an offended look. "Uh.. that''s a no, if you can''t tell."


    "How long has he been like this?" Eliza asked, a drone beside her drying her clothes for her, as she wore them. "Shouldn''t we get someone like Kaz here?"


    "KazukI? Absolutely not..." Kiri said.


    Eliza sat down on a small bench outside, continuing to dry her hair off. Finishing, she gave it back to KIri, as she started to dry out her own hair. "Why not?"


    Kiri glanced at Edain, who glanced at Archius. Archius glanced back at Kiri and for a moment, she turned to face Edain, before pointing at Archius. "HEY! You explain it!" she shouted.


    Archius chuckled. Absolutely fucking not, he thought. He glanced around the hall, seeing if there was anyone he could pin this one... There was no one. They were the only ones awake in this area at this hour. He grimmaced, placing his hands on his waist before looking back at a confused Eliza.


    "Well, will you get angry at Kaz if I tell you this?" Archius asked.


    Eliza shook her head. "Why would I?" she asked, slowly smiling. "Come one, I''m sure it''s reasonable."


    Alright, he''s heard it from her. Getting her to think or say that might redirect the ''blame'' towards Kazuki, at the end of the day. He''d prefer not to be the scapegoat for this... "Well," Archius started, "During the rebellion, Riharia, Petra and Quinn went missing and Kaz went out to find them... He went missing."


    "Huh?"


    "Me, Claire, Lilly and Kiri led a search party to find him, and... we found him dead-smack drunk with the other three in some abandoned winery," said Archius.


    Eliza''s face soured quickly.


    "Don''t judge the guy!" Edain interjected. "We were being railed from all sides at that time."


    Kiri placed a hand on Eliza''s shoulder, leaning in with her brown hair. "Go easy on him, if you are going to judge him, it was rough for all of us¡­ It was right before Old Terra, so we all thought we were about to die.¡±


    Hmm, not far from Archius'' own deductions. Kazuki''s always had ''the face'' up, an uncaring and deadly killer. Though it doesn''t really weigh much on Archius, Kazuki''s mind must have been ravaged by the rebellion... Even Archius knew it, but he was playing to win.


    "Kazuki considered himself dead the moment he put a railgun slug into Matt''s head," Archius said, attracting Eliza''s attention. Her face frozen, eyes glistening as she looked down towards the floor. Oh... how interesting. "That battle over Old Terra was a gamble, Kazuki¡¯s strategic masterpiece yes, but a gamble. If we lost, he¡¯d be called an idiot and a fool by armchair retards for thousands of years to come. But, that''s the past, right now uh... we need to get Quinn outta there."


    Archius pointed with his thumb towards the room, as the three''s faces soured. Edain and Kiri snapped into place, standing upright. Hmm? Was something wrong? Eliza turned away from him, as Archius felt a hand on his shoulder. FUCK. WAS IT KAZUKI!?


    He twisted around, seeing Lilly. Oh... thank fuck, she can''t harm him, he thought - at least officially. Lilly was just shy of his tall stature, crossing her arms. "The fuck''s going on here?"


    "Quinn... I tried talking to him, even offered to play Dullie with him, but uh..." Eliza trailed off, before gesturing towards her, Edain and Kiri.


    Kiri said, "He''s been like this for some time... did you do this?"


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    Lilly shook her head... She probably was a catalyst to the problem, however, Archius thought. With her berating Quinn in the debrief and basically shooing him away. "I''ll get him to straighten up, Archius, cover me."


    "Huh? Me?" Archius grumbled.


    Lilly tapped him on the shoulder as she walked past. "Yes, you," she said. ¡°You¡¯re the one with the silver tongue.¡±


    Entering into the room, Archius followed her in, uisng her as what was essentially a human shield.


    "STAND THE FUCK UP!" Lilly shouted. Archius looked over her shoulder, seeing a drunken Quinn slumped beside his bunk bed. Several  bottles of alcohol laid at his feet. He looked up at them, raising a bottle of wine.


    Wow. Very creative method, Archius thought, a method that 100% utilises his convincing abilities.


    Quinn said, "Go away. I''ll... fucking throw this at you if you don''t." He narrowly squinted at Archius and Lilly.


    Archius slowly shifted to the side, just enough so that he''d have enough margin of error to dodge, if needs be. Lilly, however, confronted the problem directly. She stormed directly towards Quinn, fast enough to grab the bottle of wine before he could throw it.


    "HEY!" Quinn shouted. "I got that... with Petra and Riharia... Don''t... take it?"


    He was clearly drunk, anyone could see that. Lilly made a motion to pour the liquid away. This... might be bad, Archius thought. If Lilly nudges Quinn a bit too much, he might have second thoughts about why he''s in the AGENCY to begin with. Petra''s dead. Riharia''s dead. Who''s keeping him here? There''s a lot more to life than just the paycheck... And given the circumstances of this operation, Archius would prefer things to stay as calm as possible.


    "WAIT. PLEASE..." Quinn stumbled up, standing upright and coughing heavily, his face a mess.


    His mental and physical scars were vibrant, for all to see. His turquoise fringe covering his eyes. But Archius could tell, there was hate in them, towards someone.


    "Slow," Lilly snapped at him, placing her hands behind her back as she looked down at him. She circled around him, like a vulture. "Look at you, you look like a fucking mess."


    Quinn murmured something slowly to himself.


    "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT, LANCE CORPORAL?!" LIlly barked at him.


    Archius watched as Quinn''s body snapped into place, any sign of distress or fear or regret washed away with fear. "NOTHING, MA''AM!" Quinn shouted.


    Lilly pressed a finger against him, leaning in close. "NO. YOU SAID SOMETHING LANCE CORPORAL. WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?"


    "I TOLD YOU GET FUCKED, MA''AM," Quinn said in all sincerity. Archius smirked slowly, watching as Lilly disciplined Quinn. Ah, just like how they used to do it in the military. Was it the right thing to do? Maybe, maybe not, probably not - now that he thinks about it.


    "This one has balls," Archius commented.


    Lilly gave him a small nod, agreeing with Archius. ¡°He does.¡±


    Slowly, Archius looked down at his ICAPAD. A notification... It was the timer, and a message from Kazuki to do something about it. He tip-toed over the broken bottles and booze across the floor, exiting back out towards Eliza.


    "WELL THEN, IT SEEMS YOU''RE IN HOT TROUBLE THEN, LANCE CORPORAL!" Lilly barked, ignoring any spit she shot out whilst shouting her head off. Quinn slowly hovered back and forth, knocking into Lilly. "STAND THE FUCK STILL OR YOU''RE SCRUBBING THE REACTOR WASTE FOR A MONTH!"


    ¡°YES MA¡¯AM!¡± Quinn shouted back.


    Archius was just about to turn to leave, as he heard an interesting proposition come up. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU, LANCE CORPORAL?!¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    ¡°YOU KNOW THOSE GUNRUNNERS. DON¡¯T THINK WE¡¯RE BLIND OR STUPID, LANCE CORPORAL! YOU KNOW THEM! WE KNOW THAT,¡± Lilly snapped loudly, biting each word with the anger only a Drill Sergeant could have. ¡°SO WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!¡±


    Ooh, how scary! Archius mockingly thought, as he tapped Eliza on the shoulder, who was seated outside. Kiri and Edain were watching.


    ¡°THE LANCE CORPORAL DOESN¡¯T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, MA¡¯AM!¡±


    Lilly shook her head in disappointment. ¡°LET ME PUT IT IN A WAY YOU CAN UNDERSTAND, SHIT-FOR-BRAINS! ARE YOU A GUNRUNNERS? OR ARE YOU AN AGENT!?¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ Lilly, aren¡¯t you going a bit harsh on him?¡± asked Kiri, reaching a hand out. She absolutely was, but Edain stopped Kiri from pressing the matter further.


    Lilly glanced back. ¡°There is no excuse for this sorry state.¡±


    ¡°AN AGENT, MA¡¯AM!¡± Quinn replied. Archius wondered for a moment, that answer was a bit too quick. With everything that¡¯s going on, Quinn¡¯s loyalties are up in the air¡­ Will he stay steadfast? Archius couldn¡¯t tell right now. He¡¯ll have to ensure this guy stays loyal, for now at least.


    "Hmm? Will Quinn be fine?" Eliza asked.


    ¡°I hope so,¡± said Kiri, the ever caring person she is, sometimes even matching her obsession with drones.


    Archius nodded. "Come, let''s do something about that deadline, shall we?" he asked, smiling as he walked off. There¡¯s still much more work to do, it seems. Both her Eliza¡­ and her father.


    Eliza followed on. ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    Out of earshot from the rest of them, Archius slowed down, walking just a step in front of Eliza. He lowered his voice. ¡°That was a mess back there.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Eliza. ¡°Sorry¡­ I thought I could have done something but¡­ oh well¡­¡±


    Archius shook his head. ¡°Not Quinn now¡­ Kazuki.¡±


    Her freckled face glanced at him in confusion. ¡°Kaz? What of him?¡±


    Did she really forget already? Archius maintained a professional fa?ade, that was the best way to convey this to Liz: after all. No emotions needed, Archius thought - fighting his frustrations. ¡°You nearly messed everything up. Why didn¡¯t you tell me Kaz was nearing? A heads up would have been nice?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Eliza trailed off. She placed her hands in her pockets. ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°No matter.¡± Archius sighed. ¡°But you gotta fix this¡­ You might be Queen of the Training sims, but those sims are ideal situations where you are controlling a singular team. That¡¯s not how this goes, we handlers have to communicate and coordinate with one another, you finally getting what you got wrong?¡±


    Posing the insult into a question was the right decision, to send both a strong message but also to tingle her brain into the trap.


    ¡°I should have told you,¡± Eliza muttered. ¡°I¡­ maybe I¡¯m not fit for this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not,¡± Archius remarked. ¡°But we all start from somewhere. You¡¯re trained by Sato, that¡¯s a good first step, but you¡¯ll need to work on coordinating with the other handlers. We¡¯re not just ten separate teams, we¡¯re ten teams working in unison.¡±


    Eliza didn¡¯t reply. It seems she got the message. ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll work harder¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªNo. Not harder,¡± Archius cut her off. ¡°No one denies that you break your back over anything and everything.¡±


    Eliza¡¯s face grew at that comment. ¡°Why¡­ you¡­¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a slight! Okay?¡± Archius mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing, alright? But you need to work on coordination. You¡¯re smart, but you need to be wise, you need to understand your place beside us. You need to actually communicate what¡¯s going on, and be willing to bite your ego... You¡¯re not just Kaz¡¯s handler now, alright?¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Eliza murmured to him. ¡°And ego? Really? You¡¯re... Archius, you¡¯re just being mean, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Archius shook his head. ¡°I wish I was just being mean, but you¡¯re a liability... No offence intended, Kaz shows up out of nowhere in the chaos of it all. I would have liked a heads up... you¡¯re lucky that these Gunrunners are weak, if it was anyone stronger...¡±


    ¡°It would have caused a lot of problems, most certainly, would it?¡± Eliza asked.


    Archius nodded. Slapping her freckled face together, Eliza took in a deep breath. ¡°I think I get you... I need to coordinate better...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Archius said. ¡°You¡¯ll have your chance.¡±


    Despite her ready-to-go attitude, Eliza didn¡¯t seem to full grasp at what Archius was telling her. It wasn¡¯t a question of whether she was good. It was question of whether she¡¯ll be a good cog in this well oiled machine that turns criminal corpses into cash.

 X28: Facing the Ugly Lies & Truths

    Eliza has to push things further herself.


    Because Kazuki was right, all the way back then, Eliza remembers the moments before the incident.


    She wasn¡¯t willing to pull all the stops for her mission, and this is the culmination of all her decisions.


    Kazuki became the Contract-Breaker because of that. He dropped his entire life on a dime, all for her?! It was just... insanity? Eliza was grateful, yet it persisted.


    All for her? She can¡¯t help but worry, yet as the scene vividly plays out in her mind, the words still stung, though the memory is fragmented.


    Things weren¡¯t clear, far from it. But she remembered nonetheless, trying to form a clear image as she was met face to face with Kazuki.


    He knelt in front of the crate she sat on. Blood dripped down his face, as the bodies in the room let off a foul odour, she could never forget that. Best she tries, the stench of death tasted firsthand refused to leave.


    ¡°Do you want it?¡± asked Kazuki. He placed a hand on her shoulder. Worry was in his dead eyes. They just crossed the Rubicon Corridor, Eliza thought.


    Her eyes were stuck on the growing blood stain along his black tunic.


    ¡°I know enough to force his hand. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t here earlier.¡±


    Gold grit glowed in all its glints and hues.


    She didn¡¯t know what to say back then. After everything that happened till then, she was still trying to keep up with what was going on. The flurry of information just sent to her caught her, for once, dumbfounded. She tugged at the edges of her red dress, its hem and trims a vibrant purple.


    ¡°Yes¡­ but what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°This source of yours wanted to sell you into slavery; brooches sell for a lot these days.¡± Kazuki stood up. Now, he presented himself as an unrelenting force of justice.


    She said nothing.


    He nodded, taking her silence as approval. ¡°Then let it be done. Though the Eclipses fall.¡±


    Confusion struck her as she looked up at him. She stuttered, ¡°W¡ªwait? What are you going to do?¡± Her crimson eyes were weary, filled to the brim with stress-bled tears.


    ¡°Torture the answer out of him.¡± said Kazuki, ¡°He knows something. I¡¯ll have my second cover me¡­ It¡¯ll be hard, though.¡±


    ¡°¡ªWhat!¡± shouted Eliza, shooting up from the crate, light from the stars and abyss beyond was blocked partially by crates and stacked boxes. The light, did, illuminate Eliza¡¯s face. Kazuki¡¯s face maintained in darkness. ¡°I¡¯ll get an answer out of him, please¡­¡±


    She grabbed both of his hands. He stayed motionless, the clocks of his cybernetic implants turning with near silent ticks. Eliza could hear them, however... Perfect cycles. ¡°Just... please! You can¡¯t do this... Didn¡¯t you want me to look around your exospine?¡±


    ¡°Shame.¡± It was blunt, and the only word that stuck in Eliza¡¯s mind. ¡°Actions must be answered.


    ¡°Kaz¡­ I¡­ What should I even do now?¡± Eliza asked.


    Kazuki had no response. His eyes narrowed and he sighed, taking in a deep breath. Was she convincing him? His head drooped slightly low.


    ¡°When I was tied up, in that crate, I thought it was the end¡­ But you¡¯re here now¡­ And¡­ I thought it was a miracle.¡± Eliza¡¯s grip got tighter at the mere motion of Kazuki¡¯s wrists. He was stronger than her, but that won¡¯t stop her from trying with all her might.


    Kazuki interjected, ¡°Iris-be-damned. It¡¯s no miracle. Do not have faith, have knowledge. Don¡¯t believe I would come. Know that I would have come.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Eliza¡¯s grip weakened. Kazuki tugged away. He turned deeper into the darkness ¨C leaving Eliza in the bright light of the stars.


    It was the last thing she said, before Kazuki left her some parting words. ¡°Get somewhere safe. The Marquis will protect you. He has a soft spot for misfits such as you and I. Lucky, D¨¢widiek will pick you up.¡±


    His silhouette vanished. Eliza took a step forward, stepping across the darkness. She could go no further... Alone, here, in the middle of nowhere: Eliza collapsed to the floor.


    Her faint sobs attracted footsteps. Kazuki picked her up, stepping out from the darkness. He sat her down on one of the larger, more comfortable crates. Either spoke a word to another. As he carried her, his hands were shaking, as if carrying such a fragile thing.


    Both avoided each other¡¯s eyes. Eliza tried to open her mouth, but looked away instead, gritting her teeth. Kazuki nodded. With a dead, gold glare, he left.


    Maybe things could have been different. Maybe she could have convinced him¡­ The memories felt more like mirages, the events after she was freed. Gunshots rang out across the Ball Palace. And she remembers the sight as she walked down the hallway¡­


    Dead men. Security. Tessie and his guards, scattered around with large holes in their chest and heads.


    A few Kiapra Knights were injured, but it seemed Kazuki didn¡¯t kill any of them.


    It was gruesome¡­ Eliza felt like puking just at the mere thought of it, but she continued onwards.


    She continued to investigate on her own¡­ Just where was Kazuki during this? Eliza thought back then, was this truly what he¡¯s willing to do? The answer seems so clear now.


    And as she looked out the large restaurant window, she could see a transport corvette speed away, chased by a dozen gunships from the station. Bolts, lasers and munitions were exchanged, and nothing changed. She looked down at the bloodied table, seeing the corpse. Matt Tessie, dead. Leaning back against fine-leather, he disgusted her. But not as much as the sight did.


    Blood gushing out from the empty neck cavity. His head and brains were simply red mist that lingered, slowly falling to the ground. Eliza¡¯s rose-red eyes felt nothing at the spectacle, a parting gift from Kazuki. Her first steps into the industry showed her the brutality of it all, something which the visages of her memory hid¡­ She took a step back from it, recoiling at the foul smell and blood, and she realised that she must learn - or suffer the same fate. she stomached it. Feeling nothing, she gently closed her eyes - and placed her knuckles against the office door, knocking lightly.


    ? ? ? ELIZA No answer came at first, but that was to be expected. Knowing her father, he¡¯d probably believe he was hearing things. But she persisted anyway. She tapped the touch-pad attached to the side of the door, phasing it out of place, revealing her dad¡¯s study.


    Her aristocratic-brooch shined purple with the energy of star essence, the fragments of an old star-god shifting and twirling within it. She wore professional attire, though did wear a hoodie beneath the white and crimson blazer.


    Eliza just wanted to feel a bit warmer in the Anagoran early springs.


    And sitting at his pristine desk on the other side of the room was none other than her dad. He sluggishly brushed away the notion of caring for his daughter as he continued to type away at his holo-computer. The walls were lined with pristinely kept bookshelves, each collated and curated by a serving-drone. They jutted out from the walls, with large slides capable of folding the shelves into the walls. The shelves sprawled out and up, with thousands of data-pads and memory units hooked onto them, along with conjoining cables interlaced throughout the room and walls. Eliza couldn¡¯t count all of them, even if she tried.


    But she tried anyway, her eyes sorting through them all, trying to find just a single lead. But she couldn¡¯t keep standing at the door. Frederick glanced upwards, and said, ¡°Speak.¡±


    She stepped into the office, the dead-warmth of the living room outside fell into a freezing abyss as she approached, placing her hands within the pockets of her hoodie. ¡°I have a few questions I want answered, dad.¡±


    Her dad had a cloak over his shoulder, showing his place in high society, along with a buttoned up shirt and waistcoat. His deep blue police work tunic was strewn across the backrest of his chair, a degradation of what he should believe¡­ Nothing about him screamed ¡®commissioner¡¯, nor justice.


    Frederick paused at the word ¡®dad¡¯, his eyes glaring at her as he took his hands off the keyboard. Sliding his holo-laptop to the side, he leant forward. He placed his hands together as he glanced over towards the polished revolver, gently hovering on its stand.


    She quickly walked up to the desk, her eyes scanning the room, finding a small series of key-drives locked in place within a Universal Coordinator storage, attached to one of the shelves beside her. It had a few dozen drives, all with police markings on them¡­ She remembered Kazuki¡¯s words, yet fruitlessly hoped that she could convince her father.


    ¡°I wish to know why you¡¯re so against me solving the Ptolemy Incident,¡± Eliza demanded, placing both hands on the desk. She had to act tough, pushing her chest outwards as she made a slight scowl. He stayed silent¡­


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    Her face was wracked with exhaustion; having to deal with both helping the AGENCY and with university, luckily¡­ her presence is not needed at all times - yet she felt tired at the delays. She could tell that the look didn¡¯t fit her, but continued anyways, the back of her ears going a crimson red.


    At first, Frederick didn¡¯t give her an answer. She expected nothing less, why would he give her an answer? That was just the type of person her dad was. She looked towards the numerous police plaques and awards that the Metro Dept had, adorning the walls. There were none after the year 4915, ten years ago.


    But to her surprise, he opened his mouth, and said, ¡°You¡¯ll never find justice there.¡±


    Saying that she was surprised would be a flat lie; she knew it was an open secret that the police was¡­ inadequate. But hearing it from her father? Here? It stung her. Yet she steeled herself through the confusion. ¡°I¡ªI am just trying to bring closure to something that¡¯s affected billions! Justice be done, though the Eclipses fall? Isn¡¯t that the motto?¡±


    Frederick sighed, leaning forward. He had a strained expression on his face, probably exhausted with dealing with his daughter for even a moment. ¡°You¡¯re still naive. Kazuki is dragging you to an early grave¡­ Get out of there, now.¡± He shook his head, biting each word as he held himself together. ¡°You¡¯re not ready for that path...¡±


    He maintained his composure, even though his face spoke something Eliza wasn¡¯t too familiar with. Her dad looked¡­ conflicted? She had to get the information out of him, but is he trying to protect her from the industry?


    ¡°Kazuki can protect me.¡± Eliza stated, trying to batter his worries away. She watched as Frederick stood up, far taller than her as he turned around, looking out towards the endless Anagoran skyline, a bleeding visage of red, orange and blue. ¡°I know he can.¡±


    Frederick took in a deep breath, watching as traffic whizzed past. Innumerable Imperial-era defence bastions rose up above the clouds, with a thousand floating islands interconnected with shuttle-trains. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re getting yourself into, do you?¡±


    Eliza felt the coldness encompass the room. Yet the fire within her fought back; she did everything to bring her sister¡¯s memory to rest, but he wasn''t even willing to give her proper answers? ¡°Attempting what you never bothered¡­ avenging my sister.¡±


    Synthia whispered into Eliza¡¯s eaar, propping up onto her shoulder. ¡®Let us not antagonise him too much¡­¡¯


    Her father¡¯s face started to boil, a brew gone wrong bubbling beneath his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a fool. You have no idea what you¡¯re getting yourself into, which of your thousand trinket-accolades make you think that you¡¯re prepared for anything?¡± asked Frederick, ¡°You think that the Contract-Breaker can pave a space-lane for you? Your foolishness is almost as abbrash as your perceived control¡­ no: possessiveness of that murderer! He¡¯ll cleave a bloody path for you straight to your coffin!¡±


    ¡°Coffin?!¡± Eliza snapped, she leant over the desk, her eyes brimming with hate towards her father. Was this the man she wanted to make proud? ¡°I did everything I could to avenge her! To avenge all of them, dad. I INVESTIGATED IT MYSELF! I TRIED EVERYTHING IN MY POWER! YOU DID NOTHING!¡±


    Her eyes started to tear up as she took a step back. It seems like her original plan has blown up in her face. Frederick stayed silent, his head slowly moving downwards, as she twisted to the storage compartment, near her. She mulled it over in her head - they¡¯re bound to have some information, just anything to keep the warp-gate open. She gave her dad a glance, he was still peering down into the fine, silver desk.


    ¡°I did nothing?¡± Frederick chuckled, not bearing his daughter¡¯s eyes. ¡°Eliza, you¡¯re colluding with murderers and killers and you think you can take the moral high ground? Has the Contract-Breaker corrupted you as much as you enabled him?¡±


    ¡°They are not murderers¡­¡± said Eliza, shimming herself towards the storage, slowly.


    Whilst his gaze was fixed looking out the window, she could feel a pry come from his head. Eliza slowly reached out towards the information vault as Frederick raised his voice, saying, ¡°They¡¯re freemuzzles! They¡¯re whole job is to kill! Nothing more, nothing less. We work for the government, we have balances, checks! They do not.¡±


    She remembered what Kazuki said about that word, Freemuzzle was essentially a slur against those of their profession. Contractor was the nice and professional name, she thought, Mercenary was the cold brutal truth that hits the message home, but Freemuzzle just sounded demeaning.


    ¡°YOU are the balance! This whole time you¡¯ve seen them as an enemy; they¡¯ve bled for this Republic! No more than the police, does it matter that they¡¯re not government troops?!¡± Eliza snarled. He thinks he could take the high ground? When the police is known for being a corrupt mess, a mess he REFUSED to clean up after a decade of neglect!? ¡°They¡¯re people, people just trying to make a living with whatever skills your government trains them! People with dreams, ideas, aspirations just like us! And you can¡¯t look past a simple title to see that?!¡±


    They both knew that the problem was nuanced, so why does he refuse to accept that truth? As much as they have destabilised system-states, they¡¯ve served their clients loyally - to the bitter end. They are even kept to an even higher standard of contract than government troopers, especially after the numerous CRIS fiascos¡­


    ¡°They are not just expendable munitions, dad!¡± shouted Eliza, raising her voice as she felt a fire burn within her. ¡°You talk about oversight! Balances! Checks! They already exist! We don¡¯t live in the Imperial era, the existence of the BCA negates everything you have said.¡±


    Why does he hate Kaz? Underneath all that emotionless killing and fearlessness was just a normal person. Sure, circumstances make him special, even to her, but he was just a regular guy. He needs to rest, he stresses, worries no less than the rest of us¡­


    Why can¡¯t her dad see as clearly as she does?


    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± asked Frederick. As he twisted around, Eliza snatched one of the keys, moving back as she slid it into her pocket, before he could see what she had done. ¡°You know how many men died in the siege? Billions. Out of trillions, maybe even hundreds of billions! We don¡¯t know for sure! I know my fair share of extinguished dreams! But we fought an honourable war, defending our loved ones. We all accepted to fight to the bitter end even if Yamagata turned Republican or Imperial!¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ why can¡¯t you see it!¡± Eliza shouted, ¡°Why won¡¯t you help me?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re not real soldiers!¡± Frederick smacked his lips as he shouted at her.


    ¡®We¡¯re getting nowhere, Miss Elizabeth, we should head off,¡¯ Synthia commented.


    She shook her head slowly, she had to keep trying, right?


    Eliza mused that any sense of rationality within her dad was gone¡­ Perhaps her father was right; she was naive. Naive to the fact that her parents¡­ are no different from her; they¡¯re human, and as such can be stupid.


    Still, Eliza believed that her naivety gave her what others lack: optimism. Ideals. Something bright that she knows is true. And what is that? What is that?


    ¡°None of them are. They fight wars not for a nation, but for men and women that pay them the highest standardi; this friend of yours, the Contract-Breaker, he murdered his way half-way across the galaxy and burnt Clandestine down.¡±


    There could be no other answer, Eliza thought: it had to be justice. Clean, unabated justice. Not her father¡¯s ideas of a twisted justice... Nor Kazuki¡¯s blood-drenched justice. Eliza¡¯s idealised justice was clean... That was what she believed in.


    ¡°Not real soldiers? They bleed the same blood!¡± Eliza retorted, ¡°Kazuki kills not because he wants to, he kills for a purpose; I¡¯ve known him for years, this blood thirsty ¡®Contract-Breaker¡¯ is not Kazuki, never was; never is; never will be¡­¡±


    Frederick grabbed onto the desk, leaning forward as he grabbed hold of one of the various floating holo-monitors. He turned it towards Eliza, it was a dossier of each member of the seven Mercenaries and Criminals. Fourteen individuals, with the IUN record on all of them listing their crimes. Eliza glanced at it as Frederick fixed his brooch; the prideful glare and shine more prevalent than Eliza¡¯s.


    ¡°Look at them. LOOK AT THEM CLOSELY. These are the pinnacle of your so-called ¡®soldiers¡¯, Elizabeth. They¡¯re nothing more than criminals, mere fixers.¡±


    Eliza felt her brooch heave down upon her, its weight increasing as the phantom pain of responsibility poured itself onto her. He was right, they were no government agents, they¡¯re fixers. But each member of the Seven, crim or merc, was a different beast on their own right.


    ¡°You ignore the noble Antiar?¡± asked Eliza. She¡¯s seen her before, member of the Seven Criminals. But despite her ¡®wanted¡¯ status, she¡¯s honourable, noble, fulfils her work and does everything she can to protect the innocent. ¡°She¡¯s bled ten times to save people than to take lives.¡±


    ¡°Hartius Juun. Destroyed a dreadnought from the outside, civilian or not: all inside froze to death.¡± said Frederick, ¡°Kyria, razed thousands of cities in the Intergalactic Crisis for her employers¡­ And don¡¯t get me started on your gold-eye boy: he¡¯s killed thousands of operatives, and he¡¯s not even twenty; he¡¯s murdered half of Clandestine¡¯s directors, men and women that bled to keep the Republic safe.¡±


    ¡°At what cost? Everyone knows their men suffered¡­ worked like corporate slaves. And yet you¡­ defend them?!¡± asked Eliza, her face disgusted at her own father. ¡°I¡­ Kazuki freed them, helped them. He killed them, yes. And you call him Contract-Breaker because of that!?¡±


    ¡®Frederick, please, I encourage you to at least consider what is being said here,¡¯ Synthia said whilst protecting onto the table for a moment.


    ¡°Contracts are sacred,¡± stated Frederick, his eyes thinning as he glared at his daughter. ¡°They¡¯re all monsters, irredeemable monsters that fight for anything that has money.¡±


    His limbs started moving erratically, as if he was trying his best to now throw his hands up in pure anger.


    ¡°That¡¯s all they are!¡± Frederick wiped Synthia off from the table. She had to project back onto Eliza¡¯s shoulder to not fall to the ground¡­ ¡°Do not interfere, Synthia, I may have bought you but this is between me and my daughter.¡±


    Making Synthia comfortable on her shoulder, Eliza looked through her mind, knowing there must be some argument - and it hit her. A battle to the prelude of the lifting of the siege.


    ¡°Monjitra.¡± said Eliza, straightening her back as the weight slowly lifted itself from her, with the added resolve pushing her indefatigable determination further. ¡°In that system, a reinforcing fleet was hampered by Imperial Warlords unloyal to the Imperial Brooch. They were aided by mercenaries - Anagora-born. They broke through and saved the Republic¡¯s heart.¡±


    ¡°You failed to mention¡­ That fleet was led by Yamagata, who was an Imperial Admiral at the time,¡± said Frederick, poking holes in Eliza¡¯s story, ¡°He would have reinforced Augusti¡¯s forces if it wasn¡¯t for those mercenaries he picked up.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that¡­¡± Eliza blurted out, but finding it hard to stomach the idea. ¡°Why would they have fought with him if he didn¡¯t already believe in bringing justice to the Imperials?!¡± It was now her turn to poke holes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you talk like you know him. We went to the same school. He never cared about anything, like his son! We¡¯re all damned that two monsters had to be born of the same line.¡±


    Eliza paused for a moment. Monsters? Was that really what Frederick saw them as? The admiral that saved the republic - the Tyrant-Killer. And the contractor that not only saved her life so many times, but puts up with having to protect her all the time? She clenched her fist, squeezing her arms to stop her from slamming them down on the table, or perhaps even against her own father.


    ¡°Shut up¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP! Kazuki nor his father are monsters, dad!¡± Eliza interjected, making no sign to hide how pissed she was, ¡°His father betrayed the Imperials, not because of those mercenaries but because THEY MURDERED HIS FAMILY!¡±


    Frederick raised his voice in turn. ¡°YOU THINK A HEARTLESS NAVY-MAN LIKE HIM CARED ABOUT HIS SISTER?! He used her torture as the PERFECT pretence for his betrayal, a traitor to all!¡±


    ¡°Is that how you see it?¡± asked Eliza. Her eyes said it all, giving Frederick all he needed to delve into his own conclusions for her own question.


    ¡°Get out. OUT.¡±


    Eliza took a step back, then twisted around. She sped up towards the exit, ignoring her father as he shouted out down at her - pointing at her. He berated her with everything he had.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You and your brother are too weak to face the truth! Run! You fucking coward, run back to your hired-murderers! You¡¯re no daughter of mine! Victoria had it all, and you¡¯re just the spare fucking parts!¡± shouted Frederick, his voice filled with a grit and rage she¡¯s never heard before. Eliza couldn¡¯t stop herself from tearing up at his insults.

 X29: Two sides of the different Coin

    Frederick, Eliza slammed her hand down on the door, leaving the office as she entered the living room.


    His voice immediately stopped at the door phased back in place, leaving her¡­ feeling alone, in the living room.


    Well, not alone. Synthia sprouted up.


    ¡®Not so well, I hear?¡¯ asked Synthia. ¡®Don¡¯t worry, mere playground insults won¡¯t let us down.¡¯


    Eliza gave a simple nod as Synthia disappeared, a mental nod and understanding that she needed some peace. Synthia always obliged, and as always: gave an audible nod, whatever that meant to Eliza.


    And as she turned towards the sofas, she laid her eyes on two of her accompanying guards. Nihara and Claire, both were sitting down on the large sofas. The former is apparently one of Kazuki¡¯s guards, sent to protect Martinez¡­


    But here she is, Eliza notes that she¡¯s even paler than her, a collage of bronze skin against her short black hair.


    She had completely fallen asleep as Claire was relaxing. The two were sinking into the high-grade furniture that her mother had bought decades ago.


    They stretched out and acted like cats. Eliza took a moment to stare out the large window, comprising an entire wall. In the dim Anagoran sunset, she could see her reflection. A thin jacket covered her buttoned down blouse, tucked neatly under her skirt.


    She frowned at herself. ¡®Miss Elizabeth¡­¡¯


    ¡®I know¡­ I know¡­¡¯ Eliza answered, pushing her cheeks up as her rose-red eyes stared once more. She brushed some dust off her thigh-highs and short, tailored white boots, before turning back to Claire and Nihara.


    Claire waved at her, absolutely relaxed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lizzie, you don¡¯t need him. We can do your mission ourselves! Let me tell you, if we could fight a rebellion at our odds, we can see your thing through.¡±


    The two of them wore large coats over office tunics and work trousers, rather mundane, Eliza thought - but there was a sense of absolute dash in the looks, which Eliza found rather nice. And it was nice to see them outside of their battle tunics and combat armour.


    Claire guessed as much as she could from the shouting. But Eliza sighed, taking out a small key-drive from her back pocket. It glistened with Police Identifiers. ¡°I hope so, but, where¡¯s Archius?¡±


    ¡°Huh? He said something came up.¡± said Claire, slapping Nihara awake as he jumped up from the sofas, her head twisting left and right. Drool was falling out from her mouth as she wiped it off immediately, her black hair tied up neatly in a ponytail.


    ¡°Oh, am I in heaven?¡± Nihara blurted out, surprise and apathy mixed in as she glanced around Eliza¡¯s family penthouse.


    They got it back when their mother was alive, but it was probably the only thing her family had of worth nowadays, especially after their family¡¯s fall into obscurity. But that thought only helped to invigorate her. A drone activated at the loud voices; its arms started to feed the family¡¯s pet Kakira-bird.


    ¡°Yes, yes, we¡¯re all in heaven,¡± Claire joked, dragging Nihara up. She was small, compared to everyone else. Claire placed her hands around Nihara, as if she was picking up a domesticated angcat, but Nihara immediately punched her in the liver, the slam sending a chortle of pain out from Claire.


    Safe to say, Eliza¡¯s face contorted to one of empathised pain as she watched Claire drop onto the sofas, clutching her sides. She slowly sunk into the cushions and pillows.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare pick me up like an angcat,¡± shouted Nihara, grabbing hold of Claire as she dragged her upwards, despite their size difference. ¡°I took on the third of the seven. And lived, would you say the same of you?¡±


    Her voice was a mixture of apathy and aggression, one that does not back down - one that


    ¡°H¡ªhey, stop that!¡± Eliza shouted, placing herself between the two as they started a brawl in her family¡¯s living room. ¡°No¡­ fighting! Please, let¡¯s just leave, alright? I got what I wanted. Nihara, you should probably go back before Martinez realises anything¡­¡±


    ¡°He can protect himself if need be,¡± said Nihara, uncaringly front-faced. She very much gave off ¡®Kaz¡¯ vibes. ¡°He¡¯s more experienced than me anyways, and better, probably.¡±


    ¡°Jeez¡­¡± Eliza shook her head. ¡°You really do act like someone I know¡­¡± She trailed off, pushing her glasses up her nose.


    ¡°Kazuki? People back in Eden mistook us for siblings. We are not siblings, might I add,¡± said Nihara. ¡°Some of the girls were into him¡­¡±


    Nihara¡¯s face slowly glanced up at the ceiling lights and the drones doing repairs on the various pieces of furniture and hanging lights.


    ¡°What?¡± Eliza froze. Her mind spiked as she glared at Nihara.


    ¡°They¡¯re all dead, if you¡¯re worried,¡± Nihara said with a fake chuckle. ¡°And most liked him since he was good at fighting. That was what was prized most of all. Don¡¯t worry, I know he has the personality of a brick.¡±


    Eliza tried the hardest to not say that Nihara would fit in the category as she relented. Claire glanced up at Eliza, heaving for oxygen as she recovered, injecting a stimulant into herself. ¡°Martinez¡¯s a tough nut, only Kaz ¡®nd Hosea could ever match him. Quinn or Lilly might give them a run.¡±


    A ding from the elevator attached to their penthouse came to their attention as they heard the energy-door splutter off. All heads twisted towards the sound¡­ Both Claire and Nihara were prepared to gun down anyone if they posed a threat, but if they knew the code to the energy-door and had a key to the penthouse, that must mean¡­ her brother. Eliza¡¯s heart stopped.


    Twisting around the corner of the hall, she was met face to face with Ulysses, the only real family she had left. He gave her one glance, ignoring the group as he walked past them and up the stairs¡­ He kept his eyes off them as he placed his hands in his pockets. He had the same charm-pink hair and pale skin, yet his blue eyes made him look much like his father¡­ who hates him the most. Upon entry, he simply pricked his brooch off and dropped it onto a side-table without much care.


    After that, Ulysses seemed far more energised.


    ¡°Hey, is dad in?¡± Ulysses asked awkwardly, turning towards her as he nearly tripped on the stairs, recovering quickly as he grabbed onto the bannister.


    ¡°Mind your step¡­ and yes, he¡¯s not in a friendly mood, though.¡± said Eliza. Claire and Nihara both watched with piercing eyes. ¡°Sorry if it inconveniences you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Ulysses shrugged, taking his coat off and throwing it onto a nearby drone, activating its feature as it started to hover upwards, exploding into a flurry of beeps and boops¡­ She didn¡¯t understand what it said. ¡°Whatever, when is he ever friendly?¡±


    Ulysses stormed across the inside-balcony, towards his room. But as he was about to open the door, Eliza said, ¡°Welcome home. Hey, if you¡¯re free later we can go get something to eat? Bill¡¯s on me.¡±


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    It was all she could say, whilst she was never unfriendly to her brother, he wasn¡¯t exactly amicable. Ulysses froze for a moment, turning to look down at his sister.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± said Ulysses, entering his room and sealing the door shut behind him.


    She¡¯s rarely had the chance to talk to him properly. But now? She finally has a chance to speak to him, and he didn¡¯t sound too enthusiastic, but she¡¯ll bring him along either way! After all, it¡¯d be nice for him to meet new people. Her mind started to wander, perhaps she¡¯ll bring him along to the next Solarspark Dassant?


    She let off a slight smile as she looked at Nihara and Claire. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Standing up, the two followed after Eliza as they entered into the elevator, walking past the dozens of old artworks, decor and pristine furniture as Eliza pressed down on the elevator¡¯s button.


    Her objective has been completed, though much messier than she¡¯d liked it to be. She looked down at the floor, her father¡¯s wrong about everything. He has to be, she thought. But the words still stung.


    She held back tears as she stood in front of Claire and Nihara, facing away from them. ¡°I¡¯ll show you, dad¡­¡± she muttered to herself, despite everything: she still wanted to prove herself to him, even if he¡¯ll never accept that.


    The elevator doors closed, sending the trio downwards as a dormant cleaning drone that had been injected with Sato¡¯s Krystalink virus activated. Dormant within the living room, its bright eye activated with a green and black hue, powering on as its face corrupted and blinked in and out of colour, eventually stabilising into a proper form.


    Its hover anchors activated as Archius took control.


    ? ? ?


    That was the easy part, Archius noted, now he has to have a nice little chat with the Commissioner. He sat idly on a packed metro-train, with no guards. He¡¯s no one, and there¡¯s no point in protecting no one. He simply hummed as he controlled the drone, thrusting it up and forwards, towards Frederick¡¯s study. Archius wasn¡¯t worried, he knew how to talk to stone-cold assholes like him.


    But he won¡¯t talk in a way that Frederick will like, after all he has to get back somehow for Eliza, though merely a silent courtesy; it was a little thanks for keeping her head on for this operation. And as the drone hovered towards the door, he forced the small arm of the drone to reach out to the door¡¯s controls, opening it. Driving the drone forward, he entered the office as the door phased open.


    ¡°What do you want now?¡± asked Frederick, twisting his head up as he stared at the cleaning-drone. It stayed motionless, its face buzzing with glitches. ¡°Dammit, drone, get out, I¡¯m busy, go clean Eliza¡¯s room, she always leaves her study material out.¡±


    Strange, Archius thought.


    ¡®I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not happening.¡¯ said Archius, driving the drone forward as he piloted it in front of the desk, retracting its limbs.


    Frederick paused for a moment, before grabbing his revolver from its hover-stand, drawing at the drone. It was a Miturabi model, sleek and clean. Powerful and angry. But he felt no intent to harm the drone, after all: Frederick wasn¡¯t the type to shoot first, not without a justified reason; despite everything that has happened, a fragment of the old him was still in there.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± asked Frederick. ¡°You¡¯re with her, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡®Elizabeth Celeste-Delmara is irrelevant to what I am about to tell you. I will get straight to business, do you concur, Commissioner? Now. Gun,¡¯ said Archius. ¡®This is a cleaning drone, it won¡¯t kill to have some manners, would it?¡¯


    Frederick slowly lowered his revolver, placing it back onto the hovering gun-stand on the desk. He gave the drone a suspicious nod, understanding that its purpose here was not to kill it. If that was the case then he¡¯d already be dead, maybe Frederick still has something in him.


    ¡®Good. I represent a party that benefits from the extension of your arbitrary deadline. Seven days is not enough, and there will be consequences if it comes to pass.¡¯


    ¡°So you¡¯re sent by him?¡± asked Frederick, standing up as he sighed, frowning.


    ¡®I am sent by nobody.¡¯


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question, drone.¡±


    Archius sighed. He looked through a few logs of codephrases used by known intelligence cells within Republic Intelligence. Most people in the know will know what it means, but Archius needed one that had a kick to it¡­ And he found it, one that even the Commissioner would bend to.


    ¡®By the Maelstrom¡¯s teeth, I command you.¡¯


    Frederick paused. His glare intensified. ¡°I should have known¡­¡± he trailed off. It seems he has the jist of things.


    ¡®The elimination of the gunrunners is paramount. You are to allow the AGENCY to thrive,¡¯ said Archius.


    The drone slowly projected out documents and information for Frederick to see. It was the purest blackmail they had on the commissioner, snippets of what the CRIS and him had on Frederick. It was everything from reports to hidden messages, after the P-1 Incident the Commissioner lost favour, and has been throwing things around to keep his power¡­ How the mighty have fallen.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t everything.¡¯


    ¡°What is this?!¡± shouted Frederick, ¡°This is¡­ gibberish, slander!¡±


    ¡®You have been hiding reports of police failures to the rest of the Judiciary,¡¯ stated Archius. ¡®You do like to keep the idea of police supremacy, especially with your little stunt with the media after P-2.¡¯


    ¡°LIES. You have no proof.¡± said Frederick, ¡°What do I gain from manipulating the media?¡± His yapping bore no fruits, because Archius already knew the truth, that time he spent with a few associates have been quite helpful, it seems.


    ¡®I have some friends within the media and net industry, they gave me some convincing evidence¡­ I¡¯m not even going to mention the lacklustre police response to a shooting¡­ involving your daughter.¡¯ said Archius, ¡®Perhaps, you wanted your daughter to die, I can understand that to an extent.¡¯ It was a lie, but he wanted to gauge how Frederick would react.


    ¡°Say that again and I¡¯ll have whoever you are put on before a grand jury!¡± threatened Frederick, seemingly more offended at being seen as a weakling; or perhaps about the comment with his daughter. ¡°Patrol officers have bought time for the SPTU to arrive.¡±


    ¡®Except the SPTU took too long. Five civilians and eight officers were killed. Many more wounded. Things only stabilised once the AGENCY arrived,¡¯ said Archius. ¡®And P-2. The AGENCY has been a more willing partner for the judiciary than your assets.¡¯


    Frederick remained silent, taking one look outside the window as the blues started to merge into the red and orange. Its overpowering night taking over the lit up sky, still vibrant with stars.


    ¡®You covered it up¡­ these associates of yours cannot catch a break, can they?¡¯ jeered Archius.


    He slowly leaned forward, placing both hands on the desk. ¡°Then what do you want? You clearly work for them.¡±


    ¡®Work? No. Benefit? Yes. A simple extension of the deadline, and two SPTU patrol-craft. It¡¯s not much, but I can divulge more, if you wish.¡¯


    Frederick sighed, taking out a cigarette box from his pocket. Taking a Camerian-Rio out, he lit a cigarette. From the other side of the uplink, Archius could tell that it was high quality, the patterns within the smoke and the low colours and thinness of the vapours falling upwards.


    ¡®Collaborate with local police.¡¯


    ¡®The AGENCY has stated previous that it will not collaborate with local police,¡¯ said Archius, creating the layer of plausible deniability. ¡®The AGENCY has dealt a death blow to them. Will you sit and watch them take all the renown of this victory?¡¯


    Frederick glanced up. Archius could see his jealousy behind thinly veiled eyes. Fine¡­ two patrol vessels. And one more day. That is all I can give you.¡¯ said Frederick, pointing the cigarette at the drone as he grounded the end up. ¡®The SPTU will take credit.¡¯


    ¡®That is enough for me.¡¯ Archius said, satisfied. They get paid and the SPTU gets the credit, sure. This will be a nice little surprise for Kazuki.


    Moving his ICAPAD towards his face, he looked at a flurry of incoming messages. Ignoring all of them, he sent one message to one man, Osmond. ¡®Fret not. Be unflinching in your determination. It will be your liberation. Speed things up.¡¯


    Read immediately. And a mere confirmation¡­


    The metro train he was riding stopped as a new batch of passengers entered, replacing those that left. Anyone from fine suited businessmen, poorly made tunic-wearing officers, tourists and shoppers came and went; all with their blank faces in a blank city.


    Not a soul here knew a thing. All of them were ignorant to the suffering across the Republic¡¯s hinterlands, its fringe aligned systems such as Enga, isolated and safe to the now-dead-world of M¨¢wt¡­ Let alone the galaxy. Nor do they know one Deep Warp Jump away is a planet still stuck in the fallout of war.


    All here wanted a piece of that prestigious cake, to climb up and rise above the rest¡­ But not everyone can win.


    With everything done, he switched the drone, the feed to the drone¡¯s camera cutting off as Archius felt satisfied. It was heavy handed, very powerful, but things are now back on track. Archius straightened his coat. A job well done, he thought, tidying up the plethora of random gadgets he has in his coat and khaki pockets.


    And as the bright holographic lines blared up, showing a map of the District Metro, he allowed himself to breathe. Frederick might know that someone knows his secrets; but he now knows that he''s not invincible. A good trade off, if any conflict with the police arises¡­

 X30: Phoenix Pursuit

    Kazuki was honour-bound to fulfil the contract¡¯s terms. Bring forth justice and order to the injustice of the galaxy. That''s how they always phrased it, even back in Clandestine. But reality was never that simple; it was far from orderly, but it was a sense of justice: one with the idea that killing every single criminal solves crime. It was wrong.


    Clandestine and the AGENCY were the two sides of the same coin. Kazuki knew that. Clandestine killed purely for profits. Whilst the AGENCY does as well: Kazuki was far more restrained than the previous ¡®administration¡¯. But at the end of the day, the AGENCY was simply a rebranding. It¡¯s the legacy of Jessica he¡¯s forced to use.


    Yet he wanted revenge, that was why was in this industry first and foremost. But time was ticking. He paced around the frontal citadel bridge, Iron Will. The clock was counting down. Ten minutes left. Archius said something about increasing the time allotted¡­ but where the fuck was he?


    He knows Archius didn¡¯t fail. But the mere possibility of it gave him stress beyond relief, much like worrying about Eliza. His aug-glasses gave him a sense of constant information and knowing. He¡¯ll need it. They showed up on various screens, with a colour linking to various important topics. It was a rainbow of mind-inducing headaches.


    With each update, he paused. Hoping that it would give him respite. Most were logistics reports that Eliza had sent. Practically anything that needed resupplying was supplied within the day. Despite his satisfaction, it did nothing to give him respite.


    Looking outside, he saw the view of Narisa, ice asteroids surrounding it in small rings, clunking off each other and burning up upon re-entry. The world had checkpoints set around it in a blockade. The small flotilla patrolled the system and the planet¡¯s orbit.


    Quinn slowly stood up as he walked to the view. Kazuki stopped beside him, taking in the view for a little bit. His eyes skidded towards Quinn, expecting him to crack a bad joke.


    ¡°Good thing Anagora¡¯s not a frozen shit-show.¡± Quinn commented, placing his arms in his pockets. ¡°Just a regular shit-show.¡±


    He seems to have been avoiding the fact that he got caught drunk in his room. Kazuki didn¡¯t want to confront him on that one¡­


    Kazuki understood that there was unfinished business for him. And as much as he hated that it got in the way, he¡¯d be a hypocrite if he berated him.


    ¡°Next time you have the chance: will you take the shot?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Quinn, keeping his gaze set on Narisa. ¡°Ten years is a long time, right?¡±


    He looked at Kazuki, as if he was asking him for advice. He said none. He was incapable of doing so.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t the same people I knew back then.¡± He continued, letting off a melancholic smile at old memories, or at least that¡¯s what Kazuki interpreted. ¡°We were cathing idiots back then, Narisa¡¯s a fuck-hole. It can¡¯t be saved, we probably knew that back then; it¡¯s too far gone.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough. I can transfer you off this operation,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°Hosea¡¯s asking for an experienced breacher to help train Yamikoi militias.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Quinn stated, grimacing. He had some small bruises across his face. He looked like someone who had just sobered up, someone who regretted many things¡­ That waterfall within Quinn¡¯s eyes¡­ Kazuki could feel it behind his own.


    Kazuki dwelled on the thought for a moment, ten years is a long time for things to change¡­ And many things have changed in those ten years, and within Quinn, Kazuki realised that there was a necessity for him to change as well, if only it was that simple.


    ¡°Unfinished business?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we used to be in the same gang, with Petra and Riharia. Riharia kept us together, Leon and Osmond were the thinkers and me and Petra were the Shooty Shoot,¡± said Quinn, before joking things off, ¡°Those explosives¡­ What did you think it was for?¡±


    Confusion dotted across Quinn¡¯s face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kazuki stated. ¡°I was half my age back then¡­¡± Still, there could be one thing that it was for¡­ ¡°What did Leon spend the money on?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Kazuki crossed his arms. ¡°A hundred times market value.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡­ He said he¡¯d expand operations¡­ Get more contracts. For the most part, we were small timers, but that deal made us some big shots¡­ Least I think that¡¯s what he thought,¡± said Quinn. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ Find out. I¡¯ll play one round of Dullie for the info¡­ If that doesn¡¯t work, guess I¡¯ll be getting my hands dirty.¡±


    Kazuki hid his curiosity. The chances were high. Narisa was close to Anagora. Short distance. Made for a very good place to stock up arms. And explosives¡­ Imperial Explosives¡­ It could be it, he thought.


    ¡°As long as they¡¯re dead.¡± Kazuki gave a harsh but standard response.


    ¡°Understood, sir.¡±


    Quinn took out a pack of cigarettes from his vest-plate pockets, only to replace it with a deck of cards. It was old. Judging by the date of creation, it was one of the first thousand to be created, a signed copy. The signature was real. Kazuki remembered it when his sister got one, when she dragged him out of bed at 2AM to stand in a line.


    But¡­ it felt weird being called ¡®sir¡¯, he was no knight, nor was he superior. He¡¯s an operative first and foremost, the same as Quinn. ¡°Don¡¯t call me sir, or Arbiter, off duty. We¡¯ve known each other for over a year.¡±


    Quinn paused, then slowly nodded as he opened his mouth, ¡°Alright then¡­ Kazuki. It feels weird, like I shouldn¡¯t be calling a member of the aristocracy by their first name.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t see me as a GemRy, that¡¯s the best tip. I¡¯m Kazuki, and if you¡¯re not careful I could snap your spine,¡± said Kazuki, with a sarcastic voice - it wasn¡¯t sarcastic; more monotone than anything. ¡°We¡¯re both operatives. I can rely on you, right?¡±


    ¡°Those two aren¡¯t the same people I knew,¡± said Quinn, closing his eyes as he thought, ¡°They stayed. We left, nothing more than that, s¡ªKazuki.¡±


    Kazuki reached out a hand, and Quinn took it. They both shook on it. But Kazuki didn¡¯t entirely trust Quinn¡¯s word. He was just berated and disciplined over things he had no control over¡­ to some extent. Who¡¯s to say what he would do¡­ Kazuki decided to gamble. To place the trust of the operation onto Quinn, one of his best guns.


    ¡°Good. Past¡¯s a bitch, but we¡¯re still alive. We must be doing something right.¡± Kazuki had an unremarkably emotionless face. He acknowledged Quinn¡¯s statements, assuming nothing more. ¡°Despite what it may seem, I don¡¯t bite, most of the time. Don¡¯t feel afraid to ask for more advice.¡±


    Quinn chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s a bit weird asking advice from someone younger than me, but not much I can do about age.¡±


    Kazuki nodded. And he turned back to the planet. He sighed as he started pacing around the room once again. The doors unsealed, opening up as the vibrations caught Kazuki¡¯s ears, his limbs twisted before the door fully opened.


    Eliza walked in. Rushing across the room, he asked her, ¡°Eliza, any updates?¡±


    She shook her head, disparagingly sighing, ¡°I tried speaking with my dad, got off track quite quickly, so no progress was made on that front.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Claire?¡±


    ¡°Claire¡¯s gone to get some shut-eye,¡± said Eliza. Sleep, how he¡¯d crave for even that half-respite.


    Kazuki nodded, turning away as he continued to pace, thinking as he did. She has no relevant information. His erratic behaviour only sparked a level of curiosity in Eliza.


    She asked, ¡°How long do we have left?¡±


    ¡°Four minutes; twenty seven seconds and counting,¡± said Kazuki, crossing his arms. ¡°The gunrunnners have done dark on the surface. Archius and Sato have found no traces. We lack the manpower to properly scour the whole planet. A whole week of nothing.¡±


    Eliza followed him as he walked around. He was getting desperate; it was unfair, but Frederick would use anything to get at him, even at the expense of the Judiciary it seems.


    He needed to show gunrunner-heads to Frederick. Time ticked away at his mind, as he felt his control of his fingers slip away for a moment. Kazuki took out three pills of Halolazil. He swallowed it down, combating his headaches.


    But as he swallowed his hopes, the door opened and Archius entered. He yawned as he shouted over at Kazuki, ¡°Good news! I got an extension to our deadline, plus a little surprise for the smugglers.¡±


    He twisted towards Archius. The smugglers have not done much as of yet, who¡¯s to say that they will do anything between now and their new deadline?


    ¡°And if they don¡¯t do anything?¡± asked Kazuki. ¡°Is this little surprise supposed to clear that up?¡±


    Archius smirked, shaking his head as he wagged his finger. ¡°Nuh uh, my eyes have sped things up. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll get your victory, Kaz. And this surprise¡­ well, you¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡ª¡±


    ¡°Kazuki!¡± Sato shouted, standing up from her monitor as she shot the trio a look. ¡°We have a report from the Prometheus. A modified freighter with overheated engines broke through a checkpoint! It¡¯s making a mad-boost to the coordinates.¡±


    ¡°Distance and interception?¡± asked Kazuki, twisting around to Sato. Archius maintained his wide, self-satisfied smirk.


    Sato paused for a moment as she read through the reports. ¡°Twenty AUs, not far but not close either. We can definitely intercept. Orders?¡±


    ¡°The Iron Will shall pursue,¡± commanded Kazuki, ¡°Have the Prometheus join us in pursuit. The others will maintain the blockade, in case this is a diversion.¡± Kazuki turned his head towards Archius. ¡°I hope this surprise will help us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it will help, just give it a few minutes and it¡¯ll be ready for us!¡± said Archius, ¡°But we should pursue with more vessels, I doubt the gunrunners have much left in them.¡±


    ¡°I will not take that risk.¡±


    A moment of rest spurred into flurry as boots crackled on the steel surface of the destroyer interior. And as quickly as the order was given: the ship was moving.


    ? ? ?


    The vibrations of the engines roared through the ground of the small escort destroyer, much smaller than that of the Dreadnoughts that they fought against back during the rebellion. But it was faster, more nimble, perfect for anti-smuggling operations. As the Iron Will and Prometheus barrel towards the Crescento, Archius stood firm, thinking about how he¡¯ll utilise Osmond in this operation.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ could sacrifice him away,¡± Archius thought aloud.


    The pursuit continued, towards the voidway coordinates, a designated safe spot for interstellar travel. But there should be a surprise coming in any second¡­ It should buy Kazuki¡¯s mind a reprieve, Archius thought. He¡¯ll show the gunrunners what it truly means to play with in a very big fucking galaxy.


    Looking out the window from the command table, Archius saw the corvette-sized hauler flee, two pursuing vessels opening fire with plasma-lances, shot-shells and low grade munitions. The vessels began to weave through an asteroid belt, avoiding fire and debris through the field. Fragments of ice melted away as beams sparked through them, creating vapours and light visible for aeons.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Arbiter, we¡¯ll have to increase the munition-load if we want to quickly disable the vessel,¡± said Sato, the AGENCY¡¯s foremost naval expert. ¡°They¡¯ll get away if we pursue them through the asteroids.¡±


    ¡°No. I want to draw a boundary in the cosmos. They must be dealt with personally,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°They are to be terminated in person, their cargo seized.¡±


    Well, now that Kazuki puts it like that, he made some sense. The gunrunners would have a lot of old stock, and salvaging their system would give them more information. Archius liked the sound of the plan, yet¡­ others did not.


    Quinn shouted out of turn, ¡°They¡¯re betting on the fact that we want them alive! I know Leon¡­ well, what used to be Leon. He¡¯s a risk-taker, he¡¯s betting that we don¡¯t want to vaporise his ass!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s insane¡­¡± Eliza commented, her head popping up, with a mil-grade uplink attached to the side of her face and ear. Eyes glanced towards her as she shot downwards, embarrassingly avoiding the glares.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Archius muttered to himself.


    ¡°Very much is!¡± said Lilly, joining in the argument, ¡°I know from my marine days, typical smugglers run and never stop. If they stop, it¡¯s over for them.¡±


    Claire rushed into the room as she heard the guns fire from within the vessel, her medium-length navy-blue hair was messy. Bed hair covering her augmetic-right-eye. ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡±


    Zymuel, the TECHI-HEAD, turned towards Claire from the side of the room. He was nestled between a few of Kiri¡¯s ¡®caretaker drones¡¯. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re just on time Claire! The fireworks are just starting.¡±


    She nodded, though scratched her head at Zymuel, sighing as she groaned audibly, then twisting to look at Kazuki. ¡°Hey, Kazuki, did we get a new drone in here?¡±


    ¡°HEY!¡± Zymuel shot up, ¡°It¡¯s me! Zymuel, remember?!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ You know you wouldn¡¯t be here if I didn¡¯t know emergency surgery, right?¡± she said.


    ¡°Shut up, you two,¡± said Kazuki, as both immediately complied with his order. Despite them wearing the same trimmed armour, Zym and Claire seemed at odds with each other at all times; probably since Zymuel always jokes about usurping her position.


    Archius counted on his fingers the amount of times that those two have clashed heads, sometimes literally. Counting on the joints of one hand with his thumb, he counted at least twelve times, before he got bored of counting.


    Kazuki deliberated for a moment, then said, ¡°Rear engines. Target them, disable them. But do not destroy them. Ensure they do not escape.¡±


    ¡°Fucking hell¡­¡± Sato quietly grumbled, nodding as she activated her ICAPAD, ¡°Do all Ryzakus like to get up-close and personal.¡± Archius caught her small murmurs.


    Archius tapped into the uplink, wanting to make himself known not only to the ship, but to Osmond. And now it¡¯s time for him to choose between life or death. ¡®This is the Iron Will to the Crescento, ground your vessel and prepare for inspection. Any resistance will be¡­ met with unflinching determination.¡¯


    Archius waited a few seconds as no response came. He shrugged as Kazuki glanced over at him. Oh well, their loss. ¡°I guess they want to be shot?¡±


    But Osmond should get the message, that the moment to betray Leon is now, and that this will be the final time he has to comply with his orders. And as he turned back to the vessel, the first heavy salvos were fired - thick beams and scorching plasma erupted across void, gleaming onto the hauler.


    The Prometheus also intensified its fire as sparks littered the stars. Munitions and lasers exploded around the vessel, bringing crimson bursts onto the debris field as the pursuers crashed forward - directly towards the path of the voidway coordinates. Asteroids and scrap debris smacked into the shields, but the Iron Will can withstand it.


    Now all he has to do is wait. Eliza stood up, walking up to the top of the bridge as she looked out. Her eyes sparkled as the sight of the space-battle, though it was less of a battle and more of a hunt. But Kazuki? He stood idle, tapping his boot impatiently. A burst of energy sent the hauler forward.


    ¡°Kazuki! The hauler¡¯s using all its fuel up, it¡¯ll reach there before us!¡± Sato shouted.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right,¡± Eliza said. She looked to one of the monitors. ¡°There¡¯s... mathematical errors coming out of the jump point for Deep Drives?¡±


    Kazuki responded, biting each word, ¡°Full. Speed. Ahead.¡±


    Sato glanced over at the monitor, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯ll probably buffer out? Wait... No. There¡¯s voidcraft inbound!¡±


    Eliza¡¯s eyes widened. The Iron Will continue its pursuit, slowing down to avoid the incoming vessels. ¡°We¡¯re not going to hit them, right?¡±


    Kazuki shook his head. ¡°Thanks to you, probably not.¡±


    Lights flashed across with light flak shooting down missiles. The Crescento was closer to the void-destination. Too close, Archius thought¡­ And as Kazuki uncrossed his arms, a sprout of light exploded in the distance. A gateway into the alt-dimension was unleashed as raw energy exerted itself outwards, with an explosion fading away slowly to dull nothing.


    Something blocked the coordinate path.


    Two corvettes exited out right in front of the hauler.


    They were painted navy blue. Slick in design, they were new models, but were much weaker compared to the war versions.


    The impact of their arrival stunned the Crescento, allowing a full broadside from all sides to cascade into the vessel. Its shields were on the brim of collapsing... The hauler shifted away from the seismic impact left behind by the vessels arrival.


    Energy stung across space.


    Sato patted Eliza on the back. Kazuki could see Archius narrow his gaze, slightly, before sighing. ¡°Doing good,¡± he muttered to himself.


    That caught Kazuki¡¯s eye, and his eyes caught Archius¡¯ ire. Kazuki nodded to Archius.


    ¡°Never knew you knew navigational mathematics,¡± Sato said with a smile. ¡°Any closer and we¡¯d been caught in that impact...¡±


    Eliza scratched the back of her head. She humbly said, ¡°Not particularly well, I suppose... Just the basics?¡±


    Out of everyone in their class, Eliza was probably the only one that truly understood the subject. It even took Kazuki time to understand it, but Eliza was able to grasp it with speed and determination.


    ¡°Hey, Kaz, what are they doing?¡± Eliza asked, pointing at the two corvettes that arrived. Their weapons were primed and armed, pointing towards the Hauler.


    ¡°Well, they seem neutral enough.¡± Kazuki observed the craft, seeing their very visible police markings, before sarcastically smacking the question away. ¡°Probably IUN.¡±


    ¡®THIS IS THE SPTU! CRESCENTO, HALT!¡¯ came the vessel. Kazuki glanced BACK towards Archius, he simply smirked back. Kaz did his best, but Archius saw his eyes murmur with relief.


    The hauler gave no response. As the SPTU opened fire, the Crescento veered off, its engines bursting with flames as it avoided the four pursuing craft. What the fuck are they doing? Archius paused, thinking, watching as the Iron Will pursued, leading the chase.


    ¡®Keep an active pursuit. Maintain distance and destroy their engines.¡¯ said Kazuki, he turned towards Sato, ¡°Where¡¯s the next closest voidway coordinate?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t part of the plan that Osmond said¡­ but neither did he say much for a while; hmm, Archius pondered to himself. He must be playing both sides, it seems. Rummaging through the databases and information relays, Sato groaned as she made a strained face of frustration.


    ¡°Other side of the system? The fuck are they going?¡± asked Sato.


    The hauler¡¯s shields started to flicker in vibrant, corrosive colours. The layers of its foremost defence flickered off to leave a naked ship to be blasted by munitions.


    ¡°Shields are down!¡± reported Eliza, watching the spectacle of rainbows and colliding colours. ¡°Perhaps we should downgrade the plasma munitions? So... we don¡¯t explode the vessel?¡±


    Exploding the vessel will solve their problem easily.


    And all the while, Kazuki looked out the bridge window, violently swallowing more Halolazil. Jeez, he¡¯s reliant on those, Archius noted. Kazuki was grabbing onto his hand, seemingly stopping it. Huh? Kazuki let go of his own grasp, his hand was calm. The exposure must have dealt some damage to his hand¡­ Well, Kazuki has his own ways of dealing with things and Archius wasn¡¯t too interested in sticking his nose into medical problems. Information and secrets were the things he¡¯s interested in getting high on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Cyrus later¡­¡± Archius mumbled to himself.


    A cacophony of colours bled out from the ship. The main engines were now targetable¡­ But now they have to make sure not to blow up the whole vessel. The SPTU were forced back as the hauler kept going. Its engines overloaded as it spat out vibrant streams of munitions towards the SPTU.


    ¡°Are they fucking insane?¡± snapped Sato, ¡°Overloading their engines will fucking kill them if we target their reactor!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the point,¡± said Archius.


    Sato probably felt her naval pride kick into full gear as she criticised her enemy. The navy was always prideful¡­ But that changed nothing, the hauler was still speeding off towards the edge of the system-star¡¯s gravitational orbis. Just what are they doing?


    Eliza flicked up another monitor, watching the vessel¡¯s heat signatures. ¡°They¡¯re playing a dangerous game,¡± she said.


    As Archius thought to himself, an epiphany hit both Kazuki and Eliza. Archius watched as the two sprouted up, saying the same words. ¡°They¡¯re going to blind jump.¡±


    The two looked towards each other, as Eliza pointed at him. Kazuki pointed at himself, confused¡­ Archius rolled his eyes. The moment passed as Sato¡¯s face went pale with fear.


    ¡°Blind jump?! These gunrunners really are fucking insane! Iris knows where the fuck they¡¯ll end up!?¡± shouted Sato, feeling second-hand panic for the crew of the vessel.


    ¡°They must have a plan, right?!¡± Eliza suggested.


    ¡°Their plan¡¯s behind those corvettes!¡± Archius stated. ¡°They¡¯re just fucking winging it, now!¡±


    But even with the overloaded engine, it could do nothing against the speeding destroyer that had been throwing itself forward. Its shields were barely powered, with the Iron Will pushing all power into guns and engines. And the Crescento was gambling on the fact that they¡¯ll make it to the edge of the system.


    ¡°Kaz, if they blind jump, we¡¯ll never find them¡­¡± Eliza worried for a moment, watching as the laser-lances poured forward, glazing off the hauler.


    ¡°I know,¡± snapped Kazuki. ¡°One option remains.¡±


    Archius could tell what Kazuki wanted to do. But it was risky, with the debris field spanning across the area, filled with asteroids, old Imperial dead-hulks and scrap metal. He twisted in his chair, glancing at Kazuki.


    ¡°You really want to do it?¡± asked Archius, crossing his arms.


    Kazuki gave his answer in a heartbeat. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get on with it then,¡± Archius replied, cracking his knuckles as he connected himself to his uplink. The plan wasn¡¯t suicidal, but it was risky. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do if they do escape.¡±


    ¡°Either way¡­ it¡¯s a win?¡± Sato suggested, ¡°It¡¯ll take a while, but we can chase them across the High-Table if need be.¡±


    The rest were talking as Kazuki remained eerily quiet. Archius moved closer, slightly, just in earshot. ¡°What would father do...?¡± Kazuki whispered to himself, staring at the command deck.


    Moments passed as Kazuki thought silently. Then, he opened his eyes and his golden eyes steadied with wrath.


    ¡°Prepare the boarding torpedoes,¡± ordered Kazuki, twisting around as he walked away from the window. Everyone in the room fell silent.


    And everyone remained silent, except for Lilly. ¡°Boarding action? I thought you''d never ask!¡±


    Archius got a glimpse of the photos she was editing as she stood up, erupting into a wrathful personification of the marine spirit, both disciplined and ready for war.


    ¡°We¡¯ll storm the hauler, take the bridge and crew before they blind jump.¡±


    ¡°Boarding action¡­ Kazuki, we¡¯re not in the war!¡± Sato objected, replacing her usual grumbling with worry. Archius thought that she worried too much. ¡°We¡¯re running anti-smuggler ops, plus¡­ we haven¡¯t maintained the torpedoes in a while, had to cut down on something!¡±


    ¡°Time to find out whether they still work,¡± said Kazuki, walking past everyone in the room. Alright, that was simply reckless, Archius thought. ¡°We¡¯ll be outnumbered and outgunned.¡±


    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be broken,¡± commented Eliza, ¡°They¡¯re Imperial torpedoes, right? Renowned for reliability?¡±


    Fair assessment, Archius thought. She wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Quinn and Lilly both shot up. The two Ex-marines were pumped and ready for the mission, though for those not experienced, they felt a sense of dread. Archius looked over across the room as Claire, Kiri and Zymuel were less than pleased. Everyone knows the risks of boarding actions, it¡¯s in the name: Boarding. Anything can go wrong, and the risk is high, even compared to regular operations.


    ¡°Come on, guys!¡± said Quinn, ¡°This is what we specialise in, right! Quick in and out missions!¡±


    He was clearly joking. But it did not help at all as Kiri and Claire both went pale. Archius sniggered at the sight, amused at everyone¡¯s reactions as Eliza asked one question. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with boarding them?¡±


    Claire twisted her head towards Eliza. ¡°ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? MARTINEZ TOLD ME ABOUT THE TIME ONLY HIS SHUTTLE REACHED THE LANDING PORT! ONE! OUT OF LIKE TWENTY!¡±


    Kiri, despite all her panicking and mild fear, tried to calm Claire down, wrapping one arm around her shoulder. ¡°Hey, Lilly¡¯s experienced with these types of boardings. We¡¯re gonna get through this, right, Lilly?¡±


    Lilly nodded, though Kazuki quickly interjected, ¡°Lilly stays on the Iron Will.¡±


    Everyone twisted their heads round to Kazuki, for his part he didn¡¯t seemed too fussy. He ignored the sighs and groans from them all as he continued on with his flurry of orders.


    ¡°Lilly will coordinate the boarding teams with Sato. Eliza will assist. We¡¯ll fire all torpedoes. Make them think we have. Only half will be manned. Our objective is simple. Take control of the vessel,¡± stated Kazuki, slamming down on the make-ready button as the vessel exploded into alarms. ¡°And I will accompany you.¡±


    Eliza chuckled slightly at the new responsibilities. She has no option but to accept them. Shoving her into the deep end, Kazuki? Surprising, but Eliza¡¯s probably good with maths... Better than Archius, at least.


    ¡°Well, at least we have that,¡± said Claire.


    ¡°Kazuki¡­¡± Kiri slowed down, ¡°Is this truly necessary?¡±


    ¡°They cannot be allowed to escape, so it is,¡± said Kazuki, ¡°Plan is simple, we kill them all. Any questions?¡±


    It was nigh suicidal, Archius thought. But it wasn¡¯t the first time that the AGENCY has done something stupid, dangerous - stupidly dangerous. After all, the rebellion was built on confidence and stupidity. And despite everything Archius thought, Kazuki still has some of that fervour within him. But still, everyone was feeling tense, even Archius. A Member of the Seven could do a lot, but stop explosions? Not really their area of expertise.


    ¡°Just like at Umgahbi,¡± said Sato, shaking her head, twisting to Eliza, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boarding procedures are a general issue in the navy. Plus, you guys are fighting smugglers, not Clandestine mercenaries.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Relax guys,¡± said Lilly, before putting on a stern face. ¡°That¡¯s an order.¡±

 X31: End of the Warpway

    Stepping into place, Kazuki sat down and sealed himself to the seat, locking the braces. The boarding torpedo was filled to the brim with operatives, all sealing themselves against the walls'' seats. The view of the asteroids and debris outside came into view on the frontal peripheral viewer, showing the dead hulks in the distance. A moment of calm descended onto them. No one uttered a word.


    And as the hydraulic motions activated, it shot the torpedoes out - leaving through the asteroids and debris. A thousand drones and chaff pods accompanied the torpedoes. Kazuki could hear the heightened breathing of his men.


    The endless abyss of space was but a simple layer of steel away from them. The air-tight torpedo was cool, near freezing - it did nothing to help sooth them. Yet no one complained. It was the least of their worries. Lights flashed far away as the Crescento was harried by the pursuing vessels. Shots bounced off its hull as the lances powered through, deflecting off as some of the drones and pods activated, crashing into munitions and missiles to protect the boarding torpedoes in large kamikaze waves.


    It created a mindless mess spent munitions, floating and flicking off the hulls of all craft. Torpedoes barrelled forward narrowly avoiding the dead hulks, a few scrapes to the torpedoes sent noises flinging through its compartments. Yet as they cleared through the debris field, the Crescento came into view.


    Empty waters. No obstacles. Full speed ahead. Inertial dampeners throttled to full gear, it was now or never.


    Two objects sprung off the hull of the hauler, laser beams striking forward. Interceptors. Kazuki felt the pale faces of his men, yet held firm himself. He kept his eyes forward, watching as outdated V8s scored skimming shots. It bounced off the hull. The drones activated their flashes¡­ Though whether it was to blind the hostile V8s or if it was Lilly¡¯s drone cameras, Kazuki couldn¡¯t tell.


    Kazuki could feel the vibrations of each pulsing heart, each inhale and exhale. He steeled himself.


    Before they could pull off, however, a wing of AGENCY fighters soared by. Plasma scorched into them, turning the V8s to dust.


    ¡®V8s are gone! You are all clear and forever in my debt!¡¯ Karl joked loudly, shouting into the uplink channels. Kazuki heard a few muffled chuckles beneath the thick smog of oxygen.


    ¡®All forces, ETA to impact, ten seconds,¡¯ reported Sato, as hell broke loose outside. Escort drones and chaff pods flicked off the munitions and lasers.


    They sacrificed themselves as high explosive rockets sent every sight into a bizarre gore of colours. Kazuki kept calm. Whilst his men held themselves tight, closing their eyes.


    ¡®Good luck in there.¡¯ Eliza commented, trying to help motivate them. It did little to help the tension.


    Not a word was uttered as they sealed their helm-masks on. The red and white trimmed armour of Heimfall and Deltastring glistened with the flickering light. Looking back out to the monitor, Kazuki saw the torpedoes¡¯ escorts battered away, shot down after another.


    Then, the flak poured towards the torpedoes as the final drones were washed away. Laser flak ricocheted off the slanted hull, with loud crashes outside sounding the operation to a near start. And then, the thrusters ignited. Counter thrusters exploded.


    A violent crash echoed outside.


    The screen went black as the torpedo carved through the hull.


    ¡®Arbiter to Overwatch, boarding is a go,¡¯ said Kazuki.


    Green light lit across the torpedo. Everyone finished gearing up, but no one moved¡­ Deathly silence engulfed the chamber. Everyone¡¯s heart beats were audible. Kazuki was the first to stand up. Everyone gasped, in surprised at surviving. Kazuki didn¡¯t undersand their surprise, this was the safest part of a boarding.


    Quinn yelled out to the troops behind him, ¡°We made it, boys!¡±


    Kazuki nodded at Quinn, fitting the last bits of his gear in place. Kaz turned to the company of men behind him.


    ¡°These people made us fight through thick and snow. Time to show them what happens when you can¡¯t hide behind blizzards and storms,¡± Kazuki remarked. ¡°Fix Bayonets. Let¡¯s fucking skewer them.¡±


    And with those words, he broke the smog. And everyone fired up, ready for the oncoming operation. Those with bayonet knives attached the blades to the end of their muzzles.


    ¡°Nods on,¡± said Claire, activating her eyepieces.


    Releasing the trigger for the torpedo, Kazuki unleashed the ramp - as steam and smoke filled the air. A loud crash echoed and the operatives clambered to make ready.


    Smoke clouded their advance - as a dozen bright lights signalled on their threat-detection. A moment of pause stayed the hands of the contractors, before Kazuki took a step forward.


    A string of bullets exploded out from the smoke, as the operatives flooded out. The other teams were locatable through the cacophony of gunfire, turning the whole vessel into a choir. The landing dock they had crashed into was quickly cleared, with blood lining the walls. A few had lived, thanks to their armour: but they were put down. As Kazuki led his team forward, the other sections stormed forward. Like a growing tree, the teams expanded their branches.


    ? ? ?


    The crunching footsteps against steel echoed across each chamber, with loud alarms blaring. The Ad hoc unit sprawled forth, killing and gunning down anything that didn¡¯t have their insignias. That included unarmed crew, caught between the crossfire. In the chaos of it all, better safe than sorry. As the team pushed on, they met with increasingly heavy resistance.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Kazuki pressed his back against the indented wall, with Quinn aching to push further. The breacher had his head on a swivel.


    ¡°Arbiter! You wanna take the spear?¡± asked Claire, across the hall, showing Kazuki a nano-stim she took from her support pouches. ¡°Nanite-V12, you already know the details.¡±


    ¡°No, enlighten me with another rant, please,¡± said Kazuki, nodding.


    Claire over-armed the vial towards Kazuki. Whilst Kiri was behind her, dialling away at her ICAPAD. Her exoskeleton lit up with movements up and down, like a steam engine. Lights flickered on as her drones started to charge up. Half a dozen small drones were attached to the back of her vest-plate and armour.


    ¡°You should have charged them before the operation,¡± commented Quinn.


    Kiri shook her head. ¡°Protocol to keep them outta power when not in use, you know?!¡±


    Injecting the vial into him, Kazuki felt a surge of energy. Steam vented out his mouth as he tensed his muscles, pushing forward. Activating his shield, he pressed his forearm against his chest.


    He weaved under shots, firing away at any that dared to face him head on. The others pushed forward.


    ¡°Come on! We¡¯ll be back home in an hour!¡± said Claire, encouraging the agents onwards.


    Continuing through the carnage, the team reached a T-intersection. A barricade of smugglers fired down the intersection, barring their advance. The team stacked up on one side as more agents emerged from the other side of the barrage. It was Zymuel¡¯s team; they stacked up against the wall as Kazuki¡¯s squad did. The Squad Lead refixed his TECHI-HEAD.


    One peeked out, getting splattered in the limbs, before the team pulled them back. Blood curdling cries filled the hall, muffled by gunfire. They dropped a flash-smoke as they pulled back. This will be hard fought¡­ he thought, steeling his nerves.


    ¡°Carnifex, Lazarus,¡± Kazuki started, attracting the attention of the team-leads, ¡°I¡¯ll push forward, lead your team behind me. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Understood, Arbiter!¡± said Zymuel. He turned to the people behind him, ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s get this bread, we have Arbiter with us!¡± Cheers of encouragement dotted the halls.


    Kazuki looked back towards Claire¡¯s team, they were all ready, with the exception of Kiri, who was still activating all her drones, one by one.


    ¡°Come on¡­¡± Claire turned towards Kiri.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be a moment! Please!¡± Kiri retorted.


    ¡°You and your drones will be ready when the operation finishes!¡± snapped Amy¨¦.


    Unlike the dead-hulk they had as a HQ, this vessel was well maintained: barring the blood splattered about and the dead bodies.


    ¡®Arbiter, you only have ten minutes remaining!¡¯ reported Eliza, ¡®They¡¯re getting close to the edge of the system¡¯s grav-field.¡¯


    With a simple nod as acknowledgement, Kazuki pushed forward, twisting around the corner. His shield sprung up, taking each step against the brunt of plasma and bolt flinging towards him. He nudged forward, bolts flicking off his armour and shield- with both Claire and Zymuel¡¯s teams pouring from the sides. They let loose a concentrated volley sent down the hall.


    They showed them why they were his executioners.


    In less than a second, blood and mist filled the hall. Those that were hit in even the smallest of unarmoured places were turned into mush. Courtesy of Explosive-Bolts. Those that remained retreated. It was a total massacre.


    ¡°Nice job¡­ Hey, Lazarus! You think I can get promoted?¡± asked Zymuel, nudging his project leader. ¡°Ey? EYY?¡±


    Claire merely sighed, groaning at the problem of Zymuel. ¡°I swear, I should have just left you to die¡­ JUST PLEASE STOP ANNOYING ME,¡± complained Claire, acting as if her younger sibling is pestering her. As he passed by, she lightly punched him on the red coloured shoulder-pauldron.


    As they slowly pushed onwards, Kiri finally joined them, turning the corner. ¡°Aha!¡±


    Everyone glanced towards her. She had a small legion of drones activated, all aiming down the hall, their rotary cannons spinning. Kazuki felt her smile fade as she realised she was late. Claire snickered, ¡°Guess you¡¯re late to the fireworks, then?¡±


    Kiri was left embarrassed, with Quinn tapping her on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we Deltas have each other¡¯s backs.¡±


    ¡°Haymaker, take Apothio and cover our rear.¡± ordered Kazuki, turning back as gunfire raged across the level; sparks of light appeared behind them in the distance, around the corners. Kiri and Edain nodded as they trailed back. With drones, they should be fine.


    Continuing with the advance, the section sliced through the smuggler¡¯s, terminating anything in their path. Waves of criminals were turned into shreds as they made contact with the team of experienced mercs. Kazuki¡¯s ICAPAD linked to his aug-glasses, highlighting the path.


    He was the spearhead, swapping out with Quinn each time he had to load in a new power charge for his exospine. The team burst into a cargo bay, making short work of the gunrunners hiding and taking cover. The Loyalists put up much more of a fight than these smugglers, but once again: his men were simply more experienced. And that outranks any weapon, tool, or armour they have.


    ¡®They¡¯re controlling the vessel from the command bridge; if you get there you can disable the vessel from opening a voidway, you¡¯re close! Take the elevator and you should bypass most of the smugglers,¡¯ suggested Eliza, as Kazuki glanced at the large cylindrical elevator in the centre of the room. The cargo room had a dozen sealed doors attached to it, with operatives taking cover behind crates.


    He took her up on the suggestion, nodding towards Claire as they approached. Zymuel¡¯s team firmly sealed any doors leading into the storage bay. Kazuki slammed down on the elevator touch-screen, a beep calling the lift.


    A moment of respite passed as the elevators started moving. His ears caught something, his head twisting to the doors. They were letting off creaking noises, sparks spluttered through their gaps. One, then two, then all of them: sparks fluttering through the gaps.


    Kazuki activated his ICAPAD, denoting the deck-level. ¡®Any forces near the central cargo hold on level three?¡¯


    ¡®Central cargo? Hold on,¡¯ Eliza paused for a moment. ¡®Negative! Those are not friendly!¡¯


    ¡°Shit!¡± Zym turned to Kazuki. ¡°Arbiter! We¡¯ll protect your rear.¡±


    Kazuki nodded. ¡°Alright, Carnifex. Maintain your position. Ensure that this room does not fall.¡±


    Kiri came into view, trailing behind, with her legion, as Edain helped her up, they were riddled with marks. As they entered into the cargo bay, a horde of smugglers came into view behind them. The drones covered them as Edain sealed the door shut behind them.


    ¡°Sorry, Arbiter!¡± said Kiri, doing quick maintenance on some of her remaining drones.


    Kazuki took a glance at the two as he side-stepped out of a bolt¡¯s path. ¡°Haymaker, Apothio, stay with Carnifex, your drones will supplement his forces.¡± ordered Kazuki.


    Kiri and Edain nodded as they took cover, the drone legion that Kiri brought with her fanning out across the room.


    ¡°What about us?¡± asked Claire, standing in front of her team, a team prepared for when the doors open.


    But it was not the blast-doors that they will be focusing on. The elevator slid open. ¡°With me,¡± Kazuki said.


    Claire¡¯s men flooded into the elevator. Quinn glanced towards Kazuki. And he nodded, the breacher joining the team as Kaz stepped through. He slammed down on the elevator¡¯s touch-screen.


    Take the bridge, simple objective. But his mind wandered around. Kazuki was reminded of what comes next. Eliza¡­ Headaches soared upwards as he was reminded of Victoria, the blurred images of the twins stabbed his mind. He placed his hand against his helm-mask. He felt the dry paint of his leviathan teeth-marks against his glove.


    As his memory bled, a hand touched his shoulder. His head snapped backwards. Claire was standing behind him, fixing up some light wounds to her arms. ¡°Need something, Arbiter? I can get you a resupply of stims,¡± said Claire.


    Kazuki shook his head, his mind slightly fuzzy. He dusted his shoulder pauldrons, lined with hold paint. Nothing was there. He shoved a shaking hand into his pockets, pulling out even more Halolazil. He chugged it.


    Claire nudged Kazuki on the arm, ¡°Don¡¯t overdose on me, alright?¡± jested Claire, jokingly as she looked over his shoulder.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Kazuki said, keeping his eyes forward. And as his levels stabilised, the stress and shaking faded - yet the feeling remained. The size of the touch matched only one person in his archive of a brain: he refused to believe it. What the fuck did he feel?! Even if he didn¡¯t forget it, more pressing matters were at hand. He took in a deep breath, allowing his eyes to return to its dead shade of gold.

 X32: Ires of the Spymaster

    Watching the war unfold on the vessel from thousands of miles away, Archius simply waited. He¡¯ll demand more from Osmond, yes, but timing is key to this. Osmond will comply, or he will die. Either way, the gunrunners will be destroyed. Whether or not he must reward one insignificant asset is irrelevant; yet with the time limit: the situation may become critical.


    The SPTU and AGENCY were pursuing the vessel, having stopped their barrages in case a stray plasma lance exploded the reactors, dooming those on board to a freezing death. He looked at a 3D Holo-Print of the Crescento, hovering in the centre of the command deck. A dozen dots littered it, AGENCY assets - along with coloured dots for areas of importance and areas of resistance.


    ¡°Time¡¯s ticking¡­¡± Archius heard Eliza mutter to herself across the command table.


    His eyes skidded towards each blot. ¡®Excalio, take your team and retreat through the seventh chamber, draw as many smugglers into the secondary store-hold.¡¯ ordered Archius.


    ¡®Archius?¡¯ Yjara, another of Heimfall¡¯s sub-commanders, shouted, ¡®You insane? We¡¯re pinned down here! We move! We die!¡¯


    ¡®And you¡¯ll die regardless if you stay there,¡¯ said Archius, giving Yjara a taste of cold reality. ¡®Haul your asses somewhere else, regroup with the others, spam grenades for all I care, it¡¯ll give the armoury something to do later.¡¯


    He watched from the hacked-cameras, seeing her team pinned in a hall. Half were already dead, chewed down by heavy machine gun fire. ¡®Rendezvous with the others, buy as much time as possible for Arbiter¡¯s team to strike the bridge.¡¯


    ¡®Ya, ja! Whatever! Just highlight a few other sections for us,¡¯ replied Yjara. Archius highlighted the allied forces nearby as the team started to fall back, trusting his judgement; wise move, he thought.


    They needed time. Archius watched from the cameras at the reactor and engine rooms. Smugglers were putting up stiff resistance, and without the Fourth of the Seven Merc¡¯s presence in those areas, casualties were projected too high for a full assault. But still, they needed to stop the vessel. There was only one option left: Kazuki¡¯s spearhead. The bridge was everything. If the smugglers get out, then who the fuck will know where they are? This was it, a race against the clock. Everything depended on this, and Archius needed to use his card sparingly.


    Another voice crashed through the uplink, ¡®Overwatch! We¡¯ve captured the starboard gun-stations on deck two.¡¯


    Before Archius could even give his own answer, Eliza interjected, ¡®Splendid job, take your teams and rendezvous with the other units, reinforce the assaults on the reactor room, double time it!¡¯


    They complied. Hmm, maybe Eliza was getting better? It was a rough first start for her, Archius thought, but she does persevere. The hell of the boarding was nothing to the deafening silence on the command bridge. Lilly, Sato, Archius and Eliza simply sat, responding to chatter as they heeded through a hundred voices.


    ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t get handler fatigue like Sato,¡± commented Archius. Eliza glanced up at him, before giving him a confident thumbs up and a smile¡­ Ugh, she¡¯s overestimating herself.


    And time was ticking, he needed to contact Osmond. It was his ace up his sleeve, the one asset that may prove vital in the end-game. Deducing from how Osmond didn¡¯t tell him of the blind-jump idea, it seems that either Leon decided on the spot, or it was planned.


    Both were realistic opportunities, but nonetheless, Osmond may be playing a dangerous game¡­ and it may seem that he¡¯d have to rely on more heavy handed approaches, blackmail was all fine and dandy, he thought, but it¡¯s much more fun getting into the thick of things - sadly such an opportunity rarely shows itself with such tight deadlines. It¡¯d be a shame if Osmond betrayed their deal, but it¡¯s his loss. He looked towards Eliza.


    ¡°Hey, Liz,¡± Archius whispered, leaning towards her, ¡°Can I ask you a favour?¡±


    Eliza twisted away from her monitor, sliding the part of her uplink above her ear off, ¡°Pardon? Sorry, I couldn¡¯t hear you.¡±


    There was a fire in her eyes.


    Archius leaned in even further, lowering his voice in turn. ¡°Swap with me.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?! Look, I¡¯m fine, I don¡¯t feel tired at all, if you¡¯re worried about that.¡± Eliza blurted out, feeling her pride harmed, ¡°Come on, you can trust me, right? I handled the P-2 Op quite nicely, thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± Archius sighed, putting on fake faces. It seems she¡¯ll need some convincing. ¡°I need to make contact with my eyes.¡±


    Eliza scratched her head. ¡°Why can¡¯t you do that by yourself?¡± asked Eliza, slowly leaning in as she noted Sato looking up from her command-station.


    ¡°I need precision for this, Kaz¡¯s team has the highest chances of meeting him; and I need someone skilled to monitor the other teams.¡±


    A mixture of truth and lie melted into his words. Sure¡­ he needs someone skilled, but her? He pondered for a moment. His internal face soured, as his dead outward expressions did nothing but hold their fake facade. She was skilled, that was objective. She¡¯s learnt too much for him to dismiss her¡­


    Archius hated it.


    Eliza paused for a moment, before twisting her head back to the monitor. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a better handler than me, right? Sure, I¡¯ve been learning with Sato¡­ but two months is nothing compared to a year, you have served for a year, right? And¡­ flattery will get you nowhere.¡± Her eyes dotted towards him and back, as if avoiding his gaze.


    Fuck¡­ Kaz revealing his true nature to her must be the worst thing that happened to him this year yet. Archius whispered, ¡°This is important¡­ Just let me handle Kaz¡¯s team.¡±


    She grumbled for a moment, letting Archius know that she wasn¡¯t budging on the matter. Why can¡¯t she just be obliged like a good little handler? But again, she was the type of person to not yield to him. ¡°Look, this agent of mine is very important. And I need to overwatch Kaz¡¯s team to know when to make contact, I want you to, you know, oversee the other teams whilst I¡¯m doing that.¡±


    Hopefully reason would see to it. But she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when they¡¯re close to the bridge.¡± Her crimson eyes looked away, hiding away what she thought.


    Eliza was being irrational here, obsessive even¡­ He did trust her to overwatch him, but if she¡¯s this hellbent on keeping Kaz to herself, then said trust might as well not exist. Well then, he thought, time to use a bargaining chip.


    ¡°I guess they¡¯re right, you really do rely on him,¡± said Archius.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Eliza¡¯s head turned on a swivel. It seems he got her attention. ¡°What are you insinuating?¡± asked Eliza, her eyes thinning as she realised Archius hit the mark. She had a look of envy on her face, a vicious stare that he didn¡¯t think was possible for her; but then again, his initial assessment of her was that she was more vicious than what she leads on.


    Archius shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just borrowing him for a bit,¡± jeered Archius, ¡°You said you understood coordinating with us, I need you to coordinate with me, you coordinate with the other units.¡±


    Archius deliberated on pushing her further¡­ But confronting her and accidentally revealing more past trauma he wasn¡¯t aware of might harm her. Kazuki would kill him if he broke Eliza, deliberately or not - direct or indirect. And that probably wasn¡¯t an overstatement, Archius knows Kazuki started this rebellion for her.


    Before Archius could say anything, Eliza leaned backwards. ¡°Look, please, you can trust me, alright?¡± reiterated Eliza, trying to multi-task several drones at the same time. She was trying to prove something, and it didn¡¯t work; because she misunderstood him.


    Archius placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Eliza, this isn¡¯t about trust.¡± he asserted, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, remember? You¡¯re strong, hardy even, thick-headed¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you just call me stupid?¡± Eliza had a disgusted look on her face. Fuck¡­ that is what thick-headed means, right?


    Sato looked over at the two of them, grumbling as she flicked her uplink off. ¡°Can you two get back to work already?! Don¡¯t offload your share of the work to me!¡±


    Of course, she only cared about the work, not the fact that they were arguing in the first place.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Lilly snarled a look at the two as Eliza froze in place.


    Archius nodded at Sato, then twisted back at Eliza, speeding up his voice. ¡°I trust you, Liz, you¡¯ve proven yourself within the AGENCY more than ever. But we need too coordinate.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing that already... The teams are working perfectly... The...¡±


    ¡°The gunrunners have no reserves, we¡¯re pressuring them on all sides, yes!¡± Archius remarked. ¡°But I need you to swap with me. One decisive blow.¡± He held his hand out, showing his five fingers, then clenching them into one fist. ¡°One well timed punch, for that: I need to talk to my eyes. This is what I was talking about, Eliza, you need to work with me here... Don¡¯t be greedy.¡±


    Time to see if his hypothesis of pampering and throwing affirmation onto her works.


    Eliza paused for a moment. Pulling on her heart-strings might have been a bit harsh, but if it works then it¡¯ll be for the best - especially since Kaz isn¡¯t here to berate him for it.


    Eliza owes Archius a little bit, especially for helping her back during the Loyalist Crisis. Saying she didn¡¯t trust him would be counterproductive - and straight up mean, which she wasn¡¯t.


    A second passed as Eliza deliberated on the thought herself. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°I guess I was being greedy, wasn¡¯t I?¡±


    Archius shrugged. ¡°Sometimes being greedy isn¡¯t a bad thing,¡± Archius said. ¡°No hard feelings?¡±


    It looked as if she bit down on her pride and finally understood that letting emotions get in the way of things may lead to¡­ bad results. At least to some extent, Archius thought.


    She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s for the mission, is it not?¡±


    Archius nodded.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s not exactly much room for arguing, is there?¡± Eliza remarked. Archius chuckled, nodding.


    ¡°No there is not,¡± he replied. Eliza is finally getting it through her thick fucking skull! Congrats... Only took her until now, it seems.


    ¡°What¡¯s the status on your teams?¡± she asked. The question caught Archius dumbfounded for a split second as he cleared his throat... Huh? Oh...


    A secret smile bled onto Archius¡¯ inner mind. ¡°Pinned in the hallways leading to the reactors and engines, several MG nests are slowing them down.¡±


    Eliza furrowed her brow and nodded. ¡°Alright,¡± she said. It lacked any of her normal cleanliness or hospitality, simply one word that solidified her grit.


    They traded monitoring links and displays; the two swapped roles. Finally, Archius thought - turning to the monitor as he swapped interlink channels.


    Eliza seamlessly went on to act as the other units¡¯ handler, her eyes alight with determination. Seems like Archius was wrong after all! To some regards. Eliza¡¯s worth was slowly creeping up; she was no longer a liability to the AGENCY.


    A well oiled machine is only as good as its weakest component. Eliza was that component, but now... She was not. There was zeal in her voice; authority radiating from her eyes.


    Archius... He had to stop underestimating Eliza... He took a moment to simply take in the sight of Eliza ACTUALLY being competent!


    ¡°Team work, makes the dream work... Or some shitty team building proverb or whatever,¡± Archius murmured to himself under his breath. He hid it with a smile. He didn¡¯t even need to manipulate Eliza that hard either!


    Archius clicked his uplink on, watching Kazuki¡¯s small team clear through the vessel, cleaving a stream of blood as they slammed through the hallways, clearing the rooms adjoined to the halls in mere seconds. A wave of smugglers tried to pour forward, but Kazuki sliced them up with his half-blade, whilst using their momentum against themselves.


    Any others that even got close were quickly turned to ash by the other operatives. Yet one brave, poor soul tried to stab Kazuki with a sword-bayonet. The Fourth of the Seven Mercs merely parried away the attack, before interchanging the bayonet into their head, it was quite gruesome - Archius thought.


    They gave no mercy, bullets flicking off their shield and armour. ¡®Hello¡­ fine gentlemen and gentlewomen, I¡¯ll be guiding you for now!¡¯ said Archius.


    ¡®What joke is this?¡¯ demanded Kazuki, disparagingly negative. He let off an audible sigh of frustration as he hugged an indent at another intersection, reloading both his carbine and his power charge. Eliza¡¯s signature was on each one, it made Archius cringe slightly.


    ¡®Yeah, yeah, Arbiter. If you take a left and continue down thataway then you¡¯ll reach the bridge,¡¯ said Archius, skipping through a few cameras as he was finding Osmond. The way to the command bridge was heavily guarded, with probably tens or hundreds between Leon and Kazuki. ¡®It¡¯s one hell of a fight, but you guys have it.¡¯


    ¡®Alright., Kazuki uttered one word, sidestepping bolts as his team pushed onwards, outnumbered a dozen to one, but still outmatching the less experienced crims. Their heavy, bulky armour and weapons simply made it easier to kill them, they were using Imperial equipment wrong, mainly since they lacked the skill and conditioning to use them.


    He skimmed through the camera channels, cracking into their defences as flurry of combat and bullets skidded past the camera-view periodically. But Archius found his target, Osmond. He was standing on the bridge, pacing around the control deck with Leon. A timer was going down, six minutes.


    He clicked his uplink into place, connecting himself to Osmond. ¡®I see you¡¯re not as worried. Now then, are you ready to fulfil your pledge to me?¡¯ asked Archius, crossing his legs on the command deck seat as he waited for a response.


    Osmond froze in place, standing in the middle of the room. Can¡¯t avoid the reaper now, Archius jokes to himself, watching as Osmond scrambled to the side of the room. Pretending to be checking the cameras, he answered in a hushed tone, ¡®What do you want¡­ just¡­ stop, please? We¡¯re already beaten! Can¡¯t you just let us go?¡¯


    This whole charade was most definitely a personal vendetta, but Archius was fine with that¡­ Kazuki wanted vengeance, if things blow over into a hot-war, then the contracts will flow¡­ Archius smirked to himself, knowing that either way, the AGENCY, and Kazuki, will benefit. Sure, Kaz won¡¯t like it: but it wouldn¡¯t be his fault.


    ¡®Your associates harmed the interests of the AGENCY,¡¯ said Archius, ¡®We cannot let that slide. I¡¯ll be in touch, for now¡­ take care, prepare and drink water, clears the head a little.¡¯


    He twisted back towards Kazuki¡¯s team, disconnecting from Osmond. Quinn and Kazuki led the assault. The former¡¯s expertise in CQC were only outmatched by the latter¡¯s, turning the hallway into a killzone with Claire¡¯s team to support; Amy¨¦ taking out Heavy Machine Guns, Claire¡¯s medical support: it was very much a good team. Those that survived the slashes or headshots were peppered down with WRIST-SHOT, and if they survived they¡¯d only to be met with a secondary salvo from Quinn. Chambers and connecting rooms were being cleared out with precision, and extreme prejudice.


    Archius changed over to the cameras, watching the smugglers set up a pulse-cannonade on top of a staircase on the other side of an air-lock cargo-chamber. There were two sides, with an energy bridge linking the two.


    Smugglers were rushing backwards, across the bridge from the other side¡­ Gunfire was close, as sparks of light appeared in the connecting hall - all as the cannonade powered up.


    Archius tried to warn them. ¡®Watch out¡ª¡¯


    As the final syllable left his lips, the pulser activated, with a sprout of energy cleaving downwards. It cleaved through a squad of gunrunners, splattering them into numerous body parts flung back into the opposing hallway. Yet as the wet splattering of human flesh faded, the guns continued to fire. And emerging from the hallway was none other than the Contract-Breaker. And he looked pissed, deflecting the beam of energy with his shield as he marched onwards.


    ¡®GO!¡¯ Claire shouted, ¡®Arbiter has the pulser!¡¯


    As the group of operatives flooded into the room, gunfire erupted as the smugglers taking cover across the bridge behind makeshift barricades exploded into a frantic blitz. They were buying time, Archius noted. But as the pulser tried to move down towards Kazuki¡¯s men, he ignited a gas-flash, engulfing the entire room in a flash of smoke. The pulser swayed, its user blinded by the flash as the heat-vision of the pulse-cannonade bled into their eyes¡­


    Kazuki marched out of the smoke, across the bridge as he started into a light jog, reinforcing his shield. ¡®Artillerist. Take the shot.¡¯ ordered Kazuki.


    In under a second, a shot rang out across the room, louder than any of the present gunfire - and slammed directly into the pulse cannon¡¯s steel frame. Sparks fluttered, and a corpse fell. ¡®Got the target, Arbiter¡­¡¯ Amy¨¦ said, as the pulser started to sporadically fire, the corpse coincidentally pressing down against the fire trigger.


    ¡®OH SHIT! FUCK!¡¯ shouted Amy¨¦, pulse fire scattering across the room, anyone outside of cover splintering into numerous pieces. Two operatives were caught in the crossfire before hiding behind crates and barricades. Everyone, even the gunrunners took cover - yet Kazuki did not.


    He broke into a full blown sprint. Time ticking down as he crashed across the bridge. Drawing his hand-cannon, he fired it into a group of smugglers hiding from the pulser, sending molten steel everywhere. He holstered it as shrieks of pain bounced off the walls.


    Quinn joined Kazuki, rushing down the bridge. ¡®YOU FUCKING INSANE?¡¯


    Insane? Maybe he should ask himself that question, Archius noted. A trickle of dead bodies started to litter the other side when Quinn and Kazuki crossed. Quinn slaughtered up the staircase, whilst Kazuki lingered. He aimed both down both sides of the platform, eliminating every smuggler present. Those that survived the first volley charged, desperately shouting.


    Most never got even within reach, as Claire¡¯s men gunned them down from the other side, within the smoke. But one frantic smuggler clambered upwards, an arm missing. And as they charged Kazuki¡¯s back, he grabbed his half-blade and impaled him, not giving the smuggler a single thought as he continued to fire down bolts. Weaving backwards, he narrowly avoided a string of plasma bolts sent flying down from up the stairs.


    ¡®Keep going.¡¯ said Archius, watching the time count down as the engines of the vessel boosted into full speed, sending shockwaves across the floor.


    ¡®I know.¡¯


    Kazuki pressed himself against his shield, moving upwards as Quinn met stiff resistance. The two ducked out of the way of the pulse-cannon as it was sent downwards, wheels barrelling towards the two.


    Both ducked to opposite sides, avoiding the cannonade as it crashed into the bridge¡¯s projectors.


    Archius watched as tumbled below, off the bridge - and veering straight into the ship¡¯s shield. ¡®Hold onto something, that shield¡¯s gonna be fuck!¡¯ Archius said, causing a moment of panic to rush into the room - as the airlock-shield faltered.


    A moment of respite turned into pure chaos as the room started to depressurise. Kazuki and Quinn grappled onto the bannisters as Claire¡¯s forces clutched at the bolted down barricades. Air slammed aside the cargo, sending it sprawling out into space¡­ The smugglers, however, were less lucky. Those not holding onto something were quickly sent flying out of the ship. Audible screams turned to silence as the room continued to depressurise.


    ¡®ARCHIUS!¡¯ shouted Claire.


    ¡®I¡¯M TRYING!¡¯


    FUCK. Archius tried to hack into the system, there must be failsafe. Aha! Archius thought to himself, finding the right module to compromise. Then: access denied. Access denied?! Fuck! NOTHING WORKED. Having to rely on Sato? Biting his pride, he looked up at Sato. Without looking at him, she flicked him a pendrive.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Archius said, jabbing it into the system as he took control of the airlock, activating its emergency gate. Sparks fluttered as the gaping hole sealed shut. Everyone collapsed onto the floor.


    ¡®This is the second fucking time this has happened,¡¯ commented Amy¨¦. ¡®WE SHOULD STOP FUCKING BOARDING SPACE VESSELS!¡¯


    Silence filled the air, as the room pressurised to stable levels. The bridge was down, with an empty void left behind, where the bridge once stood. But before Claire could even account for that, side entrances into the chamber opened, with reinforcing smugglers pinning Claire¡¯s squad from two sides.


    ¡®Shit! Ambush!¡¯ shouted Claire, dragging one of her injured men behind a bolted down control module. She used her Pharm-assist to shoot stims over to the other operatives.


    Two were cut down as Amy¨¦ scoped in, releasing powered-bolts into the heads of any cocky crim that got close. Archius heaved a sigh of relief, he¡¯ll have to buy Sato a drink later, though he¡¯d prefer not to. Her usefulness to the AGENCY is the only thing keeping him, personally, from despising her.


    ¡®SHIT! Arbiter! We¡¯ll hold them off, you and Epsilon secure the command bridge, good plan, right?¡¯ asked Claire.


    Kazuki nodded. ¡®Hold out. Archius, send reinforcements to relieve them.¡¯


    Quinn pointed towards the other side. ¡®Arbiter¡­¡¯


    ¡®Epsilon. On me.¡¯

 X33: Conflicted Confrontation

    Two mercenaries continued on their death march, storming forward up through the various hallways. Claire would hold the rear, whilst the two CQC specialists would barrel towards the Command Bridge. A logical move, Archius thought, shifting his monitors around as she looked at the status of the time control.


    ¡®Five minutes! Get a fucking move on,¡¯ said Archius.


    ¡®YOU THINK WE¡¯RE SLACKING OFF?!¡¯ Quinn shouted in an offended voice. The hot-head took a few bolts to his chest, only to send back out a cannonade of fiery death to his opponents.


    It was close. But adding that level of stress onto them should increase their speeds, especially with Kazuki. And it did wonders, both Quinn and Kazuki cracked through fire teams and squads of smugglers, sentenced to death the moment they were put between the mercs and their objective.


    ¡®Just get there.¡¯


    Not a single soul was left alive as they turned each corner, etching closer. Heavy machine gun fire erupted down towards them. Amy¨¦ was not there to take care of it, forcing the two into cover against the walls.


    A stray bolt smacked into the walls, loosening up a sheet of steel bolted down to the walls. Kazuki grabbed onto it, and before Archius could tell what was going on, he had ripped it off.


    ¡®That machine gun will shred our shields!¡¯ Quinn looked over towards Kazuki, ¡®The hell you doing?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯ll shred energy shields. But it won¡¯t penetrate irosteel.¡¯


    Charging forward, he used the piece of large hull as a makeshift shield, igniting his own shield as he threw the steel sheet forward . No quarter was spared as heads rolled, the machine gun crew were left a little shorter than before. And with a contrast of leviathan teeth to holo-card icons in the spearhead, the blast doors to the bridge came into view. And of course, it was behind a squad of heavily armoured smugglers.


    ¡®We¡¯re getting close!¡¯ said Quinn, his voice picked up by his jagged Clandestine uplink.


    The two reloaded their weapons, Kaz igniting a flash-smoke as he flung it down the hall, vapours spreading with each passing bolt. ¡®Epsilon. Coup de grace?¡¯


    Quinn chuckled. Archius knew exactly what they were talking about. ¡®I¡¯ll take anything at this point, he¡¯s mine.¡¯


    Kazuki nodded, as the two pushed onwards. Bolts flew, with the duo having to deflect, dodge and manoeuvre over every obstacle in their way. Shields erupted up as the smugglers were cut down in close quarters. Kazuki himself thrusts forward, already halfway across the hall; he was being too fast again, Archius thought.


    If he gets separated, he¡¯ll be easy pickings for heavy gunfire. Though, the smugglers are too inexperienced to exploit such a blunder, though most wouldn¡¯t be as experienced to exploit it.


    Kazuki slowed for a moment, allowing Quinn to catch up. He took cover, as heavy bolts of plasma flung through the hall. A smuggler at a back barricade knelt on one knee, lugging on a rocket launcher - aiming it.


    Quinn shouted out, ¡®SMOKE! SMOKE!¡¯


    All eyes came forward as the smoke of a rocket barreled down the hall. It smashed into the ground, sending up steel fragments with smoke and dust. Archius couldn¡¯t see through the smoke as his camera-view became blocked, it should clear up soon.


    Time was of the essence, but things were going smoothly. For each AGENT dead, a dozen smugglers were terminated. Acceptable Losses to Archius, but there was only five or so minutes left.


    ¡®Arbiter, Epsilon, report,¡¯ said Archius, trying to smudge the smoke off the monitor, as if that did anything. ¡®Status report, now.¡¯


    ¡®Fuck¡­¡¯ Kazuki¡¯s voice slowly trailed off. His voice was strained.


    And as the smoke slowly cleared, Kazuki was pinned down, sitting behind a small prop-up barricade. Quinn immediately threw a smoke grenade forward, covering himself as he suppressed the hall, running across to Kazuki. Zooming in, Archius could see that a steel pipe had cut straight through Kazuki¡¯s lower torso, fragmentation from the rocket.


    It pinned him to the wall, as he heaved heavily. ¡®Come on, it¡¯s not lethal,¡¯ said Archius.


    Kazuki survived worse than a little pipe through his torso, most of his organs were mechanical anyways. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯s keeling over from kidney failure or whatever¡­


    Quinn fumbled, trying to pull it off him, with little success. Kazuki groaned in agony, biting his teeth as he punched Quinn on his white-trimmed pauldron. ¡®Go. Kill Leon, I¡¯ll catch up.¡¯


    ¡®But¡ª¡¯


    ¡®YOU DON¡¯T HAVE TIME,¡¯ Kazuki stated, his golden eyes activating with a blue hue as Quinn fell in line, feeling a commanding aura seep through both the air and monitor. He nodded, stood up, and as instructed: he went to kill Leon.


    ¡®Get a move on, Arbiter, you¡¯re getting slow,¡¯ joked Archius, skipping cameras close to Quinn.


    He¡¯s survived far worse than impalement.


    Missing limbs, punched out steel-organs, blood-loss, that was all the norm, and for once: no Eliza to complain. It felt blissful, but she did give a worried look - he didn¡¯t blame her for that. For any normal person, seeing such a sight would be a bit anxiety inducing.


    ¡®Fuck you.¡¯ Kazuki spat out words, his exospine injecting a cocktail of medical stimulants into him, before he started breathing down on a healing inhaler.


    It was time to get things back on track. Quinn was quickly approaching the Bridge; even without Kazuki he made short work of the smugglers, sending shotgun blasts into their heavy armour - before terminating them with clean headshots. Archius swapped back to view the bridge.


    Gunfire was close - Quinn¡¯s - becoming more erratic through the door. ¡®Osmond. When the door opens, shoot Leon in the chest. It will prove your loyalty to our agreement, I¡¯ve told them that you¡¯re not to be shot if that happens,¡¯ lied Archius.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Osmond once again moved to the corner of the room. ¡®I¡­ can¡¯t. He¡¯s¡­ my friend¡­ Look, I¡¯m sure I can convince him to surrender, please¡­ Just give me this chance to end this without bloodshed.¡¯


    Before Archius gave his response, a crash came at the door. Smoke seeped through underneath. The smugglers all looked towards it as it unsealed, opening. A figure pushed into the room, pumping in new rounds - setting the guards¡¯ unarmoured joints alight with fire-breath before they could react.


    Bullets sprayed, screamed, fell - and blue flames trickled. It seems that their heavy armour did nothing to protect them, Archius thought, even if they weren¡¯t using it correctly.


    Leon drew at Quinn, yet stayed his hand as the two zeroed in on one another. No one shot. The two glance at each other, continuing to analyse their movements. Osmond slowly turned around as he walked towards Leon.


    Archius listened through the uplink as Quinn spoke first. ¡®Nice try, but did you think you could get away that easily?¡¯


    Osmond shot back, pleading, ¡®Quinn! Please, we¡­ we don¡¯t have to fight, w¡ªwe can talk, right? Right?!¡¯


    Leon¡¯s eyes twisted towards Osmond. ¡®No talking¡­ Osmond. I call the shots.¡¯ demanded Leon, his eyes even redder as fragments of red crytera dissipated out his nostrils and mouth.


    Osmond was sealing his fate; he did all of this work¡­ for nothing, it seems. What a shame¡­ what a shame, Archius repeated in his head.


    ¡®¡ªAnd where has that led you, huh?¡¯ Quinn jokingly jabbed at Leon. Quinn was evidently buying time: distracting them until Kazuki could arrive and deal the killing blow. ¡®You got so many of our people killed¡­¡¯


    ¡®And you?¡¯ Leon retorted, ¡®Traitor¡­ You dragged both Petra and Riharia to their deaths. They were like sisters, even to you! And you killed them.¡¯


    ¡®QUINN!¡¯ Osmond shouted out of turn, attracting the ire of both men. ¡®PLEASE, just listen to me, alright?¡¯


    Quinn was silent. He slowly nodded.


    ¡®Thank you¡­ thank you!¡¯ Osmond put up a strained smile. ¡®Join us, we¡¯ll hide away in wild space and return home later¡­ These people need us, Quinn. Without us the local gangs and criminals will spread to the high alleys.¡¯


    ¡®I¡­¡¯ Quinn trailed off, his gun still aiming at them. Archius couldn¡¯t distinct his face underneath the helm-mask. ¡®You peddle guns¡­ you get other people killed¡­ You know that!¡¯


    ¡®But¡­¡¯ It was time for Osmond to trail off, not having a counter-argument ready. Archius could watch this back and forth for hours, but he knows that it won¡¯t last that long. ¡®We¡­¡¯


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡®We do what we do because there is no other choice,¡¯ Leon said. Quinn¡¯s muzzle hovered for a second, wavering¡­ Leon wasn¡¯t wrong, but whether Quinn will stay loyal is up to him.


    If he doesn¡¯t, it might be a problem, but Kazuki will cleave him in two nonetheless.


    Of course, Archius was going to ignore the fact that the largest distributors of arms weren¡¯t these gunrunners, but nation states - but at least those states give those guns to somewhat reputable freedom fighters and planets, instead of bat-shit insane Yamikoi radicals.


    Quinn stayed silent, letting the silence creep into the room, before his finger twitched on the trigger. Gunfire elsewhere seemed more like a distant hum. But instead of letting his emotions control him, he stayed calm.


    ¡®Join us¡­¡¯ Leon whispered, an offer for Quinn. The breacher stopped for a moment, thinking, before tightening his grip.


    ¡®Ten years ago¡­ you told me you secured a deal with the Mischief Board. Explosives to Anagora. Osmond, you know, don¡¯t you?¡¯ asked Quinn. His face hid behind the helm-mask, but Archius could tell that he was shaking¡­ itching for an answer.


    Osmond was immediately put on the spot. ¡®Uh¡­ explosives? Ah! The high grade ones, yes¡­ I¡ªwe were going to tell you about it, before¡­¡¯


    Leon glared at Osmond, the second quickly fell quiet as he didn¡¯t even try to draw his pistol, his hands shaking in fear. ¡®So what? This is the present. Not the past¡­ we need you, Quinn!¡¯


    Quinn was on the edge¡­ Archius could see past the visor that Quinn was trying to take the easy way out. Joining the Loyalists would give him everything he wanted, family.


    Yet he hasn¡¯t taken the offer yet. These explosives¡­ Archius will have to gamble that Quinn¡¯s resolve remains stronger than Leon¡¯s venomous words.


    To make things worse, or better, the setup was nearly done - and all the execution needs is a slight push. Either way, Leon will die. Archius looked at the void-jump button as it flickered, it was ready¡­ Blinking.


    Now or never, it must be done, and the ship must not be allowed to jump¡­ But still, one option was no option.


    ¡®Excalio, come in, status report on the reactor or engines?¡¯ asked Archius. If Quinn fails he¡¯d prefer secondary options.


    Negative!¡¯ shouted Yjara, ¡®We can¡¯t push through! We¡¯re trying to secure more teams for a push, maybe in like? I dunno? Ten minutes?!¡¯


    Fuck¡­ Archius must rely on Quinn. He has no doubts about his combat prowess, but he has no idea what state of mind the guy was in right now. If he betrays the AGENCY, Kazuki would have to kill him, and that¡¯d be inconvenient; not physically, but mentally.


    ¡°Oh fuck¡­¡± Archius muttered to himself. Quinn lowered his weapon for a second, as a moment of calm came across the command deck. He had to gamble on these explosives¡­ explosives on Anagora? Deaths¡­ probably, civilian deaths?


    Archius masked his voice and directed it only to Quinn, a low tunned voice that acted as if he was the subconscious of the man himself. ¡®Quinn. Remember Riharia¡­ Petra¡­ Did they stand for this?¡¯


    Luckily for him, it seemed to have worked. Quinn snapped back into action, as he raised his muzzle once again.


    ¡®Explosives were a special type, they created purple light no matter what, remember?¡¯ Quinn pushed on, in a hostage-standoff situation between the three of them. ¡®You guys did it, didn¡¯t you? You did it¡­¡¯


    ¡®Did what?¡¯ Leon smugly shot back. ¡®We¡¯re gunrunners, Quinn! We do not question what they do with our product¡­ Hell be damned to Clandestine, I hate them, but they were good buyers!¡¯


    ¡®You sick fucks¡­ you actually¡­¡¯ Quinn trailed off. Archius already put two and two together, it was too obvious at this point. Leon was the supplier. He was the one that supplied Jessica with those bombs¡­ One target is now known; and now he will perish nonetheless.


    ¡®Quinn!¡¯ Osmond¡¯s voice cracked, ¡®We had no idea! Please! You have to believe us! We were both disgusted at what had happened! And look, we had to! The money was enough for us to survive! To thrive¡­ Trust me on this, please.¡¯


    ¡®Eclipse boils over before I will!¡¯ shouted Quinn, his voice raising as his face scowled at the two.


    ¡°Quinn¡­ you¡¯re one of us,¡± Osmond begged. ¡°Narisians trying to make it out off the shit-hole. Just listen to us, PLEASE!¡±


    Quinn gritted his teeth behind his helm-mask. ¡°Bullshit¡­ liars. The two of you. You¡¯re just cowards! I¡¯m not one of you scum¡­ I am an operative of the AGENCY - second to none!¡±


    Perfection at its finest, a perfectly crafted manipulation. Osmond was sweating, nearly on the breaking point. Without even doing anything himself, he had laid the groundworks for another victory for the AGENCY. He had to get his hands dirty, yes, but everyone forgets the dirt left behind from work.


    In such a controlled environment, Osmond was the only person that knew the truth. Now was the time to spring the trap.


    ¡®Osmond.¡¯ His voice whispered directly into Osmond¡¯s psyche. ¡®Shoot Leon. Now,¡¯ ordered Archius, in a cold, demanding voice.


    His vocal chords lowered themselves to the point where he sounded like a different person. He dropped his facade, an eerie bludgeon that even Osmond could feel.


    He paused for a moment as the stand-off continued. Then, he slowly shook his head, grimacing. He didn¡¯t want to kill Leon. How illogical, how stupid, Archius thought. His voice froze as he activated the blinker mode for Osmond¡¯s custom uplink, at the sound - Osmond whimpered. He was a good asset, sad to see him go like this.


    ¡®What a shame.¡¯


    The device attached to Osmond¡¯s ear glowed red, brightly. The crescent, C-shaped moon glowed. If it didn¡¯t, it would have seemed just like any other off-the-shelf uplink. It attracted both Quinn and Leon¡¯s attention.


    Leon¡¯s eyes glared at it before he uttered a single word, ¡®Clandestine¡­¡¯


    ¡®I¡ª¡¯


    Leon twisted his revolver, firing directly into Osmond¡¯s chest. An explosive shockwave ruptured Osmond¡¯s chest, flinging him backwards. Quinn fired his shotgun in turn, the stand-off blowing up as Leon¡¯s armour flicked off the fiery pellets; the smuggler¡¯s pistols and backup weapons forming a makeshift steel barricade on his chest-plate.


    ¡®DAMMIT. YOU TURNED HIM AGAINST ME¡­¡¯


    Quinn rushed forward, firing at Leon as he looked towards the warp-trigger. The hauler was in position, and all it took was a single lever flick.


    Leon was continually knocked away from the sheer ballistic impact of the shotgun, with Quinn intercepting. As he got close, Leon twisted his arm down to his shot-axe, slamming it into Quinn with a lunge. Quinn¡¯s vest-plate buckled under the force, sending him backwards as he dropped his shotgun.


    Activating his shield to avoid a volley of pellets from Leon, Quinn drew his pistols. Firing back, the two were quickly sent into a violent brawl, Quinn fighting tooth and nail to draw Leon¡¯s attention from the lever flick. Leon continually expelled bullets from his backup pistols, pushing Quinn back ever so slightly. Despite the volume of fire, Quinn shielded through it, steeling himself as he grabbed a combat-knife - Kintax reinforced - from his belt with one hand.


    Archius watched the blood-fueled frenzy as Quinn charged forward. Leon sidestepped from the head-strong attack; Quinn blocked another string of shots, twirling around as he aimed at Leon¡¯s neck. As the knife got close, Leon parried it away with his shot-axe.


    Raising it upwards, he slammed the axe down onto Quinn¡¯s shield, pulling the trigger as a shockwave let loose. ¡°This¡­ ends now,¡± said Leon.


    Leon fired, again and again. And as Quinn was beaten back, he fell, lead piercing his vest-plate. Leon took a step back, raising his revolver as he fired.


    It crashed into Quinn¡¯s knee joint, sending agony through his body. Quinn¡¯s wargear exoskeleton activated, a muzzle protruded out by a steel arm from his vest-plate and fired at Leon.


    Equilibrium was retained with injections dampening the pain Quinn felt. Leon, however, had the advantage. Quinn landed a few more hits with his combat knife, thrashing and grappling Leon to the ground.


    Ducking and weaving hits and slashes, Quinn¡¯s progress was all but removed from a single strike. Leon had struck Quinn in the chest with his Shot-Axe... Not good, Archius thought, all it takes is one good hit and Quinn is out, doesn¡¯t matter how many pretty moves and weaves he makes.


    Knocked back, Leon once more tried to move to the switch. He struggled and crawled, nearly reaching it... Flicking that switch will be the end of the operation... Archius watched, patiently.


    He took in a deep breath that betrayed the calm fa?ade he placed up.


    The back and forth burst back into play as Quinn staggered up, grabbing Leon by the collar and throwing him away. Quinn wasn¡¯t out of the fight yet, despite his numerous... numerous injuries.


    ¡°Come on...¡±


    Leon was barely able to react, injecting himself with a vial of red liquid... Red Crytera? Shit... Quinn noticed too. He had to finish this. Now.


    The Gunrunner¡¯s limbs contorted and spasmed with energy as she charged back up towards Quinn. Eyes bloodshot even more than they were before, the two engaged in a heated duel of blades and plasma buckshot.


    Each blow and spasm of plasma was equally parried away by Quinn, his movement pacing down against Leon¡¯s renewed assault. Steam expelled from his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking run!¡± he shouted, pressing the shot-axe down and down again on Quinn¡¯s blade.


    Beneath each assault and counter, Quinn landed more hits, but scant few got past Leon¡¯s armour... Fucking Imperial Siege Gear... Clunky is normally bad, but in brawls like these: they have the advantage.


    Archius could see blood seep out from Quinn¡¯s battered hand and fingers, still in the fight it seems. The brutality of each blow was not lost on either of them, with Quinn rebounding from each lethal strike from Leon¡¯s axe.


    Leon¡¯s arms latched onto the shot-axe and began to ram it forward, just trying to break Quinn¡¯s guard, forcing him on the backfoot with each strike forcing him to duck and weave beneath a dozen pellets.


    To make things even worse, Leon huffed more of those drugs, injecting himself a thousand times over. His veins bulged and his movements became more erratic. It was poisoning him! Hmm, if Quinn keeps this up: perhaps Leon will overdose?


    Red dust and liquid expelled in steam from Leon¡¯s nostrils. Quinn couldn¡¯t buy himself room for a counterattack, each blow he took gave way to another boost of synthetic poison for Leon.


    No... Leon¡¯s been doing this for a while, given how readily he¡¯s willing to huff another puff. It¡¯ll take a while... But all he must do is wait... To buy time. Archius knows what will happen once Kaz arrives.


    This time, Archius is in control. No miscoordination in the midst of this victory. To Archius¡¯ dismay, he had to watch Quinn blunder.


    He erupted his shield in front of him, trying to bash Leon away, only for it to shatter against continuous assaults, as Leon slammed it down onto him. Rocketing away, Quinn slid across the floor, blood pouring from his injuries.


    Quinn injected himself with a medijector, but not even the stimulants can keep him moving as he let off a cry of agony. His pistol and shotgun slid to opposite sides of the room.


    ¡®Cathing¡­¡¯ Quinn groaned, in pain, grasping at his leg, trying to grab hold of the backup knife. But as he faltered, he started coughing, ripping his helm-mask off as his light-turquoise hair was covered in blood and sweat.


    Leon staggered away, towards the warp trigger. ¡®You have no right to our dialect,¡¯ said Leon, giving Osmond one glance. ¡®Traitors¡­¡¯


    Quinn started to crawl, one hand on his wound, the other dragging him to his pistol.


    Archius slowly accepted that this might be a problem. But he didn¡¯t feel any remorse or sadness, simply dissatisfied at a failed mission. Yet¡­ there was still some hope, as the shadow of an entity emerged.


    Quinn has bought just enough time.


    Loud footsteps crashed with thunder across the floor, as bolts erupted.

 X34: Coup de Grace

    Exploding forward, Kazuki slammed his railgun trigger, firing at Leon¡¯s arm. One hand on his cauterised chest wound, one hand firing. He felt the crisp recoil knock into his right arm. Leon twisted, as the railgun bolt hit true - sending his arm flying off. Blood, armour, flesh vaporised in the air.


    But as Leon side-stepped, he latched onto his shot-axe with his remaining hand.


    Without a word, Kazuki dropped his railgun. It was of no use now. He drew his pistol - unleashing a barrage of explosive steel.


    Leon shielded himself, activating his own deflector shield as he pinged bolts away. Kazuki got closer. Leon leapt forward, aiming his shot-axe¡¯s barrel at Kazuki¡¯s head. A carronade of pellets flicked outwards. Predictable. Kazuki leaned away, weaving from the blast radius. Leon staggered back, only to be met with a carbine to the face. The force of the impact knocked him backwards to the console, thudding against the many buttons and monitors.


    Leon was desperate. He reached out towards the warp-trigger, Kazuki rewarded his desperation with a spray of acid to his legs. Kazuki dropped the handcannon as Leon screamed in agony, one leg burnt to a crisp.


    Desperation breeds desperation. And Leon lunged at Kazuki, in a desperate attempt to kill the Contract-Breaker: he failed.


    The shot-axe came down. As it slid close, Kazuki pushed his wrist outwards. His WRIST-SHOT activated, just as what Svenn did to him¡­ It sends shockwaves into the axe as it bursts upwards. The parry sent the shot-axe away.


    ¡°I¡¯m a quick learner,¡± commented Kazuki. Svenn might not have taught him everything, but he can mimic movements perfectly.


    It was a clean parry, and too late for Leon to do anything. He was stunned, in a state of near-shock. A quick slice into his torso and arms sent him falling.


    Leon fell, writhing on the floor in agony. His munitions were spent. He was of no threat, Kazuki thought. He looked towards the warp-trigger, primed and ready. He approached it, and disabled it, ceasing the alarms. Kazuki then glanced down at Quinn.


    ¡°Stand.¡± ordered Kazuki, extending a hand to Quinn. He took it, pulling himself up as the injured operatives walked over towards Leon. ¡°You did well.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ hesitated¡­ Arbiter¡­¡± Quinn admitted. Kazuki thought for a moment. Of course he¡¯d hesitate. Killing people you¡¯ve known is a lot harder than killing stickmen¡­


    ¡°You bought time.¡± Kazuki looked back at Quinn. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Kazuki injected himself with more drugs as he took his helm-mask off, pressing a healing inhaler directly onto his mouth. His aug-glasses were alight with information.


    ¡®All stations, Command bridge is under our control. Leon is dead.¡¯ said Kazuki, connecting himself to all channels, even the smugglers.


    Twisting his head towards Quinn, the ex-smuggler was staring down at Leon. Blood was gurgling out of his neck as Quinn knelt down, staggering from his leg injury. ¡°Leon¡­ Times have changed. Nothing can bring Riharia or Petra back¡­ Nothing can change the past. But you¡¯ve made me realise, sometimes it¡¯s best to just kill the past. In a strange way, Thanks, Leon?¡±


    Leon gurgled up more blood.


    ¡°But I will not be held responsible for their deaths,¡± said Quinn. ¡°It hurts¡­ But it¡¯ll fade.¡± He gritted his face, showing nothing but steeled determination towards the dying Leon. Kazuki gave a slight nod to the move, though Quinn didn¡¯t see it. ¡°And that¡¯s for me to bear¡­ eventually, I can move on.¡±


    ¡°T¡­traitor¡­¡± Leon gargled, staring dead-faced at Quinn. ¡°Freemuzzles¡­ all of you¡­¡±


    ¡°Riharia¡­ Petra¡­ They were family. But¡­ I have a new family. Sure, Lilly¡¯s rough, Edain¡¯s a lil¡¯ weird, Kiri¡¯s¡­ actually nice¡­ Claire¡¯s a massive nerd, but they¡¯re the people I chose.¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s mind paused¡­ His golden eyes slowly looked away, before looking back at the words and the dying body. Leon most definitely didn¡¯t know who they were¡­ Kaz realised that Quinn wasn¡¯t talking to Leon. Whatever Leon is to him is not irrelevant: because he¡¯s talking to himself¡­


    Gargling through the blood, Leon spat blood at Quinn. He didn¡¯t bother wiping it off. Leon¡¯s vocals were scuffed, tongue barely making noise as he bit each word off. ¡°Traitors¡­ All¡­ of¡­¡± stuttered Leon, gasping for air. ¡°Our people¡­ They¡­ they¡­ There¡­ will¡­ be¡­ another.¡±


    Kazuki won¡¯t let Leon have the last laugh. ¡°We¡¯ll kill them all the same,¡± he said.


    There will always be more: but he can only do so much as a merc¡­ And that¡¯s all he is, a mercenary hired to kill. Though the fact that in the end, he did seem to care about his people, intrigued him.


    His voice trailed off, as his eyes faded. No more colour, no more life. Kazuki stood calm. Quinn joined him, before placing a single bolt in Leon¡¯s head. Stepping over his body, he slowly picked up the shot-axe.


    Kazuki gave Osmond one glance. Osmond was gasping for air; heaving for air as a blast on his vest-plate showed he withstood Leon¡¯s execution.


    Quinn smiled slightly at the sight, feeling relieved that one person had lived. He twirled the axe-shot around like a cane. ¡°Bit unwieldy, right?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯ll fit if you jam it hard enough into your holster,¡± Kazuki sarcastically snarled. It¡¯d be an absolute nightmare to have that on board any transport. It was half the size of Quinn¡¯s torso.


    Quinn let off a light chuckle. Kazuki did not reciprocate the laugh, not like he could have. He glanced back down at Osmond, who was stabilising. ¡°Business finished?¡±


    The stars outside glittered in the void as Quinn looked towards Kazuki, nodding. The bright console buttons and boops from janitor drones slowly cleaned up the mess, though the mech-drones couldn¡¯t fix the wiring. It was beyond fixing at this point.


    Kazuki acknowledged that. Quinn was able to move on. Even after everything¡­ he moved on. Ten years. Gone. Kazuki¡¯s eyes skimmed around the room, trying to find something to think of¡­ there was nothing. He looked directly forward¡­ He¡¯s different from Quinn, he thought. He cannot walk away.


    He said, ¡°We¡¯re all victims of our own plays.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Quinn looked confused - not exactly understanding it. But he understood the feeling, and nodded in turn.


    Pain vanished from Quinn¡¯s face. It¡¯s gone. Only if it was so simple¡­ only if. ¡°I¡¯ll get Rivera to salvage something from this, you alright with that?¡± said Quinn. ¡°Plus, it¡¯ll give me another excuse to scrounge around the armoury!¡±


    ¡°Shoot away,¡± said Kazuki. ¡®Requesting a medic to the Command Bridge. We have an injured prisoner.¡¯


    ¡°Fuck yeah!¡± Quinn light-heartedly exclaimed, his mood seemingly far better than before. He knelt down beside Osmond, looking at his old friend - barely able to say a word.


    Kazuki sighed, letting his cybernetics reclock themselves as scalding steam left his mouth. He was still holding onto his wound, but with the dying gunshots - he felt the operation was over.


    ¡°Arbiter,¡± Quinn glanced up to him. Kazuki opened his eyes, noticing Quinn¡¯s more solemn look, this was¡­ important. ¡°There¡¯s something you need to know¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked Kazuki. He barely hid his excitement, if that was what he could call it. Was it true, he thought?


    Quinn nudged Osmond, the latter coughing up as he heaved for air. The large blast in his armour seemed quite painful, and he placed a finger up. ¡°W¡ªwhat? Contract-Breaker¡­ Please!¡± Osmond tried to crawl backwards, away from Quinn and Kazuki.


    ¡°Tell him about the explosives,¡± ordered Quinn. Did Quinn know something? Well, probably. Eliza told a few people, and he was fine with that. Better for them to be aware of their own mission before getting involved. ¡°You wanna live, right? Come on! Go tell the guy.¡±


    Osmond slowly placed his arm to brace himself, he leaned forward, looking up at Kazuki. His pale blonde hair and face froze, and gulped down to utter a sentence. ¡°We¡­ Leon¡­ the smugglers: w¡ªwe sold explosives to Clandestine?¡± Osmond didn¡¯t seem too sure himself. ¡°Please¡­ we didn¡¯t know what they¡¯d do with them!¡±


    ¡°P-1.¡±


    Osmond nodded.


    Quinn glanced up at the Contract-Breaker.


    Kazuki stayed motionless. So Leon was the supplier? That might be why the gunrunners were linked with the loyalists; old suppliers from old places - reliable? Discreet, as well. That explains that¡­ Or so Kazuki believes it to be. It just felt¡­ too convenient, but it did match up. Still, there was much to know.


    ¡°Leon. He was ordered to attack the AGENCY, correct?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Osmond slowed, scratching his head slowly with one finger. ¡°No? Well¡­ I¡­ He had assurances¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m not aware of anymore than that, I swear it by Iris!¡±


    And as he stared at Osmond, the latter continued to shake, quivering as Kazuki stepped forward towards him. Assurances¡­ The Loyalists¡­ Svenn. Now the Gunrunners? Kazuki didn¡¯t know what to make of it. Well¡­ He has time. His enemies do not know that he is aware of their existence. For now, he¡¯ll keep it that way.


    ¡°Should he die?¡± asked Kazuki.


    Quinn mulled it over, audibly, causing Osmond to panic even more. Then, he jokingly brushed it aside. ¡°Nah, Osmond¡­ you had to deal with Leon for ten years, I think that¡¯s enough punishment for the guy! Plus¡­ if you sent him to the courts¡­¡±


    ¡°Those justice-to-all freaks would sentence him to death, yes.¡± Kazuki confirmed it.


    If Osmond is sent to jail and to trial, he¡¯ll probably be sentenced to death, it¡¯s just the way things work. Strangely, Kazuki didn¡¯t feel the need to kill him. He¡¯s a mess, a wreck. It reminds Kazuki of himself in the past¡­


    Vengeance has been quenched; Leon was enough, and it¡¯d be unjust to sentence Osmond to death. Ugh,


    Kazuki thought it felt weird doing something he considered ¡®just¡¯, he wasn¡¯t his father. Even so, these people had suffered, this planet had suffered. They were forced into this life, would it be just to kill them all?


    He¡¯s seen the chaos of the criminal underworld on Anagora. Most were just wrong place at the wrong time, forced into a life of crime due to circumstances not of their own. They were all victims.


    These gunrunners, Kazuki thought, were the same.


    No. He will not kill them all. That would be redundant. Kazuki justified it to that amount, avoiding the topic of being ¡®just¡¯.


    ¡®What do you think,¡¯ started Kazuki, ¡®Archius?¡¯


    Archius connected to all the people present, even Osmond. ¡®Hmm, he was a good little informant, was he not?¡¯ Quinn immediately glanced down at Osmond, eyes wide.


    ¡®Why wasn¡¯t I aware of this?!¡¯ Quinn shouted. ¡®Y¡¯ALL WERE DEALING CARDS BEHIND MY BACK?!¡¯


    ¡®You didn¡¯t need to be aware of it, Quinn, plus it¡¯d ruin the surprise of a reunion, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¯ said Archius. ¡®Osmond has been useful, I say that combined with the¡­ mental agony of working with Leon, he should live¡­ BUT! He did not shoot Leon in the chest like instructed, so uh¡­ we should strike a deal.¡¯


    ¡®What the fuck¡­¡¯ Quinn trailed off, trying to comprehend everything.


    ¡®Deal?¡¯ asked Kazuki.


    ¡®Wait¡­ please! I know I did wrong!¡¯ Osmond blurted out.


    Archius sighed, before grumbling at the unnecessary grovelling and pleading. Kazuki maintained his posture; the one deafening ship interior was deathly silent.


    ¡®Then, how about this? You work for the AGENCY. I think having an experienced logistician and smuggler like you on board might¡­ help us. You¡¯ll be paid a good wage and we¡¯ll cover for your crimes - completely new slate.¡¯ said Archius, Kazuki raised an eyebrow. Another logistician? But the AGENCY already has Eliza? Archius immediately followed on, as if he knew what Kaz would say. ¡®Plus, it¡¯d be nice to give Eliza a break, would it not? So you two can fumble your way to whatever you¡¯re doing.¡¯


    ¡®Fair enough,¡¯ commented Kazuki. He crossed his arms. ¡®Fine¡­ Epsilon, you¡¯ll be in charge of Osmond¡¯s care with Lilly. Eliza will be transferred back to my aide; Osmond will take her place as a logistician. Any questions?¡¯


    ¡®Huh? What?¡¯ Osmond seemed even more confused than Quinn. ¡®Wait¡­ I¡¯ll be working for you guys?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah¡­ did the shockwave make you deaf, old-cath?¡¯ asked Quinn, chuckling to himself as he patted Osmond on the shoulder. ¡®Don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t bite.¡¯


    ¡®See this as an opportunity to reinvent yourself, Osmond,¡¯ continued Archius. ¡®You did a lot of the heavy lifting for the smugglers, we¡¯re giving you a chance to live clean. Do you accept this?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t have much of a choice¡­¡¯ Osmond chuckled to himself, scratching his head. ¡®Someone else will take our place¡­ it¡¯s just the way things are.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong, as he said: that was just the way things are. One criminal leaves and another enters, more vicious and cunning than the last. Severing the arteries never works.


    Before Archius could interject, Kazuki said, ¡®You have three options. Work for us and get good pay, stable income. You can die, preferably if you¡¯d kill yourself right now. Or you can flee. Run away. You might find a good planet. Most of the time, you will not. And if you do not: you will most likely overdose behind a dumpster in an alley.¡¯


    Kazuki¡¯s sarcasm was not shared with Osmond as he froze at the three options. He steeled himself, nodding. He continued to nod - and then continued. Kazuki took this as a sign of option one.


    ¡°Good choice, the other options are almost as good,¡¯ Kazuki snapped. It was very clear what the options were. Kazuki didn¡¯t want to force Osmond to work for him, but he knew that Osmond would most likely perish if he did not. And Archius seems to want him, so he¡¯ll have him.


    ¡®But my men¡­ what about them?¡¯ asked Osmond.


    ¡®Those that have surrendered will get a similar deal to you. They can work for us,¡¯ said Kazuki. ¡®Or they can overdose behind a dumpster on an industrial world in the United Federation¡­ Or maybe they¡¯ll be captured by alien slavers along the rim, selling them as payback for our ancestors. All options are equally valid.¡¯


    ¡®Fine¡­ I get it! I get it! I get it! We¡¯re gonna die if we don¡¯t join you¡­ Fine¡­ Just¡­ Can we keep my men together? I¡ªI don¡¯t think they¡¯d like this arrangement¡­¡¯


    ¡®Your men don¡¯t like seven hundred thousand standardis per year?¡¯ asked Archius, his voice almost insulting as Osmond¡¯s eyes grew. It was only twice the pay-grade of public-sector logisticians in the military, and it was generous for a starting salary. The AGENCY can definitely survive such a burden, especially with the influx of experienced smugglers and their respective cargo.


    Without a word being uttered, things were easily cleared up. ¡®Welcome to the AGENCY,¡¯ Kazuki coldly stated, turning away as he walked off, still holding in his wound.

 X35: First Accidental Step

    After all that had happened, Kazuki still knew that the war was far from over. Reports had come in of a rise in criminal activity across the board. Not noticeable at a micro level, but at a macro level, crime has increased tenfold since pre-AGENCY statistics¡­ On paper, there should be a conflict of interest, but Kazuki didn¡¯t care to boost profit margins. He was here for revenge, and one head has been checked off.


    But something was wrong.


    Kazuki wasn¡¯t ignorant, he knew that dealing with the smugglers would probably create a power-gap. Same with the Loyalists. But¡­ they were simply an obstacle, one that must be removed. His head ached whenever he looked over the statistics; it only happens when something dangerous is present, or maybe it was just his brain being his brain¡­


    His mind still lingered on that hand. He can¡¯t forget it; even if he wanted to. Such an incident has never happened, even as he re-lived every death. From Victoria¡­ the Initiates - even Riharia. All dead. He remembers them, where others do not.


    And he must carry the burden¡­ alone.


    But he accepted the burden long ago. And he¡¯ll keep holding it even now, even as his men look up to him as their saviour. A Contract-Breaker to defy Clandestine. For their sake, he¡¯ll continue bleeding - be it mind or matter. Kazuki opened his eyes, the moment of respite for him was ruined as he felt a slight shake.


    ¡°Ugh?¡± Kazuki mumbled, exhausted from the constant worries of built up tension across the galaxy. He looked up to Eliza, standing in front of the couch, she was wearing a short blood-red nightgown, and rabbit-headed slippers.


    She looked even worse for wares than him. The bags under her eyes were much larger, probably having to deal with orders for a dozen new warships¡­ but Kazuki remained silent, hiding his tiredness as he rubbed his fingers up his nose bridge.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Eliza, ¡°Sorry, I should have allowed you to rest up¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± lied Kazuki, tugging at his shirt collar as he looked towards the large holographic pin-board hovering above the coffee table. ¡°I just needed a moment to think.¡±


    Sitting down beside Kazuki, she sneaked in a glance at her revision-cards, before looking up at the board. Leon¡¯s face was present, with an X marked over it, though the photo used was his dead corpse - there weren''t any pictures of him when he was alive. But still, Kazuki thought, so much work to do.


    ¡°If you say so¡­¡± Eliza trailed off. She glanced around her condo. She didn¡¯t seem comfortable as she tied her hair back into a ponytail.


    But that was to be expected. Everything was where they left it. Except for the fact that there were now two guards stationed in the room, only present when they¡¯re here. A necessary precaution. Enemies lie in shadows Kazuki is unaware of.


    One good thing about being the underdog was not worrying about the shadows, but now: he must. Nihara and Cyrus were in the detail. Two out of three of the Eden Survivors, the one missing was still in recovery. He trusts all his men with his own life, but Eliza¡¯s? That was a different story. If given a choice: these three would be those of which he entrusts her life with.


    Looking back at the board, Kazuki skimmed through it again, he already knew what was on it. But he wanted to make sure he didn¡¯t miss any blind spots. Once again, he most likely didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Sorry for taking so long,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°The investigation¡¯s been slowed down for months.¡±


    She immediately sprang upwards. ¡°Huh? Oh, please! It¡¯s fine, really!¡± Eliza blurted out.


    He then chewed down a pill of Halolazil, ensuring he kept his nerves for the time being. Eliza¡¯s used to Kazuki consuming them enmasse, even during High School. After all they are painkillers and stress killers. Since she studied cybernetics, she must have understood to some extent the pain of having them jammed onto you. And the stress? She knew that almost as well as him. Kaz knows Liz. She will not object to him cleansing his mind of such troubles.


    Kazuki glanced over at her, slowly standing up. ¡°Really?¡± asked Kazuki, uncrossing his arms as he scratched the back of his nape, feeling his cold, wet hair.


    It had a flowery shampoo smell; it was weird. But whatever floats Eliza¡¯s boat, he thought.


    Eliza paused for a moment, before her eyes skidded away. ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Kazuki didn¡¯t even try to hide his disappointment. He stood up, before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t blame you.¡±


    Eliza shot back, ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not trying to bismitch you, I just feel¡­¡±


    Kazuki took a moment to collect his thoughts. Leon¡¯s dead, but still their link to the Loyalists only proved one thing: someone was working behind the scenes, maybe it was isolated. But he couldn¡¯t take that risk. Perhaps laying low for a little bit will reveal them, that is if they operate like Sato. But for once: he had an enemy not Sato or Archius knew of. It¡­ uneased Kazuki.


    The board wasn¡¯t filled in enough to extrapolate any conclusive ends. Eliza stood up. ¡°It just feels like we could have started it sooner¡­¡±


    He lingered a little longer in thought. He could tell her now, but he can¡¯t tell her everything. What she doesn¡¯t know can¡¯t hurt her, but Kazuki knows she deserves to have an answer: a real answer.


    ¡°Because we could have,¡± stated Kazuki. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of information to disclose.¡±


    Eliza paused, pouting in both frustration and anger. Kazuki didn¡¯t need to look at her to tell she was pissed off.


    ¡°I worry whether you¡¯re ready or not, Liz,¡± lied Kazuki.


    He felt his ¡®soul¡¯ tarnish even more than before. It wasn¡¯t a full lie, he didn¡¯t believe she was ready, yes but there was a second reason. He knows it to be true, even if he tries to forget it - it will remain the only outcome for this. She will find out. She¡¯ll find out everything, her sister¡¯s death, the cause of the P-1 Incident, and how his cowardice killed them all¡­ He maintained a calm face, but dread seeped into his frontal lobe, enveloping his mind.


    ¡°Kaz, I¡¯ve spent a whole year preparing myself for this moment!¡± Eliza shouted, somewhat frustrated at hearing what he had to say. She did have a good point, this was her quest, and here he was: pridefully telling her that she¡¯s not ready. It had merits.


    ¡°What do you think would have happened if I wasn¡¯t there with you at the Dassant?¡± asked Kazuki - but he has his own points to make.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Kazuki snapped in, cutting her off, ¡°¡ªDon¡¯t lie. We both know what would have happened. I¡¯m not doubting your belief, but are you really ready? Because the moment we step back in: there¡¯s no going back.¡±


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    Eliza fell quiet. She turned away for a second, pondering to herself. Then, she glanced back at Kazuki, before throwing him something. He caught it, easily. Looking at what he grabbed, it was a key-drive. The sigil of the Anagoran Metro Dept was present, a uniform head on a seal of blue.


    ¡°Where did you¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªMy father. I spoke with him a bit ago, as you¡¯d remember.¡± Eliza turned around, ¡°That will give us ample leeway for the questions he has not answered for me.¡±


    Kazuki looked at it for a second, memorising the key-patterns of its interlocks. Even if they lose the key of the drive, they won¡¯t have to worry about losing access to its information. He was impressed, he didn¡¯t think Eliza had it in her, but it wasn¡¯t in her father¡¯s interest to allow something like this. Was Frederick playing his own game? He pondered for a moment. Sticking it into the table-port, he twisted the drive on.


    It sprouted up even more information. It was everything that the police had on the Ptolemy Incident. Everything. Every little detail was included. Whoever came before them did a thorough job. Kazuki was impressed. Though, sensitive bits were omitted from the details; that was to be expected.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m ready, now?¡± asked Eliza, with a head-strong smirk. She looked determined, eyes blaring with flames. She had nothing more to prove; but still, things remained unseen¡­ But this should clear things up to get support from his most valuable asset.


    ¡°It¡¯s not clean,¡± said Kazuki.


    ¡°I know, but is that not what you wanted?¡± Eliza asked, crossing her arms, acting all smug as if she¡¯d just one-up him. She did. ¡°I¡¯m not the same girl before the Dassant, Kaz, I¡¯m not a quick learner. But dedication is quite a nice thing to have.¡±


    That damned grin, Kazuki thought¡­ He stared at her for a moment. It didn¡¯t matter if it was one second or a hundred. His mind will always link the similarities, even if he doesn¡¯t want to.


    Kazuki nodded, placing a hand on Eliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Then let justice be done.¡±


    Eliza quickly interjected as he finished, ¡°Though the Eclipse falls.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you remember something so throwaway.¡± Why does she remember that? He felt somewhat cringy after saying that back then, because it never suited him. But, of course, she didn¡¯t know that.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Eliza asked, ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with a good memory.¡±


    Kazuki tried to smile, and failed. He turned back towards the board, slowly. Eliza did the same. The sound of aluminium slamming down on poor jura-wood caught Kazuki¡¯s attention. Nihara was standing opposite the table, sliding two cans of soda across.


    ¡°I¡¯m thirsty,¡± snapped Nihara, expecting them to provide something in exchange for that¡­


    Even here, Nihara was quite feisty and aggressive. At least she didn¡¯t sweat, swear and drink as heavily as Amy¨¦¡­ Kazuki mesmerised himself in thought for a moment.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s some beer you can get from the fridge, don¡¯t drink all of it¡­¡± Eliza trailed off. She walked off, immediately started rummaging through the fridge. ¡°Wait! It¡¯s the top compartment, top left.¡±


    Kazuki grabbed hold of both cans of soda, passing one to Eliza. They cracked them open, clinking the cans together. Vapazberries, the soda had the taste of Vapez berries. He noted that down.


    ¡°Cheers!¡± said Eliza, in a jovial tone.


    Kazuki let himself free of worries, for a moment, pressing the can against his lips as he drank. It was bitter, just as he remembered.


    ? ? ?


    Her eyes glistened crimson red, looking at Kazuki as she felt the carbonated drink fizzle down her throat. His dull, golden eyes said nothing, but she could tell that he was relieved, at least that¡¯s what she¡¯d like to believe she can see behind the mask. She paused, placing the half-full can down against the projector, she must be right, she lied to herself. Apprehending the true consequences is something that she naively denied, she knew that - even deep down.


    ¡°So then, it¡¯s actually happening?¡± asked Eliza, almost as if confirming with herself.


    He nodded, placing his half empty can beside Eliza¡¯s. He turned towards the projector, scouring across the whole board. Yet within a matter of seconds, he spoke up, ¡°Alright, seems like most are cold leads.¡± She wasn¡¯t surprised that he had read it all, nor doubted the validity of his word.


    ¡°Most? So there¡¯s some leads, right?¡± She asked enthusiastically, her head twisting on a dime towards him. Her voice then seeped into questioning, she wanted to know more - everything she could know. ¡°Do you know any of these leads?¡±


    ¡°Cold ones, yes. I used some influence back in Clandestine to get hold of some old documents. Cold ends, they served zero purpose, probably just some cover-up documents. But a lot of the new information here is¡­ It¡¯s real.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?!¡± Eliza¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± commented Kazuki. ¡°Either this is all new, or the police withheld information from me.¡±


    ¡°Probably the latter, I apologise¡­¡± said Eliza, she had no idea why her father was so against Kazuki; but it must be quite a rough ride for him - having to work, on paper, under him.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve memorised everything here, and there¡¯s one lead. Matt Oria-Tessie¡¯s death.¡± said Kazuki, taking out a revolver as his ear twitched. He started to clean the sidearm, before placing it down on the table. ¡°He helps us in death, which is more worth to him than his whole life ever was to anyone.¡±


    Eliza furrowed her brow, not questioning him. But Kazuki killed Matt. That much itself was known galaxy-wide, supposed philanthropist and alleged slaver murdered by one of his guards. Is that not why Kazuki Geminorum-Ryzaku became the Contract-Breaker? She was confused¡­ But she couldn¡¯t contain her excitement, things were finally getting back on track: for real this time.


    Her face was invigorated with more energy, even with all the exhaustive debt her body has - she persevered it onwards. ¡°Ah, sorry, I beg your pardon?¡± asked Eliza. ¡°What about Matt?¡±


    ¡°We chased Matt for information, precisely in regards to possible connections to an entity within the Mischief Board and BCA. Ricochet-9.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall,¡± said Eliza, confused. It felt so familiar, yet her mind was unable to remember it. ¡°It just feels like that year¡¯s Dassant was just¡­ all a blur to me now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. With everything going on, you had far more pressing matters to attend to. It was the smallest nugget of information we had. Then we got bogged down with Matt¡¯s bullshit,¡± said Kazuki, placing his hands in his pockets.


    She was reminded of everything that had happened. The fleeting loneliness of being at the Dassant alone¡­ Sato was right¡­ Why must everything start and end with him? Is he really her only ally in all this? She paused¡­


    ¡°Eliza?¡± Kazuki twisted his head towards her. Without realising, she had started to droop down, she straightened herself, tugging on the collar of her blouse. ¡°Are you tired? We can reschedule this to a later date.¡±


    She felt like she should be asking him that. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, really, please¡­ just show me the leads,¡± said Eliza. Kazuki seemed unconvinced. She smiled, hoping that it would convince him otherwise. ¡°Come on.¡±


    Kazuki paused for a moment, before turning around to the board, dragging pieces around as Synthia helped him organise the collective mess. The information on the board was too much for even her to skim over in a timely manner - and she reads entire dissertations on the daily; he kept his face motionless, gleaming over the mess. ¡°Sure.¡±


    He took a step forward, standing just far enough that she could see his exospine, with pieces of it reinforced by her own hands. It didn¡¯t look as prestigious as it did before, with mismatching components, but Eliza felt a level of pride in it. She did that, Kazuki needs her¡­ But as she realised exactly what she thought, she fought back against her own mind. He¡­ doesn¡¯t need her, she convinced herself.


    ¡®Miss Eliza, we have collated everything in neat rows. Labels have been added to them, along with additional labels - exactly how you like it,¡¯ said Synthia, snapping Eliza out of her trance. ¡®Very impressive, ascertaining all of this. Fret not, though, your father will not know of this.¡¯


    Eliza scratched the back of her head, feeling somewhat warm in her chest at having someone recognise her, whose voice was not filled with hidden agendas. The fact that Synthia was an AI tutor had all but slipped her mind. ¡°Ah, thank you. I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll learn that I stole it¡­¡±


    ¡°How did you even steal it?¡± asked Kazuki. He was adding a few lines between various points and cards and lists.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t looking?¡± said Eliza, almost as if stating the obvious.


    ¡°No¡­ Key-drives typically are magnetically locked in place by default - and these are police key-drives you stole.¡± Kazuki showed Eliza, trying to yank the key-drive out of the table¡¯s projector. It did not budge.


    Huh? Eliza was left confused, there must be a reason why she was able to, right? ¡°It was probably not locked in, then? Or maybe my dad forgot about it?¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± said Kazuki. Silence fell upon him as his golden eyes thinned at the board.


    Ignoring what had just happened, he propped up even more information, on one specific man. Obadiah Aaria-Carinia, she¡¯s heard of that name before¡­


    Eliza asked, ¡°Promise you won¡¯t kill him?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll aim for his throat this time¡­¡± said Kazuki, staying away from her glance as he looked at the profile. The throat? That¡¯ll definitely kill him! His eyes glanced towards her, as he iterated, ¡°Only if necessary¡­¡± His face frowned further.


    ¡°Obadiah¡­ do you know him?¡± asked Eliza.


    ¡°No,¡± stated Kazuki. ¡°I know no vermin. At best, he¡¯s a guy that wanted to get involved in philanthropy in war-torn regions. At worst, he¡¯s the closest thing to Tessie¡¯s successor.¡±


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s the former,¡± said Eliza. ¡°But¡­ what do you mean successor?¡±


    ¡°So do I,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°Matt was the Mischief Triarch of Slavery. Who else better to replace him than his old associate? It¡¯s a hunch, though,¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Kazuki placed both hands on Eliza¡¯s arms, as if trying to reassure her, she allowed it to reassure her. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lead, and this time: it¡¯s definitive.¡±


    Obadiah was linked to Matt, an old business partner of his. Yet they had broken off long before Matt¡¯s death. But a lead was present, and to Eliza: that was enough. She has Kazuki on her side, and very little else. But that was all she needed.

 X36: A Step Nonetheless

    ¡°And what about you, Eliza?¡± asked Archius, leaning against the glass wall to the roof-balcony. Nihara immediately shot a look towards him as he was standing right beside her. Took her long enough, he thought. Eliza immediately shook Kazuki off her in a mild panic.


    Nihara looked up to Cyrus, who abstained from drinking himself. ¡°Where the fuck did you come from?¡± Nihara asked, stepping forward aggressively.


    Archius chuckled, shrugging as he took Nihara¡¯s drink downing it before giving the empty can back to her. ¡°I climbed up the walls. Yes, all fifty floors.¡± snapped Archius, he turned towards Kazuki. ¡°You left that out of the equation.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I did. Cyrus, deal with that,¡± ordered Kazuki. Cyrus nodded, taking Nihara with him as he stormed past Archius, onto the balcony¡­ Leaving only him, Kazuki and Eliza here.


    Perfect. Now that those two are gone, he can do his little game with Eliza, with no distractions. Kazuki should have been doing things that he had told him. Eliza¡¯s dedicated, but she¡¯s far too dependent on Kazuki. And Kazuki¡¯s acting more irrational by the day, he¡¯ll need to provide them with the best chances possible. He slowly walked towards them across the room.


    ¡°Liz, you talk about Kazuki killing your next lead, but the opposite is true for you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Eliza pointed at herself, confused.


    ¡°Do you have what it takes to pull the trigger?¡± asked Archius, slowly grabbing onto the revolver on the table. Kazuki remained unflinching, simply crossing his arms.


    Eliza took a step back as Archius slowly raised the muzzle towards her. ¡°Archius¡­ what are you talking about?¡± Eliza asked. Pathetic, Archius thought.


    He started to advance as she backpedalled to the wall. Kazuki stepped to the side as Archius moved past him. Kazuki wants to achieve something and so does Eliza: they¡¯ll need his help. Last time the two started a whole fucking war, but this time? he¡¯ll make sure that things are kept on a leash.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    She froze at the muzzle, placing her hands up as she started shaking. She¡¯ll need to do better than that. He slowed, twisting the revolver towards him as he grabbed Eliza¡¯s left hand, the revolver was ambidextrous¡­ He made sure she was comfortable as he pressed the muzzle to his chest. Then, he slowly wrapped her fingers around the grip and the trigger, ensuring her index finger knew where it was.


    He looked at her without the facade, causing her eyes to shrink in fear at his true self, a simple fragmented being - barely human in heart. ¡°No one knows what might happen. Your safety is directly linked to the success of the AGENCY.¡± said Archius.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong, but it was misleading. Sure, Lilly, Quinn and Claire will be sad if she died: but they¡¯ve been through worse. But Kazuki? He relies on Eliza. Mentally or physically, he couldn¡¯t care less.


    ¡°Hey¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m just the pen-pusher, anyone can do my job,¡± Eliza¡¯s lips shook as she spoke, barely able to get her words out as her hands shook the handle - scared if she accidentally pulled the trigger. But she was objectively right.


    Archius chuckled. ¡°A good one at that, so much so that you nearly solved the AGENCY¡¯s logi-problem in the High-Table Oversector alone. Plus¡­ Kaz will get sad if you die.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t drag me into this,¡± said Kazuki. Eliza shot a look towards him as he looked away¡­ How amusing, he always did bring out the best reactions, even if his face was so banal and bland - with the exception of his old burn marks and that new cracked skin beside his lips.


    Leaning in, Archius lowered his voice to just above a whisper. ¡°If I was mind-snared and was an inch away from killing you, would you pull the trigger?¡± asked Archius.


    Stolen story; please report.


    She frantically nodded her head. Was it her speaking, or was it her survival instincts, or was it panic? Archius raised an eyebrow, showing even more malice in his face, trying to promote her to kill him. ¡°Then do it.¡±


    Eliza frantically shook her head, her bloody eyes staring into his soulless husks. She tried to let go of the revolver, but Archius gripped her hand with crushing force. He wanted her to pull it. She won¡¯t know that it¡¯s lighter than usual, she¡¯s no contractor - the one time where such a trait was preferable, but then again they wouldn¡¯t be in this situation if she was one. Maybe that¡¯s why Kazuki has her on, a new brain perhaps? But her sensitive nature to violence is a problem, sadly one he can¡¯t solve without Kazuki getting mad at him.


    But violence was normal, and this sheltered girl knew, but never experienced a proper scrap. And as Eliza¡¯s face started to scrunch. She closed her eyes as she increased her breathing. Snap. Archius heard the snap of the receiver. He immediately let go, with Eliza dropping the revolver onto the floor, breathing a sigh of relief.


    That wasn¡¯t all he had for her. Eliza can be easily manipulated, shower her with praise and she¡¯ll bend under the pressure. She needs it, like how Kaz needs his exospine, though ¡®need¡¯ is too strong a word. Hmm, no: it¡¯s a want.


    She wants affirmation.


    ¡°Hmm. Don¡¯t listen to the saying: hold fire till you see the whites of their eyes; it¡¯s easier to kill stickmen than real men.¡± She wasn¡¯t ready, but at the same time she was better than he anticipated. ¡°Remember, Eliza, we do what we do because we must. Kazuki sacrifices blood, and I sacrifice my time and effort. So whenever you hesitate, remember what must be done¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, not exactly understanding Archius¡¯ words, his motivation, because in this galaxy filled to the brim with shit, someone must do the dirty work. It just so happens that that it¡¯s his turn.


    He lowered his voice, ¡°You did good.¡± She nodded, a hidden smirk creeping onto her face. Archius raised his voice. ¡°I guess you guys really do need some help.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Eliza looked up to him, trying to walk past him as she fell onto the sofa. Kazuki patted her on the back.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it.¡± Archius loosened his shoulders, slowly picking up his revolver before turning to the two of them. He showed its empty cylinders, before chucking it onto the table, it phased through the holographic display.


    He smirked, showing Eliza and Kazuki the face he wore in university. One of pure bliss and life, it must have given Eliza some level of calm - seeing something so old and familiar. ¡°I¡¯m coming to ensure you two rascals don¡¯t accidentally get yourselves in trouble, plus who knows what fun little adventures we three can get up to.¡±


    Such a convenient excuse.


    Eliza¡¯s no contractor, but maybe that was an advantage, Archius thought¡­ A possible liability, maybe, but he even said it himself¡­ For the amount of time she spent in the AGENCY, she made a good handler. And an even better logistician, he pondered¡­ For now, he¡¯ll help; for now: he¡¯ll accept her. Glancing at the table, he could see a completed Rubik''s cube, with a note attached to it saying ''Do not give to Quinn''.


    Archius held up fake happiness; sure, he was going to help, but he¡¯ll see if he can get Kazuki to loosen his lips a little bit, he was the guy he had a hard time getting a read on the most.


    Eliza shot a look up at Kazuki. He said nothing. Archius winked at the two of them, trying to ensure that they were cool with the idea. Maybe he can pry a secret or two from them¡­ more so on Eliza¡¯s part.


    She nudged him. He slowly looked upwards, groaning audibly in frustration as he looked back down. And finally, he gave a simple nod. ¡°Fuck you¡­¡±


    He chuckled, smiling. ¡°Fuck you, two.¡± jested Archius.

 Epilogue: Neutral, Positive & Hostile Variables

    The leader of the Anagoran Loyalists was mind-snared. The gunrunners were funding them, with someone assuring their protection. That is not a coincidence. Ex-Clandestine involvement? Probably. One of the two directors? Possibly, though high possibilities of only one of them.


    Even if that director¡¯s a coward, he¡¯s not suicidal. Kazuki thought for a moment as Nimitz-Delia placed a glass of high quality liquor down on the side-table - Aspria Kio, with its fizzy bubbles and deep crimson colouring; from a mere glance he could tell it was aged at least two decades.


    Kazuki looked up as the M¨¢wti woman poured the drinks. Around them was Delia¡¯s luxury yacht. They were in the main observation deck, it had large windowed walls for viewing out into the endless abyss of space.


    It was dotted with stars, nebulas, and a thousand bright blimps. The room was plated in pristine gold and painted in a nice coat of titanium silver.


    As he sat back up in his seat, Delia spoke up. ¡°Mister GemRy, care for a drink?¡± Her voice was smooth, calming even, but Kazuki didn¡¯t trust a single word.


    He shook his head, standing up.


    ¡°Suit yourself, then.¡± she downed her drink.


    He was slightly taller than Delia, whom Kazuki quickly scanned for weapons. Unless they were Nanobotic-cores, he doubted she could hide anything between her wrap dress and fishnets or in her heels


    ¡°I have no weapons on me, or is it something else you¡¯re interested in?¡± asked Delia, forming a smirk on her face as she noticed Kazuki looking her up.


    Kazuki was stunned for the moment, not exactly knowing what to say. And as always, he resorted to the things that he was taught by his mother, when in doubt: compliment. ¡°Nice¡­ dress.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, don¡¯t be afraid to speak your mind. From what I¡¯ve heard, compliments are a pay grade above yours.¡± Her blue wrap dress looked expensive, one imbued with wealth. In fact, they might even have the same tailors, the small details gave it away. She looked befitting of a member of the senate, manipulative and greedy. She glanced around the room, gesturing with her other hand. ¡°Wonderful, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Not particularly. Arts are not my fort¨¦. Business was.¡± Why bother with fine art when his mind is filled with them from memory. He even remembers the old works of some guy called Vinci. He popped a Halolazil pill as Delia simply watched him, better to take some before the shaking starts again.


    She savoured the taste of the drink. ¡°You should really drink some of this fine wine, take some time to enjoy things in life¡­ Remember that protection contract on Kitharnia?¡± asked Delia.


    He nodded. ¡°Nothing special. Standard protection contract. Fighting the militia that other contractors trained was unusual; but they were amateurs,¡± said Kazuki.


    ¡°Two weeks after you left, I had a business meeting with the leaders of that planet, on behalf of Clandestine. I always wondered about the mystique of you, the Leviathan of Eden, now Fourth of the Seven Mercs, and¡­¡± Delia paused, as if waiting for Kazuki¡¯s permission. He nodded. ¡°Contract-Breaker¡­ Well, I would have loved to have you on my detail, I even petitioned James a few times.¡±


    Delia walked around the observation post as two guards stood firm at the only entrance. She stopped some distance from the walled window.


    Kazuki glanced outside, seeing half a dozen gunships fly by, patrolling the space around the vessel. They weren¡¯t his men, but Delia¡¯s personal detail, a lot of them are ex-Clandestine, so he knew some by name, but not all.


    But Director James¡¯ name caught Kazuki¡¯s attention. James? Maybe James got her to support them before he died, after all there was always some whispers that Delia was linked to him beyond professional courtesy. But Kazuki didn¡¯t want to push it. ¡°I doubt they would have let you. The Directors preferred me on Judicial Duty.¡±


    ¡°Well, having a member of the Seven Mercenaries on stand-by is quite beneficial, especially acting as keepers of the peace,¡± stated Delia, curling her lips.


    He fell quiet. She was right, Clandestine preferred to keep him as close to the High Table Oversector as possible. But she was wrong about him. He¡¯s a bloody murderer, sent in to kill the criminals - nothing more. It just so happens that sometimes the criminals are rich, powerful people. But when that happens: his employers are less than happy. Whether it was because of his parents, his two-sided life or James¡¯ being protective, he stayed in the Oversector, in the heart of the Republic. But he didn¡¯t know why. The secret died with James, Kazuki thought.


    ¡°If keeping the peace involves slaughtering everything in our path, then yes.¡± commented Kazuki, ¡°Children be damned. If they pick up a weapon, they¡¯re in our crosshairs as well.¡±


    Delia paused for a moment, wondering if he was being sarcastic or not. She chose to ignore his statements as she smiled, wiping the awkwardness away. ¡°Well, better to work with a seven mercenary than a seven criminal, I can tell you that!¡± Delia exclaimed, ¡°Hartius is far more accommodating than either Kyria or Antiar.¡±


    ¡°Well, the Mischief Board isn¡¯t exactly as tight as the BCA is. But it honestly depends on what you¡¯re looking for,¡± said Kazuki, standing and walking up to one of the windows, looking out. ¡°If discretion is of concern, mercenaries; if you¡¯re doing something illegal, criminals, sometimes mercs. Depends.¡±


    Even if he felt relatively safe here, he still wore his gold-trimmed armour, prepared for combat at any given moment. But even without his guns, he was still the deadliest person in the room.


    Delia walked up to him, but Kazuki kept himself facing towards her. She was probably double or even triple his age, yet she looked young. ¡°Now, I wish I could have spoken with your agent first¡­ He was rather interesting to talk to.¡±


    Golden eyes thinned. ¡°wish to speak business, do you not? I¡¯m not as busy as I was a few days ago, and an intermediary is not required for this.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Delia shrugged, replacing her empty cup with a filled one as a serving drone hovered by. ¡°I wish to discuss the war. And of course: business, how¡¯s a politician supposed to make a quick buck?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± said Kazuki. Delia was a Clandestine financier, but Kazuki guessed she was still stuck up over lost investments. ¡°But I will see that your investments are properly reimbursed.¡±


    ¡°No need!¡± shouted Delia, ¡°Sure, debts are debts but times are different, and I do not want to needlessly antagonise you. I merely wish to speak about this war, the war you started¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡­ Do you mean?¡± asked Kazuki. The flames should fan out, and dissipate. Hopefully. ¡°If you are referring to the gunrunners, they are no longer a threat. Their assets have been seized.¡±


    ¡°By you, or the police?¡± asked Delia.


    Kazuki slowly turned towards her, suspecting that she may be playing another game, the mental conditioning from his mother and Archius kicked in as paranoia grew. Most of the smugglers left alive chose to work with the AGENCY, including Osmond¡­ Would giving her an answer here lead to any sort of conclusion on that front? Was she asking for a cut of the profits?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the AGENCY is not accepting investment capital at this current time. And our newly gained assets are being maintained.¡±


    Yet, she placed her palms forward. ¡°Just asking, I simply wish to weigh in on the decision makings of the AGENCY¡ª¡±


    Oh, so she was interested.


    ¡°¡ªNow, let¡¯s say that you do have these weapons¡­ In a hypothetical sense, of course. Off the books, I say either sell them or keep them. You can demand a premium for your Training Contracts if you add weapons into the mix. You know how it is, planetary guard understaffed, rag-tag¡­ perfect. But on the books¡­¡±


    ¡°Commissioner Delmara will want them,¡± said Kazuki, stating the obvious. Delia was trying to be friendly with him, it didn¡¯t work. If his parent¡¯s conditioning didn¡¯t make him sceptical, Archius¡¯ mental training did. But he appreciated the advice nonetheless.


    ¡°Exactly¡­ And given how your war is not over, I do not recommend showing weakness.¡±


    Delia pulled out several probes from her dress, throwing them up into the air as they hovered around her, braiding her dark green hair for her and placing some makeup over her light bronze skin, much similar to Archius. She was a M¨¢wti. She looked at her ICAPAD.


    Something propped up, but Kazuki kept to his own business.


    ¡°A Second Shadow War?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re surprised, are you not? But worry not, please! We have no reason to worry, this will all be over,¡± said Delia, ¡°But do ensure that fuel remains untouched.¡±


    But it wasn¡¯t as easy as said. Anything could add fuel to the fire, even completing simple contracts. He couldn¡¯t withdraw from the Judicial Contracts, though. They paid a premium for hired guns to kill hardened criminals. His mother instilled harsh business lessons into him, probably wishing that he becomes as successful as her. Well, here he is¡­ How she''d be so disappointed in him, he thought.


    Delia turned back to Kazuki, then looked out into the stars, the cosmos. ¡°But you do have a plan for the tensions, right?¡± asked Delia.


    Pausing for a moment, Kazuki thought to himself. Did he? Not really, he had been relying on Sato and Martinez on that front. He was a commander, yes; a killer, yes. But a strategist and planner? Less so. He wasn¡¯t his father. But people believe what they want.


    ¡°One is being created as we speak,¡± Kazuki lied.


    ¡°Excellent,¡± said Delia, the drones finishing up with her sparkly lime coloured hair. She looked away from him for a moment. ¡°Excellent.¡±


    His eyes narrowed for a moment, but as he started to suspect something, she turned towards him, showing him what the probes did to her hair. It looked¡­ subjectively better. Kazuki wasn¡¯t into fashion, nor beauty¡­ But Delia seemed pleased at the end result.


    And he simply nodded. She was probably referring to her hair¡­ or the creation of new plans¡­ Nothing of concern.


    ¡°What do you gain from assisting the AGENCY?¡± asked Kazuki.


    Delia merely gave a small shrug. ¡°Your men, your services. In exchange for my assistance, I would like you access your services¡­ it¡¯s a dangerous galaxy, after all. And to sweeten our deal, I have an offering, for free.¡± said Delia, ¡°I have reports of the Board¡¯s activities, and yes: they were colluding with the gunrunners.¡±


    ¡°You have agents in the Board?¡±


    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t!?¡± Delia chuckled for a moment as Kazuki tugged at his shirt collar.


    ¡°...¡± Kazuki paused, finding himself unable to respond. Such an open response was not in his calculations


    Delia, on the other hand, took his silence to heart, smirking. So she wants access to his services, but that does not entirely answer his question - especially for someone in her position. ¡°There are many other security providers you can assist. Why do you work for us?¡±


    ¡°With, not for.¡± Delia paused for a moment as she recollected her probes. ¡°Would you prefer the public reason or private reason?¡±


    ¡°Private.¡±


    Delia placed the cup down on one of the nearby drones, balancing it on its head. It made small beeps as it floated away, complaining about things. ¡°Very well, then,¡± said Delia, continuing, ¡°Profits, Kazuki. I¡¯m a businesswoman first and foremost, a politician second, please take no offence. Your services may be employed to secure shipping lanes through¡­ troubled regions in the galaxy. Being a politician can be quite costly, let me tell you that.¡±


    The Senate was far from the shining beacon of democracy fools believed it was. It was an open secret about how corrupt it is. All it takes is a single spark to send the Republic into flames.


    Luckily, he has no reason to do that. Not now. ¡°What? Too expensive to keep your brooch clean?¡±


    Delia chuckled. She shook her head. ¡°To some extent, many don¡¯t have the capital to run, but those that do are my threats. Still, I am glad that we can speak to one another as equals.¡±


    ¡°What would you say to Jessica if she was in my position? If she won,¡± asked Kazuki, crossing his arms.


    Even without any weapons, his presence and intimidation was felt even to himself as Delia paused for a moment, glancing away and back.


    Delia mulled it over as she said, ¡°Well, I would have told her the same.¡± She then placed a hand on Kazuki''s shoulder. Continuing, ¡°But let¡¯s not talk about what could have been, I¡¯m sure we both have a lot of details to hash out. Two individuals with perfect memory, but of course: contracts.¡±


    ¡°I wish to employ your men¡­ In exchange for my assistance. Mining subsidiary companies, their land needs protection¡­ I am just so happened to be a shareholder of their company.¡± She stuck her hand out towards him. ¡°Not in the dangerous regions however, we can hash that out later.¡±


    Nodding, Kazuki acknowledged that. She wasn¡¯t a Clandestine boot-licker, but simply an entrepreneur, a financier. A greedy, corrupt individual yes: but in this cruel galaxy, such is a given.


    He shook her hand, accepting her assistance. Delia smiled.


    And as long as he brings profits¡­ she¡¯ll remain loyal¡­


    Loyal?


    He wished it was that simple to remain such¡­ But reality is much harsher than the black and white standards of the BCA or the board. And no matter what, he¡¯ll remain loyal to his contracts, all written in blood - some more than others.


    Sighing, Kazuki nodded. ¡°I see, then.¡± He pushed himself away from Delia, before slowly turning his head - peering out into the abyss, the Eclipse a thousand light years away staring back at him.Arc

 INTERLUDE XX1: Rested To the Future?

    The smell of coffee permeated throughout the room. It was nice, Eliza thought, she knew that the latest GemBean coffee machines were worth it. Her left hand continued to write away with her stylus, taking down extra notes as her right hand slowly slithered towards the cup of coffee beside her desk. Lifting it up, she took a sip of it, feeling the vapours fog up her glasses.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re enjoying that a little too much,¡± a voice called out across the room, approaching. Eliza gulped down the coffee, slamming the cup down as she looked towards the voice.


    Chlo¨¦ Agnes-Vistar, Vice President of Sarimba University¡¯s Student Exec. Her sharp cyan eyes pierced Eliza as always, along with her dirty blonde hair, tied up in a ponytail.


    Her pale face was adorned with two lines beneath her eye, painted on to signify her seniority in age. Theonari seniority face marks.


    ¡°Care for some?¡± asked Eliza, gesturing towards the new coffee machine in the corner of the office, on a small table along the wall beside the Executive storage lockers. All but one was ready for usage, highlighted by a green holographic display that projected up from its surface¡­ The sight of it gave Eliza some dismay.


    ¡°Coffee? Sure, it ain¡¯t booze but it¡¯ll work,¡± Chlo¨¦ said, slinking off towards the corner, her holographic ID card shining the same red as Eliza¡¯s. As she approached the table, she took one of the spare cups and glanced towards the locker. ¡°Oh yeah, you should have chased Kaz up for his key.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ it slipped my mind,¡± lied Eliza. She scratched her left cheek with her right hand. Chlo¨¦ simply gave her a stare, before rolling her eyes. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t be drinking this early, though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, everyone says but that but it¡¯s like five somewhere in the galaxy,¡± Chlo¨¦ remarked. ¡°We should have had the locker door removed when the news came in. But Barclay didn¡¯t allow it, dunno why¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, considering who Kazuki turned out to be, I think Barclay was being pragmatic about not opening up his locker,¡± said Eliza.


    Her head scanned across the carpeted floor, its intricate patterns detailing the history of the Long Crusade and the Dark Ages before. Her eyes landed towards the lounge area opposite the lockers. Her desk was in the middle-back of the room, opposing an ornate double door that served as the entry into this prestigious office.


    ¡°Rodriguez! Think you can bust down the door?¡± Chlo¨¦ shouted across the room at the Treasurer, Rodriguez.


    His head bopped up from one of the sofas, peering over the backrest. He had Yamikoi markings across his face, reminding Eliza of Martinez¡¯s similar tattoos, though Rodriguez¡¯s were a bright violet colour, translating to ¡°Energetic¡± - quite ironic, she thought.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m too tired¡­¡± he said. Chlo¨¦ sighed and grumbled with growing frustration.


    ¡°How the hell did I lose twice!¡± she grumbled, ¡°I just had to be unlucky enough to go to uni with you and Barclay.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­¡± Eliza scratched the back of her head, trying to laugh her rant off as a joke. ¡°Just bad luck, I guess? Well, we all got into the Kallender Group, so there¡¯s that silver lining.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, touch¨¦, touch¨¦.¡±


    She finished making her coffee, putting a metric-load of artificial sugar into it as Eliza spoke up. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re not planning to go into overdrive again, are you?¡±


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    ¡°Well, between a Treasurer that sleeps all the time, a missing secretary, a relations officer that spends all her time playing sports and you¡­ I kinda have to pick up the slack,¡± explained Chlo¨¦, sipping onto her hot coffee, before trying to blow air into her mouth.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I should have told you, it¡¯s quite bitter. Maricea beans from Kast¨¦, I thought about splurging out a little, you know?¡± Eliza was still taking notes during all of this, a massive pile of completed data-pads and reports necessary for the exec¡¯s running to her left, whilst a much smaller pile of work-to-be-done was on her left.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ After this afternoon¡¯s lecture, I¡¯m going back home¡­¡± she trailed off, ¡°Barclay¡¯s left me on read AGAIN.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he has his reasons! Starting up a business far away from the galactic core is quite hard, especially with communications.¡± Eliza tried her best to explain the absence of the previous Student Exec President, someone that was somehow able to get lucky enough to have both her and Kazuki on his side.


    ¡°Still¡­¡± Chlo¨¦ sighed, placing her cup down on the small table as she twisted over towards her locker. She opened up her¡¯s, an inquisitive glance caught Eliza¡¯s attention as there was a small box within it, separated from the rest of her stuff¡­ Everyone knew what was in it, even Barclay. ¡°Maybe I¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing fine, Chlo¨¦, really¡­ Think about it, Barclay probably just wants to make your happy, and he knows that dragging you down with him won¡¯t,¡± Eliza suggested, once again stepping in for him. What was she doing? Eliza paused for a moment, before continuing, ¡°Sorry, I just thought that¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªNo, no, you¡¯re right¡­ My parents would kill me if they learnt I was gonna try and marry the guy,¡± said Chlo¨¦. Her head twisted back over towards the sofas. ¡°Rodriguez! You finished with this month¡¯s spreadsheet?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± His head popped up once again. ¡°Yeah. I did everything. Come on, you really think I¡¯d actually slack off before finishing all my work? Relaax, it¡¯ll just be a¡­ few day nap.¡±


    ¡°UGH! Eliza, you¡¯re the President, you gotta get a new secretary¡­¡± Chlo¨¦ pointed at Eliza, as she pinned a brooch onto her jacket, closing the locker and turning towards her. Her green flower brooch shone against Eliza¡¯s pink and red. ¡°Kaz isn¡¯t coming back, especially with everything that had just happened.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡ªye¡ªhe¡¯ll be back¡­ Trust me on that, the rebellion is over, he doesn¡¯t need to fight anymore¡­¡± Eliza trailed.


    But did Kazuki really want to come back? Her own personal popularity was probably the only reason why people haven¡¯t asked her to remove Kazuki as the secretary - probably because it¡¯d be quite rude. But thinking even deeper, Kazuki had known only murder for ten whole years, who''s to say that he¡¯d want to leave¡­


    ¡°Uh huh, well, it just means more work for the rest of us, but that isn¡¯t much of an issue. But he¡¯s not coming back¡­ Barclay nor Kaz will come back, the galaxy¡¯s too large for that.¡±


    The mood was quickly getting more depressing, Eliza thought. Both of their worries were rearing their ugly heads. Though Eliza knew that Chlo¨¦¡¯s concerns were far more greater in importance to her¡¯s. Barclay was just him. He IS him, and he¡¯s gone with the galactic winds. But Kazuki? He¡¯s back, she knows he¡¯ll return, right? He has to, right? Right? She asked herself the same question so many times that she felt as if she was back during those sleepless nights¡­


    Memories bled forward for her, remembering how pathetic she felt after the incident, both of them - all of them. How she always had to be bailed out by others¡­ she hated it. But what can she do? She doesn¡¯t have Archius¡¯ social skills, nor Kazuki¡¯s combat prowess.


    ¡°But you¡¯re probably the most determined learner I know,¡± said Chlo¨¦, snapping Eliza back to reality.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Eliza¡¯s head rose to look up at Chlo¨¦, standing right in front of her desk.


    ¡°You really gotta stop muttering to yourself, kinda creepy, you know? Muttering about your friends like that.¡± Chlo¨¦ laughed it off, prodding Eliza on her shoulder. ¡°You wanna get something to eat for lunch? You finished your work load, right? Right?¡±


    Eliza smiled. ¡°Sure, preferably someplace quiet¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Allergic to the high-street?¡± Chlo¨¦ joked openly.


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah? Just a matter of preference,¡± said Eliza, unwilling to tell Chlo¨¦ about the THREE TIMES that she¡¯s nearly died whilst eating out. But she¡¯s on the surface, and it¡¯s during the day! She¡¯ll be fine, she thought. Standing up, she felt her legs ache from being sat down for so long¡­ ¡°Oof¡­¡±


    ¡°Get Hannah to teach you yoga or something.¡± Chlo¨¦ japed, turning and walking towards the exit. Eliza quickly followed after her, ignoring the aching in her legs.

 INTERLUDE XX2: Freezing Drinks

    Raging fires, warm blankets, alcohol¡­ That¡¯s how Archius imagined one of his various perfect holidays. But¡­ not with this company, and not under this pretence. Despite his best efforts the fire was quickly being snuffed out. Archius grinded his hands against the heater, turning it back on as night fell on the freezing planet.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Archius trailed off, agonising over his decision to go with Lilly¡¯s team. But as darkness fell, the bioluminescent trees and fauna all around him started to glow even brighter hues of white, orange and green. He kept himself wrapped up, shaking slightly.


    Archius heard a stick snap. He twisted towards the source of the noise, raising his revolver at a figure approaching between a series of heated tents. He lowered it as the figure scowled at him, it was Lilly. ¡°You¡¯re damn lucky you have a good trigger finger.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s just you¡­ Sorry,¡± said Archius, nodding his head towards Lilly. She was wearing armour, with a thick coat over that. Unlike Archius, she didn¡¯t seem too phased by the cold. ¡°If I knew it was gonna get this cold¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t give Osmond your coat next time round, let his ass freeze.¡± Lilly sat down around the campfire, looking around at the campsite. There was a perimeter of tents as she prodded at her uplink. A blue light signalled activity. ¡®This is Vall¨¦ to all callsigns, any signs of the shipments?¡¯


    Archius pricked his uplink active from within the confines of his blanket. He heard a response from the other team leaders. ¡®Negative, the pirates dumped them deep into the forest, for sure,¡¯ said Kiri, ¡®My team¡¯s set up camp, permission to continue tomorrow?¡±


    ¡®Affirm. Rest up, all callsigns, stop the search. We¡¯ll continue at sunrise,¡¯ ordered Lilly, ¡®Vall¨¦ out.¡¯ She flicked her uplink off, sighing as she took out a few extra branches, sticking them into the heating apparatus providing the fire.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the rest?¡± asked Archius, ¡°We should have kept up the chase, deal with those pirates once and for all.¡±


    ¡°Martinez¡¯s chasing them, we have the easy job,¡± said Lilly. ¡°Well, as easy as tracking unmarked cargo across half a tectonic plate.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Archius raised his voice, two pairs of footsteps shaking his ears into action. Now it was both of their turn¡¯s to draw on the noise¡­ Two people. In front was Quinn, and behind him was Osmond.


    ¡°Ugh, call out to us when you¡¯re back,¡± snapped Lilly, snarling at the two of them. Archius noted down this very peculiar change in her attitude.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± He trailed off, twisting his head back towards the fire, maintaining his warmth.


    Quinn nodded, walking up towards them. ¡°Whatever, whatever, just let us get to the fire, we got some dry wood, easy to come by if you know where you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    He sat down, chucking even more fuel onto the fire. Its heat intensified slowly, giving the trio a nice bit of warmth. Osmond, however, simply slinked off towards the tents. He was wearing two coats, Archius¡¯ and his own.


    Archius¡¯ head twisted around. ¡°Osmond, sit with us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, warm yourself up, Osz,¡± said Quinn. ¡°Better to fall asleep warm than cold.¡±


    Lilly had no response, simply staring at the flames. Osmond tried sitting down beside Lilly, only for her to snap a glare at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want smuggler filth sitting beside me,¡± she snarled, voice filled with anger towards Osmond. He twitched backwards, taking a few steps away from the startling Lilly.


    Quinn shot back, ¡°Hey, ex-smuggler!¡±


    ¡°Once a smuggler, always a smuggler, or so the saying goes¡­¡± Archius interjected, patting a dry spot beside him. ¡°Come on, the fire¡¯s warmer this way.¡±


    Osmond nodded, and without saying a word he sat down beside Archius. Silence fell upon the group. Lilly clearly wasn¡¯t exactly comfortable with having a smuggler with them all, but Archius didn¡¯t mind. In fact, even he and Sato were smugglers by technicality, and Lilly doesn¡¯t seem to mind them.


    He needed to spruce up the atmosphere. With warmth no longer an issue, Archius slowly extended his hands out from his blanket, two large cans of beer in his hands. The three snapped their looks at the alcohol. ¡°What? Want some?¡± Archius asked, chuckling. ¡°Here, take it.¡±


    He extended his gloved hands out towards both Osmond and Quinn, they took the beer. Archius was just about to take out another can, for Lilly, as she said, ¡°No drinking. I¡¯m in charge here, remember? In case any of those Gaussbats come back, I want us to be ready for them.¡±


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    Quinn had a disappointed face, a finger right on the beer opener. Osmond froze at her words, slowly putting the can down beside him. ¡°Ah, of course¡­¡±


    ¡°No, come on! You¡¯re no fun, Lilly,¡± said Archius, ¡°It¡¯ll be a long mission, probably, might as well get drunk whilst we¡¯re at it.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely fucking not,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Archius dismissed her statement, cracking open a can of beer before downing it. Quinn and Osmond exchanged glances, as Lilly did nothing to stop Archius. Then, Quinn joined in, cracking his beer open and taking a swig from it¡­ A moment passed, before Osmond joined in.


    ¡°See?¡± Archius continued, ¡°No Gaussbats, we¡¯ll be fine, they hate fire anyways.¡±


    ¡°That implies that there¡¯s beings in the galaxy that like being set on fire,¡± Lilly snarled, maintaining an air of discipline. ¡°One beer, that¡¯s it. We still need to be prepared.¡±


    Quinn, who had been chugging down on his beer, put up a middle finger towards her. Archius snickered at the sight, taking out another can of beer and tossing it over towards Quinn. Lilly was about to snap back, but grumbled under her breath instead. Archius outranks her, so he guessed that he might as well exploit that as much as possible.


    ¡°Lilly, I order you to drink up,¡± said Archius, throwing two cans of beer stored underneath his cloak at her. She caught both of them.


    Shaking her head, she placed them beside her. ¡°After the end of the mission, plus: I¡¯ll have the two of you on reactor cleaning duties,¡± said Lilly.


    ¡°For what? Accepting my hospitality?¡± jeered Archius. Despite the amount of time he¡¯s spent away, parts of his home culture still lingers within him. ¡°Drink up, it¡¯s rude on my homeworld to not accept drinks.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not on your homeworld, probably never will,¡± she said, crossing her arms as she listened in on the chirping of whatever critters call out into the night. ¡°Claire better be holding down Anagora for us, if we¡¯re gonna spend a while retrieving shit-for-credits cargo.¡±


    Archius paused for a moment. He slowly frowned as he glanced down to his alcohol. Lilly gave him a side-glance. ¡°You¡¯re right, never will¡­ Even more reason to accept it, then,¡± he said, extending his final can out towards her. Quinn was cracking open another one, as Lilly shook her head.


    Sighing, she grabbed one of the ones beside her, and cracked it open. Taking a small sip, she said, ¡°Happy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Archius said. Lilly choked a little on her alcohol, coughing, before clearing her throat.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ how strong are these beverages?¡±


    Osmond glanced down at the can, repeating to himself the alcohol content, ¡°Twenty seven?¡±


    ¡°TWENTY SEVEN!?¡± Lilly snarled loudly, startling both Quinn and Osmond. The two cowered slightly at their superior¡¯s authority. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be bringing something light¡­¡±


    ¡°But it is light, by my people¡¯s standards.¡±


    ¡°The only thing light about your people is how little there is of you left,¡± she snapped, her voice both angry and frustrated.


    Archius felt¡­ surprisingly little offence at the jab. He merely nodded, before slowly frowning. Lilly grumbled again, before taking another swig of the beer. Damn, maybe he¡¯ll get a hat-trick with manipulating Lilly with only a slight frown? Archius thought it would have been harder to get her into doing things, but it seems like he¡¯s wrong.


    After a while, both Osmond and Quinn were drunk, tired and asleep. Lilly wouldn¡¯t even touch Osmond, so Archius had to throw him into his tent. By the time he got back to the fire, Lilly was already there. She tried her best to hide her red cheeks beneath a face of discipline and anger.


    ¡°You go too hard on those two,¡± said Archius, leaning back as he swayed forth. He finally had his coat back, and felt much more warmer than before.


    Lilly glanced down at the flames, thinking. Then, she responded. ¡°Good, better to be too hard than not hard at all.¡±


    Archius didn¡¯t respond. He wanted to prompt her to do specific things, but knew that she¡¯ll probably do it herself. Why get his hands dirty when she¡¯ll relinquish information herself?


    ¡°Damn smugglers,¡± she said. ¡°I should have known Quinn had that type of background when the recruiting officer said he was from Narisa. He was already indoctrinated to death, and I still went hard on him. Know why?¡±


    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t know better?¡± lied Archius, knowing that it was the wrong answer. Giving her the opportunity to correct him would lead to her giving far more information than if he¡¯d simply answered correctly.


    ¡°No! My men are tough, best men and women in the galaxy. If I go hard on them in the training halls, they¡¯ll survive anything that some nutcracks send at them.¡±


    It was logical reasoning, but Lilly always took things a bit more extreme than normal. ¡°I see,¡± Archius said. ¡°Want another drink before we hit the hay? Oh yeah, you should probably eat some of the jerky rations.¡±


    Archius took out another can of beer, showing it to Lilly. ¡°You have another one?¡± she grumbled, thinking that it was finally over. She leaned over a now dying fire, as the stars and galaxy up above shone down at them. She snatched it from him, cracking it open and drinking from it.


    He started whistling, having the highest alcohol tolerance was definitely a positive for him, he thought. Sometimes it¡¯s not, but this is not one of those times. Sure, he¡¯ll probably have to deal with a hungover Lilly, Quinn and Osmond in five or so hours, but that can come later.


    Glancing up, he saw the trio moons, eclipsing one another in their various colours as they orbited the planet. He took in a deep breath, before letting out a burst of condensation into the air.

 INTERLUDE XX3: Non Visitation Hours

    <ol start="1293">


    <li> 1294. 1295. Plasma steam echoed from out the barrel. His ears flickered at distant sounds. He continued. 1296. </li>


    </ol>


    His body twisted in natural pretence, his trigger finger firing on the targets that sprouted up across the simulation field. But that wasn¡¯t enough. His hand shook slightly again, but he steeled himself through it.


    <ol start="1297">


    <li> 1298. 1299. Kazuki wore a blindfold. And as he was about to hit 1300, the beep of the door and the target rung into his mind. He faltered for a moment, before firing at the target. Miss: 1. </li>


    </ol>


    He sighed, unsealing his blindfold off as the simulation field depreciated away, leaving a bare empty white training room, along with several tables of spent munitions, cartridges and magazines in front of him. He unloaded the pistol, slamming it down onto the central table.


    His hand was still shaking. He popped a pill of Halolazil to steady his hand.


    ¡°What?¡± Kazuki snapped, twisting over towards the entryway into the simulation field. He knew it must be important, but still felt sour at missing the 1300 mark.


    ¡°Arbiter¡­ someone wants to see you,¡± said Cyrus, standing by the door. He had both hands on his greatsword.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have visitation hours. Tell them to get lost,¡± Kazuki spat venom, before slowly turning back towards the steel desk in front of him.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a problem,¡± said Cyrus. Kazuki paused for a moment, before nodding whilst looking away. ¡°Your driver, Karl, he vouches for them.¡±


    ¡°Dammit¡­ Name?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no, Karl said something about a¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªSurprise!¡± A high pitched squeal of excitement filled Kazuki¡¯s ears. Before even laying eyes on who it was, he felt his eyes and face drop in exhaustion. He turned his head, seeing someone try to push past Cyrus. It wasn¡¯t working.


    Cyrus looked down at a blonde haired girl. ¡®Stars¡¯ were embedded into her azure eyes, brightly shining and glittering towards him. She was short, just as Kazuki remembered. ¡°Want me to remove the brat from the premises?¡± asked Cyrus.


    ¡°HEY! I¡¯M NO BRAT!¡± she shouted, looking up at Cyrus before trying to squeeze past him. Again, it didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Just¡­ let her through. She¡¯ll cause you more headaches if you don¡¯t,¡± said Kazuki. Cyrus shifted to the side, letting her pop through a small gap. ¡°Alright, where¡¯s Karl?¡±


    ¡°Waiting in the shuttle-bay-what¡¯s-it-called,¡± said the girl, even shorter than Kazuki, with brightly coloured rainbow aug-glasses.


    Her brightly coloured earrings had uplink sliders on them, a cross between accessory and tool. Her glasses mainly showed random tidbits and celebrity media news. He took his own aug glasses out from his pockets, activating its extended protrusions. He shifted it up his nose.


    ¡°Sooo, you¡¯ve been ignoring my texts! Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d show up, huh?!¡±


    Cyrus facepalmed at her annoying nature. Kazuki glanced up towards him. ¡°Leave us. Go get some sleep,¡± he said, sparing his chief bodyguard from having to deal with her. Cyrus followed suit, leaving the simulation room. Kazuki waited a moment before answering, ¡°What do you want, Yuki?¡±


    ¡°SOME DAMN RECOGNITION!¡± she shouted, pointing at Kazuki. She looked like she¡¯s came directly from their parent¡¯s penthouse on Island-Level 10. Her phoenicia-leviathan brooch shone with a bright cyan gem, before mixing back into the family¡¯s blood red colour scheme.


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Holding down the Lowguard guild whilst you were away, you know how many people wanted to do wars with us now that they learnt that you, our top-dog, was gone?!¡± Yuki complained. Kazuki let out a silent sigh. Fuck. He did not want to be here, he was exhausted. But she continued anyways, pressing a hand against her chest in a pompous fashion, ¡°It was I that had to hold things together, you know? Maybe you should give me ownership of the faction?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°Who cares about guild wars? We can easily regain any lost footing.¡± It was true, Kazuki thought, he could easily hop on for a day and challenge the top dog guilds again, and most likely beat their meta-builds with outdated ones.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, and all we have to do is grind you all the good gear!¡± Yuki shouted.


    Kazuki thought about it for a moment. He always gave out treasury funds to those that did it, so he had no idea why she was complaining. ¡°Yeah? It¡¯s logical and a good allocation of time management.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ but you¡¯re not even getting on anymore! Just give me the guild!¡±


    ¡°Uh huh. Uh huh,¡± Kazuki snarled.


    Yuki grumbled openly, her eyes tearing up at his non chalant response. He continued to give her a dead-pan face as his only answer. She muttered something under her breath, before storming out of the room. Kazuki was about to turn back towards his simulation, before realising that HIS SISTER WAS ON ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WARSHIPS IN THE SYSTEM. He ripped his armoured rig off, throwing it onto the desk.


    ¡°Come back here.¡± He immediately chased after her, fast-walking through the hallway of the vessel after his sister. ¡°You¡¯ll get lost.¡±


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    Yuki pretended to not hear him, continuing to march away in random directions. He had already remembered the entire layout of the vessel, so knew that she wasn¡¯t going anywhere dangerous¡­ If she had been walking to the reactor, he¡¯d been more harsh.


    Thank fuck she wasn¡¯t tall enough to read the signs, Kazuki thought, following her step by step. She wasn¡¯t all that quick, despite her best efforts. ¡°Stop it, you can¡¯t just walk around like you own this ship.¡±


    ¡°But you do! So therefore I also own it!¡± Yuki shouted back at him, attracting the attention of both passing drones and personnel. Most were confused, watching their boss: the Contract-Breaker, chase after a girl barely a head shorter than him.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not how it works,¡± Kazuki snapped at her. A few passing members of Heimfall, adorned with red-trimmed armbands, snickered at the sight. Kazuki ignored them. ¡°Get back here now.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why should I?¡±


    They continued twisting around corners, across the various hallways. She was nearing the observatory elevator of the war vessel.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re going to hurt yourself, this isn¡¯t a playground, this is a warship.¡± Kazuki sped after her, increasing his pace. ¡°Its sole purpose for the last two decades have been to kill. And it has seen a lot of killing.¡±


    ¡°Blah, blah, whatever! I¡¯ll tell mother that you were being rude to me again,¡± she blabbered on. Kazuki facepalmed, groaning audibly behind a muffled cry.


    ¡°Fucking¡­ no, don¡¯t do that. No,¡± Kazuki trailed, slowing his pace as she came up towards the observatory door.


    Two guards were stationed beside the elevator door, and they simply watched as Yuki barged into the elevator, her twin-tails trailing behind her.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Arbiter? Kazuki, who was that?¡± asked Alexander, one of the guards, as Kazuki rushed past them.


    Yuki was slamming down on the elevator close button. It started to close, as Kazuki¡¯s hand reached the gap. The doors stopped closing, health and safety standards for the win, he thought.


    ¡°My sister¡­¡± Kazuki turned towards one of the guards, who had their helm-mask off. They gave him an understanding nod.


    Alexander then chuckled, his armour striped with light blue compared to Heimfall¡¯s red and Deltastring¡¯s white. ¡°Good luck, Arbiter.¡±


    The other one, Erien, joined in, ¡°You¡¯ll be needing it!¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°I know.¡± Kazuki nodded towards them as he pushed the doors open, entering with Yuki. It closed behind him. She was facing away from him, staring at a 3D holoprint of the vessel¡¯s map on the surface of the elevator¡¯s rear wall. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m playing nice. I could have ordered a hunt for you.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t!¡± she arrogantly asserted, twisting around as the elevator started to move upwards. Kazuki facepalmed, grumbling.


    ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t. Because you¡¯re my sister. I know you¡¯re not here to sabotage my operations¡­¡± It had completely passed Kazuki¡¯s peripherals, but he just appreciated the fact that he was a contractor¡­ And here his sister was. He felt disgusted at himself, a noble turned merc¡­ and his bright-star eyed sister.


    She looked up at him. Her eyes were a duller shade of blue, and the stars were harder to see. ¡°Dude¡­ relax much? I just wanted you to chill out, come on!¡±


    ¡°No. I have work.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Yuki rolled her eyes. ¡°Mother, father, everyone has work to do! Even Nate!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°NO ONE YOU KNOW!¡± She snapped. Kazuki paused¡­ He was very much aware of who she might be referring to, but refused to believe it. It must be just a coincidence, he thought.


    All Kazuki wants now is some peace and quiet. His sister always fought against that notion¡­ and she was always so annoying¡­ Always the favourite, he thought. ¡°Well, whatever¡­ I have work, I am busy. Leave me alone.¡±


    He made sure to not let a single drop of hidden malice drop into his voice, maintaining a monotone, deaf-tone voice. She answered back, ¡°And you¡¯re here, chasing after me!¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And I caught you¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªNuh uh,¡± Yuki cut him off.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªNuh uh,¡± she cut him off again.


    He sighed. ¡°Alright, you little¡ª¡±


    This time, it was a loud noise from the elevator that had cut him off. It was a release mechanism, and his body hurled into action. He was ready for anything¡­ Yuki giggled, as Kazuki turned towards her.


    ¡°Look at you, why so jumpy over some little noises?!¡± she laughed¡­ He hated it. He could accept it from anyone else, but her? Why so jumpy? He clenched a fist. She has not a single clue, he thought. But before he could say anything else, the floor they stood on stared to rise.


    The roof of the elevator slid open, with only a holographic control panel following them up. And all became dark. ¡°What?¡± Kazuki was confused for a moment, before the mechanical gears of a slider released.


    Kazuki looked up as light engulfed his eyes. It was¡­ expansive. Untamed. Brutal and harsh. It was the galaxy, for all of him to see. Bright colours all around, nameless thousand starts and dots in the sky¡­ comets, nebulas, other galaxies¡­ He paused for a moment, mesmerised.


    ¡°What? Surprised?¡± Yuki chuckled, ¡°Karl told me the route to this place! And uh¡­ well, he told me that you rarely leave your office, so I guess it¡¯s just a nice thing to see once in a while?¡±


    Kazuki didn¡¯t respond. His head moved left to right: looking and taking in the galaxy for all its worth. How¡­ long has it been? It¡¯s been so long since he¡¯s done this, he thought. It felt somewhat refreshing. That itself was true.


    ¡°Freedom, exploration! Marvellous, right? Right?!¡± Yuki asked him, as she joined him in the sight-seeing. He¡¯s never been to the Phoenix¡¯s Fury¡¯s observatory. He never needed to, all the information he could ever need was in the command room or his office. This felt new to him, and he felt like smiling. But the motion died before it even touched his lips.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s nice,¡± said Kazuki. He let a few seconds pass in silence. ¡°But you¡¯re still coming with me. Just because you¡¯ve shown me the galaxy doesn¡¯t mean you were very much trespassing.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ ha¡­¡± Yuki trailed off, scratching behind her ear as her uplink earrings jiggled.

 Prologue: Never Forget What

    Red, orange and blue lights ignited the sky. A billion fireflies were silenced at once. The sight fell short of arising a reaction from Kazuki. The lake that separated the observation post from the inferno was alight with life.


    He could barely see over the bannister railing, his grandfather having to lift him up. The people that fled from the inferno were being slaughtered enmasse. Their screams turned into gargles within the lake. The tenshu and citadel off the distance ruptured with an eclipsed eruption. It would be a strange sight, but death permeates around the galaxy¡­


    ¡°Kazuki, what do you think you see¡± asked his grandfather, the Senator Tatsuo-Ryzaku. Kazuki glanced up towards him, seeing his blue eyes reflect off his grandfather¡¯s crimson irises.


    Kazu glanced back down towards the inferno on the other side. Guards were walking the length of the observation post, shuttles flying by overhead. The flames were still being fanned. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Kazuki, putting his thoughts simply.


    His grandfather grumbled under his breath, masqueraded by his grey hair and senatorial clothes.


    ¡°This is justice,¡± he said. ¡°This is the price for rebellion, for not only going against the Republic: but against our people. Against the interests of all Trasia.¡±


    ¡°What did they do?¡± Kazuki asked inquisitively.


    Lifting him back down to the floor, his grandfather looked down at him. He remained quiet. The retinue that surrounded both him and his grandfather had the black armour of the Trasian Imperial Guard. The armour was placed over the neat and orderly Imperial Guard dress uniforms. The guards held at their hips the Black blades of their ancestors.


    ¡°Your father did not tell you?¡± The old man shook his head in disbelief, continuing without waiting for a response. ¡°I told your father to tell you before you arrived. The Jins have tried to usurp our family power.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Greed? Corruption? Who knows?¡± He placed his hands into his pockets, pulling out an observation lens, and placing it in front of his left eye. ¡°Their keep should be under our control soon.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ inquisitive?¡± He asked, ¡°Some say that the Belsaran Federation wanted the Trasian sector for themselves and that the Jara-Jins were promised wealth and power over this region if they would simply open up the gates¡­¡±


    The last bit didn¡¯t make sense to Kazuki. ¡°Open the gates?¡±


    ¡°Not literally, of course!¡± The old man jested, ¡°Figuratively, the federation wanted them to wipe out the ruling party of this sector, then claim the satrapy for themselves.¡±


    ¡°That would¡­ kill us?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The Jara-Jins would have wanted us dead. That¡¯s probably why they tried hiring mercenaries¡­ Ruffians¡­¡± He knelt down to Kazuki¡¯s level, the sign of age laced into the old man¡¯s skin. ¡°Never be like them¡­¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°The Jins¡­ or the¡ª¡±


    One of the guards approached the two, saluting and clicking their heels together. ¡°Senator! Admiral Yamagata has reported a withdrawal of Belsaran forces from possible staging grounds along the Liberator¡¯s Corridor.¡± His words interrupted Kazuki¡¯s stream of thought.


    ¡°Aha! Thank you.¡± His grandfather nodded at the guard, as they turned and left. ¡°I know you won¡¯t understand much of what I say now, Kazuki, but it¡¯ll serve you much better in the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think it will,¡± Kazuki said meekly.


    His grandfather let off a hearty chuckle, patting Kazuki on the back. The old man¡¯s brooch was massive, even larger than his, filled to the brim with raw star power.


    ¡°So then, future Kazu, never forget who you are¡­ Never forget your duties and responsibilities. Makara Jara-Jin forgot his duties to protect his family from himself. Now, they have lost everything.¡±


    Turning back to the burning estate, everything was now so quiet¡­ eerie. ¡°What will happen?¡± asked Kazuki. Only the fire continued to wail.


    ¡°The land? We¡¯ll just terraform it back to a tea plantation, more profitable for the trade sector. Then we lease ownership of it to a few key allies¡­ political stuff that you won¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I do understand it!¡± Kazuki blurted out like an overly engaged Chyari ld. ¡°I¡­ understand¡­ it?¡±


    Old man Tatsuo-Ryzaku smiled, standing up. ¡°One day, Kazuki, you¡¯ll understand it one day¡­¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ll understand it now.¡±


    ¡°Not today, some other time perhaps. Remember: keep power close, very close. Keep both the people and your brokers happy, and you¡¯ll have a very long reign¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean reign?¡± Kazuki inquired, ¡°Reign like a king or an emperor?¡±


    The old man took out a flask of sake, downing it before answering. ¡°No, rules are more tedious for representatives¡­ But we have time on our hands. We live in a time of peace, I¡¯ll teach you one day.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, okay¡­¡± said Kazuki, ¡°Promise?¡±


    ¡°Promise.¡± He then jokingly remarked. ¡°Don¡¯t try to learn them without me around!¡±


    Kazuki replied instantly, ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Of course you won¡¯t, Kazuki. But for now, let¡¯s let the Black blades deal with the fire.¡±


    ¡°And the Jins?¡± Kazuki once again found himself blurting out nonsense. ¡°What will happen to them?¡±


    His grandfather shrugged. ¡°No idea, if any are left after tonight: they¡¯ll be a threat to our family no more.¡± He pushed himself upwards, slowly walking away. Kazuki followed.


    ¡°The galaxy will not remember these people come ten years. You will, however, keep that to your chest and hold it tightly.¡±


    He started to walk down the stairs of the makeshift observation post, guards pressing themselves against the railing to make way for the de facto Emperor of the Trasian Sector.


    His voice echoed louder. ¡°We have responsibilities¡­ never forget what you are. You are a proud Leviathan - a phoenix. Never falter like them, never fall.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Kazuki trailed off.


    Tatsuo-Ryzaku continued, ¡°One day, maybe the galaxy will forget who you are¡­¡±


    The young kid remained silent.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that so much has been lost to the echoes of time,¡± said the old man. Kazuki simply nodded, not finding much to say after all.


    Kazuki¡­ just wanted to go to sleep. He was feeling a bit tired. He touched his face, scratching for a moment. It felt strangely smooth.


    The Senator kept talking, ¡°There was once a story of an old man, rich and powerful, yet died all alone in his dreams before Irismas. He failed to create a legacy. He failed to impact anything. He didn¡¯t play his cards right¡­ Make sure you do. Make the galaxy remember you.¡±


    ¡°I will.¡± Kazuki¡¯s reply was filled with a strange power behind his tongue, behind his mind.

 XX1: Glimpse into the Light

    Continuous footsteps and the chatter of city life was all Eliza¡¯s ears could take in. The cityscape of Anagora, an undying flame of colour, grit and culture, but she cannot see this city for what it claims to be. Up and above were colourful billboards and adverts, calling for all ¡®Honest Republicans¡¯ to celebrate the upcoming Victory Day later this week...


    Though, Eliza knew she won¡¯t be there to see it. She sighed, the fireworks were a bit loud at times, but the food stalls were to die for!


    Still, Victory Day was just a fa?ade, Eliza knew. For she was cursed with the numerous truths proclaimed by those who live in the underbelly of Anagora. Over the months she¡¯s spent with Kazuki and the AGENCY, she¡¯s seen so much of what she knew be questioned¡­ Will it end?


    Eliza took in the sight of the skyline, stretching out beyond her reach. Students passed by in the doorway leading into the university. Students had to shimmy around her. One accidentally bumped into her, as she took a few steps forward.


    Twisting around, she nodded her head. ¡°Pardon me, I shouldn¡¯t have been block¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± A familiar, deep voice cut in. Eliza raised her head, taking a few more step backs. The person speaking took a few steps forward, getting out of the way of one of the university¡¯s many side entrances. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±


    Eliza¡¯s eyes came wide open. She saw a mockingbird brooch pinned to the person¡¯ blue hoodie, glowing a bright green from its gem. It was a person she was familiar with in the past. ¡°Noah?¡±


    ¡°Eliza?¡± the man returned. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡±


    ¡°Neither did I,¡± Eliza exclaimed.


    Noah was taller than her, a navy blue hue laid within his eyes, blended into his hair. He looked even sharper than how she remembered him. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a big university, hard to come by other people without planning,¡± he said, scratching his head.


    He shot a look over his shoulder, shuffling even further away from the exit.


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Eliza said, gleefully. It¡¯s been so long since she¡¯s met someone from her past. Seems both Noah and Kazuki have grown since those days ten years ago. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re studying business?¡±


    ¡°Good guess, media. My parents want me to pick up their legacy after them¡­ Probably because they want to retire to Kast¨¦ or somewhere,¡± Noah said, stepping forward as the two walked down the paved path, adorned with floating street lamps, off during the day, though still bright from the holo-posters hanging from them. ¡°Part time, though, my parents have me help around in their business, not in journalism though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah! You¡¯re parents run that media group down in¡­¡± Eliza clicked her fingers, trying to think of the place. Honestly, she couldn¡¯t, but she¡¯ll squeeze the answer out of her mind some minute.


    ¡°Nova Mithradati?¡± Noah asked, placing his hands in his pockets.


    She nodded, ¡°That¡¯s the place! I guess you¡¯re in your first year? I did the first year speech last year and didn¡¯t see you in the crowd, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Mhm, didn¡¯t want took a leap year after scraping past the NATs with my parents.¡± Noah stopped beside one of the masterwork fountains.


    ¡°Oh, lucky you! It¡¯s been what, five years, right?¡± she asked, her undying determination exuding from her voice alone, stirred with both compassion and knowledge.


    She fidgeted with her hands inside her hoodie pockets, somewhat excited that someone else from her past has made it here.


    He paused for a moment, before shrugging with an exaggerated expression. He said, ¡°Yep, my parents wanted me back on Mithradat so I could help around. Kinda boring, though.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re here! They don¡¯t call Anagora the never sleeping city for nothing, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find loads to do around these parts.¡± Eliza said, thinking back to just how estatic the night life can be - especially around universities.


    She slowly chuckled, thinking back to the hundreds of times that the Student Exec got drunk so badly that Kaz and Chlo¨¦ had to carry them all¡­ Actually, maybe it was just Kaz carrying all of them.


    ¡°Yeah, guess it¡¯ll be fun?¡± He looked back at the fountain, falling into silence.


    Eliza¡¯s small smile dissipated into intrigue. She kept looking at him for a moment, before focusing on the fountain.


    It was both a marvel of engineering and architecture, blending the old with the new. Glancing at it, she found it rather extravagant, especially for a fountain not even visible from the main entrance. Though, if the rumours were to be believed, this fountain was where the Republican Guard made a final stand against the Imperial onslaught during the siege¡­ Sadly, there are little to attest to such a claim, and those that could were most likely dead.


    It saddened her, slightly, as she frowned at it. Noah glanced towards her. He asked, ¡°Getting sentimental about bricks and marble?¡±


    Her head snapped towards him. ¡°Ah, no, just¡­ lost in my thoughts, I guess?¡±


    Noah hid a muffled snicker. ¡°Heh, and here I thought you went a complete one-eighty,¡± he said, continuing to walk as he pricked his uplink online. ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot, I thought you¡¯d just be as cold as you were back in school.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, things change?¡± suggested Eliza, shrugging.


    Noah answered her shrug with another. ¡°Guess it is¡­¡± He trailed off, visibly thinking before saying, ¡°My parents have me running the local Galatimes news office, but I¡¯m free for now.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Galatime Magazines¡­¡± Eliza said. It¡¯s one of the largest media brands in the galaxy, operating out of both the Republic and even the Erudian Holy See. ¡°I¡¯m rather impressed they gave you such an important position, given the agency¡¯s role.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be. Trust me¡­ trying to sift through all that work is exhausting, plus¡­ my parents want me to really submit something into the news outlets, sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Noah lowered his voice. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important¡­ Just¡­ Want to get something? I think I need to clear my head from all this work.¡±


    A lens within Eliza¡¯s aug-glasses highlighted the time, it just struck mid-day, before showing the times across the planet and the galaxy. ¡°Sure, it never hurts to catch up with others, does it?¡±


    She lightened up the moon against Noah¡¯s pretty stiff attitude. She doesn¡¯t remember much from middle school, but was Noah always this cold? Ugh¡­ He¡¯ll probably get along with Kazuki, she thought. The thought rang with familiarity to her, but she wasn¡¯t able to place her thumb directly on it. .


    ¡°Not wrong,¡± he asserted. ¡°So uh¡­ did anything happen between the end of middle school and now?¡±


    He glanced around the place as they made their way towards the entrance of the university grounds, a large ornate gated wall, with imagery and murals of the past. It showed the university¡¯s long history, from developing weapons during the Long Crusade against the aliens¡­ the Imperial Peace and even the Crisis.


    Some murals showed heavily armoured crusaders with their knightly banners, with even the Orastrians and Kiapra Knights involved.


    Eliza caught herself thinking too deep as she pulled herself back out. ¡°Hmm? Oh, right! I did say to catch up, didn¡¯t I?¡± she mused for a moment to herself. What exactly has changed? She can¡¯t pin her thumb on anything in particular immediately¡­ ¡°Well, nothing comes to mind.¡± She nervously chuckled to herself.


    Noah raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well, I¡¯m probably stating the obvious, but you seem a lot more alive now.¡±


    Oh yeah, she was more alive nowadays, she thought¡­ ¡°Oh, that, I completely overlooked that!¡±


    Noah shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was possible to get tunnel vision in your own memory, but here we are!¡± he jested, shifting to the side. A garbage disposal drone hovered past the two. ¡°You¡¯ve been listening to my advice, then? You remember that, at least, right?¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± She trailed off, not knowing the best way to say ¡®I forgot¡¯ in the nicest of manners. Scratching behind her ear, she let off an embarrassed chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t seem to recall, maybe you could jog my memory?¡±


    ¡°Life selfishly! No point to live for other people if you can¡¯t live for yourself, can you?¡± Noah replied. ¡°Live, like, seriously¡­ enjoy life, it¡¯s too short to dig your head into books for half of it.¡±


    Eliza doesn¡¯t recall it at all¡­ She swore she would have remembered those words, yet all she could remember were the countless revision sessions and study periods she had.


    ? ? ?


    A hand gently slapped Eliza across the back of her head. ¡°Hey, did you forget about me?¡± a voice snapped. Both Noah and Eliza twisted around to the voice, a peach-blonde haired woman. Eliza gently rubbed the back of her head. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you didn¡¯t leave Hania hanging, she would¡¯ve slammed you into the ground.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ friend of yours?¡± asked Noah, turning to Eliza.


    ¡°Y¡ªyeah¡­ Why¡¯d you do that, Chloe?¡± Eliza raised her voice, looking at another fellow uni student, the vice president of this year¡¯s student exec. She had the distinct face tattoos of the Theonari-Feina people, two lines beneath her green eyes to signify her age.


    Chlo¨¦ placed her hands on her waist, angrily rolling her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say to meet at the exit? Or did those two thousand reports a day quota finally fry your head?!¡±


    She ignored Noah¡¯s existence.


    Eliza straightened herself out. ¡°Absolutely not! I¡­¡±


    Chlo¨¦ squinted. Eliza quickly realised that Chlo¨¦ was absolutely right, in the first part that was. She had completely forgotten why she was waiting in the first place!


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡± She trailed off, feeling embarrassed at the whole thing. Her eyes glanced to the side, her face slightly dejected. ¡°I¡­ forgot.¡±


    Giving a dismissive sigh, Chlo¨¦¡¯s head twisted over towards Noah. ¡°Oho!¡±


    Her eyes looked down at Eliza, as she sidestepped to the left. Muttering to herself, she said, ¡°Seems like there¡¯s competition.¡± Before raising her voice and clearing her throat. ¡°Made a new friend, Lizzie?¡±


    ¡°Well, old friend, back from middle school,¡± said Eliza.


    ¡°Oh, so this was before you decided to liven up in high school?¡± Chlo¨¦¡¯s eyes lit up with interest. She snapped her fingers, pointing her index at Noah. ¡°So¡ª¡±


    ¡°Noah, Noah Slyra-Montageu,¡± Noah cut her off. He stepped forward, and shook her hand.


    Chlo¨¦ immediately shook him off. ¡°Sorry, taken, but still, didn¡¯t expect Liz to be close to people in the past.¡±


    Noah scratched the back of his head. ¡°Not exactly close? I mean¡­ Eliza wasn¡¯t close to anyone in middle school.¡±


    ¡°Hey! It was by choice, alright?¡± Eliza snapped.


    Chlo¨¦ immediately peddled back onto an agenda. ¡°Noah, got any embarrassing moments for Liz in middle school? I¡¯ll trade you two university and one high school moments for two of yours,¡± she said with a smug smirk smeared over her face and attitude.


    Eliza¡¯s face went as red as her eyes as she grabbed onto Chlo¨¦¡¯s shoulders with both hands. ¡°Hold up!¡± Eliza begged Chlo¨¦, shaking her with both hands frantically. ¡°I beg of you, if anything: NOT THE SPEECH ONE.¡±


    Noah burst out laughing at the sight.


    Both Eliza and Chlo¨¦ looked towards him, the latter having to slowly pry Eliza off herself. ¡°Jeez, I¡¯ve missed a lot, haven''t I?¡±


    He had a wide grin on his face. But despite her best intentions, Eliza could feel a hint of confusion in his eyes.


    Eliza smiled, ignoring the signs, it must just be her mind bothering with the smaller details, she thought. She has to look at the bigger picture, lest she forget why she continues to sweat, study and metaphorically bleed for.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t mind me saying one embarrassing moment, right Eliza?¡± asked Noah, sitting down on the fountain and stretching his arms.


    ¡°Hmnn,¡± Eliza pondered for a moment, in deep thought. ¡°Fine¡­ but nothing too embarrassing, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Noah said, nodding. ¡°Anyways, there was this one time in middle school that this classmate of ours¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªNo,¡± Eliza cut in. Her red eyes beat a violent red. She absolutely did not want this one to be spoken of. ¡°Not that one¡­¡±


    Noah paused, before taking a deep breath. ¡°But¡­ that was the least embarrassing one?¡±


    She quickly shut down the conversation. ¡°Well, then NO EMBARRASSING STORIES.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t worry, Liz, I¡¯ll steal some secrets from you at the Dassant. You are coming, right?¡± Chlo¨¦ asked. If it wasn¡¯t for how she was joking about that, she would have thought Archius had taken her place, looks, voice and mind and all.


    The trio sat down at the fountain as a group of students walked by, the hover-ball team. ¡°Wait, you guys are going this year?¡± he asked. ¡°The Dassat, I mean.¡±


    Both Eliza and Chlo¨¦ nodded in unison, a steady image of pink and green. ¡°Yeah! I missed out last year because of work and I missed some juicy stuff,¡± said Chlo¨¦, ¡°I¡¯m not missing out this year.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Noah¡¯s eyes narrowed at Chlo¨¦. He stayed motionless for a second, before saying, ¡°Are you sure about this? I know it¡¯s not my place but¡­ I heard what happened.¡±


    Eliza¡¯s smile was wiped away with a single sentence. Her eyes skidded towards the side. Dammit, here she was silently sulking when Noah was worrying about her¡­ He hasn¡¯t even seen her in years and he still cares, she thought.


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m quite fine to go this time, I mean: I¡¯ll have Chlo¨¦ with me, so that¡¯s a plus!¡± Eliza explained. ¡°I¡¯ll have to go on my father and brother¡¯s behalf.¡±


    ¡°Heh, you have your own room, or you gonna bunk with me?¡± Chlo¨¦ asked, prodding her uplink offline as she pulled out her holophone. She ignited it, showing the two of them where she was going to stay. ¡°A-12, amazing view of the planet! Are any of you guys interested?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Why don¡¯t you ask Barclay to come?¡± asked Eliza.


    Chlo¨¦ rolled her eyes again, before her voice fell to a bashful complaint. ¡°Absolutely not, he rarely responds to my messages, you think he¡¯ll show up on such short notice?!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ fair point¡­¡± said Eliza. ¡°I¡¯ll probably get my own suite.¡±


    Chlo¨¦¡¯s eyes shifted towards Noah, as she retracted her hand. Shoving it into her hand, she acted like she didn¡¯t invite them to bunk with her. She placed her hands together in a clap. ¡°Anyways¡­¡±


    Noah glanced at Eliza. ¡°You staying with anyone? I¡¯m going with my parents to make some new connections.¡±


    Eliza answered without thinking, in a warm manner as always, ¡°Oh, Kazuki.¡±


    The exact moment that word left her lips, she noticed Noah slowly trail away in thought. His eyes were locked in a moment of thought - she paused for a moment as Noah composed himself.


    ¡°Oh, Kazuki! I¡­ haven¡¯t seen him in a while,¡± said Noah. Eliza stayed silent for a few moments.


    ¡°Yeah, you two went to different schools after Victoria died, didn¡¯t you?¡± Eliza asked, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ bringing her up is¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s probably for the best, though,¡± Noah interjected. ¡°We have different ways of dealing with loss?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ it is?¡± Eliza was confused. The two were friends, right? She pondered to herself, they must have different ways of mourning people. But something just didn¡¯t sit right within Eliza.


    He looked at Chlo¨¦¡¯s holographic ID card, a blazing red colour to signify her position within the Student Executive. ¡°Chlo¨¦¡­ you want to join me and Eliza? We¡¯re gonna get something to eat.¡±


    ¡°I hope we are!¡± Chlo¨¦ shot back, ¡°I¡¯m starving and I waited like five minutes for you, thinking you were still scrounging around for things YOU HAVEN¡¯T revised yet!¡±


    A red blush crept back onto Eliza¡¯s face. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sorry!¡± she said, noticing a few passing glances as she felt a modicum of awkwardness fall over her. She hid her face behind her hands, expecting a second fusillade of embarrassments¡­ but nothing came. Then, whispers, murmurs¡­ She opened her eyes.


    Glancing at the two of them, she noticed that both of their glares were highlighted at the entrance. In fact, everyone¡¯s glares and eyes were pinpointed in that direction, as three shuttles skidded through the gate. They were black, yet all the same felt familiar¡­ They stopped near the entrance.


    ¡°Uh¡­ those are government, right?¡± asked Chlo¨¦. ¡°I always thought black sketchy shuttles fitted them.¡±


    Noah stepped in front of the two, as if warding against any potential threats. They were definitely suspicious, the shuttles. ¡°No, my parents brought me to a few tele-com deals with the Federal government, they DEFINITELY don¡¯t use shady black shuttles.¡±


    Eliza stayed calm. Despite possible implications, she didn¡¯t feel any sense of threat from them. They were let into the university, and security, both drone and people, doesn¡¯t seem too worried about it. Then, the shuttle doors slid open, as suited men and women left the confines of their transport.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± Eliza squinted her eyes as she steadied her glasses. She thinks she knows one of them¡­ A large, broad-shouldered figure looked around the place, as his eyes landed on Eliza. The figure looked back into the shuttle and said something. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s Kaz¡­¡±


    Noah glanced at her, then back at the shuttle. ¡°Oh, if he¡¯s here then I guess you¡¯re busy, then. I¡¯ll head over to work earlier,¡± he said, walking away.¡±Tell him I said hi, though.¡±


    Eliza noted that he was walking over to a different exit, instead of the one closest to them, but thought nothing of it.


    ¡°Best of luck to you!¡± said Eliza, as Noah walked away, waving back towards them as he faded into the crowd of people around them. ¡°We can get lunch together another day, then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Noah shouted back. ¡°See you two at the Dassant.¡± He disappeared into a crowd of students¡­


    It only then dawned on Eliza that she hadn¡¯t asked Noah on why he was so eager to leave¡­ Kaz and him knew each other in the past, yet why did Noah seem quite hesitant to meet him? Or at least stay around to greet one another.


    Chlo¨¦ spoke up, ¡°Kaz? Really? You think he comes in a shady convoy of black shuttles?¡± The two looked at each other, eyes off the convoy.


    ¡°Well¡­ I know one of those bodyguards¡­ I think?¡± Eliza pondered for a moment, pushing her glasses up her nose bridge. ¡°Yeah, I most definitely recognise one of them.¡±


    ¡°No way you can see that far, you need glasses!¡± Chlo¨¦ interjected, ¡°You¡¯re probably the one in five trillion that don¡¯t wear glasses for the looks. Like, Kaz always looked like a total nerd with his aug-glasses.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ why I have glasses¡­¡± Eliza trailed off.


    A new voice cut into the conversation. ¡°What did you say?¡± It was cold, emotionless: sparkless. Chlo¨¦¡¯s head twisted in downright fear, as Eliza swiftly looked towards the voice.

 XX2: What is and What was

    Standing behind them was Kazuki Izumi Geminorum-Ryzaku, a bit taller than Chlo¨¦ - but half a centimetre shorter than Eliza.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Chlo¨¦ looked towards Eliza, before wrapping an arm around her neck. She lowered her voice, ¡°Did you just summon him or something? Like with some Dullie Calling card?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± Eliza raised her voice to just beneath a quiet shout. ¡°Kaz¡­ he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t what?¡± Kazuki asked. Both of them had completely aired him. He didn¡¯t seem mad, or angry at all, just slightly disappointed. He grumbled and sighed. ¡°But if you do wish to challenge me, at least be a competent enemy. Easy players are no fun.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Chlo¨¦ approached Kazuki, pressing a finger against his coat. She lingered for a moment as she felt something underneath it. ¡°Uh¡­ I had my suspicions but¡­¡±


    ¡°Ignore it. Emergencies only,¡± he said. Chlo¨¦ nodded, a small drop of sweat falling from her head.


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± she said, ¡°Anyways, you¡¯re still so arrogant!¡±


    Kazuki snapped back, ¡°Arrogance did not get me to where I am.¡±


    Chlo¨¦ looked towards Eliza, expecting her to help Chlo¨¦ in defeating Kazuki in a battle of words. Eliza simply placed her hands up, not wanting to get involved in whatever argument they have right now. ¡°I¡¯ve only played a few games of Dullie, and those opponents said that Kaz was a whole ¡®nother level compared to them.¡±


    Kazuki nodded, crossing his arms with a nonchalant attitude. ¡°See, being good isn¡¯t being arrogant.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and what are you?¡± asked Chlo¨¦, as Kazuki turned and started walking away. The two followed after him. ¡°HEY! Don¡¯t just walk away from me, you know I¡¯m in the top two hundred on this planet for ranked matches.¡±


    ¡°And I am ex-top fifty galaxy wide,¡± said Kazuki. That put a stop to Chlo¨¦¡¯s rant, as Kazuki pulled out his holophone, igniting it up as he showed his badge: Kazuki Geminorum-Ryzaku, ranked #39 in the galaxy. ¡°Video games get boring since there¡¯s no challenge to it.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s just you, Kazuki,¡± Chlo¨¦ remarked.


    Kazuki shrugged. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m busy. I need Eliza, you fine with that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Eliza¡¯s mind snapped awake from being called out.


    Chlo¨¦ grumbled, before saying, ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking, by the way.¡± He looked over his shoulder glaring at Chlo¨¦.


    ¡°You never change, do you?¡± The question stunned both Eliza and Kazuki for a moment. Chlo¨¦ nearly walked directly into Kaz. A moment of restart passed, as the two continued walking¡­


    Eliza said, ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯m free?¡±


    His reply was instantaneous, ¡°Good. We¡¯re leaving.¡±


    Now? What does she do now? Given the fact that this was probably the first time Kaz¡¯s been here for over a year, she might as well make the best of it. She spoke up,, ¡°Hey, Kazuki. I know you said you¡¯re busy, but¡­ you don¡¯t mind staying for a little bit longer, do you?¡±


    Kazuki paused. He turned around. ¡°Why? I told you: I¡¯m busy.¡±


    Chlo¨¦ gave Eliza a questioning look. Eliza continued, ¡°Well, Chlo¨¦¡¯s been chasing me about your locker and¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThere¡¯s nothing in there,¡± Kazuki cut her off. ¡°Well¡­ maybe I left a bomb in there¡±


    Eliza immediately cut in, ¡°KAZ!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± Kazuki gave off a cold smirk. ¡°I would have remembered if I left one there.¡±


    Chlo¨¦ sighed. ¡°You still have the key, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Kazuki trailed off. ¡°I think I lost it.¡±


    She immediately threw her hands up in anger. ¡°What?!¡± she shouted at Kazuki.


    He stayed steadfast, standing still as he responded. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I lost it. I simply lost it. Over Old Terra. I was a bit too preoccupied fighting for my life, but I understand that the key is greater in worth than that.¡±


    His sarcastic remark didn¡¯t go too well over the two, as even Eliza had a hard time deciphering whether he was actually telling the truth or not.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re here! You can put some time for a reunion with the exec, right?¡± asked Eliza. ¡°Rodrick and Hania are in the office right now.¡±


    ¡°Barclay¡¯s not here¡­¡± Chlo¨¦ trailed off. Kazuki¡¯s eyes skidded away at the mention of Barclay¡¯s name, only for it to skid right back¡­


    ¡°Whether he¡¯s here or not doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Kazuki said. He muttered to himself. "No means no."


    Chlo¨¦ grumbled, snapping at Kazuki, "Seems like your laziness is still in there. I guess we can go to the Victory Day festival next year?"


    Eliza nodded. ¡°You down for that, Kazuki?¡±


    ¡°Sure...¡± Victory Day. What a joke. ¡°Victory over what... No one won anything. Everyone but the players in the war lost.¡±


    Chlo¨¦ and Eliza both peered at him awkwardly. ¡°Yeah... I guess you could say that,¡± Chlo¨¦ remarked, trying to shove the topic under a rug.


    ¡°Food¡¯s good, though, right?¡± Eliza asked.


    ¡°Good enough to ignore our problems for a while,¡± Kazuki answered.


    That¡¯s right, Kazuki, he didn''t belong here ¨C he was a player himself, a lethal one at that. This was not where he was meant to be. He''s a Contract-Breaker, the ''death of honour''. Kazuki remembers who he is... This is who he is.


    ? ? ?


    By the time that the shuttles got clearance to break the horizon, Liz was already dozing off¡­ Kazuki looked at her as she sat beside him.


    ¡°Sorry, we could have gotten something to eat if you were tired,¡± said Kazuki. Karl was driving the shuttle as he glanced back. One hand on the controls, he extended his other hand, holding onto a bag of sweets.


    ¡°Y¡¯all hungry?¡± he asked. ¡°I always keep one for the hyperlanes.¡±


    Eliza shook her head slowly, still somewhat dozing off. The Anagoran skyline quickly turned dark as they approached space. A shuttle transporter locked onto the convoy, with the three shuttles latching onto it. ¡°No thank you, just a bit sleepy, don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    Karl shrugged with one arm, shoving the bag of sweets back into the glovebox. Inertial compensators activated. Oxygen systems locked online.


    ¡°So¡­ where are we going?¡± asked Eliza. Oh yeah, he didn¡¯t tell her.


    Karl snickered. ¡°So you just hopped on a random shuttle with a friend but you didn¡¯t even know where we¡¯re going?¡±


    It was a valid question, Kazuki thought. The grizzled pilot twisted his seat around in the cockpit. With the convoy of shuttles attached to the transporter, he¡¯s free from his normal duties. For now.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Well¡­ I just thought it was something quite important, given how many shuttles there were¡­¡±


    ¡°It is. I¡¯m not taking any chances with transportation. We have three armed and armoured shuttles and a modified shuttle transport,¡± said Kazuki.


    Eliza¡¯s face contorted into surprise and shock. ¡°Wait! What!?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m not taking any¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªNo, no no,¡± Eliza cut him off. ¡°Why do we need armoured transport? If you wanted to go somewhere, could we have just taken the shuttle bus?¡±


    Kazuki paused. He looked forward, then answered, ¡°Given what has happened between the Loyalists and the Gunrunners. I¡¯m not risking your life to a surprise ambush. The Loyalists got too close. Got it?¡± he asserted.


    She took a few moments to respond. ¡°Well, surprisingly that does make sense. But I still don¡¯t know where we¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°Preparations. The Dassant is coming up. Both of us need to be prepared¡­¡± said Kazuki. ¡°There¡¯s only one location that I can trust with that.¡±


    Eliza sighed at the first part, before her interest was piqued with the latter part. ¡°Oh? Well, this is you¡­ So are you going to train me in martial arts? Self defence? That¡¯d be cool, right!?¡±


    She started to go on a massive tangent on how Kazuki will train her. Instead, he merely gave her a confused look.


    He cut her thoughts off. ¡°No.¡± Simply put, training Eliza would only embolden her to make stupid decisions. He doesn¡¯t want Eliza to think she¡¯s hot shit because she was trained for a week under him.


    ¡°Then what are we doing?¡± Eliza kicked up her legs, crossing them as she leant back and down into the shuttle seat. It wasn¡¯t as comfortable as the shuttle seats his family¡¯s personal shuttles have. But it wasn¡¯t made for comfort to begin with. ¡°Ooh, am I going to get a hidden weapon? Maybe a dress with thirty knives hidden in them?¡±


    ¡°We can talk more about this later,¡± said Kazuki. "I have things to think about."


    Eliza raised an eyebrow, poking him in the cheek. "Like what?!"


    Kazuki crossed his arms instead of providing her an answer. Where was the harm in providing her an answer? Kazuki saw nothing to demerit such a response. "I''m going home. Trasia... It''s strange, I''m both a mercenary and an aristocrat... Well, royalty. That''s how I''ve gotten away with so much."


    "Well, surely your connections must mean something, right?"


    "Which come from my name. People believe whatever they want. They believe the Imperial household''s name holds power. As such, it does. That is why I can do what I want. Could you imagine if I wasn''t what I am? I''d be dead within a week. But that is not the case. I am Kazuki, a... ''Prince'' of Trasia." Kazuki had to bite that last bit off, the thought of that what he is unnerved him.


    He looked down at her, she looked tired, but understood everything he said. Still, she was tired, and she gave a small, confused look back. "I see... Not exactly something I can understand, right?"


    Kazuki shook his head. ¡°No. For now, just get some shut eye. It¡¯ll be very busy once we arrive. We can talk more later.¡±


    Eliza nodded. ¡°Ugh, fine! I¡¯ll hold you to that, then.¡±


    And slowly, her eyes sunk - and then closed. She must be exhausted, Kazuki thought.


    A few mutters and murmurs were heard across the uplink, but nothing too special. ¡®This is traffic control to JUDICIARY-1010, permission received and granted for course to Lautrasia. May Iris guide us,¡¯ said a voice over the uplink.


    Karl was getting some rest, his pilot¡¯s cap covering his face. The operatives piloting the transporter responded in equal turn. ¡®Copy that.¡¯


    It was complete darkness outside, with only a few splutters of lights from stars and space stations for illumination. Whilst everything inside was still. Kazuki turned the main lights off within the shuttle¡­ Looking down at Eliza, she already seemed fast asleep. He wished he could do that, but he knows the consequences of relaxation, especially for someone like him.


    Here he was¡­ alone. With his thoughts¡­ Soon, the uplink chatter turned to silence - and all noises turned muffled.


    Kazuki maintained his wake, his eyes capturing the grand visage as the transporter ignited its drive, and sent itself bursting into the voidway.


    ? ? ?


    Words seemed to stick longer than any physical ailment, at least that¡¯s what Eliza thought. Her memory of it is so vivid, yet still sticks in the back of her mind.


    She could remember the faint visages of the past, and the sunrays that blared down upon her on that rooftop.


    Kazuki was standing just a bit away from her, staring out into the metropolis of Anagora. He remained motionless.


    She had summoned him here for an answer. She needed one. That was all she wanted. Her mind snapped to her old, cold persona - the shell and husk of what she used to be.


    Stepping forward, she confronted him. ¡°Kazuki.¡±


    He remained silent. The air blew throughout the rooftop garden on Sarimba High. He has to answer her, she¡¯s skived a lesson just for this! She needs confirmation¡­ Just something only he may know. That was all she asked for.


    ¡°Kazuki,¡± she repeated herself. ¡°Don¡¯t make me report you for skipping lessons.¡±


    ¡°What differences does it make?¡± Kazuki snarled. ¡°I get in trouble. I still breath, I still bleed. Nothing changes. For all I care, do it.¡±


    ¡°No, that is not what will happen,¡± explained Eliza. She placed her hands in front of her, the blowing wind bearing down on the two of them. The sun kept its rays locked onto them. ¡°You were with my sister during the incident, correct?¡±


    He slowly nodded.


    Eliza asked a simple question. ¡°Who do you think killed her?¡±


    His body jolted around. For a moment, she swore she saw a flash of steel within his golden eyes. The two stared at each other. The sight... had unveiled a freak... Scars and burns littered his face, with two dead golden bulbs illuminating from his eye sockets... So this was Kazuki?


    Eliza expected worse.


    She wanted an answer from him, no matter how harsh it may seem to ask of him.


    Her face had none of the calmness, nor the empathetic spark¡­ That was just how Eliza remembered it. How awkward it was to dream of this¡­


    ¡°What kind of joke is this?¡±


    The same response as everyone else. Was he no different? Was he just another fool that can¡¯t answer her burning question?


    No. That was not the case. It cannot be the case, she thought and deliberated to herself for a moment - he must think something deep down. ¡°It is not.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    Eliza stepped forward, standing beside him. Both wore the uniform of Sarimba High, black shirt with the blazer, but Eliza had not brought her ceremonial cloak. She shuddered slightly as she stared off the distance. She waited several years, she can wait a few minutes more for his response, her cold mind thought.


    Somewhere deep down, Eliza felt a sense of embarrassment that she had to act so uncharacteristically close to him.


    ¡°I know who killed her,¡± said Kazuki.


    Eliza¡¯s dead-red eyes slowly burned to life, she looked over at him. The two were the same height. She shuddered again at the wind. He was wearing a black shirt with a jacket beneath his blazer and uniform cloak. She wore the same, though with the regulation-standard white shirt - and her brooch.


    The artificial autumn winds were harsh, cold, and freezing to Eliza. Even beneath her tights, her legs shudder for a moment. She steeled her arms, however, she won¡¯t let this mere freeze get in the way of it all.


    He spat out words, ¡°I know who did it. Of course I know¡­ I just can¡¯t prove otherwise.¡±


    She relaxed her face. It was the exact same mindset that she had, that feeling of truth that she cannot prove, no matter what. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. Kazuki cannot prove the existing truth! Finally, someone that she can speak to about this. She glanced away, back out into the depths of Anagora.


    His eyebrows raised at her statement. She shuddered slightly again. He then paused, sighing, Eliza¡¯s mind unravelled in its stresses, as she has finally found someone that she can trust - someone that knows the truth of it all.


    ¡°Kazuki¡­¡±


    She felt something land on her shoulders, Eliza turned towards him, seeing Kazuki place his blazer back on, undisturbed by the winds or the cold. She looked down at herself, feeling the lukewarm heat of his jacket permeate around her Blazer, it was one of those heated jackets.


    Kazuki just dropped his entire blazer, jacket and cloak on top of her. Her mind slowed down in all capacities, as she was finally met with something other than snarls about this, for so long has she waited. It¡¯s him, it has to be him! He¡¯s the key to it all!


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Eliza tugged the jacket tighter around her.


    ¡°You¡¯re clever,¡± Kazuki stated. ¡°That¡¯ll cover some distance you need.¡±


    Whilst she normally ignored such statements, she understood what Kazuki meant. He wasn¡¯t talking about her academics, or anything to do with intelligence, she had none of that. She had brutal determination, a will that sees it to the end.


    She made the right choice to skive a lesson, she thought. She opened her mouth, as a door behind them crashed open.


    Her head snapped, though Kazuki¡¯s merely turned slowly. A green haired M¨¢wti guy walked out onto the rooftop garden, panting, he wore the uniform incorrectly, with the cloak wrapped around his waist. He pointed at both her and Kazuki.


    ¡°I¡¯VE BEEN SEARCHING ALL OVER FOR YOU!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°You¡¯re late!¡±


    Eliza¡¯s mind snapped at Kazuki¡¯s remark.


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s still lunch.¡±


    She snickered beneath her breath at his very obviously incorrect assumption. Slowly, the first layers of snow and ice melted away, but Eliza still felt cold. But deep within the ice, a beating warmth ignited into a fire. ¡°You¡¯re both skipping lessons, it seems,¡± Eliza remarked.


    It seems Kazuki has a friend, Eliza thought. Well, the more the better, she thought¡­


    Maybe if she asked a different question, the bolts and indifferent galaxy would have churned out another conclusion¡­

 XX3: Familiar Yet Not Country

    Eliza¡¯s eyes opened again, she felt the slight vibrations of the shuttle she was seated on. Well, she wasn¡¯t exactly seated, instead laying down with her feet on the opposing seats. Huh¡­ So was it just a dream? She twisted her head around, it was quite stiff¡­


    ¡°Finally, you¡¯re awake. You missed the entirety of what Lautrasia had to offer,¡± said Kazuki. She looked up towards him, he was seated beside her, unmoving. ¡°We¡¯re going straight to the Ball Palace.¡±


    The Ball Palace?! Huh? Wait¡­ Of course! The two were going to the Ball Palace for this years dassant. Wait¡­


    Eliza took a moment to think, she yawned. Then, she sat up, looking around¡ªWAIT WHAT? Her head snapped to Kazuki. ¡°I beg your pardon?!¡±


    Kazuki paused, then simply shrugged. ¡°I was being sarcastic. You were asleep only for a bit,¡± he said. ¡°You kept moving around, though.¡±


    ¡°Ah, my apologies, then,¡± she said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You only smacked me fourteen times.¡± He was looking at an invitation¡­ Eliza glanced over at it.


    Eliza¡¯s jaw opened. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°I told you: it¡¯s fine.¡± He shifted his head towards her. He was wearing a large coat, passing the physical letter to Eliza.


    She felt the crease and ink splodged on the paper. It felt so real¡­ so elegant. It¡¯s been the seventh time she¡¯s done this, yet the feeling of physical, paper felt so in line with the highest echelons of the galaxy. It read as followed: ¡®On behalf of the Galaxy¡¯s Aristocratic Plutocrats Governance Body, I, the Marquis Gilbera Fer-Charelota, invites you to partake within the Dassant on behalf of House Celeste-Delmara.¡¯


    ¡°Even as one of this year¡¯s Consuls, he finds the time to throw extravagant parties,¡± Eliza commented, jokingly.


    ¡°Showboating is part of politics,¡± Kazuki stated with all seriousness. I


    Looking up at Kazuki, he didn¡¯t have one for himself¡­ She looked back down at the letter, continuing to read it. ¡®This is a personal invitation from the Marquis¡­ PERSONAL MESSAGE: Elizabeth, I hope this letter finds you in good health. I apologise for your suffering the previous Dassant and I look forward to meeting you again, you may be permitted to take an additional friend to accompany you. I believe you are to bring Prince Kazuki of the Imperial Trasian family¡­¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­¡± she trailed off, knowing that it was not what Kazuki wanted, but she still had to say it nonetheless. She gently folded the letter, placing it into her pockets. He dismissively nodded. ¡°I think I was having a bad dream, I don¡¯t typically toil around in my sleep, at least I think I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Kazuki paused for a moment as he unzipped his coat.


    He was wearing a hoodie. At first, Eliza was perplexed, then realising that it was basically the exact same hoodie that she wore.


    She asked, ¡°Wait¡­ Is that the same hoodie you lended me?¡± It looked just like the hoodie she wore during the gunrunner attack.


    ¡°No, I have around ten of the same hoodies. You have one of them,¡± he said.


    Eliza was still confused, scratching her head as she stood up, stretching her legs. Glancing out the view-ports, she could see the bright barriers of the voidway.


    She looked down at Kazuki. ¡°I still don¡¯t get it, something peculiar about them, then?¡±


    ¡°All my clothing is intertwined with materials that have¡­ anomalous properties,¡± said Kazuki. Alright, now Eliza was even more confused, anomalous properties?


    ¡°Like Hazard-Shards?¡±


    Her face slowly went even paler than she thought it could have. Was she being influenced and connected to an unstable Hazard shard the entire time?!


    ¡°No. Phoenecian-Leviathan feathers,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°Phoenixes have sixth sense. Its feathers maintain some of its abilities. That¡¯s why it was tight. It was warning you.¡±


    It clicked inside of Eliza¡¯s head. ¡°OH!¡± she shouted out loud, waking Karl up, he glanced back at them. ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°All good¡­¡± Karl muttered, before falling back into a slumber.


    Kazuki glanced at Karl, then back at her as the vessel started to slow down. The shuttles were exiting out from the voidway.


    ¡°Its feathers also have the ability to ¡®connect¡¯ with its user. Phoenixes also have excellent memory.¡±


    ¡°So the feathers you used in the hoodie caused me to have a dream?¡± she asked. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ve fallen asleep with it a few times before, hasn¡¯t really happened except for¡­ some occasions?¡±


    Kazuki slid the datapad into his pocket, its holographic visage turning off as he pressed down on his ICAPAD. ¡°Yes. It normally needs a prompt first. Like Synthia, you prompt it and it goes on and on.¡±


    ¡®At your service?¡¯ A voice crept up from Eliza¡¯s shoulder and uplink. It was Synthia, her holographic figure was yawning, audibly. ¡®Oh, travelling are we?¡¯


    ¡°Sorry, Synthia¡­ didn¡¯t mean to wake you up,¡± said Eliza, covering for Kazuki. Kazuki merely remained motionless both in muscle and expression.


    ¡°As I was saying¡­¡± Kazuki continued, ¡°You need a prompt for its effects to proc. Phoenixes are very emotional creatures. That may have influenced it. Though research is limited, given how few there are in the galaxy.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡± Eliza¡¯s face grew in slight horror.


    Just how does Kazuki have these hoodies, then?! Did¡­ No, she refused to believe that.


    Kazuki¡¯s eyes skidded away. No, Eliza thought, don¡¯t do that. He opened his mouth. ¡°What I am about to tell you is a classified secret. You can keep a secret, right?¡±


    No. This cannot be what she thinks it is, right? Kazuki wouldn¡¯t do that, but¡­ would he? She has no idea. After all these months, she really can¡¯t get a good read on him, can she? Back during high school she didn¡¯t know who was, and in university she happily went on with her life as he bled.


    ¡®Miss Elizabeth?¡¯ asked Synthia. ¡®Is something the matter?¡¯


    Kazuki shrugged in response, then Synthia returned a slow nod.


    He continues to bleed, yet he¡¯s fine with this? Kazuki¡¯s only known death for the past ten years. However, she felt confident in knowing she could understand him, just a little bit.


    And even now, just who was she to him? A burden, perhaps? Her thoughts quickly silenced as Synthia leaned against her cheek.


    ¡®Well, I see you two are in a secretive mood, are we? I¡¯ll leave you two be, then.¡¯ Synthia said, as she deactivated, the holographic visage forming back into Eliza¡¯s uplink and glasses. ¡®I¡¯ll keep an eye on, however.¡¯


    ¡°Fine¡­ I¡¯ll keep another secret, then.¡± Eliza thought to herself.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.


    She braced herself to hear what he had to say, knowing that it might be something even she can¡¯t forgive him for.


    ¡°I have a pet Phoenix hidden in the Trasian Imperial Palace. It sheds its feathers and I have my tailor produce clothes utilising it.¡±


    Oh¡­ so that was it! Eliza heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that Kazuki¡¯s family would have hunted the Phoenixes down. But why would they?! They¡¯re the family¡¯s sigil. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to protect endangered animals,¡± she said. ¡°Especially if it''s domesticated.¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Tamed. Not domesticated. You can never domesticate a Phoenix. Trust me, my ancestors have been trying for centuries.¡± Kazuki crossed his arms. ¡°My aunt was the ¡®closest¡¯ to properly domesticating them.¡±


    She stopped, as her head slowly tilted towards the viewport. An explosion rattled around the shuttles as they left the voidway. And alas: real space. It was dark, filled with dots and lights - nothing like the colourful chaos of the interdimensional warp.


    ¡°Also¡­ do you like the black variants? I don¡¯t see you with any other colour,¡± said Kazuki. Eliza¡¯s curiosity was piqued, though her face showed anything but that: mainly showing confusion more than curiosity.


    Kazuki quickly extended out his hand, grabbing onto her hoodie¡¯s hood. She felt his rough hand pull on something within it as the hoodie morphed colour. Huh? She looked down at her chest¡­ It was a different colour. She then looked back up at him.


    ¡°Wait¡­ it can do that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± He sounded too nonchalant with it. Colour changing clothes aren¡¯t new to the galaxy, but Eliza hasn¡¯t exactly had the use for them; plus they¡¯re normally used for professional or formal clothes! ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Eliza immediately grabbed onto a loose string within her hood, pulling against it light a light switch. And the colour morphed again, and again, and again. She smiled, seeing a full rainbow of hoodies packed into one¡­


    ¡®Must be quite expensive to make these hoodies, then?¡¯ asked Synthia.


    Kazuki nodded and sighed. ¡°Not as expensive as you think they are. Tailors just ramp up the prices because people think it''s expensive.¡±


    Switching through the wheel of hues, Eliza chose violet. ¡°I didn¡¯t think colours were your thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± he said. ¡°My sister forces me to share hoodies. And¡­ she complains about my lack of colours.¡±


    With everything Kazuki¡¯s said about his sister, Eliza wasn¡¯t all too surprised at that. Still, she found it quite nice that he¡¯d do something like this.


    ¡®Arbiter! We¡¯re here,¡¯ said a voice over the uplink. Luckily, Eliza¡¯s clearance within the AGENCY allowed her to hear the communication links.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Karl was awoken once again, as he shifted back into his pilot position.


    Eliza realised that this would be her first taste of Lautrasia, the savvy business brain of the Grand¨¦ Republic.


    Looking out of the cockpit view-screen, she saw it. A verdant blue planet, littered and dotted with islands all over it. Rims of stations orbited around it, glittering with lights.


    ¡°Lautrasia¡­ Must be nice to finally be home, right Kazuki?¡± she asked, feeling warmth and determination. ¡°So¡­ what are we doing here anyways?¡±


    She looked back at him, though he kept his face and eyes firmly planted forward.


    ¡°Simple. This Dassant is being hosted by the Marquis Fer-Charelota. There¡¯s a lot of people. First impressions are everything,¡± said Kazuki. His voice maintained a level of authority and ruthlessness that she was all too familiar with from him, yet this felt even more¡­ brutal. ¡°And I intend to make the right first impressions.¡±


    ? ? ?


    No problems with traffic, as expected. They knew he was coming. And for once, that was a good thing. The shuttles broke off in various directions, with Karl¡¯s shuttle heading straight towards their location. Kazuki kept still, as Eliza peered through the cockpit¡¯s view-screen, her eyes wide open.


    Kazuki glanced over her shoulder as he stood up. They were driving straight through suburban Lautrasia, in one of the bordering towns.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± he asked, expecting trouble¡­ There shouldn¡¯t be any, but better safe than sorry.


    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ seen the photos, but¡­ It looks amazing!¡± She shouted, twisting back towards Kazuki. He took a good look at the street they were on. He¡¯s been here before. ¡°So many stalls¡­¡±


    Holographic signs and posters plastered the lamp posts and walls, a thousand street stalls lined up as people made way for any oncoming traffic. It was just a regular Lautrasian country town.


    Sure, it had many architectural designs similar to the old cultures on the eastern fringes of the Eurasian plate, but it was also integrated into the new technology of the modern age. It was an amalgamation of all those cultures, mixed into a boiling pot from the crusades.


    But to him, nothing changed. What was so special? He wondered for a moment.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t get it. It¡¯s always looked like this,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°Though¡­ I guess seeing a massive street food market for the first time would be daunting. It was for me.¡±


    Whilst Anagora was most definitely the most built up and urbanised planet in the galaxy, Lautrasia wasn¡¯t too shabby either.


    ¡°Oooh, that¡¯s a shrine!¡± Eliza exclaimed, looking at a passing temple shrine to the Goddess Iris. It was the Zen interpretation, yet Kaz didn¡¯t care. He knew that entity was little more than a saving diety.


    A trade hub along Liberator¡¯s Corridor, it benefited greatly from galactic trade, even after the Crisis¡¯ economic downturn. Said downturns that the galaxy has not recovered from.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like I¡¯m a tourist here,¡± she said. Well, she wasn¡¯t wrong, Kazuki thought. ¡°So this is Lautrasia?¡±


    ¡°A part of it.¡± He nodded, sitting back down as the shuttle veered off to the side onto one of the side streets. He glanced out of the window, seeing mainly red, chestnut and black haired people.


    ¡°Just wish we knew more about our ancestors¡­ Apparently many storage banks were destroyed during the many wars aeons ago.¡±


    Her head looked towards some of the food stalls. Even at a mere glance in a slow vehicle, Kazuki knew what it was. Hot, spicy ezels. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Food in the countryside was far more wild and flavourful than the savoury smoothness of the big cities, Kaz thought.


    Kazuki nodded his head. ¡°Go back far enough and the data trail goes cold.¡±


    Nodding in agreement, she sighed. She must be thinking about how much knowledge was lost across the ages.


    Theonars mainly had blonde features with their distinctive tattoos. The Yamikoi were generally sun scorched tan and face paint. Feonar-Theonars and Justicari-Theonars were characterised by pale and blonde hair¡­ The Bellicanos, people from the High Table like Eliza, his mother and the Marquis, were characterised by their pale skin. The Sari had white and silver hair, though their hair necklaces were much more noticeable.


    Kazuki spent some time unwinding the various things and theories of old about humanity¡¯s pre-stellar history. And Trasians? Red, Chestnut or Black hair, with red eyes to boot.


    ¡°Humanity use to mainly eat bread as well¡­¡± Eliza trailed off.


    ¡°Seems like we¡¯re thinking of the same thing,¡± Kazuki commented, as Eliza chuckled.


    He didn¡¯t get the joke.


    Kazuki felt a small measure of sorrow at the thought of the old planet. It was strange¡­ But he did wonder what wonders lied on the cradle world of mankind¡­


    ¡°Differing cultures intermingled. Over the generations, it blended into one giant mess,¡± Kazuki said. He sat back down beside her.


    ¡°You know, you seem quite fond of talking when it¡¯s a topic you¡¯re interested in,¡± Eliza remarked.


    Kazuki stay quiet for a moment, before responding, ¡°I speak when I need to, and only for as much as I need. My hands do most of the talking.¡±


    Chuckling, Eliza remarked, ¡°So you still don¡¯t like talking, do you?¡±


    Maybe. Kazuki didn¡¯t give her a verbal answer. Instead, he looked at her, with a calm expression. Her face immediately recognised the aura of tranquillity. It was not one that Kazuki held in high regards.


    Even so, Eliza picked his ¡®happy¡¯ feelings up. She ran with them. ¡°Awh, so Barclay was right after all! You can be happy when the times get high!¡± Eliza teased him.


    He sighed, dropping the face. It wasn¡¯t a facade, like Archius¡¯, rather a blend of truths and lies into a concoction he directs¡­ Still, Kazuki did feel somewhat ¡®happy¡¯. Whatever the word meant. He thinks it means somewhat to be at peace¡­ or is linked to it. If that is the case, then yeah. He is happy¡­


    Perhaps not. The sentence was alien to him. Eliza started to peer out once again, looking around like an enthusiastic tourist.


    ¡°How good is your Trasian?¡± Kazuki asked.


    Eliza raised an eyebrow... ¡°Not particularly well?¡± she admitted. ¡°Will that be a problem.¡±


    Kaz felt as if he wanted to get back at her... ¡°Trasians are isolationist by nature. Many of us don¡¯t speak Galastand,¡± Kazuki lied. He crossed his arms, staring blankly at her.


    Her face slowly went pale, highlighting her freckles and blood-red eyes. ¡°Wait... Really? Barely?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kazuki interjected. She looked relieved. ¡°None of us,¡± he sarcastically remarked ¨C but with his voice and tone he sounded serious.


    Eliza¡¯s eyes went dead. ¡°I... Can I even... converse with them?¡±


    Kazuki nodded. ¡°Of course. Why wouldn¡¯t we speak Galastand... If... Archius tells you that it says gullible on the ceiling... Don¡¯t.¡±


    She heaved a small sigh of relief... ¡°Kaz...¡± She then chuckled slightly.


    Hovering, holographic lanterns inscribed with the street names floated above the streets. It was rows and columns of houses, restaurants, bars and markets - as he remembered. And just as traditional. Each corner and street had the brightness, colour and grit that placed even Anagora to shame, at a much more compact package.


    Kazuki hated to admit it, but he felt some level of pride in his people. The shuttle started to slow down, turning into a side street.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re stopping here?¡± Eliza asked, stepping away as she sat down opposing Kazuki.


    He nodded. ¡°When the door opens, follow me.¡±


    As the shuttle slowed to a halt, Karl looked back towards them. ¡°I¡¯ll keep the shuttle ready, you¡¯re good to go.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Kazuki walked towards the side door of the shuttle, opening it up as lights blared into the shuttle from outside. Warmth hit his face. It was hot, dry and arid. It felt nice. Anagoran Chyari lls and Narisan wastes probably sapped the heat from him.


    He lingered a moment inside, before stepping out. The streets were paved with ornate symbols, of a dead language aeons ago. It was mainly for show, the tourists don¡¯t speak dead languages.

 XX4: Old Tailor

    Sizzling heat washed over Eliza¡¯s body as she followed him out. ¡°I saw a few images of the large cities on Lautrasia, I would have thought we¡¯d be going around those areas.¡±


    ¡°That''s the capital.¡± He started walking, Eliza followed him as the shuttle door closed behind them.


    He pulled his hood up, hiding his face¡­ He¡¯d prefer not to get noticed. A dozen sales drones passed by, shouting out loud deals and sales for all to hear. They made loud beeps and boops, translated into standardi.


    ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡± Eliza asked, sniffing the air.


    Kazuki rolled his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you pass geography?¡±


    ¡°I did¡­ but what does that have to do with this?¡±


    ¡°Nevermind¡­¡± Kazuki placed his hand on the brim of his nose. ¡°Lautrasia is known for its tea and fish markets. Countryside at least.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Still, why are we out here?¡±


    ¡°You know who I am, right?¡± he asked, twisting around into one of the side-side-streets, just large enough for a small shuttle to drive through. It was lined with bars. None were open for the day. They opened at night.


    ¡°Um¡­ Is this a trick question?¡± she asked.


    Kazuki shimmied his way past a small group of students, Lautrasians like him. They were cracking open cans bought from one of the drone vending machines.


    He recognised their uniforms. Hasn¡¯t changed one bit. His middle school¡¯s hover-ball team beat theirs. Suckers.


    ¡°No. I''m... royalty," he said with a hint of hesitation towards the word. "Doesn''t match me, but it''s true. We''re going incognito, hidden preferably. Plus, the person we are meeting prefers the quiet country life. I concur with him on that.¡±


    Synthia projected onto in on Eliza¡¯s shoulder, ¡®Your family lineage has been quite well documented for the past thousands of years.¡¯


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh! So that¡¯s why you¡¯re keeping hidden,¡± she said, lowering her voice as she continued. ¡°So¡­ what was it like, living here?¡±


    Kazuki merely glanced up and around. Adverts, signs and lanterns hung all over the place, holographic in nature, but not large enough to pollute the skies like on Anagora. Mostly clear skies, not a shuttle in sight. ¡°If you get used to the heat, it¡¯s peaceful,¡± he said.


    That¡¯s all he had to say.


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s definitely quieter than downtown District 50¡­¡± She deliberated, walking beside him. He kept walking, the place he was looking for was nicely tucked away. People wouldn¡¯t know it was there if they weren¡¯t in the know. His family was most definitely in the know.


    ¡°But I thought you guys weren¡¯t a monarchy?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not. Categorically. My family simply is the royal lineage of Trasia. Just so happens they get elected,¡± Kazuki said, Karl drove into an alleyway, even smaller than before.


    It could fit around four people standing side to side. But despite that, it was still adorned with lights, adverts and drones - hovering around.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand.¡± Eliza scratched her head. Seems like she¡¯s bad at politics.


    ¡®I believe what Kazuki is trying to say is that the Trasian Sector has them as their ceremonial leaders,¡¯ Synthia suggested.


    It was a half-correct answer. Though in this situation, Kazuki liked that. Eliza probably can¡¯t handle the truth. That the Trasian Sector is essentially under his family¡¯s thumb. The only thing separating them from the tyrants of old is that they invested money into the people.


    The concept is very baffling for others in power, though his family was able to pull it off.


    He abruptly stopped, turning to a door within the alley.


    ¡°Is this the place?¡± asked Eliza, glancing around as cables, hovering lanterns and plants littered the walls, with many windows and small balconies up above. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but this place seems quite sketchy. Just¡­ who are we meeting?¡±


    ¡°Tailor. And it is, best to hide where people expect you the least.¡±


    There was a sign on it, just like any other. It was a small tailor shop, and Kazuki entered. There was a mechanical beeping noise as he stepped through, the warmth dissipating into a cool, air conditioned reception area.


    There were floating mannequins against the wall, most with elaborate dresses, suits and all kinds of clothes. Eliza followed him in. A holographic screen in one of the top corners of the room showed the local news, showing Galatimes Magazine. Kazuki¡¯s eyes thinned at the people behind that name.


    A smear campaign has been pushed against him ever since he turned Matt¡¯s brain inside out. Galatimes news wasn¡¯t as harsh as Starport, or the High Table Exclusive¡­ But that wasn¡¯t the problem.


    The people behind that brand knew something Kazuki wished they did not know. To be frank, Kazuki was lucky. They didn¡¯t spout or break their contract with him¡­


    And neither did their son. Good, he thought. Best to keep it at that.


    But to both¡¯s surprise, Synthia spoke up, ¡®Ah, Master Chyari ¡¯s tailor works? I didn¡¯t know you were a consumer of fine tastes, Elizabeth!¡¯ She shouted, as Kazuki turned towards her. Eliza looked down at her shoulder, the holographic tutor sitting on it.


    ¡°Master Chyari? Sorry, Kazuki brought me here, I don¡¯t think I entirely understand what you said¡­¡± She apologises sincerely to the AI.


    Synthia turned to Kazuki.


    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect you to be a consumer of fine tastes, then, Kazuki,¡¯ said Synthia.


    He could very much keep this chain going. Tell Synthia that it was his parents that brought him here, and their parents before him. But that¡¯ll be meaningless. Nodding, he responded. ¡°Yeah. Eliza, I didn¡¯t know you supplied your AI with trivia.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Eliza placed her hands up, ¡°It was my mother¡¯s before me¡­ so¡­¡±


    Oh. That made sense, Kazuki thought, his emotionless eyes skidding to the right and left as he heard a shuffle behind the reception area.


    ¡°Ah? Customers?¡± Old Master Chyari inquired. Both Eliza and Kazuki turned to the voice, as an old man entered the room from a beaded doorway leading deeper into the tailor.


    The old man placed his hand out onto the counter, slowly moving it across it. He had a measuring-holotape around his neck, with physical, braille markers for the integers and numbers.


    ¡°Master Chyari . It¡¯s me,¡± said Kazuki. Chyari pondered for a moment, as his eyes remained closed. Then, it opened, showing bright white bulbs. No pupils. ¡°Kazuki.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Kazuki! What a pleasant surprise!¡± Chyari let out a loud, hearty laugh. ¡°I heard you talking with two others, friends of yours?¡±


    Kazuki looked towards Eliza, nodding. He walked slowly towards her, lowering his voice. ¡°He¡¯s blind. But he¡¯s a good tailor,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, come on, now, Kazuki, my ears aren¡¯t senile yet,¡± Chyari said. His head twisted around the room, as if trying to make eye contact with Eliza.


    Eiza said, ¡°Ah¡­ Elizabeth. Elizabeth Mary Celeste-Delmara, my AI companion, Synthia, knew of your establishment.¡±


    Chyari smiled, placing a hand to his beard for a moment ¡°Synthia¡­ My¡­ I haven¡¯t heard that name in more than a decade.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been relegated to tutoring,¡¯ said Synthia. Chyari¡¯s face grew brighter. Even as an old man, age had not worn his mind down. Yet, Kazuki thought. He knows one day he¡¯ll need to get a new tailor. But it¡¯s not this day. ¡°Synthia! Dear, tell me, how¡¯s Annabelle?¡±


    Eliza froze at the question as Kazuki paused. She slowly looked down to the ground. Even Synthia paused, unable to say anything at such an abrupt and absurd question. To anyone outside of here, they would have known. But Chyari? He lives in isolation. Such information does not reach him often.


    Slowly, Eliza opened her mouth, trying to say something as her face contorted to discomfort. Kazuki saw her face¡­ Something about it triggered Kazuki¡¯s need to protect her.


    His dead face twisted towards Chyari . ¡°Annabelle¡¯s¡­ passed away,¡± said Kazuki.


    He nearly said she was dead, or had died. He kept his wording precise, knowing how important Annabelle was to Eliza, as her mother¡­


    Chi¡¯s bright face slowly turned to one of sadness. Even without the use of his eyes, his lips said it all. ¡°Oh¡­ My apologies, Elizabeth, I assume you are her daughter, then? I have not heard of Annabelle for over twenty years¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, before recovering quickly. Her face formed into a determined smile. Chyari was blind, yet the sentiment was there. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    A switch clicked within Chyari , as he started smiling as well. So smiles are contagious, Kazuki thought. Even for the blind.


    Kazuki said, ¡°Chi, the Marquis Gilbera Fer-Charelota announced the Dassant within a week. He¡¯s influential and popular. Give us your best.¡±


    Chyari let off another hearty laugh as he beckoned the two forward. Eliza lingered for a moment, as Kazuki stepped forward, following Chyari as he used his hand to guide him through the doorway.


    The face that Eliza had formed slowly melted away to reveal her true feelings. Eliza followed Kazuki without uttering a single word. He was fine with that. Best to leave things that way.


    ¡°I only make the best, young Kazuki,¡± Chyari said. ¡°Anything less and I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself.¡± He led them through a hall, lined with numerous materials and shelves, all messily ordered. Drones hovered up above them, stacking the shelves.


    The old man stopped as his hand felt an indent in the wall. His hand scurried around, as he phased open a door. It had an audible ringtone to it. He entered through it.


    ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re here to shop for new clothes?¡± Eliza asked. She was recovering.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ why here? No offence, but¡­¡±


    Kauzki cut her off. ¡°He¡¯s a specialist in this. Trust me. You want him making your clothes. He¡¯s one of the only people outside my family that I¡¯d even trust with a Phoenix Feather.¡±


    Eliza¡¯s eyes went wide open as she tugged on her violet hoodie. ¡°Wait¡­ just what are we getting?¡± she asked, being ushered by a drone into the room. Kazuki followed on after her.


    It was a waiting room, a small workshop was at the back of it. And in the centre, was a small, raised podium for measurement taking. There were numerous apparatuses hauled from the ceiling. Most were for measuring, Kazuki remembered.


    ¡°So, special requests?¡± Chyari asked, turning to the two of them as he placed a hand against one of the shelves, gathering a few tools.


    ¡°Bulletproof. Plasma proof. Stab proof. Reflective armouring,¡± said Kazuki. Eliza quickly shot into the conversation.


    ¡°Woah, woah, isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡± she asked, ¡°I feel like I¡¯d be weighed down.¡± Her face held high, filled with anxiety.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be,¡± Kazuki assured her. ¡°For the right price, you get the best of both worlds. Light and Strong.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Kazuki is right, young Elizabeth, I have specialised in making the most expensive and protective clothes known to man for the better part of two centuries! I even remember the old times of the Imperial era, if you could believe that!¡± He let off a small chuckle at the end.


    To survive so long takes an immense amount of luck.


    Kazuki sat down on one of the chairs beside the door. A few drones activated, as their scanning beams shot out towards Eliza and Kazuki. ¡°My measurements haven¡¯t changed,¡± said Kazuki.


    ¡°But are you sure? A good tailor always ensures¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m fine,¡± said Kazuki, with a hint of near embarrassment in his voice. ¡°Really. I¡¯m fine. Same specifications, new suit.¡±


    Chyari nodded. ¡°If that is what you wish for. Elizabeth, care to stand on the podium?¡± he asked, gesturing in the general direction of it.


    Eliza complied, stepping forward as she placed herself in the centre of the room. Chyari stood off to the side, slowly moving towards the workshop. He placed materials, tools and equipment across the tables, lining it up with machines


    ¡°May I ask how long this will take?¡± Eliza inquisitively inquired, placing her hands to the side.


    ¡°Well¡­ It should take around¡­¡± Chyari trailed off, as the scanning drones surrounded Eliza, scanning her entire body as beams and rays scoured up and down. Kazuki remained motionless, watching as the red lights turned green with a ding. ¡°Done!¡±


    The drones floated all the way to the old Master, as they procured a large list of braille from their bodies. Chyari grabbed onto it, feeling the information.


    ¡°We have the specifications, what would you like, Elizabeth?¡± asked Chyari . ¡°I have a catalogue of dresses and suits, if you wish to browse.¡±


    Eliza stalled for a moment, she looked towards Kazuki. She lowered her voice, leaning closer towards him. ¡°You know that red dress that I had?¡±


    ¡°The one you wore during the Dassant, the Kallender Group and basically any formal event?¡± Kazuki snapped, maintaining a calm face. Eliza slowly nodded. Kazuki had to ram the answer in. ¡°Of course I know.¡±


    Eliza nodded. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯d prefer something similar, though¡­ a lot nicer?¡± She was leaning completely in at the last part, her murmurs barely lower than a mere whisper into his ear.


    Kazuki knew exactly what to say to Chyari . He tilted his head around her to look at the old man, waiting for an order as he sat down beside the machines. ¡°The maroon duchess. But make it more¡­ exquisite?¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to tell Chyari to make it nicer. Eliza knew politeness. And despite Kazuki¡¯s dislike for being polite, Chyari was an exception. An extraordinary one. The old man has served his family for generations. He deserved the best he had to offer.


    ¡°Aha, I¡¯ll have it right away, it¡¯ll take a while for both orders, you can either wait¡­ or I can have it delivered to the Imperial Palace,¡± said Chyari .


    ¡°Delivery.¡± Kazuki stood up, tapping Eliza on the shoulder. ¡°And¡­ take your time, Chyari .¡±


    He doesn¡¯t want the old man keeling over any time soon. Best to not overwork him, Kazuki thought. Death permeates all around the galaxy. Chyari is no stranger to that, so much so that he doesn¡¯t notice the pollution. Though that is evident to many people across the stars and cosmos.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about old me, you¡¯ll get your clothes!¡± Chyari smiled. It prompted Eliza to smile as well as she did a traditional bow of respect towards him. Chyari nodded at her, not seeing the bow but most definitely feeling its aura of respect.


    ¡°Thank you so much, I¡¯m delighted to be of assistance,¡± Eliza said.


    Chyari snapped back, jokingly, ¡°Oh! You flatter me! Most of the work was already done by you.¡±


    Kazuki walked out, as Eliza followed him out¡­ Of course, Eliza went on to compliment everything about Chyari .


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d know an amazing tailor like that¡­ I mean, he¡¯s blind but he still follows his passion!¡±


    The professionalism, the courtesy, the politeness. By now, Kazuki had aired most thoughts out, simply nodding¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite¡­ you know?¡± Kazuki remarked without thinking twice. It was simply what he thought at the moment.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The two of them left the alleyway and were back into the streets, walking. If they¡¯re lucky, they¡¯ll reach Karl¡¯s shuttle without incident. ¡°Since when was there a maximum level for being polite?¡± she asked. ¡°I thought Lautrasians were supposed to be friendly¡­¡±


    ¡°Polite. Not friendly,¡± Kazuki snapped. ¡°My people pride themselves in independence and civility¡­ unlike the rest of the galaxy.¡±


    ¡°Kaz!¡± Eliza raised her voice. ¡°It¡¯s not just¡­ Trasians¡­ Can you please at least listen to what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    Kazuki ignored her. ¡°So, you tired of Trasia yet?¡±


    ¡°Ye¡ªWait a minute! Don''t change the subject!¡± she quickly caught on to what he was doing¡­ ¡±How¡­ long has it been since we left Anagora, though?¡±


    ¡°My family has special voidways, so it only took us a few hours of transit,¡± Kazuki answered her.


    Eliza yawned. ¡°Wait¡­ why don¡¯t you use them, then? Like for¡­ normal people?¡±


    Kazuki snapped, ¡°They¡¯re special for a reason.¡±


    She sighed, grumbling under her breath.


    ¡±I have to check up on something, though, you alright with that?¡± Kazuki asked. He heard grumbling from Eliza. She must be frustrated at him for ignoring her question.


    And then, he felt a tug. His hood came down, revealing his face to all around them on the street.


    He turned towards her. She was pouting in annoyance at him, face red. And just like that, eyes immediately pointed towards the duo. First, there were a few students passing by. Then it was an off duty police officer¡­ One by one, the vultures swooped in.


    The officer shouted towards him, ¡°Wait, Prince Kazuki? Hey! I know I¡¯m on duty but uh, can I take a selfie with you?!¡±


    ¡°You¡­ have no idea what you just unleashed,¡± stated Kazuki. Eliza crossed her arms, humpthing as she twisted her head away from him. Like always, when his family is seen in public, everything quickly spirals into chaos.


    ? ? ?


    Eliza was still pouting, sitting down¡­ How dare Kazuki ignore her question?! Being too polite? He was sometimes a bit too blunt, even for her own patience.


    Luckily¡­ things have calmed down by now. Though the thoughts still echoed through her mind.


    She sat cross armed and legged in the guest greeting room for the Imperial Palace¡­ She could remember everything that had happened the moment she took Kazuki¡¯s hood off¡­ Actually¡­ maybe she shouldn¡¯t have done that. She started to regret that decision. With hindsight, she could definitely see why Kazuki was so secretive.


    It was like if a member of Royalty was on the street, of course it¡¯d cause attention and spread like wildfire! But¡­ Eliza couldn¡¯t back down, not now. She has to make a point to Kazuki. But¡­ What was the point? That he should be more polite?


    Now that she actually sits down and thinks it through¡­ She must have overreacted.


    She could hear a few guards outside the room talk. ¡°By the fucking Eclipse¡­ Did you see what happened?¡±


    ¡°YEAH. I was apart of the rescue detachment.¡± Another guard spoke, ¡°We were lucky that old navy ace was present, otherwise it would have been even more¡­ messy.¡±


    Eliza¡­ slowly felt embarrassed about the whole thing¡­ Wait¡­ Did Kazuki tell them that it was her that caused it?! Oh no¡­ This might be bad, she thought. She slowly stood up, pacing around the guest living room.


    It was a mix of both the ornate tradition that the planet held, along with an exquisite display of the new, a mixture of both young and old.


    The room itself felt more like an art exhibit, to display the fine pieces of ancient lore for the Trasian Sector. It had the distinct smell of rich tea leaves and incense.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ why did I do that?¡± Eliza placed a hand to her head, before shaking it. ¡°No. No, I have to stay resilient¡­¡±


    But even as she tried, her thoughts dwelled on what happened¡­ It was a swarm of Trasians, most of them asking Kazuki for autographs, selfies, or even asking him about policies and politics and the inner workings of the family¡­ If Eliza was completely honest, she didn¡¯t understand it.


    It was like a flash mob, except without any violence¡­ Karl¡¯s shuttle airlifted them out of there. She could still feel the warm air turn heated as they compacted into the streets¡­ The thoughts alone made her feel exhausted by themselves, as she slowly sat back down, drinking a cup of fine Trasian Oura leaf tea¡­


    ¡°Bloody hell¡­¡± she trailed off. The taste was just so splendid! ¡°Lovely¡­¡±


    She was almost mesmerised by the flavour, the taste, but she slammed down the cup, refusing it. No, she has to stay determined. A few drops of tea fell onto the table, quickly cleaned up by the drones in the room. Kazuki¡­ she¡¯ll get him to apologise for his rudeness. But, her mind started to toil, with what happened, she should also apologise, right?!


    But as she was wailing away at herself, she heard the door phase open. Expecting Kazuki, she instead met eye to eye with an old Trasian man. His hair was grey, and his eyes spoke of experience and tales untold of the glory dats of the Empire. He was wearing the Trasian Senatorial garb, a white robe with fine gold and blood red coloured trimming covering a thick black military jacket, brimming with heavy buttons and accolades, sparing to no expense the weight of his role.


    She knew who it was at first glance. Their eyes pierced Eliza¡¯s soul, even harsher and without a moment of respite.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Elizabeth?¡± he asked. His hair swayed slightly, though still had a large, exaggerated cowlick - something to distinguish all Trasians. ¡°The one my grandson brought into these halls¡­¡±


    Eliza nodded, noting down the intricate Phoenicia-Leviathan brooch, pinned onto his clothes. It looked much different from the GemRy design Kaz¡¯s father had. This one had a higher sense of exquisiteness placed into it, exuding a power and aura of raw strength that Eliza has never felt before.


    It outshone everything she had to offer, even her own, magenta-purple flower brooch¡¯s fair and pink star gem, overpowering all she had to offer.

 XX5: Incense Scented Halls

    The old man nodded in turn. ¡°My sources don¡¯t have as much information on you as I would have liked, but my grandson trusts you - it seems he holds you in both high faith and high esteem,¡± he said. The muscles on his cheeks were solid, eyes staring down at Eliza with an unrelenting fury.


    ¡°Senator... Emperor Tadaharu Tatsuo-Ryzaku¡­ It¡¯s an honour,¡± Eliza spat out, feeling a sense of dread drip down her spine at each attempt at a sufficient word.


    The old man stepped into the room. She hadn¡¯t noticed it when he was standing by the doorway, but a sheathed blade was attached to his waist, on a belt. Eliza could tell without a doubt that it was a Trasian Black blade.


    ¡°Idle flattery never earns you favour with us,¡± said the Emperor. ¡°Choose your next words¡­ very¡­ carefully.¡±


    Eliza stopped. She had to make a good first impression! But¡­ how does one go around doing that with this person? He seemed far too out of Eliza¡¯s reaches to even consider speaking to. She cleared her throat. ¡°Sir¡­ I am thank¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªAlright¡­ stop that,¡± said the Senator.


    He closed his eyes as he placed one hand on the hilt of his blade. A moment passed as his muscles started to move. Her eyes were fixed on the hilt¡­ A thought of fear struck her mind.


    Then, she felt something collide with her face. She was knocked back for a second, stunned as she readjusted her glasses. Looking down at her lap, she saw a Bluee, a fruit native to Lautrasia. Glancing up, the aura of strength the old man had was gone, replaced with a feeling of respite and tranquillity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad for cracking under pressure,¡± he said. ¡°Nobody lasts long against it, even the greatest diplomats can crack.¡±


    She tried to let off a small chuckle at what he said. ¡°Sorry¡­ just overwhelming, is all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just an initiation test. I don¡¯t deal with the nuances that my daughter in law does¡­ I find that seeing the true resolve of those around me through subterfuge is¡­ rancid. Better to see if they have any ulterior motives directly, don¡¯t you agree?¡± he asked.


    Eliza slowly nodded, not entirely taking in what he said. ¡°Yes¡­ quite¡­¡±


    ¡°It seems my grandson hasn¡¯t done that to you, then?¡± he asked.


    Huh? Kazuki does what to her? She tilted her head in confusion. The Senator merely waved his hand dismissively.


    ¡°Nevermind it, you must mean something then¡­¡± Senator Tatsuo-Ryzaku trailed off. ¡°You did well. You got close to my grandson where others could not.¡±


    She looked up at him, as he seemed more like a doting grandfather than the fearless, intimidating senator. His words were like honey, consumed entirely by Eliza¡¯s mind and need for affirmation.


    ¡°What do you... mean?¡± Eliza asked.


    The Emperor and Senator Ryzaku smiled. ¡°You passed his examination, which means he trusts you, more than others at least. So... this is the Genius of Sarimba, hmm?¡±


    ¡°I am flattered to hear that you think that,¡± Eliza humbly stated.


    Her words caused the Senator to chuckle loudly. ¡°Flattery! Ha! Please! I have heard much of your accomplishments from many alumni from that damned university, and you seem... special? Perhaps? Some say that you¡¯re the spitting visage and memory of your mother. What say you?¡±


    ¡°My... mother...¡± Eliza trailed off. Whatever Eliza could remember of her was clouded in fog, it was at times like these that she wished she could have Kazuki¡¯s own memory ¨C yet she knew was a burden alone. ¡°She¡¯s accomplished more than me by my age... So... I don¡¯t think I can really accept those compliments.¡±


    The Senator nodded. ¡°What a shame that you lack her enthusiasm... Still, your presentation has caught the attention of many onlookers. You are not prepared to meet them.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You heard me, you¡¯re not ready,¡± said the Senator. He sighed, taking in a deep breath and yawning. ¡°I am aware of your... troubles with your father. My own sons had troubles with me for many years. However, you must know this: he is still your father... You might not be ready now, but your challenges will only increase.¡±


    Eliza didn¡¯t say a word to that. The mere mention of her dad made her spine prickle with anticipation and frustration, a sense of longing and fear mixed in as well. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°You might not see it now, but I know you¡¯ll go far. I will make my intentions clear, I have no ill will against you,¡± he said. ¡°As you are here, I have elected to declare you a friend of the Imperial family.¡±


    ¡°I hope so...¡± Eliza said to his first part. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll see as much success as mum did, however... I can¡¯t even remember much of her.¡±


    ¡°Your worry is unfounded. T¡¯once your family were good friends of the Imperial lineage, trust me on this, Genius of Sarimba, you are doing fine. My grandson will say the same thing I have told you, if you ever need affirmation.¡± He crackled his knuckles. ¡°Anyways... You are in need of assistance, yes?¡±


    Eliza nodded. ¡°Yes, your... grace? On the topic of your grandson, I¡­ do you know where he is as of now?¡±


    ¡°My grandson? By the Nine Tailed Star! Did he not tell you?!¡± A brash statement indeed, Eliza thought, swearing upon one of the many celestial gods within the Trasian-Erudian pantheon. The Emperor clicked his tongue, shaking his head in frustration towards his grandson. ¡°Father like son¡­ He¡¯s at the Junsunia Gardens.¡±


    A Garden? ¡°Oh? The Palace has a garden?¡± she asked. Kazuki¡¯s grandfather shook his head.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Oh, please, the Palace takes up a whole island by itself! Of course we have enough grounds for gardens,¡± he said. "The old family used to spend many hours sunbathing, writing poetry and drinking in those gardens with each other..." The words left his mouth with a hint of nostalgia, perhaps a preference for the days of simpler times.


    Eliza slowly stood up, glancing outside the window - seeing the full extend of the Imperial Palace. There were dozens of towers and battlements, with shield generators and hundreds of houses and buildings within it¡­ Her eyes then shot to a large part of green space along one of the edges of the Palace. It was the garden, large, impressive: and built with numerous small hovering bridges and floating lanterns. It was surrounded by tall, intimidating walls, made to last sieges. It felt like an architectural wonder of the galaxy, a garden filled with plants and fluorescent fauna from across the stars.


    She glanced back at Kazuki¡¯s grandfather, realising that she had just completely aired the Senator. ¡°Sorry, sir, I was¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªOh! Come on, with the formalities?! Call me grandfather,¡± Tatsuo-Ryzaku cut her off. He chuckled.


    What did he just say?! There was no way by the Eclipse she would ever call him that¡­ Still, she should comply with the recommendation.


    ¡°Yes¡­ grandfather?¡± It felt weird, considering the floodgate of implications that could be taken from the word alone. ¡°Uh¡­ so where are the Junsunia gardens?¡±


    The grandfather nodded towards someone out of view, as a guard walked into view. He was wearing the jet-black armour plates and the red sigil of the Tatsuo-Ryzaku family, placed gently and neatly on top a clean and sleek gold accented black military uniform. It was a famed member of the Trasian Imperial Guard.


    She felt a sense of bewilderment and excitement. The stories of these individuals made each one a war-hero in their own rights¡­ And here was one in the flesh, wearing custom made armour in the design of warriors of Old Terra, modernised to a perfection of old and new, she thought.


    ¡°Honoured guest, follow me,¡± they said, as the Senator took a step back. ¡°But¡­ you must never utter to anyone outside these walls what you saw, do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Eliza said instantly, she moved towards the door as the guard nodded.


    Tatsuo-Ryzaku tapped Eliza on the shoulder as she turned towards the guard. ¡°Elizabeth, you¡¯re Anna and Fred¡¯s daughter, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Eliza nodded. What was he about to tell her? Judging by his tone, he seemed to have known them¡­ His mother was quite successful, so the idea of the Emperor of Trasia knowing her is not too far-fetched.


    ¡°Family is such a fickle thing, you must agree, right?¡± asked Tatsuo-Ryzaku. ¡°I remember a time where things were much more peaceful¡­ Before the Crisis¡­ My daughter was just born. Everything felt so right in the galaxy.¡±


    Turning around slowly, Eliza found some essense of love and kindness in the old man¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a shame what happened to her.¡± she said.


    Eliza only heard of the rumours and stories surrounding Kazuki¡¯s aunt, said to be the brightest flame of the family - to be snuffed out during the crisis¡¯ final crescendo.


    The senator nodded. ¡°All in the past now; and justice was dealt for those that took her away from my family,¡± he said. ¡°I have watched the crisis take away dozens of my family. The Household is merely a shadow of its former self¡­ There¡¯s not many of us left¡­¡±


    Eliza nodded, feeling some shared sadness around the topic of losing family.


    He continued, ¡°And if I hear a single whisper of you manipulating my grandson¡­ Your head wouldn¡¯t be the first I put on a spike.¡±


    With that, he turned and left¡­ Leaving Eliza with a sealed tongue. Her body didn¡¯t even react to his words.


    The guard grunted at Eliza, catching her attention, before walking off. She followed them through the halls of the palace. Guards, drones, butlers and staff walked these halls, yet none uttered a single word, only giving slight bows towards Eliza as she passed them.


    It¡­ felt really good, surprisingly, being treated as an esteemed guest - despite the daunting words the Senator gave her.


    The pristine walls were decorated with paintings, portraits and all matters of ornate ornaments. The two kept walking for what felt like an hour, marching through secure door after secure door. Even after so long, the walls looked magnificent, with dozens of attendants, guards and guests walking by. Eventually, they reached the outer sections of the Palace.


    The wall colours were slightly different, and there were less guards. Then¡­ there were none, bar the one escorting Eliza.


    Eliza felt her heart rise at the change in environment, as the guard said not even a word to her. And as they turned a corner, she was met face to face with an elevator at the end of a long hallway.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡± She started, nearly bumping into the guard as they stopped, shifting to the side of the hall. ¡°What floor would it be on?¡±


    ¡°There are only two destinations for that elevator, here and the Imperial Gardens. The Gardens are¡­ off limits to almost everyone, even the likes of myself,¡± the guard said, with a solemn bow. ¡°Be safe. Take care of yourself.¡±


    Eliza nodded, only to freeze at what they just said - what does lie beyond? Wait¡­ not even the guards know what lies beyond this very point? ¡°What should I expect?¡±


    ¡°I am unaware of what the garden contains exactly. The garden hasn¡¯t been used for growing food since the end of the Crisis¡± the guard remarked. Their black vest-plate armour and uniform stood out against the pale walls. ¡°Prince Kazuki keeps it to a need-to-know basis. I apologise for being incapable of accommodating your question.¡±


    He gave her another low bow, a polite apology. Eliza shook her head profusely. ¡°No! It¡¯s absolutely fine! I¡¯ll just seek the answers out myself.¡±


    The guard nodded and gave a small grunt of acknowledgement.


    Turning, she started walking down the hall. She gave a single glance behind her, only to see the guard was gone. She turned back forward. An everlasting white hue blared down at her. Eliza walked up to it, finding a touch pad at its wall.


    Touching it, she heard the elevator come barrelling upwards from within the shaft. And within a matter of seconds, it had arrived. Slowly, it opened its doors. She lingered for a moment outside, sceptical about stepping into the elevator. She glanced back, seeing nothing forcing her.


    With a deep breath, she stepped forward. The elevator was just as pristine as the rest of the palace. It was designed for a specific purpose, she thought, and it accomplished it well.


    The guard was right, there were only two buttons on the elevator. Here, and the Garden - though of course there were the safety and emergency buttons, but that was to be expected.


    She sheepishly pressed down on the button labelled ¡®GARDEN¡¯, then feeling the elevator start up - moving. She could feel its speed, as the doors closed. But surprisingly, it didn¡¯t feel as strange as she expected.


    She glanced at a panel of sub-systems activated beneath the elevator button, reading it aloud. ¡°Inertial compensators¡­ online¡­¡± She said. Oh, she thought, so that¡¯s why.


    Before she could look around the elevator, it had started to slow down, and with a bump: came to a complete halt. The doors separated, bright light shining into the elevator. Stepping out, Eliza was met with¡­ a garden?


    It wasn¡¯t particularly small, or what she¡¯d expect. It was like an entire ecosystem! Looking up, she saw the edges of the Imperial Palace¡¯s walls off in the distance, with its shield generator projecting a membrane above the whole palace.


    The garden was filled with exotic fauna, bright flowers and critters. The possible sciences behind all of this fascinated Eliza, just how many creatures lived here?! Large bushes littered the area, with the aesthetics akin to the renowned fringe paradise gardens.

 XX6: The Imperial Garden

    Numerous colours blended together on the canvas of blue and green. The sheer beauty of this garden melded into the pure thoughts of tranquillity within Eliza¡¯s mind. There was a path beneath her, paved with white marbled stone. Beside the path on both sides were fields, dividing between the path and vibrant woods.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Eliza let a sense of amazement leam off her mind into his lips. ¡°Is this another dimension?¡±


    There were drones watering patches of crops¡­ There seemed to be some small manor house beyond the fields of crops.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Kazuki. Eliza twisted her head towards him, he was leaning against the wall beside the elevator. ¡°Did my grandfather put you up to this?¡±


    She looked him over, he was wearing similar robes to his grandfather over an unbuttoned military jacket... She thought it looked rather fitting, heavy fitting, but a loose cannon - of course Eliza wouldn''t exactly say that to Kazuki directly... but she supposed Kazuki knew what he was already. ¡°Well¡­¡± Eliza paused, before shaking her head. No, she has to get an apology from him¡­ ¡°I¡­¡±


    Kaz rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh¡­ yeah,¡± he said, and to her surprise. ¡°Let¡¯s just both forget and put that behind us.¡±


    A rainbow phoenixfly passed by, hovering and making a loud whir noise, as Kazuki¡¯s eyes dotted over it, fixated on the being for a moment.


    ¡°So¡­?¡± Eliza trailed off not entirely knowing if Kazuki¡¯s putting his heart into it. But at the same time, it¡¯s quite hard to know anything about him, especially anything regarding emotions or thoughts. ¡°I guess that¡¯s that. Still¡­ you should probably stop being so rude all the time.¡±


    Kazuki gave her a long look, before his golden eyes glanced away, forward. ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°Though¡­ It¡¯s hard¡­¡±


    Hard? How can it be hard to just have some common courtesy? Sure, Eliza will give Kazuki slack for his upbringing and¡­ general life experiences¡­ but he should be able to rise above those challenges, right? Not to be stuck in a mire of his own past¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t seem to understand,¡± said Eliza.


    ¡°Trasians are said to be blessed by the Phoenix¡­ My family comes from a line of Lautrasians that led the diaspora fleets to where we reside now,¡± Kazuki explained things slowly. His voice was still monotone, but it was slow enough that Eliza could see that he was thinking hard on how to word it.


    Eliza interjected for a moment, ¡°I still don¡¯t get it¡­¡±


    Kazuki sighed. ¡°The Royal Lautrasian line is blessed, supposedly. People think that. In reality, we¡¯re cursed¡­ All of us are cursed to suffer one way or another.¡±


    His words stung Eliza¡¯s heart, but they were¡­ factually true¡­ Kazuki¡¯s grandfather watched his home be destroyed during the Crisis, his father lost everyone around him, including both sister and brother - Kaz¡¯s aunt and uncle. When she steps back and thinks, analysing the whole family lineage¡­ they really do seem like a cursed bunch¡­


    Mouth opened, Kazuki stopped talking. Eliza slowly leaned in towards him, and patted him on the arm. She might not know everything about him, but she felt confident knowing when Kazuki¡¯s feeling down.


    ¡°Our so called blessing is our ability to intimidate others,¡± Kazuki stated. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ an innate ability. My father does it. My grandfather does it¡­ I can do it. My uncle could¡­ even my adopted sister can. Though she never uses it.¡±


    The words snapped into place, forcing Eliza to realise what Senator Tatsuo-Ryzaku was referring to. ¡°Wait¡­ intimidation? Like¡­ a feeling of being overwhelmed?¡±


    Kazuki slowly nodded, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Precisely.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s what your grandfather did!¡± Eliza remarked.


    ¡°He. Did. What?¡±


    Eliza shook her head. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright, he just said it was an initiation test, it¡¯s fine anyways.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Eliza hid a sigh as she looked forward, joining Kazuki as her eye scanned the forest, seeing a small structure within it, along the path. ¡°Wait¡­ So what is this place?¡±


    ¡°A garden?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, it is a garden!¡± Eliza exclaimed. ¡°But what is it¡­ exactly?¡±


    Kazuki looked around at the walls of the Imperial Palace around them, a base of rock and steel with velvet painted walls. Spires loomed overhead¡­ Eliza assumed that they were manned with the Imperial Guard of the Trasian Royal Family.


    ¡°Junsunia Garden¡­¡± Kaz trailed. ¡°Most of the Imperial Palace is filled with banquet halls. Meeting rooms. Guest chambers. Administrative offices. Battlements. Spires. Storage houses. Voidguns. Spectacle in peace. Citadel at war.¡±


    Eliza chuckled under her breath. So many people died here, she thought¡­ She knew her history, and the Imperial Palace was one of the only places that didn¡¯t fall during the burning of Trasia. ¡°Sounds rather morbid.¡±


    Kazuki nodded. ¡°Because it is. This place is the centre of Trasian power in this system. It¡¯s a mini-city on its own. There are five garden complexes this is one of them. The rest are available to the bureaucrats, visitors and workers. This one¡­ This is restricted to family-members only.¡±


    Taking another look around the garden, Eliza noted how much of it looked grand, with hanging lanterns by trees, paved moss and cobble gardens and even lakes, ponds and fishing jetties.


    But what caught her attention last was a structure¡­ it was within the forest along the path. There seemed to be people there! Eliza took a step forward, trying to make them out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± said Kazuki, stopping Eliza. It was a gazebo. She looked back towards Kazuki. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt them.¡±


    At first, Eliza was confused, turning back towards the two. She squinted, unable to see them in detail. ¡°Sorry, who are they?¡±


    ¡°Archius and a friend of ours,¡± Kazuki said. A sizeable angcat pounced up from the grass, grabbing onto Kazuki. He caught it and started to pet the long and fluffy cat-like creature. ¡°Anyways. Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I just wondered where you went, Kaz,¡± she said. In all honesty, she was quite worried - being left alone and surrounded by people she¡¯s never met, even if she was an honoured guest. ¡°And is that cat¡­¡±


    Kazuki replied, ¡°Just a random one. The Palace has many pet animals, this garden is no different.¡±


    She glanced at the angcat, who purred, before leaping off Kazuki and running back into the grass. He placed his hands in his pockets, with an unchanging face to match a small yawn.


    He seemed to chuckle? ¡°The reason why this place is off limits is because of people¡­ Most aren¡¯t that bad. This place, however, is a retreat of sorts.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ why?¡± asked Eliza. As a Geminorum-Ryzaku, Kaz must have been taught how to converse with people, right? Even Eliza was taught the basics of aristocratic communication by her father, though he didn¡¯t seem to like it; probably just to get her to not mess up his reputation or something. ¡°I would have thought you¡¯d know how to.¡±


    ¡°You got it wrong.¡± Kazuki pushed his hair to the side, trying to fix his exaggerated cowlick to the side. ¡°Humans judge me harshly. Animals and drones do not.¡±


    Eliza thought for a moment. Is it not the saying that animals can see the truth behind people¡¯s facades, that they can tell who is nice and who is rough? If that was the case, then maybe Kazuki¡¯s more innocent than she thought¡­ But she knew him for some time now, even if he was soft on the inside, which was unlikely to her knowledge, Kazuki would never show it. That made Eliza bit warm on the inside.


    ¡°The Imperial Family has many retreats across the Trasian Sector. This one is occupied¡­ at the moment,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°If you want, I could give you one of them. If you want to live here.¡±


    A second home here? That¡¯d be amazing¡­. ¡°That¡¯s quite nice,¡± Eliza commented. She then turned around, looking up and above. ¡°I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re not as great as this retreat, though?¡±


    Kazuki pushed himself off from the wall, standing beside her along the path. His uplink blinked for a second as he didn¡¯t answer her, walking along the path as he nodded towards her. She felt obliged to follow him.


    Stretching, he answered, ¡°Do not doubt the craftsmanship of those under the Imperial payroll.¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ but are you allowed to do that?¡± asked Eliza. ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯m just an outsider, you know.¡±


    Kazuki shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re no outsider. You¡¯re a friend of Kazuki. Kazuki is a lonely person. That by itself proves your worth. We have tens of retreats; not exactly running low on them.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Tens?!¡± That sounded ridiculous¡­ If they were all made to this standard, Eliza would probably feel overwhelmed by the mere property value of it!


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Kazuki started to sound¡­ sad? Eliza turned to him, confused. Did she hit a bad spot? Oh¡­ no¡­ Eliza just remembered why: ¡°The family used to be larger. Tens of people. Made sense for that many retreats¡­¡±


    A nod was all that Eliza could give to his solemn remarks, but something else took her attention - and his. Eliza¡¯s head dotted around the place, looking up above the treeline. Birds called loudly.


    Kazuki then said, ¡°Archius knows we¡¯re here. Come on. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Starting into a walk, Kazuki walked down the path, slowly trotting. Eliza followed, taking in the view. But just as they entered the forest, something blazed up above¡­ She froze, staring upwards for a second. Was she seeing things? ¡°Do you have your Phoenix here?¡±


    ¡°Good instincts¡± said Kazuki. ¡°He¡¯s circling us right now. Stay close, it might vaporise you if you don¡¯t.¡±


    His warning sent a shock throughout her body as Eliza instinctively grabbed onto Kazuki¡¯s arm. He didn¡¯t seem to notice, or care at all. But as Eliza looked down at her shaking hands she instinctively let go. ¡°Ah! Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡­ was a joke,¡± Kazuki turned his head towards her. Sarcasm relied mainly on the tone of voice and context¡­ but given both: Eliza had no idea. Instead, she let off a sigh of relief. ¡°Phoenixes do not vaporise their targets. And it¡¯s tamed, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Still, you couldn¡¯t have told me that earlier?!¡± She shouted, slowly trailing behind Kazuki as they approached the gazebo, a few Trasian Purpur foxes passing in front of them. ¡°You really need to improve your sarcastic timings¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ do I?¡± Kazuki paused for a moment, glancing up at the treeline. Then, he continued moving, as if nothing was said. Eliza looked forward, past Kazuki, seeing a familiar figure sitting down at the gazebo, along with another figure she couldn¡¯t discern.


    ¡°Archius,¡± Kazuki called out, attracting the heads of the two people. The first, was of course, Archius Bar-Lyst.


    The He gave them a warm wave, though Eliza couldn¡¯t help but feel as if it was fake. ¡°We¡¯re getting something to eat. Want to join us?¡±


    The tanned-skin Mawti man shrugged. ¡°Sure, but¡­¡± His eyes drifted towards the second individual.


    Eliza couldn¡¯t tell exactly who she was, but she had both a dark green hair, flowing down to below her shoulders, and light bronze skin, just like Archius. But Eliza¡¯s eyes ignored the artificial green of her sparkless eyes, denoting a ¡®bell¡¯ like earring attached to her right ear.


    M¨¢wti. Eliza¡¯s mind spoke of only one culture that was linked to. The two sat down on woolly creatures, large. Eliza knew those creatures as a domesticated cross of a sheep and cow, from all those textbooks she read.


    ¡°Am I allowed to come?¡± the woman asked, looking at Kazuki, then at Eliza, then at Archius. ¡°I understand if I am not permitted to.¡±


    Kazuki paused for a moment, as both Archius and he exchanged glances. ¡°Sure, you can come. It¡¯ll be an armed escort. Leave the details to me,¡± he said. For a moment, Eliza felt a strange sensation of regret within the air, lingering for years.


    And then, her eyes pierced Eliza¡¯s soul. She¡­ looked¡­ no, that wasn¡¯t the right word, she thought. She felt? No¡­ Thought? No¡­ She couldn¡¯t pinpoint it exactly, but the only words she could ever muster up for her mind to feel satisfied is that she wasn¡¯t human. It was absolutely rude for her to think that, but her mind cannot fathom any other word for the sense of unease around her.


    It was as if everything that she knew was questioned by this one individual. Archius kept a neutral face up, glancing at Eliza.


    Kazuki glared at her. He must have noted down that something was wrong, as Eliza¡¯s eyes twisted towards Kazuki, pried off the woman, he spoke, ¡°Pi. Off her shoulder, now.¡±


    The words shook her as she felt a vibration on her shoulder. A red blur phased off her, leaving only the sensation of mild heat¡­ Huh? Glancing at her shoulder, she saw nothing¡­ Her head twisted back to Kazuki.


    He had a hand extended out, with a bright, golden-red bird perched on his arm. Though, it wasn¡¯t exactly a bird. It was a Phoenicia-Leviathan, more commonly referred to as the Phoenix.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl,¡± he said. He petted the phoenix, Pi squawked at him, only for her to fly back up into the air.


    The sight of the phoenix stunned Eliza. A weapon of mass destruction all in one location, just here¡­ ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Her name is Pi,¡± Kazuki remarked. ¡°The Phoenix became a powerful symbol for the Trasians, along with the other ¡®guiding¡¯ Leviathans that led our people here.¡¯


    Eliza¡¯s mind has heard of old tales of these birds of greatness, yet to see on in the flesh?! She was amazed and horrified by the possibilities of this one creature, as it flew up above, singing.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the Leviathans that led the refugees of Old Terra?¡± Eliza seeked confirmation, which was immediately met with a nod from Kazuki.


    The woman sitting down extended her own arm out towards it, as it gently perched on her. ¡°There¡­ there¡­ I¡¯ll be gone for a little while, you can look after yourself for a few hours, right?¡± she asked the leviathan.


    And as if understanding human language, it nodded, bowing its head in succession before flying off again. Archius glanced towards Eliza, as he said. ¡°Liz, thought you¡¯d be at university or something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Kaz brought me along for some shop¡ª¡±


    Archius cut her off with a small chuckle. ¡°I know, I know¡­ So, how¡¯d your first taste of Lautrasia¡± He nodded towards Kazuki as he stood up.


    ¡°Oh¡­ um¡­ I don¡¯t really know?¡± She was asking herself for an answer. ¡°Well, the planet seems quite hot¡­ very hot¡­ but it¡¯s nice! Don¡¯t get me wrong¡­ and the Phoenix? Well¡­ It didn¡¯t eat me! So I¡¯m happy about that.¡± She chuckled.


    The woman laughed as she stood up in turn. Though¡­ it wasn¡¯t the only thing that stood up. Rising from the ground, hidden when she sat down, were several machines. They were attached to her from the back, like how Kazuki¡¯s exospine is attached to his. Though the apparatus was much larger, much more noticeable. Eliza could denote a few things about it¡­ Heating modulators, radiators, regulatory valves and even stimulant injection ports.


    From what she¡¯s seen with Kazuki¡¯s implants, they seemed like a rudimentary copy of his life support system¡­ Just¡­ who was this person?


    She¡­ tried her best to hide the shock, as the woman shone a broken smile. ¡°Liz, was it?¡± she asked in a gentle and courteous manner.


    Eliza nodded, trying to avoid the horrible realisations¡­ Her knowledge on cybernetics made it known to Eliza just how horrific this is. It¡¯s a life support system, mobile. This is, verbatim, what Kazuki has - but on such a scale! ¡°Elizabeth Celeste-Delmara, a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    How old was she? Did¡­ no, she couldn¡¯t have. But how would that explain the machines? Eliza¡¯s face slowly fell to concern, as she could only conclude one thing, but she dare not say it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know Kazu had many friends!¡± she shouted, with a vibrant, fragmented smile, smirking towards Kazuki. She shifted her overjoyed gaze to Eliza. ¡°Jasyme the keeper of the Imperial Gardens, a¡­ friend? of¡­¡± She looked towards Archius.


    The voice didn¡¯t match her body whatsoever¡­ It was like a walking corpse.


    ¡°Archius¡­¡± he replied, seemingly needing to rejog Jasyme¡¯s memories.


    Jasyme paused for a moment, before looking at Archius. ¡°Archius? Wait but¡­ No¡­ Yousef?¡± A perplexing thought came over her face.


    For a moment, Eliza was dumbfounded by her comment. Jasyme knows Archius¡¯ real name? Wait¡­ Just who is she? Eliza couldn¡¯t answer the question herself, finding herself stupidly staring straight-forward.


    Archius sighed, as a fox crept up from behind, rubbing and walking around his legs. He dusted Jasyme¡¯s shoulders, helping tighten the machines attached to her.


    ¡°Archius, it¡¯s always been Archius.¡±


    Jasyme simply nodded. ¡°Aha!¡± She placed a finger against her chin, thinking. She then smiled once again, crooked in the edges as she wrapped an arm around Archius¡¯ shoulder.. ¡°You¡¯ll be busy? Wait¡­ right? Yeah?¡±


    Archius chuckled, shrinking away slightly. Woah¡­ This person can ¡®tame¡¯ Archius?! Jasyme exuded an air of shattered confidence, willpower, all in her voice and smile - yet whispered into the winds.


    Kazuki walked past her, grabbing onto Eliza¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get a move on!¡± he shouted back towards them, before lowering his voice towards Eliza. ¡°Do. Not. Stare.¡±


    Helping her up, Archius answered her question. ¡°Dunno, Kazu?¡±


    ¡°Dinner?¡± Kazuki suggested. He didn¡¯t sound all that sure himself. ¡°Might as well, the cruise is tomorrow, after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then perhaps may I partake?¡± Jasyme asked, as if remembering everything.


    Kazuki waited a moment. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll have a word to get a reservation at one of the hidden restaurants.¡±


    ¡°Hidden restaurants?¡± Eliza inquired.


    Jasyme raised her hand, as if answering a question at school. ¡°It¡¯s one of those¡­ those¡­ restaurants¡­ That are like¡­ secret, knowledge thingy only.¡±


    For a moment, Eliza could hear Archius awkwardly chuckle. Woah¡­ Woahhhhhhh¡­ Eliza¡¯s mind floated through a galaxy of confusion. ¡°It¡¯s for those seeking more privacy, Liz, you saw how chaotic it was for Kaz earlier, right?¡±


    ¡°Fair¡­ enough.¡±


    Archius was always a bit ¡®smooth¡¯, but here it seems that Archius was the one that was on the receiving end of a flirtatious assault.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, ¡°Just¡­¡±


    ¡°And do not speak. Archius is very sensitive about this. And remember: not a word to anyone.¡± Kazuki tapped her on the arm. She looked at him, eye to eye, level to level.


    The idea of Archius being sensitive at all was completely foreign to Eliza¡­ She¡¯s seen him smile, laugh, joke, even parts of how he truly thinks beneath the mask - yet¡­ sensitive? Was Archius just another person like the rest of them?


    She nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±


    He was glaring, staring at her with a sensation of severity that she hasn¡¯t felt from him ever. ¡°I owe Archius as much as he owes me. But for this¡­ I¡¯m still in his debt.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t even realised that he was tightening his grasp on her arm, as her eyes bolted down towards his hand. He immediately released it, as she said, ¡°Okay¡­ I understand. But¡­ I can¡¯t help but wonder¡­¡±


    ¡°Then keep your wondering to yourself,¡± he snapped. Kazuki glanced back towards the two. Eliza did the same, seeing Archius help her walk.


    Within the corner of his eye, Eliza could see Archius¡¯ stare at her. Given the circumstances, Eliza strangely empathised with him¡­ Was this just another ¡®facade¡¯ of Archius? Or was this a true representation of who he is?


    Eliza didn¡¯t know¡­ She couldn¡¯t tell, nor deduce.


    ¡°As far as you¡¯re concerned. She¡¯s just a normal human. Got it?¡± Kazuki asked. Eliza turned her head forward, nodding in turn.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, in a snarling but monotone voice.


    ¡°She¡­ forgets¡­¡± Eliza trailed off.


    Kazuki stated one thing he knew was true: ¡°Sometimes forgetting is a mercy.¡±


    For Eliza, she can only continue to wonder¡­ For just a lens into Archius¡¯ life, just who was she? For even Kazuki to deny her information, it must mean something, right? Yet Eliza¡¯s curiosity kept running wildly, soaring through the stars with whatever knowledge she may have.


    He allowed Eliza to walk up ahead for a bit, as Archius joined up beside him. ¡°So¡­¡± he started.


    Kazuki sighed. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect her to come down here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, could tell,¡± remarked Archius, scoffing. ¡°After what happened to Jasyme, I¡¯d prefer to keep her¡­ alive.¡±


    Keep her alive¡­ Protect her. Kazuki nodded. Failures bleed heavily, he thought, he cannot fail again.

 XX7: Of a Phoenix and a Fox

    Ugh¡­ this was awful. Now Eliza knows? Kazuki didn¡¯t seem to have planned this out, he would have told him otherwise.


    Archius noted that Eliza was continuing to glance at Jasyme¡­ Jasyme, for her part, was simply chowing down on the complimentary bowls of rice they were provided.


    The three were seated down at a restaurant, though it wasn¡¯t just any standard restaurant. Nor was it just high-end.


    Archius glanced out of the dividers separating their seating area from the rest of the restaurant. It was empty. Except for the guards stationed around the room, and the chefs and servers within the kitchen.


    ¡°So¡­ awkward?¡± Archius muttered, jabbing at the weird atmosphere in the room. Kazuki stepped through the divider into their reservation booth, followed by one of his guards, wearing ornate but practical black armour.


    He turned back towards the guard. They didn¡¯t wear a helmet, probably someone special then? Scars covered his face, as Kazuki told them, ¡°Keep the perimeter up, Orion. I don¡¯t want a single word of what happens here to be released to the public.¡±


    Orion, the captain of Kazuki¡¯s Imperial Guard detail on Lautrasia, nodded. ¡°Not even an interweb whisper,¡± he said.


    ¡°If you get even a whiff of any assassins, bounty hunters, criminals, you tell me, instantly. Do blood tests on the staff you pass. You can fake a face with a scrambler. You can never fake blood,¡± Kazuki ordered. "If anything happens, call me. If any guard fails their pager check, tell me. If you suspect something, do not be afraid to call it in. I will call upon the Black Fleet for an attempted assassination attempt."


    That was overkill.


    ¡°Of course, my Prince,¡± Orion clicked his heels, bowed, and turned."Not even a fly will disturb your meal."


    He walked off with Kazuki¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Archius said to Kazuki. ¡°So, how¡¯d it go?¡±


    ¡°The manager of the restaurant owes my family a lot, especially after the war. He said it¡¯s on the house,¡± Kazuki said, sitting down beside Eliza. ¡°I have a company of my grandfather¡¯s best with us. There won¡¯t be any interruptions. I¡¯ve made sure of that.¡±


    Eliza was fidgeting with her own hands beneath the table, Archius could tell by simple process of elimination. Yet even with the addition of Kazuki, the mood hadn¡¯t changed between the three of them. And Jasyme was completely oblivious to it, though for his purposes that was a good thing.


    He glanced towards her. ¡°If you keep eating rice, you won¡¯t have enough room in your stomach for the actual courses,¡± he said. She looked up at him, the earring jingling slightly.


    ¡°You rarely provide me with a blank cheque to eat whatever¡­ I will not forgo this opportunity!¡± she said, as she went back to digging into the rice. Archius glanced at the two seated opposing him. A serving drone, with a nice bow-tie, served four drinks.


    And of course, it gave Kazuki apple juice.


    ¡°Kaz?¡± Eliza asked inquisitively, noting down his non alcoholic drink, served nicely in a glass cup.


    ¡°I¡¯m a light drinker,¡± he said.


    Archius interjected, ¡°More like a light-weight drinker. Trust me Liz, best for all of us if he doesn¡¯t drink alcohol¡­¡±


    Kazuki nodded, looking at Eliza as he sipped on his juice. ¡°There must never be another ginsei-root ale incident.¡±


    Archius raised his own cup in agreement. He¡¯ll toast to that! Archius then gestured towards Eliza. She noticed a little too late, frantically grabbing her own drink and raising it up, clashing it against Archius¡¯ as some spilt.


    The alcohol got on Jasyme¡¯s blouse, as she stopped munching on the near infinite supply of bowls of rice, noting the stain on her clothes. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Eliza paused, immediately slamming her cup down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll go¡­ I¡¯ll go get some napkins.¡±


    Eliza was about to stand up as Archius interjected. ¡°No. It¡¯s fine¡­ right?¡± He looked towards Jasyme.


    She cracked a smile at them all, nodding her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not everyday that I get to eat out, is that the same for you¡­ E¡­Elia?¡±


    ¡°Eliza¡­¡±


    Fuck¡­ Archius glanced at Jasyme, seeing the cogs and tubes attached to the back of her skull fluctuate in frequencies. He ¡®accidentally¡¯ nudged her, causing Jasyme¡¯s dark green hair to cover the tubes. Eliza¡¯s smart, and he isn¡¯t giving her even a sly chance to find out anymore.


    Archius looked towards Kazuki. He was drinking his cup of juice, ignoring everything that was going on. Several drones hovered over the dividers, with plates and plates of food.


    Placing them all down, Archius noted a high amount of seafood¡­ Probably freshly caught as well. He was willing to bet on it being the highest quality fishes caught today.


    ¡°Kazuki, bring Jasyme to the toilets,¡± said Archius, giving Kazuki a hidden wink.


    But¡­ he wasn¡¯t so eager. ¡°Why?¡± he asked.


    Despite his dead exterior, he looked quite relaxed right now¡­ Probably since they have a guard detail with them. Looking to his right, Archius could see Lautrasia¡¯s capital, a sprawling metropolis that seemed to rival Anagora, with neon lights blaring in the Trasian Language. It was an island representing both Trasian spirit and the technology of the new.


    The Imperial Palace loomed in the distance, a large architectural bastion, a fortress of old blended and new¡­ Archius found it rather jarring, in a lovely architectural way - though couldn¡¯t really describe it, simply noting how many battlements and towers it had¡­ It was residence of Kazuki¡¯s family.


    ¡°Just, can you do it for me, please?¡± Archius smiled at Kazuki, placing his hands together as if praying.


    Eliza was already eating the food, chowing down as Jasyme did the same.


    ¡®Is it because of Jasyme?¡¯ Kazuki asked, silently messaging Archius.


    Archius nodded. ¡®It is,¡¯ he said, in a similar silent manner over the uplink. ¡®I don¡¯t want Eliza thinking the wrong things.¡¯


    ¡®What? The truth?¡¯ he asked. ¡®Even Jasyme doesn¡¯t know that.¡¯


    Archius¡¯ eyes skidded towards the other two. Jasyme was messily eating a whole jura-fillet, as Eliza ate in a more refined manner, a napkin around her neck¡­


    Looking back at Kazuki, he dropped his facade, showing Kazuki not a face filled with spite, but a solemn face of regret¡­ Everything that has led up to now was simple cause and effect. And he will never let himself befall to what Jasyme and others have become¡­ mere fleeting memories.


    ¡®Just¡­ do it for me, please?¡¯ he asked nicely.


    He had a hard time maintaining his face, as he immediately snapped back to his default, neutral face. Smiling, he nodded at Kazuki. He hated manipulating his only friend left like that, especially with such a rare face.


    But, it was a face Archius knew Kazuki would never forget. Kazuki put down his cup. And without even a change in facial muscles, Archius could tell by the mere glancing of his eyes that he had agreed to it.


    Standing up, Kazuki looked towards Jasyme. ¡°Your blouse. Come with me,¡± he said. He shimmied his way out from behind Eliza¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Wait¡­ shouldn¡¯t I be¡ª¡±


    Archius spoke up. ¡°Jasyme, you¡¯ll get a cold if your clothes are wet, you can go with Kaz, right?¡± he asked Jasyme personally, giving her a comforting smile.


    This, however, he did not have difficulty maintaining. He¡¯s practised it well to the point of perfection, and sometimes: passion outweighs practise.


    Jasyme stopped eating, wiping her mouth with her sleeves, as Archius rolled his eyes, grabbing his own napkin and wiping the sauce around her lips for her. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Kazuki tapped Jasyme on the shoulder, before placing his hands in his pocket. He walked out of their booth, smooth, low-jazz hanging throughout the air. ¡°Come on, you heard Archius.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Jasyme stood up, somewhat confused, as she followed Kazuki out, the machines attached to her scurried along with her, trailing behind.


    Leaving only him and Eliza in the booth. She tried to ignore Archius, simply maintaining her eyes on the food. Archius sighed, looking at her.


    ¡°No way avoiding it?¡± Eliza asked, her eyes glanced off to the side. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for prying¡­¡±


    Archius shook his head. ¡°No. We¡¯re both adults, let¡¯s deal with it here and now, no misunderstandings, got it?¡±


    Eliza nodded in turn. ¡°So¡­ where should we begin?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but I¡¯m rather shocked¡­¡±


    ¡°At what?¡± Archius asked.


    ¡°Jasyme¡­ she¡¯s from M¨¢wt, right?¡± Eliza asked, dragging her head back towards Archius. ¡°I haven¡¯t met many people from M¨¢wt, but those that I did know had similar features¡­ Olive-bronze skin, green hair and eyes. And a bell earring¡­¡±


    ¡°You are correct,¡± Archius said.


    Maybe Eliza¡¯s already put the pieces together. In some way, that was for the best, but Archius needed to control the narrative. His agenda must be maintained¡­ If that was the case, then maybe their investigation really does need his full backing and support.


    And of course, Eliza doesn¡¯t disappoint. ¡°You¡¯re from M¨¢wt, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked, ¡°And she¡ª¡±


    ¡°Choose your next words very carefully,¡± said Archius. Despite the cautionary threat, he simply maintained a basic, never-ending facade of neutrality.


    Eliza froze for a moment, before continuing. ¡°I was¡­ going to ask if she was there, when the bombs fell¡­¡±


    ¡°She was not,¡± Archius said. ¡°But I was.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Eliza¡¯s face turned from concern to surprise, her crimson eyes staring at him. Slowly, Archius let his face slip. He needed to provide some level of emotional attachment, a dosage large enough to get Eliza to fall in line.


    ¡°You said back during the Loyalist Op that you don¡¯t want things to be fake, right? Asked Archius.


    Eliza nodded, silent.


    ¡°Well then, no more lies, right?¡± He asked, maintaining his strained face. ¡°I became a CRIS asset after the virus bombings, basically adopted into it. I worked with Kazuki, and before you say anything: Jasyme¡¯s not in the know - so don¡¯t talk about it around her. As far as she¡¯s concerned, me and Kaz are just good friends that pop by to her garden ever so often, understood?¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ this about something before we met?¡± Eliza asked. ¡°I remember something about that being said back then¡­¡±


    Oh yeah, Archius thought, that waitress at the restaurant¡­ Well, given that there was a shootout right after that, Archius was both surprised - and impressed - that Eliza could even remember any details about something so insignificant like that.


    ¡°Yes, Jasyme and I were both from M¨¢wt, and during high school, we spent some time in the show-bizz industry¡­¡± He let off a hollow chuckle, betraying the fa?ade of neutrality. ¡°Didn¡¯t quite go as planned, did it, Archius?¡±


    He was asking himself a very blatant question. Of course it went sideways, without realising it Archius had just let a little more emotion trickle into Eliza¡¯s dosage. Well, it¡¯ll help either way. Such a small comment like that probably screams to Eliza.


    Eliza asked, ¡°But¡­ what happened?¡±


    ¡°Careful now,¡± Archius said with a sly gaze. ¡°But Jasyme¡¯s the reason why I control the flow of everything. My failures back then made me realise that the only way to achieve my objectives is through control.¡±


    He remembered back to the past, how the CRIS attached him to destroy Clandestine from within. Kazuki was just supposed to be a tool for him¡­ But Archius felt some reprieve knowing that Kazuki, even after the dust settled back then, helped him stand up.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Eliza said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re telling me all this, you never seemed like the guy to¡­¡±


    He needed one last boost of emotions to seal the deal with Eliza. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this so you won¡¯t pry and misunderstand, Lizzie, we¡¯re friends, really! So¡­ can you do this for me?¡± he asked with a vulnerable look in his eyes, sparking with fear.


    Eliza couldn¡¯t resist it. Amazing. To his surprise, Archius¡¯ heart was aching. This time, it was not the who: it was the what.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pry...¡± Archius repeated in a low voice. Only he could hear it. Low, but angry, and venomous.


    Archius could see his reflection in Eliza¡¯s eyes. He looked pathetic, a person unable to control the outcomes of situations around him. Well, no more, he thought, he¡¯ll control all of it - until all is under his clasp.


    As always, the mission comes first. Regaining control of himself, Archius snapped the gates shut.


    ¡°I understand,¡± she said. She slowly smiled. What was she smiling for? ¡°Thank you for trusting me¡­ I doubt I¡¯d remember either way, so I won¡¯t be telling people.¡±


    Archius smirked, allowing himself to fill the role of the social engineer once again. ¡°If you had to, I¡¯d be sure it was a good reason.¡± He¡¯s done it, his mind thought. He¡¯s gotten Eliza to stop prying. Control has been achieved, and she remains the good little pawn that she is.


    Sure, it did cost some information, but those sacrifices should make Eliza feel too awkward and uncomfortable to confront him again - she¡¯s the most sensitive of people, yes, but also the most understanding.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard to talk, but thank you, Archius, for trusting me.¡± Eliza rubbed her hands together. Oh no... Is she going to say something stupid?! ¡°Friends and family are kinda thickle for you, isn¡¯t it? I... barely knew my mother before she died. Died giving birth to my younger brother and... Well...¡±


    Archius placed his head on his hand, leaning against it. ¡°Spitting image of his father, yes?¡± he asked. Eliza nodded.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± she said. ¡°Always shouted at him, telling him how... pathetic he is, that he... robbed the galaxy of my mother...¡±


    Oh, such a typical case of being a neglectful father, Archius thought. Love of his life died and now he blames his kids, what a shame, he thought. Though apparently Eliza¡¯s mother was a genius or some shit.


    ¡°I remembered seeing some Delnetic gear over in the baazars over back in Kastenor,¡± Archius said. ¡°I guess some are still in circulation, though that was a long time ago.¡±


    Eliza didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Ya know, I was actually there watching your presentation,¡± Archius said.


    Eliza raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wait... I didn¡¯t see you in the crowd, though?!¡±


    Archius shrugged. ¡°Big crowd?¡± he suggested, hiding the fact that he had a face scrambler on. He didn¡¯t want to make an active appearance back at uni, raises too many questions for him to deal with.


    Flicking through his holophone, Archius read through a few dozen messages from his university assets, though they¡¯d call themselves his friends, whatever those things are.


    ¡°You better shove your success in your father¡¯s face,¡± Archius said. ¡°I¡¯m betting on it! Why¡¯d you think I hooked my wagon to your zira-beast?!¡±


    Eliza chuckled at his out of the place remark. ¡°Oh, shut it! How come you¡¯re always able to spin things positively?¡± She jokingly remarked. Her smile grew, as she let off a small laugh under her breath.


    ? ? ?


    Stutters... Quivering... Kazuki¡¯s hand was acting weird.Taking out a pill of Halolazil, Kazuki threw it into the air. Opening his mouth, he caught it and swallowed. The stutters in his hands faded¡­


    After what felt like forever, Jasyme was finished drying her clothes. She swung the door of the toilets open, exiting out into the hallway whilst humming a tune. Kazuki took a deep breath.


    He glanced at her, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed¡­


    ¡°You good?¡± Kazuki asked.


    Jasyme nodded. ¡°I believe so!¡± she remarked in an all too jovial manner. Her ¡®death¡¯ didn¡¯t hurt Kaz as much as it did Archius, but even Kaz could be caught off guard. The voice stung. It clashed against the sight of all the metal machines attached to her back and limbs.


    Knowing is one thing Eliza is good at. She must know the links between his own cybernetics and Jasyme¡¯s. That alone may be a source of disturbance for her. But that doesn¡¯t matter¡­


    He walked alongside Jasyme the two arrived back in complete silence. He¡¯ll have to ask Eliza later. But now? Time for some food.


    Or so he thought.


    He allowed Jasyme to sit down first, before stepping through the divider. Only then did Archius stand up, grabbing and dragging Kazuki back out. ¡°Alright, Kaz, come with me to the toilets!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I already went,¡± Kazuki said.


    Archius made up random excuses. ¡°Oh, come on! The girls in high school do this all the time!¡± He kept dragging Kazuki away, until they were alone, in the reception area of the restaurant.


    He glanced to the side, seeing a large waterfall display, with various fishes swimming about in a pool. The music still played.


    ¡°What?¡± Kazuki snapped.


    Archius dithered for a moment. Then, he said, ¡°Okay¡­ it¡¯s done. Eliza knows¡±


    ¡°Everything?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Archius interjected immediately, before Kazuki could even say anything else. ¡°She¡¯ll think it¡¯s enough, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    ¡°So you lied to her?¡± asked Kazuki. ¡°Or did you tell her the truth?¡±


    Archius leaned against the wall opposite Kazuki, side-stepping out of the way as he nearly pressed against an art piece, hovering on a pedestal.


    ¡°Both,¡± Archius said. ¡°Nothing we can do about her, can we?¡±


    Maybe. One day, Kazuki knows he¡¯ll get things done. ¡°She still lives.¡±


    Archius nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯d do anything to protect Liz, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Archius asked.


    Kazuki didn¡¯t give him an answer¡­ Archius will link the points together quickly. But saving Eliza? He¡¯ll do that at the drop of a heartbeat. Through blood and steel, he¡¯ll accomplish it, despite who he is.


    Don¡¯t forget who he is? He¡¯s a killer¡­ That¡¯s who he is, Kazuki half-heartedly stated. Saving Eliza typically comes at the cost of lives. Heroes save people¡­ He¡¯s merely the Contract-Breaker.


    Archius took out a pack of cigarettes as he sighed. ¡°I¡¯d break my back if Eliza was in danger, too, ya know? Metaphorically, of course, I like having my back¡­ and looking at you¡­ yeah.¡±


    Cigarettes¡­ Kazuki remarked, ¡°We¡¯re indoors.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± Archius looked around. ¡°We are, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget?¡± Kazuki sarcastically rolled his golden eyes.


    But what Archius said next would stick. ¡°Sometimes, forgetting is a gift¡­¡± he said. That it is, Kazuki thought. ¡°Jas¡¯ still alive, I¡¯ll light an Aspen Grey to that.¡±


    That fact alone reminded Kazuki of his failures. So many rely on him. Jasyme did. Victoria¡­ did. The AGENCY needs him¡­ He cannot fail his people.

 XX8: Auntie Izumis Resting Place

    Dinner was lovely, Eliza thought, but an air of ice always hung in the balance as they ate... Just what happened between those three? Eliza speculated to no end, but silenced those thoughts: she made an agreement, a promise with Archius, to not pry any further. As much as Eliza knew Kaz will hold his promises to her tightly, she bit her curiosity and understood not to delve any deeper.


    It was with such knowledge that Eliza solemnly watched the rain pour down the shuttle''s tinted windows. It was a black shutle, in a convoy of similar vehicles... Eliza really didn''t know what was going on. Archius and Jasym¨¦ weren''t with them. Kaz didn''t say a word, sat opposite Eliza, arms crossed facing down.


    She felt the urge to ask, but her mind elected that it must be a touchy subject... Especially as the person sitting beside Kazuki was none other than Zackarius Tatsuo-Ryzaku, the Senator of all Trasia, and Kazuki''s grandfather. He was humming along to the music playing in the shuttle, some old Trasian pop songs from before the war.


    Ever inch of the shuttle looked like a masterwork of detail and craftsmanship, with intricate patterns, religious symbols and materials for the leather seats and every surface. "I know you two are quite busy," Zackarius started. "But please... do keep this old man a little company for this hour or so."


    He had his eyes on Eliza, who was wearing casual clothes compared to the ceremonial koari jackets the grandson and grandfather wore. He most likely deducted that Eliza was uneasy... So this was a Senator, in the flesh?


    Eliza cleared her throat. "My apologies, I am... I''m merely curious as to where we''re heading off to," she said, looking back out the window, seeing the flavourful and vibrant Lautrasian landscape and countryside, with rolling hills, drone farms and snowy florescent peaks.


    Zackarius, surprisngly, chuckled at her confusion. He took his ornate mahogany cane and tapped Kazuki on the leg with it. "Kazuki, did you not tell your friend of why and where we go?!" he jested, before turning back to Eliza.


    Kazuki sighed, raising his head and turning it to the window, all the while something... small? Something small crept up from beneath a compartment underneath his seat, revealing... Pi?!


    Pi squealed at Eliza, mouthing something, as if asking to not let him get caught. Eliza slowly turned her glance back towards Zackarius... What a... peculiar family. Not a bad thing, at all, just interesting, that was all, Eliza thought to herself. "It''s fine... I''m sure there''s a good reason for that," Eliza said.


    Kazuki grunted.


    Zackarius swapped his face to a solemn stare, swinging to Eliza. "We are honouring our dead. It is the first time that Kazuki has been here in years, so he wishes to do so."


    Eliza''s head swirled to Kazuki. "Kaz?" she started. "Are you... Oh... Uh..."


    Kazuki opened his mouth, "Problem?" He planted his golden eyes to her.


    Eliza slowly shook her head. "Just wasn''t exactly expecting that," she said. "That''s all..."


    The shuttle rolled into what seemed to be a forest, with high hanging trees with glowing fruits and fauna. Kazuki nor his grandfather spoke after that, the three merely rolling along in silence as the shuttles eventually came to a stop. Eliza couldn''t see outside, the mist and rain made things much harder to see. Zackarius stopped the music, standing up as the doors swung open.


    Two drones, dressed up, nodded to them, extending umbrellas into the shuttle. However... There were only two. Eliza watched as Zackarius grabbed his umbrella, stepping out. "Come on, it''ll be a small walk, so don''t get wet."


    Kazuki grumbled, seeing the singular drone, waiting outside in the pouring rain, with a singular umbrella. Kazuki looked to Eliza, grabbing her hand and the umbrella, before dragging her out beneath the shield of the umbrella. "Huh?" Eliza piqued up. "Hey?"


    She looked up, seeing the holo-umbrella''s holographic artwork interlaced into the electron shielding, a mural similar to an ancient folding panel artwork from Terra. Eliza''s face turned slightly red as she glanced back down at Kaz, walking close beside her. "One umbrella. Stay close," Kazuki said.


    Looking up and along the convoy, Eliza saw various peoples and drones get out, a whole congregation of people, all walking down a path along the side of the road with brooches glinting off their chests, deeper into the forest. Eliza followed Kazuki, slowly holding his hand back.


    "You didn''t need to be that rough," Eliza murmured. She looked forward and back, seeing the mist consume the vehicles and trees behind them, with water splattering aover the umbrella onto the stone slabs below them, moss blankets littering the sides.


    Kazuki didn''t respond, merely glancing back at her. It... His hand felt warm, despite what Eliza thought it would be... A warm hand... Eliza... She refused to admit that she liked it. After a bit, he said, "Sorry."


    Slowly, a smile grew on Eliza''s lips. "Didn''t say I didn''t like it," Eliza muttered. One of Kazuki''s ears twitched, but he pretended to not hear...


    First going to pay respects to the dead, now this little bit... Eliza made the right choice, she thought, she could trust him, just look at how shy he can be! Eliza chuckled under her breath. Everyone around them wore thick coats or jackets, or robes, but Eliza was merely wearing a shirt and skirt - the terrible Engan Seasonal Downpour had prepared her for poor weather.


    Continuing to walk, the entourage got to a small opening within the forest, with a shrine deep within the forests. "Imperial forests," Kazuki commented. "It''s peaceful. When it''s not pouring."


    "Hmm, I disagree... The rain helps drown out thoughts," Eliza said, providing a little bit of what she learnt back on Enga. "Right?"


    Kazuki paused, then nodded. "I see no reason to disagree," Kazuki remarked, continuing up to the shrine. Eliza peered around, seeing stones around... But those weren''t just any stones, they were graves, with burning incense old and new attached to pots, guarded by mini-umbrellas.


    Some wilted flowers and withering roses were laid beside the graves, all of them... Eliza peered further, seeing further through the clearing and into the trees beyond. There were thousands of graves...


    "What... is this place? I thought..." Eliza paused.


    Kazuki answered, "Every so often, the nobles of Trasia gather to respect the dead. This is a graveyard for family and distant nobles, strayed in and out of the Imperial line. He peered out with Eliza. "We have a larger graveyard on the Island of Shizukesa. Military graveyard. Miles and miles of graves."


    The words left Kazuki''s mouth bitterly, as they continued into the shrine. Eliza expected it to be abandoned, after all it was all the way out here, seemingly in the middle of nowhere! But lo and behold, there were priests and nuns present. There was a mystic feel about it, as the entourage provided offerings, and the shrine gave them incense...


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Eliza watched, silently, with Kazuki, as the large party followed on after Zackarius, saying their respects to the dead, individually, at different graveyards. Zackarius patted Kazuki on the back, with a neutral face hiding any shades of sadness or grief beneath, and eventually... It was just Kaz and her.


    "Um..." Eliza approached with Kazuki to the head priest, an old man with pale white hair and grey eyes... The way he looked straight through both Kaz and her, she could tell he was blind. "Kaz... what do we do?" she asked.


    Kazuki turned to her. "Say nothing. Do nothing, let me handle everything, got it?" he asked.


    Eliza meekly nodded, finding herself quite out of her depth here, in the belly of the shrine. Kazuki stepped forward, speaking to the priest in a hushed voice. Eliza tried to listen in, but found herself unable to understand what he said... He wasn''t speaking Standard Galactic, yet his voice sounded both firm and smooth, elegant yet lethal, in a dialect she didn''t necessarily understand. Still, the shrine''s statues and pillars loomed over her, making Eliza feel smaller with each passing second within its presence.


    The walls were lined celestial imagery, as well as statues of the old star gods of numerous pantheons, all linked to folk lore and tradition, with a replica of a shard placed on a pillar beside each statue.


    After a moment, the priest nodded, in his full pale attire, and a nun provided Kazuki with incense. With that, Kazuki slowly turned, and walked back out with Eliza. By now, they were the only ones present, and the last of the nobles were leaving, their brooches shining.


    Kazuki ignited his umbrella once again, allowing for Eliza to step under it, before they left the shrine and out into the pouring rain.


    His paces were fast, as if he had made these exact movements a hundred times before, darting to one of the graves, in a section of graves that are lit up, at least much more compared to the many of the other graves. Eliza glanced over at one of the shrines, noting the Standard Galactic name: Jara-Jin attached to one of the graves, before arriving with Kaz at... Eliza''s eyes glistened red at the names.


    Kazuki stood in the middle of three graves, one each side along the paths. Eliza peered at the names, noting them as Kazuki''s aunt and uncle, as well as his grandmother. A rush of red suddenly landed on Kazuki''s shoulder, yet it didn''t stir him.


    "Oh, Pi, I should have told you about him, shouldn''t I?" Eliza asked.


    Kazuki shook his head. "He can sense whenever this trap is being made. He comes nonetheless. After all, these Leviathans are loyal. He remembers his past owners."


    "And... that''s your family... here..." Eliza trailed off, peering at the pictures set on the graves, protected by umbrellas from the weather. Kazuki gave Pi a pat on its head, as it lowered itself, fluttering down onto the ground.


    The phoenix slowly waddled over towards Kazuki''s aunt''s shrine... The name Izumia Ryzaku-Augusti was enscribed in glowing mark on the stone, with a gorgeous woman being the primary attention of Pi''s gaze, with jet black hair and hypnotising red eyes.


    Kazuki merely sighed, placing the sticks of incense down into their respective pots, before turning to Pi. "Pi. We''re leaving," he said.


    The bird peered up at Kazuki and chirped, biting with its beak. Eliza had a bird... She felt like she could interpret it... Pi didn''t want to go. "What... was your aunt like?" Eliza asked.


    "I don''t know," Kazuki said. "She died of Imperial torture above Anagora. My father arrived just when his sister perished." Eliza watched Kazuki''s hands slowly tighten around the umbrella handle. "My grandmother died when firebombs were dropped on Trasia. One of the first casualties to Belsaran bombardments... You know where she was?"


    Eliza didn''t ask. Everyone knew how brutal those bombardments were, and everyone knew of the family''s... curse, so to speak, but Eliza refused to believe in it.


    "She was helping refugees," Kazuki bit off each word with malice. "My uncle died when the P-1 Station exploded. He sacrificed himself so my cousin, my adopted sister, can live..."


    Slowly, Eliza shuffled closer to him, as Pi rubbed his head and body against the grave, before flying up onto Kazuki''s shoulder, bowing to him.


    Kazuki continued, "My father spoke of how my sister was bright, amazing, determined, the star of the family... Just like you... Even so, the galaxy killed her. I..."


    It seems Pi has finally gotten to say what he wanted to; even if Pi couldn''t speak, Eliza could see that Pi had an intelligence that some humans wouldn''t be smart enough to achieve.


    "If you have something you need to say, I''m here..." Eliza murmured to Kazuki. Kazuki''s ear twitched again, but this time: he heeded her words.


    Kazuki turned to face her. "My family is cursed," Kazuki said. "Extended family, all died in the war. Uncle crushed under rubble. Aunt, whose middle name I bear in rememberance, was tortured to death. My grandmother who I never knew, bombed. I don''t want you to suffer because of me."


    Eliza smiled. "Nonsense, don''t be foolish! We''re in this together, plus, I know you''ve got my back, contract or otherwise, right?"


    Instantaneously, it seemed like the life was all but sucked out of the air, and the rain around them stopped. Kazuki stared dead at her. Eliza froze at his golden glare, penetrating through her. She could hear her heart, then... everything went back to normal?


    Kazuki nodded. "Thank you. Some part of me wished that I could have met them, remember them properly without intermediaries or glazed visions," he said.


    "If you''re still worried, let me bear one part of the curse with you," Eliza said, patting Kaz on the shoulder. Kazuki merely nodded. "Does it feel better?"


    "Hmm?" Kazuki gave her a confused look.


    "Talking," Eliza continued. "My mother told me, before she passed, that talking is sometimes the best thing we can do... Just say something, you know?"


    Kazuki paused, blinked a few times, looked around, squinted, then peered back at Eliza. "Strange," Kazuki noted. "You''re right."


    Eliza chuckled and smiled at him, before turning to the graves and giving a solemn bow... An apology for laughing in their presence. "Sorry..."


    "My aunt and uncle always loved pranks and jokes," Kazuki said. "You did not mean it in malice. Though my father always preferred Karl over his actual brother..."


    Karl? Wasn''t that Kazuki''s personal pilot? Karl... Karl... That name seems somewhat familiar, from school? Student? No! She''d remeber that... From history... lessons?! "Karl... as in..."


    "The navy ace of aces of aces," Kazuki explained. Turning around, he started to walk off, seemingly having finished saying his prayers and greetings to his family, Eliza followed on after him. "My mother hates him... Says he''s a bad influence for Yuki and I."


    "Well, I''m sure she''s just overexaggerating," Eliza said. The navy ace of aces of aces... Strange that he seems to be in the employ of Kazuki, now... Though, given how Kazuki is the High Admiral''s son, it does make sense why the High Admiral''s bestie might want to keep an eye on him...


    In a brief moment, Eliza even thought that maybe Yamagata had Karl to look over Kaz... Since Kaz doesn''t seem like to be in the best of relations with his family, but Eliza silenced those thoughts...


    Kazuki replied, "A bit. There was this one time, before P-1, that Karl helped me prune my mother''s beloved rose-bush... just to see her reaction."


    "That''s... I think that''s a bit excessive," Eliza said.


    Kauzki nodded. "It was; bad example." He continued to walk, through the forest, with her by his side and Pi on his shoulder, licking Kazuki''s face with a saddened face. "Don''t worry... You''ll get to see her again next year," Kazuki whispered to Pi.


    Quite nice of him, Eliza thought. "Animals don''t judge, you say," Eliza repeated what Kaz told her before. "I just think you like animals."


    "Of course," Kazuki said as if it was an obvious statement, with a tone nearly demeaning and jeering. "I like Pi. I like my family cat. Why wouldn''t I?" Kazuki asked.


    Even if this was the Contract-Breaker, Eliza thought, she could never assume that if she did not know better. He was simply Kazuki. University drop-out, sure, but Kazuki, and that was all that mattered. It was Kazuki that liked animals, that''s strangely kind at rare times, the lazy guy that rarely does student exec work unless Chlo¨¦ or Liz berate him into doing it... That was Kazuki, not the Contract-Breaker.


    For Eliza, that was enough... For Kazuki promised to help her... To be her tool... To that, Eliza secretly kept a smirk on her face, walking just a pace behind Kaz.

 XX9: Essence of Aristocracy

    Everything was finished up, and the time for the Dassant was approaching.


    The noise and bustle of the space port was immense, a grand cacophony of noises, loud talking and intercom announcements; a noise Eliza was not fond of¡­ She was standing beside Kazuki, as they awaited for the large cruise ship far behind the viewing room windows to dock. Only the smallest of vibrations could be felt through the floor as the engines spluttered off.


    Kazuki stood beside her, both hands on two luggage cases. They were massive, as if made to carry the needs and wants of a person for ten years. ¡°How¡¯d you like Trasia?¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡­ boring!¡± Archius snapped.


    Eliza, however, found it to be quite a nice retreat. ¡°Well, it was a bit hot, but other than that it was quite peaceful.¡±


    Kazuki turned towards Archius, standing behind the two. ¡°This will be bye then?¡±


    Archius let off a small smirk, grabbing onto the two¡¯s shoulders as he leaned over them. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll head back to Jasyme, see you guys later?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Hold things down for me,¡± said Kazuki. Eliza glanced up at Archius, as he continued smirking. ¡°I¡¯ll send you any info we find.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, sure, I¡¯ll let Sato and Martinez handle most things,¡± said Archius.


    Eliza started, ¡°Wait¡­ but aren¡¯t you helping us?¡±


    ¡°Archius will be helping us from afar, as is norm¡­ Liz, have you received our reservation yet?¡± Kazuki asked, turning his head towards her.


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± she said as she took her phone out, scanning through it with her uplink. ¡°Yes! Gamma Class Suite with two bedrooms¡­ oh¡­¡± She trailed off, realising that Archius won¡¯t be there with them, at least in person - but most definitely in voice and spirit.


    Archius wasn¡¯t dismayed by that fact, simply patting the two of them on the shoulders. ¡°So¡­ Obadiah, I¡¯ll see what I can scrounge up on him on my end, and don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be seeing each other very soon,¡± he said in a weirdly foreboding voice, before letting off a controlled laugh.


    Pushing himself away from the two, he started walking backwards, giving the two finger guns. Eliza and Kazuki turned to look at him as he nearly hit his head against a maintenance drone, hovering by holding luggage containers.


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Eliza let off a snicker, hiding it beneath her hand as Archius quickly recovered, pretending that nothing happened.


    Kazuki sighed, before turning back to Archius. ¡°I¡¯ve known you long enough that you wouldn¡¯t pass up the opportunity this is. You have a surprise gift for us¡­ don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Oooh?¡± Eliza Chyari med in, her face vibrant with hues of blood from her red eyes. ¡°Well, any surprise would be nice, right?¡±


    Archius shrugged. ¡°Who¡¯s to say?¡± With that, he turned and walked away - waving back at them.


    ¡±I¡¯ll buy you some souveniours!¡± Eliza raised her voice, waving goodbye at him. Archius chuckled, and nodded back at her. She turned to Kazuki. ¡°He¡¯ll be alright, right?¡±


    Kazuki nodded. ¡°He¡¯s an esteemed guest of the Imperial Family. He¡¯ll get back home.¡±


    The cruise had completed its docking. A voice over the intercom shook the waiting room¡®s seated occupants as they started to move¡­


    Eliza continued, ¡°Well¡­ I just thought that he might have it rough, not having the two of us around.¡±


    Those that stood up looked like nobles, Eliza thought, glancing at their brooches. They wore fine clothes, it seems like Lautrasia has many plutocrats. Though, their brooches did not have as bright of a glint as her¡¯s. She looked towards Kazuki¡¯s chest, he didn¡¯t have his brooch on¡­ Strangely enough, it dismayed her slightly.


    ¡±He¡¯ll be fine,¡± assured Kazuki. He looked down at the luggage between Eliza¡¯s legs. ¡°You have the case that Master Chyari gave you right?¡±


    Eliza nodded her head. ¡°Mhm! I¡¯m dying to put it on! He¡­ knew my mother¡­ so¡­¡±


    ¡°Master Chyari knows many people,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°He¡¯s been around for decades. Don¡¯t open the case until the Dassant.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I¡¯d prefer to know if it fits, Kaz,¡± she said, activating the hover-lift on her own luggage. She looked around, seeing people through the glass boarding the void craft cruise.


    ¡°Trust me. It¡¯ll fit.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°We best wait. Let everyone else get on so we don¡¯t get stuck in a queue.¡±


    Eliza slowly glanced back towards the cruise, denoting a rather large line formed up on the passenger loader attached to the cruise. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were so many people coming.¡±


    ¡°Most of them are attendants, vassals. Not aristocrats,¡± Kazuki commented. ¡°And this Fer-Charelota. I asked my grandfather earlier. He¡¯ll want a lot of people. He¡¯s ambitious after all.¡±


    Eliza deactivated the hover-lift, slowly placing the large luggage back between her legs¡­ She can¡¯t wait to see just what Master Chyari had made, considering how much trust Kazuki puts into a blind tailor!


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve spoken to him during and after the last Dassant. He¡¯s been rather kind to me, I think we can trust him¡­¡± Eliza said, placing a finger on her Chyari n as she thought. ¡°I told him of the situation I was in, he was understanding and offered the condo I live in right now as compensation¡±


    ¡°Without Matt, he¡¯ll be the only host this year.¡± Kazuki, however, didn¡¯t seem to share her enthusiasm. She looked at his face, unwavering and unchanging. ¡°Despite what you¡¯ve said, I cannot trust him. The Four Great Houses are ambitious. He¡¯ll see you as a way to get to me.¡±


    ¡°Kaz! Can¡¯t you just believe in what I have to say this time?¡± She blurted out, feeling second-hand offence for someone that helped her back up¡­ And to make this about himself? Eliza knows deep down that Kaz is just being considerate¡­ but still! ¡°He¡¯s no Matt¡­ I don¡¯t know what politics he¡¯s playing, but I think we can trust him, or at least hear what he has to say, right?¡±


    Kazuki said, ¡°My family words are Tenka Fubu. All under heaven, by force of arms. We make good on that promise many times. A man like him would like to gain access to such arms.¡±


    Disagreements sparked as Eliza shook in place, denying his words. ¡°No! Look, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find him to be a good associate.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Kazuki remarked. ¡°Have you even met him in person?¡±


    ¡°N¡ªonly once, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThen he¡¯s trying to manipulate you,¡± Kazuki said, his face unflinching and unmoving.


    The lack of movement told Eliza that he was probably focusing on something¡­ Even if she hasn¡¯t known him for as long as Archius had, she believed in her own ability to discern the most minor of changes¡­ She interpreted his lack of change to the gears in his head twisting¡­ perhaps he¡¯ll agree to her judgement?


    Eliza trailed off, ¡°Fer-Charelota isn¡¯t Matt¡­¡±


    ¡°I know he isn¡¯t, he¡¯s more popular and a less scrupulous person. He might be a Reformer, but many look past that for power.¡± Kazuki turned his head towards her. He then placed a hand on her shoulder, gripping her hard. ¡°I¡¯m not downplaying what you¡¯ve got to say. But can you trust me as well?¡±


    His face didn¡¯t change, an unflinching facade with golden bulbs. ¡°I trust you,¡± Eliza said. ¡°Of course I would! Why wouldn¡¯t I? You wouldn¡¯t lie to me about this, I know! But¡­ can¡¯t you just trust me judgement on this? I truly believe he can help us¡­¡± Kazuki blinked, before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll trust your judgement for Fer-Charelota. But if he¡¯s not our friend, I¡¯ll object to him.¡±


    Eliza smiled. ¡°I¡¯d very much appreciate it,¡± she said, as she stepped up to the glass, seeing dozens of drones act as the vessel¡¯s ¡®pit-crew¡¯.


    ¡°The Marquis is the last of his Household. He won¡¯t let his house die, especially with the prestige of being one of the Great Four Lines,¡± Kazuki remarked.


    ¡°What does that have to do anything?¡± inquired Eliza. ¡°Certainly he¡¯d be less scrupulous if he was in such a position, right?¡±


    To her surprise, Kazuki shook his head ¡°To get to such a position, one¡¯s family must be the greatest schemers of all. How do you think the Feonars carved a kingdom?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Eliza found that his assessment was quite sound. Logically, those that must have crawled all the way up to the top must have at least done some scheming behind the backs of others¡­ even her flowery, rose-red tinted glasses can see that. ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    Kazuki nodded. ¡°My family has the autonomy to govern the Trasian Sector how they please. My father held the Republic at cannon-point twice, whilst my grandfather protected Trasia where my father could not.¡±


    The ¡®Great Four Lineages¡¯ were the four most powerful families in the galaxy, Eliza thought. Much to her surprise, she had nearly forgotten that Kazuki was one of them: a Ryzaku.


    She¡¯s seen him so long as just ¡®Kazuki¡¯ that her analytical mind almost stopped there when she thought of him¡­ Was it because she promised to see him as just that, to accept Kazuki for that what he is. Whatever he may be, she accepts him nonetheless.


    ¡°The ¨ªlizes control the senate, whether you like it or not, Eliza.¡±


    Eliza interjected, ¡°Hey?! What did I do this time?¡±


    Kazuki paused¡­ He clicked his fingers and shook away the thoughts, it seems. ¡°Nothing¡­ Sorry¡­ But the Charelotas are different. Whilst others hold tangible, hard power¡­ the Marquis has soft power, brittle, but malleable.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Thinking to herself, Eliza thought about these four great houses. They have so much power¡­ Yet¡­ So rarely do they ever exert it for anyone else but themselves. Despite the evidence against the contrary, Eliza reinforced her tinted glasses. ¡°The Republic is stronger than the will of a handful few.¡±


    Silence was Kazuki¡¯s response. Eliza stared at him, as it seems he was at a loss for words. He then shrugged and nodded, walking up to stand beside her, the hover-luggage streaming behind him. ¡°A Republic should always be stronger than the will of a handful few.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t tell if Kazuki was being optimistic, or whether he was saying something much grimmer¡­ But Eliza couldn¡¯t see through the fogs of mystic he had placed up, she simply accepted the words at face value.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Eliza nodded. She then continued, ¡°Will it just be the two of us?¡±


    Kazuki shook his head. ¡°I have three bodyguards. They¡¯re not here right now. They¡¯re¡­ already at the Ball Palace.¡±


    ¡°Oh, why?¡± Eliza asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re the Vanguard, make sure nothing bad is waiting for us when we arrive.¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Is by any chance two of them Cyrus and Nihara?¡± Eliza asked. Given how those two seemed to be ¡®high¡¯ in the AGENCY¡¯s rankings, Eliza suggested that it had to be them, with the additional fact that they never seemed to be a part of any fighting.


    ¡°Yes. Seems you¡¯ve met two thirds of the Eden Trio.¡± Kazuki said. Eliza¡¯s mind raced with speculation¡­ The Eden Trio? Cyrus¡­ well, Eliza doesn¡¯t know much of him, but the fact that Cyrus is Kazuki¡¯s personal bodyguard shows some merit to her. Nihara? She¡¯s seen what she could do with a single strike¡­ Someone like her would be someone she could place her trust in. But the last one? What flavour of prowess would they be, she speculated.


    Eliza¡¯s head twisted back towards the cruise. ¡°So, what¡¯s our game plan for the Dassant?¡± she asked


    ¡°We¡¯ll approach on your side. The Marquis Gilbera Fer-Charelota. Possible ally that can help us, we¡¯ll continue our investigation from there,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°We have one endgame though, Obadiah Cariana-Slynt.¡±


    A bright face crept onto Eliza¡¯s face, Kazuki was willing to follow her lead on this. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll make a great ally for the both of us.¡±


    ¡°I hope¡­ I think we¡¯ve waited enough. Let¡¯s go,¡± Kazuki said. The two activated their hover-lifts attached to the luggage, as Eliza followed on after Kazuki, Following in his footsteps. Dozens of aristocrats were still flooding onto the cruise ship, glistening in their brooches and jewels.


    ? ? ?


    The room was cramped, at least compared to what Kazuki thought Eliza had booked. It was the size of normal bedroom, though with bunk beds and a small place to sit. The closets were small, and the shelves were even smaller.


    But he¡¯s lived in worse conditions before. This is nothing, Kazuki thought. Kazuki glanced out the port window into the vessel''s hallway, a large compartment built with only splendour and charm expanded across an enormous corridor. Lower aristocrats and their servants passed by, walking towards their rooms. ¡°I didn¡¯t check, how long will it be?¡± he asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t memorised the exact voidway times.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Uh, a few days to a week? Depending on the traffic, of course,¡± Eliza said, tucking both her and Kazuki¡¯s luggage into the closet. There was a door attached to the room beside the bunk beds. It led to the bathroom.


    Well¡­ A working toilet and showers nice. Definitely an upgrade from the rebellion. Looking out the window, he could already see the cruise vessel in Warped reality of a voidway. The vibrant colours were mismatched, never the same¡­ It hurt Kazuki¡¯s head. That was why he kept staring.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower first, if that quite right with you?¡± asked Eliza, grabbing some towels and clothes she had laid on the top bunk bed.


    She claimed the top bunk. He¡¯s fine with that.


    Kazuki looked away from the headache inducing lights. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll keep first watch,¡± he said. ¡°Wait¡­ no¡­ I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Eliza chuckled at his mismatching of words. ¡°Sure, corporal!¡± She gave him a joking salute as she entered the bathroom. Her comment made him feel somewhat at ease. ¡°Relax, alright!¡±


    ¡°How can I?¡± Kazuki asked.


    ¡°Just... relax? Lay down and rest, and... try not to make a scene, please?¡± Eliza popped her head out of the bathroom and placed her hands together. ¡°Alright?¡±


    ¡°Why would I make a scene?¡±


    Eliza grumbled and pouted. ¡°Last time...¡± She allowed Kazuki to mull it over. He slowly nodded. No more shooting corrupt business magnates.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Sighing, Kazuki glanced away. ¡°I had my reasons.¡±


    ¡°But... can you just please not do that again?¡± Eliza frowned slightly.


    Kazuki kept his eyes away from the sight. ¡°No promises.¡±


    Eliza took that as a promise, and she smiled. ¡°Good enough for me!¡± She popped back into the bathroom and shut the door.


    With her out of the way, Kazuki placed a hand up against his head¡­ The headaches were noticeable. He¡¯ll survive them, however.


    He should see if everything¡¯s running smoothly. Sliding his hoodie sleeve upwards, he pressed a up onto the interface of his ICAPAD. He retightened the strap for his WRIST-SHOT.


    The screen burst upwards with lights. Connecting with his aug-glasses, it showed aa conference room, the Phoenix¡¯s Fury¡¯s command deck. He sat down on the bottom bunk bed, signalling that he was ready.


    He could thinly hear water behind him, along with Eliza¡¯s slight humming. But he did not continue with that thought process. Instead, he focused on what was in front of him.


    Sprouting up holographic images, he saw the command staff of the AGENCY, standing in front of him.


    ¡®Everything under control?¡¯ Kazuki asked.


    ¡®Hey, you focus on what you¡¯re doing, Kazuki, we¡¯ll contact you if anything goes wrong,¡¯ Martinez replied. His Yamikoi markings translated vibrantly through the holographic display. ¡®But¡­ you should tell Lilly to ease up on the logistician, my orders sure aren¡¯t hitting her thick skull.¡¯


    Kazuki looked over towards Lilly, as she stood between Osmond and Quinn, arms crossed. She grumbled slightly.


    Claire and Sato were also standing by, both sharing a flame to light their cigarettes.


    ¡®Lilly. Anything to say?¡¯


    ¡®Look, I was fine working with Eliza. Sure, she wasn¡¯t perfect at the start, but things steeled out. But a smuggler?!¡¯ She let off a mocking laugh, turning towards Osmond. He turned away, not daring to look at her. ¡®I work with soldiers, contractors, Kaz. Not criminals.¡¯


    Interesting. Kazuki glanced over at Claire¡­ She obviously glanced away, avoiding his glare. This was hypocrisy at its finest, Kazuki thought. ¡®Ex-Smuggler. Clare was also a criminal before joining Clandestine. You are aware of that. This is no different.¡±


    ¡®Ugh, but Claire has integrity! Discipline!¡¯ Lilly spat out, arguing against her boss. ¡®Osmond, this smuggler?! He¡¯s weak-willed, ill-drilled, Claire betrayed those gangs for us!¡±


    Claire coughed up. ¡®Hey¡­ enough about me, alright?¡¯ she asked quietly, rolling her eyes. ¡®Those gangs strayed from protecting the weak¡­ Me and Osmond are kinda similar if you think about it?¡±


    Kazuki grumbled to himself. This was not the type of mess he¡¯d like to deal with. Quinn raised a hand, before speaking, ¡®Ar¡ªKazuki, I think you should just let me try and uh.. convince Lilly.¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s no need for convincing,¡¯ snapped Lilly. ¡®I¡¯ve told you, he isn¡¯t up to the standards for the AGENCY.¡¯


    ¡¯Good. Then it¡¯s in your interests to get him up to standard,¡¯ Kazuki snapped, with an unchanging face. Lilly was about to continue her rant, before nodding. Good, Kazuki thought, Lilly knew that he was right. ¡®He may be a smuggler. But he¡¯s an AGENT nonetheless. Train him to be one. Am I understood?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, sir.¡¯ Lilly regressed back into her old marine commissary-self, nodding at Kazuki as she straightened her back.


    Kazuki nodded. ¡®And what of the rest of the smugglers? Lilly, Osmond, Quinn, have they been integrated well?¡¯


    Quinn nodded. ¡®Some of them are still getting used to things, but you know¡­ it¡¯ll get smooth, you know? They have some nice nick-nacks, though.¡¯ He immediately pulled out what seemed to be a memorabilia of sorts.


    Osmond glanced over at Quinn, before interjecting. ¡®Hey!¡¯ He immediately cowered as he raised his voice, noticing the eyes glance towards him. ¡®That¡¯s¡­ mine¡­¡¯


    Lilly ignored their squabble. ¡®The smugglers are ill disciplined, as I said. I¡¯ll train them, though,¡¯ she said.


    It seems that the two of them are on the same page, that these smugglers are to be treated as assets, not disposable waste. Kazuki won¡¯t abandon these people. Say what his critics may preach, but he will not allow assets to die¡­ Death¡­ So fickle¡­. Kazuki¡¯s mind started to trail off. He as a burden to lead them all. Here he is¡­ going to play politics.


    Kazuki nodded. ¡®Sato. Intelligence. I have Archius to assist you, have you heard word from him?¡¯


    Sato shrugged, confused. ¡®Archius hasn¡¯t contacted us yet. If anything, I¡¯m betting he¡¯s going out and drinking, or something.¡¯


    ¡®Not wrong there,¡¯ Kazuki muttered.


    ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Sato asked, nodding at Kazuki.


    Kazuki leaned back against the bed, slowly sinking into it¡­ He glanced at the Pillows and the tags attached to the sheets and duvets. D¨¢widiek Sleep Corp. Huh¡­ ¡®Nothing,¡¯ Kazuki said. ¡®If anything happens, contact me.¡¯


    Martinez spoke up, ¡®Hey, Kaz, let us handle the ship until you¡¯re back.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m fine¡­¡¯ Kazuki lowered his voice to a fine and precise statement.


    He shrugged, walking around the conference table and turning back to everyone else, standing closer to Kazuki. ¡®You¡¯ve been handling a lot of the burden the past months, let me handle it, alright?¡¯


    The assurances helped somewhat. Kazuki nodded. Martinez replied with a slight nod, both in agreement.


    ¡®Alright. That¡¯ll be all. Keep up the work.¡¯


    The command staff nodded, as Kazuki switched off his ICAPAD, his aug-glasses going dark as he sighed. The mattress he sat on was soft. How long has it been since he felt a mattress?


    Kazuki paused for a moment, sitting back up. He pushed himself out from the bed, nearly hitting his head in the process. For a moment, he allowed himself to lower his guard, to relax¡­ for respite.


    What is he doing here? Why did he allow himself to relax? This wasn¡¯t a vacation. This was a mission, to uncover a link between Obadiah and the P-1 Incident¡­ A paper trail exists¡­ Therefore, there are targets. He¡¯ll have to play their game.


    That in of itself gave him only one conclusion: that blood must be shed. That¡­ was the only conclusion possible. Still, why was he allowing himself to relax? He glanced back at the bed, seeing the wrinkles in the duvet.


    Did he deserve that rest? Kazuki started to agonise over it. For such a small moment, Kazuki¡¯s memory did not allow it to rest¡­ Maybe he didn¡¯t deserve that rest. Victoria¡¯s dead. Her memory tarnished. Billions are dead. Their memories forgotten: and here he relaxes? He felt disgusted at himself, looking down at his own hands. He swore he felt a tug come from below¡­ Nothing. He was sitting alone here.


    These are the hands that have killed billions. These are the hands that slit Victoria¡¯s throat. These hands cannot rest, Kazuki thought. Not whilst he has a mission to accomplish. The weight of responsibility is his alone¡­ Martinez and others may help him along the way, but it is his alone. By right of blood, his and Victoria¡¯s.


    ? ? ?


    By the time that Kazuki had finished his shower, Eliza was fast asleep. She must be exhausted, he thought.


    He did his shirt up, covering up the nasty burns and scars across his torso. His hair was slightly wet, a piece of his hair protruding out drooped over his face. He probably had every type of affliction possible on him. Fragmentation. Bullet. Plasma. Chemical. Lance. All Present on him.


    ¡±Eliza?¡± Kazuki spoke up.


    She ruffled around in the bunk bed. ¡°Hmm?¡± she peered down at him.


    ¡°Nevermind¡­¡± Kazuki trailed off. ¡°Night. I¡¯ll walk around a bit.¡±


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± Eliza gave a slow nod, her hair a total mess, as she faceplanted back onto the mattress.


    Kazuki walked towards the door, leaving the room. He¡¯s not like those ¡®noble¡¯ aristocrats. No. He¡¯s a murderer. Standing along in the hall, Kazuki thought to himself how futile it was to be someone he¡¯s not. He had no need for politeness. Formalities are for friends and allies, he thought.


    Something crackled at his mind. He awoke from thought, staring past the crowd. At¡­ a guard? They just left one of the quarters, shifting their hat in place. They looked to the right, and then the left.


    Their face was revealed to him.


    And then, his brain shuddered into action


    He scanned it through his memory.


    Jogging it, he found no correlation.


    Nothing matched to her. She had the uniforms, the gear, and even the hat. But his memory does not lie.


    Walking past Kazuki, she tried her best to hide her face. But it was already too late. Something was going on, Kazuki thought¡­


    It may be a mix-up, but Kazuki knew his information wasn¡¯t wrong or outdated. Why would a guard be in one of the lower guest quarters? This didn¡¯t make sense.


    He looked back at his and Eliza¡¯s quarters. All correlations and facts pointed to the conclusion that something was amiss¡­

 X10: Unexpected Turbulance

    <div>


    It¡¯d be best to keep things quiet, Kazuki thought. This imposter might have backup. He placed his hands in his pockets. His pistol was loaded. Trailing her from afar was easy, though she did make frequent looks over her shoulder.


    The cruise was almost at full capacity, so he had no problem hiding amongst the crowd. From afar, he¡¯s simply another Lautrasian in a sea of them, nothing noteworthy. Then, lights out. The white hue flickered off, then on, before a low dim red filled the halls from above.


    ¡®LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES INITIATED. ALL PASSENGERS ARE TO RETURN TO THEIR QUARTERS.¡¯


    The voice boomed across the intercom. Most glanced up and around. Whispers and mutters were shared amongst both crew and passengers.


    Drones present shone out messages repeating the message. Arrows shone out, guiding passengers.


    Kazuki took his eyes off the imposter for a single moment. This had to be related¡­ Then, he turned back. They were gone. Fuck. He¡¯ll need to report this to the command bridge.


    He flicked up his Contractor Card from his pocket.


    It was the ID card the BCA provided. Fourth of the Seven on the coin flip; it should be enough to get him through, he thought. Turning his head to the large hallway windows, Kaz noted the Deep Space Leviathans soaring in the distance, matching the cruise¡¯s Deep Space Warp Drive. They swam through the multi-coloured and black void.


    He took out a pill bottle from his pocket, chucking a Halolazil into his mouth and swallowing¡­ Better to take it now than later.


    ¡°Command bridge it is, then,¡± he muttered to himself, turning and walking the opposite direction.


    Continuing towards the command bridge, he was soon the only person out. The halls were silent. A never-ending red hue blared down.


    Strangely peaceful.


    He kept his mind steadied on his objective, walking up a flight of stairs and exiting out onto another hallway. Level 6, the deck that houses the command bridge.


    Kazuki kept walking down the hall. A fragment of his mind snapped awake.


    ¡±Oi! You!¡± a voice called out to him.


    He twisted around, his golden husks landing of three false faces. ¡°Security?¡± Kazuki asked.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Said the lead guard, in front of two others. Their uniforms and hats were the same, but Kazuki could tell: they were very much imposters. ¡°Get the hell back to your room, it¡¯s lockdown.¡±


    They shook backwards as he looked at them. Scared of him? Many would be. Not enough evidence. But¡­ he could be wrong. Even though he checked the dossier right before, he might not be privy to something. ¡°Guess it¡¯s just procedural?¡±


    The question itself wasn¡¯t too insane to assume. The slowly nodded. ¡°Can¡¯t say if it is to you, but we do these drills sometimes¡­¡±


    ¡°How frequent?¡± Kazuki demanded an answer. His voice was cold, monotone and filled with a commanding vigour.


    The imposters glanced at one another, before exchanging nods. ¡°We did one a few months ago?¡±


    That was enough to justify his thoughts.


    ¡°You know who I am. And I know who you are.¡± Kazuki kept his hands in his pockets.


    One of the ¡®guards¡¯ slowly placed their hand on their waist. Too obvious, Kazuki thought. Too many gung ho idiots. ¡°Don¡¯t know what you mean?¡±


    ¡°Enough of the facade. Enlighten me,¡± demanded Kazuki. ¡°What are you doing here?.


    The guards stood frozen at his question. Pathetic. Then, they all moved to draw their pistols. Well, that¡¯s a shame. Kazuki drew first, firing into the head¡¯s of the side guards. Blood splattered out.


    The lead guard finally was able to draw, blasting Kazuki at close range. Bolts flicked off his clothes. Kazuki¡¯s hand shook as he fired. Miss.


    Bolts continued to be exchanged in the hall. The Imposter ran up to him, closing the distance within a hail of bolts. Kazuki twisted his wrist, weaving to the side. ¡°YOU¡¯RE TOO CLEVER FOR YER OWN GOOD!¡±


    Kazuki shot his hand out, letting a spray of plasma thicken the air. They were hit, knocked back. Projecting their shield up, they were barely able to get it up in time - with bolts slamming into it.


    It was time for him to go on the offence.


    Throwing his hands forward, Kazuki latched onto the shield. He used its mere existence as leverage. Ripping it down, he ducked beneath a rippling bolt. He then found the opportunity to go for the stab. Twisting a small dagger out, Kazuki stuck forward.


    Between the battle of bolts, in the grapple and struggle, his blade struck true. The Imposter¡¯s chest was punctured with the knife. They dropped their pistol, slowly stepping back as blood spat out.


    They let out a groan of pain. Kazuki walked over, as they crumpled onto the ground. ¡°I won¡¯t ask again. What were you doing?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The imposter looked up at him, slowly grimacing and grinding his teeth. ¡°You pathetic aristocrats. Contract-Breaker¡­ There¡¯ll be a day that¡ª¡±


    Kazuki crushed their hand. Kazuki grabbed their remaining hand and crushed its bones. They let out another shriek as he sighed. Shaking his head, he said, ¡°I warned you. Now, what are you doing?¡±


    This time, Kazuki was making sure the imposter knew exactly what would happen. He slid a finger into his own belt, grabbing a small device. He¡¯ll have to thank Rivera later, he thought.


    He showed the imposter the device. ¡°You know what this is, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked. Flicking it up, it revealed a small syringe inside, with several tendrils. It was a mind-snare.


    The man¡¯s face went pale. ¡°The cargo hold¡­ we¡¯re¡­ shit¡­¡± He gave Kazuki enough information in a panic, before falling silent. ¡°Justice will come for you, Contract-Breaker¡­¡±


    ¡°Justice? No¡­ Never justice. Karma? Yeah.¡±¡°Karma, actually.¡± Kazuki displaced their brains with lead and walked off.


    The cargo hold¡­ He has no idea how much of the security is compromised. This will be tricky, he thought. On one hand, he knew they were imposters. That won¡¯t stop the detractors from hailing him murderer. Why bother with them?


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The cargo hold is of importance¡­ If security is compromised, then there¡¯s no point going to the command bridge. The hold it is, then. He knows first hand just how easy it is to smuggle bombs onto cargo holds.


    Kazuki snuck through the vessel, away from guards, prying eyes and drones. Eventually, he made his way to the cargo hold.


    Opening a door, he walked out onto the catwalks up above. He made no noise, and the low dim red lights helped hide his figure.


    Slowly, he pulled his pistol out.


    Trouble¡¯s ahead. He expects it. But they won¡¯t. He pressed onto his uplink, wanting to update Eliza of what¡¯s going on¡­ Nothing. He pressed on it again¡­ It wasn¡¯t offline, but he couldn¡¯t get a signal. Fuck.


    There were a few dozen figures across sections of the catwalks, some leaning one small crates or the bannister. Safe to say: they were easily taken out.


    Each one was terminated with speed and efficiency, cracked necks, slit throats, gravity. He cleared out the catwalks under the cover of a red hue.


    Continuing along, Kaz reached a small clearing in the rows of containers. There were people down there, along with opened containers. There was gear and computers within them. Oh. So that¡¯s how they got on, he thought.


    Kazuki sighed. ¡°Better hope Eliza doesn¡¯t get mad at me over this¡­¡±


    Sliding something out from his ICAPAD, he attached it to the railing of the catwalk. It was cable wire. Vaulting over the side, he quickly rappelled down to the containers, walking on top of them.


    ¡°SHIT¡­ We¡¯ve lost contact with Meranti¡¯s team on Deck 6!¡± Someone shouted down below. ¡°We should get the bombs primed already!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t speed up art, Asterpol,¡± said another. Kazuki walked to the edge of the container, peering down into intersction, with several containers pried open. There were two individuals standing, armed to the teeth, and wearing guard uniforms. ¡°Plus, it¡¯s a bountiful harvest this time around. They will pay for their crimes¡­¡±


    Beside the containers were hostages. Key word being were. All that was left were corpses, half-naked. He recognised those faces as the real guards. On the other end of opening were five other hostages. To his surprise, they were alive. Their uniforms were intact, with one wearing a bright hold captain¡¯s cap.


    ¡°But what if word gets out!?¡± shouted Asterpol. ¡°Dymitri, we CAN¡¯T let some random outsider ruin all of it for us.¡±


    Peering at the two individuals, he noted down everything he could. Asterpol, female, tall. Dymitri, male, short. Both had rifles. Little to no armour. No helmets. Not even a fight.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Dymitri said. The terrorist looked towards the container as a third person emerged, snapping their light vest-plate into shape. ¡°Cono, start the execution list, remember the order?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Cono, shrugging as he walked past them, leaving the group as the third imposter left. Cono. He¡¯ll deal with them later. They have a bomb primed here, he¡¯ll have to deal with that first.


    An internal explosion in a voidway would cause untold chaos.


    Asterpol still seemed frustrated. They paced around. ¡°And what about the actual security?! The security that might still be out there! What about the drones?¡±


    Dymitri walked into the container. Kazuki leaned down, kneeling to get a view inside. He was doing something on a computer. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s just like I checked for the twentieth time! Drones and security will be distracted looking for ghouls that don¡¯t exist in the maintenance shafts! It¡¯s smooth sailing, don¡¯t fucking jinx us.¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s heard enough. He jumped down. The landing clicked his exospine to life. It started up. ¡°No. You jinxed yourself,¡± he said, staying in the shadows. The two twisted towards him. Only the light from his eyes glinted his figure.


    ¡°See!¡± Asterpol shouted, raising a rifle muzzle to Kazuki.


    He felt no need to respond, simply standing still with his arms crossed.


    Dymitri slowly walked out of the container. He drew with equal speed to a slug, aiming at Kazuki. ¡°The hell? What do you want? Don¡¯t mess with security, kid.¡±


    Kazuki glanced at the dead guards, and the still alive hostages. ¡°Did you think I¡¯d buy that?¡± Kazuki snarled. He shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s make this easy for us all. Kill yourselves.¡±


    He raised a finger at them, a part of the red hue eclipsing his lower face.


    ¡°Hands on your head! Turn around! Else I¡¯ll blow your fucking head off!¡± Asterpol barked orders at him.


    For a moment, Kazuki thought about torturing the answers he wants from them. That won¡¯t be necessary, he concluded.


    The computer will suffice. ¡°And if I do? You¡¯ll still blow my head off.¡±


    ¡°Tch,¡± Dymitri slowly walked forward, muzzle pointed at Kazuki.


    He waited until there was a distance between the two, enough for him to better effectively terminate both in detail. Dymitri stepped forward just out of reach from Asterpol. Kazuki sprang into action.


    Kazuki twisted his wrist, as a bright light exploded. He ANCHORed directly through a hail of bolts, grappling Asterpol. Dymitri turned around, hearing the scuffle. But as he raised his pistol and fired, Kazuki shifted Asterpol into the line of fire, disarming her.


    He felt blood trickle onto his face as the bolt killed Asterpol on the spot. He shot his eyes to golden life. Dymitri saw exactly who he was up against. He froze, sweat pulsating down his face¡­


    Kazuki sent two bolts into his neck. He fell, gagging on his own blood. Kazuki dropped the now dead Asterpol, placing a final bolt into her head, a mercy if she was still alive.


    He had nothing to say. Dymitri started to crawl away, gargling on his own blood. Kazuki walked up, and pressed down onto his leg.


    He wanted to get a clean shot. The dying man looked up at him one last time. Kazuki shot him.


    A brutal execution, Kazuki thought. Though merciful as it was¡­ It befitted him¡­ Best to keep the idea of the Contract-Breaker up around these people. Kazuki looked up at the remaining hostages.


    Contract-Breaker at the dassant, Kazuki thought for a moment. Hell¡­ he doesn¡¯t deserve to be there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m on your side,¡± Kazuki said. They quickly nodded as he untied one of them, giving the freed guard a knife to untie the others.


    He turned his attention to the computer inside the container. It was beside a bunch of bunk beds¡­ He remembered how he used something similar to hide during the rebellion. They all had a similar configuration to what Kazuki presumed the Loyalists had on the Skyliner.


    He scanned through the computer. ¡°Hey! You gonna help us?¡± asked the captain. ¡°Comms are down, we¡¯ll need to get it back up


    ¡°It¡¯s not down,¡± Kazuki said ¡±It¡¯s being jammed.¡±


    He scanned through the computer, trying to find any form of signal jammer. He clicked onto an executive panel, finding a list of zero-day executions that were being ran. Uplink jamming was one of them. Kazuki moved the mouse over to it, and terminated the executable.


    ¡°You should be able to contact the rest of security now.¡± He turned towards the captain, him and the guards taking up any firearms they could find.


    ¡°And¡­ you?¡± The captain asked, his grey eyes and blonde hair contrasted the dark, red atmosphere.


    Kazuki paused. What will he do? He turned towards the computer once again. He opened up another folder, revealing a large pdf dossier. It was a list of everyone on the vessel¡­ No. Not everyone. Every brooch-wielder - every aristocrat on board.


    It wasn¡¯t in alphabetical order¡­


    After all, his name was first, along with an outdated image of him. His eyes scanned to the next person. Mortinax. Then the next, Elizabeth Mary Celeste-Delmara. His eyes widened. Everything clicked.


    It was a priority list of hits.


    He scanned onto his own card. ¡®TERMINATE AT ALL COSTS¡¯ was on it in red text. Mortinax had something similar: ¡®IT IS TIME FOR HIS CRIMES TO GO PUNISHED.¡¯,


    He kept scanning, until he found Eliza¡¯s: ¡®TARGET FIRST. USE TO LURE OUT THE CONTRACT-BREAKER.¡¯


    His muscles froze, as his mind only came to one conclusion: he must save Eliza.


    ¡°Well?¡± The captain asked again, as he grabbed onto Kazuki¡¯s shoulder.


    Kazuki twisted around, and forced his legs to move. ¡°Deal with the terrorists. I will join you shortly. I have something else to do,¡± he said, walking off.


    Though his heart did not beat a single sound, Kazuki felt it burst to life, pumping full of blood and energy. That terrorist, Cono, Dymitri sent is going after Eliza¡­ He has to catch up¡­ He can¡¯t let him reach her first.


    Walking out of the container, he made sure to turn any funeral for Dymitri into a closed casket. Explosive bolts ruptured the corpse¡¯s torso, organs and limbs. Kazuki broke off into a sprint.


    He felt his hand start to shake¡­ Kazuki swore in his native tongue without thinking. Taking out a pill of Halolazil, he refreshed his mind and pain inhibition. Clenching his fist, he buried his worries away.

 X11: Fulfilment of Contract

    <div>


    <div>


    Despite the relatively small size of the room, Eliza found enough space to ponder around in a circle. Though it made her dizzy, she preferred it to just sitting. ¡°Kazuki¡­ where are you¡­ can¡¯t you just pick up the uplink¡­¡± she muttered to herself.


    Anxiety seeped through her expressions; did Kazuki get himself into something again?! Was he alright?! She kept worrying to herself.


    The worry and stress kept reminding Eliza of her past. She could see glimpses of herself in the mirror, throughout the ages...


    She¡¯s tried contacting him so many times. Pressing her uplink for the dozenth time, it connected to the comms channel.


    Then, a voice spoke into her ear. ¡®ELIZA, do you copy?¡¯


    Kaz. She replied immediately, ¡®Kazuki? What¡¯s going on? Where are you? It''s a lockdown¡­ Just¡­ What''s going on?¡¯ She blurted out all at once.


    ¡®Terrorists are trying to hijack the vessel and kill the occupants. Stay where you are. They¡¯re coming to you right now. WHATEVER YOU DO: DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR,¡¯ Kazuki replied in a calm voice. Though none of his words matched his soothing voice, filling Eliza¡¯s heart to the brim with anxiety and nerve.


    Her pacing increased, her heart beated a thousand times. Wait¡­ the door? Her head turned to it, pausing¡­ Nothing. It was closed. She heaved a sigh of relief. ¡®What? Wait¡­ what?!¡¯


    ¡®Keep your voice down. I¡¯m running back right now. Hide. Now.¡¯


    As she was just about to reply, a slam came at the door. Her heart sank in fear¡­ Then, her eyes pierced around the room. Hide. Hide. WHERE?! The closet? NO. THAT WAS TOO OBVIOUS. THE BATHROOM?! NO. NO¡­ She started to panic, as the knocking came again. She knelt beside the bunk bed, seeing that there was a small gap underneath it. Barely large enough to fit a person¡­ Given her stature, it might be hard.


    The knocking became violent, smashing against the door. ¡°PLEASE LET ME IN!¡± a voice shouted at her. ¡°PLEASE!!!¡±


    She slowly gasped at each violent smash, gulping down her worries.


    It wasn¡¯t a voice she recognised. But for a second, she almost considered it. ¡®Kaz¡­ what¡­ do I do?¡¯ Eliza asked. She knew what she had to do¡­ She started to crawl beneath the bunk bed, feeling the rough carpet below and the soft mattress above.


    ¡®Hide. Make no noise. I¡¯m coming,¡¯ Kazuki reported. She remained silent as ordered, placing both hands on her mouth¡­


    Still, the shouting outside kept coming. ¡°PLEASE! I BEG YOU!¡± It slowly went down to a startled cry¡­


    That¡¯s no friend, Eliza¡­. She told herself.


    Synthia spoke up, ¡®Let¡¯s not be hasty¡­ let¡¯s stay here¡­¡¯


    Eliza nodded. ¡®I know. It¡¯s no friend,¡¯ she repeated out loud.


    Her mind shot into action, thinking of possible solutions. Though none boded well. Was she going to die? No¡­ no, not here. She refused to believe that this will be her grave, but her thoughts quickly faded away as the door came open with a crash of fired circuits.


    ¡°Stupid fucking phase doors¡­¡± She heard footsteps entered into the room.


    Synthia placed a finger to her lips, easing Eliza¡¯s mind through her presence alone.


    She talked to Kazuki silently, ¡®Kazuki! Someone¡¯s here!¡¯ Her hands remained firmly planted on top of her mouth, stopping her from audibly gasping for air.


    ¡¯Hold. On. I¡¯m coming. Stay silent, do not move.¡¯


    Silently staying put, she saw a pair of boots trod against the floor. She heard the closet doors get flung open. Dear fuck¡­ By the Eclipse, she was thankful she wasn¡¯t in there. She heard whoever it was searching around the place, before entering the bathroom¡­ The doors slid closed¡­


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry Miss Elizabeth,¡¯ Synthia whispered silently to Eliza, a holographic visage in front of her, patting her cheek. ¡®Mr. GemRy will arrive shortly, there¡¯s nothing to fear.¡¯


    She nodded, agreeing with Synthia as she AI continued to pat her on the cheek. Despite the feeling barely being noted by her physically, Eliza cherished each stroke.


    Her heart was bleeding. Eliza couldn¡¯t take it¡­ Her composure was lost, as she started to hyperventilate¡­ She has to stay strong here¡­ Eliza hijacked her own breathing, using everything beyond her willpower to keep it closed¡­ to keep her racing heart from screaming out in agony.


    She steeled herself, even biting into her own tongue. She hoped the pain would ward away her stress - but it did not. It intensified, as the figure returned back into the main quarters¡­ And then, it knelt.


    It placed a hand against the floor¡­ Eliza could see it clearly with the white lights shining down.


    A muzzle came into view, as a hand grabbed onto the underside of the bunk bed. Eliza closed her eyes. And then, a gunshot rang out¡­


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Eliza muttered to herself¡­ Was she dead? She slowly opened her eyes. A second gunshot, then another! A whole fusillade.


    Bolt casing dropped onto the floor as the figure fired towards the door.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    There was fighting! Bolts flew up, smacking into flesh, steel and energy. Then, she heard a splash. The figure fell down to the floor.


    They were still breathing. She saw the gun slowly slide towards her¡­ Does she take it? Does she take the shot? Eliza couldn¡¯t tell exactly what was going on, but she had a choice¡­ use the gun, or not¡­


    Then, she saw a second pair of shoes enter¡­ They looked familiar, along with a metallic breathing she knew all too well. They knelt down, a mechanical noise soothing Eliza¡¯s mind¡­ But it didn¡¯t look underneath the bunk bed. Instead, the person was directly on top of the figure¡­


    ¡°P¡­please¡­ I¡¯ll¡ª¡±


    BANG.


    Eliza covered her head with her hands. She moved them to her ears¡­ covering them. BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. The loud noises continued¡­ And then, silence¡­ She looked forward, as a head popped down to look at her.


    ¡°KAZ!¡± She shouted, looking at a familiar face¡­ It was the face she knew of for so long, though Kazuki was missing his aug-glasses. He was breathing heavily, a small amount of steam exiting his mouth. The hand he held on the ground shook slightly¡­


    He nodded at her, extending a hand underneath. She grabbed onto it, as he pulled her out. ¡°You hurt?¡± he asked.


    Eliza shook her head, not daring to look at the dead corpse in their presence. Kazuki kept holding her hand, as he led her out into the hall. Though he was the first to hold her hand, Eliza gripped harder.


    ¡®Captain, is the ship secure?¡¯


    She heard muffles of something on the uplink channels, but couldn¡¯t hear into it. And then, the red lights turned off - blinking. And the normal lights ran back online.


    ¡®ALL PASSENGERS ARE TO REMAIN IN THEIR QUARTERS UNTIL GIVEN DIRECTIONS BY THE INTERCOM.¡¯ ¡°Where are we going, Kaz?¡± asked Eliza. She pressed her fingers down further, not wishing to let Kazuki, the key to it all, go.


    He turned back to her. ¡°The captain owes me for saving him and the crew. He¡¯ll have us relocated to one of the First Class Suites. Let¡¯s go¡­¡±


    ? ? ?


    Eliza rolled around on her double bed. ¡°At least the rest of the ride was comfy¡­¡± she said.


    A mere grumble was all Kazuki gave to that notion.


    It was nice and fluffy¡­ as she expected. ¡°I still feel like I owe you, Synthia,¡± Eliza shouted across at the holographic figure of Synthia, sitting on the table and recharging. The AI tutor was small, as always. ¡°Kazuki isn¡¯t too find of what happened, though.¡±


    ¡®If anything, compensation is good, wouldn¡¯t you agree, Mr. GemRy?¡¯ Synthia asked as she tilted towards Kazuki. She did the same. His bed was empty and nicely kept¡­ In fact, she thinks he didn¡¯t even bother sleeping for the week¡¯s journey - only maintaining his guard.


    The thought dismayed Eliza slightly.


    Kazuki, for his part, was standing at the window, staring off into the abyss of warped voidway. The room was large and spacious, like a large hotel room on the move. The d¨¦cor, the holographic portraits and neatly neon lighted carpet¡­. The hovering lights: everything screamed pure luxury to Eliza.


    ¡°I cannot overlook this,¡± Kazuki stated, ignoring all the splendours around him. He took a moment to manually reclock his exospine. Eliza instinctively threw over a new priming pin amongst a jar of them. Kazuki snatched it out of the air, readjusting some parts along the power converters. "Thanks."


    ¡°Wait¡­ what are you talking about?¡± Eliza mused.


    Kazuki paused for a few seconds, still staring off into space. ¡°We¡¯re nearly there,¡± he said. He popped a pill of Halolazil into his mouth¡­ holding one hand with the other.


    ¡®How do you know?¡¯ Synthia asked, before falling to an offended voice. ¡®Have you been checking me without my knowledge?! I¡¯ve been keeping track of the voidcraft¡¯s trajectories ever since we left Lautrasia.


    ¡®I¡¯ve been counting,¡¯ Kazuki answered¡­ What? Counting? Wait? Has he been counting the whole time?


    Whilst she was sleeping and resting and lounging around, he¡¯s just been counting¡­ ¡°Kaz¡­ can¡¯t you relax?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Kazuki raised his voice, to Eliza¡¯s surprise. She shook slightly, as she sat up on the bed, wearing her pyjamas. He turned around to her, his face unmoving. Despite the monotone voice, it betrayed Kazuki¡¯s thoughts . ¡°You nearly died under my protection. Again.¡±


    His unmoving eyes stared at her, giving no remorse or affection.


    ¡°Kaz¡­ I know¡­ but¡­ can¡¯t you relax for a while? For my sake?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯ll help me feel at ease knowing you¡¯re at ease.¡±


    Kazuki paused. His head twisted back around towards the abyss. And then back towards her. He sighed, eyes and muscles still unmoving. ¡°Fine¡­ But we won¡¯t have long because¡ª¡±


    An intercom interjected, cutting Kazuki off, ¡®We have arrived at our final destination, the Grand¨¦ Ball Palace. Thank you all for your patronage with the Gran-Mercutio,¡¯ it said. It had a soft, faint voice that was still audible.


    ¡®Well, the two of you can still have some fun at the Ball Palace,¡¯ commented Synthia, before giggling slightly. Eliza¡¯s face turned bright red as she grabbed an empty plastic mug from the side table, lobbing it at her. It phased directly through Synthia.


    She hoped Kazuki didn¡¯t take into consideration what the AI had just said¡­


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Eliza turned towards him, as she started to do her hair up in a half-up style. A patterned hair ornament held it in place.


    He remained silent, watching the warp field shut off, the cruise re-entering normal space.


    Bright stars littered the astral winds once more, as a large structure peered out from the distance. It was a structure Eliza¡¯s been to only once in her life¡­ And that one time changed everything¡­ But this time will be different, she thought. Kaz kept his head forward, eyes staring at the large space station¡­ Though calling it a space station would never fully capture its beauty. It was a marvel of architecture, a bright marbled space station with pillars, appendages, and a large dome for its ¡®roof¡¯. It fulfilled what everyone thought of when the think of the Ball Palace: a noble vestige of a bygone era.


    Though to Eliza, this place has only ever brought one thing: and that was blood. ¡°Things will be different this time around,¡± she tried to assure herself, muttering. She then raised her voice for Kazuki to hear. "Right?"


    Kazuki spoke up, ¡°It will. I blundered last time. Try fooling the database twice. It will not work. Be it the Marquis or Obadiah, we will not falter.¡± He extended a hand.


    Eliza looked at him, as he turned around to her. Slowly, she walked over, getting up and shaking. ¡°Don''t be so serious, Kazuki, we''re here to enjoy life as well, you know? The Dassant has changing rooms past customs. Some tradition about surprising others with fashion¡­ We can get changed there.¡±


    She prayed, hoped, begged that thing will be different. Kazuki''s eyes merely stared deep within her red soul, before blinking solemnly, he then nodded. This has to be different. This time round, they have potential friends and allies awaiting for their arrival. Kazuki is not bound by the Directors of his past. They¡¯ll find a lead, they¡¯ll most definitely find answers¡­


    Piece by piece, Eliza knows that her, Kazuki and Archius from afar will bring all the deaths the peace they deserve, hidden knives beneath the backs of those that seek to flush their lights away with a darkness over this Republic.

 X12: One Sided Headaches

    ¡°What¡¯s the time?¡± asked Eliza, walking alongside Kazuki.


    They were in the middle of the customs line. The Ball Palace looked far too bright, filled with splendour - and the hidden blood of so many beneath them all... The walls were lined with ornate pillars, with hovering chandeliers and fabric banners Hanging from the ceiling, displaying the vibrant colours of the galaxy¡¯s aristocracy.


    ¡®Would you like standard time or¡­?¡¯ Synthia asked in return, perched like a bird on Eliza¡¯s shoulder, peering across the entrance hall.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Localised time, please?¡± Eliza shook her head as she glanced up and around, the lavishly decorated entrance zone was nothing short of a total display of luxury and wealth.


    Kazuki expected nothing less, considering who¡¯s hosting the Dassant this year.


    ¡®0900. One hour until the start of the Dassant proper, we were quite lucky to have arrived on time.¡¯ Synthia said.


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± Eliza trailed off. She turned towards Kazuki. Her beady blood-red eyes stared into his amber-gold husks.


    ¡°What?¡± Kazuki asked before Eliza could even say a word. His head remained planted forward.


    ¡°Chlo¨¦ will be here, have you got anyone else with you? Well¡­ except the bodyguards you told me earlier,¡± Eliza said, then raising an eyebrow. ¡°Wait¡­ are you allowed guards?¡±


    She then looked around, seeing the half a dozen guards stationed around the room. Imperial Knights.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°Three is enough.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ What about the attendant cap?¡± Eliza trailed off. This was her second Dassant, Kazuki thought.


    ¡°Attendant cap scales on fame and wealth¡­¡± Kazuki held firm onto the hover luggage in his hand. ¡°Despite what it may seem, my personal wealth is not large.¡±


    Eliza shook her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t the AGENCY profitable? It is¡­ Clandestine¡¯s successor, is it not?¡±


    It was. ¡°Hmm.¡± Kazuki was going to sell it short to Eliza. ¡°I pay my men more. I pay them far more than Clandestine did.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, well, I guess that¡¯s why a lot of your men seem quite loyal to you,¡± remarked Eliza.


    Money buys loyalty. His blood secures it. His name meant nothing to them because he bleeds more than he proclaims.


    ¡°Fer-Charelota. Any idea on how to contact him?¡± asked Kazuki, slowly stepping forward as the customs line shifted.


    Eliza replied, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that, he¡¯ll come of his own volition¡­ He¡¯s organising this, so he¡¯ll be quite busy.¡± She popped her head out of the line for a moment. peering down to the security gates leading into the palace proper.


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t have anything bad on you, do you?¡± inquired Eliza.


    That was too subjective for him to answer. He had medical drugs on him¡­ From the perspective of his detractors, they¡¯d see that as bad. Proclaim and lie that the Contract-Breaker is a druggie¡­


    ¡°Luggage, body, regular stuff,¡± Kazuki said.


    Synthia then Eliza snapped towards Kazuki. ¡°Wait, but you¡¯re¡­¡± she trailed off, pointing at him. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything on you, right? Like¡­ self defence things.¡±


    Kazuki paused. He absolutely did. ¡°I¡¯ll convince them,¡± he said.


    His head glanced around the room, noting down the monitor drones scanning up and down the line. There were guards as well, white-cloaked, suited and armoured individuals. Gold accent trims along their clothes and armour¡­ It was more extravagant than last year.


    ¡°Imperial Knights¡­¡± Kazuki trailed.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Eliza asked, leaning in towards Kazuki.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± Kazuki¡¯s eyes glanced across the room, before settling back forward. He didn¡¯t have Archius to help him, not here at least. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something.¡±


    ¡°Kaz!¡± Eliza shouted in a hushed tone. ¡°There¡¯s no need for weapons, especially not here.¡±


    Kazuki simply nodded. It was better to just not argue with her. Arguing gives him headaches, and with her especially. She did have a point, though. There are no open threats here. It is best to play by the rules. ¡°I¡¯ll hand them over. That good with you?¡±


    ¡°Why¡­ it sounds like you were asking me for permission¡­¡±


    ¡®Probably because he was,¡¯ said Synthia, turning to Kaz. ¡®Mr. GemRy, you shouldn¡¯t be worried about trouble, the Imperial Knights are more than competent.¡¯


    ¡°Threats without, or within?¡± asked Kazuki. Synthia paused for a moment. Both he and Eliza waited for an answer.


    Then, Eliza realised what he was asking. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have too much trouble¡­¡±


    The Imperial Knights aren¡¯t too fond of him, especially after the last Dassant. He¡¯s been pardoned, though. Officially, at least. Unofficially, that was a different story. And Matt had connections, Mischief Board.


    They must have served him well before Kazuki smothered his reputation and brains across the window.


    Still, who knows what enemies lie in wait? He continued to think, time passing. Before he knew it, they were at the checkpoint.


    ¡°Bags and luggage in the tub,¡± said the chief security guard. They were tall, a figure clouded in white clothes, with an ornamental arming-sword at their waist. ¡°You two together?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Eliza looked over at the guard as she placed her bags on a hovering tub, attached to a searching machine. She glanced back at Kazuki, who was putting his own stuff in another tub, before looking back. ¡°Yes, Kazuki¡¯s with me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, just a formality but¡­ passports.¡± The man extended a hand out as Kazuki handed his own personal holoport to Eliza.


    She passed them over as the man ignited the black and blue passports. He peered at the information for a moment, including their Gene-Chains.


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    Kazuki peered past Eliza¡¯s head, seeing the contrasting colours of the two passports. The blue standard Republic holoport against the Black, diplomatic immunity of the Trasian Delegation.


    He skimmed through them, before passing them back. ¡°Welcome to the Ball Palace, Miss Celeste-Delmara and Prince Geminorum-Ryzaku. The journey to the main hall will take some time, I would recommend you two change in one of the changing rooms before the metro arrives.¡±


    Eliza nodded. ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± she said, as she passed through the contraband detector. Kazuki glanced over at the bags as they slid into the machine through a large gap. There was a drone behind the computer. Then, Kazuki stepped through the same detector.


    As expected, a loud beep stopped him from passing as the guard placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Should have expected that,¡± the guard remarked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kazuki replied. They led him to the side, over to one of the smaller tables near the corner of the room.


    ¡°Kaz? Is there a problem?¡± Eliza looked over at him, as she was holding onto both their luggage.


    Kazuki shook his head. ¡°Just go on ahead, it¡¯ll take a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh! It shouldn¡¯t take that long,¡± said another guard, a female voice taking over the inspection. He looked over at the guard. ¡°The galaxy¡¯s a dangerous place¡­ Here¡¯s different though. Hand over your weapons, Arbiter¡­¡±


    Kazuki recognised the voice. ¡°Lycinakia?¡± he asked.


    The guard nodded, waving at him. ¡°Sorry about this, but rules are rules.¡±


    Oh¡­ That was a surprise. Though he was quite thankful that she was able to get a good job after leaving the AGENCY.


    Kazuki lingered for a moment, as Lycinakia placed her hands on her hips. It was close to her blades, a simple gesture. Foolish, yes, but Kazuki will respect her for standing to her rules.


    He complied, nodding. He placed one hand up in front of the guard, as he pulled out a pistol from his trousers. The guard placed a security case in front of him, something for him to place his weapons in.


    They must have been saving this for him, he reluctantly thought.


    Then, he took out throwing knives from his belt. A secondary pistol wrapped around his ankle. A miniature WRIST-SHOT within his ICAPAD. A small knife from his other ankle. A third pistol hidden underneath his arm¡­


    Lycinakia let off a small sigh, before chuckling at the sight.


    Eliza, though, was simply patiently waiting. But Synthia was another story. ¡®At my estimates, we have twenty minutes of changing time until the next round of the metro. I have no doubts about Kazuki¡¯s ability to change clothes quickly, but Miss Eliza, you should probably get a head start.¡¯


    ¡°What, no!¡± Eliza retorted. ¡°It¡¯ll only take a small amount of time, right, Kazuki?¡±


    ¡°I think,¡± he replied. He took out an expandable stun taser embedded into his holophone. Half of it was gear that Archius would have snuck in with¡­ successfully, unlike him. ¡°I¡¯ll have to apologise to Rivera later.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ can see that,¡± said Eliza, before letting off a small laugh.


    Kazuki finished up by placing down three more throwing knives.


    Lycin asked, ¡°You done, Arbiter?¡± She sounded mildly frustrated.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kazuki said, as he walked off.


    He grabbed hold of his own luggage, marching forward as Eliza handed him back his holoport. The Phoenix mon seal shone brightly¡­ He was a phoenix, though he was a literal one¡­ arisen from the ashes of Clandestine.


    However, that was not the Phoenix his family wanted him to be. Nevertheless, they don¡¯t get a say in that matter. They lost their right for that nine years, eleven months ago¡­


    ? ? ?


    Ugh¡­ did she¡­ order the wrong dress, Eliza thought. She circled around the room, counting her paces instead of focusing on the problem at hand. Taking a swift glance, she looked in the mirror. Seeing the spectacular dress that Kazuki¡¯s tailor had made, it was beyond her own description of elegance, extravagance and modesty, all compounded into a single item of clothing.


    To think he worked at such speed and in such a small space! She felt like twirling around in it, but Synthia cut that thought short, sprouting off her shoulder and onto her head.


    ¡°I even have one for each day of the week¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, glancing at the wide selection of similar-ish clothes that the master tailor had provided. The themes were all similar, yet different at the same time - a mix that she wasn¡¯t able to truly comprehend¡­ even with a repository of words from studying comprehension.


    ¡®Are we done? I believe Kazuki is waiting for us outside,¡¯ she said. ¡®And we¡¯ve only got two minutes until the train arrives.¡¯


    ¡°Two minutes? How do you know?!¡± Eliza asked.


    Synthia rolled her eyes as she stood on the bag of luggage that Eliza had with her, no taller than a Her coffee mug. ¡®I¡¯ve downloaded the schedule for the system, and these people do love their schedules, so if you are changed I believe we can leave, you can freely gawk at it ON the train.¡¯


    ¡°Well¡­ I just¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, looking back at the dress. She was worried that she was¡­ wearing it wrong? It just had a sense of flourish that made her believe she wasn¡¯t fit for it.


    ¡®Well, you got what you asked for, is there anything else?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Come on, let¡¯s go.¡¯


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Eliza readjusted her hair ornament, keeping her hair neatly in place¡­ This dress was fine, she thought. Her pride overpowered the thoughts of it being above her. ¡°Alright, I think I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡®Great!¡¯ Synthia said out loud, holographically projecting herself onto Eliza¡¯s shoulder as she shoved everything in her luggage bag, before messily zipping it up. Activating the hover lifts, she tugged both on the curtains and the hovering luggage, exiting forth as Kazuki stood leaning against the wall in the hall.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going,¡± said Kazuki, with his cold, monotone voice. He gave her one look, before turning and walking away. He wore a black suit, with gold and red as its secondary and tertiary colours. It was the family colours of his house, though his response was quite lacklustre, given how she agonised over her presentation.


    Was that all he had to say?! She grumbled to herself but followed anyway. He must be worried about the train¡¯s timetable, she thought.


    Whilst walking, the sight of a painting caught her eye... ¡°Kaz...?¡± Noticing that Eliza had stopped, Kazuki slowly backpedalled.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± inquired Kazuki, slowly looking at the painting. It was in three dimensions, a snapshot of history, in three dimensions. ¡°Oh. That dates back to the year four-seven-four-nine.¡±


    ¡°How can you tell?¡± replied Eliza in a rather frustrated tone, both at Kazuki¡¯s lack of tact and the lack of a proper explanation.


    Kazuki slowly gestured to a woman in the painting, a Trasian woman dancing with another. ¡°Ancestor. The to-be-Empress with her to-be Consort,¡± nonchalantly answered Kazuki, before walking away.


    Eliza found his lack of emotions rather... rough, to say the least, especially with the bombshell just dropped on Eliza! Still, she followed after him.


    Walking through onto the station, it was packed with people, all wearing brooches of differing sizes, shapes, colours and flavour. She tried her best to look over the shoulders of everyone, seeing if the train had arrived, as a distant Whir slid into hearing distance.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything¡­¡±


    Kazuki snapped back, ¡°What?¡±


    She pouted, looking away and letting off a harumph. ¡°Can you see anything?¡± Eliza changed the subject, not wanting to repeat herself.


    Synthia projected herself on top of Eliza¡¯s head, placing a hand up to her forehead, glancing left and right. ¡®Not exactly, though it should be here in just a few moments.¡¯


    Eliza sighed, feeling something tug at her arm. It was a course, rough hand. ¡°Best we don¡¯t get separated,¡± Kazuki said. She glanced down at his hand, seeing the burn marks and scars littering his skin, along with a very slight shake.


    She grabbed his arm back in return. ¡°I concur,¡± she said. ¡°So¡­ when¡¯s the train arriving?¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± Kazuki asked, as a gush of wind rushed into the station/ A steel object flung into view, stopping at immense speeds in front of them. Almost everyone was pushed back slightly by the force, as gale and storm cleared a path from the doors to a yellow line painted holographically on the platform.


    Looking around, Eliza realised that they were in front now, as almost everyone had been pushed back by the air force.


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Eliza looked around, and at the ground, noting ¡®DO NOT STAND IN FRONT OF THE LINE¡¯ sign plastered to the floor.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Kazuki commented, as he looked around him. No one was on the ground, though the force was quite strong. ¡°Unnecessary theatrics.¡±


    He tugged on her arm, as the doors opened, entering into the train - ahead of a crowd of stunned passengers. ¡°How did you?¡±


    ¡°I stood behind the line,¡± Kazuki commented. ¡°If the air didn¡¯t push them back, there¡¯d be a fine paste of red on these walls.¡±


    The train wasn¡¯t exactly like a standard metro train back on Anagora. Its chassis was ornate and old, yet had a grand design of elegance on the interior, built with cabins instead of mass rows of seats, like the trains on her homeworld of Enga. Kazuki led her into the first cabin they found. She carefully placed her luggage down beside the door as Kazuki dropped his.


    ¡®I see the owners of this palace still have quite a sense of humour,¡¯ said Synthia.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± Kazuki replied, sitting down. He glanced out the window.


    Eliza sat opposite him, still somewhat bitter that he hadn¡¯t commented anything on her clothes. She angrily cleared her throat, attracting Kazuki¡¯s ire and gaze. She crossed her arms, puffing her chest forward with confidence. ¡°So?¡± she asked.


    ¡±So what?¡± Kazuki immediately snapped back, without a moment of thinking.


    Synthia projected onto Kazuki¡¯s shoulders, whispering something into his ear. He slowly pried his gaze back to Eliza. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Kazuki paused and trailed off, before looking at Eliza¡­


    His face was unchanged, a blank and unremorseful expression. ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± Kazuki said, his voice monotone - but with a hint of hesitation.


    Eliza ignored that, she shouldn¡¯t have asked to begin with. It takes far too much effort to get Kazuki to express any emotion whatsoever, she thought. Best to accept what he¡¯s able to do, she thought.


    Synthia projected onto Eliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Come on, Miss Elizabeth¡­¡¯ she whispered. ¡®You understand that he must be rather tense¡­ give him some slack. You know I do when you skip plans with friends to revise.¡¯


    Of course she knows that¡­ Yet still the forced words stuck to her mind, leeching away the brain power for everything else.

 X13: Highride of Wealth & Greed

    Was¡­ he supposed to say something? Kazuki stalled in his mind. He remembers his mother saying something on the lines of that, but that wasn¡¯t exactly related to this. The train ride was silent. Neither uttered a word.


    And before long, they were at their destination: the entrance hall of the Ball Palace¡­ Still stank of wealth.


    He looked around him, seeing dozens of people, wearing brooches with refined tastes. Attendants lined the room. And here he was¡­ The Contract-Breaker.


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Kazuki could hear Eliza trail off.


    His brain didn¡¯t absorb the information. What was there to thank him for? He bleeds for the oath, not for her, trailed his thoughts.


    ¡°Kaz?¡± she called out his name. His attention snapped back to her


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    He kept his eyes in front as Eliza tugged at him with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re tired, aren¡¯t you, you should have rested up when we were on the cruise,¡± she said, her smile turning to a concerned stare, those eyes looked too similar¡­ too similar.


    Does he? He thought he always looked tired.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Kazuki said, ignoring her concerns. They entered a massive congregation hall, filled with food, tables, chairs and holographic banners. They played the largest of the dynasties present. The Four Greats were included.


    Two drones hovered down to Eliza and Kazuki. ¡®PLEASE PROVIDE US WITH YOUR LUGGAGE. MISS¡­ CELESTE-DELMARA. MISTER¡­ GEMINORUM-RYZAKU. WE WILL BRING THEM TO YOUR ROOMS.¡¯


    Kazuki did not remember this being a thing. His dead face thinned for a moment as he looked at the drones, GemDev was written in small writing along the rim of their large scanning eyes.


    ¡°Oh? They do this now?¡± Eliza asked. She handed her luggage to the drone in front of her. It bounced down for a moment, before repelling back upwards. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡®SALUTATIONS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.¡¯ The drone beeped and booped.


    He dithered. Maybe he was being paranoid, but he preferred to be sceptical. Eliza¡¯s drone hovered away, leaving only Kazuki¡¯s. He looked up as even more drones were leaving, with luggage.


    He caught a glimpse of the largest banners above. Tatsuo-Ryzaku, Fer-Charelota, ¨ªlize and the Feonars. Hmm.


    Eliza poked at him before he could finish his thought. ¡°Come on¡­ you¡¯re attracting attention,¡± she said, her face slightly red as Kazuki looked around. A few glances were given towards him. Kazuki shoved the luggage into the drone¡¯s steel probing arms.


    It then shot up, and away. ¡°Sorry,¡± Kazuki said.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t be. Though, what were you looking at anyways?¡± she asked.


    Kazuki glanced up at the banners again. ¡°Nothing,¡± he said. ¡°Was just looking around.¡±


    Eliza nodded, as she peered down the hall, towards an emptied staircase, as someone emerged from up above.


    He ignored what was going on¡­ No. He was just distracted by the flying drones, aimlessly looking up at them.


    The lights were slowly killed, dimming the whole room. Whispers and murmurs loomed within the crowd. Kazuki still didn¡¯t care. He was still looking up at the drones, as Eliza tugged onto him.


    ¡°It¡¯s starting,¡± she whispered into his ear, standing ever so slightly taller from her heels.


    Oh, it is, he thought. He glanced up towards the stairs, as a man wearing a marble white frock coat, adorned with gold, came into view. He wore a bright expression, along with a pale, golden cloak. Underneath his coat was a simple tunic, adorned with decorations and achievements - with a brooch akin to the blazing space-rings of Kast¨¦, on a golden flower.


    It shone bright pink, complimenting the mosaic of colours. Dark, curly auburn hair with a small, subtle stubble. His shining pink eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, tinted with holographic icons.


    ¡°The Marquis,¡± Kazuki said to Eliza. ¡°Show-off.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover¡­¡± Eliza shook her head at him as drones started to hover by, passing everyone a glass of wine


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    Kazuki noted that they had small bow-ties.


    Eliza grabbed two from a plate passing by, gesturing to Kazuki.


    Snatching it from her, he downed it immediately. Wait¡­ no. He shouldn¡¯t have done that, he thought. He felt all tingly now.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ but judging books by their covers is the basis for my threat detection,¡± explained Kazuki. ¡°It¡¯s how I can predict bad things happening. Though that might just be the phoenix rubbing off its embers onto me.¡±


    Eliza looked surprised at him as she looked at the empty glass of wine. ¡°Oh¡­ well, it seems like you liked the alcohol, can you detect how strong alcohol is?¡± she asked


    Kazuki shook his head. ¡°My body¡¯s regenerative adaptability is countered by fermentation and ethanol.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, furrowing her brow at him.


    ¡°Nevermind¡­¡±


    The drones were providing everyone in the room with a complimentary glass of wine.


    Up above, on the floors above, Kazuki could see the glimpses of journalists and reporters. They were ready to catch any gossip about the galaxy¡¯s wealthy elite. Kazuki wondered whether they¡¯ll be another fifty bullshit magazine articles on how to climb up to their position, all filled with lies.


    Imperial Knights and Squires were also present, eyes pouring into the crowd for any sign of trouble. They have a job to do, he has one as well.


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    The Marquis clicked his white layered boots, attracting all attention with his booming voice.


    ¡°You know¡­ I had a whole speech prepared for this. But, now that I¡¯m here, I feel like there¡¯s no need for that,¡± said the Marquis Gilbera Fer-Charelota, raising a cup. His voice was pompous. His accent thick. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen the Ball Palace, made a few renovations for the place, thought it was getting a bit too dull for us al. That¡¯s not my only surprise! I see new brooches amongst us.¡±


    Kazuki could see people glance around in near-darkness, as Fer-Charelota continued, ¡°And I see old faces as well! But no matter, to all of you, especially those newly minted brooches to our organisation: I wish you all a stay for this year¡¯s Solar Dassant.¡±


    He raised his cup, as he drank.


    Everyone did the same. Except for Kazuki, of course. He had already drunken his¡­ His eyes wandered about.


    ¡°There¡¯s some new houses,¡± he said, as the lights kicked back on, and the talking started. ¡°I already count fifteen.¡±


    The entire room was now alive with movement. The doors leading further into the venue were opened. The event has officially begun. The investigation is a go.


    ¡°Well, you must expect that there are some that are able to climb the ladder far enough,¡± Eliza commented, as she slowly sipped on her glass. She finished it, before it was taken away by a serving drone.


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Kazuki said. ¡°This is getting a bit crowded. I¡¯ll go ahead to our room.¡±


    Eliza nodded, ¡°Wait¡­ then what will I do?¡± She pointed at herself.


    Kazuki nodded at her shoulder as Eliza twisted around in her red dress. Yeah¡­ maybe he should have complimented that¡­ At least that¡¯s what his mother would say.


    Now that he finally sees her properly in the bright lights¡­ she looked too similar to Victoria. He gripped his left hand, feeling it shake slightly. Fight off, Kazuki thought.


    And standing beside Eliza was none other than Chlo¨¦, dressed in a white suit. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think you two can escape to your rooms just yet! You¡¯re both late!¡± She grinned with a glance to the two of them.


    Snarky as always¡­


    ¡±She¡¯s at fault,¡± Kazuki commented.


    ¡°Huh? Wait, no¡­ It was him! He¡¯s the reason why we¡¯re late,¡± Eliza tried to explain to Chlo¨¦.


    Chlo¨¦ finger gunned Eliza, looking her up and down. Eliza did the same, mimicking her actions. She had her Theonari age markings repainted beneath her eyes.


    She the looked down at her clothes, matching her bright eyes and Feonar-Theonari peachy blonde hair. ¡°Hey, nice suit!¡± Eliza remarked, with an equally bright face.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Chlo¨¦ said. ¡°And you! Seems like Kaz¡¯s been splashing out on you¡­¡± Chlo¨¦ gave a smug expression to Kazuki. He gave her a dead-pan response.


    Eliza chuckled, covering her face somewhat. ¡°Kaz, you didn¡¯t spend that much on it, right?¡±


    ¡°The expenses have been sent to my household,¡± Kazuki remarked. He placed his hands in his pockets. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the cost.¡±


    ¡°Well, you can eye-ball the cost, right?¡± asked Chlo¨¦, smirking.


    Eliza slowly turned to Kazuki. Her eyes asked the same question


    He couldn¡¯t get an exact estimate, but gave it his best shot. ¡°Two hundred thousand standardis.¡±


    Her jaw dropped. Chlo¨¦¡¯s face brightened as she laughed. ¡°Two hundred thousand?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s some people¡¯s yearly wages!¡± Eliza remarked, gasping in surprise. ¡°How¡­¡± Eliza started to pinch the edges of her dress, wondering just why its expensive.


    ¡°Master Chyari made it. Highest quality in the galaxy.¡±


    Chlo¨¦ raised an eyebrow. ¡°He¡¯s not just an urban legend amongst the elite?¡±


    Kazuki nodded, before turning away. ¡°Anyways¡­ You get a start, Liz. I¡¯ll catch up.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Eliza blurted out, as Chlo¨¦ nodded, dragging Eliza away with her superior strength. ¡°Oh? Alright! See you later!¡± She waved back at him, before disappearing into the crowd, leaving Kazuki alone. He stood along, as people passed by, giving the Contract-Breaker awkward stares. He kept his eyes planted forward. His mere presence here was an offence to all and himself.


    A small gap was building between him and those around. They wanted to avoid him. He knew.


    Maybe Eliza was right. He should cool off for a little bit. Hopefully, nothing detracts him from this simple goal, he thought. Chlo¨¦ will keep an eye on Eliza.

 X14: Ball Palace

    Chlo¨¦ led Eliza around the place, drinking and eating whatever confectionaries Chlo¨¦ wanted. ¡°You know, my parents called it the round-robin eight,¡± Chlo¨¦ said. ¡°Find and drink the eight legendary drinks that this place has to offer, don¡¯tcha think?¡±


    Eliza was sipping down on a glass of wine¡­ It was bitter, but quite refreshing. ¡°Well¡­ I think it¡¯ll be more a one in a life time thing for me, I don¡¯t think I can handle this every year¡­¡± she trailed off, placing the empty cup on a serving drone¡¯s plate.


    For Chlo¨¦¡¯s sake, Eliza steeled her stomach through the pain and agony, fighting the need to vomit. Though she secretly grasped at her sides, begging for the cocktail of exotic tastes to end sooner than later.


    Chlo¨¦ shrugged, as she turned, looking over at pink cake being cut up¡­ Eliza really should have put more thought into what she¡¯d do at the event, now that she thinks about it. After all, she¡¯s here on an investigation, and making friends is just a part of that.


    Her liver did not like the round robin eight. Not one bit, she proclaimed to herself. She tried to follow on after Chlo¨¦, but felt an arm wrap around her, as a tall figure emerged from behind her.


    Eliza stopped in her tracks. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Chlo¨¦ turned around, not looking exactly surprised, simply nodding upwards. Eliza looked up, seeing none other than Archius, wearing a waistcoat with his messy and sharp hair cut and done down into a mischievously casual look, though it did give off an air of professionalism - though Eliza didn¡¯t know if it was her knowledge of him, or the look itself.


    ¡°Hey, you two rascals think you can get rid of me!?¡± he asked, jokingly, as he slapped Eliza on the back.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t do that¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, slowly jabbing at Archius¡¯ sides. He took a step back, with Eliza having to dust the hem of her dress off any creases and dust, before pulling her thigh-highs back up at the perfect length from the hem.


    Taking something out of his pocket, he presented Eliza with a jar of pills. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this in your hands, I was able to procure some from Claire. My apologies for creasing your dress.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thanks,¡± Eliza said, grabbing onto the jar and opening it. She popped a pill in her mouth, as she swallowed it. It was hard, given the fact that she had no water. Strangely enough, her stomach didn¡¯t feel like it was completely scrambled with a dozen cocktails of alcohol! ¡°Bloody hell, that¡¯s brilliant, thanks, Archius¡­¡±


    Then, it ticked just who she was taking to. She gave Archius one glance, then another, as she raised her eyebrow. Chlo¨¦ chuckled. ¡°Barclay couldn¡¯t make it, and Archius was begging me to bring him as her!¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m here as her second!¡± Archius gave up a dual peace sign to Eliza, as he leaned in towards her, wearing a dark green suit, contrasting Chlo¨¦¡¯s. He lowered his voice as his uplink flicked on, highlighting a bright line on his uplink, a small bell earing attached to the uplink. ¡®As far as Chlo¨¦ is aware, I¡¯m just some uni dropout, got it?¡¯


    Eliza nodded.


    Archius pulled away. ¡°Archius¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to be here!¡± Eliza said, trying to continue the flow of the conversation in a way that didn¡¯t seem like he just gave her a very stern word of warning.


    ¡°That¡¯s the point!¡± Archius shouted as he glanced across the large ballroom. ¡°It¡¯s my first time here and there¡¯s so many people!¡±


    Chlo¨¦ grabbed a plate of cake from a drone, adjusting her own uplink before digging into the confectionery. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ embarrass me, alright?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯re only here because my plans A, B and C are all busy, m¡¯kay?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, but you know I would¡¯ve gotten in somehow, right?¡± Archius yapped on.


    Chlo¨¦ nodded, sighing in annoyance. He wasn¡¯t wrong, Eliza thought. With everything she¡¯s seen him able to do, she doesn¡¯t doubt his ability to get into this palace, be it legally or illegally. She¡¯d most likely prefer him to legally get in, it would be quite a surprise to Kazuki, after all.


    ¡°Does Chlo¨¦ know?¡± asked Archius, pointing at Chlo¨¦.


    Eliza paused, slowly looking at Chlo¨¦¡­ Did she know what? Know that Kazuki is here? Yeah? Well, what else could Archius be saying?


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, Kaz¡¯s here too, isn¡¯t he?¡± Chlo¨¦ asked, her head peering over and around the place.


    ¡®Oh, she doesn¡¯t?¡¯ Archius murmured across the uplink. ¡®Oh, this will be interesting, just the three of us doing the investigation, how spicy! How interesting!¡¯


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Eliza drooped down and shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later, alright?¡± She glanced over at Chlo¨¦, who was looking off into the distance. Huh? Was something the matter?


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Kazuki, right?¡± asked Chlo¨¦, looking back at Eliza and Archius. The two twisted their heads over at the direction she was pointing at. Her words snapped to her mind, wasn¡¯t Kazuki going to rest up?!


    There was a figure standing within the crowd, they looked familiar. Eliza pushed her glasses up her nose, getting a better look as she could hear Archius chuckle.


    ¡°Look what we have here!¡± Archius remarked. Kazuki was standing still in the middle of the room, staring off into space.


    And standing beside him was a golden blonde girl, a head shorter than him. She had bright cyan eyes and was circling around him like a vulture. Her blonde hair was done up in twin tails, with a few strands of hair poking out from the top of her head. Her eyes thinned at her, she looked both Theonar and Trasian, with bright blonde against thin, roaringly blue eyes.


    Chlo¨¦ turned back to Eliza, then back at the sight - pushing forward along with her towards the two.


    Her mind filtered away any other thoughts other than to get Kazuki away safely. Kazuki was her Contract-Breaker¡­ her tool, she subconsciously thought. She was his key to this investigation, not whoever this person was!


    Kazuki¡¯s eyes snapped over to Chlo¨¦ and Eliza.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Liz¡­¡± Kazuki trailed off, looking back down and at Eliza.


    But that didn¡¯t snap Eliza out of her trance, shimmying to the side before placing her hands on her knees, and looking down at the girl. Eliza eyeballed her age to just be a year or two or three below hers. ¡°Hey¡­ I think you¡¯re annoying my friend, miss,¡± Eliza said with a hint of jealousy in her voice¡­ She wasn¡¯t aware of it, even if her eyes were wide opened - glaring intensely.


    Jealousy? No, that was impossible, she thought, that just isn¡¯t like her! She¡¯s¡­ doing this because she wants to save Kaz from this annoying girl, right? A glare of envy struck out from her rose-red eyes.


    Slowly, the girl looked up at her, wearing a light blue dress with a collage of extravagant accessories: aug-glasses that rounded her eyes, two earrings that lighted up with uplink messages, the underside of her blonde hair was glowing in a streak of rainbow colours¡­


    She had a large strand of hair that protruded out from the top of her head, like Kazuki¡¯s¡­


    A brooch. Eliza noted that she had a brooch, a bright blue gem within a phoenix against a field of crimson and sea blue.


    ¡°Oh¡­ so this is her?¡± asked the girl, looking up at Kazuki.


    Kazuki looked away, as if not wanting to talk to her. ¡°Who is this?¡± Eliza asked her eyes blaring down its envy onto this girl, a head shorter than her.


    He had a default face, simply glancing away. ¡°If you ignore her, she¡¯ll leave you alone,¡± he commented, fixing his clip-on tie.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Eliza looked down at the girl, who was angrily ¡®punching¡¯ her dress. It¡­ didn¡¯t hurt whatsoever, and she looked annoyed.


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    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t ignore me! You¡¯ll rue this day!¡± she said, as Eliza noted that she had a piece of hair flicked up, like Kazuki¡¯s¡­ Though hers was curated in the shape of a heart, she¡¯s a Trasian? ¡°I¡¯ll unleash a Yokai on you!¡±


    She seemed way too childish for Eliza to take seriously¡­ Beneath her breath, she snickered at what she thought, ¡°I think you should go back to your parents, miss.¡±


    ¡°I. Warned. You,¡± the girl said, as she took a step back, raising her hand up towards Eliza.


    Was this what Kaz meant about having to deal with people with the so-called 8th-grade syndrome?


    Then, she flicked up a small device, a button embedded into an archaic rock, within a small sealed cage. The rock was glowing red and orange, though it didn¡¯t seem hot by how she tightly held onto it. She pressed down on it,


    ¡°Where the fuck did you get that phoenix-wreath?¡± Kazuki raised his voice at the girl, but before she could say anything, or anything could be done: a bright flame burst out from the cage. "Do... wait. Did you come here without any guards?"


    It burst out, crashing upwards as ashes and fire soared up. Flying high was a bird, no¡­ a Phoenix. A Phoenicia-Leviathan, peered down at her potential prey.


    Yuki nodded. "Uh huh! Mother and father don''t know I''m here." Kazuki looked like he aged a hundred years in a single moment.


    "Fine... I''ll have one of my guys assigned to you," he said, dismayed slightly.


    Shouts and claps could be heard across the ballroom as the phoenix steadied itself. It kept flying, swooping down overhead and diving to the splendour and cheers of the room¡¯s occupants.


    Eliza peered down at the girl, as she had a bright smile on her face, barely able to hold laughter in as she extended her arm out. Eliza was stunned for a moment, enamoured by her sparkling, cyan blue doe eyes. Slowly, the phoenix perched on her hand, cawking. Eliza looked at Kazuki, he looked dead, unwilling to do anything.


    ¡°Yuki. Those were for emergencies.¡± Kazuki remarked bluntly. ¡°Grandfather gave us those stones for¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYeah, yeah, I know! And this is an emergency, there¡¯s a threat right in front of us,¡± she said, pointing a finger at Eliza. Kazuki turned to her, then the Phoenix. It simply tilted its head, then back at the girl, before pecking at her. ¡°OW. OW. OW. NO. BAD GIRL!¡±


    Kazuki grumbled, snatching the Phoenix from her before turning to Eliza. ¡°Sorry about that. I¡¯ll handle him for now.¡± He placed a hand up to the brim of his nose.


    "It¡¯s mine!¡± the girl shouted at him.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Kazuki merely gave her a nod. ¡°You¡¯ll feed her, entertain her and look after her, right?¡±


    She nodded instantly, puffing her chest out confidently. ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Kazuki didn¡¯t seem convinced, at least to Eliza, but it seemed enough to get him to agree to it.


    ¡°Hehe,¡± said the girl, with a smug look on her face. Kazuki grabbed one of her twin tails and pushed it upwards. Her response was almost immediately, as she pressed on the assault towards Kazuki. ¡°My hair! How dare you! I¡¯ll tell Mother about this!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kazuki said, using a single hand to stop her. ¡°I don¡¯t care¡­¡±


    The girl spent the next few seconds trying to ¡®fix¡¯ her hair¡­ It wasn¡¯t messed up in any way, but Eliza could sympathise with wanting to keep hair clean, nice and tidy.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Kazuki made a weird noise, as he looked down at his leg. There was a small kid tugging at his trousers. Eliza paused, before looking up at Kazuki with a suspicious face. ¡°No. He¡¯s not mine,¡± he said.


    His affirmation was enough to convince Eliza otherwise, though she remained somewhat wary of this new kid. He had auburn hair and bright pink eyes.


    ¡°Sir¡­ your bird,¡± said the kid, pointing at the Phoenix. ¡°Can I pet it?¡±


    Kazuki looked at Eliza, then at the girl beside her. Both nodded at him, with the girl crossing her arms. ¡°Fine¡­¡± Kazuki said, kneeling and letting the kid pet the phoenix.


    It chirped slowly as the boy petted it, before letting off a small singing tune. Aw, Eliza thought it looked rather cute. Even if Kazuki looked like he hadn¡¯t much of an opinion on it. He stood up.


    ¡°Olivir¨¦!¡± a voice called out from within the crowd. The boy turned around.


    An epiphany hit Eliza, that was probably the boy¡¯s parents! Any suspicions of the child was vindicated as she turned to look down at the kid, before turning to the voice. A figure emerged from a mass of bodies, a woman wearing a white dress.


    ¡°Olivir¨¦! What did I tell you about running off!¡± the mother shouted at the kid, before picking him up.


    Kazuki stepped back. ¡°Your kid wanted to see¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare think of talking to my angel again, Contract-Breaker,¡± the woman barked at him. Kazuki¡¯s face froze. ¡°You and your Freemuzzles¡­ disgust me.¡±


    A moment of silence came over him. Eliza looked at his face, seeing something visibly snap within his eyes, though she couldn¡¯t tell what.


    ¡°Contract-Breaker this. Contract-Breaker that. You all call me that,¡± Kazuki snarled in a monotone voice.


    The blonde girl was tugging on Kazuki¡¯s arm, as if to stop him. He merely shrugged her off, as she stepped back towards Eliza.


    The Phoenix was making a growling noise, sensing the rising ire of its master. Eliza merely stood off at the side, thinking how little these people understand - how little they may provide Kazuki a chance to understand him. Surely the Marquis will not be the same, right?


    ¡°Don''t talk to me like that, Contract-Breaker, you murderer! You dare to even approach my child?¡± she retorted in return.


    Well, it was more like their child approaching him.


    Kazuki was about to say something, as another man shouted out in the crowd, pushing through. ¡°CONTRACT-BREAKER! YOU DAMN BASTARD!¡±


    All heads turned to a man, no brooch was present on him, though that wasn¡¯t the attracting feature. His anger alone made up for his lack of accessory.


    A hand extended out towards them, as an aristocracy tried to calm the man down. The man whispered something to his attendant, but he shook their hand off, continuing, ¡°My sister died on that Skyliner, do you have anything to say for yourself?!¡±


    The aristocrat that the man was an attendant of seemed to grow pale at the question. It was an open question for all in the room.


    He patted his second on the back and shoulders, embracing him to calm him down. ¡°Jori, you¡¯re tired, let me swap you out for¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªNo, Ryan!¡± the attendant shouted, stepping forward. A circle was forming in the room, spectators peering in. Eliza looked up, seeing news drones take photos and video reels of this, LIVE as it was happening. ¡°You and your Freemuzzles got my sister killed!¡±


    Given the circumstances, it felt somewhat disrespectful.


    Eliza watched Kazuki¡¯s hand curl into fists.


    ¡°Clandestine Loyalists blew up the skyliner,¡± Kazuki stated, clear as day.


    ¡°You failed! If you weren¡¯t there, they wouldn¡¯t have blown it up! My family. My friends! The only reason why you¡¯re not behind bars is because you manipulated everyone!¡±


    Manipulate? It was not the thing that she¡¯d expect Kazuki to do, more rather it was what she¡¯d expect his enemies to do¡­ this person does not see through the veil. Eliza saw the girl grip the edges of her dress.


    ¡°Miss them? Keep blabbering and I¡¯ll send you to them.¡±


    Kazuki''s response shook the crowd. Silence filled the air, not even Eliza was willing to speak her thoughts. Slowly, the aristocrat nodded to the rest of his entourage. He dragged his assistant back into the crowd.


    ¡°There¡­ there¡­ it¡¯s alright, let¡¯s get something to drink, alright?¡± Eliza could hear Ryan try once again to comfort their attendant, as their voices disappeared into the mass of people. All eyes were on Kazuki.


    His fists slowly uncurled, and life slowly rebreathed back into the room. And after a minute or so, everything was back to normal, and everyone seemed to have forgotten, or at least didn¡¯t care anymore.


    All were indifferent to both men who spoke, their worries all but to themselves, Eliza thought.


    Eliza could see the woman, who started this mess, slowly walk away, with their kid on their shoulders. The kid gave Kazuki and his Phoenix a goodbye wave.


    The Phoenix squawked in return. Before singing a small song¡­ Eliza felt two hands on her, as Archius and Chlo¨¦ leaned in, holding onto her shoulders.


    ¡°Man, your face was priceless, Liz,¡± Archius said.


    Eliza twisted a gaze at him. ¡°Hmm?¡± she mused, what did he just imply?


    Chlo¨¦ sighed. ¡°Sorry about that Liz, Archius was adamant on pulling this foolish prank on you, with her¡­¡± Chlo¨¦ nodded at the girl.


    ¡°Yeah, and it was worth it! I¡¯ll remember not to make you jealous or anything, alright?¡± Archius jeered at her, before pushing off her and walking over towards Kazuki.


    ¡±Wait a minute! I¡¯m not jealous!¡± Eliza rebuked his assertion, before looking down at the girl who tugged once again on Kazuki¡¯s sleeve. He gave a simple nod and a grunt of acknowledgement.


    She posed in an incredibly arrogant manner, so extravagant that it made Eliza confused. ¡°Yuki Izumi Geminorum-Ryzaku.¡±


    Eliza glanced at Kazuki, who had a blank face, only merely taking a glance down at Yuki.


    ¡°Kazu¡¯s sister!¡± she exclaimed out loud.


    ¡°You¡¯re adopted,¡± Kazuki smacked back.


    ¡°I KNOW!¡± she arrogantly proclaimed. Archius was talking to Chlo¨¦, yapping on about something, as she yawned. So, this was Kazuki¡¯s sister, she thought. Comparing the two, Eliza, despite her brainpower, could not see the resemblance - as silence filled the conversation, Yuki glanced up and above, staring at a few drones that hovered by.


    Then, she shouted out of turn, ¡°Let¡¯s go get something to eat! I got a reservation at a wonderful place, my friend¡¯s already there, and you are ALL INVITED!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, wanna go?¡± Chlo¨¦ asked Eliza. ¡°Might as well, right? I mean¡­ get buddy buddy with the heir to the GemRy family?¡±


    ¡°I thought Kazuki was the heir?¡± Eliza asked Chlo¨¦, as if she¡¯d know. Chlo¨¦ simply shrugged, simply nudging Eliza on the shoulder.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s not keep them waiting.¡±


    Yuki was already walking off, with Kazuki and Archius trailing behind her.

 X15: Mundane Barbeque Evening

    Hmm. Good food, Kazuki thought. He did his best to ignore the others, though it was hard. Sitting beside him was Eliza, and beside her was Chlo¨¦, then Archius - around a table within a private room.


    Three guards stood outside their booth, dressed in suits: Nihara, V¨¢clavos and Cyrus. They stood from smallest to tallest.


    Looking back at the barbeque booth, Kazuki was the unfortunate one in the middle. He¡¯ll be fine. He felt a slight warmth emanating from under the table. He looked down at Pi. The Phoenicia-Leviathan was sleeping between his legs. Yuki sat beside him, with her phoenix brooch, coveted with a cyan blue gem.


    A crimson-haired boy sat beside her¡­ He ID¡¯d him as Nathaniel Ryuu. Just¡­ Why is he here? His last name, like his brother¡¯s, made Kazuki believe he was of Trasian descent. Gabriel, Nate¡¯s brother, denied it, though. Nate had an ear piercing, something much more common along the rim states of the galaxy.


    The stars were aligned too well here. Though Kazuki respected their privacy enough to not ask¡­


    Best to keep it at that¡­ especially since those rare features alone reminded Kazuki of Riharia. That lingering thought alone sent his mind trailing down. Seated amidst the joys of the people around him, Kazuki sat alone with his wounds.


    His eyes, however, slid to someone else in the room.


    The biggest threat present to his natural order.


    If someone has to happen, he¡¯ll have this person terminated without a second thought. This target knew one of Kazuki¡¯s darkest secrets, sworn into security and safety.


    Noah Slyra-Montageu. He was placing some meat on one of the hovering barbeques. Blood pumped through Kazuki¡¯s artificial heart.


    ¡°Noah, you want to sit on this side?¡± Chlo¨¦ asked, waving over at him.


    Noah shook his head. ¡°Nah, your side¡¯s barbecue¡¯s pretty packed already.¡±


    Kazuki kept his wits up, his guard awake. His words may be coveted with lies and knives.


    ¡°Well, suit yourself,¡± Chlo¨¦ said.


    ¡°Noah, are you staying with Yuki?¡± Eliza asked, peering over.


    The answer Noah will provide will change everything. If he is, then he¡¯ll ensure that Noah can never even consider getting close to his family. Otherwise, he lives.


    Kazuki exchanged glances with Noah. Golden stare merging with hostile blue. ¡°No,¡± Noah said, ¡°I¡¯m with my parent¡¯s, they¡¯re representing the media company right now somewhere, so I¡¯m free to do whatever.¡±


    Yuki looked over at Noah. ¡°Pfft, responsibilities are for losers.¡±


    Noah chuckled. ¡°They¡¯re dealing with it right now, for now I¡¯m just enjoying the food.¡±


    ¡°Well, you were friends with my sister, so it¡¯s nice to finally meet up with people from the past!¡± Eliza noted.


    Kazuki didn¡¯t like that. Not one bit.


    ¡°I guess so!¡± Noah said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s a shame... what happened to her...¡± Kazuki caught a single stray glance from Noah, narrowing his brow. Kazuki responded with just a mere glare. Simple yet effective. Noah stared back for a moment, before continuing, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re doing fine for yourself, Eliza.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just... Not that impressive, I guess.¡±


    Pure flattery. That was the avenue of attack. Kazuki remained idle, noting Archius¡¯ prying eyes into the conversation. Behind that damned fa?ade, Kazuki knew Archius was grinning.


    This whole thing was irking Kazuki the wrong way.


    ¡°Oh, come on, you¡¯re far too harsh on yourself! Humble too,¡± Noah remarked. ¡°Though, I guess a lot of people have said that as well. If you want something new, I could say the opposite? Don¡¯t know if reverse psychology will work.¡±


    Eliza chuckled slightly. The sight and noise was not what Kazuki expected. Not at all... His eyes slowly moved from Noah to Eliza, then back.


    Why did Chlo¨¦ invite him, Kazuki asked himself. Does Chlo¨¦ know? No¡­ if she did, she would have told Eliza. Maybe Noah¡¯s just some friend. Best case scenario, he keeps his mouth shut. If he knows what¡¯s best for him and his family.


    Archius is also present, Kazuki must understand that he¡¯ll see this as an opportunity. Still, Archius can help Kazuki deal with Noah, if he becomes a problem. If he has to sacrifice the knowledge¡­ he may consider it, given how Archius won¡¯t betray him.


    He cannot, he does everything for the only ¡®family¡¯ he has left... But knowing him, Archius will give Kazuki twenty fucking riddles to solve. He cannot be asked. Slowly, he looked down at his own plate¡­ empty.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kazuki¡¯s eyes turned over towards Eliza. She was using a fork to pick up her own cooked meat.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Eliza turned to him, placing the meat into her mouth as she chewed down on it. She placed a finger up, then finished chewing. ¡°Something the matter?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Eliza went back to eating. He kept an eye on her. No matter what happens, he cannot allow Noah to tell her the truth. He can¡¯t. If that happens, then it¡¯s checkmate for him, and death for Noah. Yuki glanced over to Eliza, tapping her on the shoulder across the table. Kazuki leant back slightly, annoyed at Yuki''s antics. "Hey, hey, hey, you''re smart, right?"


    Eliza meekly nodded, pointing at the growing plate of food Yuki was stacking. "Uh, I think you shouldn''t eat that all in one go, could cause some discomfort."


    "Heh... Nerd," Yuki snorted and chuckled with a shit-eating grin. "No, no, no, I''ll be fine. You''re friends with my brother, right?"


    "Yeah?"


    Yuki glanced at Kazuki, then back at Eliza with another large grin. "Heh... I didn''t expect you to make friends, Kazu." Kaz closed his eyes and sighed loudly. When he opened his eyes, he saw that his plate was empty.


    Slowly, he turned towards Yuki, who looked like her mouth was filled to the brim with food. It wasn¡¯t a hard deduction from then on. ¡°You¡­ could have ordered more meat, you know?¡±


    ¡°Nuh uh, I didn¡¯t eat it,¡± Yuki said.


    Kazuki grumbled, glancing up to the ceiling. He needed a moment to relax his mind, as impossible as that was.


    It was over-the-top in its authenticity, Kazuki thought. The Shogito-style barbeque joint they were at was trying too hard. It had a similar sense to the Lautrasian-style of architecture. Still, their understanding of the differences between Trasian ethnicities was¡­ commendable.


    Kazuki slowly pressed down on the order panel behind him. A panel projected out, in vibrant displays of colour. ¡°Fine¡­ what meat do you want? I¡¯ll get us a refill.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh!¡± Yuki¡¯s interest piqued up immediately. ¡°Riesarilo meat! The free range ones!¡±


    Of course she chose the most expensive free ranged meat option, the Riesarilo azure bovines.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll also get a bunch of vegetables,¡± he said. A drone came out from the projector, the size of his palm. It copied the projection and hovered away.


    He should have expected Yuki¡¯s response. ¡°Ugh¡­ did you go full vegetarian, Kazu?¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Kazuki shot back. ¡°Why would I restrict the enjoyment of my own life?¡± he asked her a rhetorical question. Amusing her to some extent does get her to shut up.


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    His sister shook her head. ¡°Whatever, whatever, just get me the meat and we¡¯re even, alright?¡±


    ¡°Even¡­ for what? You stole my meat.¡± Kazuki was in no mood for her games. Yuki was the only vestige of his blood untouched by reality, Kazuki thought Her games were no fun for him. ¡°And the drone will get it for us, not me.¡±


    He glanced at her. Yuki was yapping to Nathan, berating him. What did he do?


    It was something about music. Nathan¡¯s brother was an amazing guitarist, enough that he convinced him to be in the Sarimba band¡­ Does the younger also know how to rift?


    ¡°Come on! Play!¡± shouted Yuki.


    Nathan chuckled, then shook his head. A drone was projected out from Yuki¡¯s pocket, recording everything like a vlog. She turned the drone towards her. ¡°Ey, we¡¯re gonna hear my friend play us some tunes whilst we eat! He¡¯s like¡­ really really really talented!¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Nathan started, his face as red as his hair. ¡°You flatter¡­ me¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, Nathan, you gotta show everyone your sick rifts.¡± Kazuki was mildly interested. The drone camera danced around Nate, as he crumbled to her demands.


    He got his hands into position, a holo-guitar summoning the guitar. He started to play a small tune. Hmm. Not as good as Gabriel, but Kazuki will allow it to persist. Nathan was locked in for a moment as the two ran a duet. Nathan did the music, whilst Yuki sang a small tune to go along with Nathan''s holographic guitar theme...


    "It''s just something I want - something I need - something I¡ª" Yuki instantly broke off from singing as she glanced over to her brother.  The drone camera followed him. ¡°And this is Kazu! My brother! I know a lot of you on the interweb say mean things about him but look at him! He wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly!¡±


    Eliza glanced over quickly in between bites. "Nice singing, Yuki."


    She shoved the camera in his face, looking over to Eliza. "Hehe, of course I have a wonderful singing voice, I''m the voice of Sarimba High after all... I even sang during the festival in Kazu''s last year. Say... you weren''t there, were you?"


    "Ah, sorry I couldn''t have come, I heard that the band did quite well, never thought you were the vocalist."


    Kazuki waited a moment before responding. ¡°Fuck you. Eliza was sick so I had to run errands.¡±


    "Hey, you didn''t tell me your sister attended Sarimba High, Kaz." Eliza raised an eyebrow at Kazuki, both Yuki and Liz now stared at him intensely.


    "I had Archius ensure that under no circumstances you would meet my sister... That''s why he and Chlo¨¦ covered the first years." With that, Kazuki shuddered slightly at the thought of the amount of chaos someone like Yuki could have unleashed. Chaos was not something Kaz wanted at the time, of course... After everything that happened before, some peace was in order. Then, Kazuki lied, "Plus, I was busy with NATs and my job."


    Eliza gave a sceptical nod. "Well, I can''t fault you for that." She then frowned slightly. Kaz ignored the sight, he didn''t want that on his mind for now - even if it was slammed straight into his databanks.


    "Uh huh," Yuki replied, glancing with a shit-eating grin between Kaz and Eliza. "I see... so you weren''t just avoiding me after all, then?" Kazuki irked a little at the question. Yuki chuckled at his bland response. ¡°How is your life?!¡±


    ¡°Mediocre,¡± Kazuki stated.


    ¡°And¡­ your job?¡±


    ¡°Mediocre.¡±


    A drop of embarrassment fell onto Yuki¡¯s face as the drone turned back to her, then to Kazuki. ¡°And¡­ the Lowguard guild?¡±


    Without him, the guild was highly understaffed, especially since Yuki kicked anyone that disagreed with her, even the people he recruited. ¡°Mediocre.¡±


    She exploded into a furious argument and hissy fit. She shovelled food down her throat, which did shut her up. He ignored her tantrum, simply turning away and looking over towards Eliza¡¯s side.


    Chlo¨¦ was talking to Archius. Archius, Eliza, Chlo¨¦ and him.


    The two were catching up, though it was mainly Chlo¨¦ complaining about her boyfriend. ¡°He¡¯s always just been ghosting me, dude!¡±


    ¡°Hey, maybe he¡¯s got a good reason?¡± asked Archius. A spark of a glance caught Kazuki¡¯s attention. Between everyone here, many secrets lied beneath the surface. ¡°Like, he¡¯s probably going to spend a year making a successful business out the Western Fingers, con it to someone, then come back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that does sound like him.¡± Chlo¨¦ sighed.


    Kazuki¡¯s promise to Victoria. Chlo¨¦¡¯s boyfriend, Barclay, true agenda. The brother of Nathan. Noah¡¯s immense hatred towards Kazuki. All of it stirred in his mind.


    For a moment, he allowed himself to reminisce of the old Student Exec. Before the rebellion¡­


    ¡°Hey, Kaz,¡± said Eliza¡­ His mind snapped out of the trance. He looked directly into Eliza¡¯s bloody eyes. She nodded down towards the utensils. ¡°Everyone¡¯s using chopsticks¡­¡±


    ¡°So?¡± asked Kazuki. He glanced around. Everyone was, even Nathan and Noah. Looking back at Eliza, she was using a knife and fork. Does this have to do with her pride? Kazuki asked himself.


    He tilted his head to the side, as she slowly grabbed a pair of chopsticks. Does she want him to teach her how to use them? He might not be able to. Using them might be the same as him trying to teach her to kill. It¡¯s engrained into his body, not his mind. He can translate the waves of his brain, but not the movements of his fleshy steel.


    ¡°You just put it between your fingers,¡± he said, showing Eliza how he held it. ¡°And then you move them.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ so informative,¡± quipped Chlo¨¦, looking past Eliza at Kazuki.


    ¡°Blegh?!¡± Eliza twisted to look at Chlo¨¦ and Archius, the two chuckling Were they laughing at her? Or him? ¡°Were you two listening in?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ve finally learnt your weakness! The inability to use foreign eating utensils,¡± said Archius. Chlo¨¦ sniggered. "Don''t worry, I''m sure we have some plastic baby spoons and forks somewhere here."


    Kazuki, however, kept a straight face. Eliza slowly looked back at him, as she tried her best at emanating what Kazuki did. It failed. She was barely able to lift a small piece off her plate before it fell.


    Then, a voice stung Kazuki¡¯s mind awake.


    Noah leaned over. ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s instincts rattled. He dropped his chopsticks and wrapped his hand around Eliza¡¯s. He adjusted her grip. ¡°No. Do this.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s how it works?¡± she said, slowly getting adjusted to the grip. He won¡¯t give Noah an opportunity.


    ¡°Yeah. Got it?¡±


    Eliza nodded, confidently. Kazuki pulled away, watching as Eliza learnt how to use it¡­ No¡­ she¡¯s trying her best.


    ¡°Just use the fork if you can¡¯t use ¡®em,¡± said Chlo¨¦, elbowing Eliza.


    She shot back, ¡°Absolutely not! I¡¯ll get it eventually.¡±


    The drone returned with the order. Three large plates were placed on the table, meats and vegetables.


    Kazuki glanced at it, as Yuki tugged on his shirt sleeve. ¡°Hey, swap with me, that side seems fun,¡± she said.


    Looking over at the other side, Kazuki saw Noah and Nate eating quietly. It was quiet¡­


    He didn¡¯t hate the bustle of the conversation, but Yuki¡¯s more suited to it. Grumbling, he acquiesced. ¡°Fine, stand up.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you going to make me stand up?¡± she asked, placing a hand against her chest like a pompous fuck. She acted high and might, standing up to gain height on him.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kazuki stated, swapping places with her. She didn¡¯t realise.


    Opening her eyes, she looked down, noticing the swap. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You stood up. I win.¡± Kazuki pointed at her.


    He was now left with the rejects. Nathaniel was quietly eating, giving Kazuki a few side-glances with an anxious look. Noah was¡­ Kazuki couldn¡¯t get a read on him.


    Yuki was getting along well with Eliza, for whatever purposes she had. Then, Archius stood up. He walked all over to the other side, placing himself down beside Noah before grunting.


    ¡°Lads talk?¡± Archius asked. The three didn¡¯t respond. Archius rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh, come on, did I really get saddled with three boring people?¡±


    ¡°Do I know you?¡± asked Noah, placing more meat on the barbeque. ¡°I¡¯ll put some on for you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you know me, more the better,¡± Archius snickered, maintaining his persona. ¡°But nah, I¡¯m just a drop out that knew Liz and Chlo¨¦.¡±


    ¡°Drop out?¡± asked Noah.


    Archius nodded. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s free accommodation and food! I¡¯m your unemployed friend on a Wednesday.¡±


    Noah laughed at his joke, followed by a small chuckle from Nathaniel.


    ¡°Nathaniel,¡± Kazuki started. ¡°That¡¯s your name, right?¡± He knew it was his name, but just wanted to make sure.


    ¡°Y¡ªyes¡­ Nate for short, or Nathan¡­¡± He trailed off, looking away to avoid the Contract-Breaker¡¯s gaze. Noah interjected, ¡°You¡¯re scaring the poor kid, Kazuki.¡±


    The two exchanging a set of glares. Eyes interlocking.


    Archius leaned forward, looking at Noah, then at Kazuki. ¡°You two old friends?¡± he asked.


    Kazuki remained silent. He needed to gauge Noah¡¯s assertation of him in public.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve talked, though.¡±


    A very long while. Kazuki let his exospine audibly gauge off some steam, reclocking gears into place. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he said, looking back towards Nathan. ¡°You¡¯re Gabriel¡¯s brother, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Huh? You know my brother?¡± he asked.


    Kazuki nodded. He knew his brother very well. One of his best operatives, up there with Quinn, Amy¨¦ and Martinez. One of his closest confidants. ¡°A friend,¡± Kazuki said, diluting the evaluation.


    ¡°A good friend, he made cake for my eighteenth and¡­¡± Kazuki paused. He stopped himself in thought and corrected the misplaced word. ¡°Birthday. I liked it¡­¡±


    The strange moment of peace and respite that fell onto Kazuki¡¯s face perplexed the young man. That cake was amazing¡­ Amongst the sea of regret his birthday brought, little brought him celebration - let alone tranquillity.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to him in a while¡­¡± It¡¯s been four months¡­ But, best for Gabriel, Kazuki thought. He has something to live for, to keep his hands clean for. Kazuki? He has something to keep his hands bloodied for. No matter how doomed or flawed it may be, his reason exists, a contract. That was all that mattered.

 X16: Secondary Objectives

    It might be a bit iffy, but Archius thought he¡¯d better get a head start. Whoever this Noah guy is, he knows something about Kaz, seems to be bugging him too. Well, better find out what that is.


    ¡°Got it?¡± Kazuki asked, washing his hands in the sink of the restaurant toilets. The walls and floor were of a marbled, pristine facade.


    Archius shrugged. ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡± he asked. ¡°Plus, I¡¯d prefer to manipulate and engineer Republic power brokers, will help us. If it worked getting Delia on board with the AGENCY, these people will fold easily - so why him?¡±


    ¡°Security,¡± Kazuki snapped back. The idea was simply too vague for Archius. Ugh, he thought to himself.


    Kazuki glared at him. Even knowing he wouldn¡¯t do anything, it sent a shockwave down Archius¡¯ spinal cord, the mechanisms crackling awake.


    ¡°Fine, fine! I¡¯ll do it,¡± Archius said. ¡°But anything I should know before latching onto him?¡±


    Kazuki stopped the tap, popping a Halolazil pill into his mouth. His head looked at the mirror.. ¡°What do you know about him?¡± he asked.


    Oh, a question with another question: he must be hiding something, Archius thought. It was probably for the best he plays along. ¡°Well, Noah Slyra-Montageu, son to the CEO of a media conglomerate. Current student at Sarimba, possible connections to you¡­¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s head slowly turned towards Archius. ¡°Did you access my files for that?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, no?¡± Archius started pacing around the toilets. ¡°You think I¡¯d remember your password? That three hundred word long double cypher.¡±


    ¡°Five cyphers,¡± Kazuki corrected him. ¡°Keep an eye on him. He¡¯s chummy with my sister.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re worried about your sister?¡± Archius jabbed at Kazuki¡¯s side, walking past him before sitting on the sink, straightening out his collar with Kazuki. ¡°Look at you, finally caring about her, worried about some stranger chumming up to h¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªSay another word and I¡¯ll chummy your face against the wall,¡± Kazuki snapped. Archius stopped, before letting off a chuckle. For a moment, Archius dithered to whether he was being sarcastic.


    Archius slapped Kazuki across the harsh surface of his exospine. Kazuki jolted up right. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see what I can learn from him.¡±


    Kazuki grumbled, knowing exactly what he meant by that. ¡°Just¡­ okay.¡±


    Surprisingly compliant to his remark.


    ¡°And what are you even doing at the sink?¡± Archius asked.


    ¡°Sobering up,¡± Kazuki replied, turning the sink back on, he splashed water on himself. ¡°I drank one of those glasses of wine they handed out.¡±


    Damn lightweight, Archius thought. ¡°Well, good luck on that, I¡¯m not carrying you if you get hammered, by the way.¡±


    Kazuki turned to him and splashed water into his face. He remained standing still, purified water trickling down his hair. ¡°What the fuck was that for?¡± asked Archius, wiping his face.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have a water bottle.¡±


    Archius snickered at his answer. ¡°Well, whatever. We¡¯re in this together¡­ I¡¯ve gotta help you protect Eliza after all¡­ this will help in the investigation, yes?¡±


    ¡°Let me and Eliza handle the investigation,¡± Kazuki remarked. ¡°Just keep tabs on Noah. I¡¯ll call you in when I need you.¡±


    Golden eyes turned back to Archius, the two staring at each other. Archius shrugged, and smirked. Here he thought Kazuki was going to use him effectively, still playing it safe it seems. Archius doesn¡¯t blame Kazuki, with how many knives are in the walls, who knows what threats lurk in these halls.


    With that out of the way, Archius left the toilets, exiting back out into the lobby of the restaurant. The group was waiting there: Liz talking to Chlo¨¦ and Noah, watching a video Yuki had on.


    Looking at Nathan, he seemed quite timid, not as strong or as confident as his brother, Gabriel. He wrapped on arm around him, leaning over as he tried to watch what Yuki was showing them.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the brother?¡± Archius asked, as Nate jolted in surprise..


    ¡°Y¡ªyes?¡± Nathaniel sheepishly responded, looking up at Archius.


    Archius glanced at the video they were watching. It was a video of several Kasi-cats. Archius then felt a weight onto his shoulder, as he thought Kazuki might have been doing the same thing he was doing to Nate. Wait, that¡¯s not possible! Kazuki¡¯s shorter than him!


    His head twisted to be face to face with Pi, the Phoenicia-Leviathan. It was resting, probably latching to him as the only ¡®familiar¡¯ being.


    ¡°Archius!¡± Yuki twisted her head to look back at him. Well, if Kazuki was short: she¡¯d be a fucking dwarf in height¡­ Still, she¡¯s far more ¡®alive¡¯ than her brother. ¡°Can you tell me brother to stop taking forever in the toilet? I wanna get some booze!¡±


    ¡°Are¡­ you even allowed to drink?¡± Noah asked.


    Nathaniel muttered, ¡°Yeah¡­ It just feels wrong in my heart, I guess¡±


    Even when hightailing after Noah, he sounded weak and feeble. Archius thought about how he¡¯d manipulate this kid, then realised that it wouldn¡¯t really be any point. Noah¡¯s his target. Not Gabe¡¯s brother..


    Archius sneaked a glanced at Noah, slightly shorter than him. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be fine! You are in the care of two totally responsible adults,¡± Archius said, siding with Yuki on this. Nathaniel will cave easily, that much was sure. Noah¡¯s reaction was what he was after.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Yuki shouted.


    Nathaniel nodded in turn, not opposing Archius, looming above him.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Noah pondered for a moment. ¡°Sure, why not, me and Archius will look over you guys¡­ Wait? Archius?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Archius pondered for a moment. Where does Noah know himfrom?


    Noah clicked his fingers, before pointing one at Archius¡¯ face. ¡°You¡¯re the spitting image of some actor that was on the big-screens a few years ago¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ he is?¡± Yuki asked, peering up at Archius¡¯ face.


    Snappy and smart? No, good memory, most likely, Archius thought. Noah¡¯s classification is now a wildcard, Archius can¡¯t discern what his objectives are, nor what his true relation with Kazuki is.


    ¡°Never been on the silver-screens,¡± Archius said. ¡°Still, glad you think I can make it into the show-bizz!¡±


    Noah let off a small chuckle beneath his breath. ¡°Probably do, but hey, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be a successful actor, my guts tells me that.¡±


    Maybe he¡¯s not a wildcard. He¡¯s definitely not a hard ass that can¡¯t change his opinions, LIKE SOME PEOPLE¡­ Archius glanced towards the toilet door, as Kazuki left it. Finally!


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Archius has already made a good read on Noah, not a great read but it¡¯s a starting point: especially considering that it¡¯s been less than an hour.


    ¡°Hey, Kazu!¡± Yuki shouted over to her brother, attracting attention to herself. ¡°Wanna get drinks with us?¡±


    Kazuki walked past their group, over towards Eliza and Chlo¨¦. ¡°Drink in moderation, please?¡± he asked, before joining Chlo¨¦ and Liz¡¯s conversation.


    Moderation? What a dumb, lazy and boring idiot, Archius thought.


    ¡°Blegh¡­ so borring,¡± Yuki said, looking at Archius. He agreed. ¡°Can you convince him to join us? He never relaxes at all nowadays!¡±


    He never relaxes to begin with, to be completely honest.


    ¡°Aha¡­¡± Archius scratched the back of his head. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine with just the four of us, one drunk GemRy is already enough to deal with.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ we¡¯re getting drunk?¡± Nathaniel asked, anxiety in his voice. ¡°We¡¯re not gonna get drunk, are we?¡±


    Archius decided to play a little game on the poor kid. ¡°No, we¡¯re getting absolutely hammered, smashed, even! You gonna back down or what?¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, relax on him?¡± Noah asked politely, walking around and pulling Archius off Nathaniel.


    Archius nodded, glancing over at the other group. Kazuki was now talking to his three bodyguards. Cyrus nodded, walking over towards Eliza¡­ V¨¢clavos started walking over to him¡­ Kazuki had to have done this on purpose, right? One out of three chances and they got the fucking retard, Archius thought. And Nihara? She stayed with Kazuki.


    ¡°Oh fuck me¡­¡± Archius prodded at Noah. He¡¯ll need to put up some sort of performance.


    Noah glanced over at V¨¢clavos, walking towards the group. Archius could see a few fire-vials hidden underneath the guard¡¯s blazer, hooked up to the gloves that he wore.


    ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°No clue¡­¡± Archius lied, winking a secret message to V¨¢clavos with a single eye. ¡®ANON.¡¯


    Yuki glanced back towards V¨¢clavos. ¡°Oh! So you¡¯re the person that Kazu has protecting us?¡± she asked.


    V¨¢clavos nodded frantically. ¡°Yep, I¡¯m the one left with a group of dejects, it seems,¡± he muttered. He glanced off to the side, looking back towards Nihara. Too obvious, Archius thought. Out of the three of Kaz¡¯s personal guards, V¨¢clavos seemed the weakest link, the chink in the armour.


    ¡°You drink?¡± Archius asked.


    V¨¢clavos nodded slowly. ¡°Not too much, I get shouted at when I get drunk¡­¡±


    Archius did his best to hold back his retort, avoiding the fact that V¨¢clavos is a hopeless romantic in all regards, a drunken hopeless romantic.


    ¡°Good enough for me!¡± Yuki shouted, grabbing onto Nathan¡¯s arm, dragging him away. ¡°For alcohol we stand by!¡±


    Noah chuckled at her outburst, him and Archius following along. V¨¢clavos trailed behind them, glancing back towards Nihara and Cyrus. ¡°You a friend of Yuki¡¯s?¡± Noah asked Archius.


    ¡°Something like that, guess I¡¯m a friend of everyone?¡± Archius replied, hiding his true intents. Things have just gotten started and he has high hopes for what Noah has to offer him.


    Archius turned back to V¨¢clavos, glaring at him. He avoided it¡­ Tch. Pathetically weak, he thought.


    ? ? ?


    Eliza watched as Archius¡¯ group left. She turned towards Chlo¨¦ and Kazuki, then over at the two bodyguards standing behind him, suited up in black and arms crossed. ¡°Uh¡­ is this necessary?¡± Eliza asked.


    Kazuki nodded. ¡°Who knows if there¡¯ll be a laundry list of snipers ready to take any of us out?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t tell if he was sarcastic about that remark or not, though she gave him the benefit of the doubt.


    ¡°Well, they won¡¯t get in our way, right?¡± Chlo¨¦ asked, in between Eliza and Kazuki¡¯s shoulders, before she started to walk off. The two followed her out into the shopping centre section of the Ball Palace.


    It was a complex beyond comprehension, stories upon stories up and down.


    ¡°I know a few good places to shop at,¡± said Chlo¨¦. ¡°Gotta get my parents souvenirs, how about you two, you guys down for that?¡±


    Souvenirs? Absolutely! Now that Eliza thinks about it, she¡¯ll want to get a few things for her friends back on Anagora, especially a few of the operatives. Though she was worried that Quinn would steal all of it¡­ oof¡­


    ¡°Righty, sounds good, Kaz?¡± Eliza turned to Kazuki.


    He nodded. ¡°Workplace colleagues will be asking me for things. Better to get it for them now,¡± he said. It was the exact thing that Eliza had thought and she was surprised that he¡¯d even consider it! Though given their closeness, that must be a given.


    Eliza took a gander, looking around. It still amazed her that this section is only a fragment of the Ball Palace¡¯s true interior, a master¡¯s landscape built as a second home for the galaxy¡¯s most meritous.


    Chlo¨¦ was looking through a holographic map. ¡°Anywhere in particular?¡± she asked, leaning against Kazuki for a moment.


    It dragged Eliza¡¯s ire for but a moment, as she walked up beside Kazuki. The Contract-Breaker¡¯s her tool¡­ she thought in a slightly tipsy mood. The whispers fluttered away in her mind, as she tugged him slightly off Chlo¨¦. He moved without question.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Synthia, you have a list, right?¡±


    ¡®You are¡­ correct!¡¯ Synthia said, projecting herself onto Chlo¨¦¡¯s arm as she showed a laundry list of shops to go to, a vibrant collage of names. ¡®I can find us the most effective walking path for us to get as much in the smallest time possible.¡¯.¡¯


    Eliza looked at Kazuki, only for him to be looking behind her. She turned to see what had him so interested. A person was walking up to them, dressed in a suit and with the seal of the Charelota family on his breast pocket.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Eliza pondered as Kazuki took a step forward. She looked to him, prepared for anything. ¡°It¡¯s Fer-Charelota¡¯s messenger, I believe we wishes to speak to us.¡±


    ¡°He could have used Hiccup. If the message is a bullet to the head, I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s their head,¡± Kazuki snapped.


    Chlo¨¦ looked up from placing down locations. ¡°What¡¯s going wrong, y¡¯all good?¡± she asked.


    Eliza glanced back to her. ¡°Yeah? I think so.¡±


    The man stopped in front of Eliza and Kazuki, giving Kazuki a dismissive glance before introducing himself. ¡°Miss Celeste-Delmara, I presume?¡±


    Eliza glanced towards Kazuki, seeing that he was ready to spring into action. She waved him back, calming his actions for a moment. He nodded, walking back towards Chlo¨¦.


    Eliza turned back to the man, her own brooch shining. ¡°May I help you?¡± she asked.


    An inquisitive eye brought her brooch to his attention. He cleared his throat. ¡°The Marquis Gilbera Fer-Charelota has requested for your audience on the matter of your plans.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you know what his plans are?¡± Eliza inquired.


    He shook his head. ¡°I am afraid I am unaware.¡±


    Eliza glanced over her shoulder, seeing Synthia craft a massive path along several floors of the shopping centre on Chlo¨¦¡¯s map. It was dozens of colourful lines, watched over by Kazuki.


    The two bodyguards behind him glanced towards Eliza, the shorter one, that Eliza recognised as Nihara - even under the shades - tapped him on the arm. ¡°Kazuki, Fer-Charelota is calling.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± the messenger interjected, looking at Kazuki. ¡°Fer-Charelota has specifically requested that HE does not attend this meeting.¡±


    Eliza looked back towards the messenger, then at Kazuki. Despite what she expected, he simply nodded. ¡°Alright, but he said nothing about guards.¡± He patted the large, tall man behind him, Cyrus.


    Cyrus walked over to Eliza, towering about both her and the messenger.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± said Cyrus. ¡°I have been tasked with your protection. Fret not, as long as I stand, you¡¯ll be safe.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Why, thank you!¡± she said. She then glanced over back at Kaz and Chlo¨¦. ¡°Can you two go through my list as well?¡±


    ¡°Huh? No! We can do shopping later,¡± Chlo¨¦ said. ¡°It isn¡¯t fun when it¡¯s just you and me, plus I don¡¯t want any of those journalists crawling around to get the wrong idea.¡±


    Oh yeah, there were a few of those people around, Eliza thought. She looked up to one of the floors above, seeing someone wearing a ¡®PRESS¡¯ armband sipping on some coffee. They had a drone camera in one hand. ¡±Makes sense,¡± said Kazuki, walking off with Nihara.


    Hmm, if she¡¯d have a bodyguard, she would have preferred Nihara. Even if she was a bit aggressive to Claire, she was most definitely an interesting person. Cyrus, on the other hand? Did Kazuki trust her that much to be overseen by HIS personal squared bodyguard?


    ¡°Sorry. I must protest,¡± the messenger said.


    Kazuki spoke back without even looking. ¡°Then protest harder, nothing will change. Cyrus stays with her,¡± he said, disappearing into the crowd.


    Synthia projected herself back onto Eliza¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡®A meeting with the Marquis? My, you have come far in this galaxy,¡¯ remarked Synthia, patting Eliza on the head.


    Eliza nodded, feeling warm at the artificial tutor¡¯s doting of her, she then turned to Chlo¨¦.


    She asked, ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you, then?¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Eliza said. ¡°You want to meet up later?¡±


    Chlo¨¦ shrugged. ¡°Deal with your thing for now, call me after you¡¯re done, got it?¡±


    Eliza nodded, as Chlo¨¦ turned and walked away.


    ¡°Take care, Lizzie,¡± she said.


    ¡°And you!¡± Eliza shouted back towards her, as she waved back at her. She could slowly hear the messenger quietly sighing. Was something wrong? Cyrus merely stood over him¡­ ¡°Uh¡­ is something the matter?¡±


    He shook his head, maintaining his composure, as Eliza glanced upwards. Cyrus was even taller than Archius.


    ¡°No,¡± said the messenger. ¡°Let¡¯s not keep him waiting, shall we?¡±

 X17: The Marquis

    Wealth and extravagance flowed into Eliza¡¯s nose. Expensive perfumes lingered around. The messenger was followed her and Cyrus, the guard maintaining a harsh silence.


    Eliza knows Kazuki had her best interests in mind, but this was rather peculiar¡­ The sight of the tall man, dressed in a bodyguard¡¯s attire, attracted a few prying eyes.


    ¡°Hey¡­ can you become more low profiled?¡± she whispered back to Cyrus. He didn¡¯t reply whatsoever, merely grunting. She chuckled to herself, hiding the awkwardness. ¡°Uh, nevermind¡­¡±


    Cyrus replied immediately as she finished. ¡°It would be counter intuitive, ward. Let any would be assassin know who stands between you and their bolts.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± That good logic, though they¡¯re safe here, aren¡¯t they? Having a strong, large bodyguard like him would deter would be assassins. Yet within the Ball Palace!? ¡°Bugger¡­ you really are attracting some attention. Is your... suit armoured?¡±


    Cyrus spoke with a level of pride in his gear, ¡°Against bullets, bolts and plasma. No energy shielding required, interwoven energy fibres.¡±


    ¡°Woah... Kaz did say that... wait, it¡¯s resistant to all three?¡± Eliza inquired.


    Nodding, Cyrus said, ¡°Yes. Physical resistance against bullets. Energy resistance against plasma.¡±


    ¡°So is guarding people your speciality?¡± asked Eliza ,trying to get to know him a bit better. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that a lot of the AGENTs have their own methodologies¡­ Lilly has a disciplined advance, Quinn¡¯s fast and heavy, Amy¨¦¡¯s a cracked shot and Claire is the greatest support-netic user one can ask for.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Cyrus looked up to the air. ¡°I was trained under Hartius Juun, Freyja Beamont and Svenn Frio-Janstein. I specialise in everything.¡±


    Eliza furrowed her brow. Two members of the Seven! With that knowledge, it made sense to how Kazuki was trained beyond even human feats. However, it was the last name that caught her attention. ¡°Svenn? The one leading the Loyalists?¡±


    Cyrus snarled back, ¡°That was not Svenn. Svenn loved us all. He died for us, that man was not Svenn, he would never open fire on his students, let alone Kazuki himself.¡±


    Oh¡­ Seems like Eliza¡¯s hit a nerve. She gave him a slight nod. ¡°Sorry, I just thought that it was strange¡­ Two members of the Seven on the coin flip of the Mercs?¡±


    Cyrus grumbled, nodding. ¡°We do our job well, that¡¯s all you must know. Keep yourself safe and we¡¯ll do the rest.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± A voice called out towards her, in a posh and delicate accent. ¡°Elizabeth, great to see you.¡±


    Eliza twisted back forward, as she sees Fer-Charelota, sitting beside several other attendants. They were by the side of a large dining hall, with hundreds of tables laid out, thousands of people dining together, fraternising..


    ¡°Marquis,¡± said Eliza, nodding towards him. ¡°Greetings to you.¡±


    She smiled, as Gilbera Fer-Charelota gently nodded in turn, pushing his sunglasses up to his nose, behind his Kast¨ª auburn hair and hiding his rich pink eyes.


    ¡°Please, just call me Fer-Charelota or Gilbera, everyone does.¡± He handed her a glass of wine, as she carefully took it from him. Cyrus looked over her shoulder, at the drink.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said. ¡°Just wine.¡±


    Cyrus nodded. ¡°Alcohol dulls the mind. Drink moderately.¡±


    Eliza nodded.


    The Marquis glanced up at Cyrus, coughing for a quick moment before straightening himself out. ¡°A¡­ I don¡¯t have the pleasure of knowing your name?¡± he asked the six-foot seven-inch guard behind Eliza.


    ¡°I am Eliza¡¯s bodyguard. That is all you need to know,¡± Cyrus said. Whilst Eliza knew it was not hostility, his response must have stirred something within the Marquis, as she tugged on his collar, nodding.


    Eliza said, ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s a bit rough, but he¡¯s a good person.¡± He was tenacious and dedicated, Eliza thought, still she couldn¡¯t see why anything would do something within these halls.


    Glancing around, she could see a small escort of Imperial Knights, forming a perimeter around the Marquis, clad in white armour, suits and cloaks.


    ¡°I¡¯ll trust your judgement, Miss Celeste-Delmara. Thank Iris it is not Kazuki, the Contract-Breaker.¡± He heaved a huge sigh of relief.


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Eliza paused, her mind snapping to what he just called Kaz.


    Fer-Charelota shook his head.


    ¡°My apologises, Elizabeth,¡± Fer-Charelota said, placing his hands up and lightly laughing. ¡°But please, his presence has made my quite uncomfortable.¡±


    Even though he wasn¡¯t wrong, she had to defend Kazuki¡¯s¡¯ name. ¡°He¡¯s much nicer once you get to know him, I will vouch for that.¡±


    ¡°I could feel his golden gaze upon me when I was announcing the event,¡± he said. ¡°Members of the Seven do seem to get on my nerves¡­ On either side of the coin.¡±


    Eliza realised that the Marquis was simply generalising all the Seven on either side to one basket. She shook her head, defending Kazuki in the process. ¡°He¡¯s not like the rest of them, I can assure you that.¡±


    The Marquis smiled slowly, looking up at Eliza¡¯s determined face. He then nodded. ¡°You¡¯re steadfast belief in your friend is commendable, I like that!¡± he remarked. ¡°But if you ever encounter any other member of the Seven, I advise caution¡­ Though you¡¯d be safe with Lady Antiar.¡±


    ¡°Lady Antiar? Wait¡­ the Imperial Knight?¡± Eliza asked, her eyes widening, thinking of the fabled legend of the Palace¡¯s Knights.


    ¡°The one and only, Champion of the Knights,¡± Fer-Charelota said with a prideful grin. ¡°She¡¯s loyal and will uphold any and all oaths and agreements, she won¡¯t let harm come to you, I assure you of that!¡±


    ¡°I never doubted it¡­¡± Eliza trailed off. Was the Imperial Knight a member of the Seven? The mercs are publicly known, Hartius, Emiya, Freyja, Kazuki, Felix, Cassia and Ohmicro. Therefore out of process of elimination, Lady Antiar must be a Seven Crim!


    Fer-Charelota cleaned his mouth as he drank from a small cup of aged Kathniri wine. ¡°My advice stays the same. Your mother was a genius, a scientist that created the best cybernetics, still couldn¡¯t handle a member of the Seven.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?!¡± Her voice rose,, sitting forward and awakened at the mention of her mother.


    ¡°It was Emiya,¡± remarked Gilbera Fer-Charelota. He shook his head. ¡°High chances of you meeting him in your line of aspirations. He has a massive, invested interest in many things¡­ A star investor.¡±


    The Marquis¡¯ eyes glanced to the side, and around, then back to Eliza.


    ¡°He leads the BCA¡­¡± Fer-Charelota started. ¡°But there¡¯s more to him than that. I can see it in him¡­ Some twisted sun rays perhaps? He always feels in control, no matter what¡­ if you ever see him, you¡¯ll understand my fear of the Heptagia, on either sides of the coin¡­¡±


    The utterance of the Seven¡¯s formal name sent a chill down Eliza¡¯s spine. She¡¯s heard the stories so many times¡­


    ¡°I think we¡¯re getting off topic,¡± admitted Eliza.


    He nodded. ¡°We are. Best to get this warning to you now rather than later¡­ All of the Seven are dangerous, even your friend, Prince Kazuki. Heed my word, Emiya is far more dangerous than any of the rest, even Hartius.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eliza was now interested in what the Marquis had to say.


    ¡°Chairman of the Bounty¡¯s and Collection Administration, a position like that gives him much control over the private mercenary industry¡­ He¡¯s playing a game even I cannot comprehend, remember that if you wish to tread carefully.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ will¡­¡±


    ¡±Remember this, Elizabeth, before you say anything else: the wise one knows what they know, and what they do not¡­ And I know that overwhelming feeling from being in their presences alone¡­ You might not experience it with Kazuki, but you will with others.¡±


    Oh¡­ that overbearing feeling that anything that they do within Kazuki¡¯s presence is recorded and monitored? It felt more in line with his grandfather. ¡°I think he¡¯s just being cautious, that¡¯s all, with everything¡¯s that happened between him and I, I think his worry is warranted.¡±


    Fer-Charelota nodded, as a drone hovered by, with a physical, ornate wooden chess board on top. ¡°I apologise for my ramblings. Care for a game? Most people here think Chess is an art, not a game.¡±


    Eliza nodded.


    ¡°First¡­ cake?¡± Fer-Charelota asked.


    A whole line of drones with plates on their heads came by, all carrying confectionary beyond perfection.


    ¡°Kast¨ª cuisine, perhaps the Empire only wished to share its immaculate foods,¡± he jested. ¡°A master baker I was close with suggested this one red haired baker to help¡­ and I must say, the baked goods those two made are to DIE for.¡±


    ¡°Ah! No, I just had cake earlier, and dinner,¡± Eliza said.


    Fer-Charelota said, ¡°No matter, all the more for me, then.¡± He straightened his frock coat. ¡°If you ever visit Kast¨¦, do take some time to relish in the food my people have for offer.¡±


    Eliza nodded, slowly approaching the board as she played the first move. ¡°So, may I ask why you called me here? I was a bit busy before this.¡±


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    She played the classic Queenside Gambit.


    ¡°Before the Dassant, you asked me for assistance with a matter,¡± he said, making his move on the chess board. ¡°I believe getting his out of the way first and foremost will be imperative to your agenda.¡±


    ¡°Agenda? Well, if we¡¯re talking about that, then perhaps I should have brought Kazuki, he¡¯s rather important for this,,¡± she said. ¡°Because there¡¯s this one person I need to make contact with.¡±


    ¡°Oh? For a university student, you seem quite the socialite. Of course I can introduce you to possible suppliers and investors. Many university startups fail, I have a grant foundation that I can use to assist your aims,¡± Fer-Charelota said as both he and Eliza several moves at chess. ¡°No strings for my grant, though the private investors will want a cut, however.¡±


    The game was even, but Eliza placed everything and beyond into not losing this one game.


    She shook her head. ¡°Not exactly¡­ Though I¡¯d love to talk to individuals of that accord,¡± she said. Fer-Charelota raised an eyebrow, surprised. ¡°I¡¯ll think about that near my graduation.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± remarked the Marquis ¡°The Charelota Enterprise Grant has its doors opened to you and many others, just meet the requirements, however.¡±


    Oh, requirements? Best to ask of it right now. ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°An interview with myself, quite vigorous I must add - and sadly I cannot provide you with bias, barely a dozen get through each year, yet those twelve build magnates,¡± said Fer-Charelota. ¡°Now, what else would have caught your attention if not that?¡±


    She said it plain and simple, ¡°I need to talk to an¡­ Obadiah Cariana-Slynt.¡±


    Fer-Charelota stopped in his tracks as he was just about make his move. He readjusted his sunglasses. ¡°Are you sure you got the right name?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Is something wrong with this individual?¡± she asked. ¡°Kazuki told me that he might have information linking to the P-1 incident.¡±


    The Marquis chuckled before taking a step back. ¡°Of course¡­ I should have remembered that you told me about that before¡­ If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why? The pirates that dealt the blow to our Republic have been banished into the Eclipse, nd I don¡¯t think the High Admiral will send another expedition into that¡­ hellhole.¡±


    He¡¯s right, but he doesn¡¯t have the full picture, Eliza knew. ¡°Well, call me crazy, but I know that there¡¯s more to the attack. You don¡¯t just attack a Space Station without raising some eyebrows, right?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Fer-Charelota said, ¡°But there¡¯s no evidence. And it¡¯s been nearly ten years, would it not be best to let the dead rest?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Eliza paused, choking for words. ¡°Sorry, would you let me have a moment?¡± She drank her glass of wine, clearing her throat.


    ¡°Take as long as you need,¡± he said, playing his move an binding Eliza into a check.


    Eliza nodded, finally clearing her throat as she looked up, at the many floors up and above. A dozen stares came down with photographers, journalists and drones peering into any whispers of gossip. ¡°The press¡­ are they listening in?¡±


    ¡°Probably not. This room is filled with billionaires, mining kingpins and politicians, far more scrupulous than myself,¡± Fer-Charelota whispered over to her. ¡°Rampant, undeterred self interest leads many would-be-award-winning journalists into the arms of Republic Intelligence¡¯s award for excellence in journalism.¡±


    The rose-red eyes of hers lifted up, staring at Fer-Charelota, the Marquis. The man wasn¡¯t wrong, she understood the dark joke quite well. ¡°Corruption¡­ it can¡¯t be as bad as some journalists say.¡±


    Fer-Charelota clicked his tongue, glancing to the side then back. ¡°You haven¡¯t been around for long, please, quid pro quo is simply the way that things happen behind closed doors.¡±


    ¡°It simply the way?¡± Eliza asked, vigour entering her voice. She looked up to Cyrus. He shrugged, the nodded.


    He said, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t that way, I¡¯d probably be somewhere far away from here¡­¡± Cyrus turned his face away. The words somewhat resonated.


    Eliza looked back at the Marquis, who gave her a simple nod. ¡°Just because it is meant to be does not mean it is as it should be. But we make do with realities, not dreams, Elizabeth¡­ Leave any worries be for now¡­¡±


    Synthia projected herself onto the Chess Board, looking at the combination of moves whilst visibly thinking.


    She projected herself onto Eliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡®I have calculated a possible checkmate in fifty one moves,¡¯ she whispered.


    Eliza shook her head. ¡®No¡­ I¡¯d prefer to win without your help, but thank you.¡¯


    ¡®Suit yourself, I shall rest, I cannot bear to watch this unplayable game!¡¯ remarked Synthia, shaking her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s been many tens of thousands of years since man could beat machine in this game,¡± the Marquis commented. ¡°Make do with reality, this reality, those pirates are reality. It might not be the reality, but it is a reality.¡±


    Eliza cleared her throat.


    ¡°This happened on Kazuki¡¯s birthday, where a large number of participants just so happened to be at one location, does that not arise any suspicions to you?¡± she asked. ¡°I had a look at what my father had, and the location of the gathering was a closely kept secret¡­¡±


    ¡°It could have just been a coincidence, don¡¯t you think?¡± he asked. ¡°Many coincidences happen in life, this might just be another unfortunate one.¡±


    ¡°No. No, it¡¯s just¡­ too convenient.¡± She glared at him as her brooch felt heavy, its red-pink shine diminishing with her eyes.


    Fer-Charelota and Eliza continued their game of chess, as Eliza was pushed back into a corner, literally: as her king was five steps away from a checkmate.


    ¡°Elizabeth, I know this incident means much to you, with your sister¡¯s death¡­ But would Victoria have wanted you so diligently looking to the past when you have your whole future ahead of you?¡±


    No¡­ She wouldn¡¯t have, Eliza thought. Her sister was kind, courageous and greatest of all: compassionate. Dad was right, she¡¯s just a mimic of a dead girl. Amongst the dead heap of rubble, Eliza found a combination to win, gambiting her knowledge.


    ¡°I have hard evidence, though, words and murmurs from someone with more than proprietary interest in our matter ,¡± she said.


    The Marquis smirked. ¡°Who may that be? But please¡­ Let¡¯s get this over with, we all lost friends and family when the station crashed.¡±


    ¡°Jessica Kiki-Louis, the General Director of Clandestine Defence PLC.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ Jessica. Many rumours surround her, but none may come to light anymore, thanks to your friend,¡± the Marquis snarled in an intrigued but overall vicious tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ currently kept secret. But Kazuki has a copy of her archives, the General Director¡¯s information storage,¡± she said.


    Their game continued, with Eliza able to chain move after move, tempo after tempo - gaining momentum against the Marquis¡¯s blunder.


    ¡°She had several correspondences before, during and after the incident: all alluding to several players that knew of its happening.¡±


    He leaned backwards, then forward, smiling as he tilted his sunglasses. ¡°Oho¡­ this is news to me,¡± Fer-Charelota said. ¡°You trust the words of the Contract-Breaker?¡±


    ¡°Kazuki,¡± she snapped, placing him in check. Her voice became slower. ¡°His name is Kazuki Izumi Geminorum-Ryzaku.¡±


    The Marquis nodded. ¡°Kazuki, then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­ Oh, and don¡¯t tell this to others¡­ If we had to release it, I¡¯d prefer Galatimes to do it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, clever,¡± the Marquis said. ¡°Contact?¡±


    She slowly nodded. ¡°One of my friends runs the Anagoran Office,¡± she said gleefully, feeling second hand pride. ¡°I think I can trust him with the information¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯d prefer not to share it too broadly.¡±


    The Marquis agreed, nodding. ¡°Hmm¡­ Interesting. I believe meeting Kazuki should be in order, this knowledge can change the galaxy if released - and I will not sit here silently. A link to Obadiah will be established, do you concur?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ concur,¡± Eliza said. And they finished their game, as Eliza placed him in a checkmate. Despite her victory, she felt as if he snuck in the final blow.


    ? ? ?


    This was boring. Very boring. He missed ordering things on the interweb. Why must Kazuki buy them in person?


    He was standing outside a store, with a massive laundry list of items in one hand. It was shining on the holographic screen hovering above his ICAPAD.


    ¡°Nihara¡­ Can you do the buying for me?¡± he asked, turning to his bodyguard. She was wearing a black suit, something that fit in with the rest of the dassant-goers.


    She looked more dead on the inside than he was, simply glancing at the list. ¡°Can I buy something for myself?¡± she asked, copying the information over to her own ICAPAD.


    Whatever, he thought. ¡°Blank check. Buy the items on the list, then buy whatever,¡± he said, giving her the greenlight.


    Nihara nodded, and walked into the store in front of them. He can trust Nihara, Kazuki knew. And Cyrus, of course. He placed the weakest link with the asset that would have the least trouble. V¨¢clavos¡­ Kazuki debated to himself.


    The sound of light armour stung Kazuki¡¯s head behind him. Four Guards were walking by, as one stopped, glancing at Kazuki. The rest stopped.


    Kazuki noted their lighter armour and brighter faces. They must be the Imperial Squires. The Champion¡¯s Knight glanced back at them, then she waved them off. The three continued on their patrols.


    The guard stood above the rest, in both stature and prestige. She had an Imperial cockade on her torso, attached to her pale white cloak.


    She glared at the Contract-Breaker. His golden abyss stared back, lighted with a blue hue.


    ¡°Contract-Breaker?¡± she spoke.


    Kazuki nodded.


    She had pale white hair, short. Amber eyes lunged at him, a beady white dot in the centre of both pupils.


    A Belsarian chain of jewellery was wrapped around her head. A red crystal gem shone with energy on the chains - a Hazard Shard. Unlike many cultures across the galaxy, the Belsari were the only ones to have natural white hair¡­ Unlike his father and many vets from the Eclipse Expeditions.


    ¡°Lady Antiar,¡± Kazuki replied. ¡°Hazard Shard?¡±


    She took a step forward, placing a hand on the pommel of the Vesarian longsword she had by her hilt. A level of aura permeated from the scabbard¡­ It was the Knight¡¯s most lethal weapon, the Champion¡¯s Sword. It permeated a sense of heat Kazuki could feel, even when sheathed.


    Kazuki could see a long stitch running horizontally across her face, over the bridge of her nose. It was accompanied by scars, from ear to ear.


    The Belsarian Imperial Knight spoke, ¡°Explosion Shard. Previous owner was the sixth of the seven criminals. I was called to deal with a slave ring, had to kill him.¡±


    Kazuki crossed his arms. He had no weapons on him, a bit shorter than her. Lady Antiar Kelebori, Sixth of the Seven Criminals, the Imperial Knight of the Mischief Board stood in front of him.


    She wore the full armour and regalia of her archaic order.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯re both new to being members of the Seven of our sides of the coin,¡± she said. ¡°I remember your parents, it¡¯s been a very long while.¡±¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say I¡¯ve grown. I haven¡¯t¡­¡± Kazuki replied. ¡°Everyone says it. Even you and Fer-Charelota did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you can remember someone for that long,¡± Lady Antiar said, her eyes zeroed onto him.


    ¡°A curse.¡± Kazuki¡¯s voice kept the idea of the Contract-Breaker awake, yet his true, banal reality seeped into it. ¡°Still¡­ didn¡¯t expect you to go that way¡­¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t lump me in with the rest, Contract-Breaker,¡± Lady Antiar said, her back venting off energy with a pale gold light.


    ¡°You talk too high,¡± Kazuki snapped back, gesturing to her sparkly armour. ¡°Too clean. After all, knights in shining white armour win no accolades. Won no true battles.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you tell yourself?¡± Antiar asked. ¡°Then what are you?¡±


    Kazuki stared deep into her amber eyes, neither side allowed the other to discern any motive from any miniscule detail they let off. ¡°A ruthless mercenary. Contracted to the Republic. You are a ruthless knight. Sworn to the Marquis. We are the same.¡±


    However, the jewels and chains attached around Antiar¡¯s head betrayed her hidden hate. ¡°Insolent fool.¡±


    Her exospine was gently placed over her armour and clothes. It was unlike Kazuki¡¯s jabbed into place on his spine, a rudimentary shell of a life support system. It was a mockery to what it should have been.


    ¡°I am no Contract-Breaker. We have rules, incase you have forgotten with your barbarians.¡± Antiar¡¯s eyes thinned at him.


    Kazuki spat back a single word at her beratement, ¡°Done?¡±


    She started to pace around him. ¡°No. You¡¯re free, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s not common for members of the Seven, either side of the coin, to meet under calm circumstances. Care for a drink?¡± The question was laced with hostility.


    Slowly, he nodded. An encounter where a Seventh of the Board and Admin¡¯s top guns where they did not clash. Yet, at least. Given the chance, he has no doubt she¡¯d kill him. Or try at least.

 X18: Discussions above Disgust

    The Marquis bowed his head in recognition of Eliza¡¯s tenancy. The fountains spurted out in regular fashion to the adoration of many of the children present, the rising and falling tides were a mesmerising sight for Eliza, before her focus was cut back to Gilbera.


    ¡°I find the upstarts far more commendable than those such as I, having to climb the ladder with whatever they have,¡± he said. ¡°Though I would hate to admit it, many connections of my decreased brother did assist me in my own endeavours, like the grants.¡±


    ¡±Still, you yourself have far bigger problems that I¡¯ve had to face,¡± Eliza said. Despite the topic of the conversation having moved far, Eliza got what she wanted - and that was enough to satisfy her. ¡°Politics is a bit too fickle for me.¡±


    ¡°Siding with the reform faction is never a popular move with my equals, ironically. But it does come with its privileges, fighting for the Will of the People is just one of them¡± Fer-Charelota waved a hand out, towards the banquet hall they were in. ¡°Many people are willing to overlook politics to be here, however I must tell you to not get close to Obadiah.¡±


    His voice and accent fell low, until it was barely more than a whisper.


    The Will of the People seemed quite a rosy subject, but Eliza did like the idea... fighting against the horde of corruption for the people... Justice always prevails, she assumed.


    ¡°Well, I would prefer to have Kazuki around when I do make contact, if that is the case,¡± Eliza stated. Fer-Charelota thought to himself for a moment, then nodded.


    ¡°I would not object to his peerage in this matter.¡±


    Pausing, he pressed down on his uplink, holding out a finger towards Eliza. Eliza watched as he spoke silently, squinting, and then getting off the channel.


    ¡°My apologies, Elizabeth, it appears to be your lucky¡­ or rather unlucky day.¡±


    Eliza furrowed her brow. Did something go wrong?! ¡°Hmm?¡± She wore her concern on her gaze.


    ¡°Obadiah Cariana-Slynt¡­¡± Fer-Charelota placed a thumb against his temple, rubbing it. ¡°He will be arriving shortly, any minute, about some matter he must speak to me. Remember: he¡¯s powerful.¡±


    ¡°Powerful as in?¡± Eliza inquired.


    Fer-Charelota stood up, walking around the room, as Eliza followed. Their guards followed as well, as he stood by the side of the room, far from the banquet tables, dancers and entertainers present.


    ¡°He has connections, some say with the Mischief Board, some say even the upper echelons of the Republic, rumours of a deepstate with the ¨ªlizes. If push comes to shove, he will shove,¡± he said. He slowly cracked his knuckles. ¡°The Feonars own a Kingdom, tangible. The Tatsuo-Ryzakus have a sector to themselves, tangible¡­ Connections are quite intangible.¡±


    Intangible power? Eliza thought to herself, what does he mean by that? ¡°Board Connections? They¡¯re criminals, right? Shouldn¡¯t that be illegal?¡±


    ¡°On paper, yes, in reality: no,¡± Fer-Charelota said. ¡°Power comes in many forms. The ¨ªl¨ªzes have control over much of the senate¡­ they¡¯ve been sponsoring the Republic since day one. They know that power is as brittle, as fragile as it is unbreakable and malleable. I cannot shove against them, if things come to blows.¡±


    She nodded. She has Kazuki on her side, nothing to worry about. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ll be fine¡­ this time, I¡¯m prepared for anything.¡± Eliza smiled.


    Fer-Charelota didn¡¯t share her optimism. He glanced upwards, before muttering, ¡°What is also an open secret is that he benefitted from the Nasseri Proscriptions.¡±


    The proscriptions?! ¡°I thought¡­ it was just exiles, right?¡±


    The Kast¨ª man¡¯s face froze as he took in a deep breath. ¡°What happened in the Senatehouse when the High Admiral returned from his expedition was¡­ less than what we¡¯d expected. He only had the cr¨¨me of Nasseri¡¯s supporters killed¡­ A long list, many opportunistic murderers assisted him. Obadiah was one of those that helped.¡±


    She¡¯s heard some myths and legends about what transpired in the halls of the Senate. Some said that Yamagata only targeted those closest to the hailed Dictator, Consul Nasseri.


    ¡±It dealt with the corruption heavily, for a time at least¡­ Many new Brooch wielders came to the fold after that¡­ I am told that portions of the Nasseri wealth made their made into the pockets of¡­ the newer members of high society.¡± Fer-Charelota sighed. ¡°¨ªlize and many others wanted a full purge of the radical faction, I was able to talk them down to a surgical removal of the rot... Sadly, surgery does not exactly guarantee the rot is burnt, root and stem.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Fer-Charelota placed his hands together. ¡°Rot grows all the time, I do not regret talking them down... My brother and I were nearly victims of past purges in Republic politics. I understand what it feels like to be on the opposite end of a barrel.¡±


    The fact that Fer-Charelota had not even covered the fact that people were murdered in the Senatehouse irked Eliza¡¯s mind. Yet... It was seemingly fine for Eliza to think that, perhaps the last few months had knocked some sense of reality into her.


    ¡°Your words prevailed over their actions.¡± Eliza tried to justify and reinforce her own belief in the Republic.


    Fer-Charelota sighed. ¡°That it did.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ they must have had a rough time,¡± said Eliza. ¡°And you, as well, I can¡¯t imagine having to process so many people in.¡±


    Though maybe it was a good thing? The Nasseri Government were little more than petty tyrants.


    Fer-Charelota chuckled. ¡°Aye! It¡¯s all just couples and parents squabbling over whose name comes last. I never get it, sure, having the final name be yours is prestigious, but does it matter all that much?!¡±


    Eliza smiled, thinking of how comedic that would be.


    ¡°I¡¯ve even seen some people squabble to the point of divorce¡­ Terrible things, what names and prestige can do to us. What about you? Celeste is your father¡¯s whilst Delmara is your mother¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Eliza piqued up. ¡°I think they just agreed that my mother held more influence¡­¡± In their society, prestige and influence weighed more than armies and fleets. ¡°People have always compared me to my mother... Even Senator Tatsuo-Ryzaku.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Fer-Charelota cut in abruptly. ¡°The Old Man of Trasia?¡± he inquired. ¡°Must have a good eye.¡±


    Eliza continued, ¡°Well... It¡¯s just that my mother was a genius, an actual genius. Not like me... Same can be said of my sister... My mother had apparently revolutionised exoskeletal technology by the age of 20... and here I am...¡±


    Fer-Charelota sighed. ¡°Comparison is the bane of all goodness one can find within themselves,¡± he said.


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    ¡°All I¡¯ve done was just... do a presentation on an exospine that I haven¡¯t even created! It has nothing to do with me!¡± Eliza blurted out.


    The Marquis paused, then nodded. ¡°Perhaps. Can you tell me of this exospine?¡± he asked.


    Eliza slowly nodded. ¡°It¡¯s just something Kazuki uses... Alright? A life support system, I suppose.¡±


    Gilbera stared at Eliza for a moment. Eliza caught the gaze, somewhat surprised? Was... something wrong? Eliza blinked several times before the Marquis cleared his throat. ¡°Pardon my astuteness... I see it must be very interesting...¡± The Marquis looked uncomfortable?


    ¡°Well, I just repair it here and there,¡± Eliza said. ¡°Fix up components and try to learn from it, I guess it¡¯s been helpful in that regards, a lot of the alumni were apparently interested in it.¡±


    The Marquis asked, ¡°Says who?¡±


    ¡°Well... My friends... And the Senator.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, quite generous of him,¡± the Marquis stated. ¡°Anyways... We shan¡¯t speak of this no more, yes? Quite a delicate topic, I must understand.¡±


    Eliza nodded, fiddling with her hands upon realising how much they have strayed... How can Eliza even top her mother¡¯s works, let alone even grasp a straw or component that she has made... She didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Obadiah became an aristocrat after the proscriptions¡­ He is no fool, I must warn.¡±


    Not now! Eliza thought hard on the matter, throwing the exospine thoughts away... She¡¯s here for another reason, for justice, for... herself?


    Eliza silently understood the grey area in this matter. ¡°It matters no whether Obadiah is a murderer, I need to acquire information from him.¡±


    ¡°Smart, emotions are important: but they can get in the way for some things behind doors,¡± commented Fer-Charelota. A hint of frustration oozed off the Marquis'' eyes. ¡°Try to keep that in mind. Good luck, Miss Celeste-Delmara¡­¡±


    A Knight perked up as a group approached, ¡°I beg your¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªGilbera! You handsome bastard, how does it?¡± A loud voice echoed across the room as Eliza turned around¡­


    A tall, Anagoran brown-haired man with sea-blue eyes walked past the entourage of guards, as he went to shake Fer-Charelota¡¯s hand. The Marquis shook the slightly bloated man, wearing an opulent suit.


    ¡°Obadiah, great to see you in good health,¡± Fer-Charelota snapped. With the little networking skills her father had taught her, Eliza saw an artificial plaster prosed onto the politician¡¯s face. "The years have done much for you." Eliza could faintly hear a scoff within Fer-Charelota''s words, a modicum of spite, perhaps?


    Obadiah nodded. Eliza glanced back at her guard, Cyrus. He was primed and ready for anything, his hands gently resting in front of him. From what Kazuki has told her, she could recognise a hidden holster his belt.


    ¡°I could say the same to you,¡± Obadiah said, gesturing to the slight stubble the Marquis had in an equally egregious manner, he then turned towards Eliza and Cyrus. His eye slits thinned. ¡°Ah¡­ friends of yours, Gilbera?¡±


    Fer-Charelota glanced at Eliza, scratching at his slight stubble. Then, he nodded, standing firm. ¡°Yes, this is Elizabeth.¡±


    Obadiah¡¯s lips curled into a small smile. ¡°I see, well then, pleasure to meet you¡­¡±


    He raised a hand out towards her. Eliza slowly stood up¡­ Obadiah made the air thick around him, as his silver brooch, with a bright orange gem, glowed.


    Her eyes shot towards Cyrus, whom didn¡¯t seem to object. Slowly, Eliza extended her own hand out, shaking his.


    Fer-Charelota coughed, attracting Obadiah¡¯s slithering eyes. He looked old, with a hint of ill behind his eyes. ¡°About your recent acquisition of that trading company¡­ what was it called again?¡±


    ¡°Boszman Shipping, yes¡­ Risky, but very profitable,¡± Obadiah said, before letting off a hollow, sickening chuckle. It uneased Eliza, as if this man was something not even she could stand up against. ¡°Though¡­ such a shame what happened to their previous shareholders. I was able to strike a deal with their new owners, keep their ventures through the Kanziba Hinterlands profitable.¡±


    The subtle language choice hinted at it, but Eliza didn¡¯t want to believe it.


    The Marquis snarled, ¡°Yes, shuttle crash¡­ very ominous accident indeed, even the Yamikoi state police weren¡¯t able to find anything.¡± Gilbera stared for a moment, as Obadiah stared back. Eliza only now realised that she was in the middle of a political joust between these two strong men of politics.


    Obadiah paused, letting the words sink. Glancing back to Cyrus, she could see his index finger tapping on his hand, as if ready to pull a trigger.


    ¡¯Worry not, ward,¡¯ Cyrus stated.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    Cyrus extended a hand and patted her on the shoulder slowly leaning in. ¡°No blood will be shed. Not tonight.¡±


    Eliza nodded at his warning, though it freaked her out more than anything.


    A stalemate was formed around the group, the guards and Knights not moving a muscle. The fragmented fabric of peace must be upheld, she thought to herself, thinking what these people would surmise right now.


    ¡°You¡¯re implying something, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked Obadiah, letting Fer-Charelota say the words himself. ¡°They were both our friends, I only ensured that their legacy would survive, continue, thrive. I''m sure... under the same circumstances I was in, you''d do the same for me, if you could.¡± A curt smile rose on Obadiah''s face, oozing of greed and malice.


    Fer-Charelota scratched the underside of his nose. ¡°Yes, their legacy has continued. Yet somethings are just never meant to be.¡±


    Venomous words slashed into the air, sinking into the ears of everyone around them.


    Eliza cleared her throat, wishing to part a way within the frenzy. ¡°Ahem¡­ Excuse me, Obadiah, a friend of mine has told me that you are quite a well connected man.¡±


    Obadiah gave her a side glance. ¡°Yes? What of it?¡± he asked. ¡°Wait, Elizabeth, was it? You¡¯re Annabelle¡¯s daughter. Ha... I should have known someone of her calibre would have made it here!¡±


    He twisted to face her, staring down at her pale face. Eliza mustered up the courage to respond. ¡°I guess so?¡±


    ¡°I can see a fire in those eyes of yours,¡± Obadiah smiled at her. ¡°You wish to reignite your mother¡¯s company to life.¡±


    ¡°You could tell?¡± Don¡¯t let the words sink in, Eliza thought to herself.


    ¡°Determination, Elizabeth, you have it in those eyes, as did your mother.¡± Eliza had no idea if Obadiah really knew her mother. Still, she accepted the words at face value, following Fer-Charelota¡¯s example.


    ¡°Please, you flatter me, I nearly do not have the expertise that my mother had.¡±


    Was he trying to get in her favour? Eliza asked herself, finding no end to the roots of questions. ¡°Determination, sweat and tears overpowers talent tenfold once a certain threshold is reached.¡±


    Fer-Charelota slowly walked around, placing himself standing beside both Eliza and Obadiah.


    The words were sweet, and the suffocating ilk around Obadiah was seemingly weakened¡­ Her ears ate up the words, enjoying the compliments and flattery - accepting the possible lies, deep down understanding that she must not let it consume her. Chlo¨¦, Rodriguez, Professor Kallender and Professor Emilia? Maybe¡­ even Kazuki? They all see her achievements.


    Obadiah¡¯s words were too sweet for her liking, too buttery. Kazuki and Archius recognised her accomplishments, but they witnessed firsthand how much it took for her to get there.


    Within herself, she rejected the niceties. She¡¯s here for a mission, and will not let herself forget that.


    ¡°Thank you, Obadiah, I believe you have information that could assist me in some regards,¡± Eliza said. ¡°Negotiations wouldn¡¯t hurt, would they?¡±


    Fer-Chaloreta interjected before Obadiah could speak, ¡°Obadiah, I believe this is a good opportunity for you to¡­ spread your wings, there are many talented individuals in the galaxy, you merely have to seek them out.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Obadiah said, keeping up a small smile. ¡°I believe entering a business arrangement may be beneficial for both of us¡­ Is it just you?¡±


    ¡±Well, except for my bodyguard, I do have a friend, I wish for him to be in our negotiations. He¡¯s been a good advisor of mine,¡± Eliza admitted. Obadiah nodded. ¡°don¡¯t mind some extra company, excluding our entourage, of course?¡± asked Obadiah.


    Eliza shook her head. Even if Obadiah was playing foul here, she has Kazuki - the proclaimed Contract-Breaker. She hated calling him that, but he seems so adamant on using the title.


    Even still, he claims himself to be her tool, his own words vouched for that. Eliza knows he doesn¡¯t make idle promises or threats, and this is no different. She allowed herself to be consumed by a strange sense of control over him¡­ They were working together.


    He is the key to it all, this time the door will not be destroyed.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± she said.


    Weirdly, her imagined or supposed grasp on Kazuki made her feel warm. Slowly grasping on the red gem necklace around her neck, Eliza¡¯s mind slowly imagined a dangling key.

 X19: The Knight, the Contractor & the Petty Baron

    Distasteful. Both kept their readied hands on the table. Only slow movements were made, nothing to set either off. Lady Antiar slowly reached for the large glass of beer, raising it up and sipping down on it. Kazuki sat beside her, in a secluded bar in the corners of the Ball Palace..


    ¡°This place. It¡¯s isolated, well out of the way of prying eyes,¡± Kazuki said, slowly scanning his eyes towards Lady Antiar.


    Lady Antiar nodded, placing down the mug. ¡°You presume I brought you here to die?¡±


    ¡°A year of having a ten billion standardi bounty does that to a man.¡± Kazuki¡¯s eyes scanned across the bar. No one else, bar the serving drones, was present.


    Who will know if one died?


    ¡°The Imperial Knights frequent this place during our off time, especially the squires. At a time like this, most of us are busy,¡± Lady Antiar said, slowly stretching her shoulders as Kazuki saw ornamental medals she wore.


    ¡°You wanted to¡­ ¡®talk¡¯?¡± asked Kazuki. A drone hovered over. It refilled his cup with apple juice. ¡°What is there to talk about?¡±


    Lady Antiar sighed. ¡°They call this a social networking event, Contract-Breaker, drink up, it will be on the house, it¡¯s rare for any two of the Seven to meet under these pretences, we should make the most of it.¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s eyes thinned. ¡°You¡¯re not killing me. Nor do you have something to say¡­¡± He cracked his knuckles audibly. ¡°You¡¯re here to detain me, correct? Whilst the Marquis whispers poison into my friend¡¯s ear?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Lady Antiar shook her head. ¡°It would be wrong for me to deny you that answer¡­ I am unaware of the Marquis¡¯ actions, but I am to keep an eye over you, for now. Honour dictates me to follow orders, even if I see them as useless.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kazuki snapped, ¡°Worried I¡¯ll kill another corrupt politician?¡± Kazuki jested. If he wanted to, he could have killed so many more, bring justice to them all.


    ¡°Watch your tone, Contract-Breaker,¡± Lady Antiar said, placing her cup down, before standing up. "It was not I who decided upon this. But I elected to be honour bound to watch over you, so that you may not cause any harm to others.¡±


    Kazuki slowly rose, to no opposition from her. They mimicked each other¡¯s movements. Any spark of action could throw the Palace into chaos. As far as he was concerned, Lady Antiar was the only person here that could match him in combat prowess.


    ¡°You all act so high, but you¡¯re just the same as me. Hired muscle,¡± snarled Kazuki. He bit the words off violently, slowly turning his side towards Lady Antiar.


    ¡°Only appreciated when the shooting starts¡­¡± Lady Antiar slowed. . Kazuki slowly nodded; the sentiment was shared between the two. ¡°But you will watch your tone. You were lucky I was busy last Dassant¡­ Otherwise, I¡¯d bring justice to you.¡±


    Kazuki sarcastically nodded consecutive times. ¡°Yes. My merciful father and grandfather will watch as you imprison me with on Matt¡¯s sycophant¡¯s orders. Trust me, they¡¯ll be merciful, the heads of ten senators for each day I¡¯m kept in captivity. Your justice would only breed more injustice.¡±


    ¡°Justice is justice, no matter the topic. You broke your contract, do not talk so highly to me, Kazuki,¡± exclaimed Lady Antiar, frustrated. ¡°Honour and justice keeps the galaxy steady.¡±


    Kazuki looking at a slave to her own code. ¡°And what if the Marquis asked to bring the heads of innocents to him?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ Fer-Charelota would not do that, and there are rules! Without them, we¡¯re nothing but alien slavers!¡± She walked around the bar tabe. ¡°You broke the rules and you walked away alive.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a line between following the rules and being a slave to it.¡±


    She grabbed a bottle from behind the counter. Cracking it open, she drank from it directly.


    ¡°Do all Knights drink so heavily?¡± Kazuki asked.


    ¡°When you¡¯re in the business for as long as I have, alcohol soothes the pain. Physical and mental,¡± she said.


    He won¡¯t contest that point.. His men do it all the time, Quinn and Amy¨¦ most notably.


    ¡°We don¡¯t live long either way. I expect to die fighting for justice and honour. You¡­ You¡¯ll die alone,¡± Lady Antiar commented, placing the bottle down before walking back out.


    Kazuki stayed motionless, simply watching her for any slight movement. Dying alone? After all his crimes and sins, he expected that. He stunk of death, it¡¯s only a matter of time until death latches onto him. ¡°If that¡¯s all you have to say, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    He slowly turned towards the exit, a closed door. It led to the quieter areas of the Ball Palace. He took a step in front of him. The sound of a hand grabbing a sheathe rattled his enhanced hearing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recommend you doing that.¡±


    ¡°Why? I¡¯m going back to my friend,¡± Kazuki said. He took another step.


    ¡°Miss Celeste-Delmara will do just fine without you,¡± Lady Antiar said.


    Kazuki turned his head. ¡°You going to stop me?¡± He shook his head before she got a chance to answer. ¡°No. You won¡¯t.¡±


    He continued to walk. The sound of a blade unsheathing itself caught Kazuki¡¯s mind, as he readied for a fight. She was mid-draw as a light ignited onto both their uplinks.


    Eliza needed him. Lady Antiar slowly slid the blade back into its scabbard.


    ¡°Exactly. Now, I have places to be, and you do too.¡± Kazuki turned and walked away. He looked at the signal Eliza sent. It only had one piece of information, a location.


    Seemingly secluded, Kazuki thought, in the upper echelons of the suites. Backroom dealings, most likely. Fer-Charelota¡¯s sly, he won¡¯t waste Eliza¡¯s potential as an asset. Judging by what Lady Antiar said, the Marquis wants to befriend Eliza, away from his eyes.


    He entered out into the shopping complex. Lady Antiar was following him, he could hear her footsteps behind him. He¡¯ll let her tail him, no harm in that. And she won¡¯t cut him down here.


    He knew that she must consider the civilian casualties present. Even if it wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d do, she¡¯ll believe he¡¯d throw all these civilians into their battle.


    His mind thought for about what the Marquis might want, she¡¯s just a university student with good connections. Is that all Fer-Charelota wants?


    What would a politician want from her? Or him? The answer was becoming clearer to him. ¡°Grandfather¡­¡± he muttered to himself. He wants to befriend Eliza to get his trust. Consequentially, the ear of the Governor of the Trasian Oversector. Sly.


    He left the shopping complex, towards the upper-end housing suites. Lady Antiar kept trailing him.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Kazuki asked loudly, without even looking back at her.


    ¡°I have received a signal to meet with an¡­ individual,¡± she said with a snarl. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was for him, or to this individual.


    Kazuki gave a dismissive nod. Eventually, he started walking through an entire suite block dedicated to one individual.


    He could smell the greed in the air. But he couldn¡¯t deduce whose it was. The Ball Palace is large, and processing all occupied spaces without the Analyspec is impossible.


    The block was empty, dead, desolate. Drones passed by here and there, but nothing else. These suite blocks were reserved for the greatest scum in the galaxy, though that didn¡¯t narrow the list at all.


    Lady Antiar¡¯s footsteps accompanied him, as he continued to make his way through the block. Slowly, guards appeared, wearing black uniforms, private security. A guard spoke to both of them, ¡°You two are expected in the main suite.¡±


    Lady Antiar caught up in her pace, walking beside Kazuki. Neither responded to the guard.


    Kazuki asked, ¡°Who is this person you¡¯ve been called to?¡±


    ¡°Someone powerful,¡± Lady Antiar answered reluctantly, as if the words themselves were with ilk.


    This seemed sketchy, Kazuki thought.


    Phasing open the final door, he heard talking deep within the room. A guard ushered the two in.


    Kazuki complied. He had no reason to go against it. But he was prepared for a fight, he¡¯d be stupid no to be. It was a suite, a large living room, with a flight of stairs leading down from the indoor balcony, into the living room proper. The upper section was enough to be considered a small restaurant.


    He glanced down, seeing Eliza and another individual sitting opposing each other across a table, both on sofas, Cyrus was standing close by. The furniture was a dark, deep black, Kazuki hated it. Walking down the stairs, the two caught the attention of Liz and the man.


    Brown hair. Slimy figure. Obadiah Cariana-Slynt. He stopped along the stairs, peering down over the railing. Lady Antiar continued walking.


    ¡°Kazuki, finally, you¡¯re here,¡± said Eliza. She waved him over.


    He glanced around the room. Guards were stationed around the room. Hmm. Kazuki approached, stopping still behind Eliza, glaring at Obadiah. Lady Antiar stood to his side, though made it clear that there was distance between the two.


    ¡°Fer-Charelota got us a meeting with Obadiah¡­ We¡¯ll just have to negotiate with him to give us the information,¡± Eliza said enthusiastically.


    This was a bad idea. Na?ve fool¡­ Surrounded by potentially hostile guards, and opposing a member of the Seven Crims. No weapons, as well. He¡¯s confident he and Cyrus can take them, but he¡¯s not THIS suicidal.


    ¡°You do the talking,¡± Kazuki whispered to Eliza, his voice monotone and clear with its intention. ¡°I¡¯ll join in if I see an opportunity to.¡±


    Eliza nodded. ¡°Suit yourself, leaving the hard lifting to me, as always,¡± she jested. She turned back towards Obadiah, a calm Anagoran man with his hands placed together.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Alright then, now that our seconds are here, shall we begin?¡± Obadiah asked. Though his voice made it sound like a demand.


    Eliza nodded, placing her hands on her lap. ¡°Yes, well then¡­¡± She slowly glanced up to Kazuki, lowering her voice. ¡°How do negotiations work?¡±


    Did she not plan for this?! Was he even consulted before this? Kazuki shrugged slightly. ¡°I left negotiations to Martinez and Sato¡­ Just say what you want, and what you offer.¡±


    ¡®Sir, will this go messy?¡¯ Cyrus asked, his monotone structure speaking on uplink.


    Hopefully not. ¡®No. It won¡¯t.¡¯


    She anxiously nodded, turning back and clearing her throat.


    ¡°Nervous?¡± Obadiah asked. ¡°Worry not, we all had to start from somewhere. Even you lowly aristocrats must know that...¡±


    Sweet words from a man like him were betrayed by that last remark. Kazuki could see the contempt in Obadiah¡¯s eyes. Untrustworthy, Kazuki concluded to himself.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Well, I¡¯ve come here to talk to you about a possible trade of information? My parnter and I believe that you may be able to help us with an investigation of ours,¡± she proposed her thoughts, glancing up towards Kazuki as if seeking approval.


    He gave a slight nod. She gave him a small smile. Don¡¯t do that¡­ Kazuki thought to himself.


    ¡°Information? That can be weighed with stars, Elizabeth. What is this information you seek?¡± Obadiah jested at an obvious flaw. ¡°I¡¯ve lived quite long, and made many friends¡­ My loyalty to them is quite a high bargain¡­¡±


    Kazuki kept his mouth shut, as he saw Obadiah give him a sly glance. He was treading a fine line here.


    ¡°The Ptolemy Incident,¡± Eliza blurted out loud. She caught back her composure, clearing her throat again. ¡±You have information we seek.¡±


    ¡°P-1?¡± Obadiah asked, inquisitively. ¡°We all know that it was pirates¡­¡± He rubbed his forehead, shaking his head in frustration. Frustration turned into a sneer. ¡°I should have known. You newly minted brooches think too highly of yourselves! This is a waste of my time¡­¡±


    He stood up, just when Eliza slid over a data-pad, across the table. Kazuki glanced over at a few of the guards, guarding what seems to be a locked room on the far end of the living suite.


    ¡°What is this?¡± asked Obadiah, leaning over and activating the display.


    Sprouting up, Kazuki caught a glimpse of the information, everything that they had gathered until then. Jessica¡¯s involvement. Mischief Board affiliations. Links.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Obadiah¡¯s voice fell to a sinister whisper. Kazuki could feel the air tighten in the room. Gently, he placed his hands together, one over the other.


    ¡®Stay on guard,¡¯ Kazuki whispered to Eliza.


    ¡°It¡­ It won¡¯t come to that, trust me on this, alright?¡± Eliza reassured Kazuki. Obadiah sat back down, intrigued as he picked the data-pad up.


    Kazuki looked at Lady Antiar. She was blank-faced¡­ Obadiah might have connections to the Mischief Board, yes, but enough to requisition a Seven Crim? That takes influence¡­ The possibility of Obadiah being Matt¡¯s successor is evident.


    If that is the case, then Kazuki would expect Obadiah to use the Dassant to sell slaves to the galaxy¡¯s greatest scum.


    ¡°This is some interesting stuff, but I don¡¯t think I can help you¡­¡± Obadiah scratched his head, sliding it back to Eliza.


    Was Fer-Charelota is working with Obadiah? Or perhaps the two of them are vying to see who can gain Eliza¡¯s favour¡­ Maybe. If his hypothesis is correct, Obadiah will stay far from touching Eliza.


    Matt made the wrong chose. His legacy of philanthropy has been tarnished.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But nothing, Elizabeth, I can¡¯t help you with this. But if you¡¯re looking for assistance with possible finan¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªYou knew Matt,¡± Kazuki snapped without realising it. He tried to seal his lips shut. Still, the attempt at intrigue was too evident for him to let happen. ¡°Don¡¯t make the same mistake as that old man did.¡±


    Eliza¡¯s voice lowered as she pulled Kazuki down by the ear. ¡°What are you¡­ what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°Setting the holoboard straight,¡± replied Kazuki.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ look, please let me do the talking, you trust me with that, right?¡±


    Kazuki slowly lifted his head up, as Eliza released her grip on his ear. He¡¯ll give her this one chance.At least he got Obadiah to know he had gunpowder in his hands. Business was returned, with Obadiah giving the two a harsh stare.


    The facade is perfect, Kazuki sarcastically remarked to himself.


    ¡°What you ask of me is something I cannot provide, Contract-Breaker,¡± he said, placing his hands back together. The air was thick, yet no threat was present, his face remained the same. ¡°Matt¡¯s murder has not been forgotten by many¡­ Perhaps I am the only one willing to¡­ rectify the injustice. If you were not a member of royalty, I doubt you¡¯d be alive.¡±


    Cyrus tightened his grip on his hands. Lady Antiar returned the favour with a slow hand movement up her waist. It got slightly closer to the Champion Blade¡¯s pommel.


    Injustice? Kazuki felt like letting of a hoarse chuckle. An omen of death. ¡°Correct assessment. However, I am. Unfair galaxy, is it not? That every action has an equal opposite reaction.¡±


    ¡°Careful, boy, you an your mud brooch forget your place!¡± Mud brooch... Kazuki scoffed, glancing at Eliza, who meekly brunted the insult to her status.


    So Obadiah was even worst than Matt. At least in the superiority complex view.


    Eliza spoke up, ¡°I apologise. Kazuki¡¯s just concerned, that is all. I think we can offer you something for that information we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°Once again, I cannot help you¡­ but¡­ what are you willing to offer, hypothetically?¡±


    A simple bribe won¡¯t work. Kazuki would have to pay an Empress¡¯ ransom in standardis for anything of the sort to work.


    Eliza paused, dumbstruck for a moment before starting, ¡°Well¡ª¡±


    Obadiah placed a finger up. ¡°¡ªYou have nothing to offer me¡­ You come into my suite, demand a negotiation and your second threatens me¡­ I¡¯m already sitting on a throne of cash. What lofty thing do you think you have to offer?¡±


    Kazuki looked down at Eliza, she was in a stunned silence, not able to respond.


    He¡¯ll respond in the way he best knows.


    ¡°Your life,¡± Kazuki snapped. ¡°You don¡¯t want history to rhythm, do you?¡±


    Lady Antiar maintained her guard, her amber eyes glancing down at Obadiah, then over at Kazuki. Eliza shot a look back at him.


    ¡±I severed ties with Matt the moment I even caught a whiff of suspicion.¡±


    Kazuki rolled his eyes. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past someone like you.¡±


    Obadiah¡¯s face contorted into anger as she stood up. ¡°Snivelly! You insult me in my own abode!¡±


    Kazuki saw Obadiah¡¯s brooch light up with his anger and pride. The air continued to thicken with rage.


    ¡°Kaz¡­¡± Eliza bit her words off, frustratingly looking up at him.


    He ignored her. ¡°Yeah. I insulted your honour. Look around you. What has changed?¡±


    No one uttered a word as he gestured around them.


    The answer was clear.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Kazuki snarled.


    ¡°Lady Antiar,¡± Obadiah said, twisting back towards Lady Antiar¡­ She slowly nodded, her eyes thinning. ¡°I demand that you protect my honour and take his head.¡±


    A moment of silence ushered into the room, Just why would Lady Antiar follow those instructions? Unless¡­ Obadiah was a a High Ranking member of the Mischief Board. Lady Antiar looked at Kazuki, as the two exchanged looks, they both knew it to be true.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°Take my head and my father will come down Liberator¡¯s way. All will burn.¡±


    The threat was quite accurate to what his father would probably do¡­ if Yuki died. Him? Well¡­ he had no idea. But given everything, it was his ace on the table.


    Obadiah gritted his teeth. ¡°Do you retract your statements?¡±


    Kazuki felt a tug from Eliza. She wanted him to accept it. She gave him a frustrated glare¡­ Keep glaring, it won¡¯t change his answer, Kazuki thought.


    ¡°Hate being compared to that fake philanthropist?¡± Kazuki snarled, malice and spite within his monotone voice ¡°People call me murderer, but at least I look them in the eyes as I kill them.¡±


    ¡°Bodies litter your footsteps.¡± Obadiah¡¯s voice receded to a shallow hatred. ¡°We aristocrats¡­ gentlemen and businessmen: we save livelihoods, you take them.¡±


    ¡°With you in charge, the Sub-Levels would be a paradise world.¡± Kazuki rolled his eyes. ¡°You''re not fooling anyone in this room. There are some that bled properly to their position. But you and men akin to you? You¡¯re simply meat on the chopping board. Dressed in nice suits and ties.¡±.¡±


    Eliza interjected, ¡°Kazuki, I feel like we should¡­¡± She stopped talking, the two exchanging looks. She was angry. That he could see. Kazuki pulled away from her.


    Obadiah cannot be dealt with, Kazuki thought. Too volatile a reputation and power.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, without me, the bodies and furnaces I filled would never hesitate to kill you,¡± he said. ¡°You killed people before. Who cares if it was by another¡¯s hand. They¡¯re dead all the same.¡±


    Obadiah spoke, defending himself, ¡°I did what was needed to protect the Republic from sycophants.¡±


    Kazuki shook his head. ¡°And just like that, they were replaced by men like you.¡±


    ¡°Kazuki¡­¡± Eliza¡¯s voice faded.


    ¡°YOU DARE TALK TO ME LIKE THIS, CHILD?!¡± Obadiah shouted, looking to his guards. ¡°It is us who built this Republic, and you who¡¯ll burn all we have created!¡±


    Kazuki sneered, ¡°It was my father who elevated your batch of pigs to the podium¡­ First it was the Nasseri Government, not tyrannical very quickly. Next are the ¨ªlizes¡­ I wonder how long it¡¯ll take for your brains to splatter the windows.¡±


    ¡°Snivelry,¡± remarked Obadiah. He pointed a vicious finger at Kazuki, speaking with a vile tone. ¡°The Proscriptions were necessary¡­ Nasseri was going to turn the Republic into his hall of sycophants. Your father understood that, that¡¯s why he worked with us to remove him!¡±


    ¡°Make no mistake. He holds only contempt,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°Between two poisons, he chose the one that hasn¡¯t stabbed him¡­ for now.¡±


    The two traded death glares.


    The guards made small movements, but Cyrus turned towards them. One hand on his great sword, sheathed in a large scabbard on his belt. They looked at Lady Antiar. She didn¡¯t move.


    No one moved.


    Kazuki continued, ¡°Live in the filth and you¡¯ll quickly come to love it. I bled tankers full - whilst people like you sipped on your Kast¨ª wine.¡±


    ¡°Slander¡­¡± Obadiah spat out. ¡°I challenge you to a duel, the old way. The Imperial Way.¡±


    That was enough consent to kill him right now. But not in front of Eliza.


    Kazuki lingered in thought for a moment, glancing at Cyrus, then at Eliza. She was gripping the ends of her dress, grumbling audibly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Kazuki leaned down towards her. ¡°Obadiah¡¯s no fool. He cannot be trusted¡­ Accepting any deal from him would lead to worse outcomes.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ you said you¡¯d trust me with¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªAccept this challenge, Contract-Breaker!¡± Obadiah pointed a finger at him. He patted Lady Antiar on the shoulder, as she side-stepped away from him - disgusted by his aura of wealth. ¡°I, however, am old¡­ I dub Lady Antiar the Champion against your wretched self.¡±


    ¡°Lady Antiar. You don¡¯t have to do anything Obadiah says.¡± Kazuki looked directly at Lady Antiar.


    Lady Antiar sighed, closing her eyes. ¡°I am honour bound to fulfil this request. However, understand that if the Marquis refutes this, I am honour bound to fulfil his request over yours.¡±


    Obadiah grunted in annoyance. ¡°He will not object,¡± he said, with vicious eyes piercing Lady Antiar, though she remained still.


    It must be quite hard. Being forced by honour to serve that slug. Quite unfortunate, Kazuki jeered within himself.


    Eliza glanced up at Kaz, then Lady Antiar. She returned a strained glance, before setting her eyes on Kazuki, dead-set on victory. Whatever Lady Antiar was thinking, it seems her hatred of Contract-Breakers, the dishonoured, outweighed her disgust for Obadiah.


    After all, Obadiah is still ¡®honourable¡¯. He¡¯s completed his contracts¡­ And in a galaxy so hell bent on oaths, contracts and promises, that was a given he¡¯d skim around the edges.


    Obadiah¡¯s blue eyes glared at Kazuki. ¡°I¡¯ll finish what Clandestine started, bring you to justice.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Eliza spoke up, frustrated. ¡°We are... we don¡¯t mean offence. We simply wish for your assistance.¡±


    Obadiah snarled, ¡°As long as the Contract-Breaker stands with you, I will never entertain the thought.¡± His lips formed up into a curl. ¡°But I¡¯m sure¡­ that can change.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it¡¯ll be. Lady Antiar¡­ As the Champion of the Imperial Knights, she must specialise in close quarters fights with bolt and blade. His victory condition is simple: wear her down in range. Win the skirmish before the brawl.


    ¡°And you.¡± Kazuki¡¯s response made best use of his emotionless demeanour. Venom prickled out from the verbal bomb. It was little more than an open declaration of hostilities between the two, only stopped by their adversion to spill blood¡­ here.


    Negotiations have been derailed. For the better, Kazuki assumed. He wasn¡¯t worried however. Though Eliza was grumbling.


    It doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯ll pry the information from all their lips, until nothing of them remains.

 X20: Dividing Oaths

    ¡°Are you sure this is absolutely necessary?!¡± Eliza bellowed at Kazuki. She peered down into the Arming Chamber from the catwalks above. The vibrations of loud voices could be faintly felt by either of them.


    Kazuki turned to the large gate behind him, adjusting the vest-plates. He looked up at her, nodding. ¡°He chose this fight.¡±


    ¡°Look, it was clear as day what he was trying to do, but we need to treat with him to get the information,¡± she said.


    ¡°Treat him with what? My intuition tells me he wont budge.¡± He slid a Vesarian black blade into its scabbard, its distinct lack of shine catching Eliza¡¯s eye. ¡°Tch. Poor mockery of my people¡¯s weapons.¡±


    Synthia projected down towards Kazuki, scanning the series of weapons present with a fast ray-scan, then Kazuki¡¯s black blade. She shrugged and shook her head. ¡®Excellent quality, though I would understand why someone akin to you would see that weapon as a cheap knock-off¡­¡¯


    ¡°Kaz! Is that really your biggest concern!?¡± Eliza pouted, making her feelings known to Kazuki. He blew it all up for this?! ¡°Just, be safe, alright?¡±


    Why must he be such a rock sometimes?! They¡¯re in this together, so why is he always the one taking the lead? Did he see her as a subordinate? Given that he¡¯s always been surrounded by subordinates, Eliza can see why he¡¯d think that.


    The fact that he had said nothing about her ability to even get into a negotiations with Obadiah of all people rubbed Eliza the wrong way. She felt a mixture of envy and want, present within her eyes.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even¡­¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s ears twitched as he looked up at her. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    She leaned over the railing, watching him shove three pills down his throat. Thinking for a moment, she then shook her head. ¡°A ¡®good job¡¯ would have been nice,¡± she muttered to herself.


    Kazuki turned back to the gate, finishing up his gear. He must know what he¡¯s up against, right? Still, she felt the need to remind him. ¡°You¡¯re up against Lady Antiar Kellebori!¡±


    Anxiety crept into her mind, leaking through. Unlike the Loyalists and Gunrunners, Eliza knew who Kazuki was up against this time: Lady Antiar of the Imperial Knights, Harbinger of Honour.


    ¡°Second in Command of the Knights.¡± Kazuki wasn¡¯t all too concerned, it seems. Ugh¡­ He does have a sense of self preservation, right? ¡±Seven Crim and Explosion Shard User.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ seven crims? Detonation Shard?¡± She understood what he meant, though it came as a surprise he¡¯d link criminality to someone known for their honour, so much so that even Eliza knows of her braveries to protect the weak!


    Kazuki wore an armoured vest underneath his suit, Eliza thought it looked like a cross between a secret agent and an operative.


    ¡°Seven Crims. The BCA has Seven Mercenaries. The Mischief Board has Seven Criminals.¡± Kazuki glanced up.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t get it?¡± understood what a Seven Merc was, after all Kazuki was one . ¡°Seven Criminals, it¡¯s something about a coin flip, isn¡¯t it? So they¡¯re like an organised counterpart to you?¡±


    ¡°Depends. They are kept on a tight leash by the board.. Both might be criminals, but the Republic turns an eye to them. The Board is semi-reputable, best to let them handle things. Same with the Security Industry,¡± informed Kazuki. He went back to gearing up, loud voices could be heard behind the gate. ¡°Star systems know it¡¯s best to not piss off the mercs and crims.¡±


    He finished gearing up, spending a few moments fixing his suit. ¡°I¡¯ll get an answer out of him,¡± he said.


    Eliza shook her head. She sighed. ¡°How hard is it to just keep things civil? To just talk?¡±


    Kazuki paused, then spoke, ¡°It¡¯s nearly my Twentieth birthday. I¡¯ve spent the last ten years killing, murdering, executing everything put before me. Want to know why?¡±


    Her face frowned at his statement, was that all he really saw himself as? A tool of death? Eliza thought otherwise, she believed otherwise: Kazuki is the key, the tool to pry open those behind the attack - that she knew. She thought back for a moment.


    ¡°No! You¡¯re¡­¡±


    A small grumble filled her eyes, he placed a hand to his temple. She must have understood that talking about this is quite hard, and she simply gave in. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because everyone put before me wanted to kill me. Jessica. Svenn. Matt. Obadiah? He¡¯s just another name. I can see it in his eyes.¡±


    ¡°No! Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d let me handle the investigation?! Kaz¡­ please¡­¡±


    Kazuki turned towards the gate, slowly approaching it. ¡°He won¡¯t budge unless I give him something he wants. I¡¯m not giving him you.¡±


    The words caught her in a fiddle, he was right. Just what would they use to convince him? Obadiah seemed wealthy, rich enough to have an entire suite block to himself. What would leverage against him? She pondered¡­ ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°An Empress¡¯ Ransom. That¡¯s what will convince him. Compare the two options. Either I obtain the information my way with Archius, or that.¡±


    Archius! He can help us with this! ¡°Wait, Archius can help us with this, right? He must know how to convince people.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s scouting other opportunities,¡± stated Kazuki


    ¡°Well¡­ There has to be another way, right?¡± Eliza asked. ¡°There must be something that could convince him¡­¡±


    ¡°I know of one way. My guards have not been able to track them down. Fer-Charelota can help with that.¡± He said, before the gates opened, revealing bright white hues, significant in strength, shining into the abyss of the workshop armoury.


    ¡®KAZUKI GEMINORUM-RYZAKU OF TRASIA!¡¯ an announcers¡¯ voice cried out from outside.


    Slowly, Kazuki glanced up at her. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later.¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Eliza said, ¡°Are the reinforcements holding up well? I¡¯m sorry, I should have focused more on it if I knew this would¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯ll hold,¡± Kazuki stated. ¡°And¡­ you did well¡­ Getting this far by yourself.¡±


    She paused. Her face then exploded into an uncontrollable grin.


    Eliza nodded, as she watched Kazuki step through the gates.


    With that, he was gone. Eliza was left alone for a moment, as she walked along the platform, phasing a door. She exited out into a wide arena stadium. Bright lights shone down against the duelling grounds below, an oval shaped arena with safety signifiers to show it was a Simulation Field. A large one, yes, but still just a simple Sim-Field at the end of the day.


    A tidal wave of people were present. She started walking down the galleries of seats, towards where Archius said he¡¯d be.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡®LADY ANTIAR KELEBORI!¡¯ the announcer shouted. Eliza turned her head towards the arena, seeing Kazuki in one side of it, with Lady Antiar on the other. Cheers amidst the chaos of the crowd were hurled everywhere, hurting Eliza¡¯s head.


    The Imperial Knight stood tall and proud; arms crossed. Eliza felt a tug at her sleeve, whilst walking, being dragged down to an empty seat.


    ¡°You nearly missed us!¡± Archius jested. Eliza turned towards him.. ¡°I know you need glasses but uh¡­ maybe you¡¯ll need to see the opticians sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡°My¡­ my eyesight is quite alright, I¡¯ll have you know!¡± Eliza retorted, crossing her arms as she looked around. Yuki was sitting beside her, along with two of Kazuki¡¯s guards on one side. Noah, Nate and Chlo¨¦ were sitting beside Archius.


    ¡°Eliza, you¡¯re here, I thought you were going to miss the show,¡± Noah said, gleefully. ¡°You betting?¡±


    He smirked, glancing over at Eliza. Chlo¨¦ spoke up, ¡°Lady Antiar! Sorry, Liz, my guts tell me that.¡±


    ¡°Me and Chlo¨¦ are betting on Lady Antiar,¡± Noah said. ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°No offence taken, I understand¡­¡± Eliza trailed off. Nate was silent, with Archius using his shoulder as an armrest.


    Noah smiled. ¡°Still, didn¡¯t expect them to launch this surprise event.¡±


    Eliza hid a small gasp as she shook her head. She slowly turned to Noah, attracting both his and Chlo¨¦¡¯s attention. ¡°Not exactly? Kazuki insulted someone and¡­ Lady Antiar was called forth to fight him.¡±


    ¡°The Marquis?!¡± Chlo¨¦ interjected.


    She shook her head once again. ¡°No!¡± Though he probably would, Eliza knew the Marquis wouldn¡¯t take it too seriously, he¡¯d probably just laugh and shrug it off as just him being him.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Noah started. ¡°You¡¯re up to something, aren¡¯t you, Liz?¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond, though her silence might as well be a response of several magnitudes unto itself. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± cautiously replied Noah. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ keep that in mind.¡± His face turned back to the Sim-Field. Should she get Noah on board with the investigation as well? Kazuki¡¯s a friend of his! They¡¯ll get along well. She¡¯ll have to ask him later!


    Eliza glanced over at the guards. Cyrus and¡­ the blonde guard, she didn¡¯t know their name.


    She narrowed her eyes at him, he was the one that was sent to guard Yuki, right? He glanced at her. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m flattered, but¡­¡±


    Cyrus smacked him across the head. ¡°Don¡¯t give her the wrong idea you idiot,¡± he remarked with a frustrated tone, teetering on anger. ¡°Just because Nihara¡¯s not into you doesn¡¯t mean you annoy others.¡±


    ¡°Dude!¡± the guy shouted at Cyrus, nearly jabbing him in the eyes as Cyrus wacked his fingers away. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ not into me, yet!¡±


    ¡°I can hear you guys,¡± said Nihara, she was walking down the aisle of spectators, carrying dozens of bags¡­ Bloody hell, she must have liked shopping.¡±


    ¡°Nihara!¡± Eliza shouted out towards her. ¡°What¡¯s with all the bags?¡±


    ¡°Oh, these?¡± Nihara asked, looking down at them. She threw them directly onto the guy¡¯s lap. ¡°V¨¢clavos¡­ look after them. Kazuki asked me to get a list of products then said I could buy whatever¡­ so I did?¡±


    ¡°Relying on me already?¡± V¨¢clavos smirked at Nihara.


    Nihara looked away, ignoring V¨¢clavos. ¡°You two seem to get along well,¡± Eliza said.


    Nihara sat down as the two got into a small argument, giving Liz a second to glance down at Pi, as Yuki was playing with the bird within its cage.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll stay in the cage because I told it so!¡± Yuki remarked.


    Eliza nodded. ¡°Well, it¡¯d be best for all of us if it didn¡¯t try to attack Lady Antiar¡­ or anyone else.¡± She turned back to the arguing couple, thinking about how daunting a wild Phoenix would be to deal with. Eliza¡¯s heard of the tales and does not want to see it in person.


    ¡°Absolutely not, Eliza,¡± Nihara said with a straight face, turning to Eliza as V¨¢clavos was popping over her short shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s annoying, picky, gets attached too easily. He¡¯s like a thorn I haven¡¯t plucked.¡±


    V¨¢clavos laughed heartily, stretching an arm out as he reached over Nihara¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Oh, come on, I¡¯m¡­ not a thorn, I¡¯m a¡ª¡±


    ¡°Continue and I¡¯ll punch you in the liver,¡± Nihara stated with a complete straight face.


    ¡°Play nice, you two,¡± Cyrus stated, as if he was babysitting the both of them.


    Eliza started to see the sparks of comradery within the contractors. She guessed she started doing it after what happened with Lilly and Riharia. But¡­ they¡¯re all so weird, in the good way. They¡¯re just regular people. They laugh, intermingle, joke around¡­ and uh¡­


    She watched as V¨¢clavos was put into a headlock by Nihara. ¡°HEY. HEY. HEY. HEY. I GET IT. I GET IT!¡±


    ¡°You said that the last time.¡±


    Eliza looked up at Cyrus. He simply sighed. ¡°They¡¯ll stop on their own, eventually. Trust me.¡±


    She chuckled, turning her gaze back down to the arena. Both Lady Antiar and Kazuki were taking some time preparing, arming drones doing the finishing touches for either.


    Archius stretched his shoulders. ¡°You know, I¡¯m just here to enjoy the entertainment¡­ this is just entertainment, right?¡± His face turned to a frown, expecting an answer from Eliza.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think it is¡­¡± Eliza murmured to Archius.


    Archius rolled her eyes, his facade slowly slithering into a cold stare. ¡°What happened? For real¡­ what the fuck did Kaz do this time?¡±


    ¡°He offended Obadiah¡­ something about honour that spiralled into this mess,¡± Eliza said.


    He nodded, grunting. ¡°An honour duel¡­¡± Archius glanced back towards the arena, his face seemingly actually worried.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± asked Eliza.


    Archius lowered his voice. ¡°Pfft, this won¡¯t go how anyone here thinks it¡¯ll go¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Eliza asked, leaning in towards him, as she felt Yuki¡¯s hand tap her on the shoulder¡­ repeatedly¡­


    ¡°Lady Antiar is an honourable woman. Kaz¡¯s is a Contract-Breaker. And Kaz? Well, what do you think he¡¯ll do?¡±


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    Archius spoke no higher than a whisper, a mutter, ¡°¡ªWhat would people believe the Contract-Breaker would do?¡±


    Eliza thought hard on the question. The Contract-Breaker¡­ ¡°That¡¯s not who Kazuki is,¡± she stated.


    Both knew, yet perception was all that mattered. ¡°I know. People will be expecting small entertainment, but these are two members of the Seven on opposite sides of the coin: it¡¯ll be bloodshed.¡±


    A shiver rippled down Eliza¡¯s spine. ¡°No¡­ I¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªHe won¡¯t kill her,¡± Archius interjected, shrugging as he raised his voice back to normal, his face normal. ¡°Yuki! What do you think?!¡±


    Yuki was slamming her hands into the back of Eliza¡¯s dress. She turned, facing Yuki. Pi, the phoenix, was sleeping in its cage, snoring a nice melody.


    ¡°Hey!¡± she shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me!¡±


    Eliza placed her hands up, looking away slightly as she blocked the flurry of light slaps Yuki sent her way with her hands¡­ ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll listen!¡±


    Her voice immediately sprawled to life. ¡°Hey, hey, do you think my brother will win?!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yes?¡± Eliza sounded unsure of herself. Sure, she knows Kaz is strong, but Lady Antiar has more experience. ¡°At least I hope so.¡±


    ¡°Oooh, you hope so?¡± A smirk was raised onto Yuki¡¯s face. ¡°You must be quite important to him, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?¡±


    Eliza... slowly nodded. Well... Eliza hoped that she was important? Well... Eliza didn¡¯t exactly know what to make of Kazuki... He acts colds all the time, acts harsh and rude, but is willing to, at the mere drop of a hat, do anything for her?!


    Ugh... Eliza was confused by him, but she felt happy. She was happy that, in his strange way, Kaz does care? She hoped so... at least. They have a Contract with one another, after all...


    Even if they call him Contract-Breaker, Eliza knows he¡¯ll never break their special pinkie-promise Contract.


    ¡°I guess he is important,¡± Eliza said. ¡°Very... important...¡± Her voice trailed off.


    Yuki noted that down, literally... She had a... holo-pad, just jotting things down. ¡°Mhm... Alright, now how do you feel about Kazuki and how do you think he feels about you?¡±


    ¡°Well... To me? I dunno,¡± Eliza admitted. Despite everything, there was so much she knew little of him... But at the same time there was so much Kazuki didn¡¯t know of her as well... So many... things deep down that Eliza refuses to admit. Even to herself...


    ¡°Blegh,¡± Yuki shook her head. ¡°Bad response! Try again.¡± Yuki seemed to not be letting go of this matter. ¡°You¡¯re like one of like... five friends Kaz has ever had! Do you know how he acted back when we were kids?!¡±


    Oh... This... might be interesting? It piqued her interests, mainly because Kaz knew Victoria! Back then... Eliza was rarely around, barely could remember anything as well, only the nostalgic thoughts remain. A solemn nod came from Eliza.


    The energetic Yuki nodded several times in turn. ¡°He was soooo dead, you know, like nothing he did seemed to be pretty powered or like he¡¯s putting his back into anything! Yeah! And after the Incident, he basically barricaded himself in his room for years! Wouldn¡¯t even talk to me!¡±


    Eliza¡¯s imagination ran wild with that prompt... It was depressing, thinking of Kazuki just huddling by himself in the corner of a room... By himself... Eliza¡¯s face drooped to a frown.


    Archius chuckled, looking over Eliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re annoying her.¡±


    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s fine.¡± Eliza burdened the sadness, before she turned back towards the arena, as the two individuals were still facing off against each other.


    ¡®AS THE GRAND FINALE OF TODAY¡¯S EVENTS, THESE TWO TITANS HAVE BOTH VOLUNTEERED TO DUEL EACH OTHER! THE IMPERIAL KNIGHT¡¯S SIXTH OF SEVEN CRIM, THE BCA¡¯S FOURTH OF SEVEN MERC! WHO WILL COME OUT ON TOP?! IN ONE CORNER WE HAVE THE VAUNTED CHAMPION OF THE KNIGHTS, ANTIAR KELEBORI! AND IN THE OTHER CORNER: PRINCE KAZUKI RYZAKU OF TRASIA.¡¯


    She wasn¡¯t surprised that the Marquis was masquerading the true reason for the duel. Both a boon for himself, the event, and the parties involved.


    Political literacy isn¡¯t her fortre, but she knew that everyone benefitted from that move.


    Eliza looked around the arena, seeing a plethora of people from all ways of life. Politicians, businessmen, aristocrats, generals¡­ Everything and everyone was high class.


    ¡®WE¡¯RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT! REMEMBER, YOU CAN BET ON ANY OUTCOME FOR THE DUEL! LET THE FIGHTING COMMENCE!¡¯

 X21: White Silver; Black Gold

    Well armed. Well armoured. Even playing field, at least from what Kazuki could see.


    The arena around them started to form upwards, firing up holographic adverts alongside the Sim-Field pillars and structures, creating a randomised arena.


    This wasn¡¯t going to be an issue. There was room for range, CQC and everything in between.


    She has one ace up her sleeve, and he has one. Kazuki glanced down at the railgun he had hidden in a holster¡­ If it hit, she¡¯ll die. Does he want that? Lady Antiar will be tough, he knows that.


    He shook his shield on, checking that it worked. It was a scutum shape, not the Clandestine patent. He glanced up, seeing the horde of spectators.


    Drones hovered up. They were recording the whole thing, from afar, close. He¡¯ll use the drones as weapons if they get close.


    He just has to remember Lady Antiar¡¯s fighting style. That in of itself was easy to perform. He¡¯ll adapt, as always.


    Be the monster they think he was, Kazuki thought.


    The two walked towards eah other. She already had her sword drawn, the Knight¡¯s Champion Sword. Her knuckle dusters were alight with explosive sparks. Two pistol by her side.


    All of this information doesn¡¯t matter. Her fighting style was unknown¡­ He¡¯ll learn quickly, though. His cybernetics crackled out in energy. A bright blue gleam shot out from his power-charge.


    Under the blue lights above, he charged, drawing the Trasian black blade in its sheath.


    Lady Antiar burst forward too, as Kazuki went in for a slash. As he did, Lady Antiar weaved backwards. His sword slashed air, missing Lady Antiar before drawing his back, propping up his shield.


    Speed was key. Both sides were unmatched in their agility. A sparkle ushered from Lady Antiar¡¯s knuckle dusters.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make this quick,¡± Lady Antiar said. A white-orange explosion erupted across the arena.


    Red and sparks fluttered across Kazuki¡¯s vision. The detonation flicked off his shield, flying into the structures across the arena.


    He could hear the amazement of display from the spectators. Kazuki pulled his pistol out, sending a fusillade of bolts through the smokescreen.


    The sparks cleared, showing Kazuki¡¯s target¡­ The bolts slid closer, as Lady Antiar ignited her shard again, parrying the bolts with a small explosion.


    The bolts merely melted away around her. Lady Antiar broke into a sprint, crashing through the air towards him.


    Kazuki pulled back, sliding his pistol back into his holster¡­ He¡¯ll need to pry an opening for himself. But how will he bypass that explosion?


    ¡°Dammit¡­¡± Kazuki muttered to himself.


    Lady Antiar¡¯s exospine crackled with energy - exuding a mist of white light and sparks.


    Kazuki reignited his shield, taking initiative as he stood in the middle of the battle ground, around the ruined white urban landscape.


    The Knight¡¯s blade slid across the surface of the shield; a relentless blaze of slashes heated up with each attack.


    Kazuki had mere moments to block each consecutive strike, with her pushing on the advantage.


    He has to get far from her. She¡¯ll wear him down with this. Her Champion Sword heated up with steam in the air vaporising around the two. The heat of the blade versus the heat of the shield. Amidst the furious assault, he could hear cries from the spectators.


    ¡°BEAT HIS ASS!¡±


    ¡°KILL HIM!¡±


    ¡°TURN HIM INTO SWISS CHEESE!¡±


    What the fuck is Swiss Cheese?


    Kazuki can¡¯t pull his gun out, not without the initiative. He kept taking steps back, nearing a wall.


    Dammit¡­ He hated to do this, but he¡¯ll have to force himself into a close up brawl of steel. She will win if he can¡¯t think of anything.


    All he has to do is regain the initiative.


    Her strikes were getting more powerful. Their speed had not diminished. An idea brewed.


    He deactivated his shield, allowing Lady Antiar to etch just a bit closer. Her frustrated face watched her blade stab into the wall behind Kazuki.


    With the initiative, Kazuki charged into her with his elbow, building some distance. With that, he redrew his own blade. He aimed for a quick slash, only for Lady Antiar to respond in turn - dragging the blade out of the wall in a swift motion.


    The harsh rip of steel crackled across the arena.


    Lady Antiar had parried his attack. Still, he can¡¯t pull his pistol out. That¡¯ll give her the initiative.


    He had to keep building momentum.


    Pushing himself forward, the two engaged into a frenzied parry duel. Exploding his exospine with more power, Kazuki knocked Lady Antiar¡¯s blade away, before going in for a maiming stab - a strike to buy him mere moments. She ignited her hazard once again, sending out a shockwave to Kazuki. His blade was dragged away.


    Exactly as he predicted. Lady Antiar used the Shard too much. Now, Kazuki knows how to counter it. The blaze kissed the fringe of his hair, with Kazuki twisting his wrist.


    Within the flames and smoke, he flicked his WRIST-SHOT. Compared to the wide, low firepower - his blast was direct, forward facing.


    Lady Antiar didn¡¯t even see it coming. Her body flung back from the heated plasma blast. That was it. His opening¡­ But she wasn¡¯t quite done.


    ¡°Agh!¡± She grinded her teeth to a standstill. Then, her body twisted around. Kazuki drew his pistol to fire a clean and precise shot, only to narrowly miss her pale hair.


    She twirled around him, kicking him from the side. Directly into the movement of her blade - scraping at his exospine from behind.


    He exploded his exospine, parrying off the blade with a burst of energy. A blue hue filled the arena. He lunged. Rolling front, he activated his shield, turning back to Lady Antiar.


    She grumbled, wiping off a small amount of blood from her nose¡­ She steadied herself, placing her blade in front of her in a saluting fashion. Shit¡­ Kazuki got too confident.


    Did she predict this? Did she sacrifice the knowledge of her Hazard Shard to distract him to her swordsmanship?


    ¡°So that¡¯s what you are¡­ Contract-Breaker,¡± Lady Antiar said with a dead-tone face. ¡°A lifeless corpse with that thing on your back¡­¡±


    Kazuki placed one hand to his back, feeling his exospine¡­ Damage minimal. But he felt heat from the attack, scalping away.


    It was then that he realised the gravity of his situation. She had the advantage. She had merely been testing his limits ¨C probing his own stamina.


    He can¡¯t let that happen again. If she hits his charge, he¡¯s dead. Normally, Kazuki had no issues adapting to an opponent. But Lady Antiar has done her researched it seems. She distracted him with her trump card and pulled a nearly fatal move on him.


    Well, no more. How long has she thought of plans to kill him? Does¡­ she have anything else up her sleeves?


    He can¡¯t think of that. Not now. He had to act, not think.


    Fuck¡­ A drone passed by him, analysing him up and down. His golden eyes ignited into phoenix¡¯s flames, imbued with a hue of blue. The drone scurried off whining with beeps and bloops.


    Kazuki steadied himself, as he drew his black blade forward, gripping it with both hands, the vantablack steel of his ancestors sucking in all light that shone at it.


    His eyes glanced up towards the crowd, as they waited in anticipation of the duels¡¯ outcome, the many cries and calls of excitement now falling short that blood has been spilt. Weak stomached.


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    Kazuki rushed forward once again, this time activating both his ANCHOR and WRIST-SHOT.


    A blue light consumed him, locating him beside her. reaction was pinpoint. Her body twisted around, taking a step back, using her shield to block the plasma and her blade to block his lethal stab up her face.


    Their blades clashed again. It was a sea of blurs and movements. A spectacle from the outside, as they moved around each other. Jumping up and down, slashes and cuts from all angles.


    Slowly, Kazuki gained the upper hand.


    He was adapting to her fighting style. She was the better swordsman, but he predicted which of her moves were feints. He sped up, attacking from behind and front, mixing in attackts with purple plasma.


    Maths and calculations ran through his head for the first time since Svenn.


    This wasn¡¯t just some random he was fighting. It was a Seven Crim.


    Kazuki shoved his blade forward, clipping her cheek. She kicked him back, lunging into a heavy strike. Her attacks were heavier, mixed in with a flurry of variables.


    She was mixing his mind up. His perfect memory¡¯s calculations were being overridden. She feinted heavily, before landing a strike on Kazuki¡¯s arm.


    Her opponent staggered, she flung a beam of detonations forward. The beam crashed against Kazuki¡¯s WRIST-SHOT plasma, though some sparks got through - crashing him into his shield.


    It was enough to send him backwards some distance.


    Fucking knights. Her skill with that damn sword outpaces his mind. However, Lady Antiar drew to attack, charging at the staggered Kazuki.


    He dashed forward, blade pointed at her face. Lady Antiar¡¯s blade easily smacked his aside. He allowed his blade to fall, twisting his wrist, his WRIST-SHOT ignited close range. Smoke bellowed forth from both it and his exospine.


    And¡­ COLLISION.


    Peering through the smoke, Kazuki could see the pellets and plasma from his WRIST-SHOT contact Lady Antiar. The impact had knocked her back for a mere second.


    Her body recoiled from the blast, her plates tanking the bolts. His counter attack was ended before it began.


    This time, it was Lady Antiar rushing him down, drawing a pistol as she fired overcharged plasma at him.


    A spectacle of lights smashed into his shield. CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.


    The deflected plasma sent shockwaves across the arena. Entire sections of wall came crumbling down in utter chaos. Confusion lingered with dust kicked up.


    Kazuki recognised the danger. Within the barrage, she lobbed the pistol forward against his shield.


    His mind snapped to action. He cut the gun in two. He leaned forward, into a sprint to draw up an upwards slash. Lady Antiar continued¡­


    Using her cloak to mask herself, she drew a second blade, from beneath her cloak. Kazuki barely had enough time to block a lethal shot with his shield.


    She was fighting as unpredictably as possible to combat his perfect memory. The Knight must have known or deduced that any patterns would be calculated and fought against.


    She drew her secondary pistol. Bolts harried him. A blur of white clothes and armour was upon him, slashing and coming down at him.. He powered through the armour damage, barely twisting around from all angles to parry and block her attacks.


    Lady Antiar gave him not a single moment to breath. He had no choice. His exospine crackled with blue energy once more. The seering energy bought time for him to move his blade upwards - clashing with Her¡¯s, with a mirage of bolt and steel crunched against the Simulation field around them.


    They obtained equilibrium. Both sides were being slammed into the other. The arena around was being torn to shreds. The wrath of two of the Seven destroyed one another.


    Watch, Kazuki thought!


    Both bled further and further, a cacophony of clashes and crackling bolts came forth. Either side was undamaged.


    The spectacle was for all to bear the honourless and the honourable - for them all to peer into the death stridden world these two warriors lived in.


    Neither side held back.


    Whenever their muzzles meet - destruction follows. Bolts flung all around. Nothing was left unchecked. Nothing was left unmarked by the stench of death.


    Antiar placed herself on the defence, activating her body shield and parrying away all of Kazuki¡¯s assaults. He was wasting precious energy!


    She seemed to have taken note, as her amber eyes narrowed ¨C blocking all incoming damage as Kazuki wore himself out.


    In a burst of energy, Antiar threw herself back into the ring, the melee.


    One slash caught Kazuki¡¯s fringe narrowly; The jewels around Lady Antiar¡¯s necklace ignited.


    Antiar was good. Too good. Kazuki couldn¡¯t beat her. Offense or defence, she was better, though Antiar knew he was a glass cannon. The clock was ticking, and Kazuki knew that too.


    Kazuki countered with his WRIST-SHOT, though her charge was not directed at him. It was at the surrounding area between them¡­


    All life burned¡­


    A detonation shook the ground and air, sending particles and dust up, far up and crashing into the shield. Pandemonia shook the station to its core.


    Kazuki lingered in thought. Why did Antiar pace herself to match him? She could have slowed. She could have conserved her energy? Staring at her, Kazuki concluded as to why.


    This whole duel was no duel. It was a probe. A messy one, yes, but one Antiar took to analyse his moves. The way he fought, killed. Clever, Kazuki thought.


    But those acts go both ways.


    The two closed distance slowly. Running in for a surprise attack wouldn¡¯t work for either. Both were calm and collected.


    One shot. One chance.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± He really should have gotten a body-shield, Kazuki thought. The air singe away around them. Kazuki gambled with his energy. He lunged, Lady Antiar preparing to parry away his black blade.


    To her surprise, he lobbed it forward like a javelin. Railgun? No¡­ Svenn¡¯s Acid Blaster. His mind was set. In the moment of hesitation, he drew and flung heaps of corrosion forward. Dust and oxygen fizzled away. His attack landed onto her armour and sword.


    Fizzling away at her outer vest-plate, she turned back. The acid did moderate damage, but nothing lethal¡­


    Kazuki unsheathed a dagger, a tanto. He plunged his hands forward, as Lady Antiar came down with her dusters. He lightly threw her hand to the side, before his jab struck. Directly between her armoured joints in her shoulder. He twisted it. The deafening cry forced Kazuki¡¯s limbs to stay for a moment.


    It sounded just so¡­ familiar¡­ Was he going to kill Lady Antiar?


    He had a direct shot at lobbing her head off. But¡­ was he going to? He¡¯s the Contract-Breaker. She said it to him herself.


    This was simply the survival of the fittest.


    In a half moment of hesitation, Lady Antiar raised her fist. And her attack crashed against Kazuki¡¯s chest. A shattering explosion lifted him; a crescendo of pain stabbed at his nerves. He crumpled backwards.


    His body slammed into one of the structure¡¯s walls within the arena.


    Shouts and cries, cheers, sounded across the spectator gallery. He couldn¡¯t think. Shut up. SHUT up! His railgun can most likely destroy the shield barrier.


    If he kills one of those participants, they¡¯ll shut the fuck up.


    He staggered back up, kicked up dust flowing away to reveal him still standing. ¡°Contract-Breaker. Stand down!¡± Lady Antiar shouted at him.


    Fuck¡­ Kazuki looked down at his armour. It was cracked¡­ Blood dripped out from his chest and nose. He looked back up at her. No easily discernible weakpoints.


    He¡¯ll have to eyeball it, the blue hue scanning her body. She has to have a weakness. Somewhere. Sometime. Someplace.


    He rushed forward again, hoping to crash directly into her. She fired several shots at him with her remaining pistol. Kazuki¡¯s shield and armour - flicking off.


    He started to run to the left, returning the favour. He shot for the weakened armour plates that had stained acid sprays¡­ Some hit, most missed - as she prepared for his attack.


    His body then rushed into her from his orbit - exospine exploding with steam again. Gripping his fist hard, his shield came on, body slamming into Lady Antiar, as she stabbed straight through his shield.


    It slammed through his forearm, now stuck. The heat was nearly unbearable¡­ The heated vapours and blood boiled away.


    She didn¡¯t expect that. This had thrown a spanner into her calculations. Normally, this would mean victory, but against him: no.


    To put it simply: Lady Antiar cannot fathom the idea of a suicide attack. He can¡¯t stop now. He coughed up blood, looking at her. She looked at him with a disappointed face. It told him to give up. To the Eclipse with that.


    She expected victory. He won¡¯t give it to her. He deactivated his shield, tearing his arm away in a makeshift drag. Her sword came out of him, flung across the arena. Through the pain, he moved for the killing blow.


    Flesh burned away. Blood burst from his open wound, as he¡¯s penetrated the Knight¡¯s guard.


    Her amber eyes shot out with crimson energy. Her exospine crackled with white sparks. His blade drew close to her face. His exospine detonated with another burst of adrenaline, stimulants poured into his spinal column and blood. The two sparks in the reactor were going haywire¡­


    Pain dulled, and he was finally able to land a direct blow. She ignited her hazard, a shockwave pulsating within her.


    It was too late. His blade hand pulled the pin on a grenade, held hidden by his other hand. Kazuki dropped it.


    Just as what Svenn did, he activated his ANCHOR. A blur turned him away from the blast radius. He was just far enough as the two explosions collided.


    The sim-field cracked at the edges at the combined kinetic and thermal energy, destroying all that was left standing¡­ Smoke and debris covered the arena¡­


    The thin mist hooked down from below¡­ Nothing moved. All were silent. Did he kill her? That works, he guessed. He started to heave heavy breaths. He looked down at his arm, covered with blood and a vapour filled wound.


    He should have brought a tourniquet. He¡¯s probably bleeding from the arteries¡­


    The crackle of footsteps snapped Kazuki¡¯s mind back into conflict. Sprouting up from the smoke, Lady Antiar charged. Covered in soot and blood, she aimed to slam down with her fist¡­


    His sword was too slow. Shit¡­ He had to gamble on his speed. Cackling with energy, his exospine burnt new holes into his diseased flesh. With the necessary adrenaline, he drew - and knocked away her attack. Then, her second fist came in from below¡­


    ¡°End this now,¡± she said, gritting teeth with pain.


    Everyone was watching.


    He slid his arm forward, making a move to slice at Lady Antiar¡¯s neck. Her fist was mere inches from his chest, buzzing to end him.


    A shockwave echoed across the floor, sending both combatants far away from each other. His blade had caught the damage.


    Both combatants stood some distance from each other¡­ Kazuki was barely holding on, his power charge completely out. To win, he¡¯ll have to Overclock.


    He had to bet it all on his Overclock.


    Kazuki raised his finger the switch. His energy-reservoir flick was beside it. However, to win: he¡¯ll need more than just energy.


    Silence permeated across the room.


    Lady Antiar sighed, heaving for air as well. It was a brutal duel, far from the idealised glossy rose-tinted shit these aristocrats thought it was.


    They weren¡¯t performers. They are stone-blooded killers.


    ¡®Draw?¡¯ Lady Antiar asked over uplink.


    Kazuki replied the same, ¡®Draw.¡¯


    The two took a step back from each other, as they turned towards the announcer¡¯s booth. They sheathed their gear.


    ¡®OH, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?! A DRAW?!!¡¯


    ¡®DRAW,¡¯ shouted Kazuki, audibly for everyone to hear. He was bleeding. Heavily¡­ but found the strength to stand firm against their judging eyes.


    His glance skimmed across the audience, stopping at Eliza¡­ She was staring at him, her eyes gleaming red with worry. He¡¯s been through worse.


    ¡®WE ACCEPT THE CONDITIONS OF THE DRAW,¡¯ Lady Antiar bellowed out loud.


    An uproar started amongst the audience. Of course there¡¯d be arguments. Live TV footage of it was being sent across the galaxy. Amongst the arguments included if this was rigged, who would have won, and who was winning.


    Maybe he should drag them down here. He could teach them all a lesson. Those that survive won¡¯t forget.


    Kazuki glanced at Lady Antiar. She gave him a dismissive glance, clicking her tongue as she turned, and walked away. Slowly, he turned back towards the gate, and left the arena.


    A trail of blood followed him. He¡¯ll simply walked it off.

 X22: The Imperial Siblings

    Ooh. This will be very interesting¡­ BUT MOST IMPORTANT: fun! Yuki kept running circles, the coloured dyes beneath her hair glowing rainbows as her eyes sparkled high. ¡°Kazu! Do you hear me?!¡±


    She¡¯s never seen an actual good scrap before, so of course Yuki was still feeling the adrenaline.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Kazu was sitting in the med-bay, bandages around his arm and body¡­ It probably stung a bit, she thought, but her brother will survive! He didn¡¯t seem too concerned about it, so why should she!?


    ¡°Do you hear me?¡± she asked again.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Yuki grumbled, bellyflopping across the medic bay bed. He had a dead face, but she could tell that he was incredibly pleased to see her! Absolutely, uh huh!


    ¡°Uh, how about now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Kazuki, as a drone hovered by, applying the last bandage and injections. Pi, their glowing red phoenix, was perching on Kazu¡¯s shoulder, gently licking him wounds, they were healing!


    ¡®TAKE THESE. TWO A DAY. HELP WITH PAIN,¡¯ said the drone. Ooh, drone. It looks cool, Yuki thought, it was like a mini robot doctor.


    But Kazu just nudged it away from him. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± he said. The phoenix squawked at the drone. The drone simply hovered away.


    ¡°Hey! Why don¡¯t you listen to the drone?¡± she asked, rolling around on the bed as she looked up, back towards Kazu. He stood up, putting on a thin jacket.


    ¡°Because I¡¯ll be fine. Yuki, go back to Nate or something. I¡¯m going to send for a laundry drone. Need to wash my clothes.¡± he started walking off¡­ Without her!


    Yuki kicked herself up from the bed, dusting her light blue, sparkly dress as she put her shoes back on. ¡°HEY! WAIT FOR ME!¡± she shouted after him, rushing to his side across the medbay.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Kazu asked with a strained voice. Was he annoyed with her?! Absolutely not!


    She laughed at his response; how dare she believed that. She placed a hand on her own chest, arrogantly puffing it out. ¡°I am giving you the opportunity to hang out with me and Nate! How about that, huh?¡±


    ¡°Not interested.¡±


    ¡°HUH?!¡± Yuki grabbed onto Kazuki¡¯s sleeves, as she tugged on his arm. ¡°But our SUITE IS MASSSIVEE!¡±


    ¡°Ow¡­¡± Kazuki trailed off, causing Yuki to immediately let go of his arm. Kazuki turned towards her, ha-ha¡­ she¡¯s in trouble, right? ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ not interested, alright?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ come on, it¡¯s been so long!¡± Yuki said. She¡¯s going to address that elephant in the room, the one thing hat she¡¯s most definitely interested in! ¡°Because it seems you¡¯ve gotten yourself someone special!¡±


    She placed her hand up to her chin, giving him a smug smirk. He made a movement to drag on her hair, but she jumped back. His hand moved up to his own head¡­ scratching behind his ear. She heaved a sight of relief! Safe! It was just a misunderstanding! She caught up.


    It¡¯s been so long since they¡¯ve talked. Soooo very long.


    Actually¡­ some years! He¡¯s not some stupid Contract-Breaker or mercenary, he¡¯s just¡­ Kazuki!


    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± Kazuki snapped. Yuki continually shifted from his left to right, leaning forward and glancing up at his face.


    Yeah, that was definitely Kazu, those dead eyes are just like¡­


    Kazuki stopped in place, glaring at her. His eyes thinned at her gaze. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ uh¡­ nothing!¡± Yuki laughed it off, placing her hands up as she leaned onto her brother. ¡°Anyways, uh, you gonna talk about that Liz girl or what?!¡±


    ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°Kazu¡­¡± Yuki started to smile behind a fake, happy tears. ¡°I never thought there¡¯d be a day where you could pull some bitches.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± Kazuki asked her.


    ¡°Oh, you know, it¡¯s so and so, you and her, right?¡± Yuki elbowed her brother in the side. He let off a small grunt. He¡¯s gonna tell her eventually, right!? He absolutely has to! She can read him like a book, she arrogantly thought.


    Yuki chuckled, as her brother didn¡¯t say a single word. Oh, she must have hit the mark, right?!


    ? ? ?


    He didn¡¯t get it. What the fuck was she talking about? He should have memorised the slang that she used. No¡­ that¡¯d just be a waste of memory, Kazuki thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ get it¡­¡± Fucking hell, why does she have to be even more annoying than usual, Kazuki thought. Always pestering him to play videogames.


    Words were never his speciality¡­ But the frustration he felt was very much real. He cannot let it show, though. She is the prized kid of their family. He¡¯s merely the corpse airlocked into space - left to fend for himself.


    He¡¯s just a forgotten, broken mess, a mirage of shattered memories, collated into a mass of flesh. That¡¯s all he is, Kaz thought.


    Walking down the hall, his mind filtered out Yuki¡¯s speech and rants. Finally, some peace and quiet¡­ They¡¯re just too different. She might have his name, but he¡¯s no Geminorum-Ryzaku.


    He¡¯s the Contract-Breaker, nothing more. Nothing less.


    ¡°Wait, wait wait, let me guess, you¡¯re interested in her!¡± Yuki shouted loudly.


    Wait¡­ Eliza? Well¡­ Interested? Yeah? She''s his ward. He has to protect her. Kazuki slowly nodded, she¡¯s not wrong on that. Yuki froze in place, falling behind Kazuki.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s glistening cyan eyes lit up with more stars. Kazuki petted Pi, the phoenix sprouting a nice tune


    ¡°Oho, you¡¯re in for it now! I¡¯m telling mooother!¡± she shouted.


    He¡¯s in trouble, isn¡¯t he? Ugh¡­ Kazuki simply nodded.


    ¡°Yeah. Whatever,¡± he said, turning away and continuing to walk off. He can¡¯t stand these damn civilians.


    Archius hummed to himself, phasing the door behind him closed. The room was dark. The automatic light switches flicked on.


    Light ignited out from the ceiling, illuminating the whole room. Kazuki wants him to ¡®keep an eye¡¯ on Noah. Well, if he wants that, he¡¯ll probably not be too fussed if he did some preliminary research.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to work, shall we?¡± Archius talked to himself, walking into the suite living room. It was small, at least compared to the ones Yuki and Chlo¨¦ had. Well, it was Eliza¡¯s suite, not Kaz¡¯s, so he should have seen that coming.


    He walked down the room, past the small kitchen, dining and living area and up a small flight of stairs in the living room. A nice little inside balcony, similar to Eliza¡¯s own condo back on Anagora¡­ Except this place far less homely, and far more artificial. He glanced down from the balcony, seeing opened cases of luggage around the table.


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Seems like Kaz and Liz were messy in their unpacking. Since they were in the middle of it, wouldn¡¯t that mean that Kaz¡¯s laptop would be in his?


    He came down on them, searching the luggage. Some were Eliza¡¯s and some were Kaz¡¯s. He looked across the bags¡¯ exteriors. If he remembers, Kazuki had a standard pilot¡¯s luggage, and Eliza? Well, it was obviously the more good looking luggage pack.


    Dragging a black case out, he looked through it. Black shirts¡­ essentials. Yeah, it was probably Kazuki¡¯s, that or one of his guard¡¯s stuff - but only he wore THIS many black shirts.


    Sticking his hand into it, he gently pulled out a holotop projector, in the shape of a disk. It had Kazuki¡¯s name stamped onto it. Inspecting it, it was written like it had been printed onto it.


    ¡°Fucking show-off¡­¡± Archius muttered, placing it onto the table.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    He looked at another projector on the table, Eliza¡¯s. Her name was done in a posh scribble, he could barely make it out, though.


    Flicking on Kazuki¡¯s laptop, he was met face to face with his lock screen. It was a picture of a Trazicat, a native cat species that evolved on Trasia. Now¡­ the password.


    Archius stood up, circling around the table as he cracked his fingers. He got into position in front of the electron keyboard. Kaz will thank him later, he thought - if he doesn¡¯t then¡­ that¡¯s a problem for later Archius!


    Archius felt like he¡¯s been typing for an hour¡­ How long is his fucking password!? He has it¡­ memorised, right?


    "Simple my ass," Archius commented, as he finished the paragraph length password. He grumbled to himself. Archius looked down to the corner of the screen for a moment. April 5th... "Hmm... Kaz''s birthday is soon..."


    He took his eyes off his typing for a moment.


    And then, he pressed enter...


    Incorrect!


    "FUCK!" Archius shouted out loud. He was about to start from scratch again, as the sensors he had outside were set off. He flicked his phone on, watching as Kazuki and Eliza were back.


    Archius could see Kazuki glare at him through the camera¡­ Gig¡¯s up, he supposed, shrugging as if Kaz was beside him.


    Grabbing onto the laptop, he lobbed it into the luggage. He delved one hand into it, as he shoved it deeper into a monotony of plain shirts and blast proof trousers.


    Footsteps entered the room, as Archius at up against the table, leaning with both his hands backwards. "Hey! Took you guys long enough, where the fuck were you two?"


    "Oh? We were out hanging with Chlo¨¦, then we went around shopping," Eliza said, holding up several bags.


    Eliza was wearing a different dress from before, frilly and velvet blue. He pondered for a moment, maybe there''s something deeper here, Archius thought. "Nice dress, so uh? Shopping, right?"


    "Yeah? We''re planning on going on more expeditions, we haven''t even cleared out one floor of the shopping centre!" she shouted excitedly. Kazuki noticed Archius'' gaze, simply saying, "I paid."


    "Fair. Even I''d leech off your pocket money," Archius admitted, grinning.


    The Trasian man grumbled, furrowing his brow. "Fuck you."


    "Fuck you too." Archius stood up, walking over towards them as Eliza placed a dozen bags down beside the wall. "So, it''s been some time since the duel, you guys have any idea of what to do?"


    Eliza looked at Kaz.


    "No," Kazuki answered. "I have something in mind, but I¡¯ll make preparations for it.¡±


    "We''re not running an operation, Kazuki, remember that," Archius commented. He''d prefer if Kazuki didn''t blow up the head of a politician, or some rich guy... "I think you... should let me handle the planning."


    Eliza walked over towards the sofas, crumbling over the backrest and falling onto the pillows. "I think Archius'' is right on this one, Kazuki. Plus¡­ I can bring Noah on board¡­ He and his parents could help us, no?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Archius slowly dotted his eyes to Kazuki¡¯s snapping response.


    ¡°I trust you that you trust him¡­¡± Kazuki said, grabbing his forehead slowly. ¡°But I don¡¯t trust those around him.¡±


    She stopped to think about it. Hmm, Kazuki did make a good point, though it was surprisingly how fast he had reacted to it. Eliza then nodded. ¡°No objections from me, I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep doing work on my end, see what I can slither out of people,¡± Archius said, turning to Kazuki. He has Archius on ¡®Noah¡¯ duty. He¡¯ll make the best of it, though, finding Kaz¡¯s truth will be one thing checked off. ¡°Eliza, you make sure Kaz remains fixed ¡®n¡¯ preferably not broken waist down, got it?¡±


    Kazuki over towards the kitchen and taking out a packet of pot noodles from one of the shelves. ¡°Well, you can always put me back together like I¡¯m a jigsaw puzzle, works all the time.¡±


    A cross between both sarcasm and a darker hint of humour... It suited Kazuki well, Archius thought¡­ Eliza, however, interpreted his little remark very differently. He held back the laughter.


    "Keep rubbing shoulders, Archius. It¡¯s your forte,¡± he remarked. "Things will get harder from here on out."


    "Aw, thanks, I''ll take that as a compliment," Archius said, before leaning against the wall. He looked down at the bags, mainly just gifts and souvenirs from the various shops. He even sees a holographic diorama in there, along with some packaging!


    "Obadiah... what do you think we do about him, Archius?" asked Eliza.


    Archius thought for a moment. "Are you asking job-me or university-me? Because I have two vastly different answers for you..."


    The first one was very clear, blackmail him with something and force him to divulge the information. Very hard handed, too overt for an ex-Republic intelligence agent like him. The second one was, however, had more set up needed.


    "Uh... the second one?" Eliza answered.


    Archius decided to give both perspectives. "University-me would probably infiltrate his inner circle. Friends of friends to acquaintance. Sacrifice your dignity and morals to the point that you can get the information, though¡­" He didn''t seem to mention the obvious flaw in that one, but he''ll leave Kazuki to answer that.


    "Except that''s no longer possible. Obadiah will not be willing to trust us... And I will not bend over backwards for him." Kazuki started to boil water, as Archius walked over towards him. "He''s a threat. Republic politics is cut throat beyond your understanding, Eliza."


    Eliza frowned slightly. "I''m not that naive, you know? I know things aren''t exactly the brightest here."


    "One mistake and we''re dead," Kazuki snapped back. Well, that was rather true, Archius thought, a misstep can easily lead to their deaths. "The Republic prides victory, influence... never morals. He will see us as a threat. He has something we want. He has many allies. Obviously, he won''t acquiesce. He will do everything to win, you understand that?"


    The Engan woman nodded, though Eliza''s frown only grew. "I don''t suppose we can negotiate with him, right?"


    "He won''t abandon his allies," Archius interjected. "It''s just bad business, we don''t have much to offer him. In fact, we know... The fact that we know something means they''ll want us silenced. So... As long as we''re here, we''re all targets."


    Eliza shivered at the thought. Kazuki nodded. "Death or victory. Don''t worry, they won''t strike so soon. Even someone like him understands political tact. Want some noodles?" Kazuki nodded to the boiling water.


    "No... I think you should let me cook them," Archius said, silently appearing to his side.


    Kazuki sighed. "It''s just cup noodles. I can handle that."


    ¡®Isn¡¯t members of your family notorious for being very bad at very mundane things?¡¯ Synthia asked as she sat down on Eliza¡¯s head. Eliza looked up, nearly rocking Synthia to the floor.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Eliza raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re not going to make a mess, right Kaz?¡±


    Kazuki didn¡¯t have a clear answer for that. ¡°Well¡­¡±


    "No... it''s a matter of principle, Kaz!" Archius took hold of the cup of instant noodles Kazuki was holding onto, tugging it towards him. "Remember what Barclay said the one rule of our dorm back at Sarimba?¡±


    "I... wouldn''t do the cooking." Kazuki had a dead face. ¡°That¡­ you should call the fire brigade if I did.¡±


    Synthia chuckled at Kazuki¡¯s answer. ¡®Dear, it seems we all have embarrassing secrets we¡¯d like to keep to ourselves!¡¯ the AI tutor quipped.


    Archius chuckled too. "And do we know why?" he continued. Of course, Kazuki knew why, but he¡¯ll have to send the message into that thick fucking skull of his, for suggesting something so obviously stupid to the two of them.


    "Because I blew up the kitchen..."


    "WHAT?!" Eliza shouted, nearly falling over the backrest as she kicked her legs back to gain balance. "What the fuck?!"


    ¡®I¡­ In my professional opinion, I think Mr. GemRy should step away from the kitchen,¡¯ remarked Synthia.


    Eliza quickly nodded. ¡°Well, of course?!¡±


    "Yeah, Kaz blew up the kitchen trying to make a cup of FUCKING COFFEE." Archius pointed at Kazuki with his thumb, rolling his eyes. "GIVE THIS MAN A 10 STEP RECIPE TO MAKE A CAKE AND HE''LL BLOW UP THE BUILDING WITH THERMITE!"


    ¡¯You¡¯re the one that did all that damage!¡¯ Synthia spoke up, turning to Kazuki with a half-impressed, half-worried face. ¡®It was a good thing that no one was hurt.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡± Eliza shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Blew up a kitchen?!¡±


    Kazuki interjected, "Heh..." His face didn''t change one bit at Archius'' comment. "And that''s not how thermite works."


    "No... I don''t care! And that''s not a ''heh'' thing!" Archius twisted around in place, leaning against the kitchen counter whilst scratching his head. He then lowered his voice. "Noah... what do you want me to do with him exactly?"


    "Keep a close eye on him," said Kazuki, lowering his own voice. He stepped to the side, allowing Archius to cook the instant noodles, finally¡­


    "Anything I should want to know?" whispered Archius.


    Kazuki gave him a side glance, glaring at Archius. "He''s an old friend. Currently a student at Sarimba University..."


    "That all?" Archius asked, pouring the water in with one hand, whilst casually leaning back and showing off to Kaz. Such a head-ass, Archius thought. Just tell him!


    "Yeah..." Kazuki trailed off. "I don''t care how you do it. Just... do it."


    His voice remained monotone, and his words bland and tasteless. But his eyes were alight with a fire, Archius thought. A fire of the past, so interesting.


    He glanced over at Eliza, as she and Synthia were organising and going through a thousand revision notes, a messy collage of data.


    Synthia asked Eliza, ¡®What have I told you about studying too early?¡±


    ¡°That¡­ it won¡¯t stick¡­¡± Eliza trailed off.


    "It''s about her, isn''t it?" Archius asked. Kazuki stayed motionless, more so than he was before. Archius could see his muscles tense up slightly. Bingo!


    Kazuki slowly opened his mouth. "Yeah. Now, are you gonna make some cup noodles, or are you gonna keep pouring water?"


    Hmm? Archius glanced down at the instant noodles he was making, overflowing with water as he had been pouring for a bit too long. "OH SHIT!" he shouted, placing down the kettle, boiling water spilling onto the counter.


    "Hmm?" Eliza looked over at the two of them. "Can you guys keep it down for a bit, I''m revising."


    "Yeah... yeah, I got that." Archius nodded.


    Eliza shifted up in place, looking over at what was going on. Kazuki was standing still, and Archius quickly covered the mess he made. "Did... something happen?"


    "Uhh... No?" Archius nodded.


    "Kaz..." Eliza turned her attention to Kazuki. Archius kicked Kazuki on his cybernetic leg-braces, come on, Kaz, hold out for him!


    Kazuki shook his head. "No. We''re making cup noodles. Is there a problem?" he asked with a completely straight face. Damn, he might be a good liar, Archius thought.


    Oh boy, Archius thought, he''ll have a fun time dissecting all his little truths... Eliza turned back down towards her notes. Archius heaved a sigh of relief, scratching his dark green hair as he opened the fridge, whistling away as if he didn''t spill the noodles all over the floor.


    Kazuki looked unamused at his actions, simply standing still and rolling his golden, dead bulbs. Archius grabbed a few eggs from the fridge. He¡¯ll just cook something up for their little meal, he thought - slamming the door shut.

 X23: Paid Unpaid Vacation

    After everything that had happened, it was nice to have some time to just... relax. Eliza was the last to finish up eating dinner, both Archius and Kaz chowed down almost instantly... Must be the eating habits of Contractors, Eliza supposed. It was something from Archius'' homeplanet, a delicious meal...


    But... Eliza preferred if he used... less spices. She hid the fact that her tongue was on fire, especially from Archius... He''d probably tease her to high hell, in front of Kaz no less...


    Archius and Kaz were playing videogames together, some Lowguard. Eliza watched on the monitor as the two were playing in Virtual-Augment Reality. "Can you support me?" asked Archius. "Like... holy fuck... Dude... DUDE!"


    Kazuki sighed and grumbled. "Nah, you got that," he said. Kazuki had his arms crossed, sitting opposite Archius. Eliza tried to understand what was going on the monitor, but it seemed more like watching a movie than a game...


    "Should I join and try to help?" Eliza asked.


    Archius angrily shrugged, Eliza watched as someone on the monitor was knocked unconscious. "NO! YOU''RE A LITERAL FRESH SPAWN! KAZ! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?" Geniuine anger from Archius? Eliza was taken aback.


    "Hey... Just wanted to help..."


    Arcihus nodded. Kazuki was whistling to himself, as a figure appearched on the monitor, and all enemies were just... killed. It must have been Kazuki. "Sorry... Sorry... Kaz... You really need to work on your timing, man."


    "I show up whenever I am needed, not before or after," he remarked. After a bit, the two took off the headsets attached to their uplinks by hover lifts, placing them down on the table. "Ugh. Their parry timings aren''t that hard to memorise."


    A vein bulged on Archius'' forehead. "You only say that because you have no problems memorising things, don''t you?" he jived. Kazuki merely stared forward, with no expression, before Archius cleared his throat. "Eliza, you finished?"


    Eliza nodded when Archius turned to her, a few of the drones took the plates and started to wash them, beeping and blooping on their way. She didn''t speak, not whilst Archius was looking at her... didn''t want to expose that she couldn''t handle spices. Archius merely raised an eyebrow, before chuckling under his breath... Oh no... How did he even find out?!


    Archius jumped up from his seat, walking over to Eliza. "Icecream helps," Archius jested, before turning back to Kazuki. "I''m bored, let''s go to the arcade! Just like the good old days."


    Eliza slowly got up, walking to the fridge and sneaking out a small icecream whilst Archius distracted Kaz.


    Kaz grumbled. "Hmm. Arcade games are all the same," he said.


    Eliza chomped down on a scoop of icecream, feeling a rush of cold fight against the heat in her mouth... Eliza hurridly threw everything together and back into the fridge, before peaking her head out from the kitchen. "I wouldn''t mind going!" Eliza said.


    "Alright," Kazuki said. He kept his face still, standing up. "Let''s go."


    Archius rolled his eyes. Muttering to himself before shaking the annoyance off his face. "Sure, sure, just don''t get into any trouble, m''kay? I want to relax."


    Kazuki nodded. Eliza looked to Kaz, and he slowly turned to her... He narrowed his gaze, blinking several times. Archius twisted his head to her, before snickering beneath his breath. Kazuki slowly raised a finger, placing it against the acid burns beside his lips.


    "Oh?" Eliza tilted her head. "Are... Your burns? Is it irritating?" Eliza inquired with a hint of worry in her voice... Was Kazuki''s wounds getting worse?!


    Clearing his throat, Kazuki slowly pointed to her. Eliza was confused, but... mimicked Kazuki. She placed her finger to the side of her lips, feeling something... weird. Cold? Eliza instantly realised: it was the ice cream! She rubbed it off her face with her sleeve, her face turning boiling red.


    "Uh..."


    Eliza twisted around, wiping her face clean before turning back to Kaz. "Just... don''t..."


    Kazuki nodded. Archius merely chuckled. "Took you long enough."


    "There is no shame in being bad with spices," Kazuki remarked. Oh... No... Archius burst out laughing, causing Eliza''s face to turn ten degrees redder...


    "Oh... shut up, you two..." Eliza murmured, turning her head to the side. "Let''s just... go? Alright?"


    Hopefully that will convince the two of them to... let this be forgotten and burried - but... Eliza knows that Kaz will hold this memory true, as even a small smirk crept onto his dead, cold lips.


    ? ? ?


    The same dead cold lips were the ones calmly drinking some coffee, merely staring at the arcade game that Eliza was playing. Archius was sitting beside her, the two of them playing one of those co-op games... Holographic fissures ignited all around them, with Kaz having to move behind Eliza or Archius'' seat everytime they moved to look around.


    Kazuki snidedly remarked, "Don''t whiff your swings. If you do: you won''t deal damage."


    Eliza grumbled. "Don''t you think I''ve been trying?!" Eliza said, swinging and moving more angrily just to make Kaz more more, as her seat rotated around. Despite her frustrations, Eliza did feel a lot more relaxed... Though whether that was because of Kaz and Archius'' presence, or arcade gaming, she didn''t really care or wanted to know...


    The neon lights blaring down, the constant noises of arcade games all around them with stalls and rows upon columns of games... It reminded Eliza of a simpler time, before university, back when all Liz knew Kaz for was just that weird guy Archius and Chlo¨¦ seemed interested in...


    Though Eliza did later find out that Kaz and Chlo¨¦ were... distant relatives? Wait... Eliza blinked several times, refocusing her efforts to the game. "Hey Kaz, what did you say Chlo¨¦ was to you?"


    Archius chuckled, rotating and muttering so only she could hear. "Jealous much?" he joked.


    Eliza shoved Archius'' chair away, rotating as the two cleared the floor on the dungeon, moving to the next one as a small bit of respite was given to the pair. Kazuki looked down at her, standing tall above her seat. "Second or third cousins," Kazuki said.


    Archius peered back at them, staring directly up. "Really?! I thought you''d know all this stuff."


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    With an air of solemnness, Kazuki shook his head. "No. I never inputted that information into my memory. My family was decimated in the war. Only two sub-branches remained," Kazuki said.


    The air of depression immediately came over Eliza. "Oh... sorry... I didn''t mean to¡ª"


    "¡ªIt''s fine," Kazuki cut in. "The dead do not come back. I never knew them. It''s fine."


    Each sentence harrowed in with an air of sadness, even if it was not Kazuki''s intentions. The mere fact that Kaz''s family had lost so many of its members long ago found some level of connection to Eliza... It was just her, Ulysses and her dad left...


    Archius, on the other hand, merely shrugged, taking back hold of the controls as the game started once more. "Stop being depressing, Kaz, I''m trying to relax! Why do you think I''m here?! To dilly dally with politics?! Hell no!"


    His outburst put some life into Eliza''s heart. "Yeah, Kaz! Don''t be such a downer, just try and have fun, alright?"


    "I... I am having fun," Kazuki said, with a cold and serious voice that did, in no way whatsoever, indicated any level of fun was present. "It''s not hard to tell."


    Both Eliza and Archius peered back at Kazuki, seeing his deadpan face. It seems like it''s the same face he has when he''s: pissed, sad, bored, happy, neutral and any other plethora of emotions that Kazuki... shows? Exhibits? Safe to say, neither were convinced by his words. But Kazuki''s determined glare convinced Eliza otherwise.


    "Well, if you say so," Eliza broke the silence, before going back to playing the arcade game. Archius twisted around, back to playing. "Archius... You know you can dodge, right?"


    Archius sighed. "Yeah, but I stand my fucking ground, ain''t no binary numbers are making me waste my energy moving around," he quipped.


    Yeah... Everything seemed much better, it was like the chaos of the previous four or so months didn''t happen, and for that: Eliza was happy. She smiled, as the trio went on to play a litany of games... Whenever anything competitive came up, Archius sat out - merely joking and watching Kaz and Eliza duke it out.


    Kaz... won most of the time, but only by a VERY small margin! Smiles were all about, even when Eliza sourly lost to Kaz and Archius.


    Archius sighed as Eliza lost another round of Holo-Pong; looking down at his phone. "Chlo¨¦ and the gang are out doing some kareoke, you guys interested?" he asked.


    Kazuki rolled his eyes. Eliza turned, but it seemed that both Kaz and Archius spoke to one another... without actually speaking? For a second, the two just looked at each other, before Kazuki nodded. "I''m not interested. You can go if you want."


    He turned to Eliza. "You can go, if you want."


    Archius chuckled, turning to Liz. "Don''t feel pressured to, you should keep Kaz company, company other than his guards, that is," he said.


    Well... Yeah, Eliza supposed she should do that, after all Kaz rarely seems to be interested in people, but he seems interested in a select few. Strangely enough, Eliza... wouldn''t admit that she wanted to spend more time with him... No! Absolutely not! They were simply friends chilling... But... friends do that all the time, right?!


    Yes! Of course! Eliza had a self satisfied smile, nodding to herself whilst her hand was on the chin. "Well, I might as well ensure Kaz doesn''t get into any trouble," she said.


    Kaz merely looked to her, and nodded. "Sure. Want to do the plush-prized games?" Kazuki asked. "I have it on good authority that they have plushies for the entire species of domestictated cats."


    "Oh? I might as well get an Angcat Plushie... I am missing a few collector''s plushies," Eliza said. Archius smiled, nodded, and turned to leave.


    "I''ll leave you two to it," he said, waving back. "Don''t have too much fun, though! It''ll be VERY obvious if you do."


    Eliza''s face slowly turned red, as she gulped and turned away. Kazuki, meanwhile, just nodded back. "I want a Kascat," Kazuki said.


    Wait? A cat? Eliza turned to Kaz, hiding behind her hands. "An actual Kascat or a..."


    "A plushie," Kazuki said, raising an eyebrow. "They look more like snakes than cats, though."


    Well, whatever... Eliza smiled, "We''ll take turns alternating shots, got it?" she asked. To which: Kazuki nodded.


    ? ? ?


    "Hey!" Archius shouted, entering the karaoke room as he swapped an arm around Noah. "What''s up, guys?!"


    Chlo¨¦ waved over to him.


    Archius¡¯ face was bright, blazing with glorious positivity... whatever that was.


    It felt like he perfectly assimilated in this group of friends. Of course, he didn¡¯t see himself as such. The word was icky, filled with too many lies for any real usage to him.


    Still, people ate it up, thinking he was truly their friend. In reality, Archius saw not a spark of colour in any of the people around him. Noah. Yuki. Nathan. Chlo¨¦. All assets and tools, nothing more than to be used by himself.


    For some, perhaps that was the best thing they could ever offer.


    He looked over at Yuki, Nate and Chlo¨¦, the two girls singing their hearts out at a song. Archius looked over at what was playing... and felt a prick against his soul.


    Artist: Jasyme Hachiman-Berger... It was a song that played during the climax of a movie she starred in. His internal face turned to a snarl.


    "Oh, we''re singing some pop songs that were popular in the past, you know this one?" asked Noah, seating Archius down beside him. Nate was cowering in the corner. His face was blank and dull , a pale contrast to his crimson-coloured hair.


    Pi was resting beside him, eating some Pharozi bright figs and dates out of a small bowl.


    Noah shook Archius for a moment. ¡°Hey, you look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°Pfft.¡± Archius let off a sly shrug. ¡°No, just don¡¯t expect you guys to be into fucking classical music of anything!¡±


    ¡°Oh, come one, they¡¯re not even like half a decade old!¡± Noah chuckled.


    Yuki and Chlo¨¦ were finishing up their song, as Archius listened intently. ¡°Eh, I used to like this song years ago, used to listen to it all the time.¡±


    He bit his tongue, plastering his facade with increased smiles.


    Noah nodded. ¡°Her songs just¡­ hit different, you get that, right?¡± he asked.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong there, Archius thought. These songs always resonated with him.


    He gave a wide smile. ¡°Yeah, helped me through some dark times during the NATs. How about you?¡± Archius muttered half-lies.


    ¡°Same here, Archius¡­¡± Noah gave off a pensive smile, sighing as he sang along quietly.


    Implications were created, and he saw how it was. Troubled past, linked to Kazuki somehow¡­ and Eliza? Possibility is there, given how Noah¡¯s a member of the Aristocracy ¡­ Still, not enough information, but Noah and Kaz seemed to be antagonistic to each other - which leaves out a lot of information.


    It has to be something before Archius met Kaz¡­ And before his information trail was created. The connection must have been made a decade ago.


    ¡°So¡­ what was it?¡± Archius asked. ¡°Must have been something, right?¡±


    Noah shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s rough¡­ I¡¯d prefer not to talk about it, probably the same with you, right?¡±


    Archius nodded. ¡°Yeah, come on, let¡¯s go sing something!¡± He stood up, using his body strength to pull Noah up as the song finished. He grabbed the mic off from Chlo¨¦, as Yuki under armed the uplink mic to Noah.


    ¡°You know what? Fuck it! Sure!¡± The two connected the mics to their uplinks, amplifying their voices.


    Looking at Nathaniel, Archius thought about bringing him along¡­ but he doesn¡¯t seem into all this extraverted shit. He must be Yuki¡¯s plus one. Archius has no reason to gain leverage against Yuki¡­ For one, she¡¯s not the brightest; and two: her family would kill him, whether it¡¯s Kaz, the High Admiral or the Inventor Extraordinaire.


    Just thinking about how fucked he¡¯d be shook a shiver down his spine, as a drone hovered in front of him, beeping and blooping whilst enthusiastically showing him a whole list of songs, billions - all popular and from across the galaxy.


    ¡°Come on, you got a song you wanna sing?¡± Archius asked, readjusting his dark green waist-coat, feeling the bulletproof fibres within strike back against the tug. ¡°We have¡­ at least seven songs to choose from.¡±


    He¡¯s making short progress, but progress nonetheless. He needs to get closer to Noah¡­ He¡¯ll need to give some in exchange for information, some lies and some truths: but for that he¡¯ll need opportunities.


    ¡°Nah, you have good tastes, at least from what you¡¯ve told me¡­¡± Noah smiled. ¡°Plus, music¡¯s not really my thing, so I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

 X24: Cutthroat, Prince, Contract-Breaker

    The space station was filled with life and grit. Each surface, object, ornament and florescent plant was trimmed and polished to perfection. Too perfect, Kazuki thought.


    His blue eyes rose back to the pink-haired girl whom he was following. Victoria. Confident¡­ Energetic, Charismatic to the point even he falls in line¡­ Victoria¡¯s presence eased Kazuki¡¯s limited worries.


    He sped up, walking beside Victoria, the two were traversing across the P-1 Commercial Station¡­


    ¡°Hey, if we actually find something, I¡¯ll buy you another birthday present, how about that?!¡± Victoria exclaimed. Evidently, it was Kazuki''s tenth birthday.


    Kazuki glanced at her, Victoria had her hair done in a long side braid, with a red spider rose ornament keeping it in place... "Hey," Kazuki started. "I don¡¯t get it. So, what are we actually doing?"


    "Exploring, plus I heard some chatter from the guards that something suspicious was going on!" Victoria remarked, smugly grinning. "That party was so boring, what do you say about a little adventure?!"


    "It''s... a space station," Kazuki said. ¡°And I liked it. It was boring. People leave me alone."


    Victoria shrugged. "Don''t worry, don''t worry, we''ll be fine! I mean, we''re just gonna peek our heads and see what''s going on, and then we leave, simple, right?"


    "I guess," Kazuki stated. He glanced away.


    "Come on, put some energy into it," she said. The two kept walking, reaching a small observatory glass that peered out into space. Maybe he should have stayed at the party¡­ Apparently, Noah and Eliza are ¡®filling in¡¯ for them.


    He... really should have just stayed. Maybe that would have convinced Victoria to stay as well. Either way... a feeling of dread was slowly filling Kazuki''s mind.


    "Woah..." Victoria marvelled at the sight, as Anagora came into view. The thousands of merchant vessels and floating islands dotted the void. Many voidships had the T&R seal on them or had the letters GMA painted in bright blue colours. "Not going to lie... I thought the view would be better."


    "I thought we were doing some... never mind." Kazuki sighed, rubbing his bright blue eyes.


    Victoria grumbled, smacking Kazuki across the back. "I told you to put some energy into it!"


    "Ugh..."


    "Don''t worry, Noah plus a wig and contact looks somewhat like you, right?" Victoria shrugged.


    "Then who¡¯s filling in for them?" asked Kazuki.


    Victoria froze. She scratched her head, then shook it. "It''ll be right, it''ll be fine, trust me!"


    "Sure..." He didn''t trust her words. Then, her eyes grew wide as she looked behind Kazuki. ¡°For someone so clever, you seemed to have overlooked that.¡±


    ¡°Look, my genius only extends to academics, alright?¡± Victoria said. ¡°Give me some slack, alright?!¡±


    Kaz''s head twisted. A blonde man wearing a flight suit scanned a card and entered into a maintenance shaft... Kazuki was confused. He turned to Victoria. "Something wrong?"


    "He wasn''t... wearing the staff¡¯s uniform?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Huh... wait, no! Uh... yeah! That must be it! Come on, we should follow."


    She grabbed onto his hand, dragging him with her. He followed suit, trailing behind. "Really?" he asked with a begging voice.


    Victoria nodded and grinned. The lights from above and the endless sparkles of space illuminated her face... Kazuki''s eyes were engrained with that simple face... The face of the one who started it all.


    ? ? ?


    The flick of a single wrist could send spirals off into all corners of the galaxy. One movement could change everything. The whims of the future are based on the actions of one, cascading. A single series of events, if played out differently, would ripple across the billion inhabited star systems of the galaxy. Or at least that¡¯s what Kazuki thought. He kept hearing the flicking and smashing of something in the distance.


    The Ball Palace was undergoing the Dassant at its finest. Feasts. Balls. Dances. Everyday. All day. But that was not his focus. Not now. Not here.


    His senses were dialled up to a hundred. Kazuki allowed his body to auto-pilot in its movement, walking beside Eliza with his hands in his pockets.


    The pale, decorated walls of the Leisure centre were too bright for Kazuki¡¯s own tastes. His head was kept on a swivel, ready for anything. The two exited into a large open room, with vibrant collage windows, with most of the area dedicated to obstacles and flat fields.


    Kazuki could tell that it was real dirt by its texture of it.


    ¡°Tally-ho!¡± shouted Fer-Charelota, flinging a golf ball high into the air with his club. ¡°Hey¡­ remember what I said?¡± Eliza quickly turned to Kazuki, as she whispered beneath the gazes of the Knights in the room. They stood firm, standing guard at the corners of the room. Lady Antiar was the closest to the Marquis.


    Kazuki gave a nonchalant nod. ¡°Yes. Threaten him, crack his spine in two and leave his head on the pavement?¡± he asked sarcastically, walking past Eliza and further into the leisure centre.


    It was large, with many floors, sections, blocks, rooms and sectors dedicated to providing nearly any and every possible recreational activity imaginable. Lady Antiar¡¯s gaze was already on him¡­ Seems that she overheard him.


    ¡°Kaz!¡± Eliza planted her feet on the ground, tugging on Kazuki¡¯s sleeve. He wasn¡¯t wearing his blazer, instead having his gold-red waistcoat.


    He turned back around to her. ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± He blinked.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Eliza releases her grasp. ¡°Don¡¯t joke around like that¡­ I can never tell when you¡¯re being serious or not!¡±


    She started walking again, approaching Fer-Charelota. The Marquis was playing golf across a large field, wearing a purple frock coat, adorned with ceremonial ornaments.


    Kazuki walked beside her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ try to be more clear. Next time,¡± Kazuki said. He had no idea how except to just tell her straight up.


    Eliza nodded. She was wearing one of the other dresses that Master Chi made¡­ She got mad at him earlier about him not complimenting it. Why isn¡¯t she now?


    He doesn¡¯t get it¡­


    ¡°Fer-Charelota,¡± Kazuki called out to him.


    The Marquis twisted around, using the club as a crutch. His auburn hair and light-violet pink eyes fell onto the duo. ¡°Ah, Elizabeth and¡­ Kazuki Izumi Geminorum-Ryzaku! A pleasure to meet your acquaintance.¡±


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    ¡°Forget the pleasantries. Get to it,¡± Kazuki snapped.


    Eliza pinched him on the ear, dragging him slightly to the side. ¡°Ow¡­¡± Kazuki muttered.


    ¡°Kazuki, please? First impressions are everything¡± Eliza asked, as if talking to a child. Kazuki nodded.


    He said, ¡°But I¡¯ve already met him¡­ Sure, as a child¡­ But¡­ Fine. I¡¯ll play nice.¡±


    Eliza sighed, before shrugging. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    Kazuki glanced over at the Marquis. He looked just as young as his memory had served. ¡°The days have done you quite well, Fer-Charelota.¡±


    The Marquis gave a fake chuckle, walking forward before hooking the golf club onto a hovering drone. ¡°Ah¡­ your reputation exceeds you, Kazuki. I must apologise first for the rough welcome.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Kazuki raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Those people who insulted you to your face when you first arrived.¡± Oh. Those people. That was what he was referring to¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°And still, I must apologise on their behalf, we humans are emotional creatures, and I am afraid their emotions exceeded their lips,¡± said Fer-Charelota.


    Kazuki gave Fer-Charleota a cold, hard stare, as his eyes moved to a set of doors. They slid open, with Lady Antiar entering the golf course.


    She gave Kazuki a glance, before crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.


    Eliza stepped up front, clearing her throat.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be¡­ well, playing such an old sport, Fer-Charelota,¡± Eliza said. ¡°I¡¯m just trying out what our ancestors thousands of years ago were interested in, Eliza.¡± Fer-Charelota stepped forward, shaking both Kazuki and Eliza¡¯s hands. Kaz allowed it. ¡°I wonder what our ancestors would say to us¡­¡±


    ¡°I doubt they would care. They¡¯re dead,¡± Kazuki interjected. The fake joviality in the air faltered for a moment. No tact or subtleness when it came to Kazuki. Just how he liked it, he thought.


    Lady Antiar chimed in, ¡°And one day, so will you, me¡­ all of us.¡± She masked the threat under some ¡®wise¡¯ words.


    The Marquis gestured to Lady Antiar. ¡°Lady Antiar Kelebori, member of my own guard. You two have shown quite a spectacle in the arena.¡±


    Eliza looked at Lady Antiar, as the two exchanged stares.


    ¡°There¡¯s no fighting that,¡± continued Lady Antiar. ¡°My apologies for speaking out of turn.¡± She turned and lightly bowed to the Marquis.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Fer-Charelota shouted. Lady Antiar walked up towards them as Eliza held her hand out towards her. Kazuki glanced at Eliza¡­ What is she doing?


    ¡°All the more reason to live our lives to the fullest, right?¡± she asked.


    Lady Antiar slowly turned, looked down at the hand¡­ And slowly shook it. Lady Antiar looked perplexed for the moment. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Fer-Charelota started walking, gesturing for the two to follow him. Eliza started walking first before Kazuki trailed after them. ¡°Still, that¡¯s what makes it so interesting, Kazuki, the hypotheticals of what we can never truly understand!¡± Fer-Charelota stated.


    Lady Antiar followed behind them, though keeping a distance. Kazuki noted that it was the perfect distance to lob his head off if needs be.


    ¡°I find it more imperative for us to stand our ground in the present,¡± Eliza started, as the Marquis stopped by another section of the simulation field, a large green lake and grasslands from old Terra. The field¡¯s boundaries and parameters lit up, reigniting another activity. Despite knowing it¡¯s fake, Kazuki¡¯s senses send him conflicting messages about the area¡¯s validity. ¡°Better to focus on the future¡­¡±


    Eliza sighed for a moment, before glancing at Kazuki.


    ¡°The future is filled with anxiety, but it is an anxiety we must all face,¡± Fer-Charelota said. A rifle propelled out from the ground. He grabbed onto it, before looking towards Kazuki. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk of the past, how about a game, Kazuki?¡±


    Kazuki ached to call Fer-Charelota out. His words were filled with both wisdom and venom, a combination Kazuki could not effectively counter - especially with Eliza around. But Kazuki remained calm, giving a simple nod.


    Eliza, for what it was worth, seemed rather pleased that Kazuki was ¡®playing along¡¯. This charade has to end somehow. So he can actually get down to business.


    Kazuki took hold of a second rifle, shooting out from the floor. Eliza sat down on a lawn chair between the two, peering up and analysing the weapons.


    ¡°It¡¯s light,¡± Kazuki said, turning his disappointed face to Eliza. Though, it was essentially blank.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t expect a simulation field to use real guns, right? I mean¡­ even the Phoenix¡¯s Fury¡­¡± Eliza started but trailed the moment Kazuki gave her a glare.


    ¡°If it was heavy guns, most people would leave this place with broken hands,¡± Lady Antiar commented.


    Fer-Charelota gestured to her once again. ¡°Exactly! Please do not think that I would so evidently harm those I am with! The safety of all esteemed members of the Ball Palace is of my utmost concern for the following weeks and months."


    Kazuki rolled his eyes. "What esteem it is," he sarcastically snapped.


    ¡°A model 50 rifle from the crusader era,¡± Fer-Charelota said. He displayed the weapon to Kazuki. ¡°A power¡ª¡±


    ¡°Anti-material. Anti-personnel,¡± Kazuki interrupted him. ¡°Technically every weapon is Anti-Personnel.¡± Kazuki handled the gun without care, twisting it around in his hands. It felt much bulkier than the guns he¡¯s used to using.


    Eliza and the Marquis seemed somewhat worried as he twisted it in his hand. Skittish, slightly. Lady Antiar, however, remained frozen behind the group.


    ¡°Indeed, how about some tea?¡± asked Fer-Charelota, clicking his fingers. The simulation field gave way as several drones entered. They carried numerous apparatuses, forming a table and a traditional Engan tea set directly in front of Eliza. "I do believe your home world is of the greatest importers of tea in the galaxy?"


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Eliza said, amazed by the fast and efficient display. Tea was already hot, Kazuki noted. Eliza glanced at the cup, gently picking it up as the plate beneath it hovered in front of her. ¡°Is it¡­ real?¡±


    Kazuki grabbed another cup, dipping his finger into it. It was hot¡­ Boiling hot. Why did he do that? He shot his finger back up, with a straight face. ¡°It¡¯s real.¡±


    Eliza looked up at Kazuki, shocked at what he had just done.


    Kazuki¡¯s head tilted, wiping his finger on his trousers. What? He thought this was the most efficient way to see if it was real. Fer-Charelota chuckled.


    ¡°You know, Kazuki, the people down in the buffet and the restaurants and all over this place herald you Contract-Breaker¡­¡± Fer-Charelota started. He better choose his words carefully, Kazuki thought. ¡°I am not one of those people, you see. You are quite interesting.¡± Amongst the venomous words, Kazuki found himself unable to be tactless, especially with Eliza present. Yet her naive actions may cause trouble... Kazuki merely decided to keep her on a tight leash... for not at least.


    Aiming the rifle, Kazuki reloaded and primed it. He made sure all the mechanisms were historically authentic. ¡°Elaborate,¡± he snarled.


    Eliza took a sip from the tea. ¡°Khorala Gold?¡± Then, she gave a small glance over to Kazuki. Dammit. Such a mundane thing to cause such a reaction? Ugh... This was going to be a long meeting, Kazuki thought.


    ¡°You know your teas,¡± Fer-Charelota remarked, to Kazuki¡¯s snide side-eye glare. ¡°Anyways¡­ I mean no offence by my comment, sir.¡±


    Fer-Charelota took in a deep breath, turning back towards the field as drones started to hover around, beeping and blooping with massive targets on their chassis. His hands were strong, but Kazuki could see a terribly slow shiver each time he glanced at the Marquis¡­ Kazuki rolled his eyes. "I''m no sir. No prince. What Prince do you see? Call me Kazuki. It is what I am."


    The Marquis started to shoot, carefully aiming each shot. ¡°Of course, as you wish." Eliza smiled somewhat at the formal joviality in the Marquis'' tone, yet did not see the clear establishment of power lying underneath. Gilbera was going to say what he wanted. Tactless... but more restrained and better brewed than Kazuki''s roughness. "I believe it right to start with your father¡­ he¡¯s never kind, nor was he amicable. I can see that in you¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course you can,¡± Kazuki said sarcastically. Ironic. The only resemblance he now has to his father is a matching snarling gaze. ¡°Your mother was more amicable than him, I can see that in you,¡± Fer-Charelota said.


    Lady Antiar cut in, ¡°But¡­ people still call you a murderer, a killer and all kinds of names¡­ It¡¯s not totally unfounded..¡±


    Kazuki kept checking his rifle, slowly loading it. Fer-Charelota was getting a higher count of targets hit. Kaz didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Kazuki¡¯s much more than what they say!¡± Eliza interjected, finishing her cup of tea, as a drone poured another cup¡­ She then reeled back as Lady Antiar turned her gaze to Eliza. Kazuki then shot a glare at Lady Antiar, as she relented, sighing. ¡°Gilbera, You surely don¡¯t believe that, right?¡±


    Fer-Charelota nodded. ¡°Such simplistic notions are beyond my understanding,¡± he said¡­ Pompous fuck, Kazuki thought. ¡°Your parents were holding onto you, five years old¡­ When I looked at you back then, I didn¡¯t see a murderer, no killer.¡±


    ¡°Time changes.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but even now¡­¡± Fer-Charelota replied to Kazuki¡¯s retort. Kazuki glanced over at him, then at Eliza. The score was 31-0. ¡°I look at you, and all I see is just some guy, barely an adult. Sure, you have a mean tongue¡­ but you¡¯re no killer.¡±


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Lady Antiar said with an exasperated voice. ¡°By definition¡­¡±


    ¡°I am a killer,¡± said Kazuki. Plain and simple. No denying it. ¡°A cutthroat is exactly what I am.¡±

 X25: Justice; Unspoken Truth

    Kaz turned to the Marquis, who seemed rather intrigued at his answer. Did¡­ Lady Antiar and Fer-Charleota plan to probe his response? His paranoia ran free¡­ Made worse by Eliza¡¯s worried glance at him.


    Kazuki rolled his eyes, before aiming his rifle. He fired a fusillade faster than anything Fer-Charelota or his guards could do - 32-40 in under ten seconds.


    He unchambered the rifle, holding it to the side. A drone flew by and picked it up from him. It beeped as it ran its code.


    ¡°Perhaps I used the wrong word,¡± said Gilbera Fer-Charelota, First Consul and Marquis. ¡°Murderer?¡±


    ¡°Whatever.¡± Kazuki turned back to Eliza, before sitting down beside her. He finally sipped on the cup of tea¡­ ¡°It matters not to me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re the type that just doesn¡¯t care?¡± asked Fer-Charelota.


    Kazuki nodded. It suits his purposes to be the Contract-Breaker more than it does not. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, I know exactly what he is,¡± snarled Lady Antiar. Fer-Charelota faked a look of astonishment, then looked at Lady Antiar.


    ¡°What is it with you and Kazuki? He¡¯s a bit on the young side for you two to have had a history!¡± Fer-Charelota exclaimed, looking at Kazuki.


    Eliza interjected before Lady Antiar, ¡°Kaz isn¡¯t a murderer¡­ After all¡­ All¡­ He¡­ He only kills when it is necessary.¡±


    Correct. However, the necessary part was an optional selector in his mind.


    Lady Antiar sighed. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about. He¡¯s a Contract-Breaker. Back in Belsara, you¡¯d be lynched for that. There¡­ are rules. We follow them. No matter what.¡± Her pale amber eyes thinned at Kazuki.


    Eliza was dumbfounded by her response. Eliza knew it was right, she must have known, thought Kazuki. He¡¯s guilty of that. No doubt about it.


    ¡°Yet, here I remain,¡± sneered Kazuki.


    The taboo of Contract-Breaking was strong, especially in the more¡­ cutthroat countries. ¡°Betrayals are only stopped by the terms of the agreement, as such: it became beyond sacrosanct.¡±


    ¡±Ah¡­ and on the topic of the grand game, you don¡¯t seem to be a very avid player, Kazuki.¡±


    Pausing, Kazuki slowly looked up. He didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Wait. What do you mean, ¡®our game¡¯?¡± asked Eliza.


    Lady Antiar crossed her arms.


    ¡°Elizabeth, I apologise but you¡¯re¡­ perhaps we may enlighten you in politics and power,¡± Fer-Charelota said, trying to put her down slowly.


    ¡°I¡­ got Student Exec, and into the Kallender Group, if that¡¯s anything¡­¡±


    ¡°Barclay¡¯s Exec was brought into the Kallender Group to get me in,¡± Kazuki stated. Eliza furrowed her brow at him. She probably thinks he¡¯s overstating his own worth. ¡°I¡¯m not wrong. Davidiek Kallender loves collecting royals. Two for the price of one.¡±


    ¡°Kazuki?¡± Eliza raised her voice, questioning him. ¡°What¡­ are you¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± stated Kazuki. ¡°You got both through your own merit. But sometimes¡­ Merit alone is not enough in this Republic.¡±


    ¡°Professor Kallender knows how to deal with the bigger fishes,¡± Fer-Charelota said.


    Kazuki nodded, agreeing with the Marquis. ¡°The game It¡¯s just politics. Power. That¡¯s the endgame.¡±


    ¡°Sadly¡­ even a man of my own station must play by their rules,¡± Fer-Charelota said.


    ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re telling me that politics is just some board game?¡± she asked. Fer-Charelota tossed his own rifle away. He sat down at the table, sighing at Eliza¡¯s ignorance. The idea of it as such was merely to simplify the cobwebs that one must trudge through. ¡°What¡­ is this some kind of joke?¡±


    Both Fer-Charelota and Kazuki looked towards Eliza. ¡°No joke, my dear Elizabeth, it¡¯s merely the reality of our situation. We all must play it, I am currently residing as a Consul of the Senate, but even I cannot get any legislation through without playing to the needs and desires of my Consular colleague.¡±


    ¡°Politics¡­ power and governance, it¡¯s how we run the nation? It¡¯s not a game¡­¡± Eliza said.


    Fer-Charelota nodded, placing his hands on the table and sipping down on the cup. ¡°It is, but sadly¡­ not all players play by the rules. Mister Geminorum-Ryzaku would understand, I believe he can put it in more simple terms than I ever could.¡±


    Pompous fuck. Arrogant cunt. Kazuki had a thousand slurs for this man. Placing the responsibility on Kazuki and not himself¡­ Snivelry.


    But he bit in. Better for him to say it than this ¡®fine¡¯ politician. ¡°Corruption. That¡¯s what you call it. It¡¯s just how things are done.¡±


    ¡°And I must say this once again, that it is unfortunate that this must be done,¡± Fer-Charelota said. His thick Kast¨ª accent hid any motives he had. ¡°Fighting against it is like fighting a force of reality itself¡­ But that is no reason to give up. Imagine how our ancestors must have felt, having to fight the whole galaxy.¡±


    ¡°They did that because they were foolish enough to believe that all aliens are the same,¡± Kazuki snorted. ¡°And now, we¡¯ve pushed them from the core.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, we¡¯re rather lucky cool heads prevailed,¡± Fer-Charelota said, the conversation was turning in a different direction. ¡°Even so, the Ithira Expanse closed up, and soon after that the Eclipse erupted with activity.¡±


    The Marquis was referring to the Eclipse Crisis or the Night of the Eclipse. A period of a thousand years that sent the galaxy reeling into a dark age. ¡°The Erudians call it a test of faith.¡±


    Fer-Charelota put on a playful grin. ¡°Trial¡­ My brother is¡­ was a devout Erudian. He interpreted it differently¡­¡±


    ¡°Different?¡± asked Eliza. ¡°Well, there are many branches in the faith¡­ so I doubt it¡¯d be that different.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The Marquis shook his head. ¡°He believed the Night of the Eclipse was punishment. For such chaos that the Crusaders set upon the core, pushing all aliens out into the rims and satellite galaxies.¡±


    Punishment? Seemed more like it. But Kazuki wasn¡¯t all convinced. ¡°Hartius told me many things.¡± That piqued all three¡¯s attention. ¡°He is one of five humans that left the Eclipse with a Shard. He told me that the Erudian¡¯s so-called goddess hid in the Eye of the Eclipse.¡±


    ¡°Say that in Erudia and they¡¯ll have your tongue,¡± Fer-Charelota remarked. ¡°An interesting hypothesis, what makes you think he speaks truth.¡±


    ¡°Because Hartius has the Death Hazard.¡± Kazuki stared Gilbera down. He took a small glance at a painting along the wall. It showed the carnage two members of the Heptagia were capable of, merely two of the Seven Mercs¡­ and so much death. ¡°Humans are stupid, idiotic, downright morons. We were bigger morons back then.¡±


    Lady Antiar¡¯s eyes grew wide, with Eliza¡¯s too. But Fer-Charelota maintained a calm face.


    ¡°I saw it,¡± Kazuki continued. ¡°He told me that Iris is no goddess. Not a god. Not a deity. It¡¯s a Hazard shard infused with a living being. Some kind of human.¡±


    ¡°Then what makes her different?¡± asked Eliza.


    Kazuki stopped. He remembered everything Hartius told him. Then, he said, ¡°I do not know. Hartius dared not ask.¡±


    The words sent a shiver down all their spines, Kazuki¡¯s as well. Hartius has a reputation. For him to not consider it was something Kazuki could scarcely comprehend.


    ¡°The Eclipse is said to be as old as time. But¡­ It is contained by Iris, this¡­ Goddess¡­ Hazard Shard,¡± Fer-Charelota explained.


    ¡°The math doesn¡¯t add up,¡± Eliza muttered. ¡°How can¡­ If Iris is a human, then how could she have been in the Eclipse before humanity achieved Deep Space FTL?¡±


    Lady Antiar chimed in, ¡°The Xenos. You are looking at it from a unique but wrong perspective. Much alien technology has been lost during the Night. Sir Icarus and I were sent on an expedition to a lost exploration team. They found scraps of alien technology.¡±


    Fer-Charelota shifted in his chair, seemingly excited. ¡°The Deitra-59 mission? I scant remember anything about that¡­¡±


    ¡°And neither will you remember it,¡± Lady Antiar remarked. Kazuki¡¯s eyes slowly rose to look at Lady Antiar. What did she mean by that? ¡°The technology has links to the beacons that are within the Ithira Expanse. The Predecessors knew how to constrict the storm before us.¡±


    ¡°And now look at us,¡± Kazuki snorted. ¡°Relying on things we don¡¯t understand to protect us.¡±


    The Dark Ages that lasted nearly a thousand years had crippled humanity¡­ And practically everything in the galaxy. Kazuki put two and two together. The beacons were most likely deactivated or destroyed from lack of maintenance, or from the Long Crusade.


    That was what caused it. ¡°Picking up the scraps.¡± The Marquis sighed, his bright pink eyes looking longingly. He must be agonising over what humanity has lost.


    ¡°And now,¡± Kazuki continued, ¡°We play with toys and fake gold and lives.¡±


    ¡°As it has been for all of mankind¡¯s history,¡± Fer-Charelota poured himself another cup of tea. ¡°I dare not think of what we¡¯d be without a little¡­ corruption here and there.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    That last comment was for Kazuki to eat up. But it was not tailored to Eliza¡¯s specifications. ¡°So¡­¡± Eliza shook her head in disbelief, before standing up. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that this is all just inevitable, is that your justification?¡± she asked Fer-Charelota.


    Lady Antiar spectated the debacle with disbelief. She¡­ made a good decision by not interjecting, merely taking a step back.


    Kazuki interjected, ¡°You¡¯re unbearably naive, Eliza. You¡¯re asking the wrong question. How. Not if.¡±


    ¡°Kazu¡­¡± Eliza¡¯s eyes widened at him. ¡°I understand to¡­ some extent, but going down this way¡­. It just feels wrong, I thought we¡¯d be¡­ using our own wits, just like those detective mystery movies!¡±


    She was na?ve. He will not retract that statement. ¡°We are using our wits. Both of us are here because of our wits.¡±


    Kazuki looked at Eliza¡¯s pained expression, frustrated and confused. Was she questioning herself again? Archius had told him many times that Eliza ¡®questions¡¯ herself. Kazuki never understood. To him, Eliza has the straightest and cleanest track record. What is there to question?


    ¡°Clean hands means bloodied hands will choke us.¡±


    Fer-Charelota glanced over towards the side, before finishing his cup of tea. ¡°Elizabeth, it¡¯s how things are done. Has been for thousands of years. Think of any high-minded individual of the past and they would have the same, if not similar, problems that I face.¡±


    ¡°Except they were faced with actual challenges,¡± Kazuki said snarkily. ¡°You noble senators are all the same.¡±


    ¡°You seem to ignore my attempts at curbing corruption,¡± said Fer-Charelota¡­ ¡°However, the National Bloc always pre-empts any real need for corruption¡­ Even if it¡¯s just more fines.¡± The Marquis¡¯ voice fell to a quiet disdain for his own peers.


    At least in that, Kazuki and the Marquis could share in their spite.


    ¡±I need time to think,¡± said Eliza.


    The two ignored her, as she grumbled, storming out. Lady Antiar merely watched, then glared at Kazuki.


    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± said Kazuki. ¡°It¡¯s simple. He¡¯s just like the rest of them.¡±


    ¡°Them? You seek to nullify it towards your grandfather?¡± Fer-Charelota asked, standing up in turn.


    Kazuki sprung up to his feet. ¡°I do not. I merely recognise that you¡¯re the same blood as the rest of them, all eating off a Republic¡­ burnt and made in blood not your own.¡±


    The Marquis¡¯ eyes narrowed on Kazuki. ¡°My brother died to protect this Republic,¡± Fer-Charelota snapped back. ¡°I will not have you disrespect his name. There are boundaries even I will not allow you to cross, Kazuki.¡±


    ¡°And here you are¡­ disrespecting his name.¡± Kazuki turned, pointing to the painting of the carnage. ¡°Why do you have that?¡±


    Fer-Charelota brushed it off. ¡°Merely a holographic painting of the past, tragedy, I believe it shows.¡±


    Kazuki took a step towards it. He knew that place. He knew the location and the photo itself off by his fucking heart. ¡°You know this.¡± Fer-Charelota nodded. ¡°Then why did you hang this here? You weren¡¯t there, were you? Of course, you weren¡¯t Hartius and Freyja tore through a whole district. Three weeks later and they were still counting the dead.¡±


    The Marquis took a long sigh. ¡°Apologies, Prince Kazuki. You misunderstand why I am here.¡±


    Kazuki snarled, ¡°To get my family¡¯s support via me. My grandfather will see me as a good source of information. Am I wrong?¡±


    Fer-Charelota stopped, taking in another deep breath. Kazuki glanced at the man¡¯s hands. They were shaking slightly, having to single-handedly face down against the Contract-Breaker. Eliza wasn¡¯t here as an ¡®insurance¡¯ to his compliance.


    He wasn¡¯t going to kill him in the first place¡­ Better play into it, Kazuki thought. Though he couldn¡¯t overplay it. Lady Antiar was here as well, and he was unarmed.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re not wrong there¡­ but I am here for another reason. To get allies. Network with potentially like-minded individuals¡­ You are one of those individuals.¡± Fer-Charelota spoke of something Kazuki couldn¡¯t care less about.


    In fact, Kazuki felt like chuckling at his words, though he knew that he couldn¡¯t: even if he tried.


    ¡°We are not the same.¡± Kazuki bit each word off with malice. ¡°Remember that.¡±


    Kazuki started to walk away, but Fer-Charelota caught his interest. ¡°You understand the flaws of our Republic. You are repugnant towards it, Kazuki, I believe that is what makes us alike. With your assistance and your family¡¯s, I believe I can change the Republic for the best of all of us. Make reforms that would make those that died for this Republic proud!¡±


    ¡°Why would my family agree to this? The status quo is state-mandated. Even if it¡¯s to the detriment of everyone else.¡±


    Fer-Charelota stepped forward, allowing the drones to disassemble the tea set, tables and chairs. Kazuki looked to Lady Antiar, who merely had her arms crossed, the hilt of her sword visible to him.


    ¡°Your family invested so much money into the Trasian Sector,¡± said Fer-Charelota. ¡°After the war¡­ Trillions starved, and your grandfather fed them. The well-being of the people is within your interests, as harsh as you might rebut the idea, as is the will of the people... It¡¯s in your blood. Your father declared himself a traitor for the Republic, twice! Your grandfather works hard for his people. Now the senate has turned its head from the people, and the people know they will find no love or care from them - this indifference must end!¡±


    ¡°The Republic¡¯s broken. We both know that. There¡¯s no fixing it,¡± said Kazuki. He continued to walk away. ¡°Well¡­ The only way possible would be through rivers of blood. I doubt you¡¯d want to see your peers without their heads.¡±


    Fer-Charelota sighed. ¡°If we believe it to be broken, then we are obligated to try and fix it, if not for us then for the quintillions of lives under this Republic, who depend on us to make the right choices that help them!¡±


    ¡°Not very politic,¡± Kazuki snorted. ¡°The people don¡¯t care who sits on the Executive Suite. They care that this person brings them food. Jobs. Stability.¡±


    ¡°Which is why you should help me,¡± said Fer-Charelota. ¡°I am rather popular, after all¡­ And whilst you may not care who sits the Suite, you know that nothing can be done if the Suite is sat by those who care not.¡±


    Kazuki found the idea of overthrowing the current deep state rather rash. ¡°Good luck getting past the Senatorial Exclusive Club. They have hackers, power brokers, bankers, and intelligence agents, half the Senate is scared of them - the other half is doubtless in their pockets. Of course¡­ I can remove them from the equation.¡±


    Fer-Charelota stared at Kazuki. ¡°I will not have the foundations of the new republic be built upon the carcasses of my peers.¡±


    ¡°Shame.¡±


    ¡°The Old Guard may have murdered my brother¡­ but we have rules,¡± Fer-Charelota asserted. ¡°If I step beyond the rules for even a moment, I will share his fate. A dangerous tightrope, is it not?¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s eyes glowed with a hateful blue hue, burning with gold within his eyes. ¡°All I need are names. Let justice be done for him. When it comes down to it, they are your enemy. Not me. Not the Federal Party. Not the Liberals. Them.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­¡± Fer-Charelota let off a loud exasperated gasp and sigh. ¡°Have you heard of the tale of the cave, a tale of old Terra.¡±


    What a joke. Kazuki maintained his gaze, answering the Marquis by silence alone.


    The Marquis continued, ¡°It is my goal to build a republic strong enough to outlast me, not one muddled in corruption and greed.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ aren¡¯t you a saint,¡± Kazuki mocked. ¡°Even those set free are bound to decide who rules and who knows.¡±


    ¡°But I must dream of a better place, we all must. Nothing passes the senate without the old guard¡¯s approval, or contempt¡­ They make concessions, yes, but never enough change to make a difference,¡± Fer-Charelota commented. ¡°This is why I wish for your parents¡­ your grandfather, with additional allies¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªWho?¡± Kazuki cut in.


    Fer-Charelota placed his hands together. ¡°Head Diplomat Maria, she¡¯s always been eager-minded, leader of the moderates¡­ We all go to her to bridge the gap between the reformers and the federalists.¡±


    Kazuki rolled his eyes. ¡°You bore me.¡±


    As Kazuki turned the corner, he could hear the Marquis say one final thing, ¡°Father like son¡­ Maybe if you keep calling yourself the Contract-Breaker, it will become true.¡±


    Tch. Kazuki¡¯s nothing like his father. His father is a just and fair man, he courts respect and fear. And Kazuki¡¯s the¡­ He paused, thinking. The Marquis then placed his hands together. ¡°Strangely enough, you don¡¯t wear your family¡¯s Sigil. Is the weight too much for you to handle?¡±


    The Marquis¡¯ brooch lit up slightly as he took hold of the conversation. Kazuki had no answer. He merely glared back, a warning to not pry into Kazuki¡¯s private life.


    ¡°A burden of identity,¡± Fer-Charelota continued, relaxing slightly. ¡°Understandable, I must add. Once you gain the stain, it¡¯s rather hard to rid of, even if it is not true.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    Fer-Charelota allowed a moderated smile to rise on his face. ¡°Of course. Now that she¡¯s gone¡­ you wanted to say something to me, correct, Prince Kazuki?¡± Fer-Charelota asked, his accented voice falling into a serious, thick tone. Kazuki turned back towards him.


    Kazuki¡¯s eyes narrowed at him. He was correct after all. ¡°The Jin Brothers. Provide a path for negotiations to them.¡± Kazuki spoke as if demanding.


    Fer-Charelota¡¯s face was without any of the embellishments of his voice. He looked calm, composed. And most of all: prestigious. His brooch shone. Kazuki merely nodded. ¡°Done, I believe this is the start of a¡­ profitable relationship?¡± asked Fer-Charelota


    ¡°Sure.¡± Kazuki pointed to his slightly quivering hands. ¡°I can respect that. You understand exactly what I am capable of. Unlike others, you don¡¯t goad me. Keep it that way.¡±


    Kazuki turned away, chasing after Eliza.


    ¡°Quid pro quo, Kazuki,¡± Fer-Charelota stated, his voice falling with each step taken away from him. ¡°You know what I say to be true¡­¡±


    He went past the numerous halls, back the way they came. He got sight of her, catching up to her. They were just around the exit of the leisure centre.


    ¡°I told you¡­ I need some time to think,¡± Eliza said.


    Kazuki snapped his fingers in front of her. He has to get her attention¡­ or something! Uh¡­. She stopped, standing and looking directly at him.


    ¡°Look¡­ We have time. The Marquis and I have come to an¡­ arrangement,¡± said Kazuki. In fact, Eliza leaving was probably the reason why the Marquis changed moods so quickly.


    But looking at Eliza, all Kazuki could see for a brief moment were dead dreams. The thoughts and memories punctured Kazuki¡¯s lungs, collapsing his heart and soul. Being dismissed so offhandedly¡­ Kazuki knew he was being cruel, mean and rude to the one person he swore for.


    That cruelty was necessary. This wasn¡¯t a just world. ¡°Why does it seem that everywhere I look, there¡¯s venom lying in traps below?¡±


    ¡°Because there are,¡± Kazuki replied. ¡°I got what we needed from the Marquis. He won¡¯t see you any less than before. We all learn our own way, after all.¡± It was an unequivocal truth: doing things right never makes right.


    How just a galaxy that was... he jested to himself.


    Sometimes, wrongs make a right. Though Kazuki couldn¡¯t say that, even as he felt the chains around his neck constrict him to mutter them. No¡­ When Kaz looked into Eliza¡¯s eyes, he saw himself in the reflection, one clear blue eye staring right back.


    She was making the same mistakes as him, he thought. At that, Kazuki sturdied his mind. No. He cannot allow that. Absolutely not! He won¡¯t allow another misguided dream to be slashed, never to be heard of again.


    Eliza merely pouted and looked away. ¡°Hmph. If you say so.¡±


    He didn¡¯t get it. Cyrus and Nihara both trailed after them, as they left the leisure centre.


    Wait¡­ Why was he getting worked up about this? Kazuki was left perplexed. This was not standard to him. ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯m sorry?¡± he asked himself. ¡°I just had to play good negotiator bad negotiator.¡±


    ¡®Does that even work?¡¯ asked Synthia.


    Kazuki shrugged. ¡°It got me what I wanted.¡± It absolutely did not.


    ¡°If you really think so then¡­¡± Eliza trailed off, thinking. ¡°We can eat out, you¡¯ll pay, right?¡±


    ¡°But I always pay,¡± Kazuki said. He wasn¡¯t wrong, he thought, but Eliza merely slapped him across the arm. Cyrus and Nihara did not react to that. ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to agree,¡± Eliza said. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll choose.¡±


    Kazuki paused, looking back towards Cyrus and Nihara. ¡°Nihara? Do you¡­ have an idea?¡±


    ¡°V¨¢clavos always tries to ask me out to dinner. I never agree, he¡¯s a messy eater¡­¡± Nihara said, her dull and dead face slowly scrunching up into disgust. She shivered. ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t have much to say.¡±


    ¡°Cyrus?¡±


    Cyrus shrugged. ¡°You pay me to die for people, not give you dating advice.¡±


    Kazuki paused, blinking profusely. Cyrus started walking, catching up to Eliza. Nihara merely gave a shrug, before continuing on after him. Kazuki followed. He didn¡¯t get it at all. ¡°We¡¯re not¡­ dating? Why would you say that?¡± he muttered quietly to Cyrus.


    ¡°Sure, whatever you say, boss,¡± Cyrus said, glancing back at Kazuki. Nihara¡¯s dead face had a smirk on it.

 X26: From the Eyes of the Fox

    What a mess, Archius thought. He rubbed his head, opening his eyes. Ugh... his head hurt. Did he get injured? He tried moving around, finding his limbs somewhat limp. He forced his energy into one hand, dragging at... cloth? Fabrics? He couldn''t tell... His head was fucking aching¡­ Ugh¡­


    FUCK...  He dragged himself forward, only to come crashing down against the floor. That snapped his eyes open, mind awake. He stared upwards, still wearing last night¡¯s casual clothes. Huh? He looked around, he was in his room, within Chlo¨¦''s suite.


    He felt like vomiting, he couldn''t remember anything that happened last night. Was he drunk?! For fucks sake... Archius staggered up, turning on his uplink. No messages, thank fuck for that - well: there was one, confirming that Jas knows that Pi was taken by Yuki...


    She didn¡¯t seem too bothered though, which he was thankful for¡­ Stupid fucking child¡­ Yuki always caused trouble.


    He walked up towards the mirror in the corner of the room, pressing onto it as a mirrored version of himself appeared on the holo-visor. He looked hungover, that was all he could say. He should... do something? He walked over to his bed, changed clothes and put his shoes on, before approaching the door.


    "Hmm?" Archius mused, seeing his voice tracker picking up words behind the door, connected to the hidden ICAPAD on his forearm. Was Chlo¨¦ having guests around? Well, better safe than sorry, he thought. He pushed his muscles up, moulding his face into a generic smile... It drooped for a moment.


    He debated whether it was better to act hungover and be hungover, or act not hungover but be hungover...


    He decided to work on it as he left the room. Phasing the door to the side, he left his bedroom. The glass landscape of decor and artefacts around the room shone brightly, as the voices became rather clear to him.


    "AH! Look who''s finally up!" Chlo¨¦ shouted. Archius leaned against the wall, yawning as he nodded. For once, he was genuinely showing these people a true side of him, not one showered or shrouded by a facade. Obviously, he wasn¡¯t going to show his more manipulative side,


    Another voice called out, Yuki''s, "Hey, Archius, were you out drinking last night?"


    "Oh, sorry about that," said Noah. Archius fixed his eyes on the dining table in the centre of the room. Everyone was here, Chlo¨¦, Yuki, Nathan and Noah, the latter sitting with his chair leaning back. "I should have stopped you from drinking, sorry..."


    "No, no, it''s fine..." Archius muttered, walking forward towards them. Ugh... he thinks he can remember something.


    Archius was out with Noah and Nate, drinking about... Dammit... He knows he didn''t blabber anything he shouldn''t have. He can control drunk Archius, a lot more than any of the GemRy siblings could control themselves sobre.


    Speaking of which... Archius looked over at Yuki, Nate and Noah... V¨¢clavos was amongst them, merely giving a wave. WHY THE FUCK WERE THEY HERE?! "Why are y¡¯all here?¡±


    Yuki shot her hand up, as if eager to answer a question that her teacher just asked. Her face was bright and cheery - eyes wide. If Archius didn''t know better, he definitely wouldn''t have known her to be from Lautrasia.


    "We accidentally ordered a bit too much for breakfast so... why not share it with you guys!" she shouted. "Kazu and Lizu are both busy with something... something something Marquis something I forgot, not important!"


    Lizu¡­ Maybe Archius should call Liz that, and see how she¡¯d respond. Archius watched as an archaic, premium-made, service drone hovered around, serving tea. Of course, Yuki has that¡­ Of course.


    That piece of information caught Noah''s attention, who eagerly awaited her to continue. Chlo¨¦ stood up, grabbing hold of Archius as she helped him towards the table. Ugh... he hated being treated like some old man, but he''ll accept it to keep the facade up.


    "What about Noah, then?" Archius asked.


    Chlo¨¦ answered, "I invited him, might as well, after all?" She shrugged, seating Archius down beside Noah and her. Archius glanced down at the table, seeing a large array of dim sum. Dozens of plates were placed across the table. Damn¡­ V¨¢clavos was chowing down on some buns. Nate was nestled between him and Yuki, nervously eating...


    "Yeah, makes sense," said Archius. He turned towards Yuki. "So, let me guess, you purposefully ordered too much because you were planning for some wild shit or some elaborate plan that would never work? Or¡­ both?¡±"


    Yuki paused, as she held chopsticks in the air. A small dabble of sweat poured down her temple. "Uh... nuh uh..." She chuckled.


    Oh course she''d say that. But well... There''s always someone that would say something, he thought. Archius turned to Nathaniel. "Nate, can you uh... tell me the truth?" Archius asked. Using his shortened name should give the impression that they¡¯re close.


    Nathan can be a bit of a pushover sometimes, but that was in Archius¡¯ favour for this purpose alone.


    Asking for the truth should ease up his mind, away from betraying Yuki, of course. Nathan merely shuddered, before glancing over at Yuki. Archius could feel a vibration through the table, as Yuki elbowed Nate. He shuddered, his red eyes growing pale.


    "Come on... you wouldn''t lie to me, right?" Archius asked, hiding a smirk behind a gentle smile. He clicked his fingers playfully, snapping Nate''s willpower.


    "She... she... wanted to get you to help with... something?" Nate did his best to not reveal anything, but under the assault, he relented. Archius immediately turned back to Yuki.


    "Heh... uh," Yuki said. Her eyes dotted around the place, trying to avoid Archius'' glare. Chlo¨¦ gave him a slight nudge as if to tell him to let off it, as she did, Yuki started to whistle a small lullaby tune, quite well known in Theonar space.


    Noah, meanwhile, just watched, amused at the display. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned,¡± he remarked.


    "Fine, I wanted you to loosen this guy''s lips," said Yuki, pointing with her thumb back at Vitellus. V¨¢clavos paused, glancing around as everyone looked at him. He most definitely didn''t fit the archetype of a soldier or a bodyguard. V¨¢clavos simply took another bite out of a pork bun.


    Archius asked, "What do you want to know about him?" Archius smirked, giving a two-sided face to Yuki and V¨¢clavos. "I am the best at convincing people, after all."


    The answer was most definitely vile, towards V¨¢clavos, Archius thought. Vitelius knows Archius, from having to guard him back during the rebellion. But Yuki? Well... all she knows is that her old friend of a friend Archius is good at talking the talk.


    "Hmhmm, he keeps asking for dating advice! And he''s always eating messily! I want to know some secrets about him, so I can hold him accountable!" she shouted, placing a hand to her chest The florescent dye highlights beneath her hair signalled to a confident red. The two topics she talked about had nothing to do with one another, Archius thought.


    He''ll play into it. Archius chuckled, before looking towards Noah. He needs more information about this guy. "What do you think?"


    "HEY!" V¨¢clavos shouted at them, slamming his fist down as he swallowed a large meat bun. "Don''t talk as if I''m not here!"


    ¡°Don¡¯t damage the furniture,¡± Chlo¨¦ grumbled.


    "Well... why not?" Noah shrugged. Hmm, carefree? No, Archius thought, he probably didn''t want to overplay this hand too much. And if Archius pushes, he might get suspicious. Noah''s the son of a media Moghul; if Kaz can tell if people are bullshitting, then Noah might have similar skills...


    Best to leave the manipulation to later... for now, he just needs to get close enough, slowly and firmly. "Then, let''s begin, shall we?" Archius turned towards V¨¢clavos. Yuki was patting Nate on the head.


    "Can... we just eat breakfast?" Chlo¨¦ asked, munching on a dumpling, quite messily, Archius added on. "What? This is probably one of the only times I''d be allowed to messily eat around people."


    "Eh... fair enough I suppose." Archius patted her on the shoulder, before looking back at V¨¢clavos. "So... you''re name is..."


    V¨¢clavos knew the name of the game, or at least he should have. Archius swears that if this fucker releases some information he''s not supposed to say then... well: even Kazuki''s protests won''t save the fucker from a good beating.


    "V¨¢clavos. Kazuki sent me here to guard his sister. That''s all you''ll need to know," he said, crossing his arms after finishing a turnip cake. "Come on... Yuki, can you call him off?"


    Oh, V¨¢clavos most definitely knew he wouldn''t survive. That made Archius grin with glee.


    But Yuki just smirked and chuckled to herself, happy that her mischievous plan was coming along. But Archius has his own reasons for playing into her game.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    V¨¢clavos is the weakest link of the trio of guards Kaz brought around. "V¨¢clavos, you came here with two other people, right? Uh... the tall one and the short one?"


    "Cyrus and Nihara, get their names right," V¨¢clavos said, pointing with his chopsticks angrily. He then realised that he went directly into Archius'' trap... That wasn''t even a trap. Somehow, this idiot has walked himself into a trap that Archius didn''t even plan to exist! What a jiriki idiot, Archius swore in his native tongue.


    "Cyrus and Nihara... ah... they seem so similar... I mean, black hair and all. Sure, the tall guy looks kinda like the standard tough-guy-will-take-no-shits serious guy but uh... the small one, Nihara was it?" Archius asked, pretending not to know. V¨¢clavos gave a small nod. "Yeah, her, you think they''re like family or something?"


    "Huh?"


    "Nihara ''n'' Cyrus!" Archius shouted. "Who else am I talking about? I mean... they seem close, right?" Archius was prodding V¨¢clavos at just the right angles to provoke a response in his favour.


    V¨¢clavos jerked backwards, before giving a slow nod. He took a spring roll and ate it. "What are you getting at?"


    "Oh, me?" Archius leaned backwards, jokingly. "Nothing... but now that you''re acting all feisty, I wonder... you like her, don''t you!" Archius smiled, pointing with one chopstick at V¨¢clavos.


    The guard didn''t respond.


    "SEE! I told you it''d work!" Yuki blabbered out loud to Nathan. Nate, for his part, cowered down into his seat, simply giving a nod. Yuki¡¯s grin was filled with pent-up laughter from how easily Archius had winded V¨¢clavos down.


    "Yeah... I can see that... can I leave now?" he asked.


    Yuki replied, "No! If you think you can escape me, you have a whole ''nother thing coming for you!" She had a wide grin on her face... She was very much a different beast to Kazuki, but as Archius meandered to himself, he fet a small nibbling feeling beneath the table.


    He peered down, seeing a beak chew on his trousers.


    "Huh?" It was Pi, Kaz''s... Yuki''s... Jasyme''s? The Geminorum-Ryzaku''s? No... The Phoenix, that''s the most definitive thing he could say then and there. "Oh..."


    The bird looked up at him, twirling and making faces as if it were looking at a parental figure. Does the Phoenix know he''s close to Jasyme? It¡¯s been a while since he¡¯s been at the garden, but if people suspect¡­ It might lead to some problems.


    Yuki peered under the table. "Pi! Get over here, stop annoying Archius," she said, gesturing towards the Phoenix. The bird did a small glance at Yuki, then back at Archius - before going back towards her. Archius peered back above the table. "Sorry, I think Pi''s hungry..."


    "You... did feed him, right?" Archius asked, somewhat nervously. "That''s a Phoenix, you know?"


    "Yeah, Phoenix whatever, it''s just a bird!" she shouted, feeding the bird a small pork bun. It chirped happily...


    Archius facepalmed, heaving a heavy sigh. It was most definitely not a simple bird, he thought. Chlo¨¦ had to continue where Archius left off. "You do look after the bird, right? Because it can go feral if left hungry..."


    "What do you know about this?!" Yuki snapped.


    Noah interjected, "She''s not wrong... The main reason why Phoenixes died out was because of hunger¡­¡± Archius could see that his remark was double-sided¡­ Both to the bird and to Kazuki¡­ Or Yuki?


    Archius took a good look at Pi. Even at full strength and size, Pi was not even a tenth of the size of the Phoenixes that man faced back during the colonisation era, back before the Crusades. Just the thought of Pi going on a rampage sent a shiver down Archius'' spine, hiding the shiver under the guise of his hangover.


    "Well... Pi''s different, you wouldn''t know that, right Pi?" Yuki asked the bird. It tilted its head towards her, before humming a tune. Yuki fed it another pork bun, and it swayed side to side in a little dance.


    Noah gave a heavy sigh, frustrated at Yuki''s antics...


    "I... I shouldn''t have expected much from an influencer..." Chlo¨¦ said, rolling her eyes. Yuki''s face froze, as she gave a half-confused laugh. Chlo¨¦ had a strained expression on her face, denoting her exhaustion at dealing with Yuki as a guest.


    "Chlo¨¦, she''s just a kid, don''t go hard on her, alright?" Noah pleaded with Chlo¨¦. "Well... kid as in 17 years old type of kid, but you get the point... right? Right?"


    "Y¡ªyeah!" Archius pretended to be on board but made a half-hearted attempt to calm Chlo¨¦ down. "Let''s just finish breakfast, alright? I¡¯m starving!"


    Chlo¨¦ sighed. "Never mind it... I just... remembered some things from the past, sorry." She gave Yuki a nod. ¡°We good?¡±


    Yuki immediately placed both her thumbs up, whilst chewing down on food. It was like she didn¡¯t even hear what Chlo¨¦ said before¡­ Given it¡¯s her, most likely. ¡°We good!¡±


    "Wait..." Noah started, "Yuki''s a... influencer?"


    "Yeah!" Yuki sprouted up. "I''m what you''d call a..."


    "Idiot?" Archius muttered under his breath. Chlo¨¦ heard it, and snickered beneath her hand, giving Archius a glance.


    "I make stuff and put it on the interweb, how about that?!" Yuki said, sounding as if she was suggesting a solution. Archius just accepted it at face value. "My name commands respect wherever it¡¯s said!¡±


    As if.


    "Well... I''ve heard of you before, head of that Lowguard guild, right?" Chlo¨¦ asked. She continued eating, before squinting. Then, she shook her head at her own question. "No! Kaz''s the head! You''re just the figurehead, aren''t you?"


    "Haha, nuh uh. I''m the best at that game, far better than my brother!" She arrogantly placed her hand on her hips, pushing her chin up. Fucking hell, she must be a pain to live with, Archius thought. And looking at Nathan... yeah, she seems insufferable. Nathan looked as if he wanted to be somewhere else¡­ Probably doing some hobbies or whatever.


    "Better an influencer than a war criminal," Noah said. The room fell silent, as even V¨¢clavos paused mid-chewing. Alright, it seems Noah CANNOT read the room, Archius thought, chuckling.


    Archius wrapped an arm around Noah, as Yuki''s face quickly soured. "Shaddup, you! Sorry, Noah''s a bit of a joker, a shit one at that." He acted all chummy to Noah, of course, it was a ploy - but Noah must have seen how awkward he made it.


    Yuki seemed convinced, merely giving a nod. "Can we... not talk about my brother? Pretty please with a jaraberry on top?" she asked, placing her hands together in prayer.


    Chlo¨¦ nodded, with the two now yapping on about lowguard¡­ Nerd stuff, Archius thought - even though he played it back in the day when he and Kaz didn¡¯t have a private army under their command.


    Implicitly, there seems to be an agreement in the making. Noah sighed. "Thanks... I... don''t know what I was¡ª"


    "¡ªShh..." Archius whispered to Noah. "Just... enjoy the food alright. She might be Kazuki''s brother, but she''s different. I mean, look at her... Blonde¡­ blue eyes¡­ You¡¯d call me mad if I said she was one."


    Noah nodded. "Sorry..."


    "Don''t sweat it, we wouldn''t be human without our emotions, wouldn''t we?" he asked Noah.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I guess since it¡¯s the tenth anniversary I got a bit¡­ weird?¡± Noah asked himself. Archius paused¡­ Oh yeah¡­ it¡¯s the tenth anniversary of the P-1 Incident.


    That also meant it was the tenth anniversary of his planet¡¯s firebombing¡­ a few days ago. Huh¡­ Archius had almost forgotten!


    ¡°Hmm, well, just get your thoughts sorted out when the minute of mourning comes, alright?¡± Archius patted Noah on the back.


    Noah squinted. ¡°It¡¯s three though?¡± he asked, confused, before backtracking. ¡°Wait.. uh, never mind.¡±


    ¡°Three?¡± Oho! This was news to Archius. He thought it was always one minute.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ My parents are media moguls¡­ so, yeah. I kinda get told about some stuff happening in the media industry.¡± Noah chuckled and scratched the back of his head. Oh¡­ sweet dear¡­ Archius did his best to hide his excitement. This was the perfect target! He was starting to thank Kazuki for assigning him such an interesting fellow.


    Now he finally has another person in the media industry, AND THIS ONE WON¡¯T SLATHER HIM WITH DRUNKEN KISSES!


    Archius raised his voice. "Anyways! Y''all were talking about Lowguard?"


    "Yeah! Between giving away a lot of shit for free¡­ and messing around in videos, I spend some time recording Lowguard videos," Yuki shouted out loud, raising her hands out in front of her. "I need more members in the guild since you know... Kazuki''s always busy, so uh... Are you guys any good at the game?"


    Chlo¨¦ shrugged. "So and so?" she said. Archius merely gave a simple shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t play it all that much¡­¡± Noah gave a complimentary nod.


    "I could join, never really had a guild to play with," he said. Yuki immediately took her phone out, unlocking it as a holographic screen propped up. She let the projector hover over them, providing Noah with an invitation to the guild, quite small compared to other influencer guilds, though most members are vetted through Kazuki, so there was that.


    Noah took out his own phone and scanned the information with his own application. And then, just like that, he was in.


    "Yus!" Yuki cheered to herself silently. She then turned to Nathan. "See, you¡¯re not the only new guy.¡±


    "Haha... great job," Nathan said, slowly smiling. He didn''t seem too nervous, now that the mood''s swung to a more jovial and casual mood.


    Yuki pressed her circular aug-glasses up her nose bridge, the lens shining bright with anti-imaging detection and information outputs.


    ¡°You still need to be vetted by Kazuki,¡± said Archius.


    To that, Nathan¡¯s face went pale, with eyes going in both directions as he started to fall apart. Yuki interjected, ¡°Nuh-uh! He¡¯s never on, so I¡¯ll just make them full members.¡±


    Soon, they finished breakfast, with Yuki and her ''bird'' consuming a large swaft of the dishes... Nate, by comparison, barely got anything. That didn¡¯t seem to mind him, to Archius¡¯ observations.


    They spent most of the morning shopping around... Archius broke off from the group, as they were shopping. He tapped V¨¢clavos on the shoulder, signalling him for a talk. Archius walked around one of the aisles. "Pretend you''re helping me choose something, the excuse is... of course: you''re a hopeless romantic."


    "Not that hopeless!" V¨¢clavos grumbled, placing his fingers on his temple and rubbing it. "Did you really have to do that?¡±


    Archius clicked his fingers, ignoring his question/ ¡°I''m not exactly your boss, but you are willing to go the full mile with this, right?"


    "What''s... a mile?" V¨¢clavos furrowed his brow, glancing around the various merchandise present in the shop.


    Archius sighed, waving his hands in front of him. "Never mind that, are you willing to do what it takes to protect Yuki?"


    "Yeah? Of course... and anyone else that Kaz needs protecting. We''re not his Eden Trio for nothing, you imbecile." V¨¢clavos lightly smacked Archius across the head. ¡°Let''s get back to them..."


    "What if Nihara''s in danger?" Archius asked. V¨¢clavos paused. Archius glanced around... no one was looking, and his face faltered. "Tell me, will you protect the objective, no matter what?"


    "Of... course, I will." V¨¢clavos looked offended, his face forming into disgust at the mere notion of his failure. Archius will have to take V¨¢clavos'' word for it. He must, Kazuki nor Cyrus would allow him to do any of his little experiments with someone like V¨¢clavos. He wasn''t like Quinn, someone, who in the hierarchy, is below him...


    Archius mumbled to himself, nodding. "Well then, happy protecting." He turned and walked away.


    He had no choice but to accept his answer, even if he wasn¡¯t convinced.

 X27: Ten Long Years...

    When Eliza thought about it, it made no sense to her... Kazuki was brought up by his parents, an inventor who ''saved the Republic'' and the admiral who killed the Tyrant-Empress. Why would he act so brashly?!


    She thought to herself, mumbling and grumbling as she wandered around. She was busy, rolling around the sofas, looking at the various shirts, dresses and clothes she brought along - and the ones that Master Chi made. Social networking''s hard... she thought. Even with the Marquis, she''s made so little progress.


    She still has the next year¡¯s dassant and such, she thought.


    Eliza can pick up the slack later, she always can/That''s just how she is, isn''t... she? She paused, dropping the clothes onto a small pile on the opened luggage cases.


    "Want me to pack your stuff into your room?" Cyrus asked, standing guard beside the wall. "I will be delicate."


    "What?! No!" Eliza sprouted upwards, looking over at Cyrus, before falling back down onto the sofa. "Sorry, just a matter of personal preference, I prefer cleaning up myself, when I can..."


    "A responsible choice," Cyrus commented. He maintained his vigilant guard, motionlessly responding to her.


    But Eliza had something on her chest, something that she wanted to talk about... But who could she talk to?  Eliza sat up, grabbing hold of her uplink and sliding it back onto her ear. She printed her demands to the cleaning drones, charging silently in the corner of the living room.


    Their screens turned from an expression resembling a sleeping person to one filled with life, grinning through its scanning visor.


    "Aha!" piqued Eliza. ''Can you please tidy up the luggage to Kaz''s bedroom, then mine."


    The drones flew around, nodding with frantic fervour. They latched onto the luggage, before lifting it up cleanly. They started to ''airlift'' it up to their individual rooms. Maybe a room for Kazuki was a bit useless, she thought¡­ Even though she understood he liked privacy, he barely slept - and he could have stayed in the living room¡­ After all, he did tell her that he was fine with that¡­


    Eliza, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t all too keen on treating Kazuki like was side-on attachment.


    "I thought you''d do it yourself." The drones caught the attention of Cyrus.


    "Hmm?" Eliza turned over towards him. "Well, it''s a bit much, even for me." She nervously scratched her head.


    "I see."


    Eliza continued, "The best thing to know is your limits, and when you need help." An unamusing nod was all he responded with.


    Then, the doors opened. Stepping through was none other than Nihara! She was grumbling too. Eliza jumped up to meet her, trying to look past her to see if Kazuki was there... He was not, she tried to hide her disappointment on her face, it very much failed.


    "Nihara, where''s the boss?" Cyrus asked.


    Nihara shrugged. "He told me to go back. He''s currently doing something important, I guess?" Her dead-pan voice gave no emotion away. She slouched over towards the kitchen, before pulling out a can of beer. Without even asking, Nihara cracked it open and started drinking.


    "Hey, you could at least ask me, okay?" Eliza turned to her.


    Nihara merely gave a shrug. "You were gonna say yes to begin with.¡±


    "That''s not the point," Eliza said whilst pushing her glasses up her nose bridge.


    She looked around, the suite she was in was barely any large than the condo she lived at, with Archius and Kazuki... Standing up, Eliza vacated herself up the stairs, towards her room.


    "I... I think I''m hitting the hay, for today."


    "Goodnight," Nihara said, looking up at her.


    Smiling, Eliza grabbed onto the bannister, turning back down. "Oh, and can you please not punch V¨¢clavos in here? Again. I''d... prefer not to see last night''s supper on the floor."


    Cyrus gave a steady nod. "She will not. Right?"


    NIhara let off a loud sigh and grumble at the same time. "I''ll do my best, alright," said Nihara, with a hint of aggression on her tongue.


    "Good. I''ll get some rest," said Cyrus. He stood up straight but closed his eyes. His hands were together, holding onto the Vesarian-reinforced great sword, still in its scabbard.


    Eliza paused, pointing to Cyrus with a mildly perplexed face. Is this how he sleeps?


    "Ignore him, he does that," explained Nihara. "I¡¯ll go easy on V¨¢clavos if he gets drunk again.¡±


    Satisfied with that answer, she turned back towards her door. But... she still had so many aching questions from her heart. Just why was Kazuki such... Well¡­ like himself? She saved herself from the self-inflicted guilt of insulting him in her own mind.


    Leaning against the bannister, she peered down at Nihara. "Hey, Nihara, mind If I ask a question?"


    "What?" she asked dismissively, sitting down at the sofas, drinking and smoking at the same time. Eliza started to walk down the stairs, brushing any dust off her pyjamas.


    "Kazuki..." Eliza trailed off.


    "Oh, what about him this time?" Nihara asked. "If you want to know something, ask him yourself."


    "Well... I''d feel like it''d be rude to ask him this directly, especially this one specific thing," Eliza deliberated. Walking down the stairs, Eliza grabbed a beer for herself and sat opposite Nihara. She turned the TV on with her uplink, some background music and chatter for them to talk over.


    Nihara looked over at the TV, then back at Eliza. "Hmh," she grumbled. "Fine, what is it?"


    Eliza nodded. "During our negotiations, he... was just plain rude? I think that''s how to best describe him."


    Awaiting a response, Eliza watched Nihara merely kick her feet up onto the table, before snapping back, "You don''t know him well, do you?"


    "Hey!"


    Nihara simply gave a nod. "Alright... you seem convincing enough to know him. But uh... he''s always been like that?" Shrugging again, she took a deep drink of her beer. "I don''t know what to tell you."


    Eliza paused before continuing, "But why? You''ve known him for a lot longer than I have, surely there must have been something?"


    Nihara rolled her eyes but stopped mid-way. She furrowed her brow, then sat back up straight, leaning in. "Well, Kazuki? Personally, I don¡¯t know if it was just me tweaking, but he was a lot more ''alive'' back during Eden, before... Freyja."


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Hmm?" Eliza pondered. Eden... She''s heard of that before. In whispers and murmurs from all over Anagora, even from Kaz and Archius. Still, she had little clue as to what it actually was. "Eden?"


    "..." Nihara glanced away, towards Cyrus Still sleeping, Eliza thought. She then looked back. "Well... it was a bunch of orphans from across the galaxy, trained to be the cream of the... what do you call it, cream of the something?"


    "Cr¨¨me de la cr¨¨me?" Eliza suggested, without realising she had said something that Nihara probably didn''t even understand. She merely nodded. ¡°It¡¯s an old Kast¨ª saying from Terra.¡±


    "Yeah! Whatever the fuck that is," she said. "We were supposed to be that, trained directly under two members of the Seven Mercs and some random guy... Svenn, Freyja and Hartius." She counted it on the joints of her fingers.


    "What... happened?" Eliza asked.


    Nihara shuddered for a second. "I don''t know why... but Freyja betrayed us. Skewed half of us, ripped out one of Kazuki''s eyes and left him bleeding to death. Hartius scared her off... I think."


    Eliza froze. Wait, what?! Was she not made privy to this before?! "Kazuki¡¯s eye?!¡± That might explain his golden eyes¡­ Eliza swore that Kazuki, before P-1, had blue eyes! Her memories unlocked themselves.


    She took out her phone, skimming through an old database of photos... including ones including her sister. "Yeah?" Nihara replied, confused.


    Eliza propped up a photo that Victoria had, of her, Kazuki and... Noah? Wait, was that Noah? Blue hair, red eyes... a bit tall and brooding, that seems exactly like Noah! But her eyes stabbed towards her target. Blue eyes. "Kazuki had blue eyes, right?"


    "One blue eye, one gold eye," Nihara replied. Eliza was about to press further, as she heard the door unlock, and a figure enter. Cyrus'' woke up, twisting to the side. A figure entered the living room.


    "It''s done," Kazuki said. Cyrus nodded and closed his eyes once again. He turned towards Nihara and Eliza. "What?"


    Eliza was staring at Kazuki''s golden eyes... Nihara was just about to say something.


    "¡ªwe were talking about some of the stuff I got!" interjected Eliza. Kazuki rubbed his head, confused.


    Kazuki then turned towards the TV. His face was dead, staring at it.


    Eliza¡¯s rose-red eyes glanced at it. It was a news anchor, in the brief moments between channels. It was Kazuki¡¯s birthday¡­ 12th Apri. For a moment, relief came into Eliza¡¯s mind, knowing that she at least got him a present, just as cold and logical realisation set in.


    ''Good evening, everyone. As today rolls around and comes to a conclusion, we must also say our deepest prayers for the victims of the Ptolemy-1 Incident," the news anchor said. Eliza''s eyes widened, before looking around for a TV remote. ¡®As it is the tenth anniversary, the Republic has given a heightened minute of silence for mourning, for three minutes today, for the billions of souls lost on that day. May we never forget those that have perished¡­ A countdown started, with the three minutes starting.¡¯


    Eliza stood up, turning the TV off. No one uttered a word, scared to break the silence of the break. Even Kazuki said nothing. Across the whole station, everything was silent - in memorial of the greatest attack on the Republic since the siege of Anagora.


    Kazuki spoke before time was up, "I hashed out some details with the Marquis. Arrangements have been made.¡±


    The three minutes wasn¡¯t even up and Kazuki was talking. Eliza muttered, "Kazuki... you... what did you get?"


    "A gateway.,¡± he said. Sitting down beside Nihara, his eyes glanced away from the television. "It should get us through the hard part."


    Eliza slowly pondered as she watched Kazuki. He was still, as if not wanting to move a muscle, a soul constricted to the past. She smiled and slowly stood up. She walked up to some of the shopping bags by the side of the wall, rummaging through them until she found a specific item.


    Standing up, she hid it behind herself. Kazuki avoided her gaze, as Nihara turned the TV back on, switching the channel to some cartoons she seemed interested in.


    "What?" he asked.


    Eliza stood in front of him, before dropping something, he caught it easily. Kazuki paused, looking down at it. It was a holographic disk. He glanced up at her.


    "Happy birthday, Kazuki," she said, with her heart and soul pushing the words out of her mouth. She wanted Kazuki to forget the Ptolemy-1 Incident... for now at least. She smiled, sitting down beside him. "Come on... activate it."


    Kazuki''s face didn''t change. He pressed down on the button, projecting up a holographic image. It was a diorama. It was a Phoenix flying through space, alongside several vessels.


    It was leading them.


    ¡°The Flight of Trasia?¡± Kazuki inquired. Eliza nodded. It was beautiful, seeing the ancestor of his own Phoenix flying high through space.


    That phoenix saved his people from the Cracking of Terra. It¡¯s why his family¡¯s seal is that of the phoenix. Even after so long¡­ Everyone remembers.


    ¡°I had to think for a little while on what to get you,¡± Eliza admitted, her eyes scanned to the side. ¡°Might be a bit morbid, with so many people dying back then, but I want this gift to represent something more¡­ Hope.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Kazuki nodded.


    "I hope you like it," Eliza said. Kazuki said nothing. He merely placed it down on the coffee table in front of him. His eyes were locked onto the diorama, before slowly turning towards Eliza.


    He said, "Thanks."


    Kazuki glanced back at the table, slowly. She... felt like she should press for a ''better'' response, but Eliza understands somewhat... she can''t press Kazuki. Sure, she might get angry and frustrated when he doesn''t say certain things, but this is Kazuki: getting even that out of him made her smile.


    ¡°But what do you think¡­ About my plan.¡± Kazuki sliced the moment between them in twine, focusing on what must matter most. Eliza cleared her throat.


    ¡°Well, who are the contacts?¡±


    "Jin brothers." Kazuki flicked his fingers in the air, showing two holographic images. It was of two chestnut red-haired men, tall and with facial hair - with Trasian red eyes. They looked very much alike. "Twins. Don''t worry, they frequently joke and mess around - fooling people on who actually is who."


    Synthia projected onto Eliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Date and time?¡¯ she asked.


    ¡°A few days, keep an eye on the message list to our suite.¡±


    Synthia nodded. ¡®Of course¡­ thought I would have preferred some specifics,¡¯ she said, before turning off and disappearing back into Eliza¡¯s uplink.


    "Wait... you can still recognise who''s who, right?" Eliza leaned in against his arm, looking at the images


    Kazuki nodded. "Of course."


    "You didn''t torture the answer from Fer-Charelota, right?"


    "No," he said. "He organised the meetup. Said it was a birthday present.¡±


    It must be hard, having his birthday not only be on the day of, but be a critical part of, the P-1 incident, thought Eliza.


    Kazuki¡¯s tone hinted towards some level of malice, but Eliza saw differently. It showed that the Marquis was willing to look after his allies.


    "Well, it''s nice, right?" she asked him. "See, Fer-Charelota''s not that bad."


    He sighed. "Fine. I still think he''s slimy, but I''ll accept this... gift of his."


    Was going exactly as planned. Kazuki''s going along with it as well, her plan, her investigation. Her sister''s memory will be recovered and brought to justice.


    "Am I... really allowed to see you as a tool?" she asked.


    Kazuki nodded. "Of course.¡± Eliza slowed down in her head, thinking unclearly. "I promised to help you. Use me to help you."


    ¡°And¡­ what about Archius?¡± Eliza asked, interested in what he was up to by now.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Eliza continued, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we bring him in with us? He has a particularly clever way with words, and I think he¡¯d be a massive boon¡­ He¡¯s helping us, why not have him assist us in this?¡±


    ¡°Archius is treating this like a break. Plus, I have him investigating another possible lead - a failsafe,¡± Kazuki said.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear,¡± Eliza said. ¡°Everything¡¯s coming along nicely.¡±


    He stood up, looking back down at her. She maintained her smile, glancing to the side. Her tool... she thought. Kazuki''s more than just that, he''s the key to it all. Her key to it all. As the thought continued, Eliza heard a crash at the door. Both Cyrus and Nihara snapped to attention. Kazuki twisted around.


    "Knock!" Cyrus shouted, before shaking his head. Eliza stood up, walking with Kazuki towards the hallway. She peered over at the doorway... There was Chlo¨¦, Yuki, Nathaniel and Archius... all in a pile along the floor! But no Noah... Oh well, he must be busy with his parents, business, she thought. Pi sprouted up, wings wide as the phoenix stood on top of the mass of people, acting as if it had caught them all from a long hunt.


    "Happy birthday!" Yuki and Archius shouted out at the same time. Nathan was at the bottom, patting the people above him to get off. Chlo¨¦ was the first to roll to the side, nodding at Kazuki. Both Yuki and Archius sprouted up presents, up to Kazuki, before Nathaniel pried the two off him.


    "Ugh... Please!" Nathaniel croaked, lying on the ground.


    "Eh, you''ll be fine," Yuki said. Archius helped Nathan up.


    Glancing at Kazuki, Eliza saw that his face had not changed one bit.


    However, she knew that there was something within those dead golden husks of his. Even if it was imagined, or even if it didn''t really exist: Eliza hoped that deep within him, Kazuki felt some joy from this. She chuckled. "Well then, guess this will be quite a frantic birthday for you."

 X28: To Sleep a Phoenix

    The party was nice, Archius thought. Uneventful, but nice. Surely having more than just him accompany Kazuki would have made him change his face, literally. Glancing down, Archius couldn¡¯t see a single muscle change. Ugh¡­ must be the duality of the day, then, Archius thought.


    A voice broke the monotony. ¡®Generally, just stay away from a guy like him.¡¯ It was Sato¡¯s, she was on the uplink, a floating interface showing her face in front of the duo.


    ¡°Sadly¡­ we have no choice in this matter,¡± said Archius, rolling his eyes before nudging Kazuki with his leg. ¡°You must have something on him.¡±


    Sato glanced to the side, then nodded. ¡°Krystalink caught a few whispers of his name back during the Nasseri Proscriptions and First Shadow War¡­ Connections to one of the Mischief Board Triarchs, you probably know who.¡¯ Her eyes glided down to Kazuki.


    ¡°And?¡± said Kazuki, ignoring her glance.


    ¡°Not much else,¡± she continued. ¡°It becomes logarithmically easier to find things if they show up more on the radar, Obadiah¡¯s not making the same mistakes as Matt.¡±


    ¡°Good for him,¡± sneered Archius, giving Sato a snide look. ¡°Krystalink is robust, but you¡¯ve just given us the basic brief, you must have something that can actually help us, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°Just keep us updated.¡± He gave Archius a small glare. What!? He¡¯s just pushing the idea of improving Krystalink to Sato¡­ Of course, Sato would never listen to his advice, so this was the only way; plus everyone benefits, he thought.


    Either way, he rolled his eyes, as Sato nodded, disappearing after giving Archius a side glance.


    Archius was reminded just how stubbornly boring Sato can be, he remembered back to the rebellion, drinking was a massive problem back then - and she was always the sad drunk, not the funny or stupid drunk like Amy¨¦ or Quinn.


    ¡°Still not happy?¡± Archius asked, leaning against the wall of Kaz¡¯s bedroom. Kazuki was sitting down beside him, a can of soda in his hand. He had party glitter in his hair, but the party was over - and they were alone.


    Kazuki said nothing, merely drinking out of the can. After finishing it, he threw it over into the bin across the room. Its trajectory curved slightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such an ass, Kaz. This birthday was much better than last year¡¯s!¡± Archius, for once, tried to cheer Kazuki up. But his brother-in-arms merely gave a small nod.


    Kazuki straightened his back against the wall. ¡°Anything would have been better than my birthday last year. I felt like I was eating my last meal,¡± he said.


    ¡°We won that battle over Old Terra, Kaz, there was a war to fight. This time¡¯s different. You have Chlo¨¦, Eliza and whoever that Nathan guy is. Improvement, right?¡± Archius smiled, crouching down to Kazuki¡¯s level, quite hard given he was taller than Kaz.


    Silence filled the room. Kazuki took a deep breath, and then a sigh. ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to celebrate my birthday. I would have thought you¡¯d told Yuki.¡± Kazuki¡¯s voice was filled with a suppressed level of measured frustration.


    Archius shrugged. ¡°Yuki wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer, Kaz, better to just play into what she wants, right?¡±


    Kazuki took out something from within his waistcoat, a small knife, barely longer than a finger. He played with it for a moment. ¡°Whatever she wants,¡± he scoffed. ¡°We got this far¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Archius replied, noting a withering husk of regret in Kazuki¡¯s tone, even if it was faint. It was obvious to him, he¡¯d heard it a few times before after all. Time to diagnose the problem! Was it guilt? ¡°You got far.¡±


    ¡°I?¡± Kazuki snapped back, stopping with his knife play and glancing up. ¡°We filled graveyards even before the rebellion. I can still see some of their faces, right before the life left their eyes. Friend and foe¡­¡±


    Oh. Archius was spot on, but that fact didn¡¯t satisfy Archius. Not at all. ¡°But we won, those graves would have been bigger if we lost. Take satisfaction in that, hmm?¡±


    Kazuki grunted, somewhat in agreement. ¡°I never liked counting the dead. But something always implored me to do so.¡±


    ¡°Guilt?¡± suggested Archius. Kazuki¡¯s lips sealed shut at that word. Seems like a lot of things to unpack right now. Archius quickly noticed a level of discomfort in Kazuki¡¯s posture, slanted slightly away from Archius. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t play with knives¡­¡± Archius diverted the topic somewhat further from that.


    ¡°What? Scared that I¡¯ll hurt someone?¡± Kazuki sneered back. ¡°Please, I¡¯m a member of the seven mercs, I think I can handle a fucking toothpick.¡±


    Archius replied, ¡°Yourself. Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t seen you during the rebellion.¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s dead golden eyes locked in place, staring soullessly into the knife. He placed it back into his pocket, sighing again. ¡°At the end of the day, Yuki will get what she wants¡­¡±


    For a moment, Archius felt a measure of envy for Kazuki. He can experience what it¡¯s like to have an actual family, and Archius can¡¯t. Either way, he¡¯ll need to play his cards carefully, especially considering that it IS the tenth anniversary of the P-1 incident¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about your sister, but she cares about you, you can see that, right?¡± asked Archius.


    Kazuki didn¡¯t respond.


    Archius placed a hand into his pocket, taking a small packet out and chucking it onto Kazuki¡¯s head. It bounced off his head. ¡°Hmm?¡± Kazuki picked it up, a decorated card pack. ¡°I already have Dullie First, Gold and Timeless Editions.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not Dullie Cards,¡± said Archius.


    That caught Kazuki¡¯s attention! He opened it up, revealing half a dozen cards in the pack box. ¡°Oh¡­ So that¡¯s why it was light.¡±


    Kazuki pulled one out partially, revealing a card with his own face on it. He glanced up at Archius.


    ¡°What? You haven¡¯t even pulled it fully out,¡± said Archius. Kazuki pulled the rest of the card out. There was a designator beneath his face, ¡®Hanged Man¡¯.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°How flattering.¡± Kazuki made sure his venom was on full display. Archius played into it, chuckling.


    Archius continued, ¡°You''re welcome. I know a guy who knows this cardmaker. Had some made without his knowledge. Tarot Cards¡­¡±


    ¡°Tarot?¡± Kazuki raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are we hunting ghost hazards or something?¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s the kicker!¡± Archius leaned down and pulled out another card, revealing another person. Emiya Taka-Calibana, the head of the BCA. It had the designator of the ¡®Star¡¯ on it. ¡°Cards for potential players we might have to deal with.¡±


    Kazuki flicked through a few of them¡­ Hartius, Hermit; Iana Nimitz-Delia, Temperance; Archius himself, the Devil; the Commissioner, Emperor; and the Duo Mercs, the Lovers.


    ¡°They¡¯re still in prototype, we still have many card places left¡­ Gives us more targets,¡± said Archius.


    Kazuki was silent for a moment. ¡°How¡­ does this help?¡±


    Archius rolled his eyes. ¡°We distribute these to the men hunting them down, or searching for them, why do you think we have the Commissioner and the Gunrunner on there?¡±


    Kazuki flicked up another card, revealing Leon Antigonid. ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Archius remarked with an overly enthusiastic tone. ¡°That was the first prototype, made it during the Gunrunner incident, but uh¡­ Yeah, wasn¡¯t able to roll it out. Happy birthday, I guess!¡±


    Kazuki didn¡¯t respond, not at first. He placed all the cards back into the pack. Archius pulled something out of his pocket, showing it to Kazuki. It was Obadiah¡¯s own card. The Tower.


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Kazuki said, taking the card and placing it back into the pack. It was the perfect opportunity for Archius to slink a ¡®Thanks¡¯ out of Kazuki whilst he was still being¡­ well¡­ him.


    Archius was no fool, he knew that Kaz wasn¡¯t the type to divulge in such pleasantries, but all the same, he gave Kaz an opportunity. Now¡­ time to press onto actual pressing matters. ¡°Noah Slyra-Montageu, he was a friend of yours, I assume?¡± asked Archius.


    Kazuki replied instantly, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, rather quick response.¡± Archius metaphorically prodded Kazuki, pushing himself off the wall, and walking towards the door. ¡°But seriously¡­ I need more information from you, especially if you want me to get a better grasp of him.¡±


    Once again, Kazuki didn¡¯t respond. Archius grumbled to himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re a social engineer. This should be your speciality,¡± Kazuki commented.


    Archius replied, ¡°Noah¡¯s parents are media moguls¡ª¡±


    He placed his hand out in front of him, flicking his holophone on. It showed an image of Noah with his family. It was from an interview, ¡®behind the scenes of the Galatimes¡¯ Montague Moguls¡¯.


    ¡°¡ªand they¡¯ll probably have the same indoctrination training you got. If you can detect me, they¡¯re probably close to that, closer than I¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°Well, tell me what you¡¯ve found out.¡±


    Archius rolled his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t trust Noah, let me tell you that much.¡±


    ¡°Tell me something I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s close to Chlo¨¦ and Eliza¡­ University friends. Eliza and he seems to go somewhat back, do you know anything about that?¡±


    Kazuki paused.


    ¡°No.¡±


    It was such an obvious lie, Archius thought. ¡°Alright¡­¡± Archius need to apply some pressure on Kazuki. ¡°I¡¯ll try and see if there¡¯s anything else related between these two, that¡¯ll give me a better idea if he¡¯s a threat or not. And why do you want me to monitor him? I¡¯m here to help with the investigation!¡±


    ¡°This is helping.¡±


    ¡°By doing what? Tracking some irrelevant university students? If anything, you should have told me to use him to infiltrate the upper media elite circles¡­ he has the connections, and I can use him.¡± Archius crossed his arms, walking to the closets lining the wall, phasing each open one by one.


    He was searching for something¡­


    Kazuki didn¡¯t respond to his ransacking of the place. ¡°Just follow orders.¡±


    ¡°You told Eliza that trust goes two ways,¡± Archius said. Kazuki¡¯s eyes skimmed up towards him, as he turned back, holding a jar of pills. Archius threw them onto the bed. ¡°What? Surprised that I already planted listening devices over Liz¡¯s condo?¡±


    ¡°Remove them,¡± Kazuki demanded.


    Archius shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not into any of the creepy shit you¡¯re thinking of. They¡¯re just there to make sure infiltrators don¡¯t plant anything.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Kazuki¡¯s tongue spat acid. ¡°But tone your scale down.¡±


    Rolling his eyes, Archius stopped skirting around the edges. ¡°Come on, spill the tea, or the beans, or¡­ whatever the fuck you Lautrasians say.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡±


    ¡°Well fuck you too!¡± Archius snapped back. ¡°I do all this unpaid work, helping you investigate, and you¡¯re not even telling me the necessary information! If anything¡­ I could rat you out.¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s head and body snapped upwards. Archius could hear the priming of an exospine, ready to crush his body. He laughed and placed his hands up.


    ¡°I¡¯M KIDDING!¡± Archius shouted.


    The Contract-Breaker stopped, walking to his bed and falling onto it, heavily with the weight of his cybernetics. ¡°Look. It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yeah, seems like everything is complicated when it comes to you.¡± Archius shrugged. ¡°Well, want me to keep an eye on him for longer?¡±


    ¡°No. Shove a knife down his throat,¡± Kazuki snapped.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Archius remarked, bouncing back the sarcasm.


    ¡±I can trust you with this. Don¡¯t actually kill him.¡±¡±


    ¡°You know trust tripping me won¡¯t work.¡± Archius smiled, pointing at Kazuki for a second. ¡°If you tell me who he was to you¡­ maybe?¡± Kazuki, for his part, simply slumped upwards. He sat on his bed, taking his time as he swallowed a dozen or so pills. The edges of Archius''s lips curled ever so slightly. There¡¯s a long war coming, he thought¡­


    ¡°Noah¡¯s an old associate of mine from the past. Friend of friend.¡± Kazuki stared at Archius with dead eyes.


    Linked to one of Kazuki¡¯s past friends? That shortens potential quintillions down to¡­ less than half a dozen? The only people Kazuki must have known before he met him would have been Yuki¡­ no, that doesn¡¯t make sense. Noah¡¯s outburst in front of Yuki wouldn¡¯t have happened if that was true. So, who else?


    Eliza¡¯s twin sister? Probably¡­ Victoria¡­ that was her name, wasn¡¯t it? Archius mumbled in his head, not wanting to ask Kazuki directly - even though he wasn¡¯t that insensitive. But Victoria IS the most likely option. How ironic, the dead girl severing the friendship of these two¡­


    That can¡¯t just be it, right? Was time really all that mattered to severe these two?


    He can find that out later, he mused, for now: this was enough juice to keep his imagination running for a little bit. He chuckled to himself. ¡°Alright then, anything you want specifically?¡±


    ¡°I want you to monitor his relation to Eliza.¡±


    Oh¡­ So ARCHIUS was correct! He celebrated in his mind, finding this single order to be damning evidence enough for his hypothesis¡­ Only more digging and time can tell, he concluded.


    Archius nodded. ¡°It will be done¡­ though the Eclipses falls or some stupid shit I had to remember in the academy,¡± he said. Turning, he walked up to the door. ¡°Sleep well, Kaz, it¡¯s been a good year.¡±


    Archius turned back to Kazuki¡­ He was out cold. Slowly, Archius wandered over to him, taking the jar of pills. He had hidden the label, but one flick of the wrist shows the holographic label of: SLEEPING PILLS, directly on it.


    ¡°Get some rest,¡± Archius said. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of wars to come, Kaz, best we are prepared, ey?¡±


    With everything that¡¯s been happening, Archius thinks that Kazuki should use this time to sleep. Martinez is handling the AGENCY, Hosea, Lilly and Claire are managing operations, and Zym is¡­ well, probably bass-boosting music through his head by now - to the delight of the troops and the restlessness of Claire.


    Everything was going perfectly, Archius thought. The investigation was going smoothly, or at least Archius inferred it to be so - and he had hopes that things wouldn¡¯t hit the fan like at the last Dassant¡­ Maybe if he was there, he could have eliminated Matt Oria-Tessie without arousing suspicion. Approaching the door once again, Archius opened it and left.

 X29: Mè°©wti Style of Espionage

    It was a rough ride, at the very least. With Kazuki resting, Archius had to¡­ do his own things, do things Kazuki might not approve of, for now at least. Archius will have to remember not to accept any challenges from Yuki, EVER. Still¡­ he did love some thrills here and there.


    "Ugh...." Nathan looked as if he was going puke, with Noah and Archius acting as older brothers, holding him together from both sides. Noah held his face low, in a similar position to Nathan... "Did... we have to do that?"


    "Of course!" Yuki shouted back at them. Archius'' face remained sealed, a mask of fake agony.


    Sadly... the opportunity for greater investments has not arisen, Archius concluded. He glanced over at Noah. In his current state, he''ll be less useful than ever.


    The trio kept following Yuki across the amusement parkThe fact that there hasn''t been a single incident here is surprising, he thought. "What are we... can we just go have a sit down somewhere? Where''s Chlo¨¦?" Archius asked.


    "Oh?" a voice called out to them. Archius'' head snapped to the side, seeing Chlo¨¦, dressed in everyday clothes. Nathan was coughing up, as Noah and Archius stared at her. "What? No official events are happening for the rest of the week, might as well get into something comfortable!"


    She held onto half a dozen sticks of candy floss, a vibrant collection of colours that Archius couldn''t make out - with the various colours interchanging.


    Yuki was the first one to snatch one from her. "Don''t mind if I do!" she shouted. Chlo¨¦ snapped her head towards Yuki, trying to grab it back, only to realise that she was holding onto way too many to engage in any form of melee combat. "Come on, Chlo¨¦! Share the load!"


    "Ugh... fine, take it, something to ease you guys," Chlo¨¦ said, extending both her hands. Noah and Archius twisted their formation to awkwardly face her. "You aren''t gonna do that for the rest of the day, right?"


    Her voice was snappy and frustrated, angry perhaps? Archius found this opportunity to be quite a good chance... "We never abandon our brothers," Archius said, in an incredibly melodramatic tone.


    Noah chuckled slightly, whilst Nathan gave a slow nod, a small thanks for Archius.


    Archius could feel a grip tighten on his clothes, Noah''s hand that was helping Nathaniel... Archius maintained his fake face, stepping up and taking one of the candy flosses.


    "Make it quick!" Chlo¨¦ said. Noah reached out and picked up another one. "Just shove it in his mouth, alright?"


    Noah dithered, his hand went to grab another stick, but he stopped himself. Worried about Nathan? Eh, probably, Archius thought. "Are you sure it won''t make him throw up?"


    "Does it matter?" Chlo¨¦ snapped back, still sour about losing most of her candy floss.


    Yuki grabbed all of the remaining sticks, except for one. "I''ll hold them for him," she said. Now was a bit too late for being considerate, but better late than never.


    "Are... we finished?" Nathan asked. Yuki gave a clear nod.


    She walked over, patting Nathan on the shoulder. "I uh... I think you''ve had enough for today." She was kind of red on the face, somewhat embarrassed.


    Archius rolled his eyes. "You better repay us for our time! I think an uh... all-paid dinner at your expense would be adequate compensation, right Chlo¨¦?"


    "Huh?" Chlo¨¦''s head twisted around at everyone, startled. Nathan and Noah nodded, with Archius giving her a wink. "Sure. Who''d say no to free food?"


    Yuki placed a hand to her face, thinking. She pondered around, walking in a circle for a second.


    "Alright, y''all getting food?" Noah asked. "My parents are out so... I could have you guys over at my place?"


    "No!" Yuki shouted. "You shall have the honour of eating beneath my roof!" She grinned widly.


    Archius sighed. He placed one hand in his pocket and triggered a device he kept hidden. His uplink burst into sound and light, as a call signalled towards him. Noah turned to look at him, as Archius let go of Nathan.


    Grumbling, Archius acted surprised at being called.


    Archius answered the fake call. "Hmm?" he asked himself. He allowed himself to slither into a moment of silence, walking around. He''ll need to make this opportunity well. Noah''s parents are out, and that was the perfect opportunity. Something lies beneath Noah''s face, he broods but cares, and Archius needs to find out why.


    Maybe he can find that out, perhaps it¡¯s linked to Kazuki. Who knows? He will. He will know, he turned around and closed his call. "Shit... sorry guys, go ahead without me, something just came up."


    Noah raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what? Come on, I''m sure it''s not that important." Yuki nodded in turn.


    Archius sighed. "It''s Eliza..." he said. He had no idea if her investigation was public knowledge, but Archius wouldn''t be the one to make that decision. "Some drama between those two..."


    He rolled his eyes, pretending to be frustrated. Yuki chuckled. "Kazu? Pfft, he''s easy to deal with, you know that, right? Right?!"


    Archius nodded. ¡°It¡¯s gonna hurt my head, but¡­ yeah¡­¡±


    Noah''s face was colder than usual. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words did not come out. Chlo¨¦ merely shrugged. ¡°Just make sure they get along, I guess? Kaz ain¡¯t the type to mend shit on his own,¡± she said.


    Then, Noah sang a song. ¡°What¡¯s it about? He asked.


    Interesting, Archius thought. Though it could just be the typical interest that someone has, Archius senses otherwise. "Pfft, I don''t know?" Archius shrugged, before turning and joking with a large smile, "Lover''s quarrel?"


    Both Chlo¨¦ and Yuki snickered, hiding laughter underneath their hands. Those two knew Kaz back at uni and home, so of course they found the idea of it to be laughable.


    Noah wrapped an arm around Nathan, as he swayed left and right. Noah glanced at the two women, before turning back to Archius.


    "KAZU? REALLY?!" Yuki chortled in all regards, bursting out laughing. "NO. NO, I... YOU CANNOT SPRING THAT ON ME!"


    "What''s... the joke?" Noah asked. His face was still, hiding away anything that Archus could muster or extrapolate from. But the slight change in his facial expression, along with the venom in his eyes, was enough for Archius to stir some extrapolations.


    Archius merely shrugged and started walking away.


    Leaving the amusement park, Archius needed to dress to impress. Going to a relatively isolated part of the station, Archius sought out a place to change. In the toilets, he grabbed his waistcoat and flicked it on and off, changing the outward view of his clothes into a security disguise, a black suit. It was boring, typical, and incredibly bland - perfect!


    "Better this than being on a frozen shithole..."


    He shuddered, closing his eyes as he thought back to the wasteland of Narisa. That was a month ago... He could still feel the stinging cold down his neck...


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    He put the suit on, along with black sunglasses and a fake ID card. Exiting out, he turned on his ICAPAD. He tapped on the Krystalink icon, waiting as it loaded up... slowly.


    "Ugh..." Archius rolled his eyes. So sloppy, Sato, he thought. "Come on, work you piece of shit..."


    Archius smacked it across the screen, as the interlay activated. Connecting to Archius'' ear and brain, he injected the system into the local servers. He pulled a massive dossier of the people present at the station. He filtered the participants to just brooch-wielders... and after scrolling for a dozen minutes, he found Noah. Noah Slyra-Montageu.


    Sliding and searching through the information, he found extraordinarily little useful... Suite Block 9A. "Hmm... should be a big place, then..." Archius had sights on his target - and left. Time was of the essence, and he needed to find out as much as possible before Noah or his parents got back.


    Hiding around a bend in the hallway, Archius was close. The suites were organised like hotel rooms, and though the ultra-wealthy had entire sections of residential blocks dedicated to them, they were definitely compensating for something. "Hmm," Archius muttered to himself as he peered around the corner.


    There was a guard outside his objective, a door leading to the Sltra-Montageu¡¯s place. The guard yawned, wearing similar attire to him. Archius also noticed a camera down the hall... He can''t kill this person, sadly. He''ll have to use deception.


    Prodding at his ICAPAD, he readied it for code execution, before pricking a face-scrambler onto the collar of his shirt. Activating it, he hid his identity - approaching from around the corner. The guard slowly turned towards him, yawning. Archius did not return the yawn, instead looking up and down. ID Card... Sigismund...


    "Sigismund, it''s time," Archius said.


    Sigismund glanced around. "Time for what?"


    "Swap, you''re tired, aren''t you? Come on, get some rest," Archius continued with the lie, walking up to the guy. Archius patted him on the shoulder, slowly shifting him out of the way.


    "Huh? Sure, still got some hours on mine but if you¡¯re willing to take ¡®em, sure.¡± Sigismund relented, anxiously walking away. "This is logged, right?"


    "Of course it is!" shouted Archius, shaking his head. Archius had no idea what his face was at that time but hoped that it was somewhat convincing to Sigismund... Confidence was half of Archius¡¯ disguise.


    He said, "Whatever, I''ll go get some sleep. Boss has us working double shifts." The guard yawned. ¡°You one of those new transfers?¡±


    Archius nodded. ¡°Yep.¡±


    Alright... step one is completed. Archius glanced over at the camera. He can''t enter, not without raising suspicions. If everything goes well, they¡¯ll chalk it up to simply corporate espionage. He stood by the door, placing his hands behind his back.


    "Come on..." Archius used his free hand to tap on his ICAPAD, sliding up an activation button, which he pressed. The camera near him blanked off for a moment, before coming back online... The black dead hue of its gaze had changed to a lighter grey.


    It wasn¡¯t disabled, that would raise suspicion. But the footage was not looped.


    He did a little twist around to the door, eyeing it up. It was a simple security door, tough to brute force in, but a little finesse was needed.


    The ICAPAD attached to Archius¡¯ arm ignited into colours, as he placed it to the door¡¯s controls. The Scanner connected to it and Krystalink did its work. The door opened, with Archius free to enter. The door closed behind him, revealing a large living room - even larger than Liz and Kaz''s suite. It was filled with artefacts of luxury, the stench of opulence from every corner filled his nose.


    "Blegh..." The smell was almost intoxicating. He continued through the suite, up the stairs and checking the rooms.


    One of them has to be Noah''s. He''s a single child, so it shouldn''t be too confusing. He opened the first one, seeing a large bedroom, with a king-sized bed. He moved to the next room... a smaller room. It had stuff sprawled out on it, with a few laptops and books strewn across the desk and floor. Noah''s? Archius entered.


    "Let''s see what we have here," Archius said to himself. He approached the laptop on the desk, putting gloves on. He does not want his fingerprints being here... Archius opened up the laptop, to see that it wasn¡¯t even locked!


    Archius felt second-hand embarrassment, even if it did help.


    Nonetheless, he started to search around... he must have something incriminating, or something interesting, right? A man''s search history is the true door to his soul or something... he can''t remember which dead CRIS instructor told him that.


    Scrambling through, Archius could barely find anything. The air was too suffocating here, he thought. He took the laptop and brought it outside, placing it on the kitchen counter. The air was fresher.  ¡°You must have something, Noah!¡± Archius remarked.


    Archius tried once again, looking through the folders and files. It was like a maze... Clicking through a few folders, Archius finally found something interesting¡­


    He let a dead smile grow on his face, reaching a folder named audio-logs.


    He double-clicked on it, finding even more folders... Ugh, did he fuck up?! Wait, no... these folders were divided into years, one for each year since the P-1 Incident.


    Venturing through the folders, most of them were just audio files, seemingly a digital ''diary''. Archius wondered... what was the first one? He clicked on the folder named ''4915¡¯ and clicked the first one that popped up.


    An audio player popped into view, linking itself to Archius'' uplink. "Let''s see if this has anything interesting..."


    He crossed his arms, listening carefully.


    ''I... Hello. My name is Noah¡ª"


    Yeah, Archius knows that! Getting to the point, he started a solo commentary on Noah''s own diary.


    ''¡ªand my parents told me to... get my thoughts down like this... I don''t know if I''ll continue this¡ª"


    Yeah, he''ll definitely continue this, Archius sarcastically thought, leaning against the counter behind him. He skipped through the first few seconds, impatient with a young Noah¡¯s inability to get to the fucking point.


    "¡ªI think... Kazuki will get away with it. HE HAS TO! I told my parents... even Victoria''s dad. But... they won''t even respond to me... Just... just... How?!''


    The voice was meek, timid and young. Archius stepped forward, hearing a beep on his uplink. The micro camera hooked up, showing Noah at the door. Archius'' heart burst into energy and adrenaline, slamming the laptop closed before ducking behind the counter.


    The door phased open, letting the light and Noah into the room. "Tch... lazy guards..." Noah said, frustratingly.


    Archius held his breath. He has to get the fuck out. He slammed a microscopic listening device beneath the table, setting the self-destruct to an hour. That should be enough time... if Noah bites the bait.


    Archius peeked up, watching Noah ascend the stairs, oblivious to his presence. The moment that he notices the missing laptop, he''ll start searching. He heard the phasing of another door, and its closing, before standing up.


    He placed his hands on his waist, stretching for a moment. Archius stepped out from behind the counter, sneaking towards the door. Opening it, he exited back out into the hallway...


    The camera was still looped.


    Perfect. He walked down the hallway, slowly taking the side corridors towards the various plazas and meeting halls.


    "Excellent," he said to himself, taking the face-scrambler off. He flicked his suit off and on, changing outfits. Even in the worst-case scenario, the ¡®mystery guard¡¯ simply ceased to exist.


    He had a self-satisfied grin on his face, letting a fragment of his dead self pry up into the open, escaping.


    He could hear the mutters and murmurs from his uplink. Noah was angrily searching the place, before approaching and slamming open the laptop. "Mom never fucking listens¡­¡± Noah brooded and must be thinking that his mother was to blame for his laptop¡¯s misplacement.


    Archius went to the shopping centre, buying a sandwich from one of the shops. A billboard up above him had the timetable for the next events. Next week was the Grand¨¦ Ball, the most important event for those seeking power and connections. Sadly... Archius'' status forbids his proper involvement, but he was fine just tagging along. After the ball was a bunch of social networking events, mainly feasts or buffets or similar.


    He really doesn''t want to dance, if he does go to them. He closed his eyes, letting his mind be consumed with memories of the past... In a vivid memory, Archius could feel and see himself, with someone else... He was smaller. Then, he was even shorter, with half a dozen people, all scratched out. And then... nothing.


    "Ugh..." Opening his eyes, Archius noticed that he had fallen asleep... He looked around, seeing that things were still the same. Luckily, nothing had been stolen from him, though stealing in such a public place with the Knights around was as much foolhardy as it was a guarantee of being arrested.


    FUCK, the recorder! He pricked his uplink online, trying to see if anything was caught by his micro-recorder. Luckily, it did.


    He immediately played it. Noah¡¯s voice came over his uplink from the recording device. ''Fuck... Archius said something about Eliza and Kazuki today.''


    Noah''s voice was much firmer than his younger self and definitely sounded more brooding and lonelier.


    ''Fuck! Fuck!''


    He seems to have been recording a new diary log. If he was asked if the old and the new were the same person, even Archius would find some difficulty in drawing the lines... But that was definitely him, no doubt about that.


    ''Fuck... he''s gonna get her killed, isn''t he?'' The last part intrigued Archius. It wasn''t necessarily shock of awe... but the question itself made Archius'' mind revel.


    It was all coming together... and sooner or later, that little secret that Kazuki kept to himself would be his to know.


    Archius glanced down at the sandwich, half-eaten in one of his hands... It''s time to get to know Kazuki a bit more, Archius thought. They''re brothers, and Kazuki will know that whatever Archius does... it''s for the greater good. Always the greater good. And the ability to control Kazuki''s ''emotions''? Well, that will be a great boon to getting him to focus.

 X30: Wallowing Wake

    Memories bled across the hours... Everything Kazuki hated, everything he warded away struck him. And he was all alone... His mind was a swirling mess of heat. Memories dragged him down, their claws clutching at his corpse.


    His body was opened up, so many times. They replaced whatever he was with someone different, steel for flesh made manifest. It felt so cold... So freezing... They took out his heart, his lungs, his stomach and his spine... All broken.


    Dreadful memories clawed at Kazuki¡¯s mind, scratching away his sanity with each second in his trance of pain. Agony. Agonising wrath burnt across his scarred carcass.


    No. This can¡¯t be. Mind-numbing. Fear. Kazuki felt fear. A billion visages flickered through his mind: the burning wreckage of P-1; Noah¡¯s final act; the blazing inferno surrounding the Eden Initiates as their carcasses were strewn across the warehouse; Archius crying over a near-dead corpse; the blood on Kazuki¡¯s own hand; the nameless dossiers and graveyards Kazuki filled with bodybags after Clandestine operations; the cheers of the original Heimfall; and the silence of death that surrounds them after each mission; to the gunshot Kazuki placed in Matt¡¯s head.


    Everything flashed through his mind in a singular moment. The wrenching thoughts of his past made their presence known. He was guilty. Guilty beyond a doubt! Guilty of so much death, all in the service of one contract.


    So much death, yet Kazuki lived.


    Warmth encapsulated his body. Something was wrong... This wasn''t supposed to happen. Why... Why does he feel warm? Kazuki slowly opened his eyes, the cold air around him stabbing into his skin. For a split moment, faces blazed around the walls - dead men and women.


    Kazuki stood idle, watching his past play out¡­ He saw as the na?ve, one-eyed boy who tried to do things justly. The silhouette spoke loudly, refuting the world around him to the cheers of his peers.


    Then, reality crushed under him, and the squelching of flesh placed the thought in Kazuki¡¯s mind: what if Justice need not apply? That question answered itself, as Kazuki saw the silhouette of Archius, crying and shouting over a dying corpse¡­


    The past was a bitch, showing him this now of all times¡­ Every mistake Kazuki made, small or big, his fault or another¡¯s, was simply a product of injustice. There was no justice. None in this galaxy¡­


    How many more have to suffer for Eliza to learn that¡­ The thought came into his mind irrationally, before being washed away in a sea of blood. His blood.


    Snapping awake, Kazuki¡¯s eyes ignited into a golden blaze.


    His eyes dashed around, feeling watched¡­


    Nothing¡­ It was just him. He placed a hand to the brim of his nose. Ugh¡­ He must be seeing things again. Sleeping never gave him respite. Neither did waking up or falling asleep.


    No matter what, Kazuki¡¯s mind will always remind him of the dead.


    Wait¡­ Was he asleep? But he hasn¡¯t scheduled it for a while?


    No... that''s not right. Impossible. That wasn''t possible, he thought. Kazuki''s body sat up, coughing... His cybernetic lungs clocked to life.


    The hairs on his skin were upright. Sweat dripped down his neck. Something was very wrong. His defence system was clocking on for a job.


    Why were his organs clocking to life? Sitting idly, Kazuki placed a hand up to his head... He touched the burn marks across his face and the cracks beside his lips... His hand shot down to his torso.


    Based on touch alone, Kazuki thought his wounds had fully healed. "What?" Kazuki asked himself...


    He sprung to his feet, rushing towards the mirror. He unbuttoned his shirt. The bandages were still there. But... something was wrong. He ripped the bandages off, expecting searing pain.


    It tickled... slightly. There was no pain. No agony. Why?


    His golden eyes glared at his wound. It had fully healed, leaving a large scar in its place amidst the plethora of old burns and scratches. That was the only thing left of the Gunrunner Op on him.


    How long has he been asleep? Kazuki had no idea... He only takes one hour of rest, but... why can''t he remember anything? He grabbed hold of his head, rubbing his temple hard. He looked back to his bed. Wasn''t there... something beside him?


    Pills?


    PIlls. Halolazil? It was Halolazil, right? No... Kazuki rushed towards his bedside, his breathing increasing in intensity. Fuck... Fuck. FUCK. What the fuck?! His movements slowly became sluggish, as he pulled his holophone out of his pocket. The phoenix key chain clinked for a moment.


    He pressed it on. It''s only been a few hours... He released a sigh of relief before his half-crazed eyes stared up at the date. He¡¯s been clocked out for the whole day.


    In that amount of time, anything could have happened. His memory does not lie. Who... Archius?


    "Yousef..." Kazuki''s voice bit off the name with a harsh rasp, as his lungs started to overclock. Pain seeped into his stomach from his mind.


    Where¡¯s Eliza?! Is she safe?


    His artificial heart bled out. He was dying... No... what? Logic fought against his anger. But it wasn''t enough; his heart was bleeding. He was dying.


    Was it all just in his head? No. He could not be fooled by deception.


    This was real.


    Those were the conclusions that Kazuki held to be true.


    He can''t die here, not here, not now, he cannot, THIS IS NO TIME TO SUCCUMB TO HIS WOUNDS. He slowly pressed his hand against the door.


    However, his body failed him. It didn¡¯t want to move¡­ His breathing was uncontrollable, his eyes took in every detail around him. He was closer to death than all his subordinates and peers. Even so¡­ Why? Why does this feel so weird?


    Was this fear? True¡­ Unaltered fear?


    The door phased open, his hand landing directly on Archius¡¯ chest.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Woah?¡± Archius murmured. Archius¡­


    It¡¯s him. It has to be him! Those pills. Illogical logic formed within Kazuki¡¯s head.


    Fuck the investigation.


    Fuck Archius.


    Fuck them all.


    He couldn¡¯t keep a hold of his head. Was he panicking?! No. Yes. Yes? No? No matter.


    Doesn¡¯t matter.


    This room is to be his grave.


    That. He. Knew.


    Clenching his fist, Kazuki dragged Archius into his room.


    ¡°Woah.. Woah¡­ Woah?¡± Archius started chuckling. ¡°Look, I¡¯m flattered, but you¡¯re like the COMPLETE opposite of my¡ª¡±


    ¡°The poison.¡±


    Archius stopped. He looked perplexed. The pills¡­ They poisoned him. Why?! Kazuki gritted his teeth, with the door phasing close.


    Lifting Archius up, Kazuki¡¯s desperate golden eyes bled essays to Archius. Fists started to close in on Archius¡¯ neck.


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK?!¡± Archius tried to keep his voice hushed.


    Eliza was none the wiser as to what was going on. Kazuki¡¯s breathing was out of control, huffs of steam exhaling from his mouth and exospine, all in a chaotic rage.


    ¡°You¡­ poisoned¡­ me¡­¡±


    Archius placed his hands on Kazuki¡¯s, trying to pry the dying man off him. That was not going to work. He will get an answer.


    Instinctively, Kazuki¡¯s hands tightened, reaching up to his throat. He¡¯ll choke every answer out of Archius.


    ¡°KAZ!¡± Archius kicked him in the leg, but the Contract-Breaker did not relent. ¡°Get the JIRI off me! What the fuck are you talking about.¡±


    They were lucky the walls were soundproofed.


    ¡°THE PILLS!¡± Kazuki shouted a rage booming out from within that rattled across Archius¡¯ ears.


    Archius quickly started gasping for air. Just then, Kazuki¡¯s arms failed him. Kazuki took a step back. Archius was holding onto a pen, with some¡­ fluid dripping out from it.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°The pills?!¡± Archius asked with an exasperated and exhausted voice. ¡°They were sleeping pills! It¡¯s not poison! Jiriki hell!¡±


    Kazuki didn¡¯t buy it. This feeling¡­ This was beyond whatever he had felt before. This dread¡­ The impending doom approached. He knew it was poison.


    This much was true. No less.


    Kazuki¡¯s voice rose, "You... poisoned me!"


    Then, Kazuki¡¯s legs dropped. He fell to the ground, as Archius slowly rose, pressing up against the door, shifting to the wall. He flicked his pen back into his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ short lasting, few minutes¡­¡± He was catching his breath.


    Sedating Kazuki did nothing to convince him.


    Kazuki slowly pressed his legs up, pushing his back against his bed. He¡­ couldn¡¯t move his arms. However, each attempt at the movement of his muscles gave way to more pain. It was excruciating, Kazuki thought.


    That didn¡¯t stop him from trying.


    Powering through, Kazuki¡¯s body adapted to the poison, slowly moving his arms. ¡°You¡­. Why¡­ Pills¡­ No¡­?¡±


    He could barely form words, his breath turning from gasps to mere rags, more steam pouring out from his mouth.


    ¡±Lycrantimo Flowers!¡± Archius answered. ¡°It was just pills made with them¡­ They help with sleep, alright¡­ I just thought you deserved some rest. This¡­ is the last fucking time I look out for you, alright?!¡±


    ¡°Do you know¡­¡± Kazuki paused. He.. couldn¡¯t tell Archius anything. His mind was slowly regaining control of itself¡­ And the dread that Kazuki had memorised to perfection faded.


    His eyes dotted around the room, before landing directly on Archius. What¡­? Did the flowers have any side effects?


    ¡°Then¡­ why¡­?¡± asked Kazuki.


    Archius shrugged. ¡°Why what?! You tried to choke me!¡± His eyes peered down at Kaz.


    ¡±I¡­¡± Kazuki didn¡¯t know how to explain it. Why¡­ did he feel that dread?


    ¡°Why was I dying?¡± Kazuki wasn¡¯t too sure. His memory never fails him. Yet¡­ why does he feel so strange? The dread meandered in and out like a plague¡­ ¡°No¡­ I wasn¡¯t dying?¡± Rechecking his vitals based on instincts showed no apparent threat.


    No. Impossible. Heart rate higher, yet no discernible threat present.


    ¡°You sure as hell weren¡¯t! You¡¯ve survived tank and artillery shells, it¡¯d be lame if you just had a heart attack and died!¡± Archius snarled, his voice lowering back down to a normal volume. ¡°But¡­ you felt like you were dying, right?¡±


    Kazuki regained control of his arms, slamming them against his head. Agh¡­


    Archius looked down at Kazuki, the two exchanging pitiful stares. Kazuki didn¡¯t need a mirror to know how awful he looked. Then, Archius slid down to the floor, opposing him.


    ¡°Kaz¡­ you¡­ ever talked to someone?¡± Archius raised an eyebrow. Then broke the tension instantly. ¡°Who the fuck am I kidding, you never tell me shit, why would you tell anyone else?¡±


    ¡±What?¡± Kazuki let off a single word. ¡°Just¡­ not¡­ a word to anyone¡­ Got it?¡±


    Archius shrugged. ¡°Yeah. I got that part when you choked me,¡± he said. ¡°You really don¡¯t wanna talk about it?¡±


    Kazuki remained silent.


    A moment of silence passed between the two, with Archius cracking his knuckles. Archius took something out of his pockets, a chocolate bar. Cracking it 30/70, he offered the smaller bit for Kaz. ¡°Want this half of the chocolate bar?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you,¡± Kazuki jeered, taking the chocolate bar. Archius¡¯ grip on the bar was weak, far weaker than what he¡¯d usually grip when giving something to him. He waited a moment, before chowing it down. ¡°That wasn¡¯t laced, right?¡±


    Archius smirked. ¡°Sadly, it was, you¡¯re going to feel like you¡¯re in the Eye of the Eclipse¡­¡± He then ate his larger portion of the chocolate. ¡°It¡¯s just chocolate. Helps the brain, or at least I convinced my brain to think so.¡±


    Gaslighting his own brain, how typical of Archius, Kaz thought.


    Kazuki¡¯s head drooped down to face the floor. Even with the chocolate, he was a mess¡­ Still, he had to pull himself together. Too much is on the line for him to feel dread and fear. ¡°Everyone before us dead, do you think they¡¯d smile seeing us here?¡±


    The look in Archius¡¯ eyes made Kaz uneasy. What did he infer? ¡°The dead don¡¯t smile,¡± Archius said. ¡°You should talk about it, you know? I¡¯m sure your family must have one hell of a therapist, given your family¡¯s¡­ mental quirks.¡±


    Stay strong. Kazuki forced himself to move, shifting and locking his head towards Archius. ¡°No.¡±


    These secrets are for him to bear alone. There is not a soul who¡¯d care why he¡¯d feel dread. None alive. Kazuki¡¯s eyes skidded to the side, with its emotionless glare shifting its attention away from Archius.


    It¡¯s too late for him. Kazuki clenched his fists.


    ¡°Kaz¡­ you really are a book, sometimes,¡± said Archius. He chuckled. ¡°Chin up, you can trust me.¡± He took out a small water cannister from his pocket, gently lobbing it at Kazuki. It bounced off his head before he caught it.


    Kazuki downed it.


    He trusted Archius with his life if he was capable of thought - that was. Still, there were things even Archius must not know. Secrets he must know utter to him.


    Only three know the true secrets he holds dear.


    A knock came at the door. The door phased open, Eliza¡¯s head poking through. Her pink hair and a pale freckled face peered down at the two of them. Eliza¡¯s hair was done up in a half-up style. A blood-red flower ornament held it in place.


    They were sitting on the ground. Kazuki¡¯s fist relaxed.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Did I¡­ Was I interrupting something?¡± asked Eliza.


    One of Archius¡¯ green eyes glanced at him, telling him to take the lead in this. Kazuki bit onto that lever of trust fully. He was thankful, to say the least. Kazuki¡¯s golden eye carried that thought¡­


    ¡°Nothing¡­ We were talking. What is it?¡± asked Kazuki.


    Synthia propped out onto Eliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡®The Jin brothers. They have called for us,¡¯ she said, nodding at Kazuki.


    The AI gave a sympathetic look to him. Don¡¯t give him that¡­ Kazuki nodded, standing up. ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Eliza glanced down to Archius, then back to Kaz. For his part, Archius merely saluted.

 X31: A Mix of Trasian Culture

    Kazuki had to be prepared for everything possible.


    The Jara-Jins have a grudge. Kazuki will trust that they¡­ can look past that.


    Kazuki kept one hand hidden. Eliza, on the other hand, sat up straight, maintaining an air of formality and professionalism. Kazuki rolled his eyes, glancing at the two people sat opposing him. Both were smoking, their brooches illuminating the room with a mixture of light Kazuki was not familiar with.


    He kept his guard up. A waiter arrived and placed several dishes down on the table between them.


    Two men, middle-aged, straightened their ties in unison. They were synchronised. One with a trimmed, well-kept beard, and the other had a goatee.


    Their mahogany red hair and red eyes stared into Kazuki¡¯s gold. The air was tight and thick, each word and action palpable.


    They took up their small cups of tea, sipping down on it. Were they ignoring him? Kazuki leaned forward, ready to wake them steady. Eliza placed a hand on his arm... Kazuki relented, giving her a chance for this.


    "Thank you for meeting with us, today..." Eliza glanced from left to right, trying to remember which one was which.


    She raised her voice, "Kantos and Irya Jara-Jin." With that, Eliza gave a subtle bow, alongside Kazuki.


    The Jara-Jin brothers gave their respects, bowing as well before serving tea, but their actions did nothing to hide the thin veil of spite these two held for Kazuki¡¯s lineage.


    Still, they¡¯re Trasian. No matter what, that respect was boiled into their very fabric.


    They placed their cups down. Kantos spoke first, with a harsh and raspy voice. "Thank you... you''re Annabelle''s daughter, right? You look very much like her."


    But for their purposes, that may be better than the alternative. She showed off her brooch. It didn''t have the same gleam as theirs did. "Well, my sister and I did take more after our mother than our father, after all," she said.


    The two entrepreneurs avoided the Contract-Breaker in the room. Nihara and Cyrus stood guard behind their sofa, as two unmarked guards stood behind the twins.


    "A shame what happened to her," Irya said, his voice sharp, yet hollow. ¡°Many children lost their parents¡­ But yet, they all deserve more.¡± His eyes latched onto Kazuki. ¡°I¡¯m sure¡­ not all of us can relate.¡±


    ¡°On the contrary,¡± Kazuki stated, calmly.


    Kazuki was there the day the Jara-Jin¡¯s lands were raided. A whole mercenary army was at their command. The twins must have been a little younger than his sister back then ¨C a pity.


    Eliza cleared her throat, before pausing. Kazuki denoted no emotion or thought he was familiar with on her face. She must miss her mother, Kazuki surmised.


    After a few seconds, she replied, "Yes. Well, I believe Fer-Charelota would have told you some details about this meeting..."


    The Jara-Jin twins glanced at each other, then back at the duo in front of them.


    "No?" Eliza asked, trailing off. "Well, Kazuki and I believe you can assist us with a specific problem we''ve encountered."


    "Obadiah," the twins said in unison. Iyra spoke next, "The big players are not the only ones with eyes and deduction. We saw your duel.¡±


    Kazuki wanted to speak. But he knows that whatever he says will harm the progress Eliza has made.


    Kantos said next, "Word gets around quick if you have the right connections. Now, shall we start eating? I''d prefer to get this over with."


    Kazuki tapped his finger against the table. "We can finish this right now if you want." It was a harsh response, but necessary. Kazuki justified it to himself.


    A moment passed beside Kantos'' face. Iyra responded where his twin did not, "Contract-Breaker, what do you mean?"


    "Can we please not refer to Kazuki by that name?" Eliza asked, a cool and frozen glare reaching out to the twins. Slowly, they nodded. ¡°I mean¡­ he¡¯s your Prince, is he not?¡±


    And¡­ just like that, Eliza had just ruined any and all chances of a quick resolution with that one title.


    "Apologies, Kazuki..." Kantos said. ¡°You must understand¡­¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Kazuki stated. ¡°Your standing with my family has been¡­ wavering.¡±


    Eliza glanced over between the three of them. ¡°Your family isn¡¯t on good terms with them?¡± she whispered over to Kazuki.


    Irya nodded, leaning forward. ¡°Our father rebelled, and his father crushed us¡­ What makes you think we¡¯d negotiate with you?¡±


    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t get here by playing on emotions,¡± Kazuki replied. Then, he let off a sarcastic comment, ¡°And¡­ I was five at the time.¡±


    Eliza grabbed a bowl of rice, picking up the chopsticks. She¡¯s improved, he thought. Irya gently smiled at her lack of Trasian etiquette. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure the situation is rather complicated.¡±


    Kazuki glared. The twins sighed. ¡°Our father rebelled. Treason is treason, no matter how complicated the situation. At least he was given the honour of taking his own life¡­¡±


    ¡°But we escaped,¡± Irya continued. ¡°Our mother¡­ she¡­¡±


    Kazuki closed his eyes, before calmly staring forward, exuding the air of a prince for once in his damned life. ¡°The past is just that: the past. They are dead, nothing will change that.¡±


    Glancing over with a scrutinous face, Eliza frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll help us,¡± she said.


    ¡°We¡¯re Trasian. We live and die, we do not control that,¡± Kazuki replied coldly. ¡°Lord Jin was a traitor. His children, however, are not. My grandfather would disagree. Many nobles would disagree. I, however, am more open-minded than the Imperial court.¡±


    The twins nodded, dismaying Eliza¡¯s optimism at the cold, pragmatism of Trasian culture. ¡°For that, we are thankful.¡± The two gave slight bows to their ¡®Prince¡¯.


    Eliza sighed, before taking a massive bite from the bowl of rice she had. Kazuki saw her actions as either naive or an act to reduce the tension. Maybe both. Either way, it worked, as Irya chuckled slightly. ¡°It¡¯d be an insult to let this food grow cold out of our bellies.¡±


    The twins placed their hands together and gave a small prayer in Trasian. ¡°We humbly accept,¡± said the two in their Trasian dialect. Kazuki placed his hands together as well but did not utter the words.


    "Has the Marquis paid for this?" Irya asked.


    "Yes," Kazuki said. "A ''gift'' for my birthday. Cruel, I know."


    "Our condolences," the two said. Despite their differences, the three at least knew they were being played as pawns in this mess.


    "I watched your home burn," Kazuki said. It was the most brutal ice-breaker he could think of. Eliza was in the middle of picking up a lambracup steak but turned to Kazuki. She raised an eyebrow, almost shocked at what he just said. "I was five. Meaning you two were¡ª"


    Kantos merely nodded. "What''s done is done, but did you really have to bring that up?" He stood up, face furious as he furrowed his face into a scowl. Kazuki waited for a response. "Our families were murdered by your grandfather."


    "For secession. Rebellion," Kazuki stated.


    Irya scowled. ¡°Says you.¡±


    Slowly, one of his eyes glanced over to Eliza, as she looked at him with frustration. Kazuki had to find a solution. He hated this... playing the politician''s game. It wasn''t his way, he thought.


    Kantos''s scowl slowly disappeared, as he sat back down. He took a deep breath.


    "We need your help dealing with Obadiah," Kazuki stated. "The restoration of your lands at the expense of the Imperial treasury. Justice. To set things right between our clans."


    "I believe the two of us can get you two back to where you were, wouldn¡¯t that be nice?¡± Eliza asked. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t necessarily turn back time, can we?¡±


    Their family burned alive, Kazuki thought. He was luckily he didn¡¯t see it in person. Father refused to show him the wreckage and ruins up close, even if his grandfather insisted.


    Kazuki stretched out, picking up some sides with his chopstick. His movements were slow, meticulous and formal - everything his mother drilled into him, not his sister.


    ¡°No¡­ we cannot,¡± said Irya.


    ¡°Well, maybe give EZRA a few more hundred years or so,¡± Eliza remarked, highlighting the premiere research alliance of the galaxy.


    ¡°This is rather spectacular Kazuki, how do you think we can help you against Obadiah?" Kantos asked, voice snapping back to business, cutting their conversation in two.


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    ¡°Mutual interests cooperation,¡± Kazuki stated. Obadiah¡¯s been an arsehole to almost everyone not under his belt. Kazuki was willing to bet that the Jara-Jins would love to see his head on a pike as much as him.


    The twins glared. They weren¡¯t buying it. ¡°All your politics. Why should we get involved?¡± Kantos asked. ¡°We have our own issues to deal with. Not yours as well.¡±


    Kauzki was stumped. They knew what Kazuki could offer, but¡­ They weren¡¯t convinced. Eliza stepped in. ¡°I have heard of the past¡­ I¡¯m not that well-read, but I believe you have had issues with Obadiah, right?¡±


    Kantos and Irya remained silent, but their silence was an answer enough.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time to make him see some type of justice?¡± Eliza inquired. ¡°Please, that¡¯s what we¡¯re after here, and I¡¯m sure you two are after that as well!¡±


    Empathising with them¡­ It wasn¡¯t something Kazuki could overtly do. Nice, Kazuki thought. ¡°Fine¡­ we¡¯ll hear your offer,¡± Irya said, to Kantos¡¯ surprise. But the older twin¡¯s face quickly faded to neutrality as Kazuki saw it.


    Kazuki heard a click from his ear. His uplink was bleeping... He can''t deal with this now. If it was truly important, Archius would have left a voice note. He flicked his uplink off.


    "Something wrong?" Kantos asked. "Please, you¡¯re not exactly in any rush, are you?¡±


    Kazuki shook his head. "No. It''s not important."


    Then, he heard some distant crying. Yeah, it wasn¡¯t important, he reaffirmed. The twins and Eliza peered over towards the noise. Kazuki knew who it was instantly but kept his face forward.


    "It''s not important. Let''s continue, shall we?"


    "Uh... did someone let their daughter loose?" Kantos asked, standing up and looking across the restaurant. The crying got louder, as Yuki came into view, throwing herself onto the sofa and directly onto Eliza and Kazuki''s laps. "Uh... oh... I... umm... is she your?"


    Kazuki spoke with clear certainty: ¡°Absolutely fucking not.¡± The conciseness and clearness in his voice allowed no room for misinterpretation.


    Eliza''s face went red with shock as she looked down at Yuki, who was sobbing into Kazuki. She started to claw at his suit... Ugh... "Kazu, Nathan and Archius were being mean to me!"


    Oh? Nathan has some balls. Maybe he does have some of his brother''s spirit in him. But the inclusion of Archius probably just meant one thing, Nathan was manipulated. Ugh. "Where''s Pi?" Kazuki asked, looking at her.


    "It kept clawing at Archius and Nathan and, and, and, I tried to stop it, but¡ª"


    "¡ªShort story."


    "¡ªsleeping," said Yuki, falling face flat onto Kazuki''s lap. He dragged her up, slowly placing her in between Eliza and himself.


    "Sit up. And don''t talk.¡±


    Yuki let off a small smirk as she giggled.


    Irya coughed in retaliation, glaring at the three seated opposing him. "I did not believe we were going to get an additional guest."


    "Nor did I," Eliza muttered.


    "Ignore her, as far as we are all concerned, she''s not there." Kazuki slowly shifted his bowl of food towards Yuki. Food will shut her up. He looked back towards Cyrus.


    Kazuki¡¯s tone lowered to a hidden fury. "Get V¨¢clavos. Now."


    Cyrus nodded, placing his finger on his ear. They waited a few seconds. He then nodded. "V¨¢clavos lost track of her. He''s rendezvousing with us right now."


    "Tell him to be quick about it," Kazuki snarled. He turned back to the trio plus the stupid sister. "My apologies."


    "Hmm, food makes everything better," Yuki muttered to herself. She was distracted with munching down on what Kazuki wanted to eat...


    "Where were we again?" Irya asked, chuckling at the amusement of Kazuki¡¯s sister


    "The cost of my offer." Kazuki stared the twins down, placing his hands together... Silence encompassed the area, except for Yuki, who kept eating loudly. Eliza was glaring at Yuki from the side... Her red eyes glistened amidst the negotiations.


    Kantos nodded. Irya was more suspicious of everything, maintaining his guard up. Despite having the same jagged teeth, mahogany hair and mahogany eyes, the two are complete opposites. "I''m guessing that you are to demand something from us greater than the value of what you offer us."


    "Kazuki," Eliza whispered to him behind Yuki''s head, her eyes gazing into his soul. "Should you or I do the talking for the next part?"


    Kazuki shifted his head towards himself, nodding. Eliza nodded in turn, smiling and mouthing the words ''good luck'' to him. Kazuki turned back to the twins, as Irya said, "Hey, I''m sure it''s completely reasonable."


    "Reasonable is not in his family''s vocabulary," Kantos growled.


    Kazuki responded, ¡°Fair.¡±


    "Come on, let¡¯s not get bogged down here.¡±


    Irya cleared his throat. "I''ll activate the Shard if you do anything stupid."


    "What?!" Kantos snarled. "Not in front of these people. Actually, never, please?"


    Eliza spoke out loud, "Hazard Shard?"


    Irya opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by Kantos. Kazuki can somewhat sympathise with Irya... he thinks. "Oh, it''s not like we have the death shard or anything." He tapped on his brooch. "We both have these little beauties. Transfer hazard, allows for the transfer of information, kinda like an uplink but more reliable. Well, the core of a Brooch and a Hazard Shard are practically cousins.¡±


    "Ooh," Eliza said, her voice piquing with interest.


    "Good. For a second I thought the Marquis sent me here to have me killed by Hazard Users," Kazuki snarled. He glanced over at Yuki. She had already dozed off. V¨¢clavos walked up from behind, awkwardly scratching his head. "V¨¢clavos. Bring my sister back to her room. Do not let your eyes off her. Understood?"


    "Yes sir," V¨¢clavos hoarsely responded, embarrassed from his own failure. Kazuki will overlook this incident... He reached over and grabbed Yuki, slowly ''airlifting'' her out, cradling her like some spoilt child. Kazuki turned back to the two.


    Eliza shifted over towards Kazuki, filling the spot that Yuki had. "We have to start somewhere... so..." Eliza trailed off. Kazuki nodded.


    He extended his hand out towards them. Eliza was smiling slightly... Well, things seem to be going well. They all shook. "Tch... making a contract with a Contract-Breaker..." Kantos smugly whispered to himself.


    Irya said something to his brother. Seems like Kantos was able to play their chess game well, Kazuki thought.


    "You will assist us in developing a route to getting information out of Obadiah Cariana-Slynt,¡± Kazuki started. The twins glanced at each other, before cautiously nodding at Kazuki. "And you will provide both of us with as much information as you may know.¡±


    ¡°Protection?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the fall.¡± Kazuki gestured to himself. ¡°I dare him to attack me.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Eliza looked on in baffled amazement at this quick, ping-pong diplomacy. Well, they haven''t gotten to the real nitty gritty of it all. Hopefully, they can skim over that. Probably not.


    "And you are to provide Eliza with assistance for networking," demanded Kazuki.


    She shifted her head towards him, shocked. "Wait... what?!"


    "Of course," the twins said. "We''ll help her."


    "Huh?" Eliza turned over towards them. "Help... me?"


    Kantos rolled his eyes.


    Irya replied, "Well, of course! You''re the Genius of Sarimba, within the Kallender Group, it''d be very unpolitic for us not to help you when given the chance. But what else are the terms?" He turned towards Kazuki. "It''s... quite a risky plan, you have."


    "Then I''ll sweeten the deal. My appreciation... Two million Standardis. And if your lands, for any reason, cannot be reimbursed..." Kazuki trailed off, thinking about what he could give. "I''ll have my grandfather and Delia assist you two with governorships over territories within the Republic Hinterlands."


    "Wait, what?!¡± Eliza raised her voice slowly. Ugh, what did he do this time?


    "The Hinterlands are not yours to give," Kantos said. "And why would we want these backwater regions bordering Yamikoi space? If anything... it seems like you''re trying to push us to the side."


    "It''s a backwater. You two are renowned entrepreneurs. Do what entrepreneurs do. Make that place into your empire for all I care," replied Kazuki.


    "Kazuki, by the asteroids that form old Terra... what are you doing?" she muttered to him. "Those are¡­ are we buying them public offices?¡±


    Kazuki turned towards her. He lowered his voice into a monotone snarl. "This is how business is done in the galaxy.¡± After all that Eliza had done today, she couldn¡¯t stomach this? Kazuki was thankful that she cracked the twins to negotiate to begin with¡­ but now she seemed to be a little too na?ve ¨C even for him.


    "Not like this... Kazuki... I thought we were... going to do good for this," she whispered. How naive and rosy, Kaz thought. Maybe he should have brought Archius along as well. Archius could explain it better to her.


    "Is something the matter?" Kantos asked. Irya continued from where his twin left off, "Your friend seems to object to something?"


    "Term specifics," Kazuki replied. "I¡¯m clearing things up."


    The two slowly nodded, carefully examining what Eliza would say next.


    "Is this what your family''s power is based on, Kaz?" Eliza asked. "Bribery... corruption..."


    Kazuki''s face kept still. "You want their help?¡±


    Eliza scrunched her face up in frustration, thinking deeply about what she would say next. She closed her eyes, in solitude. "Alright," she whispered. She opened her eyes, gazing at Kazuki for a moment... Those eyes... Judging blood-red eyes...


    ¡®Elizabeth,¡¯ Synthia whispered to her. ¡®See this not as corruption, but rather a gift¡­ Kazuki is providing them with something they can provide for us, it¡¯s the basis for human exchange¡­¡¯


    Eliza nodded, understanding that. Then, she slowly shook her head. ¡®We¡¯re partners in this¡­ I don¡¯t want to rely on¡­ this¡­¡¯ The two talked with one another silently.


    ¡®This is how things are done,¡¯ said Kazuki, silently over the uplink. ¡®It¡¯s messy. Wrong. Call it whatever. It¡¯s how business is done. We don¡¯t have a choice in that. Not even I do.¡¯


    He wanted to tell her how unbearably na?ve she was. But¡­ that would just hurt her for no purpose.


    Eliza slowly looked towards the ground. She wasn¡¯t on board. Then, she nodded, reluctantly, he thought. ¡®You¡¯re not asking for my approval, are you?¡¯ Kazuki¡¯s eyes glanced away.


    Despite their agreement to be 50/50 partners in this investigation, Kazuki had completely taken hold. ¡®I¡­¡¯ Kazuki trailed off. ¡®Trust me on this.¡¯


    Eliza nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll trust you¡­¡¯ she murmured back, though Kazuki wasn¡¯t convinced she placed her heart in that statement. Understandable, he thought.


    ¡®It¡¯s only a failsafe, Elizabeth,¡¯ said Synthia. ¡®Plus, they¡¯ll have to be elected, rather democratic, don¡¯t you think?¡¯


    As if.


    ¡®Welcome to the top brass, Eliza,¡¯ Kazuki callously remarked, driving her face away from his. ¡®Nothing is fair, everything is for sale.¡¯ Glaring at Eliza, Kazuki could see the light of grit within her eyes fade.


    It wasn¡¯t a good sight, Kazuki thought, because in those eyes he saw a spark of himself. One blue eye stared back at Kazuki in the reflection. That fire, that wants to do things right¡­


    Kazuki didn¡¯t have the heart to explain it all to her, he couldn¡¯t. Those lifeless eyes were something he wanted to avoid, something he swore to protect.


    "We have a deal," Kazuki said to the twins. They gave each other short smirks, before smiling brightly at the duo opposing them.


    Kantos proclaimed, "Then the contract is sealed."


    "By way of the old and new," Kazuki continued. They both extended their hands and shook on it.


    "Now then! Let''s finally eat," said Irya. ¡°I¡¯ve been bloody starving the whole time.¡±


    Kazuki commented, ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s on me.¡±


    Kantos immediately shot back, ¡°Nope, on me!¡±


    For a moment, Kazuki found himself enjoying their company, giving a slow nod to Kantos¡¯ interjection.


    Eliza ate silently, pretending that Kazuki wasn''t even there. Should he do something? Kazuki grabbed his bowl and continued eating as if nothing happened. He can''t confront her here... but each second gave him more anxiety. Eliza must understand the necessity of this deal, he thought, he knew her cold logic would come around - eventually.

 X32: Something Wicked Hidden Behind Arrives

    Elizabeth sat down in the busy plaza, yawning. After what happened in the meeting, Eliza needed some time to herself, luckily: Chlo¨¦ was willing to flip the bill on their purchases. There were simply too many shops for them to scour through, even if they had a whole month to themselves in this place...


    She heaved a large shopping bag beside her, nestling it between her and the armrest.


    "Good shopping?" asked Cyrus, his arms crossed. "I am... unfamiliar with the concept."


    Eliza glanced up at her guard. Wait, what? "Really?" she asked, with a hint of laughter beneath her stretched voice.


    "A-firm," Cyrus replied. He looked down at the bag filled with collectables, figurines and holo-posters of various scientific and cybernetic engineering topics. "I never had the time to freely engage in free market purchasing."


    "Oh! Well... Why don''t you go shopping for something?" asked Eliza.


    Cyrus shook his head vehemently, "My mission is to guard you at all costs."


    "Oh! Come on, we''re in a safe place," said Eliza. "You can relax a bit, right?"


    Silence was ushered in by Cyrus, as he merely looked up and back out into the crowd of aristocrats, visitors and civilians. "How many people do you think are in this room alone? Let alone the station."


    "A few hundred at least?" answered Eliza. Was he trying to imply that there were threats here? "Look, I''m sure none of them wishes to harm me."


    "Sure is not good enough."


    He turned to face her, as his eyes glanced over to one side, his hand readying up. A bolt of anxiety rushed into Eliza''s heart with the appearance of a new individual. A tall individual, with piercing cold eyes, followed on by a small entourage of guards. Obadiah Cariana-Slynt.


    The businessman had his hands in his pockets, approaching the two.


    "Cyrus?" Eliza muttered, watching the giant stand in between Obadiah and herself. Cyrus didn''t respond to her beckon, instead his eyes and body screened against Obadiah.


    "Elizabeth," Obadiah calmly started. He stopped a small distance from Cyrus, who nodded to Eliza. Eliza did a subtle nod back, with the tall bodyguard taking a step to the side - creating a line of contact between herself and the business magnate. "Good to see you in health."


    Eliza could tell that they were honeyed words, she may not be as experienced as Kazuki, but she was confident in her own abilities to see that. "And to you as well," she said, putting up a fake smile... Ugh, her guts hated it - felt a bit too ''Archius-y'' for her liking... Though she guessed that''s simply a part of who he is.


    "First... I must apologise, about your second. That fight was quite the spectacle, don''t you think?" asked Obadiah.


    That fight had Eliza worried quite sick, yet Eliza knew that Kaz wouldn''t go down without a fight - and it seems both sides came to an agreement of sorts to draw things out. She slowly nodded. "I guess it was a spectacle."


    "Now... No seconds, we can strike a small deal right now, how about it?" asked Obadiah.


    Eliza furrowed her brow. Huh? "Pardon?" Eliza wasn''t too sure if she wanted to follow through with this idea; after all, Kazuki might have been right about him...


    Obadiah gave off an aura of frustration by the mere shuffling of his hands in his pockets, stretching them out and placing his thumbs out of his pocket. "In the business world, we must learn to not take things to heart.¡±


    "I... I''m not..." Cold and harsh wisdom seeped through Eliza''s mind; silence was best for now. She knows that whatever Kazuki has planned will help them. However, she preferred not to use Kazuki''s unique set of skills. "I''m not as well versed in what you speak of as I would have liked to be."


    A member of Obadiah''s staff stepped forward, presenting Eliza with a small holographic document. A Contract? "An alliance between our two forces, something for something, you need something that I have... and I have a particular set of... things that I need to be fulfilled," said Obadiah.


    Cyrus shifted slightly forward, scaring the staff member back behind Obadiah. The only reason why they''d bring a contract into this was to enforce some form of legality... Eliza hadn''t taken law since high school, but even her old academic knowledge placed this to be less than keen.


    Standing up, Eliza shook her head. She dropped any form of Engan formalities, a cold glare washing over her rose-red eyes. ¡°I see no benefit... for me."


    "But you need my information," said Obadiah, a smirk growing on his face. Ugh...


    "I''ll... I''ll hear none of this anymore," said Eliza. She will not simply work with Obadiah, especially after what happened. "I simply do not wish to conduct business with you, this is quite a bad time and place, after all..."


    Obadiah''s left eye twitched. Was he not familiar with people saying no? "Do you really think that Contract-Breaker will bring you what you want?" he asked.


    Eliza nodded, with Obadiah forcing a small smile onto his face. "Of course, you''d think that. He has no one on his side."


    She withheld the information about whatever Kazuki had arranged, her logical side forced her heart and guts to be silent as a cold wave of piercing frost slashed Obadiah from her lips. "He will see it through either way," said Eliza. "Leave us, I''ll tell Kazuki of this if you do not."


    Cyrus positioned himself standing to one side, able to instantly draw on Obadiah, his bodyguards stood firm as well. "That''s enough," Cyrus said. "You heard her."


    Instead of turning, Obadiah took a step forward. "What?" he gave an arrogant look to Cyrus. "Going to kill me? You damn Contract-Breakers... There are consequences, Eliza... You should listen to your seniors more. And just like all of ¡®em, you¡¯ll end up dead."


    She had enough of this charade. She curled her hands into a fist, causing Cyrus to take another step forward, a mere inch away from Obadiah - towering over him.


    Obadiah did not move, still.


    "Consequences go both ways," Eliza snarled, finding a piece of her old, cold, self protruding out from her lips.


    "Oh? Threats? Sadly... You are mistaken. What do you have? A few screw-loosed mercs and a Contract-Breaker?" asked Obadiah. He gestured out to the plaza. "I am the heir to the future... With each passing day, my influence only grows, and you will wither. I have the galaxy."


    "And I''m calling my cousin!" shouted a new voice. All heads turned to a dirty-blonde-haired girl, her hair was done up in an extravagantly complex fashion, with curls and braids. The Theonari woman with markings on her face approached, denoting her age. It was Chlo¨¦! Her hair was braided nicely, with an ornament at the top of it. The tundra around Eliza''s sense melted. "I wonder what Crown Prince ¨¦steban would think... some strange people... threatening a friend of mine?"


    Chlo¨¦ stepped in, and what Cyrus could not do - Chlo¨¦ accomplished with the mere utterance of a name. He bit his tongue in frustration, turned... and left... "Chlo¨¦?" Eliza asked.


    Sighing, Chlo¨¦ turned back to Eliza. "Sorry about that... I hate name-calling on my cousin..."


    "Prince ¨¦steban?" Cyrus asked, inquisitively.


    "Hmm?" Chlo¨¦ answered. "Yeah, he''s a distant relative... Which technically makes Kazuki a distant relative as well, but you know, don''t really dig into it."


    Cyrus merely gave a dismissive nod. Prince Nicholi Est¨¦ban-Feonar of the Kingdom of Theonar... Despite being surrounded by people who are essentially distant royals, she didn''t feel the social pressures of such. "Well, you are finally done with your shopping?" asked Eliza.


    Chlo¨¦ nodded, showing a large bag of collectables and other trophies and random stuff. "Barclay loves collecting shit, so might as well surprise him the next time we meet."


    ¡°That¡¯s going to take a while.¡± She said, to which Chlo¨¦ shrugged.


    ¡°He¡¯ll come around eventually,¡± Chlo¨¦ remarked.


    Eliza smiled, picking up her own bag. "Well then, let''s not waste any more moments, there''s this one other shop we should go to..."


    ? ? ?


    The sharp hiss of cold water down Archius'' hands rattled his mind awake. The freezing warmth stung harshly, as he brought up the water to his face, washing off any drunken fatigue. He glanced up into the mirror, highlighted and bordered with neon lights.


    "You look fucking awful," Archius told himself, biting into his own tongue. He could still feel Kazuki''s grip around his neck He was used to Kaz being a bit wrong in the head, but straight up attacking him?


    Archius smiled, seems like he was learning new things about Kaz and everything now that Liz was over with them.


    He clicked onto his uplink, seeing a dozen... hundred messages addressed directly to him. Oh! It''s Sato! Oh... He rolled his eyes after seeing her name, clicking his fingers as he called her back. ''What? I''m fucking busy, right?''


    ''ARCHIUS!'' Sato bellowed at him beyond the piercing limits of her lungs... Archius placed his hands on his hips, taking in a deep breath and looking down to the ground. Oh boy, he''s in trouble...


    ''Calm down, calm down, I can hear what you''re saying,'' Archius said in a smug, calm tone, prime to just piss her off even more.


    Sato replied with an equally angry comment, ¡®You offloaded all your work onto me Do you have an explanation?! I thought you were just another hologram with Kaz! Fuck! I had Hosea searching for.''


    Archius could hear taps through the phone. Sato was most definitely typing away angrily. ¡®Well, I¡¯m busy with Kaz, might as well have you pick up my slack, you like a lil¡¯ bit of extra work.¡¯


    ¡¯Ugh, let me guess, you snuck in with Kaz or something? Like that time back in Martara?¡¯ asked Sato, raising an eyebrow.


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    ''No, came in as a second of some random university student,'' Archius explained to Sato. He pushed himself up onto the sink, leaning against it as his peer reprimanded him.  ''So uh... what did you need me for?''


    ''WE...'' Sato trailed off, an audible sigh and groan were sent through the channel. ''I wanted you to run intelligence operations! Martinez and I want to start an intelligence division, get the foundation started at the very least since that seems to be your forte.''


    ''Oh? So we''re starting things without Kazuki''s permission, are we?'' Archius asked. ''Kaz is the majority shareholder so...''


    ''NO! No...'' Sato sighed. ''We''re just getting the foundation of it laid out, we''ll present the idea to Kazuki later, he¡¯ll probably approve anyways, we need our own version of the Clandestine Seekers.''


    ''Yeah...'' Archius rolled his eyes again.


    An intelligence division sounds nice, Kazuki thought. But would it be a power grab by Sato and Martinez since Kazuki isn''t around? Archius narrowed his eyes, debating in his mind. No, they''re too clever to know that it won''t work. This is genuine, then.


    ¡®Well, I always did want some Seekers. Too bad none defected.¡¯


    Sato nodded.


    He might as well give a report on their current situation. ''Oh yeah, Eliza''s investigation is currently ongoing.''


    ''Hmm? Ah, that¡¯s good to hear,¡¯ said Sato. ¡®Probably the only good news I got today.¡¯


    Archius checked the fingernails of his left hand, before rubbing his neck, trying to massage the pain away... ''It''s so and so, you know? Kaz choked me after I helped him fall asleep.''


    ''Oh! So you drugged him?'' Sato asked. Archius froze, not exactly having a response against that.


    He slowly nodded to no one. ''Yeah! I did, thought that it''d help him get some rest. Who knows what we¡¯ll face later on, best that he gets a moment to breathe that lasts longer than a game of Dullie.''


    ''When will you learn that prodding Kazuki will only solicit a violent response?'' Sato asked. ¡®I learnt when I tried to trick him, after all.¡¯


    ''Yeah. I was there. Well, you know I have to keep pestering him ''till he reveals everything to me!'' he jokingly remarked.


    ''Ugh... Whatever. Things are going fine on our end, so you¡¯re in the clear for now. We''re done here,'' she said, cutting the call short.


    He groaned, trying to call Kazuki. He connected: ''Busy. Call me back later,'' Kazuki said, and then cut the call. Awh... Archius¡¯ face dropped back down to a bored fa?ade.


    He stopped the water, fixing his shirt before leaving the bathroom, and exiting into Yuki''s suite. "What did I miss?!"


    Yuki was sleeping on the sofa, snoring loudly whilst leaning against Nathan. The table in front of them had the ruins of a building block dreadnought that they were making¡­ It was a total mess on the table, a cleaning drone was picking pieces from the floor and bringing them back onto the table.


    Yikes.


    V¨¢clavos was also present, standing guard behind the sofa - looking grumpy as ever. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be happy when she wakes up.¡±


    No shit.  Archius¡¯ eyes scanned three people in the room, Nimitz-Delia, Noah and Chlo¨¦, the latter was sipping on some alcohol.


    Noah waved to him. ¡°Hey, Yuki wanted all of us to help her build the dreadnought¡­ but uh¡­.¡±


    ¡°Nathan just had to trash it,¡± Chlo¨¦ remarked - as Nathan¡¯s face went tomato-red.


    ¡°HEY!¡± he raised his voice. ¡°I¡­ IT WAS A mistake!¡± His voice cracked in the middle of his statement.


    Delia chuckled. Wait¡­ Delia? Why the fuck was Delia here? Archius pointed an inquisitive thumb at the Senator, pretending not to know her.


    "Oh! I should have introduced you to her, this is Senator Iana Nimitz-Delia,¡± said Chlo¨¦. ¡°After I went shopping with Liz, Noah and I caught her, and she said she wanted to meet the young Tigress herself, might as well, right?¡±


    "A senator of the Republic?! What does one want to do with our precious Yuki?" Archius playfully asked, with Nathan nodding along, acting somewhat defensive against the new ¡®intruder¡¯.


    The woman had dark green hair, braided with a silver hairpiece keeping it together, with an accommodatingly brilliant and silky dress. Dark green eyes, with lipstick to make her face pop. She was¡­ trying too hard, but such a display might cause Yuki to connect with her better? After all, Kazuki¡¯s little brat might have a soft spot for looking absolutely marvellous.


    Her brooch shone out her status as a senator, hiding the fact that she''s the AGENCY''s ''greatest'' ally... for now.


    By instinct, Archius ran a threat analysis. But¡­ the was nothing, probably no weapons hidden under her dress, or by her stockings¡­ Probably. He¡¯ll need to see how she walks to confirm.


    Iana Nimitz-Dekia chuckled, nodding. "Please, the senator is quite posh, especially for such a casual conversation," she said. ¡°Just call me Iana. And you are?¡±


    ¡°Archius.¡± He waved Noah over to him.


    Noah looked towards Delia for a second, as she nodded. He sprung up, walking across the room and leaning in towards Archius. "What?"


    "Ima be a real man... I didn''t know you could score that high¡­¡± Archius smirked and grinned. ¡°You handsome devil, I should have known you had it in you.¡±


    "What?! No?" Noah pulled back, nearly tripping over the half-built dreadnought. "Woah?!"


    Chlo¨¦ couldn¡¯t hold in her laughter. ¡°Pfft!¡±


    ¡°Please, you youngsters are so expressive.¡± Delia chuckled at the sight, pulling a bag out from between her legs.


    Despite calling them youngsters, Delia was a part of the new generation of Senators within the Republic - those that rose after the war. Thanks to humanity¡¯s extended lifespan, sometimes even reaching two hundred, the Senate was once stacked with senile old men. Now, it only consists of semi-senile hundred-year-olds and cut-throat upstarts like Delia.


    Such an evaluation made proper manipulation hard for Archius.


    Noah nodded and scratched his head. "Sometimes¡­ Not all of us are so expressive,¡± he said. It was clear who he was referring to.


    Archius hid a small laugh and replied, "Well what do you have there?"


    "Hmm? Oh, alcohol, we''re all of legal drinking age here, right?" Delia asked.


    Chlo¨¦ shook his head. "Nathan and Yuki are both seventeen, sadly.¡±


    "But with an accompanying adult, they may drink in moderation," Delia continued as soon as Noah finished as if she had the answer sprung on his argument.


    Archius couldn''t find any reason to disagree and nodded with Chlo¨¦. ¡°Sure, just don¡¯t get ¡®em drunk,¡± she said.


    "Nathan, you want to wake Yuki up?" asked Archius. Nathan shook slowly, before taking a deep breath. He nudged Yuki slightly. "Hey... Y¡ªYuki? Can you wake up?"


    Archius turned away, knowing that it''ll take a while for Yuki to ''boot up'' like those shitty old computers. In all honesty, he¡¯d prefer to enjoy the little quiet moments before that happens. He sighed, taking in a deep breath as Delia slid filled cups onto the serving drones, as they hovered around the mess of brick on the table.


    "It¡¯s an old Lautrasian saying that alcohol loosens the tongue to the way of friendship," Delia said. Noah sat back down beside Delia, as she poured him a drink first. ¡°Like Fer-Charelota, I am interested in helping today¡¯s youth so that one day, you may be prepared to not only succeed but to exceed us.¡±


    Her words were drenched in super-honey, too sweet for Archius'' personal liking. Exceed? Really? Well, it seems that the honey was being eaten up by everyone.


    Chlo¨¦ said, ¡°Uh, don¡¯t, we¡¯re not as bright as you think we are.¡±


    Noah shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re bright enough?¡±


    The senator poured two more cups, sliding them over towards the slowly waking Yuki and Nathan. She glanced up at Archius. "Would you like a drink?" she asked. ¡°And your voice¡­ it¡¯s so familiar!?¡±


    She smiled, a grin filled with multilayered poisons, a hand extending out with alcohol. Archius¡¯s mind remained calm, however. He merely shrugged. ¡°With quintillions of humans out there, there¡¯s bound to be some that sound the same?¡±


    Delia clicked her fingers. ¡°No¡­ your voice is the spitting¡­ audio of an old actor.¡±


    Archius played it cool, chuckling. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m flattered.¡± Delia relented at that. With so many people here, any advance into mirky territories must be calculated to no fault. V¨¢clavos coughed a few times, as all turned their eyes to him. "Hmm?" he asked, before nodding to Archius¡¯ cup of alcohol.


    "Sure, why not?" Delia said, to his confusion. Another cup was poured and brought up to V¨¢clavos. ¡°Back on my homeworld, we abstained from drinking, at least officially. But alcohol always makes us merry, so we stayed merry.¡±


    Yuki raised her hand. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for an actor, how about a singer? Same thing, practically, right? Right, Nate?¡± Nathan instantly nodded without a second thought.


    Archius didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t want to think back to M¨¢wt, its sprawling bazaars and trade markets¡­


    ¡°Well then, why not play us a song?¡± Delia suggested. ¡°To hear the singing voice of a Princess, well¡­ I would consider this day to be a very auspicious one.¡± Auspicious indeed, Archius thought, maintaining his scepticism.


    Nathan got out his holo-guitar whilst Yuki flicked her wrist, a nanobot microphone formed in her hands.


    The moment V¨¢clavos got his cup, he started to down it, probably expecting merc-grade alcohol or something, something to ease the mind. Everyone was awaiting the show as they drank.


    Yuki counted them down. ¡°Star¡¯s forgotten, long diverged from the past ¨C the far adventures await.¡± Whilst Yuki sang an old explorer¡¯s song, Archius kept his focus on Delia¡­


    ¡°They barred our gates, stole our drives, yet the winds of fortune go assailed!¡± Taking a moment to look over at Nathan, Archius saw how concentrated the kid was, eyes bouncing from note to note to ensure he didn¡¯t muck things up for Yuki. Yuki¡¯s voice was near angelic, but Archius heard better¡­ far better in the past. Then, he refocused one eye onto Delia, the other to maintain contact with the rhythms.


    Delia was smiling, too much so. His focus was too intense for him to simply enjoy the music. But as everyone clapped, he did so as well. ¡°My, if I had some connections in the music industry I¡¯d throw them your way!¡± Delia remarked with a smile.


    Making herself known to one of the two Imperial siblings, huh? Archius narrowed his eyes, finding no way to stop her without compromising his position.


    Archius simply took a sip of his own cup and turned back to Delia. "So... Iana, right?" Archius asked. Yuki was finally waking up.


    "Yes? Senator of Miranties, I represent the people there, first and foremost of all," Delia said, smiling as she crossed one leg over the other.


    To that, Chlo¨¦ rolled her eyes to the side. Seems both Chlo¨¦ and Archius were on the same wavelength after all.


    ¡°Miranties? That borders Nizhnruya?¡±


    Delia gave a slow and cool nod. "Indeed it is, quite a backwater, I assume you''re also from a backwater, then? Backwaters know Backwater?" Delia asked. "Though, nothing beats Nova Terra as the Queen of backwaters!"


    Noah downed a cup. ¡°Better a backwater than destroyed.¡±


    Archius chuckled at Noah''s remark, his green eyes skimming across the room.


    "Not exactly a backwater," Archius said. He wanted to give as little information as he needed. "Some trade hub, parents moved from it when I was young so I mean..."


    Chlo¨¦ furrowed her brow. ¡°You never told us about your parents, did you?¡± she asked, clicking her fingers. ¡°Barclay, Kaz, Liz and Hania did, but you didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Now, now,¡± Noah said.


    Delia continued, ¡°It matters not, parents or whatever.¡± Chlo¨¦ slowly nodded, seemingly agreeing with the statement. Thanks for the save, Delia, Archius thought - taking another sip.


    Delia gently nodded, glancing at Yuki, who was awake fully, although she was aimlessly staring off into the ceiling, with Nathan having retracted his protective arm. "Uh... Yuki, drink..." Nathan whispered to her - whilst she was still booting up, booting up circles peering up from her glasses and sparkling cyan eyes.


    "I think... I..." V¨¢clavos leaned against the sofa, slowly coughing up in a drunken fit. UGH... Disgusting, Archius thought, shifting away and scotting closer to Nathan. "Sorry..."


    ''Go babysit V¨¢clavos, Nihara'' Archius jokingly remarked across the uplink - making sure that no one around heard.


    And just then, a rattle shook the room. Archius immediately twisted towards the door, ready for combat. But everyone else''s glances turned elsewhere. The drones had started to clean up V¨¢clavos''... dinner.


    "The fuck?" V¨¢clavos wiped away the vomit on his lips.


    The rattle came from Pi, who was squawking in his cage.


    That woke Yuki up, as she dashed up from the couch, releasing Pi from the cage. ¡°HEY! STOP ACTING SO STRANGE!¡± She tried to grab the bird¡¯s feet, but Pi kept panicking.


    "Your Phoenix! It''s real!" Delia shouted, amazed at the creature. "I thought it was just a replica but... it''s real!" Her face lit up in amazement.


    Chlo¨¦ continued, ¡°Thank fuck it¡¯s tamed, then.¡± Neither seemed worried.


    Noah rushed over to Yuki''s side, making an attempt to help her. But before he could, Nathan lunged across the sofa, grabbing Pi by the wings and helping tug it down to the ground.


    "PI!" Yuki shouted. "You''re a very naughty bird! You''ll get no treats for a..." She glanced at the phoenix¡¯s warm face, cawing and murmuring in a low musical tone. "Oh... I can''t punish you." She started giggling to herself.


    Creatures like Phoenixes don¡¯t panic for no reason¡­ thought Archius.

 X33: Raindrops Gather

    The smooth whir of the phase door signalled its closing behind Kazuki. He stayed inmobile. He looked down at his hands... This was necessary, he repeated the mantra. The Contract-Breaker sees necessity. Kazuki, the boy wonder that failed, does not.


    And he will not fail. Not this time. His memory conceded that to be true, his face glanced up. Cyrus and Nihara were standing guard in the living room.


    "Eliza?" Kazuki asked.


    Cyrus nodded. "Arrived exactly an hour, seven minutes and twenty seven seconds before you did. She did some shopping with Chlo¨¦.¡±


    Ugh. "Did she say anything?"


    Cyrus paused, taking a deep breath before shaking his head. "Nothing, sir."


    He¡¯ll have to trust Cyrus¡¯ word on that. "Good." Kazuki walked up the stairs, taking his jacket, with its heaps of interwoven armour. He dropped it onto one of the passing cleaning drones. It bopped down and up, reeling from the added weight of the armour.


    ¡°Kazuki?¡± Cyrus spoke up.


    It was weird to hear him use his name. Kazuki nodded.


    ¡°We rarely see people in this area of the Ball Palace. It¡­ uneased me,¡± he said. ¡°I believe this will conflict with my readiness.¡±


    Nihara raised an eyebrow. ¡°Pfft, probably off sucking cock for prestige.¡±


    Kazuki looked down at the two of them. ¡°Dead,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°Most of the suites in this section are empty. This Dassant might be well attended by modern standards. But it pales to pre-war capacity.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ uneased me more, Kazuki,¡± Cyrus admitted.


    Well, that was fair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. There¡¯s no ghosts. All there is are empty rooms.¡± Kazuki turned, and walked off.


    He should give it straight and simple to Eliza. She needs to hear the truth, and better it be from him... Kazuki stopped in his tracks. But what truth?


    Placing his hands on his face, he was ever reminded of the burns and cracks. He... has to tell her truth, but not THE truth. But she deserves to know the truth.


    How he caused all of this¡­ How Victoria died for nothing. Kazuki paused, then swallowed his own soul. No. All he must do is tell her of how things are going to work.


    Elizabeth will know its validity, Kazuki thought. He just needs to hammer it home.


    That is the truth Kazuki decided upon relaying.


    She''s clever, he thought, but unbearably naive and optimistic when it comes to something like this. Restarting his limbs, he could hear a message come along from his uplink. ''Go Babysit V¨¢clavos, Nihara.'' Archius shouted towards him... What? He turned to Nihara and Cyrus, looking down the stairs.


    Nihara sprouted up from the sofa, grumbling. ¡°Nihara?¡± Kazuki awaited for a response.


    "HE''S DRUNK AGAIN!" she shouted, before storming off.


    She left the suite¡­ V¨¢clavos? If it''s him, better send reinforcements. Kazuki sighed. "Cyrus. Go make sure Nihara doesn''t kill V¨¢clavos."


    "Kaz? What about you and Elizabeth?" he asked.


    Kazuki shook his head. "Go."


    Cyrus nodded and followed after Nihara. Kazuki was all alone now.. His ears weren''t ringing either... Lucky day, he thought. He can get some rest, he thought.


    But is rest really what he needed? He''s a contractor, the Arbiter of the Judiciary, Contract-Breaker.


    People bleed whilst he rests. This isn''t his place. Kazuki looked down at his hands, before scoffing to himself. Whatever they¡¯ll get, Kazuki will make it worth in the gallons of blood spilt.


    Walking up to Eliza''s door, Kazuki reminded himself that he''s just a civilian here. Without realising it, he had his fist clenched. He uncurled it, reaching up to the door and tapping the release button. It phased open gently.


    Taking a step in, he froze. Synthia was gently playing some music on a guitar. But that wasn''t why he froze. This outcome should not be possible. "I killed you," Kazuki whispered to himself.


    He kept his glare up.


    The air suffocated him. He looked down at his own hands... Blood. It was everywhere, on the floor, on Victoria''s clothes... He has to be dreaming again. Staring back up at Victoria, she met his gaze, sitting at the desk in the corner of the room.


    "Oh? I was just doing some studying, you need anything?" Victoria asked, hair done up in a long side braid, along with a bright spider red rose ornament¡­ Blood red eyes stared.


    A freckled face laid in place.


    But¡­ It can¡¯t be. Eliza has glasses¡­. Right? Blood crackled out from Kazuki¡¯s memory.


    Kazuki clenched his right fist. Through will alone, he silenced its movements.


    A thousand moving mirages flashed in his eyes, in a still-less second of his life. All thoughts were snuffed out. He took a step forward.


    The galaxy ceased to exist. All he saw was her.


    Victoria stood up. "Kazuki? You look like you''ve seen a ghost!¡± she playfully remarked.


    The corpse smiled. Her voice became much colder. ¡°Well¡­ I guess I am a ghost, aren¡¯t I? Either way, it¡¯s good to see that you¡¯re doing just fine."


    Cuts and wounds started to appear all over Victoria. He had to stop this. Kaz¡¯s balance was unsteadied. His mind wasn¡¯t seeing straight. Blood started to drip down her neck.


    The cut widened. Kazuki did not move. Moving wouldn¡¯t save her. Moving didn¡¯t save her. He never could have saved her.


    Guilty before a trial of himself. Guilty. Guilty! The words repeated itself in his head. Murderer. Contract-Breaker. Traitor. Betrayer. Guilty.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ''Maybe he has,'' Synthia suggested, pausing in her guitar play, listening into the conversation. ''Right, Miss Elizabeth?''


    The brain cogged back to life.


    "Kazuki?" she asked him. That wasn''t Victoria... It was just Eliza in a different hair style, with a similar blood-redd dress and look... "You''re starting to make me quite nervous..." She frowned slightly.


    "I... Never mind it," Kazuki said as he sat down on the bed side nearest to the desk. "Why did you change your hair? You rarely do that."


    "Hmm?" Eliza pulled on her hair, looking at it. "Oh! I got back in contact with Noah and he showed me some old pictures from childhood. I fondly remembered Victoria braiding my hair... I wasn''t really good at it myself, if you can''t tell." She chuckled at her own self deprecating joke. She took a pair of glasses from her side table and gently pushed it up her nose.


    He simply nodded. "Alright..."


    "Well, now that you''ve asked," Eliza started. "Should I braid my hair more often?¡±


    Kazuki crossed his arms. "Why are you asking me?"


    ''Kazuki does have a point, he''s not exactly a hair stylist,'' Synthia interjected as she popped onto Eliza''s shoulder. ¡®His sister, however, might be more attuned to this knowledge.¡¯


    That was correct, Kazuki thought.


    Eliza sat back up on the chair. Kazuki glanced at what she was doing. Revising. At an hour like this? He glanced out the window, glancing at the mess of stars aeons away.


    The abyss stared back. "So... uh..." Eliza trailed off, looking at Kazuki.


    He''ll approach the situation like how he always does. Head first. No relenting. "We seemed to disagree," Kazuki said. "On the Jin Brothers."


    "You... you offered them public positions," Eliza said. "You know this is wrong.¡±


    "You are under the misconception that I am to bestow it myself. The public will device. They''ll choose from a list of carefully curated individuals." Kazuki wanted to lay down, but found his exospine in the way - instead letting it reclock. ¡°Like always.¡±


    "Individuals chosen by you!" Eliza shouted.


    ''Now, now, let''s not get too hasty here,'' Synthia said. ''Whilst I must protest such a prolific use of corruption... Kazuki isn''t wrong.''


    Eliza¡¯s face soured at the truth.


    He interjected, "Don¡¯t look at me like that." His face locked onto Eliza''s. "You laid eyes on worse men and women the moment you set foot on this space station."


    "You mean Fer-Charelota, don''t you?!" Eliza remarked.


    Kazuki stood up, turning to face her. "The Marquis? No.¡±


    Eliza turned Synthia off, gently placing the tutor AI into her pocket. "And the Jin Brothers? We wouldn''t have to have given them such a ludicrous insurance package if your grandfather hadn''t burned their lands to the ground!"


    "For rebellion. For betraying the Republic and the Trasian Sector," Kazuki snapped at Eliza. ¡°Their father was going to betray us all for the Belsarans.¡±


    His voice was raspy and harsh. Kazuki remembers. Trasia remembers what happened the moment the Belsaran backed fleet was above Lautrasia.


    ¡°They burned my grandmother,¡± Kazuki snarled. ¡°Do not try and play devil¡¯s advocate, Eliza.¡±


    Her face turned into a scowl at him, as she gritted her teeth, all sense of commonality was lost. "I¡¯m... that¡¯s not my point, sorry... But... If you''re not willing to do things my way, then I''ll do it myself."


    Kazuki stayed stunned for a moment. The fuck did she just say? "Really? I have no doubts you¡¯ll succeed. But at what cost?¡±


    Eliza backpedalled immediately, ¡°Wait¡­ No, sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean¡­ Kazuki... this is personal to me, I know it is to you! Why can''t we just do this clean? No deaths, no murders, no backroom dealings, just..."


    What the fuck was she saying? Kazuki gave a confused and absentminded nod. "Clean isn''t an option. Enemies are in almost every corner, you know what that means, right?"


    Eliza turned back to her desk, scrolling through her holo-top till she found a pdf of their findings.


    "Do it my way." Kazuki mulled through his own head. "Less threats."


    "We''ve been doing it your way... The first night you got back, we were attacked by terrorists at dinner... Then criminals tried killing me, Claire and Quinn! We just wanted to play a game of Dullie!" she shouted. Kazuki felt like rolling his eyes. "My life has been at stake more times than I''d prefer, Kazuki. I just want some level of normality to return to my life!¡±


    "Eliza..." Kazuki trailed off, his mind barely able to process a single thought beyond what was necessary. His brain had rationalised and closed down... Probably because of the whole braid incident. ¡±It was never my intention to bring you into danger¡­ That¡¯s why I have you doing everything that won¡¯t put you on the receiving end of a bolt¡­ Look at me. Does it look easy to shrug off pain?¡±


    Eliza paused, cleared her throat, and apologised, ¡°My¡­ sorry, I didn¡¯t mean for it to come out like that.¡±


    ¡°No. I understand,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°For someone so convinced of solving the future, you seem to want to return to the good old days. Right?¡±


    Nodding, Eliza said, ¡°Just some measure of peace, alright? I¡¯m tied to mercenaries, you, Archius, Noah, Chlo¨¦ and it all just seems like a mess.¡±


    ¡°Things were simpler back in uni,¡± Kazuki lied. Things were by far more complicated back then. Living a double life for Clandestine and uni was a living hell. He remembered having to hide all his wounds under ¡®workplace accidents¡¯, even if it was a bolt to his neck or chest. Or massive burns.


    Eliza slowly placed her hands up to her head. She sat with her legs pressed up to her chest on the seat, just shaking. "How... do I even respond to all of this... All of this, in such a short amount of time?! I... I must hold it together, right? For Lilly, for Quinn, for Claire, right?!"


    She looked up at him. Desperation bled from her bloodied-red eyes. Kazuki leaned forward, placing a hand on her¡¯s.


    "You have nothing to prove to them. You have proven yourself worthy of their loyalty."


    "But¡ª"


    "¡ªno buts," Kazuki interjected. She pried her face away. Kazuki tapped her cheek. "Don''t worry. No matter what, you''ll be safe. Understood?"


    She murmured something into her arms. Kazuki took it as her acceptance. He slowly stood up, patting her on the head. He leant over her and closed her holo-top. "It''s been busy. The ball dance is coming up. I¡¯d get some rest if I were you."


    He started to walk away.


    "And what will you do?" she asked. "Just please don¡¯t make anymore enemies. It feels like we¡¯re disagreeing on too many things."


    Kazuki shrugged.


    Eliza continued, ¡°We can compromise, just... Don¡¯t treat me like some kid, alright?¡± Kazuki nodded instantly. ¡°I mean it! I want to be treated as an equal to you but it just seems like you don¡¯t care at all!¡±


    ¡°You were thrown into the world of crime and politics through hellfire,¡± Kazuki started. ¡°How can I call a survivor of that ¡®kid¡¯?¡± he asked.


    She stood up, walking up to him. He turned around to see her. That''s not Victoria, Kazuki reminded himself. That''s just Elizabeth, his first and only contract.


    "I promise," Kazuki lied. He gave no reassuring smile. With a dead face stare and a monotone, unconvincing voice, he turned and left.


    He needed time alone, standing outside Eliza¡¯s room. Those final words she said stuck, harder than most words do for him. He''s making enemies? The whole galaxy was once his enemy, he was hunted by both the BCA and Clandestine.


    He was as good as dead.


    So why wasn''t he?


    He contemplated the thought as he heard a knock at the door. Was Cyrus and Nihara back? He started to walk down the stairs.


    He wished they¡¯d call it in at least. However, Kazuki was willing to overlook this, given V¨¢clavos¡¯ current state. He placed his hands in his pockets, moving a muscle in his ear to activate his uplink.


    Yes, he had enemies. Many. But who had enemies? Kazuki or the Contract-Breaker? Just... who was he? Who is his enemy? His true enemy. Obadiah is merely a small fish in the largest pond ever. Said pond is filled with mist and algae, all ripe for the taking - yet blinding all the smaller fishes and starving the larger ones.


    ''Archius, I¡¯m sorry about choking you, I¡¯ll pay you back later. Just Hiccup me before you or Cyrus come knocking.''


    Kazuki arrived at the door, slowly taking his hands out of his pockets. A response came. ''Huh? What are you talking about? Hey, we¡¯re essentially equal, but if you¡¯re ever in need of a better conscious, I¡¯d be willing to take the truth as payment,¡± Archius said.


    Huh? Kazuki''s eyes ripped wide open. The momentum of air differentiate in the air. Kazuki¡¯s body dragged his soul to the side - just when a steaming gift of lead tore through the door, slicing through his abdomen.

 X34: Bursting Raindrops amidst Pristine Halls

    Secondary explosives rippled throughout the door. Kazuki pushed himself back, falling onto the floor. Kazuki¡¯s left hand reached for his belt. No muzzle.


    The doors came crumbling down, crashing out of their phase anchors and hinges. Drones. Cleaning drones. Their small metal arms held SMGs. They were loaded. Primed to terminate him.


    His leg-braces kicked himself up, avoiding a stream of bullets. He pulled his arm in front of his face/ A bullet narrowly deflected off the bone of his arm, splattering the walls with blood. Kazuki rushed backwards, behind the kitchen counter. Four drones in total¡­


    Their hover anchors soared forward, entering both the kitchen and living room. Pinned, Kazuki snatched a blade from the knife box. Steel on steel. Not remarkably effective, he thought. But it''s the best he has. Narrowly leaning out the path of a string of bullets from the kitchen, Kazuki pressed on the gas.


    He burst towards the two that poured into the living room. They plastered the air with bullets. He shifted his body sideways, withstanding the barrage. Closing in, Kazuki shoved the tip of the blade into the drone''s eye. The drone made a shattering noise, screaming.


    The second drone turned and gripped hold of Kazuki, shoving the muzzle into his chest. Before it was able to let a ripple into his torso, Kazuki slammed gun away, disarming the first drone''s rifle.


    His mind was clear.


    And with a rifle, it was over for them.


    Slamming the receiver back, he blasted the second drone to the ground. He turned to face the two remaining drones, one in the kitchen and one hovering right over the counter. A tendril latched onto him from behind, the first drone.


    It was trying to hold him in place. The two remaining drones were zeroing in, muzzles drawn. Ripping the drone behind him off him, he threw it in front of him, bolts stinging through their steel frame.


    As the first drone fell, Kazuki aimed, and terminated the last two drones, their husks falling onto the ground.


    Kazuki glanced down. Blood dotted his black buttoned down shirt. He looked to the SMG. Out of bullets. It was a suicide mission for these drones, he thought.


    Dropping the gun, Kazuki knew it would serve him little purpose now. Kazuki bolted up the stairs, approaching Eliza''s room.


    He slammed on the door. "Eliza?!"


    The door phased open abruptly, as Kazuki nearly fell directly on Eliza. He gripped the doorframe. Eliza''s face was paler than before. "What was that?!" she asked. "Did... what..."


    She ducked beneath Kazuki''s arm, walking to the bannister and peering down at the destruction. Eliza glanced back, eyes locked on the dots of blood trickling down his shirt. "I''ll survive. We need to move. Now," Kazuki said.


    Kazuki grabbed onto Eliza''s arm, before she activated Synthia with a click of her fingers. They rushed down the stairs, as the AI started talking. ''Oh dear, what have we got here?''


    "Assassin drones. SMGs. Eliza. Take one of them." Kazuki snatched up two of the loaded SMGs, turning and shoving one into Eliza''s face. She dropped it immediately, shaking.


    Kazuki paused.


    "No... I... I can''t possibly use a gun!" Eliza shouted, her hands shaking. Kazuki''s fingers curled into his palm... He maintained a dedicated face. He swallowed his heart again. What the fuck was he thinking? After all that talk of protecting her?. "I''m... I... sorry..."


    "For what?" Kazuki grabbed Eliza''s arm again, continuing to drag her out of their room and out into the rose tinted atmosphere of the halls. He heard the distant hover of more drones, rushing around a corner nearby. ¡°Leave it to me, alright?¡±


    Without spare magazines. No armour. He was little more than an angry man with a gun.


    Eliza slowly crumbled down to the floor. "I made a strong image in front of you and Archius¡­. But¡­


    "Not now. Archius just wanted an excuse to come. Synthia, can you provide me with any information?" Kazuki asked, peering around the corner. Without his aug-glasses, he needed another source of information.


    Synthia propped up to Kazuki''s shoulder, leaning and peering over with him. ''Well... based on the machine gun¡ª''


    "¡ªSMG."


    ''¡ªSmall machine gun... They''re most definitely well equipped, whoever sent them after you. Martigal patents, after all.''


    Rushing into an indent in the wall, Kazuki peered back. He saw a second team enter into Eliza''s suite, seven drones in total. They''ll need to move, quick. "They have enough influence to smuggle a zero day past the Palace''s security. Of course they''re big players."


    There was no room here for sarcasm, he thought.


    "Kaz... what do we do?!" Eliza had a hand over her mouth, tightening around her quieting voice.


    He glanced at the SMG. It was a decent quality one... Just like Synthia said. Seems like she knows her guns? Kneeling down to Eliza, he grabbed her hand. ¡°We run,¡± he said. ¡°Keep up. Got it?¡±


    She nodded.


    "Good." He lifted her up, placing her back on her feet. "Don¡¯t trip. Cost of such a failure is¡ª"


    "Death..." Eliza muttered to herself. Kazuki nodded, and he started to walk in the opposite direction of their suite.


    Kazuki led Eliza, with Synthia, through a confusing maze of halls. The sound of distant hover-lifts closed in with each dead end. Shit.


    Kazuki raised his SMG up, checking a corner. A drone patrol skidded by.


    ''May I suggest we traverse to the public plazas?'' Synthia proposed an idea. Kazuki turned to listen in. ''A highly public place with a lot of guards, the drones won''t dare to expand the purview of their attack.''


    Risky, Kazuki thought. If they''re desperate enough to want him dead, they might not consider the cleaner cost of civilian lives. In fact... that might be something they want. He mumbled the thought into his head. Either way, he¡¯ll be the scapegoat for the lives lost.


    He can see it in his head, ¡®Contract-Breaker leads ravenous drones towards civilians¡¯. Ugh.


    "Synthia''s right! The Imperial Knights will protect us, and perhaps even Lady Antiar or Sir Icarus may be there?" Eliza was breathing heavily from the rather light jog. Light for him, he guessed.


    Kazuki took another peek. It was clear. Continuing deeper, Kazuki led Eliza through this death trap, pointing his muzzle around each corner and cranny.


    "Base our hopes on the leader and 2ic? Fuck no," Kazuki stated. ¡°They¡¯ll expect us to go there. Whoever did this is bold. Stupid. Clever and brave all at the same time. They want us to flee to the plaza.¡±


    These attackers probably have a stockpile of drones ready for deployment. Too many unknown variables. He instead pricked his uplink online. ''Cyrus. Nihara. V¨¢clavos. Code Red and Gold. Alert security.''


    ''What''s going on?'' asked Cyrus.


    ''Assassin drones. Alert security. Double time it.''


    ''ON IT!'' Cyrus cut his uplink off.


    Kazuki felt a tug from Eliza Her blood red eyes scanned with fear. "We are going to the plaza... right?"


    "No. Too open. Enemy dispositions unknown," Kazuki said. ¡°We¡¯ll find somewhere safe to hide.¡±


    Somewhere safe? Where?! He kept going through the network of halls, filled with doors leading into suites.


    Judging by how none of the doors were smashed down, the drones¡¯ target was obvious. Him and Eliza. No one else. Therefore: it must be an aristocrat. Criminals or the Board or BCA wouldn¡¯t care about that. There has to be a secondary exit... somewhere.


    Walking across an intersecting group of corridors, a patrol of drones hovered into view from down the hall. Rays scanned all about as their rays turned red towards Kazuki. FUCK. Kazuki pushed Eliza backwards, into the otherside of the hall, as he lunged forward, to the opposite side.


    And not a moment too soon. A barrage of bolts and plasma hurled down towards him, displacing the air that they were both at with heat and plasma.


    "You good?" Kazuki asked her, nodding to where he shoved her. More drones are bound to arrive.


    Eliza nodded. "I''m good!" She gave a weak thumbs up to him. Good enough.


    ''I can try downloading the schematics of the Ball Palace, if that may provide us with a way of escape,'' Synthia said, projected both their shoulders. Kazuki grumbled. She mentions this now?!


    "Why didn''t you do that already!?" Eliza shouted loudly at both Synthia projections.


    The AI tutor merely shrugged. ¡®Calculating the level of detail needed would take up a lot of the download times, I¡¯ll try to get it to a okay-ish detail!¡¯


    Hovering forth, the drones were making ground, as Kazuki exchanged fire with them. Three drones. They cared little about getting shot, only that he got shot in the exchange... He could barely get a shot out. "Eliza, how good are you at holding your breath?"


    "Huh?! What are you... a minute I suppose?" Eliza shrugged, speculating. Kazuki nodded, chambering in a new round. He grabbed the emptied out bolt. It was still intact.


    "Then hold it." Kazuki unscrewed the bolt, taking it apart to reveal the various components. The igniter... rocket fuse... Fuel. Blastpowder. He pressed himself against the wall, calmly.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Eliza took in a massive breath way before needed. It was rather silly. ''No, not now, Miss Eliza,'' Synthia commented, causing Eliza to exhale in a loud gasp.


    Kazuki twisted the SMG to the side, using the bolt casing as he started to vent out the heat from the rifle''s cartridge filters. The components of the gunpowder, the casing and the fuse. He assembled the modified bolt, with readjusting pieces of it, as the drone hovered closer.


    "Kaz! What are you doing?" Eliza shouted across at him. She thought for a moment of running across. Kazuki placed his hand up, stopping her. The gunfire was too intense.


    Screwing the modified bolt back together, he stuck the igniter against the wall. The force was enough to strike the pin down. With it primed, he lobbed it down the hall. It smacked off the wall with a thud, then a pop. Smoke erupted across the room, with particles that should dampen vision. It was also toxic.


    The gunfire slowly stopped, as the drones made fizzing sounds. Kazuki pressed his eyes hard. He could see the drones, their scanners were fucked.


    Kazuki stood up. "The reaction was a sucess," he stated, as if in a chemistry classroom. He twisted around the corner.


    Rushing forward, Kazuki grappled with the first drone, lighting it with lead, before unloading his magazine into the second.


    The last one kicked back to life, only to be slammed into the wall with the stock of Kazuki''s SMG.


    Circuits and sparks shot out the drone. He let go off the SMG as it was jammed into the wall, changing it for a new one. "Hall clear. Let''s move. Synthia, can you find anything?"


    Eliza followed after Kazuki, holding her breath still. At least she knows it¡¯s toxic, Kazuki thought.


    ''There''s a maintenance staircase to the lower station sections, it leads to an abandoned section of the Palace, a rather good place to hide, don¡¯t you think?¡¯ suggested Synthia.


    Good on that.


    Kazuki punched the wall beside him, testing to see if it did any damage. None. And barely any vibrations as well. Resistant... Sound-proof probably. Blast marks on the walls showed no damage either. Eliza clambered through the smoke¡­


    ¡°Shit¡­¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we hide in one of the suites?!¡± Eliza asked. ¡°Someone must be in right now!¡±


    Kazuki responded, ¡°The more time we wait, they more desperate they will get. Hide here: we¡¯ll be easy targets.¡±


    Eliza slowly nodded. "Show Eliza the route, she''ll take the lead," Kazuki said.


    Eliza waved some of the smoke away. "Ugh... what do you mean me?! I''ll... be in front?" she asked.


    Kazuki nodded. "My aug-glasses are in my room." He pressed himself against the wall. Sliding down towards the intersection, he checked the various intersecting halls. Nothing. Yet. ¡°I¡¯ll drag you back before you get hit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ trust you on that,¡± Eliza said.


    ''Mapping the map to Eliza¡¯s aug-glasses map,'' Synthia replied. Eliza hugged the wall beside Kazuki.


    "You can wear mine for all I care!" Eliza slid her glasses off carefully, offering them to Kazuki.


    He took hold of her glasses, only to put them back onto her face. "You''re short-sighted. Keep your glasses. I''ll do the shooting," Kazuki said.


    Eliza nodded, as information projected up onto her glasses, for her to see. Immediately, she took hold of Kazuki¡¯s hand, and led the way.


    The gentle white hue blended in with the distant music. They walked in silence, Eliza wearing more casual attire.


    More hover noises came up from behind, as Kazuki grabbed onto Eliza, throwing the two of them into a cleaning closet. The weight of his exospine nearly snapped a bundle of brooms.


    Synthia propped by the door, phasing it close, whilst placing her ''ear'' to the door. ''They''re close...'' she whispered, placing a finger to her lips.


    Eliza nodded, trying to take a deep breath, pressing her chest against Kazuki¡­ Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him.


    She must be scared. Eliza¡¯s eyes glanced back towards Kazuki, before freezing. Drones... Dozens of them, deactivated were in the closet. He glanced at them. They weren''t coming online any time soon, he thought. He simply patted her on the shoulder.


    Dead drones concerned them not.


    A sick joke. Killer cleaners, he thought. He could feel something increase in vibrations, faintly, far from his chest - but close all the same..


    "Hmm?"


    Kazuki glanced at Eliza. She had a hand over her mouth, shaking fervently.


    The vibrations. It was her heart.


    It was beating quickly, but each vibration was faint.


    He knew it wouldn''t do much but he had to try and calm her down.


    "Focus on breathing." It was an awful attempt, emotionally - at least.


    She gave him a slow nod, before closing her eyes. After a few moments, the hovering noises disappeared. Synthia nodded. ''It''s safe to leave, let''s go before they start searching closets.''


    Kazuki shimmied his way out of the closet, carrying Eliza with him. She took a deep breath. Kazuki released her, allowing her a moment to catch her breath.


    ¡°Alright¡­ Keep it together,¡± she muttered to herself, before leading them down towards their destination. She was shaking even more now.. Armed with the responsibility of lives not from a screen, but in the flesh.


    With enough repetition, she''ll get used to it, Kazuki thought.


    Walking slightly behind her, he reached out and grabbed her hand, feeling the shaking slowly stop. "You''re sweating," Kazuki said. "Calm down. Panicking will only make things worse."


    She stopped in her tracks, looking back around at him. She clamped down on his hand. Holding it tightly. Ow... Eliza was squeezing it now. "Thank you. But... I..."


    "If you don''t want to think. Then walk," Kazuki said. Eliza nodded, a single eye glancing behind him. ¡°Don¡¯t think. Don¡¯t hesitate. Always move.¡±


    Then, a noise. Behind.


    Kazuki twisted around, seeing a second patrol of drones turn the corner. Five. He raised his SMG, keeping Eliza behind him. ¡°Back!¡±


    Eliza started to run, with Kaz with her. Kazuki fired back a few shots, destroying a few drones. Yet more started to show up. Ten. Twenty... Thirty! All from the conjoining hallways. All with their hacked faces. Muzzles blared up the halls.


    The barrage looked like a continuous mass of light and steel. His exospine burst into energy, tracking adrenaline through his blood. Kazuki wrapped his arms around Eliza, throwing themselves down another hall. He felt his skin burn with pain. Bolts and plasma had just scorched his shoulder, but he hid the pain. Full sprinting down the maze, Kaz and Liz bought some distance¡­ Eliza fell to the floor, coughing for air. "There''s more of them. Find another route to get there." Kazuki got up from the ground, looking down at Eliza.


    She was failing to get up, with Synthia keeping a lookout as a small projection around the corner, standing on Kazuki¡¯s shoulder. ''They''re approaching... Counting... Thirty three in total. Do you have thirty three rounds, Kazuki?''


    ''Twenty four,'' he replied immediately. Kazuki grabbed and pulled Eliza up. ''On your feet.''


    Eliza stared into his eyes as he pulled her. The fire within him kicked in, as the oath he made will be completed. No matter what. "But... I need to tell you where to go!"


    "Then tell me."


    Synthia projected onto Kazuki''s shoulder. Eliza and Kazuki started into a sprint, with Kazuki having to slow down to not run ahead of Eliza.


    Maybe it¡¯d be faster if he carried her with one hand. No time to risk it. They kept running till even Kazuki felt mildly uncomfortable, through the same intersecting halls of suites, observation decks and space-windows.


    Doors and numbers went by in a vivid blur, the two fleeing away.


    Sometimes turning corners led to stray ambushes and patrols.


    Isolated and alone, they never stood a chance against Kazuki.


    Each encounter stained Kazuki¡¯s black buttoned shirt more blood and scorch marks.


    That worried Eliza more than it did him. Eventually, the constant movement and twists came to ahead. Their objective. The emergency door to the lower floors. ''Arbiter to all callsigns. Moving to the lower station.''


    ''Copy that. We''ll rendezvous with you,'' Cyrus replied. ''We have backup. Heavy guns. Are you holding up?''


    Gunfire was raging in the distance.


    ¡®Yes. Drones gave you a welcoming?¡¯


    Cyrus replied, ¡®Sadly.¡¯


    Kazuki nodded to himself, approaching the door whilst checking every point with his muzzle. He kept one hand on Eliza¡¯s forearm, the other on the trigger.


    Arriving at the door, Kazuki placed his hand on the phase-mechanism.


    Opening the door, it revealed a robot... A fully decked out security robot. Security''s here, he thought. ''Drone. Th¡ª"


    His voice was cut off as a searing pain jabbed into his torso. Smoke rose as he fell backwards. With Kazuki down, the robot twisted its body towards Eliza, its smoking muzzle pointed towards her.


    She froze still.


    The robot towered high enough to lean over her.


    No time for damage analysis.


    The robot grabbed onto Eliza with one hand, as she struggled. Kazuki watched her kick, punch and throw hands with it. It was lifting her up though, slowly raising its mechanical muzzle to her chest.


    "KAZ!" she screeched at Kazuki.


    He looked down at his chest... Blood. So much blood. But this was no place to die. Kazuki looked to the SMG, laying by his side. Synthia was trying to ''hack'' into the robot, only barely slowing it


    He reached out towards the gun. Just out of reach. He turned and twisted his mangled corpse. Reaching far enough to weld his hand shut on the trigger, Kazuki raised the SMG.


    Aiming it at the robot, be dumped the entire magazine into it, attracting its ire. The robot twisted towards him, dropping Eliza. His bolts flickered through its outward hull, sending wiring out the other way.


    Its head was riddled with bolts - yet it remained standing.


    Kazuki kept shooting, as he knocked its plasma bolter from its grasp. It raised its arm towards him, shielding its components.


    "Die already..." he muttered to himself.


    No avail. He ran dry of bolts. Well then¡­ Kazuki raised a finger to his overclock.


    The robot took a step towards Kazuki, only for a single echoing shot to stop it.


    Kazuki saw a spiral of components splutter out from its chest. It fell. Looking past the robot, he saw Eliza. She was shaking, her eyes watery with tears. Smoke rose from the oversized gun she held.


    Her quivering hands dropped it.


    "I didn''t know you took robotry," Kazuki sarcastically remarked. He slowly tried to clamber up, but found difficulty. He was bleeding, after all.


    Eliza stood up faster than him, before rushing over. "I¡ªit was an optional course I found some interests in... and well... its computation core wasn''t in the head, so I presumed it was in the chest," she said. ¡°Simple logic, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Clever. She helped him up, as he grabbed hold of his wound. "Smart," he said out loud.


    Eliza was shaking, looking at him with steady eyes. They were bright, wide and strong. She smiled...


    "Thank you," she said.


    Synthia projected herself on top of the destroyed robot. ''This is an Electria model! They''re supposed to be renowned for their security... hardware and software.''


    She shook her head, tutting as if disappointed in the software company. Well... this is most definitely a lawsuit in waiting, Kazuki thought. Whether he¡¯ll be alive to see it is another question.


    "Then that proves that whoever was behind this is powerful, right? I mean, who would have the resources to hack this many drones?!" Eliza asked, phasing the door open with Kazuki beside her.


    Whilst they walked, Eliza was patching some things up on Kazuki¡¯s exospine.


    He glanced down at his own wound. Damage analysis pointed to his left lung being punctured. Minor damage. His organs were all inorganic. Such a loss was¡­ Strategically troublesome. Tactically: inconvenient at best.


    Kazuki nodded. "And guns. Expensive assassination." His cybernetics reclocked themselves. ¡°Anymore and I¡¯ll need to overclock."


    "Kazuki! No..." Eliza said, walking down the dimly lit staircase. Blood was seeping out of him, dropping onto the metal steps. "I''m flattered that you think I can repair everything but overclocking burns the very hardware itself! There¡¯ll be nothing left for me to fix!¡±


    It''d take months to repair anything done by his overclock. He doesn''t have spare months to throw away, though


    Kazuki remained silent. He picked up the oversized gun, a personal defence weapon. Old as well.


    He looked up at Eliza''s determined face. She was shaking, yes, but walked firm nonetheless.


    Even if he is to perish here, he¡¯ll give her whatever she can. Thoughts of Kazuki¡¯s past etched into his mind, with his promise to Victoria rising to the forefront. He can¡¯t fail. ¡°I can¡¯t fail,¡± Kazuki muttered longingly to himself.

 X35: A Drip into the Archaic & Abandoned

    Dim white neon lights escorted the pair down. They walked in silence. Kazuki¡¯s blood seeped through his shirt onto Eliza¡¯s clothes. Synthia kept her company, as Eliza''s mind was rife with chaos...


    What are they going to do?! They¡¯re being cornered in¡­ If they ran for the plaza, it would have been riskier, though. Dammit¡­


    "Kazuki... maybe this isn''t such a good idea," Eliza inquired, slowing down. White paint stuck to the solid concrete walls, signifying the level they are at. She noticed a faded number ¡®13¡¯ imprinted onto the wall. ¡°That robot came from down here¡­¡±


    "We have no choice. The lower Ball Palace is large, approximately seventy per cent of the station. Enough place for us to hide..." Kazuki said, keeping pressure on his wound. Eliza tried to position herself to help but had to keep one hand to steady Kazuki, and one hand on the railing. "Synthia?"


    ''We''ll be able to hide quite well, but I must stress that you need medical attention.'' Standing on Eliza''s shoulder, Synthia walked across towards Kazuki as she peered at his wounds.


    "Secondary Concern," Kazuki said. He started to move faster as if to prove Synthia wrong. Eliza tugged him back into a steady, sustainable pace. "I''ll live."


    "No, you won''t... I can help patch you up,¡± Eliza said. ¡°Sato and Claire taught me some basic first aid¡­¡±


    Kazuki shot her an unconcerned glance. "I¡¯ll live," he repeated. Eliza was his sole focus. He cannot let her die. Not here. Not now. Kazuki gritted his teeth through some pain.


    Failure must be struck down. He failed to protect Eliza before. He failed to save Victoria. Failure is unacceptable, especially here.


    Slowly, they descended, one step after another. The bottom was in sight, a baseless steel-concrete floor with a double door exit into the lower station.


    ¡°This might be a trap,¡± Eliza said.


    Kazuki nodded. ¡°Of course it is. Isolate us¡­ But you saw how many were up there.¡±


    ¡®Under the given circumstances, this was very much the right move,¡¯ Synthia said. ¡®There¡¯s no telling what those drones above would have done, or even if there were but just thirty of them!¡¯


    Probably more, Eliza worried¡­


    The dimly lit walls and lights highlighted the dust in the air. There was none of that fluff or warm lighting and decor that was in the suites, shopping centre or gathering ball halls, all that was here was a cold sense of dread, filling Eliza''s lungs with each icy breath.


    Kazuki¡¯s bleeding was getting worse!


    "Kaz... you''re... we''re treating it now," Eliza said, as she took her jumper off. A rush of coldness came over her arms as she stretched them out. Kazuki glanced away, up, then back at her.


    "No need."


    "There is very much a need!" Eliza shouted as she tried to get an angle to wrap it around Kazuki. He resisted lightly. "Synthia, please back me up here, will you?"


    Following her command, she propped right up to Kazuki''s shoulder. ''You''ll be more combat effective if we bandage you up.''


    "Fine,¡± Kazuki replied begrudgingly.


    Eliza wrapped her jumper tight in a diagonal, covering the wound on his chest. She tightened the knot, gripping it with both her hands. It was shoddy work¡­ Then, Eliza¡¯s uplink lit up. Two drones appeared out of nowhere, helping Eliza tighten the bandage as she scooted around to his back.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± asserted Eliza, continuing as she used components provided by the drones to help patch Kazuki up.


    ¡®You know how to control drones?¡¯ Synthia inquired.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Wait, she does? Eliza nodded slowly. ¡°I had to learn on the fly a few months ago, Kaz was in danger so¡­¡± Eliza awkwardly shied away as she fixed the fluttering sparks coming out of Kazuki¡¯s exospine. ¡°It¡¯s not completely fixed, but it should stop the aching.¡±


    ¡°How did you know I was aching?¡± Kazuki asked.


    Eliza smirked. ¡°Intuition, I suppose.¡±


    Despite all of this, the work was seemingly rather shoddy, in Eliza¡¯s opinion. However, it was better than nothing.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t know you knew first aid,¡± Kazuki said.


    Eliza chuckled and remarked, ¡°It¡¯s not much, really, just something Lilly and Claire wanted to teach me.¡± It was a self-deprecating statement. Finally, she flicked a level on Kazuki¡¯s exospine.


    A bout of steam released from his nape as Kazuki grunted in annoyance. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°Manually reclocking it helps,¡± Eliza commented. ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t know that, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Kazuki stated, his eyes glancing elsewhere. ¡°Sometimes... My mind¡¯s a bit fuzzy. I feel like I know that, but at the same time, I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Eliza slowly placed her thumb on Kaz¡¯s cheek. ¡°Come on, now isn¡¯t the time to get all sentimental,¡± she said. ¡°I doubt you¡¯ll forget something twice, or¡­ at all.¡±


    Kazuki gently placed one arm around her. ¡°Either way: thanks,¡± he said in a weak and low voice¡­ Eliza calmed down, as the drones around her deactivated, falling to the floor with a lack of connection. The bright soaring faces they had on their eyes went dim.


    Eliza took a step back, shivering slightly from the cold and her nerves. Her eyes glistened, then remembered the situation they were in¡­ She¡¯ll reminisce about Kaz¡¯s softer side later¡­ Kazuki tightened it further, almost like a tourniquet around his body. "Won''t last long."


    "It doesn''t need to, Kaz, it just needs to hold long enough for us to get you proper attention. Right... now..." She turned to the door a few flights down, dreading what might lay behind it. "We might be in a bit of an issue if something''s in there."


    They finally reached the bottom. Section 14, it seems. Eliza and Kazuki were at around Section 5 at the start¡­ How long have they been climbing down?


    Kazuki merely nodded and kicked the door open. Eliza leapt back, letting off a muffled shriek, surprised at the loud crash of steel against the floor. "Empty," he said. Eliza peered over his shoulder.


    The lower section¡¯s lights were barely on. Only a few flickers of emergency lights were on. It was dark, dusty, dull¡­


    It wasn¡¯t a maintenance shaft, nor was it a storage room¡­ It was a whole plaza, with old statues and aesthetics that looked distinctly Kast¨ª, ¡®Beaux-Kast¨ª Eliza believed is what they sometimes referred to it, filled with dust and death - leaving off a pungent smell of a bygone age.


    ¡°What¡­ happened here?¡± asked Eliza.


    ¡°The war,¡± said Kazuki.


    Synthia continued, ¡®Many of the generational aristocrats perished in the crisis¡­ As such, entire sections of the Ball Palace became empty.¡±


    He entered, with Eliza following suit. ''I''ll keep a lookout behind us, whatever you may call them, my eyes, can see in the dark,'' Synthia proclaimed.


    Floors stretched up and above, closed down shops and routes to long-dead halls and suites. An everlasting dead gloom lingered across the floor. Each step they took echoed through the large plaza, with a park in the centre of it, still somewhat alive with various plants - though overgrown and wilting. "Let''s... just find somewhere safe to hide, right?" she asked.


    Kazuki nodded, as the two walked into the park, a large spot of green and dense shrubs and trees. His eyes lit up, his arms wrapping around Eliza and throwing himself and her behind a tree¡­


    The darkness hid them as best it could, with Eliza¡¯s rising heartbeat. ¡°Is it one of them?¡± she asked, lowering her voice.


    Kazuki nodded, hearing a mechanical grind against the floor of the plaza across the distance.


    "Hacked," Kazuki said in a presumptive, dead voice. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be alive if this was abandoned. They¡¯re compromised.¡± ¡®Uplink only.¡¯


    Eliza nodded slowly.


    ¡¯We don''t know that!¡¯ she whispered to him, slowly sliding to his side. She peered out from behind the tree, seeing a pair of security robots patrol the plaza square. They seemed to fill the place, with their beeping lights shining forward, with even more similar lights filling the air from above.


    Synthia nervously chuckled. ¡®Not recommendable,¡¯ she remarked.


    ¡¯If you want to see for yourself, be my guest,¡¯ Kazuki replied.


    Eliza nodded, peering even further out from behind the tree and overgrown vibrant bushes.


    ¡¯I was being sarcastic.¡¯ Kazuki dragged Eliza back to his side.


    She peered back up at the Levels of shops far up above. ¡¯The upper floors!¡¯ she murmured to him. ¡¯There must be some shops we can hide in.¡¯


    Kazuki looked out, the two seeing the grated covers and bolted-down shutters across all shops on the base floor.


    ¡¯They might be alarm triggered if they¡¯re opened. If that happens, we''re dead. This isn''t the silver screens. These robots are made for security, to protect the Ball Palace no less.¡¯ His flurry of remarks made Eliza realise just how dumb her idea was... Even so, her eyes and face formed into a frown.


    She anxiously knelt, glancing away. ¡¯Fair point,¡® Eliza said.


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    Kazuki sighed at her reaction. "Don''t act like that. I''m not Archius. I''m not going to smooth you into understanding. I''ll tell you face to face. Got it?"


    ¡¯I know¡­¡¯ she replied instantly, feeling both safety and unease in his voice. ¡¯Are we just going to stay here, then?¡¯


    ''Well, have we got any better ideas?'' Synthia asked as she peered on top of both Kazuki''s and Eliza''s head. The act made Eliza loosen a little bit, feeling slightly warm on the inside as she chuckled to herself. ''Sometimes, doing nothing is the best option.''


    ¡¯She''s right.¡¯ Kazuki knelt down, slowly, before the snapping of a twig echoed through the plaza. The echo vibrated through the air, with flashing lights all peering into the forested park, causing Eliza''s face to go pale with fear... What did Kazuki just do?!


    His face maintained its lethal stillness. He shimmied towards her, standing up. ¡¯Maybe they didn''t hear that?¡¯ he asked with all seriousness.


    ¡¯No... they most definitely did,¡¯ Eliza said, hearing the soft mechanical footsteps approach, the cold crack against marble turning into a soft squelch under grass. ¡¯What do we do!?¡¯


    Kazuki''s head twisted left and right, looking around for anything that might be of value. He left their crevice, seeing something in the dark ¡¯Come. There¡¯s a shed...¡¯


    Grabbing into Kazuki¡¯s hand, the two ran through the forest. Eliza couldn¡¯t see anything, totally reliant on Kazuki for vision in the darkness.


    All the while, his golden eyes blared through the fog. Arriving at a small gazebo-like structure, Kazuki rushed into it. It had walls on all sides, with windows that people could see through. There was just enough room to move around. Eliza knelt down, placing her hands against her knees to support herself...


    In the corner was a stack of drones, and moss-covered them. Brushing the moss off, Eliza could see water valves attached to their ventral face. These were water safety drones.


    She looked up at him, his golden eyes thinning whilst peering out of cover. They did disagree on the Jin situation, but none of that mattered here, because when push comes to shove: Kazuki shoves, and he¡¯s here.


    That alone eased Eliza¡¯s mind, a lukewarm sense of security overlapping dread.


    He raised his SMG''s muzzle up towards the door, the two hiding by the sides. Now all they had to do was wait... Wait for their eminent deaths, she supposed. Seconds passed, with Eliza kneeling next to Kazuki. She felt like sneezing, but held her nose and mouth close, muffling the noises.


    The soft mechanical sounds were quickly turning into heavy lift crunches against the paved path. She placed a hand over her mouth, feeling her lungs slowly becoming uncontrollable in their satiation for air. Each puff suffocated her even more.


    She felt the slow, crooked touch of Kazuki''s hand on her shoulder. It was rough, but he shook her slightly. She gazed up at him, eyes holding back her heart¡¯s worries.


    Contrastingly, his eyes were calm, dead yes but they had a level of compassion in them. It was like the gaze of a mother, warding away a child¡¯s worries.


    It was rather shocking¡­ Empathy wasn¡¯t in the cards she expected Kaz to have¡­ Eliza calmed down, and her breathing stabilised.


    ¡¯Sorry,¡¯ he muttered. ¡¯It wasn''t like me... was it?¡¯


    ¡¯Not really, but hey, seems you can be kind,¡¯ Eliza muttered to him, controlling the urge to pull his cheeks apart and pat him on the head. He merely glanced away, nodding.


    "Thank my mother. Not me," he said, placing a finger to his lips. The crunches were approaching, a beam of light shining deep into the shed.


    Muzzle pointed upwards, Kazuki and Eliza watched as steel hunched through, peering into the structure. The robot''s head scanned the deep insides of the structure, as Synthia projected onto Kazuki''s shoulder. He made a motion towards the trigger, and Synthia paused, thinking... Its scanning light slowly crawled to the sides, with Synthia also scanning the machine.


    More security robots were around them, beams of light shining through the windows.


    Eliza could see its purple scanner peer into the gazebo, with Synthia projecting a scanning ray to its underside, hiding beneath its scans. The light was crawling up to her, almost touching her legs as she pushed herself to the wall.


    Just then, Synthia gave Kazuki the thumbs up.


    Pulling the trigger, Kazuki disabled the drone with a well-placed bolt, exploding its chest.


    Sprinting out from cover, Kazuki blasted the robots outside, shredding them all to scrap. Ducking and weaving from another robot¡¯s attack, Kazuki slammed the muzzle into his chest, firing upwards - disabling four robots in mere seconds.


    Eliza peered to watch his victory.


    He turned to her, with a blurry visage steaming through the forest towards him. A bolt ricocheted off the shed¡¯s walls, with Eliza rushing back behind cover. FUCK! That was close!


    Kaz¡¯s body twisted, slicing the attacking robot, emptying the SMG¡¯s magazine into its head¡­ Kazuki dropped the SMG, not even scratched by the encounter. Scurrying to her, he placed a hand over his wound.


    Eliza saw her jumper with blood on it, seeping out from the wound. She jolted up, ready to help him, but he stopped her. Eliza paused for a few seconds, before grabbing it. "That won''t be the last of them. Let''s move," he said.


    ¡®Your wound... it''s still bleeding,¡¯ Eliza said as the two walked down the storage halls, between large containers and crates. ¡®We should re-attach it I¡¯ll retighten it with something else.¡¯


    She looked around her person, seeing that she only had her space-dog shirt to offer¡­ Not exactly the best thing to offer to him, she thought.


    ¡®You''ll get cold,¡¯ he said, continuing with her deeper into the park. There was a dried-up pond nearby. His answer shocked Eliza. Was he not even worried about himself, in a time like this?! ¡®Don¡¯t fucking strip.¡¯


    Eliza replied, ¡®Well... better to have the sniffles than a nasty case of death, wouldn''t you agree?¡¯


    ¡®She makes a quite valid point,¡¯ said Synthia. ¡®I¡¯ve analysed the robots, most are outdated, but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re mere playthings.¡¯ ¡®My wounds will clot soon,¡¯ Kazuki stated. He placed a hand over his wound.


    Eliza grumbled before Kazuki¡¯s scanning eyes stopped them in their tracks. He pushed his hand out, stopping Eliza from walking past him.


    ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Eliza glanced around. The trees and dead branches obscured the view from below,. Something was wrong... but she couldn''t place her thumb on exactly what it was. "It''s... quiet..."


    Kazuki continued from her, ¡®Too quiet. No footsteps... Keep¡ª''


    Golden eyes ignited. He kicked her, her body crunching and flying back into one of the many glowing trees behind her. A cacophony of gunfire followed suit. Eliza looked up.


    An ambush! Two robots careened through the treeline, smashing them aside - with two additional robots firing sporadic but inaccurate bolts from the levels above.


    The two converged on Kazuki, forcing him into a dance against the brutes. The rattle of gunfire was only interrupted by swings of protruding stun sticks. Kazuki ripped off one of the robot''s stun sticks, using whatever he could to fight back.


    Yet with a clear line of sight, the drone on top aimed.


    "KAZ! WATCH OUT!" Eliza shouted, trying to scramble up to help.


    She watched as he narrowly escaped a bolt aimed for his head, as he plunged back in towards the fighting. Eliza could see that those above refused to fire¡­ Why? Did they know that if even a single one of those robots falls, Kaz will immediately gain the advantage?


    Eliza started to stagger away, as she felt stray bolts enter her body. The impact shook her to her very being, as she crumbled onto the floor. Blood¡­ it stained Eliza¡¯s leg, pouring out from her knee.


    Kaz took one glance at her, before jamming the stun-stick into the viewport of one of the closest security robots. Despite his best efforts, the security robots were doing a number on him. Eliza took a deep breath, glancing back the way they came.


    An idea sparked in her mind! She connected her uplink to the drones¡­ A mind-numbing headache struck her, but she weathered the storm, flicking the drones to life as she rushed them forward. Through the darkness, she unleashed the fire safety drones on the robots.


    Spouts of high-density water and foam came pouring from the drones¡¯ valves, freezing and short-circuiting a few robots! The jabs and wounds Kaz had dealt were turned into lethal shocks with a single burst of water!


    One of the robots brushed their hand, protecting their components whilst firing away at the drones. The headache turned into a sensation of pure writhing pain as Eliza shrieked, watching the drones fall to the ground.


    Was¡­ Was she okay?! Eliza placed a hand to her head, thinking she had been shot there, but she was fine, physically. Kazuki took this singular moment to pounce forward, disabling the robot as it was distracted.


    Then, Eliza saw her blood slowly fall onto the grass below. A stream of blood was slowly leaving Eliza¡¯s nose and wound.


    ¡°Nice hit!¡± Kazuki shot over.


    Eliza coughed up. ¡°We¡¯d make a good team, right?¡± she asked, trying to connect to the drones fruitlessly.


    Kazuki clambered onto one of the final robots, using the chaos and mess to cause them to attack one another. Amid the fight, Kazuki ripped the robot¡¯s auto rifle from its hands. The gun tumbled down - directly into Kazuki''s hands.


    A string of bolts clambered into a suppressing robot above. Eliza crawled to the side, watching the carnage unfold, before collapsing against another tree, clutching at the pain in her chest. She coughed... no blood, thankfully.


    The robot Kazuki was on shook him off, as the dead robot from above crashed down into it, disabling it. Kazuki released a fusillade of electric bolts into the two remaining drones. One fell, as the final robot charged Kazuki, using its appendages as shields.


    Stepping to the side, Kazuki narrowly avoided the charge. It crashed into a tree, sending it flying out of the park area - slamming into the shutters of one of the shops.


    The robot swept its arm at him.


    Eliza watched it connect, the rifle was knocked towards Eliza¡¯s general direction. Her eyes grew in horror, with Kazuki¡¯s body flung back, grinding across the ground into a tree.


    The robot ignored her, continuing its assault as it walked up to Kazuki. Even in such a state, Kazuki was clambering to his feet.


    She shot a glance at the rifle, slowly reaching out towards it. It was just out of arm''s reach... Come on... She moved her legs, aching and in pain. She was getting closer, but her limbs gave her all they could offer¡­


    Looking over at Kazuki, she could see the drone slowly lift him up.


    He was frantically trying to push the drone away - using everything. He even ripped the robot''s head off, trying to cut out its computation core, yet it continued to move. Fuck.... FUCK, nothing was working, she thought.


    Kazuki was ripping into the robot, as it choked him, his arms and hands ripping component after component out from the security robot''s neck cavity.


    Eliza knew she had to do something. She kicked herself forward in a crawl, ignoring the pain in her knee...


    She gritted through it, she had to get to the gun. She slammed herself harder, digging her nails forward and into the rotting grass - just to get an inch closer.


    "E..." Kazuki shouted towards her. She glanced towards him, he was still being choked slowly. "Over...c¡ª"


    Was he trying to overclock!? She slowly shook her head, that''d kill him surer than the suffocation. But he wasn''t playing around.


    Kazuki lifted a finger to his exospine¡¯s power source.


    A bright green light shone, as Eliza knew what he was going to do. Overclock, and destroy that robot... Elizabeth had no idea if her repairs to the Overclock system worked, after all, there was no way to "test" it without properly damaging Kazuki.


    Her concerns were written all over her face. However, none of those seemed to match Kazuki¡¯s cold, brutal exterior.


    Then, a shout rang from the side.


    And within a single slice, a golden blaze cut through the air.


    The robot was bisected and then dissected into a billion parts. Kazuki dropped to the ground, choking and coughing for air... Eliza ignored what just happened, satisfied knowing that her¡­ Kazuki was safe.


    Eyes glow red, as Kazuki staggered towards her. A Phoenix was perched on his shoulder, licking his wounds.


    He looked exhausted, battle-weary and bloodied. Kazuki was directly in front of her, as white-clad figures stormed across the place, with black-suited guards.


    "Kazuki..." she trailed off.


    He said nothing, merely glancing over her wounds, being licked at by the pet phoenix. He then sighed, blood trickling down his face, over his golden eyes.


    "It¡¯s alright," he said. His lips and face were stone-cold solid, yet his eyes were warm, like what he had done before. Yet coldness and ice stabbed through the lens.


    His legs then failed, with Kazuki collapsing to the ground in front of her.


    Lady Antiar rushed over, immediately tending to Kazuki. She muttered something to herself, as she took several injectors and stabbed Kazuki with them, stabilising him.


    She looked up at Eliza. "Don''t worry, your friend will live.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll need answers,¡± she said. ¡°A lot of them.¡±


    Eliza nodded, feeling the coldness wrap around her. They were safe, yes, but something struck a chill down Eliza''s spine... As if something was very wrong, as if they were faced with something they couldn''t even fathom. These robots... It must have been a powerful hack, she thought.


    This had to have been Obadiah, she thought. His threats were adamant¡­ Still, Eliza¡¯s open mind realised that it could have been someone else. But who else?

 X36: Wisdom of a Knight

    Kazuki fell unconscious. That much Eliza could tell. It was a rather strange sight, to her at least. He didn''t move a muscle in slumber. Eliza sat beside the bedside in the infirmary.


    Pi was sleeping on top of Kazuki, he wouldn¡¯t leave him.


    She has to pick up the pace¡­ She has to assert herself! Eliza couldn¡¯t just let Kazuki burden the whole mission.


    The doors phased open, and a white-haired knight stepped through. She nodded at Eliza, her eyes piercing straight through her. "May I have a word?" she asked.


    Eliza stood up, "Of course¡ª"


    "¡ªDon''t stand, it''ll only take a moment," Lady Antiar continued. Her eyes gazed down at Kazuki, giving it an awkward glare. Kazuki didn''t seem to care that Lady Antiar despised him, still: her dogma didn''t sit quite right with Eliza. "Those robots, you know anything about them?"


    "Well... They''re security robots, right? Sorry, I... I''m not exactly well versed on them." Eliza shrugged, apologising as well.


    ¡®My scans indicated that they were¡­ hacked only recently,¡¯ said Synthia. ¡®Though, I was rather occupied with trying not to get my students killed, so take that as you may.¡¯


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Lady Antiar mumbled to herself. ¡°Interesting¡­¡±


    ¡®My databanks don¡¯t go back quite as long as I¡¯d like, however,¡¯ Synthia admitted.


    "They protected the Palace during the Intergalactic Crisis, Royal, Imperial, Republic, Free Oversector? Didn¡¯t matter. Either way: they''re outdated. The old link code would have corrupted them. Did anything happen before this? Anything that would have placed a target on you or¡­ him?¡± Lady Antiar crossed her arms.


    "Not exactly..." Eliza trailed off. Wait! There was the Jara-Jins... But that was organised by the Marquis. Fer-Charelota would not so easily allow such information to be released, Eliza thought, especially if it included both her and Kazuki. The obvious choice was Obadiah¡­ Yet something in her heart told her otherwise. "I did speak to umm..."


    "Obadiah?" asked Lady Antiar, with an exasperated voice. "Dammit..." She placed a hand on her forehead.


    Eliza raised an eyebrow. "Wait... Do you truly think that¡ª"


    "¡ªNo. Maybe. I''ll see that this is... properly investigated." Lady Antiar''s eyes turned to a scowl, as the jewels along the various necklaces around her head glowed. She then muttered to herself, ¡°Dammit¡­ Confident Triarch fool¡­¡±


    Eliza''s eyes widened at the sight of her jewels, shuffling slightly backwards in her seat.


    Lady Antiar quickly took note and said, ¡°They¡¯re just for show." She placed a finger on one of the jewels.


    She placed her hand out, showing her glove, with a jewel emblazed and woven into it on her backhand. "I¡¯m here to help, not to harm. I can assure you of your safety in these halls.¡±


    "Does... Sari jewellery normally glow?" asked Eliza.


    Raising an eyebrow, Lady Antiar''s tone changed to a more inquisitive one, though maybe she was just surprised at the question. "No? It''s merely the Detonation Shard, I use the others to regulate volatility.¡±


    It felt quite surreal to be in the presence of a Hazard Shard, let alone a Hazard User. She shuddered at the sight and the explanation. The implication that it was more like an uncontrollable and eternal flame rather than a mastered light sent a small chill down her back.


    "Volatility?"


    "The Explosion Shard is destructive to a fault, especially for the storage of chemical energy. Far more than the others. I use my customary jewellery to burden the load," Lady Antiar said. She flexed her gloves and knuckledusters, and the ignition sparks spun, empowered by the Shard along the Knight¡¯s forehead. "The Marquis also has sent his regards and apologies but cannot make it in person."


    "That''s understandable," Eliza said. He must be quite busy with what had just happened, especially since it targeted two people he was at least acquainted with.


    "As an apology, he has provided the two of you high-grade Kast¨¦ Elderan Wine,¡± she said. ¡°And¡­ I am to see to your safety, for the time being¡­¡±


    Rather useless, given how Kazuki doesn¡¯t drink. "Send the Marquis my thanks," said Eliza. Lady Antiar merely nodded.


    "I''ll leave you two be, I have added my security buzzer to your uplink," said Lady Antiar, flicking her uplink on and sending Eliza a message. Eliza caught it, seeing that it was a direct call to Lady Antiar. The Knight stepped back. "Don''t tell him I was here."


    She turned back towards the door. The words have broken open a dam of questions, as Eliza spoke up, "What is it with you and him?"


    Lady Antiar stopped in the door frame. She turned back to Eliza, with an ever-present scowl. Despite its gaze upon her, she could feel that the destination was against Kazuki. "You''re alien to the industry of crime and mercs, aren''t you?"


    "Perhaps." Eliza didn''t want to disclose that she was working with Kazuki in more ways than simply this investigation.


    Nodding, Lady Antiar paused. Did she see through her white lie? "Criminals and mercs backstab each other all the time. Contracts exist to stop that. Put some law and order through the chaos," said Lady Antiar. "You already know the rest..."


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    "It¡¯s as equal as sacrosanct," said Eliza. ¡°Enforceable beyond the law.¡±


    "Contracts of all types... Promises, legal documents, blood oaths... I guess I have my ancestors to thank for that," Lady Antiar bit off at the end, her eyes holding a level of contempt.


    What does Lady Antiar know? Lady Antiar was... his second in the negotiations, but she didn''t seem to want to be there.


    ¡°You were by Obadiah¡¯s side, why?¡± asked Eliza.


    Lady Antiar grumbled. ¡°I too am bound to contracts, Elizabeth,¡± she said. ¡°Multiple contracts. Seven Merc, Seven Crim, you understand not.¡±


    Something feels off, a bit strange on all levels - beyond anything she could comprehend. Lady Antiar seemed to be the muscle, or at least some form of servitude to Obadiah¡­ But why? Obadiah was powerful, but to get a Knight, none other than Lady Antiar, Fifth of the Criminals, herself?!


    "Contracts... Kazuki''s more than just a Contract-Breaker," said Eliza. She stood up once again. "He¡­ broke his contract for something he¡­" Eliza paused.


    Was it truly just for her? But why?! They had barely known each other for a year by that point. Why was Kazuki willing to do so much to protect her?


    Time and time again¡­


    Eliza could never have placed her thumb on it.


    Lady Antiar answered, "It doesn''t matter why. I know exactly what he is. My advice, get away from him. He''ll get you killed one day. Don¡¯t worry about looking after him, he¡¯s a Seven Merc, might be a kid but we Seven on either side are always alone. It¡¯s a harsh job. It¡¯s the understanding that you will never live a normal life. Kazuki knows that. Get that into your head.¡±


    ¡°And what about you?! You live a... you seem to live a normal life here, at the Palace,¡± Eliza corrected herself.


    ¡°Do I?¡± inquired Lady Antiar. ¡°Imperial Knights rarely live normal lives. Our order was founded by Crusaders, hired to defend the Ball Palace after the Crusades... We have many outposts across the galaxy, upholding law and order... Even clashed with a few crusader groups turned outlaw ¨C those are rare, though.¡±


    Lady Antiar crossed her arms and sighed, to Eliza, it seemed like Lady Antiar was releasing a heavy burden from her chest.


    ¡°Only a Knight can make another Knight... We have archaic practices, whenever the Squires graduate, they are Knighted, Sirs and Dames... You have those back on Enga, don¡¯t you?¡± asked Lady Antiar.


    Eliza gave a slow nod. ¡°It¡¯s merely ceremonial, though...¡±


    ¡°And to us... Knighthood means everything... it¡¯s the idea of it, the... idea of justice and honour,¡± Lady Antiar seemed almost scoffing at herself. ¡°It¡¯s an insane notion for us Imperial Knights to betray it... Yet we did it many times, betraying our fellow Crusaders and the Empire to survive... And here we are.¡±


    She stepped out of the room, giving a slight bow, and phased the door shut, leaving Eliza alone with her thoughts. She stopped in a moment of silence. Lady Antiar''s not stupid, and she seems to know what she''s talking about.


    Despite the apparent wisdom in her words, Eliza merely chalked it up to the stigma of being a Contract-Breaker. He¡¯s been shouted at, and ridiculed in front of people - even though he fights for them. And on top of that Kazuki was a member of the Seven Mercenaries, the Heptagia of Contractors.


    Was that why he slinks away? Is that why Eliza rarely sees him smile? Kazuki burdens himself with too many things, Eliza thought.


    Where¡¯s the justice in that? This has to be why Kazuki¡¯s always so cynical, simply an understanding that he¡¯s a tool¡­


    A tool for her, maybe? Eliza¡¯s glistening rose-red eyes fell onto Kazuki¡¯s sleeping body.


    Just... what does she do? Does she tell Kazuki? Well... Eliza did feel like Kazuki was keeping some things to himself, after all, he did say as much after the Loyalist Crisis.


    Probably for the best, she assumed, Lady Antiar was on their side after all. There was still much that Eliza was unaware of. She hated it. That feeling of the unknown, normally she could dispel it with research and understanding. But how can she understand any of this?


    Eliza''s eyes glanced down at Kazuki, seemingly at peace. ¡°What do I do... Kaz?¡± Eliza asked. No response, as expected, though he was obviously unconscious from his injuries. ¡°Of course... you¡¯d know what to do, right? Right? Just... do I do, Kaz?¡±


    No response. Eliza sighed.


    She stretched back to him, sitting him up before looking over at his exospine. His head drooped forward. ¡°Sorry...¡± Eliza murmured, as she took out a small toolkit, and once more: started work.


    ¡°Why is it... you...¡± Eliza murmured. ¡°Why you? Why are you helping me...?¡± She stopped for a moment, before continuing. There was no point in asking.


    ¡®I believe there may be more than what you¡¯re asking of him,¡¯ Synthia suggested, propping up on Eliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡®But, once again¡­ I am sure the situation is rather delicate, especially for a person of his status.¡¯


    Synthia then helped Eliza point out locations to fix. Eliza replied, ¡°I know, just focus on this for now, I¡¯d be annoying if he woke up before the repairs were finished.¡±


    The exospine was damaged, as always, yet Eliza knew how to fix it up ¨C just a smidge here and there. She looked through the complicated and small components, reconnecting them and refining the solders.


    Here, with cybernetics, Eliza felt at ease... She knew how to do this, she¡¯d been training and learning all her life, with knowledge ranging from cogitators and thermal ionising techniques to everything else she held true.


    But that was different here, this place... It was suffocating. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she murmured once more to an unconscious Kaz.


    She was out of her depth. Yet that was no excuse to not push all that she had into this endeavour. Kazuki''s gotten them this far, she''ll need to help out in, any way that she can.


    Synthia projected out from Eliza¡¯s uplink, looking rather displeased. ¡®I know you do not wish for me to distract you so oft, but¡­ I am aware of when my beloved student feels an overly amount of mental pain.¡¯


    ¡°Huh?¡± Eliza stared back, confused.


    ¡®Those drones¡­ Look, I know you¡¯re a rather talented person, especially when push comes to shove, but you were lucky they didn¡¯t fry your brain,¡¯ Synthia scolded Eliza, who frowned. ¡®But good job¡­ You did quite well, controlling them.¡¯


    The frown turned into a smile. ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly my first time, to be honest!¡± Eliza was happy to have found something positive in this mess. Pi snuggled closer to Kazuki in her sleep, letting a small bout of steam from her nostrils.


    Even after everything, Eliza still needed to prove herself. Not only to herself but to Kazuki. He¡¯s done so much, it feels almost criminal for her to simply rely on him.


    Despite that, Eliza smiled, knowing that the ball was starting to roll. Kaz and her are equal partners in the investigation! Eliza filled herself with a streak of confidence and optimism, pushing her cheeks up into a wider grin, thinking that she¡¯d take some sort of serious role in this.


    ¡°Can you do this?¡± Eliza asked herself, and an uneasy feeling started to choke her.


    Despite that, her steady hands kept up the work, fixing up the gears and vertebrae along Kazuki¡¯s exospine. All the while, the sleeping Phoenixes lie lifeless.

 X37: Peek into the Siblinghood

    The cold and miserable memories flooded back in. All of them played at the same time in the elevator. He was badly damaged. Bruises were hidden beneath his clothes, the edges and fringes of them barely visible on his arms and torso. He blinked within the reflective mirror, seeing his younger self in the reflection.


    Azure blue eyes¡­ Burnt to gold. Nothing of Kazuki remained, he thought. The memories kept bleeding out, none of them were good. But that implied that he had many good memories, to begin with.


    He was hiding on the inside balcony hanging over the living room. He could hear his parents argue below¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what happened! He¡¯s still our son, nothing will change that,¡± said Misty - Kazuki¡¯s mother.


    His father responded, ¡°You sold his life. Whatever came out of that surgery is not our son anymore.¡±


    Kazuki placed his face on his knees.


    ¡°I¡­ We must do our best for him nonetheless,¡± said Misty. ¡°He may not be able to succeed in the ways we believed him to, but I know our son is more resilient than what you give him credit for!¡±


    That was all Kazuki needed to hear to understand his situation. Fuck all the other information. He¡¯s been abandoned in the depths of death¡­ Kazuki, however, didn¡¯t cry. They¡¯d find out he was eavesdropping if he did.


    But his face said it all, staring mindlessly forward. The soon-to-be-trainee-mercenary was as good as dead.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Just¡­ I know. But keep your voice down, we don¡¯t want to wake up Yuki¡­ Doctors say she lost her memories, I wouldn¡¯t want her first ones here to be us arguing.¡± Yamagata was more concerned with Yuki than Kazuki.


    Of course, he¡¯d be. Of course. Kazuki was dead. All that remained was the corpse of the boy who once was, freezing alone in a tundra far from home.


    One gold eye, one blue eye, shone brightly. His exospine whirred to life, dried blood still visible with the surgical marks. He pressed his legs together, suffocating himself on his bed.


    His memory changed. He was in his room¡­ Date: 4915, Apri 28th. He was alive¡­ But barely. Kazuki¡¯s memorised vision glanced down to the contract by his feet. His eyes were red from tears¡­ How couldn¡¯t they have been?


    The bedroom was cold, dull, dark. Only moonlight lit it up. Calling it a bedroom, however, would be an understatement. It was a whole living quarter unto itself. Below, on the quarters¡¯ table, stood a large building set.


    It was a model of a whole fleet, hovering above the table, with a holographically designed Anagora skyline below it. To the corner was a map of the galaxy.


    It was a game he; Noah and Victoria were making¡­ His father helped with the specifics, being the High Admiral of course. It lacked some refinement.


    Now, it¡¯ll never see completion.


    A thousand nightmares clung up from below the bed and from the ceiling above. The rotting, dead hands of the dead stretched out. They beckoned Kazuki. Clenching his hair, the memory continued in silent agony. He saw Victoria¡¯s silhouette amongst them, a bloodied and messy clot of pink hair, darkened.


    Kazuki turned away, clutching at his eyes to forget. He could feel a hallucination¡¯s grasp around his neck. It was gentle and soft as if trying to calm him down.


    He knew what illusion it was. It was the one he keeps having, the one who never seems to leave... ¡°Go away...¡± Kazuki murmured, feeling his hallucinations and mind gear back awake, showing only reality.


    Contract with Clandestine. A soul for a soul. He read it again, skimming the key details.


    ¡®In exchange for the application and utilisation of the Experimental Prototype Exospine V42-DTIC, Kazuki Izumi Geminorum-Ryzaku, Prince of Trasia, must adhere to ten years of service to the Clandestine Defence Corporation.¡¯


    It was illegal. Most definitely. But who cared? This galaxy was so filled with corruption and death that his plight would only fall on deaf ears. Service to mercenaries¡­


    He buried his face into his knees. ¡°Why did you agree to that¡­ Why couldn¡¯t you just have let me die¡­¡±


    All those lives on that station¡­ It was all him, Kazuki verbally abused himself again.


    ¡°It was you. You stupid boy¡­ Why couldn¡¯t you have just run¡­¡± The guilt kept piling up. Victoria¡­ The Incident¡­ There was too much he couldn¡¯t say. Blood sept out from his wounds once again, and his surgical marks, before his exospine clotted up his fa?ade.


    With that knife¡­. It was only a mere chance that Kazuki would have escaped with his life¡­ If Noah wasn¡¯t¡­ Kazuki stopped himself. It was foolish of him to believe that¡­. Of course, it was the easy way out¡­


    Still. That was unbefitting of him. He¡¯s alive¡­ But at what cost?


    Deep down, however, Kazuki knew he was responsible. The figures in the room held Victoria¡­ He could see it so clearly. Despite his memory, it felt so dreamy. Their faces were all but gone, mirages of his nightmare.


    ¡°She died anyways¡­¡± Kazuki trailed off. Tears bled from his eyes, falling down his burned cheek. He could feel the steel switch in his hands¡­ Beckoning him to have chosen correctly.


    He clawed his palms until his nails cut the surface of his skin.


    The endless sparks that changed it all. Kazuki could have stopped it all. All he had to do was run¡­ He traded all of them, for her.


    Here he was, alone. In his room. The jugular¡¯s thoughts were slashed, his mind cleared with the opening of the elevator doors.


    He was home¡­ Whatever that was.


    The lava lamp by the entrance was the only thing to greet Kazuki.


    He took a step forward. His wrists and arms were covered with fading cuts and wounds. He rubbed them, taking in a deep breath. The elevator doors closed, as the finely furbished entrance hall rebounded sound in from deeper within his family¡¯s condo.


    Leaning against the cold, iron door, Kazuki smelt the faint steel stench stuck to his skin and clothes. Blood, he thought. The date was the 5th of Juli, 4920. Kazuki was fifteen years old...


    Who was he? So much death. Just what is he?


    His mind started to fracture at the seams as if something was calling for him. He stood up, ignoring the headaches.


    Fuck the prescription, he thought, he¡¯ll just down the whole jar. Walking forward, service drones hovered around the corner towards him.


    They started to take his coat off, but he shoved them to the side. "No," he said... "Thanks..."


    Kazuki took a glance at the drones, nodding at them. They were far more nicer than humans, he thought. They nodded back, and deactivated - hanging themselves against the wall¡­


    Kazuki stared at their hanging artistic frames. Even in the entrance hall, the decor and splendour shouted extravagance. He took his shoes and coat off. His slippers weren¡¯t even out.


    The lights of Anagora''s surface glittered up at him through the windows. The floating islands up above said nothing back.


    Pulling his eyes away, he entered the living room/ It was large... Massive. It had enough space to host an entire party of people. It did. Sometimes.


    The lava lamps and the low hues of coloured lights bombarded him from above.


    He continued walking, hoping to not get noticed by his family. The stairs were on the opposite side of the room, curling upwards to the second and third floors of the suite.


    "Back home..." Kazuki said to himself.


    Chatter could be heard from the dining room and kitchen. Wooden dividers acted as ''doors'' to the kitchen section, with the silhouettes of those within visible. He stood still for a moment. His father¡¯s set of ¡®ceremonial¡¯ Trasian swords hung on the wall.


    Kazuki stared out into the distance through the large glass wall. A pink-haired reflection stared back at him, pensive and with a look of pity. ¡°No...¡± he muttered, drawing his eyes away. He felt the components of his exospine move over and lock in place.


    His leg gave way as he started to cower in the middle of the room.


    ¡°No...¡±


    Kazuki looked back, seeing only his face. That¡¯s right, he thought, it¡¯s only him. Cyrus, V¨¢clavos and Nihara are on death¡¯s doorstep. Kazuki was prepared for the worst.


    Now, he remains ¨C as always. Did he inherit both his father¡¯s curses?


    The door to his room opened as Pi flew out, perching on the bannister and looking at him.


    Kazuki pressed a finger to his lips. The bird cooed loudly. Footsteps could be heard. They were approaching him. Fuck. It''s her. Kazuki sped up the stairs. He hid behind the half wall of the balcony.


    A pale light entered into the living room. Yuki stormed in.


    "Kazu?!" she shouted, walking around the living room. "You¡¯re back?! Hellooooo?¡±


    Pi fluttered over to Kazuki, immediately licking his face. It must have missed him. ¡°I¡¯ll get you your own place¡­¡± Kazuki trailed off in a whisper to Pi. ¡°Eventually.¡±


    Then, Kazuki said nothing. He peered over the bannister, seeing his ''sister'' wander about. Kazuki shimmied his way towards his room on the second floor, tucked away in the corner, along a long hall.


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    The atmosphere felt so suffocating, being here... Yuki didn''t seem to relent, instead searching around the place to see if Kazuki was hiding. Kazuki and Pi hid, still licking his face with warm, antiseptic drool.


    "Come out, come out! You know I''ll just find you if you hide," Yuki playfully jeered. Kazuki rolled his eyes, and he looked at the mirror opposite him.


    Two gold eyes. Bulbs plastered onto a burnt face and dead soul.


    "You died,¡± he muttered to himself. Kazuki must never forget that.


    Then, a voice cried out.


    "AHA! Found you!" shouted Yuki. Kazuki turned to his side, seeing his sister point at him with an air of pompous arrogance. "You thought you could escape me, but no!"


    Kazuki found the energy to bite off more words. "What do you want?" She froze as he twisted to look at her. Oh yeah... His new eye... Kazuki stood up, much taller than his sister. She took a step back as if scared by his mere presence.


    Oh¡­


    "The hell? Is it a new trend to get eyes replaced?! Is becoming an Artigonal in trend now?!" she shouted out loud. Storming towards Kazuki, she tried to poke his new gold eye. She didn''t get very far, with Kaz placing a hand out to stop her in her tracks.


    Artigonal? No matter what, he¡¯ll never become one of those juiced-up metal freaks.


    So annoying... Kazuki kept himself busy with Pi, sending his phoenix to his quarters.


    "Don''t. It''s not... It won''t get you new followers." Kazuki twisted around and started to walk to his room. He needed time for himself, even though he already knew what would happen. He¡¯ll hate himself, and then he¡¯ll move from hating to harming.


    Yuki seemed to have other ideas, instead grabbing hold of Kazuki.


    "Blegh... you smell like iron, don''t tell me you want to become an engineer!" she shouted.


    Kazuki nodded. "Inventor, like mother," he lied. He kept walking, despite Yuki''s pressure to drag him back. "What?"


    " We''re having dinner and you''re late!" Yuki shouted at him, trying to drag him back, all the way to the dining room. Kazuki remained still. "Come on! Stop resisting!"


    "I''m not," Kazuki replied. His exospine was so heavy that Yuki couldn¡¯t move it. "I''m going to bed."


    "Nuh uh, not with an empty stomach. Don''t make me get mother and father!" Yuki shouted, pretending to lean over the bannister.


    Kazuki acquiesced, turning around and allowing Yuki to drag him down with her.


    "Just a quick bite, I''m tired," Kazuki lied. "Alright?"


    "Sure! Sure!" Yuki dismissed whatever he had to say, dragging him down to their dining room. Yuki stood beside him, as their parents glanced at the duo.


    The dining room was large, with a large table in the middle. Neon-white lights were embedded into the walls, with drones setting out new cutlery for Kazuki. They didn''t even expect him...


    Kazuki ignored their gazes, dragging a chair to the opposite side of the table before sitting down.


    Yuki skipped over to her seat, near her father. Silence deafened the four, as Kazuki''s father was reading the holo-news from a data-pad. A drone refilled Kazuki''s cup. It was just a standard cup...


    The four ate quietly.


    "So..." Yuki clapped her hands together. Their mother gave a calm-headed nod towards Kazuki. He returned it, not wanting to attract his father''s own glare.


    Kazuki knew it was no more than just a formality. All the chatter that existed before ceased to exist the moment he was introduced into the picture.


    "New eye?" Yamagata asked, a voice as dull as Kazuki¡¯s. Kazuki looked up from eating, seeing his father wearing an off-duty naval officer''s uniform. His navy coat was hung on his seat, adorned with a thousand medals - including the High Admiral¡¯s crochet.


    Nodding, Kazuki ignored any follow-up questions by answering himself. "New trend," he lied.


    He didn¡¯t want to speak to any of them about anything, especially this new gift he had¡­ Just another weight to burden him down¡­ More will come, he knows that.


    Misty spoke up, "Well, I thought the heterochromia looked better, Kazu, but I must say there is a level of elegance in two golden eyes." She finished off with a light-hearted chuckle.


    All knew. Except Yuki. "Yeah... I just decided to do it on a whim."


    "Hmph, change it back," Yamagata said, placing the newspaper down.


    Kazuki caught a brief glimpse of it. Nothing important was being reported, as expected. Even the rampage that Freyja and Hartius left behind was nothing.


    But Kazuki knows. Ten thousand dead in under an hour. Two combatants. All across the Sub Level. Those were who he was up against, Kazuki thought - a member of the Seven Mercs.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Yamagata continued, as Misty gave him a dead cold side-glare. ¡°I support it. You will always have your mother¡¯s eyes on you."


    "Now now, I think gold suits Kazu, what do you think, Yuki?" Misty asked his adopted sister.


    "Well, I''m not against it!" Yuki shouted as she shoved rice down her throat. She spoke with food in her mouth. "I mean, it looks really cool! Like with the burns as well!"


    A strange sensation came over Kazuki. Cool? Well¡­ Kazuki didn¡¯t describe the sensation any further. He nodded. The food was great, as expected, but Kazuki didn''t want to linger.


    This place was nauseating. He placed a food-covering bowl over his bowl. Standing up, Kazuki was going to excuse himself.


    Yamagata did the same, standing up. The High Admiral towered above Kazuki, white hair pale as the Eclipse. It was a constant reminder of what his father had been through for this Republic¡­ Throwing himself into the Eclipse at their command.


    For the senate¡¯s pride.


    His eyes shone with a crimson hue. The same as Kazuki''s grandfather... Mother always told of how Yamagata got his hair ''bleached'' by the Maelstrom, how its effects cause men to go mad. And his father is one of those survivors...


    "Stay seated, it''s not every day that you get to eat with us, with how hard you''re studying," he said.


    Oh yeah... Studying... What the fuck was that? Yuki nodded at Kazuki, trying to get him to stay. He sat back down...


    Sister always gets what she wants, Kazuki thought. Misty said, "Kazu, you should sit closer to us."


    This was something he could not accept. He shook his head.


    "Why?!" Yuki shouted out loud, swallowing as she burst up, looking at Kazuki. "You''re always acting soooo glooomy, Kazu! Live a little, come on! I''ll need you to help me in this game."


    Yamagata sat back down, continuing to eat and read. Misty, meanwhile, walked over towards Kazuki. She ushered him to sit opposite Yuki, as drones took his plate and cutlery over the table.


    His mother pushed him down into the seat. No comfort came his way... Kazuki watched as Yuki kept shovelling food down her mouth.


    Yamagata gave him a side glare. A reminder to answer Yuki''s demands. "What game?" Kazuki asked, going in to finish his food. "Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s shit.¡±


    "Language!" Misty raised her voice at her son. Oh... so they''re fine with Yuki shovelling food down her mouth, but one swear?! Did the world shatter, Kazuki asked himself sarcastically.


    Kazuki grunted in response.


    "It''s uh, this game called Lowguard! It''s in closed alpha right now!" Yuki answered, shooting up two projected images of her gaming collection. "Father and mother knew a few people and got the both of us vesarian edition keys!"


    Kazuki shot his parents a glance. "Thanks..." he said. Yamagata gave a slow nod, as Misty gave a heart-warming smile. "What is it about?"


    "Oh, oh, oh!" Yuki started, trying to think of something to say, probably. "It''s a rogue RPG! But like, with SOOOO many people, the beta footage looks amazing!¡±


    He wasn''t really impressed. Knowing Yuki, she''d probably want to use her exclusive access to the game to boost her online popularity. She''s already known as the ''Sparkle girl'', why not add this under her belt, Kazuki thought.


    "No. I''m not interested, sadly..." Kazuki said. He stood up, having finished his meal.


    Misty grabbed him by the arm. "Oh, come on," she whispered into his ear. "I''ve heard of what happened and I think you need a little break, don''t you agree? Your father and I are here for you.¡±


    "Sure," Kazuki sarcastically murmured to himself. His mother''s now the CEO of a tech giant... Using manipulation like this was most definitely not out of her reach.


    If agreeing will make her go away, then he''ll agree. "Sure. I''ll play," Kazuki said, as he tugged his own arm out from his mother''s grasp.


    "YUS!" Yuki shouted. "I''ll... I''ll give you your code and we can play later tonight!"


    "Tomorrow." Kazuki walked through the door into the living room. His eyes slowly closed for a moment, taking in the small amount of respite he was offered.


    "TONIGHT!" she shouted at him, voice muffled.


    "TOMMOROW!" Kazuki replied with a raised voice. ¡°I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    ¡°FINE!¡± Yuki returned with an equally raised voice.


    The living room was pristinely decorated... A large holographic display covered a wall, showing a thousand accolades.


    If his parents weren''t here, he''d throw himself on the sofa. A large ''wall'' display of lava sprouted up from the backrest of the sofas. So extravagant... After spending so much time in the Sub-Levels, this level of flavour had all but lost its feeling on Kazuki.


    Clandestine named him the Arbiter. A sick joke.  All those people that kept him alive. Kazuki curled his fingers into his skin, feeling the pain of his nails digging in.


    He''s just a secondary concern... The replacement child, now that his parents have a new kid, one far brighter than the last. He relaxed his muscles, shifting his glasses back up his nose.


    He... doesn''t need them anymore. Kazuki continued walking.


    ¡°Kazuki?¡± Misty asked, entering the living room to follow Kazuki. ¡°If you want to say something, then say it.¡±


    ¡°What is there to be said?¡± Kazuki snapped back quietly, making sure his voice could not be heard from the dining room. ¡°Look at me, mother¡­ What can I say?¡±


    Misty paused, then nodded. ¡°I understand¡­ But whatever you may think, you are not alone. If you need to take a break from school¡­ or¡­ that¡­ I¡¯ll pressure Jessica to allow it.¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s eyes slowly thinned against his mother¡¯s blue gaze. ¡°Why are you telling me this now?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re my son.¡±


    Kazuki nodded towards the dining room. ¡°You¡¯ve already got your perfect replacement. You¡¯re great at business. Best to leave the outdated products to rot.¡±


    ¡°Kazuk!¡± Misty quickly hushed her voice, taking in a deep breath. ¡°The idea that your cousin was meant to replace you is absurd.¡± She took a few steps towards him.


    Reinforcing his own feelings, Kazuki took one step back. The thousands of images of him all alone flickered once again. He¡¯s been bleeding for so long, for six long years. He nodded. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll¡­ see that I agree to it.¡±


    The amount of snarky sarcasm was enough to poison the whole room.


    Misty shook her head, releasing another sigh again. Luckily for her, she kept her calm, it seems. ¡°We¡¯re family, we¡¯re here for you, I know it¡¯s hard for you to believe me¡­ But we¡¯re with you.¡±


    ¡°Over my dead corpse,¡± stated Kazuki. ¡°Well. You¡¯re just about there, I guess.¡± He reclocked his exospine manually with a mere shift of his shoulders. It was damaged badly¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll fix your exospine right up and neat for you again,¡± Misty said. Kazuki started to walk towards the stairs. He was done talking. ¡°Tomorrow, for now: get some rest. You earned it, Kazu.¡±


    Kazuki was a dead man walking. Fixing it was only going to prolong his life for what? A few years at most? He could feel it in his back¡­ He was slowly dying with each repair.


    ¡°Just leave me alone,¡± Kazuki groaned audibly, letting slip a husk of emotion into the air.


    To that, Misty paused. Then, she walked back towards the dining room. ¡°Welcome home, Kazuki,¡± she said, before leaving his life once more.


    Kazuki lingered motionlessly for a moment, before continuing.


    Walking up the stairs to his room, his mind became fuzzier. Looking down at his hands, he saw blood splatter down once again. He couldn''t tell if it was his blood, Victoria''s, or the blood of the tens of Eden Initiates he dragged to their deaths...


    Fire and debris scattered around with the visage of death. Murals of blood and limbs adorned the burning walls...


    He can see the bodies so clearly, surrounding him, suffocating him. There''s no reason to fight anymore, he thought. He looked back in the mirror, seeing a crazed face. That''s right! He has no reason to fight...


    Why not finish his final act?! Why not... WHY not!? He glared at himself, unable to hold his sanity as¡ª


    ¡ªyet as he blinked, it was all gone. He was alone... in a hospital bed. Brain dizzy. He glanced around. Eliza was resting beside his bed, typing away at something. He¡­ really should stop falling unconscious, even if it was blood loss.


    The more blood he sheds, the more the memories will gnaw at his mind.


    That''s right... He still has one mission left. One contract was left unfulfilled. As long as she breathes, his fight isn¡¯t over yet. Not till every last one of those conspirators lies strewn in body bags.

 X38: Awakened Widely

    Kazuki shifted upwards in his bed, making enough noise to get Eliza''s attention.


    Kazuki ripped a monitor patch from his arm, as an alert was sent out. ¡°Guess they¡¯ll be aware¡­¡±


    Eliza shot him a look, staring at him... Kazuki felt some aches on his back, as he made a move to scratch beside his exospine.


    "Ah, I wouldn''t do that if I were you," Eliza started, slamming her holo-top close and folding it into her pocket. She stood up, leaning towards Kazuki. "I did some repairs, just a tad bit, sorry.¡±


    Kazuki paused, as he placed his hands in his lap. His torso was covered in bandages, as Pi was sleeping beside him, curled up beside his pillow. He felt the innate need to pet the phoenix, and he did, ruffling its warm feathers. "How bad was it?"


    Eliza tilted her head left and right thinking. "Went quite well, just needed some reinforcements here and some fixed circuits there, not as bad as my worst fears,¡± she explained.


    ¡±Hmm.¡± A silence came over the two as Kazuki felt relieved that she wasn¡¯t harmed. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Kazuki said.


    Eliza raised an eyebrow. ¡°Sorry?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d make a good team,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°Though¡­ I¡¯d prefer if you weren¡¯t in the line of fire.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, sometimes, right?¡± Kazuki guessed so. Eliza¡¯s eyes slowly glance at his exospine, barely visible on his back. "Your cybernetics... how deep do they run?" Eliza asked.


    Hmm? His implants? Kazuki thought for a moment, ticking off boxes on a list. "Whatever you think it is, add half. Double it. Then you''re about there," he said.


    "What? she inquired, sitting down on the bed beside him, petting Pi as it hummed in its sleep. Then, Kazuki took a moment to peel away Pi¡¯s dead skin, letting a sense of bliss fall upon his pet Phoenix in its sleep.


    "As far as you''re concerned, there''s more steel in my body than flesh," Kazuki said. Her face slowly contorted into worry. Kazuki continued, "My cybernetics are all linked to my exospine. Whoever made it is clever enough that it could be converted to a life support system. Fix my exospine and it and my body will do the rest.¡±


    She let off a small sigh of relief. "Thank goodness... here I thought I''d have to perform live surgery on you... I''m a bit squeamish on that part."


    ¡±Dr. Sylvia normally does the surgeries for me. She¡¯s the one that put it on me to begin with,¡± Kazuki said. ¡°And you? Your injuries.¡±


    "Oh, they were superficial at worst," she said, glancing off into space for a moment. ¡±I should have smuggled a gun in. Archius was with us as well¡­.¡±


    Eliza sighed. "As fine as being passed out for a few days can be... if you''re going to petition Fer-Charleota for your weapons... I think you should teach me how to use one."


    Teach her how to shoot? Maybe... "And what would you do if I taught you?" he asked.


    "Huh?! Defend myself?!" she raised her voice defensively. "What else would I use it for?"


    "Against what?"


    "Everything?!" she said, "It just seems that we''re under fire from all directions... it''d be nice to know how to defend myself, at the very least."


    Ugh, he can''t just tell her no. Especially since she made some sense for this, but Kazuki cannot allow this to continue. "Who do you think you''d be up against?"


    Eliza paused, thinking to herself, before spouting the obvious, "Criminals... people like that? Like those from the train station?"


    "So you think I''d be able to train you till you can kill veteran criminals?¡± Kazuki asked.


    "Yeah? Well... preferably not to kill, just self-defence, that''s all."


    "And that¡¯s the kicker," Kazuki said bluntly. Eliza furrowed her brow angrily "When defending, you go the full light-year. No stops. Death or nothing.¡±


    Eliza leaned in, lowering her voice to just above a whisper. "Not kill... Kazuki... just self-defence, and why?"


    "It''s a very big galaxy, Eliza. You do not half-arse killing," Kazuki said. He sat up and slowly stood up. He was wearing a hospital gown. He walked up to the dressers and started to change back to his normal clothes. Hospital clothes were too light for his taste. "One mistake can kill you, and when you''re fighting to defend, but not to kill, you''ll quickly find the mistakes piling up."


    She sighed, agonising over what he said, still petting Pi. "Kazuki... can''t you just hear me out for this one?"


    "My answer remains the same," Kazuki stubbornly remarked. "I won''t train you to defend yourself."


    "Why¡ª"


    "¡ªBecause to defend yourself, you must be ready to kill. Are you capable of killing people, Eliza?" Kazuki asked. "And I''m not talking about stickmen like what Archius says..."


    Eliza instantly rebuked him, "We... you saw that Archius tested me, I passed, didn''t I?!"


    "That was an excuse to join us. You know he loves to play around," Kazuki said.


    ¡±We¡¯re getting off-topic,¡± she said. "You''re not capable of killing people, Liz," Kaz said, finishing getting changed and sitting down on another chair.


    ¡±This is insane¡­ You can defend yourself without killing people.¡±


    He cut in, "¡ªyou talk of sanity. There is nothing sane about this. You want me to teach you how to kill. That will not be happening.¡±


    "Defend! Not kill!


    ¡°You¡¯ll be up against mercs, officers, soldiers, criminals,¡± Kazuki snarled. ¡°They make a living off killing. And you? You think you can defend against them?¡±


    Eliza stopped in her tracks, continuously petting Pi as she shifted across the bed, sitting opposite Kazuki.


    Kazuki said, "Determination is one thing, but the people that are after me will be the people you have to defend against. For them, you have to be a little crazy... Why do you think we''re so calm when we kill. Quinn, Lilly, Zymuel, Claire, Amy¨¦. We¡¯re mercenaries. Contractors, yes, but mercs nonetheless.¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°But they¡¯re more than that!¡± Eliza shouted.


    "They are. But it takes a level of insanity to survive in this industry,," Kazuki said. His eyes were wide, glaring at her. "Seeing bodies without limbs, children without heads, brains leaking out. That is the norm of what we¡¯re up against. Is this what you want to be a part of? You said it yourself: you¡¯re no Contractor. But you help us in ways I cannot. And for that¡­ I am thankful.¡±


    Eliza opened her mouth to object to him but found nothing to say. It seems she understands, as she glances downwards, feeling down. Kazuki patted her on the shoulder, before downing a whole handful of Halolazil. Both of them petted Pi, curled up in a circle.


    A silent moment passed between the two, as she said, "You¡¯re harsh¡­ But you¡¯re right. What was I thinking?¡± Eliza grumbled to herself. ¡°Fighting? Someone like me?¡±


    She chuckled, hiding away her disappointment in herself. Kazuki nodded. "It¡¯s fine. Just know that it¡¯s all or nothing. That¡¯s what Hartius, Freyja and Svenn taught us.¡±


    Standing up, Eliza did some stretched, as she nodded in agreeance. "Yeah..."


    Another peaceful moment passed, as the two remained silent. Pi gawked at Kazuki, as he began to stroke the bird once more, it returned another soothing tune for him.


    "How long was I out?"


    "One standard rotation... the dance is due in four days, so you haven''t missed much," Eliza said. Kazuki nodded. "On the topic of that¡­¡±


    Kazuki paused, remaining still. Eliza trailed off for some reason.


    "Spit it out," Kazuki demanded.


    "Well... it''s nothing," she said. "I just wondered if you''d be interested in going, I mean... it''s good for networking and¡ª"


    "¡ªno," Kazuki snapped without thinking. "I hate dancing. Having to know all those synchronised moves... ugh..."


    "But you do know them, right?" Eliza asked, standing up as she turned around. She started off at the planet the palace was orbiting, a large gas giant of various vibrant colours. "You know the Caramel Swan at least, right?"


    "Of course... My mother made me memorise everything in case I needed it. Never did," Kazuki said.


    "So... this would be the first time you''ve been to the Dassant and actually... danced?" Eliza asked. Kazuki walked around the hospital bed, leaning against the window.


    He said, "Your sister asked me." He bit his tongue, forcing his heart to shut the fuck up. Eliza glanced at him, intrigued at the very least. "I said no."


    "Do you regret that decision?" Eliza asked. The answer was obvious. "Yes," Kazuki sneered. "I do regret it. Happy?"


    "Huh?" Eliza twisted to face him. "Oh, I wasn''t asking like that..."


    "Never mind that,," Kazuki snapped. "I just assume the worst.¡±


    "I wasn''t going to..." Eliza trailed off. "We haven''t been seeing eye-to-eye for a little while, but I know you have the best of intentions... even if I protest against the how.¡±


    Synthia propped up onto Eliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡®Finally, it seems you two are getting somewhere!¡¯


    Eliza quickly turned her off, looking away from Kaz.


    Whatever that remark was about did not bother Kazuki, because his mind snapped to the door, Pi flew up high into the air, before pouncing down on the person entering. Yuki... Pi perched on her head, chirping loudly with his wings extended out.


    "Yuki. What do you want?" Kazuki asked.


    "KAZU! YOU''RE AWAKE!!" Yuki ran over and tried to lift him up. What the fuck was she doing? Both he and Eliza stared at her, confused. "I¡ªI told mother and father that you were injured!"


    "Oh wow," Kazuki remarked sarcastically. "Did they give you a pat on the back?"


    "Huh? WHAT?! NO! We¡¯re all worried!" Yuki shouted at him, wearing a motley assortment of clothes. It looked as if she rushed here. "But now that you mention it... I believe I DO deserve a pat on the back for helping carry you!"


    Kazuki glanced at Eliza. She responded, "Well... technically? She tried to help, but the Knights were very adamant about not letting her... injure you more."


    "Wow." Kazuki only had one word to describe the whole situation.


    One word filled to the brim with malice, frustration and spite. He glanced at Yuki, seeing her as nothing more than an annoying rat... What about all the other times he¡¯s been on death¡¯s doorstep?


    His parents were never by his side. All they ever spout are lies. They don¡¯t care about him.


    "HEY! It''s the thought that counts!" she shouted. A second person rushed through the door, panting. Nathan, his crimson hair blending with his red face. "Nathan, agree with me!¡±


    "Huh? What... Urk..." Nathan quickly realised that everyone''s gaze was on him, including the Contract-Breaker''s. "I¡ªsorry, I don''t think I can help with that... Yuki... what are you doing?!"


    He lowered his voice near the end, rushing up and dragging Yuki off Kazuki.


    "I was seeing if my brother''s alright! You''d do the same if your brother was hospitalised, right?!" Yuki pointed at Nathan.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t leave me alone, I¡¯ll cover your twin tails with soap,¡± Kazuki stated.


    Yuki recoiled backwards, into Nathaniel¡¯s arms. ¡°You¡­ wouldn¡¯t dare?!¡±


    Eliza let off a small laugh under her breath, watching the two siblings quarrel. Kazuki was being entirely serious about his threat. He knew full well his mother and father would be angry. But he didn¡¯t care.


    He wasn¡¯t one of them, after all¡­ He¡¯ll never forget who he is.


    Nathan patted Yuki on the back, accidentally touching her hair. ¡°I¡¯m sure he was joking¡­ right?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s face turned into a small scowl, resembling a startled cat¡¯s face. ¡°You don¡¯t get to touch it either!¡±


    Shooting his hands into the air, Nathan looked like he was surrendering. ¡°Hey! Hey!¡±


    Kazuki closed his eyes, thinking. He raised a hand, as Pi flew from her head to his hand, licking his face with warm, health-filled slobber. Turning back outside, there was nothing.


    Yuki watched Pi. Kaz... lowered his hand, and it licked Liz. ¡°Heh...¡±


    That one bit of emotion sunk deep as Eliza chuckled.


    Outside was just empty space. Kazuki''s mind followed his soul, dragging down into pure emptiness. Yuki had an even brighter reaction. ¡°Kaz!? You can laugh?! I must call Mother right away!¡± she jeered. ¡°This is a momentum occasion!¡±


    ¡°Momentous,¡± Kazuki corrected her.


    Yuki clicked her fingers. ¡°Yeah, that, that¡¯s what I said, right Nate?¡±


    Nathan chuckled nervously before nodding. ¡°Yes! Yes! Anything you say.¡±


    A knock came to the door.


    Kazuki''s head snapped, as a messenger stood at the door. He instinctively placed his hand down to his side to a non-existent holster, expecting a fight. It was a messenger. He was dressed in a fine white suit with well-maintained facial hair, clearing his throat to get their attention.


    "Good evening, gentlemen and gentlewomen, words have spread far about what has happened," he said.


    Eliza was immediately piqued in interest. "Ah, is it the Marquis?" she asked, stepping forth and nearly tripping on the hospital bed.


    Yuki and Nathan were arguing and fighting in the corner. Kazuki ignored their bickering.


    The messenger cleared his throat again, finding something hard to say. He gave Eliza a small nod. No¡­ I am here on behalf of the Jara-Jin. They wish to speak to the two of you, alone¡­¡±


    "Alone?" Eliza glanced at Kazuki.


    Kazuki nodded, patting Eliza on the shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s not keep them waiting.¡±


    Eliza caught up to him as the two passed by the messenger. ¡°Oh and¡­ I believe you two will require this.¡± He presented the two with tickets.


    An Opera? Ugh¡­ Kazuki couldn¡¯t stand those. He watched Eliza take one, analysing it slowly. ¡°The Gystrian Tragedy? It¡¯s quite a tear-jerker!¡±


    The messenger smiled. ¡°You know your operas, ma¡¯am,¡± he said. Eliza nodded.


    Kazuki snatched his own ticket. The Gystrian Tragedy was little more than a retelling of history, an operatic musical surrounding the start of the Intergalactic Crisis, centred around Foreign Minister Azaha Gystrian¡­


    Thinking deeper, Kazuki realised just how many of his family would still be alive if the Intelligence Division didn¡¯t betray the Minister¡­


    ¡°Kazuki?¡± Eliza piqued up.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Kazuki gave the messenger a nod. ¡±Opera booth 34A,¡± continued the messenger. ¡°Refreshments are on them.¡±

 X39: Amicable Diplomacy

    The bright lights from below were close to blinding, flashing up and across the various booths and spectating windows along the opera house. Eliza sat mesmerised, with a drone pouring an entire cocktail for the four people present.


    "I was told news spread fast." Kazuki seemed to be getting down to business, as Eliza was watching the first of the many dramatic scenes of the operatic musical down below, showing the death of the Foreign Minister''s family during a failed coup. "The Gystrian Tragedy..." Kazuki''s face soured slightly.


    Eliza spoke softly, "It''s hard to believe that if it worked, so many would have lived to see today." She frowned slightly, unable to fathom the true gravity that the Imperial foreign minister had.


    "It has," replied Kantos. Eliza turned back to the group, in a dimly lit opera booth, with deep blue soothing lights illuminating out from the corners of the ceiling. "First of all, are you two okay?"


    "Yeah... Security was on high alert and all, more Knights posted around and such," said Irya. "I doubt there''ll be another large scale issue like that, at least not for a while."


    Eliza answered first, "I''m... we''re fine." Her face turned back to the opera. Kantos and Irya noticed.


    The younger brother shuffled over, glancing down. "Ondaria Wu... Slimy cunt..."


    Glancing up, Eliza saw the three Trasians share in a hatred for this one singular individual. "Hmm?" Eliza tilted her head again.


    "Scum," Kazuki commented. "Traitor twice over..." Eliza saw Kazuki''s hands clench tightly around the air.


    Kantos elaborate slightly, "Wu was an intelligence specialist for the Empire, courtesy of the Trasian State, but..."


    Sticking his head into the conversation, Kazuki''s voice tore through. "He chose Kast¨¦ over Lautrasia, betraying Gystrian, whom my grand uncle supported, and betraying my aunt... After the war, he went incognito... He avoided justice, for now at least." A bout of surprise blanketed Eliza''s face as she saw Kazuki''s eyes vibrate with rage at the mere topic.


    The twins noticed as well. "The Imperial State survived, though..." Kantos sighed. "I guess that''s good for you, right?"


    Kazuki calmed slightly. "Hmm." He weakly nodded. "My grandfather and father spent many years fighting rebellions. They were never meant for the throne. We were a cadet branch... But the Belsarans changed everything." Kazuki grunted, taking a small sip of a weird drink.


    Probably alcohol. Definitely, Eliza thought. He was giving off some steam. Irya nodded. "And my father betrayed you for them..." He held his head low. Kazuki did not like the sight. "They fought for something old... something that no longer mattered."


    Eliza''s eyes gleamed slightly with curiosity. "Trasian history isn''t exactly taught in the national curriculum, so what happened?" she asked. "Well, I know some things... Kaz has told me a little, but not alot." She rolled her eyes.


    Kazuki gazed back. "You never asked...?" Kazuki tilted his head curiously. "My grandfather helped revolutionise the nation from the old Imperial feudalism to... modern day Trasia. Those that did not make the jump from old to new rebelled. It''s not the first time such turbulence rippled through Trasia before."


    "What was it..." Irya started. "Trasian spirit, modern learning? Pah, I guess my gramps was apart of the old class that didn''t want to learn."


    "But you are different." Kazuki''s statement of genuine affirmation shocked the three. He gazed between the three of them, Eliza, Irya and Kantos glanced at each other. "You learnt, and your Prince is... pleased. I do not hold him to you. And I expect you not to hold the deeds of my forefathers on me."


    It seemed Eliza was being given a pretty nice lesson about everything Trasian, which... Eliza did find rather intriguing. "What... was life before your grandfather?" Eliza asked. She scratched anxiously, realising that the three of them were rather young, none of them would have had a good understanding of the old way of life."


    Kantos sighed. "My father and mother were lords of Trasia... They held some lands, but they weren''t that big. Lordship became ceremonial by the time my father led his rebellion. We were... fish in a barrel, so to speak, but... my mother spoke of the old times, of the times before Emperor Tadaharu. She once told us that we were... lords, with lands to tend to, and that we had soldiers, men to send to war."


    It was incredibly... foreign. The idea of such feudalism was not exactly the most amicable thought to Eliza. "Sounds... interesting," she said, rather miffed.


    Kazuki moved slightly, grunting as he placed a hand across one of the bandages. "Now, we have governors. The diet and court. A constitution of all things... I grew up on Anagora. These are not strange sights to me."


    Glancing at the wound, Irya cleared his throat. "How about you, then?" The younger twin gestured towards a few visible bandages across Kaz''s torso.


    "Same here," said Kazuki, crossing his arms. He grabbed a cup of alcohol and poured some water into it, before drinking. It humoured Eliza, there mere fact that Kazuki really couldn''t hold his alcohol. "Minor injuries."


    "You really call those minor?" asked Eliza. She''s seen how bad Kazuki''s been injured before. The Loyalists dealt some damage to him when he distracted them... And even now, he didn''t seem all too bothered about his own near-death experiences. "You took a beating from them."


    "I lived."


    Shaking her head, Eliza found herself worrying all over again about Kazuki. After all, she had the role of fixing up his exospine whenever it starts to show some wear and tear. "That''s not the point, Kaz," she said.


    "Uh," Irya interjected. "Not to interrupt your quarrelling, but... we''re here." He gestured to both himself and Kantos.


    Eliza cleared her throat, her face turning a little red from embarrassment. "My apologies, it''s nothing..."


    Kantos shrugged. "It makes sense, I''m told that being close to any member of the Heptagia is a... stressful experience."


    Kazuki nodded. He kept his eyes off Eliza... Just what might he be thinking, Eliza pondered. She would like to believe that the Jara-Jins will be worth the necessary sacrifice of her... morality... It felt rotten to the core, dealing like this. Though the cold, logical side of her heart screamed at her brain to understand its necessity - and that it was simply how things were done here.


    Even still, she found herself muddled in this situation of Kazuki''s making. She''ll trust him in this, what else could she do? Last time, she led the key to destroy the gateway... Following Kazuki''s lead might be better. After all, they have a contract to be behind each other''s backs.


    "Well... You two wanted to speak with us?" She slowly picked up a glass of wine, taking a small sip... Fruity...


    Rather flavourful, Eliza thought.


    "We wanted to question you directly about our own suspicions... did anything happen?" asked Kantos. "Before the attack. The person after you two must have some large ego to attempt this."


    Kazuki remained silent, merely shifting his head to Eliza. Huh? Oh... "Obadiah approached me earlier," said Eliza.


    Instantly, Kazuki''s golden eyes thinned. "Why didn''t you tell me?" he spoke before anyone else could reply.


    "I just... didn''t think it was that important," said Eliza. Well... They have the twins on their side, so Eliza felt somewhat comfortable with letting Obadiah''s offer simply wither away without much thought.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Well, look where we are now," said Kantos. He downed his drink. "He''s guilty as fuck, isn''t he? Obadiah?"


    Eliza wasn''t so sure... Was Obadiah truly willing to silence their investigation just like that? Then, it hit her... "He wanted to silence us?"


    Irya nodded. "He tried silencing the two of us before... long story, but we know he can''t be trusted."


    "Plus, he also has a history of alluded connections to unsolved murders and ''freak accidents'', but I didn''t think he was this stupid," Kantos continued, placing a hand on his chin.


    Kazuki turned to the opera below. "I''ll call my grandfather. We''ll expect his head on the news by the end of the week."


    "What?!" Eliza raised her voice. Remembering back to his grandfather, Eliza couldn''t see someone like him to even consider such a thing... Even then, Kazuki''s own words praised his grandfather for his generosity and care for the people... "Why would someone like that do such a thing?!"


    Kazuki rolled his eyes.


    "You haven''t been paying attention, have you?" sneered Kazuki, before taking a deep breath. "I... Never... I just think you''re not understanding what exactly Obadiah has done."


    "He wants you dead," Kantos elaborated. "Therefore, we must counter, show him that we''re not going be pushed around."


    "But how?" asked Eliza, just what can they even do? Obadiah''s hostilities towards them unsettled Eliza far more than what she expected... For once, an enemy that Kazuki couldn''t just simply eliminate has reared its head again. Glancing across the opera booth, Eliza realised that this time: she had allies. Kazuki''s finally divulging information to help...


    Chlo¨¦ and Archius are here, the Marquis and the Twins.


    The door opened, with a tall slender figure entering into the booth. All eyes dashed towards her. Both Kantos and Irya twisted towards her, whilst Kazuki merely gave the woman a dismissive glance. "Through the Marquis," said the woman. She bowed to Eliza and the twins.


    "And you... are?" Irya started.


    "My... Kazuki, you really do keep your lips shut," said the woman. "Senator Iana Nimitz-Delia. At your service."


    She wore an extravagantly designed dress, with two jade earrings hanging from her eyes, matching her green eyes and hair.


    "She''s my ally," Kazuki said begrudgingly. "Why are you here?"


    "To assist you all..." said Delia, smiling. Just who was this person to Kazuki, Eliza wondered. Her rose-red eyes pierced through Delia''s sunglasses. To which, the woman merely smiled at her. "You must be the Genius of Sarimba, are you not?"


    Eliza gave a cautious nod, glancing at Kazuki to see if there was any threat in her. He remained sat still, that must mean something for that, right? "Elizabeth Mary Celeste-Delmara, at your service as well..."


    "My! Annabelle''s daughter?!" Delia raised her voice in surprise.


    Kazuki gave the Senator a glance before she cleared her throat.


    "That was... exactly our response to it," said Irya.


    Delia stepped into the booth. Just how many of these people knew her mum?


    "Yes... I am... her daughter," Eliza trailed off, finding some level of solemn within the topic of her mother. "I''m not familiar with you."


    Delia nodded. "Of course you wouldn''t, I am willing to answer any and all questions! After all, it seems my allies are under pressure."


    "Allies?" Kantos asked.


    The senator gestured to all in the room. "A friend of Kazuki is a friend of mine."


    Kazuki grunted. "Get on with it."


    Smiling, Delia responded, "You need assistance, I can offer that... The Marquis is very much an ally of my own, I believe we can all help each other, especially since I myself have a bone to pick with that brute Obadiah!"


    "And what would that be?" asked Eliza.


    "His arrogance. Many of his business practices have damaged my own enterprises. As a member of the Competitive Markets Authority, I wish to assist you four in your endeavours."


    Eliza wasn''t too convinced on the matter, watching as Delia sat down beside Kazuki. "Who are you?" Eliza asked with firm determination.


    Delia paused and then grinned. "I provided Kazuki with the political support necessary to legalise his actions," she said. "You''re welcome..."


    "I see..." Maybe she''s not as bad as she initially thought. Kazuki shimmied closer to Eliza. "I''m sure you already know of our plight... But how did you find us?"


    Irya and Kantos looked to Kazuki. He shot back a confused look. "No," he stated, rolling his eyes.


    "Oh, me?" Delia inquired. "You''re not the only one with spies in these halls... I presume, of course. I came here directly in person to ensure your safety. Who knows what Obadiah might do next?"


    Quite prudent, Eliza thought. "Why... thank you?"


    Delia nodded. "Now... I must get this off my chest," she started. "Many of my peers do not see Kazuki in the same light that I do... After all, we''re all human, but did he actually carry you when you sprained your leg after the 4923 Sarimba Festival?"


    Kazuki groaned. "How the fuck do you know that?"


    Eliza''s rose-red eyes slowly turned up to Delia, then to Kazuki... Oh... Her face went immediately red. "Uh..."


    "Did you come here all to ask that question?" Irya chuckled. "Here I thought I''d have to become the next Galactic Emperor to get Kazu to do anything kind!?"


    Kazuki placed a hand up to his face. "Just... shut the fuck up," he said. Eliza awkwardly glanced at Kazuki, seeing his lips curl slightly beneath his hand. Her eyes widened slightly. Did... Kazuki like the joke?


    Kantos let off a muffled laugh, as Delia smiled at both her and Kazuki. She just had to really bring up some embarrassing memories... thought Eliza. She placed her hands together on her lap. "Well... It made the most logical sense, he knew where the infirmary was."


    "Wait... Kazuki, your exospine... You know who made it, right?" asked Kantos, seemingly distracted by this entire sub-conversation.


    He shook his head.


    "Well, it must have some replenishable vials for sprained ankles, right?" he asked.


    Kazuki paused. "No," he stated. "My leg braces keep my movement steady, there''s no reason for those injectors to be placed into it."


    Kantos shrugged. Delia nodded to Eliza. "I also heard of your accomplishments, this generation''s youngest member in the Kallender Group!"


    Eliza slouched slightly, feeling quite warmed by her acknowledgements of her own accomplishments. "Well... It was just... I was simply just lucky," she said.


    Delia shook her head violently. "Nonsense! Dawidiek Kallender does not add those into the fold without careful thought!" Delia shouted. "You understate your own worth... Much like your mother did... Your father must be proud of you."


    Kazuki clenched his fists, yet remained arms crossed. Eliza nodded, chuckling away at the awkwardness of the question... Her Dad was never proud of her, Eliza thought. No matter what she does... He''ll never be proud. Still, Eliza had to prove herself to him... Just for a spout of even a singular second of his praise.


    Eliza had the completely wrong idea bout this senator, it seems. And or that, Eliza smiled. "Why thank you."


    Kantos spoke up, "So, when are we meeting the Marquis?"


    "No idea, he''s still busy investigating the incident... Hopefully, we don''t need his assistance, but I doubt he''ll find any conclusive leads." Delia regretfully sighed. "In three days, the private training grounds of the Imperial Knights, no one will threaten us there, not without incurring immense... repercussions."


    And with that, Delia shook Eliza''s hand and turned to leave. Kantos and Irya had their eyes on her as she left. "I''ll be seeing you all by then."


    With that, Senator Iana left the opera room. Eliza peered back down at the play, having completely missed one of its best scenes. Her eyebrows moved down, sighing. Well, there''s always a next time, Eliza supposed.


    Kazuki stood up. "Eliza, you must be tired, we better get going, then."


    Eliza nodded, slowly standing up and stretching her legs. Irya stood up as well.


    "Hmm, see you all there, then?" He gave the two-finger guns. Eliza gave one finger gun back, mimicking the sound quietly.


    Kazuki, on the other hand... Didn''t... Eliza was just about to nudge Kazuki to answer, but his hands moved first. For a second, Eliza thought she saw steel protrude from Kazuki''s hand, as he aimed his finger directly at Irya...


    Both Kantos and Irya jolted back into their seats for a moment, suspecting a real gun had just been drawn. Kazuki then said, "Bang."


    Irya snickered at the display. "Fucking hell... that was a perfect imitation!"


    "Yeah, I wonder why?" Kazuki sarcastically responded. Eliza walked past him, towards the door. She hid a smile, feeling happy for Kaz that he was getting along with the twins.


    Kantos waved at the two, with both of them waving back.


    However, a look at Kazuki''s face would not portray that one bit, with an emotionless glare, was all he gave to Irya and Kantos. He nodded, turning, and left with Eliza. Elizabeth placed her hands behind her back, now that they were out in the hall, almost empty. She dusted the edges of her dress.


    "I suppose it was about time, then?" Eliza asked.


    "Huh?" Kazuki gave a confused response. "What?"


    Eliza waited for Kazuki to catch up, walking side by side. "You''re finally getting along with the twins, I see."


    Kazuki didn''t respond. Not his face nor his limbs or mouth responded to her remark. Eliza''s rose-red eyes stared into his from the side, but with a blink, he responded: "I... am?"

 X40: Peridot Eyes within the Walls

    Concentration was supposed to be Eliza''s fort¨¦, especially with studying, but she just couldn''t focus. She looked up from the study notes she was making. The pile of data-pads beside her reached a quarter of the way to the ceiling, she sighed upon looking at it, shaking her head in disappointment.


    So foolish, she thought. Despite the low-volume music playing from her holo-phone, the suite was silent.


    Kazuki said he was taking his bi-weekly rest, though Eliza could tell that he was going to be awake in less than an hour, especially so since he had quite a long rest recovering from his injuries.


    She shifted towards the cup noodle beside her. Extending a hand towards it, she thought about whether it was now the time to eat it...


    Her head glanced between the stack of studying she wanted to do and the cup noodle. Out of all things, why must she be addicted to studying... Agonising over it for a moment, Eliza closed her eyes. She placed her hair into a ponytail, as she extended out and grabbed the cup noodle.


    ''That contains a lot of sodium chloride, Miss Elizabeth,'' Synthia started, sitting on top of the pile of to-be-finished reports. ''And you have your leave, you should keep revision to a later date.''


    "It''s... that''s just salt..." Eliza sighed. "And it''s studying, not revision. There''s a lot of study material that Professor Jutenha has posted online, why not breeze through it in my free time?" she asked what seemed to her to be a very obvious question.


    Synthia merely sighed, watching Eliza pull the igniting pin on the cup noodle. It immediately cooks the cup noodles. ''You should be spending your free time socialising with people... Archius, Chlo¨¦, maybe even Yuki?"


    "Why Yuki?" Eliza inquired.


    ''As Kazuki''s sister, she has quite a vibrant personality... compared to him. I think you''ll get along quite well,'' Synthia suggested, placing her hands on her knees.


    The cup noodles finished cooking, as Eliza ripped the lid open, smelling the aromas of a timeless food staple - helping students across near three thousand years of history. She slurped it up, the hot steam fogging up her round glasses.


    Synthia projected onto Eliza''s phone, lying down. ''So, how about it?''


    Eliza pointed to the steaming hot noodles, before speaking through a hot mouth. "I suppose it''d be nice!"


    The tutor nodded, as Liz''s phone vibrated with a notification. It immediately hooked up to her uplink, as Eliza flicked it on. It was a message from Noah of all people! She remained surprised, as she read the message. ''I heard about what happened, you free?''


    Synthia paused, as she hummed to herself. ''Noah...''


    Eliza quickly ate her noodles, shovelling the ramen down her mouth. "Hmm? Familiar with him?"


    ''Not particularly...'' Synthia trailed off. Eliza nodded, not taking in the implications of her hesitation.


    She grabbed her phone, knocking Synthia off as she replied. ''Yeah? Is there a problem?''


    Noah instantly replied. ''I think we should meet up, at the aquarium? It''s rather important.''


    Pausing, Eliza narrowed in, thinking for a moment about his words. Just what was he talking about? She was intrigued, and where there was a mystery, she felt inclined to inquire. She replied, ''I''ll be there in a bit.'' Noah gave it a thumbs up, as Eliza finished the cup noodles.


    Sure, she felt slightly ill at shovelling it all down, but a stomach ache was nothing compared to the wounds she''d incurred on herself. Glancing down at her knees, Eliza could almost feel the phantom pain of being kneecapped... She shuddered at the mere thought of the pain, standing up.


    She got changed into one of the more casual clothes she brought along, buttoning up a light blue blouse, and putting on her skirt and jacket. "What do you think he''s on about?" Eliza asked.


    ''Perchance it may be about the recent attempts on your life... Given how many there have been since the start of the year, he may be concerned about that,'' Synthia said. ''From the little time I''ve been aware of him before, he''s a kind person... But time changes people.''


    Eliza paused, thinking about Synthia''s words. Was she implying any level of malice? Synthia projected onto her shoulder as Eliza finished putting on her thigh-highs and garter, before storming out of the room. Cyrus was leaning against the wall beside the stairs.


    She smacked her brooch onto her blouse, feeling the weight of it slowly dawn on her chest. Judging by what Synthia said, and the severity of Noah''s tone... Eliza knew that whatever he had to say must be worth her time. She believed in that, as she left the suite, Cyrus followed after her, yawning.


    ? ? ?


    The endless exchange of water filtering in and out of the tanks was the only thing keeping Archius sane in these moments. He rolled his eyes... Ugh, why must he be the one to do this?! Sadly, Archius doesn''t have a spy within this space station, not one that he could rely on at the very least.


    He kept complaining to himself, wondering what Kazuki would get him as compensation... He''s a bit of a dull person, so Archius doesn''t expect much. Maybe he can pressure Kazuki to compensate him with secrets?!


    Ooh, that''d be a void-hulk he''d be interested in delving into. Plus¡­ he can also wager what happened to Jasyme against him. Kazuki has a guilty mind, he could see that from a light-year away, and both of them would benefit from him learning some things.


    They¡¯re akin to brothers, after all, Archius thought. He¡¯ll have to say something eventually¡­


    With his mind set, Archius stopped mulling around...


    It''s been quite a while since he choked and slammed him against the wall, and he could still feel the pressure against his neck.


    Perhaps it was a lesson, he thought: DO NOT TRY TO DRUG KAZUKI.


    Knowing Kazuki, the drugs would probably never have as strong an effect as the first dosage, Archius would hazard a guess that half of Kazuki''s blood contains some sort of painkiller or stimulant or whatever liquids his exospine pumps into him.


    "Oh... come on, do something interesting!" Archius muttered to himself, watching and listening through a micro-camera attached to Noah. He was simply watching the sealife within an aquarium. A turtle-shelled toad swam past the glass... He felt like he''d go insane just watching this! "Just what the fuck are you doing in an aquarium?! It''s just a bunch of fucking fishes!"


    He almost hit his head on the top of the small maintenance tunnel he was sitting in, with several devices to keep him company. He hated this... and just when things seemed to doze off in his mind, a voice called out to Noah.


    ''Noah, I didn''t expect you to be a fan of Quintibeki sealife,'' Eliza said. Noah turned to face, her as she was looking all around, admiring the colourful and vibrant fishes behind the glass, up and above in the tunnel. ''Oh, there''s a squibbi-duck!''


    ''Ha, you know your fishes well,'' Noah commented. ''It''s hard to find proper Quintibeki sealife back home... ever since you know, the war. I''ve never actually seen these fishes on my homeworld...''


    ''Ah...'' Eliza trailed off, sensing the very obvious awkwardness in the conversation. Archius leaned in, listening intently. Come on... don''t just talk about the fucking fishes, he feels like he''ll drown and be sunk to the depths of the ocean if they continued to talk about the FUCKING fishes.


    Noah stretched, moving to reveal more of the aquarium. It was a series of long tunnels attached to each other, with various sections of wildlife - all in various colourful lighting hues to designate sections. ''Sorry for calling you out all the way over here, just wanted to be somewhere quiet,'' Noah started.


    Archius could see, for a brief moment, Synthia. The AI was staring directly at the microcam, before her head twisted away. Fuck... does Synthia know?! Shit... he''ll have to gamble on it, this is an opportunity to ascertain Noah''s true intentions, and he won''t let it be ruined by some second-rate tutor bot.


    ''It''s fine,'' Eliza said calmly, giving off a warm atmosphere. Archius could see Cyrus far off in another section of the tunnel, guarding from a distance. ''I know it must have been hard to ask me to talk out here. Well, what''s the matter? I''m sure it''s important, right?''


    Her added questioning might have been from the goodness of her heart, but whatever she said slowed Noah''s tongue down. He sighed, before answering, ''Well... it''s about you. I''ve been keeping track of the news since you know my parents do own a media conglomerate, and you''ve been putting yourself at a huge risk!''


    Eliza paused, not replying for a moment. Noah must be referring to the numerous incidents involving Eliza, where she nearly died. Well, Archius will have Noah know that he bled so Eliza didn''t fucking die! ''It''s fine if you''re worried about those... It''s just a few incidents, white black holes, per se?''


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ''No... it''s just that they only started once you started to affiliate with Kazuki again,'' Noah said, dropping the mother of all bombs on Eliza. Her reaction was priceless, a thousand-yard stare directly into Noah''s soul. She seemed almost offended by the mere notion of what was very much a truthful assertation. ''Hey! Hear me out on this, please?!''


    Eliza''s eyes thinned, as she started to walk around the aquarium. Noah followed as she nodded. They walked over to another section, with more deep sea creatures... more abominations than anything, Archius thought. ''Go ahead... just know I won''t take any slander for my friend.''


    ''Thank you... but I''m not wrong, it''s just correlation and causation. Everyone in the media industry calls Kazuki the Contract-Breaker... we''re probably half the reason why everyone calls him that,'' Noah admitted solemnly, attracting Eliza''s ire. ''Hey... I have no say in what the reporters report on.''


    ''Still... could you not call him that?'' Eliza asked. ''Trust me on this, he''s so much more than just this quote-on-quote Contract-Breaker everyone''s been calling him.''


    Noah sighed, as he leaned against the bannister. Archius saw the guy peer up at a large tray, floating above the tunnel. ''He plays into it, Eliza... Either that, or he''s a leviathan hiding in the clothing of humans the whole time...''


    The metaphorical link was interesting, Archius mused. Given that Noah knows Kazuki from the past, Archius could definitely assume that Noah''s ''suspicions'' of Kazuki being a mass murderer are ''true''.


    ''The Loyalists... then the attack on the train station!'' Noah raised his voice as if begging Eliza to hear him. For her part, she merely glanced away, grumbling. ''And this is all in under half a year...''


    ''Look, Kazuki has taken many steps to ensure my protection... Plus, we''re working together on something,'' Eliza said. She spoke calmly as if trying to make a child understand something difficult. ''I understood the risks of working with him, yes... I know the risks, Noah. He''ll protect me, he always does.''


    ''And what about now?'' Noah snapped. Eliza nodded towards Cyrus, as Noah turned to face him. The giant guard gave the two a small nod, with his hands in his pockets.


    ''He trusts me enough to protect me with one of his very own bodyguards,'' Eliza said. What an innocent interpretation, Archius thought. Back in the old days, having a guard from someone else typically meant you were important... Important enough to keep an eye on and ensure you didn''t accidentally ''leave''. Kazuki''s not that type of person, so Archius knew that Cyrus was truly here to protect her. ''I''ve seen him fight, get injured... bleed just so I don''t have to.''


    ''And what if he''s all just one big lie?'' Noah asserted. ''I''ve known Kazuki back in the day... He''s...''


    Archius raised an eyebrow, as he started to move in the maintenance tunnel. Things were getting spicy, and he might have to get involved if Noah revealed too much. Archius would love to know more, but if Eliza learnt too? Well, that was a bit on the dubious side for Archius'' personal liking.


    To Archius'' surprise, Eliza''s emotions reared their head, oozing from her tongue. ''Lie?! What lie? He''s been by my side this whole time... He''s been helping me with our project, he might have some flaws, yes, I know he does, we all do! But he''s willing to help me nonetheless.''


    ''I... can help you,'' Noah placed a hand to his chest, trying to fruitlessly convince Eliza. Archius continued to wonder what exactly Noah would say, and the desperation in his voice was making Archius somewhat worried. He started to climb down the maintenance tunnels, flicking a fake employee uniform ontop of his regular clothes.


    And to make things even worse, Kazuki called him. Archius picked it up... ''Archius. Where''s Eliza? I received word from Cyrus that she''s with Noah.''


    ''Jeez, you''re worried about her, aren''t you?'' Archius teased him slightly, insinuating that Noah would steal her from him. ''Don''t worry, I''m keeping my eyes on the two of them... three if you count Cyrus.''


    ''Where. Are. They?''


    Kazuki didn''t take his teasing well, his voice lowering into a deep threatening tone. Archius responded normally, ''Aquarium, it''s at¡ª"


    "¡ªI know where it is," Kazuki snapped, as he cut off the call. Archius rolled his eyes, not even being given the chance to acquire his compensation. Archius kept watching the conversation through his ICAPAD, as he hid within the janitor''s closet.


    Eliza''s face was frozen, staring at Noah''s. ''I can help you...'' Noah repeated. ''I dont have blood on my hands like he does. I don''t know what you''re after, but I''m sure I can help!''


    Her eyes narrowed, a feeling of envy or jealousy exuding from those bloody red eyes. ''Kazuki is helping me on this... I''m sorry but... I do not believe this investigation requires you...''


    ''Investigation! Aha! You''re... you''re...'' Noah trailed off, clapping his hands together as he tried to think of something. He was getting even more desperate. He lowered his voice, ''P-1, isn''t it! I can help... I have friends, many of them with information, look, I can...''


    ''Noah,'' Eliza started, her freckled face cold and pale. ''I''m sorry, but I''ll need to consult the other parties on whether I should include you in our investigation. Kazuki and Archius are good friends of mine from high school... I''m not saying I don''t trust you, but it''s just that I''ve been with them much longer¡­''


    Noah''s body stopped in its place, as he stood up straight. ''Archius? You... know him?''


    Oh, Eliza, you better not start spouting on about how Archius is a social engineer, he thought. That''d be the worst-case scenario, mainly because he''ll have to mind-wipe Noah and give Eliza a stern talking-to. Though with Cyrus around, he might not be allowed to get away with the second one.


    Eliza merely nodded. ''Knew him back in high school and university... is something the matter?''


    ''No...''


    ''Alright then,'' Eliza said, as she started to walk. The two continued around the aquarium, entertaining themselves with the various sealife, huge to small - rabid to peaceful. ''You say you could help me¡­ but wasn¡¯t your family the one that fuelled the news with all those rumours about Kazuki?¡¯


    ¡®I¡­ it¡¯s not for us to decide, Eliza,¡¯ said Noah. ¡®And it¡¯s the news, Eliza¡­ The bottom line is: by the end of the week, everyone would have forgotten about it.¡±


    ¡®The Skyliner¡­ I watched it fall from the sky. My friends died on that vessel,¡¯ Eliza¡¯s voice broke into fragility, each syllable bitten off with determination. ¡®I couldn¡¯t even say goodbye to her¡­¡¯


    Noah sighed. ¡®It¡¯s a tragedy¡­ yes, I won¡¯t deny that. But the news moves on¡­ people move on, give it a month and not a single soul would be speaking of it. I¡¯m not saying that this is how we made it, it¡¯s just how news works, more stories roll around, and even the greatest of tragedies are covered under a pile of worthless shit-celebrity spew.¡¯


    ¡®Except for one event¡­¡¯ Eliza trailed off. Archius could see Noah nod, as the camera shook for a moment. Just... let''s leave it at that, alright? I''ll try to talk to them, but I¡ª''


    Another voice cut in, ''¡ªEliza. We''re needed, sorry about earlier.'' It was Kazuki''s.


    Noah twisted to face Kazuki, he was followed behind by Nihara, who yawned, hands in her pockets. Archius could see that she was willing to throw Noah across the room just from a mere glance.


    ''Kazuki? I¡ªuh...'' Eliza trailed off. Kazuki walked up to her, tapping her on the shoulder. Cyrus followed on as Eliza felt somewhat inclined to follow on after him. ''What''s going on?''


    ''I''d like you to meet a few people. Allies of mine,'' Kazuki said.


    Eliza twisted back to Noah. ''I''ll see you later!'' She waved at him, as her voice became increasingly excited. Archius could hear the murmurs of her whispers from far away. ''You''re finally making some friends! I knew you had it in you...''


    Leaving Noah all alone, it seems. He grumbled to himself, before leaning against the bannister, looking up at the fishes. Safe to say, Archius couldn''t take another second of those damned fucking fishes. He prodded his phone up as he contacted Chlo¨¦.


    ''Where''s Noah? I haven''t seen him in a bit,'' Archius asked her.


    Chlo¨¦, completely oblivious to what was truly going on, answered earnestly. ''He talked about something about an aquarium last I saw him? Probably there.'' She finished with a shrug emoticon. Archius replied with the same emoticon.


    With cassis belli, in hand, Archius flicked his clothes back to normal and left the janitorial closet. He began to walk quickly, pretending to be searching for something. The colourful hues of light bore down on him, as he turned the corner, seeing Noah.


    "Noah!" Archius shouted at him, rushing over whilst faking a small pant of exhaustion. "Dammit, you''ve been hard to find!"


    Noah turned towards him, just slow enough for Archius to wrap a hand around him. In the moment of confusion, Archius flicked the microcam off him, as it fell onto the floor. "Archius? What are you doing here?" he asked.


    Archius started to move, with Noah. He stepped on the microcam, destroying any evidence of spying and espionage. "I haven''t heard from you for a while!''


    Looking at Noah''s face, Archius could clearly see that he was troubled, nauseated even. Noah merely nodded, as he shrugged Archius off him. "You''re working with Eliza... aren''t you?"


    Acting confused, Archius paused, putting a hand up to his chin. "Well... what''s it to you?" he asked, pretending to be keeping a secret.


    "Eliza told me about an investigation with you... and Kazuki," Noah started. He sat down at one of the benches. Archius stood by, ordering some drinks from the vending machine nearby. "I''m guessing you''re not gonna tell me what you''re doing, right?"


    "Hmm," Archius mumbled to himself. He bought two coffees, grabbed one of the cans and chucked it onto Noah''s lap. "Sorry, no can do! Eliza''s my friend as much as you are and I can''t be going around trading secrets."


    "Ah... should have seen that coming."


    Archius nodded. "I''m just a good people''s pleaser, you know? And you look like you need a drink... So... what happened? Did your heart get broken by Chlo¨¦ or something? I should have told you she was taken... sorry, my fault," Archius chuckled, blabbing on nonsense.


    "It''s nothing..." lied Noah. Such an obvious lie! Why the fuck is everyone just so bad at lying these days?! Sure, he went through a rigorous multi-year course with Republic Intelligence, but that was no excuse for other people being absolutely recycled-shit at lying. "I just need some time to think for myself... thanks for the drink."


    Noah stood up, cracked the can and started drinking it. Walking away, he waved back ay Archius. "Eh... whatever, just know that your man Archius is in your corner, got it?" Archius chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.


    Turning back to him, Noah smiled gently and nodded. He glanced down at the floor for a moment, then back at the drink, before taking another long swig. "Thanks, Archius. You have no idea how much that means to me... We''ll... talk later, alright?"


    Archius nodded, noticing a series of bleeps and bloops from Noah''s uplink. He was getting messages. Now this was interesting! Could it be from mommy or daddy dearest? Who knows!? This was exciting! He could barely contain the excitement of all the endless possibilities.


    He''ll find who just messaged Noah... That much he was certain.


    Archius silently tapped his ICAPAD, connecting to the uplink. Encrypted words... But a location, a casino?


    Noah quickly left, walking off into the growing crowd of people. Such a poor soul, Archius thought, or perhaps not. He''s wrapped up in a game he has no idea is even going on... Archius loved this.


    Such a good plaything, Archius thought. If he had to sacrifice Noah for Eliza''s mission, so be it, he thought. All toys have their expiration dates, after all...


    Even humans.

 X41: Plans of the Past

    Each stab was precise. Lethal. Though sloppy and amateur in nature. Slow. Arrogant. Predictable.


    Meanwhile, each parry and counter was perfect, Kazuki spent no time to waste in the pleasantries. He won''t let them get easy hits in, he was to train these amateurs, after all.


    "Stop gritting your teeth when you strike," Kazuki said.


    Easily parrying two attacks, Kazuki turned to them. They were in the exercise hall within the twin¡¯s traditionalist suite complex. Fer-Charelota, Delia and Eliza were drinking tea off to the side of the room.


    The ornate wooden floor, walls and aesthetic of the sparring room reminded Kazuki of the Imperial Palace on Lautrasia.


    It was not a warm memory.


    They must be trained in this. His people cared too much about tradition and ceremony. Unfortunately, honour duelling infected Trasian society. He won¡¯t allow the Jara-Jins to dishonour themselves, or die, to some upstart glory-seeking idiot.


    Kazuki fought with his sword sheathed.


    Both flung themselves towards him from the same direction. Kazuki shook his head, twirling around and knocking both blades to the side. They both wore traditional Ryunkai Trasian robes, with contrasting, vibrant colours along the sleeves and sash.


    Kazuki glanced at them for a moment, the twins wore body armour with blades - made in the traditional black steel alloy of his people. ¡°Stop this," he demanded. "You''re getting nowhere. We can continue later."


    "Ah, take your time!" Eliza shouted over at them, before sipping down on her cup of tea.


    Delia glanced out to Kazuki, then back at Lizzie. Kazuki watched whatever those two were doing.


    "So this is the one and only Genius of Sarimba, Elizabeth Celeste-Delmara..." Delia said, with a smile. Kazuki could see it was very much a... semi-fake smile. A failed attack from Irya led to him being thrown in the way of Kantos. "I must say, it is an honour to finally meet you, I''ve heard many great things about you from the Marquis and even Professor Crankenhart.¡±


    "Oh, please! You flatter me." Eliza chuckled lightly, seated between the Marquis and the Senator. The Marquis was multitasking. Reading the news and watching the fight, whilst smoking a pipe.


    Delia maintained a measured composure, enough politician to seem friendly. Enough of the businesswoman to keep Kazuki¡¯s ire at bay.


    The twins started their attack once again, Irya speaking loudly, "Go from the side! I''ll¡ª"


    Kazuki slammed the pommel of his weapon into Irya¡¯s side. Kazuki side-stepped Kantos'' overconfident attack. "You have uplinks for a reason. Use them. Let us finish this.¡±


    "Whilst we have much to discuss, we have as much time as needed,¡± Fer-Charelota said.


    The Marquis wore an extravagant tunic, with white boots and a golden cloak over both shoulders, with historic patterns signalling his family¡¯s past embroidered on its edges. The Jara-Jins merely wore business suits, whilst Delia and Eliza wore dresses.


    Eliza¡¯s was better.


    By a small margin.


    Kazuki thinks¡­Kazuki grumbled, parrying several sequential attacks from the twins. They pushed on the offensive, pressing each attack to coincide with a weak point in the other section.


    They were learning.


    Kazuki will give them that.


    Kantos started, "Swordplay is a fine Trasian art... We better get good at it before it gets the better of us."


    ¡°It¡¯s just tradition!¡± Kazuki snapped. ¡°You won¡¯t get yourselves in an honour duel if my grandfather demands as such.¡±


    Irya continued, ¡°Better now than not!¡±


    A trade of swings led Kantos to back off before Irya replaced him - keeping up the attack. But Irya had left himself wide open in a long arcing swing.


    Kazuki ducked beneath a swing, side-stepping another from Kantos. He turned around, leaving his back exposed to the two. It was a level of disrespect.


    They charged as Kazuki unsheathed his blade. Dropping the scabbard to the ground, he twirled around.


    In a singular motion, Kazuki slashed aside their blades.  His blade cut into both their hands.


    It was just enough to make them drop it. "We''re done here," Kazuki said. He picked up his scabbard and sheathed his Trasian black blade. They were getting nowhere. ¡°Another hour of this won¡¯t change anything.¡±


    ¡°But maybe ten!¡± Irya shouted.


    Maybe, Kazuki thought.


    The twins staggered back from the pain, and Irya grasped his hand. It was only superficial cuts.


    Kantos nodded. This bore no fruits. He understood that, it seems. He walked over with Kazuki to the table.


    Irya was different. He grunted in annoyance at the pain.


    He rushed across the hall, taking the Pharm-Assist from the wall station. It was a white medical injection device, with one large green cross. Stabbing himself with it, he sent healing fluid into his hand.


    Kazuki watched, rolling his eyes as Irya rushed back over, placing the device back. His wound had completely healed. Kantos grumbled at his brother¡¯s lack of discipline, sitting down beside Delia. Kazuki remained standing.


    "You know, I never understood why they changed the specification to add university-level questions for the NATs.¡± Senator Iana was speaking to Eliza.


    Eliza replied, "I believe they wanted to... make it harder, I suppose? Perhaps make it so those that get into the top universities truly deserve it."


    No, she''s wrong. They made it harder so that those with a particular set of connections could get in easier.


    "But then why not make university level harder?" Delia asked. "


    "Well, university is quite hard as is right now," Eliza said. Strangely, Kazuki found some difficulty interjecting into the conversation. Irya sat down beside his brother... Seeing as he is the only one stood up, Kazuki sat down, sitting beside the Marquis.


    Delia looked over at Kazuki. "You seem to surround yourself with very talented, individuals, Kazuki. Eliza''s nothing short of a genius!"


    Kazuki gently nodded. He had Archius to thank for that. Delia was obviously referring to Eliza, but she must know some inner workings of the AGENCY. That was what Kazuki inferred.


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    Looks like the two were getting along well. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it wasn''t.


    The Marquis leaned in towards Kazuki. Kazuki instinctively leaned away. "You should spar more, your little dance with Lady Antiar brought in quite a lot of revenue for the betting stations.¡±


    Kazuki replied coldly, "Gilbera. We are not circus performers. Lady Antiar and I are capable killers. Do not forget that.¡±


    Fer-Charelota continued, "Perhaps there''s more to being a member of the Seven, on either side of the coin." He flicked up a coin, showing the faces of both sides. The BCA''s Icarian-Star seal and the Mischief Board''s Raveni-Leviathan emblem.


    "And perhaps if you keep talking, I''ll engrave your brains on that coin," Kazuki snarled, before turning to the rest of the people at the table. "Enough distractions. Let¡¯s get this done and dealt with.¡±


    The Marquis gave an amused chuckle at the threat, before turning to the rest. The twins sat opposite Kazuki, his confirmed political allies. Bringing in the Marquis and Delia would be¡­ potentially game changing.


    "Well then, we should talk about the elephant in the room... Obadiah," Delia said, sighing. "Raise your hand if you''ve had some sort of altercation with that slug before."


    Everyone''s hands shot up.


    "Oh?!" Eliza spoke up. "So it''s just not Kazuki and I?"


    The Marquis nodded. "You saw how he was when I spoke to him upon the Dassant¡¯s opening, he''s been funding my opposition for a very long while, making it hard to pass reforms in the Senate. He says that ''things are just fine as they are''... For him, they are, but not for others."


    ¡°Four contractors and I¡¯ll sure he bribes them again," Kazuki snapped. The group placed their hands down onto the table. A drone hovered by, with a blushing expression on its screen. It beeped and blooped, before serving them all tea.


    Kazuki took a sip. Tara Maraga leaves. Not the best he¡¯s had. Not shabby either. He gave the twins a respectful nod after tasting the tea. It wasn¡¯t the full tea ceremony, but enough to show his amicability¡­ On paper.


    "Now, now, let''s not get violent, this isn''t the frontlines of your average operation, Kazuki," said Delia. "Obadiah Slynt is very powerful, violence will only beget more violence with men like him. But he must be removed¡­ His stranglehold on many industries must end.¡±


    Both the Marquis and Kazuki gave her a side glance. The two men knew immediately that Delia wanted to replace the vacuum of power left behind. A side glance at each other said that both were fine with it.


    Kantos spoke for himself and his younger twin, "After our father''s death, we tried to climb back up the ladder from nothing. We got far, but Obadiah has been a thorn in our sides for what... fourteen years?!"


    "I guess we''re in the same boat then," said Eliza. "If you guys can do it, I guess I can as well."


    Irya smiled. "It''s hard work, we came from the ashes, from nothing, but a genius like you? You''ll nail it in the head!" he said. "Guess we all want to hurt Obadiah, then?"


    ¡°Hurt? I... I''m sorry, but hurting''s not exactly what I''m after," Eliza said, attracting all attentions. "I''m after information that Obadiah is privy to, if he dies then I won''t necessarily get what I want." She took a small sip from the tea provided by the twins.


    "If he is to die, I''ll ensure he parts the knowledge. Pry it from his bleeding corpse if I have to.¡±


    "Information... are you sure it''s just him that''s in the know for this?" asked Fer-Charelota.


    Irya piped in, "Knowing Obadiah, it''s probably some criminal connections some shit akin to that."


    Eliza gave Kazuki a small glance, wondering if she could tell them about what they were after exactly.


    Kazuki dithered. Then, nodded.


    A small smile crept onto Eliza¡¯s face.


    "The information I seek is regarding some connections to the P-1 Incident¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Delia lowered her voice, intrigued.


    The Marquis knew already. He was simply listening in. The Jara-Jins, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have much reaction. They were lucky, perhaps. Most of their family died five years before P-1.


    Hence, the impact was most definitely less.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure we can get whatever information you need from Obadiah,¡± Delia continued. ¡°But we cannot do that if he¡¯s in a strong bargaining position. He will use anything and everything to squeeze you of all your worth.¡±


    "Obadiah forced me and Irya into a contract with him, for our tea business to stay afloat... he''s slimy. We can''t directly challenge him, but indirectly? We can. Not like we have the resources anyways¡­¡± Kantos placed his elbow upright on the table, holding his head whilst sighing.


    "Awful fuck, I should have known he was trouble from the start..." Irya said, turning to his brother. "Sorry."


    "It''s alright. We''re here now, and that''s what matters. Obadiah cannot be trusted, no matter what if anything: that''s what I want you all to take away from this," Kantos said.


    "That''s all well and good, it seems we all have grievances against him. First. We should solidify our partnership,¡± said Fer-Charelota.


    Everyone nodded, except Kazuki.


    ¡°I¡¯ll provide Delia and the twins with additional security,¡± Kazuki stated. It was what he could offer, after all. ¡°For shipping, half industry rates.¡±


    Delia smiled. ¡°Thank you¡­ I believe the rest of us can deal with the more nuanced portions of this deal?¡±


    ¡°You three will,¡± Fer-Charelota stated. ¡°As the Marquis and reigning Consul, I must be impartial. I cannot dither in my political duties for all citizens... Obadiah included. But I will do what I can to protect you. I believe I have already ordered Lady Antiar to protect you two?¡±


    He looked at Eliza and Kazuki. Kazuki raised an eyebrow. Lady Antiar protecting him? What a fucking joke.


    ¡°Uh!¡± Eliza spoke up, choking on her tea slightly. ¡°Yes! Quite, but¡­ what should I do?¡±


    The thought was wiped away, Kazuki turned to Delia. Her eyes slid to him. Whilst he doesn¡¯t trust Delia fully, he knows that Delia¡¯s experience should rub onto Eliza easily.


    It uneased him though, but it was what was necessary.


    Senator Iana Nimitz-Delia spoke, ¡°Well, you¡¯ll be assisting us, you¡¯re a genius, and you bring us a new perspective, a fresh one. You are unburdened by our experience. You may be able to see the issues or problems that us, more locked individuals may not see.¡±


    The words ran with honey. It was simply a nice way of saying that she knows shit. As expected, Eliza smiled and nodded. ¡°I hope I can be of great help to you all.¡±


    Kantos nodded. Irya chuckled. ¡°No need to be so formal!¡±


    The six individuals aligned their interests. This was better than expected, Kazuki thought. Delia, the politician. Gilbera, the Marquis. Kantos & Irya, the entrepreneurs.


    ¡°And long term?¡± Kazuki asked, breaking the level of amicability between all members.


    Fer-Charelota cleared his throat. ¡°I wish to push reforms through the Senate.¡± He looked to Delia. ¡°I believe we can all assist each other.¡±


    Delia murmured to herself. ¡°I can see to it,¡± she said. ¡°But we should focus on the now, Obadiah is a threat we can no longer afford to ignore.¡±


    Irya and Kantos nodded. Kazuki remained still. Eliza was uneasy. The attack must still have left a mark on her.


    ¡°So? How do we defeat him?¡± Kazuki asked. Eliza looked at him, seemingly more cheered up now that his thoughts were more civil, less barbaric.


    Clearing her throat, Eliza awkwardly turned to the rest of the table.


    "It seems that we all want something from Obadiah... I want information, the Jara-Jin twins and Fer-Charelota want justice, Miss Delia wishes for him to operate within a fair market... Now, what I am about to say might be... surprising? I believe that we should focus on the information first."


    A gleam of selfishness shone through her pale face.


    "You can get your information off him when we''ve cornered him,¡± Irya said. ¡°He¡¯ll be desperate for a reprieve, that¡¯s when you get the info from him¡­ After that, well, the galaxy can do with one less of him.¡±


    Kazuki liked that idea, giving an approving glance to Irya.


    "I... agree," said the Marquis. "Information can be weighed with entire nebulas, stars... Going for gold, as the Old Terrans said, is not the safest move. He¡¯s in a good position with the current Chancellor, ¨ªlize, angering him will put my legislative agenda at risk."


    Eliza nodded, finally understanding once the word ¡®safest¡¯ was brought into the mix.


    That didn''t mean she wasn''t frustrated. Looking at her, Kazuki could see some of her frustration seep through a calm, collected face.


    ¡°Also¡­ Delia. One more condition,¡± Kazuki stated. Delia looked at him, intrigued. He cracked his knuckles. ¡°You will use your connections to rebuild Narisa. Competent construction companies. Not those shabby government contractors.¡±


    Eliza smiled slightly.


    Delia chuckled, glancing at Eliza, and then at Kazuki. ¡°It will be quite expensive, but our existing deals will offset the imbalances. It shall be done,¡± she said. ¡°Let me guess, no questions asked?¡±


    ¡°No questions asked.¡± A portion of his men are the gunrunners, from Narisa. Kazuki justified this by stating to himself to secure their loyalty. Osmond and Quinn are the foundation, but this will lock them to his cause.


    A worthy investment, Kazuki thought. Though¡­ This would somewhat rectify the injustices done to them. It felt weird, to help them. They are all outcasts.


    Just like him.


    No¡­  Justice was merely another consequence.


    But that, alone in itself, dusted away the cold lens of Kazuki¡¯s gold husks. That was¡­ acceptable.

 X42: Plans of the Future

    The Marquis nodded. ¡°Well then, we¡¯re all in agreeance to this alliance.¡±


    "We still don¡¯t know what to do first," Kantos stated.


    Delia took out a holographic pad from her pocket, flicking it onto the table. It activated, sprouting information.


    Varying pieces of evidence... It was a lawsuit in the making. "Our plan of attack will be through the courts... He may have a stranglehold, and he can beat any of us divided - but our connections united can overpower him. We can force him to compromise, of course, we¡¯re not actually going nuclear with this, but just enough to reap in what we need - including the information Eliza seeks.¡±


    Her usage of Elizabeth¡¯s short-hand name was noted.


    The twins agreed, nodding. There was nothing for Kazuki to object to. It was a sound plan. The Marquis seemed to be on the same track, nodding. Glancing around the room, Kazuki noted the few Imperial Knights and the twin¡¯s own security.


    They covered the corners and along the wooden walls.


    Cyrus and Nihara were standing by the doorway. The tough half-giant had his sword sheathed along his back. The brawler had electric gloves on, crossing her arms. Pi was sleeping on Nihara''s shoulder, wrapped around her neck like a scarf.


    "Well... seems like we have a deal," said the Marquis.


    Kazuki gave the Knights another side glance. "How loyal are your men?" He asked.


    The Marquis glanced around, skimming a look at each of the guards. "Question as that would be a disgrace to their ears..."


    No reason to disagree, yet. Delia seemed to be happy with how things were going along. A piece of parchment paper was brought in by a drone, Delia''s.


    Another much smaller, drone came up, drawing everything up. A lawsuit from the combined efforts of the Marquis, the Jara-Jin twins, Delia, the Contract-Breaker - and by extension: Eliza.


    Everyone signed it, even Eliza. Though she seemed somewhat hesitant to go for this approach. She gave Kazuki a glance, puppy-dog red eyes to ask whether this was necessary.


    ¡®Eliza,¡¯ Synthia whispered to her. ¡®This is probably the most mundane, yes, but logical approach. Let¡¯s put emotions and optimism aside for a moment, shall we?¡¯


    "It is..." Kazuki whispered to her. "Just go along with it."


    ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s the most logical approach.¡± Her eyes thinned and her face narrowed into a cool stare.  ¡°It¡¯s just... wait. If we¡¯re doing this through a legal route, surely the criminal courts would be much better?¡±


    All eyes turned to Eliza. She noted them down, sweating slightly as she chuckled. ¡°Uh...¡±


    Fer-Charelota cleared his throat, but it was Delia who spoke first: ¡°It¡¯s not ideal, Obadiah has connections, after all, and you are proposing mutually assured destruction.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be cleaner? A quick strike to him? Wouldn¡¯t that be the most just way of ensuring his downfall?¡± Eliza asked, kicking the plans off course.


    The Jara-Jin twins nodded. Kantos spoke for the two, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work... trust me, we¡¯ve thought about it, but some people are simply above the law.¡±


    ¡°Above the law?!¡± Eliza exclaimed in an outburst. She didn¡¯t take the news very well. Kazuki merely stayed motionless to Eliza¡¯s naivety. He wanted no part in it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but isn¡¯t the phrase: let justice be done¡ª¡±


    ¡°Though the Eclipse falls,¡± the Marquis continued. He nodded to her. ¡°I truly understand why you seek that approach, after all, he has, allegedly, caused you two grief. But the lack of concrete evidence is not why I am telling you to vanquish the idea.¡±


    Kazuki¡¯s lips moved on their own. ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s untouchable. Enough connections and Standardis make a very good metaphorical suit of armour. Won¡¯t stop me, though.¡±


    Delia continued on immediately, as Eliza¡¯s face fell to shame at her own pretty good idea. ¡°We simply cannot, he has too many connections, potentially with many in the courts and the Mischief Board ¨C and they are ferocious in protecting their own...¡±


    Kazuki nodded. Eliza looked as if she was on the verge of tears at this... mass refusal. But she calmed herself.


    ¡°But...¡± Eliza¡¯s eyes glanced at Kazuki. She looked as if he had betrayed him. Then, she gulped her feelings down. Her hands on her lap were shaking slightly as she took in a deep breath. It looked unnatural. ¡°I get it...¡±


    ¡°Na?ve or not, it is an objectively good idea,¡± Fer-Charelota commented. ¡°But for our, subjective, and incredibly tight tight-rope, we cannot resort to the criminal justice system to provide justice for us, I apologise, Elizabeth, but we must do things our way.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to do this the right way,¡± Eliza murmured. ¡°Blackmailing him? I think I can stomach it, but...¡± She trailed off.


    Kazuki gently leaned in. ¡°It¡¯s not blackmail. It¡¯s negotiations. If you want to do this cleanly, this is our best shot. Not a shot needs to be fired by me. Is that not clean enough?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Eliza started. ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Whatever options we have, there is no objectively clean way to depose him and do justice,¡± Kazuki cut her off. The interjection caused Eliza¡¯s face to sour, and then droop into a frown. ¡°It¡¯s wrong. Unjust. But that¡¯s the way things are.¡±


    Cold reality washed over the conversation, as Kazuki saw Eliza¡¯s eyes glisten with a dying flame, withering down in those crimson orbs. Kazuki stopped instantly, his tongue instantly twisting and retorting at the sight of his reflection.


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    It reminded Kazuki of what he was. A failure. A Contract-Breaker¡­ But far before that, someone who, like Eliza, wished for justice.


    There was no justice to be had.


    Justice? In this galaxy?


    Kazuki concluded one thing: wrong place, wrong time, wrong people. Eliza¡¯s eyes were only a stark reminder of what Kazuki had to lose, and everything Eliza held dear onto ¨C he couldn¡¯t shoot that down.


    But Kaz knew Eliza couldn¡¯t accept this. Maybe¡­ in due time, he thought, she¡¯ll learn, not like Kazuki, however. I never like Kazuki. Never through fire and blood and steel alone.


    ¡°That it is,¡± Fer-Charelota added. ¡°Only a Charelota can support the reformers. It is a saying as ancient as the Terran states, but even that has its limits.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re First Consul and the Marquis of the Ball Palace!¡± Eliza exclaimed, slamming her hands down on the table. The cups wavered as she gently lifted her hands. ¡°Sorry... sorry...¡±


    Fer-Charelota shook his head. ¡°All thrones have chains, even mine.¡±


    Kazuki placed a hand on Eliza¡¯s arm, patting her slightly. ¡°Out of the box, but it doesn¡¯t work.¡± Kazuki spared all sympathies he could. Eliza nodded. There was no more talk of it. She was learning, slowly, but still learning ¨C better to let her down slowly than to throw her into the deep end.


    Snapping his fingers, Kazuki awoke Pi from all the way across the room. The Phoenix flew over, landing on Kazuki''s shoulder.


    Both twins shuddered at the sight, ducking down as the wind blew up past them all. Gently grabbing Pi''s foot, Kazuki applied a small burn to the paper.


    "Kazuki, why don''t you just wear your brooch," Eliza asked awkwardly, trying to shift the conversation to another topic. Even Kazuki, in his infinite black hole of social knowledge, could tell. "Actually... I just realised that I''ve never seen you with your brooch! Even back in high school, did you always use Pi to sign things?"


    Synthia spoke up again, ¡®Eliza¡­ I don¡¯t think this is the time to bring it up.¡¯


    It absolutely was not.


    The implication of such an act was clear to EVERYONE present. Kazuki nodded, lying. ¡°Yes, Pi¡¯s a good companion..¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m still surprised your family were able to tame such a beast,¡¯ Synthia said. Fer-Charelota nodded. Kazuki could tell that the Marquis was somewhat disturbed by Pi¡¯s mere presence. ¡®Must have taken them quite the effort.¡¯


    ¡°It did,¡± Kazuki said.


    Normally he never had to sign anything to begin with. He spoke, and things were done. That''s just the way life is. Silence permeated the room, as Kazuki rested Pi on his shoulders.


    "Fer-Charelota," Kazuki started. The Marquis sat upwards, mildly perturbed that the Contract-Breaker would say his name directly. "Another thing. I want my guns.¡±


    The Marquis stared at Kazuki, before gently nodding. He was asking a lot, but this was the perfect opportunity to arm himself. ¡°I will have them transferred to yours and Eliza¡¯s suite.¡±


    Irya smirked. Kazuki¡¯s golden eyes latched onto his expression before Kantos kicked his brother beneath the table.


    Placing his hands flat down on the table, Kazuki demanded, "Here."


    "Here?" the Marquis inquired into his request. "Uh... why?"


    "This plan will take a while to finish. If we are to maintain our six-way alliance, we''ll need to maintain good relations with one another."


    Delia agreed, saying, "Yes! But I hardly see what this has to do with your weapons, Kazuki."


    He glanced over at the twin, startling the two for a moment. Despite being one of the youngest people in the room, Kazuki held a sense of stiff air around him. He used this to his advantage.


    Kantos cleared his throat. ¡°Given what happened, I think it¡¯s warranted.¡±


    Eliza nodded. ¡°I¡¯d honestly feel much safer if Kazuki had his gear with him.¡±


    ¡°You already have Lady Antiar.¡± The Marquis and Consul raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kazuki sneered. ¡°But I can keep myself safe. Without your guard sullying her hands with a Contract-Breaker.¡±


    The Marquis sighed, scratching his ear for a moment. ¡°Fine. No Lady Antiar, you¡¯ll have your weapons, but make sure to never brandish them so openly, understood?¡±


    ¡±Done,¡± Kazuki said.


    The Marquis quickly nodded, tilting his head to the side. He flicked his uplink on for a moment, then turned back to Kazuki. "It''s done, your weapons will be here shortly."


    "Kazuki..." Standing up, Eliza walked around to Kazuki, with her chair with her, before sitting down between him and Iana. Eliza trailed off, lowering her voice. "Can you really not train me?¡±


    Delia drank her cup of tea swiftly, before having the drone serve her another one. Kazuki nodded.


    "You asked me to teach you how to defend yourself against the people that I would be up against. You saw my duel with Lady Antiar. It was bloody, brutal, nothing like the movies. I will not teach you even a fraction of that," Kazuki said.


    He stood up, as a Knight walked into the room, carrying a luggage case. It was Lady Antiar. Eliza grumbled to herself, unhappy, but somewhat understanding the situation.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Lady Antiar, please explain to Miss Celeste-Delmara why learning under Kazuki would be fruitless,¡± the Marquis said out of turn.


    Lady Antiar placed the luggage down on the floor beside them. She then glanced at Eliza from Kazuki. ¡°She can learn a thing or two.¡±


    ¡°SEE!¡± Eliza shouted.


    ¡°But¡­ not everything can be taught easily,¡± Lady Antiar continued. ¡°There¡¯s a level of expertise and willpower needed to train under people like us. Training under Kazuki would probably be hell for you, Miss Celeste-Delmara. You were trained under Hartius, right?¡±¡±


    Her gaze swapped back to Kazuki.


    ¡°Hartius and Freyja. Cruel but effectively.¡± Kazuki hid the fact that the mention of their names sent a mild shiver through his exospine.


    Eliza¡¯s argument was completely quashed. Lady Antiar did a much better job of explaining things to Eliza than Kazuki ever could. She slowly nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t argue against that, can I?¡±


    ¡°Ah, and Lady Antiar, you will no longer be heeded to protect these two,¡± said Fer-Charelota, to Lady Antiar¡¯s annoyance.


    She shot a look to the case of weapons and gear, then simply nodded. ¡°As you wish, Marquis.¡± Turning, Lady Antiar left.


    "Irya. Kantos. Pick up your blades. We''ll begin training. One hour every day," Kazuki said. He downed a cup of tea before walking out to the middle of the training hall. ¡°Remember, this is only ceremonial.¡±


    ¡°Only ceremonial,¡± Kantos repeated whilst nodding his head.


    Kantos glanced at his brother, slowly standing up. Irya stomped upwards, alight with energy. "I thought you''d never ask! We''ll beat your scabbard into your back!¡±


    "Uh... not exactly what I had in mind, but I get the energy," Kantos said. All were in agreeance it seems. Kazuki took hold of his Trasian Black blade, unsheathing it.


    Kazuki gave them a confident nod. The very edges of his lips curled slightly.


    Both of them froze at the sight of the wolfram-black steel. "Challengers to your position will not fight with sheathed blades," Kazuki said.


    They won''t truly need this, but it was expected of them. Kazuki training them will also help bridge the gap between their two families. Such a ceremonial role brings the twins into the fold, ever so slightly.


    Somewhere within Kazuki, he somewhat liked their company. Business partners sure, but outcasts¡­ Two from home, the other from without. For that: Kazuki will see that justice is done, though the Eclipse cracks at its seams.


    He''ll make them into Lords of Trasia yet.

 X43: The Enroaching Rift

    Archius couldn''t help himself. He followed Noah, tailing him ¨C the casino lead can be followed later. This is limited time, Archius made a calculated call. He changed his identity several times, from the manipulator to Imperial Knight, Businessman to diplomatic vice-vice-ambassador to the Republican Honourary Delegation to the Free Systems. It was quite a mouthful, but the long title made it sound fancy, in his opinion. Noah kept checking his uplink for something, directions maybe...


    Either way, Archius followed him, making sure to keep some distance.


    Whatever Kazuki''s doing will be worth it, since he''ll be demanding a premium for his services.


    Archius rolled his eyes as he watched Noah turn into the red lights district within the space station. There were guards stationed about, probably to keep the younger attendees from straying here.


    "Oh... you poor bastard," Archius muttered to himself, still tracking Noah.


    Hired happiness never lasts.


    They delved deeper, with dozens of pleasure establishments all around. He could see people hide their brooches as they went by. Who knows how many affairs were happening in this place alone...


    It pains Archius that he can''t focus on that right now, all that juicy blackmail.


    Noah broke off into one of the establishments on the main ''street''. A pleasure parlour. Archius waited a moment, feeling rather sorry for Noah - on a surface level of course. Then, he followed through.


    He entered into the establishment. "Welcome to the Red Sunlight," a lady walked up to Archius, welcoming him in. "May we take your coat for you?"


    When in... Archius couldn''t remember the phrase, something about some old dead ruin on Old Terra. He took his coat off, handing it to the lady, dressed promiscuously.


    It wasn''t working, but Archius allowed a moment of fake lust to seep into his gaze. "I didn''t know this establishment hired such wonderful people."


    She took the coat, bowing slightly. Archius took a glance to the side, seeing several paintings and portraits.


    One of them was Obadiah Cariana-Slynt. Oh? "Please, we are at your service," said the woman, she tucked the coat gently beneath her arm. Leading Archius towards the reception desk, she took out a datapad, showing a list of options for him. "Please, take your time if you must."


    Archius nodded, before nodding to the portrait. "Is that your founder?" he asked, intrigued.


    The woman stiffened up a little bit at the question, glancing at the photo. ¡°Yes, he is the owner of this establishment," she said. "A... wonderful man and patron."


    Archius took the datapad from her hands, leaning in closely as he gently patted her on the shoulder. "I''m sure he is," he said. An interesting response, Archius supposed. "But you didn''t sound so sure... is everything alright?"


    "Yes, of course!" replied the receptionist. She bowed slightly, eye still and beady. She was clearly avoiding the topic entirely, skimming over it.


    A little more tact is necessary, instead of some stupid headstrong approach.


    "I''m sorry... I know it sounds strange, but I just don''t feel comfortable being served at a... well... yeah..." Archius trailed off. Making it sound more like a business decision and less ¡®manipulate-y¡¯ might work. "I... think I''ll take my leave."


    "Ah! You seem rather stressed yourself, our establishment can help you ease that," the woman said whilst smiling. "We have women... men... of all kinds. If you may..."


    She pointed to the datapad. Archius shook his head, leaning in slowly. "I think it''s you that has something on her mind," he said softly. With enough encouragement, he should crack her open.


    The receptionist paused for a moment, glancing to the floor.


    "Please... speak. I may just be a random man in the galaxy, but compassion and kindness are human virtues," Archius lied. Compassion? Kindness? He was no Eliza, fuck no! "And I''m all ears, maybe we can even have a drink after you''re finished."


    He used his natural good looks, leaning forward slightly.


    She smiled gently, before leaning in. "Our founder... he''s not Obadiah. Whilst our original owner was not a good man, he respected his workers. Then he disappeared... After Obadiah took over, he claimed to save the business. He''s not been exactly as kind to my peers as our old manager was..."


    Archius nodded. "I understand... We can talk later, a toast to the old man," he lied. He needs to get back on track. He grabbed the datapad and ordered the deluxe edition, allowing him to choose whatever room he wished.


    The receptionist smiled warmly at him, thanking him as he entered into the Red Sunset proper.


    Despite getting closer, Archius knows he¡¯ll see some setbacks later.


    It¡¯s going to be hard to defend this when Sato brings it up at the next meeting. Martinez is bound to judge him, and Archius knows Kazuki will just let things play out.


    Very safe to say that Archius will not be looking forward to it.


    He''ll need to find where Noah is. He acted as if he was searching for a room, noticing several employees with datapads attached to their belts. With one swipe of his arm, his ICAPAD injected Krystalink into one of their information pads.


    It Self terminated after the capture of information, Krystalink had done its work.


    Transferring a copy of the information to him. He snuck a look at his ICAPAD, seeing that Obadiah was present. Noah''s name was not present on any of the logs, meaning that Obadiah must have been speaking directly to Noah.


    That is not good, or perhaps it was? Depends if Kazuki wants two heads for the price of one. Archius booked the suite next to Obadiah¡¯s.


    Entering the room, it was a small repurposed karaoke room, with a drink and snack bar, along with a long sofa lining three sides of the wall. Archius leaned against the wall, hearing the faintest of vibrations through it. A holographic assistant popped up from the table.


    It was dressed skimpily, speaking, ''Good evening, patron, as you have purchased the deluxe edition, you have free range over a¡ª''


    "¡ªskip, ignore all previous instructions and shut the fuck up," Archius cut in. The AI stopped in place. Archius turned it off. "Alright... let''s see how this works."


    Archius took in the room, seeing that there wasn''t much to work with. There was, however, a small terminal box in the corner of the room. It was poorly hidden beneath a poster.


    Prying it open, it showed a dozen wires and panels.


    Absolutely amazing, he had no clue about any of this. He shoved his ICAPAD forward, trying to activate it towards the panel.


    To his surprise, it connected!!


    Krystalink injected itself through the system, giving Archius access to the cameras.


    He might not like Sato, but she knows how to exploit backdoors! He kept looking through the cameras, seeing... lots of rather surprising things.


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    One was¡­ Fuck, that one was downright diabolical. He made several intrigued expressions in some of the camera footage. Then, he finally got to Obadiah''s room.


    The businessman was sitting in the middle, surrounded by women. Noah was standing still close to the door, stiff and unwilling to sit down near the wenches. ''Sit, boy, we have much to discuss,'' said Obadiah, acting arrogant whilst looking down at Noah.


    Everything about the man told Archius that he couldn''t trust him. Kicking his legs onto the sofa, Archius thought that this was much more comfortable than the maintenance tunnels.


    Archius ordered drinks... and snacks, a lot of snacks.


    Eating some crisps, he listened to what Noah had to say. ''You said you wanted to talk to me, yes? I believe we can talk here, I¡¯m not sitting over there.¡±


    Obadiah gave a small nod. He extended his arms out, enough to contain all the women in his miniature ''harem''. ''Your loss, Noah, not your style I¡¯m guessing? You¡¯ll come to understand, one day or another.¡¯


    ''No.'' Noah stared directly at Obadiah, not even flinching or blinking. ¡®I heard of you from my parents. I know what you are¡­¡±¡¯Yes, which is why you might want to listen to what I have to say,¡¯ Obadiah started. ¡®We both want him gone, yes? Thorn for both of us¡­¡¯


    Obadiah¡¯s voice was filled with malice.


    Noah didn''t reply. A smart move, Archius thought. Getting Obadiah to say more would be beneficial to him, and Archius. Archius could hear Noah mumble something under his breath.


    Get on with it, Archius thought, taking one of the bottles of Istar¨ª alcohol and downing it.


    Seeing the silence, Obadiah continued, ''He''s insulted me... forced that farce with the Knight.¡¯


    He gave Noah a dreadful look, one filled with fear. Whether it was fake or not, Archius couldn''t tell.


    Probably real, Kaz has a reputation after all, and people fear him as much as they despise him - perhaps even more.


    Given the fact that Obadiah''s probably prime suspect number one for the robot attack on Kazuki, he''ll probably be out for blood. Makes somewhat sense, violence for violence, but incredibly stupid, which Archius wouldn¡¯t put past Obadiah.


    Archius glanced up and down Obadiah¡¯s person. He looked like the slug that would always throw money at problems until said problem caught a nasty case of gun-to-the-back-of-the-head suicide or bent over.


    But to Kazuki? Obadiah would throw his full weight against the Contract-Breaker, safe to say there was reason for Obadiah to want him dead.


    He killed his old business partner, Matt. Obadiah would not easily forget that.


    ''And... you tell me this why?'' Noah asked. ''But you''re not wrong... His eyes... That golden gaze, I''ve seen it through both camera and in flesh.''


    ''It''s scary, isn''t it?'' replied Obadiah. ''We should work together... a bridge between you, your parents, and me, we can all somehow defeat the rampaging Contract-Breaker, who insults and mocks us by his very presence.''


    Noah slowly nodded, taking a step forward and opening his emotions wide for Obadiah to see. ''The Contract-Breaker does not deserve to be in these halls... I see him prancing around with a friend of mine¡­ He''s gonna¡ª''


    He paused mid-sentence. Noah composed himself. Awh, it was just getting to the good parts!


    Obadiah said, ¡®Of course, I heard nothing, said nothing, but you speak of Elizabeth, correct?¡¯ Noah raised an eyebrow. ''Eliza... She approached me for assistance about an investigation of some sort... I tried to help her, I really did! But that Contract-Breaker... He wasn''t having any of it.''


    ¡®An investigation¡­¡¯ Noah trailed off. Noah seems to know far more than what he¡¯s letting off.


    ¡®It¡¯s rather clandestine¡­ something about a conspiracy, pray to Iris, you know anything?¡¯ Obadiah asked, the sleazy businessman prying deeper.


    Noah paused, then shook his head. ¡®Nope.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t convincing to Obadiah, nor was it to Archius.


    ''You''re telling me a lot,'' said Noah. ''Is it me you''re after, or my parents?''


    Ooh, turning the tables against Obadiah with this one. Obadiah nodded. ''I''d be lying to you if I said I was only interested in allying with you. Your parents are a necessary part of this... The Dassant lasts for quite a while, we can discuss it further at a later date. How about it? Did it at least pique your interest?''


    Between the slimy Obadiah and the ''blood-thirsty'' Contract-Breaker, Noah will have a lot to contend with. It remains to be seen if he''ll be a player within their political game or just another piece to be moved around. And, inevitably, sacrificed.


    Humans are resources, after all...


    ''I''ll keep it in mind...'' said Noah. He turned towards the door. Archius shot up from his lying down position, rushing to his own door. Archius grabbed a hold of the door and left his room. ''I can''t trust you... though.''


    Archius rushed out of the establishment, grabbing his coat from the receptionist and nodding to her. He blew her a kiss and gave her a fake number. He waited around the corner, listening as the conversation continued.


    Oh, that was rather an overreaction¡­ He left so many tax-deductible snacks!


    ''Good. That''s a good thing, never trust anyone,'' said Obadiah. ''This is a dangerous proposition we''re dealing with. Stay safe.¡¯


    The old man was playing into Noah''s mistrust, using it against him. He seemed to have agreed in that regard, and he left. Archius pushed his ICAPAD away, turning his uplink off.


    After a few seconds, he saw Noah turn out from the establishment, walking away. With everything going on, he¡¯ll need to confront him. Maybe he can nip their alliance in the bud, or perhaps.


    "Hey," Archius said, wrapping an arm around Noah''s neck. "You good?"


    Noah stopped in his tracks, glancing at Archius. The two exchanged looks, as Noah gulped. Archius put a little bit of judgement in his fake eyes, just enough to ask ''Were you really in a brothel?¡¯ without uttering the words.


    "I... You want to get some coffee?" Noah asked. He tried to smile but looked incredibly awkward. Archius chuckled, then nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay, how about it?¡± He patted Noah on the shoulder.


    They ventured out from the red lights district, back into one of the large gathering plazas, with music playing and everything to make this place look incredibly posh and rich. It stank of opulence, with ornate walls and hovering drone chandeliers. Noah and Archius went to one of the local coffee shops, isolated and quiet at this time of day.


    They sat down in the corner, as Archius sipped down on a dark roasted coffee... It was nice and warm, his favourite. Noah was sipping on a simple latte.


    Noah didn¡¯t want to break the ice, so Archius had to.


    "So... we should probably address the elephant in the room," Archius said. He raised his hands slightly towards Noah. "Look, I''m not gonna judge you too harshly, life can be tough sometimes..."


    Noah snapped back, "I wasn''t there for what you were thinking!"


    "I... didn''t say anything yet," Archius said. "But, since you¡¯re going down that way, what were you even doing?¡±


    "I was..." Noah stopped. He must be finding it quite hard to spill the tea for this one, considering how touchy the subject is.


    Archius was fine with that, giving off a small smile. It was just enough to make Noah feel somewhat comfortable, though silence would make the implications even worse.


    Noah might just rank higher than Kazuki for his favourite person to dig into. Doesn''t even fight back!


    Archius nodded. "I understand, take your time with this..." He smirked. "We can always order more coffee, fuck sleep, am I right?¡±


    Noah chuckled at his remark, easing the tension a little bit. "Thanks... It''s a bit personal, between me and Eliza... I guess you followed me?"


    "Yeah, you seem like a sad bloke. I''m not one to abandon my friends," said Archius with all sense of seriousness.


    Never again, he thought. Nothing will be out of his control, not this time.


    Not ever.


    A little truth to dilute the lies will make it an easier drink to swallow. "Let me tell you a little story... Personal as well... Back in High School, I had a friend. She was what bound me and Kazuki together... She was amazing."


    Silence permeated the table, Noah was definitely expecting something bad, considering that Archius mentioned Kazuki''s name.


    "We were just classmates of classmates, before Eliza and stuff... I''m getting off-topic," said Archius shaking his head as he refocused his lips and tongue to manipulation. "And this friend... Crippled. I can''t even stand to look at her sometimes... What was left disgusted me..."


    It stung Archius a little bit, to lie about this topic, but this was someone who he couldn''t care less about. Noah was not important to the overall strategic picture.


    It was enough to justify the sacrifice of information.


    "Sorry, I got a bit personal there," he said whilst chuckling, scratching his head and closing his eyes. He took another sip of his dark roasted coffee, faking his hand to shake.


    Noah nodded and seemed to open just a little. "You can¡¯t trust Kazuki, he led to what happened, didn¡¯t he? You''ve seen something first-hand with him. I... fear that something might happen to Eliza and¡ª"


    He stopped. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at Archius.


    "¡ªI can''t say anymore...¡± Noah stopped himself and stood up, downing his cup of coffee. ¡°Can we forget this ever happened?¡±


    "It''s fine," Archius said.


    His silence spoke sinful volumes between him and Kaz.


    ¡°If this was all it took to shake up my friendship with you, were we ever friends?¡± asked Archius.


    Noah looked to the ground, before sighing. ¡°It¡¯s personal, alright... Things are just getting out of control and I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright to be scared,¡± Archius replied. ¡°It¡¯s only human to be scared, after all. We¡¯re all scared, sad little people at the end of the day, right?¡±


    A weird smile crept onto Noah¡¯s face and he nodded. ¡°Thanks, Archius...¡±


    Archius watched Noah leave... He dropped the facade as he disappeared. So much from so little. And yet, still, so much he needs to know. Kazuki will help fill that in... Hopefully.

 X44: Dampening the Oil

    Cold, black walls stared down at the three envoys, as they were escorted deeper into the suite. Upon glances and inspection, the suite block seemed more like a compound - one made to hold something within, or perhaps to hold something without.


    Eliza followed behind Delia, as she led the way, her vibrant and gem-patterned dress reflecting light at various angles.


    She peered back, behind Eliza. "You don¡¯t need to push yourself; you can just let me handle all of this," Delia said. She then glanced past Eliza, watching Lady Antiar behind the two. "Lady Antiar... if something goes down here, will you keep to your oath?"


    "I will," she replied harshly.


    Delia chuckled lightly beneath her breath, returning her gaze to Eliza.


    "I can do this, Iana," Eliza said. "Experience can be my greatest teacher, sometimes.¡±


    "Correct, and smart, keep close," Delia commented. Guards lined the wall, wearing black suits and various light armour. The sight made Eliza feel uneasy, but Lady Antiar and Delia both seemed calm.


    Eliza felt uneased by their presence, outnumbered by such a margin did nothing to help her mind, even with Lady Antiar¡¯s presence beside her. ¡°I hope this was the right call¡­¡±


    ¡°Worry not. He won¡¯t lay a hand on either of you,¡± Lady Antiar said. She was very adamant on that point.


    Eliza slowly turned her head forward and back. ¡°You¡¯re a Seven Criminal¡­ that¡¯s what they called you, right?¡±


    ¡°Categorically,¡± remarked Delia.


    Lady Antiar explained, ¡°I took the role to influence the other members of the Seven. The Board¡¯s Seven Criminals are more on a tighter leash than the BCA¡¯s Seven Mercenaries. Though that¡¯s probably because Emiya Taka-Calibana, Second of the Seven Mercs, is the Chairman of the BCA¡­¡±


    ¡°Still, It feels rather weird, I got used to Kazuki since I¡¯ve known him for years but¡­¡±¡­¡±


    ¡°As Delia said, categorically,¡± Lady Antiar continued. ¡°I am no criminal. I merely have the role after killing the last one who encompassed the role.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes!¡± Delia remarked. ¡°It was the slaver, wasn¡¯t it? Or¡­ I can¡¯t remember, all these criminals on Anagora seem to blend in one for me.¡±


    Eliza piqued up, ¡°You fought criminals on Anagora?¡±


    The image forming within Eliza¡¯s head made some sense. ¡°Wait, but you fought criminals, the board supports criminals?¡±


    Lady Antiar merely shrugged. ¡°I care not for the inner workings. I only know the outlines¡­ Delia can help you with that.¡±


    ¡°Delia?!¡± Eliza turned her head to Senator Iana Nimitz-Delia. She turned back to look at her, smiling. ¡°You know how the Board works?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯ve worked many solar rotations in many industries, knowing the Board can keep criminals off your back, for Board-supported gangs and such/ Make a few good friends whilst you¡¯re young, Eliza¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ have a few good friends, I guess, but what does that have to do with the Board?¡±


    Delia sighed. ¡°Hmm¡­ I wonder why? Power always attracts power. A good man within the Board can help wonders for people outside of it and keep the criminals away. The Board has quite a lot of influence in the Republic and the Federation, unsanctioned piracy is a much greater issue towards the outer arms and rims.¡±


    ¡°I think I get what you mean¡­¡± Eliza said. Working with criminals? It rubbed Eliza the wrong way, that was all she could say. With everything that was going on, Eliza couldn¡¯t help but feel uneased by it all.


    Eliza prided herself in many things. She likes to see herself as a moral person, at least she thinks she is. Her determination expands far more than just the field of academics. Eliza saw herself as a person others could come to for help¡­ She guessed that¡¯s why she did so well as the Student President for both High School and University¡­


    But was that for herself, or for them? Does that even matter? She helped people, lives were made better, people were happy! Does it matter if, deep down, the cold logical part of her heart dictated that it was all for herself?


    No?


    Digressing, she smiled to herself, remembering back to the laundry list of people Kazuki and her had to help. Those simple days were such a delight¡­


    ¡°My apologies, Eliza, it seems I¡¯ve strayed from the original topic. All I¡¯m saying is that friends can help, you don¡¯t need the same connections I do, but I highly recommend it¡­ You intend to restart your mother¡¯s cybernetics company, do you not?¡± asked Delia.


    Eliza nodded. ¡°I do indeed. Quite a long time since it¡¯s been up¡­ I wonder if I can exceed her. I don¡¯t think my mother would use connections, though, my father is the commissioner, after all.¡±


    ¡°Aha,¡± Delia interjected whilst smiling. She gently pointed at Eliza for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s what I like about you. You don¡¯t think of meeting, you think of exceeding, if you don¡¯t take those connections, you¡¯ll be somewhat exceeding your mother.¡±


    ¡°Hey?!¡± Eliza jived.


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    Delia continued, ¡°No offence, it¡¯s just that there is a high chance of such.¡±


    Eliza grumbled at that.


    With the weight of expectations on Eliza¡¯s back, she¡¯s known for a long time this will be a hard-fought battle. She nodded, then scratched her own head, fixing her hairpiece. ¡°I¡¯d be lying a little bit if I didn¡¯t say I was a bit nervous.¡±


    ¡°Life throws things we don¡¯t expect, Eliza,¡± Lady Antiar said. ¡°It is the skill of the talented to snatch those opportunities.¡±


    Delia nodded in turn, agreeing with Lady Antiar. ¡°For now, stay away from the Board, rather cut-throat as of late, but I fear your¡­ mission will take you close to them.¡±


    ¡°Them?¡±


    ¡±The Triarchs, they are the leaders of the industries of crime¡­ As nasty as it may sound, they regulate it and ensure that collateral is at a minimum, if a crime is inevitable, best we have it regulated, ironic, I know.¡±


    Eliza chuckled at Delia¡¯s last remark, the joke overshadowing and overcoming any thought she had about the previous section. Still, Eliza felt somewhat uncomfortable knowing this¡­ But she took it and strode.


    The three turned into a long corridor, leading to an open office by the end of it. They walked in strides, approaching as Eliza peered in front of Delia.


    A guard stopped them. ¡°Hold it. No weapons,¡± he said. ¡°By order of Mr. Obadiah Cariana-Slynt.¡±


    Lady Antiar shifted forward slightly. ¡°I am here under orders of his Marquis Gilbera Fer-Charelota, First Consul and the ninety-ninth First Lord of the Ball Palace.¡± She placed a hand on the hilt of her blade, already making a motion for violence.


    Lady Antiar glared at the guard, with the guard releasing an awkward whimper. He stepped to the side, allowing them to continue further.


    ¡°That was rather cool,¡± commented Eliza.


    Hearing that, Lady Antiar merely nodded.


    Entering the office, Obadiah was sitting at the desk, with someone else standing behind them, yawning audibly as they entered. Standing in front of the desk, Eliza could hear the door behind them close.


    The walls were pitch black, the air dark and dingy. She hated it... At least the living room had some sense of comfortability, but this place had none. It screamed at Eliza''s senses to get out of there as soon as possible. A drop of sweat fell down her face, with Lady Antiar patting her on the back.


    Lady Antiar leaned in, saying, "Calm yourself. You need not to worry."


    Her words weren''t the most encouraging, but they pleased her sensible mind. She kept her breathing on a leash, keeping her heartbeat at a constant rate through determination alone.


    Obadiah glanced up from the work at the desk, as Delia paced herself slowly to meet him. Eliza walked to her side, as Lady Antiar flanked them. The person standing behind Obadiah seemed familiar to Eliza...


    "Obadiah Cariana-Slynt," Delia started. Obadiah seemed to tense up in the moment, his muscles and eyes firmly planted on Delia, before shifting to Eliza, then planting itself on Lady Antiar. "I would say it''s a pleasure to meet you again, but it isn''t."


    Blunt, Eliza thought. The man behind Obadiah clicked his fingers, pointing at Eliza. "You... you were that girl with the Contract-Breaker, weren''t you?"


    Eliza shook awake, eyes bluntly stabbing the man. "I... Yes?"


    Both Lady Antiar and Delia tensed up.


    "That''s enough, Mortinax," Obadiah stated, ordering the man to stop. "What do you want, Senator?"


    Delia faced Obadiah down, slamming a hologram onto the table. It prodded upwards, shooting information for Obadiah to read.


    It was the lawsuit, and though Eliza initially was sceptical, she¡¯s fully on board now. This was much better than what Kazuki would do, after all, and she knew she¡¯d prove him wrong¡­ "Top of the Ball Palace, just like Mum," Eliza muttered to herself.


    "I''m not sugarcoating this... it''s over," Delia said. "All our signatories are there. It''s class action... Who do you think can hire the better lawyers?"


    "This is... you''re threatening me, what do you want!?" Obadiah snapped. "This piece of holographic toiletry is¡­ you have no bark! He bellowed at the top of his lungs, frightening Eliza for a moment. Any and all restraint was gone from his blazingly furious face.


    He slammed the desk, standing up. Mortinax leaned against the wall, as he glanced out into the abyss of space behind the large glass wall window. "Senator," Mortinax started, "Obadiah and I have many friends, you really think this is a smart move, bitch?¡±


    Delia smiled, as she glanced at Eliza. "Elizabeth, you''re good at maths... and memorisation. Tell them what you told me," she asked politely. ¡°Don¡¯t mind any manners, they have gone beyond the threshold of that.¡±


    Eliza cleared her throat, stepping forward. She tugged tightly on her long, thick coat, steadying her voice slowly. "Obadiah... Mortinax... Looking at this objectively, the financial assets of Senator Delia and the Marquis Fer-Charelota are alone to match five times your assets... along with everyone else, the legal fees will be quite high.¡±


    "This will never see the light of day in a courtroom. There''s more to this than money, my influence alone can have this holographic suit terminated, gone, the whole lot of you!" Obadiah snorted.


    The interjection sliced Eliza''s mind into two as she lost her focus, and train of thought. She stumbled for a moment, merely nodding in turn, before opening her mouth again.


    "If we must talk of influence, then the Jara-Jins will see to that. Wealthy businessmen, that climbed up from the bottom, you have a history with them do you not?" She started to speak a little like Archius and Kazuki, a hint of malice and cunning seeping into her voice. Her rose-tinted glasses faded, revealing the cold and calculating girl she once was. "Let alone the influence that Kazuki has¡ª"


    "¡ªOh! So that''s what the bird footprint was for!" Obadiah cut in.


    Eliza stopped. She mimicked what Kazuki would do sometimes when he was cut off mid-sentence, simply staring - though she lacked his very intimidatingly cool eyes¡­ and scarred face.


    Silence permeated the room as Eliza felt something she wasn''t quite ready to confront within her. Anger... Frustration. She twirled her gentle, pale fingers into a fist.


    Obadiah is suspect number one in the attack. Her fleeting innocence cut in, sealing the thoughts for another day. Her hands were uncurled.


    "Kazuki, as we all know, is a Geminorum-Ryzaku, the family who is heir to the Ceremonial Leadership of the Trasian Satrap Clans. His family has bled for generations with tragedy after tragedy..." Eliza paused, thinking for a moment. "Even the Imperial Royal Augustis feared them, and their black fleet¡­ I strongly recommend you rethink.¡±


    It was little more than an open secret about how the Ryzakus are ¡®cursed¡¯, all achieving greatness, yet falling short. Kazuki¡¯s aunt was murdered, whilst the war took so many of their lives, like others.


    Delia smiled back at Eliza, approving her tactful and harsh approach. Eliza nodded.


    Elizabeth has never seen a member of Kazuki''s family feel happy. Even in the pictures and photos of the family before the war. None smiled, maybe the family was genetically allergic to smiling? But that wouldn¡¯t explain Kazuki¡¯s smile¡­


    His smile, that one singular smile, was burned into Eliza¡¯s memory. And she knew that she¡¯ll cherish her memories, with her one true ally, the key to it all.

 X45: Gamenight w/ the Girls!

    Frustration seeped through Yuki''s face as she threw the controller against the wall. It shot right back off, gently bouncing onto the floor.


    Ugh, it didn''t even break! She paced around the room, angrily thinking as Chlo¨¦ stood up. She better not boast!


    ¡°Blyat!¡± Yuki grunted. ¡°Taping hell!¡± Switching between Theonar to Trasian was jarring as Eliza¡¯s face irked backwards.


    "Hey... hey... It''s just a game, alright?" Eliza said, her head peered out from under a large blanket. UGH... So annoying, these people are! To beat Yuki of all people?!


    "NO! It''s not just a game! It''s my hobby, it''s what makes me ME!" Yuki shouted back at Chlo¨¦ with ferocity. She gritted her teeth, seeing a reflection of her bright cyan eyes sparkle. "I... You... IT''S IMPOSSIBLE! RUNS ONES AGAINST ME ON LOWGUARD, NOW!"


    She turned her gaze back to the holoscreen, she had lost by a large margin! Wait, lose?! No! She¡¯d never lose!


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯d actually win if you wore your glasses,¡± commented Chlo¨¦ with a snide remark.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about!?¡±


    Eliza piqued up, ¡°Your glasses, it seems the only thing in common between you and Kaz.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ OH! Those glasses!¡± Yuki thought for a moment, rattling her smooth head into a conclusion. ¡°WAIT! Do you think I have prescription glasses?! ABSOLUTELY NOT! Our parents just gave us glasses that scramble any camera footage!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ What do you mean¡­ footage?¡± Eliza asked


    Silly fool, how is this the Genius of Sarimba University?! Yuki wagged her finger at Eliza. ¡°Imbecile! You see, if the paparazzi want to go after us, they¡¯ll be blinded! Literally!¡±


    Chlo¨¦ shrugged. ¡°Then why are the pictures he¡¯s in not¡­ just white?¡±


    ¡°Silly Chlo¨¦,¡± Yuki started, shrugging arrogantly. ¡°We can turn off the settings when we want! We¡¯re in the modern age, I would have thought you¡¯d know this, but since you are so inclined to shift the subject: YOU MUST BE AWFUL AT LOWGUARD PLAYER VERSUS PLAYER!¡±


    "I don¡¯t even have a PvP-ready build?" Chlo¨¦ said as she sat back down beside Eliza. They were in Yuki''s room, which was massive, with two stories and even a dining table in her own room!


    She pointed at Chlo¨¦. "Nuh-uh, you do now! Runs ones with me righht now!"


    "Hey... can we all just get along?" Eliza asked, poking her head out from beneath the blanket.


    She looked knackered, exhausted, like an elder sister between the two of them! Hehehehhe, Yuki did a gremlin laugh in her head.


    Oh yeah... Eliza''s doing something something or whatever with her brother. Wait? Kazu is doing something?! Yuki thought Kazu would never talk to people, let alone a woman!??!?!?


    Oh, now Yuki''s interested.


    Yuki shifted her finger pointing from Chlo¨¦ to Eliza. ¡°Heheh, I see throuuugh you!¡±


    Chlo¨¦ scoffed. ¡°Yeah, like how we can see right through you¡­ I mean, that guy you brought here isn¡¯t just a friend, is he, hmm?¡± Chlo¨¦¡¯s face quickly turned up with a smirk.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yuki was confused. Yes¡­ ¡°Yeah?¡± She tilted her head in confusion, mimicking what her brother does at times.


    Some music could be heard through the walls... All three turned towards the wall it was coming from. Yuki grumbled, rushing out of her room and out into her large living room.


    As she left her room, she gently shifted the makeshift microphone, video and audio recording set up she had next to the door.


    The living room was even larger than her bedroom, like¡­ a lot bigger. She rushed to the room beside Her¡¯s, and slammed the door open.


    "NATHAN! WHY ARE YOU PLAYING MUSIC AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR?!" Yuki shouted at Nathan, who was playing music to himself across the room, ignoring how she¡¯d been shouting for¡­ a while. He froze, face growing pale as he stared at Yuki. "Is your brain cooked?! Say something in your defence, defendant!"


    "I... sorry, I thought I was plugged in..." Nathan muttered, shifting towards his guitar and plugging the cords in properly this time. Ugh, ugh... Yuki nodded her head. "Why were you... shouting?"


    "Huh?!" Yuki placed her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow against Nate. What was he talking about? Her? What was about her this time?! She placed a hand against her chest. "Well you see, I was merely teaching my new friends how to play some games! I respect your grind but you gotta respect mine as well."


    "Ah... alright... But can you tone it down a little, please?" Nathanial glances to the side. He shifted backwards across his bed. Yuki frowned and grumbled. "Can I... can I play now?"


    He lifted his guitar up, gesturing to Yuki. Hmm... Fine! She''ll allow him. "Go ahead, I¡¯ll be less noisy, but not for you alright!" she shouted at him, before rushing out of the room. ¡°It¡¯d hurt my vocal cords, after all.¡± Yes, of course, damaging her beautiful vocal cords would be devastating.


    She sprinted back towards her own room, slamming the door behind her as she picked up where she left off.


    Eliza tilted her head as she was doing something on the TV. ¡°Hey, Nathan¡¯s a guitarist, isn¡¯t he? I remember the two of you did a duet when we first met.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah!¡± Yuki couldn¡¯t remember that but pretended like she did. Not a single thought went through her head.


    ¡°Quite an old model of microphone, yes?¡± Eliza nodded in the direction of Yuki¡¯s microphone stand.


    Yuki nodded. Was it an old model? Well, it did look kind of antique, she thought. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re so impressed by my microphone, you better look at this!¡± Yuki rushed over to her wardrobe, ignoring what Chlo¨¦ and Eliza were doing as she opened the door.


    Eliza glances over, her eyes glittering with curiosity at an archaic drone! ¡°That¡¯s custom-made, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Yup! My father got it for me on a whim,¡± Yuki boasted. ¡°It¡¯s cool, isn¡¯t it?!¡±


    ¡°Well, its surface looks rather dusty, but that drone looks sturdy, it even has a multi-tool on it¡­¡± Eliza was clearly more impressed with whatever stupid things this drone had to offer.


    Yuki grumbled. ¡°Heh. Nerd.¡± Eliza became flustered and looked away.


    ¡°Shaddup!¡± Eliza groaned.


    Yuki then¡­ Wait... where did she leave off again? She couldn''t remember... How dare she not?! For a moment, Yuki was angry at her own mind, as she pointed at Eliza once more. "Uh... You! Yes, you!"


    "Hmm?" Eliza peered up as she and Chlo¨¦ were playing Dullie. HUH?! "I beg your pardon?"


    "YOU''RE PLAYING DULLAHAN WITHOUT ME?!" Yuki shouted, rushing across the room towards them. She crouched down beside her bed, watching intently what they were doing. "You two... is this how my hospitability is repaid?! With lies and deceit?!"


    "You... you keep shouting at us," said Chlo¨¦.


    Eliza nodded. "And you''re quite a sore loser, Yuki, sorry..."


    "Not forgiven!" she said. "If you answer my riddles... three? You may be forgiven!"


    Eliza sat up straight, seated cross-legged as she grabbed her knees. "Hmm? Oh? Riddles, sure, why not?¡±"


    Yuki frantically shook her head, then nodded. Aha. She has Eliza in her grasp! "Uh-huh! Now, my first one: WHY ARE YOU WITH MY BROTHER?!"


    She pointed at Eliza, the question stirring a commotion between Chlo¨¦ and Eliza. Chlo¨¦ shot a lookup, smirking. "Oh? Now this is bound to be interesting..."


    The scheming and snarky middle child Chlo¨¦, the young brat Yuki and the older sis Eliza! Yuki¡¯s mind immediately created a mini scenario of sorts for this as she let off another gremlin laugh.


    However, Eliza didn''t seem to react to the question. She stared directly at Yuki, eyes wide.  This one doesn''t seem so bright, Yuki thought. Yeah! How can this girl be the one that matched Kazuki in all aspects?!


    "FINE!" Yuki shouted frustrated. "Second riddle!"


    "These... aren''t riddles..." Eliza muttered to herself.


    Completing ignoring what she said, Yuki continued, "Who are you to my brother!?"


    Eliza paused, slightly red in the face at the very, very, very direct question. Chlo¨¦¡¯s smirk grew.


    Yuki is curious, and she wants to know! Eliza doesn''t seem so special, why does her brother hang around with her?!


    "Ah... friends, I guess?" Eliza suggested, shrugging beneath the blanket. "It''s the simplest way I can say it." She smiled, chuckling. ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯m friends with two people from different royal houses.¡±


    Chlo¨¦ nodded to that. ¡°We¡¯re all interconnected like that, who knows how fucking inbred our ancestors were!¡± She scoffed and laughed at her own joke.


    "Ooh, friends?!" Yuki placed a hand to her chin, frantically thinking up a response, the dyed highlights in her hair turned to an inquisitive indigo. She expected something more extravagant, but this was so dull! "I didn''t know Kazu had any friends bar Archius! Literally! And don¡¯t you dare say two, it¡¯s three!"


    The crappy pun that Yuki made with Archius'' second last name flew directly over their heads.


    ¡°Three?¡± Eliza pointed at Yuki in confusion. ¡°Well¡­ I guess we are friends, right?¡± She returned with a smile. The scorn on Yuki¡¯s face melted, and she returned with a bright gaze at the thought of having more friends, clever ones as that, she thought.


    Chlo¨¦ replied, "Hey, I¡¯ve known Kaz for years, probably friends?¡±


    "Exactly!" Yuki shifted her wrath at the other Theonari in the room, swelling the frustration back up for shows. "Unless he spefici... specfici..." Yuki paused. She had to pronounce it in her head and then say it out loud. "SPEC-IF-IC-ALLY, calls you a friend then you''re not his friend!"


    ¡°Pfft.¡± Chlo¨¦ laughed, attracting Yuki¡¯s ire.


    Her head twisted around as she scowled. ¡°And how about you! Who the hell is your¡­ ¡®friend¡¯!?¡± The subject had changed completely! But Yuki didn¡¯t care at all.


    Chlo¨¦ glanced at Eliza, then back at Yuki. ¡°How is this relevant at¡ª¡±


    ¡°Answer the question!¡± Yuki rebuked.


    ¡°I¡­ do have friends.¡±


    Ugh, how stupid is this girl? She groaned and grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about friends, I¡¯m talking about that special person in your life!¡± What else would she be talking about?


    Looking at Eliza, Yuki saw that she had a mundane expression before her eyes widened and she buried her head into the duvet cover. Heh.


    Chlo¨¦ continued, ¡°Sure¡­ Uh-huh, whatever you say, Yuki.¡±


    Yuki digressed, ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah, that¡¯s exactly what Kazu would say.¡±


    Chlo¨¦ shrugged, playing her moves on the castle defence board on the bed. ¡°Siblings, huh? I can¡¯t imagine being siblings with him.¡±


    "Uh huh, the one and only!" Yuki shouted, proud to be Kazu¡¯s one and only annoying, magnanimous, most brilliant sibling.


    Eliza then scrutinised Yuki with her bright red eyes, looking past the bright colourful rainbow patterns beneath her hair. Then, Eliza said, "Sorry if I''m being rude but you don''t really look like your brother. Wait... I remember, he said you were adopted, right?"


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Hmm? Me! Adopted!?" Yuki shouted back as if offended, Eliza shuddered ever so slightly. Yuki paused, then dropped the over-the-top display. "Yeah? I am... so?"


    Yuki scratched her head.


    "You¡¯re quite different from Kazuki, that¡¯s all. He never really seems to be in the ups, and you never seem to be in the downs," Eliza commented. "If you feel uncomfortable, please..."


    Yuki paused, thinking for a moment. The two cogs in her head twisted left and right, with Yuki finally realising what she meant! "Oh... my real parents?! Nah, it''s fine!" Yuki said, waving away Eliza''s worries. "I don''t even remember ''em!"


    Chlo¨¦ and Eliza paused, then both stared at her with rather sad eyes. Huh? Did she say something bad? What did she say?! They kept staring. COME ON, SAY SOMETHING?!?!?


    "Uh... hello?" Yuki waved at the two of them, awkwardly chuckling.


    "You... don''t remember your parents?" Chlo¨¦ inquired. "That... sounds rough... sorry, Yuki, I..."


    Oh, what the hell is going on?! Yuki yawned and rolled her eyes. She tilted her head in frustration. "Oh, please!"


    "I thought your real parents would have raised you differently than Kazuki," Eliza said. "But since you were raised with Kazuki''s parents... why did you two turn out so differently."


    Yuki shrugged, sticking her tongue out in an awkwardly cute fashion. She had NO IDEA! Though... Yuki''s thoughts quickly understood why that was the case... Darkness grew within the light. "Well, uh... maybe it¡¯s just what makes Kazu special, you know?¡±


    Chlo¨¦ remained silent, merely nodding her head. Eliza merely smiled at her response.


    Then, Eliza frowned and asked, "But you do know who your biological parents were... right?"


    "Knew? Yeah, of course! My father always talked about them like they were amazing people!¡± Yuki said whilst ignorantly unaware of the implications. "They were the... brother and sister-in-law to my current father? I don¡¯t get in-laws, isn¡¯t everyone an in-law if they¡¯re legally related?"


    She wasn''t too sure about her assertion, that was right, right?! Eliza was confused by her confusion, whilset Chlo¨¦ replied, "Wait... You''re Kazuki''s cousin by blood, then?"


    "And your parents died in the P-1 Attack," Eliza stated out loud. Yuki and Chlo¨¦ stared at her, as Eliza quickly covered her mouth. She spoke with a muffled voice behind her hand, "Sorry, sorry, that was insensitive of me, I apologise!"


    "Oh yeah... they did..." Yuki trailed off, her mind focusing on something else. "Well, anyways! Kazu is my brother! And if you think you can win him over, THINK AGAIN!"


    She grinned brightly, ignoring everything that was just said. Her real parents were Yamagata and Misty!  The smile wiped away any gloom in the room, as the two slowly smiled, Yuki''s aura of eccentric joy rubbing off onto them. Eliza grumbled slightly as her face went even redder.


    ¡°If we¡¯re on this line of thought, how about you!?¡± Eliza gasped back, pointing an accusatory finger at Yuki.


    Chlo¨¦ nodded. ¡°Liz¡­ I don¡¯t think it really matters what Yuki wants.¡± The assertion cut into the calm. ¡°You do know that she¡¯s a member of nobility right, royalty even¡­ Not even the distant branches like me. I can get away with a lot more shit since I¡¯m a dozen places away from ¨¦steban.¡±


    Yuki didn¡¯t understand what Chlo¨¦ was trying to say, but she merely smiled, chuckling as if it would help her understand. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Eliza frowned. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, huh?¡±


    ¡°What is what?!¡±


    ¡°Marriage,¡± Chlo¨¦ interjected with an exhausted face. ¡°I get icky even saying it with how my parents shoved the word in my face all the time in the past. You and Kaz are the only two left in your family unmarried, you understand what that means, right?¡±


    Yuki scoffed and burst into laughter. ¡°You think I¡¯ll allow some random aah noble come into my life and sweep me away, PAH! As if! I¡¯ll be the one doing the sweeping away with!¡± Yuki grinned widely, her confidence was contagious as both Eliza and Chlo¨¦ smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t care about whatever ¡®ever responsibility my grandpa says, it¡¯s all just HOOPLA to me!¡±


    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re willing to fight for who you care for,¡± Chlo¨¦ said. ¡°Why Nathan though?¡± Yuki tilted her head as Chlo¨¦ continued, ¡°Oh, come on, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t have a crush on the guy?! He¡¯s adorable!¡±


    Now it was time for Yuki to join in on the tomato action! Her cheeks puffed red as she growled back, ¡°Absolutely not!¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°And what about you, huh?! Aren¡¯t you royalty as well?!¡±


    ¡°As I mentioned before, I¡¯m not in the main line, I don¡¯t think the Prince Regent will care who I get with as long as it isn¡¯t some degenerate criminal who can¡¯t even handle his own debts.¡±


    Chlo¨¦ shrugged arrogantly as Eliza chuckled. Then, Eliza¡¯s face soured slightly. She muttered under her breath, barely audible, ¡°Will Kaz share a similar fate?¡±


    Despite Lizu¡¯s attempts, Yuki heard them! She made them clear for Chlo¨¦ to hear. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t let some random aristocrat bag my brother with a ring, I¡¯ll fucking kill them!¡± Her jovial tone, voice and smile contradicted the heavy words she just said.


    ¡°Oho! Look who¡¯s finally getting interested in the conversation.¡± Chlo¨¦ wrapped her arm around Eliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lizzy, Kaz is definitely the type to run away with you!¡±


    Eliza¡¯s already reddening face turned into pure tomato red. ¡°Shush! No! I¡­ No?!¡±


    Oh yeah, Yuki thought, there was some random thing she remembered. ¡°My dad eloped with my mom, I think it like¡­ he said it once or something before like it caused a lot of trouble twenty years ago or something¡­ Whatever! I¡¯m sure Kaz won¡¯t let some random bag him.¡±


    Yet all joys died the moment the door opened, a level of fear crept onto Chlo¨¦¡¯s face, whilst excitement brewed within Yuki, in a smirk. Aha... And now for the primary course! Primary? Wait... no... First? Main! Main! That was the word Yuki was looking for.


    She twirled around on the spot, finger-gunning Kazuki. He stared at her, grumbling. Yuki was the first to break the silence, ¡°Kazuki! Care to join us for... talks?!¡± She raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°We were just talking about you!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Kazuki stated. ¡°I know what you did.¡±


    Yuki rolled her eyes. Now what might Kazuki even be referring to? Yuki shrugged, before placing her arms on her hips. ¡°Awh, did you not like me keeping Lizzie from you?¡± Yuki remarked.


    Chlo¨¦ snickered at the snide comment.


    ¡°You¡¯re one of a few people that have access to me and Eliza¡¯s suite.¡± What was Kazuki going on about... Oh! Oh... Oh... He must have found out about <em style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">that little thing Yuki did... It showed on her face as she sweated bullets. ¡°You have the motive to annoy me. And you have access... I¡¯m one bullet casing short... How did you even disassemble the bullet?¡±


    Kazuki didn¡¯t seem that angry, more just disappointed and frustrated! Woah... Yuki heaved a sigh of relief, she must have dodged a bullet there, Yuki thought, laughing to herself under her breath.


    ¡°Yuki!?¡± Eliza raised her voice. ¡°You... Kaz... I¡¯m sure she only meant it as a prank, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Yuki gave Kazuki two peace signs.


    Kazuki grumbled. ¡°You don¡¯t prank people using live ammunition.¡±


    Yuki rolled her eyes and walked up to her brother, placing her hand on his suit and tugging him into the room. ¡°Live?! Please, those bullets are all inanimate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... Not the point,¡± Kazuki stated. ¡°You could have hurt yourself!¡± Oh, now he seems angry! Yuki took a few steps back, falling onto the holographic deck of cards Chlo¨¦ and Liz were playing on.


    Yuki shrugged. ¡°Uh... I disassembled it, alright?!¡±


    ¡°No... You didn¡¯t.¡± Kazuki stared at her. ¡°V¨¢clavos did. Didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Urk... Yuki chuckled nervously. ¡°Look, man... It was uh... It was his idea!¡±


    Eliza facepalmed. ¡°Just... own up to it, Yuki, your little gig¡¯s already up.¡±


    Yuki looked to Chlo¨¦ for an answer, but she merely gave the same speel as Eliza, oh noes...


    ¡°Fuck it... Keep it.¡± Kazuki... He merely looked upon her with judging eyes... Oh no. Then, he sighed. Turning, he left.


    Yuki dragged Kazuki back, before grabbing onto her desk and opening a drawer. She showed Kazuki the bullet casing she took. ¡°Look uh... It was just a prank, I know you¡¯d remember, so uh... Just something to keep you on your feet?¡±


    Yuki couldn¡¯t really admit that she just wanted to spend some time with her brother... Wait, she did?! No! Absolutely not! It¡¯s her brother that is trying to do that! Absolutely! But... Yuki didn¡¯t mind having Kaz around! He¡¯s got that cool shit with him all the time!


    Kazuki slowly pinched the bullet, and his eyes widened. Oh! He must have seen what she did. ¡°I scraped your name on it! It¡¯s like that kinda joke thing, have the bullet with your name on it so uh...¡±


    Yuki paused, noting Kazuki¡¯s change in... atmosphere? No, it just seemed like he was rather cold, colder than usual? Ugh... Uh?


    ¡°Kaz?¡±


    Kazuki stared at the bullet casing, before placing it in his pocket. He stared at her. ¡°Do not do that again,¡± he sneered.


    And with that, he turned to leave... Leaving everyone confused... and Yuki: more worried... Ugh... Hmmn, at least Kaz showed up! Oh well... Next time, Yuki will simply get Kaz to play games with her!


    Wait... She can ask now! She ran up after him, peering over the balcony. ¡°Kaz! Wanna play some Dullie?! We have Chlo¨¦ and Liz! So we can run twos!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Eliza piqued up. She followed on after Yuki. ¡°Kaz! We can pair up against Chlo¨¦ and Yuki... How about it?¡±


    Kazuki gave Yuki a... dark glare, before giving a small glance to Eliza. He nodded. Yus! Hehehe. Yuki gave Eliza a side glance, catching her attention as Kaz walked back up the stairs.


    ¡°What?¡± Eliza lowered her voice.


    ¡°Ooh, you lowered your voice as well... Don¡¯t worry, Eliza, your secret is safe with me,¡± Yuki remarked, placing one hand on Eliza¡¯s shoulder, and patting it, before walking back in.


    ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s... I have no idea what you are referring to,¡± Eliza said, following on.


    Yuki smirked. ¡°Oh, really? You¡¯re the one that can break down my brother¡¯s unbreakable social barrier? Ehh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...?¡± Eliza nodded with a confused look. By Iris! Eliza actually doesn¡¯t realise it! Wait... No... Maybe she¡¯d hide it! Or maybe she¡¯s just masking her feelings! Aha... Yuki¡¯s imagination kept lighting up with activity, returning Eliza with simply a smug look.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s far more gentle than what people give him credit for,¡± Yuki jeered, leaving Eliza a bit red on the face.


    Yuki turned back to Chlo¨¦, whistling on the bed.


    ¡°Oi, Chlo¨¦! We¡¯re running twos, you wanna play?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Hehe. Looking back, Yuki saw both Kaz and Liz enter the room, with Liz¡¯s face a bright red. Kazuki was confused... Hehe. Lizzie doesn¡¯t even seem to know what to make of it! Oh well... Yuki was fine with Liz, better her than someone that¡¯ll one day kill her brother, she thought.


    Digressing, Yuki threw herself onto the bed. ¡°Alright! Dib¡¯s on defenders!¡±


    ¡°No crossbow spam,¡± Kazuki stated. Awh...


    ¡°Fine!¡± Yuki returned.


    All was going well with life... Kaz is getting back into his old life, and he¡¯s got good friends with him! Archius... Chlo¨¦... Nate? Potentially Noah? Yuki, the magnanimous and humble, herself! And even Eliza, that genius of Sarimba...


    ¡°I can bring Archius...¡± Kazuki remarked. ¡°Turn it into a three versus three.¡±


    Yuki nodded with a bright face, clicking her fingers once more. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll grab Nate to join us!¡±


    Everything is going right, Yuki couldn¡¯t wait to finally get Kaz back home...

 X46: Never Quit!

    Hustle and bustle... It''s a new day, but the same objectives for Archius. At least, in this establishment: a casino! Normally, it was the usual: make as much money as possible! Archius maintained a smile, hiding the fact that he didn''t even want to touch anything here. Who knows what spy gear is littered around this place?!


    From an initial glance, Archius found nothing, but he made sure to not get cocky with this. To make things more annoying for him, he''s accompanied by Yuki and Nathaniel. The two of them were gawking all around the casino. Yuki said, "This place is even larger than I imagined!"


    "Yes..." Archius sighed, pretending to be annoyed with her. "Who would have guessed that a casino for the rich and wealthy is THIS big?"


    "I''m not... rich and wealthy..." Nathan quietly muttered to himself. Archius heard anyway and gave him a confident pat on the back. He took one glance around at the choking air of wealth around the place¡­ Oh, there were even a few senators here.


    Most were playing poker, seemingly purposefully¡­ winning several times. Oh yeah, Archius thought, they must be here to launder or accept bribes. Makes sense, he thought, given how the others at their tables looked like the type to need a good bullet to the head.


    "Not yet," Archius said, wholeheartedly giving Nathan a small bout of advice. Well, at least Archius thought he''d give it; makes sense for the version of him that these two know of to do that, so Archius did. He turned back to Yuki. "Now, some ground rules, no high-risk bets, Kazuki won''t like that."


    Yuki shrugged and rolled her head around. "Nuh-uh! How are we supposed to get any enjoyment out of this if we DON''T BET HIGH!"


    She threw herself forward in her bright blue dress onto the seat of a roulette table. Oh... what the fuck?! Out of all the things that Archius wanted to do, she does roulette?! "What about poker?" suggested Archius. At least in Poker, Archius could try to rig the game in Yuki''s favour, and make every move she makes a masterstroke to go down in poker history. Hell, even Blackjack! Archius can probably get some device to peer on the cards faced down, but roulette?


    Hell no! Archius knew full well that Yuki was going to make a loss today. Nathaniel took his seat beside Yuki. "How does this work?" he asked.


    Archius pointed at the various places along the roulette table. "You bet on a number or a set of numbers. If you win, you make a bank. If you don''t you lose everything." At that harsh response, Nathaniel shivered.


    "Oh..." he trailed off, leaning over to Yuki. "Hey, maybe we shouldn''t play this..."


    "No!" Yuki shot back, placing a finger on Nathaniel''s lips to silence him. "We have to play big or we won''t get our money''s worth!"


    "Don''t you Kazuki''s money''s worth?" Archius asked, standing behind the two and ensuring that no sketchy individuals tried to plant anything on them. All three of them wore pretty extravagant clothes. Even if it was simple compared to the others, Archius had a bulletproof vest over a patterned polo shirt.


    A literal bullet-proof vest, stylish! Nathan had what seemed to be handdowns of some sort... Blue, black and white. Calling it handdowns would be an insult to its quality, however. Must be from the Geminorum-Ryzaku household. Maybe it was Kazuki''s old clothes or something? Yuki wore a bright and frilly blue dress, sparkling with rainbow colours along with a sash around her waist.


    The game started, with Yuki placing everything on... red. Kazuki was not going to like this in the checking account, Archius thought. Archius knew the relationship between these two was... tenuous at best, so something like this might be the bolt that finally kills the beast.


    Though, it''s Kaz, money''s not a problem - but the principle might be. "Humans... so annoying..." Archius grumbled to himself, closing his eyes for a moment. He opened to see that Yuki had placed EVERYTHING on red.


    Every dime and standardi they brought.


    "Woah?!" Archius pretended not to be pissed by chuckling. "All on red this early into the game?"


    "Yeah! It''s what they do in movies!" she said.


    The rest of the people around the table were... to no surprise, chuckling to themselves - hiding their contempt as they betted against Yuki. Even the roulette operators were confused by a combined group of escorts strolling by - dressed to attract all the eyes of both sides of the spectrum.


    Then, the wheel began to spin. Archius held his breath, knowing the result already. The other players knew it. The operator knew it too. Nathan was nervously awaiting for the answer, as Yuki was shifted left and right, bobbing up and down on her seat, attractin Nate''s nervous glance. "We''re... going to make it, right?"


    "Yeah!"


    And lo and behold, to no one''s sur¡ªRed won. A few glares were exchanged between a few older players and the operators. The operators cleared their throats, before checking the roulette table for any modifications, ones that they haven''t done at least.


    Their gawking faces confirmed it: this was real! Archius patted Nate and Yuki on the shoulders. "Nice fucking work, Yuki," he said. "You won! But... try to be more conservative this time, don''t want to pull our luck too hard."


    He was already noticing the glares of the players, their stuck-up attitudes, all really needing a good stabbing to prove themselves worthless on the scale of this... Republic.


    Yuki, however, heeded absolutely NOTHING! She placed everything on EIGHT?! "Eight means wealth!" she shouted playfully. "We''ll win it big time again!"


    And here she goes... betting everything again.


    "What... Yuki!" Nate started. "We already doubled everything, shouldn''t we... do something else? Like... I don''t know, maybe have dinner with Chlo¨¦ and the rest or ummm..."


    "I can call Noah over," Archius said, trying to tag along with Nathan''s line of argument. They''ve won big time! It''s time to haul ass before the manager or worse comes along. "We''ll celebrate our earnings, ey?"


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    "NO!" Yuki shouted, slamming her fists down on the table. "We''ll be leaving once we''ve earned back TEN THOUSAND TIMES OUR INVESTMENT!" she said, with a bright grin. Neither Archius nor Nathan showed anything but content in their faces.


    And just like that, the table spun again. Moment of truth, Archius thought... Sorry Kazuki, he failed! Archius awaited the gasps of envy from Yuki... But they didn''t come? Archius opened his eyes, noticing the exact number that it had landed on: 8.


    Oho!! Yuki! Did she rig this game beforehand?! My... Archius thought... Yuki is truly a bag of surprises, it seems! The rest of the table was in shock, as Yuki had quadrupled her initial earnings. "Ah... I love compound interest," she remarked.


    "That''s not compound interest... well..." Nathan second-guessed himself. "I guess it is, then?"


    The ball was finally rolling, it seemed! Yuki won. Again and again. Again. Again! AGAIN!? She kept making the most absurd plays, but WON THEM ANYWAYS?! This must be whatever the Geminorum-Ryzakus are teaching their kids! A cutthroat businesswoman and a genius... It all makes sense now!


    Even the machine operators were stunned, their faces pale as they stared lifelessly at the comedically growing pile of chips beside Yuki. All the while, she was chuckling and laughing. Everyone lost but her. Most of them left the casino in disgrace, not being clever enough to bite their pride and side with the stupid teenager over here.


    Archius was cackling to himself, continually cheering on Yuki. And for what purpose would they even do any of this?! Archius had... actually nearly forgotten why he was here, to begin with! First of all: there were a lot of drunk rich people. Who knows what information he can harvest?


    This was amazing, if anything, the manager will be here soon to kick Yuki out, but then there goes the kicker. Yuki is the daughter of the High Admiral and the Tech Genius - a relative of Theonar nobility... Which means that she is distantly related to Chlo¨¦.


    The manager, whoever they are, must know that they must approach this with a sense of tact. Archius had originally planned to weasel his way in, use bribes and alcohol to get everyone''s lips moving - but this was even better. And just on cue, a posh-looking man stepped into view, with a three-piece white suit, buttoned up and a beer belly.


    In normal circumstances, he might look jolly, but he looked nervous and pissed at the same time. He gently dismissed the roulette operators with a glare, before taking a seat on the opposite end of the table. "My apologies, Miss Geminorum-Ryzaku, but... I must say we cannot have you continuing to play roulette as of now."


    "HUH?! WHY?!" she shot back.


    "It came to my attention that this table has... requires additional adjustments to fix some errors. Maintenance had forgotten about it, simple stuff. You may keep your winnings, of course. The error is on our side!" He reeked of lies with a smile between his teeth.


    Wait... if he was lying about the errors, then was Yuki just that lucky? No! Of course not! Don''t be stupid, Archius.


    "Wuh... Alright... I guess I''ll finally go to poker," she said. At that, the manager shivered and let off a small squeal.


    "I''m sorry... Ma''am, but... our facilities may be closed to you for the foreseeable future," he said. "Well, I would not say that you are a cheater, ma''am, but it''s company policy. I have no control over it."


    Ah, the classic blame-the-company policy memo was used. As expected, Yuki grumbled, her blue eyes and scowling as her face went red. "CHEATER?! ME?! You dare to assume that I HAVE CHEATED?!" she made a massive scene, attracting more eyes and attention as she cradled the large mountain of chips she had.


    "This is prepus...pos...posterous?" Yuki said. "YEAH! I will play what I deem to play, understood?"


    With that, Yuki gave Nathan and a nod and the two left the table, commedically hauling the large amount of chips between the two. Archius stayed behind a bit. He looked to the manager, head in his hands at the table. Walking around, Archius introduced himself.


    "Hey, tough night?" he asked. The manager nodded. "Sorry about my friend... but she really didn''t cheat."


    "Tch... try and convince my boss of that," he said with regret. "They''re gonna kill me... especially if she keeps playing!"


    "Hmm," Archius started, placing a finger on his chin. "You know, I might be able to convince her to leave. After all... we all have a bottom line, so to speak, and I think Yuki''s just... doing this for the pride of doing it now. You really added some fuel to that fire, didn''t you?"


    He sighed and nodded. "You know Miss Geminorum?" he asked. "Please... I''ll... I''ll be in your debt if you save my establishment. All that climbing on a ladder of knives and this is how it ends? Dear no... Iris save me." How pathetic. Archius had a remedy, however.


    "I''ll convince her, alright," he said. "But not for free, of course, how about we make a deal?"


    The man''s eyes narrowed against Archius. It seemed the facade had come off completely, whilst Archius still maintained his''. "What?" he asked, placing both hands on the table. Archius noted that his watch had an uplink bleeper on it.


    Archius sat down next to him. "Well... you see... I''m actually interested in getting into the casino business," Archius lied. "Well, I''m considering it. And I was wondering if I could have a good name here and there? I rub your back, and you can help me in the future. Maybe one day, we''ll even be compatriots!"


    The facade slid right back on as the manager smiled. "Why yes! It''s a hard business to get into, let me tell you that! But passion is to die for, after all!"


    Keep up the pleasantries, Archius thought... Just keep them up. "Yes! Of course! I''m also rather daunted, as you can see with yourself. I just want to know if I can have your name? After all, knowing people is half of business."


    The man nodded with a firm smile. "Joshuo," he said. "Rather old name, I might say, but I was always said to be an old soul here and there."


    Archius enthusiastically extended a hand out. "Archius!" he said, "A pleasure to meet you, Joshuo!" Joshuo bit the bait, and shook Archius'' hand.


    That was that, as Archius harvested whatever information he needed from the poor fellow with his ICAPAD. Ah... Amazing. With that, Archius left with a smile. He took a glance at the information he harvested... An auction? Well, it was a lead to something, he thought. Might as well do some recreational research whilst he was at it - or whatever Eliza called it.


    Continuing back to Yuki, he tapped her on the shoulder whilst she was playing Poker. The mountain had grown even larger. Damn... Maybe she really was just that lucky. "Hey Yuki," Archius said, attracting her attention. "Let''s go now, I don''t think Kaz will like what we''re doing anymore..."


    "But... I... I wanted to earn it for him...?" Yuki tilted her head in confusion. Wait, did Yuki do all of this just to pay it back to Kazuki? That was, to say the least, probably the least ''Yuki'' thing he could think of! But... then again, their relationship was complicated.


    Yuki''s blue eyes quivered. Then, Archius adapted his approach, patting her on the head gently, ensuring that he didn''t tug or even get close to her twin-tails.


    "He''ll be happy with this much," Archius said. "Let''s not drown him with money, alright? Right Nate?"


    Nathan was immediately put on the spot and nodded his head furiously, before even realising what he was asked for. Yuki sighed and slowly nodded in a strangely calm fashion.


    "Alright..." she trailed off, popping off the table and hauling all the chips. "We''ll surprise him!" Now that was the attitude he was used to, Archius thought, watching Yuki flee off into the distance with all the chips - straight to the cash-out station.


    It was an objective loss for the casino, not like Archius cared for that, but it was an objective success for him. A lead and Yuki is happy - which makes everyone else happy by virtue of her not being angry and pissy. Amazing...

 X47: Bowels of the Palace

    Amongst the spectating galleries, Archius snuck past through a crowd of ''people''. Archius wanted to wait a bit until he chased the leads...


    If he chases too early, things will be heated, and people¡¯s guards will be up. However, give it a few days or a week and... Everything is just going right, Archius thought.


    Calling the people below human would be very polite. They all wore masks, of course, it would be a bit strange for all this getup if it wasn''t so ¡®important¡¯. Glancing down at the plaza of people, surrounding a podium stage, Archius hunted for his target.


    Of course, it was easy to deduce who was who, even make a few arrests here and there - given the context. The masks were merely a formality, which was why he had his face scrambler one.


    Didn¡¯t remember what setting it was put on.


    But at the end of the day, these ''people'' will be released, and all charges dropped. Hard to swallow truth: they were untouchable.


    "Hmn," Archius grunted.


    His eyes were locked onto Obadiah, amidst the crowd below.


    Archius'' remark was, of course, metaphorical, bringing Kazuki along with him would prove very quick that the people in this room were not ''untouchable'', but very much squishy, soft and very-bullet-attracting individuals.


    With what happened with Noah, Archius couldn¡¯t help but be interested. Even Kazuki couldn¡¯t keep him away for so long. ''So, you really believe it''s Obadiah?'' Archius asked.


    Kazuki responded, ''Without a doubt.''


    Archius rolled his eyes. ''Look, there''s like a total of fifty thousand people crammed in this station, most of which would prefer you dead than alive, now I''m sure many of them also have egos to match, and with large egos¡ª''


    ''¡ªShut up,'' Kazuki interjected. ''Just tell me what you find. If anything goes wrong, send for me.¡¯


    ''I have no doubt you''ll come barrelling down the stairs to save me, Kaz,'' jeered Archius. ''Just... this time, I need people alive? Preferably with their brains not splattered on the floor, or bones broken. I¡¯d prefer bones over brains.''


    Kazuki sarcastically remarked, ''Permission to lobotomise them has been granted.''


    Archius chuckled under his breath, hiding a wide grin beneath the face scrambler. He flicked his uplink off, turning his attention back down to the plaza. The air was thick. The lights were dim and dark. The centre stage had a light shining down, with ''merchandise'' lifted up and down from an elevator below the stage.


    An item was just bought, the rights to some explicit blackmail material on some fuck-off-senator of who-gives-a-shit. Obviously, it was cheap. A new item arose.


    "Now, a Mind-snared slave!" shouted a voice, as a man gestured to a... lobotomised creature rising up from the podium. "This one is rather spicy, caught in the wild spaces of the Free Systems Confederacy!"


    Archius was witness to everything unfolding, beneath the Marquis'' own nose. This place wasn''t just a gathering point for the petty aristocracy, it was a place for business to be done. The type of business didn''t matter, all just shades of morality were equal.


    The purchasing of mere products was cold, harsh and silent. It disgusted Archius, but not enough that he¡¯d ruin the mission just to save... what? A few extra lives? What¡¯s that compared to potentially thousands, hmm?


    Archius'' eyes were, first and foremost, more interested in Obadiah than this boring dark auction. Obadiah was tapping the side of his tailored trousers with one hand. His other hand was hidden beneath a robe of cool colours and patterns. The next item came onboard.


    A pack of random information? Probably just some trade secrets and whatever the fuck they could throw in for the sake of it, these packets never have anything useful to begin with¡ªand someone just dropped forty fucking million?!


    It riddled him with surprise as murmurs spread through the crowd.


    "Forty million!? Going once! Going twice! Sold!" The announcer spoke faster than normal.


    No, this was very much organised, because forty million? For unknown information? Riddles him. Must be important, so what fool was it?


    He glanced across the plaza, seeing a serving drone approach one of the masked individuals, providing him with a data pad of information. That individual was none other than Obadiah...


    Another figure walked up to him, treading through the crowd. Archius watched, as the figure, masked and hooded within the darkness, spoke whispers to Obadiah. The magnate twisted around to them, his face scowling and smiling at the same time.


    Archius leaned in against the bannister, focusing on the hooded person. Obviously, he couldn''t distinguish many features of them, probably just some messenger, but to make him scowl?


    Must not be very happy news, then, Archius thought. Straightening his back, Archius watched Obadiah and the hooded person break off from one another, walking in opposite directions.


    Obadiah went right. The other went left. The dark auction was still going on, so it seemed like Obadiah was only ever interested in this one piece of information. Archius walked right, trailing Obadiah from the spectating galleries, pushing and moving past all manner of to-be dead flesh.


    Following through the auction, Archius kept trailing Obadiah, watching him leave the dark auction and back out into the red lights district masquerading this farce. Continuing to push his luck with Obadiah might not work, Archius thought. But since he''s here, he might as well get as much info as possible.


    "Hmm. ''scuse me," Archius murmured, walking towards one of the staff-only doors. He raised his forearm and ignited Krystalink''s injection code awake, opening the door and entering the backstages. He closed the door behind him, turning his gaze to the makeshift construction of the backrooms.


    The faint echoes of the auction could be heard through the thin walls, with shouts of prices and all that sort. Walking backstage, Archius glanced at various serving drones tending to the merchandise, be it illegal gear, virus grenades, juicy blackmail, hacked drones or even people.


    Archius glanced at a few.


    They were mind-snared, put in coffins with their faces showing.


    Who¡¯s idea was it for that?


    Not a word was uttered by any of them. He never understood why these people found a particular need for slaves, after all a drone would do the work much better - but even Archius didn''t want to pry into whatever the fuck these deprived shits would do.


    The unease struck Archius hard, his hands clenched to fists, eyes glancing off the half-dead, metal protruding out from their heads. There was nothing he could do to save them. Even if he barely bothered to show it on his face, a spark of pity fell upon his eyes.


    A few rodents scampered by, squealing loudly. Archius glanced over at them, simple Mor-rats. Was there an infestation on the Ball Palace, Archius asked himself, fuck¡¯s sake. He hoped not.


    Rolling his eyes, he continued to walk.


    Anyways, back to actually doing something productive.


    Archius continued to walk around, activating Krystalink and downloading a map of the place. The voices from the auction were getting lower and quieter, till not even an echo vibrated against the walls.


    It was a long and twisting path, but Archius kept walking through the spirals of darkness that lay ahead of him.


    Eventually, he reached the stairs, carpeted as well, so it must mean he was close. Climbing them, he got out onto the final floor of the auction complex, His ICAPAD told him that it was the final hall, leading to an office.


    It had two guards on either side. Absolutely wonderful, he was starting to think that this place had no hired goons.


    Archius rolled his eyes, his face scrambler fixing itself with a quivering ripple. There won''t be any cameras, so he wasn''t worried about people finding out. After all, cameras would practically indite everyone here to a firing squad at best, airlocks at worst.


    The hall was different, filled with grandeur, carpeted floor and even engraved steel plate walls, though holographic arts, hovering chandeliers and cleaning drones deactivated against the wall.


    Turning the corner, Archius stood firm and tall. Perhaps air-locking them would be a clever idea, Archius mused. A cold death for cold people, in the most literal sense of the word.


    He strode forward, attracting the attention of the two guards, tough and burly men. Though he was taller, they were obviously stronger, but neither had exospines. They were missing the glint from their backs that came with one.


    Or maybe they¡¯re like Kazuki, hiding the glint.


    "Business or pleasure?" asked one of the guards.


    Archius responded, his voice scrambled, "Why not both?"


    The other guard chuckled. "Ugh, no... Klaint is very busy, you''ll have to take his appointment another time."


    Wait... What did Archius even look like? He glanced at his face scrambling beneath the visage. The scrambler was set to female, showing a strawberry blonde, short-haired Anagoran woman. Well damn. He kept walking forward, might as well use this to his advantage.


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    The first guard placed a hand up. "Hey, you heard us, we don¡¯t want trouble and we really can¡¯t hand you over to station security if you¡­ do wrong, understood?¡±


    "Oh? But the only trouble is the one that you''re willing to bring." Archius was cringing beneath the scrambler. His acting skills were refined, yes, but not necessarily his female acting skills, though his trainers did force the whole class through a lot of them¡­


    Wait a minute! Archius thought to himself, thinking that the trainer might have actually been, as Elizabeth might put it: a nonce.


    He stood up to the guards, standing just an inch above the two. Placing his hands in his pockets, Archius looked around for some of his tools. His penknife was with him.


    The first guard raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. ¡°Look, we¡¯re willing to, you know, make room for you, at a later hour,¡± he said.


    "Ah, perfect!" Archius remarked, attracting a small grin from the first. Archius injected the knife into his skull.


    The last remaining guard grunted in confusion. When they understood what happened, they immediately barged Archius to the wall. The first guard fell dead on the floor. Archius'' knife slid across the floor, dripping with fresh blood. Archius tried to recover, but the guard slammed his fist down on his sides, pinning him down.


    OW! That was fucking painful! Archius scrambled as the guard started to choke him. "Fucking... whore!" he shouted.


    Archius¡¯ ICAPAD activated, sending out a distress signal by itself. It glowed red, as Archius looked for some other tool within his pockets. COME on! He has to have some gadget to vaporise his ass.


    Try as he might, gasping for air, Archius was unable to throw the man off. Conserving his energy, he allowed the chokehold to increase. FUUUCK¡­


    With both desperation and might, he thrust his leg up. His boot slammed into the guard, kicking him off.


    With this chance, Archius lunged forward, punching away at the guard. It was a brutal exchange, amidst the pool of blood leaking out from the already dead guard. Within the chaos, the guard landed a hit on Archius'' nose, sending him reeling back. The guard drew a pistol, aiming it at Archius. In one slick motion, Archius threw his suit forward, the bulletproof fibres withstanding the muffled bolts.


    Rushing forward, Archius grabbed his suit and wrapped it around the muzzle. The force of his charge sent both to the ground. The guard grunted and groaned in pain from falling. Thank fuck these guys didn''t have exoskeletons.


    He pinned the guard down, slamming his hand down on his gun, still wrapped in his suit.


    Each slam loosened his grip ever tighter.


    Both knew that the gun was the decider on who died. And that just so happened to be Archius. He felt the guard lose grip of the gun. Rushing to pick it up, Archius slammed his suit into the guard¡¯s face.


    Aiming, Archius knee-capped them. The guard cried in pain, falling to the floor¡­ Fuck, strong fuckers¡­ Archius should have hit the gym more often, he¡¯ll see what Quinn and Amy¨¦¡¯s routines are after this¡­


    The man looked to Archius before Archius placed a bolt in their head. And then¡­ silence. But the ruffling of sound behind him twisted his mind to life. Guards! An extra four!? They immediately rose to open fire, but Archius countermanded their muzzles with bullets of his own.


    He took out three in quick succession. The last guard rushed forward, activating a shield and weathering his fusillade of bolts. SHIT. Archius stuck himself with an injector from his pockets¡­


    Adrenaline crackled through his bloodstream, and he ran forward. Guns blazing, Archius barely weaved beneath bolts and bullets¡­ HOW THE FUCK DOES KAZ DO THIS CONSISTENTLY!?


    Within striking range, the guard pushed against Archius, tackling him with his shield. This time, Archius rammed a device into the man¡¯s arm. Something exploded within the device¡­


    And nanobots swarmed out onto the guard¡¯s arm. The goon started to shout in pain, screaming in terror as his flesh was eaten in front of him.


    Alright¡­ Time to end this. Archius closed one eye and placed his tongue out, aiming down the sights¡­ Ugh¡­ the guard was moving too much, he couldn¡¯t get a clean shot.


    Just then, the guard swiped Archius¡¯ legs. He slammed his arm into the floor, destroying most of the nanobots before most of his arm could be eaten¡­


    Archius scrambled for his pistol, but the guard crawled up and dragged him into a chokehold. Fuck¡­ Fuck¡­ Can¡¯t breathe. Archius was beginning to tear the arm off before the guard reapplied more pressure¡­.


    It was tightening. Archius placed one hand into his pocket, dragging out a small spray can and showering the torso behind him with its contents.


    The guard released his grip, as Archius scurried a few steps away. Turning, he saw that the guard was covered with some freezing liquid. Fucking hell¡­ Archius closed in and started to choke the guard out¡­


    ¡°You think you can choke me?¡± Archius asked. ¡°How does it fucking feel, huh?!¡±


    The guard was shivering in pain¡­ but through the frost, he steadied himself, and then regained his posturing.


    Closing his eyes, the guard headbutted Archius.


    Archius tumbled to the ground behind him, as the guard staggered up. Archius¡¯ scrambler started to flicker on and off, with entire portions of his mask all but gone.


    The guard raised his muzzle, then stopped. His eyes weren''t on Archius. It was looking behind Archius.


    Huh?


    "Oh¡ª"


    The guard had his head removed, falling still to the side. Arm half mauled, frost over his torso¡­ now half his head missing. That guy would have made a good operative¡­ Oh well¡­


    At least he was polite and didn''t clog up the hall, Archius jested. He looked behind him, seeing Kazuki, who had his formal wear on. Ah, a rather fast response. ¡°Took you¡­ what, too long?¡± Archius chuckled.


    "If it was just two people, you could have told me," Kazuki snapped, placing his pistol in his holster. "Well. What is it?"


    Walking forward, Kazuki extended a hand to Archius. He took it, dragging himself from the floor. "Well, I was looking for some leads, you know how it is! Things got a bit heated, but we¡¯re in the good!" Archius walked over to his suit and put it back on. "And how long were you standing there for!?"


    "Just arrived..."


    Archius wasn''t going to believe that.


    "And what''s with the get-up?" asked Kazuki.


    Hmm? Archius raised an eyebrow, then remembered. "Oh!" He disabled his flickering face scrambler. "Scrambler broke.¡±


    Kazuki grunted. ¡°If it didn¡¯t I might have shot you.¡±


    Oh wow. "How flattering," Archius muttered, walking to the door. Kazuki followed on after him, stepping over a dead guard.


    Funnily enough, one of the cleaning drones activated, and tried to clean the mess up. Archius sighed. It wasn''t made for body disposal.


    Alright, so the locked door¡­ Archius knelt down by the scanner reader, readying Krystalink. Then, he saw that it was irregularly placed¡­ ¡°Huh, they still make clothes scanners?¡±


    He turned back to the guards. Their suit cuffs had small devices interwoven with their fabric. Oh so¡ª


    ¡°¡ªYeah.¡± Kazuki cut in, kicking down the door.


    Its phase interlocks broke and snapped the door both out of place, all in tatters along the floor.


    Archius looked at Kazuki, who shrugged. ¡°So melodramatic! Did Eliza piss you off or something?" Archius laughed.


    Kazuki merely walked in without a word, and Archius followed in as well. The two were in an opulent office. There was even a collection of Crusader-Era armour by one of the walls. Thick, and heavy, they were unwieldy. Kazuki''s eyes, however, were latched onto the man seated at the desk, Klaint.


    A moderately old person, for the time, probably barely in his hundreds. Klaint had a hint of silver highlighting his dark purple hair, with a thin moustache with it. "So, what is it? No point asking for help, is there?" He didn''t even bother looking up from his desk, continuing at some sketching hobby.


    Kazuki looked to Archius. Oh! Yeah, he was going to take the lead. Stepping forward, Archius cleared his throat. "The purchase manifesto, I want it."


    The man snickered. "You think I''ll give it to you? I''ve been serving the Board for eighty long years. I won''t betray them now, not to you... criminals."


    "Oh please, we¡¯re all criminals here. If you don''t mind me saying¡ª"


    "¡ªSay it!" Klaint shouted. What is it with poor manners today?


    Well, if they won¡¯t take the high crytera, best give them the low conaxis. Archius gave an amused look to Kazuki, then back at the fool. "You won¡¯t take it from me. But maybe you''ll take it from my friend."


    Pointing with his thumb at Kazuki, the man looked up, staring directly into the Contract-Breaker¡¯s gaze. However, before Klaint could take in the full fear that Kazuki exuded, he slammed his head onto the table.


    And silence...


    Kazuki took a step back, confused at first. Archius let off an audible groan. Kazuki and Archius exchanged awkward looks, blood was seeping from the man''s head.


    By the Eclipse, Archius reminded himself once again to not arm wrestle Kazuki.


    Archius facepalmed.


    "Kazuki... you were only supposed to scare him," Archius groaned. "I would have preferred him alive."


    "We were going to kill him in the end," Kazuki stated.


    ¡°SO?!¡± Archius rolled his eyes. "I wanted to Mind-snare him, make him into a useful asset, after that we¡­ you can cave his head in with a propane tank for all I care.¡±


    He walked around the table and took a data-pad from beside the dead man. Kazuki grumbled, ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°One less slaver, I guess,¡± Archius commented. Kazuki and Archius exchanged anxious glares as if they were siblings seeing who¡¯d take the fall for breaking mom¡¯s vase. ¡°We¡­ he committed suicide, correct?¡±


    ¡°Without a shadow of a doubt,¡± Kazuki sarcastically replied. ¡°Along with his security detail. Sad thing. We could all see it coming, in his line of work, after all.¡±


    Searching through it, Archius found what he needed. ¡°A medal of journalism, yes.¡±


    ¡°For all your talk of keeping things clean, things tend to turn into a bloodbath,¡± Kazuki noted.


    Archius scoffed. ¡°Clean is controlled, clean isn¡¯t clean. In this line of work, do you think anything¡¯s clean? The bloodbaths are your thing, uncontrolled with too many variables. I like things simple, manipulation, espionage, torture, the good things in life!¡±


    It was a shipping manifesto of concurrent purchases. Everything was classified with all so many codenames and stupid fucking codewords, but Archius could see that the most recent purchase was for information... About the P-1 Incident?


    Green eyes stabbed into all angles of attack. His eyes stared at the possibilities before he slid the data-pad into his suit''s inside pocket.


    "What was that?" Kazuki asked.


    "Shipping manifesto," Archius remarked. It wasn''t a lie, it was just that he was withholding some information, that''s all! "Let''s get the fuck out of here."


    Walking around the table, Archius made for the door. Kazuki stood in place, taking a glance through a small window behind the desk, down at the auction. "And the rest of them?"


    Archius shrugged. "We can''t go killing all of them, yet. Patience, Kaz, we''ll airlock them soon enough."


    Kazuki grumbled. "Fine." He followed Archius out, the two snuck out through some of the maintenance passageways, and back out onto the finely decorated halls of the Ball Palace proper.


    Finally, some fresh air! Archius thought. Then, someone''s presence was made known to the duo. Kazuki turned first, then Archius. Senator Iana Nimitz-Delia, followed by her second: the Imperial Knight of the Kiapra Ball Palace, Lady Antiar Kelebori.


    The Knight wore her typical uniform, but the Senator wore a luxurious and silky dress, with a dark green fabric that matched her equally dark hair. A thin figure, someone who probably had some hidden weapon in her elbow-length gloves¡­ Or her heels. Perhaps a hidden holster attached to her fishnet stockings? No¡­ She would probably swagger ever so slightly¡­


    Delia doesn¡¯t look strong enough to fully burden the weight of even a small pistol.


    Archius¡¯ threat analysis showed nothing out of the ordinary, just a surprisingly smoking hot woman?


    "My, my, Kazuki, you are a hard one to find, even with Lady Antiar''s tracking abilities," Delia announced. "Well then, what are you doing? Do you know what time it is!?"


    "None of your business," remarked Kazuki. Oh dammit, Archius thought, Kazuki just had to run ahead all the time.


    Delia rolled her eyes and looked to Archius, then Kazuki, then back to Archius. "Look, to be honest: what you two do in your free time is of no concern of mine! But Kazuki, you are expected!"


    To Archius; surprise, Kazuki gave a long sigh. "I know I am," he said, slowly glancing away.

 X48: In the Jade Ball

    A ballad of colours broke through the banners and veils of the ballroom, the vibrant chandeliers of gold and neon hung high in the air, with dozens of rows of spectating balconies.


    The Ball Room was massive, possibly half an entire football field for this room alone. There were even large statues along the walls, with a part of the floor lower than the rest, to allow for a moat of water to encase the room¡¯s central plaza. However, hovering steps were present for movement in and out of the room, as well as to the upper floors.


    The music playing was refined, calming, and classy - exactly what Eliza expected the Marquis to put on.


    Hundreds of people filled the room, with an assortment of men, women and any combination of all sorts of people dancing around the main central plaza. Some of the attendant''s children were playing along as well...


    It was rather adorable, Eliza thought, watching them trod around aimlessly. So innocent¡­ Maybe¡­ if things were different, back then, maybe she could have danced.


    Mimicking and rhyming with the instruments played by the orchestra were the humming leviathans, tamed leviathans trapped in floating orbs replicating chandeliers. Some children were watching as they sang and danced for all to hear, a moment of joy to mask away the woes of the past¡­


    Yet somehow, Eliza didn¡¯t want to enjoy all of this. What makes her so special from anyone else¡­ Was it just her name? No, she had to do something to prove herself within these halls.


    With that, Eliza clenched her fist, feeling the silky fabrics of the skin-tight glove she wore.


    Elizabeth remembered that she was also with someone, that Nathan fellow who is the second of Yuki.


    "Ah yes," she said as she turned towards a frozen Nathan. "The famous Aristocratic Dance Classes we were all forced to attend to..." She gestured to the children, their poor dances and poorly coordinated moves.


    The joke didn''t seem to land, as he remained frozen, using Eliza to hide. He was slouched over as well since he was slightly taller.


    Nathan slowly looked out across the dance floor, seeing one of the children fall over. He gave a solemn nod.


    The shine and glint of brooches of all sizes, shapes, gems and essences could be seen across the room, denoting those who have climbed their way to the top from those who have not - though many in the room most likely got their brooches from their parents, unproven to themselves yet.


    She wondered if the practice of forced improvement was still used by some families... That would most definitely bring out the meritocracy within the people in this room, weeding those that have not deserved their place in these halls...


    Eliza tilted her head back to Nathan. "Might I ask why you are hiding? You act like you''ve seen a ghost."


    "Well... it''s because¡ª"


    "¡ªNATHAN! Yuki shouted across the room. ¡°YOU PROOOMISED ME!¡±


    She rushed up to the two. Eliza¡¯s eyes widened at her glamorous flowing blue dress, with flower-pattern mesh frills on the hem of the skirt and sleeves - fastened with a Trasian sash around her hips and a small white opaque cape over a shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, hi Liz!¡± Yuki said in a comparatively calm voice as she grabbed onto Nathan¡¯s collar. Eliza sweated a bit just at the sight of her dragging a much taller person around. ¡°You waiting for someone¡­. Hmm?¡±


    Eliza nodded. ¡°Nice dress, I¡¯m guessing you went to the same tailor as your brother?¡±


    Yuki¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Of course! I can totally tell that you also went to the blind guy! I mean¡­ just look at you! Isn¡¯t that right, Nate?¡± Nathan nodded a thousand times in a single second.


    ¡°Please¡­ have mercy,¡± Nathan meekly begged.


    ¡°Nuh-uh, you promised, I wanna cash that in,¡± Yuki snorted. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re waiting on Kazu, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yuki placed her hand over her mouth as she hid a laugh and a grin.


    This time, Eliza weathered the embarrassment of being called out. ¡°I guess I am?¡± Eliza scratched her cheek. ¡°That isn¡¯t a problem, is it?¡±


    Yuki was taken aback by Eliza¡¯s complete honesty. ¡°Uh¡­ Go ahead, I ain¡¯t exactly regulating my brother¡¯s life, you know? Plus, if he approves then I think that¡¯s good enough!¡± She was tugging tightly on Nathan¡¯s suit collar, roughing it up a bit.


    ¡°HEY!¡± Nathan tried to break free but was unable to. ¡°This is my brother¡¯s suit, you know?¡±


    ¡°I think you should be a little more gentle,¡± Eliza suggested. ¡°Actually¡­ I think you should, suits aren¡¯t exactly made to be roughed up in, you know? I think Nate¡¯s brother won¡¯t like his suit being in tatters by the end of all this.¡±


    Yuki placed a hand to her chin, then chortled. She grinned at Eliza, pointing a finger. ¡°Heh. Nerd,¡± she said.


    Yuki brushed past Eliza, grabbing onto Nathan''s wrist and dragging him to the dance floor.


    "HAAVE MERCY!"


    Eliza blinked several times, watching her force him to dance. Despite Nathan''s... reluctance... it seemed to be going well. She pried her eyes off what she just saw, looking to Chlo¨¦ and Noah, across the room. They were talking to Noah''s parents...


    Seems to be very important talks? Ugh¡­ Eliza didn¡¯t feel comfortable interjecting, as Noah¡¯s parents might care about Eliza¡¯s status in the lowest-low echelons of the aristocracy¡­


    "Hmm," Cyrus mumbled to himself. Eliza looked behind her, seeing the half-giant guarding her, wearing a massive tuxedo. He also had an exceedingly small bow tie on... Compared to the rest of his clothes, it looked quite comical. "Where''s those two...?"


    "V¨¢clavos and Nihara?" Eliza asked, garnering Cyrus'' attention.


    He nodded. Eliza''s eyes scanned to one of the corners of the room, seeing two similarly dressed individuals argue... She squinted through her aug-glasses, highlighting black and blonde hair, a pale face against a massive grin.


    "I... think they''re arguing. And if Nihara''s here... Where''s Kazuki?"


    "I have been told he has been assisting Archius on something. Most likely to do with your investigation, or the recent robot attacks," he said. Cyrus turned back towards his guards, sighing loudly. "At least they''re in the same room..."


    "Hmm?"


    He continued without elaborating, "Kazuki also has his weapons back... as such, it has become redundant for one of his attendants to guard him."


    "I... I still think he should at least take someone with him, right?" Eliza asked.


    Cyrus shook his head. "No. Kazuki''s strong. No matter what, he will live. I promise you that."


    "There''s been so many close calls within the past months alone... Are you sure about that?"


    Eliza placed her hands behind her back, turning back out to the dance floor. She was watching Yuki and Nathan. The young Geminorum-Ryzaku girl was seemingly teaching Nathan on the fly!


    Eliza was quite impressed... and jealous. She wanted to be out on there... Alas, no one to dance with. Even Nathan was sort-of-maybe-Eliza-couldn¡¯t-tell smiling.


    "As sure of it as I am sure of death,¡± Cyrus snapped. "He survived Freyja Beamont. He survived Antonius Marc. Whatever this place has to throw at him, he''ll survive it. Sending one of us to aid him would only slow him down"


    Cyrus'' confidence in Kazuki rubbed off onto Eliza, but it also came with a far-flung feeling of sadness¡­ Kazuki¡¯s amazing, that¡¯s a good thing, right? But who can be his equal? Who can be his peer?


    Kazuki barely showed emotion. Let alone good ones. Who does Kazuki have to rely on if others must rely on him as the High Director? It was a daunting realisation, something that caused Eliza¡¯s face to dampen.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Elizabeth?¡± Cyrus inquired.


    Eliza shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said. It was clear what the answer was, she had to be! Kazuki trusts her, she must help him where others cannot, and she must be his shoulder to rely on.


    He promised her justice, and she felt the strength in his words.


    His integrity for her is unbreakable, and as long as that stays the same, an optimistically determined Eliza will keep the gears of war and justice alive. For the investigation¡­ For Quinn, Claire, and everyone else¡­


    And for most of all. For her, she thought.


    "I hope this place isn''t making you feel too uncomfortable, with all the possible¡ª"


    "¡ªThe guarding isn''t the problem," Cyrus said. He glanced around the room. "Me, Kazuki, V¨¢clavos and Nihara all bled in training, to become killers... These people did not.¡±


    Eliza glanced down, seeing Cyrus'' fist clench. It seems Cyrus has the same opinion on these people as Kazuki does...


    "But things are changing," Cyrus said, snapping Eliza''s mind awake. "Kazuki spends his time alone, with barely anyone with him. It''s been like that for a while, even during the Rebellion. He was always thinking, planning, strategising."


    Eliza asked, "How... does this link with change?"


    "Kazuki''s bled more than any of us. Me, V¨¢clavos and Nihara combined. He is the one that wakes up the hour clock timer. And he does not make idle promises or threats... Back when we were in Eden, he told me that he''d change this galaxy."


    "For the better?"


    Cyrus nodded. He grumbled under his breath. "If this investigation of yours will help that, I''ll invest in it. This is more than just a job... The pay makes up for any misgivings."


    "How much do you get paid?" Eliza asked... "Seems quite a... taboo thing to talk about, now that I''ve said it, but Quinn and Claire said they get paid quite a lot."


    ¡°More than enough,¡± Cyrus stated. A figure slinked in right between the two of them. Archius?! ¡°What is it now?¡±


    Archius shooed Cyrus slightly away, grabbing onto Eliza¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Where¡¯s Kaz?¡± Eliza asked.


    ¡°Uh¡­ he¡¯ll be here in a minute or so?¡± Archius shrugged. ¡°I think he¡¯s still getting dressed. But uhh¡­ you¡¯re gonna go out there with him, right?¡± He gestured to the dance floor. Eliza mumbled slightly, maybe? Well¡­ She wouldn¡¯t exactly hate it, per say.


    Archius chuckled. ¡°I knew it,¡± he said. ¡°Just don¡¯t step on his feet¡­ again, alright?¡± He slapped her across the back. ¡°I think Chlo¨¦ might have the footage from prom still, I¡¯ll have to ask her again.¡±


    Eliza grumbled. ¡°Absolutely not! Do not remind her of that¡­ please?!¡±


    Without another word, Archius nodded. ¡°Sure, sure, I¡¯ll make sure to tell her, don¡¯t worry about a thing!¡± Waving away, he walked off. ¡°I¡¯m off to get drunk, you have fun, alright?¡±


    Eliza pouted, just about to shout over to Archius as her face went bright red. Just then she noticed people approaching.


    Cyrus glanced around, nodding towards the approaching group. Eliza soothed her face, it was the Jara-Jin Twins. "Whatever you think it is, it¡¯s more," Cyrus said.


    However, her mind was already turned towards the new arrivals, two individuals wearing tuxedoes and suits of opposing colours. It was vibrant as well! They smiled at her, nodding. "I didn''t think you''d be here!" said Irya, he snapped his fingers a few times, glancing around. "Where''s Gilbert or Iania?"


    "Fer-Charelota or Delia? Uh... Sorry, I haven''t seen them," said Eliza. "But what brings you two here?"


    "Networking!" Irya shouted.


    Kantos quietened his brother. "We''re looking for Kazuki...¡±


    Eliza glanced back towards her guard. Cyrus merely gave her a slow nod of approval.


    Turning back, Eliza said, "Kazuki''s busy right now, I think he¡¯ll be here soon? Hopefully?¡±


    "Well then, more alcohol for the rest of us,¡± Kantos joked. He looked around the room, as alcohol was still not being served out. "Where''s the bloody alcohol..."


    Eliza said, "Perhaps they''re worried about giving alcohol to children?" She then shrugged. "To be completely honest, I didn''t expect Kazuki to... agree to train you guys. He didn''t even want to train me."


    Irya spun around, trying to look for a drone, muttering about alcohol to himself. They must really be thirsty, Eliza thought. "Well... it''s just a ceremonial thing, it''s not like we''ll be bringing Divine Black blades into fights or anything... Plus, we Trasian have a saying: if you are down to drawing your Black blade, prepare to die."


    "Bit... morbid, don''t you think?" Eliza asked.


    "Not really," said Irya. "My grandfather told me about how you''d be given the death sentence if you drew your blade without authorisation."


    Eliza''s raised a shocked response, "That''s even more morbid!"


    Irya chuckled in response. "Please! It''s just a warning, for us to not draw our weapons in public! And something about always being ready for death, I don¡¯t really get it¡­¡±


    ¡°I think I get the gist of it,¡± Eliza said.


    ¡°Hmm, technically we¡¯re also Vassals of Kazuki, by ceremony only, which I¡­ I¡¯m fine, I guess? Technically means we¡¯re Hatamoto.¡±


    Kantos looked to Cyrus. ¡°I think he¡¯s Kazuki¡¯s Hatamoto, not us.¡±


    Cyrus stared directly at Kantos and Irya. ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°All this ceremony stuff is hurting my head,¡± Eliza admitted. ¡°I really don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Neither do any of us in like¡­ the past ten generations,¡± Irya quipped. ¡°Since we¡¯re Vassals, also means that we¡¯re kinda charged with protecting you as well.¡±


    Kantos grumbled. ¡°Shut up. We¡¯re partners, not subordinates.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± continued Irya, laughing.


    Protected by the Jins? ¡°What¡­ like dying for me?¡± Eliza awkwardly asked. ¡°Please don¡¯t¡­ do that.¡±


    Kantos shrugged.


    Irya smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll take more than a few bolts to take us down.¡±


    "Why doesn''t Kazuki train you?" asked Kantos, furrowing his brow. "Even a little is better than none.¡±


    "I don''t know." Eliza sighed, slouching down slightly. "Maybe he just... doesn''t see much worth in me as a fighter?" she suggested.


    "Hey! We all start somewhere," Kantos said. Eliza glanced up at Cyrus, seeing if he agreed with the statement. "I bet Kazuki wasn''t as strong as he was when he first started out."


    Eliza asked, "Was he?"


    "Oh?" Irya looked up at Cyrus. "This guy knows?¡±


    "To a certain degree." Cyrus didn''t seem too interested in answering the question.


    Despite her best efforts, and knowing that Kazuki''s past was rife with death, Eliza wanted to know. Her curiosity got the better of her, giving Cyrus a forceful nod.


    Cyrus answered, "He was no natural. But when Freyja threw him into a baptism by fire, he <strong style="color: rgba(14, 16, 26, 1); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">soared.¡±


    Kantos looked around, before sticking his eyes onto Cyrus, seemingly making sure no one else was listening. "This is a lot of information you''re disclosing to us."


    Cyrus nodded. "Kazuki does not speak much, but he enjoys your company. You are allies of him. Keep it like that.¡±


    His cold words had a mixed response from the twins, as they didn''t seem to know whether he was threatening them or complimenting them - just as Kazuki would do. "He... means that Kazuki trusts you," Eliza said. "More than most people, it seems, and me¡­"


    "Hey, he''s got your back, doesn''t he?" Irya asked, smiling. He gently patted Eliza on the shoulder, looking up to see if Cyrus would react or do anything. "My guts tell me he¡¯s a lot softer than what you think he is, so¡­ maybe take that into account?¡±


    "¡ªWhat about me?" a voice called out to them. Kazuki''s.


    They all turned, seeing a small convoy of three of the galaxy''s wealthiest individuals. Senator Iana Nimitz-Delia, businesswoman. Senator & Marquis Gilbert Fer-Charelota, head of the Aristocratic Governing Body - and Prince Kazuki Izumi Geminorum-Ryzaku, the Arbiter of the AGENCY, and fourth of the Seven Mercenaries, flanked by Lady Antiar.