ã€ŠAscension of the Titansã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Eren couldn¡¯t feel his missing leg anymore.

    That didn¡¯t matter. With his other leg, Eren pushed his foot against the bearded Titan¡¯s lower row of teeth. One of his hands also pushed down to help balance himself. His other hand jammed a sword between two upper teeth, keeping the Titan from closing its mouth. It was an agonizing struggle, far harsher and arduous than any moment of training throughout his three years in the 104th.

    But like every single hurdle Eren had overcome during training, he knew he could do the same here today. He has to.

    He was already able to save Armin, pulling him off the Titan¡¯s tongue and tossing him with one arm to the nearby rooftop.

    The Titan¡¯s hot breath showered Eren from the back as a wave of cool air hit him from the front. Eren¡¯s eyes met Armin¡¯s. His best friend was still on his knees, staring back with a look of absolute horror on his face.

    No, Armin had to get up. Keep moving. Keep fighting. Never stop fighting, or the Titans will get him. Just like how they got Thomas. Eren could still hear Mina and Mylius screaming. He had no idea where Nack was, but Eren could give a good guess. The last thing he wanted was for the same to happen to Armin, for him to be caught in a Titan¡¯s jaws again and this time never get to see the light of day afterward.

    ¡°I refuse to die like this,¡± Eren found himself saying. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he spoke loud enough for Armin to hear it. Eren reached out toward him. ¡°Armin. We¡¯re still going to see the outside world. Our dream¡­ I need to see it¡­¡±

    Eren was forced to face reality. He was losing strength, fast. He was feeling his leg again, or the absence of it ¨C either way, the damn Titan was moving its tongue and Eren¡¯s half-missing leg was on fire again. The jaws were going to close on him.

    Still, Eren had to believe he only needed to hold out just a little longer. Armin can grab his hand, pull Eren out fast enough to avoid another piece of him getting chomped. The Titan was moving slowly when it had picked up Armin, so there should be enough time for either of them to press the gas for their ODM gear and get some distance from the monster.

    And, and they¡¯ll regroup with one of the other squads! They¡¯ll have the supplies to bandage Eren¡¯s leg, keep him from passing out from the blood loss. If not, they can improvise something from one of the homes in the city. Any piece of clean fabric will do. Eren will have to pick up quickly how to work with ODM gear while missing a leg, throwing his sense of balance entirely off, but he can learn on-the-fly. There¡¯s nothing he can¡¯t¨C

    ¡°Eren!¡± Armin screeched, lunging forward with his own desperate hand. ¡°No!¡±

    The Titan closed its mouth.

    Everything went dark.

    Was that¡­ Armin screaming? What was he saying?

    Was Armin alive? He had to be alive! After everything, he has to be!

    ¡­ Where was Eren¡¯s arm?

    And¡­ wait.

    Was Eren floating?

    Floating inside the Titan¡¯s throat?

    Snap-hiss.

    There was a sound. Where? What was¡­

    Light suddenly shone around Eren.

    Yes, he was still inside the Titan¡¯s throat, surrounded by disgusting saliva and the reddened innards of the beast. Eren¡¯s eyes drifted until he looked behind him. There was a single beam of light stabbing through the Titan¡¯s neck. The beam stopped short of touching Eren. He watched the shimmering pole move across the wall of flesh until the skin parted for natural light to slip through. The usual steam from a Titan¡¯s wound mixed with the smoke of burnt flesh.

    The opening grew large enough for another object to enter the Titan. Eren could only see a shadow, but it must¡¯ve been someone¡¯s arm, since he felt a hand grab his shirt and pull him through the hole.

    Everything was a blur as Eren soared through the air and felt his back hit the ground. A sting ran up his spine and across his limbs. He curled his fingers, feeling nothing but the phantom pain where he lost his arm. A crash filled his ears. Dust and dirt flew over him, probably from the slain Titan falling over.

    He tried to focus his vision and look at the roof for Armin. Eren could barely see a thing¡­ except for the dark figure who landed beside him. For some reason, staring at him made Eren¡¯s eyes clear up, allowing him to take in the stranger standing over him.

    The figure was as tall and imposing as Commandant Shadis, if not more so. He wore all black. There were odd spots of color Eren could make out on the figure¡¯s front torso and his belt. A black cape hung behind the figure.

    He had no real face. His head was completely shrouded in a helmet, vaguely reminding Eren of the art depictions of knight armor from one of his and Armin¡¯s childhood investigations on the world beyond the Walls, before the Titans. It was a strange look, but almost regal with the towering stance the figure stood with.

    In one of his hands was a blade, unlike anything Eren¡¯s seen before, whether from drawings or in-person. It was so bright, a mesmerizing red as blinding as the sun.

    This¡­ This Dark Lord had saved Eren. Saved Armin, too, by killing the Titan.

    Where did that name come from? Dark Lord? It¡­ It felt right to Eren.

    The Dark Lord was looking down at him. ¡°Your fear, your hate,¡± the Dark Lord said, his voice distorted by what sounded like heavy breathing, but no less carrying a commanding presence. ¡°It gives you power, boy. Harness that anger, that will, and it shall liberate you.¡±

    That glowing sword. It was what killed the Titan, cut its nape, and made a big enough hole to pull Eren out¡­ The Dark Lord saved him from being eaten like so many others¡­

    ¡°I can sense it all,¡± the Dark Lord went on. ¡°Your fallen comrades. Your lost family. Your stolen freedom. All of it, already taken from you.¡±

    Each word the man spoke sounded right to Eren. He couldn¡¯t explain it. How could this person ¡°sense¡± these things? Know what Eren has experienced? But it was the truth the Dark Lord expressed. So much taken from him, so many killed, so many lost souls to avenge and take back the world in their name.

    Eren¡¯s missing arm and leg still were horrible messes bleeding out, he could tell, but another feeling was shoving those painful sensations aside. The Dark Lord said his anger gives him power? Somehow, instinctively, Eren could practically taste the power emanating from the dark shadow before him as easily as Eren could breathe.

    ¡°Will you allow the monstrosities of this land to claim your life as well? Violate and devour what remains of your precious world?¡±

    Eren finally answered him. ¡°No,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°Every single Titan¡­ I¡¯ll drive them all out. Kill them with my bare hands! They¡¯re all gonna die!¡±

    He suddenly felt a sharp pain from his hand, felt the taste of blood in his mouth, and shuddered at what sounded like lightning striking right next to his ears.

    Then Eren knew nothing else, except his anger against the world and the undeniable need to obliterate all of the Titans.

    <hr>

    Armin blinked.

    Wait, where was he?

    And¡­ Eren! Where was Eren?!

    Armin took in his surroundings. He was on the rooftop of one of Trost¡¯s buildings, on his knees. He still had his ODM gear on, but it was¡­ Most of his body was slimy, covered with saliva from when he was¡­ he was¡­If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Eren!¡± Armin cried out. Eren had saved him. Where was he now?

    The Titan had closed his mouth on Eren, a severed arm winding through the air past Armin¡­ only for the bearded monster to fall over, dead. Armin¡¯s gaze had been locked squarely on the Titan¡¯s face, so there had been no time to look for any sign of Eren somehow cutting the nape from inside the throat or of a soldier flying by to secure the kill. Another Titan from behind Armin had crawled onto the roof and was already holding him in its hands¡­ It was the Titan that had killed Thomas, wasn¡¯t it?

    Then Armin had blacked out¡­

    ¡°Eren!¡± he shouted again. He had to find him. Armin stood up and looked closer at his surroundings. Over the edge of the roof, he saw the skeletal remains of the bearded Titan. Yes, that was him. Its limbs and skull were positioned the exact same way as the Titan had fallen in the flashes of Armin¡¯s memory. Steam was still rising into the air from the evaporating corpse.

    No sign of Eren, still, but something else took up his attention.

    Men, or at least two-armed, two-legged figures that were of the size and had the proportions of normal humans, were scattered around the dead Titan on the streets. More of these strange figures were also on the top of the building across from Armin overlooking the Titan. They all wore strange stark white armor. Most were holding narrow black devices in their hands. They appeared too small to be swords or clubs. From the way the devices were held, were they compact muskets?

    Armin caught the eyes of one of these men. He couldn¡¯t see much from this distance, but Armin did see two black shapes where the man¡¯s eyes should be. Were there miniscule openings on those shapes that allowed him to see Armin?

    ¡°Hey, kid!¡±

    The voice came from someone on the roof with Armin. His nerves frayed as they were, Armin jumped and instinctively prepared to pull out one of his blades.

    ¡°Easy there, kid,¡± said the man coming to a stop before Armin. He wore a black uniform, complete with boots, a tunic, and a cap with a circular piece of metal on its front. He also had white armor around his chest, though it looked different than what the other figures wore.

    His face was unmistakably human, at least, with brown eyes and parted brown hair underneath the cap.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± the man said slowly. He raised his hands out in a disarming fashion, holding up a clean rag toward Armin. ¡°The medic already checked you. You¡¯re fine, but there wasn¡¯t time to clean up that spit. He¡¯s looking over your friends right now.¡±

    His friends. So Eren was alive?

    God, Armin¡¯s hands were shaking as he gripped his sword hilts. He was in no shape to properly fight anyone, Titan or not.

    Armin gulped and steadied himself. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you people?¡±

    With a hint of pride, the man said, ¡°I¡¯m Lieutenant Janek Sunber. My men and I are soldiers of the Empire. We¡¯re here to help.¡±

    ¡°... Empire?¡± An Empire¡­ implied a lot of things¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re a soldier, too,¡± said Sunber, gesturing at the ODM gear. ¡°Fighting these monsters with those tools. Protecting your home. Right?¡±

    Armin numbly nodded.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    There was no hostility in Lieutenant Sunber¡¯s tone or body language. No signs of subterfuge Armin could spot. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m Cadet Armin Arlert of Squad 34.¡± He took a few tentative steps forward. Sunber remained where he stood, allowing Armin to take the rag. While Armin kept his eyes on the Lieutenant, he did start wiping off the Titan spit off himself. ¡°You¡¯re all from outside the Walls.¡±

    A grand Empire beyond the Walls, taking the fight against the Titans, and actually winning, finally reconnecting with a weary bastion of humanity in dire need of a savior to keep them from ruin. An Empire that will tear down the Titans, help them reclaim Wall Maria, guide them to the seas of saltwater, the fields of ice, the mountaintops reaching even higher than the Walls into the heavens¡­

    Armin involuntarily sneezed into the rag. He appreciated the abrupt wake-up call anyway. It stopped his mind from wandering. Armin couldn''t let himself get hysterical and lost in his fantasies when he was surrounded by foreign soldiers. He really hoped they were truly here to help, but he still needed answers.

    Lieutenant Sunber had on a small smile of amusement. ¡°We¡¯re from a little further than just outside the Walls, Wormie.¡±

    Wormie? What did that¨C

    ¡°Armin!¡±

    That voice¡­ and the girl who walked over the other side of the roof into Armin¡¯s view. ¡°Mina?¡± he yelped in surprise.

    Then guilt struck Armin. He remembered it vividly now, freezing as he listened to Mina Carolina and Mylius Zeremski beg for mercy at the Titans lunging for them. Because of Armin¡¯s inaction, everyone was as good as dead. Eren already missing a leg had to save him, a useless excuse for a soldier.

    Armin¡¯s failures didn¡¯t register to Mina, every fiber of her being overflowing with relief as she buried him in a hug.

    ¡°You¡¯re okay!¡± she cried, wrought with emotion. ¡°Thank the Walls, they saved you, too!¡±

    Armin returned the hug, but he forced himself to relive those painful memories. It had to be only a few minutes ago at most, given the current state of the bearded Titan. Armin had been so weak, a coward for doing nothing to save his friends and letting them die¡­ He had been so paralyzed with fear and self-pity that he never noticed Sunber and his men saving Mina or the others.

    ¡°Mina,¡± Armin said, seeing her lift her teary-eyed face at him, ¡°who else is still alive?¡±

    Mina sniffled before composing herself, taking another breath as she separated from Armin. ¡°Nack didn¡¯t make it,¡± she said solemnly. ¡°I saw him¡­¡± She shook her head and spoke more hurriedly. ¡°A Titan killed him with a slap. I saw it. Another Titan grabbed my wire. I fell to the ground, against a wall, and saw another Titan grab Mylius by the legs. We both would¡¯ve been dead, eaten alive. But these soldiers saved us!¡± Mina smiled as she shed more frantic tears. ¡°They even saved Thomas!¡±

    They what?

    Thomas Wagner, caught between the teeth of that first leaping Abnormal Titan and swallowed whole. The same Titan which had almost reenacted that horrific scene with Armin, before these Empire soldiers apparently rescued him.

    Had Thomas still been alive inside the Titan¡¯s stomach when the Abnormal was killed? Could that mean Eren was alive, too?

    But Mina didn¡¯t mention his name at all.

    Armin was about to ask her when more figures on the roof approached. He tensed automatically as he tried to keep a cool head and examine them.

    One was a man dressed similarly to Sunber, black uniform and white chest armor. He lacked the cap, showing a head with curtly cut pale blonde hair. His face had a few bruises, and he was pressing a bloodied piece of cloth against his forehead. Sunber saw him, too, and frowned at him. ¡°Sheckil! How¡¯d you get those¡­¡±

    Sunber¡¯s words trailed off as he, Armin, and Mina focused their attention on the black giant briskly marching ahead of Sheckil.

    This man¡¯s armor was especially distinct from anything else Armin has seen today, and the presence the stranger emanated with each step he took sent chills down Armin¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Lieutenant,¡± the dark figure said, his deep voice accompanied by unusual breathing, ¡°inform the rest of the task force of the renegade giant.¡± He gestured vaguely in one direction. ¡°So far, it appears to exclusively target other giants unless otherwise provoked, and is moving toward a congregation to the southwest. Attack it only in self-defense should the need arise. Mark down any noteworthy observations, but continue prioritizing our primary objectives.¡±

    Visibly nervous, Sunber gave a hasty salute ¨C one unique to the Empire, Armin assumed, with a hand raised to his temple instead of a chest placed over his heart. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± He exchanged a look with the other soldier, Sheckil, before jogging with him down the roof. Armin finally noticed they were also wearing metallic backpacks, though their designs hardly looked like they could carry much inside. Maybe they were the Empire¡¯s version of ODM gear?

    The blank eyes of the dark figure¡¯s helmet looked at Armin. Instead of fight, his instincts for flight were going overboard. His grip on his hilts inched toward firing off his gas to escape instead of drawing his swords.

    But Armin stood his ground.

    ¡°These monsters you fight,¡± the lord said in that disturbing enunciation of his. ¡°What do you call them?¡±

    Mina was just staring at a towering figure, so Armin forced himself to speak, intelligibly without stuttering. ¡°We call them Titans, sir.¡±

    The lord¡¯s gaze seemed to linger on Mina, causing her to squirm on the spot, before he settled it again on Armin. ¡°Is the nape of the neck their only known vulnerability to permanently put them down?¡±

    The soldiers of the Empire were from outside of the Walls, a world that was overrun and destroyed by Titans, yet they were unaware of one of the first things the cadets of the Walls Military ever learned about humanity¡¯s sworn enemy?

    Before Armin¡¯s mind became too distracted, he answered, ¡°That we know of, yes.¡±

    ¡°Can more of you transform into Titans as your friend did?¡±

    Armin¡¯s fear halted, replaced by confusion. ¡°My friend¡­ did what? Are you talking about Eren?¡± Pulling away from the lord¡¯s scrutiny, Armin tried nudging Mina for answers. She said nothing, her own gaze never wavering from the lord.

    What was he talking about? Transforming? Was Eren truly alive or not?

    Sunber and Sheckil returned. ¡°Lord Vader,¡± Sheckil said, using a more professional, direct tone than Sunber¡¯s calming, friendly demeanor used for Armin, ¡°we have a report from the south gate. The native militia posted there have been completely wiped out, and Meremu Company was unable to fortify the gate before the Titans overran the area. We lost contact with Chainly and Frickett, but Captain Bex is moving deeper into the city with a few squads in two Juggernauts. They knew to keep their distance from the renegade giant.¡±

    Lord Vader gave a nearly imperceptible title of his head, considering the information. ¡°Very well. Sergeant Sheckil, once the other wounded cadets are stabilized, deliver them to the top of the Wall at the south gate. Lieutenant Sunber, the rest of your platoon will ensure the safe return of Arlert and Carolina to the northern wall, along with any other soldiers or civilians you encounter on the way.¡±

    Both soldiers dutifully saluted. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±

    Vader regarded Armin again. The underlying want to flee was still there, but Armin squashed it down as much as he could.

    ¡°You, and your friend, Eren,¡± Lord Vader said. ¡°You both share a desire to see the world beyond these walls. Beyond the Titans.¡±

    Who exactly was this man? ¡°How do you know that? Who are you?¡± What sort of Empire had entered the Walls?

    ¡°I am Darth Vader,¡± the Dark Lord announced. ¡°You have chosen your friends wisely, Cadet Arlert. Beyond whatever abilities this planet has imbued in your comrade Eren, the Force is strong in him. Allow the Empire to expand your limited perceptions of your pitiful home, and it will grant you the freedom to this world you both desperately long for.¡±

 Chapter 2

    As he flew through the air with his ODM gear, Armin was incredibly relieved to see ahead of him so many of his fellow cadets of the 104th still alive. Although Armin failed to see the familiar juxtaposed pair of Krista and Ymir, he could make out the silhouettes of Bertholdt, Annie, and Reiner close to Marco at one rooftop edge.  Elsewhere, that had to be Jean anxiously grabbing at his own head, Connie ranting at him, and Sasha nearby trying to rally other cadets.

    But those other cadets, like so many others scattered around them, for the most part were sullenly staring at their feet or looking absently at nothing. In them, Armin saw the state he himself had been in only a couple hours before. They saw Titans up close and personal for the first time, saw the monstrous horrors done to their friends, and to veteran soldiers, and now that there was a lull in the adrenaline-fueled fighting, they couldn¡¯t bring it in them to keep going.

    If Armin had to guess, the support squadron had failed to make the rendezvous, so without sufficient gas, reinforcements unlikely to come find them after the evacuation signal had gone off, the cadets believed they were doomed to die where they stood. Already having seen the deaths of others, their minds were still reeling at the prospect of the same thing happening to them without any hope of stopping it.

    ¡°Let me talk to them first!¡± Armin shouted over the wind to Janek Sunber, the Lieutenant using his ¡°jetpack¡± on his back to easily keep up with Armin¡¯s ODM-powered flight. ¡°They¡¯ll be confused, and scared, but they¡¯ll follow us, I¡¯m sure.¡±

    Sunber nodded. ¡°Sheckil, Fox, and I will stand with you. The rest of the platoon will land on the next roof behind where we stop. Make sure your friends don¡¯t get too twitchy.¡±

    The last thing Armin wanted was for any of the cadets to attack the Imperial troopers, given the devastating effects he¡¯s seen with their weapons, the blasters. No, Armin needed to keep a level head and make sure his friends did the same, too, no matter how unfamiliar or suspicious the Empire might appear.

    Sheckil, flying next to Sunber, spoke tersely to a cylindrical device in his hand. They called it a ¡°comlink.¡± Fox was one of the white-armored soldiers, his head completely shrouded in a helmet. He shadowed Armin¡¯s side and was probably listening to the orders explained by Sheckil. Every armored warrior like Fox had a matching comlink in their helmet compatible with Sheckil¡¯s hand-held model. The means and range of remote communication the soldiers used was unlike Armin has ever seen. It could even reach Sunber¡¯s other squad that had broken off from the rest of the platoon with Mina. Instantaneous conversations over long distances without having to send messengers or relying on the visibility of flares¡­

    They needed the Empire and all of their advanced technology to retake Trost, and even Wall Maria, within Armin¡¯s lifetime. Of that, he was very certain.

    Cadets were finally looking their way as Armin and the soldiers approached. As expected, Armin¡¯s friends froze in confusion at what they were seeing. Armin imagined it wouldn¡¯t look too far off from a line of Garrison soldiers running a drill with ODM gear in a city environment, at first. But the vague humanoid shapes of Garrison soldiers wearing the brown uniform jacket and boots were unlike the dirtied white armor of the troopers. The Empire¡¯s jetpacks were able to perpetually emit bursts of colored fire and keep the wearer in the air without needing to consider points to launch an ODM¡¯s hooks at to stay mobile. While Armin had to keep flying between towers extending higher than the roofs to maintain a steady pace, the Imperial troopers were almost leisurely floating through the air.

    There were hanging jaws and looks of shock across the cadets. Armin was closest to the roof with Jean, Connie, and Sasha, so he landed near them. Checking over his shoulder, Armin saw the bulk of Sunber¡¯s soldiers plant their feet on the building across the street. Sunber, Sheckil, and Fox were still with him, their weapons pointing to the ground.

    Jean and the rest said nothing, still only staring in rattled bemusement. Armin spoke first. ¡°Everyone, please listen! These men are soldiers from outside the Walls. They are here to help us.¡±

    Thankfully, there were no Titans within reach of them. Unfortunately, Armin could see hungry Titans crawling all over the military headquarters of Trost in the distance¡­ but with the troopers¡¯ mobility and the ferocity of their blasters¨C

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Armin?!¡±

    That was Reiner, panic stricken on his face. He used a burst of his ODM gear to leap ahead of the group of cadets, drawing his swords. Nearly about to panic himself, Armin held out an arm over Sunber, looking up at the taller man with a desperate, begging look not to respond rashly. Although Sunber frowned, he and his men did not raise their blasters in self-defense.

    ¡°Identify yourselves!¡± Reiner screamed, one sword pointing at the Lieutenant. Reiner¡¯s other hand was poised to launch himself with what gas he had left to close the distance. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing with these strangers, Armin? The hell kind of armor are these people even wearing?¡±

    ¡°Reiner, please!¡± Armin shouted back. ¡°They are soldiers of the Empire, with weapons and technology that can¨C¡± His words only made Reiner grip his weapons tighter.

    ¡°What Empire? The Colossal Titan smashes the outer gate open and absurd-looking soldiers from beyond the Walls just happen to show up?¡± He gritted his teeth at Sunber. ¡°Are you people working with the Titans? Using them to systematically wipe out humanity? Is that it?¡±

    Of all people, Armin hadn¡¯t expected Reiner to¡­ break so quickly. He was in the top ten, the 104th¡¯s big brother, always uplifting and supporting them in the face of adversity. Seeing him succumb to paranoia, now of all times, almost made Armin want to rush in and slap him. Reiner couldn¡¯t let himself fall into a hysterical pit as Armin had done.

    Armin heard Sheckil speaking quietly on the comlink. ¡°Two of Arlert¡¯s comrades have repositioned on our flanks.¡±

    He was right. Armin could see Annie crouching behind a chimney. Bertholdt was mingling with a few cadets almost as tall as him on a neighboring building.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take aim,¡± Sunber muttered harshly. ¡°No preemptive hostility.¡± Sheckil obliged and conveyed the message through the comlink.

    ¡°Hey, I see you whispering!¡± Reiner called out. ¡°You better start talking, or else¨C¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not the enemy, Reiner!¡± Armin said, holding his arms wide as he stood in front of the troopers. ¡°They saved my life. Saved Mina, Thomas, Mylius, and so many others. They can and will help us, too.¡±

    Jean was able to recompose himself, pulling at Reiner¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, calm down,¡± he said in his own shaky voice. ¡°Let¡¯s hear them out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been asking for this whole time,¡± Reiner said tersely, shaking Jean¡¯s arm off. ¡°What Empire are you ¡®soldiers¡¯ supposed to be serving? What do you want from the Walls?¡±

    Before Armin could say any more, Sunber marched forward, bringing all eyes to focus squarely on him. In the corners of his vision, Armin saw Annie and Berthold tense, poised to move in a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°I am Lieutenant Janek Sunber. My men and I serve the Galactic Empire.¡± He gestured to his men. ¡°These are Imperial Stormtroopers under my command. We are foreigners to your Walls, to your entire world. We only first encountered the giants preying on humanity barely a week ago. It¡¯s thanks to your friend Armin Arlert that we even know they are called Titans.¡±

    More than a few cadets mumbled in disbelief.

    ¡°Although we are ignorant about much of your world, it should be obvious who the real enemy is,¡± Sunber said with a grim certainty. ¡°The Titans laying siege to your city are clearly mindless monsters. As servants of the Empire, it is our duty to bring order and peace to a chaotic galaxy. Your world is no exception. The natural solutions to save your home are the eradication of the Titans and the preservation of humanity. The Empire has the means to accomplish both.¡±

    The disbelief still filled many cadets, but Armin saw it begin to fade. In spite of how strange the Empire may seem, Sunber¡¯s words were painting a hopeful picture of them all surviving this day.

    Sunber scanned the crowd. ¡°We¡¯re all soldiers here,¡± he continued, his firm tone momentarily faltering, but Sunber spoke briskly to keep up the momentum. ¡°My orders are to deliver Armin Arlert and his friends, his fellow soldiers, to safety. Work with us, and we¡¯ll make sure our orders are fulfilled to the best of our ability.¡±

    The Lieutenant might be processing his own disbelief at seeing, from his point of view, the comparatively less advanced equipment of soldiers of the Walls, and how these were the tools they used to battle the Titans.

    Armin wasn¡¯t sure what to think of the Empire not knowing what the Titans were¡­ No, there was a myriad of possible explanations he could go through, but for the moment, Armin squashed that line of thinking and turned his attention to the here and now.

    Reiner¡¯s tense muscles relaxed marginally as he lowered his sword. He wiped a sliver of sweat off his brow. ¡°Alright,¡± he conceded, nervous but no longer confrontational. ¡°So, like Armin said, you¡¯re here to help.¡±

    ¡°We are,¡± Sunber confirmed.

    Reiner looked to Armin. ¡°You said they¡¯ve already helped other people?¡±

    Relieved Reiner was finally seeing reason, Armin said, ¡°Yes. Mina went with one of their squads to scale the Wall and return to the inner gate that way. I stayed with Sunber¡¯s platoon to support any more soldiers we found inside the city. We¡¯ve already helped Hanna, Franz, and dozens of other soldiers and civilians, sent them to safety in one of the Empire¡¯s giant carriages.¡± Another piece of incredible technology. The Scout Regiment especially would find great use in even only one Juggernaut for expeditions outside the Walls.

    ¡°How giant?¡±

    Jean cut in, stepping between Reiner and Armin. ¡°Hey, one thing at a time! A giant carriage if one exists won¡¯t do us any good if we¡¯re swarmed by Titans.¡± He pointed at Fox, who was standing in such a way that Jean and other cadets had a decent side view of his jetpack. ¡°Those packs on the Stormtroopers. Are those their ODM gear? Do you have more of them?¡±

    More voices rang out, confirming the cadets¡¯ low supply of gas left in their current gear. People were hopping over to get a better look at the Imperial troopers. Reiner raised his hand, seemingly to try getting the cadets to settle down, but he gave up mid-way, letting the onslaught of questions go unimpeded as he instead motioned toward Bertholdt and Annie. The two reluctantly moved away from their perches. Still wary, all three of them kept their eyes on the Stormtroopers waiting across the street.

    Sergeant Sheckil raised his voice, extending his arms and ushering the mob of cadets to clear out space on the roof. ¡°We don¡¯t have any jetpacks to spare. We do have extra gas canisters for your gear.¡± He signaled the platoon. Some of the troopers used a continuous flow of flames to keep them afloat above the street before landing on the rooftop. Most troopers used a single burst, almost like ODM gear, to propel themselves and cover the short distance.

    The cylinders of ODM gas were designed to be relatively light for the wearer, so the troopers were able to rig one or two canisters they had found to hang off their belts so they could freely use both hands for their blasters. A few troopers were carrying salvaged cloth bags to hold multiple canisters. One trooper even had a piece of compact pumping equipment taken from a fallen Garrison soldier to transfer gas between canisters instead of wholly replacing what the cadets were still wearing.

    Overcoming their surprise at seeing the jetpacks at work again, eager cadets voluntarily moved to accept the new gas cylinders or got in line to get a refill. Armin saw a few, like Jean and Marco, hesitate. They were the first to realize how the troopers had to pick up the cylinders from dead soldiers, from the only partially eaten corpses of Titan victims whose ODM gear weren¡¯t completely ruined. Still, as Armin had learned, it benefited no one to get lost in the inevitable macabre of the battle before the fighting was truly over. Jean and the like reached the same conclusion, resigning themselves to joining the frantic resupply.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Although they were speaking quietly, Armin overheard snippets of a conversation when Sergeant Sheckil walked back to the Lieutenant.

    ¡°Nice speech, Sunber.¡±

    Sunber¡¯s voice was weary and irritated. ¡°You were a policeman, weren¡¯t you? Next time, you play peacekeeper.¡±

    ¡°Is that an order, Lieutenant?¡±

    Before more was said, Armin became distracted by the shadow to his side shifting. He turned, seeing Fox gazing at something over Armin¡¯s head. When Armin tried to follow his line of sight, the armored soldier roughly planted his gloved hand on Armin¡¯s shoulder, making the younger soldier¡¯s knees shake.

    Armin heard boots hit the rooftop, and the familiar sounds of hooks, blades, and gas being manipulated by ODM gear. When Armin turned around, a wave of relief hit him: Mikasa was here, alive and well.

    However, the relief was immediately overpowered by worry from her standoffish stance. Armin wanted to scramble forward and block her from potentially harming the troopers, but Fox¡¯s grip was unflinching. The pause did help Armin see Mikasa only had her hands on the hilts of her swords still in their storage boxes on her legs, not pulled out and ready to strike.

    ¡°Easy, Mikasa,¡± called out Jean. ¡°These guys aren¡¯t here to hurt us.¡±

    ¡°I heard the speech,¡± she replied flatly, her intense eyes moving between Armin, the trooper holding him, and Fox¡¯s commanding officers. ¡°If Armin says we can work with them, then we can work with them.¡± She glared pointedly at Fox, whose clutch never wavered, before her eyes softened a fraction when they met Armin¡¯s. ¡°Are you really alright, Armin?¡±

    Conscious of Fox¡¯s warning grip, Armin reassured in a steady voice, ¡°I am.¡±

    That seemed to satisfy Fox, removing his hand. Armin wasn¡¯t sure if the implication was that Fox wanted him to placate Mikasa before things escalated, or if Fox was discreetly threatening Armin to force Mikasa to restrain herself. All of the helmeted troopers have hardly said a thing, and were the hardest to get any good read on. Fox at least had good instincts to recognize the innate strength Mikasa had in her and to be wary of it. In any case, Mikasa was convinced to stand down, the intense air around her dissipating somewhat.

    Armin knew the questions she was burning to ask next. She blurted it out before Armin could oblige her. ¡°You said these soldiers saved your life and others. He¡¯s not here, so did Eren go with Mina to the Wall? Or was he in the big carriage you mentioned?¡±

    Sergeant Sheckil stepped toward Mikasa, with a casualness underestimating how fast she would be able to unsheathe her swords and draw blood at the shortened distance before Sheckil could raise his blaster pistol. ¡°Of the soldiers in Arlert¡¯s original squad when we found him,¡± he said stoically, ¡°the cadets designated Mylius Zeremski, Thomas Wagner, and Eren Yeager were significantly wounded by Titans. They were rendered medical aid and are likely secured at the top of the south gate where they are still being treated.¡±

    Mikasa saw Armin frown at Sheckil¡¯s words before Armin could hide the expression on his face.

    Sheckil wasn¡¯t lying about Mylius and Thomas. He was obfuscating the truth with Eren. Eren wasn¡¯t ¡°likely¡± being treated at the south gate.

    For all the good Armin¡¯s spoken of and thought about with regard to the Empire, the one thing, beyond innate distrust of the unknown, making him seriously doubt their intentions was the brief conversation Armin had with their leader, Darth Vader.

    If Vader was to be believed, then Eren was alive.

    But the sheer absurdity of Eren¡­ Eren Yeager of all people, transforming into a¨C

    ¡°Sir,¡± Fox suddenly said. Armin latched onto the opportunity and faced away from Mikasa. Fox was speaking to Sheckil and pointing in the direction where the platoon had come from before meeting the cadets. Armin sucked in a breath at what he saw. ¡°The Titans we shook off are back.¡±

    He was right. A mob of ten-meter Titans had converged on them earlier when Armin had been helping Hanna carry Franz into the Empire¡¯s Juggernaut. Armin had taken to the air with Sunber¡¯s platoon while the humongous carriage¡¯s wheels had begun turning through an unseen force without needing to be pulled at its front by an animal, speeding down the street before the Titans could even touch it. A good chunk of those Titans had evidently followed the platoon, crawling over buildings or patiently moving around them in pursuit of the large mass of humans now in their sight.

    Reiner, back to his usual self, maintained a level head. ¡°We need to start moving,¡± he said, scowling at the Titans.

    Sasha had just finished topping off the gas in one of her canisters when another cadet filched the pump from her and dove into one of the trooper¡¯s cloth bags for their own refill. ¡°A bunch of us still don¡¯t have enough gas to reach the Wall!¡± Sasha pointed out.

    Their next best course of action dawned on Jean. ¡°Yeah, but it might be enough for all of us to reach military headquarters.¡±

    A separate cadet snorted with a deranged grin. ¡°You mean the one overrun by Titans? With who knows how many more Titans between us and HQ?¡±

    ¡°The base will have the full resupply we need!¡± Jean howled at the naysayer. He turned to the Imperial officers. ¡°Lieutenant Sunber, you and your troopers don¡¯t seem concerned about your own gas reserves. Can you support us to Trost HQ and keep the Titans off us?

    Without hesitation, Sunber answered, ¡°Yes, we can.¡±

    A hopeful murmur spreading across the cadets was cut off by sniffling tears from a less confident, more pessimistic one among them. ¡°Support us how?¡± cried Daz. ¡°They¡¯ve got weird ODM gear, but where are their blades? Are those supposed to be dinky little clubs they¡¯re holding?¡±

    Marco leaned around to get a better look at one of the trooper¡¯s weapons, a longer blaster held by its grip to let the barrel rest on the soldier¡¯s shoulder. ¡°They almost look like compressed muskets.¡±

    Aware of the approaching Titans, Armin vigorously nodded his head, an explanation on the utility of the Empire¡¯s weapons on the tip of his tongue. ¡°Yes! They¡¯re highly advanced muskets called blasters that can¨C¡±

    Lieutenant Sunber shouted over him. ¡°Everyone, pay attention! We¡¯ll have a quick demonstration so you know what you¡¯re in for.¡± He raised a hand, signaling to his troopers. ¡°Snipers, the first line of Titans. Take out their eyes. Continue suppressing the ones who move after them.¡±

    There were currently three squads of eight or nine men in Sunber¡¯s platoon. From them, five troopers carrying blasters closer in length to a normal musket went prone near the edge of the roof. A half-second later, lines of white-red lights moving nearly faster than the eye can see sped out of the blasters, hitting their marks. The Titans cried out in pain, clutching their smoking eyeballs. The Titans behind them nonchalantly swerved around them. As instructed, the snipers took out their eyes as well, the process repeated by the snipers for each succeeding batch of Titans, effectively stalling the entire bunch from advancing.

    There were looks of awe across the cadets. A desperate hope was alive and well in them.

    Armin felt Mikasa still staring intently at him, sparing only brief glances to the feats performed by the troopers and their weapons.

    ¡°Five-One!¡± Sunber called, pointing to an Abnormal shoving its way past its incapacitated brethren. ¡°Use the launcher. Remove that one¡¯s head.¡±

    This trooper¡¯s blaster was the largest and longest among the Empire¡¯s arsenal of small arms. The barrel was wider, reminiscent of a typical cannon placed on the top of the Walls.

    The similarities went further, as displayed by what looked like a conventional projectile being fired from the launcher instead of a bolt of light. Armin could still hardly see what was shot out, but there was smoke emitting from the back end of the trooper¡¯s blaster, and a subsequent explosion that destroyed everything above the Abnormal Titan¡¯s neck. The headless body slumped against a church building.

    ¡°The Titan¡¯s still alive, sir,¡± Five-One reported, the Titan¡¯s body still moving as steam rose and its lost flesh began regrowing. And what naming convention did the Stormtroopers have? Named after animals and numbers? ¡°The RPS-7 doesn¡¯t have the same punch as the MiniMag. A direct shot to the throat might be enough for a Titan of that size.¡±

    ¡°A sound idea,¡± Sunber said, checking the ammunition on his blaster pistol. At least, Armin assumed that was what he was doing, fiddling with his weapon. ¡°We¡¯ll test that theory next time. Troopers! Take flight!¡±

    On cue, the snipers stopped firing, and every single Stormtrooper elevated themselves upward with their jetpacks. Sergeant Sheckil did the same. This was only the latest in the series of surprises shocking the other cadets, seeing the troopers literally floating above them. During training, the cadets were taught several methods of conserving gas while maintaining control and flexibility during ODM maneuvers. Here, the Imperial troopers let their gas run freely as they accomplished a feat impossible with conventional ODM gear.

    ¡°Anders Squad will take the lead at the front,¡± Lieutenant Sunber announced. ¡°Gamma and Drewast will support from the flanks. Kill when able, blind as needed. Keep the cadets mobile.¡± When Sunber turned to the cadets, a burst from his jetpack had him jump two meters above their heads. He remained there as everyone looked up at him. ¡°Avoid combat if you can. If any of you run out of gas, call it out. Don¡¯t just scream and panic. Shout, ¡®Empty!¡¯ A trooper will pick you up and support you, but as you can see, we only have so many men. Make every burst from your gear count until we reach the castle.¡±

    People were dumbly staring, like they were lost in a dream.

    Jean was the one to get them to wake up. ¡°You heard the Lieutenant! We don¡¯t stop moving, and we¡¯ll all be back at base in no time. Unless you want to stay here and get eaten as Titan fodder, we go with the Stormtroopers.¡± He gave a resolute nod to Sunber. ¡°You lead, we¡¯ll follow.¡±

    Sasha, Reiner, and Marco voiced their agreement. A new wave of confidence and excitement rapidly spread. Soon, everyone was letting out war cries, overpowering the hungry moans of the Titans still approaching them.

    A smirk broke out of Sunber. ¡°Then we fly! Let¡¯s go!¡± He and Fox soared ahead, the rest of the troopers dispersing in the formation he lined out. They formed a vague three-pointed triangle, with the cadets assembled in the middle as they propelled themselves onward.

    Armin flew with them. With Fox and Sunber at the front, Sheckil remained behind to continue shadowing Armin.

    Mikasa was moving on Armin¡¯s other side. He knew she wanted to interrogate him, and he definitely wanted to tell her everything he knew, but they were on the move with Titans all around them, and Armin wasn¡¯t sure how much Sheckil would allow him to say in front of her. So they all diverted their attention purely on staying alive for now.

    At first, the plan was working really well. Stormtroopers aimed for the eyes, consistently burning the Titans blind and distracting them from clawing at the cadets flying over their heads. Abnormals and Titans appearing around shrouded corners were promptly stunned or dispatched outright. Intentionally or not, there were also cadets and troopers who also served as bait for others to slice their blades or fire their blasters on vulnerable napes before resuming the run back to HQ. No one was running out of gas yet.

    The good streak they had abruptly came to a halt when a Titan popped its head between buildings to snap its teeth through a cadet¡¯s lower legs.

    Armin couldn¡¯t willfully ignore the sight. It was Eren being attacked and mutilated all over again. The cadet, Tom, crashed against a wall and fell onto a balcony. The Titan¡¯s unnatural grin licked its lips as the beast watched Tom uselessly clutch the gaping holes where his knees used to be.

    To make matters even worse, when a Stormtrooper broke from the flank to dash for Tom, the Titan suddenly whipped around to bite through his legs, too.

    They were both dead men.

    Then, yet again, the Empire surprised Armin.

    Ignoring his loss of limbs, the Stormtrooper swept himself in an arc around the Titan¡¯s legs and back upward. He narrowly avoided a headbutt, the Titan smashing its face through the building. Armin moved beyond the area by that point, only able to see a cloud of dust and debris flying through the air, but out of the cloud was the battered trooper still flying, one arm holding the bleeding Tom to his chest.

    If Eren hadn¡¯t been able to use his ODM gear to save Armin from that bearded Titan earlier, Armin would¡¯ve had a harder time believing what he was seeing. Tom still might not make it, leaving a blood trail from lacking both lower legs, but it was still more than what Armin was able to do for his own squad.

    Other cadets weren¡¯t as lucky as Tom. Whether it was the cadets¡¯ stamina reaching their breaking point or just poor luck, occasional Titans were beginning to catch them unaware, horrible crunching sounds and death cries to follow. Or cadets were losing their sense of surroundings as they collectively suffered more losses, becoming too distracted to see another Titan spring on them. One trooper couldn¡¯t cover five cadets simultaneously being lunged at by Titans. Armin even spotted a couple Stormtroopers being intercepted and overtaken by Titans faster than they could recover as Tom¡¯s savior had.

    But, for the most part, the formation was still working. The majority of cadets and troopers were getting closer and closer to the castle.

    Armin saw Floch¡¯s gas run empty, and Floch yelled it out. He was quickly picked up by a trooper. The procedure was repeated a few more times with other cadets and troopers, but sadly, Armin also noticed a cadet here and there who were literally left hanging when their gas ran out. For the two dozen troopers supporting them, there were a little under three times that many cadets still alive, simply too many for the platoon to sufficiently cover every person whose ODM gear failed them at untimely moments. Other brave cadets were able to pick up the slack, circling around to pick up a comrade and willing to shoulder both their weights to the finish line. Not all made clean getaways from the Titans, unfortunately.

    As tragic as it was to admit it, every fallen soldier left behind meant another grouping of Titans was distracted from pursuing the rest of them.

    Ahead of Armin, he saw one of Jean¡¯s legs get caught in the hands of a Titan. Jean was able to react first, cleaving off the Titan¡¯s fingers and shooting forward before it could grab him again. Armin was planning to sweep around the back of this Titan¡¯s head when Mikasa took the initiative to get in front of Armin and slice the nape.

    The sudden burst of steam from the dead Titan forced Armin to make a wider swing than he originally planned, not wanting to get suddenly blindsided by another Titan once past the smoke. Armin noticed Sheckil fly on the opposite side as him, while Mikasa repositioned to remain close to Armin.

    Sheckil could have easily moved back near Armin, if not for having to focus on evading the next waves of Titans and supporting the group of cadets struggling to keep out of their jaws.

    She planned this, didn¡¯t she?

    ¡°Armin,¡± Mikasa said. ¡°What happened to Eren?¡±

    ¡­ Armin chose his answer carefully. He didn¡¯t want Mikasa to be overcome by emotion, and he couldn¡¯t completely hide the truth of what he did know from her. ¡°The Empire¡¯s leader, Darth Vader, believes Eren is still alive.¡±

    For all of Armin¡¯s cowardice, he¡¯d say he has decent instincts, and a better analytical mind able to make useful deductions from those instinctual feelings. The little exposure he¡¯s had with Darth Vader¡­ didn¡¯t fill Armin with the same confidence as Sunber, Sheckil, and the troopers have.

    ¡°If we want to see Eren again,¡± Armin said, ¡°we need to keep ourselves alive first.¡±

    And to choose their battles with Darth Vader if, god forbid, the Dark Lord and the Empire did become their enemies.

 Chapter 3

    Krista Lenz was doing her part to support her fellow cadets, standing with a small assembly of volunteers offering to head back into Trost and bring replacement gas canisters to any soldiers stranded in the district.

    Because they all couldn¡¯t be¡­ More of them had to be alive. If not considered elite, there were also seasoned soldiers of the Garrison missing, along with the rest of the top ten in the 104th, and more. It¡¯d been too long since the last soldiers arrived at the inner gate, so the only reasonable explanation was that those still missing lacked the gas necessary to move on their own. They were hiding from the monsters, desperate to get away, needing someone to help them.

    But elite Garrison soldier Ian Dietrich shot Krista and her companions them all down. ¡°We¡¯re not sending more people into the fray so soon,¡± he said sternly. ¡°Our orders are to hold position and reinforce our defenses for the Armored Titan¡¯s reappearance. We need you cadets rested and ready to move when we go on the offensive.¡±

    Samuel, admittedly a little unsteady on his feet with a hasty bandage around his head after being knocked unconscious during the Colossal Titan¡¯s initial attack, spoke brusquely. ¡°Our friends might still be out there! And maybe even civilians! We can¡¯t just¨C¡±

    ¡°We still have civilians and wounded here,¡± Dietrich stressed, motioning to the crowd around them. ¡°The next wave of wagons and boats will be here soon. The evacuation is still ongoing, so keep calm and do as ordered.¡± Dietrich narrowed his eyes at Samuel, who winced under the glare. ¡°You, get back to the infirmary. You¡¯re bleeding right through the bandage.¡±

    Krista could see Dietrich¡¯s point. A number of people had taken off for Wall Sina or one of the designated evacuation sites on foot when the available carriages reached capacity, but there were still those unable or unwilling to go beyond the perimeter established by the Military around the Trost inner gate. They didn¡¯t want to leave the immediate protection of the soldiers in the area in case Titans penetrated the Wall. Most of the cadets complied with Dietrich¡¯s orders and dispersed. Dietrich already turned his back to them, so Krista decided to let the woozy Samuel lean on her as she helped him to the improvised infirmary: the fenced outdoor section of a restaurant repurposed as a medical area.

    It had been stupid to let Samuel tag along with them in the first place. His outburst wasn¡¯t the issue. He only wanted to help, but Krista should have noticed how he was only running on short bursts of adrenaline. He felt so heavy and weak now compared to his impassioned words moments earlier. She should¡¯ve¨C

    Krista felt the weight on her shoulders lessen. She looked up and saw Ymir supporting Samuel¡¯s other side.

    ¡°If you really want to be useful,¡± Ymir said in her sarcastic voice, ¡°how about you go prep another bandage for Samuel instead of letting him pass out on top of you.¡±

    Krista let herself smile as she ran ahead to do as Ymir suggested. Honestly, Ymir was probably too tired by this point to make another half-joke, half-serious comment about Samuel owing her a favor, or to complain about Samuel hogging Krista and being unable to enjoy it in his feverish state, but both Ymir¡¯s actions and her words were focused on helping their friend. The normally self-centered soldier had also been one of the first to follow Krista¡¯s lead in rallying the others cadets for the resupply run. Even if Ymir was only naturally following Krista herself, Krista still appreciated the acts of benevolence shining past Ymir¡¯s smart mouth.

    Still, Krista¡¯s concern for the missing cadets persisted, refusing to leave her head. She did what she could for Samuel as he was laid down on a cot, Ymir shadowing her in between helping move supplies on other soldiers¡¯ orders, but all the while, there was an uneasy feeling inside Krista growing more palpable with each passing second.

    These jittering nerves she was feeling were probably from the stress of being in her first real large-scaled battle. Krista returned the thankful smile the newly bandaged Samuel sent her way. He was starting to feel better, which made her be happy for him.

    ¡°Krista,¡± Ymir said to her, leaning in close, ¡°as much as Samuel here is getting too in the way between the two of us, maybe he needs some more help when the next round of evacuations comes around.¡±

    Krista knew what she was implying. ¡°Just because our resupply idea was shot down, it doesn¡¯t mean we still can¡¯t stay here and help however we can.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be right to use Samuel as an excuse to run away.

    Ymir gave her a flat look. ¡°Be honest, Krista. If the Armored Titan shows up, what the hell are us lowly cadets going to do? Last I checked, our cannon tech hasn¡¯t exactly gotten much better in the last five years. He¡¯ll barrel through a chain net in seconds.¡±

    ¡°We can help the others still here get to safety if the Titans do break down the gate.¡±

    ¡°Not if. When.¡± She pointed at the inner gate. ¡°Look how close we are. Imagine the Armored Titan smashing through. Even if he doesn¡¯t keep charging at us, there¡¯s plenty of places for debris to¡­¡±

    When Ymir trailed off, Krista looked up to see her stare in confusion at the gate. Following her gaze, Krista was hit by a small shot of hope. One of the missing cadets, Mina Carolina, was standing over there, alive.

    But Mina stood at the front of a group of strange-looking individuals, all wearing the same odd white getup. Krista would almost call it knight armor, only because that was the closest comparison she could make, but it clearly wasn¡¯t the same as the drawings in Krista¡¯s childhood picture books from a lifetime ago.

    The more Krista watched, the more she noticed Mina looking very frenzied, shouting and waving her hands wildly. Opposing Mina and her unusual companions was a team of Garrison soldiers, holding their blades and muskets out for a fight. The strangers carried their own musket-like weapons, too.

    It was a standoff, and Mina was desperately trying to defuse it before things escalated.

    Suddenly, the sinking feeling in Krista¡¯s stomach intensified.

    Ymir pulled Krista in her arms, holding her tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. I know you want to throw yourself into whatever¡¯s going on there, but don¡¯t. All it takes is a twitchy finger to end things permanently for everyone.¡±

    Of course, a part of Krista wanted to make sure Mina survived whatever these strange circumstances she found herself in, but for once, Ymir was wrong about what instincts were influencing Krista. It wasn¡¯t her desire to help and, if needed, take a bullet for a friend that was making Krista squirm. Instead, the more Krista stared at the gate, the more she felt compelled to actually follow Ymir¡¯s advice and run away.

    One of the armored strangers pressed a finger to the side of his helmet, near where his ear would be. He exchanged glances with his peers before, incredibly, fumes of fire burst below them, jettisoning them up into the air. Mina was left alone with the Garrison soldiers while the strangers with what must be their own ODM gear moved in near perfectly vertical trajectories. They were able to reach the top of the Wall in seconds.

    Everything worsened for Krista as she felt a cold chill run through her. It was as if something was gripping at her heart, spreading its icy clutches all over her. She sharply sucked in a breath and felt her entire body shiver.

    Ymir loosened and then tightened her embrace at Krista¡¯s jerky movements. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Krista gave no answer, becoming as absorbed as the Garrison soldiers and civilian stragglers were at witnessing another impossible feat happen in front of their eyes. Incoherent yells rang out as the inner gate was raised. It wasn¡¯t the Garrison turning the wheels on the gate apparatus to open it, and it couldn¡¯t have been the armored strangers. Everyone could clearly see the metal chains holding up the gate loosely hang over the stone wall as it moved upward. Something else unseen was moving the door itself off the ground. From the way there was visible light as the gate was opened, the door on the other side of Wall was being lifted at the same time.

    A lone, shadowy figure marched through the gate.

    He had his arm bent with his fist held in front of him. He held his posture rigidly with each step he took. It was as if¡­ as if it was him impossibly holding up the gate with that committed gesture.

    The figure came to a stop in the middle of the road, soldiers and civilians alike giving him a wide berth. They stared in uncertainty. He may as well have been a statue put up for display, if not for the small movements of his head looking back at the crowd.

    When those gaping black holes on the figure¡¯s head made eye contact with Krista, the urge to scream and get away nearly took control of her completely.

    These things she was feeling just by looking at this figure, seeing this unexplainable but undeniable act with the gate, the gut reactions she felt from his sheer presence¡­ was reminding her all too much of that horrible night when she was given her name Krista Lenz.

    But this¡­ monstrous feeling of fear and dread festering in her¡­ It was so familiar, but also, somehow¡­ different.

    Her mind automatically labeled this figure a Dark Lord. The Dark Lord, far more powerful than the man who took Krista¡¯s mother away from her.

    Behind the Dark Lord, there was suddenly a wave of people running through, to the safety behind Wall Rose. Soldiers, of the Garrison Regiment and Cadet Corps, rushed in as they supported wounded comrades or weary civilians. More white-armored strangers also came through, as did men in black, gray, and olive green uniforms Krista has never seen before. She spotted Hanna closely following an armored stranger carrying her sweetheart, Franz, in his arms. Franz was missing an arm and half a leg, literally, but he was still alive, given bandages with the blood already dried up on them. The stranger placed Franz on an empty bench, where he reached out to hold Hanna¡¯s hand as they cried in relief.

    Krista was able to make some sense of what she was seeing, but it confused her. These were the unlucky citizens unable to reach the initial evacuation in time before the gate was closed, and soldiers in the vanguard and middle ground who must have not gotten the resupply of gas necessary to fall back when the retreat signal had been given. The foreign strangers must have escorted what survivors they found back here.

    What was confusing was how the Dark Lord seemed to be participating in this act of goodwill¡­ The last time Krista encountered someone like him, the furthest thing on her mind was to wear an expression of hope and gratitude as Hanna, Franz, Mina, and so many others were giving to the Dark Lord and his men.

    The wave of excited yells for their saviors was interrupted by thundering footsteps. Having only faced Titans in real combat today, Krista was still able to discern the sound as likely an Abnormal, crawling on its hands and feet. Her theory was proven right when she saw, through the open gate tunnel, a skinny Abnormal just like that slide around a building and make a mad dash for the gate.

    The frightened screams of the people around Krista ended as quickly as they began. Without flinching, the air around the Dark Lord shifted. Krista knew it changed somehow. In the same breath, his invisible grip on the gate disappeared, the stone doors swiftly falling down at the right moment to decapitate the Titan, its nape also destroyed as the detached head flew over the Lord and nearly collided with Captain Kitz Woermann.

    The senior Garrison officer in charge of Trost¡¯s defense had rallied another line of musket-carrying soldiers behind him. They instinctively trained their weapons at the Titan head, even as it stopped moving and began melting into mist. Krista watched the Dark Lord move into the steam and reappear before the Captain. In another fit of panic, the soldiers aimed their muskets at the Lord.

    Silence reigned over the entire area for a few beats.

    ¡°What are you?¡± Krista faintly heard Captain Woermann ask in a whimper.

    Again, something in the air shifted around the Dark Lord.

    ¡°You will take me to your superiors charged with defending the Wall,¡± he said in a voice equally as disturbing as every single other thing about him.

    In a drowsy tone, the Captain repeated, ¡°I will take you to my superiors charged with defending the Wall.¡±

    One of his aides, Rico Brzenska, gave Woermann an incredulous look. ¡°Sir?¡±

    ¡°Stand down!¡± yelped Woermann, forcibly pushing the barrels of the muskets closest to him downward. ¡°All of you, stand down this instant! Do no harm to these strangers!¡±

    ¡°But sir! We don¡¯t know¨C¡±

    Behind the Dark Lord, Mina lunged into the clearing. ¡°I told you already! The Empire is going to save us all!¡±

    Woermann shouted over them. ¡°All of you, I said stand down! Commander Pyxis must be informed of the situation immediately!¡± Most of the soldiers did as they were told, if with obvious hesitation. A few who didn¡¯t lower their muskets in time were faced with Woermann waving his sword and pointing its tip at them with a shaky grip.

    By the Walls, the Dark Lord was looking directly at Krista. She could feel it. He was looking over the heads of the soldiers to fix his nightmarish glare on her and her alone. Krista imagined a torrent of hate and bloodlust flooding from sickly yellow eyes, yet all she could actually see was the cold glare of the demonic helmet.

    ¡°Krista, honey? Talk to me. Tell me what you¡¯re feeling.¡±

    She was feeling shades of the same fear that had accompanied Krista Lenz¡¯s renaming and rebirth as a soldier, when her old life on a simple farm had been burnt to the ground.

    But Krista couldn¡¯t tell Ymir that, because Ymir still didn¡¯t know her true name, so Krista said nothing as she let Ymir continue holding her. It was very selfish of her, but Krista decided to take what small comforts she could find when facing the darkness all over again.

    <hr>

    All things considered, Armin decided things were going¡­ adequately well.

    It almost disgusted Armin to consider the deaths his fellow cadets and the Stormtroopers suffered as adequate, acceptable losses, but in practical terms, so many more than those lost were able to reach Trost headquarters alive with only minimal injuries. That was a victory he couldn¡¯t dismiss.

    The first squad of Stormtroopers had crashed through a line of windows on an upper floor of the HQ, giving the cadets clear openings to get inside. Lieutenant Sunber had then reorganized the troopers still alive and able to spread out around the base perimeter to draw away the besieging Titans. Some of the injured troopers, like the one who lost his legs while saving Tom, had been promptly patched up before admirably assuming sniping positions at the highest level of the castle. Meanwhile, Sunber and a small team of troopers had helped the cadets clear out the four-meter Titans infesting the supply room holding the gas tanks they needed to refuel everyone¡¯s ODM gear.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Armin was finishing the refill for his gear alongside other cadets, letting himself soak in the atmosphere of optimism everyone shared toward getting home, when he turned around to find Mikasa right next to him where she hadn¡¯t been seconds prior. From a short glance, he saw she had also gone out of her way to equip a fresh set of blades. Her gear was an entirely unused set, in fact.

    ¡°Armin, where is Eren?¡±

    Oh no. She can¡¯t be thinking¨C ¡°You can¡¯t stay behind and look for him on your own,¡± Armin said. ¡°We need to stay togeth¨C¡±

    ¡°The Stormtroopers proved they can protect the group,¡± Mikasa cut in. ¡°Our friends, and you, will be able to make it back to the Wall. I¡¯m a warrior greater than all of them. I can protect myself and Eren once I find him.¡±

    Well, Armin wouldn¡¯t say she was necessarily wrong in her assessment. She probably could outmaneuver the scattered Titans for a good while, but the risk of getting surrounded by a mob of them was too high, and her search wasn¡¯t guaranteed to bear fruit. ¡°Mikasa¡­¡± He looked around them, confirmed all of the Imperial troopers had left the supply room now that it was secure, and lowered his voice. Mikasa caught on and leaned closer to him. ¡°I don¡¯t think Lieutenant Sunber or his platoon knows where exactly Eren is, but their leader or other Imperial soldiers might.¡±

    He was playing loose with the truth. Armin had to since he couldn¡¯t be absolutely certain he was interpreting the situation correctly, but the dots were still there for him to make what connections were there.

    Darth Vader seemed to think Eren¡­ transformed into a Titan. This Titan had to be the ¡°renegade giant¡± Vader had briefly spoken of with Sunber and Sheckil. If Eren someway somehow did turn into a Titan, Armin could believe Eren would use that power to kill other Titans over anything else.

    Transforming into a Titan was its own insane line of thinking on top of everything else presented by the Empire, so he had to give a measured response to Mikasa before she did something rash. He knew objectively she had a deeper, stronger need than him to make sure Eren was safe, but that was why Armin had to be the one to temper her innate instincts until they regrouped with the Garrison and established formal relations with the Empire.

    ¡°So Eren isn¡¯t at the outer gate like the Sergeant said?¡± Mikasa asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Troopers should be looking for Eren if they haven¡¯t found him already.¡± Or more accurately, Stormtroopers were tracking the renegade giant¡¯s movements.

    ¡°Is the Empire searching for more cadets in general? Or are you saying they have an interest in Eren specifically?¡±

    The latter, for reasons Mikasa won¡¯t believe. ¡°Our best course of action at the moment is to go along with the Empire and regroup with the Garrison. Work with the troopers, and learn what they know, use their weapons and technology to retake Trost.¡±

    Mikasa was undeterred. ¡°Armin, I¡¯m not blind. Sheckil was trying to make me think Eren was safe with Mylius and Thomas. Both you and him don¡¯t want me to look for Eren. Was he actually hurt like Sheckil said?¡±

    Of all the times of Mikasa¡¯s overprotective nature to keenly sharpen¡­ ¡°Yes, Eren was hurt the last time I saw him, but you don¡¯t understand. The Empire¡¯s leader, Darth Vader, he¨C¡±

    Mikasa swerved around, hands on her sword grips. She reacted faster to one of the Stormtroopers stepping into the room.

    ¡°Cadets!¡± the man ¨C and the Stormtroopers were human, bleeding and dying just like the rest of them, advanced technology or not ¨C shouted, followed by two others like him. ¡°Anders Squad is moving through the city and keeping the Titans around this base scattered, but we¡¯re taking precautions for our reduced manpower. The platoon will escort you in batches, keeping wandering Titans¡¯ attention divided as we deploy the next group. The snipers will remain at the tower and relay optimal paths to the Wall through our comlinks.¡± He rapped his knuckles on his helmet. ¡°Remember, communication is effectively instantaneous with our helmet comlinks. The snipers will inform us of possible threats out of our sight.¡±

    ¡°In batches?¡± called out Daz. ¡°But ¨C But why don¡¯t we all just go together like last time?¡±

    ¡°Reduced manpower,¡± the Stormtrooper stiffly repeated. ¡°We can¡¯t cover everyone, especially if the Titans converge on us mid-way. If you want to make a run for it alone, be my guest. If you want us to fulfill our orders and guarantee your safe return to the north gate, go to the courtyard and wait for your cue.¡±

    The cadets were still riding the wave of confidence brought by the Stormtroopers, so most hurriedly followed the lead trooper¡¯s men out of the supply room.

    Mikasa was unmoving, and Armin stayed with her, because the lead Stormtmrooper left his companions to walk toward the two of them.

    ¡°Armin Arlert, you may call me Sergeant Narthax,¡± he introduced himself.

    The question left Armin¡¯s mouth before he could stop it. ¡°You¡¯re the same rank as Sergeant Sheckil?¡±

    ¡°Sergeant Major Sheckil,¡± Narthax corrected. ¡°He wants to see you before you depart for the Wall. Come with me.¡±

    Mikasa coldly regarded Narthax. ¡°What does he want with Armin?¡±

    The Stormtrooper didn¡¯t answer her directly. He had his helmeted face locked on Armin. ¡°Sheckil wants your personal testimony on the renegade giant and anything further you have on the Titans.¡±

    He wants to interrogate Armin about Eren? Before they left for the Wall? The Empire must want to learn more about him before Armin returned to the authority of the Garrison Regiment. ¡°Mikasa should come with us,¡± Armin said quickly, trying to think of a reasonable excuse to justify her inclusion.

    Fortunately, Armin didn¡¯t need to give a reason. Narthax started walking away with a motion for Armin and Mikasa to follow. ¡°Bring your whole entourage if you want. Come on. We¡¯ll be moving immediately to the Wall once Sheckil is done with you.¡±

    Entourage?

    Armin understood what Narthax meant when he noticed Reiner, Annie, and Bertholdt following them. ¡°We¡¯re not leaving you alone with them,¡± Reiner reassured, cracking a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure Mikasa can take on all of these Stormtroopers by herself, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a little backup. Right?¡±

    Spitting jokes to avoid being conscious of his own anxiety. Armin respected the strategy, and showed his appreciation with a grateful nod. Bertholdt, Mikasa, and Annie were preoccupied with carefully watching Narthax and passing stormtroopers leading other groups of cadets to the courtyard. Although Bertholdt following Reiner wasn¡¯t unexpected, Annie joining them was a bit of a surprise. The cynical pragmatist in her would probably have wanted to get out of Titan-infested Trost as soon as possible, but aside from the basic concern for her friends, the pragmatist might also be pushing Annie to learn more about the Empire personally.

    ¡°So,¡± Reiner said as their group rounded up a flight of stairs, ¡°what¡¯s the deal with this renegade giant the trooper mentioned? Don¡¯t tell me the Empire used their light guns to tame a Titan or something?¡±

    Armin didn¡¯t know where to begin. He was saved from saying anything by Narthax. ¡°Our ¡®light guns¡¯ are ¡®blasters.¡¯ Remember it. Knowing our terminology will make imperialization run smoother for all of us. Speaking Basic already puts you ahead of other primitives.¡±

    Imperialization? Primitives? It sounded more like the Empire intended to tame them, not the Titans. Armin hoped this ¡°smooth¡± process still ultimately enabled them to retake Trost and Wall Maria. Next to Armin, Bertholdt and Reiner visibly tensed but didn¡¯t say anything. Annie and Mikasa were as stoic as ever, though Annie did pop one question.

    ¡°Is Basic what you call the language we¡¯re all speaking?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be informed more thoroughly on common galactic knowledge when comp-nor steps in,¡± Narthax said, introducing another new entry to their vocabulary. ¡°We¡¯re still in hostile territory. Arlert, you will answer Sheckil¡¯s questions concisely so we can all move out before more Titans are attracted to the castle.¡±

    No one said any more as they reached the roof, walking along the battlement a few floors under the tower where the snipers were still discharging red blaster bolts. Cadets and troopers were launching out of the courtyard in the formations Narthax had explained earlier, awaiting cadets anxious for their turn to begin their retreat. Lieutenant Sunber was on the opposite battlement, doing his best to maintain the good spirits of the cadets until he ordered for the next deployment.

    Ahead of Armin¡¯s group was Sergeant Sheckil, looking at the rest of the district through a new foreign Imperial device. Armin guessed it to be an advanced telescope variant, needing the wielder to use both of their eyes on it instead of only one. Beside Sheckil was another Stormtrooper, holding a presumed notebook and pen equivalent made of metal and glass. It was a familiar sight of an observer commentating on what he saw for a scribe to record in the log book, just with different technology.

    Armin only saw spewing smoke, broken buildings, and more Titans battling airborne troopers further inside Trost. Was Sheckil searching for their renegade with the telescope?

    ¡°Sir!¡± announced Narthax. Sheckil lowered his scope and gave a nod of acknowledgment. He perused the cadets next to Armin, studying them.

    ¡°You have giant human-like mutants on this world,¡± Sheckil said. ¡°Do you also have changelings?¡±

    It sounded vaguely familiar. ¡°I think there are some folk tales about changelings,¡± Armin recalled. ¡°Children¡¯s stories about demons changing shape to fool innocent people.¡± Those were stories far less interesting to him compared to speculations and alleged factual depictions of the world beyond the Walls.

    ¡°Do any of those stories relate to Titans?¡±

    ¡°Not especially.¡±

    Reiner stepped forward. ¡°What does this have to do with a renegade Titan? Your lieutenant said Titans were totally unfamiliar to your Empire. In case you don¡¯t know, there are Titans classified as Abnormal, acting more unpredictable and erratic than just biting at the nearest human.¡±

    ¡°Arlert informed us of your classification system,¡± Sheckil said. ¡°I understand it¡¯s based on behavior and height. What about any¡­ unique physiological traits?¡±

    Was Sheckil going to ask about it outright? If regular humans were able to change shape into Titans?

    Mikasa spoke up. ¡°Did the renegade giant hurt Eren?¡± Her patience was running thin. Her fingers rested on the ODM triggers to either whip out her swords threateningly at the Imperials or to blast into the city to search for Eren. Armin wanted to grab her wrist to subtly warn her, since he wasn¡¯t actually capable of physically holding her back.

    To Armin¡¯s surprise, Sheckil spoke more bluntly than he expected. ¡°The renegade giant is Eren Yeager.¡±

    Finally, Mikasa¡¯s harsh demeanor faltered, broken by bemusement. ¡°He¡¯s what?¡±

    A horrible realization hit Armin. He twisted his head around and saw two of the snipers on the tower above pointing their rifles down at him and his friends. The others except for Mikasa looked up and saw the same thing. Armin noticed Narthax and the other trooper holding their blasters up by their hips, ready to train them on the cadets in a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°I believe the cadets Forster and Kline mentioned to one of my troopers that Eren Yeager is your brother,¡± Sheckil calmly said to Mikasa. He pointed at the bruises on his face. ¡°He¡¯s a violent one. I presume it runs in the family?¡±

    ¡°Eren attacked you?¡± Mikasa muttered. The low growl behind those words was enough for the troopers to aim their blasters at her. They didn¡¯t fire when Mikasa, and Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie, pulled out their blades. Armin was once again caught in the middle.

    ¡°I was unfortunate collateral when he tried to bash in the head of another Titan.¡± Sheckil paused to press his personal comlink close to his ear. Armin couldn¡¯t make out what the voice on it said. He stiffened when Sheckil looked at him. ¡°You neglected to disclose your friend¡¯s relation to Yeager.¡±

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t shown me any proof of Eren transforming into a Titan,¡± Armin said in an even tone. If violence broke out, even if Mikasa and the others took out the troopers in front of them and got to cover without getting blasted, the snipers still had their helmet comlinks to warn Sunber¡¯s platoon. Titans were bad enough, but fighting them and the Empire? After they did so much to save the 104th survivors? ¡°Mikasa was adopted by Eren¡¯s parents. Whatever you think about Eren or your renegade, there¡¯s no need to worry about her suddenly morphing into a Titan.¡± Did the Imperials recognize Mikasa as Oriental? Would that factor into Sheckil¡¯s judgment of her?

    In a rare display of emotion, Annie muttered in clear shock, ¡°Eren transformed?¡±

    Sheckil with his cold stare looked down at her. ¡°Are you cadets familiar with Titan transformation? Unlike Arlert here?¡±

    ¡°This is crazy,¡± Reiner said, nervous sweat staining his skin. ¡°You¡¯re crazy. On what world would Eren Yeager¨C¡±

    ¡°Sheckil!¡±

    With a boost from his jetpack, Lieutenant Sunber shot over the courtyard and landed on the other side of the cadets. While Sheckil remained composed, Sunber was positively heated.

    ¡°What the kriffing hell are you doing?¡± Sunber screeched.

    Dissent in the Imperial ranks. Armin was hoping for more coordinated discipline in the Empire, but he couldn¡¯t complain if Sunber put a stop to this madness.

    ¡°The renegade is almost here,¡± Sheckil said. ¡°We need as much information as possible if we¡¯re going to effectively contain it. Potential threats have to be minimized accordingly.¡±

    ¡°Your people pointed their rifles at us first!¡± accused Reiner. ¡°You started this.¡±

    Armin spread out his arms, no matter how poor a human shield he might have made, but his intentions to keep anyone from striking against the other was clear. ¡°We¡¯re not a threat! Your platoon has already helped us so much. We agreed to work with you, as allies. There¡¯s no reason for you to hold your weapons against us like this!¡±

    Sheckil looked past Armin to look at Sunber. ¡°Fulfilling Lord Vader¡¯s orders supersedes everything.¡±

    Did Darth Vader send new orders through the comlinks to the platoon? Was that what fueled this newfound hostility from Sheckil?

    Sunber wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°Troopers, stand down,¡± he barked. Narthax and the other one obeyed. Armin saw the snipers redirect their aim elsewhere. His friends were still on edge but didn¡¯t move from where they stood.

    ¡°They were set to stun,¡± Sheckil remarked. Stun as in non-lethal?

    ¡°The renegade is already hurt,¡± Sunber said tersely. ¡°We stun him, retrieve the kid, and bring the rest of them home.¡±

    ¡°It only looks human. There¡¯s no guarantee our blasters will work as intended.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee knocking out a bunch of kids will mean anything for the Titans!¡±

    Sheckil clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re from the Rim like me, aren¡¯t you? I didn¡¯t take you to be so soft for soldiers, young as they are.¡±

    Even as tense as things were getting, Armin¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t stop picking at each new snippet of information the Imperials gave away. Their Empire had territory they designated as the Rim? Could it be an equivalent to a Wall?

    The argument was cut short by familiar rumbling.

    Through a plume of smoke, jetpack Stormtroopers shot out toward Trost headquarters, followed closely by a sprinting Titan who had lost one of his arms, already regenerating new skin and bone underneath a layer of steam. It gave a guttural scream, a sound unlike any Armin has heard from the other Titans he¡¯s faced today. More Titans, shorter than the lead, were following it. Some were trying to climb over the armless Titan to swipe at the Stormtroopers.

    Wait, that wasn¡¯t exactly what Armin was seeing. The sprinting Titan that must be the renegade giant, up to fifteen meters tall or so, was grabbed by smaller Titans who were gnawing at him. A ten-meter class tackled the renegade from behind. They landed in the middle of a road directly leading to the castle. The rest of the mob ignored the flying troopers, piling on top of the larger Titan. His next scream was absolutely deafening. Titans were practicing cannibalism now?

    ¡°For star¡¯s sake,¡± Armin heard Sunber murmur. He spoke into his comlink. ¡°Fox, where did the sleemos come from?¡±

    The volume on the comlink must be adjustable, since Sunber apparently didn¡¯t bother lowering it compared to Sheckil, allowing Armin and the cadets to hear Fox¡¯s response. ¡°We tested the stun setting on Abnormals, to minimal effect even on the neck. Letting the other Titans pin him will make our jobs easier.¡±

    ¡°Not if the kid gets eaten!¡±

    The kid ¨C He must mean Eren. He was somewhere in that mess? Did Sunber genuinely believe the fifteen-meter grew up from the size of a human?

    ¡°Eren¡¯s down there?¡± Mikasa asked, alarmed.

    Sheckil reiterated, ¡°He¡¯s the Titan getting mauled like a freshly seasoned nerf steak.¡± The idea still sounded too insane. What was even a nerf? Mikasa looked at Armin for any reassurances, to which he could only shrug at.

    ¡°He can¡¯t be,¡± Reiner was muttering. ¡°He can¡¯t be a Titan. Not Eren Yeager.¡±

    The renegade shrieked again. Fighting against the Titans biting and grappling him, he was able to get on one knee and toss a few of them off his body. He shoved away others, punching or elbowing them. The renegade knocked the jaw off of one Titan, and maneuvered another under him so he could chomp his teeth down on its nape.

    ¡­ Did the renegade Titan have green eyes?

    ¡°I saw the boy when he first transformed,¡± Fox said through the comlink. As the renegade fended off hungry Titans, his arm¡¯s regrowth stalled by other giants preying on him, Fox and his fellow trooper levitated above him. Armin saw they were holding ODM swords. ¡°There was a big flash of light, but Lord Vader corroborated my theory. His actual body didn¡¯t enlarge. The Titan material spawned outward from him and over his body.¡±

    Sunber¡¯s face grew pale. ¡°He spoke directly to you? What did Vader say precisely?¡±

    ¡°Nothing contrary to our standing orders of evacuating the cadets. Lord Vader only specified that Eren Yeager is expressly included among them.¡±

    As the Titans around the renegade fell around him, the two airborne Stormtroopers flew downward, disappearing in the mesh of bodies. Armin saw streaks of blood, just like a soldier slicing through the nape of a Titan. A few seconds later, with the lesser Titans seemingly getting a second wind to surround and dogpile the renegade, a single trooper rose above them.

    One Stormtrooper must have been trapped or outright killed, but the surviving trooper, the blood on his armor already fading into steam, was carrying someone with him. By the look of it, the trooper¡¯s quarry was unconscious.

    Armin gasped once he recognized who it was the trooper was bringing over to the headquarters.

    He knew he didn¡¯t see the whole thing clearly, but now Armin was certain without a doubt that Eren was alive, and that he became a Titan.

    And Darth Vader, his Empire, wanted Eren for themselves.

 Chapter 4

    Miche Zacharius had no idea what he was looking at.

    He sure as hell knew Hange Zoe didn¡¯t either, and she was loving every second of it.

    ¡°Look, Moblit!¡± she said excitedly, presenting the jagged blade broken in half in her hand. She had used it for her hardest swing yet at the strange entity. ¡°Our swords can¡¯t make a single dent on this delicious creature!¡±

    ¡°Hange!¡± came the obligatory begging from Hange¡¯s caretaker. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be reinforcing the supply base ahead, not using up all of our weapons on this thing! And you need to be more considerate where the broken blades ricochet!¡±

    ¡°Ricochet? Good idea! The base at Trost should have some surplus muskets we could test on this baby.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Miche sat on his horse as he watched the pair going about their usual back-and-forth. They were in the middle of a forest. Lying over a few fallen trees knocked out of their stumps was¡­ Hange¡¯s new baby.

    It almost looked like an animal lying on its side. Four legs, a humped back, and a head, but no clear mouth, eyeballs, or nostrils. No skin or fur or organs. The stench over the thing wasn¡¯t of the dead. Lifeless, yes, but stale, impersonal, more the absence of life than the loss of it. Moreover, from the way the outer shell looked, how ODM swords broke from striking it, and the more Miche breathed through his nose, this ¡°creature¡± made itself out to be composed of a fine metal.

    ¡°Constructed,¡± Miche muttered.

    Hange in her frenzy for information zeroed in on him. ¡°What¡¯s your take on this, Miche?¡±

    ¡°Someone constructed and built this thing,¡± he said, taking in more of the object¡¯s form. ¡°Metal plates and components, bolted together? The legs look intentionally designed, not something an animal evolved over time.¡± He sniffed again. ¡°Smells like¡­ a factory furnace. Not like a dying carcass going cold or a warm campfire snuffed out, but something more stale. Not rotten. Tasteless.¡±

    Hange¡¯s grin shone teeth at Miche. ¡°Exactly what I was thinking!¡± She reached over with her half-sword to tap at a cylindrical tube attached to the ¡°head¡± of the creature. ¡°My first guess was these were nostrils emitting remnant heat, but they¡¯re more likely some sort of cannon models recently fired. It would explain those explosions we heard earlier. Something had to have made the noise and caused those steam plumes to come from this area, and judging from the way the ground¡¯s been disturbed¨C¡±

    ¡°¨C this thing wasn¡¯t stomping Titan napes to kill them,¡± Miche finished. The imprints of Titan corpses overlapped with broken tree trumps across the grass and dirt, and Miche could see the footprints left by the metal construct, but the depressions on the ground weren¡¯t deep enough to indicate a physical brawl except for immediately around where the construct lay. The plethora of dead Titans were killed while they were upright, their silhouettes on the floor after falling being too soft to have been stamped down. Given the weight the construct must carry, Miche had a hard time visualizing it kicking its legs at Titan like a rowdy horse booting a human.

    The surviving Titans had obviously managed to knock the construct off its feet, giving a few good dents on its body. Miche scanned the area again and confirmed there was a trail of overlapping human and Titan footsteps going south.

    ¡°My money¡¯s on there being a crew riding this baby and firing its cannons,¡± Hange went on, pressing her face against the front of the construct¡¯s head. Moving closer, Miche thought it looked like glass. ¡°I¡¯m still looking for a door latch or anything like that the crew would¡¯ve used to get out of this. Levi Squad already went ahead to Brodgar. The rest of my squad¡¯s searching the forest, but there¡¯s a good chance the construct¡¯s crew went in that direction.¡±

    The town of Brodgar was one of the many settlements left to rot when Wall Maria fell. It was a fairly developed area with tall, sturdy buildings and natural resources nearby: a freely flowing river and wild game left alone by the Titans over the past five years. Although the resupply outpost had been established early after the failed reclamation of Wall Maria, the Scout Regiment had gone through cycles of losing and retaking the base ever since. For every purge of Titans Miche and others made in the area, there was always another horde to push back the Scouts in a subsequent expedition, forcing them to start all over again.

    The metal construct was a new element to the cycle, one that will surely capture Erwin¡¯s attention as much as it did for Hange.

    Moblit took a break from cringing at Hange¡¯s behavior at the construct to give another cautionary scan of their surroundings. ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of Squad Miche?¡±

    ¡°Handling another Titan mob by the abandoned mining site west of here,¡± Miche answered. Erwin had wanted this expedition to make an informative log of assets and resources in lost Maria territory to incentivize backing from influential merchants to sponsor the next ambitious expedition. The more bases they controlled, especially if the Scouts received the funding to install cannons at their outposts like at Brodgar, could mean a new steady flow of raw materials and food to funnel into the Walls. ¡°They¡¯ll regroup with the regiment soon. The Scout formation¡¯s staying on the move to divert a big wave of Titans before they cut off the fastests routes back to Trost. The explosions might have attracted the Titans, too. The horses can only keep running for so long, so Erwin wants to know the situation at Brodgar if we can afford making a stand there.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Levi and the gang,¡± Hange said, sliding her blade along the border of the construct¡¯s glass and its metal skin. ¡°No one¡¯s reported seeing any flares from that direction, so we can assume if there are Titans in Brodgar, they¡¯re handling it.¡±

    Or Levi was taking his sweet time finding the construct¡¯s crew and getting answers out of them. Miche kept himself informed of the ongoing politics in military, noble, and criminal circles as needed, so for someone in the Walls to create and use this metal construct and get it into Titan territory without the Scouts¡¯ knowledge, Miche knew they had to have powerful connections.

    That was assuming the construct came from within the Walls. If not¡­

    Miche took one last glance at the construct before hurrying his horse to gallop down the trail for Brodgar.

    He exited the forest and arrived at the outskirts of the town shortly. The highest buildings were as tall as those in a wealthy Wall district, but the settlement overall was a good deal smaller than Trost, covering less ground. His gas reserves topped at capacity, Miche didn¡¯t hesitate to launch himself off his horse and maneuver through the air, ready to take out any Titans he came across.

    He did encounter a few, quickly dispatching them before they were alerted to his presence. The look and smell of one Titan stuffing a finger in its ear was that of an Abnormal. Following a hunch, Miche landed on a tower at the front of the Titan. It definitely saw Miche and ignored him, walking deeper into the city.

    Given their name, not all Abnormals were drawn away from single human targets to focus on groups, but it was the case for Miche¡¯s quarry. From his elevated position, Miche squinted his eyes and made out the shapes of soldiers soaring with ODM gear. Levi Squad was hard at work, putting up a valiant defense against a stream of Titans marching from all over the town.

    Miche sniffed, and frowned. He was too far away to identify the individual squad members, but he did count five of them in total.

    So who was emitting the human scent he caught directly above him?

    It had to be one of the construct¡¯s crewers.

    Before Miche could swing up toward the stranger, he flinched when a streak of light descended from the apex of the tower to the sauntering Abnormal. It wasn¡¯t a discharge of a musket or a cannon, but it had the similar effect of a cannon with a blast of damage striking the Titan¡¯s nape. Multiple streaks follow the first, giving the illusion of a single red line penetrating the neck until the Titan dropped dead.

    ¡°You going to sit on your purge-hole till you bloat like a sitting mynock?¡± shouted a crude, feminine voice. ¡°Or may you kindly lend a hand to pick off the murglaks moving to munch on your mates?¡±

    Miche was keen enough to know the crewer was using odd terms as pejorative insults, but the more pressing matter was the devastating weapon the stranger had used. He spun his hooks and wires around the tower as he ascended, giving the stranger a fast-moving target if she decided to aim down. At the top of the tower was a small room with windows on all four walls. Miche flew in an arc to enter the opposite where the crewer had unleashed the light streaks.

    In contrast to the show of light, the crewer was dressed in stark black armor. Armor, her head and entire body completely covered. The texture wasn¡¯t like the metal material as the legged construct, but it had the same impersonal scent to it, only it overlapped with the human underneath the armor. The crewer leaned over the window with what must be a sharpshooter rifle that had fired the red light.

    ¡°Unless you¡¯ve got a rifle or a launcher on you,¡± said the crewer, taking another shot at a target below, ¡°you¡¯re doing no good hiding up here with me.¡±

    She was acting as if Miche wasn¡¯t a threat. Dealing with an unknown warrior, Miche was tempted to correct her judgment before she could get the chance to aim her rifle at him if she became inclined to. He stayed his hand when another voice echoed in the room. A voice that should have been impossible for Miche to hear if it really was the Special Operations Squad he had seen in the far distance.

    ¡°Is that you who scaled the tower, Miche?¡±

    It was Levi. Miche narrowed his eyes at the source of the voice: a smaller piece of metal on the shelf next to the crewer. The stranger picked up the device and spoke at it. ¡°I presume you¡¯re looking through sarge¡¯s binoculars, Captain. Do you know this soldier?¡±

    Recognizing Levi¡¯s rank, but clearly running with a different outfit than the Scouts. What the hell was going on?

    ¡°His name¡¯s Miche,¡± Levi¡¯s voice said, clearly exasperated. ¡°Hey, sniper, give him the comlink, and keep shooting near the marketplace. Your engineers are almost ready.¡±

    ¡°Good to know,¡± said the crewer before she flippantly tossed the device back over her shoulder. Still wary, Miche caught the metal contraption and kept his eyes on the stranger as she continued firing.

    Mimicking what the stranger had done, Miche held the device close to his mouth. ¡°Levi?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± came Levi¡¯s voice again. ¡°Don¡¯t ask how these comlinks work. Save questions like that for Hange and Erwin to give to these Imperials.¡±

    So, not an outfit from the Walls. The mechanical construct, the unusually equipped soldier, and this ¡°comlink¡± were all things created by a self-proclaimed Empire. ¡°How do I know it¡¯s really Levi speaking to me through this thing?¡±

    Miche heard a familiar click of the tongue, expressing annoyance. That was good enough for him.

    ¡°How many of these Imperials are there?¡± Miche asked.

    ¡°About a dozen in Brodgar with us.¡± Which implied more Imperials were active outside of the settlement. ¡°The Imperials don¡¯t have ODM gear, but you¡¯ve seen some of the firepower they¡¯re packing already. They¡¯ve got more light guns like the sniper, and my squad is supporting them.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t fired any flares yet,¡± Miche noted, suppressing his own bewilderment at being able to communicate with Levi like this. There was still work to be done. ¡°So you must think we can still take Brodgar with these Imperials.¡±

    ¡°What, getting antsy? Did Erwin lose the nerve to commit to a push for the outpost? It was his idea in the first place.¡± Levi snorted. ¡°He¡¯ll love this. Did you see the metal walker in the forest?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Can the engineers you mentioned get it running again?¡±

    ¡°Not today they''re not. They¡¯re tinkering with something else. It¡¯s standing behind another building from where you can¡¯t see, but the Imperials have a different walker they can use to help clear out the entire town once their engineers get it fixed.¡±

    A second construct? It had to be smaller, no larger than a ten-meter class Titan.

    Tempting fate, Miche jumped into the room and stood next to the black-armored stranger, as close as he could without disrupting her focus in shooting down Titans with her weapon. She didn¡¯t turn her head away from the view out the window, though Miche could feel her gaze glance at him before returning to Titan slaying.

    Contrary to the rumors the Scouts liked to chat about behind Miche¡¯s back, he wasn¡¯t actually able to determine a person¡¯s gender with his sense of smell alone. If not for her voice, Miche wouldn¡¯t have been able to identify the stranger as a woman. If not for his nose, Miche doubted he would have been able to identify her as a human. She could have been a miniature autonomous variant of the metal construct for all he knew.

    Miche wasn¡¯t Hange. Comlinks and the light gun were already pushing how much he was willing to set aside his disbelief at seeing astonishing technology on top of the original construct.

    But Miche was a soldier. He had his orders to fulfill, allies to support, and enemies to kill, the filthy stench of Titans inevitably drifting toward him and spurring his fighting instincts. The soldier beside Miche seemed to follow a similar attitude, purely prioritizing the Titans and encouraging him to do the same.

    ¡°Keep the comm,¡± she said. She moved fast with her hands, readjusting the rifle to somehow begin firing a long purple beam more easily seen with the naked eye than the rush of red streaks. They were no less deadly, easily executing Titans. Miche saw a few Titans change direction from Levi Squad to the tower. ¡°I¡¯m down to my last power pack. Go make yourself useful, thunderbucker. You survive, you¡¯re in for a good show.¡±

    ¡°Head to the supply base,¡± said Levi¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±

    Miche trusted Levi¡¯s judgment as much as the shorty trusted Miche¡¯s instincts, so the older soldier jumped out and swung his hooks in a good spin to slice through the fingers of a Titan grasping at him during his descent. Shooting a hook at the Titan¡¯s face, Miche arced around to slice through the back of its neck. Leaping to the next Titan, a purple beam of energy shot past him to burn through the nape of another further ahead.

    The closer Miche got to Levi and the others, the more dense and grouped together the Titans were. Miche would have thought it tactically unwise for Levi Squad to dedicate themselves in one general area instead of staying mobile, but he could hear more gunshots, or the energized equivalents of them for the light guns, going off. Imperials like the sniper must be helping keep the pressure off the Scouts.

    Soaring up too low at a Titan jogging for him, Miche used the momentum of his last burst of gas to slide along the road. He dove between the legs and nicked an ankle, tripping the Titan and letting Miche have an easier time going for the nape. He knew a second Titan was coming for him from behind, so Miche shot his hooks to the sides of the buildings to his left and right before launching directly upward.

    He frowned, practically tasting the saliva the Titan was carelessly drooling and letting droplets wildly scatter as it ran. Miche pulled the triggers on his gear for an extra gas boost, doubly making sure he was out of reach from the Titan. Miche was momentarily spended in the air long enough to see the Titan come to a stop at the legs of its dead brethren. Its inhumanly long tongue hung over its lower lip. The Abnormal snapped its fingers and pointed at Miche.

    Miche was already planning his next attack, seeing himself shoot down with enough speed to avoid another grab and directly cut the nape, when the work of slaying the Titan was done for him. A blast of red, larger than anything the sniper had shown with her rifle, utterly destroyed the Titan¡¯s neck. Two evaporating Titan corpses stacked on top of each other.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Landing with a roll along a roof, Miche looked down the street to see what could only be the second metal construct. It was two-legged this time, sporting a different shape in general while keeping the same smell and material as the first construct. In place of a torso and arms was what resembled an oversized head. Its height came short of a ten-meter class Titan. Slim cannon barrels like the first larger construct¡¯s protruded around the cheeks and mouth of the box-shaped head.

    There was jerky movement in the head as the construct lifted and lowered its legs in its march. It honestly looked like the weight of the head and the odd gait would make the entire construct tip over and fall, but its stride never broke, the head turning to fire over buildings lower than the walker to hit distant Titans.

    Imagining the giant constructs fighting Titans was one thing. Seeing it in action was another.

    Levi wasn¡¯t wrong. Erwin was definitely going to love this. Miche can already see Hange fainting from overexcitement.

    ¡°Looks like a freakish chicken without the feathers or wings, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Miche was joined by Levi on the rooftop. The usual scowl on his face was a welcome sight.

    The blood on his cloak that wasn¡¯t evaporating into steam was worrying, though.

    ¡°It¡¯s from one of the Imperials,¡± Levi explained, wiping away a bloodstain off his shoulder with a handkerchief. ¡°They didn¡¯t attack us. The Imperial was almost a Titan¡¯s lunch until my squad found them.¡±

    ¡°And you helped them out of the kindness of your heart,¡± Miche remarked, witnessing more of the devastation brought by the construct. When a Titan stepped around a corner behind the two-legged walker, Miche and Levi sprang forward, taking out the nape before it could do anything to impede the war machine.

    From their new position, Miche saw the dilapidated stalls of the Brodgar marketplace. At the center of the plaza was a church, selected as the location for the supply outpost. While the immediate area wasn¡¯t the most ideal for ODM maneuvering, the debris of broken wood and stone across the plaza were often able to slow down besieging Titans in past battles. Plans to install cannons along the windows and roof of the church was on Erwin¡¯s list of objectives, and Miche watched a version of that plan in action. More red blasts were being shot out of the building. Since the windows were level with or higher than the approaching Titans, the blasts first targeted the Titans¡¯ eyes or legs. Doing so caused the Titans to fall over or writhe in pain, giving the shooters better angles to hit the napes.

    ¡°You can¡¯t say they aren¡¯t doing a good job repaying my ¡®kindness¡¯ with their crazy weapons,¡± Levi said with a dry edge. ¡°With their walker working, Erwin¡¯s going to get his Brodgar HQ sooner than he thought.¡±

    Miche still had doubts. They were relatively safe now as Titans were slaughtered by the construct, so Miche decided to get some answers from Levi. ¡°Assuming they don¡¯t turn those weapons against us.¡±

    Levi held up his own comlink device, tapping it and pointing at his ear. As amazing as the foreign communication device was, Miche understood Levi¡¯s meaning: the Imperials could be eavesdropping on their conversation. Even if Levi didn¡¯t actually know if that was true, it was a possibility they had to consider. ¡°Right now, their priority is killing Titans and surviving,¡± Levi said, ¡°same as us.¡±

    There was a practical question Miche thought safe to ask that wouldn¡¯t draw undue suspicion. ¡°Are there more Imperials in the city or beyond it? More metal constructs ¨C walkers, you called them?¡±

    ¡°They say there¡¯s a legion of troopers making their way to Brodgar. The ones already here were a recon party, with another batch of them already sent ahead to make contact with Trost. We had to take that early detour for the mass of Titans when we first left the Wall today, so the Imperials must have blasted their way through them while we were far enough to not hear their cannons and blasters go off.¡±

    So they were dealing with an army, from an Empire braving Titan territory far outside the protection of the Walls. Miche never would have imagined the Scouts to, least of all in his lifetime, make first contact with individuals of another society and military power.

    Their talk was cut short when more voices spoke from Levi¡¯s comlink.

    ¡°This is Gunther. The north side is clear. No more Titans moving into the city.¡± All of Levi Squad must have been given their own comlinks.

    The second voice was marred by rugged breathing but still spoke concisely. ¡°Eld reporting. Titans are still crawling up the southern fields, but they¡¯re slow-going. No obvious Abnormal behavior. We can funnel them into easy firing lines for the base or the walker.¡±

    ¡°Acknowledged,¡± Levi replied. ¡°Both of you hold position. Keep us updated. Fall back if more show up than you can handle.¡±

    He pocketed the comlink and fired a purple flare into the sky. Promptly, Hange or someone in her squad fired another purple flare. Closer to the horizon of grassland peppered with smaller trees, Miche saw the green flares of Erwin redirecting the Scout Regiment to Brodgar.

    There were still Titans inside the city, converging on the marketplace. The sniper had stopped firing, so Miche assumed she had exhausted her munitions. Wordlessly, Miche and Levi went to work, hitting the Titans while red rain continued flying out of the church.

    The odors of this battle were¡­ a new combination. Titan blood and steam, overgrown flora, and dusty stone all competed with the palpable heat of the light guns and the burns they left behind. It was hardly anything to inhibit Miche¡¯s combat ability, but the smokey air was different from discharges of typical cannons. The rate of fire easily outpaced cannons, too. The sound of the guns was also¡­ It reminded Miche of the clangs Hange had once made by banging a wrench on an experimental metal cable during the development process for her special Titan-capture artillery weapons. Miche also had to occasionally remind himself the distant stomping of the metal walker wasn¡¯t from a hostile Titan. It was from an ally ¨C from a machine manned by, according to Levi, more armored soldiers sitting inside the head.

    Eventually, Levi and Miche were standing side-by-side on the corpse of a larger-than-average Titan when the comlinks on them echoed an advisory from the crass sniper. ¡°One-five-six checking in,¡± she said. A number designation? Not a name? ¡°More caped calvary are moving in from the northern patch of forest. Only a few prune-faced freaks or the like are following.¡±

    ¡°They must have lost the bulk of the Titans in the forest,¡± Levi guessed, speaking on his comlink as he replaced his dulled blades. ¡°Probably left a few scouts behind to distract them. That will buy us time to set up kill zones.¡±

    A different voice, male, spoke on the comm. ¡°Captain Levi, can you confirm there is a Commander Dot Pyxis charged with defenses at the Wall?¡±

    From the way Levi froze, Miche knew he was surprised. He must not have disclosed Pyxis¡¯ name, which probably meant the Imperials were using their comlinks to speak with their detachment at Trost.

    ¡°Yeah, we know who Pyxis is,¡± Levi said. He and Miche used their gear to get atop a roof, out of reach from the shorter Titans still being gunned down in the market. ¡°That mean you¡¯re sending your people back here to reinforce Brodgar?¡±

    ¡°Afraid not. Stand by.¡±

    After a pause, Miche wasn¡¯t surprised to hear Commander Pyxis¡¯ voice on the comlink. ¡°Captain Levi, can you hear me? Are you there?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Levi here.¡± The weariness was coming out more blatantly in his tone. Miche assumed the unease of working with foreign soldiers and their unfamiliar tools was starting to get to him. ¡°I take it the Empire made it to Trost and introduced themselves.¡±

    The old man chuckled. ¡°Indeed, and thank the Walls for them.¡±

    Miche and Levi exchanged anxious glances. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°Levi, I implore you to contact Erwin and advocate for a swift return of the Scouts and an escort of the Imperials you¡¯ve met back to Wall Rose. The Colossal Titan destroyed the exit gate, Titans have swarmed the city, and Lord Vader has agreed to supply his troopers for a cooperative reclamation of Trost.¡±

    <hr>

    Garrison Commander Dot Pyxis needed a drink.

    The news of one of the Walls¡¯ very own cadets having the newfound ability to transform into a Titan was a tempting incentive to partake in his favorite hobby.

    But given this was his first time ever dealing with a lord and his hardened soldiers from beyond the Walls, he thought it bad decorum to pull out his flask and wear his vice on his sleeve so soon.

    Overlooking Trost, Pyxis stood atop Wall Rose with his aide Anka Rheinberger and elite soldier Ian Dietrich accompanying him. Captain Kitz Woermann was still uneven on his feet, but Rico Brzenska should be enough to keep their men on the ground in steady spirits.

    More than anything, they ensured civility was maintained with the soldiers of the Empire. Half of the Garrison was more than a little tense at the arrival of the troopers, unsure whether to believe their claims to help fight the Titans or to treat the armored gunners with more hostility. The other half, joined by assorted cadets and civilians, were singing the Empire¡¯s praises for rescuing them from the Titan-infested city.

    The Garrison Commander had to admit that the Imperials wielded impressive, incredulous technology. Pyxis watched the Empire¡¯s Juggernaut vehicle circle around the streets to shoot Titans or trample them over its massive wheels. The live demonstrations of the jetpacks, the comlinks, and the hand-held blaster rifles were also nothing to scoff at.

    A part of Pyxis had wanted to scoff at the reports of the Cadet Eren Yeager changing shape into a Titan, but he hadn¡¯t lasted this long as a military officer and a favored friend of various nobles without knowing when he was being lied to or being told farcical stories by unreliable witnesses. Yeager¡¯s fellow Cadets, the Garrison soldiers observing Trost HQ with telescopes, and the Imperials who gave their recounting of events could not be dismissed.

    Also standing at the edge of the Wall was the Imperial leader, Darth Vader. Behind him were two Imperial officers not in Stormtrooper armor. Lieutenant Janek Sunber wore a black uniform with a cap on his head. Captain Bex donned different black armor pieces, including a peculiar oversized helmet covering everything except his face.

    The metal carriage that was the Juggernaut parked its ten wheels at a spot directly below Pyxis and the others. Jetpack-wearing Stormtroopers exited the vehicle and flew up the Wall. The Juggernaut sped away before Titans, still trickling into Trost, caught up to it. The Stormtroopers carried more non-armored Imperial officers and Trost civilians. Some civilians were petrified at the Titan invasion to say anything. Others were repeatedly giving their thanks to their saviors. Pyxis motioned at other Garrison soldiers positioned nearby to escort the civilians to the ground.

    ¡°Is Commander Frickett alive?¡± Darth Vader in his ominous voice asked. One of the rescued officers was gently laid on the floor by a Stormtrooper sporting an orange-colored shoulder pad. The officer was unconscious, his right hand replaced by a stump wrapped in bandages.

    ¡°Yes, Lord Vader,¡± answered the trooper. ¡°A Titan bit off his hand, and he went into shock.¡±

    Vader waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Send him to the medical area. You shall serve in his place as field commander for the detachment, Chainly.¡±

    After another affirmative, Frickett was carried away and Chainly stood at attention. It was a fine reminder how the Imperials were as vulnerable to the Titans as any other man, whilst also being wholly committed to fulfilling their duty to Lord Vader no matter what hurdles they faced.

    ¡°Your troopers have done an incredible job safeguarding my people,¡± Pyxis said to Lord Vader with genuine respect. ¡°You have my gratitude.¡±

    The gesture hardly phased Vader. ¡°Our labor is not yet over, Commander Pyxis. The city itself must still be secured.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Pyxis agreed. ¡°The Scouts and your legion will be here in due time. The extra manpower and the arsenal your troopers carry should be enough to draw a line around the exit gate and defend our engineers while they build a temporary barrier.¡± Ferrying the materials from within Wall Rose territory to Trost would be its own time-consuming endeavor, but it was their only viable strategy to stop the flow of Titans into the distinct. ¡°Until then, we should strengthen our defenses at the inner gate here and keep an eye out for the Armored Titan. We must be ready for the possibility it can suddenly manifest from nothing as the Colossal did.¡±

    A chill shook Pyxis¡¯ elderly bones when Vader spoke with disapproval. It wasn¡¯t personal, Pyxis knew. Merely a subtle assertion that Vader desired to get his way, not too unlike the haughtier nobles or senior members of the Military Police whom Pyxis has had the pleasure of speaking with. Only there was real power behind Vader¡¯s demeanor compared to them.

    ¡°Our priority will be to seal the outer gate immediately,¡± Vader all but demanded.

    ¡°I suppose you have good reason to underestimate the threat posed by the Armored Titan if the inner gate is left with too few defenders.¡±

    ¡°While your cannons may be imprecise, my Legion has the firepower and the mobility to obliterate material as enduring as your Walls. The Armored and Colossal can be dealt with if they do appear.¡±

    Not the most discreet of threats to the sanctity of humanity¡¯s venerated barrier against the Titans, but now was neither the time nor the place to antagonize potentially essential allies over discourteous manners. ¡°If your Legion is skilled at destruction, do they also have comparable skills as innovative engineers to seal the Wall?¡±

    ¡°In a fashion.¡± Vader motioned to his officers. ¡°Captain Bex?¡±

    Professional and objective, the Captain was definitely a career soldier with plenty of service under his belt compared to dutiful if greener Lieutenant Sunber. ¡°Power packs are running low on all fronts,¡± Bex reported. ¡°We still have explosives ¨C mines, missiles, TDs ¨C enough to blow the section above the gate opening to improvise a barricade of rubble. We can place the Juggernauts to reinforce it. Troopers can observe from the top of the Wall if Titans start digging away the debris.¡±

    Ian reacted with haste before Pyxis could stop him. ¡°You want to destroy more of the Wall?¡±

    Pyxis placed a stern hand on Ian¡¯s shoulder to silence him. ¡°Unorthodox, but theoretically doable,¡± the Commander said, Ian adequately chastised as he stepped back. ¡°Still, it sounds impractical as a long-term solution. I can believe you have the armaments to do damage against the Colossal, the Armored, and the Wall itself. I cannot foresee my people rebuilding the destroyed gate and Wall section from the ground up instead of building on top of the existing structure.¡± Thankfully, the Wallist types of Pyxis¡¯ circle of elites weren¡¯t present at the moment. The Imperials should be wise to see Ian¡¯s practical concerns instead of religious fervor.

    ¡°The Empire has the means to help rebuild your home,¡± Vader said.

    ¡°We already have much to thank you for, Lord Vader,¡± Pyxis said with a small smirk. He wished he could see Vader¡¯s face behind his helmet, even if it was only a completely stoic face. It would still have given Pyxis some insight on the man. ¡°It would be a shame to overexert your forces and place them in unnecessary danger until both of our armies have reunited.¡±

    At least Vader¡¯s tone still conveyed his lack of endearment to Pyxis¡¯ flattery. ¡°If you wish to make use of my legion to retake your home, it must be done as expediently as possible such that we may continue with our primary objectives without unnecessary delays.¡±

    Protective of his legion. Could this mean an internal distinction from lords and their authority within Vader¡¯s Empire? ¡°And what do your primary objectives entail?¡±

    Darth Vader stared into Pyxis¡¯ soul. Pyxis weathered the storm, quite well in his opinion. ¡°The uplifting of your world, guided by the Empire,¡± he said with finality.

    Pyxis envisioned an Imperial conquest of Rose and Sina, and secretly shuddered at the thought of blasters ripping apart soldiers and Juggernaut cannons burning down the Walls. He considered his countrymen putting up a valiant resistance, and then pictured a more¡­ cordial colonization, at best.

    ¡°I will negotiate with your royalty the finer details at the earliest convenience,¡± Vader went on. ¡°For now, I require a portion of land in Trost for my men to establish an¡­ embassy of sorts. We must rearm and take stock of our available resources until we reconnect with the wider Empire. The sealing of the gate to stop the Titan infestation must come first, naturally. In return, I promise you Imperial support in reclaiming Wall Maria to protect and oversee at your military¡¯s leisure.¡±

    Had Pyxis been a weaker man, or the man he had been thirty years ago, his eyes would have bulged and his jaw would have dropped at Vader¡¯s unbelievable proposal.

    But as the season Garrison Commander, having braved the the ruined reputation of the Garrison Regiment following the fall of Wall Maria, bearing guilt of the failed resettlement project for not aiding the Scouts and the civilians well enough, and working tooth and nail over the course of five years to whip the entirety of the Garrison into shape to prevent the fall of humanity from another overwhelming Titan attack, the Pyxis of today was more inclined to see the merit in cooperation with the Empire, not the dangers they posed to Wall society and their livelihoods.

    The Empire was the push humanity ¨C evidently not completely sequestered in the Walls as sole survivors of their species ¨C needed to dominate the Titans and reclaim the entire world from those monsters.

    Still, Pyxis had to make some effort to make this a collaboration, not succumbing to subjugation. Vader may or may not be lying about the extent of ammunition and weapons his legion possessed, but this was still a negotiation Pyxis can work with.

    ¡°Sirs! If I can¨C¡±

    Pyxis turned to Cadet Armin Arlert breaking from the group at the opposite edge of the Wall. Lieutenant Sunber intercepted him and held the boy back by the shoulder. Cadet Arlert performed a salute.

    Another elite soldier, Mitabi Jarnach, was keeping watch over three cadets ¨C Arlert, the top student of Shadis¡¯ southern division Mikasa Ackerman, and the Titan transformer himself, Eren Yeager.

    During Pyxis¡¯ arrival to Trost and after being told of the Titan shifting tale, he had seen the Yeager boy going in and out of consciousness before Yeager composed himself somewhat to weakly gaze at Darth Vader. The Ackerman¡¯s loyalty to her adopted brother shone shamelessly as she remained close to him and conspicuously glared at the Imperial lord. Arlert, among the first to make contact with the Empire and organize coordinated evacuation efforts with them, was a childhood friend of Yeager and Ackerman. He had provided what little but reliable information he knew to Pyxis personally before they all came atop the Wall to discuss their next steps.

    ¡°¨C I have a suggestion!¡± Arlert said, overcoming his initial hesitation at interrupting a conversation between a commanding officer and Lord Vader. ¡°On how to seal the Wall as quickly as possible.¡±

    Pyxis had agreed to let Arlert and his friends be present for this meeting, so he wasn¡¯t offended at the cadet¡¯s intrusion. It was welcome, in fact. ¡°Please, speak your mind.¡±

    Arlert gulped. He was going to need more practice with public speaking if he was going to use his sharp mind more in the future. How one explained a plan was almost as important as the plan itself in order to convince others of the viability and success of the strategy conjured by the planner. ¡°The giant boulder in Trost,¡± Arlert said. ¡°Eren in his Titan form can use his massive strength to carry it to the outer gate and seal the breach. Soldiers and troopers can support him, distracting Titans in his way.¡±

    Working with a Titan.

    Forget the potential threat of an invasion by a foreign army. Working with a Titan was an outlandish enough idea alone for Pyxis to want to down an entire bottle in one shot.

    But, outlandish as it was, Pyxis imagined in his head Arlert¡¯s idea play out and found it very appealing. If Vader was insistent on taking back Trost now, Yeager could be an asset to use without guaranteeing more harm to the Wall.

    Of course, that was assuming Yeager knew how to transform and control his Titan. There were still many unknowns to the cadet¡¯s powers, including if the Empire¡¯s claims of ignorance to Yeager¡¯s abilities held any water to them or the helmeted Vader was a very good liar.

    It was still an option heavily worth considering, Pyxis decided.

    He committed when Vader gave his opinion.

    ¡°Cadet Arlert gives a fine suggestion. Eren Yeager may prove himself to be more capable than he appears.¡±

    Vader wanted to see the Titan transformer again for himself.

    As ideas filled his head on how to proceed with the inevitable operation to retake Trost, Pyxis made a mental note to ensure the Ackerman was assigned close to Eren Yeager at all times.

 Chapter 5

    Mikasa Ackerman did not trust the Empire.

    Why couldn¡¯t Eren feel the same way?

    ¡°I can carry you,¡± Mikasa reminded him as they, along with the Garrison¡¯s Elite Squad and the Imperials who joined them, jogged down the Wall around Trost to shorten the distance they¡¯ll have to travel with ODM gear and jetpacks to the city¡¯s giant boulder. ¡°You don¡¯t need to overexert yourself.¡±

    ¡°Leave it alone, Mikasa,¡± Eren said with signature annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    You can turn into a Titan. That wasn¡¯t fine.

    He was also still afflicted by whatever aftereffects came with the Titan transformation. The soldiers and troopers were underestimating how off-center Eren had become. He squinted his eyes because of blurry vision, not because he was tensing in anxiety for the battle ahead of them. Eren¡¯s form when jogging was too groggy, fighting fatigue. Instead of directly shoving Mikasa¡¯s hand off when she touched his arm, Eren moved his entire body away from her to avoid her grip.

    One of the Imperial troopers physically interjected between them. ¡°You need to keep away when he transforms,¡± the trooper said, Mikasa resisting the urge to push the man off the Wall. ¡°The spontaneous spawning of Titan material is sure to hurt anyone standing too close.¡±

    She probably emitted too much malevolence anyway, since Armin beside her grabbed her wrist. ¡°Mikasa ranked at the top of our cadet division,¡± he said in reassurance, ¡°out of two hundred trainees. She¡¯s one of the most capable soldiers who can support and protect Eren.¡±

    An elite Garrison member grunted. ¡°Assuming Yeager can actually control his Titan form.¡±

    Mina Carolina, stressed from today¡¯s events, made a sound close to a growl uncharacteristic of her usually chipper self. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t do now that the Empire is helping us!¡± Yes, the stress has really gotten to the girl for her to be so gung-ho for the foreigners whose true intentions were still uncertain.

    Squad Leader Ian Dietrich shut down the potential argument with a stern warning. ¡°Cool it. Yeager¡¯s sealing the gate with that boulder, and we¡¯re going to make sure he does. There¡¯s no two ways about it.¡±

    Mikasa was grouped with Eren, Armin, and Mina. Garrison soldiers Ian Dietrich, Rico Brzenska, and Mitabi Jarnach were the heads of the Elite Squad running with them. Between the Garrison and the Cadets, they outnumbered the sparse Imperials attached to their team: Field Commander Chainly, the differently armored Captain Bex, Lieutenant Sunber, and the lower-ranked Stormtrooper, Fox. The last one, carrying an ODM blade in an improvised sling, was placing himself far too close to Eren.

    The Garrison heads had originally only wanted Mikasa as the top ranked cadet to join the elites in Eren¡¯s escort. The Imperials had pulled Armin and Mina with them as the only other able-bodied survivors of Eren¡¯s original squad. The rest of their collective forces were distracting the Titans. They either drew them to a far corner of Trost, using the Juggernauts to misdirect them, or kept Titans occupied near the destroyed gate. Especially at the exit gate, a constant series of explosions and a column of constant smoke was caused by the Imperials already positioned on the top of the Wall there to stem the tide of Titans from entering Trost.

    ¡°Loot, this is Bex,¡± said Captain Bex to a comlink embedded in a slim gauntlet over his hand. ¡°I can see the Speardrift.¡± It was the name of the individual Juggernaut Mikasa could see currently driving on a bridge over the river running through Trost. ¡°Have your Stormtroopers scatter the Titans on your trail. When we come down, we¡¯ll eliminate any Abnormals still following before we move to the boulder.¡±

    Brzenska took a minute to reiterate to Eren the inevitably of casualties being incurred on this mission. They were on the clock, so Eren as a Titan was obligated to follow orders and complete the mission as quickly as possible to ensure their comrades¡¯ sacrifices weren¡¯t in vain. Mikasa respected the sentiment, but she was more preoccupied with staying aware of where the four Imperials were placing themselves relative to Eren. Bex, apparently an officer usually driving one of the Juggernauts, lacked a jetpack, so that left Chainly, Fox, and Sunber able to lunge for Eren and take flight with him. One shot from any of the blasters could render his ODM gear nonfunctional, and the possibility of a ¡°stun setting¡± might also incapacitate Eren while keeping him alive.

    By Mikasa¡¯s estimate, Sunber was the weakest link. Armin seemed to like him, but the Lieutenant didn¡¯t radiate the same authority as other Imperials. He evidently didn¡¯t command enough respect for Sheckil to not have undermined him to order troopers to draw their rifles on Mikasa and the other cadets earlier. While Sunber had some compassion for the people of the Walls, Mikasa only saw a cold exterior upheld by the likes of Sheckil, Bex, and the helmeted Stormtroopers. Compassion wasn¡¯t a factor for them. Only fulfilling their orders was, whatever they may be.

    ¡°Is there a way we can confirm Cadet Ackerman is unable to turn into a Titan?¡± Fox asked aloud. ¡°Another friendly Titan of comparable size can support Cadet Yeager in lifting the boulder.¡±

    As Mikasa guessed, Sunber halted that line of thinking from his subordinate. ¡°There¡¯s no time to play scientist and pick and prod at people,¡± he said with a glare at Fox.

    ¡°Only making sure we return to the battlefront with all cards on the table, sir.¡±

    Mikasa spoke for herself. ¡°I am not a Titan,¡± she said definitively, her hands ready to pull out her swords if the Imperials pressed her. ¡°I¡¯m deadlier than any Titan you¡¯ve ever faced.¡±

    Armin tugged at her again. She ignored it. To her disappointment, nothing in Fox¡¯s body language gave away his feelings on Mikasa¡¯s heated words. Sunber only gave an unpleasant scowl, unintimidated by the thinly veiled threat.

    Sadly, Eren spoke in the Imperials¡¯ defense. ¡°We¡¯re taking back the Wall,¡± he grumbled, ¡°with the Empire. We can take it all back.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t thinking straight. He was hardly fit to keep fighting like this, let alone make a self-inflicted wound on himself that was supposed to somehow cause the Titan transformation to happen.

    Armin¡¯s role as peacekeeper was overtaken by Mina, who came shoulder-to-shoulder with Mikasa. She regurgitated the same ¡°the Empire are our allies¡± pitch, more emotional and vehement compared to Armin¡¯s original vouching for them, or Commander Pyxis¡¯ rallying speech about collaborating with the ¡°magnanimous strangers.¡± In a way, Mikasa could see where Mina was coming from. Maybe the Empire saving Mina¡¯s squad had a similar effect as Eren saving Mikasa all that time ago. If only Mina was able to read between the lines as Armin had and understood his warnings on the Empire.

    In his disoriented state, Eren must be getting lost in the dream he shared with Armin, to visit the lands beyond the Walls. If he didn¡¯t view the Empire as his savior like Mina, the armored men were still an opportunity Eren must see to help his dream to come true. Armin and his sharp mind were able to distinguish the usefulness and the dangers offered by the Empire. Dangers like taking Eren for experiments as a dehumanized test subject, or forcing him into his Titan form as an attack dog on a leash. Mikasa had vowed to always stand by Eren and protect him, even as he dove head-first into the military with his plans to join the Scouts. Her vow still applied now, when he was recklessly jumping into this joint operation without treating the Imperials with more caution.

    ¡°Cadet Yeager,¡± spoke Commander Chainly, ¡°avoid activating your Titan form while in mid-air with your ODM gear.¡± The more Mikasa considered it, the more she thought Chainly¡¯s and Fox¡¯s voices sounded identical. Were they brothers? ¡°Land near the boulder first.¡±

    Eren grit his teeth. ¡°There¡¯s no time for¨C¡±

    ¡°I agree with the trooper,¡± Dietrich cut in. ¡°By your own account, you were barely conscious when you were killing Titans as a Titan. I sure don¡¯t know how the hell you¡¯re supposed to control it, but at least take a second to get a good sense of how to use your Titan form when you do shift back into it. You can¡¯t pick up the boulder only to let it drop because your fighting instincts make you want to fight more Titans instead of sealing the gate.¡±

    A moment¡¯s hesitation stalled Eren before he said, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Mikasa took comfort in the three years of training keeping Eren compliant with the officers of their home¡¯s military. They¡¯ll have to rely on that discipline to keep Eren¡¯s stubborn head from giving the Empire any chances to snatch him away when no one was looking. And Mikasa was going to be always looking. She wasn¡¯t going to abandon him again like she had at the start of today¡¯s battle. She¡¯ll keep him safe, from any and all threats that present themselves.

    The Speardrift came to a stop by the Wall ahead of their party of soldiers. Fox and Bex held onto each other as the Stormtrooper moved to deliver the Captain to his vehicle. The rest of the team sprang into the air, speeding over Trost whether with ODM gas or jetpack propulsion.

    The Elite Squad was spread widely to prevent Titan stragglers from getting close to Eren. In the lead was the Juggernaut, followed by an overeager Eren. It was second-nature for Mikasa to stay near him, ready to catch Eren if he fell. It seemed Fox was assigned to do the same, mirroring Mikasa on Eren¡¯s other side. Armin, Mina, and Sunber were behind them.

    ¡°You two are adopted siblings, yes?¡±

    If Fox was shadowing Eren, then Commander Chainly was shadowing Mikasa. It was a simple matter for Chainly armed with his jetpack to keep up with her. A part of Mikasa wanted to use smartly timed bursts of gas to avoid being badgered by the Stormtrooper, but that would mean separating herself from Eren.

    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Mikasa said to Chainly.

    ¡°It will be of interest to Lord Vader.¡±

    The walking statue with the gaudy cape Mikasa was surprised the giant hasn¡¯t tripped himself on. ¡°I¡¯m not letting anything take Eren away from our home.¡± She wasn¡¯t one for subtleties, or at least wasn¡¯t as good at conveying them as others, so it was better for her to make her stance expressly clear. Armin might fear the Empire, but he didn¡¯t have the same skills or drive as Mikasa to make the Imperials understand what lay ahead of them if they made the wrong move against Eren.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve served under Vader for a long time,¡± said Chainly. ¡°If your brother proves his worth to him, then you can prove your worth as Yeager¡¯s protector.¡±

    Did the Empire honestly think the people of the Walls would just submit to them? Even Eren would have a thing to say about an outright occupation from these Imperials. Where was the freedom in that?

    Eren wasn¡¯t even paying attention to Chainly¡¯s words. He was focused purely on maneuvering with his ODM gear. Why can¡¯t Eren see the Imperials wanted to use them, use him?

    Sheckil had said, ¡°Fulfilling Lord Vader¡¯s orders supersedes everything.¡± Armin was clearly afraid of Vader. Mikasa had to treat every single Imperial as an extension of Darth Vader, no matter how diplomatic or civil they try to be.

    ¡°You don¡¯t care for me,¡± Chainly correctly observed. ¡°That¡¯s fair. You don¡¯t know me, or the Empire. Whether you like it or not, you will know. Your world isn¡¯t the first we have visited, and it will not be the last. Lord Vader has decided to begin our relationship as allies, so I think it a courtesy to give you some advice.¡±

    So there were more pockets of humanity, more communities beyond the Walls and out of the jurisdiction of the Empire? Was the Empire trying to conquer them all? Were there more people like Eren out in the world? Was that the main cause of interest from Vader? Or was there something more?

    Mikasa, Chainly, and Fox landed on a roof overlooking the small plaza holding the Trost boulder. Eren landed in front of the rock. Titans no longer pursuing it, the Juggernaut parked inside the plaza. The others spread out on the other buildings.

    ¡°You can¡¯t protect your brother from Lord Vader,¡± said Chainly. ¡°You can only show your capability as a warrior and help Cadet Yeager survive him.¡±

    Mikasa narrowed her eyes at the Stormtrooper. He was confirming every bad feeling she had about him and his people? Just like that?

    ¡°Impress Vader, help Yeager prove his worth to him, and this world can be yours.¡±

    ¡°Fall in line, or you¡¯ll kill us all,¡± Miaksa put it in plain terms. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re saying?¡±

    The expressionless helmet was directed at Eren, but Mikasa could feel the trooper looking at her with a sidelong stare. ¡°It might be hard to imagine, but the Empire can turn your entire island into ash. Would your people prefer to see that power against the Walls? Or against the Titans?¡±

    Mikasa knew what Eren¡¯s answer would be.

    ¡­ What was an island?

    A flash of lightning brought everyone¡¯s eyes to Eren. Mikasa kept herself aware of the Imperials but had a hard time doing it, shocked as anyone else at actually seeing Titan bones and flesh grow out of Eren.

    She was shaken out of her shock when Eren pulled a move she hadn¡¯t seen coming.

    He shot a punch at the Speardrift that destroyed his hand. The giant carriage fell over on its side. As steam from his shattered flesh and dust from the Juggernaut¡¯s fall dissipated, a bloody scene was revealed from Eren¡¯s strike.

    Mikasa didn¡¯t even know Captain Bex. She still distrusted the Empire, but she knew any observer around the scene would see this as a completely unprovoked attack from Eren against one of the Empire¡¯s own. An attack disabling one of the Empire¡¯s enormous war machines, no less.

    ¡°Hold your fire,¡± Chainly said to Fox, and likely on his helmet comlink. ¡°Do not attack Yeager. Wait. Fox, ready your blade to cut Yeager out again, just in case.¡±

    Mikasa couldn¡¯t trust them. She couldn¡¯t hesitate. Not again.

    She swept her leg to trip Fox, sending him tumbling down the incline of the roof before he caught himself. In the same motion, Mikasa shot a burst of gas directly at Chainly. While he was disoriented, Mikasa let out another burst to fling her directly to Eren. Moving like this, she was faster than any of the troopers, so she should be able to cut Eren free and pull him out of his Titan¡¯s nape with ease.

    She was forced to change tactics when Eren threw a punch at her.

    A last-minute slight change in her trajectory let the fist just miss her. Eren¡¯s jab did slide across the side of the boulder, sending stone fragments flying. Some hit Mikasa in the face, but none hit her eyes. She stayed conscious and shot herself to another roof to get her bearings. Eren really wasn¡¯t thinking straight now.

    Someone grabbed her, covering his arms over her torso. Mikasa acted instinctively and knocked her head backwards, hitting the chin of her attacker. She was going to stomp his feet and elbow his sides when more people crowded her.

    Mina and Armin pushed her down. Sunber was keeping Mikasa in a hold from behind.

    ¡°They said they weren¡¯t going to shoot Eren!¡± Armin shouted. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t trust them!¡± Mikasa yelled back. She hesitated in how much she should resist. The combined weight of her friends and Sunber could pin her if they adjusted where they were applying pressure in their mess of limbs. She could surprise Sunber with her hidden strength  which people often failed to see behind her deceptively small size, but Mikasa didn¡¯t want to hurt Armin or Mina, or accidentally shove them off the building. ¡°They don¡¯t want to help us. They only want to use Eren¨C¡±

    ¡°We need to use Eren,¡± said Armin, for once being too short-sighted.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the dark on how exactly your friend¡¯s Titan powers work,¡± barked Sunber, ¡°just as much as you are.¡±

    Mikasa didn¡¯t have time for this. She lifted her feet and swiftly brought them down, pushing her entire body against Sunber¡¯s. Mina and Armin were pulled with them as Sunber landed on his back on the other side of the roof, Mikasa¡¯s push knocking the wind out of the Imperial.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him!¡± Mina screamed.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt her,¡± Armin begged Sunber.

    Mikasa forced herself to freeze when she felt the muzzle of his blaster pistol press against her back.

    ¡°You don¡¯t trust us,¡± Sunber wheezed. ¡°I get it. At least trust you don¡¯t know if my blaster is set on stun or not.¡±

    Mikasa wasn¡¯t done yet. She can angle her ODM gear to throw off his aim, even at this distance. Her speed should be good enough so she would be only grazed by Sunber¡¯s blaster. She already felt some blood trickling down her face from the collateral of Eren¡¯s punch. One more injury wouldn¡¯t stop her.

    She paused her plans when Eren, still in Titan form, let out a deafening screech.

    The raw passion and anger in that scream reminded Mikasa that, yes, Eren was a Titan. No other person she¡¯s met had that same uncontrollable fury.

    And even with that incredible power now in Eren¡¯s possession, Mikasa was going to do everything in her power to keep him safe.

    <hr>

    Eren was¡­ dreaming.

    No, not dreaming. Dreams don¡¯t have hits of pain like he was feeling. Physical pain, caused by Eren biting into his hand.

    He was remembering.

    Eren, behave while I¡¯m gone, and I¡¯ll let you in on what I¡¯ve been doing in the cellar.

    His dad, Grisha Yeager. The last words spoken by him to Eren, before Wall Maria fell. Before everything changed forever.

    Except¡­ those weren¡¯t dad¡¯s last words, were they?

    Listen to me. It is vital you keep this key on you at all times.

    The key to their cellar. Dad had held it up, knowing Eren was immensely curious about the work he did on the other side of that door, before Dad left for his next appointment in the Interior. Now, Eren remembered he had seen the key again, later¡­ from Dad¡­

    ¡°I must return to the cellar.¡± Never forget this mantra.

    When was this? It had to be after the Wall fell, when Eren and his friends were taking shelter as refugees, but they had been in the care of Armin¡¯s grandfather until his death. Eren¡¯s dad had been nowhere to be found, presumed dead during the chaos of the Titan attack.

    I wish there was more time to explain all this. Time will become as precious to you as the people in your life. Eren, you must use your abilities to reclaim Wall Maria and get to the cellar. The world ¨C Your world depends on it.

    Eren struggled to retrace every step of his memories five years ago. After¡­ After mom¡­ Dad had the key before he left, so these memories must be after the fall when Dad gave Eren the key. Why couldn¡¯t Eren remember that until now?

    It will hurt. Every step of the way, you will find pain and misery. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so, so sorry, but I know what I¡¯m doing is for the best. There is no other option.

    There were tears running down dad¡¯s face¡­ Eren felt something pulling at his own face, tugging at his eyes and pressing against his cheeks. He tried moving his body and found resistance. It was like strands of rope were tied around his limbs, holding him down.

    Let their memories act as your guide.

    Eren saw his father holding a syringe. Panic filled Eren, sending him on a frenzy to fight against his invisible restraints. He was able to wrench an arm free. He felt his fist strike something. His scream was half in pain and half in victory, jerking his other arm in another swing. Something sliced up his skin on this arm, but again, he was freed.

    This will also awaken your other gifts. As much as I regret not making progress on that front, you will still need to find a teacher. Your mother¡­ God, Carla¡­ Please, forgive me. Forgive our boy¡­

    Eren¡¯s vision became clearer¡­ The voice of his father was still there, but Eren only saw the Dark Lord with his red blade standing over him.

    One day, the truth will come out. I swear to you, Eren. You will endure. You will survive. You must brave this arduous journey if anyone else will have the chance to do the same.

    Truth ¨C The Dark Lord had spoken undeniable truths about Eren¡¯s life, of his need to be free of the Walls, to obliterate the Titans. In return, Eren had somehow learned truths about Vader before he had introduced himself to Commander Pyxis. Eren had known his title of lord, his name Darth Vader, and that there was a power running through his veins outside of his brilliant sword or the technologies of the Empire.

    Mikasa, Armin ¨C everyone¡¯s lives hinge on you controlling your power!

    As a soldier of the Walls, Eren should have been more forthcoming to his commanding officers about his¡­ inexplicable knowledge on the Empire. His head had been too murky, coming to terms with everyone saying he was a Titan.

    And that was what Eren was now. He had shifted into a Titan. He had the power to expunge the Titans from the entire world and live free.

    The cellar will have answers. Dad¡¯s secrets, Eren¡¯s Titan form, his other unexplainable abilities ¨C Eren will cure his ignorance and seize the freedom to the world that was his birthright.

    You must save Skywalker! Save him, and he will save you!

    Eren finally remembered. As a Titan, he had to save Trost, by lifting this boulder, and sealing the gate.

    He was going to kill all the Titans, and save the world.

    Eren followed his instincts and let out a bellowing roar.

 Chapter 6

    ¡°Are they really going to rely on Eren to seal the gate?¡±

    Reiner Braun watched his best friend Bertholdt Hoover growing more agitated by the second. As a fellow soldier, Reiner moved across the roof and landed a hard slap on Bertholdt''s back to bring him back to reality. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get so nervous. There are still Titans all around the city. As insane as it is, we need to trust the Elites and the Stormtroopers can protect Eren.¡±

    As a Warrior, Reiner leaned in close to whisper, ¡°The Empire made it clear they don¡¯t want to see Eren dead. They¡¯ll make sure he seals the gate and gets out alive. We shouldn¡¯t expose ourselves and give them more targets. Not until we know more about the Empire.¡±

    Swallowing a gulp, Bertholdt nodded in agreement.

    The struggle for Trost wasn¡¯t over yet. From what Reiner had picked up from the messages relayed between Imperials and the Wall Military via the comlinks, Eren in his second transformation had temporarily lost control and attacked one of the Empire¡¯s Juggernauts, disabling it. Losing one of those giant carriages diverting the Titans, coupled with the animalistic roar you¡¯d have to be deaf to not have heard uttered by Eren, had prompted several Titans inside Trost to set their attention on him. The finite munitions of the Empire¡¯s arsenal was also apparently running low, allowing more Titans to enter through the outer gate. Cadets, soldiers, and troopers were deployed off the Wall and into the district to keep the roads in front of Eren clear for him to deliver the boulder. Their immediate surroundings devoid of Titans, Reiner and Bertholdt were watching the moving column of steam produced by Eren¡¯s Titan body resisting the immense weight of the boulder threatening to crush him.

    It was still hard to swallow, accepting the fact that the suicidal bastard really was a Titan Shifter. Even from this far away, with Eren¡¯s head angled to add further support for the boulder over his body, Reiner saw the same green eyes worn by the kid. White-armored Stormtroopers and the brown silhouettes of Garrison soldiers were like flies moving around Eren, taking out the Titans infringing on his path.

    ¡°For five years we¡¯ve searched for a lead like this,¡± Reiner muttered to himself. ¡°We find it, and then the Empire waltzes in and changes everything. What kind of luck is that?¡±

    ¡°A lead for what?¡±

    Reiner tensed immediately, as did Bertholdt.

    Turning around, they saw Marco Bodt staring at them in confusion.

    Then Marco frowned. He came to his own conclusions. ¡°Guys, I know some of the Stormtroopers threatened you, but now¡¯s not the time to be antagonizing them more. Commander Pyxis said he came to an agreement with Lord Vader. We have to trust there won¡¯t be any more incidents like at Trost HQ.¡±

    Reiner replayed what he had said and confirmed he didn¡¯t give away his and Bertholdt¡¯s true purpose being on this island. He let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°What lead were you talking about, Reiner? For five years you¡¯ve been looking, you said?¡±

    And Marco just had to dig for more information.

    Thankfully, Bertholdt stepped in, showing initiative for a change. ¡°A lead to finally retake Wall Maria,¡± he said hurriedly. ¡°The Empire, and Eren as a Titan, can help with that, a ton. Right?¡±

    A little sloppy, but Reiner grinned to emphasize the point. ¡°Yeah. You know Bertholdt wants to join the Military Police. I¡¯ve always wanted to go back to our hometown since it was taken from us after the Fall. I knew that meant the Scouts, high death rate and all. Now with the Empire here and Eren somehow transforming into a freaking Titan, I might actually live to see home again.¡±

    Marco likely could tell Reiner was forcing his grin. It might have worked in Reiner¡¯s favor, Marco mistaking it for battle fatigue, or the same crazed desire to see the Empire in a good light as other cadets like Armin or Mina had shown. ¡°I know things have gone crazier than any of us could have imagined,¡± Marco said, ¡°but you need to stay focused, Reiner. You, too, Bertholdt. Think about Wall Maria later. We need to focus on surviving now.¡±

    ¡°Your friend speaks the truth.¡±

    Reiner tensed again when Sergeant Major Sheckil and two Stormtroopers joined Marco. They levitated and landed with ease thanks to their jetpacks, so much more advanced compared to ODM gear yet outwardly much more simple in design.

    ¡°You four were ranked among the top ten capable cadets in your unit,¡± Sheckil said. ¡°I hope you will remain committed to the mission at hand over petty grudges like Ackerman.¡±

    Four?

    Reiner¡¯s unspoken question was answered by the arrival of Krista Lenz, the sweetheart of the 104th, the girl of Reiner¡¯s dreams, and his future wife.

    ¡­ A pleasant fantasy which Reiner the Warrior shouldn¡¯t indulge in.

    He was surprised to not see Ymir with Krista. That foul-mouthed girl surely would have fought to keep herself close to Krista with the Titans and the Empire shaking things up, but Reiner supposed the officers in charge weren¡¯t in the mood to entertain Ymir¡¯s wishes and had tasked her elsewhere. In Ymir¡¯s place was another Stormtrooper shadowing Krista.

    Bertholdt remaining stiff while in the presence of the foreign officer who had ordered rifles be drawn on them wasn¡¯t unexpected. Marco was obviously in the camp of admiring the ability of the Imperials and what they may contribute to the Walls. While Reiner steeled his own nerves as best he could, he noticed Krista shying away from the trooper near her. The girl looked smaller than her already petite size when put next to the intimidating figure of the trooper. Bertholdt and Reiner were ready to fight the Imperials if the need arose, but Krista looked ready to run.

    She was afraid. The soldier in Reiner wanted to go to her, protect Krista from the troopers who¡¯ve already proven they were willing to kill them (or at least ¡°stun¡± them) as easily as aid them. The Warrior stomped down that feeling and set his eyes on Sheckil, not with hostility but with resolve.

    ¡°Sergeant Major Sheckil,¡± Reiner said in the short lull between combat, ¡°where exactly did your Empire come from? Lieutenant Sunber said you¡¯re all foreigners to our entire world. What does that mean?¡±

    For a second, Reiner thought he would be ignored, but Sheckil answered the question with his own. ¡°Do you understand the concept of a world? Specifically, of a planet within a system of other bodies orbiting a star, like the sun shining over us?¡±

    Marco looked up curiously. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the sun rotate around the world?¡±

    Staring at the sky, Krista said nothing. Neither did Bertholdt.

    ¡°We get the general idea,¡± Reiner said.

    Astronomy in the Walls was naturally years behind what the rest of the world had learned, and the Royal Government was careful in how far scientific studies advanced in their home, but the people in the Walls had a century to stare at the sky and think about the stars scattering in the night. While not quite commonplace, the Warriors¡¯ intelligence gathering had confirmed it wouldn¡¯t be unheard of for imaginative fiction pieces, written down or spread by word of mouth, or for intellectual papers in the Interior to talk about the sun, the moon, and other skyward objects moving across the heavens.

    Reiner assumed the idea that the world beyond the Walls was spherical and rotating around the sun, or derivatives of that basic premise, didn¡¯t do much to inspire people to travel into Titan territory compared to other topics. People like Sasha were more enamored by the promise of immediately workable land to develop for food, and those like Armin gravitated toward the allure of seeing completely alien landscapes that had little to do with the stars above. Astronomy was a mostly ¡°safe¡± topic to be explored. It wasn¡¯t as if the technology both a hundred years ago and in the current day existed for the skies above the clouds to be ventured far in.

    It didn¡¯t exist on this planet, at least. And if Reiner understood the Imperials¡¯ words right¡­

    ¡°The Empire reigns beyond your planet,¡± Sheckil said.

    Marco caught on quick to what the Imperial was saying. ¡°Wait. Lieutenant Sunber was being literal? You¡­ came down from the sky?¡±

    ¡°We are soldiers of the Galactic Empire,¡± Sheckil stressed. ¡°Galactic denotes a galaxy, a vast collection of countless stars, bestowing sunlight to various planets. Some are as lifeless as the rock Yeager is carrying. Others, like your world, have untapped potential to serve as prosperous members of the Empire.¡±

    Krista spoke with a small voice. ¡°You control whole planets?¡±

    ¡°And the monstrous Titans control yours. So long as Lord Vader commands it, we will ensure ownership of your planet returns to humanity. Should the Empire favor your home, it may even occur in your lifetime.¡±

    Marco looked hopeful. Krista was avoiding everyone¡¯s gazes. Reiner and Bertholdt shared yet another wary glance with each other.

    Was Sheckil intentionally maintaining the lie? That humanity wasn¡¯t on the brink of extinction? That this world was full of prosperous nations and diverse peoples? That the residents of Paradis were in fact cursed Devils destined to be exterminated? The Imperials claimed the Titans were totally alien to them, but¡­

    These Imperials were human, right? They said they were, and looked like it, so¡­ so humanity already existed on other planets?

    If the Imperials came from outer space, shouldn¡¯t they at least be aware that the world wasn¡¯t overrun with Titans? Have they really not encountered or seen civilization outside of the island?

    Mikasa had the right idea not to trust the Empire. If only her protective instincts over Eren hadn¡¯t made her act so impulsively. The Warriors knew they had to tread with more caution against an unknown threat like the Imperials.

    Marco voiced an idea Reiner had been considering himself. ¡°Can your Juggernauts also fly? Like¡­ expand bird wings from the sides? Or are there pipes circulating around to release gas and push it¡­¡±

    His words trailed off as everyone became absorbed by the sound of rumbling.

    Not the stomping of Titans, no. Reiner would have compared it more to the crackling engine of a Marleyan airship as it soared against a windy sky. Naturally, he suspected the sound signaled the arrival of the Empire¡¯s aerial vehicles that had brought them to this planet. If their blasters were comparable to muskets, then Reiner briefly imagined what the Empire¡¯s airships could look like in relation to Marley¡¯s.

    What flew over the Wall was so much worse than what he pictured.

    There were half a dozen of them, the Imperial flying machines. Larger than a typical horse-drawn carriage a noble would use. Armed with cannons spewing the same searing bolts of energy as the blasters, only more massive and destructive.

    Between their compact size and startling speed, the Titans were no match for the flying machines.

    God, Marley¡¯s airships would be torn apart like paper.

    ¡°Good,¡± Sheckil said with satisfaction. ¡°The gunships are finally here.¡±

    Reiner didn¡¯t need to look at Bertholdt to know he was thinking about how the Colossal would fare against the gunships. Reiner was still thinking about how much firepower the troopers¡¯ blasters would be required to penetrate the Armored Titan¡¯s hardened shell. A rapid-fire barrage from their rocket launchers had a good chance of doing it. Annie with all her hand-to-hand skills and mobility would probably be a glass cannon at best when it came to the Empire¡¯s fiery weapons. She and Reiner could intercept individual jetpack troopers who targeted their napes, but in an open field, with no cover in the sea of grasslands on Paradis¡­Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    If they had flying machines, then they should be aware that the Walls weren¡¯t the last bastion of humanity the Island Devils believed it was. Right? Unless their usage of the flying machines were¡­ limited, somehow? Were these gunships even space-worthy? Or were there spaceships actually more massive in size elsewhere that were used to ferry the gunships to the planet?

    In any case, what Reiner was seeing right in front of him ¨C gunships flying low enough to shoot level shots of blasterfire at Titans before returning to the air to loop back around to hunt more targets ¨C showcased their undeniable combat ability, whether or not they¡¯ve reached lands beyond the island.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised they sent the gunships instead of the Sentinels,¡± said the trooper next to Krista.

    ¡°Larties are old favorites for Torrent Company,¡± said another trooper. ¡°Army has to settle with ay-fives, but the lookalikes prefer¨C¡±

    It was the most casual conversational tone Reiner has heard the usually stoic troopers speak with. He was disappointed when Sheckil shut it down before any more could be parsed from the talk. ¡°The gunships and your Elites will continue covering Yeager¡¯s approach,¡± Sheckil announced, back to business. The troopers straightened up, and the cadets pulled away from the gunships to face the Sergeant Major. He assumed his regular pose of holding his comlink to his ear and mouth. The form of an officer assuming command was strangely comforting. It was a far more familiar sight than the flying machines, especially for the ignorant Eldian Devils. ¡°The crew of the Speardrift is still alive. Titans are trying to get to them. We will assist rescue efforts there.¡± When Sheckil and his men shot upward with their jetpacks, the officer looked expectantly at the cadets. ¡°You answer to Gamma Squad now. Support us, and we support you.¡±

    Working further with the Imperials was an opportunity no Warrior should waste. Reiner threw in token resistance to hide his eagerness at learning more. ¡°Can we get confirmation from one of our actual superiors that we answer to you now?¡± Reiner called out to the levitating Imperials. ¡°Or do we have to go on faith you won¡¯t shoot us in the back when we aren¡¯t looking?¡±

    He could feel Marco¡¯s uneasy stare on him, but what really made Reiner falter was Krista pulling at his wrist. ¡°Please,¡± she said in that sweet, gentle voice of hers.

    The Stormtrooper who had identified himself earlier as Sergeant Narthax ¨C yet Reiner couldn¡¯t distinguish clearly where on the armor denoted his rank ¨C spoke up. ¡°Every second we argue is another second the Titans spend trying to gorge on our people and yours already at the Juggernaut trying to save Captain Bex¡¯s crew.¡±

    With that, the Imperials flew away, Reiner and his peers jumping off and keeping up.

    Too many among the cadets had been overzealous in sharing information with the Imperials. The troopers knew who the top ten in the 104th were. With three troopers and Sheckil attached to the four cadets, Reiner assumed the Imperials wanted to keep a close eye on them like how that Fox trooper had been shadowing Armin, discreetly threatening Armin when Mikasa had come near. Jean, Sasha, Connie, and Annie likely have their own tails.

    On the surface, the generous interpretation was that the troopers were helping protect the lives of the next generation of Wall soldiers in the ongoing battle. The more cynical angle was placing men to turn those future elites into hostages in a moment¡¯s notice. While not the most valuable leverage the Empire could take to hold against the Walls, it was a consideration Reiner couldn¡¯t dismiss.

    Reiner watched one of Sheckil¡¯s troopers lag slightly behind to fly closer to the cadets. It was the same man who had been following Krista. Did the Imperials recognize her natural beauty, too?

    Another dreadful thought hit Reiner: the Imperials kidnapping them. Maybe they wanted to experiment on them, confirm if there were more Titan shifters like Eren, or study the natives of this world in general. The Warriors were set in their ways, but the others could also be persuaded, whether through benevolent or malicious means, to serve the Empire. As informants to the culture and military protocols of the Walls to make an occupation run smoother. As recruits with the promise of living a better life with the Empire¡¯s more advanced technology, which presumably extended beyond to the blasters and comlinks if they ruled an entire galaxy. As young, healthy, fit slaves¡­

    Their group arrived at the plaza with the fallen Juggernaut shortly. Soldiers were already nipping at the Titans crawling all over the area. With the Stormtroopers in play, it was a natural system of soldiers and cadets distracting the Titans for Gamma Squad to round behind distracted giants and blast vulnerable napes from safe, elevated positions. Sometimes troopers shot at a Titan elsewhere on their body to keep them from catching a soldier who wouldn¡¯t otherwise have avoided a Titan¡¯s reach fast enough.

    Normally, Reiner would be watching Bertholdt¡¯s back, and vice versa, but they both knew their current priorities took precedence. They had already clarified with Annie for her, during the chaos of the battle, to try getting closer to Eren in his Titan form and gauging if he was the Coordinate or the missing Attack Titan, and observe more of the Imperials¡¯ reactions to Eren. Getting assigned to the Juggernaut was a welcome boon, as Bertholdt swooped in when there were openings in the Titan siege to help pull out the vehicle¡¯s crew members. Although he couldn¡¯t parse much from the vehicle itself, Bertholdt got a personal look at the armor of the crewers, which appeared to be a mix of colored Stormtrooper armor and the fabrics of the Imperial officer uniforms.

    Meanwhile, Reiner kept his eye on the Stormtroopers of Gamma Squad. This wasn¡¯t the frantic retreat to Trost HQ. He could afford to let Krista, Marco, and the soldiers around him cover his blind spots, allowing Reiner to examine the troopers¡¯ weapons and armor more critically. The way they could fire their blasters from their hips in mid-air and still hit their intended targets. No apparent need to reload their blasters that Reiner has seen yet, though there were also cartridges on their belts that resembled extra packs of ammo. Reiner identified some sort of smooth black bodysuit worn underneath the dirtied white armor plates. A careless punch from a Titan went through the side of a building, sending broken bricks flying. One soared high enough to hit a trooper on the back of the head, but his helmet must be sturdy enough for the hit to not impede him as he only paused once before returning to the fight.

    Damn, the jetpacks easily outclassed ODM gear. They could even give short controlled bursts of speed like the gear while still allowing true perpetual flight. What kind of fuel did they use?

    Could Paradis¡¯ swords penetrate Stormtrooper armor? How well would the armor stack up against the blasters?

    How well would modern firearms fare?

    How much of this goodwill the Empire was presenting to the Island Devils was truly genuine? And how much could be turned instead, if at all possible, to Marley?

    The Warriors were dealing with too many unknowns. The last resort remained the same: cause a distraction in Trost and run like hell back to the harbor at the south point of the island, hoping to God they can avoid capture or being killed by the Imperials. They¡¯d have to knock Eren out and kidnap him, too. God knows what lengths Mikasa will go to get him back.

    Before they got to that desperate point, the Warriors under Reiner needed to stay with the Island Devils and integrate themselves with the Empire¡¯s inevitable occupation of Paradis. Learn everything they can, and determine if and how this Empire ¨C not simply from beyond the Walls, but from beyond the stars ¨C can become the edge Marley needed against the other nations of the world.

    After the fall of the Eldian Empire, the world had several decades to develop viable anti-Titan weaponry. Marley thought the Coordinate was their last hope for everything it promised, but the Galactic Empire had the potential to promise so much more.

    If things finally went right, then Reiner can redeem himself for everything that¡¯s happened on this godforsaken hellhole¡­

    Reiner¡¯s heart stopped when he saw the unspeakable happen. The back of an Abnormal¡¯s hand caught the hook of an ODM wire. Before anyone could properly react, the Titan swung its arm. The hook dislodged only after the Titan¡¯s attacker crashed through a window and disappeared inside a building.

    It was Krista.

    Ignoring Marco¡¯s shouts, Reiner charged forward. He cut through the fingers of the Titan trying to slap him. A burst of gas let him swerve away from the Titan¡¯s snapping jaw, Reiner slicing the nape before he tumbled through the destroyed window. The steam that followed blocked some of the sunlight coming into the room, but Reiner could see enough of a cheap table broken in half and upturned chairs surrounding Krista¡¯s fallen body.

    Reiner dropped his blades and kneeled over her. She was only dazed, eyes shut as she mumbled incoherent noise. It was like a lovely lullaby marred only by the cuts and bruises from her crash. At least there was hardly any blood. Hopefully she didn¡¯t have a concussion.

    It was pure reflex for Reiner to pick up one of his swords and shield Krista when he heard the humming of a jetpack putter out behind him.

    ¡°I¡¯m a medic,¡± said the Stormtrooper, clipping his blaster to his belt. ¡°Step aside, and stand guard.¡±

    In an instant, sudden inspiration struck Reiner.

    Indecision had cost Reiner before. He couldn¡¯t afford any hesitation now.

    His larger body already hiding Krista¡¯s collapsed form, Reiner picked up his other blade. Out of the trooper¡¯s view, he made a jagged cut on Krista¡¯s shoulder. She winced and groaned, but she didn¡¯t open her eyes, curling into herself. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her,¡± Reiner heard his voice say. ¡°You stand guard.¡±

    The trooper shouldered Reiner aside and took his place kneeling over Krista. ¡°Your friend will be fine,¡± he said, pulling out a small pack from his belt that must be a medical kit. ¡°Let me work, and you¡¯ll learn something.¡±

    Too focused on Krista¡¯s obvious wound, the Stormtrooper didn¡¯t realize there was another Titan looking into the window on the other side of the room, opposite the smashed entryway still clouded by steam.

    If Mikasa really wanted to protect Eren with any sort of effectiveness, she really should have bided her time and waited for an opportunity like this.

    Reiner stood up, blades in hand. In the gap between the helmet and the torso armor, Reiner¡¯s first sword went straight through the trooper¡¯s black bodysuit. Taken by surprise, the trooper gasped, whatever tools he had pulled out slipping right out of his hands. His arms twitched but remained suspended over Krista¡¯s cringing body. Drops of red fell from Reiner¡¯s blade going through the top of the Imperial¡¯s sternum.

    A clean cut from Reiner¡¯s second sword broke whatever latch was keeping the blaster on the trooper¡¯s belt, the weapon harmlessly hitting the floor. Reiner pushed him forward. Giving it a chance, Reiner tried thrusting his second sword directly at the center of the torso armor. He made a mark but didn¡¯t penetrate the bodysuit or draw blood. He either needed more momentum or had to hit it from a better angle.

    There was no time to experiment as the Titan headbutted his way into the room. In the whirlwind of glass shards and chipped wood flying everywhere, Reiner sent a strong kick at the trooper¡¯s back. The Imperial flew out of Reiner¡¯s first sword and fell right into the hungry mouth of the Titan.

    Red blood from both Krista and the trooper remained on the blade instead of evaporating, proof that a human was attacked. Reiner detached the blade from its hilt and tossed the stained metal at the Titan¡¯s face. He hit an eye, making the chewing Titan howl in pain as the ensuing smoke from the injury hid the other pieces of meat in front of it. Reiner moved quickly, stashing the blaster in a closet lying on its side before lifting Krista onto his arms. With his hands still on his ODM gas triggers, he fled through the first opening behind them, escaping from the Titan shoving its arm into the building.

    Reiner knew what kind of story to tell if asked. The nameless Stormtrooper was a hero who saved him and Krista. The blade that had killed him will be lost in the mass of blood already spread by the trooper¡¯s corpse and any other victims the Titan¡¯s already eaten. There would be no evidence of murder to be found. Reiner can freely arrange for himself or one of the Warriors to return to the scene of the crime and smuggle the blaster to somewhere safe for them to study in private. With a number of Stormtroopers already killed by the Titans today, it will only be one more missing blaster among dozens.

    Stepping on a roof, Reiner waved at Marco zipping past him and Krista. Seeing Krista injured but otherwise safe, Marco shared a mutual nod with Reiner before moving over to take out the Titan trying to climb up the building. Other Titans were preoccupied with the soldiers and troopers. Reiner and his girl were safe for the moment.

    He was going to bring her to the Juggernaut crew and their escort situated on the other side of the plaza when Reiner felt a soft hold on his wrist again. He looked down at two beautiful blue eyes staring up at him.

    The soldier grimaced at seeing the perfect woman wearing such a grotesque blemish of red spreading over her jacket. She didn¡¯t deserve¨C

    The Warrior froze when Krista spoke.

    ¡°You killed him. You killed that man.¡±

    But¡­ But her eyes had been shut. She had been in pain, incoherent. The dust and debris from the Titan¡¯s attack should have blinded her more, given Reiner the cover he needed for his impromptu plan. Reiner had been careful. He had nearly screwed up with Marco, almost letting him overhear something he shouldn¡¯t, but Krista¡­

    The excuses and explanations to save face were on the tip of his tongue, until her next words painted a different picture for him.

    ¡°You¡¯re afraid. You don¡¯t trust the Empire.¡±

    There was no judgment in Krista¡¯s tone. She shared Reiner¡¯s fears. She had stopped him from antagonizing Sheckil and Gamma Squad earlier because she hadn¡¯t wanted to see them hurt Reiner. ¡°Yes,¡± Reiner said, nodding desperately at the girl still in his arms. He had dreamt of something like this for countless nights during his military training, being so close to Krista and her finding comfort in his presence. ¡°I heard Mikasa attacked other Stormtroopers, too. Sure, they didn¡¯t kill her. They didn¡¯t kill us back at the Trost base either, but no matter what they say, they have the power to take whatever they want from us. They¡¯re not us. The only thing stopping them is probably convenience, not benevolence.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t trust Darth Vader. He¡¯s a monster, I know it.¡±

    Reiner¡¯s only seen the reported Lord of the Galactic Empire from a distance, and not for very long. Still, hearing someone call him a monster didn¡¯t at all feel unwarranted. There was a chill Reiner had felt even from just knowing he was nearby.

    Krista gripped Reiner¡¯s sleeves. There was no distrust or suspicion in her gaze. She must have opened her eyes in the darkened room only after Reiner had cut her, so she had only seen him take out the trooper and didn¡¯t realize Reiner had harmed her. ¡°We can¡¯t let the Empire take over,¡± she said. ¡°We can¡¯t let them rule us.¡±

    She sure as hell didn¡¯t get her spot in the top ten for being a ditzy blond, but Reiner hadn¡¯t known Krista¡¯s innate kindness was saddled with such good instincts to realize the threat posed by the Empire against her small, doomed world. His perfect girl just became so much sweeter. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they don¡¯t,¡± Reiner the soldier pledged. ¡°I promise you.¡±

 Chapter 7

    Eren¡¯s eyes shot open.

    All he saw was a dark void.

    The last thing he remembered was¡­ dropping the boulder at the gate, saving Trost. More Imperials in flying machines arriving, taking out more Titans. Eren wanting to stay on the move, help them and the Garrison Elites still escorting him.

    Mikasa, Armin, and Mina. Eren also remembered looking for them before unconsciousness had taken him again. He really needed to figure out how exactly his new powers worked. He can¡¯t keep losing himself whenever he transformed¡­ and he had to master these powers if he was going to get past the Titans and return to Shiganshina, claim whatever his father had locked in the cellar.

    Wait¡­ the key! The key to the basement! Eren reached for his neck and didn¡¯t find it.

    Only now, after seeing those visions of his dad, did Eren realize he had been unconsciously keeping the key on his person ever since the Fall of Wall Maria. All this time, It had been pure instinct never given a second thought. Eren had always shrugged off people who asked him about the key. His dad must have¡­ implanted the command in Eren to keep the key close around the same time as when dad had ¡°awakened¡± Eren¡¯s gifts.

    If Eren wanted to get his answers, he needed to find the key.

    In his haste to search himself, Eren got a clearer sense of his surroundings. He was unarmed, without his military jacket, boots, or ODM gear. Brick walls surrounded him, the wall at his front allowing in torch light through metal bars. His vision aching at the brightness, Eren turned away, seeing the blanket draped over his body. He was sitting up on a bed, his wrists in shackles. While able to move his arms well enough on their own, he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the bed with the chains on him connected to the ceiling.

    He was a prisoner.

    There was also another weight on his lower body holding him down¡­ Another chain connected shackles between Eren¡¯s leg and another person¡¯s, who was lying on another small bed pushed against his.

    His stirring woke her up. Eren was briefly tackled by a tight embrace before her hands firmly grasped his head, a set of piercing eyes examining his face.

    ¡°Eren! Are you alright? How do you feel?¡±

    Why was Eren in a prison cell with Mikasa? Why were they shackled together?

    And they were chains and shackles¡­ which hardly fit with the image of advanced weaponry and equipment of the Empire that had developed in Eren¡¯s head.

    Wait a second. There was a mark on Mikasa¡¯s face. A scar? When did¡­

    ¡°The changeling¡¯s finally awake.¡±

    Eren looked back outside the cell, his eyes better adjusting to the light. Sitting in a small huddle were¡­ what had to be more Stormtroopers.

    One of them had the white armor, but another two wore similar black variants with different helmets from his. The top of the head was more flat than round, and the visor was one wide streak rather than two separate slots for the eyes. A fourth trooper beside them had completely different armor on. It was entirely made of dirtied purple metal plates with no gaps to expose the black bodysuit, assuming this trooper had one underneath the plates. His helmet resembled a dented dome. The shape of the eye slots formed an almost angry glower compared to the expressionless faces on his companions.

    A black trooper was speaking on a comlink while staring at Eren through the metal bars. She tossed the device to Wall Military soldiers nearby, another group who Eren was only now noticing. They were on their feet, giving both Eren and the Imperials cautious looks.

    Eren was drawn to the unmistakable emblem on the soldiers¡¯ jackets.

    The Wings of Freedom¡­ Scouts of the Survey Corps.

    He recognized the tall Scout, Miche Zacharius. Second only to Captain Levi. Leader of his own squad, so the other three must be his direct subordinates. Miche nodded to himself before lowering the comlink. ¡°The commanders are still preoccupied at the Capital,¡± he said to his people and the Imperials. ¡°Our current orders stand.¡±

    The other black-armored trooper snorted and elbowed the normal-looking Stormtrooper. ¡°Changeling must only be the second most interesting thing they¡¯ve seen today.¡± The Stormtrooper shared a chuckle with her.

    Eren felt his heart fall when he realized he was being kept in a dungeon because of his¡­ unexplainable Titan transformation. He can¡¯t rightly complain about the way Miche¡¯s squad shot looks of wariness at him, regardless of his contributions in saving Trost. Honestly, if it had been someone else in the 104th who had suddenly shifted into a Titan, Eren would probably have a hard time not giving them the stink eye, too. It was such an insane idea to begin with.

    The Scouts must have arrived at Trost after Eren had placed the boulder and he had fallen asleep, meaning they had missed seeing Eren in action as a Titan. They knew Titans were the enemy, so they might still be labeling Eren as an enemy until he clearly showed them otherwise.

    But whereas the Scouts were on guard, the Imperials were acting blas¨¦, casual. Two of them were still laughing at quiet comments they were trading. The purple trooper turned away and stared blankly at the wall. The first black-armored trooper was still looking at Eren, but with a tilted head that conveyed curiosity rather than suspicion.

    They were different from the other Stormtroopers, that much Eren could tell.

    Regardless, Eren had his priorities. Mikasa was still holding him in another protective fit as she met the curious trooper¡¯s gaze with a glare. Eren leaned closer to whisper in Mikasa¡¯s ear. ¡°The cellar key,¡± he said. She and Armin knew he always kept it on him. ¡°Where is it?¡±

    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she whispered back, ¡°I have no idea. You still had it before you picked up the boulder.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t on me when I was pulled out of my Titan body the second time?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wasn¡¯t there.¡±

    Right. Eren had lost track of his squadmates before things had gone dark. Retracing his steps in his head, Eren was reminded that, right this second, Mikasa was chained to him. ¡°Why are you locked in here with me like this? Don¡¯t tell me you can shift into¨C¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not a Titan,¡± Mikasa said firmly. Her frown changed ever so slightly. ¡°You don¡¯t remember what you did?¡±

    Miche spoke up before Eren could answer. His keen ears as one of humanity¡¯s most capable soldiers must have picked up on what they were saying, and what Miche said made Eren sharply suck in a breath.

    ¡°Eren Yeager killed an Imperial.¡±

    Yes, Eren needed to learn how to use his powers properly.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Eren stumbled with his words. He recalled throwing a punch, a burning in his hand, before he had placed the boulder atop himself. It had been an Imperial he punched in his fugue state? Eren had exclusively targeted enemy Titans during his first transformation. Why would he harm the troopers who were offering to help them reclaim Eren¡¯s home from the Titans?

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Mikasa reluctantly said, avoiding Eren¡¯s eyes. ¡°You transformed, and attacked the Juggernaut.¡±

    Denial was on the tip of Eren¡¯s tongue, until the Stormtroopers confirmed it. ¡°The Juggernaut crew are still on the job,¡± said the second black-armored trooper, ¡°except for one who¡¯s on permanent R-and-R.¡±

    ¡°Real osik¡¯la luck,¡± the normal Stormtrooper said with a solemn nod. ¡°He wasn¡¯t a bad officer, especially for an Army boy.¡±

    ¡°I can already guess who his replacement¡¯s going to be.¡± Another chuckle. ¡°No one is going to like him.¡±

    ¡°Like how no one liked you in the Academy?¡±

    ¡°Oh, squark that, Switch. You never even went to the Academy.¡±

    Their banter was lost to Eren. It hardly mattered anyway.

    He¡­ Eren has killed animals before, but for a worthy cause ¨C saving Mikasa, freeing the Walls of the wastes of breath who had destroyed her family ¨C and it had been Eren¡¯s conscious choice. Eren being told he killed someone and he couldn¡¯t remember it was¡­ yet another cause of unease for him on top of everything else that¡¯s happened to him today.

    Steeling himself, he asked, ¡°Who did I kill?¡±

    The less talkative black trooper stood up. ¡°Captain Xorbo Bex,¡± she answered.

    Eren had a name, and a vague recollection of his face.

    God, Nack Tierce was dead, too. Armin had told Eren after the cadets¡¯ retreat from Trost HQ. Armin, Mina, and Thomas and Mylius had all been saved, but Cadet Squad 34 had lost one of their own minutes before the Imperials or Eren¡¯s Titan form could have done something for Nack.

    If only Eren had known about his powers beforehand. If only Eren could control his power and¨C

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± Mikasa told him, as if she hadn¡¯t already learned how to control her innate strength and knew how to apply it correctly to get what she wanted. Eren wanted to pull away from her but couldn¡¯t with their chains locking them together.

    He was getting distracted. The cellar key. That was the necessary first step for Eren to do better in the future. There wouldn¡¯t be any repeats of what happened to Nack or Captain Bex, Eren promised.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± Eren muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t remember it. Not fully. I didn¡¯t mean to kill anything but Titans.¡±

    ¡°No one knows how your Titan powers work,¡± Mikasa said. ¡°You can¡¯t blame yourself.¡±

    The wave of reassurances Eren was sure he¡¯d be flooded with stopped short when the metal gate opened. He was buried in Mikasa¡¯s arms again. It was Miche who unlocked the cell, and the curious trooper followed him inside.

    ¡°Things are more than a little chaotic right now,¡± Miche said. ¡°The Empire¡¯s helping us lick our wounds while the higher-ups talk things over. You two are confined here till they find time to hold a formal trial for you.¡±

    Which brought up the question of what Mikasa¡¯s charges were supposed to be. The trooper provided an answer. ¡°The girl assaulted three Imperials,¡± she said, ¡°after Chainly ordered the troops to refrain from attacking Yeager for his aggression against the Speardrift.¡±

    His lack of memory on the event notwithstanding, Eren¡¯s first instinct was to defend Mikasa. She spoke for herself before he could. ¡°You people can¡¯t be trusted around Eren,¡± she affirmed hotly. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to keep him safe.¡±

    The rigid stance of the trooper made it look like she was unimpressed with the bravado. ¡°The other cadets had to help hold Ackerman to keep her compliant,¡± she said offhandedly. ¡°Chaining you together is a courtesy as much as it is insurance Yeager doesn¡¯t decide to transform underground and risk harming her.¡±

    A courtesy to let Mikasa stay near Eren and ¡°protect¡± him. Eren would almost find it morbidly funny, Mikasa¡¯s desire to see him safe only achieved when they were imprisoned in a dungeon, but more importantly, the trooper also pointed out a weakness to his Titan shifting: he needed an adequate amount of space around him for when the skin and bones of his Titan form are triggered to grow out of his human self. He could barely control his Titan self when it was fully realized, so how his Titan shape spawned was another thing he should learn how to master, if possible.

    Steadying himself, Eren asked, ¡°How long was I out?¡±

    Miche took up a spot next to Eren¡¯s bed and looked him over. ¡°It¡¯s been almost sixteen hours since you sealed the outer gate.¡± He leaned over Eren and¡­ sniffed him?

    Mikasa wasn¡¯t expecting that either. She pulled Eren onto her bed. His wrists rattled their chains while Miche pulled back with a self-satisfied smirk.

    ¡°That supposed to mean Yeager has a clean bill of health?¡± the trooper asked with a sarcastic edge. When Miche answered with a shrug, the trooper¡¯s counterpart by the bars burst out in laughter.

    ¡°Neither of you are touching Eren,¡± Mikasa declared.

    ¡°You can call me Ghoul, by the way,¡± the trooper said to Eren before looking down at Mikasa. ¡°Any more funny business, and we¡¯ll have Zed sit on you again.¡± Zed must be the purple trooper, since he faced the cell and waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m a medic. My orders are to monitor your health and do nothing wanton, as long as you play nice. Any punishment is up to your leadership and my superiors. It¡¯s not my call, and I gain nothing from harming either of you.¡±

    Mikasa still wasn¡¯t appeased. ¡°Get a real doctor down here if any of you actually care about Eren¡¯s health.¡±

    Eren elbowed her, of course not budging her one bit. Suppressing a groan at that, he said, ¡°Enough, Mikasa. Just let them do what they need to do.¡± The sniffing was weird, no question, but he needed to be near the Imperials, not be separated from them.

    Ignoring Mikasa¡¯s stubborn protests, Eren asked Ghoul, ¡°Are you with Lieutenant Sunber¡¯s platoon?¡±

    Ghoul shook her head. ¡°That¡¯d be Lochere Platoon. My team¡¯s Triton Squad. Separate unit. We hooked up with the Scouts at Brodgar. Arrived at Trost just in time to see a buckethead pull you out of a giant naked Sephi.¡±

    A giant what?

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what a Sephi is,¡± Ghoul said after a pause. ¡°Never mind.¡±

    Buckethead. Did she mean a Stormtrooper? The helmets could be roughly described as buckets. It was Fox who had pulled Eren out of his Titan form the first time, so it might have been him again. Did he take the cellar key?

    Before Eren could ask, Miche stepped forward. Mikasa¡¯s grip on Eren was tight, but Miche didn¡¯t sniff again or directly touch them. He unlocked the restraints chaining him to the ceiling. He left the shackle between his and Mikasa¡¯s legs alone, though.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Ghoul.

    ¡°They¡¯re cadets,¡± Miche said. ¡°Rookies. Trost was their first battle, and calling it unusual would be putting it mildly.¡± He locked eyes with the trooper. ¡°We know how things will be settled between your leaders and mine. The kids need to understand that, too. They need to see it.¡±

    ¡°See what?¡± Mikasa sharply asked.

    A gut feeling in Eren told him what Miche was getting at. ¡°That the Empire is here to stay,¡± he said.

    Ghoul was like a statue as she considered Miche¡¯s words¡­ or rather, as she spoke on what had to be a private comlink with no sound escaping her helmet. That could be the only explanation for why, after a short silence, she said, ¡°Sarge gave the okay. It¡¯s no skin off my bones if your commander learns about this and doesn¡¯t approve.¡± Miche only smirked again. ¡°If you want to make a point to the cadets, we can bring them up the Wall.¡± From her belt, Ghoul pulled out a pair of compact cylindrical shaped objects. ¡°Going above ground, we need them joined by the hip.¡±

    As it turned out, they were shackle-equivalents called stun cuffs. Along with the ankle chain, Eren¡¯s and Mikasa¡¯s were restrained by the cuffs on their wrists. They had to carefully walk shoulder-to-shoulder to prevent one from being dragged or for them both to trip.

    The dungeon was in the basement of a military building near the Trost inner gate. Triton and Miche Squads escorted Mikasa and Eren past Wall soldiers. Of course they looked at Eren with a mix of distrust and fear. He didn¡¯t see any of their friends like Armin, Reiner, or the others, or any cadets for that matter. No other Imperials either.

    After being pulled up the wooden lift along Wall Rose, the sun shining over their heads, their group was greeted by a wide view of Trost, now totally devoid of Titans.

    Never letting up her curtness, Mikasa asked, ¡°So what are we supposed to be looking at?¡±

    Miche was handed more Imperial devices from the troopers. ¡°The new status quo,¡± he said, giving Eren and Mikasa the items. ¡°These are called electrobinoculars. Grip them firmly along these sides. Hold them to your eyes, looking through here. You¡¯ll have to be looking at the same time with your cuffs on.¡±

    They followed Miche¡¯s instructions, and Eren understood better what Miche meant by ¡°new status quo.¡±

    Military headquarters was already repaired, the broken bricks and collapsed walls wrought by the Titans no longer visible. Eren could see the Imperials in uniforms alongside regular soldiers. There were gray and black devices spread across the top platforms of the castle, along walkways or centered on towers. More Imperial technology, Eren assumed. Some of them looked more like blasters but with extra equipment. Others were taller and larger than the average person, their intended purpose completely lost to Eren.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Even more Imperial tech was spread across the plaza where Trost¡¯s boulder had previously rested. At this height on the Wall, Eren looked over the district¡¯s buildings and expected to see stone pathways crossing over each other with patches of grass and short trees in between. Instead, there were a number of buildings occupying the plaza. Imperial buildings, a number of them looking like exact copies of a single model. Eren wanted to call them shelters, as they could probably only fit a handful of people at a time, and people were walking in and out of them constantly. These smaller buildings surrounded what amounted to a miniature castle where Eren had taken the boulder.

    Was this supposed to be Vader¡¯s embassy he had mentioned to Commander Pyxis? An Imperial base working in parallel to Trost HQ?

    Eren heard shuffling beside them. He didn¡¯t turn away from his observations. Momentarily, the white Stormtrooper ¨C Eren believed he was called Switch ¨C said, ¡°Most of those are prefabricated structures. Prefab for short. Easily fold them, transport, and rapidly deploy for near immediate use. Standard stuff for the Empire. If you ask me, what¡¯s more interesting is what¡¯s over at the outer gate.¡±

    Mikasa automatically jerked her hand to redirect her electrobinoculars. She was able to force Eren¡¯s binoculars to also point at the gate, though leaving him off-center, so he took a second to readjust.

    He heard Mikasa release a small gasp. When Eren finally got a clear picture¡­ he lowered his binoculars, Mikasa giving no resistance, and looked through them again.

    Eren asked, ¡°What happened to the boulder?¡±

    Switch answered, ¡°A demolition crew cleared it out, with a mix of controlled explosive charges and mining lasers. Lasers. Think blaster bolts, but a single bolt you can shut on or off. After securing the outer side, they needed the space to work from this end.¡±

    The boulder was gone from where Eren had dropped it in front of the destroyed exit gate. There was scattered rubble that might have been from the original rock. In the boulder¡¯s place was a giant slab of slim gray metal. Using some of the existing infrastructure, thick black wires replaced the chains that would usually hold up the stone door.

    The Imperials had destroyed the boulder and replaced the gate, all in ¨C did they say Eren was out for sixteen hours?

    Mikasa was shocked, too. ¡°Where did the metal even come from?¡± she asked. It would have taken days for the Garrison just to deliver enough building material to Trost for reconstruction, let alone rebuilding the gate on both ends while Titans tried to gnaw at the vulnerable humans.

    ¡°It¡¯s from wreckage from our starship,¡± said Switch. ¡°Mining lasers at the right intensity work on them, too. To move them, we have devices called tractor beams, repuslorlifts¡­¡±

    ¡°As short as their time here has been, the Empire¡¯s made investments to the Walls,¡± Miche remarked. He gave Mikasa a pointed look. ¡°You aren¡¯t the only person arrested for letting your paranoia make you act impulsively against Imperials. You didn¡¯t kill anyone, so that¡¯s a point in your favor, and Yeager¡¯s liable to get special treatment considering what he apparently is. Any goodwill you get will be meaningless if you keep up the insubordination, against the Military and the Empire.¡±

    Tearing the binoculars away from their faces, Eren watched Mikasa defiantly leer at Miche. During their years in training, there had been generally little opportunity for Mikasa, consistently ranked the top of their class, to defy their trainers so she could sate her need to protect Eren. At the beginning of the battle for Trost, she had followed orders to serve on a separate front away from Eren in spite of her initial protests. Her obsession was becoming a liability now. In the time since Eren was asleep, this can¡¯t be the first time one of their Military officers has lectured her about restraining herself when dealing with the Empire.

    As much as Eren hated Mikasa¡¯s protective streak over him, the last thing he wanted was for her to, at best, be discharged from the Military or, at worst, be sent to prison for her constant rebellious behavior.

    Mikasa, Armin ¨C everyone¡¯s lives hinge on you controlling your power!

    Dad¡¯s words ringing in Eren¡¯s head, Eren turned to Ghoul.

    ¡°There was a key I kept on my neck,¡± he said. ¡°Do you know what happened to it after the battle?¡±

    ¡°You mean this?¡± Their Imperial guards had it all along, Ghoul pulling the familiar key out of another pouch on her belt. ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡±

    Eren couldn¡¯t keep the grin off his face. ¡°It¡¯s the key to liberating the world from the Titans.¡± He¡¯ll harness his powers, with the Empire¡¯s help ¨C Darth Vader¡¯s help ¨C and create a world where Mikasa, Armin, and all of their friends will be able to live freely in a world without Titans.

    <hr>

    Commander Erwin Smith¡¯s first reaction when encountering the Imperials had been a simple, private one.

    My father was right.

    Erwin had latched onto the presumption that the Empire was an empowered state existing well outside the Walls in lands where the threat of the Titans had been minimized. The Royal Government wanted to continue living happily in self-imposed bliss in the center of the Walls at the expense of the citizens used as a buffer from the Titans. Except the nobles hadn¡¯t expected for the Empire to advance in technology and manpower as they had to make incursions into the Walls, clearing an open path to expose the truth of King Fritz''s corrupt reign.

    Of course, all of this had been overly enthusiastic speculation in Erwin¡¯s head within barely a few breaths of shaking hands with an Imperial officer at Brodgar. The conversations that had followed did their part in clarifying the situation for him.

    The Imperials were visitors from another world, and were only now learning of the Titans. Because this was the first time anyone from the Empire has visited this planet.

    Erwin was fairly certain he¡¯d heard a fictitious tale like this long ago when he was a child, before his father had passed. Maybe in another life, his innate curiosity would have led him to a life of writing speculative fiction about alien offworlders rather than chasing his obsession for the secrets hidden from his homeland.

    In any case, Erwin stood tall among his fellow Scouts and the representatives of the Garrison headed by Dot Pyxis. In between them were the men of the Empire invited for this audience with King Fritz and his advisors in the Royal Assembly. In the throne room at the heart of Mitras, a line of Military Police formed a barrier between the battle-hardened soldiers and the reigning nobles.

    Erwin, Pyxis, and their subordinates already summarized their interactions with the Imperials at Trost and Brodgar. Now, Imperial Army General Rouse Ziering ¨C a man wearing a wrinkled face, graying hair, and a respectable tone for the nobles ¨C was finishing explaining how another piece of Imperial technology he called ¡°probe droids¡± had first discovered the planet.

    ¡°... autonomous space-faring models intended to mark planetary bodies and star systems,¡± Ziering said, ¡°with preliminary scans¡­ making short notes on their observations in this region of space so that the Empire, if it so pleased, may deploy expeditions to learn more about the worlds with the most intriguing sights and peoples.¡±

    Minister Aurille Neri, the primary spokesperson of the Assembly, spoke with a look of unease weighing him down. ¡°These scans of our planet ¨C They make observations of the entire planet?¡±

    ¡°In remote regions like the one your planet is in, the probot records only had enough data to confirm basic details of fauna, flora, minerals, liquids, and compatible breathing air. Encountering offshoots of humanity this far from known space isn¡¯t necessarily unheard of, but given the endless possibilities intelligent life may evolve into, the probots simplify all organic life, including potential humans, as fauna until verified otherwise. We arrived to confirm these records, identify more points of interest that may have escaped the probe droids¡¯ initial scans, and make contact with any existing civilizations planetside.¡±

    ¡°And you couldn¡¯t take a gander from the safety of your flying machines, your spaceships, to see the state of the world and decide¡­ not to go ¡®planetside¡¯, as you say, in the middle of Titan-infested lands?¡±

    Erwin caught the small upturn of amusement on the edge of Ziering¡¯s lips. ¡°Our spaceships aren¡¯t impervious to bad weather, or to the interference your planet appears to generate, which puts our sensors into disarray.¡±

    ¡°Sensors. Like those of the probe droids?¡±

    ¡°Yes. More advanced sensors, befitting the larger size of a starship ferrying an Imperial expeditionary force, but no less vulnerable to the unique hazards of unexplored space. Our engineers suspect there to be a natural disruptor field on your planet that, through no fault of your own, corrupted enough systems to make us choose to ground our ship before we were forcibly pulled into the planet¡¯s atmosphere or made to drift out of the system.¡±

    ¡°Drift?¡± said Deltoff Edwards, one of the Walls¡¯ wealthiest merchant bosses. ¡°You mean like how an unattended boat can drift in a body of water, your starships can drift uncontrolled across the stars?¡±

    The Imperials had thrown a lot of new terminology at the Assembly. If Ziering felt annoyed by the constant interruptions or diversions when pressed to explain a term, it never showed. He patiently elaborated, never in a condescending manner, before returning to his main point.

    Ziering¡¯s latest round of clarification was answered with another question. ¡°You claim some natural phenomena drastically interfered with your technology,¡± said Commander Gerald Lyons, a man of influence in the Military and aristocratic circles. Erwin¡¯s sources indicated there was bad blood between Gerald and Premier Darius Zachary, which may explain why the Premier wasn¡¯t called for this first formal meeting with the Empire. ¡°Gunships, the wheeled carriages, the walkers, and your smaller pieces of equipment are evidently unaffected.¡±

    ¡°Your soldiers have told you how we repaired the gate at Trost,¡± Ziering reminded the nobles. ¡°Our engineers are an adaptable lot, and have also improvised protections so our vehicles are still able to function as intended. To a point¡­ If our airborne vehicles reach too far a height away from the planet¡¯s surface, the effects of the disruptor field intensify and risk causing the ships to drop like rocks.¡±

    Pyxis hummed with intrigue, rubbing his chin in thought. ¡°So you¡¯re stranded on our world.¡± This was new information to the Garrison and Scouts. They were only told of the limited munitions and manpower Empire already expended on the Titans ever since their stormy landing on this world, not of the extent this disruptor field hindered Imperial vehicles.

    ¡°A temporary setback,¡± Ziering corrected with confidence. ¡°Our technicians were able to identify the probable source of the disruptor field as located somewhere on your island, hence why we chose to direct our landing here. Due to the erratic nature of the field, our specialists believe there to be a mineral or some other substance emitting the disruptive waves suppressing our vehicles and sensors.¡±

    Pyxis nodded. ¡°Find the cause of the disruption field, remove its ability to maintain the field, and enable safe, consistent travel to and from our world at your leisure.¡±

    ¡°And open your Walls to a new age of advancement and development unseen in your history,¡± Ziering went on. ¡°The Empire and your Military have done good work together under stressful circumstances. Cooperate in our mission, and the Titans on your island and beyond can be¨C¡±

    While Ziering made an effort to be professional, the Assembly had no qualms with rudeness. Archbishop Roderich Airkns, a key figure in the Order of the Walls, cut Ziering off. ¡°It is in the nature of the Holy Goddesses to offer shelter to those in need, as proven by the sacred protections provided by the Walls,¡± he said, by Erwin¡¯s measure willfully ignorant to his hypocrisy given the conditions of the Underground, or the failed attempt to retake Maria. ¡°It is our duty as children of the Walls to follow their example, but your Empire lies outside of the Goddesses¡¯ precious embrace. There is no greater power than the blessings of Maria, Rose, and Sina. As her devoted worshippers, we can serve as hosts to deliver a portion of those blessings to gracious guests such as yourselves, but keep in mind, you are guests.¡±

    Minister Aurille nodded. ¡°The Military has their prerogatives in the line of duty, but any agreements they have made with you are subservient to what we in the Royal Assembly decree. Any ¡®cooperation¡¯ we give your Empire does not make us subservient to you.¡±

    A part of Erwin, probably influenced by Levi, wanted to step in and force the nobles to shut their mouths. They were acting as if the Empire did not possess the ability to obliterate the Capital in one fell swoop with their war machines. As if the Military Police, the Garrison, and the Scouts at present could subdue the Imperial representatives before a single blaster bolt or an explosive detonator killed the King.

    Erwin could count on his hand the number of times he¡¯s personally seen King Fritz with his own eyes. Sat atop his throne, Fritz was a pale old man in white and gold garments covering a withered body that could be mistaken as a corpse. The dead look in his eyes almost made Erwin, having seen too many real corpses, think he actually was dead. The King rarely spoke. Even now, it was his Royal Assembly spouting nonsense to the Imperials as they pleased. Whether they expressed the King¡¯s true desires or King Fritz was a mere figurehead, Erwin legitimately couldn¡¯t say, but what Erwin knew from the King¡¯s demeanor was that Fritz was totally unafraid of the power the Empire presented, and he was a fool for it.

    Meanwhile, Lord Vader stood behind Ziering and other Imperial officers with his arms crossed. If Erwin didn¡¯t know better, he¡¯d say Vader resembled King Fritz in being seemingly uninterested in the ongoing talks, happy with letting the advisors speak in their superiors¡¯ behalf. However, Erwin believed Vader was nothing like the spoiled lords and landowners of the Walls. The man who marched into battle alongside his men ¨C a man wielding unique armor, a special ¡°lightsaber¡±, and the alleged ability to move things with his mind ¨C was well aware of his powers and limitations, and more than willing to challenge the authority of others. He instilled fear without even trying. Although Erwin hasn¡¯t firsthand seen Vader display his powers, even his voice alone with those eerie breaths made Erwin want to tread lightly.

    With that voice, Darth Vader compelled the Assembly to collectively pause. ¡°You mistake your Military¡¯s loyalty to your cause as subservience,¡± he said. ¡°In reality, it is desperation.¡±

    As Erwin expected, the King was still stone-faced while his advisors grew red in indignation. ¡°Excuse me?¡± barked Minister Aurille. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Vader, but I don¡¯t believe you¨C¡±

    ¡°No matter how alien the Empire appears to you, the Titans have evolved beyond your understanding. According to your history, the Armored Titan has already soiled the sanctity of your precious Walls once, the Colossal Titan twice; both of intelligent breeds compared to the conventional Titans preying on humanity over the past century. Another anomaly has appeared in the Renegade Titan, a boy serving as one of your dutiful soldiers.¡± Vader motioned to the Garrison and Scouts surrounding his Imperial delegation. ¡°Militaries are servants of the state, but your state is incapable of adequately supporting the Military in either stemming the tide of Titans from invading your Walls, or in pushing back far enough to liberate Wall Maria from the horde. Your complacency is so rampant that few are even aware your Walls stand on an island, surrounded by the open sea. It is a miracle your Military still allows themselves to follow such incompetent leadership.¡±

    If possible, the Military Police guarding the Royal Assembly tensed even more. Erwin saw an old friend, Nile Dawk, among the MPs glaring at him, likely for helping bring these foreign interlopers into the Capital. While a good man, Nile must have also grown complacent, too used to resolving the woes of human crime in the Interior without having to be reminded daily of the threat the Titans posed to their society at large. Not expecting Vader¡¯s volatile speech, Commander Pyxis was looking nervous, too, as did his Garrison followers.

    In the Scout delegation were Erwin¡¯s direct aides and Levi Squad. The Scouts were getting hot under the collar as well ¨C except for Levi, unphased by the growing tension yet ready to act if need be, and Erwin, already aware where he stood in matters related to the Empire.

    Gritting his teeth, Aurille slammed a fist on his armrest. ¡°Now you listen here, Vader! This meeting is a necessary courtesy, but to question our way of life is hearsay. As our guests, you have no right to utter baseless insults on the King and his advisors. If not for us, the Walls would have fallen long ago!¡±

    ¡°The Walls will fall completely without the Empire¡¯s assistance,¡± Vader said. ¡°Denying the Empire is tantamount to the extinction of humanity on your lowly world. Serving the Empire will grant you riches and prosperity no living soul on this planet could have ever hoped to achieve.¡±

    Vader¡¯s wording, ¡°serving the Empire¡±, prompted another round of petty rebuttals from the Assembly. They were more emotional this time, the misguided sense of superiority from the nobles faltering. The Assembly was being bombarded by the oppressive aura Vader carried, and they were desperate to hold their ground.

    Violence was at risk of breaking out, until one voice in the Royal Assembly spoke above the others.

    ¡°Commander Erwin,¡± said Lord Reiss, a wealthy landowner acting far more composed than his compatriots, ¡°as the commanding officer of the Survey Corps, what is your opinion on continued collaboration with Lord Vader and the men of the Empire?¡±

    Silence encompassed the throne room as all eyes turned to Erwin.

    Admittedly, the Imperials could be pulling a good portion of their incredible stories and logical explanations out of thin air. Half-truths sprinkled over exaggerations and lies of omission. The real, tangible things their technologies could achieve were undeniable when seeing them play out in front of their eyes, but Erwin and his people had only their wits and intuition to gauge the Empire¡¯s true intentions. Promises to ¡°uplift¡± them could very well be a farce only half-heartedly upheld, much like the pledges of the Royal Government to protect the people from the Titans.

    The Royal Government had let hundreds of thousands die in the failed reclamation of Wall Maria. There was no solidarity between countrymen for them, obligations fulfilled to the citizens under their boots only to preserve their own coffers.

    The Empire was not of the Walls. They did not suffer under siege by the Titans or from a monarchy¡¯s corrupt regime for a hundred years. They had a home to return to, far away from the reach of the Titans. Imperials deciding to bring the hammer down on the Walls ¨C the home of a comparatively primitive, ignorant people when viewed against a galaxy-spanning society ¨C was a choice that could surely come easily for them if it would aid the Imperials¡¯ mission in returning to their Empire.

    But everything Darth Vader said about the Titans was the absolute truth. When faced with the power of the Empire, what other choice did the people of the Walls have?

    Keeping his back straight and his eyes forward, Erwin said, ¡°I propose we give the Empire our full cooperation. As the Empire aids us with their advanced technology, so too should we aid them in their expedition of our planet. Then Wall Maria and the whole of Titan territory beyond it will be returned to humanity.¡±

    More will need to be done to keep the Empire agreeable to a mutually beneficial partnership, but before anything else, they needed to start things off with a respectful, reciprocating hand held forward, not with a sword already drawn and poised to strike.

    Nile clearly did not think so, still glaring daggers at Erwin. In contrast, Pyxis spoke in agreement with the Scout Commander. ¡°The Empire repaired the Trost exit gate,¡± he reminded everyone, ¡°using their own finite materials in conjunction with our resources. Five years ago, ten thousand men, women, and children were lost when the Colossal Titan broke through Shiganshina. Yesterday, joint Military/Imperial operations ensured we only saw one hundred fifty missing or dead at Trost, and five hundred injured survivors seeing a great deal of healing from the Empire¡¯s medical experts.¡± Pyxis regarded the Assembly with a hard look. ¡°There is no precedent for something like the Empire arriving at our borders. Much like when the Colossal and Armored Titans first appeared, we must adapt accordingly.¡±

    The nobles were still displeased, but Erwin felt a palpable shift in the air. Begrudging acceptance of the reality they couldn¡¯t deny outright.

    Erwin noted Lord Reiss didn¡¯t follow the pattern. The Assembly was sending sporadic glares across everyone in the audience, the King¡¯s eyes vaguely directed at the back wall, but Reiss¡¯ gaze was locked squarely on Vader.

    ¡°We simply call our world the planet Earth,¡± Reiss said. It was a sudden change in topic expressed in an inappropriately casual attitude. More than one person turned to him with bemusement. ¡°Did your probots log a different name?¡±

    General Ziering silently cleared his throat. ¡°Our astrographers assigned a number to your planet, but the colloquial name they¡¯ve been using is Kyojin. This would denote yourselves as Kyojinites. Kyojinite Humans.¡±

    The light-haired young man, standing alone among the nobles in looking favorably at the Empire, smiled.

    Lord Ulklin Reiss was a good deal younger than his seniors in the Royal Assembly. There had been some drama a few years back about his father¡¯s murder, who had been a minor noble at the time, but Erwin couldn¡¯t recite all the details. All Erwin recalled was that Lord Reiss had risen in power since the loss of Wall Maria, his network of businesses rivaling the larger merchant operations across the Walls.

    ¡°So the planet Kyojin,¡± Ulklin said, still smiling, ¡°automatically falls under the authority of his Royal Highness. And if he thinks it a boon for the Walls, Kyojin may become¡­ a client of your Galactic Empire.¡±

    Ziering gave Vader a sidelong glance, as if asking for approval. After getting no visible response Erwin could see, Ziering said, ¡°A reasonable line of thinking.¡±

    Minister Aurille, Commander Gerald, Deltoff Edwards, and Archbishop Roderich were as loud as ever as the negotiations continued, but from this point on, they were clearly following Ulklin¡¯s lead, debating on marking land for Imperials to place more prefabricated structures, or discussing if any rations their expedition brought with them could be distributed for the people.

    They still had Eren Yeager and his Titan shifting to discuss.

    At the moment, however, everyone wanted to talk about the Empire and what part they would play in the Interior.

    Before topics returned to things more overtly in the Scouts¡¯ purview, Erwin subtly turned to Levi. His best soldier had his attention placed solely on Lord Reiss, who looked perfectly content.

    On principle, the Scouts were shunned by the noble class. Rivalries also persisted between the military branches. The rare backers for the Survey Corps tended to come in the form of ambitious merchants wanting a share of resources reclaimed from Titan territory. Lord Reiss was not counted in those backers, yet here he was opening his arms to the foreign outsiders.

    Usually, Erwin used one of his aides or Miche as a middleman for political intrigue. Hange was on the ground sticking close to Imperial specialists at Trost to gather more information firsthand, and Miche was charged with guarding Yeager for the time being. Levi had been called with the delegation to the Capital since his squad was the first to encounter the Imperials outside of Trost. Levi had always excelled in the battlefield, where Erwin was happy to have him, but Levi knew to play the game as well as his peers to know there was more to Reiss the Scouts needed to uncover.

    He could be a potential ally. Or he recognized the new normal about to sweep across the Walls and wanted to get ahead of it by showing preferential treatment to the Empire, safeguarding his own position of power no matter the cost.

    ¡°I know a guy,¡± Levi said to Erwin. ¡°You know him, too. We¡¯ll look into Reiss.¡±

    In the midst of the Empire¡¯s integration with the Walls and the discovery of a human/Titan hybrid of sorts (the latter of which Hange will certainly be over the moon for), a part of Erwin lamented not being able to escape playing politics with the noble class.

    Still, with so many changes and revelations coming to the Walls, if he played his cards right, Erwin truly believed his quest for the truth would finally reach its end sooner than he could have ever hoped for.

 Chapter 8

    Janek Sunber, born and raised on backwater sandball Tatooine, had only believed in half of the propaganda about life in the Imperial Military bringing recruits like him to exotic worlds and glorious sights across the wider galaxy. Realistically, he knew a good chunk of sight-seeing would be bogged down by the miseries of soldiering, but he¡¯ll fully admit he¡¯s developed a healthy respect for all the good and bad that came with the military, especially with this new battlefront they¡¯ve been grounded on.

    The way things had gotten so¡­ macabre so quickly definitely wasn¡¯t something Janek could have ever prepared for.

    Janek¡¯s seen dead things on Tatooine. Wild animals, offworld strangers, friends of friends, friends of the family¡­ If it wasn¡¯t the heat, the Tuskens, or the occasional Krayt Dragon, then it was people killing each other. Janek counted himself lucky to have not lost someone whose passing he thought he couldn¡¯t make peace with. At the Imperial Academy, there¡¯d been a couple casualties during training, but Janek had given his sympathies before moving on the next day. The trainers had given dramatic talking points about honorably sacrificing for the Empire, which most of Janek¡¯s co-trainees ate up, so Janek hadn¡¯t gotten particularly close with any of them to mourn anyone for long.

    The Titans on Kyojin really changed things for Janek. The dead and wounded from the initial crash had been bad enough. Then had come those first nights. Half of their people trapped under rubble, the other half barely holding on after fighting from sunrise to sunset¡­

    The things Janek had to see, the very real things that felt so far away from the simulations¡­ So many strangers, all of them becoming his brothers-in-arms as they fought together, bled together, hundreds of nameless comrades torn apart by feral Titans¡­

    But Janek survived. He was still alive, and he was going to keep it that way.

    When he had been selected by his superiors to assume command of a platoon reformed from other survivors, Janek had taken his assigned responsibilities with the seriousness they deserved. The troopers weren¡¯t even from his usual unit. Many of them were veteran stormtroopers ¨C Vader¡¯s Fist, clones stretching back to the last war and non-clones with plenty of experience from other fronts faced by the Empire. No matter how green Janek was, they still adhered to his orders to the letter, so Janek did his best to lead them appropriately. As harsh as the Empire could be, and as strange and deadly as the creatures infesting this foreign world were, the last thing Janek wanted was to allow his men to die pointless deaths.

    And despite the troopers Janek did lose, the platoon was still able to save people, the Kyojinites terrorized by the Titans. Frightened civilians, child soldiers, wounded militia members ¨C saving people instead of simply watching them die filled Janek with a sense of hope for the first time in what felt like years. It was even better than what he felt after failing enrollment for pilot training and scraping up just enough aptitude to become a commissioned officer of the Imperial Army. Janek wasn¡¯t fighting simply for his own ambitions. He was doing good service for his fellow man, for them and all of their families.

    On top of everything else, Janek also got his exotic quota filled by seeing that kid, Eren Yeager, morph his body into a variant of the monstrous beings plaguing this planet. A changeling morphing its physical body into a shape with the same general mass as its original form was one thing, but willing into existence a gargantuan body of flesh and bone from a flash of lightning¡­ Janek hardly had the words to describe the insanity of it.

    If only Luke, Biggs, and the rest of the boys could see Janek now¡­

    Actually, they¡¯d probably find the current situation Janek was in very boring. He was sitting on a wooden barrel at the edge of the local Trost HQ¡¯s inner courtyard. While the architecture of this world certainly had more creativity put into it than Tatooine¡¯s lowly buildings, it was a dirt courtyard. If Luke and Biggs got into the Academy like they had all planned, then they wouldn¡¯t find much interest in the sight of soldiers and troopers going about their regular business. Troopers were either taking a breather like Janek or helping move equipment. Kyojinite soldiers were listening in rapt attention to an Imperial officer or a specialist explaining how another piece of common Imperial tech worked.

    Luke would have gotten a kick out of the ODM gear. The three of them always wanted to fly their way out of the desert. Jetpacks were more advanced and easier to use in comparison, but the ODM stuff was definitely alien, like Jabiimi repulsorlift skates or a Trianii fire blade. The kid who studied conversational Yuzz despite never meeting a Yuzzem in their corner of the Outer Rim would love to learn how the Kyojinites¡¯ cultural upbringing led them to craft their gear, how instead of innovating their cannon tech, their most reliable tactics for Titan-killing was to fly directly at literal jaws of death.

    Janek frowned as he took another bite of his ration bar.

    You¡¯re from the Rim like me, aren¡¯t you? I didn¡¯t take you to be so soft for soldiers, young as they are.

    In the short time Janek has known him, the chances of Sheckil having a heart were slim to none, but to be so quick to threaten those kids? The youngest of the cadets had to only be fifteen-years-old.

    Janek wasn¡¯t an idiot. His mother had to teach him how to shoot a slugthrower at age ten to help defend their land from critters, criminals, and Sand People. Salt-addicted Arcona once picked a fight with him and Jaxson at Tosche Station for credits they didn¡¯t have. A wannabe swoop gang nearly maimed his father when trying to steal the family landspeeder for scrap. Danger didn¡¯t care what age you were. You did what you had to if you wanted to see the next morning.

    But the cadets were kids pressed into military service because the alternative was to live in denial that their people were on the brink of extinction. They didn¡¯t have a choice, not like Janek or Luke or Biggs. The Empire had the power to give the Kyojinites the choice to live in peace under a galactic power¡¯s protection. Why waste the opportunity by throwing away the peace and overtly threatening them?

    Standing orders were to be amicable with the Kyojinites anyway. They were Human, too, if Sheckil had any care for the High Human malarkey so prevalent in the Empire. Like Janek, Sheckil should be following the script and uplifting these kids, not pointing blasters at them when all they would see is the searing fire of blaster bolts coming out of them and not the non-lethal stun blasts.

    Still, even on just a practical level, Sheckil should have focused on building trust instead of¨C

    ¡°Lieutenant Sunber?¡±

    Janek turned his head to see the native cadet who reminded him too much of home.

    Truthfully, Cadet Armin Arlert only superficially resembled Luke. Their light-colored hair was at different tints. So were their blue eyes. Camie Marstrap back home liked to bully Luke, pushed most of the gang to call him ¡°Wormie¡± and poke fun at his wild imagination, treating Luke like he was more innocent and naive than he really was. Armin may be ignorant about the known galaxy, but ¡°naive¡± didn¡¯t fit him. There was a natural intelligence Armin definitely could¡¯ve used to ace the written exams at the Academy, whereas Luke more often than not relied on his instincts. Luke was impulsive, and Armin was analytical.

    The scrutiny was still in Armin¡¯s gaze now, scanning Janek¡¯s uniform, his holstered blaster, and the half-eaten ration bar in his hand. For all the primitive equivalents Kyojin had to Janek¡¯s gear, everything must still seem so alien to him. Having just survived a real battle a few days ago, there was still a wariness in Armin¡¯s demeanor, but his inquisitive attitude still shone.

    Maybe this was how Luke would¡¯ve turned out if he went through a year in the Academy. Strict training to rein his brashness into something useful, like it did for Janek. Instead of cowing to his uncle Owen¡¯s set ways to keep to himself, Luke would be stomping down his hesitation and asking the questions stirring in his head, like what Armin was doing now.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t simple curiosity Armin was letting him speak with Janek again. The wariness was out of concern for his two friends still under lock and key.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time since after Trost that Armin asked Janek about this. ¡°The last I heard,¡± Janek said before Armin voiced the question, ¡°Eren and Mikasa were transferred to one of your inner districts. The one directly north of us.¡±

    Armin¡¯s spirits instantly went down. ¡°I see. Do you know when their trial is going to be held? You and I would be witnesses, wouldn¡¯t we?¡±

    Janek shrugged. ¡°I told my superiors everything I know. If they need something more, then they¡¯ll make it known and call on us.¡± At Armin¡¯s downcast face, Janek added, ¡°Trust me, Eren¡¯s transformation would be strange anywhere in civilized space. Even so, for the Legion, the whole fiasco is secondary to securing passage offworld, and as far as I¡¯m aware, your King wants your world to be part of the Empire. That means the priority is getting you and your people familiar with our weapons to start taking back your island, but that can also mean¨C¡±

    ¡°¨Cour leaders will want to use Eren as a weapon,¡± Armin finished, matter-of-fact, resigned to the fact it was the best-case scenario for his friend.

    There was only so much Janek could do for the kid. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Captain Bex personally,¡± Janek began evenly, ¡°but it could¡¯ve been the entire Speardrift crew or anyone else who Eren could have killed in his Titan form. He nearly hit your other friend, Mikasa, too. There was always going to be a price to pay for his lack of control.¡±

    ¡°... Mikasa didn¡¯t kill anyone,¡± Armin said, trying to find something to salvage out of his friend¡¯s poor decisions. ¡°Commandant Keith Shadis and dozens of other officers can testify on Mikasa¡¯s skills as a soldier. Would that appease the Empire from punishing her for her lapse in judgment? Have her contribute to the reclamation of Wall Maria alongside Eren?¡±

    It must be a comforting image, Armin¡¯s pals to be still in the thick of it with him helping the Empire purge their island of Titans. ¡°Strength and loyalty are good qualities the Empire keeps its eyes out for,¡± Janek said. It was how he had been chosen to accompany the Legion rather than stay at the crashed Star Destroyer with the Navy spacebrains. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about penal units of incarcerated prisoners being pressed into Imperial service, so you might have the right idea.¡± Not wanting to set Armin¡¯s hopes too high, Janek reminded him, ¡°But again, it¡¯s not my call. Maybe when you get called in as a witness, you can make your case to the people who can make the call.¡±

    None of Janek¡¯s answers about his friends ever left Armin completely satisfied, but this was the closest yet, the light in the kid¡¯s eyes brightening a smidge. ¡°Yeah. Maybe¡­¡±

    He was probably thinking over ways to argue at a hypothetical trial, spin it so Eren and Mikasa get off with light sentences. Good for him.

    ¡°Was there something else you needed from me?¡± Janek prompted, swallowing the last of his ration. ¡°Aren¡¯t you and a couple cadets supposed to be with Drewast Squad?¡±

    Brought back to reality, Armin nodded. ¡°Right. We were at the market clearing space for more equipment when a merchant boss confronted Drewast about Imperials destroying or stealing goods belonging to his company.¡± Probably inevitable collateral from the battle, Janek assumed, which emotional natives were blaming the Empire for instead of the Titans. ¡°Other merchants started getting riled up, too. There hasn¡¯t been any violence yet, but things are still tense, not exactly helped by the crowd arguing in favor of the Imperials against the merchants.¡±

    The Legion already had folks fighting in their name. Resistance from disgruntled natives had been an expectation outlined to Janek and others by the more experienced troopers and officers, but the borderline worship some of the Kyojinites were giving them after the battle was¡­ reassuring.

    ¡°The merchant boss is demanding to speak with an Imperial officer in uniform,¡± Armin went on. ¡°Someone he can look in the eye, I think.¡±

    Although making nice with the civilian population was one of Legion¡¯s general objectives, most of the officers like Janek were currently assigned to cooperate with the Wall Military. The senior officers were handling the aristocrats, but this boss merchant sounded too low on the chain to be bothered with. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask the troopers to call my comlink?¡±

    ¡°I did. They didn¡¯t care to since our Garrison squad leader said he would handle the protesting group while the rest of us carried on with the work.¡± Armin gave an embarrassed smile. ¡°I think he was too intimidated to press the stormtroopers too much.¡±

    Janek shared the grin. He knew the feeling, before the Academy taught him how Army officers were supposed to stand their ground with stormies. Unfortunately, Janek didn¡¯t have the time to play peacemaker for Armin. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to be teaching some of the Garrison a crash course in establishing and reinforcing a command post in about twenty minutes,¡± he said, flicking small crumbs on his gloved hand to the floor. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, Wormie. Drewast can handle rowdy civvies. If the merchant boss has enough sense to become a boss, he¡¯ll learn soon enough that agitating stormtroopers isn¡¯t conducive to his health.¡±

    Armin frowned. ¡°Would¡­ Would they use the stun setting on their blasters if the situation escalated?¡±

    Sheckil certainly didn¡¯t do any favors in assuaging Armin¡¯s caution toward the Empire. ¡°Unlike slugthrowers ¨C your muskets, I mean. They don¡¯t have the benefit of non-lethal blasts like our weapons. I would have shot Mikasa if she hadn¡¯t surrendered back then, and she would have been absolutely fine. It¡¯s the same if the troopers defend themselves. Human death isn¡¯t on the agenda if it can be avoided.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    More questions burned in Armin, wanting to learn everything he can about the Empire before having to deal with more of its soldiers.

    The next question, however, came from a different cadet.

    ¡°What¡¯s the difference between an Army trooper and a stormtrooper?¡±

    Armin was startled by the new arrival. Janek didn¡¯t flinch, facing her with a cool expression.

    Cadet Annie Leonhart had a fierce stare similar to Mikasa Ackerman¡¯s, if with slightly less intensity. Unfriendly, full of distrust, directed at Janek without shame. He couldn¡¯t blame her, since she was one of those in the incident with Sheckil.

    ¡°Oh, hey Annie,¡± Armin stuttered out. He was completely ignored as Annie marched in front of Janek. She was holding a metal pack marked for Imperial rations in her arms. Janek guessed she was saddled with playing courier. The Walls¡¯ stores of food weren¡¯t the most expansive. Since rations were the one thing that wasn¡¯t damaged when the Star Destroyer had crashed, the Legion was distributing them in Trost until land outside the Wall was adequately secured for foraging.

    ¡°Troopers keep saying Captain Bex, the man Eren killed,¡± Annie continued, Armin wincing at the reminder, ¡°was with the Army, and that another Army officer will likely replace him, but Sergeant Major Sheckil has also said the five-oh-first Legion is the Empire¡¯s best storm-troopers, like they¡¯re better than the ¡®Army¡¯ unit.¡±

    Annie regularly inquired Janek for more information about the Empire as well, and from other Imperials like Sheckil and typical troopers. She went about sating her desire for knowledge with a more detached coldness. While Armin¡¯s concerns for his friends and his home were never hidden, Janek had a feeling Annie sought to understand the Empire for her own self-preservation than for the good of the cadet corps.

    ¡°When COMPNOR finally sets things up,¡± Janek said, ¡°they¡¯ll have books and lessons to clarify¨C¡±

    ¡°Is that why you let Sheckil get away with threatening us? Because you¡¯re not a real stormtrooper?¡±

    Smart girl. Armin was also looking in anticipation at Janek for the answer.

    Behind the cadets further in the courtyard, Janek saw a few of the Wall¡¯s commanding officers stroll by, different emblems plastered on the basic shield insignia on their jackets. ¡°It¡¯s not the exact same thing,¡± Janek said, ¡°but your military is divided into three main regiments: the Scouts, the Garrison, and the Military Police. Broadly speaking, the Imperial Military is also separated into three branches: the Navy, the Army, and the Stormtrooper Corps.¡±

    Janek saw the curiosity reignite in Armin. ¡°What¡¯s the Navy?¡±

    The branch that Janek had washed out of. ¡°You heard the Legion crashed here on a starship, right? They¡¯re a lot bigger than the gunships that cleaned up Trost. The Navy flies the big ships, takes the reins like you would on a horse-drawn carriage. The Army generally is supposed to hold territory and enforce Imperial edicts, like your Garrison maintaining the Walls and patrolling the districts. Stormtroopers are elites, following a separate chain of command that goes up straight to the Emperor. Almost like the Military Police answering to your King and the Royal Assembly, but the type of missions they take are more akin to the Scouts, leading the charge as shock troops.¡±

    Armin mulled over the explanation. Annie was already barreling ahead. ¡°You¡¯re a commissioned officer of the Army,¡± she said, ¡°like¡­ a noble hiring a manager to organize their private security. Stormtroopers are promoted into leadership roles as decided by their direct superiors in the Corps.¡±

    It was an apt comparison given Annie¡¯s limited worldview. Janek was fairly certain all of the Wall¡¯s military officers came up directly as grunts without an officer training school like in the Imperial Academy, but some Wall officers were likely informally backed by merchants and nobles. ¡°Imperial titles might not mean too much to you guys, but you know Lord Vader has a noble title. He¡¯s also the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Military. His word is law for the Legion, so stormtroopers will answer to an Army officer like me¨C¡±

    ¡°¨Cand completely disregard you if Vader says so,¡± Annie cut in.

    She was very pessimistic with her tone, though she wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°Vader came to an agreement with your King. There shouldn¡¯t be any more hiccups like with Sheckil now that terms have been set. Undue hostility against you and your people would be tantamount to defying Vader. No one wants that.¡±

    Annie was better at hiding her emotions than Mikasa. Janek felt Mikasa would have spat at him for alluding to Vader¡¯s strength and authority. Annie¡¯s glare stayed at the same level of suspicion ever since she locked eyes with Janek. ¡°You said the Navy didn¡¯t fly the gunships. Where do¨C¡±

    ¡°COMPNOR will explain things far better than I can,¡± Janek reiterated. He enjoyed the rapport he¡¯s built with Armin, but he was better off dumping stone-cold Annie with people whose literal jobs were to convince rebellious types like her to roll with the Empire.

    ¡°Did this COMPNOR sect induct you into the Empire? I heard you mention you¡¯re from a remote desert world¡­ a mostly barren world, that wouldn¡¯t be of significant worth to the Empire.¡±

    Smart and observant. She must have eavesdropped on a few of his talks with Armin. ¡°The recruiting office on Tatooine technically had¨C¡±

    ¡°Revealing the Empire¡¯s deep, dark secrets to the children? Are you, Sunber?¡±

    It was a familiar voice Janek has heard multiple iterations of in the past week that now interrupted him.

    Stormtrooper Captain Coric was distinguished by his rank with an orange pauldron over his shoulder. He carried his helmet under his arm, giving the cadets their first look at the true face of an individual stormtrooper: tanned skin, a head of shaved graying hair, and more than a few scars. The otherwise grim look was broken by a small smile.

    ¡°Only pure scuttlebutt, Captain,¡± Janek said back in good humor to the man who had approved his appointment to Torrent Company. ¡°The sanctity of Palpatine¡¯s secret stash of holovids remains safe. Trust me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to it. I don¡¯t think his black heart can take it if he loses the one thing that still gives him life.¡±

    Coric certainly didn¡¯t fit the image in Janek¡¯s head of a loyal stormtrooper, let alone a Clone Wars vet, but Janek supposed even droids developed their own personality quirks without regular memory wipes, and the whole point of clone troopers according to the history books was that their creative thinking trumped droid brains every time without compromising their loyalty.

    Stang, the cadets haven¡¯t learned about clones yet. That¡¯s sure to be a wild topic for them.

    Once they got over Coric¡¯s sudden appearance, Annie and Armin were ready to shoot more questions. Coric shifted the direction of the conversation before they could. ¡°Tell me something: are you cadets supposed to be so skinny? Or is it a tactical decision to make sure Titans only munch on so much meat before they lose interest? Savor the fat ones while the skinny ones go for the kill?¡±

    Janek had gotten more used to morbid humor from the more talkative troopers, far more vulgar than the worst things he¡¯s said with the boys on Tatooine, but now he restrained himself from forcing a chuckle. This type of joking wouldn¡¯t endear Armin or Annie any. Annie was already glaring at Coric with that default glower of hers. Janek imagined Armin would be awkwardly shuffling his feet if he wasn¡¯t keeping his body so tense.

    ¡°We have a food shortage,¡± Annie said with the expected unfriendliness. ¡°We¡¯re also teenagers.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve worked with half-starved braided fierfeks on backwater worlds with only a single shorted-out fusion cutter and our good feelings to protect ourselves, and even they had more muscle than the ¡®cadets¡¯ on this planet.¡±

    Playing the optimist, Armin said, ¡°And you¡¯re here to improve our odds and make us stronger.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the Empire¡¯s here to improve your dietary habits. You¡¯ll be conquering the entirety of Kyojin in no time.¡±

    Annie stayed as still as a statue when Coric stepped closer and flipped open the ration pack she was still holding. Coric tossed a handful of the compact bars inside to Armin, who clumsily caught the batch. ¡°Those are supposed to be for the Garrison Elites,¡± Annie remarked.

    ¡°We retook the gate already. The Garrison Elites will just get fatter sitting on their shebse up on the wall. It¡¯ll be the teeny cadets who need the calories to burn.¡± Coric took a large bite from one ration for emphasis. He snuck a smirk at Janek. The clone was intentionally messing with the kids. Maybe this was his way of ingratiating himself with the Kyojinites, providing minor charities like free food while ribbing on them. ¡°Who knows? Maybe a change in diet is the push your brand of humanity needs to get more transforming Titans.¡± At the disbelieving looks he received, Coric put on his helmet and gave a conspicuous head movement at Janek. ¡°On your feet, Sunber. We¡¯ve got a last-minute meeting.¡±

    Captain Coric was already walking away. Janek shrugged at the cadets, one offering a polite smile and the other methodically chewing on a ration, before following after Coric.

    The clone kept a brisk pace, staying ahead of Janek. They moved out of the HQ and trekked on a route to the prefab base established where the Yeager kid had picked up the giant boulder. It wasn¡¯t a long walk, but the city was still bustling with activity. Reconstruction for Titan-damaged buildings was still ongoing, especially now that the bodies of the dead and from Titan vomit were cleared out. Lots of civilians blatantly stared at the fully armored trooper and the uniformed offworld officer marching around them.

    Although Janek hasn¡¯t worked extensively with Coric, he found it easy to follow the senior soldier¡¯s lead. Without looking back, Coric tossed over his shoulder a comlink smaller than the handheld Army model. ¡°Strap it over your ear,¡± Coric said.

    Janek caught on to what was happening. Stormtrooper helmets could maintain an internal communication line separate from the usual channels, blocking any sound escaping from inside the helmets. Janek hadn¡¯t been given the codes or a stormie bucket to access the private lines in his platoon, but giving Janek a new comlink when equipment like that was in limited supply¡­

    ¡°Welcome to the inner circle,¡± Coric said on the comm without facing Janek. Pre-Academy Janek would be smiling in satisfaction. Lieutenant Sunber kept his cool, not letting their civvie audience see a change in expression. ¡°Count yourself lucky, Sunber. You were in the right place at the right time.¡± Befriending the Titan shifter¡¯s childhood best friend, Janek naturally assumed. ¡°Chainly and I talked it over, and we like your style. Say your farewells to the Army, and consider yourself five-oh-first now. Bonus credits will be issued when we get back to Imperial Space.¡±

    Joining Vader¡¯s Fist had been the farthest thing in Janek¡¯s mind when he received his officer commission. Commanding one of their platoons while stranded on this world was a practical necessity, but to be personally congratulated into the Imperial Legion not even a full year after leaving the Academy? In what galaxy did that make sense? Not that Janek was complaining.

    ¡°Your normal duties aren¡¯t changing by much,¡± Coric continued. ¡°Lead Lochere Platoon, be tough but fair with the Kyojin kiddies, and so on. We¡¯re mostly cutting down on the middlemen between you and Vader for when he needs you for something.¡±

    ¡­ In his excitement at advancing the Imperial hierarchy, Janek had foolishly forgotten how it also meant he had to deal with Vader more¡­

    ¡°Vader is everyone¡¯s boss, but Commander Jir will be number two on the food chain, not General Ziering.¡± Janek could hear the smile in Coric¡¯s next words. ¡°You¡¯ll get to boss around Sheckil some more, so that¡¯s a plus.¡±

    Commander Daine Jir was a decent guy, proven when the man fired a rocket launcher to destroy a Titan¡¯s nape before the beast could sink its teeth into a half-conscious Janek. They haven¡¯t directly interacted much beyond that. Janek hoped he was more like Coric than Sheckil.

    Reaching the prefab base, Coric waved at the stormtrooper guards at the front entrance and exchanged some pleasantries ¨C more Torrent Company troopers who knew Coric well ¨C before Janek found himself surrounded by the bland metal corridors of Imperial infrastructure. He was missing the native Kyojinite scenery already.

    ¡°When you find the time, and the security clearance,¡± Coric said on the private comm, ¡°look up Honoghr, Skye, and Eiattu. They¡¯ll give you a better idea on how Vader¡¯s likely to play things on Kyojin. For now, keep quiet, listen, and speak when prompted. Feel for the mood to know when not to blab more than you should. Things are moving faster than we¡¯ve done on previous ops since we legitimately are stranded on this planet, so you need to keep up the pace with the lucky streak you¡¯ve been having. It¡¯s your shebs if you can¡¯t make the cut.¡±

    Coric brought Janek to a basic meeting room with a wide table circling around a holoprojector at the center. Other Imperials already occupied the room, though no one was sitting down as they watched a hologram of a Scout Trooper ¨C no, a Storm Commando. The holographic image was the typical transparent blue hue, so they couldn¡¯t normally distinguish a Scout¡¯s white armor and a Commando¡¯s black plating, but the voice was of the woman who Janek had let take the human-sized Yeager after the Titan shifter dropped the boulder.

    Vader stood tall with folded arms as he listened to the Storm Commando¡¯s report. She had an arm outstretched in front of her, so she must be viewing a smaller hologram of Vader on her portable comlink from her end. ¡°... from other Humans,¡± Ghoul was saying. ¡°Hange Zoe of the Scouts has a lot of theories. I¡¯ve verified none of them. She¡¯s eccentric but no less competent or creative. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯ll find from her samples of Yeager¡¯s blood. There¡¯s always a chance the native tech can perceive something we can¡¯t.¡±

    In the unnerving voice Janek had never thought he¡¯d hear in-person, Vader said, ¡°Their trial is scheduled in three days.¡± Their trial ¨C Mikasa Ackerman and Eren Yeager. ¡°They will neither be executed nor imprisoned. The Wall Military will retain custody of them, but they must be placed in the joint task force.¡± Vader raised a hand in the direction of a stormtrooper officer about a decade older than Janek. ¡°Commander Jir, speak for the Empire during the trial and see to it.¡±

    With a professional nod and bow, Jir said, ¡°It will be done, my lord.¡±

    Vader¡¯s blank eyes bored into Ghoul. ¡°Submit regular reports on Yeager. The Science Team will make do with the data and the samples you provide as a secondary endeavor. Their current priority is the duties of the conventional expedition and relief efforts.¡±

    An officer wearing the rank plaque of a General, not Ziering, frowned at Vader. ¡°The boy is a Titan,¡± said the man who certainly had confidence to speak against Vader of all people. ¡°That much is obvious. The medic has confirmed his humanity. The Science Team have convincing theories about the Titans¡¯ origins, given the Kyojinities¡¯ language and our observations made before the crash. Studying the boy as an undocumented mutation may yield insight for¨C¡±

    ¡°Yeager holds strength beyond his Titan transformation,¡± Vader said with a finality that made the General shut his mouth. ¡°I will ensure all of his abilities are used in service of the Empire. You will ensure the civilians remain compliant until our inevitable return.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lord Vader.¡±

    A part of Janek felt exhilarated upon realizing that this really was the inner circle ¨C special forces like Ghoul, elite commanders like Jir, high-ranking generals, and then there was lowly officer Sunber, middling Academy graduate listening to Darth Vader himself lay out how he wanted the Legion to handle their stranding on this foreign world. Janek wasn¡¯t resigned to waiting for the orders to come down the ladder to him. He was witnessing how those orders way above his pay grade were decided.

    Janek¡¯s heart rate went up when he felt Vader set his gaze on him. The apprehension surely showed on Janek¡¯s face as Vader asked him what was only a simple inquiry about his most recent talks with Armin.

    Forcing himself to calm down, Janek followed Coric¡¯s advice and spoke as honestly and tactfully as he could.

    This wasn¡¯t a battlefront Janek would have chosen to serve on, but it was the life he chose. There was no going back. He¡¯ll do his duty, help the Kyojinites take back their home, and actually make something out of himself, or die trying.

 Chapter 9

    Mina Carolina was still alive, and she had the soldiers of the Galactic Empire to thank for it.

    And she wasn¡¯t the only one to have been saved from the horrible Titans by gallant Stormtroopers.

    Sitting at a table with other 104th cadets in Trost HQ¡¯s mess hall, Mina spotted a dear friend she had last seen swallowed completely whole by a Titan. He was now strolling with slow steps into the room.

    ¡°Thomas!¡±

    To confirm she wasn¡¯t dreaming, Mina hopped off her seat and tackled Thomas Wagner with a hug. He waved at her when he walked in, but he wasn¡¯t expecting this reaction, Mina¡¯s sudden weight throwing them both to the floor.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m alive, Mina,¡± Thomas wheezed out with a weak smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Realizing what she just did, an embarrassed Mina pulled back, ignoring everyone¡¯s stares as she pulled Thomas up by his arm. She wouldn¡¯t normally be this excitable, but¡­ Thomas was one of her first friends she had made during training. She couldn¡¯t not rejoice in finally seeing him again with her own two eyes. To feel it, his pulse from his wrist and the heat from his flushed state. He was alive, just like her.

    ¡°It¡¯s really good to see you, too,¡± Thomas added, bringing Mina¡¯s good mood back up.

    Others from Mina¡¯s table approached. Connie whistled, looking Thomas up and down. ¡°Damn, Thomas. Were you really caught by a Titan? You look¡­ good¡­¡±

    As Connie trailed off, Mina couldn¡¯t stop another instinctive shudder at someone bringing up what happened to her squad. Oddly, she could walk through the memory with relative ease when thinking about it privately, yet she never failed to flinch when other people spoke on it.

    Ymir didn¡¯t care about being tactful. ¡°You were Titan bait,¡± she said plainly, ¡°according to Mina and Armin. You were still breathing inside the stomach?¡± Mina clutched her elbows to try stopping the shakes. Thankfully, no one noticed or called her out on her jitters. Thomas was the main attraction now, not her. ¡°And the Imperials apparently managed to pull you out without a single scratch on you.¡± Ymir was right. There weren¡¯t even any visible bandages or scarring on Thomas.

    Thomas¡¯ grin became more forced as the small crowd formed a half-circle around him. ¡°It¡¯s all a blur, to be honest,¡± he confessed. ¡°I do know it was hot. The Imperials treated me for burns. I¡¯m happy to remember only that much.¡±

    When Ymir scoffed, Krista at her side was quick on the admonishing comment before flashing her signature smile at Thomas. Jean and Armin were flinging questions at him about his time with the Empire, Marco and Sasha instead asking about his own wellbeing. After Reiner complimented him on surviving the battle, he held back and paired himself with reticent Bertholdt, as Reiner usually did.

    ¡°Do you think the Empire is playing straight with us?¡± Jean tentatively asked. ¡°Are they really going to give us back Wall Maria?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re going to help us take back the Wall,¡± Armin corrected before Thomas could answer. ¡°They have the technology, and we have the manpower that can follow them.¡±

    Ymir scoffed again. ¡°What the hell is the Empire getting out of it? I don¡¯t see how much us ¡®primitives¡¯ can contribute to some prosperous galaxy.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got lots of farmland!¡± Sasha chimed in, predictably chewing on another liberal helping of the ration bars provided by the Empire. ¡°Ripe for the taking, right outside the Walls! Lots of wild game the Titans won¡¯t have disturbed, too. We can trade exotic foods with the Empire!¡±

    ¡°The King worked out a deal with them,¡± Marco said optimistically. ¡°With the goodwill the Empire has already shown, I think we can expect them to keep their word.¡±

    Connie nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Yeah! Between the food, the medicine, and the replacement gate, the Empire wants us to win against the Titans.¡± He elbowed Jean¡¯s side and sent a pointed look at Ymir. ¡°Come on, guys. Stormtroopers died trying to save us. Keep talking like that, you¡¯ll end up like Mikasa, locked up in a dungeon.¡±

    Ymir rolled her eyes. With a frown, Jean gave a light shove back at Connie. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna start picking fights with them or anything, but you know what they did at headquarters when we weren¡¯t looking.¡±

    Yes, Mina heard the same story from Armin and the rest, but it was a misunderstanding caused by a single insubordinate officer. ¡°You know what else the Empire has done?¡± Mina challenged Jean. She stepped to Thomas and gripped his shoulder. He should be dead, yet here he was. ¡°Used their medicines to heal Thomas. Living proof the Empire is actively our ally, not an enemy like the Titans. They¡¯re our Wall-blessed saviors. Why can¡¯t you understand that?¡±

    Of course Thomas felt awkward being presented like this, but Jean also became self-conscious and turned away. Unsurprisingly, Ymir was not impressed, only holding back a wisecrack because Krista pulled at the taller girl¡¯s wrist. It was only a matter of time until Ymir succumbed to the urge to start speaking her mind regardless of Krista¡¯s attempts to temper her.

    Things were almost starting to feel normal again for Mina. Thomas was alive. Ymir was rude. Sasha was eating. Jean was being stubborn¡­

    But there was no biting remark at Jean from hothead Eren. Because Eren and Mikasa weren¡¯t here, still imprisoned for¡­ Eren¡¯s unique circumstances, which Mina had a far harder time wrapping her head around than the arrival of the Empire¡­

    Others were also missing. Samuel¡¯s head injury was completely gone ¨C thanks to the Empire ¨C so he and a couple others like Daz were roped into accompanying a Garrison/MP team to other districts to give first-person testimonials about Trost¡¯s saviors. The last Mina had checked, Hanna and a bed-ridden Franz were still smooching in the infirmary. It was actually really sweet how upbeat they¡¯ve been acting, even with Franz¡¯s horrible wounds.

    Some weren¡¯t so lucky. Tom had been with the group who were saved by the bulk of Lieutenant Sunber¡¯s platoon, but a Titan had still gotten to him. He had bled out before the Imperials could use their technologies to heal him¡­

    Wait. Someone was missing who should be here.

    Not Annie. She was back at their table, eating off her plate like the anti-social dunce she was. No, it was Mylius Zeremski who should be here with them.

    God, his screams when he¡¯d been grabbed in mid-air, louder than even Armin¡¯s and Eren¡¯s desperate cries at each other, the entire squad about to be torn apart by Titans¡­

    Then a red blaster bolt had pierced the Titan¡¯s nape. A trooper in a jetpack had caught Mylius before he fell to the ground. Then another trooper had carried Mina in his arms before that peering Titan with giant eyes could touch her. Those eyes had exploded in a fiery red of blaster fire and Titan blood as Mina¡¯s rescuer shot at the monster.

    The shakes were starting up again. Mina steeled herself as best she could before facing Thomas once more.

    ¡°Where is Mylius?¡± she asked him.

    Thomas¡¯ own small fidgeting faded as he beamed brightly. ¡°He¡¯s right outside! He and the others are supposed to wait until some other officers get here, but guys, you need to see him. He hasn¡¯t really taken to the Imperial rations, so I came in here to get him some fresh food, since he¡­¡± Thomas caught himself and leaned forward, lowering his voice. ¡°I heard about Franz. Lost an arm and a leg, right? Well, for Mylius, the Empire¨C¡±

    This time it was Reiner interrupting. ¡°Please don¡¯t say they regrew Mylius¡¯ limbs,¡± he said. ¡°Those bacta patches can¡¯t possibly regenerate bones.¡±

    Bacta was the miracle substance somehow embedded in the Imperials¡¯ bandages or stored as fluids to apply on raw skin. Mina¡¯s share of bruises had healed quickly thanks to a generous dose of bacta. Who¡¯s to say the Empire didn¡¯t have more incredible applications for their amazing tools? Certainly not Reiner. He¡¯s as ignorant as all of them about the Empire, and worse off because of his skepticism.

    ¡°Not regenerate,¡± Thomas said. ¡°I heard about the Empire having a limited amount of resources, so prosthetics must be a pretty common thing for them to give something so advanced to Mylius, who¡¯s only a random soldier to them. It¡¯s advanced by our standards, I mean. Still, that means Franz and so many more should be getting prosthetics, too. Especially after the Imperial doctors confirmed that we¡¯re human like them.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°Prosthetics,¡± Jean repeated. ¡°That mean Mylius has a metal hand?¡±

    ¡°Not a hand. Metal legs. Two legs, at that.¡±

    Sasha coughed to hide a burp. ¡°Metal legs? Like the Walker things in the safe zone outside the exit gate people have been talking about? I heard them being compared to chicken legs.¡±

    Their group was nudging closer against each other as everyone instinctively tried to match Thomas¡¯ quieter volume. Connie slightly shoved Sasha to let his own thoughts be heard. ¡°Wait, if Mylius has two new legs¡­ is there enough of his real legs left for him to balance himself and still move?¡±

    Thomas¡¯s smile showed teeth now. ¡°You need to see him for yourself. I just need¨C¡±

    Before more could be said, a commanding voice shut down any further chatter.

    ¡°Lunch time¡¯s over, maggots! Fall in!¡±

    Three years living under Commandant Shadis¡¯ reign of terror trumped all other sensibilities for every single cadet in the room. The noise of side conversations and utensils hitting bowls halted immediately, giving way to the cadets scrambling along wooden flooring to stand together in formation. Mina, Thomas, and their friends were no exception, lining up with a perfect view of Shadis and his dark eyes standing at the mess hall¡¯s main entrance. Other higher-ups in uniform accompanied him.

    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Shadis said in the tone Mina had learned was a neutral filter, lacking the same harshness or back-handed compliments he usually gave, though his harsh leer was no less intimidating. He usually talked like this when the Royal Assembly or an officer higher on the chain of command than Shadis sent down a new order he wasn¡¯t happy with. ¡°You survived your first battle by the skin of your teeth, and gave the Titans a black eye they won¡¯t be healing from¡­¡±

    No one said anything to contradict Shadis, but Mina was sure she wasn¡¯t the only one thinking the truth: they only survived because of the Empire.

    Maybe that was the reason behind the neutral tone. Old-fashioned Shadis didn¡¯t like the Empire¡¯s jetpacks and gunship lasers making the Military¡¯s ODM gear and Wall cannons moot.

    ¡°... but the fight isn¡¯t over. Far from it, for you, your comrades still licking their wounds, and for our new allies his Royal Highness has welcomed into the Walls.¡±

    Staying in sight, Shadis and his men moved to allow Imperial officers wearing mixes of black and gray to enter. They stood side-by-side. Mina felt an undeniable satisfaction at seeing this. No more arguments like she had during the battle with Garrison officers about working with the Stormtroopers. They were united now.

    One of the Imperials distinctly stood out from the rest.

    ¡°I am Chief Officer Zogor Strom,¡± said the young but weathered-looking man, maybe a little older than Lieutenant Sunber, ¡°of COMPNOR. You may call me Chief Strom.¡±

    He looked like an Oriental. Not a male version of Mikasa, and their skin tones were different, but if Mina didn¡¯t know he came from outer space, she would have sooner assumed this man to be Mikasa¡¯s brother rather than Eren.

    From his attitude, he was a professional. Less friendly than Sunber, but less hostile than Sheckil. A level-head that must¡¯ve done his part to make stubborn mules like Rico Brzenska or Jean realize how much the Empire can do to help the Walls.

    ¡°COMPNOR in our language,¡± said Strom, ¡°is the shorthand for the ¡®Commission for Preservation of the New Order.¡¯ The New Order refers to the values and practices that were necessary for the Empire to establish a firm foundation and maintain galactic stability after a millennia of rampant political corruption and costly cultural degradation. You lack the proper context to know the full extent of what the Empire has achieved. As a client state to the Empire, Kyojin must be educated in these values if its people are to ascend as the hundreds of billions have under Imperial rule. Foremost in your planet¡¯s education will be our shared galaxy¡¯s history and understanding the necessity of a strong military.¡±

    Mina imagined herself in an Imperial uniform. She doubted there was one small enough to adequately fit her, given the general height and size of most Imperials she¡¯s seen, but the thought excited her. All those endless days and nights training hadn¡¯t been enough to survive Trost. More training, an education from the Empire that gave the Walls the true heroes of Trost, was the best possible reward anyone could¡¯ve asked for.

    She saw it in her head: wearing properly fitted Stormtrooper armor, her sight enhanced by the super-powered helmet, truly flying through the air instead of relying on jettisoning hooks at awkward angles and a far more limited gas supply¡­

    ¡°Do not mistake an emphasis on martial strength as redundant,¡± Strom stressed after a subtle once-over of his teenage audience. ¡°Imperial technologies you view as advanced were created because of the constant warfare that plagued galactic society until the Empire came into power. It¡¯s not dissimilar to the way you developed your ODM gear to combat the Titans. I expect you cadets and your senior soldiers to find it easy to absorb the New Order. The alternative¡­¡±

    Strom gestured behind him.

    ¡°... is the door.¡±

    An initial wave of confusion spread between the cadets before Shadis spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s in accordance with a new decree made by his Royal Highness: every cadet slated for graduation this year has been reassigned to serve in Joint Task Force Xamaural, working with the Imperials, the Scouts, and the Garrison in a cooperative effort to retake Wall Maria.¡±

    Xamaural? A strange name. An Imperial name. Mina was happy to be a part of it.

    ¡°The civilian population will receive their education in due time,¡± Strom explained, ¡°but the Cadet Corps will be trained as members of CompForce, the official military arm of COMPNOR.¡±

    Shadis¡¯ glare intensified for a split-second. Mina almost didn¡¯t catch it. ¡°Every cadet in the top ten of their respective unit is not exempt from this. If you were dreaming about the Military Police, forget it. The King doesn¡¯t want you. He wants his Titan fodder to put in the work making all three Walls whole again.¡±

    Unease replaced the cadets¡¯ confusion. Mina understood it even if she didn¡¯t share the feeling. The likes of Annie, Sasha, and Jean in the top ten had been aiming for the Military Police to avoid fighting Titans altogether. Eren had convinced a couple people to join the Scouts, but the cadets by and large were committed to the Garrison before the Colossal Titan¡¯s return. Realistically, the Garrison dealt more with police matters in the outer districts instead of Titan combat, notwithstanding the extra training put into creating Elites or the collaborations with the Scouts in Titan territory.

    The Empire changed things, obviously. Mina knew where she stood. Everyone else was still catching up. They were relieved to be able to see another tomorrow, but the choice on where to go the next day, when they stopped being cadets and started being real soldiers, was being taken away from them.

    ¡°His Royal Highness is nothing if not dedicated to his people,¡± Chief Strom said evenly. ¡°By the same virtue, your king is not so cruel as to completely dismiss the desires of his loyal subjects who have bled to preserve the Walls from the Titan terror. If any of you seek a different path after having your first taste of battle here at Trost, then you must leave, return to civilian life. Now. Remain where you stand, and you will stay as CompForce Cadets until JTF Xamaural succeeds in its mission to take the entire island. Prestige and reward await you all for your service.¡±

    In the corner of her eye, Mina saw anxiety leak out in unhidden frowns and instinctive twitches from her peers. She was disappointed people weren¡¯t as committed as they should be after these recent days working with the Imperials. In her experience, there were plenty more cordial Sunbers and diplomatic Stroms than abrasive Sheckils.

    How many people would still be bedridden if not for Imperial medicine? How many had been complaining about unfulfilling rations before the Empire filled their stomachs? How many wouldn¡¯t even be breathing?

    Soaring high with the Scouts in liberating Shiganshina and wiping out the Ttians was Eren¡¯s dream, which he had made very clear multiple times. For Mina, she¡¯d mostly just gone through the motions in her military training, more so wanting the ability to defend herself if push came to shove rather than out of any tangible ambitions. Eren¡¯s last anti-Titan pep talk had pushed Thomas, Connie, and even Mina toward the Scouts to make their training mean something.

    But now?

    Being educated in the ways of the Imperials, getting to fight with them as equals with their Juggernauts and rocket launchers, was an honor to Mina even higher than ¨C than what protecting Eren meant to Mikasa, or what serving the King meant to Marco. Under the Empire, there was a very real future, a better world, to fight for. A world that went beyond the Walls, where Sasha can have her fields of crops and endless hunting grounds. Where Armin can freely sate his innate curiosity by exploring the stars in Imperial flying carriages. Where Thomas can achieve his secret dream of becoming a respected Squad Leader, and where Mina can¡­ can¡­

    The officers moved again, making a clear path for more soldiers and cadets to enter the mess hall.

    Leading the newcomers was Mylius, walking with metal legs.

    Mina hadn¡¯t pictured it in her head when Thomas mentioned them. Seeing the legs now ¨C Strange didn¡¯t do it justice. Thinking back to the drawings in the medical classes every cadet attended, the legs almost resembled human bones without the layers of muscle or skin. Black cords intersected sleek metals where there should have been the yellowish white limbs of a skeleton. Lights from the visible interior of the legs between the cords were blinking. Bandages covered the points where¡­ where the metal was supposed to connect with the stumps of what remained of his actual legs, the sash on his cadet uniform hanging from his waist.

    As he walked, Mylius gritted his teeth, like he did back on the first day of everyone testing their aptitude on ODM gear. While not top ten material, he had adapted faster than the majority to flying with the gear on practice courses. Mina was reliving those memories in the current moment, watching an entire line of people follow in Mylius¡¯ wake. They also had metal legs, or metal feet, hands, arms ¨C one even had metal around the side of his head with a glass orb where an eye should be. Each person limped or slumped their back, Mylius¡¯ gait mostly steady in comparison.

    When their eyes met, Mylius shot Mina a confident grin. He was even happier than she was to be alive and literally kicking.

    Chief Strom went on with his speech, but the message was clear: members of the military, even lowly cadets, were to get preferential treatment for all the benefits Imperial tech can bring. Mylius and other ¡®lucky¡¯ soldiers mutilated in the battle were early recipients of the Empire¡¯s generosity ¨C generosity that wouldn¡¯t be granted as readily to anyone who walked out the door today.

    Whatever cynical jab or paranoid rumor about the Empire Mina might hear next, all of it will be nothing but white noise. From this moment on, she was going to serve as a soldier of CompForce and become a Stormtrooper. If she dies trying, then she won¡¯t have died a useless death against the Titans. She¡¯ll have given up her life so that her friends and family could live under a strong, thriving Kyojin gifted to them by the Empire.

 Chapter 10

    The days leading up to Eren¡¯s and Mikasa¡¯s trial were fairly uneventful. Mikasa never stopped giving Triton Squad and Miche the stink eye. Eren answered what questions he could about himself and his Titan power, even if most of his input was unhelpful. He assumed their commanding officers were too busy with the Empire¡¯s integration with the Walls to host a personal interrogation session. Even as prisoners, Eren and Mikasa were graciously updated on basic stuff going on outside their cell: the relief effort supplied by Imperial rations and technology, cadets being placed in a combined task force as honorary Imperial soldiers¡­

    The most interesting news was hearing about an actual safe zone established on the outside of the Trost¡¯s rebuilt gate; something the Garrison has never been able to do. The Empire¡¯s cannons and improvised fortifications were enough to take out Titans long before they got close to the safe zone. The first chance Eren got, he had to see it.

    And he was going to be free and able to see it soon enough. The same went for Mikasa. For this trial awaiting them, they were going to get out of it alive, no matter what.

    Eren can turn into a Titan. For as many people who will see him as a freak, there had to be more people like Commander Pyxis and Darth Vader who were smart enough to know Eren¡¯s power was a tool for taking back the land stolen from humanity. To take back Kyojin, as the Empire had named their planet.

    Vader definitely knew more about Eren¡¯s situation. A talk with him was also on Eren¡¯s list of priorities.

    On the top of Eren¡¯s list at the current moment was reeling back from the woman doing her best to poke her head through the bars of his dungeon cell. The light from the torches hanging in the hall made the glint in her eye glasses look more menacing than she probably intended. The yearning smile that slowly spread across the woman¡¯s face didn¡¯t help. Her arrival had been startling on its own, grabbing the metal bars with such force that the entire thing shook and echoed a clanging sound throughout Eren¡¯s and Mikasa¡¯s small cell.

    Eren only half-heartedly resisted Mikasa¡¯s obligatory hug meant to shield him. It wasn¡¯t danger Eren felt from the stranger¡¯s focused stare. It was¡­ interest. Enthusiasm. Someone not afraid of the ¡°Renegade Titan.¡± Even the soldiers in Miche¡¯s squad were still uneasy around Eren, yet this obvious Scout eccentric wanted to see him.

    ¡°Eager today, are we,¡± said Ghoul, who was at her usual spot at the Imperial half-circle playing some alien card game in the hall, ¡°Captain Zoe?¡±

    The white-armored Stormtrooper, Switch, hummed. ¡°Isn¡¯t her rank Section Commander?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all part of the streamlining for the task force. Zoe, you know you¡¯ll get your chance to pick at Yeager after the trial.¡±

    This Captain Zoe turned her grinning face to the Imperials. ¡°What can I say? You Imps and Stormies have been spoiling me rotten with your thermal detonators and repulsorlifts for too long. I couldn¡¯t help myself from taking the opportunity to sneak a peek at our very own Titan!¡±

    Miche, leaning casually against the bars, chuckled. ¡°Got tired of the metal Titans already?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just it, Miche! They aren¡¯t Titans.¡± Zoe faced Eren again. ¡°Our boy here truly, undeniably, positively is a Titan! The Renegade Titan Shifter! Isn¡¯t that right, Eren Yeager?¡±

    Mikasa came out swinging with the hostility. ¡°Don¡¯t come near him,¡± she warned.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Eren answered as he wretched his arm free. In her mind, Mikasa probably thought she¡¯d have an easier time using their ankle chain as a weapon without holding onto him. ¡°I¡¯m the Titan Shifter. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Captain Hange Zoe of the Scouts! May I say, it¡¯s a pleasure to¨C¡±

    Ghoul abruptly stood up, a hand holding a portable comlink near her head. ¡°We¡¯re on the clock. Walk and talk, or save the chatter for when Yeager walks off as a free man.¡± She nodded at Miche, who moved to unlock the cell door.

    The flippant black-armored Stormtrooper ¨C a Storm Commando, like Ghoul ¨C barked a laugh. ¡°A free man. Right. A kid like Yeager would be getting his head dunked in the ¡®fresher if he didn¡¯t have his nek battle dog protecting her precious pup.¡±

    Eren had no idea what a nek battle dog looked like or what a ¡®fresher was, but he didn¡¯t have to be a genius to understand it was an insult. It wouldn¡¯t be the first from the Commando. Frowning, Eren cut to the chase and asked, ¡°Is the trial being held today?¡±

    ¡°Somebody give the changeling a prize!¡±

    As Miche entered the cell, he snapped his fingers and was thrown a set of stun cuffs from Switch. Miche gave a Hange Zoe knowing look. In response, she pouted, but quickly regained her smile and winked. She slipped away, waving at Eren as she did so. ¡°Sorry we didn¡¯t get long to talk. Things have been crazy even without accounting for your shifting powers. Hell, it might be weeks until we get to chat again, but if I don¡¯t find you, you come find me.¡± Her grin became feral with excitement. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised if you get back into Titan-shape and get rushed by an Imperial walker, cause it¡¯ll probably be me piloting the baby!¡± Then she was off.

    Leaving the dungeon, Eren put the strange Scout at the back of his mind. The two squads that had served as wardens for the pair of cadets now escorted them to their trial.

    They eventually came upon a large set of double doors. The courtroom on the other side was filled to capacity. One half of the room was filled with commoners. Soldiers not acting as guards were grouped around the central area where the prosecuted were supposed to stand before the attending judge. Eren spotted Armin among the soldiers and gave a resolute nod when their eyes met. Mikasa probably did the same. All three of them were going to be together again soon, Eren was sure.

    The wary glances and uneasy stares from everyone else in the room didn¡¯t fill Eren with much confidence, but he powered through the scrutiny and marched with determination.

    Triton Squad joined a batch of Imperial officers standing in their own section of the court. Miche Squad split apart when they handed the cadets off to a couple MPs. Eren and Mikasa were brought to the center of the room. The stun cuffs were rearranged to restrain their hands behind their backs in a single chain. The MPs removed the shackles on their ankles, but the cadets were still left in an awkward position since they were practically back-to-back, the cuffs tangled around a tall wooden pole embedded into the floor.

    When the MPs moved away, the man who would decide Eren¡¯s and Mikasa¡¯s futures entered: Premier Darius Zachary, the Commander-in-Chief of the Wall Military.

    ¡°All right,¡± the bearded veteran said as he made himself comfortable on his perch overseeing the courtroom. ¡°Shall we begin?¡± He cleared his throat with a cough before looking down at the cadets. ¡°Your names are Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman. As enlisted soldiers, you both have sworn to surrender your lives when called upon in the line of duty, for the good of the people of the Walls. Is that correct?¡±

    They answered in unison. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Conventional military doctrine dictates your tribunal be held in a court martial. As Commander of the Wall Military, it falls to my discretion how this trial proceeds. Of course, now that his Royal Highness has declared the Galactic Empire our allies, we must also accommodate their presence and hear their grievances. Any objections?¡±

    Eren shook his head. ¡°No, sir.¡±

    A beat of silence followed¡­ because Mikasa didn¡¯t like the Empire getting special treatment, but the quiet didn¡¯t linger for long. ¡°No, sir,¡± she echoed.

    The Premier didn¡¯t call out Mikasa¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Good. Let us proceed.¡± He turned over the documents before him. ¡°The purpose of this trial is to determine the fates of Eren Yeager, the so-called Renegade Titan active during the Battle of Trost, and Mikasa Ackerman, charged with violating the initial truce with the Empire as established by Commander Dot Pyxis of the Garrison. Speaking for the Empire is Stormtrooper Commander Daine Jir of Torrent Company.¡±

    Eren had a good view of Daine Jir and his fellow officers. Black uniforms like what Lieutenant Sunber wore, though Eren noticed the red-and-blue plaque over Jir¡¯s chest was slightly different. Denoting his higher rank as a Commander?

    ¡°There is already an existing mandate,¡± said Zachary, ¡°established to pardon Wall soldiers and civilians who succumbed to hysteria and responded rashly to the Empire. By all accounts, Ackerman would be eligible for this pardon, but the Empire has requested she be included in this hearing with Yeager. Commander Jir?¡±

    ¡°The pardon should only be applicable to those with the discipline and willingness to pay for their mistakes.¡± There was deference in Daine Jir¡¯s words. The Empire must really respect military types like the Premier. ¡°Miss Ackerman attacked men of the Empire in a misguided attempt to protect Yeager from harm. We should expect more rebellious behavior from a child like her depending on Yeager¡¯s sentencing.¡±

    So whatever befell Eren, he and Mikasa were going down together.

    Premier Zachary nodded. ¡°Fair enough.¡± His steady stare set its sights on Eren again. ¡°Unsurprisingly, many rumors have spread regarding the relationship between the Empire and the Renegade Titan; paranoid gossip accusing the Renegade as an attack dog tamed by the Empire. Mister Yeager, perhaps you can clear up any misunderstandings on that front.¡±

    Eren almost couldn¡¯t believe the wave of anxiety hitting him. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on him again, only now they were expecting something worthwhile to come out of his mouth. Something that would make them feel at ease to be around a ¡°Titan.¡± The scrutiny here felt different, so many people afraid of him.

    Taking a deep breath, Eren said, ¡°Well, Trost was the first time I met anyone of the Empire.¡±

    All doubts in Eren were instantly replaced by contempt when a Wall cultist standing with the MPs spoke.

    ¡°Heresy! The boy should not be given the right to speak! It was he who used his unnatural powers to violate the purity of Wall Rose, and enabled the Empire to desecrate her holy might even further!¡±

    It was people like this ¡°pastor¡± who made arming and defending the Walls more difficult than it should be. As if making practical modifications to preserve the damn things would ¡°defile¡± inanimate objects when real, living people needed to be protected.

    More people from the crowd used the cultist¡¯s interruption as an excuse to speak out.

    ¡°Shut up, you loon! Everyone in Wall Rose would be scrambling for the Interior if it weren¡¯t for the Empire sealing Trost! Between them and a Titan on our side, Wall Maria is as good as ours again!¡±

    ¡°Are you insane? There¡¯s no way a Titan can be trusted. Just kill him and be done with it. He murdered an Imperial already, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°How do we really know the Renegade and the Colossal Titans aren¡¯t servants of the Empire? How do we know this entire trial isn¡¯t just a sham for the Empire to retake control of their Titan?¡±

    No, that was completely wrong! ¡°I was born and raised in Shiganshina,¡± Eren shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°I¡¯ve never met the Empire before the Colossal¡¯s second attack. My ¨C My Titan shifting. I didn¡¯t know I had that power either.¡± The rabble quieted down. Eren had their attention again. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to kill Captain Bex. I didn¡¯t want to. I can learn to control my Titan. I only want to fight in the name of humanity!¡±

    The Premier¡¯s gaze was unflinching on Eren. ¡°You claim no prior relation to the Empire.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m grateful for them helping take back Trost, for saving me, but I know as much about the Empire as anyone here not wearing an Imperial uniform.¡±

    ¡°That does fall in line with what the Empire has told us. Even so, the fact remains you are a human being who has displayed the unprecedented ability to instantaneously spawn a fully functioning Titan body. You informed your caretakers ¨C Miche Squad of the Scouts, and Triton Squad of the Empire ¨C that memories of your father, Grisha Yeager, injecting you with a syringe resurfaced. Whatever was in the injection is presumably what granted you the power to Titan-shift, and considering that your father is listed as deceased after the Fall of Wall Maria, all that remains is the key to the cellar of your old home in Shiganshina to potentially find more answers for your condition.¡±

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Another audience member, wearing expensive garments making him out as a spoiled merchant, spat out, ¡°Condition? Becoming a Titan isn¡¯t some ¡®condition¡¯! He needs to be put down¨C¡±

    ¡°How can we be sure Grisha Yeager is dead?¡± asked an MP. ¡°Titans can regenerate wounds. What if he faked his death?¡±

    Zachary shut off that line of thinking immediately. ¡°Confirmation on Grisha Yeager¡¯s death comes from Commandant Keith Shadis of the Cadet Corps.¡± Eren was surprised to hear Shadis contributing to the investigation surrounding Eren¡¯s case, even tracking down leads on the Yeager family. ¡°There is no reason to doubt his word. Moreover, Grisha Yeager is noted to have been a respected doctor who did work in the Interior from time to time. It¡¯s been theorized that the senior Yeagers¡¯ home being situated so close to Titan territory and his access to well-off clients may have enabled him to conduct experiments to create a Titan serum, but that¡¯s only speculation. We only have Eren Yeager himself and the key to his old cellar to garner more information.¡±

    Worried whispers in side conversations spread across the audience. Zachary¡¯s strong voice drowned them out. ¡°Commander Jir, does the Empire want to hold Mister Yeager accountable for his murder of Army Captain Xorbo Bex?¡±

    The officer glanced at Eren with an indiscernible look he couldn¡¯t read. ¡°According to the boy¡¯s own testimony,¡± Jir said, ¡°he wants to repent for his crimes, and he appears legitimately remorseful for Captain Bex¡¯s death. The Empire can allow the pardon to be applied to him, but we can let the Kyojinites settle their own differences with Yeager first.¡±

    Eren almost wanted to relax, let his tense body go limp. It was a relief to know the Empire was open to letting him get back out there and prove himself, but as Jir said, Eren¡¯s countrymen needed to settle their issues with him first. The day wasn¡¯t over yet.

    ¡°Very good,¡± Zachary said. ¡°Now, two of the Walls¡¯ respected Regiments have petitioned to claim custody over Eren Yeager: the Military Police, and the Scouts. The Military Police may present their case first.¡±

    The MP rep stepped to the front of his congregation. Eren noticed him give a subtle glare at the pastor who spoke earlier before facing forward. ¡°Thank you, Premier Zachary,¡± said the MP. ¡°I am Nile Dawk, Commander of the Military Police.¡± He read off a script on a sheet of paper in his hand. ¡°Our recommendation: following a thorough examination of his physiology, the subject Eren Yeager should be disposed of immediately.¡±

    Of course. Of course complacent, short-sighted MPs would be taking this stance.

    ¡°While he played a part in the victory at Trost, we do not believe he has any reliable control over his Titan form. Reports from Garrison soldiers cite he was mindlessly killing enemy Titans with no conscious regard to aiding his fellow soldiers or avoiding collateral damage. When Yeager killed Captain Bex, he did so by severely damaging one of the Empire¡¯s Juggernauts and disallowing it to participate in the battle. The Imperial crew manning the Juggernaut were at risk of dying just as easily as Bex because of Yeager. Furthermore, when Cadet Mikasa Ackerman moved toward Yeager in his mad Titan state, he attacked her.¡±

    Mikasa already confessed to Eren about that incident during their stay in the dungeon. It felt wrong to be the reason behind the scar on her face, no matter how miniscule it actually was, but Mikasa didn¡¯t begrudge him for it, and Eren made his peace with it.

    ¡°Learning about the Empire and the existence of a humanity living freely beyond our planet has done enough to rattle and disturb the citizens of the Walls,¡± Dawk said. ¡°Whatever benefits we may receive as a client of the Empire, the Military of the Walls must show that we are doing everything in our power to guarantee the people¡¯s safety. Once our doctors have gathered all the information we can from him, subject Yeager is a proven danger we have a duty to eliminate, permanently.¡±

    The Premier stared down Dawk for a beat, then motioned to the group opposite the MPs. ¡°And now, I¡¯d like to hear the Scout Regiment¡¯s position.¡±

    Eren had to strain his neck to see the Scouts, looking over Mikasa¡¯s shoulder. A tall blue-eyed man with a stern disposition not too unlike Jir¡¯s stepped up. ¡°Yes, sir. I, Commander Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps, propose Eren Yeager be reinstated as a soldier and placed in Joint Task Force Xamaural, under the purview of the Scouts. We will utilize his Titan powers to reclaim the entire island in the name of Kyojinite humanity.¡±

    Dawk had an entire speech, but that short explanation was all Commander Erwin gave. Premier Zachary waited for more to no avail. ¡°Is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The Empire¡¯s generosity and the Walls¡¯ ability to reciprocate can only go so far with the limited resources we each have at our disposal. Freeing more land from Titan control and returning it to human hands has always been a defining objective of the Scouts. Cadet Yeager can be trained under careful watch and deployed in the field to expedite our mission.¡±

    So this was the Scout Commander. The soldier who succeeded Commandant Shadis, and who was responsible for spearheading further expeditions against the Titan horde. It was under his leadership that people like Captain Levi, Humanity¡¯s Strongest Soldier, never wavered in their service. To serve under Commander Erwin was always part of the package of joining the Scouts, and now Eren¡¯s right to join the Scouts was being fought for by the man himself.

    ¡°Quite bold of you,¡± Zachary remarked, ¡°to believe the first Titan Shifter humanity has ever seen can be suitably trained when we have no precedent for it¡­ Of course, Mister Yeager has stated he is more than willing to learn how to control his abilities. So, Mister Yeager.¡± Zachary peered intently at Eren again. ¡°At the start of this trial, you agreed that you were willing to surrender your life as a dutiful soldier. Will that stance still hold true whether you are given to the Military Police or the Scouts?¡±

    No, there was no future, no world in any galaxy where Eren would join the MPs or submit as their prisoner. The Scouts were the only way forward for him.

    Granted, there was also the Empire, but their representative in Commander Jir wasn¡¯t saying anything. Eren had no one else to lean on but the Scouts.

    ¡°Sir,¡± Eren began, ¡°I believe I can contribute far more as an active soldier than as a corpse. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not afraid to die, as long as I know it¡¯s in service to humanity. I joined the Military to retake Wall Maria and ¨C and to allow our people to explore the world that belongs to us. To visit the oceans of saltwater surrounding our island. To see the Titans turned extinct.¡±

    Another naysayer Eren couldn¡¯t see uttered, ¡°That kid is a Titan.¡±

    Something in the faceless voice¡¯s tone set Eren off. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a Titan!¡± Eren yelled. The crowd flinched back. ¡°A Titan fighting for everyone living in these Walls! I bet plenty of you haven¡¯t even seen a Titan before. At least I can choose to fight for¨C¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t choose,¡± interrupted Nile Dawk, glowering at Eren. ¡°As you said yourself, you didn¡¯t mean to kill an Imperial, as I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t mean to almost kill Cadet Ackerman either.¡±

    Eren¡¯s body was jostled against the wood pole, pulled by Mikasa trying to stand up while they were still cuffed together. ¡°He said he can learn to control himself!¡± she cried out. ¡°He hasn¡¯t used his powers to hurt anyone else. It¡¯s been days since Eren last transformed.¡±

    ¡°Because he was trapped in an underground dungeon chained to you.¡±

    ¡°Eren did nothing after Miche and Triton Squads brought us up to the top of Wall Rose after he first woke up. He hasn¡¯t done anything today after we were brought to ground level and escorted here. That shows Eren legitimately doesn¡¯t want to risk hurting anyone else.¡±

    With a sneer, Dawk shook his head before raising his voice, directly speaking to Zachary and the crowd. ¡°I believe Cadet Ackerman¡¯s input on this matter to be too biased for it to be considered in this trial. We have reports from when she and Eren Yeager were nine-years-old, when they¨C¡±

    He was going to bring that into this? The night Eren saved Mikasa? And when she saved him? When together they destroyed those inhuman, good-for-nothing wastes of space?

    Except Dawk never got into the details of that night, because Commander Jir cut him off.

    ¡°They are chained together entirely because Ackerman and Yeager care for each other greatly,¡± he said. ¡°Does the Military Police not see this bond as assurance Yeager genuinely wants to do better and fight to protect the home he shares with nearly everyone else in this room?¡±

    The mocking sarcasm was as clear as day. Jir wasn¡¯t acting strictly professional anymore. He almost came off as haughty like a noble with the way Jir held his chin high, but Eren knew it was a confidence that had to have come from gods know how many battles the Imperial must have fought on an untold number of planets. Who else would Darth Vader have sent to speak for the Empire?

    Like the MP he was, Nile Dawk didn¡¯t appreciate the objection from a real soldier. ¡°What business is the Titan Shifter of the Empire¡¯s when you¡¯ve already stated you would let us decide his fate?¡±

    ¡°We understand the need to remove threats that risk disrupting the established order and defy the statutes of superior authority. There are actual and effectual means to remove threats. Actual is expedient: death. But an effectual method is to turn the threat into an active asset, as the Scouts have suggested.¡± Commander Jir looked down his nose at Dawk. ¡°To your point about studying Yeager¡¯s physiology, I¡¯m sure the Legion¡¯s medical experts can gather more useful information from a live specimen than your doctors. There¡¯s much they can learn from our people.¡±

    The Wall pastor scrambled to the front of his party, nearly shoving Dawk away. ¡°Be silent!¡± he screeched. ¡°You Imperials desecrate the ground you stand on with your very existence! Ignorant outsiders have no right to interfere in¨C¡±

    Jir continued to talk as if the church freak was only white noise. ¡°It certainly speaks volumes how the Military Police and their advisors are so consumed by fear, while the Scouts are confident in their ability to tame Yeager and use him to fulfill your society¡¯s dream of reclaiming your home from the Titans.¡±

    The Imperial hit it right on the head: everyone who wanted to see Eren dead feared him.

    And it pissed Eren off, seeing the rampant fear in so many people¡¯s eyes. If they weren¡¯t watching Jir talk over Nile Dawk¡¯s complaints or waiting for Zachary to call order to the courtroom, then they were trembling at the sight of Eren¡­ What was Eren doing that made them so nervous? He was still on his knees, restrained next to Mikasa. And these people think Eren would ¨C what, just spontaneously turn into a Titan at the slightest provocation? Are they idiots?

    ¡°What are you so afraid of?!¡± Eren yelled at the cowards, who again shied away from him. ¡°Afraid of me? You MPs want to dissect me, and you church cultists want to see me burn at the stake, right?¡±

    Dawk shut his mouth and stared at Eren with surprise. Jir frowned and folded his arms. The Imperial wanted to see where Eren went with this.

    ¡°Things must look so simple from where you people sit back and get fat in the Interior,¡± Eren accused his detractors, ¡°when it was people like me ¨C not Titan shifters, but cadets, Garrison soldiers, Scouts, Imperials ¨C who fought the real enemy at Trost: the actual mindless Titans. We went out there and cut open their napes, felt their blood splatter on us. Felt ourselves bleed when they tore off our limbs and ate our friends.¡±

    Getting a hold on the cuffs, Eren pulled himself to his feet. He could feel Mikasa looking at him in shock. Eren set his leer on Commander Dawk. The MP officer was likely everything someone like Jean or Annie would devolve into if they had their way and made it into the Interior. They¡¯d run away and hide, cowering in fear, despite having all of the strength and skills to actually do something about that fear. Rise above it. Surpass it. Fight.

    ¡°I have the power to make sure more Trosts, more Shiganshinas, never happen again,¡± Eren declared with all his heart. ¡°You need me out there fighting for you if you want to go to sleep at night without worrying when the next gate is going to get smashed in! Let me fight for you, and the entire world will be freed from the Titans!¡±

    Everyone was stunned into silence.

    It reminded Eren of the night before Trost, when he inexplicably gave a speech that had convinced Connie, Thomas, and others to join the Scouts. The words just came to Eren naturally.

    Surely, Eren¡¯s current audience will finally under¨C

    Dawk hastily turned to one of his MPs holding a musket by its sling. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Dawk said in a panic, Eren¡¯s heart falling. ¡°Take aim, damn¨C¡±

    Eren shuddered at the odd ringing sound and a flash of light hitting him at once. His first instinct was that it was a gunshot, but no. When Eren opened his eyes, he saw that it was a blaster shot, fired from the compact weapon now held in Commander Jir¡¯s hand. Above Eren¡¯s head, he saw the blaster bolt had hit a point on the wood pole, leaving a blackened chunk that caused the top portion to fall to the floor.

    Premier Zachary let out an amused chuckle. ¡°I assume you meant to land your shot there, Commander Jir? It would otherwise be poor marksmanship compared to the live demonstrations of your blasters the Empire hosted the other day.¡±

    Jir maintained his cool. ¡°The Military Police Commander was frightened by Cadet Yeager¡¯s impassioned speech and hesitated to order a subordinate to train their weapon on a potential threat. I was led to believe the MPs were composed of more disciplined stock.¡±

    More heated than ever, Dawk barked, ¡°That¡¯s enough! There¡¯s no¨C¡±

    ¡°If the Scouts take custody of Yeager, then per the terms set with the Kyojinite Royal Highness, the Legion and the Scout Regiment assume a shared responsibility over the Renegade Titan, as we do for all members of the Joint Task Force.¡± Jir bent his arm to point his blaster to the ceiling, a faint smoke trail from the barrel disappearing into the air. ¡°I believe Yeager is authentic in his pleas to master his powers and honor his duties to the Walls. If he does prove to be unreliable, every single Imperial on this planet is capable of permanently ending the Renegade, whether he is a Titan or a human.¡±

    Zachary hummed in thought. ¡°Yes, I recall that it was a Sergeant Fox who weaved around normal Titans and successfully cut Mister Yeager out of his giant body in Trost. Mister Yeager is also in the top ten of his cadet unit, but I presume the Empire and the Scouts have their share of able-bodied men to keep the boy¡¯s human-self in line.¡±

    Eren privately smirked at Nile Dawk visibly realizing he was losing this trial. ¡°Premier Zachary,¡± Dawk said in desperation, ¡°there is still much we don¡¯t know about the Empire. Their goodwill at Trost does not mean we should allow them¨C¡±

    Jir shot with his blaster again. The initial flash and the speed the bolt flew was too much for Eren to track, but he felt the heat of the bolt move through the gap between his arm and torso. When Eren twitched, he found his arms moving more freely than before; the Imperial shot the cuffs! Breaking the restraints, releasing Eren and Mikasa without harming them. There was no marksman Eren would have trusted to make the shot with a musket or a pistol.

    ¡°The terrible Titan is free,¡± Commander Jir announced as he holstered his blaster. ¡°The Empire is in no position to subdue the monster. What¡¯s your next move?¡±

    Eren wasn¡¯t sure how to answer, or how the MPs would react.

    He didn¡¯t expect for Captain Levi to leap away from the Scout group and knock Mikasa to the ground. It was the first time Eren had seen anyone get the upper hand on Mikasa in a single move.

    There was no time to stew on Mikasa¡¯s assault or to do anything about it, as Miche Zacharius was suddenly in front of Eren and kneeing him in the gut. The last thing Eren remembered before returning to the dark was seeing Levi pin a resisting Mikasa down, and another sharp pain on his temple where Miche landed another hit.

 Chapter 11

    Levi looked at Eren Yeager¡¯s broken body with distaste.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Miche said as he tended to Eren with a bloody rag. ¡°You¡¯re not the one who has to clean him up.¡±

    The unsanitary sight which Levi could still smell was only a small bother compared to seeing the straightened nose on Eren¡¯s face; not twenty minutes before, it was bent and out of shape thanks to a solid punch from Miche. There had also been the teeth that regrew after Miche knocked a couple out of the kid. It wasn¡¯t like the healing done by Imperial bacta. This was real Titan regeneration happening on a human body.

    Eren Yeager really was a Titan

    And if that was the case, how many more human/Titan hybrids were out there?

    The girl, Mikasa Ackerman, probably wasn¡¯t a Titan. She carried her bruises and bandaged cuts with stubbornness as she wiped the blood off Eren¡¯s face, but Levi doubted she was willing herself not to heal, if Titan Shifters were even able to do that. Mikasa still didn¡¯t trust Levi or Miche, but any surprise attacks on one of them would leave her exposed to the other who¡¯d give another beatdown. If she had enhanced healing, it was a trump card she¡¯d be using by this point to get herself and Eren away from them.

    ¡°Again,¡± Erwin said as he walked into the private room provided to the Scouts after the trial, ¡°you have my sincere apologies.¡±

    As Levi expected, the girl ignored him in a sullen defiance.

    ¡°It was the only way to secure custody of you and Eren,¡± said Erwin, still using a carefully apologetic tone. ¡°The people believe Eren is adequately controlled by the Scouts. While his unique power can¡¯t be understated, I expect him to serve as faithfully as anyone else under my command. I will treat both of you with the respect you deserve as soldiers.¡±

    Mikasa wasn¡¯t having it, letting Erwin be the latest target of her fierce glare. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to forget about your thugs beating us half to death?¡±

    Levi scoffed, earning himself reinvigorated ire from the girl. ¡°Would you rather the MPs or the Imperials get their hands on your boy?¡± Levi asked her.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather no one try to beat us senseless again, pipsqueak.¡±

    Already with the height insults. Working with these rookies was going to be fun. ¡°We live in a cruel world,¡± Levi remarked. ¡°A small world. Knocking the snot out of teenagers was never something I sought to do by joining the Scouts, but none of us get the luxury of freely choosing when we have to get our hands dirty. Not with an Empire full of thousands of worlds coming to the Walls sooner or later.¡±

    Admittedly, Miche could have taken it easy when putting on the show for the crowd against Eren. Levi had needed more precision and speed than he had anticipated to keep Mikasa down. Meanwhile, Eren was a wet noodle in comparison who was out in seconds. The severity of Eren¡¯s wounds was making Mikasa more noncompliant than what was convenient for their post-trial discussion. Not that Levi¡¯s own knees to the face and kicks to the gut against Mikasa ingratiated himself to her any. Still, input from the self-proclaimed Scout Regiment admirer could have helped Mikasa realize the bigger picture they were dealing with.

    ¡°You saw how the MPs were ready to burn Eren at the stake,¡± Levi reminded her. ¡°Miche gave him a bloody nose that¡¯s already healed. Now Eren gets to back up his talk about ¡®fighting for us.¡¯ If it wasn¡¯t the Scouts taking you brats in, it would be the Empire. How long do you think you¡¯d last with them?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re working with the Empire,¡± Mikasa spat out.

    Miche snorted ¨C which Levi still thought was just his way of discreetly taking a whiff of the air to gauge the mood of the room. Miche liked to be thorough like that. ¡°Key words are working with,¡± Miche said. ¡°Not working for, or fighting against. I don¡¯t like your chances if you wind up doing the latter.¡±

    Levi suppressed a sigh. He could see none of their words were going to reach her, so he sent a pointed look at Erwin. Let him get to the meat of things, start the real pitch to get the girl on board with the Scouts.

    ¡°We are not your enemy,¡± Erwin said before Mikasa got in another verbal jab at them. ¡°The Military Police presented themselves as your enemies, and the reasons why were explained by Commander Jir and Eren himself.¡±

    Mikasa bit back a growl and genuinely thought on Erwin¡¯s words. ¡°The MPs were afraid, and they wanted to remove the source of their fear¡­ instead of working with Eren.¡± Her understanding of the situation didn¡¯t completely distinguish the fire in his eyes, however. ¡°You think you can control us. Fine. Eren always wanted to join the Scouts, and I can follow the military¡¯s chain of command that I can respect just fine. Our training wasn¡¯t for nothing. But why am I still here? I know I was at the top of the top ten in my cadet division, but is the real reason I¡¯m here because I¡¯m good leverage to keep Eren in line?¡±

    Extortion and blackmail weren¡¯t unfamiliar to Levi, though they weren¡¯t the methods Erwin had decided to pursue with the cadets. ¡°You don¡¯t know the significance of your last name,¡± Erwin said. ¡°Do you?¡±

    ¡°My¡­ last name?¡±

    Levi leaned back on a couch as he let Erwin get through the spiel about the Ackerman Clan.

    The King¡¯s disgraced clan of super soldiers had been one of the more¡­ educational things to learn about the Walls after Levi left the Underground. Erwin had learned about them after becoming Commander of the Scout Regiment. He had told people like Miche, Hange, and Levi about the Ackermans after they proved they were trustworthy. They all picked up on more details about them over the years. With the Scouts and Garrison striking an accord in the wake of Trost and the arrival of the Empire, Dot Pyxis had also informed Erwin about his own knowledge on the clan.

    Ackermans in the past had failed or insulted the Fritz family for the last time, launching a period of quiet persecution that drove the clan out of the Interior and to the furthest edges of the Walls. From what records were available on Mikasa¡¯s immediate family, it was almost like something out of a folktale, for an Ackerman and one of the last known Orientals to start a family together before their lives were tragically cut short.

    A part of Levi wondered if a certain scoundrel from his past was tied to this bloodline, but no source could definitively confirm it. Levi will only get his answers if he ever found Kenny again, and the chances of that¡­

    Levi shook those thoughts out of his head. Back in the present, Mikasa cooled down and was thoughtfully contemplating on the revelations to her family name. ¡°Triton Squad took blood samples of me and Eren,¡± she muttered. ¡°They said being an Oriental didn¡¯t distinguish me from being a Kyojinite Human in any way that mattered, but is there something in my blood to mark me as an Ackerman?¡±

    Of course, a blood test with Imperial tech could probably show if Levi and Mikasa were related, but like hell Levi was going to let them pick and prod him or the girl any more than necessary. ¡°Ackerman or not,¡± Levi said, ¡°you¡¯re a Scout now. If the Empire is willing to play along and let us keep a Titan Shifter in our care, then letting you stay with us if they know there¡¯s something biologically unique to you isn¡¯t surprising.¡±

    Mikasa looked at Levi with less bloodthirst and more inquisitiveness. ¡°Play along. You people don¡¯t trust the Empire either, but you don¡¯t think the Scouts can take them in a direct fight, so you¡¯re playing along with the Empire¡¯s talk about joint task forces and relief efforts.¡±

    ¡°Kid, be honest. Do you really think even a completely united Wall Military, no more Regiment rivalries, can take down the Empire? Get them off our planet while keeping the Walls intact?¡±

    ¡°... No,¡± Mikasa finally admitted. ¡°Their flying machines alone¡­ can turn our entire island into ash.¡±

    The fire in Mikasa started fading, but it was still burning, Levi could tell. She understood better now that safeguarding the Walls and their people was going to take a lot more tact than Mikasa¡¯s single-minded rebellious attitude.

    ¡°The Empire is powerful,¡± Erwin agreed. ¡°A single Legion, the five-hundred-and-first, is only a fraction of a power that we can only speculate on from what the Imperials let us see. Which is why I want you, Mikasa, and Eren with the Scouts, to show the Empire we aren¡¯t merely submitting to them. To show we have capable, abnormal soldiers they can¡¯t easily anticipate. Make the Legion think twice about undermining us, and consider the losses they will suffer if they overtly take arms against us.¡±

    Suspicion returned in Mikasa¡¯s tone. ¡°But the Empire in the trial helped you take custody of us. Their Commander mocked and humiliated the MPs.¡±

    Miche clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s all part of the game we¡¯re playing. You two stay in the Scouts, then you stay in the Joint Task Force, where the Empire is investing a lot in, instead of letting Eren get dissected by the MPs or you discharged from the Military entirely.¡±

    ¡°Why would the Empire make enemies with the Regiment closest to the King?¡±

    ¡°Think it through, Acerkman. They¡¯re playing both sides.¡±

    There was a knock on the door. Levi had a good idea who it was. Eager to get more work done with actional information than to keep trying to sell the Scouts to Mikasa, Levi marched across the room to let her in.

    ¡°Scout Staff Officer Ilse Langnar, reporting, sir!¡± announced the freckle-faced scribe who entered the room with a rigid salute.

    Familiar with the dutiful soldier, Erwin greeted her with a welcoming smile. ¡°At ease. Illse, this is Mikasa Ackerman and Eren Yeager, the Scouts¡¯ latest recruits. Feel free to speak in front of them. As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve put together, time is a precious resource we shouldn¡¯t waste.¡±

    Trusting Mikasa with Ilse¡¯s intelligence update? Levi was surprised at how forthcoming Erwin was being but didn¡¯t object. Ilse¡¯s hesitation as she glanced at Mikasa was quickly put aside. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ilse consulted her notes, written in the code she, Hange, and another Scout had developed a year ago. ¡°I can confirm two days ago, Premier Darius Zachary, Dimo Reeves of the merchant company of the same name, regional nobleman Lord Wald, and others of note attended a live demonstration of Imperial weapons at a site hosted by Stormtrooper Commander Daine Jir in the western half of Wall Sina.¡±

    Ilse was one of the Scouts¡¯ most valuable intelligence operatives. She still joined the Scouts on expeditions into Titan territory, keeping her Titan-killing skills sharp, but the bulk of her work after a particularly brutal expedition shifted toward skulduggery, snooping in the night to help keep Erwin and his cabal aware of backdoor dealings and underlying sentiments relevant to the Scouts. She had a great attention to detail matched by a natural lust for knowledge, almost comparable to Hange. Levi appreciated that Ilse lacked the same disturbing enthusiasm for Titans as her.

    With Eren mostly cleaned up of blood, Miche started putting away the medical materials into their kit and looked to Ilse. ¡°Did a courier misplace the Scouts¡¯ invitation?¡±

    ¡°No, Premier Zachary was the only Wall Military representative at the demonstration. No one from the three Regiments was invited.¡± She tapped a page in her book. ¡°Separate from the Empire, private contractors handled security. I got in as one of them, wrote down the names of the faces I recognized, and copied the invitation list I found.¡± Ilse tore off the sheet and handed it to Erwin, who gave it a cursory once-over.

    ¡°So Daine Jir secretly courted Zachary,¡± Erwin surmised, ¡°while also collaborating with the Scouts. They invested in two possible avenues for Eren to remain a soldier, yet neglected to inform us of their business with the Premier.¡±

    ¡°Zachary¡¯s playing politics, too,¡± Miche said, ¡°just like everyone else. He gave us custody without showing too much bias for the Scouts. Dawk will be pissed about Jir getting away with firing his blaster in the middle of the trial, though.¡±

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°Dawk would have been incensed regardless as long as he lost the trial.¡± Erwin nodded at Mikasa. ¡°Our latest recruit here made a good point about the Empire risking damage to their relationship with the MPs. Ilse, what else do you have on recent developments in the Interior?¡±

    Ilse flipped to another page. ¡°Right. With the Legion basing themselves at Trost, the Empire has General Rouse Ziering and his people in the Interior. They¡¯re schmoozing the aristocrats, distributing foodstuffs to the outlying villages who contribute resources to the inner districts, scouting the terrain for the¡­¡±

    ¡°The source of the disruption field,¡± Levi said, not bothering to clarify the particulars for Mikasa. Let that stew in the back of her mind for a while. They can¡¯t just drop everything and explain each minute detail to the new blood. It would spoil her.

    ¡°Yeah, that. Stormtroopers and Army Troopers follow Ziering¡¯s staff. I¡¯m not sure if the Stormtroopers are five-oh-first or belong to Ziering¡¯s¡­ I think the term they used is Battlegroup, not Legion.¡±

    Miche raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ziering is still subordinate to Vader, isn¡¯t he? Triton Squad told me General is one of the highest ranks in the Imperial Military. Maybe Ziering¡¯s Battlegroup is supposed to be separate from Vader¡¯s Stormtroopers, if Commander Jir is supposed to be Vader¡¯s man leading the Legion.¡±

    ¡°Vader must be roughly the equivalent to a Premier,¡± Erwin deduced. ¡°Everyone answers to him, and they all ultimately want to go home back to the Empire, but there should still be inter-branch conflicts we can play to our advantage, just as well as the Empire will do to us.¡±

    Levi noticed Mikasa looking lost, being subjected to territory out of her depth for a rookie soldier like her. Things were easier when she defaulted to seeing everyone around her as an enemy. She knew things were more complicated than that, and she was having trouble keeping track of how the Scouts were navigating all the rivalries and scheming that had always gone on behind closed doors, only ramped up by new players in the Empire.

    But if she was some super soldier Ackerman, then Mikasa will learn fast, get into the swing of things soon enough. Levi hoped Eren will be able to keep up.

    Wanting to contribute, Mikasa blurted, ¡°Janek Sunber. He was the Lieutenant who helped the 104th cadets get to safety during Trost. My friend Armin¨C¡±

    ¡°Armin Arlert,¡± Erwin said with an acknowledging tilt of his head toward Mikasa. ¡°I¡¯ve spoken with them both, briefly.¡±

    ¡°Sunber is ¨C well, friendly with Armin. He acted like he genuinely cared about saving us, and he made it a point to try subduing me without killing or severely injuring me when I fought the Imperials. He clashed with Sheckil when the Stormtroopers pointed their blasters at us at Trost HQ.¡±

    Erwin was a nice guy, so he indulged Mikasa and followed her train of thought. ¡°You think Janek can serve as an Imperial ally to the Walls.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s someone who doesn¡¯t want to be our enemy, at least.¡±

    Our enemy. Good. Get that mindset locked in early. Unfortunately, a grunt of disapproval came from Miche. ¡°How can you make that judgment when you¡¯ve been saddled in a cage for the past¨C¡±

    Another argument was about to break out with Miche¡¯s objection. Levi cut it off before Mikasa resorted to ineffectually glaring at people again. ¡°Ilse,¡± he said, bringing everyone¡¯s attention back to the Scouts¡¯ favorite scribe, ¡°the weapons demonstration with Zachary was two days ago. You got the latest on Ziering and the Interior¡­¡±

    ¡°Yesterday,¡± Ilse finished.

    ¡°Tell me you and your lesser half got something useful while the rest of us were dealing with the trial today.¡±

    Ilse sheepishly grinned. ¡°Well, he¡¯s still working on it. I was barely able to get into the weapons demo last-minute, and most of the nobles are hiding in their estates deciding how to handle the Empire. Not a lot care to open their doors for¨C¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡±

    No one jumped at the sudden voice. The Scouts present, and even the inexperienced Mikasa, were too disciplined to be startled by the slithery guy opening the door and speaking with a surprisingly deep voice for someone his age.

    It took Erwin a second to place his name. Levi already spoke with him, but the last time Erwin was in the same room as this Scout was probably the younger man¡¯s wedding. ¡°Ah. Dirk. It¡¯s been a while. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re doing well.¡±

    With a tired smile, the dark-haired, one-armed Scout sauntered inside and gave a half-hearted salute with his available limbs.

    Dirk Reiss had joined the Scouts around the same time as Ilse. His reward for his service was an arm getting chewed to bits by a Titan. The tradeoff he got in return was for Ilse to avoid getting chomped herself by that Titan, and he eventually got to play the role of house husband for her.

    It wasn¡¯t the worst ending for a Scout. Far from it.

    But for someone from a family who had a seat on the Royal Assembly to fall so far from grace, joining the ostracized Scouts and falling into obscurity from the noble class¡­

    ¡°So the Ackerman gets to hear my life story, too?¡± Dirk asked. She didn¡¯t squirm, but Mikasa clearly didn¡¯t look happy at the way he coldly regarded her, contrasting the smile he was still wearing. Old habits must die hard for him.

    Ilse elbowed Dirk. ¡°Hey, you knew what you were getting into,¡± she lightly rebuked, ¡°when you said yes to Captain Levi¡¯s offer. Show some manners.¡±

    Dirk rolled his eyes but was cowed enough to reel back the icy air he exuded.

    ¡°Mikasa,¡± Erwin said as he gestured to Ilse¡¯s lover boy, ¡°this is Dirk Reiss. His brother, Ulklin Reiss, is a Lord who sits on the Royal Assembly.¡±

    The distrust sparked instantly in Mikasa¡¯s eyes. Levi assumed Eren shared a similar prejudice against nobles, but Mikasa¡¯s distrust dissipated swiftly. To Levi¡¯s satisfaction, she caught on fast and focused on the details that mattered. ¡°You know about¡­ the persecution of my family?¡± Mikasa carefully asked.

    Dirk may have been born in a noble family, but in the brief time Levi¡¯s worked with him, he was a Scout, through and through. As such, he had his own maverick quirks, so he neglected Mikasa¡¯s question and pulled Ilse in an embrace that left her flustered. ¡°A whole week we had to be apart, and the second we¡¯re back together, we need to do more work? See, this is why I left the Scouts.¡± Sharing a sense of humor with him, Miche chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mikasa,¡± said Erwin, ignoring Miche¡¯s and Dirk¡¯s byplay, ¡°but you can inquire Dirk about your bloodline at another time. Dirk, I take it you were able to make contact with your family?¡±

    ¡°Not quite, unfortunately.¡± After another affectionate squeeze shared between Ilse and her boy, Dirk dropped down on a chair to rest his legs. ¡°If the Ackerman is here, should I give her some context?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± When he shot the cold smile at Mikasa again, Dirk got his ear flicked by Ilse. ¡°Alright! So. Ackerman. I was with the Scouts till I retired, for obvious reasons.¡± He wagged his stump up and down. ¡°My brother¡¯s apparently a fan of the Empire, so Commander Erwin here pulled me back in to see if I could learn more.¡±

    Donning her eternal frown, Miaksa asked, ¡°Your family has a large influence on the Royal Assembly?¡±

    Levi held in his own sigh when Dirk let out an overly dramatic one. That was something he hadn¡¯t missed when Dirk was still a Scout. ¡°My father once had the ear of the King,¡± Dirk said. ¡°Then five years ago, a murderer tore his head off and wretched out the throat of my mother.¡± Mikasa didn¡¯t let herself look phased. Levi commended her discipline when she wasn¡¯t whining about Eren. ¡°The killer was never caught. The oldest son, Ulklin, the prick that he was, decided to cut off loose ends. He gave what was owed to the rest of his siblings instead to the nobles who could keep him in power; they gave him father¡¯s Assembly seat. My sisters and I had to start new lives outside of the Interior¡­¡±

    Rubbing Dirk¡¯s back, Ilse added, ¡°Only Dirk kept his family name. We haven¡¯t been able to find his sisters.¡±

    Erwin asked, ¡°Were you not able to speak with Ulklin today?¡±

    Dirk shook his head. ¡°I had a couple childhood friends from my rich-kid days who took sympathy on ol¡¯ one-armed Dirk. Plus, they know I¡¯m a Scout. People in the Capital may not like the Scouts, but they can¡¯t deny we¡¯ve got fighters. Folks are doing the same thing my brother is: making investments in potential allies from the unlikeliest of places.¡±

    Levi scoffed. ¡°You promised your nobleman buddies the Scouts would back them if the Empire starts trampling their pretty gardens?¡±

    ¡°I told them the Scouts would think about it if the pay was any good.¡±

    Miche belched a hearty laugh. ¡°You should have made them promise to have their cooks spruce up some fancy meals for us. With meat.¡±

    Dirk shared the laugh. ¡°The point is, this entire week, I wasn¡¯t able to speak with Ulklin directly. The people around him say he¡¯s putting all his time cozying up with the Empire. Sorry, Commander. I can only confirm what you already know.¡±

    Levi would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t disappointed, no matter how unlikely Dirk could have been able to pull something out of his ass. Erwin of course hid any of his disappointment, keeping up the strong, determined image in front of the troops. ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Erwin said. ¡°Your input is still valuable as the only one of us who has ever personally spoken with Ulklin Reiss. We know he has shown a preference for the Imperials, voting to support Kyojin¡¯s status as a client state of the Empire. The Assembly has always been traditional hardliners, yet they immediately changed their tune when Ulklin spoke up. Why does he believe he can make the Empire serve the Walls?¡±

    Dirk gave a useless shrug. ¡°I¡¯d call it arrogance more than anything. He thinks he¡¯s hot stuff bringing the Reiss family back from the brink, even if the only family left in it is himself. The Empire just gives him more opportunities to show off.¡±

    Sounded like Dirk was letting his bias cloud his judgment. Miche saw it, too, saying, ¡°You really think it¡¯s the folly of youth that makes him think he can control how the Empire treats us?¡±

    Levi could see the wisecrack coming a kilometer away, so he chimed in before Dirk did. ¡°Eren over there and the Imps during the trial talked about the MPs being too afraid to do anything substantial about the Titans. Back in the first meeting we had with the Assembly, the Garrison, and the Empire, nothing about Ulklin was afraid. There has to be something more he has up his sleeve to be so confident the Empire will do what he wants.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t even arrogance that Levi would describe what was motivating Ulklin that day. There was no overconfidence like in the rich merchants who believed they already made it big in life, or the indignation from the fat noblemen by being intimidated by the Empire¡¯s superior power. It was¡­ peaceful self-assurance. Faith. Like the true believers in the Church who honestly would let themselves get eaten by a Titan with a smile. Because they were so immersed in their belief that the ¡®goddesses¡¯ in the Walls were orchestrating a grand destiny for them, no matter what happened. Ulklin had faith things would turn out well, but it can¡¯t solely be delusion driving him if he was able to get the Assembly to follow his lead.

    The MPs were the Royal Assembly¡¯s lap dogs. The MPs wanted Eren dead¡­ but did the Assembly have more people like Eren in their control? More Titan Shifters hidden as regular humans? Was that Ulklin Reiss¡¯ play if push comes to shove with the Empire?

    ¡°If he¡¯s got a secret army of super soldier Ackermans hiding in his basement,¡± Dirk said with unbidden sarcasm, ¡°no one can say, least of all little ol¡¯ ex-communicated me.¡±

    Erwin was undeterred. ¡°Then that will be your job. Levi, the cadets here are your charges now. Miche, keep in contact with Triton Squad if you can. Ilse will continue tracking the Empire¡¯s dealings in the Interior, and Dirk will continue uncovering anything he can about his brother and the intentions of the rest of the Assembly.¡±

    Mikasa was going to hate Oluo the second he opened his mouth. Levi resigned himself to the future headaches.

    ¡°Pulling me out of retirement full-time, Commander?¡± Dirk asked with a joking grin. ¡°Ilse¡¯s mom will get sick of babysitting the kids before the month¡¯s over.¡±

    Ilse playfully shoved him. ¡°Dirk, come on. She loves our little tykes.¡±

    ¡°Hey, if I¡¯m technically a Scout again, does that mean I can get a metal prosthetic the Empire¡¯s been giving away?¡±

    Levi bristled at the mention of those strange appendages put into soldiers hurt at Trost. Of course Hange was all for them, which Levi approved only to a point. They knew nothing about the Empire¡¯s cybernetics and only had their word they weren¡¯t more invasive than necessary. What if the Empire implanted listening devices like comlinks in them? And the soldiers had to rely on Imperial doctors for any maintenance on the prosthetics, or complete replacements if the younger cadets grew bigger over time and weren¡¯t as compatible with the current metal attachments they were given.

    Cyborg limbs were too much of an unknown already put into the people of the Walls that didn¡¯t sit well with Levi. Ilse shared his doubts. ¡°Hey,¡± she said to her husband, ¡°you don¡¯t need ¨C We still don¡¯t know how those things¨C¡±

    ¡°Give it another week,¡± suggested Miche, ¡°for Hange to get around to playing with a prosthetic. She can give it a certified Zoe seal of approval.¡±

    Levi noticed Erwin reading over Ilse¡¯s list of attendees at the Imperial weapons demonstration one more time before pocketing it. Erwin turned his attention to Mikasa, the girl sitting quietly as she observed the Scouts around her.

    ¡°Mikasa, do you understand now?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making use of every resource you can get your hands on. Whether it¡¯s me, Eren, an amputee, your dog, or the pipsqueak.¡± Levi crossed his arms but said nothing. She¡¯ll need to get more creative with her insults to get a decent rise out of him. ¡°Eren will fight for the Walls, his home, no matter what. I¡¯ll fight for him, no matter who our enemies are. If that means working for the Scouts, and as a member of the Joint Task Force with the Empire, then I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    So she was convinced. ¡°Glad to see we¡¯re all on the same page,¡± Levi said dryly.

    Dirk nodded his head and flashed another toothy smile. He was probably going for an arrogant, predatory angle to taunt Mikasa. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see the Ackermans finally repay their debt to society in something meaningful.¡±

    Levi was happy to know his squad won¡¯t be working extensively with Dirk for the coming days. Settling the cadets with the current members of Levi Squad was bad enough. Listening to the back-and-forth between Dirk¡¯s condescension and Ilse¡¯s reprimands wasn¡¯t a dynamic Levi would have enjoyed regularly re-experiencing. Ilse was already at it again, saying, ¡°Dirk, you don¡¯t know this girl. She can¡¯t be held responsible for¨C¡±

    ¡°True, I don¡¯t know her. I can only hope she has the will to follow her convictions, unlike the last Ackerman my family had the pleasure of working with.¡±

    ¡°... will¡­¡±

    By virtue of being right next to the boy, Mikasa reacted faster than Levi at the mumble leaving Eren¡¯s lips. She was on her knees and caressing Eren¡¯s head lying on a couch cushion. Levi walked bristly toward them, and saw absolutely no trace of Miche¡¯s beating on Eren.

    And he supposedly could regrow entire body parts, not just teeth. There just had to be an unseen clock counting down for when the Empire seized another chance to take Eren for themselves and learn all about how a biological human developed the ability to heal like a Titan, at rates even faster than their miracle paste in the bacta.

    Eren suddenly sat up, eyes hysterically wide as he gasped for air. ¡°Will! Need to follow¡­ follow the will¡­¡±

    Mikasa was babying him already. ¡°Eren, it¡¯s okay. You¡¯re safe. I¡¯m here with you.¡±

    Not the words of reassurance Eren was looking for, clearly. He looked at Mikasa only once before turning his ragged gaze around the room.

    Eren¡¯s next words made Levi realize why the Empire let the Scouts keep Eren.

    ¡°I need to see Darth Vader,¡± Eren said with a fierce resolve drawn straight from the heart.

    Yeah, reining in the rookies was going to be fun.