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

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

Reinforcements were not coming, her death was guaranteed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The guard was pinned against the wall, gargling.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three decades too late, Jessica thought, oh well.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

∗ ∗ ∗

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

It crashed directly back towards her.

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

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

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

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