Eliza has to push things further herself.
Because Kazuki was right, all the way back then, Eliza remembers the moments before the incident.
She wasn’t willing to pull all the stops for her mission, and this is the culmination of all her decisions.
Kazuki became the Contract-Breaker because of that. He dropped his entire life on a dime, all for her?! It was just... insanity? Eliza was grateful, yet it persisted.
All for her? She can’t help but worry, yet as the scene vividly plays out in her mind, the words still stung, though the memory is fragmented.
Things weren’t clear, far from it. But she remembered nonetheless, trying to form a clear image as she was met face to face with Kazuki.
He knelt in front of the crate she sat on. Blood dripped down his face, as the bodies in the room let off a foul odour, she could never forget that. Best she tries, the stench of death tasted firsthand refused to leave.
“Do you want it?” asked Kazuki. He placed a hand on her shoulder. Worry was in his dead eyes. They just crossed the Rubicon Corridor, Eliza thought.
Her eyes were stuck on the growing blood stain along his black tunic.
“I know enough to force his hand. I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier.”
Gold grit glowed in all its glints and hues.
She didn’t know what to say back then. After everything that happened till then, she was still trying to keep up with what was going on. The flurry of information just sent to her caught her, for once, dumbfounded. She tugged at the edges of her red dress, its hem and trims a vibrant purple.
“Yes… but what’s going on?”
“This source of yours wanted to sell you into slavery; brooches sell for a lot these days.” Kazuki stood up. Now, he presented himself as an unrelenting force of justice.
She said nothing.
He nodded, taking her silence as approval. “Then let it be done. Though the Eclipses fall.”
Confusion struck her as she looked up at him. She stuttered, “W—wait? What are you going to do?” Her crimson eyes were weary, filled to the brim with stress-bled tears.
“Torture the answer out of him.” said Kazuki, “He knows something. I’ll have my second cover me… It’ll be hard, though.”
“—What!” shouted Eliza, shooting up from the crate, light from the stars and abyss beyond was blocked partially by crates and stacked boxes. The light, did, illuminate Eliza’s face. Kazuki’s face maintained in darkness. “I’ll get an answer out of him, please…”
She grabbed both of his hands. He stayed motionless, the clocks of his cybernetic implants turning with near silent ticks. Eliza could hear them, however... Perfect cycles. “Just... please! You can’t do this... Didn’t you want me to look around your exospine?”
“Shame.” It was blunt, and the only word that stuck in Eliza’s mind. “Actions must be answered.
“Kaz… I… What should I even do now?” Eliza asked.
Kazuki had no response. His eyes narrowed and he sighed, taking in a deep breath. Was she convincing him? His head drooped slightly low.
“When I was tied up, in that crate, I thought it was the end… But you’re here now… And… I thought it was a miracle.” Eliza’s grip got tighter at the mere motion of Kazuki’s wrists. He was stronger than her, but that won’t stop her from trying with all her might.
Kazuki interjected, “Iris-be-damned. It’s no miracle. Do not have faith, have knowledge. Don’t believe I would come. Know that I would have come.”
“I know.” Eliza’s grip weakened. Kazuki tugged away. He turned deeper into the darkness – leaving Eliza in the bright light of the stars.
It was the last thing she said, before Kazuki left her some parting words. “Get somewhere safe. The Marquis will protect you. He has a soft spot for misfits such as you and I. Lucky, Dáwidiek will pick you up.”
His silhouette vanished. Eliza took a step forward, stepping across the darkness. She could go no further... Alone, here, in the middle of nowhere: Eliza collapsed to the floor.
Her faint sobs attracted footsteps. Kazuki picked her up, stepping out from the darkness. He sat her down on one of the larger, more comfortable crates. Either spoke a word to another. As he carried her, his hands were shaking, as if carrying such a fragile thing.
Both avoided each other’s eyes. Eliza tried to open her mouth, but looked away instead, gritting her teeth. Kazuki nodded. With a dead, gold glare, he left.
Maybe things could have been different. Maybe she could have convinced him… The memories felt more like mirages, the events after she was freed. Gunshots rang out across the Ball Palace. And she remembers the sight as she walked down the hallway…
Dead men. Security. Tessie and his guards, scattered around with large holes in their chest and heads.
A few Kiapra Knights were injured, but it seemed Kazuki didn’t kill any of them.
It was gruesome… Eliza felt like puking just at the mere thought of it, but she continued onwards.
She continued to investigate on her own… Just where was Kazuki during this? Eliza thought back then, was this truly what he’s willing to do? The answer seems so clear now.
And as she looked out the large restaurant window, she could see a transport corvette speed away, chased by a dozen gunships from the station. Bolts, lasers and munitions were exchanged, and nothing changed. She looked down at the bloodied table, seeing the corpse. Matt Tessie, dead. Leaning back against fine-leather, he disgusted her. But not as much as the sight did.
Blood gushing out from the empty neck cavity. His head and brains were simply red mist that lingered, slowly falling to the ground. Eliza’s rose-red eyes felt nothing at the spectacle, a parting gift from Kazuki. Her first steps into the industry showed her the brutality of it all, something which the visages of her memory hid… She took a step back from it, recoiling at the foul smell and blood, and she realised that she must learn - or suffer the same fate. she stomached it. Feeling nothing, she gently closed her eyes - and placed her knuckles against the office door, knocking lightly.
∗ ∗ ∗ ELIZA No answer came at first, but that was to be expected. Knowing her father, he’d probably believe he was hearing things. But she persisted anyway. She tapped the touch-pad attached to the side of the door, phasing it out of place, revealing her dad’s study.
Her aristocratic-brooch shined purple with the energy of star essence, the fragments of an old star-god shifting and twirling within it. She wore professional attire, though did wear a hoodie beneath the white and crimson blazer.
Eliza just wanted to feel a bit warmer in the Anagoran early springs.
And sitting at his pristine desk on the other side of the room was none other than her dad. He sluggishly brushed away the notion of caring for his daughter as he continued to type away at his holo-computer. The walls were lined with pristinely kept bookshelves, each collated and curated by a serving-drone. They jutted out from the walls, with large slides capable of folding the shelves into the walls. The shelves sprawled out and up, with thousands of data-pads and memory units hooked onto them, along with conjoining cables interlaced throughout the room and walls. Eliza couldn’t count all of them, even if she tried.
But she tried anyway, her eyes sorting through them all, trying to find just a single lead. But she couldn’t keep standing at the door. Frederick glanced upwards, and said, “Speak.”
She stepped into the office, the dead-warmth of the living room outside fell into a freezing abyss as she approached, placing her hands within the pockets of her hoodie. “I have a few questions I want answered, dad.”
Her dad had a cloak over his shoulder, showing his place in high society, along with a buttoned up shirt and waistcoat. His deep blue police work tunic was strewn across the backrest of his chair, a degradation of what he should believe… Nothing about him screamed ‘commissioner’, nor justice.
Frederick paused at the word ‘dad’, his eyes glaring at her as he took his hands off the keyboard. Sliding his holo-laptop to the side, he leant forward. He placed his hands together as he glanced over towards the polished revolver, gently hovering on its stand.
She quickly walked up to the desk, her eyes scanning the room, finding a small series of key-drives locked in place within a Universal Coordinator storage, attached to one of the shelves beside her. It had a few dozen drives, all with police markings on them… She remembered Kazuki’s words, yet fruitlessly hoped that she could convince her father.
“I wish to know why you’re so against me solving the Ptolemy Incident,” Eliza demanded, placing both hands on the desk. She had to act tough, pushing her chest outwards as she made a slight scowl. He stayed silent…
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Her face was wracked with exhaustion; having to deal with both helping the AGENCY and with university, luckily… her presence is not needed at all times - yet she felt tired at the delays. She could tell that the look didn’t fit her, but continued anyways, the back of her ears going a crimson red.
At first, Frederick didn’t give her an answer. She expected nothing less, why would he give her an answer? That was just the type of person her dad was. She looked towards the numerous police plaques and awards that the Metro Dept had, adorning the walls. There were none after the year 4915, ten years ago.
But to her surprise, he opened his mouth, and said, “You’ll never find justice there.”
Saying that she was surprised would be a flat lie; she knew it was an open secret that the police was… inadequate. But hearing it from her father? Here? It stung her. Yet she steeled herself through the confusion. “I—I am just trying to bring closure to something that’s affected billions! Justice be done, though the Eclipses fall? Isn’t that the motto?”
Frederick sighed, leaning forward. He had a strained expression on his face, probably exhausted with dealing with his daughter for even a moment. “You’re still naive. Kazuki is dragging you to an early grave… Get out of there, now.” He shook his head, biting each word as he held himself together. “You’re not ready for that path...”
He maintained his composure, even though his face spoke something Eliza wasn’t too familiar with. Her dad looked… conflicted? She had to get the information out of him, but is he trying to protect her from the industry?
“Kazuki can protect me.” Eliza stated, trying to batter his worries away. She watched as Frederick stood up, far taller than her as he turned around, looking out towards the endless Anagoran skyline, a bleeding visage of red, orange and blue. “I know he can.”
Frederick took in a deep breath, watching as traffic whizzed past. Innumerable Imperial-era defence bastions rose up above the clouds, with a thousand floating islands interconnected with shuttle-trains. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into, do you?”
Eliza felt the coldness encompass the room. Yet the fire within her fought back; she did everything to bring her sister’s memory to rest, but he wasn't even willing to give her proper answers? “Attempting what you never bothered… avenging my sister.”
Synthia whispered into Eliza’s eaar, propping up onto her shoulder. ‘Let us not antagonise him too much…’
Her father’s face started to boil, a brew gone wrong bubbling beneath his eyes. “You’re a fool. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into, which of your thousand trinket-accolades make you think that you’re prepared for anything?” asked Frederick, “You think that the Contract-Breaker can pave a space-lane for you? Your foolishness is almost as abbrash as your perceived control… no: possessiveness of that murderer! He’ll cleave a bloody path for you straight to your coffin!”
“Coffin?!” Eliza snapped, she leant over the desk, her eyes brimming with hate towards her father. Was this the man she wanted to make proud? “I did everything I could to avenge her! To avenge all of them, dad. I INVESTIGATED IT MYSELF! I TRIED EVERYTHING IN MY POWER! YOU DID NOTHING!”
Her eyes started to tear up as she took a step back. It seems like her original plan has blown up in her face. Frederick stayed silent, his head slowly moving downwards, as she twisted to the storage compartment, near her. She mulled it over in her head - they’re bound to have some information, just anything to keep the warp-gate open. She gave her dad a glance, he was still peering down into the fine, silver desk.
“I did nothing?” Frederick chuckled, not bearing his daughter’s eyes. “Eliza, you’re colluding with murderers and killers and you think you can take the moral high ground? Has the Contract-Breaker corrupted you as much as you enabled him?”
“They are not murderers…” said Eliza, shimming herself towards the storage, slowly.
Whilst his gaze was fixed looking out the window, she could feel a pry come from his head. Eliza slowly reached out towards the information vault as Frederick raised his voice, saying, “They’re freemuzzles! They’re whole job is to kill! Nothing more, nothing less. We work for the government, we have balances, checks! They do not.”
She remembered what Kazuki said about that word, Freemuzzle was essentially a slur against those of their profession. Contractor was the nice and professional name, she thought, Mercenary was the cold brutal truth that hits the message home, but Freemuzzle just sounded demeaning.
“YOU are the balance! This whole time you’ve seen them as an enemy; they’ve bled for this Republic! No more than the police, does it matter that they’re not government troops?!” Eliza snarled. He thinks he could take the high ground? When the police is known for being a corrupt mess, a mess he REFUSED to clean up after a decade of neglect!? “They’re people, people just trying to make a living with whatever skills your government trains them! People with dreams, ideas, aspirations just like us! And you can’t look past a simple title to see that?!”
They both knew that the problem was nuanced, so why does he refuse to accept that truth? As much as they have destabilised system-states, they’ve served their clients loyally - to the bitter end. They are even kept to an even higher standard of contract than government troopers, especially after the numerous CRIS fiascos…
“They are not just expendable munitions, dad!” shouted Eliza, raising her voice as she felt a fire burn within her. “You talk about oversight! Balances! Checks! They already exist! We don’t live in the Imperial era, the existence of the BCA negates everything you have said.”
Why does he hate Kaz? Underneath all that emotionless killing and fearlessness was just a normal person. Sure, circumstances make him special, even to her, but he was just a regular guy. He needs to rest, he stresses, worries no less than the rest of us…
Why can’t her dad see as clearly as she does?
“What the fuck are you talking about?” asked Frederick. As he twisted around, Eliza snatched one of the keys, moving back as she slid it into her pocket, before he could see what she had done. “You know how many men died in the siege? Billions. Out of trillions, maybe even hundreds of billions! We don’t know for sure! I know my fair share of extinguished dreams! But we fought an honourable war, defending our loved ones. We all accepted to fight to the bitter end even if Yamagata turned Republican or Imperial!”
“Then… why can’t you see it!” Eliza shouted, “Why won’t you help me?”
“Because they’re not real soldiers!” Frederick smacked his lips as he shouted at her.
‘We’re getting nowhere, Miss Elizabeth, we should head off,’ Synthia commented.
She shook her head slowly, she had to keep trying, right?
Eliza mused that any sense of rationality within her dad was gone… Perhaps her father was right; she was naive. Naive to the fact that her parents… are no different from her; they’re human, and as such can be stupid.
Still, Eliza believed that her naivety gave her what others lack: optimism. Ideals. Something bright that she knows is true. And what is that? What is that?
“None of them are. They fight wars not for a nation, but for men and women that pay them the highest standardi; this friend of yours, the Contract-Breaker, he murdered his way half-way across the galaxy and burnt Clandestine down.”
There could be no other answer, Eliza thought: it had to be justice. Clean, unabated justice. Not her father’s ideas of a twisted justice... Nor Kazuki’s blood-drenched justice. Eliza’s idealised justice was clean... That was what she believed in.
“Not real soldiers? They bleed the same blood!” Eliza retorted, “Kazuki kills not because he wants to, he kills for a purpose; I’ve known him for years, this blood thirsty ‘Contract-Breaker’ is not Kazuki, never was; never is; never will be…”
Frederick grabbed onto the desk, leaning forward as he grabbed hold of one of the various floating holo-monitors. He turned it towards Eliza, it was a dossier of each member of the seven Mercenaries and Criminals. Fourteen individuals, with the IUN record on all of them listing their crimes. Eliza glanced at it as Frederick fixed his brooch; the prideful glare and shine more prevalent than Eliza’s.
“Look at them. LOOK AT THEM CLOSELY. These are the pinnacle of your so-called ‘soldiers’, Elizabeth. They’re nothing more than criminals, mere fixers.”
Eliza felt her brooch heave down upon her, its weight increasing as the phantom pain of responsibility poured itself onto her. He was right, they were no government agents, they’re fixers. But each member of the Seven, crim or merc, was a different beast on their own right.
“You ignore the noble Antiar?” asked Eliza. She’s seen her before, member of the Seven Criminals. But despite her ‘wanted’ status, she’s honourable, noble, fulfils her work and does everything she can to protect the innocent. “She’s bled ten times to save people than to take lives.”
“Hartius Juun. Destroyed a dreadnought from the outside, civilian or not: all inside froze to death.” said Frederick, “Kyria, razed thousands of cities in the Intergalactic Crisis for her employers… And don’t get me started on your gold-eye boy: he’s killed thousands of operatives, and he’s not even twenty; he’s murdered half of Clandestine’s directors, men and women that bled to keep the Republic safe.”
“At what cost? Everyone knows their men suffered… worked like corporate slaves. And yet you… defend them?!” asked Eliza, her face disgusted at her own father. “I… Kazuki freed them, helped them. He killed them, yes. And you call him Contract-Breaker because of that!?”
‘Frederick, please, I encourage you to at least consider what is being said here,’ Synthia said whilst protecting onto the table for a moment.
“Contracts are sacred,” stated Frederick, his eyes thinning as he glared at his daughter. “They’re all monsters, irredeemable monsters that fight for anything that has money.”
His limbs started moving erratically, as if he was trying his best to now throw his hands up in pure anger.
“That’s all they are!” Frederick wiped Synthia off from the table. She had to project back onto Eliza’s shoulder to not fall to the ground… “Do not interfere, Synthia, I may have bought you but this is between me and my daughter.”
Making Synthia comfortable on her shoulder, Eliza looked through her mind, knowing there must be some argument - and it hit her. A battle to the prelude of the lifting of the siege.
“Monjitra.” said Eliza, straightening her back as the weight slowly lifted itself from her, with the added resolve pushing her indefatigable determination further. “In that system, a reinforcing fleet was hampered by Imperial Warlords unloyal to the Imperial Brooch. They were aided by mercenaries - Anagora-born. They broke through and saved the Republic’s heart.”
“You failed to mention… That fleet was led by Yamagata, who was an Imperial Admiral at the time,” said Frederick, poking holes in Eliza’s story, “He would have reinforced Augusti’s forces if it wasn’t for those mercenaries he picked up.”
“You don’t know that…” Eliza blurted out, but finding it hard to stomach the idea. “Why would they have fought with him if he didn’t already believe in bringing justice to the Imperials?!” It was now her turn to poke holes.
“Don’t you talk like you know him. We went to the same school. He never cared about anything, like his son! We’re all damned that two monsters had to be born of the same line.”
Eliza paused for a moment. Monsters? Was that really what Frederick saw them as? The admiral that saved the republic - the Tyrant-Killer. And the contractor that not only saved her life so many times, but puts up with having to protect her all the time? She clenched her fist, squeezing her arms to stop her from slamming them down on the table, or perhaps even against her own father.
“Shut up…”
“What?”
“SHUT THE FUCK UP! Kazuki nor his father are monsters, dad!” Eliza interjected, making no sign to hide how pissed she was, “His father betrayed the Imperials, not because of those mercenaries but because THEY MURDERED HIS FAMILY!”
Frederick raised his voice in turn. “YOU THINK A HEARTLESS NAVY-MAN LIKE HIM CARED ABOUT HIS SISTER?! He used her torture as the PERFECT pretence for his betrayal, a traitor to all!”
“Is that how you see it?” asked Eliza. Her eyes said it all, giving Frederick all he needed to delve into his own conclusions for her own question.
“Get out. OUT.”
Eliza took a step back, then twisted around. She sped up towards the exit, ignoring her father as he shouted out down at her - pointing at her. He berated her with everything he had.
“That’s right. You and your brother are too weak to face the truth! Run! You fucking coward, run back to your hired-murderers! You’re no daughter of mine! Victoria had it all, and you’re just the spare fucking parts!” shouted Frederick, his voice filled with a grit and rage she’s never heard before. Eliza couldn’t stop herself from tearing up at his insults.