Surveying
Mikasa`s Estate - Morning
Mikasa and Sasha were expecting Ymir. She had announced that she had an important reason for her visit that particular day, which surprised both of them.
Sasha: Why do you think Ymir was so mysterious about her visit? She even has a room in here…
Mikasa concerned: I don't know… strange things have been happening that nobody knows about…
Sasha: Strange things? What?
Mikasa is in deep thought: We better leave the details to Ymir…
Sasha is confused but suspicious. Meanwhile an official car arrives at the estate. Ymir gets out of the car.
Ymir: Hello Lady Mikasa I'm sorry to have troubled you in such short notice.
Sasha: COUGH, COUGH!?
Ymir: Oh yes… you. Unfortunately, this concerns you too
Sasha: Hey you still mad I threw away your flowers and dolls?
Ymir hysterical: THOSE WERE MY THINGS SASHA! -She composes herself quickly- Sigh… I'm a princess in official duty so… I have to speak to you and not kill you…
Sasha: HA! As if you could.
Ymir gives her a death stare: Don't underestimate me little girl… don't forget who trained me these years… I can slice that dirty mop that you call head in one strike…
Sasha: SO SCARED! –She takes a fighting stance- We'll see who is better fit for survival huh?
Mikasa annoyed: Can you stop?
Ymir embarrassed: RIGHT! Sorry Lady Mikasa. Well to the matter at hand. The crown has something to ask both of you, something quite delicate. Please join me to the military training grounds in the estate, there are some people waiting for you.
Sasha and Mikasa are surprised about this.
Military Training Center
Mikasa is shocked. Sasha is excited. Historia, Armin, Connie and Jean are waiting for them at the center.
Historia: Hey Mikasa! Surprise! Look who's here!
Mikasa smiles, meanwhile Sasha starts to bother everyone
Sasha: How come you are here?! You never come here anymore!
Armin: We wish this was a just a friendly visit Sasha. Unfortunately, it's not.
Mikasa looks concerned: Armin… what's happening?
All of them sit at the dinning hall of the center to talk. The entire estate and the military complex are heavily guarded by Historia's personal guard.
Historia: As excited and happy as I am to see you all here, we have some pressing matters to address. As you can see, there is heavy security for this meeting. This is not just for Sasha.
Mikasa looks very concerned.
Armin: Jean and Connie are here with me as an official visit from the foreign ministry of Marley. But the true purpose is another. We have serious concerns that a Marleyan terrorist organization is trying to infiltrate in Paradis.
Mikasa and Sasha are shocked.
Sasha: You mean the Eldian hating assholes?
Jean: Yes that's right.
Sasha: But I thought those were just a bunch of nobodies?
Connie: Well yeah they are… but we have reasons to be concerned.
Historia: Mikasa… you were with me when the deal between Sheena Tech and the Rohr Corporation was approved by the council.
Mikasa: Yes… it was strange. Everyone knew about Ackerman, and it was still approved with excitement.
Historia: I'm afraid money and power are our enemies nowadays. My military sources have informed me heavy amounts of money and contracts were spread around in the council to guarantee the approval of the deal.
Ymir: Needless to say, most people in the council are a bunch of idiots.
Armin: This is not just a matter of political corruption. We have suspicions as to what the true intentions of that deal were… we believe it has to do with the original plan Kaspar Ackerman had… the plan involving you Mikasa
Mikasa and Sasha are shocked.
Jean: We don't want to concern you Mikasa, but we felt it was necessary to take precautions and prepare.
Armin: We never knew what that man wanted. He has kept a low profile for almost all this time… but recently things have began to change in Marley… Ackerman's proxy, a man called Iro Aganyu was named Minister of Industries much to my opposition and Pieck's… but we were outvoted… it seems he used the same corrupt practices to secure his position.
Connie: After that, he has gained a lot of influence over all decisions made in the council. We believe he has the minister of the interior in his pocket…
Armin: Ackerman was transferred to a political prison. He has a lot of resources now, communications, information, special treatment… it's more like he lives in a hotel than in prison.
Ymir: Couldn't it just be that Aganyu is repaying Ackerman?
Jean: We considered that… but coincidently… we have reports of a growing number of Helos cells forming around Marley… at the same time when the deal with Paradis was made…
Mikasa: You think he means to attack again?
Armin is deep in thought: It is a possibility… why we don't know… why use an anti Eldian terrorist group when his goal was for the Ackerman's to gain power? Why attack Marley as well?
Jean: Why now? After all this years? His company never had money trouble… why wait all this time?
Sasha: That man sure seems to be patient…
Connie: We don't have anything linking Aganyu and the Rohr Company with the terrorists cells but we felt it was necessary to do something…
Historia: That's why I summoned all of you here. We have to prepare. So me and Armin have a plan for all of you.
First of all… the reason as to why we are here… I'm reinstating the Survey Corps!
Everyone is shocked but Armin.
Historia: After seeing Mikasa training Ymir… I remembered when Eren and me were kidnapped by the Anti-Personnel Control Squad and a thought came to my mind… why not use that in our favor? Our enemies are other humans now, not titans… so in order to protect us from these people we need to use everything we have in our favor… and that is our training and experience as Survey Corps members. We are now almost the only people alive who still know how to use the vertical maneuvering equipment.
Armin: The Corps instead of killing titans will now serve as an underground intelligence and tactical special squad. It will consist only of people we trust.
Historia: It will be my personal squad. Only I will know about it, the government will not be informed about this.
Mikasa: So how will you fund this operation?
Ymir proudly: That's where I come in!
Historia: I have named Ymir Minister without Portafolio. Nobody in the council saw this with suspicion, as she is the princess… and because of how she is…
Sasha grinning: You mean an idiot right?
Ymir throws a bottle at her: She means my royal presence and conduct fool.
Historia: She has been accompanying me to prepare for her role as Queen in the future and as you can see, she likes to constantly change her clothes and wear jewelry. SO! I have given her office a small budget that was approved, as everyone in the council thought it was to pay for her luxuries.
Ymir: HA! Those idiots underestimate me! The funds will actually be used to fund our covert operation here… meanwhile I sewed my own clothes and use mom's jewelry.
Sasha: So you made the rag that you are using now?
Sasha and Ymir start to bicker.
Armin: Anyway, as that was taken care of, we need leadership and guidance for this new Survey Corps. That's were you come in Jean and Connie…
Both of them are shocked, they knew nothing about his.
Armin: Sorry for not informing you earlier… but you do have a big mouth Connie. This is dangerous information, it could not leak to anyone.
Connie: Geez thanks Armin…
Jean: What do you want us to do?
Historia excited: Jean Kirsten… I name you the 16th Commander of the Survey Corps!
Jean and Connie are shocked: WHAAT?!
Connie: WHY JEAN AND NOT ME?!
Armin: I think I just told you why Connie…
Connie: Wha..? When?!
Historia: You will be 2nd in command Connie! Both of you will be in charge of training the new recruits… they are already here. It's my personal guard. I trust all of them.
Jean: I don't understand… you were the last commander Armin…
Armin: I'm minister of foreign relations of Marley Jean… my position will allow me to have key intelligence… I cannot leave my post… and also… there are Annie and Christine… I have to be in Marley.
Jean angry: BUT WHAT ABOUT ME?! I have Pieck and Marco!
Armin: She already agreed to this.
Jean: Whaa! You told her and not me?!... And she said nothing to me either!
Armin: She knew you would reject the idea… she asked me to tell you it's fine, she will come every month to visit you under the pretext of an official visit as she is the Minister of Eldian Affairs. And Marco is 15 years old and he is in military training with Leo. Speaking of them we have a role for them too…
After some leverage and pressure, I managed to convince the military heads of Marley to allow both of them to begin training as officials. They will have direct military intelligence from within.
Sasha is concerned that Marco and Leo have joined the military.
Connie notices this and pats her head: Don't worry Sasha. Leo will be okay. He might behave like a puppy when he is with you, but when he is not, he is quite intimidating. He is actually pretty scary like Annie.
Sasha blushes a bit.
Armin: Oh Jean… Pieck also told me that she has eyes everywhere and that you better leave Mikasa alone.
Jean shoots blood from his nose: WHAAT!? I'M NOT… I WON'T… SHIT ARMIN!
Mikasa smiles a little bit but she is too concerned about everything that is happening.
Historia: That brings me to you Mikasa…
Mikasa looks at her surprised.
Historia: I want you to become ambassador to Marley again. We need you away from Paradis. You have an extraordinary ability to extract information and to make deals, we need you to become an information source from the companies in Marley. Can you do it? Please?
Mikasa is surprised: I…
Armin: You are thinking of Sasha right? We have a role for her too.
Mikasa is shocked and a bit outraged. Sasha is excited
Armin: Please listen. Sasha, because of her training with the captain and Annie has become the best tactical fighter there is, she has unique survival skills… we never told you this… but in one of her training rounds with the captain, they actually encountered a small terrorist cell in the woods.
Mikasa is histerical and nearly breaks the table: WHAT?!
Sasha: I'M SORRY MOM! I'M FINE YOU SEE! NOTHING HAPPENED!
Armin: She and the captain managed to singlehandedly capture all of the terrorists without killing them. They prevented a bombing in one of the poor towns of Marley… so we thought about asking you and Sasha if she could help us surveying for these cells in Marley…
Mikasa: NO.
Sasha stands up: MOM! You can't keep treating me like a little girl!
Mikasa: You are not becoming a soldier Sasha!
Sasha: That's my decision! How could expect for me to NOT become a soldier if you, dad, everyone in my life have been soldiers!
Mikasa is speechless.
Sasha: I can do this mom! Trust me!
Armin: She won't be alone Mikasa… the captain is going with her wherever she goes. He has already agreed to this.
Jean: Well that's surprising.
Armin: He is quite smitten with her. You are family after all…
Sasha feels moved by this.
Armin: Their role is only to survey, not engage. Marco and Leo will manage the military strikes.
Sasha felt a little shock inside of her hearing this.
Mikasa sits down: How… does Annie feel about this… Leo is in danger too… and you Jean…
Jean: I'm concerned obviously… but I trust Armin… and if Pieck is okay with it then… it's okay by me. I trust my son… and I trust Leo to protect him.
Armin: Annie is quite angry at me I have to admit… but she understands the importance of this. We don't know if anything will happen… but if we don't act… we could be putting the future of our children at risk…
Mikasa is deep in thought with her head down. She puts her hand on Sasha's shoulder. With tears in her eyes and her voice trembling she says: Sasha… please… don't die.
Sasha feels strange. She wants to cry of sadness but feels so proud at the same time: I won't mom.
Mikasa: Armin… if anything happens to her… I will hunt you down. Historia… tell me when we leave. She leaves to her cabin.
Night
Historia is briefing Jean on his new post. He will live now in Hitch's former cabin. Connie in one of the cabins nearby.
Jean: So how will you keep all of this quiet Historia?
Historia: Don't worry about that. I have someone on the inside of the military. I named Hitch as head of the military Police.
Jean and Connie are shocked.
Connie: Isn't that… a dumb decision?
Historia laughs: Actually no, she is quite capable and loves being in control. All that I care about is that nothing that goes on in here leaks to the rest of the military… and she is quite good at that.
Jean: I'm not that convinced but there is nothing I can do I guess…
Historia: Both of you just concentrate on getting in shape and getting ready to train our new recruits. Here. -She gives them two new vertical maneuvering kits, swords and guns-
Jean feels conflicted: I never thought I would have to wear this again…
Connie: Yeah me neither… but hey think about it Jean… we are now close to our families… we can visit them more often… maybe it's not such a bad thing?
Jean: Yeah… I guess so… He stares at the sword in his hand.
Marley – Liberio's 4th Prision
The prision for economic and political crimes is more like an ancient castle than a place for punishment. It has wide cells and barely any inmates. The guards act like butlers and burocrats. In the back of the complex there was a massive jail cell filled with luxuries: bookshelves filled with books on history, military, legends, titan history and science. Most of them came from the Tybur's personal collection.
The cell had a dining table, a closed bathroom, expensive furniture and a small office. In the massive bed there was a slender figure reading a book. Next to him were piles of documents and papers on a desk, they seem to be political panflets. On the side of desk there was a prosthetic leg and a cane.
A tall and built figure approached the cell. He was dressed in very fancy traditional Tongo robes.
The figure on the cells look at him: So Iro… their meeting ended yet?