Chapter 12
_Reiner... has to die?
Alastor looked at Armin, who had a surprised expression on his face; when he looked around, he saw the rest of the room watching with slight shock.
_Why so surprised?
_Well, for starters, -said Hange- that decision is up to the Commander and not you, and second why so sure he has to be killed?
_Judging from Armin's words Hoover is the Colossal titan which leaves Braun as the Armored, since Annie had the task of bringing titans to the gates. And Braun's titan can endure fire from cannons without getting a scratch if you remember the reports of his attack at Shiganshina so our gear is therefore useless.
_Then how are you planning to kill the Armored? -Eren asked.
_We won't kill the Armored Titan Eren, we'll kill Reiner when he's not transformed. Simple as that. As for Hoover and Leonhardt... i guess she's the obvious choice. Take into account that even if we managed to capture one of them, since we need information about their goals and procedence most urgently, there's still the possibility of an attempt to escape and having a shifter turning into a sixty meters titan anywhere is strategically unacceptable. Annie's titan is theorically easier to subdue if faced in a proper environment.
_Theorically. -Hange remarked- I don't like the sound of that. And isn't her power attracting titans? That's what Armin said.
Bane said nothing, lifting a hand to ask for silence and meditating for some seconds before shaking his head.
_According to him, Reiner said "gather". But i think he didn't mean in that way. Back in Trost, titans seemed attracted to Jaeger even before he attacked them and even if my squad or i were closer; it's almost as if they knew he was different. And when they attacked, it wasn't to destroy like Eren did: they tried to eat him. He was a more tempting prey to them, and i think Leonhardt's titan takes advantage of that based in the fact titans weren't guided once they reached our walls, that means whoever brought them only had bringing them in mind and could not organize or control them.
_So Bertholdt must be killed as well since he's harder to subdue in case of escape. -Eld pointed and Smith nodded at this.
_And it has to be done in secrecy and in separate ocassions, so they can't support or warn each other.
_But what if they don't choose to come here, to the Corps? -Petra asked, tense.
_I've been thinking about that for a long while. -Armin said, looking at the table- But i think both Reiner and Bertholdt will come as spies, and Annie will join the MP.
_Why?
_If they... if they intend to take Eren with them, they need to do it when he's relatively unprotected and in a place where they have a safe escape route, which means they will try in the outside, during our next expedition most likely because we are supposed not to expect it since we should not know about their condition of shifters.
_And that means they must have someone attack and kidnap Eren -said Bane in sudden realization- who has no ties with the Legion and therefore can attack by surprise...
_And both the Colossal and the Armored are unfit for chase. -Arlert continued, nodding in agreement- The first is too big and slow, and the second has extra weight if that armor has to be able to resist cannon fire, and if Annie can gather and in theory outrun titans she is the ideal one for the job; she... she could even bring a huge number of titans towards the scouting formation and use them to kill and distract anyone trying to prevent her from reaching Eren!
_So what do we do then? -said Hange, rubbing her temples- If that's the case, we'll be in no situation to fight back when they arrive, because we won't have a way to rely the message immediately or worse we could lose our Commander and higher ranking officers if they attack directly where Eren is.
_And if they didn't know where Eren is? -said Bane- We could give them fake information so they won't know where to attack.
_But then we'd lose the chance to capture Annie if that prevents them from attacking -pointed Levi- which means we'll have to work with the MP pansies and worst of all, in a zone full of civilians.
_Not if we give both spies the same information, placing Eren in a certain part of the formation...
_But we would be endangering our own people! -Gunther exclaimed in shock- We'd be leading them into a trap!
_We have no other choice if we want to bring Annie to us than giving her a motive and a good chance. -Alastor said plainly- And even if we didn't have Armin's information, they would surely attempt an attack; the only difference is now we can take action before it happens and make sure the gains overcome our losses.
Gunther stood up decided to confront Bane but Erwin stopped him with a single look; his gaze then locked in the younger cadet's lifeless orbs.
_What Alastor says is the truth. We can't expect to face them without losing people, our only choice right now is how many of our own we are willing to sacrifice in hopes of getting them to lower their guard and give us an opportunity to strike them when they least expect it. Today we must decide our plan, and everyone here will have to face the harsh reality: lives will be lost; the hardest part is that it won't be our own, as we swore to do if we must, but our comrades's. Friends, brothers and sisters in our quest for freedom that followed my command without hesitation or doubt. The ones who trusted me with their lives on every expedition since i became your leader and will keep doing so until i die are the ones i'm willing allow to perish if that gives us victory.
Silence fell after Smith's words. Around the table everyone but him, Levi and Bane showed signs of tension, from Arlert's shaky breath to Oluo clutching his mouth after biting his tongue to Eren's outright trembling in his seat.
_But... are we really going to... to kill them off? To let them die just like that?-he said, despair leaking in his voice. Mikasa looked at her brother in deep concern, while Levi turned to face him.
_We are. As horrifying as it might sound, this is our best plan Jaeger; every time we went out we knew people would die because that's how shitty our world is. Now we are going to fight face to face with them if they finally decide to come to us and that moment will decide if our people die "just like that" or not.
_But even then, i can't look at them in the eye and...
_Not liking to have others die in your place? -Ackerman nodded slightly, more to himself than to Eren- I simpathyze; i too prefer to face my problems myself than let others do it for me. But this is not your choice, you're too important for us to lose you and don't you dare say otherwise because you know it's true: without you we are utter and irrevocably fucked.
_I too am conscious of your worries Eren. -Alastor said almost whispering, yet it was heard clearly in the quiet ambience of the room; the teen looked at him surprised- I've known you since our training and i'm aware of your decided and brave nature. You are willing to fight the first among us all and i can't possibly hope to understand how much knowing people will face danger because of you means to someone as selfless as yourself.
_But what if we fail? Or if they attack somewhere else, or stronger than expected? Then more people would die and...
_Eren.
Levi's calm, yet strong voice cut the teen's protest. Instead of arguing, Jaeger's green orbs looked into his dark ones in hopes of an answer that could ease the burden growing heavy in his heart and mind; and Ackerman realized this, because he spoke in a tone much softer than usual even if it retained all his authority.
_Until we go out there there's no way to know what will happen. Every expedition brings us to situations in which we have to make a choice that decides if we live or die or if our comrades do or not; every step we have to choose what we think is the best course of action and then act accordingly until everything resolves and we finally see the outcome. Sometimes we choose right, sometimes not but until we do no path is worse than the other. No one can fully predict what becomes of their decision, only hope it's right and do their best to ensure they took the good way despite the odds.
He stopped to glance at the rest of the people in the room, people whose hearts and choices had brought them to that room no matter their former goals or dreams and who now shared the burden of knowing that lives would be given up for a chance of being one step closer to whatever truth laid out there.
_And now it's the same: we face a situation and need to take a course without knowing what will happen. Maybe they'll attack somewhere else, maybe they won't attack at all. Some of your friends could die, i could die and so could you. All we can do is follow our path to the end, without regrets or remorse because we chose what we thought best and there's no point in crying about our past mistakes.
_You must understand Eren, that this is no more a fight against titans as it used to be. -Alastor said, fingers tapping on the wooden table- This is now a war; there will be casualties no matter what we wish or do. They were sent here with specific orders, to take watever you have running in your veins no matter what and our only hope is to take them down and cripple whatever... organization, city, or whatever the fuck told them to come while trying to catch one of them to give us the information we need.
Erwin nodded, his eyes going from Jaeger's face to the map showing the route they planned to follow in the incoming expedition.
_It is a very hazardous situation, and the more we wait the more we risk: they could try an attack before expected if we delay the expedition any more, and we cannot forget the possibility of a new possessor of a titan power showing up to help them or from a third party; there is much we do not know about the outside, and if there are more like them...
_Do you really think they could have reinforcements? They have been here for years, there's more than enough time to try anything.
Smith straightened on his seat, hands laced in a business fashion. Levi worked his jaw slightly: that gesture meant Erwin had more disheartening theories.
_That's why we can trust no one else from the graduated. Even when Reiner and Bertholdt didn't mention any other shifters, we can't be certain any of the others isn't working with them. There are several orphan cadets whose backgrounds place them between Wall Maria and Wall Rose, and we have no way to check their word.
_That's true. -pointed Petra- After the slaughter... the recovery mission, lots of orphaned children turned to field work, went to the cities as cheap labour force or in this case, joined the military to try and find a way to earn their food. It's terrible to think someone could use that as a cover and infiltrate our ranks as well as the MP.
_And it's why we can't wait any longer. Our plan, as merciless as it seems to our fellow soldiers, is our only chance to prevent something like the attack on Shiganshina and Trost to repeat and ensuring our survival. We must shoulder the burden of the death of our people if we want the smallest hope of victory, and that is why you were called: you will be part of this and it will become your responsability. If anyone here wishes to leave, the moment is now.
Silence followed the Commander's speech. No one moved from the room, and he nodded in both approval and recognition.
_Very well then. Now listen carefully, because the lives of everyone within this walls are in the Legion's hands...
As he spoke, Petra took a deep breath and nodded. Oluo, Gunther and Eld sat upright while Armin, Mikasa and Eren shared a brief look and put all their attention on Smith. Levi and Bane, both crossed their arms and focused on his instructions when Erwin lifted his gaze with a fire of challenge burning in his blue eyes.
_And it's the Legion's task to ensure they live to forge a future brighter than ever.
End of Chapter.
