Chapter 2 - Her Imperial Majesty.

It had been some time since she visited Valflame Palace. Nowadays, it stuck out like a sore thumb with skyscrapers made of steel and glass encroaching on Heimdallr's political center.

As Fie went through the exhausting security screening, it became clear that technology's unrelenting march already overtook the beating heart of the Empire, leaving the ancient architecture a mere hollow shell. Nothing more but a reminder of a bygone era.

The retina and fingerprint scans were quickly dealt with. She saw the guard go over her identity profile on the newest Reinford terminal model, seemingly satisfied. Meanwhile, a information scientist sifted through her EXCALIBUR orbment.

It wasn't something she would permit usually. Confidential guild data and political secrets were stored inside, so she had to protest on principle as the security detail demanded access to it. It was only after the Imperial Chief of Security appeared to smooth things over that they finally hashed out a compromise.

"I'm sorry, Fie," Kurt Vander said contritely, "but the update for the security protocol was written by me. And going against it would set a bad precendent."

She suppressed a sign as she faced Rean's brother-in-law. "Know where you're coming from. Cybervirus infections with combat orbments as carriers has ramped up recently. And my EXCALIBUR isn't exactly... regulation."

Kurt stole his second look at her sleek, gold-black model. "I know only hearsay about its capabilities. It's an experimental orbment by the Epstein Foundation, correct?"

"Mhm. The main selling point is its astralyzation function."

"This sounds like..." he stopped himself and glanced at his subordinates who tried their best to pretend they weren't eavesdropping.

"Joint project between Emma and Tio," She whispered. Or in other words, between cutting edge tech wizardry and hexenmagic.

The Vander swordsman nodded in understanding. Always quick on the uptake, this one. In a way, he was Rean's first disciple even before Mr Ashen Chevalier made it to Divine Blade.

"This would make the device very difficult to destroy, I think?"

"Yup. It exists on two planes of reality at the same time. Even if it's damaged by mundane means, the synchronization with its intact astral double results in the damage being undone automatically."

Kurt's eyes widened. His subordinates followed suit. Miniaturization had come a long way in recent years. When it came to battle orbments though, there was a limit to how much miniaturization could be shoved in until the device became too fragile. Until it failed to weather the rigors of practical combat. Her EXCALIBUR broke that limitation. As a result, it boasted digital memory and CPU power orders of magnitude greater than any other model on the market, which in turn made any memory check a time consuming process.

Fie looked pointedly at the information scientist, whose neurojack was still connected to her device. There was no way she would allow any orbal terminal to sift through. Depending on processing power and software, a terminal could at the same time copy any file it's reading and Fie would bet a whole year's paycheck Imperial Intelligence had easy access to any computer within Valflame palace. Brain computer interfaces on the other hand lacked the bandwidth for quick downloads, even if the security guy were to have the necessary brain implant for storing digital data long-term. And Kurt assured her the man lacked it. Besides, any cursory glance at her classified files would amount to exactly nothing, given they were 343-ASA encrypted.

It took another ten minutes until Fie was finally cleared to go. She spent the time mercilessly grilling Kurt about his domestic life with Elise. To her disappointment though there wasn't much to tell. Theirs was a typical workplace romance with most of their attention devoted to Alfin's protection and well-being. Not that it diminished her admiration for the Vander swordsman in any way. Given Rean's overprotectiveness, Fie assumed that Elise would die single. And to exactly nobody's surprise, Mr Divine Blade did challenge Kurt to a duel to determine his supposed "worthiness" to woe his sister.

A shame she missed that fight. Fie would have loved to watch it while eating popcorn. According to Laura, the clash of blades was a sight to behold.

"Are Crow and Altina already here?"

"Yes. They cleared security much faster than you."

"Figured."

"I'm glad Rean has finally decided to call you three. What the Empress wants to discuss has been on her mind for months now."

"Sounds serious."

"It is." Kurt's tone made it clear this was everything he'd say on the matter.

They walked straight through the opulent palace halls, although she didn't pay the luxury much heed. Starting from her time at Thors she had seen the inside of Valflame more times than she cared for.

"Ha! Look who's here."

Both Crow and Altina were sitting in a reception hall, pausing their conversation.

"Hello." Altina's greeting was minimalist as always, her small, almost shy smile playing around her lips. It had been a while since Fie last saw her in person. Today she chose to appear in her child body - a stark contrast to how she was depicted on billboards and advertisements strewn across the capital. The Argem Songstress, the leading star of the Heimdallr Opera.

"Hi." Fie waved. "Been ages since I say you this small."

Altina tilted her head, her elfin features slightly wistful. "I was feeling nostalgic."

Nostalgic, huh? Fie wondered whether her choice of body had any deeper meaning. According to Rean, it was one of Altina's unique forms of self-expression.

She turned to Crow. "And nice to see you too, birdbrain."

He grimaced. "Why do you have to pick this particular nickname from Gelica?" He then checked her out from head to toe. "And it seems you even traded fashion tips. Black biking leather? Really?"

She had considered changing into some fancy attire for this royal visit, but then again, it was Alfin they were meeting. "Angelica has style unlike a certain somebody who refuses to tame that crow's nest atop his head. Therefore, birdbrain."

"Seems you've only gotten more cheeky with age, short stuff."

She gave him a playful glare. "You don't want to go there, Siegfried Crossarm, the Azure Comet."

His grimace became more pronounced. "This was uncalled for. And that movie was a mistake."

"A mistake which lives on forever on the orbal net." She smirked. "Hey, it made you rich enough that you don't need to work another single hour for the rest of your life."

"What I earned were just peanuts compared to what Musse and Angelica hauled in as investors."

"Someone's envious."

Kurt cleared his throat. "The Empress is waiting."

They stopped their banter and followed Kurt into a room that looked positively homey. Thick colorful rugs with exotic patterns were strewn across the hardwood floor. Fie recognized the distinct animal print which belonged to Gaius' tribe. Some of the other patterns looked Eastern though and that mixture of red and gold was definitely Longlai style.

Everything was impeccably clean, but the furniture lacked the opulence and flawlessness seen elsewhere in the palace. The sofa was scuffed in places and the workdesk was full of small scratches. Everything looked lived in. Intimate. Private. A comfortable place one could stay for long periods of time.

Alfin performed a curtsy, a gesture only granted to a select few now that she was Empress. What surprised Fie most though was the gentleman waiting alongside her - it was Machias' dad.

"Greetings to you, Altina, Crow, Fie," Alfin said with a smile that could melt butter, her voice carrying that sweet, sing-song lilt. She wore a demure dress with a beautiful cut, but nothing which would mark her as the official ruler of Erebonia. "It's so lovely of you to come. Please, have a seat."

Their conversation continued once all of them sat down.

"It's certainly good to see all of you young people again," Carl Regnitz began, his clear, intelligent gaze sweeping over their group. "Fie, Crow, Altina, let me thank you on behalf of the government for attending this meeting."

Crow snorted. "Can we please stow this whole formality thing? We're all friends here, aren't we?"

"I agree," Altina said, her head bobbing up and down in earnest. "Machias is a dear member of our Class VII family. It's only logical then that this makes you, his father, a part of our extended family."

Carl chuckled. "I'm honored to hear you say this. Well, seems like wading through everyday bureaucracy has made me forget how to deal with genuine human contact."

"Which is why I specifically called you here, dear Governor Regnitz." Alfin said sweetly. "Otherwise, you're never going to take that break you sorely need."

"Wow, and I always thought our Four-Eyes was bad," Crow spoke up

Fie threw him a scathing look. "This is his dad."

"Yeah, I know. Just never thought being a workaholic is, you know, genetic."

"I think when it comes to complex behavioral patterns like these, nurture plays more of a role than nature," Altina said while nodding sagely.

Fie looked thoughtfully at the woman beside her. Nature and nurture, huh? Probably something she thought about a good deal.

Alfin cleared her throat. "As fascinating as the topic of behavioral genetics is, I called you here today to talk about something sliiightly different."

"Yeah, I was wondering about this," Crow said. He rested his hands on the back of his head. "I mean, come on, isn't this a strange-ass combination you called together, Alfin? The rising star of the Heimdallr Opera, a washed up soldat instructor," he pointed to himself, "and the Empire's sole S-Rank bracer."

"Let me cut to the chase then," Machias's dad continued. "You three were called today because her Highness wants you to form the core of a new subunit aligned with the Heimdallr Military Police. A small, highly trained team of specialists to deal with the emerging dangers to our fast developing nation." He breathed out. "Cybercrime, cyberwarfare, data-espionage, great scale datafraud, terrorism, insurgency - the list goes on. This unit will be built up from the ground, namely by you three, because as some of you are no doubt aware, a dedicated cybercrime unit attached to a central government doesn't exist anywhere yet - at least in an official capacity."

Crow, Altina and Fie looked at each other. None of them were surprised about this declaration. Rean's recruiting pitch already gave her a good idea what to expect. But to have it spelled out so clearly... she bit her lip. These were the kind of dangers the bracers should be combatting. But just like so many other institutions, the guild had been left in the dust by the ever accelerating pace of technological progress.

"About that 'official' thing," Crow drawled, "are we subordinate to the chain of command of the HMP then?"

Alfin and Carl Regnitz looked at each other. "Not exactly," he admitted. "To be precise, your tasks will be issued by the Imperial Ministry of Home Affairs. And if this unit is indeed formed, I'll personally serve as your political liaison. And what I'm about to tell you is strictly off record, but some of the missions handed to you," he glanced at Alfin again, "will come directly from her Imperial Highness."

Fie crossed her legs and leaned forward. "That whole Heimdallr Police subunit stuff is just a cover, isn't it? This squad's chain of command is entirely divorced from the HMP." She narrowed her eyes. "This smells like black operations."

"Well, this is not how I'd put it." Machias dad straightened his tie. "After all, the police superintendent of the HMP also receives his instructions from the Ministry of Home Affairs..."

"Don't be silly, dear governor," Alfin interrupted him. "None of them will be fooled by a little sophistry." She turned her gaze towards them and for the first time, the airy atmosphere around the Empress dissipated, giving Fie a glimpse of the iron-willed woman underneath.

"I'll be straightforward: this unit is for most practical purposes black operations, just like you surmised, Fie. While it will exist officially, most of your operations will carry the highest classification possible, especially those issued by me." She made a flourish. "There won't be any restrictions on equipment either, making this unit paramilitary. Whatever you might need to get the job done, be it experimental technology, lethal weaponry or the most cutting edge orbal terminal, you shall have it."

Fie felt her mouth dry up. "What about funds?"

Alfin smiled mischievously. "Our dear Governor was integral in setting up the funds during the national budgetary talks last month. Combined with money straight from the coffers of the Imperial Family and we are looking at around 2 billion mira annually."

"You're kidding, right?" Crow cried out. "How are three persons supposed to spent all this?"

The Empress shrugged elegantly. "Oh, I'm pretty sure you will manage. You are supposed to recruit more people to make this unit functional and specialists require big salaries. Besides, cutting-edge technology has become excessively expensive in recent years. More importantly, this unit is supposed to be the trailblazer in the cyberwarfare arms race, which is sure to spiral out of control in the near future."

"Cyberwarfare arms race?" Altina repeated the words slowly, as if tasting them. "I think I understand. Despite this unit belonging to Home Affairs, the range of activity won't be restricted to domestic politics, correct?"

"Very astute, Altina!" Alfin winked at her. "Imperial Intelligence says that Calvard is establishing a similar unit, except it will be part of their famed CID."

She sighed. "I thought we were at peace."

"On the surface we are, dearest Fie." The Empress smiled wistfully. "But as your experiences no doubt taught you, there are always conflicts brewing beneath the surface."

"Is that why you chose us?" Crow said. "An ex-intelligence agent, an ex-jaeger, an ex-terrorist? Among Class VII, we three have by far the most checkered past. Do you think we'd have the least compunction engaging in... questionable activities?"

"Alfin did mention lethal weaponry," Fie added.

"I thank you, Crow, for bringing it up. And you're right. I specifically chose you three because I expect you to get your hands dirty." Alfin put her hand on her cheek. "Outside the first and second generation of Class VII, I don't trust anybody else to handle such great power responsibly. At least not without true oversight. But those of you who have looked straight into the abyss of the Great Twilight, those who stood face to face with despair and persevered - I trust you to use such power to make this world a better place."

"This..." Fie was lost for words. She averted her eyes from the crystal clear gaze of the Empress. Alfin's open face filled with so much trust and affection was almost painful to look at.

Crow scratched his head. "Man, what's a guy supposed to say to that? I mean, thanks Alfin, for thinking so highly of us. Dunno whether we can meet your expectations or anything."

"What happened to your usual bluster?" She needled.

"Oh shut up, shortstuff. You are totally tongue-tied yourself."

Altina put on a thinker's pose. "Interesting. This is also a way to express embarassment then."

Alfin giggled. "You are right on the money, Altina. These two are just shy."

"Hey!" Fie and Crow retortet at the same time.

Carl cleared his throat. "To get back on track, Fie, Crow, Altina. How soon can you come to a decision whether to take part in this project?"

Crow raised his hand. "Count me in."

"Oh, I like decisive men," Alfin purred.

"Sorry, Highness. Already married."

"I know, silly."

Altina tilted her head. "You do seem very enthused about this, Crow."

He shrugged. "Beats instructing greenhorns who don't even know the difference between a boost swerve and a joint-lock turn."

"That's pitiful," Fie wrinkled her nose. "Have standards for Soldat recruitment been lowered this much?"

"What can you do? With the Erebonian film industry churning out mecha movies by the truckload, every young boy past the age of ten dreams of becoming a Soldat pilot these days. And instead of screening the recruits properly, the Imperial Army is happy to accept almost anybody."

Alfin furrowed her brows. "I do remember that Soldat expenditure has increased sharply in recent years. Dear Carl, are there any plans in the diet to mitigate this waste?"

"Your Highness, the current state of affairs regarding the ever increasing budget for humanoid weapon spending has the full approval of both Houses of the Imperial Diet."

"But..."

"It's a measure to keep the economy running," Crow interjected. "A deluge of recruits with a tendency to demolish their war toys creates a never ending stream of demand for this nation's weapons industry. And considering how many jobs are connected to the Panzer Soldat value chain - well, you get the picture. Automation is already killing jobs left and right in the secondary sector. Without the Empire's stupidly bloated subsidy for it's military-industrial complex, a significant portion of the regular workforce will end up either white collar or... on the street."

"This..." Carl pushed up his glasses, "is most impressive insight."

Crow grinned like the canary that ate the cream. "I know I'm awesome."

"It's Towa who's awesome," Fie quipped. "All you need to do is memorize her economic analyses during your pillow talks, cheater."

"Everybody's a critic."

"Governor, we will talk about this later." Alfin's voice carried a hard edge. "We need to finish our current agenda first."

"Of course, your Highness."

"This project does sound interesting," Altina began, "but between the three of us there's a core competency lacking. And without it, this unit can't function as an anti-cybercrime task force."

Fie gave Altina a nod of acknowledgment. "She's right. We need a hacker. An extremely good one, except they don't grow on trees."

Alfin chuckled. "You're both right of course." She pressed her palms together. "Luckily, I have found a solution. You see, I talked with Queen Klaudia von Auslese about my worries and she was of course being a perfect sweetheart and recommended two persons who could potentially join you three."

"Two people?" Fie leaned forward. "Liberlians I guess?"

Crow whistled. "Dare I hope?"

"Oh Crow," the Empress said in mock indignation, "you're too well informed for me to surprise you, spoilsport."

He placed both hands over his heart. "Will I ever be forgiven, oh Highness, now that I've committed lèse majesté?"

"Looking at your history, I think it's a safe bet," Altina said. "Considering all the other things you were forgiven for."

He grimaced. "Low blow, Alteeny, low blow."

"Please don't call me that. It's bad enough that former Instructor Randolph bothered me with this ridiculous designation."

Fie sighed. "So who are these two mystery people that you apparently figured out, birdbrain?"

"Ah, well, I guess it's only one person I figured out. You see, last week Towa has welcomed an exchange professor for the Imperial Academy of the Sciences. Her being the dean and all, she's been helping her settle in."

Altina stroked her chin. "An exchange professor, a Liberlian and somebody fit to join a black-ops unit? I can't think of many people who fit such a profile."

"I see. You're not holding anything back, Alfin." Fie grinned at the Empress who grinned back. "Professor of information science with two additional doctorates in mathematics and chemistry. Also known as the first confirmed wizard class hacker under the codename 'Kitty'. Renne Hayworth-Bright."

"Oh." Altina opened her mouth only to close it when words failed her.

"Yeah. This is like, serious firepower." Crow scratched his head. "I haven't worked with her, but from what I've heard she's a bonafide genius. Or a monster. Or both. Has she already agreed?"

"For practically purposes, she has," Carl answered. "As long as this team gets formed which hinges on you three."

Fie folded her arms. "Following this pattern, I can take a guess at the second person. It's Joshua, right?"

"Correct!" Alfin sing-songed.

"The bracer guild might start to dislike you, your Highness, if you continue to poach their top personel."

"Oh my! Dearest Fie, do you consider yourself poached then? Is that another yes?"

There was simply no way to resist Alfin's infectious charm. "Mmm. Yeah, okay. I'm in."

"How lovely. So that leaves only you, Altina."

"I don't feel like I have the option of refusing."

"But you do!"

Altina narrowed her eyes at Alfin. "You're surprisingly pushy. Or perhaps I shouldn't be surprised, given your station."

"Can you fault her?" Crow said. "She has to rule this basketcase of a nation."

Alfin looked meaningfully at Carl. "Then it's a good thing I'm not alone in this."

"You have never been alone in this Alfin," Fie said. "Class VII will always have your back when it comes to protecting this country."

"Room reaches dangerously high levels of sappiness," Altina snarked. "This could have come directly out of Rean's mouth." She then sighed. "But I can see why he recommended me for this. With the trajectory this country is going, Claimh Solais is more needed than my voice."

Alfin closed her eyes and breathed out, as if a great burden was lifted from her. "Thank you so much, you three. Well, governor, I think it's time to get the ball rolling."

"Of course, your Highness. And I'm glad to have you on board, Fie, Crow, Altina. There's a lot of work waiting ahead of you."

Crow chuckled. "Oh boy, what did we subscribe ourselves to?"