Chapter 11: Kill the Command

(Current Day)

Serra, Night Raid member of the northern tribes, walked into the meeting room behind Tatsumi.

Akame was sitting at the table, happily eating a large cut of meat.

Leona drew in like a predator as Tatsumi entered for her obligatory Tatsumi Time. He was dull-eyed and sluggish, so she walked right up to him, lowering her sparkling eyes until they were right in Tatsumi's field of vision.

"Wake up little bro! If you don't get that sad look off your face, I might need to give you something to smile about!" she gave an exaggerated wink as she knelt down lower, pushing her cleavage into Tatsumi's face.

"I'm fine okay!" Tatsumi replied in panic, trying to keep away from the routine assault of Leona's breasts.

Akame ignored the spectacle, continuing to eat.

But it was all interrupted as Serra walked in between the two. Leona blinked, watching the brown haired girl step between her and her prize, pull out a chair, and sit between her and her little bro.

"Hey…" Leona protested, starting to walk around the chair to get access to Tatsumi again, but Serra leaned back, kicking her feet up onto the table. Not a chance, Serra thought smugly.

"Who are you to deny a sister access to her little bro?" Leona thundered.

"I'm just sitting," Serra replied casually.

Leona's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "She's just sitting," Akame said between gulps of meat.

"You too?" Leona seethed. Crossing her arms across her ample chest, she gave a huff, and sat in the chair next to Serra.

She leered at Serra, face dark and threatening. "Nice seat choice, Northern Tribes girl," she said with an evil grin. "You must really be looking forward to getting to know me, huh?"

Serra rolled her neck as if stretching out. "Akame! Mind throwing me some of that meat?"

Akame pulled up from the roast, chewing, her eyes narrowing at Serra.

"Not a morsel," Leona announced, glancing between the two. "Not a morsel, Akame. She's a brother-stealer."

Najenda walked in, surveying the scene. "Thanks for assembling on such short notice." She turned to Tatsumi, giving him an apologetic look, "I know you'd rather be by Mein's side, Tatsumi, but trust me, this is important."

Tatsumi nodded. "Mein wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I skipped out on the revolution… even for her."

Najenda smiled. "The doctors say she is recovering…" she brought a hand absent mindedly to her eyepatch. She caught herself, dropping her arm to her side. Then, her face grew serious.

"Before I brief you on our target," she said, approaching Serra. "I don't believe we've met, Serra. I've heard about you."

Esdeath avoided eye contact, and chose her tone carefully for one as uncharacteristic as possible so Najenda would not recognize her from the many hours they spent together in their prior lives. "Miss Najenda, I'm looking forward to serving under you," Esdeath said formally and quietly.

Najenda eyed the newbie with keen eyes. "Mind taking off your face-mask?"

"My apologies, commander, but I cannot. I have family in vulnerable positions within the empire. I need to take every precaution to ensure that my involvement here doesn't compromise them and lead to their execution."

It's simple, just speak like the most pathetic worm I could ever imagine. If I can act pathetic enough, no one will see Esdeath.

"I understand, Serra, but… no secret of the rebellion escapes this room," she said confidently, giving an evaluative glance at the Night Raid members that surrounded her. "The chance of one of us leaking your identity is negligible."

I absolutely cannot allow Najenda to see my face. The moment she saw my full face and was able to look me in the eyes, it would be over. These other ones may have seen me in passing, but Najenda has studied me… I've been under her microscope… and her sight is…

Esdeath thought fast. "Even if loyalty is not in question, interrogation could draw my identity out of someone."

Leona snarled. "We would die first."

"You can't know that! They may have potions or Teigu that would specifically break your will."

Leona rolled her eyes. "Just let me rip that stupid mask off. Boss wants to size you up. It's not a big deal," she reached for Esdeath's mask, and the two began to swat hands as Esdeath parried her.

"Leona." Tatsumi finally interjected.

Leona paused.

"She saved my life," Tatsumi said, looking earnestly to Najenda. "I vouch for her."

Najenda nodded with understanding. Then, taking a calm breath, she glanced to Akame, "Akame?"

Akame brought her face down from her meat, still chewing, a slice of meat hanging out of her mouth. She cast her dull eyes to Serra, chewing for a few long moments, she gave a maddeningly knowing smile before answering. "She's earned the benefit of the doubt."

"Very well," Najenda said, and then began to explain their next mission.

A mission with my love… What a shame you couldn't make it, Mein…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(A few years after Esdeath joined the Imperial army, years before present)

Esdeath walked into the commander's tent. "You asked for me, sir?"

"Ah yes…" he looked her over head to toe and then smiled, as if laughing at his own inside joke. "I see what they said about you wasn't an exaggeration."

"What do they say, sir? I'm afraid I don't have much time to converse with my comrades. They're rather... quiet around me."

He ignored her question, sliding up from his chair. Esdeath felt his leering eyes on her as he slowly circled around. "Nice posture," he said appreciatively.

Esdeath's face stayed unchanged, wearing a sly smile, although her patience had already started to wane.

"To believe that a woman like you, answers to me." His wooden training baton slid along the outside of her hip.

She glanced back at him, still grinning. Oh was this what you were thinking?

"Do you like that? You like power?" he asked, prodding her again.

"I love it," Esdeath answered, she spun around, and in a deft motion grabbed the wooden shaft from his unsuspecting hand. He struggled in vain, but she stepped in, locking his other hand out of the grapple, and twisted the baton to the point of the hyperextension of his wrist, forcing him to let go of it with a cry of pain.

He took a half step back, lip trembling. "How...?" he cleared his throat "What...?"

"You're blinking far too rapidly," Esdeath said coolly. She followed him as he stepped away from her, stepping forward with her eyes locked to his, his baton in her hand. She slid it up his chest and under his throat, forcing his chin up until his face was level with hers, leaning in, but not for a kiss. Her eyes like two icy voids burned directly into his. She bore into him with those eyes, forcing him to feel the ice that lay behind them. "Power and me… we've always had an… understanding."

Want to get to know me, commander? I'll show you more of me than you ever wanted to see...

She saw him weighing his options, sitting back, catlike, she allowed him some time to react. Eventually, she watched his eyes dart to the guards who stood outside the tent.

Of course they aren't inside. They know your 'proclivities', commander.

"The rule is know your surroundings… In this case…" Esdeath said with a chuckle as she snapped his training baton in two, tossing it over her shoulder, "know your circumstances."

She brought herself uncomfortably close to him, her lips brushing up against his ear as she whispered to him. "Do you want everyone to start telling stories about how you were bullied by a female subordinate, commander? Oh I might even get naked with you... sir, but fair warning: you might not like the way I play." She giggled.

She watched the delicious sight of his eye twitching with rage as he ran the possibilities through his head.

The commander puffed himself up as much as he could, given the circumstances. "I'll still bury you for this, bitch! No one crosses my family. You have no idea what you've stepped in."

Esdeath gave him a look of contempt, wrinkling her nose with disgust as she scanned him. "I think I have an idea…"

He laughed bitterly. "Your punishment will come in time. And it will be for cowardice. Yes… I have a scouting mission in store for you, Captain."

Esdeath grinned like a wolf. "A promotion. Thank you sir."

He snorted derisively. "That's because when this suicide scouting mission I'm about to send you on goes tits up, it will be your ass…." he glanced downwards again with that same dark hunger. "Who knows, maybe we could arrange for your execution to be handled personally by myself and my men… and then the ass part would be quite literal."

Never in a million years would your weak hand touch me without me shattering it, Esdeath thought with disgust.

"I will be awaiting your orders, sir," Esdeath said, giving a smart salute.

"You're to recover the... bandit leader for an intelligence operation, Captain Esdeath. I'll make sure you get the twelve biggest fuckups in the entire army, you stuck up whore."

Esdeath yawned. "The same Bandit leader who has been harassing our patrols for two months, leaving corpses behind every time?"

The commander laughed triumphantly. "Those are your orders, Captain. From the Emperor, to me, to you. See to it. And when you fail, I will have you disgraced."

Esdeath walked out, unbothered. Could have at least changed up his standard insults, given the situation… she thought to herself.

Before she made her way back to her quarters, an orderly stepped out from a desk piled with the standard bureaucratic records.

She was a mousey girl, half a head shorter than Esdeath, bespectacled, with light brown hair... some kind of Secretary. "E-excuse me," she called out.

Esdeath stopped in her tracks. This woman wasn't her superior given her promotion, so she dropped the standard military honorifics. "What?" she asked, giving a sideways look from beneath her cap.

The orderly caught her breath and began to stammer. "I-i-i-i…" she looked away, a blush flashing on her cheek. As she glanced away, Esdeath saw bruises on her neck, and noted them with some interest.

A pattern of behavior…

"You were only in there for a minute," the orderly said, nearly whispering.

"That's right," Esdeath said, head high.

"You don't look… worse for wear."

Esdeath grinned. "I snapped his baton," she said with a shrug.

The orderly gasped, clenching her hands to her chest, below her chin as giggles began to come out of her. "I can't laugh… oh no… if he heard…" she whispered, stealing a bright look to Esdeath. "Miss, what's your name."

"Captain Esdeath."

"Captain Esdeath… I just wanted you to know that… you're my hero. Please… take care of yourself. I will be praying for your safe return."

Esdeath shrugged, angling her shoulders sharply as she strode past. "Your prayers mean nothing to me, girl."

Destiny has nothing but hatred for the prayers of the weak...