This chapter takes place during Ch66 of SFTD.

About time she got this business out of the way, Eliza supposed.

She was sitting, legs crossed over each other, on one of the couches in the Resistance Ring. That call with the Factions had been... interesting. Calling them one on one was a good idea—Volk was far too taken with how she looked now, Betos seemed at a complete loss for words, and Geist... she'd never seen him come so close to tears. Eliza definitely needed to schedule a landing with all of them at some point—if the time could even be spared between all the work they had to do. Maybe after...

Whatever the case. That business was done, and now she had another type to take care of. While she didn't want to talk to Vahlen, not this soon after being alive again... she wasn't the type to shirk an obligation. Besides, maybe they did need to talk. Maybe she could finally get things straightened out with her former head scientist. Her hopes weren't high, but she had to try. She'd tried with the Chosen, she'd tried with an Ethereal. Only fair she gave a human the same chance.

She got a message on the Network from Herod. Vlad and I are outside. Ready to send her in whenever.

Eliza found herself trying to adjust hair that wasn't there beyond the maybe half-an-inch fuzz that was growing. She instead straightened her outfit as much as could be, taking in a deep breath. Send her in, stay by the door. Probably won't happen, but if shouting starts, don't worry too much about it.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and Vahlen stepped in. Eliza scooted to the far end of the couch, gesturing to the other end. "Moira. Apologies for the wait—a few things needed to be handled."

Vahlen shook her head, readily coming further in and sitting down. "I hold no ill will. I can only imagine it's been... quite busy for you. You were busy enough even without losing a month back in the day."

"Tell me about it," Eliza muttered. She didn't like thinking on First Contact too much, but if it was to complain? Sure. "Still, if it's a stop to let the three major factions know I'm alive, I'm never going to complain. I owe them that much, at the very least." She sighed. "I don't even know if I'm going to see them again before this all reaches a head."

"Oh?" Vahlen moved a little closer. "What's going on?"

Well, everyone was going to know eventually. Vahlen didn't tend to let things slip if they didn't need to be, so Eliza didn't see too much harm in telling her. "The Elders are basically putting plans into motion to liquidize the rest of the human population for the Avatar Project. We've got a few weeks to prepare for the broadcast they're going to send out announcing all this, so I've got plenty on my plate." She'd passed that info to the factions as well, and it was all agreed they needed to pull whatever resources they could to locate the tower it was happening from and get it stopped. "... things might finally be ending, Moira. I might live to see the Elders gone. You, too."

"I know. You've worked so hard, O'L—Eliza." The effort was there, at least. "We will get the peace we all deserve. True peace—not the facsimile that the Elders wanted to project."

"Mhm. I'll have a life to call my own again. Away from the Avenger, as much as I love it. Thinking of getting a ranch house." She missed chickens so much.

Vahlen blinked. "You won't be staying to re-establish societal structure?"

"I'll be frank, Moira—I'm certainly not qualified to do that. I don't have any government planning abilities, I don't know how power grids should be structured, and I don't know how best to transition everyone back into a sense of normalcy. About the most I can do is present a list of what not to do and help from there, and even then..." Eliza leaned back in her seat. "I just want to rest. It feels like I've been on my feet for twenty years. Maybe back in the day I would've relished in the work, but now? I'd like to retire, Moira, and let anyone who wants to come tag along. I already know I have a few people who will take a vested interest in seeing things rebuilt, and I'm one of them. I just don't have the chops or the mental capacity."

Moira went "hm." "When you put it like that, I certainly see your point. I just figured since you'd worked so hard to win this world back..."

"I get it, I do. But I'm not the only person living here and I sure as hell don't speak for everyone. Also, last time I'll say this, but I'm making good on something I essentially promised Jax a while back." She chuckled. "Also, Bradford would kill me if I worked myself any harder."

Vahlen joined her in chuckling. "I still can't get over the fact that you two are now... involved. What would the Council say, hm?"

"Oh fuck that," Eliza bit without too much heat. "It's not like we even needed them in the way. Should've been here for the months long dance we did around each other. The dance I did around plenty of people. I'm happy I've finally wised up and just... admitted my feelings for them." Eliza felt herself smile warmly. "... there's so much love to be found in all of them. I'm... I'm a far happier woman than I was, Moira. I was just happy having them as friends, and now I also get to have them as lovers. At least in this aspect, I'm lucky."

She watched as Vahlen shared her smile. "Raymond would be overjoyed to see you so happy."

Oh, Raymond... Eliza's chest squeezed, and she sat up. Out of all the people to not make it, it had to be Shen senior. "He would, wouldn't he," she muttered, clasping one of her sets of hands together.

Silence spanned between the two of them for a few moments. Vahlen was the one who—clearly tentatively—broke it. "... he would be happy to know you got this far. I share in your mourning. We... we lost a brilliant mind. I am glad his daughter is as bright as he was."

Eliza took in a calming breath to get a hold on her emotions. "He was proud of her. We found his last message to her, and... I agree with him. Lily was his greatest gift to the world. And Julian... needed some work, but who doesn't? The two of them have each other, at least."

"Julian?" Sounded like Vahlen was verbally raising an eyebrow. "... do you mean that AI Raymond had been working on? I'm surprised it still exists."

Hm. She'd been enjoying the conversation thus far. This might start to get... awkward. "He's still alive, yes. We found him in the manufactory towers Raymond had set up shop in. In essence, he's Lily's only surviving family member, since he thought of Raymond as a father and eventually Lily caught on with it." She blew out some air. "Granted after an intervention on Mordenna's part, apparently, but things are better now and I'm glad he was there to help."

"I'm surprised the Chosen Hunter had any jurisdiction to do that."

"He's better than a lot of people give him credit for," Eliza said lightly, hoping to get her meaning across without being too cautionary. "I love him for a reason."

"... I know... things are likely different for you," Vahlen began, and that inspired confidence, "but I just... I cannot imagine letting my own guard down around the Chosen as such. They have been faces of the Elders' forces for so long, especially the Warlock. Are you certain you trust them?"

Now this was a tired conversation, and Eliza was almost surprised she had to have it a few times more after she thought she got the point across. Still, Vahlen didn't really have the experience with the Chosen that everyone else had, so Eliza reminded herself to take it easy. "With my life, Vahlen. Mordenna has literally saved it before and I've seen what all three of them have gone through. Have continued to go through. I don't make it my business to go airing out their traumas to everyone but... those years with the Elders weren't good on all three of them. They were abused, Vahlen. And I'm fully aware it doesn't excuse their prior actions—it's just the reason for some of them. But they have genuinely changed and are working to be better people. You don't have to give them a second chance—just don't discredit their efforts to improve."

She watched as the gears turned in Vahlen's head, digesting Eliza's words. Eliza firmly believed that people shouldn't be forced to give second chances to the Chosen, especially since they had caused real harm. But at the very least, they had to be given the space to get better, and discouraging their recovery was absolutely off-limits. Unfortunately... for some, that was harder to grasp. "It mystifies me how tolerant you now are, Eliza. They were specifically given the mission to hunt down the various factions and bring you back into custody when that became the case, were they not? Are you certain this isn't some elaborate scheme?"

Eliza gave a short sigh. "An elaborate scheme that involves them all cooperating when the Elders were fine pitting them against each other? An elaborate scheme that involves them actively aiding in efforts to free Earth?" Her jaw set. "An elaborate scheme that took away Fal-Mai's arm, Mordenna's eyes, and Jax's legs, plus nearly his life? I'm aware you're likely just trying to look out for me, but please have some sense, Vahlen."

"The Elders think their forces are disposable," Vahlen weakly muttered in response.

"Don't give me that," Eliza replied. Maybe it was because she was more involved with them now, but someone trying to put down the injuries the Chosen had received as some plot? When she had to comfort them through the trauma it all brang? "Moira. I'll forgive you because your exposure to the Chosen is minimal while everyone here on the ship has had several months to get used to them. But the Chosen are genuine. Trying to insinuate that all they're dealing with, all they're going through is some elaborate ruse in order to mistrust them is deeply disrespectful of the trauma and PTSD they now have. Early on I would understand more, when I was just working with them. But now? It's insulting to them and me. Lest you forget I have far more blood on my hands, even by proxy, without someone handling my choke chain."

"What you did then was necessary—"

Vahlen was interrupted by Eliza slamming her fist against the wall, the loud thud practically echoing in the room. Eliza had squeezed her eyes shut, hanging her head. "No. No it wasn't. It never was. And if you're going to keep insisting the way I ruined people's lives was 'necessary...' then I don't think we have anything to talk about anymore, Moira. I believe you're a good person. But I just cannot deal with someone trying to—trying to convince me what I did was justified when to this day I have nightmares about the soldiers I killed!" Eliza rose from her seat, fists clenched and looking down on Moira as she moved back. Her chest was on fire and her stomach was in knots. "You don't know what it's like to have one of your few soldiers killed in the second phase of the war you've fought and wonder just how far you'll have to go to win this time. You don't know what it's like to constantly grapple with what you did and the fact that the only two people who remember don't even blame you! You don't..." Eliza forced herself to lower her voice, unclenching her fists and holding a hand to her face. "You don't know, Vahlen. And... I don't think you ever will." She turned away, leaning on the Resistance Ring table. "... go. We don't have anything to talk about. After the war ends... you still have the Rulers to answer for. But at the very least I will make sure death isn't on the table for you."

"Eliza..."

"Please don't make this harder than it has to be," Eliza softly replied. In her heart of hearts... she didn't want to do this. She didn't want to cut off someone who had known her for so long. But Vahlen didn't understand and it seemed like she wasn't even making the effort to do so. Eliza couldn't healthily keep that around. "You're still going to be safe on the ship. Just... please. Go."

There was silence after that. Maybe Vahlen was thinking over what could be said to convince Eliza to give her another chance. Maybe she was indignant that she'd been cut off. Maybe... maybe she was as sad as Eliza was, but just couldn't understand how this happened.

Eliza didn't know. She figured she likely never would.

The sound of Vahlen getting up and her heels walking towards the door broke the silence. The door opened and closed, and Eliza was left in it once more.

Eliza had easily convinced herself that she hated Vahlen before, much like Argus. But it just didn't work like that, not unless you were cartoonishly evil. Vahlen had good intentions. She wanted to see the Elders ousted as much as Eliza did—maybe even more, if she was willing to go to such lengths to do it. But there was the problem of methodology, of course... but did Eliza deserve to throw stones? Especially with what she did back in the day? She thought she did. After all, just like the Chosen, she'd resolved to be better. But...

The heat in Eliza's chest faded to a dull throb, and she let her hand drop from her face. Maybe she could have been more patient, but every time Vahlen tried to tell her she "just did what she needed to survive," her stomach churned. She had to look out for herself too... even when it involved things like this.

For better or worse, she supposed what was done was done.