"Those in favor?"
A dozen figures sat at a long table in a well-lit room decorated with a number of elegant adornments. All but one raised a hand.
"Those opposed?"
One hand went up as the rest were lowered.
"Let the record show Dot Pyxis has been voted in as the new Commander-in-Chief for all military regiments by a majority vote," Hange said. Her eyes left the meeting notes being taken down by Moblit to land on the single person who'd raised their hand in opposition. "Whether he accepts the position or not is still to be seen."
A sigh escaped Commander Pyxis as he lowered his hand. He frowned at the congregation around the table. Another long, dramatic sigh escaped the man as he crossed his arms.
"If that is the will of my peers and the monarchy's representatives," Pyxis said, sounding somewhat put out. "Then I suppose I would be at folly to question their judgment. I will accept this appointment and do my utmost to meet expectations."
Pyxis sat back in his seat, leveling Hange with a steady expression. "At this time, I would like to make a request of our new Commander of the Scout Regiment to transfer the meeting agenda to myself."
"Of course, Premier Pyxis," Hange said. "Please proceed."
"Thank you," Pyxis said. His eyes roved over the faces present. "I would like to keep the following proceedings brief. Commander Nile Dawk sent his vote for my instatement via a representative from the Military Police Brigade, however I don't feel inclined to discuss certain other matters of importance until he's discharged from the infirmary and able to meet with me in person.
"As such, the only matter I would like to mention is my nomination of Captain Rico Brzenska to my former position of Commander of the Garrison Regiment. I believe her quick thinking and level-headed decisions during the attack on Trost and the recent invasion of Titans within Wall Rose exemplify my recommendation. I urge the council to consider this matter. We will vote when Nile is able to weigh in. All agreed?"
Heads nodded in affirmation.
"If there are no other matters at hand," Pyxis said. "Then I would like to call to adjourn this meeting."
"I have one."
Hange slid a slip of paper across the table. Her eyes locked with Pyxis', the man studying her expression for a moment before flipping the paper over. His brow furrowed as he read the short excerpt. He closed his eyes.
"A pity," Pyxis said. He looked up. "Alright, then; I am giving permission to release an official statement concerning the gate incident in Stohess District in which fifty-six civilians tragically lost their lives. The statement will be as follows:
"'The results of an official investigation have found the winch mechanism for the gate suffered a critical failure in the form of the safety lock. This lock was incapable of withstanding the vibrations resulting from the quakes of the battling Titans; a flaw which caused the barrier to prematurely be lowered. The winch's overall design lacked capabilities to avoid this due to such an occurrence formerly being viewed as unforeseeable by our predecessors. The price for their oversight was, tragically, the lives of those lost. Make it known this mechanism, and all winches for the gates, will be modified with a new safety locking feature to avoid a repeat of such an event.' Does anyone have anything to add?"
No one spoke, much less made eye contact. Pyxis nodded.
"In that case, meeting adjourned."
Pyxis was the first to rise from the table. Hange caught a glimpse of him pulling a flask from his jacket as he rushed out the door. There was the distinct impression the man was going to find a quiet corner to drink away his doubt and anxieties before fully committing to his new role. At least, that was the hope.
Hange remained seated as others filtered from the room. A noble's summer home was being used as a temporary headquarters for the military in lieu of their previous residence being reduced to rubble. Their previous residence … and their previous Commander-in-Chief.
We should've been harsher when we warned Dhalis Zachary to leave the area when the charges were triggered, Hange thought. To be fair, all of us had too much faith in a Titan's supposed inability to transform underground. Naturally, we faced the one Titan which upended those expectations.
The room had cleared out of all but three occupants. Moblit was still at Hange's side; another figure approached from where he'd been leaning against the wall for the duration of the meeting.
"Levi," Hange said, turning to glance over her shoulder. "Can you confirm that the statement of the Military Police captain assigned to the guard post in Stohess during the time of the gate incident reflects the statement just given by the Commander-in-Chief?"
Levi leveled Hange with a slow blink. "I can. My conversation with Captain Vaughn made it very clear the events which took place were exactly as Premier Pyxis stated."
"Good," Hange said. She got to her feet, placing her hands on the table. A sigh escaped her lips as she dipped her head.
"Commander," Moblit said. He slowly rose, glancing at the door which had been left slightly ajar before continuing. "Since the final statement has been released, I'll arrange a meeting with you and a member of the Technical Department to discuss–"
"No."
Moblit's mouth stretched into a thin line. "Commander, I believe–"
"You will not contact her about this," Hange said, keeping her head lowered. "She's already been informed through other channels."
"Through you?" Moblit asked.
"Not through me."
"Commander," Moblit said, leaning forward. "I believe you should speak to her directly. It would be no trouble for me to–"
"Do not make me repeat myself," Hange said. "Any communication you send to anyone about this incident without my permission will be considered a direct violation of an order from the Commander of the Scout Regiment."
Moblit took an unsteady step back when Hange turned to move away from the table. She kept her eyes forward as she strode across the room.
"Moblit, check on Commander Nile's status. If he isn't resting, find me in my office and I'll head to the infirmary so we can have a discussion. Levi – you will continue your duties of monitoring the situation with the Titans in our custody and updates on the investigation of the spy's location. You're both dismissed."
There was no sound of confirmation. Hange glanced over her shoulder as she stepped through the threshold. She caught a glimpse of Moblit and Levi regarding one another, the latter's frown growing more pronounced. The scene disappeared as she stepped down the hall to the dull thud of her boots over the carpet. A twisting sensation like a knife in her gut grew with every step.
Levi wasn't one to wander. There was little interest in taking the road less traveled unless that road ended with the slaughter of Titans. It would be a lie to say he didn't care about the people he protected, but the truth was that he took no considerable interest in them. His musings on the matters of what the people who resided within Laurel Town did for entertainment, for necessity, or for socialization fell short. Levi wasn't one to wander, so a number of questions were asked of the citizens he came across before finding a suitable answer to lead him in a particular direction.
The path he urged his horse along was one of the few he took upon himself. It was for a purpose he didn't understand in the slightest, however the look he exchanged with Moblit earlier that afternoon solidified it was necessary. This was for the sake of the new commander of the Scouts; for Hange to move forward with a steady mind and heart.
Cobblestone turned to grass. The path ahead was little more than worn grooves left by wagon wheels, curving between a short stone wall before disappearing into the tree line. The people here took great effort to ensure Levi's destination was tucked away. The area existed as an afterthought most would rather not dwell upon.
Stone markers began to spring up between the trees like clusters of wildflowers. Some were as tall as four feet, chiseled with a description of the deceased, or an anecdote concerning the reader someday following them into the ground. Other markers were short enough to hide among unkempt grass and only be noticed when they became a tripping hazard. They simply had a name and two dates. Levi was fonder of those; the rest he considered frivolous.
The barrier of trees began to thin. Levi could more easily see into the distance, including a small congregation on the other end of a wide clearing. Shoes devoid of the scuffs of labor indicated the men and women gathered were dressed in their nicest attire. Black shawls hung over the women's shoulders; the men adorned sashes around their necks of the same color. They were far enough to not hear the sound of hoofbeats from Levi's approach. Heads remained bent as faint snippets of voices drifted through the air.
Levi dismounted. His gray horse received a gentle pat in parting as he strode forward. The target in his sights was one among a handful of stone benches erected around the clearing. He stepped up to the only seat which was already occupied.
"You need to see Hange."
He may've been a ghost for all Celine Bodt did to acknowledge Levi's presence. She sat with her back straight, eyes locked ahead on the congregation across the way. The hands tightly folded in her lap and lack of movement almost gave the impression of someone sitting for a portrait. It was the sort of pose no one would choose to sit in if they felt they had an option.
A moment passed. Grass bent underfoot as Levi circled the bench, taking a seat beside Celine. He joined her in observing the burial. Grief was not a feeling he was foreign to.
"You made a decision," Levi said, keeping his eyes ahead. "You considered your options in an objective manner and acted accordingly. No one can blame you for that."
"I acted like a monster."
Levi regarded Celine from the corner of his eye. Her face betrayed no emotion, but a tremble appeared in the hands in her lap.
"I'm no better than the enemy," Celine said. "Their main objective has been capturing Eren Jaeger; dozens have perished from their attempts to abduct a single child. Their intentions are bathed in bloodshed … just like mine. And I can't … I can't atone. The greatest thing I have to offer is a life which I promised to keep for the sake of someone else."
"What do you think your death would solve?" Levi asked. "Are you conceited enough to believe your self-sacrifice would bring these people long-lasting peace?"
Celine lowered her gaze. She stared at a dandelion swaying in the gentle breeze. "It's better than nothing."
"Then don't do nothing," Levi said. "If issues were solved by wallowing in self-pity, the nobles of the Interior would've resolved all our grievances long ago."
Brown eyes flecked with gold landed on Levi. They were devoid of the spark he'd seen in them before. He was reminded of Hange, the comparison causing an uncomfortable feeling to stir in his gut.
"You say I should avoid doing nothing," Celine said, voice low. "You say this as if the things I've already done have amounted to anything. The woman being buried in the ground over there … and my step-mother … every person who died at the gate died for no reason. The Titan who I sought to keep from escaping our grasp disappeared anyway. The people who I tried to protect … the damage I wanted to avoid … it will all still happen. My actions were meaningless; according to the official statement, they didn't even happen. How is that fair?"
"If the world was fair," Levi said, holding her gaze. "Then I wouldn't be sitting here. I would be dead; my body burnt to ashes while the members of my former squad worked to fill the void I'd left behind. They could've accomplished it; it's easier for four soldiers to take the place of one than the other way around."
Levi looked forward, his eyes roving over the trees. In his mind the shadows from the branches twisted and stretched to match trunks so wide even a Titan couldn't wrap its arms around the circumference. Tiny figures flitted past on horseback as Scout Regiment cloaks fluttered in their wake. There were four riders, the same four Levi dreamt of almost every night. All he ever saw were their backs; they never turned to face him.
"My last mission resulted in a similar outcome to what happened at the gate," Levi said. "I made a decision I believed to be correct at the time. I stood by the faith I had in my squad … a faith which resulted in their deaths. Each of them died to capture a Titan who slaughtered nearly half of our forces and still got away. No day passes where the guilt of their demise doesn't weigh upon me."
Keen eyes returned to the present. Levi once again put Celine in his sights. "That doesn't mean I will do them the disservice of dismissing their sacrifice. Growing stagnant would only solidify the notion of their deaths meaning nothing. Is that what you seek to do? Are you here to inform that grieving family that their loved one may as well have never been born for all the impact she made in this life?"
There was a light. It was faint, and seemed painful, but it was better than the emptiness which had been in Celine's eyes before. She couldn't hold Levi's gaze.
"I could never tell them something like that," Celine said.
"It's unfortunate," Levi said. "But sometimes the largest impact a person will ever make involves their death. It's a notion which frustrates me to no end. As much as I detest it, I will not deny it. The grief and regret we feel pushes us forward to do what must be done to help humanity as a whole. There is no sense in fighting against past occurrences which can't be changed."
Celine grit her teeth, lifting her head to stare at the low passing clouds. A minute passed of her looking skyward as Levi regarded the transformation of her expression. His eyes narrowed when Celine's chest rose in a deep inhale.
The resulting scream from Celine caused the group across the clearing to turn their heads in a panic. They watched as Celine dipped her head, pushing every last ounce of air from her lungs as her voice cracked and waivered. She lifted a hand over her eyes as her shout fell away. Long, rattling breaths accompanied the tears escaping between her fingers. Celine was regarded in pity for a moment before gazes drifted away to offer her privacy in her grief.
Levi didn't share the onlookers' sentiment. He watched Celine with a steady expression as she wept. In the moment she had lifted her face toward the sun, Levi caught a glimpse of a familiar spark return.
A memory from months past floated to the surface; a dying comrade lifting a hand coated in blood during his final moments. The soldier had been looking to Levi to affirm every step he'd taken to this point had all been worthwhile. Levi had accepted the soldier's hand, informing the man his sacrifice would always be remembered as motivation for Levi to eliminate every last Titan. The soldier soon passed from this world with a smile on his face.
Celine's arm received a nudge. Her trembling hand slipped into the one being offered with no hesitation. The grip Levi received was strong enough to be painful, but no words in protest were spoken. He only watched as the weight chaining Celine down fell away with every tear and pathetic cry. That weight would never disappear entirely; it was something she was bound to carry for the rest of her life.
At least now she realized it was something she had the strength to bear.