Colonel Grethe looked at the empty cup where her coffee was moments ago and sighed with resignation. It was her seventh this night, but it seemed that the awakening effect stopped working around the fifth one.
"I can't believe they pushed the operation two days forward. I know the Republic is in dire need of help, but we have to think about our people first! The Eighty-Six should have a proper rest before being dispatched again..."
Chef of staff William didn't even bother to respond, dark circles around his eyes were speaking for themselves. The sudden order turned the whole commanding office upside down, making them forfeit sleep to try and finish the preparations on time. Months normally necessary to prepare such a big operation were already cramped into a few weeks, so cutting a deadline even shorter seemed irrational.
"The processors should be here any minute now. Are you sure that everything is ready to go?" Colonel Grethe asked for the tenth time.
"Stop fussing, we did all we could. Now everything is up to the Republic. Although I doubt those fools will give them a proper welcome..." William said with an annoyed tone, amplified by the lack of sleep.
A few more minutes passed, and the firm knock on the door signaled that everyone was gathered.
"Wow, Colonel, you look like a ghost..." Kurena mumbled with surprise seeing the always-on-top Colonel with disheveled hair and face clearly displaying that sleep wasn't her companion this night.
"Now, we will go step by step through the operation for the last time. Our mission is to rescue the civilians left in the Republic and gather the important documents left in their headquarters, including those in the Eighty-Six sector. There are also reports about Legion's production base nearby, scouting mission will be dispatched to confirm our suspicions. Remember, we are trying to help, but our priority is the safety of the Federacy's troops. If something goes wrong, we do not have the obligation to put the Republic's citizens first, especially after what they did to you. Do your best, but be prepared that with our current numbers, we aren't able to help all of them. Colonel Milizé will be coming with you as the Republic's soldier, but we trust that she'll share that mindset. Unless it contradicts the main principles, you are obligated to follow her commands." Colonel Grethe said sternly, but after the basic explanation, she went back to her tired self. She showed all the maps and information that Colonel Milizé brought with her, hoping that the mission would go smoothly. "Captain Nouzen, your job will be to guard the Colonel's vehicle during the whole operation. We do not expect to engage in direct combat with the Legion during your travel there, but you can never be sure."
"Yes ma'am." Shin said confidently. He did not expect to receive the exact order that he wanted to do nonetheless. The Eighty-Six were experienced soldiers, but even with all the respect he had for Lena's work, she never was in the direct line of fire. What he didn't consider was, that the two years they had been apart, a lot had changed. Sure, she couldn't fight in a Feldreß, but the fall of the Republic did not have the luxury of a safe zone. When everything was falling down and she took the command, the battlefield was all around her. Shin however was too preoccupied with worry that so soon after their reunion, when he didn't hear anything about her for the last two years, she had to be exposed to direct danger. He even suggested privately to Grethe, that Lena could lead them remotely, but she just glared at him and explained, like to a child, that as a Republic officer, it was unavoidable that she had to go and lead in person. Only his friends seeing their beloved leader acting like a proper teenager for the first time seemed to be aware of what was going on. While Anju and Raiden were more than happy to giggle every time they saw this new side of him, Kurena and Frederica were the exact opposite. If they could, they would make Shin and Lena never be in the same room again.
After the meeting concluded, they decided to all go to a cafeteria, still having three hours left for their departure.
"I don't think the white pigs deserve all that help after all." Theo scoffed, thinking about going back to the hell they escaped from two years ago. The life here was entirely different. He recently gained a new hobby, repairing junk from Ernst's basement. When he was bored, he would take out a screwdriver and a few other tools and tinker with mysterious contraptions with incredible precision. So far he managed to revive two clocks, one creepy doll and a coffee grinder. His newest challenge was a broken radio, supposedly capable of playing and recording sounds. Not caring about getting his friends' consent, he took his toy out on the table and continued working.
"You're right, they probably won't appreciate it, but think about all the Eighty-Six left behind and what's going to happen if we don't intervene. Not to mention, if the rumor about the close Legion base is true, it's a direct danger to the Federacy." Anju responded, trying to find a good reason. The truth was that none of them were particularly motivated.
"To the hell with the Republic. This one time I'm on the Legion's side." Kurena said grimly, recalling all the bad memories she tried to bury. The sole reason why she haven't called it quits was that she didn't want to be split from her loved ones.
"I heard that those documents we have to retrieve might be a big help to us." This time, even Anju didn't believe what she was saying. "Anyways, we all agreed that we would do it. Now it's too late to drop out."
Raiden, who was staying quiet the whole conversation suddenly got up from his chair.
"Let's stop fussing about it and eat. We won't be able to have real meat during the whole mission, only this synthetic Republic crap. I wanna enjoy myself for the last time" The comment lightened the atmosphere, and everyone filled their plates to the brim.
"By the way Shin, is Frederica staying with Ernst during this time?" Anju asked.
"I dunno, probably." He replied without much thought. "She really was fighting to join us as our Mascot, but Grethe shot her idea down. She was sulking after that, but strangely I didn't see her today. Maybe she's mad at me for not taking her side, but this time I told Fido I won't forgive him if he brings her." Only they knew the truth, that their beloved Mascot was in truth Augusta Frederica Adel-Adler, the last Empress of the Giadian Empire. Now she didn't hold any authority, so her tantrum was as important as any 10-year-old.
"She is stubborn, but we all know that she just wants to help us..." Anju said with pity.
"With all the civilians we will have to escort, if there is any fighting during the way, it will be a massacre. Let's not bring anyone else into that mess." Theo scoffed, when the screw he removed fell under the table.
"Stop it Theo." Raiden said while Kurena slammed her hand on the table, making all the juice glasses jump in response. "We all want to get it over with, don't take it out on us."
No one was particularly excited going into the hangars, where their Reginleifs were. The machines looked as good as new, the maintenance crew did their best to wrap up the repairs for their departure. Bone-colored armors proudly displayed their personal marks, ready to make a triumphant return. Unlike the Juggernauts those Feldreß weren't meant to be their coffins. Those new-generation machines, piloted by experienced Eighty-Six, were ironically the sole hope for the people who abandoned them to die in a scrap of metal.
When they entered, an unfamiliar unit was already standing there. In the front stood a tall woman, with short red hair and light-brown skin resembling a milk chocolate. Up close they noticed that her eyes were two different colors, right dark indigo and left as white as a cloud in the sky, making her seem one-eyed from a distance. Lena was talking to the strange person, but when she saw them, she stopped the conversation and introduced her.
"This is Second Lieutenant Shiden Iida, Captain of the Brísingamen unit. She was my trusted subordinate during the last two years, I hope you will get along during this shared mission." They had arrived a day ago, as they were previously dispatched to a Northern base. There they had obligatory expedited Federacy military training, to officially serve under a new banner.
"I was a head of the Queen's Knights during the Republic's fall, but I heard a lot about ya Captain Nouzen, happy to see ya in person." Shiden said with a husky alto voice, not mockingly, but not exactly with humble respect. After a messy procedural salute and required introductions of every unit member, the atmosphere felt less stuffy.
"So, Shiden, how was serving under Colonel Milizé after we ran away?" Theo asked, half-jokingly half serious, still not knowing what exactly transpired during those two years. He did his best to break the ice with a fellow Name Bearer.
"Our Queen was brilliant, if not her those pigs coulda only beg for a quick death from the Legion. Dumb asses didn't listen to the only gal who knew what was comin'." Shiden smirked, but there was a note of grief in her mocking tone. Many have died because of this stupidity, even among her most prepared friends. "By the way, as u can guess my nickname is Cyclops, cos' of my eyes. We will try to work with ya best we can, but don't get show-offy, I know you like that Reaper boy."
"Let's try to stay civil." Raiden stepped in to cool the mood, but the woman appeared amped up.
"Sure. I will see how you ride in that later." Shin said nonchalantly, trying to not get provoked. "By the way, this time my unit is tasked with Colonel's safety, so be sure to secure the front line."
Anju giggled quietly seeing her leader butting heads with a new officer, while Kurena seemed to glare daggers into the Cyclops. Lena smiled nervously hoping this would quickly pass, but not knowing if she should butt in.
"In the Eighty-Six sector, we usually fought for the leader position, survival of the fittest. They probably are itching to try themselves in hand-to-hand combat, nothing serious, just to see who's better." Anju explained to Lena, who didn't know about those customs, with a relaxed attitude.
"If it's not harmful..." Lena felt mixed about it but didn't want to force them to change their ways. "I'll allow you two a quick sparring match, but no injuries are permitted for the mission's sake."
"What do ya think Reaper? Ready to get your ass kicked?" Shiden smirked.
"Bring it on." Shin said, handing his weapons to Raiden.
Cyclops was fast, with a physique rivaling her opponent, her every punch was filled with force. Reaper however focused on the defense and while she was preparing to hit his stomach he quickly turned and landed a blow on her knee. This wasn't enough to bring her down, Shiden quickly retaliated with a strong headbutt, making her opponent back a little to regain composure. When she was aiming to land a final blow on his ankle to bring him to the ground, the boy suddenly changed his trajectory and pulled her to the ground with an easy but effective trick of using the opponent's strength against them. The match had a clear winner, Captain Nouzen getting a newfound respect from his new peers. Everyone acknowledged the hierarchy the duel set.
"Nice one Lil'reaper, what I expected of ya." Shiden said with a grin. Few bruises were worth trying herself against the living legend.
"You weren't so bad yourself." Shin said, despite the win. He reached his hand to help his new subordinate stand up. "Now it's time to get to the business."
February 27th Republic Year 368 (Stellar Year 2149)
178 days until the Legion's Large-Scale Offensive
"So let me get this straight, Your Majesty, you want to create the Resistance Movement against future big Legion attack yourself because nobody fucking listens?" Shiden asked bewildered, as the Albas' stubbornness, delusion about their immunity, and sense of being above it all surpassed even her expectations. "I'm not surprised about those white pigs ignoring our warnings. But ignoring you is just plain stupid."
"More or less, but I have no chance without your help. I'll do anything I can to get the supplies and arsenal, but with no people to stand and fight, all of those things are useless for civilians." Lena responded after the hour she had spent explaining all the details to her most trusted Knight. Due to the indifference of her commanders, she gave up trying to convince the army. All that she had left was using the wealth and prestige accumulated over the centuries, paired with the connections the girl had to establish anew.
"Well... I can try to sweet-talk to a few Eighty-Six I know... if they're still alive. But those shitty earrings prevent chatting with other squads." Cyclops scoffed.
"Don't worry about it, my friend has us covered. During the next shipment, you'll find a small device in your uniform's lining. Cut it out and connect it to the Para-RAID, Annette will take care of everything." She knew that even if the calls were monitored in theory, the people responsible usually spent their time drunk on the first floor.
"I'm more impressed by you every day, Your Majesty." The tone was sincere this time.
"I can't let us all die, I've promised someone to keep fighting." She responded with a smile, but Shiden still could feel the grief in those words.
"Queen's Knights will always be at your service." With that answer, Lena knew, that she had trusted the right person. Now she had to muster the courage to face the rest of the world.
This chapter was heavily inspired by the events in the novel's Volume 4 because I love Shiden too much not to portray her as the original author intended. I included it so all anime fans, who didn't read the novel, met her in a similar manner. The more this story will go on, the more I will separate from the novel's course, but the original draft was made as a story after Volume 12, so there are a few novel concepts that I will reintroduce here, to reuse them in my own way.