Eren's been having all sorts of dreams ever since joining the Scouts.

They were more than mere vague, incoherent dreams, Eren knew.

One of them involved his parents.

"The Will?" dad asked. He sat by candlelight, in Eren's childhood home. Across from dad, lightly rocking on a chair was mom. She held a napping infant Eren in her arms.

"It's what my father called it," mom said with a nostalgic smile. "He didn't believe in luck, or fate. He thought anything worthwhile in life had to be earned. Fought for. You had to have drive, the willpower to get what you want. The Will is something… special."

The inquisitive look in dad's eye reminded Eren of Armin. "The Will to… tangibly pour your willpower into another's? Influencing the physical world and the people in it through Will alone? Not just as a motivating factor for your own self?"

Mom… Mom laughed, amused. "Come on, Grisha. Not everything has to sound so scientific."

Dad chuckled back. "I can't help it. Are you surprised? You know how I am, Carla."

"It was more about getting me, Keith, and other kids in the neighborhood to not feel so down about having to work so much all day." Keith? Keith Shadis? He knew Eren's parents? "Share the Will. Follow the Will. Surpass the Will, as One!" Mom softly laughed again. "Then down the line, maybe we'll have earned enough coins for each of us to have our own bed to sleep in."

"But it's a philosophy that stayed with you and Keith. He surely still follows the Will to be fighting Titans on the other side of the Wall. Using his Will to empower the other Scouts flying by his side."

Mom draped a hand over the tiny head of Eren's baby self. "Maybe that's something he still thinks about, using the Will to uplift the soldiers fighting with him. The Will always worked a little differently with me."

"How so?"

"… You know, my father's always been a bit of a loner."

"Yes, I noticed." Dad grinned as he reminisced. "Yet he's always come off so outspoken and personable with his business at the bar. I never would have guessed he was as reticent and soft-spoken as he is if I hadn't gotten to know him better. Are you saying he uses the Will to show off an energetic performance when he's at work?"

"The Will is still a 'motivating factor', as you put it. My father uses the Will to get people to like him. He puts in the right amount of energy that makes folks feel comfortable and open up. The effect bleeds over to him, so he gets out of his shell to convince customers to keep coming back for more. For me, the Will has always helped define the line between truth and lies."

Mom's serene look as she gazed at little Eren never faltered. Dad, on the other hand…

"I'm sure the truest thing," dad said, " the Will has shown you, is that I love you and Eren with all my heart."

"… Who were they, Grisha?"

"Who were…"

"The people you loved before Keith found you outside the Wall?"

Eren woke up.

A bell was being rung, and a voice was shouting.

"Defense positions!" screamed Eld Gin, the second-in-command of Levi Squad. "Titan horde, incoming! Defense positions, now."

Eren threw off his covers and jumped out of bed. He internally swore at seeing he was the last one to get up again. Of course real Scouts like Gunther Schultz, Petra Rall, and Oluo Bozad were already half-way suited up with their ODM gear. What really stung was Mikasa being ahead of them all in full uniform, her jacket, boots, and blaster holster all secured. Only her messy bed hair was out of place, but what mattered was that she was instantly ready to fight when called on.

Mikasa's non-Oriental bloodline being a big reason for her amazing fighting abilities didn't matter. Regular people like Reiner, Annie, and Bertholdt were perfectly able to keep up with her thanks to their own determination and discipline. Eren, as he's learned, was not normal. Along with mastering his powers as a Titan Shifter, he had to become even better than Mikasa when it came to conventional soldiering. What good was he if the Scouts' best in Miche and Levi could beat him and Mikasa down like nothing before he could transform into a Titan? Hopefully, today Eren will make more progress in improving himself and surpassing Mikasa.

Because Mikasa was still automatically shadowing him, Eren was second-to-last out of Levi Squad's quarters. They followed Eld down the corridor, up a flight of stairs, and spread out across the top of the tower. Bells were still ringing as other squads took up positions throughout the castle, blasters drawn.

Surrounding the castle were countless wooden stumps of recently cut trees. Standing between them along the faint hills of grass was the "Titan horde."

A voice spoke on the comlinks attached to the Imperial gauntlets worn by Eren and his fellow Scouts. "Stop the noise," Captain Levi's voice droned out. And the bells did stop. "Dieter, where the hell are you?"

He was another Squad Leader. On the comm channel, Dieter replied, "My team and I were picked up last night to help with the builds. We're sitting this one out."

Levi clicked his tongue. "Fine. Marlene, have your people reinforce the west battlement. The fight's going to start soon, so just use your ODM gear." On cue, Marlene and her Scouts on the tower opposite Levi Squad soared as ordered. "Eren, be ready to shift, when I tell you."

"Yes, sir!" Eren reported back. This time without a crack in his voice.

"We need to thin the herd before you get out there. You get lost in your head again, you're paying for it. Understand?"

Lost in your head. He meant Eren losing focus and fighting purely on instinct. Like when Eren had killed Imperial Captain Bex and left a scar on Mikasa's face. "Got it, sir," Eren said through gritted teeth.

"Mikasa, if you step out of the line and pamper Eren again, you'll do worse than cleaning the stables when we're done."

"Of course, sir," Mikasa responded, the heat behind the words hidden under a veil of stoicism. She didn't pay any mind to Eren's pointed look. She was focused on the upcoming battle. Eren shook his head and followed her lead.

Admittedly, Eren was still intimidated by Captain Levi. On top of being biological freaks, Eren and Mikasa were outsiders to the pros in Levi Squad. They were still getting accustomed to the facets of being fully-fledged Scouts and to the new protocols put into place for all the Imperial tech everyone was given. Captain Levi did his part in watching over Eren and helping him learn to consciously activate and control his Titan form, but after the trial, Eren had spent a lot of time in the castle's basement when not training. Because Levi had other duties for JTF Xamaural, and he hadn't yet grown to trust Eren not to spontaneously transform if let alone.

With all that said, Levi's rough treatment of him and Mikasa wasn't actually too outside the gruffness Shadis was known for. As long as Eren followed orders, and didn't make any dumb missteps, then Levi will be satisfied. Already, after a few weeks of acclimating with the Scouts, Eren was granted permission to sleep in the same room as the squad. And it was a room with easy access to the morning sunlight and the cool night air. After his stint in the dungeon, Eren hardly wanted to stay underground any longer than he needed to.

Eren didn't doubt there was still an underlying fear Petra, Eld, Gunther, and Oluo likely felt about his Titan Shifter status. Fortunately, from their brief time training together, it was a fear they were clearly keeping under control. That instantly earned them Eren's respect, so he should pay back their discipline by not screwing up this day's "Titan attack."

When howls and screeches of Titan started blaring in everyone's ears, the horde began their attack, rolling toward the castle.

Rolling, because the "Titans" were actually a collection of giant wooden models, the "builds" Dieter and many, many others helped put together. Branches, slivers, and planks of wood were assembled in rough Titan silhouettes. They stood on wheeled platforms, somewhat like the siege towers Eren has seen in historical books he's read with Armin. The Titan growls and screams were recorded by the Imperials, now playing on the Scouts' comlinks.

The Empire has been far from idle since agreeing to an alliance with the people of the Walls over a month and a half ago. Between the distribution of relief supplies and the Imperial-run mining operations, there was the military task force taking up resources and committed to constant training for the next official expedition for Wall Maria. The 104th and other cadet divisions were getting a curated education with five-oh-first reps and the COMPNOR organization. Eren and Mikasa were exceptions in the cadets; they were directly appointed as Scouts. While also getting streamlined lessons about the Empire, they were also pulled into more intensive training with the Scouts and the Imps. Eren had no idea how they came up with the idea, but the engineers in the Legion and of the Walls worked together to develop the mobile Titan dummies for training exercises like these.

The material was harvested straight out of the forest that once shrouded the fortress. Ramps and platforms dotted the landscape to let the wheeled Titans move with relative ease toward the castle. Dummies that bumped against each other or simply fell over added to the chaos of a real Titan battle.

Captain Levi's voice on the comm drowned out the Titan noise. "First volley, go!"

Eren fired, echoing dozens of other Scouts doing the same. It was a procedure impractical with muskets and ODM gear, but perfected with Imperial-grade weapons. First volley for the Scouts targeted the legs, tripping enemy Titans who instantly became obstacles to those moving directly behind them. Stormtroopers wearing jetpacks were already rising through the air to hover over this improvised barricade of Titan bodies. With their superb aim, the troopers blasted Titan napes they had good lines of sight on. Bags of sand served as nape surrogates.

The blasterfie and sharpshooting skills also detonated the bags of Wall gunpowder attached to the builds. The detonations usually made big enough impacts to clear the way for more Titans to roll through, though the smoke left behind hardly matched the thickness of Titan steam. Once the path was open again, the stormtroopers retreated back to the castle. Hit-and-fade, the Imperials called this phase of the defense plan. Real Titans would be uselessly grabbing at their air for the flying troopers, but jetpack fuel wasn't infinite. The troopers made mid-air "jumps" activating and deactivating their jetpacks, like how a Scout would use individual bursts of gas to move with ODM gear, and only paused with a constant levitating stream of jetpack fumes momentarily to make more precise blaster shots before retreating. Once the line of "Titans" reformed and continued their assault, Captain Levi ordered the second volley, and the process started all over again.

It wasn't a consistent line of "Titans" that advanced on the Scouts. Some sections moved farther than others, and a couple made it a fair distance ahead during a mistimed reload before they were stopped short by a Scout. Even so, there was an invisible outer perimeter that, when enough dummy Titans crossed it, Captain Levi would give Eren his cue.

"Eren, shift it!"

Setting his blaster and his comlink gauntlet down, Eren released the straps of his ODM gear off his legs and jumped off the battlement. His equipment wouldn't survive the next step. Wind hitting his face, Eren brought his hand to his mouth and bit into his skin. Blood splattered, and a flash of light sparked.

In seconds, the Scout Titan stood at the ready, yelling out an instinctive, visceral roar.

It wasn't like the real thing, fighting these dummy Titans. Not at all. Eren still had faint flashes of Trost to get a feel for weaving around Titan lunges and powering through toothy bites on his oversized body, like a pack of dogs gnawing at him. Knocking down the dummy Titans was a breeze, no challenge whatsoever.

But after taking out the necessary amount of dummies, Eren felt ODM hooks latch into his back. He adjusted his stance to allow Levi Squad more clearance to swing around him. Petra and Gunther took out one Titan by going at its "nape" from opposite directions. Oluo swung low to slice the neck of a downed Titan. Eld flew past Eren's hair to dive between two front-facing Titans which Eren smashed with jabs to where their faces would be. The dummy Titans staggered, allowing Eld to slice both of their napes. Mikasa arced high over Eren's head for a downward hit on an "Abnormal" Titan, built only up to a certain height and at a longer length to mimic crawling on all fours.

Using hostile Titans' bodies as latch points for ODM gear was already commonplace for the Scouts. Working in tandem with the flesh of a friendly Titan was the new twist which Levi Squad and Eren have been working on ever since Eren learned the method to shift on command. Scouts posted along the castle battlements and the airborne stormtroopers also needed to make sure they didn't hit any friendly targets in Eren or Levi Squad while maintaining the volleys against the Titans.

In due time, the last dummy Titans were eliminated. Eren observed today's ruined battlefield with satisfaction. Levi Squad either stood on his shoulders or hung from hooks embedded below his throat. None of the small pricks actually harmed him; they were like bug bites compared to literal Titan chomps.

Eld wrapped his knuckles against the Scout Titan's cheek. "I can see you, Eren," Levi said from Eld's comlink. "Try to exit your Titan form again."

Eren's normal body was inside the Scout Titan's neck, essentially where a normal Titan's vulnerable nape was located. The first two times Eren transformed, a stormtrooper had to cut through the layers of skin and muscle to pull him out. To transform in the first place, Eren needed some tangible goal in mind before he drew blood from his person. Saving Armin, delivering the boulder, even picking up a spoon of all things. Once that goal was achieved, they learned Eren could will his body to be pushed out through the nape, the Titan flash disconnecting from his human self, though he hasn't figured out how to do it consistently.

And when he tried to do it now… That word distracted him. Will.

"Remember, Eren," Mikasa said into his ear from his other shoulder. "You control this. It's your willpower that this form relies on. Pour that will into freeing yourself."

Maybe another day, those were the right words to keep Eren in check. But that last dream about Will…

Follow the Will. It almost sounded like inane Church cult talk, but Eren did remember a couple stories when he was younger about the Will. An inside joke his grandparents occasionally traded. Mom never mentioned it, though. Neither did dad.

Your fear, your hate. It gives you power, boy. Harness that anger, that will, and it shall liberate you.

The first words Darth Vader ever spoke to Eren. Vader and Eren's family might not have been talking about the same type of will, but the principle was the same as what Mikasa was telling him now. He had the power. No matter how strange, disturbing, or unrefined these abilities of Eren's were, they were his to master and use to save his home. The only serious opposition was his own lack of control, which was improving by the day. Once Eren harnessed his potential, there was nothing on this world or beyond it that can stop him.

Mikasa and Captain Levi were talking into his Titan ears again, encouraging him to follow through with the last step. It was always a strange feeling. Letting go. Cutting himself off from his Titan power, separating from the massive giant that put him on an even playing field with the monsters that destroyed his home. However, it was a necessary part of utilizing the power to its full extent. Eren felt the flesh behind his real body part ways. Tendrils keeping his limbs in place now forced him backwards. His back was hit by the searing steam being released out of his Titan body.

But as Eren started tasting the steam mixed with fresh air of the outside world, everything halted. Something hit the back of his neck, his real neck, and stuck his head back inside the Scout Titan.

It was Captain Levi, of course.

"The hell do you think you're doing, Eren? Exiting the body when you're still standing at this height? All that meat and bones falling apart, steam clouding everything, and you're leaving it up to your squadmates to navigate the mess."

Wait, he was right! Eren as the Scout Titan was still standing, the rest of Levi Squad either level with his head or just below it. The Scout Titan's body would immediately begin deteriorating when the real Eren removed himself.

Levi Squad wasn't full of idiots. They had good instincts and would be able to keep themselves from getting hurt by the Scout Titan collapsing into itself. Even so, it was a careless mistake for Eren not to kneel down and let his fellow soldiers reach stable ground first. Carelessness on Eren's part already killed a man. Levi had all the reason to stomp Eren down again.

Eren felt blades cut the fleshy restraints keeping him in place before Levi manually pulled him out. Captain Levi's small size really didn't convey the abundance of strength he had, the Scout veteran tossing Eren over his shoulder before moving away from the steaming Titan. Levi Squid was already waiting on the grass below.

Levi was flying not with ODM gear, but with an Imperial jetpack. Only Squad Leaders received the necessary training to use them. As Commander Erwin's right-hand, Levi was given the jetpack and allotted the fuel to hold a bird's eye view of large-scale exercises like this. His critiques were typically given to his own squad before he moved on to the others.

"Hey, Scout Titan! I bet you're feeling real big with your head under the boot of Kyojin's Strongest Soldier, huh?"

Eren frowned at the small crowd congregating near Levi Squad. While the group followed directions from an Imperial officer to gather the dummy Titan debris, one bum was laughing and jeering with a couple friends, making obscene gestures at Eren.

At least they weren't afraid of the Scout Titan, unlike those cowards during his and Mikasa's trial. Eren can give them that much. Their lack of respect for Eren was also compensated with the well-earned regard for Captain Levi.

"Are you asking for a shot at taking on the Scout Titan yourself?" Captain Levi called out to the bums. Eren couldn't see his glare, but the look on Levi's face on top of the harsh tone was enough for the bums to turn their backs to the Scouts and return to work.

The Empire wasn't solely giving free food to the Walls as general relief. They also offered "employment." Opportunities for civilians to work and get paid with extra rations or luxury items otherwise reserved for the nobles and military. Craftsmen like civilian engineers were courted first to support JTF business, and a lot of hands, struggling in the pre-Empire food shortage or turned away from fat cat merchants refusing to hire them on, were willing to sign up with the Empire that promised to uplift their entire world. That was where the task force got the laborers to build the dummy Titans, cutting down the forest around Scout HQ and putting the wood back together under the oversight of lead engineers. They were also tasked with the lengthy post-battle clean-ups while the Scouts moved on to more important assignments.

The Survey Corps' prior headquarters closer to Trost was closed off due to the Imperials finding more veins of ore underneath the base. The Scouts relocated to an older HQ, deeper in Wall Rose territory but left in ruin since its abandonment. It was hardly livable when Eren first arrived at the castle with Levi Squad. Overgrown forestry had surrounded the entire property, wild grass covering the dirt paths in and out of the area. Inside was hardly any better. Creaky floors, dust everywhere… Eren hadn't known Captain Levi was such a neat freak until he made everyone in the squad clean every single surface they could find. They even went through rooms already cleaned by other Scouts for a second, even a third, run of dust scrubbing.

It was partly necessary to keep up the cleaning since some sections of the castle were used to house the laborers. It was also a means of disciplinary action for the Scouts assigned to mop up after the civilians, making sure they have clean beds to go home to after a day's work. The weary soldiers got to play with new Titan-killing toys, the downtrodden civvies got a slight upgrade to their living conditions, and nobody went to sleep starving. It was far from a bad deal the Walls struck with the Empire.

Yet still, it wasn't enough for Eren.

Levi dumped him in front of the squad. Eren fortunately had enough sense to roll into a crouch instead of dropping on his ass. Since the exercise was over, Mikasa was instantly by Eren's side, helping him up.

"So," Levi said when he landed feet, shutting off his jetpack, "what did we learn today?"

Eren suppressed a groan. "Be more aware of my surroundings when exiting the Scout Titan."

Eld stepped forward. "The kid might have botched the last part, but he did good during the fight. No one was out of sync… unless you spotted something we missed, Captain."

Levi kept his leer on Eren. "Things went smoothly, relatively speaking." He sent a sharp glance at Oluo. "You're missing your blaster."

The others in the squad had their E-11s hanging onto them by their slings, except for Oluo. "I was switching power packs when the order came to join Yeager on the field. I left it at the battlement. With the safety on."

Oluo was as big a fan of Humanity's Strongest Soldier as the next guy, even imitating some of his abrasive personality traits, but the air around Oluo was obviously different when faced by this scrutiny from Levi. "Mikasa," Levi said, "you were at Trost HQ when the Imps cleared the four-meters who overran the supply room."

"Yes," was Mikasa's clipped answer.

"Did any cadets help the Imps get the job done?"

"... Some spotted for the Imperials from the lift or overhead support beams. Sunber and his men were the ones who killed the Titans."

"Only with their jetpacks and blasters," Levi surmised. Mikasa gave an affirmative. The Captain pulled out his blaster pistol from its holster, walked up to Oluo, and pressed the side of the weapon against Oluo's chest. "These things kill Titans. You have pockets. Stow the power pack in them and keep the blaster on you. And remember to check the charges before you clock off at night. They should be at full capacity so you don't have to reload so soon during a battle. Got it?"

Oluo straightened up and performed a Wall salute, fist over heart. "Yes, sir!"

When Levi pulled back, he let go of the blaster. Oluo was quick to catch it without breaking form. "Guess who's helping COMPNOR in more cooperative demonstrations for the CompForce Cadets today?"

Eren saw the hint of a smirk on Mikasa. She and Oluo instantly clashed after the first ribbing he gave the rookies. He was a good shot, but he also didn't mix well with cadets. He'll hate this assignment. Regardless, Oluo suppressed any objections and did as he was told.

As Oluo began his march back to the castle, Eren seized the opportunity to make the usual demand to Captain Levi.

"I need to see Darth Vader."

Gunther and Eld shared mutually exasperated sighs. Petra shot a sympathetic smile in Eren's direction. Mikasa shut her eyes and turned away.

"Don't let the progress you've made go to your head," Levi warned, unimpressed.

"Eren," Petra said in a pacifying tone, "imagine a random stormtrooper asking Commander Jir to arrange a meeting with Commander Erwin. We know you're not a random soldier, but there's a time and a place for everything. Procedures we have to follow to maintain order. We can't lose ourselves with all this change the Walls are going through by making more accommodations for you."

"Commander Jir fought for me to stay in the Scouts," Eren said. "That means Vader wanted me in the Scouts. He wants to talk to me. Just because he's busy schmoozing the Royal Assembly doesn't mean he won't make time for me when I'm pushing or–"

"Vader's not drinking wine glasses with nobles through that horror show he calls a helmet," Levi said. "His top officers are doing the schmoozing. Vader's working with Erwin and other military and merchant heads on the actual plan for securing the island. You want to interrupt them for a personal meeting? Prove you're in absolute control of your Titan form. Then I'll consider it."

No, that wasn't good enough. "The Empire is still curious about Titan shifting. At Shiganshina–"

"We're letting you keep the key to your old basement, aren't we?" Eren clutched the piece of metal hanging around his neck. It always survived the Titan transformations, unlike his other equipment and tools. "Be patient. We'll get to Shiganshina when we get there."

"It's not just that." Eren stood up. It wasn't as if his physical height gave him any tangible edge over Levi, but Eren needed to be firm if he was going to be taken seriously, not like a petulant child. "Vader has powers of his own. You've had to have seen them, or heard enough stories from people you trust."

"The term is telekinesis, so I'm told. Moving objects with brain power instead of manpower. Can't deny it's a strange ability to have, but it has nothing to do with your Titan shifting."

"Even just five minutes would–"

"You don't get to decide–"

A clone stormtrooper's voice cut in.

"Yeager may get his wish granted sooner than you think."

Members of Triton Squad had served as jailors for Eren and Mikasa. Now they were comrades-in-arms in the task force. Triton specifically was paired with Levi Squad. Other Scout teams were also assigned their own stormtrooper squad. Under the terms of the task force, the Legion will also take in CompForce Cadets to compensate for troopers lost to the Titans, though Triton hasn't chosen their junior members yet.

Master Sergeant Drayk was Triton's squad leader. He wore normal stormtrooper armor with a blue pauldron over his shoulder. Eren assumed it was to denote his special rank, the first Master Sergeant Eren has met among the Imperials. His voice, replicated by dozens of other troopers, marked him as one of the Empire's clones.

Most of Triton was watching the steaming carcass that was the disappearing Scout Titan, marking down more notes for the Imperial Science Team on any potential variations from prior observations. Drayk broke away from his men to approach Levi Squad.

"What makes you say that?" Levi asked.

"Lord Vader is not the most patient of men."

"You don't say?"

The sarcasm didn't phase Drayk. It didn't phase most stormtroopers, Eren's noticed from Mikasa's and Oluo's own wisecracks at them. "The Science Team and General Ziering's Battlegroup were prepared for a planetary expedition. The 501st Legion follows Lord Vader, and circumstances outside of Lord Vader's control attached us to Ziering's people. There are other obligations Vader and the Legion are bound to attend, unrelated to Kyojin."

Mikasa stared coldly at Drayk. "The Rebellion."

"Yes." Drayk waved a hand to the mess of fake Titan corpses and ash. "Your Titans inhibit our return to Imperial Space. We both benefit from their extinction. Eren Yeager is undeniably an asset to further our mutual goals. He is improving his skills as a warrior at a respectable rate under your tutelage, Captain Levi, as are the rest of your Scouts."

There was a subtle shift in Levi's perpetual frown. "You're saying Vader's going to push for the task force to shorten our timetable and launch the next expedition early?"

"Kyojinite cadets under CompForce have also shown great promise considering the short time they've undergone Imperial education." Drayk set his lifeless eyes down on Eren. "Vader will speak to you, on his timetable. Your constant appeals to Captain Levi to see Vader only distract you from your efforts in mastering your power."

The words were on the tip of Eren's tongue. Vader can help me control these powers. Drayk shot the idea down before it could be heard.

"Vader and the Empire have given you the tools to save your home. Are you going to get down on your knees and beg Vader to save it for you instead?"

Eren couldn't stop himself from clenching his fists and glaring at the trooper. "I'm going to destroy the Titans, with or without Vader. All I've been saying is that Vader can–"

"If killing the Titans without Vader is perfectly acceptable, then keep your promise and stop whining already."

The stormtrooper had started out quite diplomatically. Now he disregarded any pretense and went straight for the mockery, as if Eren was a spoiled MP deserving of derision. "You people think I'm a freak, too, with all the blood samples you take and 'examinations' your doctor gives."

"Not quite a doctor!" shouted one of Triton's Storm Commandos, Ghoul. "A stormsurgeon is licensed differently from a real surgeon."

"Whatever! I'm still 'alien' to you Imperials, and the only Imperial who's shown anything close to an 'alien' power, that wasn't related to your technology, is Darth Vader's telekinesis." There was also the unexplainable connection Eren felt with Vader, but no one would understand it except for the Dark Lord himself. "Can't you talk to Vader? You report to him. He can judge for himself if I–"

Something bounced off the top of Eren's head. The impact reverberated through his skull and down his body, his legs swaying. Mikasa kept him from falling over. Eren's sight blanked for a brief second. When he opened his eyes, he saw Mikasa throwing whatever must've hit him at another Storm Commando. It was the one with the mouth who wouldn't stop with the jokes at the dungeon.

Lieutenant Flowy ducked her head under the piece of Titan flesh thrown her way. She must have torn off a handful from the Scout Titan.

"You're asking a lot of us, changeling," the smartass yelled. "We don't append requests on our reports to Lord Vader. I'm sure the self-proclaimed president of Vader's fan club can find a way to get an audience with him through his own methods. Maybe get your handmaiden to write up a petition and have her give people the stink eye to sign it."

Mikasa's death glare had no effect on helmeted troopers. The normal-looking stormie, Switch, leaned close to Flowy to whisper something, even though they could speak in perfect privacy with their helmet comlinks. Another bout of body-shaking laughter hit them both. Another secret joke paraded in front of the ignorant Kyojinites.

Triton Squad was an exception to the image of strictly professional soldiers painted by the COMPNOR datapads and Eren's encounters with other stormtroopers. The different armor and extra attachments also marked them as distinct from the assumed norm. Ghoul did mention before that Triton was a separate unit from Lieutenant Sunber's platoon. If the likes of Levi Squad and Miche Squad were the ones assigned to watch over Titan Shifter Eren, then Triton must be of a comparable standing in the Legion, with their own quirks to boot.

"Enough already," Levi said, setting his foot down before more insults were traded. "Eren, we've had this conversation already. The only thing you can change is your ability to control every facet of your Titan form we know about. Being able to hold your own and support the task force as the Scout Titan on the expedition matters a helluva lot more than your obsession with Vader."

Why did nobody understand? Why hasn't Vader come to Eren personally any time after the trial? Is he seriously wasting time meticulously planning each step of the expedition? Plenty of Imperial officers Vader trusted can surely handle specific logistics like that after weeks of preparation.

Vader… was beyond simple words like strange, freak, or alien. Eren's not delusional enough to call him a god, but it was power, plain and simple, which Vader used to save Eren and invigorate his will to call on his Titan form at Trost. How much farther can Eren go if Vader was right next to him, the Dark Lord channeling his mysterious power through Eren again?

But Captain Levi wouldn't listen. Mikasa wouldn't listen. Petra and the rest of the squad wouldn't listen. Triton Squad must know there was power Vader wielded that went beyond his Imperial authority, but they still refused to help Eren in any meaningful way.

Was it because… Vader found others like Eren?

All the evidence, the visions Eren's been having, pointed to his dad somehow bestowing him the Titan power. If the Scout Titan was spawned and controlled by a human, did that mean the Armored and Colossal Titans were the same way? Were there even more Titan Shifters aside from them that Vader was investigating? Teaching as allies of the Empire? Or even other Kyojinites who weren't Titan Shifters but possessed a similar Will to Vader? An innate aura that only people like Vader and Eren were able to perceive and share with each other?

Eren stopped that problematic line of thinking when he felt the ground shaking. The last of the Scout Titan was dissipating in the air. Farther ahead of it, a Juggernaut vehicle was moving toward Triton and Levi Squads.

Moving directly toward them, with no signs of stopping.

With no ODM gear on, Eren's sense of self-preservation compelled him to get out of the way. Before he could, the Juggernaut abruptly braked, dirt and more wooden dummy debris spewing up from the tires suddenly freezing. The vehicle drifted, its side facing the soldiers when it came to a complete stop immediately before the disappearing steam. Eren and others had to shield their faces from the short shower of upturned soil.

From somewhere on the top of the Juggernaut, a lone figure shot out. They spun in the air with a jetpack, the shadow soon dropping from the sky when the exhaust shut off. A well-timed burst from the jetpack stopped the figure from splatting on the floor, cancelling the momentum so they could safely land on their feet.

This Scout was a bit of a freak herself with her Titan obsession, but maybe she can help Eren finally contact Vader.

"Damn," Hange Zoe cried. "I missed it again!"

Levi glowered blankly at her. "It's your own fault you can't manage your schedule properly, four-eyes."

Switch whistled, tapping his handheld Imperial recording device. "You're free to watch the footage after we send it to the Science Team, Captain Zoe. You can requisition your own piece to watch it immediately after your training rounds end."

"Argh! It's not the same as watching it live, though!"

Another head popped out of the Juggernaut, from the sentry tower sticking out of the war machine. Eren was fairly certain it was Hange's second-in-command, Moblit something. "Hange! You don't have to drive so recklessly! Especially when we're so close to civilians, and while we're carrying important passengers!"

"Nonsense, Moblit!" Hange's disappointment turned like a dime, the squad leader grinning up at her subordinate. "We gotta get used to the bumpy rides we'll be inevitably having when Titans start chasing our tails! It's not like our VIPs are complaining. If they are, they know I'm open to criticism!"

The boarding hatch on the Juggernaut's side opened, making a ramp for everyone else aboard to make their exit.

When the first person stepped out, Eren sucked in a breath.

Hange happily asked, "So, how'd I do, Lord Vader?"

The Dark Lord did not spare the Titan eccentric a glance as he strode down the ramp. His distorted voice was as captivating as ever. "Be mindful of the fuel you waste with your… energetic maneuvers. The same principle applies as you would account for your ODM flight."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time, my lord!"

As more Imperials followed after Vader, Hange turned her back to them and faced Captain Levi. Her smile plastered in place, she carefully mouthed the words, Help me.

Eren locked eyes with the Dark Lord. Once his boots hit the ground, the caped giant approached him. Mikasa sidestepped in front of Eren, as did Captain Levi. As if Vader couldn't use his so-called telekinesis to push them away. As if this meeting was something Eren would let them keep him away from.

"There something you need?" Levi asked.

Vader never turned away from Eren. "You call yourself the Scouts of the Wall Military? Warriors of Kyojin?"

"Did you miss that detail on the Kyojinite cultural orientation course?"

Eren was blinded by another flash of light, this one a bright crimson from Vader's glowing sword.

Mikasa pulled out her blades. Levi neglected to do the same, instead locking an arm around Mikasa's to keep her from lunging forward. Vader lowered his saber and motioned with his free hand.

"Show me."