The Fight for Mankind

The Price of Freedom

REINER

The stiff breeze that blew off the sea whipped around my face, causing my eyes to sting as we watched the battleship become smaller and smaller as it sailed away across the horizon back to the homeland, Ymir with it. 

Why does this feel wrong?

"You did well in returning what was stolen," War chief Zeke commended Bertolt and I as we turned to climb down from the sea wall, "But now we must complete our mission and capture the coordinate for the good of the empire."

I don't think I know what is good anymore...

"Yes, war chief." I nodded vacantly, Ymir's letter to Historia lying heavy in my breast pocket as I thought about the debt I owed her for coming back for us when she could have fled with the Scouts.

Had Ymir not returned to aid us, we would have been devoured by the Titans besieging us, and if by some miracle we had survived, I fear our Titans would have been stripped from us in punishment for our failures. For reasons I still couldn't fully comprehend, Ymir had saved us, inciting a debt I would never be able to repay, and thanks to her selfless sacrifice we now had another chance to make it right, to bring home the Coordinate and bring glory to the empire.

Easier said than done, of course, the Scouts now know what we are and Eren is the holder of the Coordinate. For all the people that power could have fallen to, he has to be by far the worst-

"Are you saying a single soldier might pose a threat to me?" War Chief Zeke asked incredulously, drawing me back to the conversation at hand and frowning I turned to Bertolt for his response.

"Yes. Captain Levi is dangerous, he isn't called humanities strongest for nothing. I think it would be wise to eliminate him as soon as possible once it comes down to it." Bertolt advised quietly before his eyes flickered over to me, "and he's not the only one."

No. Don't do it.

"What Bertolt means is-" I tried to interject knowing exactly who he was trying to throw to the wolves though why I did, I not could say. It proved fruitless however as the War Chief sent me a warning look that had my words catching in my throat.

"There are others, twins, just as capable of causing issues for us", Bertolt continued explaining as he fixed his gaze on the war chief, refusing to look at me and I felt my heart beginning to hammer in my chest.

"Go on." War chief Zeke encouraged, and red hair flashed in my mind's eye, knowing that this conversation would likely be the catalyst that led to her demise.

"I've seen the woman do things that shouldn't have been possible for a human, that, and they both can sense Titans before they are near which means planning an ambush or a surprise attack might be out of the question. We tried to bring at least the woman with us as we thought the empire would be very interested in them." Bertolt explained as he wrung his hands together, a shadow of fear and regret passing over his face, "Their names are Rian and Aurora Sparhawke."

Rian offered him forgiveness... he offered to protect us, and he just signed his death warrant...

"Well I'll be damned, that name actually survived." War chief Zeke laughed in disbelief as he brought his hand up to scratch his ear, "Of all the things... Your right Bertolt, the empire would be very interested in acquiring them. In fact, they could change everything for us."

I knew they were important, the only question is why?

"Why?" I asked, the need to know forcing the word out of my mouth and looking at me with an amused expression, the War chief smiled.