Everyday Stresses of Kazuki - Sci-Fi Action/Intrigue Webserial

Each measured breath was taken with utmost insincerity. Anagoran Jud/Mil Defence. That was where they were. In times of crisis, the military and police collaborated… Evidently, the members sat around the oval table, divided into their sections.

None could be trusted. Kazuki was seated closer to the highest reaches of the table, closer to Frederick and the Second Consul…

Pressing on his uplink, Kazuki called his two bodyguards. 'Is everything safe on your end?' he asked.

'Mhm!' Václavos replied.

Nihara chimed in, 'Arbiter, we should be down there with you…'

'Negative. I need you two to ensure the Phoenix's Fury remains under our control. The She-Wolf is sly… Whilst we're all here, she may attempt a boarding of it.'

'Fine…' Nihara grunted slightly. Cutting the uplink call, Kazuki turned to Sato and Martinez, sitting near him.

Sato grumbled. "They're giving me weird looks," she murmured.

Martinez shook his head. "They expected you to have been fast-tracked to be Admiral Suwen's replacement by now."

Archius and Kazuki glanced up and down the table. A large mosaic window hung tall behind the acting Consul, a mirage of the scales of law and order, balanced perfectly by the blind Saint.

Lorenza Higira-Bitaz sat with one leg over the other. Consul Lorenza wore a pompous white dress, cloaked with a gold and red trimmed cape, along with a ribbon depicting the quint-colours of the Republic.

With a brooch and pin on her chest, she placed her hands together.

"You interested in something?" Archius murmured to Kazuki. He shook his head. Eliza was nervously glancing around. She must have felt out of place.

Kazuki got a small buzz on his holo-phone. Briefly checking it, Kazuki saw that it was his grandfather! Oh? There were a dozen messages from his parents. Irrelevant. He swiped them away, focusing on the grandfather's.

"Is something up?" Eliza inquired, weakly peering over at Kazuki's phone.

"My sister's skipping school, my grandfather wants me to find her… I'll tell Karl to deal with it," Kazuki replied. He then groaned, gnashing his teeth slightly at the message.

"Oh, I probably should have told you," Eliza said. "I was hanging out with her earlier…"

"There's a good reason why my family's under constant guard…" Kazuki shot back. "She'll be safe. Eyes are on all of us for a reason."

Eliza nodded before going back to awkwardly glancing around the oval table.

Elizabeth was seated between Martinez and Sato to protect her from Frederick, sitting opposite her. The Police Commissioner was seated with the SPTU and other high-ranking members of the Metropolitan Police.

Top to bottom: CRIS, Republic Intelligence. MILCOM. AGENCY. SPTU. ENFORCERs. That was the order on the table. The Commissioner had his eyes dead set on his daughter.

"Not very politic," Archius smirked to Kazuki.

Frederick will not embarrass himself.

Not here.

Not as the Second Consul spoke, "So then, since taking office, we have received news of increased troubles in the Republic. First Consul Fer-Charelota is very displeased."

Of course, she couldn't mention the fact that Senator Ílize brought her here, even though the guy ran the Republic from the shadows.

And given that the Consuls were the effective managers of the Republic's day-to-day activities, Kazuki assumed that Lorenza was an intended scapegoat for this mess. Ironic. Here she was. Scraping together another to take the fall.

Frederick spoke, "I know little of external matters of this nation's defence, but... I must protest the inclusion of mercenaries in this meeting, Consul Lorenza." He gestured to the people opposite him.

Lorenza's eyes immediately narrowed on Frederick through her short, ginger fringe, swept to one side as a long braid hung down both her shoulders. Frederick's immediate objections were not taken nicely. The CRIS's representative, a scrawny man donning the light grey military tunic of Republic Intelligence, stood up.

He patted down on a datapad he was holding. "Please, we are also here to discuss internal threats, some that these mercenaries are greatly adept at solving, Mister Celeste-Delmara."

Military representative Bernside nodded, twirling his large moustache. He was an aged man with stylish muttonchops. His bright brown hair and bright eyes made him look younger.

"Wait... that's a war hero, right?" Eliza muttered over to Sato.

Sato replied quietly, "Relative to his peers, yes..."

"The Yamikoi are under the guidance of a new leader. The late Duke's wife has collected enough support to hold a government; they are of little threat as of now," Bernside said confidently, tugging at the collar of his red-white military tunic. "The Black Fleet has kept the Belsaran and their allies away from our aligned member states and allied systems. We have much to thank for."

Bernside looked down the table, directly at Kazuki. Hmm? Kazuki stared back. "I will pass your thanks to my grandfather," Kazuki stated.

"What of the Theonars?" asked Lorenza. "Their pseudo-puppet, the Kastenori Free Oversector, has... been a pain in our side. Terror breeds terror. The recent civil wars in the far east are also of concern... But, we cannot influence them directly."

Her words were harsh. Not only did it highlight the military's shortfalls, but it also insulted them. They couldn't project influence in the Eastern Claws. Bernside grumbled.

The CRIS representative responded, "Theonar's Crown Prince is more amicable to us than ever; they are still licking their wounds from said civil wars... Intelligence suggests that their ire is against the Suza Dictatorship; we have time to deal with these internal threats."

"We have things sorted on our side!" The ENFORCER's representative, a woman named Kelina, interjected. Her snappy attitude got everyone's attention. Even Kazuki wouldn't snap that loudly.

"How did she get promoted?" Kazuki mumbled to Archius.

Keeping a neutral face, Archius' eyes glanced over at Kazuki, nodding to her body. "Look at her. Big chest, even in her armour. What do you think?"

"Exactly what you're thinking," Kazuki replied smarmily.

With the room falling silent, Kelina nodded and placed her hands together. "Are you sure?" asked Lorenza. Venom bled from her lips in desperation. "Commissioner Celeste-Delmara, may you please present your findings for us?"

A setup?

No. Archius was too relaxed. "Relax..." Archius murmured. "Your man Freddie hates the ENFORCERS more than you. Plus, he remembers."

"True."

Targeting Kazuki yearns less than he'd ever hope to invest. Even if he despised him, Frederick wasn't stupid. Not stupid enough. In front of everyone here, Kazuki would have loved to humiliate him.

Of course... Eliza wouldn't like that. Kazuki gave her a small glance. She met his gaze with a slight smile. Warm, he thought. He nodded before turning his gaze back to the table.

"Police Detectives and investigators have seen a rise in violent crime in the Sub-Levels," Frederick reported. "And... across many regions on the High Table Oversector. Crime has even risen to the surface for the first time in many years." The Commissioner's gaze was instantly set upon Kazuki.

Kazuki pretended not to notice, his eyes glancing across the room.

"There are even reports of unrest amongst the Mischief Board's ranks."

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Hamzarhi of the CRIS added, "Our internal crime unit has found that they are displeased with recent... political ongoings."

Great. They were skirting around the main subject. That being Kazuki's termination of the tenure of an existing Triarch.

Lorenza turned to Kazuki. "Your most recent reports indicated a new, larger threat, Mister Geminorum-Ryzaku?"

The fact that Kazuki was estranged was not well known. However, prodding at his name was a smart move nonetheless. "This was addressed at the Heptagia. My peers claim that it is of little concern."

"Superiors, you mean," sneered Frederick.

Lorenza allowed the insult, continuing, "Yes, to them. Don't forget yourself. These Blood Contractors, yes? Tch… they should have learnt when the keel over long ago."

Bernside gave a vicious side-eye to Lorenza. Her comment was so vile that it even directed Frederick's ire to her. Kelina, sensing the mood in the room, seemed to join in.

Unlike Kazuki, Consul Lorenza lacked the intimidation to make blatant insults regardless of the target.

Eliza peered up at Sato and Martinez. "Hmm?"

"Typical politician," Sato remarked.

"More squishy than the rest of the population," Archius jokingly stated. Martinez smirked at the joke, hiding a chuckle beneath his breath. "And most of us."

Archius looked to Sato. The person who has spent the least time being shot at in the whole AGENCY.

"Quiet, you two," Kazuki whispered.

Archius knew when to let go, and he silenced himself with a marginal win on this front.

"Resilience is their key trait," Martinez said. "Our encounter with them would have been considered just a freak-incident, if not for the recent troubles."

"They're gearing up for something," Kazuki said.

"Are you sure?" Lorenza stuck her nose in at the interjections. "This is a bold statement."

Lorenza looked at Hamzarhi, who cleared his throat. "Well, our sources indicate very little activity from them."

Liars… Or incompetent, Kazuki thought. Probably both. Wait… no: this was an opportunity for them to remove select people from the Judiciary. Looking at Archius, it seemed he already discerned that the moment he entered this room.

'I would have liked to have known beforehand.'

'Would ruin the surprise,' Archius silently retorted.

"Either way," said the CRIS representative. "If they become a problem, we must not act with haste; that would cause unwanted damage. Best we surgically remove them, with intended and expected casualties."

The man tugged at his clean white military coat, along with his accolades. A pale blue side cape cloaked his shoulder, whilst a sailor's cap trimmed his head. His look was clandestine. Sleek. Everything the CRIS stood to be.

"Under-Director Hamzarhi," Archius started with a mutter. Taught some of the recruits about fraud and blackmail. Looks scrawny, but trust me, he's vicious."

Kazuki shot back, "Like you?"

Archius nodded. "Yeah. Except I'm far more handsome," he remarked. "One of the four under-directors of the CRIS."

"I am inclined to agree," Bernside remarked, still looking frustrated at the Consul. "These Blood Contractors are skilled, forgotten warriors," He spoke with a hint of hesitation and regret. "Good soldiers are always forgotten."

Lorenza cleared her throat. "Indeed. Good soldiers turned bad; the elimination of their leadership will give us a swift victory."

Instantly, Kazuki scoffed at the idea. It was clear: they wanted to send him to the meat grinder once again.

Freyja Beamont. The third of the Seven Mercenaries, the one who survived Hartius Juun.

"What is so funny?" sneered Lonreza.

"This idea of yours… kill it, it won't happen," Kazuki snarled back.

Not a good outcome.

Martinez looked to Kazuki with worried eyes. Martinez must have picked up that something was wrong. Archius peered over. "Blood Contractors," he muttered to Kazuki. "Hamzarhi knows, but he wants us to say the words."

Kazuki stood up. His chair hovered backwards "These are Blood Contractors, fanatical to the point of being a death cult. You don't kill them. You exterminate them. Like vermin, not humans… Once they were… but now, we put them to rest."

It was a different approach than what Kazuki regularly took, but it won Bernside's respect. He nodded at him, understanding both the humanity and the necessity. Eliza smiled, seeming somewhat happy that Kazuki was… empathetic?

All Kazuki knew was that the Blood Contractors must be destroyed. No joy from it, either, he thought.

"Freyja Beamont. That is their leader. Third of the Seven Mercenaries."

To his surprise, Lorenza laughed at that. No one else laughed. Everyone turned to her.

Lorenza merely nodded, trying to maintain her composure. "The... The Executive Suite refuses to believe that we are up against a Member of the Seven, bad for election season."

"Election season?!" Frederick bellowed, slamming his fist down on the table. "We all know your election chances remain constant, Lorenza! We have a Seven Merc potentially on the loose."

Kelina sneered, "I am inclined to fucking agree! My men will be the first fucking line of guns that you'll throw at her! You think any of us will be more willing to die once they learn the first thing our 'Beloved' 'Democratically Elected' Second Consul said was of election?!"

Lorenza had blundered. Bernside had a vein bulging on his forehead.

Hamzarhi was not happy. Silence was maintained as the CRIS representative seemed to take notes… probably for his real superior, Senator Ílizes. He sighed as he finished.

Then, Eliza cleared her throat, standing up to speak. Everyone was... surprised, to say the least.

Though, of course, Frederick glared at his daughter. A repeat was not impossible, for Archius was not restricting Kaz. Not this time.

"Why..." Frederick muttered. He then bit his tongue, forcing his words down his throat before sitting down.

"Whether or not election season is up, this is life and death," she said, glancing at Kazuki. He gave her a nod. "Maybe once before they were good people, I'm sure of it! But… we need to stop arguing and… DEAL WITH IT…"

Her voice faltered near the end. This wasn't Archius speaking; Kazuki knew Eliza well. Deep down, Eliza's empathy must have hit some mark.

Despite her lack of conciseness, it seemed to go over well. It was brief. Short. Got the point over. Kazuki was a fan. Eliza sat down, fixing her dress as she did.

"Good job," Sato said. Eliza seemed to bubble slightly at the positive affirmation.

Archius added, "Getting better every day, like that... one time she had to deal with those sports teams."

"I was going to kill them," Kazuki quietly admitted to Archius. "Lucky bastards compromised."

Plain response from Sato. A tailored and personal response from Archius. Of course, Eliza was more amicable to Archius' affirmation than Sato's. Kazuki turned slowly to Archius.

"Not going to let the past go?"

He shook his head. "If she did her damn duty..." he sneered under his breath. "She failed my people on that planet... We have no home. Would you have forgiven her if your beloved planet was torn to shreds once more and she failed?"

"Fair." It was the only thing Kazuki could comment on. If Lautrasia burned, he would... Kazuki tightened his grip. The sight of fires burned in his eyes once more. Death and duty all the same... Blood Contractors all around – the people he grew up with slain.

And all the more: Hartius Juun, Archreaper, clambering into the warehouse courtyard.

The trance and memory split up just as the visage of Freyja came into view... Sato nudged Kazuki. "You here?"

Kazuki nodded, pretending to have been listening the whole time.

"—Which is why we must hammer home, give them no footing, deal justice to them quickly and decisively with our full force!" Frederick seemed to be suggesting a risky plan.

Kelina shook her head. "And suffer high casualties?"

Kazuki whispered to her, "Just don't expect these people to get along well."

"Why...?" Eliza murmured.

"Politics," Martinez scoffed. "They're all trying to push their own plans forward, take the glory and the least damage..."

Beside Frederick was Paulus. The SPTU Captain had his police coat and tunic on, along with a ceremonial cloak, like the ones that the military and CRIS Under-Director wore.

Kazuki grabbed his cup of tea and downed it. After that, he gently tapped it against the table. Not authentic Trasian China. Good. Slamming the cup down on the table, he ensured the cup broke.

That woke everyone's attention to him.

"I did not come here to bicker about strategy," Kazuki calmly asserted. His voice was rough, firm. Fierce. His hunter eyes glowed with a hue of gold, scanning across the room's occupants.

Not even one of them was willing to speak. Kazuki slid the shards of the cup across the table.

"You do not just kill members of the Seven. You do not plan to defeat them. You pray. Pray hard and sacrifice all." Kazuki was reminded of the Rebellion. "These Contractors are planning something. I know Hamzarhi would be inclined to be privy to this fact as well…"

Hamzarhi was quick to be silent. The CRIS knew something was going to happen, but they did nothing. Why would they? Slaughter means another justification for whatever political actions they'll enact.

Flickers of the past came through his injured mind.

Death... So much death.

Entire squadrons wiped out by a single man. Kazuki faced that man.

Amongst the burning flames of two collided vessels, Kazuki overclocked. Kazuki won. The Contract-Breaker persists, bringing Kazuki with it.

"Nothing? Is this really the best and brightest of Anagora's defenders?"

Lorenza nodded. She clicked her fingers, and a few drones shot up from below the table, wearing nice tuxedoes on their steel chassis. Raising their hands, they showed the cleaning tools to the whole table.

"We'll adjourn this meeting for half an hour. We'll reconvene to decide upon a plan… later. The Senate will, of course, not have the final say in any plan: you only need to convince… me."

Fuck.

Despite the grim political situation, Kazuki could only think of the She-Wolf Beamont. None of them is ready. None of them is willing to sacrifice everything just for the glimmer of victory.

That's why the Blood Contractors will win here… Kazuki sighed.

Kazuki knows he cannot kill Freyja. Try. It was all he could do, even as the dread of thinking set in. Clenching his shaking hand, Kazuki stood up with the rest of the occupants. Then, he left, followed by his entourage.

Leaving the room, Kazuki turned to see the Maroon Guards standing by the door, the Consul's personal guards, then towards the glass mosaic behind Lorenza…

Justice? In this galaxy? "Tch." The only thing this galaxy promised was death and greed.