NOTE: Thanks to my old friend DannytheWeeb for proofreading this chapter
Chapter 17: The Loss
FOB Alamo, Trost, Wall Rose
"Mr. Stefan, please calm down, I can understand your anger and we are doing all we can as per the new UN Resolution on the and no interference with the local customs and Governance from the General Assembly, We do not have the right to go and arrest government officials, we cannot do what we please. We have to think of the stability of the region."
"Oberstleutnant Alistar, you saw the footage I provided you and to the UNEC Command at Olympus," Stefan yelled in frustration.
"How blatantly the royal authorities lied about a journalist's death, his nails ripped out as they invent a story out of a fabricated letter, he was tortured to death by the said so-called protectors of the realm, god knows for how much time Paul has to suffer just for trying to bring the truth out to the public, especially to us, so we can do something good for this Gott verlassen giant infested island."
Stefan now pants after his outburst, still keeping his eyes on Alistar's neutral face.
"Mr. Stefan, as you have requested I have already forwarded your evidence to the UNEC Command and will eventually get into the hands of the UNTCORC (United Nations Titan Countermeasures and Offworld Relations Committee), but until then I implore you to be patient, we will deal with this in a proper way."
"Damn your UN bureaucracy, Oberstleutnant."
Stefan sighed and calmed himself down.
"There are innocent lives at stake here.. Paul's family is in grave danger. They might be the next target by the King's death squad. Send someone to get them out." Stepan now pleaded, "Please, we cannot let them suffer the same ill fate as Paul."
Alistar lowered his head for a bit before replying.
"I understand, Mr. Stefan but, what you are proposing is not acceptable at the moment and can be deemed an illegal move as per the new resolution as we will break the treaty signed by us and the Royal government. The location you have marked for us is completely out of our jurisdiction and far away from the sectors we are allowed to operate with no Royal Government oversight."
"So you are going to abandon them." Alistar could see the disappointment he could see in Stefan's eyes.
"No, we have not, I have sent word to a trusted Royal Military Garrison commander to send a security detail to protect them." He replied."
"But they cannot be trusted.. that king will have his spies all around for all we know."
"My hands are tied here with all the restrictions. That is all I can do for now. We are not to break any agreements from our side set by the new treaty signed between the UN Officials and the Royal Government a week ago"
Stefan looked down in defeat
The new revised agreement between the UN and Royal Government has imposed some new restrictions on the movement and the area of free operation inside the human realm on the UNEC, except for agreed upon zones the UN troops are to always have a government military observer with them all the time. The UN in return got the approval of extending their Humanitarian operations to the rest of the Kingdom along with allowing medical teams under UN Troop's protection into the underground. The UNEC Military is now mostly restricted to areas around the Trost District, refugee camps, Medical Camps set up all around Rose Wall Districts, and the Embassy.
Stefan turned around and walked towards the office's door and placed his hand on the doorknob.
"Those innocent blood will be in your hands Alistair, hope you can live with it."
He turns it, opening the door, and leaves the room, leaving Alistair alone in his own dilemma.
(2 Hours Later)
FOB Alamo, Press Quarters
Stefan had laid down on his bed staring at the ceiling fan, thinking about the letter left behind for him by Paul. It was clear the man had some suspicions of being monitored by government secret police after he wrote an article calling out on the government's elite royal military police's general incompetency, allegations of corruption, and their role in the expansion of the black market and human trafficking in the realm.
Investigating and reporting against your authoritarian government that has a tendency to make people disappear for bringing out their dark secrets, flaws, questioning their actions, and speaking the truth and not propaganda to the public is a dangerous job, but Paul did it like a true Journalist and now he paid the price for it and Stefan had a role in that as well.
Stefan sat up "I shouldn't have encouraged him to publish the article." He said to himself in despair and got hold of a beer bottle on the desk beside his bed and took a sip before throwing it onto the floor shattering the bottle into pieces.
"Now those medieval Gestapo wannabes are going to go after his family as well and I am stuck here unable to do anything." He said placing his hands on his forehead and kept on cursing the UN for its uselessness in the situation.
But a loud knock at his room's door brought him out of his thoughts.
"Who is that ?!"
"Stefan, it's me, Noah,"
Stefan sighed, stood up, and went to unlock the door to let his cameraman in.
As he opened the door he was a bit surprised to see Noah along with an uninvited guest.
He was quick to recognize him,
"Corporal Javier ?"
"Hey there."
It was the US Marine driver and guard assigned to him since the day he arrived at FOB Alamo.
"I think I might have a way to help you."
"How ?" Stefan said, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't worry about it, just get your journalist stuff and follow me ASAP."
(40 minutes later)
Stefan adjusted his Press ID as he got into one of the Humvee in a convoy waiting for him. Noah was already there with his trusty camera. Corporal Javier got into the driver's seat and soon he was joined by his platoon's Staff Sgt Dane who got into the front passenger seat.
"Good to see you joining us, Staff Sgt," Javier remarked.
"Remember this Corporal, what we are about to do now is against orders from the battalion command and will have severe repercussions if we are found so any fuck ups happen from our side in this side quest of yours, I am throwing you under the bus. Do you get it ?" He asked with his usually stoic face.
"Yes, Staff Sgt," Javier replied as a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Dane nods
"I still do not believe how you were able to convince Lt. Nantz."
"Oh, I was not alone." He gives points back to their rear seat civilian occupants.'' They also helped."
Dane said nothing, then turned his head back.
"Okay just remember our front story, you both are with us to document the Red Cross medical camp and on the way, we took a detour and found these folks asking for a ride to the refugee camp. That way no one will be in any kind of trouble."
Stefan and Noah nodded in agreement
The orders arrived and the convoy consisting of three Humvees and two FMTV trucks began to move out of their FOB and after passing through a few UNEC checkpoints and some paperwork they were finally passed through the Royal Government's MP and Garrison checkpoints and into the King's realm.
After another 20 minutes on the uneven road, the convoy reached an intersection where the convoy took to the left heading straight for their destination while the last Humvee peeled off from its formation and turned to the right, going on the dirt road far worse than they were on before. Not knowing the exact location of their destination, a small farming village called Alten, on their way they asked a few passerby locals who pointed them towards the village's general direction through the dirt road.
"Man, this is worst, I thought Afghanistan had bad roads," Javiers commented frustrated by all the bumps from the underdeveloped road.
"Shut up Jav and focus on the road, it is already going dark and I do not want us to have an unfortunate accident and go home with broken bones, keep it steady will you."
"As you say staff Sgt."
Soon they came upon another intersection.
"Which way now ?" Javier asked.
"hmm.. I do not know the way, that old man on the mule said to go straight and did not mention this."
"Hell, what are we supposed to do now, I do not want to get lost here."
"Shut up Corporal, we do what we always do, ask the locals." Dane points at a group of horsemen coming towards them from the right.
"Mr. Stefan, I need your help here."
Stefan nods "Ja"
Dane rolled over his windows and waved at the horsemen trying to get their attention.
The lead horseman who had a dark fedora hat which Javier found quite odd as it did not fit this world's fashion setting, waved back and reared his house and came closer to the Humvee.
The man who looked rather well dressed in a tan trench coat, dark trousers, and shoes to be this far away from the cities tips his hat while the rest of his party stayed a distance away.
"Hello there, outsiders." The man said with a smile, though it felt a bit bland for the Journalist.
"Hello, we are a bit lost, could you tell us which way leads to Alten village ?"
"Oh you folks are lost..hehe.. no worries, just follow the path we came through and you will be at the village gates in no time." His bland expression changed into a jolly one
"Thanks"
"If I may, what outsider army unit is doing this far from your base at Wall Rose?" The man inquired.
Stefan translated the Fedora guy's words to the Staff Sgt who was quick to reply.
"Tell him it is official UNEC business unless he is a Royal official, then it is none of his business and to move along."
Stefan translated it to him.
"Alright, alright no need to be aggressive here," The man takes a glance at the setting sun." It is already getting dark, deadly criminals and looters lurk around the forest at night and even the MPs do not patrol these areas after the sun goes down. Regardless gentlemen I hope you have a safe journey and be successful in your quest, if you do I will treat you next time." The man nudged his horse moving back to his group before tipping his hat as a gesture of farewell and moving ahead.
As directed by Stefan Javier, he took the right turn toward the village.
"Man, that guy was creepy."
"What ?"
"Yeah Camera boy, that dude was creepy as hell not gonna lie, he had bad vibes about him and his group."
"He looked like a normal jolly fellow."
"He has the eyes of a killer."
"Eh." Noah tilted his head.
"Kind of person you do not want to be around, especially all alone Noah," Dane said as he switched his sidearm's safety off.
"Those greys piercing eyes of that man under his hat said a lot about him, that man has seen a lot of death and that smile was like a hunter looking at its prey which is about to get its neck sliced off."
"Are you sure ?" Noah asked.
"Not about the serial killer part, but I am sure that man's hands are dipped in blood and his final words of treating us something is not right," He thinks of Fedora man's smile and his attempt to know where they were going along with the sudden change of expression when he found out. Dane came to a realization that man was bad news.
Then suddenly his eyes fell on to rising plumes of smoke coming from the village's direction
"Corporal step on the peddle, we need to get to the village ASAP"
"What is going on ?"
"Pray to god Mr. Stefan and hope that we are not late."
Altean Village, Wall Rose
(30 minutes later)
Javier could only feel pity for his journalist friend who had slumped onto the ground, defeated look in his eyes staring at the bright orange flames illuminating the surroundings and the sky, the house that stood there before now completely engulfed in flames now collapsing as its support burned to crisp.
It was already too late to do anything when they arrived at the scene, the house located a bit further than the rest of the village, from what he later heard the family a couple of years ago stuck a fortune, their eldest suddenly became rich and with coffers flowing he somehow is able to buy a plot of land from a local noble. They made a very good-looking house there and the rest of the family moved in while the eldest stayed away in the district with his wife and children. But after he was murdered his wife brought his kids back and they were all staying here for a couple of days when misfortune struck the family again.
Some concerned villagers and friends had already gathered before their arrival and were actively trying to douse the fire in any way they can and calling out the occupants of the house to come out, Some brave individuals even tried to break into the burning building but the flames were too strong for them to approach the flames had already spread to all corners of the house and ragged uncontrollably. Unable to do anything the Marines and their journalists stood as mute spectators.
It was clear from what he and Staff Sgt saw the fire was no accident. It was a deliberate action done by people who were after the family and he had a feeling that Fedora guy and his buddies had a hand in it. Dane was quick to inform the rest of the unit and word soon reached the Lieutenant who relayed to his Company commander directly to the Battalion HQ.
Javier walks up to Stefan and places his hand on his shoulder.
"I failed.."
"We did what we could." The Marine said.
"No, we did not." Stefan turned and raised his head to see Javier in his eyes.
"I warned them, I warned them this is going to happen, but no one did anything about it and see the result of their inaction." He turned his gaze back to the burning house, his Cameraman stood to the side taking pictures and documenting it.
"Innocent people pay the price for trying to speak the truth."
Javier looks down to the ground, a sense of guilt dawning upon him.
Soon the rest of the UN Convoy arrived and as per instructions from the command set up a perimeter and guard the area so no tampering can be done to the crime scene. Stefan and his cameraman refused to leave for the night and stayed with the guarding marines.
It was in midnight when the raging fire finally died down and by early morning the Marines began to go through the wreckage. They pulled at least six human remains out, including two children, all burned beyond recognition. The destruction of the property was total and even after a day of searching for any evidence for any wrongdoing, they found nothing. The marines, after removing a lot of debris, found access to an underground basement.
Unlike the rest of the torched house, some parts of the basement were still intact. After closer examination, many of the chests in the room had been forced open and every piece of document, book or even a piece of paper piled up and burned. Except for a few half-burned books, they found nothing valuable.
By midday the UN troops under intense political pressure from the royal government which had been sending non-stop complaints to the Head of the UN mission based at the outskirts of Wall Sina finally relented and handed over the crime scene to the Royal Military Police for further investigation and returned back to their FOB empty-handed.
Stefan for his part will go on to publish an article on the suppression of Freedom in the walls from all details he gathered from Neumann and his time in the refugee camps.
As predicted by him, all the Royal Government sanctioned newspapers along with the official statement from the military police, the fire is mentioned as an accident with some going overboard and calling this a mass suicide by the family in the grief of losing their sole breadwinner. Stefan would give a last visit to the village to pay his respects at Neumann's family grave before heading back through the portal and back to Earth, vowing to do everything humanly possible to rally support against the Royal government by revealing their wrongdoings and fight for basic human rights for the wall humans and leaving a silent promise to return.
Capital Mitras, Wall Sina
Royal Palace
The Royal Council had gathered again for their daily discussion of state policies and laws, but today the mood in the throne chamber was different.
Deltoff cracks a satisfying smile, placing the Royal Newspaper's tabloid on a nearby elegantly carved stool beside him.
"Now this more like it, the rebel provocateur and his colluding family brought to swift justice for their crimes against the crown and the King. Gerald, please convey my regards to the First Interior Squad for another job well done."
Gerald nods with his own beaming smile. "I will."
The council saw this as their first victory against the outsiders. Denying them gaining more support from the public by eliminating the sources of ill information from traitors in the walls who sold their soul and loyalty for some food and clothing. Pathetic turncoats as nicknamed by many influential residents and the upper classes of the Wall Rose.
Royal propaganda has gone into overdrive now printing more pro king messages and subtler anti-UN sections in their tabloids and newspapers, since the MPs faced heat when going on Revenue collection drives, from the many Wall Rose residents who are now complaining about the treatment from their own government, many from Wall Maria and Trost refugees, and villages benefited from all kinds of aid they are receiving from them.
"That too in the nick of time," Aurille now joined the conversation. "Before this turncoat could release more forbidden information and tarnish the crown.
"What of the lower Noble who was providing information to the turncoat?" Roderich, the representative from the Order of the Walls, asked.
"He has been accordingly dealt with, his transgression rewarded him with a long interrogation session." Aurille grinned. "Before being sent to the afterlife. His family will be stripped of their property and banished from Wall Sina never to return. Lord Fenris should have kept his pants his check before committing adultery with someone other than his wife and found out by that reporter.. what was his name ?"
"Neumann, Paul Neumann"
"Yes, and got blackmailed by him. He released a lot of sensitive details to save himself from a scandal and even sold a part of his land to that filthy commoner poking his nose into the Noble houses. But not to worry more, everything has been properly dealt with and his majesty is extremely pleased by the results. He has also approved of extending the Interior squads operations to monitor other turncoats in our towns, villages, and the military and eliminate them when required with extreme prejudice and keep watch on the Outsider army's movement."
"As requested the Anti Personnel Units are doubling their numbers with willing recruits from the most loyal members of the Military," Gerald added. "We will soon have enough troops to counter the Outsiders."
Other council members nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, the seated Monarch King Fritz slept through all of this like a baby. His snoring broke Aurille's immersion, who glanced at him in disgust before recomposing himself and turning back to the rest of the council and continuing.
"Until then we will do as his grace has instructed us, use the Outsiders to clear our lands and benefit from them as much as we can, soon the day will come when their need will end and then these outsiders will be pushed back away from the land of the chosen and annihilated if needs be by the will and power of his majesty the great King of Eldia and supreme godly powers bestowed upon him."
Marine325 here, I know I know I took a lot of time, but IRL stuff was really causing a lot of problems here. Along with had to go through a lot of research on the United Nations, the security council and its workings and a lot of other stuff, got traumatized on the way (All those failed Peacekeeping missions with massive repercussions on the people they were deployed to protect) and took some time off... Moving on,
Thanks to all my readers and do not forget to leave a review behind.