When the bell on the door to his shop jingled, almost out of instinct Theus called out, "hey. Can I help you?" He didn't look up from under the hood of the vehicle he was working on, his hands covered in grease and oil and dirt.

"Theus?" A familiar voice called. It was one of their neighbors. "There's a bit of a commotion at your place right now."

Theus straightened himself up before leaning back a little, looking at the older man from around the other cars. His eyes narrowed a little. "What?"

"Apparently some giant State Officer came and took Thi," he added. "In a Rolls Royce... weirdly enough."

Theus thought he must have not heard the man right. Pulling a dirty rag out from his pockets he wiped his hands as he began walking towards the man. "What? A State Officer?"

"Your mother's a wreck... she said the man said he just wanted to talk to your sister, but your mother is worried nonetheless. I came because I thought you should go home and check on her."

As he finally processed the words coming out of the man's mouth, Theus felt his throat dry up and his mind was suddenly dizzy with anger.

The State had taken his sister?







The General watched as the defensiveness that Theavi previously held began to fade almost instantly. Her shoulders relaxed, her somewhat aggressive stare vanished and even her shaking began to subside, at least a little bit.

"Hire me?" The girl asked, suddenly seeming younger now that she didn't look like she wanted to hit him.

He was largely impressed by her ability to stand up for her thoughts with such aggression, even if it was most likely a mask to cover up her fear, made quite evident by her shaking hands. Nine times out of ten, when scholars, politicians or even Crows are confronted by the State Military, they would cower and deny everything in the hopes of staying alive.

This girl was clearly different.

However, now that she knew the General wasn't here to end her life, he watched as her defenses crumbled, making her look almost like a different person. Her brows, no longer furrowed, made her look gentler, and she even looked to suddenly be taking up less space in the car... like she was no longer trying to look bigger than she actually was.

Though the General had no intention of making her think that he was going to kill her, it seemed that her assumption had worked in his favour. He was seeming to get to know her better than he ever would have in a simple interview.

She has two sides to her, he thought as she watched her.

The General also reflected on the fact that she was consistent with her views and didn't succumb to authority. She didn't care that he was the General of the Aiverian Army and a high ranking state official... not if she felt threatened.

All of this was good.

"Yes," he responded. "I want to hire you."

"For what?"

General Killian lifted up the thick folder with her thesis and revealed another one underneath it. Sometimes, the General hated all the folders he had to deal with, but he had to admit that it was a lot easier to pick up a folder than it was to pick up an ungodly amount of paper.

He reached out and handed the much thinner folder to her. This one wasn't the simple plastic portfolio folder that Captain Brayne had placed all of her information in. Instead, this one was a rather elegant, black leather portfolio that was rimmed with gold accents and the Aiverian State's seal, a stag with perfectly symmetrical horns and vines encircling around it, embossed onto the center of it in gold. "For you," General Killian said when she didn't take it from him.

After a moment of hesitation, she took the portfolio and General Killian brought up his matching set. When he opened it up to the first page, she followed, cautiously looking at him before looking down at the page in front of her. "I am looking for an individual who is experienced with writing on the topic of the Elorian Revolutionary Armed Forces, but also someone who has the capacity to have difficult conversations," he said. "My Aide-de-Camp, Julian Brayne over there, came across your information after you were... unintentionally brought up to us by a confidential party."

He saw, from the corner of his eye, her look up in surprise.

He had no intention of bringing up Aari and how they came across her information at this point. So instead, he continued. "After a thorough background check, we believe that you may be a good fit for this role, which is why we are here now," he continued. "My questioning in regards to your thesis was mostly an attempt to delve into how strongly you feel about the topic. And it seems you feel quite passionately about what you've done your research in, but more importantly," the General looked at her, "your idealism, despite the foolishness of it, is exactly what we need."

She didn't seem offended by his words, which made him presume that maybe she already understood that she was being foolishly idealistic. Of course, that was another good thing. If that was true, then that would further accentuate her intelligence and the fact that she wasn't exactly naive.

In this world, naivety is exactly what gets you killed.

"Now, onto the important part, the position itself," he said. "The Capital houses a substantial number of prisoners of war, both political prisoners and Crows, all managed by the Office of P.O.W's, a part of the Intelligence Branch, which is one of the many branches in the Department of Defense that are under my authority," he looked over at her and saw that she was following along just fine. "Though most of these men are willing to talk soon after imprisonment, we have a handful of individuals who are persistent and refuse to share any valuable information with us."

He saw her eyes narrow.

"Instead of executing them, or allowing them to sit around in the prisons and rot, I have taken it upon myself to initiate a project which involves attempting to extract information from them by other means," he continued, watching her carefully. "My hope is to have someone who is empathetic and understanding of these men do the extracting for me."

She let out a soft breath, clearly understanding where this was going.

"Under the... guise, if we can call it that, of conducting interviews for articles, papers and books that will shine light on the life of the Crows and the causes they are fighting for, something you seem passionate about, you will be extracting as much information as you can from these individuals... well, one individual specifically, in order to assist in bringing true peace to our nation."

"You want me to turn on my people?" She asked, that defensive side of her making an appearance again. The girl looked at him with a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes. "You want me to gain the trust of my people, who the State has imprisoned, lie to them, and then gather information to turn in to you?"

"It sounds worse than it is, but we both get what we want here," he said. "My understanding is that you want this information and you said yourself that you want to make a difference by writing their stories and providing transparency to all of Aiveria. You want to talk to Crows. You want to have this information... and if you agree to take on this position, I will allow you to have unlimited access to the State Capitals Libraries... and any information you gather in your interviews will be yours to use once you have succeeded in getting me the information that I seek."

He saw the slight sparkle in her eye, knowing quite well that access to the State's Libraries were a dream come true for any scholar. But despite the intrigue, she still looked concerned. "But you will have all this information as well, so you can use it for your own reasons too," she said. "Whatever this information is, it must be important... if you're willing to give me all of that for it."

"What do you think my intentions are?" He asked, a small smirk forming on his face.

She watched him carefully, which surprised him a little. He wasn't entirely used to people holding his gaze for so long. "I've heard about you," she said. "They say you turned on us and went to the State because they offered you power and money."

General Killian blinked.

"If that's all true, how do you expect me to be willing to help you?"

"Things were much more complicated than that," he responded.

"We lost the Civil War and you are now in a position of power," she pushed. "It doesn't seem that complicated."

A small smile formed on his face. "I'm not going to force you into doing anything. When Julian stops the car in front of your home's gate, you can choose to never see me again, so long as you stay out of trouble," he said. "Or, you can choose to try trusting me."

"Trust you?"

The disbelief in her voice was justifiable. "Yes, trust me," he agreed. "You can trust that I am being honest when I say that you and I have the same end goal. That end goal being the ending of this conflict and ensuring that everyone who is innocent is allowed to live in peace, comfort and relief in knowing that they are safe."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Miss. Rhaanan, I don't take you to be stupid," he said. "Let's be honest with ourselves for a moment and accept that all this propaganda about eye colour and hair colour and love and hate for one or the other is just that... propaganda. The real fight, I hope you know, is all about politics and land and money. That is what I am fighting."

She didn't exactly look like she believed him, but she did look like she understood exactly what it was that he was talking about. So without saying anything, she looked down at the portfolio, staring at the page that vaguely outlined her position, leaving out the details of her role for the purpose of confidentiality.

"You will be allowed to abandon this project and leave at any point," he added. "If you are unsure and just want to test the waters, then you can. Like I said before, I'm not going to force you to do anything, not now and not while you work for me. If you want, you can drop everything and leave and I will not ask any questions."

She looked back at him. "How will you use the information I find to end the conflict?"

"By having the upper hand," he simply said. "I have complete knowledge of what goes on in the State Military and the Department of Defense. If I also have knowledge of what is going on among the Crows, I can have the upper hand."

"That isn't enough information for me to─"

"That is all I am able to disclose at this point," he said. "Please keep in mind, Miss. Rhaanan, that as of this point, I am a soldier and State official and you are still a civilian. I have no right or reason to share classified information with you."

The girl pressed her lips into a thin line.

General Killian looked over at Captain Brayne. "Julian, you can start making your way back," he said.

She looked at him again. "We aren't going anywhere?"

"No," he said. "I just prefer the confidentiality of a car."

She seemed relieved by that.

"Now onto the more bureaucratic aspect of this conversation," he started. "If you do agree to take on this job, you will need to leave the Province of Elore and move to the Capital. Housing will, of course, be provided to you by the State so you will not need to worry about that. You will be working in the Department of Intelligence, but you will be reporting directly to me."

She continued to follow along.

"In agreeing to this position, you will also become a salaried employee of the State. You will receive all the benefits of this, including a competitive salary of eighty-thousand─"

She made a sound that could only be compared to choking as her eyes widened. "Eighty– why is that so high?"

General Killian knew this salary would shock her. It was, after all, nearly four times more than the salary she was expecting to get at the Elorian Times. "It's a position at the headquarters of the Department of Defense. High salaries come with a position of that sort."

She looked down at the portfolio, flipping the page and staring at the number in front of her.

"The only real problem, per se, is that I will need a response from you by tomorrow morning as we will need to get on the train to return to the Capital around noon tomorrow. And if you agree, you will be coming with us."

"Tomorrow?" She asked. "That's so soon."

"And it is what it is," he responded. "I am expected back at the Capital tomorrow and I'd like this project to begin at the earliest possible point."

She knotted her fingers together, massaging them, and the General let her sit quietly for a moment as she thought. "And if I say no?" She eventually asked. "Do you have someone else in mind?"

"No," the General said, honestly. "We don't." He wondered as soon as he spoke if maybe he should have said yes, but as he watched her, he reminded himself that he didn't want to force any pressure on her.

He wanted this to be her decision entirely.

Every aspect of this, he wanted it to be her choice.

It was the only way he would be able to tell if he could trust her.







For the rest of the short ride, the General explained to Thea the significance of keeping everything confidential and made her sign an agreement to discuss nothing that was covered in the car, except for whatever was stated in the portfolio that she was given.

She agreed to all of that.

Once they arrived in front of her gate, Captain Brayne put the car in park and was about to get out of the car, but General Killian put his hand up, stopping him. Instead, the General got out, and by the time Thea gathered the papers and got ready to open the door, the General opened it for her.

She stepped out and worried a little at the sound of some form of a commotion coming from behind the gate that led to her house.

General Killian shut the door and leaned against it as he pulled what looked to be a silver cigarette case out from within the coat of his uniform. "You have until tomorrow morning," the General said, opening the case and pulling a cigarette out. "Captain Brayne will come by around ten in the morning. If you agree to take the position, please have your bags and everything you need ready. He will take you directly to the train station and I will meet you there."

Thea hugged the portfolio she held. Tomorrow morning... she thought. That was not nearly enough time to make a decision like this. "Alright. I'll discuss it with my family."

"I apologize, it seems we have worried your family," he added, clearly hearing the commotion. He also looked around at the eyes of the townsfolk who, probably knowing what was currently going on at the Rhaanan household, were now more curious as to how she got home safely, the Rolls Royce no longer of interest. "Hopefully seeing you safe and sound will be a relief to them."

Thea simply smiled. "Yes... they'll be fine."

The General nodded. "Have a good evening," he said as he gave her a quick smile and placed the cigarette at his lips.

Thea smiled before she turned, suddenly allowing everything that happened to be absorbed. Though it hadn't even been an hour, it felt like a whole day had passed since she left her home.

After taking a deep breath, she walked over to the gate, hearing more of the commotion as she approached it. At first she thought not to open it, wanting the General to leave before she did, but when she peered over her shoulder, she saw him lighting his cigarette.

It seemed he was going to take a smoke before he left.

Sighing, she grabbed the handle of the large, metal gate and pulled it open. It creaked loudly as it swung forward, but the second she was able to see past it, she froze.

Standing there was her entire family as well as a few close townsfolk, all of them frantically and obviously trying to figure out what to do. Her father was near the entrance of their home, pacing back and forth as he spoke to someone on the phone, carrying the phone as the long wire dragged behind him. Her younger cousins were sitting at the porch, a few of them bawling as others held each other tightly. Her grandmother was trying to speak calmly to her aunts and uncles and cousins and a few of the townsfolk that had come over... and her mother was crying, gripping tightly onto the arm of Thea's older brother, who was trying to push her away.

Her brother... who had a rifle hanging over his shoulder.

A rifle that the Crows had given him.

The two locked eyes for a brief moment and almost instantly, Thea shut the gate.

After holding it shut for a moment and hearing the commotion quiet down, she held her breath and slowly turned her head to look at the high ranking officer that stood behind her.

He was looking down at his cigarette, which he was still lighting.

As soon as it was lit, he let out breaths of smoke and looked up at her.

Relief filled her as he gave her a quick nod before he took a drag of his cigarette. When she didn't look away, he pulled the cigarette away from his lips with a raised brow. "Do you have a question?" he asked, smoke escaping through his lips as he did.

"No," she said. "Sorry... I'll have my answer tomorrow."

He nodded once more, putting the cigarette between his lips again.

Thea turned around and slowly opened the gate.

When her eyes landed on her brother again, she saw that the rifle was gone.

She had no idea where he put it, but it didn't matter. As long as the General didn't see it. So as quickly as she could, she squeezed through the gate and shut it behind her, not worried at all at the shocked eyes of her entire family and the townsfolk.

She then turned to her brother, glaring ferociously and hissing as silently but as loudly as she could, "are you crazy?"







General Killian waited for the gate to shut before he dropped his cigarette on the floor and crushed it under his foot. He eyed the black gate for a moment before turning and walking back around the car, his boots clicking against the cobblestone street.

When he got in, he let out a breath as Julian shifted the gears and began driving off.

"The brother is a Crow," Niall said, opening up his folder and looking at his picture.

Julian looked at the General through the rearview mirror. "How are you so sure, Sir?"

"He's got a fucking rifle," he said, turning and looking out the window as he stroked his chin. "An AK-56 at that."

"Alright," Julian agreed. "He's definitely a Crow then."

Niall watched as the curious townsfolk stared at them as they drove by, and while he considered all the complications that would arise from this girl's brother being a Crow, he wondered just how many of these people were also enemies of the State.







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