“...The new occupation was initially none other than Cao Hu and his goons swooping in right after the attack, using it as an excuse to raid the homes of several known pro-Ikesian activists, after which point he took over in the mayor’s stead, claiming a state of emergency. He was recently joined by the Lady in Red, who, as the title suggests, wears red, and that’s all anyone knows. She wears a bizarre three-horned mask that distorts her voice beyond recognition. I’d wager it’s either one of that sadistic old fuck’s weird fetish things, or she’s more important than her apparent position as a consort implies...”

The mere mention of Cao Hu’s name caused a grim snarl to take hold of Strake’s face, though he said nothing. Alcerys understood - Cao was among the Divine Army’s most brutal generals, known for enthusiastically employing any and every barbaric tactic. Though it was widely known it was so due to his own harrowing youth and upbringing, that meant nothing in the eyes of those who had faced his forces, or worse, who had lost to them. He was far from the general with the highest body count, but he was certainly the one to have ruined the greatest number of lives for the sake of his Wounded Soldier Doctrine - this of course being that a dead soldier is one less enemy, while a wounded soldier is three. In turn, he himself inured his forces to this doctrine by simply ordering those who either could not be saved - or were not important enough to warrant such aid - to be put down like dogs.

“Any clue if the Statehood has done anything in an official capacity to push back against his taking over?” Alcerys asked.

“Not that I know of, no,” Burgess shook his head. “I’d wager they’re waiting to see if this operation succeeds before they take more overt action.”

“Sounds like something those shady fuckers would do, though I doubt they’re intelligent to come up with it on their own…” murmured the ex-inquisitor. “What of this Lady in Red? Has her presence influenced how Cao Hu does things in any way that you’ve noticed?”

“Things have certainly gotten less overtly murderous since her arrival, but the actual reason is anyone’s guess,” shrugged Burgess. “She might’ve delivered some command from on high, or the old cunt just gets softer with a woman around. Who knows.”

The rest of their day was spent on preparations and discussing finer details of the city’s state, their plan, and the logistics of it, which included the precise nature of Burgess’ hideout. It was an old public transit station that had been connected to one of the several underground canals leading from the sea into the city, and had been simply walled off after it fell into disuse due to shifting market centers and the canal’s increasingly dangerous state due to its particular vulnerability to the tides.

Firstly, this meant the small room containing Zero had a thin enough wall for the great machine to force its way through.

Secondly, it meant the other areas connected to the workshop included not just a living space, but a dedicated fishing area sealed off with a copiously insulated door and walls.

This meant that they got to eat weird albino cave fish.

At least their bones were soft enough to not bother picking them out.

So it was that they laid in wait, biding their time until the day of the execution.

The day before the execution came, and once more, in the ex-mayor’s office, Cao Hu and the Woman in Red argued. News of two unknown individuals wreaking unmitigated havoc across the coastline and briefly taking over an in-construction geomancer fort had reached the Woman of Red in the middle of the night. Cao Hu had learned of the incident from her, chortling and doubting her words mere minutes before one of his own direct subordinates arrived at the Lighthouse badly wounded and speaking of a red-eyed juggernaut in distinctly Ikesian-styled armor that spoke of Pine Tree Riots, accompanied by a short-haired woman with a flaming sword.

While the Woman in Red had not been aware of the incident’s specifics, that which was new only amplified her smug sense of self-satisfaction and lessened her worries whilst driving Cao Hu to a near-frothing rage, most notably the association to Pine Tree Riots.

Inevitably, though, his rage died down and discussion turned to pertinent matters of state. They were mostly in agreement regarding commerce, imports, things that brought in money even from dissidents. The moment things turned to the upcoming execution, however...

“You said you would not plant rabble rousers if I approved your execution. Do you think me a fool? Need I remind you why I was assigned to you in the first place?”

“I did, indeed, not plant rabble rousers,” Cao stated flatly. She knew he was lying, and he knew that she knew, and he did not care.

The Woman in Red scoffed, “Fine. Do as you will, but dare not take your frustration out on me when Rigport ends up a repeat of the Scorchlander Colonies. After all, for all your raids and arrests, you’ve utterly failed to snuff out the dissidents. You’ve just taught them to hide better.”

“Do not presume to lecture me on failure, you psychotic whore! Was it not your negligence that put a stop to His Grace’s traversal of the accursed wall? WAS IT NOT YOUR ARROGANCE THAT PERMITTED THE SAGE’S MONSTROSITY TO ESCAPE THE DUNGEON NOT ONLY ALIVE, BUT ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE MORE DANGEROUS?!”

“No, it was not I. ‘Twas that very queen whose death you feigned grief over that failed to ensure the Homunculus’ death and who rendered herself a liability in the Emperor’s eyes,” the woman rebuked.

“And were I you, I would watch my tongue when doubting the sanity of others. Did you forget who was in command? Whose incessant rambling I was forced to hear within my skull without cease? Whose petulant whims made me as a passenger in my own body, forced to throw tantrums over insults meant for another?!”

For the briefest of moments she lost control, and her lower jaw split in two, exposing the two rows of razor-sharp teeth that sat where her molars had once been.