Work Text:
There were lights everywhere in Abyss, and yet the whole place always felt dark.
It wasn’t too surprising, Leonie supposed. After all, the lights down here were not like the artificial sunlight at the top of the station, where the rich and noble mingled with merchants and church dwellers. The unfortunate souls living in the bowels of Garreg Mach Station had to make do with archaic lamps and street lights.
That the seat of the galaxy’s major religion also housed one of its darkest underbellies did not surprise her. Jeralt had worked for the church, but he had never trusted them. “If you go looking for the brightest light, you’ll also find the darkest shadow” he had told her once, in one of his drunken moods, “and in that darkness, people thrive.”
One of those thriving people was the target of her latest contract. Finding him had been a bitch, getting close to him even more so, and when she finally had him alone and ready to be apprehended, the bastard had the audacity to put up a fight. It had been an ugly mess, since both of them were willing to fight dirty, but in the end Leonie won thanks to resilience, stubbornness and a few well timed kicks into the enemy’s weak point. That had been comparatively easy, now came the tricky part – getting the unconscious body out of Abyss and onto her cruiser.
“Easy there, take one step after the other, we’re almost home.” Leonie kept mumbling, just loud enough that the people closest to her could hear. The holo-band around her targets neck projected a holographic face, a fairly average middle-aged one, over his real one. It wasn’t a particularly convincing holo-face since Leonie couldn’t afford the truly fancy tech; anyone who looked directly at it would see that it was fake. Thankfully, nobody in Abyss looked anyone straight in the face unless they wanted trouble.
It would have been easy to just throw the guy over her shoulder and carry him out like that, but that would’ve definitely caught attention. Instead, she put a pair of magnetic bracelets around her right and the targets left ankle, making the unconscious mans leg move in tandem with her own. This way, she could throw an arm around his neck and put his arm on her shoulder, and it looked as if she was helping out a friend who had one too many drinks; a sight that was all too common down here.
It wasn’t a very elegant solution, and moving the body this way took forever, but it got the job done without a fuzz, and that’s all that mattered. And she only had to reach the hangar where she had parked her cruiser, where the only people around were underpaid parking officers who didn’t give a shit who or what you carried with you, as long as you paid your parking fee and didn’t vandalize other vehicles.
Then she would be on her way to Enbarr Station and the biggest paycheck of her life, perhaps before anyone here even noticed that the mockingbird was missing.
By the time Garreg Mach Station had disappeared behind her, Leonie had properly cuffed and tied up her captive; given him a dose of Riegans All-Purpose Premium Tranquilizer™ to keep him knocked out for the foreseeable future, and checked with her ships database to make absolutely sure that she had captured the right man. Once she had taken off the holo-band, the man’s face perfectly matched the face on the screen, where the computer also listed the criminals many names. Yuri Leclerc aka Euris Leclair aka the Savage Mockingbird, those were just the ones that Leonie recognized. She briefly wondered how Lord Vestra had found out about all of these aliases, and if any of them was this guys real name, but decided that it was none of her business.
According to her ships computer it would take around one hundred and twenty hours Imperial Standard Time to reach Enbarr Station, but that number meant nothing out here, with no light source to cut time into hours and days. Instead, Leonie preferred to measure time in bottles; it took ten bottles from Enbarr to Garreg Mach, and would probably take another ten for the way back. Admittedly, it wasn’t a very precise unit of measurement, since some bottles didn’t last as long as others, but it had the welcome side effect of getting her drunk!
Inebriation was a common companion for many interstellar travelers. Most modern spaceships basically flew themselves these days, so drunk driving wasn’t an issue, and being utterly plastered was preferable to staying sober. When you’re sober on a long space trip, your mind eventually starts to wander to unpleasant thoughts; thoughts like: “I am an unfathomable amount of miles away from any inhabitable space, travelling through a vast, dark nothingness in a tiny hunk of metal held together mostly by duct tape and hope.”
Like most people, Leonie wanted to avoid such thoughts; anxiety and existential dread were not good company for a bounty hunter!
Unfortunately, there were some thoughts that no amount of booze could drown.
Any time she touched a bottle, she was reminded of Commander Jeralt. The way he sat forlorn in some corner of a dingy bar after a mission, cursing and complaining if he was upset at the assignment, which was often. The orders they got back then were not exactly varied; hunt down bandits, deal with criminals, raid a nest of low-lifes, many differing descriptions for basically the same task: get rid of people that those in power deemed undesirable. And the commander was never happy about it. He always did his duty, of course, and then went off to get unreasonably drunk and lament the man he had become.
She still remembered his reaction when she asked him about that. It was the only time in all those years that he ever got loud with her. “Do you think those people chose to be criminals? Do you think they break the law for fun, because they got nothing better to do? No, dammit! They do it because they have no choice, it’s either ‘break the law to survive’ or ‘be a good citizen and die’! So of course they choose to live, by any means necessary! That’s what we all do; we try to stay alive as long as possible! We cling to life at all cost, just to escape death for one more day! And if you cast people out, tell them that they have no place in the light, then they will learn to thrive in the dark!”
She could still hear the bitterness in his voice, the sheer disappointment at the world around him and that he was forced to contribute to it. He never told her why he did it, whenever she asked him he would only mumble, “I have no choice” and nothing more.
And now she was contributing to it like he had, and she too felt bitter. Her job was easy when her targets were murderous madmen, then she could tell herself that she was doing the right thing by hunting them down and handing them over to the empire; but most of her targets were only dangerous when described by her clients.
She looked back at the lifeless body of Yuri Leclerc slouched in a corner of her cruiser. According to Lord Vestra, he was accused of attempted assassination, murder of imperial soldiers, swindling and illicit business! He sounded like a pretty straightforward criminal, but spending two weeks in Abyss to prepare for his arrest had painted a different picture. The people there adored this man; men revered him, women loved him, children wanted to be like him when they grow up. And if you listened to them talk about him, it was easy to see why. In their words he was a protector of the downtrodden, a patron of orphanages and almshouses, a savior to all those who had been forgotten and discarded by society!
And Leonie had just kidnapped this man for a paycheck!
As if she hadn’t enough reasons already to feel like shit.
She laughed bitterly. She had always looked up to Commander Jeralt, had tried to emulate him as best she could, so she could one day be like him. Well, now she was like him, in all the worst ways!
Except…
A voice of dissent started to speak up in the back of her mind. You are not like the commander! Unlike him, you have a choice!
Leonie sat in the pilot’s seat of her cruiser, staring into the black void ahead of her. It was true, she did have a choice. No one made her do this; she had accepted this assignment on her own. She had no one to blame but herself. And if she was the only one responsible… then she was also the only one who could set things right.
And so she made a decision…
Enbarr Station, oldest and largest space station of the Fódlan Federation, loomed large ahead as Leonies cruiser approached. She was still sitting in her chair, caressing the last unopened bottle. It had been a temptation, but she managed to resist; she needed to do this sober.
She walked over to her captive, as he slowly started to regain consciousness. A few twitches and tremblings, and he opened his eyes… and immediately started struggling against his shackles while shouting through his gag, probably profanities directed at her. At least that’s what Leonie would have done in his position.
She tried to calm him down, “Come on man, chill out, I just want to talk to you,” but unsurprisingly, this did nothing to help. When he finally did calm down, it was more because he had tired himself out than because of anything she’d said, but still… This was her chance to talk.
“I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry for kidnapping you. After everything I heard in Abyss you seem like an okay guy. This is nothing personal; I just needed money and took a job.”
Yuri Leclerc, still gagged and bound and held captive against his will, looked not amused. She expected as much.
“I’m being serious here, I really feel bad for doing this. I was thinking about releasing you, but… well, I do need the money and I have a reputation to uphold. I’m sure you understand.”
His eyes remained callous. Fair enough.
“Look, I’m not telling you all this because I want your pity or sympathy. I just want you to know that I have nothing against you personally. I’m only doing my job, and my job is to deliver you to Lord Vestra. Whatever happens after that is no longer my business.” As she said that, she reached into her jacket, pulled out the holo-band and threw it into his lap.
He looked down at the device, then back up at her again, confused.
Leonie shrugged. “What? You’re a cunning guy, I’m sure you’ll figure something out!”
Winning the war had come at a price for the newly minted empire. Uniting three formerly separate star systems under one government couldn’t be done with words and ambitions alone, it often required… drastic measures. And the people you just strong-armed into your new rule tend to remember such actions.
It was no surprise then that many high ranking empirical officials who had played important parts in Emperor Edelgards victory now had to deal with an image problem. A significant portion of their new subjects simply hated their guts.
Some tried to solve this problem by trying to change their image. They spend a lot of money on television campaigns where they dressed in casual clothes and met with ordinary people and talked about their ordinary lives, sending a clear message: These folks who have killed millions are not so different from you or me!
Lord Vestra clearly thought nothing of such nonsense. He was still the same as he had been in the war, a sinister individual, dressed head to toe in black like a caricature of an evil overlord and speaking like he derived pleasure from doing dark deeds. It was almost comical, except nobody was laughing – because nobody dared!
Leonie watched this dark man circling the prisoner she had brought him like a vulture orbiting a fresh carcass. “Ah, the savage mockingbird,” Lord Vestra spoke with the kind of sinister glee that made people around him shudder, “one would think that the man who gave the empire so much grief would go by a more intimidating sobriquet, but alas…”
Yuri didn’t react at all. Leonie couldn’t see the holo-band anywhere on him, and she didn’t particularly care what he’d planned on doing with it; she just needed him to wait until she got paid, then she would be done with this mission and he could disappear for all she cared.
“Guards, escort our guest to his new lodgings,” Lord Vestra ordered, “and make sure he gets suitably comfortable!” The two guards in the room yanked Yuri along and left, and Lord Vestra’s attention went to Leonie. “Another successful mission; I’m impressed.”
“Only doing my job, sir!” Leonie answered.
“And a job well done deserves adequate compensation, of course.” He started typing on his wrist-bound computer. “Feel free to check your account, our payment should be transferred any moment.”
Leonie took out her own handheld device and checked the meager fortune she’d saved. After a moment it started to change, and she watched as the number started rising…
…and kept rising…
…and kept rising…
…and kept rising…
By the time the numbers stopped moving, Leonie felt like she’d been hit by a brick. That was a lot of money! More money than they had agreed on as payment! There had to be some mistake in the banking program! This was more money than she had ever owned!
“Is everything in order, Miss Pinelli?” Lord Vestra must have noticed her puzzlement; that man was notorious for being aware of everything happening around him, no matter how insignificant.
For a brief moment, no longer than a single heartbeat, Leonie was tempted to say no and leave. Let the empire figure out that they made a mistake while she spent all their money on a weekend of debauchery in Derdriu Station.
The moment went by unheeded, of course. She needed money first and foremost to pay her debt, and she wanted to do it fair and square!
“There seems to be a hang-up with your banking software,” she admitted, “you paid me more than we agreed on.”
“There are no faults in our systems, I assure you! The surplus money is merely a gift from Emperor Edelgard. Consider it a token of gratitude for your consistently satisfactory work!”
“What’s the catch?” Leonie asked. “Nobody gives away this much money as a token of gratitude. You want something from me, don’t you?”
“Perceptive as ever,” Lord Vestra chuckled, a sound that send a shiver down Leonie’s spine, “there is indeed another job we’d like to hire you for. Unlike previous jobs, however, this one requires you to work for us in a more… permanent capacity!”
“I don’t do permanent employment,” Leonie answered, “I like my freedom!”
“Please understand, when I say permanent I don’t mean for the rest of your life! I am merely asking for your assistance in a mission that could take a few years to accomplish!”
“And what kind of mission would that be?”
“One that requires the utmost secrecy from anyone involved, lest our mission objective be put to jeopardy!”
“Well, that sounds serious, but I’m not gonna accept a job until I know what the job is!” Leonie put her hands on her hips and tried to look self-assured and confident in the presence of a man who had a thousand dark rumors floating about him. “If you need my help so bad, you have to trust me and tell me what you want!”
Lord Vestra gave her a look that would have made most people cower in fear, like he was appraising everything he knew about her within seconds and if he didn’t like the results, it would not be pleasant. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke again. “Very well, I will share as much information with you as I deem necessary.”
With a snap of his fingers the lights in his office went dark, and a holographic image was projected into the middle of the room. It was a list of names. “We have reason to assume that several members of our inner circle have been double agents for a heretofore unknown power. These are the names of everyone we suspect.”
Leonie read the list. Here and there it mentioned a politician or some big guy in the military, but mostly she didn’t recognize any of the names – until she reached the very end. There at the very bottom was a name she would never forget.
“Monica von Ochs,” Hubert read aloud, “if my information is correct, she was the one responsible for the death of Commander Jeralt.”
“That’s one way to put it,” Leonie grunted, “that devious bitch betrayed us and literally stabbed him in the back!” It had been five years. She thought she had left all her anger behind, but she had to just read the name of that two-faced traitor and it all came crashing back. She turned to Lord Vestra. “Is this why you offered me this job? You knew I had a personal connection and wouldn’t say no?”
“I had a hunch,” he answered dryly, “judging from your reaction, I assume that I was correct.”
“Let’s say I agree and accept this job,” Leonie said cautiously, “what then?”
“Then you will become part of an elite strike force formed explicitly for the purpose of hunting and eliminating threats to emperor Edelgard’s reign!” Lord Vestra spoke with all the enthusiasm of a tax consultant explaining a particularly obscure paragraph. “You will work exclusively for us until we deem the enemy completely obliterated.”
“See, you had me until exclusively! That’s the part I have a problem with!”
“If the issue is monetary in nature, I should mention that we would provide meals and housing and pay you thrice the amount of your regular fee. Monthly.”
Leonie’s mind went into overdrive as she tried to calculate this. Three times her regular pay, and without costs for food and shelter… The realization nearly made her faint. She could have all her debts paid off in less than a year!
She would finally have money to properly repair her cruiser! She could buy new, better equipment! She could even allow herself the greatest luxury of all: not having to worry about money anymore!
Her reluctance crumbling by the second, Leonie finally let out a sigh and said, “Fine, I’m in!”
She had almost forgotten how big Enbarr Station was. The oldest inhabitable space station in the Fódlan system was not particularly outstanding in size when compared to other city stations, but after spending a couple of months cooped up in Abyss, it was bound to seem bigger than usual. The countless corridors, all looking identical in their cold, mechanical sterility, seemed to go on forever.
Lord Vestra walked beside her, having insisted that he lead her to her new quarters. The man was intimidating by default, but his presence was even more unnerving when he was quiet. Leonie had to talk about something lest she go insane. “So, who exactly are we hunting? More people who thrive in the dark?”
Lord Vestra grimaced. “Not exactly how I would have put it, but yes, basically.”
When he didn’t elaborate further, she tried again. “So, why didn’t you tell me about the paycheck first? I wouldn’t have hesitated if I had known how much money would be involved.”
He shot her a look that would give lesser men a heart attack. “Obviously we are looking for people we can trust, not someone who is only in it for the money.”
“Right, of course.” And they were back to nerve-wrecking silence.
One elevator ride later and Leonie got briefly perplexed; the cold, sterile corridors had made way to carpeted floors with warm wallpapers. She always spend so much time in the unseen parts of stations that she sometimes forgot that people are also living here, in habitable cities under plexiglas domes.
Lord Vestra stopped at a very ordinary looking wooden door. “Your quarters.”
The door opened to a cozy little room. The furnishing was simple, but looked well cared for. A big window opposite the door let artificial sunlight in, engulfing everything in a warm glow. It was so bright that Leonie had to squint; it had been way too long since she had last been in a well lit place.
“We expect you tomorrow morning at 8 AM for your first mission briefing in the Imperial War Room! Do be on time!” He shut the door behind him, and just like that Leonie was alone again. Not knowing what to do with the first free time she had in forever, she did the only sensible thing: immediately collapsing onto the bed.
As she lay there, slowly but surely her mind worked through everything that happened in the last hour, and the realization of her new circumstances settled in. She was pretty much a dog of the empire now, something she had always resisted as best she could. She wondered what the commander would think of her if he knew about this.
Then again, she wouldn’t have to wonder what he would think if he hadn’t been betrayed. She still remembered the scene vividly; the look on the commanders face when he got shot in the back, his kid kneeling next to him, that damn traitor disappearing right before her eyes.
Even after all these years it still hurt thinking about it. She had sworn that she would avenge Jeralts death, but no matter how long and far she searched, that bitch Monica had seemingly vanished. Every time Leonie thought she had a lead it turned into a dead end.
Now though, she wouldn’t work alone, but along with people who seemed to have the information that she had searched for. She had been given a second chance at revenge, after she had pretty much already given up on it.
Revenge, money, a place to stay; it all felt a bit overwhelming. In the span of a few hours her entire life had apparently taken a drastic turn for the better. It was…
Leonie sighed. It was too good to be true, wasn’t it?
Good things don’t happen to people like her, not without a drawback. At any moment, all this could crumble in front of her eyes, and she’d be back to where she was before, or worse.
But what good was it to worry about stuff that hadn’t happened yet? You only drive yourself crazy without an outlet for your pent up tension.
Pushing her worries out of her mind for now, Leonie undressed, wrapped herself in a decadently soft blanket and, for the first time in years, fell into a dreamless sleep…