4 Chapter 4: The Engineer Core

The next several days involved setting up the required equipment to actually start building machines. I decided to delegate some of this task to my first Tech Priest. His primary objective was the study and manufacturing of Skitarii.

I left him puttering along for a day at my personal workshop and came back to three new Skitarii units in the form of a ranger, a vanguard, and a Ruststalker.

This obviously meant I need more Tech Priest's. I also need to start manufacturing their protective cloaks and armor plating for armor. The protective cloaks are going to be used by the general rank and file of the Engineer core. I am anticipating lots of explosions when I start instructing people how to build certain things.

The Panzerhunde was a massive success against the titans, so I have a feeling that will be my first assignment to teach my recruits. I had to revamp my creation process. Originally, I had channeled some mana to activate a Panzerhund, but I can accomplish the same thing with sentinel energy. In fact, it may be an improvement. I tried using the energy on the Panzerhund I left at my Aunt and Uncles house and it caused it to bulk up a little and it appears that the plating is thicker. I won't know more without conducting tests.

I leave the Panzerhund with its new improvements and a name (Daisy) before I head over to my workshop next door. I am greeted at the door by Bear and Wolf. Bear is holding a bloody arm between his teeth.

I check around for any more body parts or remains. Not finding any, I take the arm from Bear and I try to observe it.

[Observe]

Bloody arm

Belongs to a female with regenerative capabilities.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out Annie attempted the break in. As I look at the arm, I can see small wisps of steam coming out of the arm as it attempts to heal itself.

I stash the arm in my inventory, this will give me time to think about how to deal with her.

I pack up my plans and prototypes and depart for the Engineer HQ. We really need to get that place a good name. The Foundry would work but I'm not sure if that's too generic. I will run it by Rico and see what she thinks.

When I arrive back at The Foundry, there are several pallets of materials that I can start working with. I start off making another Mr. Handy. The one I originally borrowed belongs to my Aunt so I want to return it. Hopefully that can happen before citizens are allowed back into Trost.

I am just putting the final touches on the Mr. Handy when I hear the door to the shop open. I turn and observe that Erwin and Nile decided to come visit me. A few members of their cabinet were looking around in awe at the machines building and refurbishing things.

I turn on the Mr. Handy and turn to face them. They seem impressed when the robot floats away to start cleaning up the work area.

"Hello what can I help you gentlemen with." I ask.

"We would like to discuss Cadet Jaeger with you. Pixis informed us that you had a theory regarding him?" Nile stated.

"Let's head to my office then, that's a discussion best had in private." I say leading them back to my office.

Once the door was shut. I start; "So have either of you met Cadet Jaeger personally?"

"I have. The kid really wants to join the Scouts despite making the top 10." Erwin answers while Nile Shakes his head.

"We can account for Eren for most of his life, he has never been outside the walls, so what triggered his ability to be a titan? The evening of Shiganshina districts fall however, according to Eren, Grisha Jaeger gave him some sort of injection. Without examining the serum type, I cannot verify what it does specifically, but we can hypothesize that its where Eren's ability stems from.

With the reveal of the ability however, I am guessing that the colossal and armored titans are of a similar nature to Eren." I explain.

"Are you implying that the armored and the colossal are hidden amongst us?" Nile questioned; his demeanor had taken a deathly serious tone."

"I am, and what's more, is they are not alone." I state, watching both men pale slightly.

"I had an attempted break in to my shop in Trost. The intruder was stopped by my dogs, but not without losing their arm. The arm displayed similar healing properties to that of Eren after he shifted with one key difference. This arm belonged to a female recruit!" I continue.

Both of their eyes widened at the implications.

"How were you able to tell?" Asked Erwin.

"The sleeve that came off with the arm had a Cadet symbol on it. I determined it was female based on the size and build of the arm." I explained.

They both sit there in silence for a moment before Nile asks; "So in your opinion, what is the viability of Eren's usefulness to the military?"

"Extremely high for both a scientific and combat aspect. Once I have designed and built the devices to do so, we'll be able to analyze his blood and determine what makes his ability different from a standard titan. Heck, we could identify what makes a titan. I have a few theories, but to be able to scientifically confirm it would be another matter altogether. As far as combat, from what I have observed, Eren needs an objective when he transforms. Otherwise, the titan aspect takes over for a bit which resulted in his rampage. Physical exhaustion may play a factor as well but I can't verify that without more data. However, as it stands, when his objectives are clear, he is a titan killing machine. Upon his first transformation, he was intent on killing titans. So, when he transformed, that's exactly what he did. With proper mental and physical training, he could easily be one of the militaries most powerful assets." I finish.

Nile looks thoughtful, while Erwin nods in agreement.

"Is there anything that we can put into circulation among the regiments?" asked Erwin.

"Not right now, give me by the end of next week and I'll have items for all three regiments ready. I just barely finished manufacturing infrastructure earlier this morning. I need those recruits soon to help offset my workload." I inform them.

"Were there any you had your eye on in particular?" Nile questioned.

"Armin Arlelt, Hitch Dreyse and Annie Leonhart." I begin.

"I'll also take any of the others that show decent mental aptitude. They will be deployed as battlefield engineers after all. They need to be able to keep their head." I continue.

"Why those three in particular?" Erwin questioned.

"All three tested extremely well in the intelligence tests. They also had good marks for maintaining ODM gear. Hitch struck me as lazy when I met her which pairs well with some of the projects I have going. Put a lazy person on a project, and they will find the easiest way to do it. Pairs well with a good head on her shoulders." I explain.

"Alright the offer will go out during regiment recruitment to the top 70 percent, is that good?"

Nile asked.

"That's fine. I'll also take anyone that you just need train in general mechanics. A lot of tech is going to be flowing down the pipe soon, and it would be good if some of your troops were up on this stuff." I state.

After some more conversation, we got to the real reason that they were here. They were wanting to see if I had any preliminary designs for the communication network and drop off the regiment uniforms.

I showed them my plans regarding the radio towers and they were awed by the implications. Erwin was super excited because the estimated range of the radio would reach all the way to Wall Maria once there is complete coverage.

Nile enquired about the faster transportation and I had grabbed a plan off the gamer shop for this. Presented the Harley Davison WLA "The Liberator". It's a classic motorbike and honestly perfect for the military police and the garrison. Nile was over the moon at the design. He was even happier when I told him I would be able to create troop and cargo transports soon.

After that they took leave and departed. I pulled out my new uniforms and grabbed a few sets in my size. The Engineer core symbol standing proud on the uniform. I switched from my recruit uniform to the new uniform. I decided to leave the foundry and lock the doors behind me as I lock up.

As I approach Trost I see more and more civilians. It looks like people can go back into Trost now. The people take notice of my uniform some pointing and whispering. This continues until a man steps out and grabs my attention.

"Excuse me sir, what symbol is that on your uniform? It doesn't resemble that of any of the regiments." He asked.

"This is the symbol for the newly formed Engineer Core. Due to the effectiveness of the machines used to defend Trost, this new regiment has been developed to produce effective machines that reduce casualties of the other three regiments." I explain.

The crowd went silent, you could hear a pin drop.

"That makes you Tavish Byrne right? The Titan Slayer of Trost?" The man continues.

"I don't know about Titan Slayer, but yes I'm Tavish." I chuckle

The man suddenly grabs me up in a tight hug and then released. "Thank you, your intervention saved my son during the battle. Is it true that you ripped titans in half with your bare hands?"

"Well yes, but who's your son?" I question. Technically I punched it in half but I don't think he would care about semantics.

"His name is Franz. He said that your assault against the titans allowed him and Hanna to escape." The man explained.

"OH! Yeah, that was towards the start of the battle. Had to dig him out of a titan's mouth. That was a little too close for comfort." I exclaim. "Well, a pleasure to meet you but I have to find my Aunt and Uncle. They must be worried sick." I bade the man goodbye and head home.

I get to my Aunt and Uncles house and I can see the lights inside are on. I walk up and knock on the door.

"Come in!" I hear my Aunt call out and I open the door. My Aunt looks up from clearing the table and her eyes widen when she sees me. She drops the clutter on the table and dashes over tackling me in a hug.

"Oh my God, Tavish! You're Ok! I heard stories that you were ok but I could scarcely believe them." She babbles.

I felt kind of bad now. I was running around setting up everything for the new regiment, and I forgot to check in with my Uncle and Aunt to let them know I was Ok.

After a little bit my Uncle came in and I received a hug from him as well. We sat down and I ended up explaining what happened in Trost, Eren's transformation, and my promotion to commander of a new regiment.

They were both excited by the prospect and we ended up talking late into the night.

The next morning, I checked in on my tech priests and was pleasantly surprised. They were building at a rate that I would probably have a full cohort of Skitarii by the end of the week. I was able to gather enough data to start making leaps and bounds in bioengineering. I probably have enough knowledge now to successfully install a prosthetic arm. Now I just need a test subject.

I head to the local hospital with a prosthetic arm hidden in a bag. When I arrive, there are a plethora of injuries from the most recent assault. Many people have crushed limbs and bite injuries from the titans. I finally came across the room of Ian Dietrich. He was sitting in bed reading a book. Ian apparently lost his arm to a titan bite during the final push to the gate. He looks up when I enter.

"Hey Tavish, or should I be calling you commander now?" He smiles.

"I would give you a salute but well. . . ." He shrugs his stump.

"What if I were able to give you a hand with that as it were" I say pulling the arm out of the bag.

He grin's; "Thanks for the offer, but I already put an order in for a wooden replacement."

"I'm not talking about a fake hand." I explain. "I'm talking about a fully functional arm. It would allow you normal day to day operation, like you never lost it in the first place."

His eyes widen and then narrow slightly; "What's the catch?"

"You would have to go into surgery for installation. You're literally the first person to receive this. That means first time the surgery has been performed. But if successful, you can have a totally normal life after this." I explain.

He thinks about it for a bit and asks for some time to decide. That's fine, this is a big decision after all. But I find myself with some spare time.

. . . . . .

Maybe it would be a good idea to let the Skitarii stretch their limbs for a bit.

[Time Skip]

I gathered together a large portion of my Mechanicus forces including two, newly minted, Ironstrider Ballistarii. The impressive combat walkers shift from side to side slightly, their autocannons gleaming in the sunlight.

The tech-priest's have been working non-stop to properly outfit the Skitarii with ODM gear, Galvanic rifles, Transonic blades and claws, arc weapons, and other Skitarii weaponry. I had expressly forbidden the production of radium weapons. I had yet to develop protection from radiation or wished to see it used on this planet. It might make for an interesting experiment to use on a titan in the future. It brings up my next thought, could you change the titans back into a human?

I know Zeke was able to force Eldians on Paridis to transform by injecting them with his spinal fluid, so could you reverse the process with an antidote of sorts?

Ymir wandered the world for roughly eighty years as a pure titan before she ate the jaws titan and regained her mind. Maybe that's where the answer would lie. But for that to work I need to finish developing the blood analyzing equipment and get blood samples from the titan shifters that I have easy access to. I still have Annie's arm preserved in my inventory, so that's at least one down.

But those are thoughts for another day. I spend several hours at the training ground teaching the Skitarii titan killing tactics and then organize them into teams to effectively bring down titans.

The Sicarian units had no trouble leaping up to the impressive height of a titan and just slicing the napes. If they used ODM gear it only enhanced their maneuverability.

The Rangers could shoot with amazing precision. Their rounds tearing out the napes of the targets with an explosive finish.

The Ironstrider's simply tore through their targets, obliterating the weak point.

The tech priests were no slouches either. With their whirring mechadendrites, their servo-arm weaponry and their Omnissian axes, blowing apart any target in range. What was most valuable about the priests was their ability to coordinate and optimize the fighting prowess of the Skitarii. By applying updates and running calculations at extreme speed, they devised multiple tactics and provided tactical knowledge to achieve victory with the utmost efficiency.

Any of the arc weapons or sonic attacks couldn't be tested without proper combat with a titan. Thankfully a research expedition sponsored by the scouts was coming up within a week. They had to delay it because of Eren's trial.

[Time skip]

I had already made my stance on Eren clear. Which is why I was confused when I was called upon to present a written report to General Zackly at his trial. To be honest, I would much rather oversee the installation of the radio towers than be here.

Initially, I was expecting Commander Nile and Erwin to present opposing cases for keeping Eren under the control of the scouts or the military police. Nile surprised me by advocating for studying Eren, but not demanding his death. I honestly didn't expect him to heed any of my advice, but it is nice to know that he listened and reevaluated his own stance. Several arguments occurred from a pastor and a civilian before Zackly called me up to question my paper.

"Commander Byrne, could you please step forward and clarify some points of your paper?" The General calls out. I guess it's time to face the music.

"Yes Sir. What point would you like me to clarify?" I ask.

"It said in your report that Cadet Jaeger presents a unique opportunity to fully chart and categorize a titan biologically including discovering a counter to their predicament. What predicament are the titans facing?" Zackly questioned, making various people snap their heads in my direction.

"Well sir I have to start out that until I examine Eren's bloodwork this is purely conjecture. After seeing Eren transform into at titan, I hypothesized that there was the possibility that the titans we fight on a day-to-day basis were in fact human at some point." I start explaining.

"Assuming that your theory is correct, what would have caused the change from human to titan?" Zackly stated.

"The cause of such a transformation is from an external stimulus of some sort. There may be a virus or disease that causes the transformation to occur. Without more in-depth studies, I cannot confirm that conclusion." I state.

"So, what would you do in the case of Cadet Jaeger?" Zackly asked.

"Cadet Jaeger's potential is too big to ignore. I recommend initial study and training regarding the ability. I also recommend supplementing his hand-to-hand training. Once he is proficient at transforming, those skills will be valuable in fighting titans of any type." I answer.

"Thank you, Commander, you are dismissed." Zackly states.

I return to my seat as the trial continues, some of the civilians were outcrying against what I said, hurling verbal abuse in my direction but my focus was on Pastor Nick. He was watching me intently, as if trying to solve a puzzle.

The Trial ends after Levi beats the shit out of Eren. I honestly think that he went a bit overkill, but I'm glad that the trial is over.

[Time skip]

I blast another imp with my shotgun as I make my way through the demon ID. The demon ID contained a lot of the hell spawn from Doom as well as several traditional additions and stereotypes. This had initially started out as a trip to test the Skitarii's combat capabilities, but I decided to join to increase my level. I want to try out the Technomancer class but I needed to finish my Slayer class first. Apparently, the game registers Technomancer as a prestige class.

Tavish Byrne

Level – 65

Class – Martial Artist – Lvl 65/100 [63%]

Prestige Class – Slayer – Lvl 65/100 [49%]

Production Class – Engineer – Lvl 97/100 [84%]

Race – Transcendent Human

Alignment – Neutral Good

HP- 6600 [1320 per minute]

MP- 5300 [1,060 per 30 seconds]

SP- 6600 [1320 per 30 seconds

Soul Well (788/1600)

STR-685

END-660

DEX-915

INT-530

WIS-530

CHA-100

LCK-234

Mana Regen = WIS X 2

MP = INT X 10

SP/Health Regen = END X 2

Health = END X 10

SP = END X 10

Stat points (250)

I had almost maxed my engineer class but after reaching level 50 in Martial artist it got progressively harder to level up after that. The grind was going to be difficult from here on out. Apparently, machines that manufacture count towards the Engineer class leveling up. I had received quite a few perks in that time.

For reaching milestones in strength, you gain two perks

[Super Human strength]

You have exceeded the normal limits of strength for your race. Feats of strength can be attempted with half the required strength stat.

[Iron Fists]

Your fists are like blocks of iron. Increases unarmed damage by 50%

For reaching milestones in Endurance, you gain two perks

[Stone skin]

Allows you to store mana in your skin to reduce damage on a one-to-one ratio

[Tough as nails]

Your body has toughened to the point of resisting Piercing damage by 25%

For reaching milestones in Dexterity, you gain three perks

[Falling, with Style!]

You gain a 75% increase in control when falling through the air

[The Ancient Art of Throwing Shit]

Everything can be thrown! You are 50% more proficient at throwing things that shouldn't be thrown.

[Nitrous]

By channeling mana into your muscles, you increase your speed and reaction by 50%

For reaching milestones in Intelligence, you gain two perks

[Mad Scientist]

Your love of tinkering has manifested into a perk! Enables you to craft a random blueprint once a week

[Advanced Parallel Thoughts]

Your mind has evolved the handle accelerated thought processes. Enables you to process everything at x5 speed.

For reaching milestones in Wisdom, you gain two perks

[Organized mind]

Your mind is well organized and cataloged. This allows for easy recollection.

[Meditative state] (Passive)

Allows you to relax into a meditative state while out of combat. Increases passive MP regen by 15% while inactive and 40% while active.

For reaching a milestone in Luck, you gain a perk

[Gacha Gambler]

Receive one free common Gacha draw per week.

Overall, it has been fairly productive this week as I pull out the ballista to blow up a Cacodemon that floats too close. I finally finished this weapon when I had gone to the demon ID. It was certainly helpful in rounding out some of the long-range combat that I have been lacking in.

I pull out the Omnissian hand axe that I had created with the help of the tech priests. It had a cog axe head on the one side of the head and a glaive on the other side. It was actually quite fascinating making this weapon. The power weapon component was contained within the head of the axe, but it also incorporated the combi-tool within the cog head. It did save me having to grab multiple different tools for repairing things.

I switch on the axe and it lets out a hum, as power crackles around the head. I bring the blade down on another imp, slicing them in two. It's probably not my preferred weapon, but it will do in a pinch.

The Skitarii performed admirably during their first trip outside the relative safety of the walls. Their presence allowed for the first scouting expedition in 100 years to return with zero casualties. The Panzerhunde turned out to be invaluable as well. I did discover that after a certain point a Panzerhund can become one of several variants. The first variant allows for it to be used as a mount or a pack animal, while the second variant is designed for essentially being a mobile weapon platform. This modification allowed for a servo-harness to be mounted onto the back and armed with several pieces of weaponry. This resulted in an overall increase in size to this new variant to accommodate for armor plating and battery capacity.

I am brought out of my thought at the sound of a roar and I turn to see Bear rip the head off a Baron of hell. He had evolved into a machine of war, his massive size accentuated by the weapons that bristled from his frame. I had dubbed this design the "Warpath" variant.

Wolfe leaps over a nearby rise holding the remains of a pinky in between its teeth. Wolfe had increased in size too, but he had more of a sleek build. He was less armored, but no less deadly with his claws and teeth. I had dubbed this style the "Mount" variant.

After finishing off the last of the wave we gather together and exit the ID.

The Foundry has become a hive for activity. The small group of people that I had working for me were working diligently getting orders made and boxed up.

Joseph Westbrook, was a guy from the Calaneth district. He was a recent graduate of their top ten from their most recent batch of trainees. Guy was ridiculously smart, if a little short tempered. I could see him assembling the hydraulic system on a Panzerhund.

Rosa Brimier, her inclination towards firearms was a godsend. She was able to assemble the new M1 Garand with extreme efficiency. It usually took half a day for her to complete a crate worth of M1's. The crate is then quickly stamped with the icon of the regiment it is being shipped to and is immediately shipped off.

Chester Heinz, he excelled in our R&D division working with the tech-priests in developing new arms and armor. He is currently working on a design for effective anti-titan armor.

Nick Callahan, he was extremely handy at understanding how something worked by taking it apart. I could see him surrounded by multiple projects that he is working on.

Taylor Connelly, was assigned to work on our titan program. She was studying the body of BT-7274 while having an active conversation with him. You could see multiple designs around her detailing long range deployment systems and the designs for Vanguard, Tone, NorthStar, and Ronin class titans.

Mina Carolina. To be honest, I never in a million years thought that she would show up. But she did. She started learning with a determination that was impressive. I could see her building a Domitar Ferrum Pattern battle automata under the oversight of a tech-priest.

Christa Lenz and Ymir. These two honestly surprised me by signing up for the Engineer Core. Christa wanted to learn about the advances in medicine, so she was shuffled over to our bioengineering division. Christa excelled at learning under the doctor on loan from the hospital. I currently had her charting the effects of sentinel energy on a human body.

Ymir on the other hand . . . .

[Flashback]

I had invited Ymir to my office after today's initial orientation for the new recruits. She was leaning back in her chair with her feet kicked up onto my desk, a lazy smile resting on her face.

"So Tavish, recruit for three years and promoted straight to commander. How does it feel? Planning on misusing your authority on your lowly grunts now?" She questions in her sarcastic manner.

"No, that would be a serious breach in conduct. I am curious about what your time was like before living within the walls." I state watching her freeze up.

I could have been more tactful about handling this but I feel like the blunt approach is best.

"W-what are you talking about? I haven't ever lived beyond the walls. There is nothing beyond the walls! Just titans." She stutters.

"I know for a fact that that there are more than titans beyond the walls. I also know about a certain legend about nine people who could turn into titans. So, Ymir, which one are you?" I press.

Ymir was panicking, her eyes were flicking between me and the door trying to gage if she could beat me there.

"Relax Ymir, I am aware that you aren't associated with the others, at least not directly. The reason I am bringing it up is an offer."

I have her full attention now; she swallows and asks; "And what is the offer?"

I pull out a contract and set it on the desk between us.

"This is the offer; You will assist in research regarding the nine titans with your transformation. Your titan will not be used in any form of combat or purpose outside of research. If you so wish, the ability will be removed once the research has progressed to the point that we can do it safely. Otherwise, we will allow you to live a normal life until the end of your natural life.

In return, you will be paid an agreed upon amount for your services in research. Protection will be provided for yourself and one Christa Lenz/ Historia Reiss from any threat be they human or titan. This protection will entail the full might of Tavish Byrne and his forces until such a time that Ymir deems it unnecessary. Both individuals will be allowed to live a normal life after fulfilling their obligation to the military."

Ymir's eyes were huge. I could see the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Y-you could remove the ability? W-why? Its fine right now." She states.

"All current information I possess about the nine titans indicates that the user dies precisely thirteen years after acquiring the power. It is probably due to the strain of having that much power on tap. The point is, I am offering to remove that time limit on your life and allow you to live a normal life. The only thing that will void this agreement, will be by assisting the armored or colossal titans or any of their associated agents." I inform.

She shakily picks up the agreement and after reading it over asked "How much is the pay?"

"I feel like $100,000 a month while you are involved in research." I state, causing her eyes to pop.

"Deal!" She states and scribbles down her signature on the form.

$100,000 is a huge amount for Ymir, considering that she would have received far less as a soldier, and even less as a street beggar.

I take the form and file it away; "Alright thank you for your agreement to my offer."

[Flashback End]

Since that day, Christa and Ymir were followed around by the large frames of the protector class Skitarii. Their machine frames humming always scanning for any threat, their weaponry gleaming in the light.

Ymir was still a little nervous that I knew her secret but she diligently worked on what was assigned to her.

I was honestly surprised that none of Marley's spies had tried to join up. I did make the offer. Some of the Skitarii did report a blonde-haired bearded man watching from over a rise nearby. I kept up constant patrols of the Skitarii, who managed to locate a set of tracks that lead to a nearby camp. The tracks then lead away to a village a few days travel away.

My guess is that this is the village that Zeke was planning to turn into titans. The scout team picked up multiple enemy combatants based roughly 10 miles outside the village in the nearby woods. The cart titan apparently came with them. It was carrying their supplies and it looked like it was offloading supplies.

It didn't look like they were in a position to deploy the gas just yet so I had time to prepare. The Sicarian Ruststalker's were deployed to quietly thin their numbers while they were out foraging for wood and materials for their camp.

[Marley agent's POV]

Carl and I had been sent to retrieve firewood only to walk into what could only be described as a horror story.

We had traveled roughly a mile into the woods with several other groups to gather firewood. Carl and I had amassed almost a full load when we heard a scream that was suddenly cut off.

Thinking that someone encountered a wild animal, we ran towards the source of the scream. We stopped when I tripped over a log. I turned to discover that the "log" I had tripped over wasn't a log at all, it was someone's legs. I look further up the body to find that it had been bisected cleanly at the waist. I back pedal away from the remains only for my hands to splash down in a wet mass. Looking around, I discover that I am surrounded by the remains of my comrades scattered in gory piles throughout the underbrush.

I hear a choking sound off to my left and saw a metallic figure stab its blade through Carl's throat, its faceplate coated in blood. The last thing I remember was something sharp piercing through my chest, and then darkness.

[Pieck's POV]

I arch my back and stretch after the harness was removed from my back. Even though I spend weeks or longer in my titan form wearing that harness, it still felt good to get out of the harness for a bit.

I look around for a little bit and I spot an armored figure heading towards us. He is flanked by multiple beings in red cloaks, behind him, there are multiple large walking machines of various shapes and sizes. One stood at roughly 20 meters in height, hefting a large gun of some sort.

The large machine aimed his gun at me and announced in a voice that echoed across the distance between us.

-Greetings Marleyan agents. My name is BT-7274 and I speak on behalf of the Engineering Core. You are instructed to exit your titan form and surrender yourselves to us. Should you comply, you will be taken into custody unharmed. If you do not comply, it will result in the immediate use of lethal force. You have 15 seconds to comply. -

Shit! I didn't expect anyone in the military to be aware of people outside the walls! One of my soldiers raises his rifle and aims at a figure in red robes only for his head to pop like a grape as one of the figures fires his rifle at the soldier.

-You have 10 seconds to comply. -

I start struggling out of my titan's neck. Several solders near me drop their weapons and raise their hands in the air.

-You have 5 seconds to comply. –

Why is he still counting down?! I climbed out of my titan, collapsing to the ground as I try to get used to walking on two legs again. I glance around and I see Zeke was still hesitating before he reaches up and bites his hand transforming into the beast titan. He digs hand into the earth and pulls out a large rock that he flings at the group.

The huge machine steps forward and emits some sort of barrier from its hand catching the boulder and flinging it back at Zeke at almost twice the speed.

Meanwhile the armored figure bursts into action, covering the distance between us in an instant as he leaps bringing a massive hammer from somewhere and hitting Zeke in the face.

I watch in shock as the beast titans face is caved in with a mighty thunderclap. His associates were not idle either, launching a barrage of various rounds into the titan, igniting portions of Zeke's fur or punching gaping holes through its body.

The being that identified itself as BT covered the distance to the titan and grabbed Zeke by his front, yanking him forward and plunging his hand through the nape, ripping out a very shocked Zeke. The armored being jumped up onto BT's arm and socked Zeke in the face, knocking him out. I could see the blood running profusely down Zeke's face, looks like that last swing broke his nose.

The rest of the soldiers and myself were very compliant as we were tied up and carried to who knows where.

[Time Skip]

[Tavish POV]

This had turned out phenomenally better than I had hoped. I took the Marley agents back to the foundry to imprison in one of the sublevels. I wasn't too sympathetic to Zeke and his plight for Eldian independence, granted I was slightly furious that I had caught him in the act of prepping to gas a civilian village so maybe I was just pissed at him in general.

I imprisoned both him and Pieck separately. I allowed some of the soldiers to stay together but the titan shifters were stored as deep underground as we had managed so far.

The capture of the two shifters necessitated calling a meeting with the other commanders to explain my actions.

General Zackly, Commander Erwin, Commander Nile, Commander Pixis and myself sat around a table discussing the matter.

"How the hell did you find an extra two people that can shift into titans! I wasn't even aware that we had one until a few weeks ago! Nile exclaims.

"What concerns me more is evidence of an enemy force from outside of our walls. This indicates that we aren't the last humans on earth." General Zackly comments reading over the after-action report presented.

"If there are more humans beyond our walls, why are they dedicating so many resources to attacking a village within our walls instead of communicating with us?" Pixis questions.

"Preliminary questioning of the soldiers indicates that we, within the walls are located on an island called Paradis, and that they come from another continent." I state, passing out copies of the transcripts of the initial questioning.

They start reading through the new report. Learning new details about the Marleyan's and about the Eldans.

"So, we can confirm that Titans were once human according to this report?" Zackly questioned.

"Yes. A specific race has the correct genetic markers to transform into a titan called Eldan's. They can be transformed by being injected with a serum or by being forced by one of the nine titans." I State.

"And according to these soldiers, we are the last Eldian kingdom?" Erwin asked.

"Supposedly, there are Eldan's left on the main land under the ruling of a country called Marley. The Eldan's are injected with the serum and then shipped to Paradis to keep us penned up within the walls. It is used as some sort of punishment for the Eldan's." I inform.

I can see the expressions of the various commanders tighten into grim looks.

"Why do they keep doing this? Do we know what they want? Nile questions.

"As of right now, no. We have yet to question the shifters in any sort of depth, and I am honestly afraid to let anyone else near them." I state.

"What?! Why?! Nile exclaims.

"The fact that this information isn't common knowledge means that someone is suppressing it. And given that everyone in this room is surprised by this revelation, it has to be someone higher up than us." Erwin comments.

This sobers the entire room.

"Fritz." Zackly stated. And everyone turned to look at him. "We have some corruption within the military police, but if I remember correctly, there is a squad that answers solely to Fritz and a few nobles in the ruling counsel. They are the only ones capable of suppressing this type of information to this scale. But even then, some of this info should be common knowledge. How could they suppress the information this effectively?" he continued.

"There has to be more to it than that. Are their more titan types than we are aware of? You mention cart and beast titans in your report." Nile questions.

"There is a legend that details a total of nine different titans. There is the Cart titan, the Jaws titan, the Armored titan, the Colossal titan, the Beast titan, the Attack titan, the Female titan, the Warhammer titan, and the Founding titan. The two we have in captivity downstairs contain the Cart, and Beast titans. I believe that Eren contains the Attack titan, while the Armored, Colossal, Female, Warhammer, and Founding titans are unaccounted for." I explain.

"What about this "Vanguard" class titan?" Erwin asked.

"That is a part of our titan program we are developing." I say standing up. "If you gentlemen would follow me, please."

We make our way out to the main factory floor where Taylor was working on the Chassis of a NorthStar. She jumps to attention as soon as she notices us approach.

"At ease Taylor. Do you know where BT is right now?" I ask her.

"He's at his charging station." She informs.

We walk over and BT's optic lights up.

-Greetings Tavish, how can I be of assistance. –

"It spoke!" exclaimed Nile.

"This is our Vanguard class titan BT-7274. We felt like the name was a fit. Our "titans" are designed to have a trained pilot that will be their "partner" when going into combat against whatever we may be facing. BT was exceptionally useful in helping neutralize the beast titan." I inform the rest of the commanders.

"What kind of training will a pilot need?" Erwin questioned.

"A titan basically functions as an extension of the pilot, so a pilot will have to go through specialized combat training both in and out of titan. I would like each regiment to volunteer five people to participate in the program. Once our issues with Marley are resolved, I planned on creating a public use variant to help with farming, construction and the works." I explain.

"How well would these titans stand up to the armored or colossal titans?" Pixis spoke up.

"Against the armored, I predict that BT could go toe to toe against him long enough for our heavier ordinance to punch through that armor. The colossal stands as an unknown factor. It has never appeared for long enough for us to get an accurate reading of its abilities. The body of a vanguard class will protect a pilot from the steam that the colossal gives off, but the vanguard will still be outclassed in terms of size. I am currently working on a viable plan for completely countering the colossal." I explain.

I may as well develop a plan If in case I don't catch Bertholdt flat footed. I am honestly at a loss for what to do with Reiner and Bertholdt. Both are mass murderers, but can that be justified since they were indoctrinated to do so? Zeke and Pieck I had no problem prosecuting because they were adults. Zeke basically commanded a few twelve-year old's to commit genocide. If it wasn't detrimental in the long run, I would have ripped his head off as soon as he was out of his titan.

Annie hasn't done anything yet that I know of, so maybe I can make her a similar offer to Ymir's. I think her entire motivation is to see her father again. I might have to move up my plans for making a plane or flying vehicle of some sort, and possibly arrange a kidnaping. But first, Zeke's interrogation.

"So, who wants first crack at interrogating the beast titan?" I offer, causing all heads in the room to snap towards me.

"You're offering up the chance to the rest of us to ask him questions first? Just like that?" Erwin states, receiving nods from the other commanders.

"I cannot be the only party interrogating these humans from outside the walls. If we ever go public with this information, and for it to have any weight, we must be unified in our understanding of the situation. The information that we gain from these people must not come as a surprise to any branch regardless of where we operate. By bringing this information forth, whoever has suppressed this information will try to run damage control. Much harder to do when everyone is aware of what they did." I explain.

Erwin calls for Levi and Hange while Pixis and Nile bring in their own representatives. It looks like Nile has been cracking down on training in the MP's because the soldiers he brought in were substantial more fit than the ones he had last month. And with that, Zeke's interrogation was underway.

[Time Skip]

Zeke proved to be a wealth of information after Levi was done with him. Zeke tried multiple times to garner sympathy from Levi but was met by the callous disregard from the midget.

On a different note, Christa presented her results from human exposure to sentinel energy. Active application enhanced the human body beyond its previous limits to a super soldier like state, allowing someone to run jump and lift things that they weren't capable of before. Christa's passive exposure also had some entertaining side effects.

Christa had grown several inches over the few weeks that I put her to work studying the energy. She even managed to bulk up some. Her beating Ymir in an arm-wrestling contest is a testament to that. Not to mention Ymir's look of surprise was fucking hilarious.

Christa did note that the energy did have a limit on how far someone could grow. It usually stopped shortly after someone reached peak physical condition and then started increasing muscle density. The soldier that volunteered for the experiment was stacked walking out of the science wing. We will keep him under long term distance observation, but we can consider this experiment a success.

He was as healthy as an ox but I hit him with a quick observe to make sure.

Felix Walker

Enhanced Human

Lvl - 35

I focus on the enhanced human race.

[Enhanced Human]

A human enhanced with super human attributes

Grants a X 10 bonus to physical stats.

Well that doesn't have the potential to be abused . . . .

Still, as long as our vetting process is good, we should be ok.

Erwin was already clamoring to put most of the scouts through the process. I eventually had to relent with the increasing pressure to be prepared for a full deployment in one month.

This led to Squad Miche undergoing the procedure. Miche himself was clutching his nose after the end of the procedure. His already strong sense of smell was multiplied by ten so I can understand that his sense of smell is overstimulated right now. The rest of the squad was getting used to their new height and muscles.

Needless to say, they all needed new uniforms after the procedure. Their overall bulk requiring retooling of their ODM's to support their new weight. They were kept for several days to observe for any ill effects and then released back to the Scouts.

Shortly afterward I received my titan program volunteers in the form of the Levi Squad. They were still guarding Eren so he was their tag along.

[Flashback]

I was overseeing the tech-priests put the finishing touches on 5 vanguard titans when I heard the sound of horses outside.

I walked out to see Levi, Gunther, Petra, Eld, Oluo, and Eren dismounting from their horses.

"Good morning captain! I trust you had a good trip?" I greet Levi walking up to them.

"Commander." He greets, the rest of his squad snapping to attention including Eren surprisingly.

"At ease lady and gentlemen." I joke as they relax. "Do you guys know why you are here today?" I question.

"Not particularly. Erwin just informed us to report for a so called "titan" program. I just assumed it had something to do with Jaeger here." Levi said gesturing to Eren. Eren flushes a little at that comment.

"Actually, it has nothing to do with Jaeger at all." I state, causing them to start.

I then call out into the hanger area.

"Tech-Priest Alpha! Are they ready?"

"-Affirmative Commander. These machines hunger for battle! -" His mechanical voice shouts.

"Then send them out!" I call back

The ground shakes slightly and the eyes of the squad widen as the forms of the titans step out and line up in formation, their optics glowing brightly.

"What the hell?!" I hear Levi mutter.

"Welcome to the "titan" program. Over the next month until the expedition, your squad will be undergoing extensive training to pilot and fight with your "titan" partner. Each of you will form a bond with the Artificial intelligence in your partner so that you can fight in unison with your titan. You will also practice long range deployment of your titans when you are in the field." I proudly explain.

The Squad slowly approaches the titans, examining them and looking them over in awe.

Eld stops for a moment and asked; "What do you mean by long range deployment sir? Wouldn't the titan be with us?" He questioned.

I shake my head; "In the event of an emergency where you need your titans, they won't be with you. We have devised a deployment system titled "Titanfall" for accelerated deployment anywhere within the walls. It's not complete now, but it will be by the end of the month." I explain.

Petra walked forward and examines one of the titans closer. The titan speaks up.

-Hello! My designation is CL-4783 or Claire if you prefer. What is your name? –

"P-Petra. Nice to meet you?" She stutters in shock.

-Excellent! Are you willing to be my pilot? –

"Uh . . . . sure?" Petra hesitantly agrees.

-Good. Please enter the cockpit and put on the helmet to complete initial neural sync. –

Claire crouches down and opens up the cockpit. On the seat in the center, was a brand-new helmet.

I had originally tried to forgo the helmet but turns out it is essential for a pilot-titan interface.

I watched Petra slowly climb into the seat and put the helmet on. Claire stood up and closed the cockpit.

-Initializing neural link. -

-Scanning. -

-Establishing parameters. -

-Sync complete. –

-Protocol 1: Link to pilot -

-Protocol 2: Uphold the mission -

-Protocol 3: Protect the pilot -

-Transferring control to pilot. –

The titan lifts its hands and examines them before making a fist.

-Holy cow captain! This is incredible! –

"Alright Petra. Now that you have control, I want you to practice walking around. Gently does it. You're going to have to get used to seeing things from Claire's perspective." I say and I motion her forward to the open area in front of the foundry.

This marks the first step that a human and a titan take together as one. As Petra takes one step than another, and another. Soon she is striding back and forth in front of the foundry, then she is sprinting as we watch her practice running around.

When she finally tires of running, she stops and tries to leave the cockpit. The moment that her feet touch the ground she loses her balance and collapses.

"Is that normal?" Levi questions.

"Yes. It's going to take some getting used to switching between equilibriums like that. This is why you need to spend so much time training in them. We want you to be able to switch from pilot mode to combat mode and back again if you need to. The titans will provide some form of protection, but you will still very much be an active combatant." I inform him.

The rest of the squad pairs up with their titans which just leaves Eren and I standing there while they try out walking for the first time.

"Hey Tavish? Why did you name these machines titans? Why not name them something else?" Eren questioned looking longingly up at squad Levi as they were practicing moving in the titans.

"Titans, were a name granted to beings that existed before gods in ancient times. They were beings of unfathomable power and strength. What we encounter outside the walls is more akin to a giant, than a titan. They are just giant monsters really. So why should they be glorified anymore than what they actually are." I explain.

"That makes sense, I guess. Could I have one?" He questions hopefully.

"You can be a titan of your own though, why would you need one?" Seeing his crestfallen look, I relent. "Tell you what, when I figure out how to extract a titan ability, we can swap. You can have the shiny titan, and I can lock the titan ability up somewhere."

"You can do that? Why?!" Eren exclaimed.

"Come on Eren, you don't think you're the only human that can turn into a titan, do you? I am betting that both the armored and colossal titans are human too. And quite frankly, they are not going to be allowed to keep that ability." I explain drawing a thoughtful look from Eren.

"That makes way too much sense when you lay it out like that. Alright Tavish you have a deal!" he happily states.

[Flashback End]

So that was what resulted in team Levi hanging out at the foundry. Eventually they moved on to firearm practice, each of them selecting their own preferred load out. They even managed to convince the tech-priests to paint the titans. While the titans were painted forest green, they each had an icon on the front bearing the wings of freedom.

Inadvertently, Squad Levi ended up receiving a similar treatment to squad Miche and were enhanced. Oluo had developed some muscle mass as well as Eld and Gunther. Petra gained some height and muscle while Levi . . . .

. . . was still short.

It took all of my will power not to burst out laughing as Levi was observing the rest of his squad and their prominent changes and glancing back at himself. He received some new muscle mass and his body was reinforced but that's it.

Iris, do you know why the sentinel energy reacted like that?

[It is because of your senior gamer's interference. They saw what you were doing and decided to mess with the procedure. They thought it would be funny.]

I just shake my head and gift Levi a Mr. Handy to take back with him and he seemed mollified.

We were gearing up for an expedition and I just received a new batch of recruits from the military police. The nobles deemed that they could help reinforce the numbers of the Engineer Core with some of the new recruits. I could see Annie amongst them.

Perfect. It gives me a chance to prematurely remove another piece from the board one way or another. If I can convince her to stand down, then this will be a slam dunk for taking out all the titans. The only one that I don't know the location of currently is the Warhammer titan.

Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here on out.

[Interlude: The Adventures of Bastion]

[Bastion POV]

I was happily wandering one of the forests within Wall Rose, the badge of the engineer core gleaming proudly on my chest. My travels have taken me far and wide within these walls. I have traveled across plains, forded rivers and played with an adventurous squirrel outside of a hunting village.

I named him Paul.

Eventually, Paul and I had to part ways as I continued my journey.

I traveled though a farming village one day. People are always surprised by my presence. I tossed a ball with a couple of boys before I traveled on.

This is certainly a strange world that I have been brought to. No one here has ever heard of an omnic before.

No omnic crisis.

A world of adventure waiting for me! I just had to explore it.

I hear a scream further down the path.

I charge closer and see a carriage getting held up by soldiers!? They were all wearing special ODM gear, and one of them had a wide brimmed hat!

Making my decision, I closed some distance and let out a triumphant beep and switch to sentry mode, I gunned down the attackers ripping them away from the carriage.

I transform back and I check the people in the carriage. They appear frightened, but fine.

I give them a couple of soothing beeps, before I examine their attackers, or more specifically, his hat.

I pick it up and observe it, maybe that is something I can do in this world. I can start a hat collection! I gently place the hat on my head, tip it to the people I the cart and travel onward.

From that day on, a new legend started within the walls. A being that preyed on the bandits that wandered the roads within the walls.

A well hatted stranger, clad in iron who traveled from place to place, often spotted with a brightly colored bird.

The Story of the Iron traveler.