Attack on Vader

Chapter 35

The next day the Marleyan military staff had a meeting in a destroyed building.

Calvi: We wasted four years squabbling over some peninsula's sovereignty and in the end, our two main Battle Titans were nearly shredded by the guns of the enemy fleet. The weapons of mankind have at last grown strong enough to sunder Marley's armor. Headlines the world over hold up this battle as proof of our weakness. So we can't truly call it a victory for our nation, now can we? Well? Speak. What do you make of this Magath?

Magath: Frankly, General, we knew this day would come, and it has. The power of the Titans has been surpassed. *Magath gets up to stand* Our time's run out. We've been content to rely on the power of the Titans as we expand our colonial holdings. Meanwhile, countries that lacked Titans to rely on developed weapons to oppose them. And now, our complacency is about to bite us in the ass. When it comes to ground engagement, our Titan forces should reign supreme for a while yet. That said, if aircraft keep advancing at this rate, they will soon make bombs rain from the sky. And when that time comes, Titans, the devils of the earth, will only be able to look up and watch.

Calvi: We don't have any Titans with wings, do we?

Magath sits back down.

Magath: Please, General. What I'm saying is that we can no longer depend on—

Calvi: The Titans, yes. As a result, our global military dominance will soon falter. Or, we've lost our grip on it already. It's funny. We've gone from the nation of heroes who crushed the Eldian Devils, to whatever the hell we are now.

Zeke brings his right hand up.

Zeke: Begging your pardon, General. If you'd forgive my boldness. I have some thoughts on this.

Calvi: Ah, Zeke the boy wonder. Go right ahead.

Zeke stands up from his seat.

Zeke: It's time we resume the Paradis Operation, so that we can take control of the Founding Titan. It's just as Commander Magath was saying. We must adapt. Marley will need to modernize her military, starting now. However, the world will not stand by and wait for her to do it. Reforming the army will take time. And the best way to buy that time is by giving the newspapers of the world a new headline to publish. Something like this "Marley defeats the devils of Paradis and seizes the power of all nine Titans."

Calvi: Hmm. Forgive the reminder, but won't your term be up in a year?

Zeke: Yes. And I'm quite anxious about whether or not Colt can inherit the full power of the Beast Titan.

Calvi: Ah, I get it. You wish to use your last year to redeem yourself. You don't want to die with unfinished business, is that it?

Zeke: You understand me completely. My father, Grisha Yeager, set something great and terrible in motion on that island. And as his former son, I would like to be the end of it.

The meeting then soon ends as Zeke light a cigarette as Zeke and Colt met on top of a rooftop near the ocean.

Zeke: Sorry for insulting your competence to further my agenda, Colt.

Colt: No, I'm glad you did. Seeing all those officers listening to an Eldian was amazing. And your right. There hasn't been a Beast like you in history. Your Beast is like a second Founding Titan. What makes you so special, Zeke? It's not like you have royal blood in your veins.