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“It is a bit late for that,” said Graves. “Our foes are largely dispatched, already. Your bargaining power, therefore, has also departed.”

“You misunderstand,” said Jun. “I’m not talking about a temporary alignment of our interests. I’m talking about a true, long-term partnership.” And her gaze fell upon Zeff again, lingering there for longer than he might’ve expected.

Hmm.

“That is quite the claim,” said Graves. “The Vanguard has sought such arrangements many times before, and yet we have always been rebuffed.”

“Things have changed.”

“How?”

She paused to look between them. “Sai-hee is gone.”

What? Zeff looked to Graves, but the marshal again said nothing.

“While it is still too early to be certain,” Jun went on, “we strongly suspect that she is dead.”

What? Zeff couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“...The storm,” said Graves with a tone of realization.

Jun nodded. “She was at the heart of it. Yet the storm has passed, and we’ve received no word from her at all. We’ve been searching high and low for her, but still. No trail to pick up. No trace discovered.”

“You’ve tried a soul compass?” said Graves.

“We have. More than one, in fact. Still nothing.”

“That is troubling, then. But it’s hardly proof. Perhaps she simply does not wish for you to find her.”

“Pah. She is not like your Titan. When she disappears, she leaves word.”

“So does he.”

“Oh, really? Where is he right now, then?”

“That is classified, I’m afraid.”

“Hah, yeah. Classified even from you, I suspect.”

“It is highly unlikely that any of the emperors have died. They each have a way of surviving against all odds and logic to the contrary.”

“Maybe so. But let me put it this way: it’s looking grim. Grimmer than I’ve ever seen it before in all my time working with her. Enough so that I think I should start making other arrangements, just in case she doesn’t pull off some kind of miraculous return.”

Holy hell.

“I see,” said Graves. “And what sort of alliance are you hoping to find, exactly? You are not requesting to join the Vanguard outright, I presume?”

“Of course not. I’d never be able to put up with all your obnoxious oversight. Rather, I was thinking that... well... perhaps you, Mr. Graves, might like to leave the Vanguard. And begin forming a new faction. With me.”

Zeff’s eyes widened a little. While he did have a gut feeling that there was no way Graves would ever go for such a thing, he also couldn’t help quietly acknowledging to himself that he’d been wrong before. About a great many things.