"Luccio."

"Meh."

"Luccio…"

"Wha?"

"Luccio! Get your ass up, NOW!"

"Mmph." Luccio rolled over on his back and untangled himself from the covers, staring up at his girlfriend.

"Luch, you gotta get up now, or you'll be late, dumbass! The commander is waiting for you!"

Sleepily, he stood up and stretched, heartily annoying Vergie, who glared at him before walking out of the room.

Hm… what was happening today…? Luccio thought to himself distantly as he pulled on his machinist's gloves. Oh yeah… we get to prep for the battle. Yay.

"Vergie, honey? Is there any breakfast? I'm ravished." He said.

"Get your own damn food, you lazy oaf," Vergie's voice drifted in from the kitchen. Luccio chuckled as he started rearranging his pile of stuff, searching for his pilot's helmet.

If I ask Vergie, she'll just get pissed off at me again, he thought as he threw a shirt out of his way. The sound of a radio blared from the kitchen, "as tensions with Zanarkand increase, we've been getting word that commander Yevon's unit is about to strike…" The radio was drowned out for a second by the sound of shattering glass.

"Vergie? Are you all right?"

"SHUT UP, DAMMIT!"

Well, she's spirited, he thought to himself, but that's why I love her. So much spunk… he blushed a little, before giving a cry of triumph. He'd found his pilot's helmet. Setting it firmly on his head, he double-checked everything to make sure everything was in order before heading out.

On his way out the door, he spotted Vergie in the kitchen with a broom, sweeping up the remains of a plate with a scowl on her face. The radio interrupted, "and although there is a strike force getting ready today, it is expected that a counterattack could be fielded as early as tomorrow…"

Luccio grinned at his wife, and pecked her on the cheek before leaving.

"Love ya, babe."

"Good luck, Luch."

Luccio hailed a lift while checking his watch. Oh shit, she was right. I really am going to be late.

When the lift arrived at the docking bay, he showed his pilot's license and clearance to the armed guard, who waved him through.

"Hey, Luch my man! What's up with that hot lady of yours?" Danba grinned, and Luccio whacked him on the side of the head. "Pervert. She's mine."

"So… Luccio… getting nervous?" Danba once again grinned his cocky half-tilted smile as he brushed his blonde hair out of his eyes. "Hari says she's gonna smoke ya, man. I don't think she's kiddin' around this time, either."

"Hari can-"

"Hello, boys," came a sultry, seductive voice from the door of the hangar. "What's up?"

Damn me if I wasn't taken. That top's barely regulation, and that skirt… can she do that? Bad thoughts! Plus, I don't think that would work out too well on her end.

"Hey, Hari!" Danba greeted her. She nodded to him before pursing her lips and asking Luccio, "You wouldn't be interested… in a bet, would you?"

"I'm not betting against you again." That reminds me… Vergie won't be too happy to see her ever again.

Hari grinned and asked, "Are you sure, love? I came so close to winning last time… it would be a shame to back out now." Her green eyes twinkled with mischief.

Yeah, and I almost lost Vergie, you sick freak. I'm surprised they still let you in the air force.

Despite everything, Hari was a lesbian. She seduced men, but she only enjoyed the women. And she had bet with Luccio against Vergie's choice: Him or her. Luccio had won, but Hari wouldn't take it; she kidnapped Vergie and threatened to kill both of them. A well-placed police squad had taken her out before, but she evaded prison and the legendary labyrinth by serving in the air force… which was where Luccio had been at the time.

"No, Hari, I don't think so."

"Hear me out, at least." She added with a pout calculated to seduce him. He began to interrupt, but she spoke too quickly, "If I down more ships than you, I get your airship, and vice versa."

"Hell. No. I'm not losing the Windbreaker for anything, not even the Vega."

Hari tried to arrange her features in a sad face, but failed miserably and just scowled at him. Luccio looked for Danba, only to discover he had somehow snuck off somewhere during the course of the conversation. So much for backup.

"Fine then, Fiacci, have it your way. But know that I will still win, and that the name Luccio Fiacci will never show up in history! I, however-" she smirked, "have just been promoted. I am now second-in-command of the Eighth Fleet, and you are just a lowly scum who will never see action again." She turned on her heel and marched out of the hangar.

"Hey, at least there's some good news!" Danba shouted from behind the Windbreaker. "Since she's been promoted, you've got her position now."

"And who took mine?" He asked a slyly smiling Danba.

"Me!" He squealed. "Imagine, me, a captain of my own airship! I'm just squeeing so hard right now!"

Luccio sighed. "Just get ready, Danba. We never know when Zanarkand will attack, much less what underhanded tactics they'll try."

"Aw, man! You still outrank me. Go easy, alright? I've got a date tonight!"

"All ships ready? Seventh Fleet?" Came the static reply from the comlink. "Seventh Fleet, Division A, reporting! Ready!"

"Seventh Fleet, Division B, reporting! Ready when you are!" There was a pause. "Division C, are you prepared? Over."

"Negative. Hornet has sustained damage in a mechanical malfunction, and Loxley is having engine trouble. Over."

"Division C, leave those ships and field the others."

"Affirmative."

"Seventh Fleet, Division D, reporting. We're ready, guys."

Luccio turned down the volume and went back to playing Chocobo Racers 5 on his screen.

"No, stupid, go RIGHT! Other right!" He yelled at the game until Danba interrupted on the other radio. "Hey, man! Your turn's comin' up, so turn off the game and get ready!"

"All right, but I'm not turning it off yet. Just pausing it."

A groan was heard before the secondary channel switched off once more. Luccio turned the volume back up on the primary channel.

"Eighth Fleet, Division B, reporting! One ship under repairs, all others ready!"

Luccio checked his display screen and found only his game, which he reluctantly turned off. He then picked up the mic and said, "Eighth Fleet, Division C, reporting. Ready!"

He then switched back to the game. Aw, it didn't save it. Bah.

Danba once again interrupted the joys of Chocobo Racer 5. "Fiacci, we're heading out in five minutes. Start it up now." This time, his voice was all business, and he closed the channel before Luccio could say anything back. Grumbling, he saved it and turned it off before activating the engines. His airship, the Windbreaker, was small enough for one pilot and two crewmembers, while the Vega needed six pilots and countless crewmembers to keep it in the sky. The Dreadnaught Virtue, the command ship of the Eighth Fleet, had Admiral Yevon, twenty-nine pilots, and at least a hundred for maintenance alone. Even thought Luccio could have upgraded to a different ship, he liked the speed and maneuverability of the Windbreaker.

Just after the engines were up, he realized he had forgotten to switch the primary channel back on.

"Twenty-Second Fleet, Division Q, reporting! Ready!"

"Attention, all pilots! Dreadnaught Altair and The First Fleet will be making a pincer attack, with Destroyer Starfield taking the left flank with the Second Fleet, and Carrier Aught taking the right with the Third Fleet. Fourth through Ninth Fleets will take the center of the main attack formation, lead by Dreadnaught Virtue. Tenth through…" Luccio stopped listening, and took a picture out of his pocket.

Vergie, this is all for you, babe.

"…taking the left of them. All Fleets stay clear of the area around the island, I repeat, all Fleets stay clear of the area around the island. On my command, First through Eleventh Fleets launch."

I didn't know there was an island, Luccio thought. I wonder why we have to keep away from it, anyway. Must be small and uninhabited for me never to have heard of it, so why the drastic measures?

"Launch!"

Luccio sighed, and called out to his crewmembers, Eddo and Leen. "All engines on full, guys. We're headed out now."

There was a jerk as the airship lifted and the top of the hangar bay opened up. Luccio grabbed the steering control sphere, flicked a few switches, and pressed a button for "background music." Normally, there were only a select few songs available, but Danba had added some of his personal collection into the memory of every ship. The heads of the Fleets didn't notice… and some even enjoyed it.

"On my command, Fleets Twelve through Twenty-Two, launch."

All of the other ships got out of the way, and Luccio lazily piloted his towards the front of the Eighth Fleet, next to Dreadnaught Virtue.

"Launch!"

The other half of the Navy of Bevelle was in the air. By Luccio's display panels, only fifty ships had been left behind, which was a drop in the bucket once he considered that there were twenty-two thousand ships in the entire navy.

"All set course, I repeat, all set course."

Luccio's display panel lit up once more, and the command center forwarded the coordinates where he was to be fighting into the piloting system of his ship. The oscillo-finder displayed a map and a glowing blue dot, surrounded by many less bright blue dots. Over Zanarkand were myriad red dots, and there was a triangular section over the area between them that represented Mt. Gagazet. Just to the left of that was the sea, and only a tiny island stood out in the waters. Never noticed that before… oh well. Time to fly!