To Catch a Thief (Or What to Do About a Strahl-Napping)
The group was fairly quiet as they walked along the wooden planks of Balfonheim Port. Balthier would be a happy man when this was all over with, but the day ahead was sure to be a challenge. Doctor Cid's final creation was on its merry way to Rabanastre, and the Strahl would be there in hours. The sky pirate was never one to exaggerate, but it truly felt like the end of the world.
Balthier strolled into the aerodrome at the southeastern edge of the city, Fran by his side. They approached the private airship counter, and the sky pirate set down his identification papers. "Bunansa. My ship is the Strahl in hangar eight."
The young woman behind the counter smiled and began paging through the ledger. Her smile faded as she reached a certain part of the book. She shook her head and looked at his papers again. "I'm sorry, sir…" she began, and Balthier began to feel uneasy. Of all the days for a paperwork error in this blasted aerodrome!
"Is there a problem?" Basch inquired from behind him, and the woman looked up with a very puzzled expression.
The woman bit her lip and handed his papers back across the counter. "It appears that a Mister Bunansa has already taken the Strahl…"
"What?" Ashe cried, shoving her way forward to lean over the counter. She went up on her tiptoes to squint at the ledger upside down, and then she jerked her thumb in his direction. "This man is Mister Bunansa, the owner of the ship!"
Balthier turned to his partner and gave her a quick nod. "Check the hangar," he muttered, and the Viera hurried off in the direction of hangar eight with Vaan and Penelo behind her. He leaned on the counter wearily, Ashe standing beside him ready to explode.
The woman turned the ledger around to show them. "See? Right here, hangar eight…it says a Mister Bunansa was authorized to take the Strahl."
He pulled the ledger up closer, and Ashe tugged it so it was in between the two of them. "Is this your signature, Balthier?" she asked tersely, her finger tapping on the ledger entry.
The sky pirate rolled his eyes. "Of course it's not my signature!" He waved his papers in the Princess' face. "That is my signature," he said, directing her to his scrawl on the official owner's certificate. Then he pointed to the ledger. "That there is a base imitation. He didn't even spell Bunansa right!" He scowled at the woman. "There is no Z in Bunansa!"
The attendant paled and gently pulled the ledger away from them. "There must have been some mistake. My shift just started. Let me get my superior…" she muttered, hurrying away to start talking nervously with an older man at another counter.
"Do you think someone stole the ship?" Basch asked, and they turned around to look at him. "Perhaps agents of Vayne Solidor?"
Ashe slammed her palm down on the counter angrily. "I don't believe this! We must hurry to Rabanastre! I will not stand idly by and wait!"
Balthier shook his head and sighed. "Not much choice, Princess. I'm not overly fond of the thought that my ship has vanished either."
The young attendant and her supervisor returned, the man wearing a very grim expression that made Balthier's stomach drop. He looked to the sky pirate with an apologetic look. "You are Mister Bunansa?" He nodded and flashed the papers again, fat lot of good that seemed to be around this aerodrome.
The supervisor paged through the ledger, and Ashe stepped away from the counter to pace furiously behind him. Balthier could hear Basch mumbling words of comfort to calm down Her Royal Highness. "Well," the supervisor said, "I'm sorry to say that someone has absconded with your vessel, posing as yourself."
"Yes, yes," Balthier said behind gritted teeth, "I think we've established that. Now who was at this counter when my ship was taken?"
The man looked down in embarrassment, and Balthier wanted to strangle him. He could almost hear Ashe growling behind him. Of all the days in Ivalice! "What did he look like?"
The man looked at his co-worker, and she gave him a small smile of encouragement. "A rather short fellow. Ginger hair…."
"And you just let him take my ship?!" Balthier interjected, "He doesn't even look like me!" But the attendant's description of the thief set off alarm bells in Balthier's head. It couldn't be…
The man offered him a thin-lipped smile. "He had the correct credentials…" The Princess shoved her way to the counter once more and went back up on her toes. She leaned as far forward as she could without leaving the ground, and Balthier wanted to pick her up and heave her over the counter to knock the stupid attendant to the floor.
"This town is run by all manner of criminals! Including those that specialize in forgery!" she screamed, and Balthier withheld a grin as dozens of people in the aerodrome turned to watch the scene. If someone hadn't just stolen his ship, he would have applauded her.
The female attendant looked between the Princess and the pirate, and Balthier could tell she was worried about being physically assaulted by Ashe. "I'm so very sorry, sir. The East Ivalice Company would be happy to…"
"Balthier! It's gone!" Vaan cried as he and Penelo raced back from the hangar, Fran walking behind them. He looked to his partner and saw her waving a small scroll at him.
He rushed over to the Viera and snatched the scroll away. He untied the string and unraveled the parchment and was unable to stifle the groan that burst forth from him as he read.
Balthier and Fran!
Long time no see! You know I am fond of anniversaries, and what luck I seem to have had on today of all days! You in Balfonheim with that beautiful ship! Why, it brings a tear to my eye! You're a smart pair, I'm sure you can find her easily enough…if you find her in time! Must be going! Cheers!
L.D.
The sky pirate was about to crumple the paper in his fist when Ashe yanked it out of his hand and began to read it. "Anniversary? What anniversary?" she cried, passing the parchment to Basch.
Balthier shook his head and sighed. "Fran…Durio has a very good memory."
The Viera crossed her arms and glared at him. "Of all the days…" she muttered. Fran had not been in favor of the event that had initially incurred Durio's wrath, but Balthier had kindly ignored her input that day. Ashe looked between the sky pirates and repeated her previous inquiry.
He rubbed his temple. "Langden Durio, pirate and thief. Not a very good one, but it appears he has improved. It was three years ago today that we…" Fran glowered at him. "That I stole his ship from the Balfonheim aerodrome, and it appears he has decided to return the favor."
If Ashe had been angry before, Balthier did not have a word to describe the current expression now plastered on her face. Livid was not exactly strong enough. He almost expected smoke to pour from her ears. She was about to unleash what would undoubtedly be a string of very unPrincesslike curses in his direction when Basch placed a hand on her shoulder to intervene.
"So this Durio has some sort of vendetta against you and has stolen the Strahl. In other words, we cannot fly to the Bahamut until we retrieve the ship from this pirate?" he noted calmly. A bit too calmly, Balthier mused. He was probably even angrier than Ashe was, and the sky pirate wanted to hide behind the counter like the attendant.
In fact, it appeared that the entire party was now furious with him for something that was clearly out of his control. Balthier backed away from the five disgusted individuals he was saddled with and returned to the counter. The man actually flinched at his approach. "A question for you. The destination…did the impostor leave a forwarding address? Drop a hint as to where he was heading?"
The attendant uttered a sigh of relief as he seemed to recall something. "Yes! Yes, he mentioned something about a big event in Bhujerba. Is that at all helpful?" Balthier nodded curtly and began to stroll towards the exit of the aerodrome.
"Wait!" Ashe cried, and she raced to catch up with him. "Where do you think you're going, you…you…you pirate!" A dozen members of that very profession turned to the Princess and stared at her coldly, and Balthier rolled his eyes and halted his rush.
He turned around to regard the Princess and the other four who had chased after her through the busy aerodrome. They looked to him anxiously, and he could not blame them. They should have been in the air by now on their way to almost certain danger, and now they were stranded.
"What are we going to do?" Penelo asked quietly, "Can we use another airship?"
Fran shook her head. "Not for this mission. We would not be able to rent one of the Strahl's caliber at such short notice, nor would anyone lend one knowing how we intend to use it."
"Um…couldn't we just lie?" Vaan asked, and Balthier struggled with the urge to actually praise the boy for the very first time.
Basch strode forward. "So what is in Bhujerba? Is there something you know that we do not, Balthier?"
The sky pirate scratched his head. Bhujerba at this time of year…Bhujerba…Bhujerba. It struck him. "Sir Merritt's ball!" he announced, and Fran rolled her eyes.
"What is Sir Merritt's ball?" Ashe asked tentatively, her shoulders still tense with anger. Balthier wished her fury was still directed at the dumbfounded employees of the East Ivalice Company rather than himself.
The Viera looked straight at him, and it was obvious that she knew what he was planning. "Sir Merritt Yanoule, generally lazy Bhujerban nobleman who throws a lavish ball this time of year. Known for leading his guests to view glowing magicite in the Lhusu Mines."
"And that is exactly where Durio is headed," Balthier finished and headed out the exit of the aerodrome.
Ashe was at his heels again. She tugged on his sleeve. "How do you know that's where he's going? He could be anywhere in Ivalice by now!"
Fran was on Ashe's other side then. "Because there will be a lot of wealthy people at the ball. If you wanted to sell an expensive piece of land…or an airship, perhaps, Sir Merritt's guest list will probably include someone willing to take that property off of your hands."
"He's going to sell your ship? Why not keep it for himself?" Vaan asked, hurrying to keep up with the rest of them as Balthier continued walking back in the direction of Reddas' manse.
"Because that's what I did with his ship," Balthier recollected. He had been so proud of himself that day. He snatched that piece of trash airship from under Durio's nose (although Fran had repeatedly told him not to) and had sold it within five hours to a very eager Bangaa. He thought that it would get the irritating young man out of his hair, but now he was regretting the indiscretions of youth. The lesson here, he wondered? Always listen to a Viera.
The Princess now had a death grip on his arm, and under other circumstances, he enjoyed women getting rough with him. But he knew exactly what was coming. "You unbelievable imbecile! Because of your big ego we are delayed!" she screeched, pulling him to a stop in the middle of the street. "If Vayne Solidor does anything…and I mean anything to Rabanastre, I swear that my first order as Queen of Dalmasca will be putting your stupid pirate behind in prison to rot for the rest of your days!"
For the life of him, he could not understand why it enticed him to see her so furious with him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Princess, just save it, will you? As you surely know by now, I am the leading man. And I know exactly how I will get my ship back and get your royal…behind to Rabanastre before tomorrow is over."
She continued to glare at him, and the others looked to him for some explanation. But he only had eyes for Her Majesty.
"I don't suppose you have a spare ball gown, do you, Ashe?"