Chapter 11: Bad, then worse.
It was happening.
Selphie watched through one of the monitors as their assault boat charged through the water. A cluster of rockets was fired from the deck of the Garden Dagger. The rockets flew over and past the assault boats as they tore through the water, and towards the shore. When the rockets hit, there was a massive explosion of smoke and wet sand. The shockwave rumbled into Selphie's chest. After that, each boat got within range, and fired mortars that also struck the beach, and some suspicious hills just beyond it. There were more explosions and more flying sand. There were no trees and bushes torn up in the maelstrom, but the most striking thing was that there were no secondary explosions seen. No detonated mines and no ground troops running from destroyed machine gun nests.
"There's no action on the beach, Irvine," she said.
"That's good. Maybe they didn't think to fortify it, or…"
"What?" She took her eyes off the screen, and looked at him.
"Or they want us to come inside, away from our fancy boats."
She shook her head. "It doesn't feel right to me."
He shrugged. "Better safe than sorry, I guess. You know Squall better than me."
The only good thing she could see about the whole thing was that with so much firepower, it would be over soon. Selphie just hoped that they were still good guys after this.
"Look at it this way, Selphie: if things get bad were can take shelter in one of the giant craters that Squall just made."
XXX
Outside, the rain was falling. He could hear it striking the roof two floors above him—it was that hard. But, where Nick was, there could be no calm reflection about the soothing sounds of even the hardest rain against a wooden roof.
Nick was thrashing about in water that was rising. The tip of his CG-blade had partially bent for he had been striking them so hard. While they bodies were softer than that of normal people, some of the flesh was thick, and he had to pull hard to slice through it. Nick's armor was smeared with blood and gore. The fact that his armor was soaking in water, and had been struck repeatedly with the crude blades of these people had probably rendered the camouflage inoperable, but he didn't care.
Luke had been hurt, and Nick could see that he was getting tired. Struggling in water up to their rib cages made it worse. Luke's ammo may have jammed, or ran out, Nick couldn't remember, he still had some though.
One of their attackers surged towards him, its bulbous fishy eyes and shark teeth coming right at Nick's face. Nick didn't even recall thinking of doing it, but sunk the sickle blade into its throat like a scorpion's tail, and pulled the trigger. The top of its malformed head erupted in a spray of red mist and gray bits of flesh.
It felt so good to tear the blade out of the freak, knowing that another one was dead. However, still more had joined the battle. Eventually, he was Luke would lose.
"We have to leave," he told Luke.
The other man nodded, and while they continued to fight the creatures off, both men slowly edged to the staircase. Nick could see the wound in Luke's side as it continued to ooze blood. They had to get out.
When he felt something brush up against his leg underwater, he panicked and fired into the reddening flotsam.
"Are you crazy?" Luke shouted, and he was right. In such close quarters with limited visibility, firing a shot gun load near your own feet was far too risky. Fortunately for Nick, he still had his feet, and another body floated up; several pellet holes were in its mottled gray back. Were those scales and tiny fins too? What was wrong with these people?
Finally, he made it to the stairs, and started up. Fewer of them were coming after him now; preferring the injured Luke instead. Some had scurried away. About time, he thought, how many of their friends do we have to hack apart before they get the message?
Nick used up the rest of his ammo to keep them off Luke. Once he was empty he started back down the stairs—Luke was almost there, and then they pulled him under.
XXX
"As you can see, Ms. Naguchi," began the currently Lieutenant General Raijin, "The forces if SeeD have begun a massive attack on the island of Port Peace. We can only imagine the terrible casualties inflicted so far, ya know."
She gave him an odd look.
"I mean, yeah, we do not know what horrible things they've done so far."
"What are your intentions, General?"
"Oh," he brushed at the sleeves of his Galbadian uniform, "Galbadia has its hands tied, I'm afraid. Ya..." he took a breath, "The reparations we've been forced to pay, the disbanding of the majority of our army, and the general slander against us. We're not match for such violent aggression."
She did look to be mildly interested, but Raijin could tell that this young reporter had made her career covering the last war, and making Galbadia, her own country, look bad. You're perfect he thought, if the people see someone like you reporting this story, they're bound to believe in it.
"It definitely seems bad, General, but I'm going to have to get closer."
"Closer?"
"Much. Your people can rely on radio or grainy satellite images, but at the stations we need it live, in color, and crystal clear."
"You're serious?"
Ms. Naguchi smiled. "I'll break the story, but there can be no chance of my being contradicted."
It hadn't been part of the deal. Their safety was dependant on their distance away from the island. And yet, he could already picture Seifer chuckling over his fear. "Guess you couldn't top me after all, Raijin. You shouldn't have tried."
"Let's do it," he said.
XXX
Zell and Quistis had opened up the crates dropped off by the plane. Out of the boxes they pulled various bits of body armor, which they put on, grenades with a launcher, two squad machine guns, which they installed on opposite ends of the building, and an assault rifle which Xu took for herself.
They'd heard the shots, and Zell wanted to go check on the stealth troops, but the orders specified that they were to hold their position. It was hard to do, especially considering the devastation that had been done to the beach not far from them. Had there been a moment when they worried that a stray rocket or mortar round would take them out? Of course, but none of them said a word. Nida looked the most shaken, but the young man focused, or tried to, on the radio. What else was there to do? They hadn't even seen anyone yet.
It was Quistis, who while positioned behind a machine gun, and peering through binoculars, saw him.
"There's one of them."
Only one of the Esthar soldiers had made it back apparently. Zell closed his eyes, wincing for what was likely only the first casualty.
"He's bringing company with him," Quistis reported, cocking her machine gun. "Get a rope ready for him. He's probably got ten seconds over them."
Zell set up a rope that had also come in with the supply drop. The Esthar soldiers were in great shape, but he would probably be tired from such a run, so Zell held on to the rope as well as tying if to a steam pipe rising from the tin roof. Xu came to stand next to him, her assault rifle trained, and ready.
"What kind of weapons do they have, Quistis," Xu asked.
"None that I can see, but…" Quistis made a sound that some people make when they're about to throw up.
"What?"
Quistis didn't answer the question, but she started firing.
XXX
They braced themselves as their boat came out of the water, and onto the wet sand. The door opened, a ramp came down, and Selphie, Irvine, and their squad ran out, and up the beach. Several others were right behind, but Selphie had naturally wanted to be up front. She was worried about Zell and others.
Holding her Strange Vision nunchaku under her arm, Selphie was ready for whatever she might find there. If she wasn't, well, Irvine was behind her with the Exeter. She couldn't ask to be safer than that.
XXX
Raijin had never been so pissed off at Seifer before. To be honest, yes, after the Sorceress War blew up in their face, Raijin had been disappointed in Seifer, but who wouldn't be? Raijin had given up any future he might've have with SeeD for that man. Maybe Seifer had been under some spell or something, but once he was back to normal, it was unforgivable for him to just fizzle out the way he did. It was revolting.
And now, over a year later, and after being reduced to nothing but a drifter, Seifer refused to go along with him? It was just a little boat ride—no big deal. Ms. Naguchi looked very disappointed as well. Seifer's presence would have remained secret, but Raijin had promised her a personal meeting with the infamous "Sorceress' Knight".
After a few minutes, he managed to calm down, and focus on piloting the boat. The carrier would have no chance of sneaking in, so he'd been forced to put them in a cut-down assault boat that the captain used as a private sedan. Just from driving it, he could tell that it had been ruined as a true combat vehicle. The captain had installed all kinds of personal items: luxury padded chairs, a leather couch, a refrigerator, a bar, and who knew what else. Raijin felt more like a pleasure boat captain than a proper general. The things he was willing to do for good press.
Ms. Naguchi sat on the brown leather couch, comfortable in her expensive rain slicker. She hadn't even spoken to him for the past several minutes. He took a moment to think about her beautiful soft-toned skin and her legs with just the right length and curviness to them. She was older than him by more than five years, but compared to someone of Raijin's build, she looked fifteen. He wanted her then, but the dark waves rocking the boat broke his reverie.
A woman like her was difficult to impress. He knew what she saw when she looked at him: a thug in a fancy uniform. Well, he thought, we're gonna change that. I'll get you close to SeeD. Take as many pictures or videos as you want. I'm going to make your career, and you just might make mine.
Happier in his circumstance, Raijin drove the forward through the violent sea, the rain beating on the roof of the cabin.
XXX
While a stream of bullets poured out of the gun Quistis was firing, Zell struggled to get Nick up on the roof. He could tell that the Esthar soldier was exhausted from the way he slumped, and breathed, so Zell was left to pull the man up. He wondered how much more weight the battle armor added to Nick's weight, and came to the conclusion that it didn't really matter. He could do this, if only it didn't have to be so fast.
The rain plastered Zell's hair to his forehead. As he struggled with the rope, he had to shake his head to keep the hair from his eyes. Zell felt a kink bite him in the neck, but he tried to ignore it. Maybe later he could ask Quistis to do that trick where she could popped someone's neck, but instead of them dying, it felt good. Zell kept telling himself that it would happen.
Some how, one of the weird looking people managed to get past the barrage the Quistis was laying down. The "man" moved with a struggling gait, as if he was not used to walking on the ground. The glint of a small blade was visible, and Zell saw it sink into one of Nick's dangling legs. Nick cried out, but still managed to hold on to the rope.
"Xu," Zell cried out, wondering where she'd gone.
Within seconds, the female SeeD, who'd tied her hair back to avoid Zell's problem, was there beside him. While Nick futilely kicked at the crazy man attacking him, Xu took careful aim, and fired a three round burst into the freak's head, sending most of the skull's interior into a mud puddle growing on the ground.
Zell looked over at Nida who was just watching all of it. "What the Hell are you doing, Nida?"
"What? Me?"
Zell should've known not to bring him along. "Get off your ass, and go get the other heavy gun!"
Nida's eyes looked shocked, and he scurried over the wet sheet metal to the other side of the building where they'd put the other machine gun.
Xu came up from behind Zell, and put her arms around him, and her mouth to his ear so he could hear her over the gun fire. "Both of us can fall back and it will wench him up, right?"
Despite the situation they were in, having her up against him, her hot breath on his ear and neck, Zell found himself aroused. His relationship with Emily wasn't the most affectionate in the world, and Xu was beautiful. There was also something about the confidence and strength she had.
Zell nodded, the muscles in his arms were burning. Together, he and Xu let themselves fall back onto the roof. The shift in weight pulled Nick up. Straining their eyes, they could see Nick struggling to get his feet on the edge of the roof. With an incredible measure of will and power, they watched Nick stand up on the edge of the roof like he wasn't tired at all. His legs were a little wobbly, but he gave them the thumbs up. Then they heart a sound from behind them.
"I got it guys," Nida huffed, and then they heard the squeak of rubber boots sliding across a wet metal roof. Zell felt Nida land with a thud, and then heard a short, but sure spray of bullets from the gun Nida must've cocked before he moved it, and forgot the safety.
Bullets the size of Zell's forefinger tore into Nick, shredding his thighs and crotch. All Zell could see of the injuries was a dark horrid mess. Nick screamed, and fell off the roof, landing with a splat in the mud puddle below.
Lying on top of Xu had lost its sexual appeal for that moment. Zell could feel her catch in her lungs, and when she cried out for Nick, it was like they were one person mourning the loss of a friend.
XXX
"Sir," the technician on the radar said, "We've detected an enemy gunboat."
"That doesn't seem possible. We've seen no sign of fortification or heavy weapons. ID?"
He shook his head. "It's got a jammer on board. Look, the sensors show its displacing a lot of water. It must have a platform of some kind on board."
"We don't know—"
"Sir," the man's plea his Squall to the core, "If we wait too long we might not have a chance to regret it."
Squall was sure Cid would agree. In a time of war, there could be no foolish risk taking. "Give it two torpedoes. At least we can make it quick."
XXX
"Well, Ms. Naguchi, we're coming up on the SeeD boats right now. Better have that camera ready."
"Don't worry about me," she said, "I just hope we get some good shots in. People like SeeD, you know? The evidence has to be convincing."
"Trust me," Raijin assured her, "I am fully dedicated to you getting your story."
She gave him a smile that would have made a younger Raijin's heart melt; the current Raijin got a different sort of feeling from it, but were the two all that different?
"Maybe," she said, not looking at him, but at the camera she had been diddling with, "Maybe, when this is over, you can take me to dinner. I'm told the suite at the Hotel Galbadia is quite good."
She almost had him completely enthralled at that moment, when he saw the alert indicator come in.
"Oh shit," as he let got of the helm, kicked open the door, and leapt into the violent black water. The last thing he heard was Ms. Naguchi saying "Raijin, where are you going?" And then his ear drums were blown out by the explosion that forced him to take shelter deeper in the water.