Yeeaah muffins! Things are kicking into gear and shits about to go down! Little bit of a short chapter but next is all action! ;3
Chapter 14 – Storm Front
A sharp beeping woke Ryo. She shifted and groaned as she slapped at the phone on her desk in an attempt to silence the thing. She ended the alarm and gave the device a vengeful look. There wasn't any training today... why did she set her alarm again? Oh...ya, Lazard.
The Soldier Director had sent out an email requesting a meeting with a select number of Soldier Thirds. The reason had not been given, but according to Kunsel they were planning a big mission in Wutai. The intent being to use the mission in an effort to asses Soldiers for promotion.
Ryo rubbed the sleep from her eyes, suddenly awake as it all came flooding back. The Fort Tamblin mission... She was becoming jittery with excitement. It's all coming together... after this the war ends and the real game begins. Her plans didn't hinge on her making Second, but she was eager for the chance. Not to mention it will look good in President ShinRa's eyes. As long as I'm still of value to ShinRa, they shouldn't toss me to the Labs… at least I hope not.
Zack had called her last night rambling on about how Angeal had recommended him for First and he was going to be evaluated on mission. He was bouncing off the walls when she saw him last and Kunsel was fruitlessly trying to calm him.
Ryo idly wondered how it was all going to play out. She had heard only praise for Genesis in the last month, so she was sure he hadn't gone through with Hollanders plan. Veld had said nothing otherwise. Not to mention the Doc has been grumbling about the 'stubborn boy.' The Turks had been quiet since her last meeting with Veld regarding Vincent. She told him to keep an ear out for anything regarding Fort Tamblin, and just to know that was the turning point signifying the end of the war. This was to further prove her legitimacy... not that he doubted her at this point. She wouldn't go so far as to say that she had won them over as allies, but had defiantly earned some favor.
Ryo showered and dressed quickly into her uniform. The meeting was scheduled in an hour or so and even though her jitters had killed her appetite, if she didn't get something in her she would be worse for it later. She grabbed her things and shot out the door.
The mess hall was pretty deserted when she got there. I don't think anyone would choose to eat here on their off time. Most people were probably sleeping in anyway... A few Thirds sat clustered at a single table towards the middle of the mess hall. They had stopped to look at her blearily, not yet awake themselves, when she entered. The short redhead and burly giant of a man she recognized. The pale freckle faced redhead waved at her happily.
Ricky ugh… He was always too damn chipper during early morning training. The other was Markus, they had partnered up with her a few times since the incident down in Sector 5. She wandered over to the small group once she had filled her tray with slop.
"Did you get a call to? W-what do you think it's about?" Ryo looked at the overly eager young man and shrugged, "Kunsel says it's for promotion assessment. They could be considering us for Second."
A dark haired fellow, whose name Ryo vaguely remembered started with an S, nodded in response, "That's what I figured to."
"Any idea how many got called?" Markus asked.
Ryo shrugged, "No clue. I'd assume there are more currently deployed that will be assessed as well."
Steve…Smith? Mr. S nodded, "A buddy of mine messaged me last night that a few of his mates are getting called for a meeting with Commander Rhapsodos. A bunch of the Cadets were called in for one with the General himself."
Markus' deep laugh resonated in the empty hall, "Those poor kids. I wonder how many of them pissed themselves."
Ryo grinned around the spoon in her mouth as she shoveled away at her food. It was like removing a band-aid. Best to make it quick, less painful that way.
"I heard Zack Fair got recommended for first. You think he's going to be part of the same mission?" Ricky asked.
"Likely," Markus grunted, "from the way they are making it sound it's going to be a big one."
Ricky shivered slightly. He looked nervous as hell and a little green as he poked at what was left on his plate. Ricky cringed as he downed the last dregs of his coffee and Ryo pushed away her own tray. The others had finished poking at their meal as well and looked ready to go. They were all eager to get this done and over with.
Ryo stood and nodded to the others, "Let's not keep the Director waiting then."
Lazard had kept the meeting short. They were being deployed to Wutai immediately for a 'Mission of Extreme Importance.' The four of them had been joined by two more Thirds and a group of about ten Cadets. One of them waved at Ryo, but with those damn helmets on she couldn't tell who it was. Not that ours is any better. I'm sure the only reason I'm recognizable is that pair of identification 'badges' on my chest. The tight knit sweater of the Soldier uniform complemented a good rack very well. It made it hard to miss the only female Soldier in a lineup.
They all shifted nervously as they stood awaiting the order to board the large military transport. They would ride to an airfield in the wastes and fly to Rocket. Wutai's airspace remained too dangerous for a more direct rout so it would be a short ship ride from there. The man in front of them rattled off their scheduled itinerary, but Ryo didn't bother listening. There were more curious things going on.
Lazard jogged along the airstrip in his fancy suit with a small duffle in hand. He smiled cheerily at them all as he spoke to their driver. Some of the men gave him curious looks. He hadn't mentioned joining them on this trip, and it wasn't often that the Director was seen on an active mission. While he may be the Director of Soldier he was most definitely not one himself. Certainly didn't dress like one… heading into a war zone in suit and tie. Ryo shook her head sadly. She vaguely remembered him coming along to observe Zack on his mission, but it still made for an odd sight.
The Director came to stand before the lineup and adjusted his glasses casually. "This will be quite a trip for some of you I'm sure. Some of you have seen combat with the Wutai forces and know how fierce a foe they can be. But I'm sure each of you has it in you to fight with honor and make Soldier proud."
He nodded to the Cadet that took his bag and loaded it into the back of the truck. He stood straight with his arms clasped behind his back, "Your unit will be under the command of Soldier First Class Genesis Rhapsodos. He will go over the specifics when you get there. I just want to take the time to wish you all good luck out there and I look forward to seeing you all in action."
The line up saluted him and loaded into the tight military transport without another word.
Ryo watched the rich earthy tones of the rocky canyons passing beneath the plane. It was hypnotic to watch the world fly by. Many of the other men had quickly grown board of the scenery that passed below them after the first few hours of the flight. This wasn't the first continental flight for a lot of the men. They had met up with a number of Cadets deployed to other nearby regions as well as a few more Thirds at the Midgar Airfield. So far she hadn't had the chance to stray far from Midgar and its wastes, and getting out of the metropolis was exciting enough as it was. Finally some green, I was getting sick of gray and black. Not to mention first time in a plane.
Take off was less nauseating then she expected and aside from the stank of about twenty-five sweaty men, some of which found the flight far less comfortable and their stomachs let them know it; it had been a fairly enjoyable flight. Not every day you get to see a video game world IRL. I mean world map was top down already but damn this is some HD shit. Ryo had immediately plastered herself against one of the small plane windows and forgotten the rest of the place existed. 'You can fly' played through her head in its obnoxiously cheerful tune so typical of Disney musical numbers.
The plane would be landing in Rocket Town in the next three hours and had just passed by the edge of the Cosmo region. Childishly she had hoped to spot a certain red cat/dog, but they were too high up to really make anything out. Cosmo itself was much further south then what the planes rout took anyway. The red and brown stratum's of the canyon were impressive on their own reminding Ryo of pictures she'd seen of the Grand Canyon.
A twinge of annoyance sparked as the short Third next to her shifted again and brushed against her. Ricky... Ever since the mission in Sector 5 he'd latch on to either her or Markus like a jittery leech whenever he saw one of them, it was awful. After several hours of ignoring the boy's attempts at initiating a conversation he got the hint and left her alone. Honestly I don't know how they decide who gets considered for promotion around here. The poor kid was always so jumpy, and Markus or she always ended up carrying him through missions. Maybe that's the problem. They just assume he's doing as well as the rest of us.
The plane passed over a winding blue river and Ryo could faintly see the jagged silhouette of the Nibel Mountains. I wonder if Cloud is still in Nibelheim or if he already joined the military. The tiny village grew closer and she could faintly make out the ring of houses surrounding a tall water tower.
As they neared a wave of nausea hit her suddenly without warning. It felt like a panic attack in full blow. She gripped the arms of her chair and fought to steady her suddenly short breath. W-what? Her heart felt like it was trying to pound its way out of her chest. A strange sense of paranoia hit her. Something was watching her… and it was angry. Ryo jerked as a hand touched her arm, and she turned her wide dilated eyes to Ricky's suddenly worried face.
"Y-you alright?" The redhead asked hesitantly.
Ryo shook her head no, not able to push words from her constricted throat. Ricky rose quickly and hurried off. He returned with a bottle of water which Ryo took gratefully. Ryo drank greedily and fought the choking panic. It faded slowly and after what felt like eternity her body calmed. What the hell was that?
"I-I don't know where that came from…" Ryo said with a bewildered look on her face. Rick watched her warily and gave her a weak smile.
"Don't worry too much about it everyone's on edge."
Ryo gave the young Soldier a tired smile and an appreciative nod. He continued to watch her warily as though she might fall into another fit at any moment. She couldn't really blame him it had been so sudden and random it was scary. She glanced out the plane window trying to calm her unease and watched the jagged crest of Mt. Nibel grow smaller as they began to descend down into Rocket Town's vast green plains. Hopefully they take a different route on the way back; I'd rather not have a repeat of that. Whatever that was.
The ship had landed on Wutai's shores a few hours before day break. Most of them had slept through the last stretch of the trip. It was past midnight before the ship had been ready to leave the small temporary military port that had been set up on the beaches near Rocket Town.
She still wasn't sure why it was called that. Did they build the town for the purpose of the space project or something? Was there nothing here before? The foundations for the launch pad had been built, but rocket #26 wouldn't exist for a few more years. Parts of one of the numbers in between were in the process of being assembled. Sadly it had been so late when they landed there were few people out and about and Ryo hadn't see any recognizable faces. Not that she got any chance to explore really.
She rubbed her eyes and looked around at the other men finishing up their simple breakfast. It was early... way too early. The base camp was eerily quiet for how occupied it was. It was a few hours before dawn and the faint glow of the oncoming morning lit the encampment strangely. Despite the jittery energy running through the camp Ryo felt tired. She hadn't slept. I never do when something this big is going on. They had barely finished up and assembled in the main foray when a sharp call to attention set everyone's back straight.
The unit sobered from their groggy state at the sight of silver and black, a swish of crimson, and the shining gleam of the massive Buster sword passed before the lines of men. There was a tense awe at the sight of the Silver General and his Commanders. Several lines of men stood at attention before the three famous Firsts. Sephiroth held everyone undivided attention. Ryo snorted disdainfully at the wide eyed gawking. Sure he was impressive and he was in his full regalia, but still... I would not want to be on C-Team right now. Several of the Cadets looked ready to faint and she couldn't imagine how they would fair in actual combat. These are supposed to be the competent ones, they should be fine. They're just star struck.
The group of about thirty Cadets trembled before the congregation of ShinRa's finest warriors. Ryo stood among the sixteen Soldier Thirds that would encompass the B-Team. They would be laying the charges and breaching the side wall for the initial strike. Zack was to distract and clear the oncoming Wutai troops as they pushed inward to the main temple where the final charges would be set. The Firsts would be observing their units and acting as support.
Mainly it was up them. This was a test. There would be little help from their Commanders unless something went really wrong.
Genesis glanced over to Ryo and a faint grin twitched across his face before it returned to his usual disinterested glower. As much as he tried to play aloof the excitement was getting to all of them, he was no exception. This was the big one. For once Ryo wasn't the only one who knew what was to come. Taking this place will mean the end of the war. Even poor Angeal was forced to keep his glare fixed on Zack who was practically bouncing in place with energy. The spiky haired kid had the biggest grin on his face and was raring to go.
Ryo shifted and fought the jittery energy trying to take over. She had more reason then most to be anxious. We're fighting people... humans. There was little doubt she would wind up with a few more uninvited guests in her head. Stronger souls and more of them.
It had been a trial dealing with the Wutai from the sewers. Not to mention Aerith helped with that one. She'd been trying to steel herself for the battle to come since the meeting with Lazard. Her experience was still pretty limited in that department and she didn't doubt that attempting to cope with new souls mid battle was going to be a trial in itself. She was dreading the results either way.
She listened silently as they once again went over the mission's details. Ryo had to fight the urge to fall asleep standing. Sephiroths voice had a strangely soothing quality when he wasn't depicting his plans of destroying mankind. Low and deep, it lacked the menace and calm madness it would develop later on. After the initial shock the General just didn't seem nearly as intimidating to her as she thought he'd be, and his very presence didn't instill the awe and fear that it did in others. Maybe because I keep picturing him surrounded by My Little Pony dolls or as an indignant chibi. She bit back a snort. Yep, that's it right there… angry chibi Sephiroth. He glanced her way with those strange cat-like eyes. Except for that… those eyes are pretty creepy in real life.
The General finished up his speech and nodded to his fellow Firsts. They parted to join their respective teams. Genesis grinned eagerly and approached the unit of Thirds.
"Alright ladies you have ten minutes to finish gearing up. After that you're all mine." The Thirds looked to each other warily.
"Hop to it. Be sure you have proper materia equipped and get yourself a few potions from the supply tent." The Commander clapped his hands sharply when no one moved, "Now."
Ryo chuckled and stayed in place as the others dispersed quickly. Genesis smirked as he turned his gaze to her.
He looked her over and nodded in approval, "You have come a long way haven't you?"
Ryo returned the smile, "As have you Commander. Everything working well?"
He chuckled softly, "Better then well. You've granted me some powerful gifts my Goddess."
She blushed slightly and raised a brow at the title, "Goddess? You need to stop calling me that, people are going to get some weird ideas."
"Let them talk," He laughed and waved a hand dismissively. "But don't let it go to your head. I'm still your superior officer."
"Whatever you say sir," She said with a laugh.
Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Lazard. He was standing off to the side staring pointedly at Genesis' turned back. He looked hesitant to approach however and just stood there staring awkwardly. Ryo chuckled softly.
"Lazard wants to talk to you."
Genesis frowned and glanced over his shoulder at the suited man. Lazard waved slightly, but didn't approach. Gen turned back with a low groan.
"I take it he isn't happy about your change of plans?" Ryo asked curiously.
"He doesn't know. I've been stringing them along all month," Genesis grumbled irritably.
"Are you serious, why?"
Genesis shot her a glare, "Because if I don't they will likely try to blackmail me or find another patsy to lead their little crusade. It's hard to contact Lazard without raising suspicions so I'm stuck communicating through Hollander. I've been meaning to talk to him, but… I'd rather do so after this is finished."
Ryo nodded, "Fair enough. I'm ready for the mission when the others are, you don't need to babysit me."
Genesis chuckled softly and turned to greet the misplaced Director. Ryo watched him walk off and checked over her materia once more. Yep, she was as ready as she'd ever be.