A\N: I lost count of how many times I wrote and then scraped this chapter. It was meant to be a two-in-one again, but it was taking me so much time that I chose to post this part alone first. It might feel a bit incomplete because of that.

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THE STARS WE DREAMED OF

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20

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"Lieutenant."

The soldier's eyes drift from the screen he was monitoring to the Captain standing at the entrance of the Command Center. The man fills the doorway, his stature imposing; it used to make him wary, but not anymore.

The Captain gestures at the soldier to follow him. "It's time for the emergency briefing."

They don't chat on the way. When they enter the room, the Captain heads at the front; the soldier stands behind him, to the side, hands behind his back. Dozens of soldiers face him, waiting for the briefing to start. The Captain doesn't waste time with pleasantries; he never has. They're all supposed to know why they're here.

"Avalanche is planning on bombing the railways between Sector 1 and 2 tomorrow afternoon," the Captain says as an introduction. It disquiets the soldiers, has them shuffle a little. "The source appears to be reliable, and in any case, we won't take any chances with this."

The soldier keeps his stare on the back of the room. He can't let any of them know the direction his thoughts take these days.

"We'll be intercepting," the Captain continues. "You'll be splitting into two teams, one for each Sector. We will secure a perimeter and evacuating civilians. Arrests can be made, but getting the people to safety comes first."

He goes on for a few more minutes, listing team assignments and details, and projecting schematics on the screen. The soldier nods when he is told he will be in charge of one team. He expected this.

The Captain wraps up and dismisses everyone, leaving his position at the front. The soldier has to rein in his surprise when he notices the man forgot to log off the computer. His mind whirs at the opportunity; does he dare take it? Is it a trap? In the end, he stays and waits for the room to empty. When the last stragglers exit, he goes to close the door behind them.

He doesn't have a lot of time before he needs to head back to Command and resume his duties. But he needs this moment to verify sensitive information; it might be the only one he will ever have.

Ever since the day he went to the Research floor and saw the man strapped to a chair and trashing in pain, the soldier has been uneasy. He's never had a reason to suspect Shinra—he doesn't remember a time he ever did.

The soldier skims the file directory on the computer, not finding anything related to Research; he opens a few files that appear to have codenames to be sure. One is a list of ID cards. Nothing weird about it; seems to be a census of sort. The soldier scrolls down, curious. The cards display basic information, but he notices three additional lines: Registration, Manifestation, Status. That's it, this must be the Research census for arrested Carriers. He checks the first card. Registration: 671103-143; Manifestation: telekinesis (danger: high); Status: failed. He reads the second card. Registration: 671029-142; Manifestation: invisibility (danger: mild); Status: failed. He scans a few more cards. They all indicate the same status—failed. In other words, dead. A quick double check of the registration number on first card tells him the date of the latest arrest—November 3rd, less than a week ago. Victim number 143.

The soldier closes all windows, leaves the computer as he found it, and walks out of the room. He goes back to the Command Center, head down.

They're conducting experiments; he realized it the same night he saw the helpless man. He doesn't know what they are looking to do—but he finds it doesn't matter.

It's wrong. And he believes no reason would make it right.

He's never been partial to Carriers. The truth is that he's never had to form any opinion on them; he can't think back on a time where people showed them any favor. But he's still got his morals, as thin as they can get, and now—now things have changed, and he can't let himself be swept by the current of mistrust. He needs to think for himself.

Letting go of all he's ever known about Carriers isn't easy, and he won't lie to himself and say it's already done. He's arrested so many, stood by during several executions, pulled the trigger himself a few times. And maybe he'll never be able to be objective, but he'll try.

For her.

He can't let her down.

—

"Are we really doing this?"

Tifa gives Yuffie her best what-do-you-think look as she brings the brim of her cap lower. Her oversized jacket, miniskirt and combat boots are trendy enough for her to blend in with the Sector 2 crowd; it's not the most practical outfit for a mission, but she's not expecting to do any fighting. More likely some running.

Yuffie swirls her chair around. "It's a little risky."

"It is," Tifa says, shouldering her small backpack. "But we have to keep up the momentum."

Yuffie hums, the sound non-committal.

"You knew it'd come to this one day, Yuffie." Tifa sighs. "What's actually going on?"

A shrug is her answer, and Tifa bits her tongue in frustration. The mission has her on edge already, and her patience is non-existent.

"Having doubts?" Tifa asks, failing to hide the exasperation in her voice.

Yuffie swings the chair until she is facing her monitors. "No." Her typing fills the silence.

Tifa shakes her head and heads for the door leading upstairs. It's with her last glance at Yuffie—seeing her hunched forward, shoulders tense—that realization dawns.

It almost tumbles out of Tifa, but she swallows it. Yuffie doesn't like dealing with her emotions, and exposing her fears would worsen the situation. Instead, Tifa says, "We'll see you after."

A tight nod is all Yuffie allows herself.

Tifa waits a moment, giving Yuffie time to speak if she wants it. When it becomes obvious she'll stay silent, Tifa starts up the stairs, but not before hearing the whispered "You better". She doesn't break her stride, acting like she never heard the words, but a knot forms in her heart, a stark reminder of the danger they're placing themselves in today.

Cid and Jesse wait in the bar, speaking in hushed tones. They fall silent as Tifa comes into view. She acts like it doesn't bother her at first, until their furtive glances and silence grow too heavy to endure.

"What is it?"

"You remember how to detonate?" Cid says too quickly.

"I've only set off about five of these before, but yeah, I remember." Tifa gives him a pointed glare. "They left already, didn't they?"

Cloud and Barret leaving for their half of the mission without telling her goodbye is the sole reason she finds for Jesse's and Cid's fretful attitude.

Jesse nods. The confirmation spears through Tifa, but she maintains her composure. Maybe it's not that big of deal, she tells herself—still, this is their highest stakes assignment yet, and a goodbye would have been a simple reassurance.

"All right," she calls, "our turn to leave."

Cid follows them outside, lighting a cigarette the second he steps through the door. "Be careful you two. Remember the range—"

"Cid," Jesse snaps. "We know."

He raises his hands in a placating gesture. "Just making sure."

With a last see-you-later, Tifa and Jesse walk for the nearest train station. They chat on the way, but nerves take over, and they soon fall silent. For once, Tifa wishes she was with a chatterbox like Cid; the quiet intensifies the edginess streaming through her. She relies on the background noise of the train and its passengers to keep her distracted from her thoughts.

As they near Sector 1, the speaker crinkles to life. "Attention, all passengers, Station 2-17 and Station 1-16 are closed for emergency maintenance. We ask for all passengers to disembark at Station 2-18. A shuttle service is available for those wanting to cross into Sector 1. Please remember to have your ID ready. I repeat—"

Disgruntled groans and annoyed whispers overtake the announcement. Tifa bites back a small smile; so far, Shinra has reacted the way they expected. A quick glance at Jesse shows her frowning.

"You okay?" Tifa leans forward so they don't have to raise their voices.

Jesse fidgets with the buttons of her trench-coat. Underneath she wears her Shinra uniform. "Just nervous," she murmurs. "It's strange to do this without him."

Tifa puts her hand over Jesse's, squeezing in reassurance. Biggs' death hangs over all of them.

"We'll be all right," Tifa says. It's a lie, of course, because there's no way to guarantee that. But she imagines the empty comfort might be better than nothing. "I'll see you after," she adds as the train stops at Station 2-19. The announcement plays again, almost unheard beneath all the noise, prompting people to get off. Tifa lets go of Jesse's hand and follows the exiting crowd. She doesn't look back as the doors shut.

The distance to Station 2-18 is short, and it doesn't take Tifa long to reach the barricaded area. Soldiers hold position every few meters, preventing civilians from accessing the station. Tifa takes her place as a curious onlooker. She scans the area to make sure everything is as Wedge and Cid described.

The military sealed off a bigger area than what they'd expected; Tifa must be standing almost 40 meters to the entrance to the station. The bombs' range isn't extensive, but this will allow them a larger margin of error. Far across, soldiers escort people out of the station towards a side street. Tifa spots a Shinra uniform, but there's no way to tell if it's Jesse.

Tifa's eyes stray to the nondescript black car parked on the right side of the street, halfway between the station and her position, as Wedge had said. Further away, another car fitting Cid's description sits closer to the station. The cellphone serving as a detonator is heavy in her pocket; she brushes her finger against it, distracted. She can't help but be worried about Barret and Cloud. So far their plan seems to be working as expected—the military fell for the false leak Yuffie planted, allowing Barret's team to act unhindered. Jesse and her only need to keep them occupied.

A siren wails as a truck approaches. The crowd parts, letting it through the barricade; Tifa moves to the far left, near the front to keep a good visual. That's when she notices the change in the soldiers evacuating the citizens. They separate into two groups, leading people through a second route—Tifa's heart jumps into her throat. They're moving towards one of the cars Wedge and Cid armed. She won't be able to detonate, they'll be in range in ten, nine, eight—

The truck crosses into the blockaded area. Soldiers move in to put the fences back into place. There's a second of silence as Tifa keeps counting down—seven, six, five—before an explosion rings out. Screams erupt as searing heat and violent winds sweep over the area. People throw themselves on the ground out of instinct, and Tifa does the same, her heart hammering in her chest. Three seconds feel like an hour as she opens her eyes to darkness and struggles to get up. The explosion caused flash blindness, and though she knows its temporary, fear scrambles her mind. She's never been so unprepared in these situations—what the hell was Jesse thinking, detonating early? The ringing in her ears makes it hard for her to focus—someone steps on her hand as panic takes over, and the pain snaps her out of it. She trips over her own feet and people still lying on the ground as she finally gets to her feet.

It takes a moment for her eyes to adjust. The sight before her is worse than she expected. The car that had been closest to the crowd blew up, catching the military truck in its blast right as it rolled past. The remains of the car burn bright and hot; the truck lies on its side, the right side wrecked. There are no soldiers crawling out and away from the vehicle, not that Tifa assumed there would be with the strength of the explosion.

Someone's elbow digs into her back as they try to push past her. It propels Tifa into someone else, who shoves her. She needs to get out of the crowd before the remaining soldiers close in on them. It's Tifa's turn to move people out of her way, and she reaches the edge of the crowd quickly enough. She takes a second to lean against the brick wall to catch her breath and put her thoughts in order.

Jesse acted ahead; she was supposed to wait for Tifa to blow up her designated car, further away from the crowd so that the citizens had time to flee. They hadn't wanted to cause undue injuries. It must have been the evacuation route, Tifa realizes. Jesse saw they were herding people towards the car bomb—she had no way to know if Tifa had noticed, and chose to detonate hers first to avoid a disaster. Tifa blinks a few times, her eyes still sensitive. She needs to make a decision and fast.

A glance in the station's direction reveals most of the soldiers leading the last of the citizens away through the original route, the one on the opposite side of the remaining bomb. The rest of the military jog along the street towards the destroyed truck. Another look, this time at the crowd in which she stands. There are only three soldiers watching them, the others standing near the truck, but there will bee more soon, and then there won't be a way out. It's now or never.

She plunges her hand into her jacket's pocket and pulls out the phone as subtly as she can. Her fingers fly over the keys, dialling the number of the phone attached to the bomb. Tifa doesn't hesitate—she hits send.

The second blast rocks the crowd with less force, but shows no mercy for the soldiers who had been heading this way. This time, there is no panic; instead, a stunned hush settles over the onlookers. Sirens howl in the distance, steadily getting closer. Tifa puts the phone away; she needs to leave. Before she can take a step, an enraged cry resonates, breaking the illusion of silence. A man throws himself at the nearest soldier, bringing him down and punching him. From where she is, Tifa can see the man reach for the soldier's handgun, snatching it out of its holster. It happens fast, so fast no one reacts. The man moves back and stands over the soldier. The other two soldiers grab for their rifles, but their surprise at the man's actions costs them both. Their movements are slower than they should be, allowing a group of citizens to overwhelm them. Gunfire echoes, the sound jarring despite everything that has happened. People scream, but only the two soldiers collapse. Tifa sees the blood pool around them. She raises her eyes to the first man, still holding the handgun. His hand shakes; his grip is far from proper; a snarl distorts his features. All this happened within ten seconds, and yet Tifa feels time stretch and slow as the man starts yelling.

"Fuck you! Fuck you all and fuck Shinra!"

He fires a shot. He doesn't miss.

"This is for Mia!" Another shot. "You shot her in the back on a fucking playground!"

He pulls the trigger again and again. "She was my kid, you fucking piece of shit—she was my kid and you shot her for the way she was born." He fires again. "She was my kid, she was mine, you fucking—" The man keeps shouting and firing even though there are no more bullets. Even though he never missed and the soldier is long dead. He stops, finally, his breathing laboured. An instant of stillness overtakes the crowd, and then it shatters as military trucks round the corner.

Tifa's reflex is to tear her eyes away from the broken man and count the soldiers jumping out of the vehicles. Ten of them; the crowd of citizens must be at least fifty strong. Reinforcements have to be on their way.

Some of the soldiers yell for calm and order, their guns ready. Tifa senses the shift that overcomes the people. As if on cue, they move, a wave of desperation and violence cresting against the military. Chaos erupts, loud and brutal. Tifa freezes, taken back to that night at Rise. Although she is at the edge and far from the fighting, she suffocates from the terror and the heat and the noise and her hands are slick with blood, Biggs's blood—

No. It's not real, and she knows it. Tifa digs her nails into her palm, hard enough to hurt. The pain grounds her to reality, and reality means she needs to get the fuck out of here.

Breaking through the mob proves hard. In the frenzy, someone hits her hard in the stomach, and she doubles over. The decision to use her ability is made in a split second when she notices more trucks; Shinra mobilized so many soldiers for this. That's good, she thinks, that's good for Cloud and Barret. Tifa moves fast in small bursts, just enough to allow her to slip in between people with minimal damage.

Tifa spots an alley beyond the row of soldiers; she knows it leads to a dead end, but there's a fire escape she can climb to access the roof. She'll find a way out from there. The challenge is getting past the military. She might be able to break through, but if they see her running to the alley, she might get followed. Weaving through the soldiers is almost impossible considering their tight formation. She'll have to make an opening.

A small cluster of citizens brawl with the soldiers at the extremity of the chaos, not too far from her. Tifa moves without restraining her ability; she ducks and sweeps the ground with a kick. Her speed adds to her strength, and she hits two pair of legs. The people she caught collapse, bringing down the soldier they were fighting with. The opening is small, but Tifa doesn't slow; she crosses the ring of soldiers and runs the ten meters to the alley without looking back. Some part of her wishes she would stay and help, but logic trumps; she can't risk getting arrested again.

The alley is full of shadows despite the dim gray afternoon light. Tifa makes for the ladder at the end and halts in front of it. A noise makes her freeze; the cellphone she used fell out of her pocket. She picks it up and shoves it back into her jacket's pocket. There's no way she can leave that lying there.

Her hand is on the ladder when she hears the telltale click of a safety releasing. Tifa closes her eyes. Damn it. This is way too familiar.

"Hands where I can see them. Turn around."

Staying silent, Tifa complies, hoping that the darkness of the alley coupled with her cap hides most of her features. No such luck for the soldier; she can see him clearly. Handsome in a generic way, and somewhat severe, she wouldn't have given him a second glance on the street. He stands less than three meters away, his gun in front of him—how the hell did she not hear him coming?

"That's quite the trick you pulled to get out," he says, inching closer.

Tifa swallows her surprise. He couldn't have seen her move, it's impossible.

"If you're wondering, I happened to look that way at the right moment." His tone is conversational, but the way his eyes narrow makes Tifa think he's leading somewhere.

"And you knew I'd come in here?" Tifa asks, matching his tone.

"It's the only way out that made sense."

Their stares meet; Tifa tenses, ready to act.

"You're a Carrier," he says. "I didn't know Avalanche had any interest in helping them."

"What would make you think I'm with these guys?"

The soldier raises his gun a little higher, bringing it level with her face. "You're fast, I'm observant. I spotted you in the crowd. The escape gave it away."

"I'll remember that next time."

That's it, Tifa thinks, she needs to get the fuck out.

But the soldier isn't done. "Are you helping Carriers?"

The question takes her aback. She didn't think he actually had an interest in the matter.

"Why?"

As he goes to answer, the radio clipped to his vest crinkles with static. "Lieutenant, where are you?"

The soldier ignores the call. "Does it matter?"

"Coming from you, it does."

The gun doesn't lower. "My little sister manifested a couple of weeks ago."

"And I'm guessing your family isn't very fond of Carriers if you're part of the military."

"Lieutenant?"

"You could say that. I don't want her to die. I don't want her to end up like the people in the Tower."

Tifa stiffens. This means Vincent was telling the truth. "What do they do to them?"

"Make it a fair trade and I'll tell you what I know."

"Lieutenant? Lieutenant, we need you here!"

The urgency seeping through the radio call worries Tifa. They might come looking for him at any second.

"Yes," she says. "Yes, we try to help them by destroying the people who kill them. But if you want to help, really help, teach her control. We can't take down all the threats or we'd have to kill most of the city. Now, tell me about the Carriers in the Tower."

"Lieutenant, where the fuck are you! They're breaking through!"

The lieutenant lowers his gun. "They're conducting experiments. Torturing them."

"But why?"

He shakes his head. "I couldn't find out. Whatever it is, it kills them. They have a census to keep track of who they bring in. There's over a hundred names. All dead." The lieutenant doesn't break eye contact as he reaches for his radio. "I'm on my way."

Tifa's mind whirs. He's leaving and so are opportunities at more information. But she can't stay and get discovered again. And he's seen her face, he knows she's with Avalanche… she can't make the same mistake as with Vincent.

The words tumble out of her mouth before she can hold them back. "If you want to save her, help us. Give us info we can use."

"I can't." The way he says it leaves no room for argument. "I can't agree with Shinra anymore, but the same goes for you. I can't condone the way you're doing things."

Tifa seethes. "Shinra doesn't leave us a choice."

The lieutenant holsters his gun. "That's what you want to believe to justify yourself."

He turns around, showing her his back. Tifa hesitates. She should kill him, she really should.

"The perimeter ends two blocks south," he says over his shoulder before taking off.

Tifa watches his form disappear around the corner. The second he vanishes, she climbs the ladder. Her body acts on autopilot as she gets to the roof and then jumps unto a lower building, landing in a roll.

He let her go. And she did the same.

Strangely, it doesn't feel like a mistake, even though she knows it has to be. The lieutenant can most likely identify her now. It crosses her mind that he might have directed her in a trap, but she passes through unhindered. The metal staircase creates a racket as she runs down. The streets are busy, and Tifa blends in with the crowd, heading for the closest station so she can go back to 7th Heaven.

There's no way she can tell Barret about the encounter. Their relationship is shaky as it is since their fight, and this will only worsen it. She'll keep it a secret for now.

Now that she is safe, worry for Barret and Cloud gnaws at her. She checks the time; they should be acting on their plan soon. She can only hope things go better for them.

—