Standard Disclaimer: ALL YOUR FINAL FANTASIES ARE BELONG TO SQUARE ENIX.
Author's Notes: Well, Thanksgiving looms ahead…as of these words, Thanksgiving comes tomorrow. Can I whip up a decent chapter in 24 hours? Find out by reading!
To the reviews!
Dream Master: Welcome to FFX-3 DM! And be patient; we're not even a third of the way done with this epic; romance will come in due time.
Assamite: Will I make my 24-hour deadline? Read on…read on… ;)
Anime obsessed fan: Comedy – the spice of life. :P
Oh, and just for future reference; DO NOT SPECULATE ABOUT UNREVEALED CHARACTERS OR PLOT POINTS IN YOUR REVIEWS. I just went on a rant on this same subject in my other story, and I don't want to blow up again like I did there.
Begin!
xxxx
This is where I found that sphere…
Without it, Serena wouldn't be what she is now.
xxxx
Chapter 36: Convergence
xxxx
In the sky far above Spira, a large airship was en route to the Moonflow.
It was sleek in design, and its bow was bulbous, giving it the impression of a whale or a large fish. However, the angular protrusions of the hull near the rear engines gave the entire ship a predatory look. It was painted with an iridescent black paint, and the rear engines expelled blue light. At numerous points on the ship were several turrets; from those turrets, amplified energy beams would fire. On the underbelly of the five-hundred-foot-long ship was a large slide-away panel; this was the point of exit and entry for the airship's hangar. Inside the hangar were over a dozen pitch-black arrowhead-shaped hovercraft, capable of holding up to three men. Of course, the hovercraft were different than the usual model: attached to their sides were minigun turrets that could be directed manually from inside the hovercraft. Finally, the ship itself had a marking engraved onto the top of the ship's bow; it was in the shape of an exploding star, tinged with blue.
This mighty airship was the Subnova…and it was the personal airship for the Elites. At all times it held a full load of thirty Elites, ready to embark on a moment's notice. Though the Elites were geared towards infiltration and deception, there had been a number of events where an Elite needed evacuation from a hostile area. If certain 'situations' required greater numbers, then more hovercraft could be fitted into the Subnova's massive hangar. Plus, the ship had no need for a crew; this could be attributed to a fully automated computer system that flew the ship on its own. It was also capable of reacting to enemy attacks from the air and from the ground…and in all simulations – and actual missions – the automated system had performed satisfactorily 98.34% of the time. All that was required was one person – usually the Elite in charge of a mission – to press the 'Begin Operation' button in the ship's small bridge. Then the ship's computers would take over everything from there.
Right now, the thirty Elites stationed on the Subnova were on a mission of 'retrieval'. They had been told to retrieve a red-haired girl…and an armored soldier who had been part of Project CESS. If the CESS Operative would not come – for whatever reason – they had standing orders to terminate him.
The Elite in charge of the mission was sitting in what would be the captain's chair had the Subnova required an actual crew. As it was, the head Elite was sitting in a black leather chair; the entire bridge was no more than ten feet in diameter, and its walls were completely covered by spheres; the spheres were displaying all sorts of information: tactical data, weather conditions, engine status, internal temperature, water supply, turret charge, and so on and so forth.
To Turo Kerio – the Elite sitting in the chair – it was all a bunch of illegible crap to him. His outfit was standard Elite attire: dark blue pants, black muscle shirt, brown vest, and shades for his eyes. His only defining characteristic was his blazing red hair, tied back into a ponytail. Most Elites tended to go for complete baldness, solely because it made slipping into an alternate identity that much easier when missions were assigned.
Standing behind Turo was a 6'7" man wearing a suit of SAAS armor. He was CESS Operative #13…and he had been chosen to assist the Elites in this mission. "ETA to objective?" asked #13, his voice laden with an almost boyish tone that belied his might.
With a gruff and cocky voice, Turo replied, "Ten minutes."
The time was 2:25 NT.
The Subnova roared through the sky as the clouds rushed past her; if anyone tried to see the mighty airship from the ground, they would've thought it was a passing bird; that was how high and how fast the ship was flying.
xxxx
/2:26 NT, Room 12, Easy Sleep Inn, Southern Bank of Moonflow/
It was only a small, two story hotel; it was located near the Moonflow itself, and it was in the shape of an angular 'U'. Out of the hotel's 100 rooms, Hirum had rented room 12.
Room 12 was one of the Easy Sleep Inn's suites, which meant a lush green carpet with two double beds. There was one lavatory complete with a toilet, sink, and a tub to take a bath in. Since the suite was located between two rooms, it had no window to the outside; also, two chairs – made of threads of thin wood woven together, like old-fashioned wicket chairs – at in the far corners of the suite. To finish the accommodations, there was an SN set, as well as a sphere-com for calling the front desk.
Sure, it wasn't the glitziest hotel…but hey, this was a rather small Inn. This place's suite would only pass for a regular room in a place such as Luca or Bevelle.
And right now, Trigon was sitting in the right chair; the scarred mask was currently shown…and he was alone.
Click.
Well, he was…until the door to the suite opened, revealing Hirum, Teela, Aaron, Serena, Cid, and Mog. Trigon asked, "Back from the market already?"
In Hirum's left hand was a brown paper bag. In Aaron's right hand was a carton of steamed fish. In Teela's two hands were live tuna; one in each hand (for the record, she was partially drenched). In Serena's right hand was a Besaid Apple. Cid held nothing; he had just gone with Serena to ensure her safety, as always. Hirum said, "Yeah…why you ask?"
Trigon answered with a question. "What did you all get?"
Hirum pulled out the contents of the paper bag: several citrus fruits native to the Moonflow region, as well as some thick shelled nuts that grew on some of the foliage close to the river; they had been up for sale at one of the local bazaars.
Aaron's carton contained clean-cut filets of flounder that had been cooked with steam; even now a wispy vapor could still be seen radiating from small cracks in the carton; Aaron had bought that at a fish market that cooked fish on the spot.
Teela had gotten the two tuna in her hands on her own. This explained why she was wet. "My fish." With that said, she retreated to the opposite side of the room, transforming her arms into the gooey substance of a Flan Rojo fiend. She quietly began cooking – and subsequently eating – her dinner in solitude.
Serena happily showed her apple to Trigon. "I got this from a Besaid merchant!" At that moment, her eyes – which now showed a bit of confusion – shifted to Cid. "But Mr. Cid pointed his gun at the merchant though…don't know why."
Cid quietly and calmly responded. "The merchant was trying to overcharge her."
At those words, Trigon couldn't help but chuckle quietly. Hmm…no matter how much time passes by, there are things that still haven't changed.
Well, what hasn't changed is the fact that I want to eat!
This is a machina body; you can't eat.
…oh. I forgot.
Trigon sighed in response to that thought; after all this time, the scarred one still had no idea how he had gotten stuck with such a buffoon.
Oh well, that was life.
"So…Trigon…you say you know White Magic?" asked Hirum as he sat down on the bed and pulled out a small nut.
The scarred mask switched to the smiling mask. "I do."
"What kind of spells are capable of performing?"
Trigon sighed as he leaned back in the chair and folded his hands: a sign of pontification. "Well, with regards to White Magic, I know basic curative spells like Cure, Cura, and Curaga…but I also know more complex ones, such as Esuna, Regen, and Life. I know supplementary magic spells like Protect, Shell, Reflect, and Dispel…" Trigon paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "And it's been awhile…but I am capable of casting Holy, but only in limited quantities."
Hirum blinked out of astonishment; not only did this 'Trigon' know a variety of curative and supplementary magic, but he was also capable of the mighty Holy spell: the only (known) White Magic offensive spell. "Wow…but before anything else, I have to ask this: WHY do you want to be my guardian?"
The masks switched again. "We offer assistance to those who need it…and right now, you need assistance."
Teela scoffed at Trigon's assessment (which she saw as nothing more than a guarded insult). "And what makes you think that?"
Trigon quietly looked at Teela…and then he spoke. "You have a tendency to strike the one you're supposed to protect." He turned his face toward Aaron. "You are rather inept…at first glance, that is. Only a few know who you really are." He turned to Serena. "You are a girl who cannot control her newfound abilities." Finally, he turned to face Cid. "Your loyalty lies not with Hirum, but with Serena…and that will lead to problems down the road."
Trigon leaned back in his chair, having finished speaking his thoughts.
Teela snorted. That little smartass…
Aaron showed no physical signs of his worry. Hmm…who is this guy? He talks as though he knows who I am…
Serena pouted at the stern admonishment. I prefer the guy with the smiley face!
Cid really had nothing to say.
"Kupo!"
Trigon tilted his head toward Mog, who looked indignant at the fact he hadn't been mentioned. The masks switched again. "Heh. Don't worry…he makes me mad too."
"Quiet."
Everyone turned to Cid; he was looking up at the ceiling…as if he was trying to hear something.
He suddenly pulled out his B4 SMGs, one in each hand. "We have company."
xxxx
Twelve pitch-black hovercraft slowly descended towards the Easy Sleep Inn; the Subnova was currently hovering five hundred feet above the Moonflow, with five Elites onboard; the other twenty-five were in the myriad of hovercraft, accompanied by CESS Operative #13. Being more than two hours after sunset, the black vehicles were nigh-impossible to see…especially given that the Easy Sleep Inn was in a rather quiet part of the Moonflow's southern bank (a conscious decision by Hirum, due to a desire to be away from bustling crowds after such a busy day. Oh, what this decision would cost...).
Standing outside of the Easy Sleep Inn was the very same Elite that had contacted the BTC concerning the whereabouts of the girl and CESS Operative #34. He chuckled as the twelve hovercraft set down around the hotel; this was going to be fun. All of the Elites on this operation – including a few out of the dozen or so currently stationed throughout the Moonflow area – had discarded disguises (save for Turo Kerio, being the Operational Commander, naturally), going for an identically bald, nondescript look. True, it would make any bystanders worried at the sudden appearance of a well-organized military unit. However, it ironically aided the Elites' as a whole; it would make people suspicious of those who were bald and had a penchant for wearing shades…but how many Elites were in disguise, or had opted for a carefully-groomed look for whatever their job happened to be? A bit of psychological fixation for any conspiracy theorists; 'all Elites look alike!' they would cry.
But that was far from the case. The Elite chuckled, wondering how intelligence buffs throughout Spira would react to THIS little excursion…
At that moment, the first hovercraft's doors slid open…and out walked a giant of a man.
The Elite nearly fainted at the sight; it was almost like seeing a titan come to life.
#13 walked over to the Elite – BTC-4 laser rifle in his hands – and asked, "Are they still in here?" The Elite nodded. "Good…get a partner and guard the entrance. The rest of us will go inside and obtain the objective."
The Elite wordlessly nodded as #13 and twenty-four Elites – BTC-4 laser rifles in hand – quickly stormed into the hotel, much to the stunned surprise of the bellboy and the clerk at the front desk. #13 quickly opened a com-link to the Subnova. "Turo, start mission timer."
"Mission timer starting…now."
CESS Operative #13 turned around towards the twenty-four Elites standing inside the now-cramped front lobby. "I'll lead eleven upstairs and search every room. The rest of you take the downstairs." With that said, #13 and eleven Elites cautiously advanced upstairs, laser rifles in hand. The remaining thirteen quickly moved on to the lower rooms.
Room by room, door by door. The Elites put two on each door; one to kick the door open, and the other to back him up. Sure enough, there were some visitors who were quite startled and perturbed by the Elites' sudden intrusion…but a quick flash of the B-Version MER would erase any memories of the Elites' intrusion.
Then, two Elites moved on to one of the bottom-floor suites: Room 12.
With a quick lash of his boot-covered foot, the lead Elite broke through the door-
BADDABADDABADDABADDA!!!
The lead Elite fell to the ground; his chest now looked like a bloody flower.
The second Elite quickly aimed his BTC-4 laser rifle at the source of the gunfire-
BADDABADDABADDABADDA!!!
Too late. A burst of bullets hit him in square in the forehead, ending his life right then and there.
Inside Room 12, Cid quietly reloaded one of his B4 SMGs. As he did so, he said, "These are BTC Elites. They'll have heard that. Get Serena out of here. I'll follow."
Trigon quickly moved into action; he pulled out his sword and held it with his right hand. "Allow me to open a back door."
-Special Skill: Armor Break-
The blade glowed yellow…and Trigon raised the weapon, aiming for the wall.
KA-RACK!!!
The wall shattered into several pieces; a few restaurants could be seen, and then there were only the docks; beyond lay the Moonflow, which glowed alight with pyreflies in the darkness of night.
Trigon tilted his head back to the others. "Come." With that said, Trigon – sword resting over his shoulders – burst off into a run. Hirum and Teela quickly followed, the former cursing the knowledge that they were being pursued by a BTC group called 'Elites'.
Serena stared quietly at Cid as Aaron tried to drag her out. "Are you going to be okay Mr. Cid?"
Cid couldn't answer her with a simple 'yes'; as far as he was concerned, her welfare was the only thing that mattered. "Just go."
Serena frowned as Aaron forcefully dragged her along. Mog took one last look at Cid before flying away with a flap of his wings.
Moments later, three Elites entered the doorway.
BADDABADDABADDABADDA!!!
CHOOM!
One of the three managed to get a shot off with his laser rifle before meeting a bloody end alongside his comrades. Cid remained silent as the laser beam struck his chest plate, creating a small burn mark. Without the SAAS armor, that shot would've penetrated his skin and hit his heart.
Cid's ears perked; there were footsteps out in the hallway. He quietly holstered the SMG in his right hand before reaching for the combat knife strapped to his right thigh.
xxxx
Outside in the hall, two Elites leapt back from Room 12 as a barrage of bullets tore into the wall opposite of the door. One of them cursed. "Crap…suppressive fire. Obviously trying to give the girl some breathing room to escape."
At those words, the second Elite looked back in the hall at another Elite coming down the hall. "The objective's escaping! Get outside of the hotel and search!" At those words, the third Elite stopped his movement and burst off in the opposite direction.
Suddenly, the gunfire stopped.
The first Elite clutched his laser rifle tightly…and then he fired several precise shots into the room, aiming to send the unseen assailant scattering.
Immediately after that, he walked into the room, eyes darting around to find the attacker-
Shick.
The Elite's eyes bulged as a combat knife impaled his throat; Cid – after finishing his barrage, had hidden in the corner out of sight from the door. This had prevented the Elite from seeing him on the way in…and that had cost the Elite his life.
The second Elite quickly came in and raised his laser rifle.
Cid immediately lashed out with his left leg, kicking the rifle into the air. At the same time, he pulled his knife out of the first Elite's throat and flung it backwards into the air…
Thuck!
…and it the second Elite's forehead dead-on, just as Cid had intended. He let the first Elite slump to the ground as he walked over to the second Elite – who had fallen backwards onto the floor – and pulled his combat knife out of the dead man's head. To wrap the exchange up, Cid grabbed one of the sheets off of the beds and wiped the blood and gray matter off of the knife. After sheathing it, he turned his face to the new hole in the wall.
He had a girl to catch up with.
Cid pulled out his BTC-4 laser rifle and quickly dashed outside…but his eyes caught a group of pitch-black hovercraft set down in a nearby clearing.
Cid weighed the options; would he pursue Serena and her allies, risking the chance that he would be unable to catch up? Or would he assume that the Elites would ultimately capture Serena, and thus wait for them here?
In a matter of seconds, he made his decision.
xxxx
/2:39 NT, Marketplace, Southern Bank of Moonflow/
Screams filled the air as the nighttime crowds were sent scattering by laser fire; the Elites were hot on the tails of Hirum, Teela, Aaron, Serena, Trigon, and Mog.
Teela rounded a corner around a stone building moments before laser fire streaked through the air. The fiendish thief grumbled as she growled, "That does it…running's not my style." With that, she summoned the IG-Sword…and embedded into it were the rocks of Silex.
With an angry roar, Teela leapt out from around the corner and swung her massive sword; the rocks embedded into its side were launched forward by Teela's swinging motion, and they hailed upon the Elites with devastating ferocity. Out of the five trailing them at the moment, only one was killed; a large rock had embedded itself into his gut. The others suffered some bruises and minor scrapes, although one did suffer the indignity of a getting a busted gun.
Teela immediately leapt forward and slammed the four remaining Elites with the blunt edge of her IG-Sword…and the sublime sound of their bodies going smack against the wall of a restaurant satisfied her to no end; they weren't dead, but that would definitely give them one heck of an incident to remember her by."Heh…BTC needs to get more competent soldiers."
POW!
Plop.
Teela slumped to the ground, unconscious. The reason: a well aimed punch to the back of her head.
The culprit: CESS Operative #13.
Without remorse, he took the BTC-4 laser rifle out of his back strap and took aim for her forehead; he would end her life with a single, clinical shot.
"Wait."
#13 paused; Turo's voice was coming over his helmet's com-link. "What is it?"
"I've been monitoring the mission via your HUD…bring that girl back to the Subnova. I'm sure our superiors would appreciate the chance to study someone capable of transforming into a fiend."
CESS Operative #13 quickly responded, "Acknowledged." Since Turo Kerio was in tactical command of the mission, any decisions he made were to be followed and upheld.
#13 glanced back at the eleven Elites under his command. "Two of you will take her to the Subnova. The rest of you: follow me. We're going after the objective."
xxxx
"Blizzard!"
Hirum cast a small globule of ice behind him. The target: one of the Elite's laser rifles.
The Elite in question quickly target the icy ball and shot it; the ball of ice magic melted into an orb of water that splattered harmlessly onto the ground.
Hirum grimaced as he quickly turned the corner; one of the Moonflow's few remaining wooden piers – Pier 41, to be precise – was right up ahead. Trigon was already there, as were Serena and Aaron.
The summoner frowned; Cid wasn't there yet. Oh well…they couldn't wait for him. They had to keep on moving.
But where? Aside from the pier, where else was there to run? They certainly wouldn't be able to swim across the Moonflow. "Say Teela, any idea's as...to..." He turned around, voice trailing off as he realized his first guardian wasn't there. "Teela?"
"Hey!"
Hirum looked down at the source of Trigon's voice…and then blinked; he was sitting in a slim, seven-seat hovercraft. Its yellow paint was sort of an eyesore…but what made the sight more odd was that Trigon – in his black clothing – was sitting at the controls of the craft, offering a large contrast to the hull's bright exterior. Sitting on the burgundy seats were Aaron and Serena, with Mog perched on her head. Trigon quickly called, "Hop in! We're getting out of here!"
"WHAT?! But that's not ours! That's stealing!!!" exclaimed Hirum, his worry over Teela momentarily forgotten.
"Hirum, need I remind you that one of your guardians is a thief and that I work in the technological black market?" replied Aaron with a tone of sarcasm.
"Good point." Hirum quickly jumped down into the hovercraft; moments later, Trigon pressed the red ignition button, starting up the engine. "Alright…let's get out of this place!"
"But what about Cid and Teela?!" demanded Hirum.
"I can tell they're tough customers. They'll be fine!"
With a hard push of the hovercraft's acceleration pedal, the yellow vehicle burst off along the Moonflow, the pyreflies providing enough light for them to see the other side of the river.
Moments later, CESS Operative #13 and nine Elites arrived at Pier 41. The Elites prepared to fire, but #13 quickly raised an arm. "Wait. We can't fire at this range without risking harm to the objective. We will return to the hovercraft and pursue them."
With that said, the ten soldiers made a beeline back to their hovercraft. Along the way, they hooked up with the remaining Elites – out of the thirteen that had searched the bottom floor of the Easy Sleep Inn, only five had survived – and moved back to the twelve hovercraft.
Minutes later, a dozen pitch-black hovercraft could be seen flying over the Moonflow.
Unbeknownst to the Elites and CESS Operative #13, they had an extra guest; on top of the last hovercraft was Cid, his body pressed as flat as possible against the roof of the arrowhead-shaped vehicle.
CESS Operative #34 frowned; he hadn't seen Serena or any of her allies – well, except for an unconscious Teela – when the Elites had come for their hovercraft…so why were they leaving?
Cid raised his head and got his answer; they were after a yellow hovercraft.
xxxx
Meanwhile, C-Agents #43 and #59 – having finally reunited at the Moonflow's southern bank – looked at the black hovercraft chase warily.
"This isn't good…we aren't equipped to deal with such large numbers," muttered #43.
"I know…we have to get contact with the boss…and hope the Al Bhed can keep the girl safe from the BTC long enough for more assistance to arrive," replied #59.
#43 nodded as his eyes gazed at the black airship – the Subnova – in the sky above. Then, out of the blue, he asked, "I wonder if the Summoner knows who his Al Bhed guardian really is…"
#59 snorted as he reached for his emergency sphere-com. "If so, then the kid either likes danger, or he's a fool."
xxxx
/2:48 NT, Yellow Hovercraft, Moonflow/
Serena gulped at the sight of the twelve hovercraft looming dangerously behind them. "Uh oh…"
Aaron, in the meanwhile, was in the process of putting on and activating the R-2 Battle Arms. "We need to get some cover…or else those miniguns will tear us to pieces!"
Trigon quickly looked back at Hirum. "Hey, kid! You take the wheel!"
The summoner impulsively yelped, "WHAT?!"
The masks switched. "Please. I'll protect us from the hovercraft."
Reluctantly, Hirum edged toward the pilot's seat with caution; as Trigon stood up and moved into the back, Hirum sat behind the wheel.
Now, Hirum wasn't exactly a novice when it came to driving hovercraft…but he wasn't exactly good either.
Trigon quietly stared at the closest hovercraft, staff in hand. He began calling forth the magical power he possessed as the miniguns locked on…and the moment they opened fire…
"Protect!"
A magical energy shield – comprised of what looked like blue hexagons with yellow 'mortar' holding them together – popped into being behind the hovercraft. The bullets pinged off of the shield, which was easily twenty-feet in diameter: twice as wide as the hovercraft.
Trigon – his staff radiating with a blue aura as he tried to keep the Protect spell in effect – tilted his head toward Aaron and yelled, "If they start moving around, attack with your Battle Arms!"
Aaron smiled as he held his R-2 Battle Arms up; he pressed a button on the handlebars with his pinky fingers, activating the laser cannons.
Sure enough, one of the hovercraft moved to the side, trying to get a better shot.
Aaron opened fire.
Red laser beams streamed from the cannons, striking the black hovercraft with a devastating barrage of energy. One of the beams hit the bottom exhaust ring from which the propelling forces of the hovercraft's engine were expelled.
Moments later, it crashed down into the Moonflow, taking the two Elites inside with it.
Aaron smiled…but then he frowned as he saw THREE hovercraft move up. One was coming around the protective shield's left flank, with the other going around the right. The third opened fire on the shield with a furious volley of bullets; this prevented Trigon from moving the shield around to cover the yellow hovercraft's flanks.
Aaron grimaced; he had to pick one!
He went for the one to the left; as he opened fire with his laser cannons, the hovercraft to the right took aim for Hirum. The Elites were intending to kill the pilot and surround the yellow hovercraft before anyone else could take the controls.
Serena gasped as the turrets aimed for Hirum; she wouldn't be able to stop that! "Oh no…what are we going to do…?"
"Kupo!"
Serena blinked as she looked up; Mog was on her head…and he was…dancing.
-Moogle Dance Number: Water Waltz-
As Mog danced on Serena's head, the red ball on the tip of his lone antenna glowed blue. A certain spot of the Moonflow – a circular patch of water five feet in diameter – glowed blue…and it rose into the air.
Serena gaped at the sight; everyone else was too busy fighting and/or defending to notice it. Whoa…
Mog continued to dance…and the glowing column of water roared towards the hovercraft aiming from their right flank. With a tremendous crash, the column of water completely tore into the hovercraft, utterly shattering it into a thousand pieces. After that, the water fell harmlessly back into the Moonflow.
Serena cheered as Mog stopped dancing. "Wow! That was awesome!"
xxxx
In the seventh hovercraft, CESS Operative #13 frowned; they had already lost two hovercraft-
BOOM!!!
#13 looked silently as the hovercraft attacking from the yellow hovercraft's left flank was destroyed by an onslaught of laser fire.
Make that THREE lost. This was getting out of hand; there had to be a change of tactics. He quickly contacted the Subnova. "Turo Kerio of the Subnova, this is CESS Operative #13."
"What?"
"Fire a single shot into the water twenty feet in front of the objective's hovercraft."
"…I see. Roger that."
xxxx
In the sky above, the turret embedded onto the bottom of Subnova's bow began charging.
In a matter of moments, a globule of violet power had gathered onto the needle-like turret…and it took aim.
Seconds later, it fired a single shot. A purple energy beam zoomed downward at high speed. In the dark of night, it seemed as swift and mighty as a bolt of lightning.
xxxx
Hirum and the others never saw it coming.
A tremendous purple energy beam tore into the water twenty feet ahead of them; this caused to water to explode upward in a massive geyser, causing the yellow hovercraft tip over. Trigon lost his concentration, causing the Protect spell to dissipate. Serena clutched onto Mog tightly. Aaron yelped as he was thrown overboard. Hirum screamed as he plunged under the water.
Twenty seconds later, Trigon drifted to the surface. By the Farplane…thank goodness Rosho put ballast tanks into this body. Otherwise we would be sinking!
Heh! Talk about luck!
Luck? There's no such thing…and you're a fool to think it exists after what we've all been through.
Nag nag nag! Can't you just lighten up for once?! Quit the bickering! We have company…
Trigon looked quietly around; the remaining nine black hovercraft had gathered around their overturned naval hovercraft…and ten Elites were aiming at him with BTC-4 laser rifles. "Don't shoot. We won't retaliate."
Moments later, Hirum, Aaron, Serena, and Mog drifted to the surface, their clothes soaked with water. They all paled at the sight of the laser rifles aiming at them.
At that moment, CESS Operative #13 walked down the seventh hovercraft's exit ramp, staring down at the red-haired girl impassively.
Serena looked at #13 and smiled with relief. "Mr. Cid!"
#13 raised an eyebrow behind his visor. "The girl must be hallucinatory from the battle. Get her into my hovercraft. Split the others up. We're heading back for the Subnova."
Serena looked at #13 with a look of confusion; that didn't sound like Cid…and he was actually a little shorter too!
Trigon calmly walked into the first hovercraft. Aaron was forcefully shoved into the third hovercraft (after all, he WAS an Al Bhed; not many Al Bhed willingly worked for the BTC). Hirum was prodded with a laser rifle's barrel into the fifth hovercraft. Serena was escorted into the seventh hovercraft by an Elite. Mog was thrown into the ninth hovercraft.
With that, the nine black hovercraft raised their ramps, closed their exit doors, and ascended into the air. After a volley of bullets completely destroyed the stolen yellow hovercraft, the nine Elite hovercraft rose into the air towards the Subnova.
As for Cid, he remained on top of the ninth hovercraft, as silent as he could be.
xxxx
/3:00 NT, Bridge, Subnova/
Turo chuckled as he watched the nine hovercraft – via a hangar's security camera – dock with the Subnova. He pulled out his portable sphere-com and pressed the 'redial' button. "Hiregor…we've got the girl."
"Excellent! What about CESS Operative #34?"
"Unable to confirm his location. I guess the girl and her allies must've done away with him…I'll check with the Elites and operative #13 to verify."
"Good…do not return to Bevelle until you make sure all of the prisoners have been put in the brig."
"Roger that."
xxxx
/3:02 NT, Hangar, Subnova/
The nine Elite hovercraft docked inside the hangar; the actual docking mechanism was a set of three metallic prongs. The bottom prong would hold the vehicle – the hovercraft, in this case – in place with a magnetically charged plate of metal, whilst the last two prongs would clasp onto the sides of the vehicle, giving it extra support.
The Subnova's docking hangar was large and spacious; it could up to fifty hovercraft of moderate size – roughly as large as the Elite hovercraft – and it was sterile and cold. Not much could be said of inner décor; other than a few arrows painted onto the floor – they served as directions to parts of the airship – they entire hangar was drab and gray.
Cid quietly peered over the edge of the ninth hovercraft; ten Elites were walking out of the hovercraft, leading Serena and her allies away. An unconscious Teela was being dragged away by two Elites; a pair of Elites were put in charge of escorting Trigon, Aaron, and Hirum to the ship's brig. As for Serena, the last two Elites, one of whom held Mog in his massive hand, escorted her along behind the others.
And finally…there was a 6'7" man in SAAS armor.
Cid's eyes narrowed at the sight of the CESS Operative; save for the difference in height of five inches, the figure looked exactly like him. This is odd…why is another member of my unit here? Is he a rebel? If so…why didn't my superior tell me about this during pre-mission intel?
Either way, Cid had to treat the CESS Operative as a threat. The enemy operative walked toward the exit doors, looked around once, and then left. The door automatically shut behind him.
Cid quietly hopped off of the ninth hovercraft, landing with a solid thud on the metallic floor of the hangar. He quickly took in the room at a glance.
There were two security cameras scanning the area right in front of the exit door. Two quick shots with his BTC-4 laser rifle took care of them; he would've preferred to sneak past them, but the way they were aligned prevented that.
As Cid neared the hexagon-shaped door, it parted away as it sensed his presence. Beyond was a T-intersection…and according to the arrows on the floor, the right hallway led to the brig. The left led to the bridge.
He had to go to the brig first.
Quietly, subtly, Cid walked through the small passage right before the T-intersection; the corridor was dimly lit, and it would've been easy for anyone to hide behind the struts jutting out from the walls. That's why he had to be cautious…be ready for an ambush.
There was none. Nothing jumped out to fire at him.
He reached the T-intersection and gazed down the right path; he could see an Elite vanishing behind a closing doorway.
"Don't move."
Cid remained as still as possible; right behind him – BTC-4 laser rifle in hand – was CESS Operative #13.
The barrel of the rifle was pressed against the back of Cid's helmet.
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To be continued…
Next time…
Chapter 37: In the Belly of the Beast
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Author's Notes: Okay, so I wasn't able to finish this chapter BY Thanksgiving…but I was able to finish it within the last half hour of Thanksgiving! :P
See you soon, and please review!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!