Chapter 22: Processions
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"I walk slowly, but I never walk backward." Abraham Lincoln
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Eimour slowly blinked out of sleep, her eyes trying to adjust to the moonlight hitting the room. Beside her in the bed was Gary, fast asleep. She gently eased out from under the covers and walked into the main room of Weston's cabin. The cot he had set up near the small dinner table in the room was disheveled and empty.
Seeing the empty cot was a bit unsettling for Eimour. She had expected to see Weston sleeping peacefully there. Instead, the cot was empty and the covers were on the floor. She wondered just what had gotten the soldier out of his bed so quickly.
With a sigh, she shook the thought from her mind for a moment and poured herself a glass of water from the sink in the kitchen nook. She took a bit of ice from the Al Bhed-made cooling chest next to the dining table and plopped it into the cup, swirling the water around for a few moments to get it cool.
After another sigh, she sat down at the dining table and started to slowly slip from the glass. The nights, lately, had garnered no easy sleep for her. She tried to find a reason, but the only plausible one she could come up with was her uneasiness around Weston.
Granted, the beach walks were nice...but in the same respect, they were confusing. She could not grasp why Weston seemed so interested in her. It wasn't that she disliked the attention...it was just foreign to her. Her own haunted past didn't help any, of course, but she could not hammer down what her exact feelings were. Did she merely like Weston because he was guaranteed protection for both her and her offspring, or was she truly attracted to him?
She set the glass back down, not really hearing the ice clanking against the sides. Her mind was too focused on the thoughts at hand. Eimour slowly shut her eyes and tried to bring up a mental image of the man that had chosen to protect her. Almost instantly, his face came to her. She had not been trying for a few milliseconds before it was there, smiling at her. The face she saw was a stark contrast to the one she had seen earlier the day before. That smiling visage warmed her, for some reason. It wasn't only the thought of protection...there was something else. Something she couldn't quite pin down.
Yes, she did find him slightly physically attractive. Despite his hard features and usually unkempt beard, he was handsome. The rest of him, essentially stone grafted to bone, was just as steely as his face. But his smile...the smile he had begun to show her more and more...his smile was what really sank into her. It was warm, inviting, and caring. That smile seemed out of place on a soldier...but it was there...and it was genuine. That smile promised Eimour that Weston would never hurt her or her child, and that everything he told her was true. She knew, without a doubt, that he would never lie to her, take advantage of her, or leave her.
But how did all of that make her feel? She just...couldn't figure it out. Eimour knew that some of her stadium co-workers would've killed to be involved with a man like Weston...but she curiously hadn't found herself fawning after him. Eimour respected him, as he respected her, but she had yet to truly define what he was to her, and vice versa. A good friend? Maybe. A confidant? Surely. A possible lover? She'd have to get back to that one...
The "lover" idea struck her as odd. Here she was denying her own suggestions about him. Nothing else had brought up the subject of "love" but her own mind. Could some subconscious version of herself be jumping up and down in the back of her mind telling her to snatch onto that man and never let go? Quite possibly...
She couldn't go wrong, having a partner like Weston. Well, check that, yes she could. Weston was a soldier...and soldiers don't make good partners, especially when they're as good at soldiering as Weston. She didn't want to have to stay up every night worrying over and over whether or not she'd see him again. Then again, the better the soldier, the less chance of the soldier being killed.
Maybe...maybe she could convince Weston to give up soldiering. Then she could try to allow her feelings to develop. Maybe then, she'd know she wouldn't have to worry about Weston suddenly dying on some battlefield, leaving her and Gary alone. She felt like she -needed- some way to keep him with her. Something to offer as an incentive for his protection. Falling in love with him would be a great answer to that question ... if she could even do that. Something told her that she couldn't. All men were the same. All men would leave her, no matter how nice they seemed.
"That merchant sure was nice before he knocked you up, wasn't he?" she whispered aloud.
Eimour shook her head and growled at the table. She couldn't believe she was so hung up on Weston. He wasn't all she could worry about. Gary was there too...but he was safe ... as long as Weston was there.
She growled again. Every one of her thoughts could be brought back to Weston. Ever since he had appeared in that Luca pub that day, he had infiltrated her life and become its core. Everything she did, everything she thought of, revolved around him.
As her palm slapped at her temple, the front door opened. Startled, she jumped up, the chair almost tipping to the floor. She caught it quickly enough to keep it from going all the way over. In the doorway stood a tall and wide figure, silhouetted against the incoming moonlight.
Eimour's mind recognized the shape as Weston's, but her heart didn't stop pounding until his husky filled the air.
"Nice reflexes there. You must've been up for a while. I didn't worry you, did I?"
Eimour shook her head, setting the chair back into its upright position. "No. I couldn't sleep."
"You either? Must be something in the water." At that, Weston walked to the table and sat down in one of its chairs. He pushed it backwards a few inches to make room for crossed legs.
She smiled at him warmly and sat back down. "Take a walk?"
He only shook his head, eyes gazing to the window, instead of being tacked straight to her, something that had become a natural occurrence when they were having conversation. That worried her slightly. She also noticed that his eyes were very distant. Something was on his mind.
"Something worrying you?" she asked quietly, almost as if she thought she was being too nosy.
"Not really," he replied, still not bringing his gaze to hers.
"Then what has you so spaced out?" She waved her hand in front of his face for emphasis.
He laughed and straightened up in the chair, eyes finally locking to hers. "I've just come from the temple. Yuna knocked on my door."
"What for?"
He tilted his lips a little bit as if not really wanting to say anything about it. Eimour knew, though, he'd tell her if she pressed him. "Well, looks like Gatta's hatched a plan."
"This plan involves you, doesn't it?" Eimour wasn't exactly thrilled with this 'plan' business. She didn't exactly like Gatta at that moment, either.
"I am the plan, as Gatta put it. He wants me to train a squad of nine soldiers to perform special operations behind enemy lines, and then lead it."
"Absolutely not. That's...that's suicide, going behind enemy lines."
Weston laughed. "Not if you're unseen, Eimour. Speaking of, I need to come up with a pet name for you."
"Pet name?" Of course, Eimour knew what a pet name was. She just hoped her question would make him clarify just exactly what he meant by 'pet name.' It also surprised her how quickly he had changed the subject.
"Just a nick name, something to call you so I don't have to say Eimour all the time. Something easier to say...something that doesn't seem so formal."
"Ah..." Eimour's heart slowed at his explanation. Still, he had said pet name, not nick name. A hint? She put that thought to the side.
"Hmm...let's see..." Weston started scratching at his chin, which was covered in scraggly hair. Eimour wished he would shave. She'd not seen him clean-shaven the entire time she'd known him.
"No one's ever given me a nick name. You don't have to. You also don't need to change the subject so quickly."
"But I want to...hmm... how about 'Emmy?'"
"Emmy?" Eimour asked, not used to such a word. It did sound good to her, though.
"Yeah...not good?"
"No...it's fine. Just never heard a word like that before."
He smiled. "Emmy it is then."
"Glad you've decided. Now about this squad business..."
"I'm doing it. You aren't going to convince me otherwise."
She sighed. "I at least have to try. You don't need to stick your neck out, Weston. It's...just insane. Do you know the risk involved in what you're planning on doing?"
He shook his head and laughed. "I -used- to do the whole 'behind enemy lines' thing all the time, Emmy. That's what Delta Force was. We gathered intelligence, rescued prisoners of war, and raised a stink when we had to."
"Still," she said, sighing, "I don't want to see you dead."
"You won't."
"You can't promise that," she said, voice a bit grated as her teeth clenched slightly. She wasn't going to let him win this.
"I can promise you that without a doubt. Besides, the actual sneaking around phase won't come until at least a month from now. I'm not leaving this morning, if that's what has you worried."
"That's not what's worrying me, Weston. Don't you understand? I don't want you hurt. I don't want you dead, never to return. I want to know you're safe...at all times."
"It's not like I'm going in unarmed, Emmy. I'll be safe. Besides, the more I think of you and Gary, the faster I'll want to get this damned war over with. I don't want Gary to know what war is like, understand?"
Eimour sighed and slowly stood. "And I don't want you to know war, either. I want this whole damned war to just disappear. It's a thorn in everyone's sides and I curse the day that bastard Nyka decided to start it! This war is going to get you killed!"
Weston stood as well, but instead of slowly going about it, he simply snapped upwards, fast enough for Eimour not to notice the transition. In her eyes, he was sitting one second and standing the next. "This war is justified. What do you want me to do, just up and quit? Let Nyka trample his way into every nook and cranny of Spira? I can't let that happen and you know it!"
Voice raised well above normal level, Eimour spat, "Why do you think it is only you, Weston, fighting this war. This war is being fought by thousands of people. One man can't change the tide or the outcome! Why is it so important to you? Is war all you live for? Don't you have -something- other than war to occupy your time with? Sometimes, I get the idea that the day the killing stops will be the day you stop, completely. You can't live without conflict, can you?"
Weston's usual warm look turned cold and dark, brow jutting forward in growing anger. "If I just thought of myself as a cog in the machine, I wouldn't be able to survive. I have to think of myself as important to the war so I can force myself to survive. I have to bend fate, deflect bullets with my own mental strength. I have to fight, damnit."
A few tears were forming in Eimour's eyes. She had lost this battle from the get-go, yet she had to go down fighting. "You don't have to fight, 'damnit!' You are your own person, Weston. There are other things you can do to help the waging of this war. You -don't- have to fight. No one is forcing you. Why force yourself to fight when you don't have to!?"
At that, Weston came towards her, Eimour hardly registered the fact he had moved before his hands were gripping at her upper arms. His eyes were gazing deep into her own. Their noses were only millimeters apart. Softly, yet forcefully, Weston spoke.
"I fight for you. I fight for Gary. I fight for everyone on this planet. I fight because if I don't, someone innocent, somewhere, is going to die. I fight because it is my duty. I fight because I want to have a world where Gary can grow up in without having to worry about fighting himself. I want a world where you, Emmy, will no longer feel pain. A world where you will have enough money in your pocket to not have to worry about having food to eat. I want a world where I will be able to protect you and Gary for the rest of my natural life. I cannot have that world unless I fight. If I don't fight, I don't get this world...it's this world that I see every time I take someone's life. I want that world, Emmy, and damnit, I'll fight until I get it."
She had nothing to say against that. Indeed, everything he had just told her clicked her mind -and- her heart. Her eyes were lost within his own, and she knew from his eyes alone what he wanted. She knew his words were true...she knew he'd fight to the death to have the world of which he spoke. It was at that moment, at that realization, that she wanted to wrap her arms around the man in front of her and never let go.
Weston had just put into words exactly why he stuck around her, yet she doubted he knew he had let it out. He had promised her that for the rest of his life, he'd protect her, and with that being spoken out loud, for all in earshot to hear, meant more to her than anything.
Weston smiled and slowly moved his face towards her own. Eimour honestly didn't know what to think of the action. Was he going to kiss her? What would happen then...how was she supposed to react to something like that...?
Weston could see in Eimour's eyes what she wanted...but could he? He...was attracted to her...but could he fully kiss her? Something he'd never done...a real kiss...two pairs of lips connecting out of affection. Instead, he lifted his head and planted a soft kiss into her hair, letting go of her shoulders in the mean time.
"Don't worry. I'm always going to be here for you and Gary, ok?"
Eimour only nodded, her cheeks and ears tingling from her previous thoughts. Perhaps there had been something in her that had wanted a kiss...
"I've got to get some rest. Apparently, Rikku's been on the horn with Gatta about some weapon she found and I'm supposed to take a look at it tomorrow."
"So you're leaving tomorrow?"
"No. Rikku and a couple of her technical guys are coming with her to the Crusader outpost near the jungle. I'll just be gone a few hours. Not going to fight tomorrow." With that, he smiled and returned to his cot.
Eimour sighed, relieved he wouldn't be very far away tomorrow. The previous events had been very taxing for her, and as she walked back to the bedroom, she knew that the rest of her night would be full of welcomed sleep.
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"What took you so long?"
Yuna blinked and then blushed, realizing she had left Tidus in the room over an hour ago for a glass of water. "Oh...right. Sorry. Gatta called on the communicator..."
"Ah. What's up with him?"
Yuna sighed and plopped down on the bed next to him. "He wanted to talk to Weston."
With a yawn, Tidus wrapped an arm around Yuna's shoulders. "What'd they talk about?"
"Something about forming a group of soldiers to go behind the Yevonites' battle line...to gather information before we plan an attack."
"Ah." In all honesty, battle planning of any form was the farthest thing on Tidus' mind.
"Gatta wants Weston to lead them..."
"Isn't what they want to do dangerous?"
Yuna sighed once more and nodded, turning her head. "Very, if things go wrong. That's why Weston's going to spend quite some time training the group. Gatta's going to hand pick nine men for Weston to train. He's bringing them to the Crusader outpost tomorrow. Rikku's also coming because she's got something to show Weston."
Tidus landed a small kiss to Yuna's cheek. "Sounds...fun. What's your take on all of this?"
"I really don't have a 'take' on it...I'd prefer if they didn't have to do something like this...but if they pull it off, we can have an advantage."
Tidus yawned once more and leaned his forehead against hers. "Come on. You think it's a bad idea, don't you?"
Yuna's cheeks flushed at Tidus' easy reading of her. "Yes. I feel that...if they do this, they're going to die. We've had enough death in this war."
Tidus brought up a thumb and gently caressed his love's cheek. "Sadly, I don't think that the death is over with. But just think of the peace that'll come when it -is- over. Try to focus on that, ok?"
She heaved a shaky sigh and shook her head. "I can't...now that we know who Nyka really is...I feel as if we could've stopped him back on my pilgrimage. If I had just sent him then, this would've never happened. I don't...like having to see the world in pain."
With a smile, he gently brushed a few hairs from her face. "Yuna, the world isn't in pain. The world is slowly being pushed together with this war. You've seen how together your followers are...they're all supporting you, and they'll put up with this war because they believe in you. It's not pain they feel. It's duty, honor, and loyalty."
"Are you sure?"
He smiled warmly and pressed a light kiss to her lips. "They love you almost as much as -I- love you. That's a humongous sum, let me tell ya."
Yuna smiled and started a kiss of her own. "I love you, too. Want to get some sleep?"
"Might just need some of that." With that said, he laid back into the bed, Yuna following suit. He shut his eyes for a moment, but then turned towards her. "You know..."
"Hmm?"
"Sometimes I feel guilty for not helping out Gatta and Weston and the rest of the Crusaders."
Yuna didn't even bother opening her eyes to respond. "End of discussion."
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"I've never been inside here before."
"Not many people have." I tilted my head at Eimour and smiled. "It's not a place people actually want to come to, really." I pointed a finger at the window, which had a clear view of the obstacle course. "They train soldiers here. Not exactly a tourist attraction."
"I understand," she said, admiring some of the plaques on the wall. "Whose are these?"
"Those are Gatta's. This room is his office. He told me to make out a tentative equipment list before he came." I finally found some paper to write on. I quickly scribbled down my 'list.' It really wasn't a list because all I had on there was "Ten knives, ten non-magnetic handguns, and ten hip satchels. The rest would come after the squad was trained.
"He's...very high up in the Crusaders, isn't he?"
"He's the commander of the entire army, dear. Gatta's the top man. He answers only to Yuna."
"Wow...and you're friends with him?"
"I guess you could call us that. More like fellow soldiers, really. We get along, if that's what you mean."
"It's still amazing that you...do you have any rank in the Crusaders?"
I shook my head. "I'm...technically an 'advisor' to Gatta, meaning I offer advice..."
"And help in battle."
"Right."
"Shouldn't you at least join the Crusaders?" she asked, making eye contact with me. "Then, you could say you're actually apart of Yuna's army..."
I smiled. "If this behind the lines training works out, I will be given a rank. The official rank, as far as Crusader ranks go, is 'Conscript Officer Level Three.' Translated, that means I was 'drafted' into the Crusaders rather than volunteering. I didn't really want to become affiliated with them, but if I want to lead this, I'll have to. Therefore, I'm conscripted...and I'm an Officer Level Three, which translates into 'Squad Leader.'... I'm boring you. Sorry."
Eimour shook her head. "No, it's...interesting. I didn't know so much organization went into it."
"Without organization, an army will crumble. I find it all convoluted...but it's still needed." I shrugged and added, "I'm done, so if you wanna follow me to the training area..."
She smiled. "I do. I find this really interesting."
"At least you're not bored..."
We made our way outside to the training area. The obstacle course seemed to really enthrall Eimour. I had to tear her away from it when I saw the small airship approaching. The airship was Al Bhed, its small black frame littered in red and gold tribal patterns. I had learned from Gatta that most of the Al Bhed's technology was reverse-engineered from salvaged machina that predated the Sin era. If the Al Bhed's technology really was ancient, it certainly still worked very well.
The airship touched down and out popped Rikku, bubbly as ever.
"Weston! I've got the -coolest- thing to show you. I think you'll like it."
I laughed. "Then show me." I turned my head and eyed Eimour. She nodded and smiled, urging me on with a shooing hand gesture.
Rikku ran back into the ship and I followed. When I stepped into the airship's doorway, she nearly ran me over. However, she kept her balance though and blinked up at me. "Oh, I thought you were going to stay back there."
"You had me excited."
She smiled at this and then lead me back outside. I never got a chance to even see where Gatta was in the ship. I did hear men's voices coming from within, though, and I was glad that they were at least being chatty.
Rikku led me to a wooden bench near the obstacle course. She set a medium-sized hard-shell black case onto it. After piddling with two side locks, the top of the case popped up only to reveal a yellow foam type material. A growl came from her and I simply looked on, smiling.
"This lining -never- stays in the lid! Ugh!"
"Ever thought of glue?" I asked her.
Her cheeks flushed. "..."
"I'll take that as a no."
After a few more moments she got the top half of the inner foam container to lift up. Under it was what I thought was a Heckler and Koch G36...but it wasn't.
It was in pristine condition, not a single scratch or speck of dirt blemishing its dull olive green body. Well most of it was green. The barrel end was segmented, obviously to disperse muzzle flashes. Under the forward section of the weapon was a black padded grip complete with a non-slip ribbed surface. This weapon had a simple magazine catch, with the release under its trigger guard. The magazine itself was a semi-transparent and looked to hold about thirty rounds. I couldn't quite tell what the caliber of the weapon was since the magazine was empty. Guess I'd have to find out about that later.
The trigger was simple looking and the fire-rate selector above it looked very much like one found on an HK MP5 submachine gun. It was round with a thumb-stem and had a white line that lined up with three red-lettered modes: Single, Burst, and Auto. Above the trigger was a bolt that was inside of the plastic outer covering. This probably made the weapon very adaptable to multiple climates. Maybe even made it water proof...
The butte was accented in a black pad that looked as if it didn't cut down on recoil at all, and a black, upward-incline shaped cheek pad was on top of the stock. On top of the next section was a sight that looked a lot like a red-dot scope. Below it was a marking that really struck me as odd. It read "M8, property of United States Military, manufactured by Heckler and Koch Inc. in Columbus, Georgia."
"M8?" I asked aloud.
"That's what it says. It also says it was made in that United States place you claim to come from."
I looked to Rikku. "Where did you find this?"
"Bottom of the sea, near Bikanel. There were about two crates of this weapon just sitting there."
"How many in total?"
She put her finger to her chin. "About twenty four. There are four different types of it, I think. Four have a long barrel, another four has a very short barrel and stock, and yet another four have this big drum where the clip should go. The rest look just like the one here."
"Hmm. So there's the carbine, light-carbine, sharpshooter, and machine gun model. Wow, versatile."
"When Gatta took a look at them, he thought they'd be perfect for what you have to do."
"Yes they would. Was there any ammo in those crates?"
She nodded. "Just a few boxes. I've already got a team of engineers working on reproducing them."
I smiled. "Excellent."
With that, I picked up the weapon. It was very lightweight and fitted perfectly in my aiming stance. It was only slightly longer than an M4 and weighed at least two pounds less. Everything from the breech arm to the magazine release was ambidextrous. It was, simply put, an amazing weapon to hold. Its over all grade, though, would depend on how well it performed in a live firing test. That'd have to come later.
I put the weapon back in its case. "Can I keep it?" I asked her.
"Of course. Here." She reached into a sack and handed me a heavy box of ammunition. "This is the ammo that was in the crates."
The box she handed me simply read "Winchester 5.56mm" which I took to mean that the M8 used the 5.56 caliber shell used by most assault rifles. Still, the firing test would have to come much later. It was time to meet my men.
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Gatta sighed and walked out of the small airship, hands on his hips.
"You going to drool over that weapon all day?" he asked.
Weston turned around, laughing. "That depends on if these men of yours are worth my attention."
"Let's hope they are. Fellows, file out."
Gatta shuffled off to Weston's side and watched his handpicked group of Crusaders file out of the aircraft.
Every one of them donned the standard navy blue Crusader uniform, minus the helmets. Gatta had never liked the helmet the average Crusader grunt wore, much preferring the now defunct Chocobo Corps' armor. On each of the men's right hip was a sheath and across their chest was one of the newest editions to the Crusader uniform: a pistol holster. The men were without their weapons, as Weston had requested. Gatta had no clue as to why, but he figured that Weston knew what he was doing.
"So these are your best men?" Weston asked, eyes squinting as he looked at the men standing in a line.
Gatta nodded. "Yeah."
"What the hell is Chappu doing in this group?" asked Weston, a growl in his voice as he pointed to the red-haired man.
This upfront question, for some odd reason, made Gatta shrink back a bit. He gathered himself and firmed his voice. "He took down my entire police patrol upon arrival. It seems he was angry about something." At that, Chappu's eyes flared and, for a moment, he stepped forward. Gatta saw Weston shake his head at the man and Chappu only seemed to get angrier. The man next to Chappu, a tall brown-haired man known only as Nooj put his hand on Chappu's shoulder. This didn't seem to calm the young man, but the grip must've been firm. Chappu couldn't move.
Gatta sighed and nodded. "He volunteered for the most dangerous post I had. I gave him this one. He certainly proved himself after taking out my guards."
Weston only hmmed and frowned. "I don't know. He's a wild card. A stealth squad requires discipline and teamwork, not a hot-headed child."
Chappu roared in anger and finally slipped out from underneath Nooj's grip. Gatta stepped in front of Weston, but he only shrugged him to the side. Weston took the full force of Chappu's lunge and turned it on him. Chappu was on the ground in the blink of an eye.
Weston sighed. "Chappu, if you want to be a part of this outfit, you'll have to not only calm down, but you'll also have to learn how to properly attack a man."
Gatta only heard Chappu grunt. Weston picked Chappu up and pushed him back towards the line. None of the other soldiers, Nooj included, tried to help Chappu back into line. The young man only fumbled backwards and stood his ground in front of the line.
Weston only stood there, staring at Chappu. Gatta knew exactly what was going on, of course. The two men obviously had a bad spot in their past and Chappu had yet to get over it. Gatta laughed aloud.
Both Weston and Chappu looked to Gatta.
"Somethin' funny?" Chappu asked.
Gatta nodded. "Weston must've really given you a beating in the past."
"I did." Weston said, voice devoid of emotion.
The other men in the group chuckled under their breath.
"Look," Weston started. "You have two choices, Chappu. Either you behave and deal with the fact that I will be leading you, or you can leave. But if its danger you want, you're in the right group of soldiers. Besides, you still have that chance at a rematch, just after this squad is done with its job. What will it be?"
Chappu growled and squinted his eyes, but said nothing. After a moment or two, he sighed and hit his fists together. He quietly slipped back into line.
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And just like that, Chappu was eating out of my hand...for the time being.
The men didn't really look all that special. Of course, that meant absolutely nothing. They could've all been horribly disfigured but still be great soldiers.
I walked along the line of men...until I got to the women. Yes. That's right. Women. While I've got nothing against women being soldiers, I was curious as to how women got into the Crusaders. I turned to Gatta.
"Women?"
Gatta laughed. "The Crusaders are not male only."
"Ah...surprising."
I turned back to the two women and shrugged, moving on down the line. Nothing particularly special about them. Of course not...what was I thinking. I didn't even know who they were yet. I stepped back, far enough to see most of them in one glance and said in a shrill voice, "Sound off."
They just stood there. I repeated my statement. The soldiers started looking at each other confused.
Gatta was laughing his ass off. "What does 'Sound off' mean, Weston? I've never heard it and I doubt they have either."
I grunted. "Ok, soldiers, here's what sound off means. It means each one of you will step forward, give me your name, age, rank, and your background, battle experiences, area of expertise, etc. Got it?"
They looked at each other and shrugged. I don't think so.
"Got it?!" I yelled.
That got their attention. They nodded. Sheesh.
"Say 'Yes, sir,' okay guys and gals?"
They said, in unison, 'Yes, sir' even though I knew they didn't really want to.
I pointed to Chappu on the right end of the line. He stepped forward, clicked a heel, and yelled, "Chappu. Corporal. Battle experience...not so good. I did get a few licks on you though."
I laughed. "Yeah, yeah."
I pointed to the tall, pony tailed man next to Chappu. He stepped forward. "Nooj. Corporal. Participated in Luca Offensive. I'm good at shooting people, sir."
The line laughed. I did as well. "Very well." I said, noting that Chappu and Nooj were going to be two of the four assaulters in the squad.
Nooj stepped back and without me pointing, the next man stepped forward, a rather short individual with blonde hair and a medium build.
"Klodre. Rank of Scout. Former locksmith and hunter in Kilika. I fought in Kilika and Luca. I've got a knack for spotting traps and game, and I can pick locks."
"Excellent," I responded. Klodre would be the squad's Counter- Defensive man. In other words, he'd sneak ahead of the party and spot targets as well as traps and pick locks when necessary. The next man stepped forward. Er...woman, I should say. She was about five foot four inches tall and looked very muscular, even through the baggy uniform. She had short brown hair.
"Acua. Rank of Scout. I was a Luca Goer before joining the Crusaders after the Kilika battle. I've been told I'm a good shot with the Al Bhed's new machina weapon. I fought in Luca."
"Luca goer?" I asked her.
"I was a Blitzer."
"Ah." Acua would more than likely end up being the squad's sniper, but I could use her for recon if needed. She stepped back and the other woman stepped forward, a tall blonde that looked rather out of place. She had a ponytail and wore a uniform that looked way too baggy for her.
"Joli. Rank undefined. I'm an Al Bhed. I was a Missile Maker for the Al Bhed's airships until I was sent to Kilika for trade purposes. While I was there, the Kilika battle broke out and I decided to join the Crusaders. I first fought during the Luca Offensive and helped secure the marketplace. I've been a mechanic most of my life and I especially like making things that go boom."
"Wonderful." Joli would be an explosives person. If they were needed, that is. If not, she could hold her own with a rifle, I imagined. The man next to her stepped forward. He was probably five-seven and looked fairly strong, especially in his forearms.
"Fedra. Rank undefined. I, too, am Al Bhed. I've been working on Airships ever since the Calm started and just before this war broke out, I started assisting Joli with Missile production. I was drafted into the Al Bhed army just before the Luca Offensive. I fought in Luca and then joined the Crusaders."
"Why? The Al Bhed Army is just as good."
"I like the Crusader uniforms better."
The rest of the soldiers laughed. I only smirked. I had my mechanic, and if he was any good, an explosives person too. He stepped back and a man no larger than five feet tall stepped forward. He was muscular, though.
"Iddio. Rank of Healer. I was a Summoner, but my pilgrimage stopped shortly after Yuna defeated Sin. I still wanted to help, so I joined the Crusaders and I've been a healer for them during Kilika and Luca. I have little battle experience, but I can heal."
I nodded. "Good." A medic. He stepped back, the man stepping up looking a lot older than the soldiers around him. He was tall, muscular, had graying hair, and a very rough look about his face. A scar ran from across his nose to the left corner of his mouth.
"Narr. Rank of Officer Level One. I was a bouncer at a bar in Luca during Sin Time. When Lord Braska started his pilgrimage, I joined the Crusaders. I've been a Crusader since then. I had almost retired when the Kilika battle broke out. I participated in the Luca offensive. Not to brag, but I have a body count of thirty four from that battle."
Klodre laughed. "Yeah, Narr took out a whole building of Yevonites."
I cocked an eyebrow. Narr would definitely be an assaulter, probably point man.
Narr smirked a little bit and stepped back once his smug spell wore off. The last man, who was around five-six, stepped forward.
"Nonu. Rank of Corporal. Before joining the Crusaders, I was a technician at Luca Stadium. I helped set up the communicator network during the Luca battle. I fought in Kilika, too."
I nodded. "Well, thank you for that. I think I have an idea for what your jobs are going to be."
The man named Nonu raised his hand. "Yes," I asked.
"Sir, when do we get to go into battle."
I smiled. "I've got to train you first."
"But we're soldiers already," Acua protested.
I shook my head. "You're not properly trained for behind-the-lines operations, yet, though. That's what I'm going to do."
Nonu sighed. "So when do we get to train?"
I pulled my pistol from my pants' pocket and shot into the air. "Right now."
-----------------
Narr had never seen such arrogance. The overgrown sprout with the Al Bhed pistol had shot into the air and then chased the group of soldiers straight to the obstacle course, running right behind them the entire time, voice growling at them all the way. At the end of the course, he showed them the proper hand signals to use and then instructed them to talk to him using only those signals. Whenever someone messed up, Chappu especially, he ran them through the course again.
Four hours later, they knew the signals right and left. The signals themselves were simple. A fist meant 'hold position,' a fist turned into an open hand meant go. The index finger was used to point to things. If you saw an enemy, you'd put your middle and index fingers under your eyes and then, with a show of fingers, mime out the number of targets seen. If you only heard something, you'd cup your ear and, depending on what you heard, you'd make different hand signals, ie, if you heard a gun shot, you'd cup your ear then make a 'trigger pull' movement with your index finger. If you heard footsteps, you'd cup your ear, wiggle your middle and index fingers back and forth and then point in the direction your heard the steps.
Narr knew they were simple, he had learned them fairly quickly...but the way the sprout taught them to him was less than respectable. But the signals were only the beginning. After that, he separated the group into "teams." Those teams each had a different name. He put Narr, Nooj, Chappu, and himself in the Assaulter team. Fedra and Joli, both Al Bhed, were put into the "Explosives" team. Klodre and Acua were placed into the "Recon" team and Nonu joined up with Iddio for the "Support" team.
The teams were each given a card with funny markings. The assaulters were given what the sprout for a leader called King of Diamonds. The explosives team was given King of Hearts. Recon was given King of Spades and Support was given King of Clubs. Whatever those were.
Narr's team was blindfolded and taken somewhere. When their eyes were uncovered...they were...in the middle of a dense jungle. Wonderful. Narr had sort of expected this. Some sort of test to see if they could do their job properly.
Chappu was the first to speak. "What the..."
Nooj shrugged. "It's a test I'm guessing."
Narr nodded. "I know. We've all got pistols, too."
The other two men looked to their chest holsters. Sure enough, the team had pistols.
"Now what are we supposed to do?" Chappu asked.
Nooj bit his lower lip in thought while Narr already knew the first objective. "We gotta find out where we are."
The younger men blinked and then nodded. Narr continued. "That would help us out a great deal. I know we were taken somewhere in an airship cuz' it felt like it. So we ain't in Besaid anymore. We need to find our way through this jungle and find some landmarks."
Nooj and Chappu both nodded, instantly accepting the older man's advice. Narr liked that. Besides, he outranked them.
"Ok, so we gotta get a sense of direction...I say we go whatever way the wind goes."
This got some attention. Nooj titled his head. "Why?"
Narr shrugged. "Just a suggestion."
Chappu shook his head. "No. Let's just head towards the direction with the most light.
Nooj sighed. "The sun's about to go down, Chappu. That's not going to work for very long."
"But if we're near a settlement, the lights from it will guide us."
"If we can even see 'em," Narr said.
"True," agreed Nooj.
"Off we go, then?" Chappu asked with a smile.
Narr and Nooj grunted, but nodded and followed Chappu.
-----------------
The explosives team was dropped somewhere in Macalania Woods. The only instructions they had received were "Bomb the old Rin's Outpost on the outskirts of the woods."
They had no explosives, no weapons, nothing but their uniforms and that silly looking card their squad leader had given them. Still, they knew this was some form of test and made quick work of the woods. When they made it to the outpost, they saw a uniformed Crusader airship pilot standing along side a carrier ship.
He walked up to them and smiled. "Congrats, you just bombed the outpost. Can I see your card?"
Fedra and Joli were both rather confused. They hadn't done anything but made it to the outpost. "Is that is?" asked Fedra.
The pilot laughed. "Yeah. That's just about all you have to do. Make it to the place you gotta bomb. I am wondering how you got past the obstacles so quickly."
Joli blinked. "What obstacles?"
The pilot shook his head. "Which way did you go to make it here?"
"The longest way, of course." Fedra replied. "Taking the shortest route is always the stupid thing to do."
The pilot blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, I think you guys have passed."
They all laughed and boarded the airship.
-----------------
The Recon and Support group had been dropped together somewhere near Kilika temple. Their instructions? Link up with the "injured" assault team in Kilika jungle. Klodre knew exactly what this was testing. Tracking and healing abilities. The recon team would have to track the movement of the assault team and the support team would have to heal the injuries and then radio back to Besaid for an airship. Klodre had to admit, this form of training was rather fun.
Acua held up a fist almost immediately upon being on the ground. Already she had heard something. She turned to the other men and cupped her ear, following with a mimed scream. Klodre nodded and waved the support team to stop and be quiet. They did.
After a few minutes, Acua opened her palm and started to inch forward, Klodre, Iddio, and Nonu following in suit. They made their way into the jungle, following a path that looked freshly cut. Klodre saw something. He tapped Acua's shoulder and then held up a fist. Acua and the others stopped. Klodre moved to the front and began moving forward, motioning for the others to follow.
The former hunter had just found something to track. Three sets of boot prints, one of the six prints showing a hint of blood near the toe. There was the healing part. Now if they could just keep up with the assault team. With an injured person, he guessed they wouldn't be moving too fast. Still, he had his doubts.
Acua stopped him and pointed off to the side. There lay a wooden spike, half soaked in blood. Obviously, one of the assaulters had fallen prey to a trap...just as was planned, thought Klodre. He inspected the area and found a couple more of the spikes, buried beneath the sand of the path.
"Not a nice path." Acua whispered.
Klodre nodded. "These other traps were disarmed. The assaulters aren't that dumb after all."
Acua smirked. "One of them is."
The rest of the group smirked and continued onward. Soon, the jungle gave way and there stood Kilika. In the dying sunlight, the town had an eerie presence. Its wooden piers were lined with torches, the flames flickering to and fro. The group spread out, the support team behind the recon team.
They cautiously walked into an almost dead town. Some people were looking at them from outside their homes, but no direct contact with the villagers was made.
A few minutes later, and they found the assaulters near the chief trade ship pier. Chappu had apparently been the victim of a trap and the other two men had helped him along on the journey to the town. The other two had also been smart enough to check for traps. Klodre just had to laugh. Acua did as well. Iddio simply walked up to Chappu and poured a small potion onto the wound in his foot. The wound soon shrank to nothing and Chappu was back up on his feet.
Klodre nodded to Nonu and Nonu then made the call on the communicator. Within minutes an airship was at the docks. Inside was Gatta.
"Congrats, guys, you've passed."
"Passed what?" Chappu asked angrily. "All I did was get a hole in my foot."
Gatta laughed. "Weston will show you how to disarm traps."
"Don't bother. Old man and Nooj already showed me...while laughing their asses off."
Narr and Nooj began "laughing their asses off" again and the laugh migrated through all of the soldiers before Gatta said, "Alright, let's go. Time to head home."
A few cheers from the soldiers and about fifteen minutes later, they were touching ground near the Crusader outpost in Besaid. Weston walked up to the ship smiling widely. As the teams got off of the ship, he congratulated each of them on a job well done.
Klodre asked, "Where's the Explosives team?"
Weston laughed. "They finished way ahead of time and are now in the bunks getting some rest. You are all allowed to do the same. I'll see you guys tomorrow after lunch time."
The soldiers lumbered off to their barracks and Weston turned to Gatta.
"They're fine soldiers, I'll give you that."
"Thanks. I picked the best I have."
Weston smiled. "Thanks for doing this." At that, he headed back towards his cabin, Gatta entering the airship, headed back to the foot of Mount Gagazet.
-----------------
Yeah, I was tired. Yeah, I was a tad late. Well, tad wasn't really the word. I wasn't expecting Eimour to even be up. But there she was, sitting at the kitchen table. I walked in, sighed, and plopped down at the table.
"What took you so long?" she asked almost immediately.
I shrugged. "Went ahead and tested the men that are going to be under my command for the new special operations unit."
Emmy frowned, obviously not happy with that subject. She dodged it with, "What about that new weapon?"
I cocked an eyebrow at her subjected change, but shook it off and smiled. "It was excellent. It's going to really help the operation out. Get this...it's from the United States. Rikku just about had a heart attack. I told 'em that the United States existed! Now they know."
At this, she kinda tilted her head. "How...could you tell?"
I smirked and responded, "It said 'Produced for the United States Army' right under its stock. It was -so- plainly stated. Quite entertaining."
"You -would- find that entertaining, wouldn't you?" she said, shaking her head and laughing.
I grinned. "Hey, who do you think you're talking to? Of course I would!"
She sighed and smiled warmly. "Thought so." At that, she turned and began walking back to the kitchen. But something about her walk was odd...almost like she was having a hard time walking away. I felt something was up. I was about to get up and go to her when she turned and faced me, her face scrunched in thought.
"Do you want something to eat? The kitchen isn't 'closed' quite yet."
I knew something wasn't right then. Her words were hurried, as if trying to come out as fast as possible...almost as if she was out of breath.
Something was wrong as I was going to find out what it was. I got up and yawned, a nervous tick of mine that shows up in odd situations. I made my way to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You ok?"
"O...of course I am. Do you want something to eat?"
I smiled. "You're repeating yourself. Did -you- eat tonight?"
She nodded in defense. "Of course. I fixed Gary dinner tonight."
"That's not what I'm asking. Did you fix -yourself- something?"
Her eyes refused to meet mine. "Of course. Now what do you want?"
"You haven't eaten have you?"
Still, no answer. I sighed. "Don't worry about me, Emmy, I'll just fix a sandwich. You need to be in the bed."
"Don't be silly," she said, waving a hand. "I'll fix you something. Now go. Sit."
I thought about that for a moment, and then shook my head. I grabbed a loaf of bread from the counter and snatched a pieced of wrapped meat from the cooling chest. "Make me and I'll think about it!" I said, sticking my tongue out.
Apparently, she didn't feel like playing. She grabbed a chair, turned it a certain way, and then shoved me into it in the blink of an eye. Honestly, she'd make one hell of a soldier...well maybe not.
So I'm caught off balance. Nothing to be ashamed of. Really. The next part, when I hit the chair and don't think to stop myself, is when you can start laughing. Gravity takes hold and I flop back, the bread and meat flying into the air and...luckily landing on the eating table.
I heard her laughing. "Told you so. Now what do you want?"
I growled, got up on one knee, and then jumped her. Gently, of course. She fell, my arms cradling her from any hard impact, and I put my nose to hers. "Got. You." I said, grinning.
She only stared at me, blushing like mad. Oopsie, had I gone too far? Then, it hit me...the blush...yeah. I knew what it meant and the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I quickly stood back up and started apologizing. I don't even remember what exactly I was saying. My cheeks had to have been bright red, even through my stubble.
Emmy slowly began to rise from the floor, brushing herself off. She smiled warmly at me and said, "It's...it's perfectly okay. No harm done."
But I still wasn't really ready to face that smile of hers. I was too embarrassed at the thoughts that had crossed my own mind. I turned away from her, mumbling under my breath. I shoved my hands into my pockets and stared out of the window at the sea.
"I wouldn't mind that sandwich...you shouldn't be up this late...and you certainly shouldn't be fixing me something...you need to be in bed."
"I don't mind," she replied. "I...feel better when I know you've made it home safe."
I sighed and glanced at her from the corner of my eye. "I feel better knowing you're here, safe, while I'm out there soldering. It's...nice to have someone to come home to. Loneliness, it's said, is more dangerous than any bullet ever made."
Emmy's cheeks reddened. This was certainly starting to get tense... "I...made some mistakes thanks to loneliness." I saw her then eye the room Gary was sleeping in. "But not all of them have turned out horribly."
I smiled. "Mistakes are a double edged sword. Most of them happen for a reason, though, and I think in your case, as you say, it turned out rather well. At least Gary got most of -your- traits. I still want to strangle that bastard that did that to you. Even if it yielded a beautiful child, emotionally it was just wrong."
I sighed, smile fading. "Sometimes I feel as if I'm fighting for morals that are obsolete. Be the hero, get the girl, defeat the monster, save the world. When I was growing up, that's what I always wanted to do. But now that I've had the chance to be a hero, I see the isolation of it and I really question my choice for a career."
Her eyes moved to me. "So are you saying you don't think you'll get the girl? Or that you regret ever starting down that path?"
I sighed once more. "What...what girl is there to get? Girls never liked me before I was a soldier; they -really- hated me after I became a soldier. Now I'm a man and what have I got to show for it? I've never even romantically kissed anyone. It's pathetic. Why try for that path when it's hopeless in the first place? I dunno...there are times when I think I've got some hope...but...then I see what I do and how I do it on the battlefields and I think to myself, 'How can she ever love a killer like me? How could I give my heart to her when I don't have a heart to give?'"
I saw her shoulders slump, and I had realized I had been too honest, too blunt with her. Her eyes seemed to glaze over and all she said was "Oh..."
Crap. She sighed. "If that's how you feel..." and in a voice almost too low for me to hear added, "but I feel you're making a mistake..."
I sighed and sat back down, ready to make a whispered statement of my own. "I guess...I guess I just know how to..." I said, full voiced. I then added, very softly, "how to deal with these new feelings..."
That got her attention. Her head perked up and she briefly caught my gaze before lowering hers to the floor. A rueful smile came across her face. "It's getting kind of awkward, isn't it?"
I laughed uneasily. "Awkward? I think we passed that the first day I woke up in your apartment." He laughs. "Awkward is long over. Tense is more like it."
She smirked, shaking her head. "How about 'uncomfortable?' That sounds a bit more like it." Then she giggled, probably at the absurdity of our conversation.
"Hmm. Well...if it really is that uncomfortable, I can go see if they've got room for another soldier at the barracks."
Emmy shook her head, almost violently. "No! Er...I mean, if anyone, it should be Gary and I who leave. This -is- your house, after all."
I shook my head. "Nah, I don't think you two should leave. This would be a perfect house for you guys. I hate to keep intruding. I can build houses, you know. I built this one. If you want, I could build you a really nice house, big and plenty of room for toys for Gary. I'm going to make sure you guys never have to worry about money again."
She smiled. "Thanks, but," and she looked upwards, indicating the small cabin, "this is home. And...you're a part of it. I don't think I'd feel right living here without you."
Wow...I was kind of shocked...but I honestly felt the exact same way about her and Gary. I could only smile to that. I stood up, too. My arms crossed as I thought about the situation.
"Well, I think I might be able to stay, but we really need to do something about this 'uncomfortableness', ya know. Any ideas?"
She stepped forward, cheeks flushing. "I...I have a few..." And with that...she leaned upwards and pressed her lips to my own.
To say I was surprised by the bold move would be an understatement. To say I didn't enjoy the kiss would be flat out wrong. I just couldn't help myself. I was grinning from ear to ear. But I wasn't going to let her win at this game.
I leaned forward, rested one hand on her hip and the other on the back of her head. I dipped her forward and gave her the best and deepest damn kiss I could muster.
At last...I was whole. I had my purpose. And nothing, not a damned war or Nyka himself was going to keep me from coming back to Emmy. Not a damned thing.
-----------------
A/N: Yeah, yeah. It took a little while. But look at all those lovely words! Just over 9500 of them! How about that? :P Oh, and I've broken the 140,000 word mark. Whee. Dang this fic is too long :P
Been busy, but I got some inspiration and I was finally able to work out some details with Weston's squad. Go me.
The "thank you"s:
Thanks to Jave for pointing out the HK "XM8" Assault Rifle, currently in field tests to replace the M4 as the Armed Forces' main assault weapon. It's a beautiful gun. (- carbines/xm8.html)
Thanks to Shad-chan for sticking it out with me and betaing this behemoth, as well as offering lovely advice. I just keep rushing that Weston/Eimour fluff! Shame on me!
Thanks to Artemis for making the last segment of this chapter happen. It wouldn't even be there if it weren't for her.
Thanks to the guys and gals at RPGclassics.com for digging AtS and offering it an alternate home (should be up soon, at least that's what the mods tell me ^_~)
Thanks to the readers for sticking with me and my late as ever chapters. Hey, here I am at 1:30 in the morning posting this thing when I'm supposed to be getting up early and going to class today :P I even wrote on this with a research paper due tomorrow. Who loves you guys? I do. Keep reading ^__^ Not long to go, now. Just a few more chapters.
~No 0ne
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"I walk slowly, but I never walk backward." Abraham Lincoln
-----------------
Eimour slowly blinked out of sleep, her eyes trying to adjust to the moonlight hitting the room. Beside her in the bed was Gary, fast asleep. She gently eased out from under the covers and walked into the main room of Weston's cabin. The cot he had set up near the small dinner table in the room was disheveled and empty.
Seeing the empty cot was a bit unsettling for Eimour. She had expected to see Weston sleeping peacefully there. Instead, the cot was empty and the covers were on the floor. She wondered just what had gotten the soldier out of his bed so quickly.
With a sigh, she shook the thought from her mind for a moment and poured herself a glass of water from the sink in the kitchen nook. She took a bit of ice from the Al Bhed-made cooling chest next to the dining table and plopped it into the cup, swirling the water around for a few moments to get it cool.
After another sigh, she sat down at the dining table and started to slowly slip from the glass. The nights, lately, had garnered no easy sleep for her. She tried to find a reason, but the only plausible one she could come up with was her uneasiness around Weston.
Granted, the beach walks were nice...but in the same respect, they were confusing. She could not grasp why Weston seemed so interested in her. It wasn't that she disliked the attention...it was just foreign to her. Her own haunted past didn't help any, of course, but she could not hammer down what her exact feelings were. Did she merely like Weston because he was guaranteed protection for both her and her offspring, or was she truly attracted to him?
She set the glass back down, not really hearing the ice clanking against the sides. Her mind was too focused on the thoughts at hand. Eimour slowly shut her eyes and tried to bring up a mental image of the man that had chosen to protect her. Almost instantly, his face came to her. She had not been trying for a few milliseconds before it was there, smiling at her. The face she saw was a stark contrast to the one she had seen earlier the day before. That smiling visage warmed her, for some reason. It wasn't only the thought of protection...there was something else. Something she couldn't quite pin down.
Yes, she did find him slightly physically attractive. Despite his hard features and usually unkempt beard, he was handsome. The rest of him, essentially stone grafted to bone, was just as steely as his face. But his smile...the smile he had begun to show her more and more...his smile was what really sank into her. It was warm, inviting, and caring. That smile seemed out of place on a soldier...but it was there...and it was genuine. That smile promised Eimour that Weston would never hurt her or her child, and that everything he told her was true. She knew, without a doubt, that he would never lie to her, take advantage of her, or leave her.
But how did all of that make her feel? She just...couldn't figure it out. Eimour knew that some of her stadium co-workers would've killed to be involved with a man like Weston...but she curiously hadn't found herself fawning after him. Eimour respected him, as he respected her, but she had yet to truly define what he was to her, and vice versa. A good friend? Maybe. A confidant? Surely. A possible lover? She'd have to get back to that one...
The "lover" idea struck her as odd. Here she was denying her own suggestions about him. Nothing else had brought up the subject of "love" but her own mind. Could some subconscious version of herself be jumping up and down in the back of her mind telling her to snatch onto that man and never let go? Quite possibly...
She couldn't go wrong, having a partner like Weston. Well, check that, yes she could. Weston was a soldier...and soldiers don't make good partners, especially when they're as good at soldiering as Weston. She didn't want to have to stay up every night worrying over and over whether or not she'd see him again. Then again, the better the soldier, the less chance of the soldier being killed.
Maybe...maybe she could convince Weston to give up soldiering. Then she could try to allow her feelings to develop. Maybe then, she'd know she wouldn't have to worry about Weston suddenly dying on some battlefield, leaving her and Gary alone. She felt like she -needed- some way to keep him with her. Something to offer as an incentive for his protection. Falling in love with him would be a great answer to that question ... if she could even do that. Something told her that she couldn't. All men were the same. All men would leave her, no matter how nice they seemed.
"That merchant sure was nice before he knocked you up, wasn't he?" she whispered aloud.
Eimour shook her head and growled at the table. She couldn't believe she was so hung up on Weston. He wasn't all she could worry about. Gary was there too...but he was safe ... as long as Weston was there.
She growled again. Every one of her thoughts could be brought back to Weston. Ever since he had appeared in that Luca pub that day, he had infiltrated her life and become its core. Everything she did, everything she thought of, revolved around him.
As her palm slapped at her temple, the front door opened. Startled, she jumped up, the chair almost tipping to the floor. She caught it quickly enough to keep it from going all the way over. In the doorway stood a tall and wide figure, silhouetted against the incoming moonlight.
Eimour's mind recognized the shape as Weston's, but her heart didn't stop pounding until his husky filled the air.
"Nice reflexes there. You must've been up for a while. I didn't worry you, did I?"
Eimour shook her head, setting the chair back into its upright position. "No. I couldn't sleep."
"You either? Must be something in the water." At that, Weston walked to the table and sat down in one of its chairs. He pushed it backwards a few inches to make room for crossed legs.
She smiled at him warmly and sat back down. "Take a walk?"
He only shook his head, eyes gazing to the window, instead of being tacked straight to her, something that had become a natural occurrence when they were having conversation. That worried her slightly. She also noticed that his eyes were very distant. Something was on his mind.
"Something worrying you?" she asked quietly, almost as if she thought she was being too nosy.
"Not really," he replied, still not bringing his gaze to hers.
"Then what has you so spaced out?" She waved her hand in front of his face for emphasis.
He laughed and straightened up in the chair, eyes finally locking to hers. "I've just come from the temple. Yuna knocked on my door."
"What for?"
He tilted his lips a little bit as if not really wanting to say anything about it. Eimour knew, though, he'd tell her if she pressed him. "Well, looks like Gatta's hatched a plan."
"This plan involves you, doesn't it?" Eimour wasn't exactly thrilled with this 'plan' business. She didn't exactly like Gatta at that moment, either.
"I am the plan, as Gatta put it. He wants me to train a squad of nine soldiers to perform special operations behind enemy lines, and then lead it."
"Absolutely not. That's...that's suicide, going behind enemy lines."
Weston laughed. "Not if you're unseen, Eimour. Speaking of, I need to come up with a pet name for you."
"Pet name?" Of course, Eimour knew what a pet name was. She just hoped her question would make him clarify just exactly what he meant by 'pet name.' It also surprised her how quickly he had changed the subject.
"Just a nick name, something to call you so I don't have to say Eimour all the time. Something easier to say...something that doesn't seem so formal."
"Ah..." Eimour's heart slowed at his explanation. Still, he had said pet name, not nick name. A hint? She put that thought to the side.
"Hmm...let's see..." Weston started scratching at his chin, which was covered in scraggly hair. Eimour wished he would shave. She'd not seen him clean-shaven the entire time she'd known him.
"No one's ever given me a nick name. You don't have to. You also don't need to change the subject so quickly."
"But I want to...hmm... how about 'Emmy?'"
"Emmy?" Eimour asked, not used to such a word. It did sound good to her, though.
"Yeah...not good?"
"No...it's fine. Just never heard a word like that before."
He smiled. "Emmy it is then."
"Glad you've decided. Now about this squad business..."
"I'm doing it. You aren't going to convince me otherwise."
She sighed. "I at least have to try. You don't need to stick your neck out, Weston. It's...just insane. Do you know the risk involved in what you're planning on doing?"
He shook his head and laughed. "I -used- to do the whole 'behind enemy lines' thing all the time, Emmy. That's what Delta Force was. We gathered intelligence, rescued prisoners of war, and raised a stink when we had to."
"Still," she said, sighing, "I don't want to see you dead."
"You won't."
"You can't promise that," she said, voice a bit grated as her teeth clenched slightly. She wasn't going to let him win this.
"I can promise you that without a doubt. Besides, the actual sneaking around phase won't come until at least a month from now. I'm not leaving this morning, if that's what has you worried."
"That's not what's worrying me, Weston. Don't you understand? I don't want you hurt. I don't want you dead, never to return. I want to know you're safe...at all times."
"It's not like I'm going in unarmed, Emmy. I'll be safe. Besides, the more I think of you and Gary, the faster I'll want to get this damned war over with. I don't want Gary to know what war is like, understand?"
Eimour sighed and slowly stood. "And I don't want you to know war, either. I want this whole damned war to just disappear. It's a thorn in everyone's sides and I curse the day that bastard Nyka decided to start it! This war is going to get you killed!"
Weston stood as well, but instead of slowly going about it, he simply snapped upwards, fast enough for Eimour not to notice the transition. In her eyes, he was sitting one second and standing the next. "This war is justified. What do you want me to do, just up and quit? Let Nyka trample his way into every nook and cranny of Spira? I can't let that happen and you know it!"
Voice raised well above normal level, Eimour spat, "Why do you think it is only you, Weston, fighting this war. This war is being fought by thousands of people. One man can't change the tide or the outcome! Why is it so important to you? Is war all you live for? Don't you have -something- other than war to occupy your time with? Sometimes, I get the idea that the day the killing stops will be the day you stop, completely. You can't live without conflict, can you?"
Weston's usual warm look turned cold and dark, brow jutting forward in growing anger. "If I just thought of myself as a cog in the machine, I wouldn't be able to survive. I have to think of myself as important to the war so I can force myself to survive. I have to bend fate, deflect bullets with my own mental strength. I have to fight, damnit."
A few tears were forming in Eimour's eyes. She had lost this battle from the get-go, yet she had to go down fighting. "You don't have to fight, 'damnit!' You are your own person, Weston. There are other things you can do to help the waging of this war. You -don't- have to fight. No one is forcing you. Why force yourself to fight when you don't have to!?"
At that, Weston came towards her, Eimour hardly registered the fact he had moved before his hands were gripping at her upper arms. His eyes were gazing deep into her own. Their noses were only millimeters apart. Softly, yet forcefully, Weston spoke.
"I fight for you. I fight for Gary. I fight for everyone on this planet. I fight because if I don't, someone innocent, somewhere, is going to die. I fight because it is my duty. I fight because I want to have a world where Gary can grow up in without having to worry about fighting himself. I want a world where you, Emmy, will no longer feel pain. A world where you will have enough money in your pocket to not have to worry about having food to eat. I want a world where I will be able to protect you and Gary for the rest of my natural life. I cannot have that world unless I fight. If I don't fight, I don't get this world...it's this world that I see every time I take someone's life. I want that world, Emmy, and damnit, I'll fight until I get it."
She had nothing to say against that. Indeed, everything he had just told her clicked her mind -and- her heart. Her eyes were lost within his own, and she knew from his eyes alone what he wanted. She knew his words were true...she knew he'd fight to the death to have the world of which he spoke. It was at that moment, at that realization, that she wanted to wrap her arms around the man in front of her and never let go.
Weston had just put into words exactly why he stuck around her, yet she doubted he knew he had let it out. He had promised her that for the rest of his life, he'd protect her, and with that being spoken out loud, for all in earshot to hear, meant more to her than anything.
Weston smiled and slowly moved his face towards her own. Eimour honestly didn't know what to think of the action. Was he going to kiss her? What would happen then...how was she supposed to react to something like that...?
Weston could see in Eimour's eyes what she wanted...but could he? He...was attracted to her...but could he fully kiss her? Something he'd never done...a real kiss...two pairs of lips connecting out of affection. Instead, he lifted his head and planted a soft kiss into her hair, letting go of her shoulders in the mean time.
"Don't worry. I'm always going to be here for you and Gary, ok?"
Eimour only nodded, her cheeks and ears tingling from her previous thoughts. Perhaps there had been something in her that had wanted a kiss...
"I've got to get some rest. Apparently, Rikku's been on the horn with Gatta about some weapon she found and I'm supposed to take a look at it tomorrow."
"So you're leaving tomorrow?"
"No. Rikku and a couple of her technical guys are coming with her to the Crusader outpost near the jungle. I'll just be gone a few hours. Not going to fight tomorrow." With that, he smiled and returned to his cot.
Eimour sighed, relieved he wouldn't be very far away tomorrow. The previous events had been very taxing for her, and as she walked back to the bedroom, she knew that the rest of her night would be full of welcomed sleep.
-----------------
"What took you so long?"
Yuna blinked and then blushed, realizing she had left Tidus in the room over an hour ago for a glass of water. "Oh...right. Sorry. Gatta called on the communicator..."
"Ah. What's up with him?"
Yuna sighed and plopped down on the bed next to him. "He wanted to talk to Weston."
With a yawn, Tidus wrapped an arm around Yuna's shoulders. "What'd they talk about?"
"Something about forming a group of soldiers to go behind the Yevonites' battle line...to gather information before we plan an attack."
"Ah." In all honesty, battle planning of any form was the farthest thing on Tidus' mind.
"Gatta wants Weston to lead them..."
"Isn't what they want to do dangerous?"
Yuna sighed once more and nodded, turning her head. "Very, if things go wrong. That's why Weston's going to spend quite some time training the group. Gatta's going to hand pick nine men for Weston to train. He's bringing them to the Crusader outpost tomorrow. Rikku's also coming because she's got something to show Weston."
Tidus landed a small kiss to Yuna's cheek. "Sounds...fun. What's your take on all of this?"
"I really don't have a 'take' on it...I'd prefer if they didn't have to do something like this...but if they pull it off, we can have an advantage."
Tidus yawned once more and leaned his forehead against hers. "Come on. You think it's a bad idea, don't you?"
Yuna's cheeks flushed at Tidus' easy reading of her. "Yes. I feel that...if they do this, they're going to die. We've had enough death in this war."
Tidus brought up a thumb and gently caressed his love's cheek. "Sadly, I don't think that the death is over with. But just think of the peace that'll come when it -is- over. Try to focus on that, ok?"
She heaved a shaky sigh and shook her head. "I can't...now that we know who Nyka really is...I feel as if we could've stopped him back on my pilgrimage. If I had just sent him then, this would've never happened. I don't...like having to see the world in pain."
With a smile, he gently brushed a few hairs from her face. "Yuna, the world isn't in pain. The world is slowly being pushed together with this war. You've seen how together your followers are...they're all supporting you, and they'll put up with this war because they believe in you. It's not pain they feel. It's duty, honor, and loyalty."
"Are you sure?"
He smiled warmly and pressed a light kiss to her lips. "They love you almost as much as -I- love you. That's a humongous sum, let me tell ya."
Yuna smiled and started a kiss of her own. "I love you, too. Want to get some sleep?"
"Might just need some of that." With that said, he laid back into the bed, Yuna following suit. He shut his eyes for a moment, but then turned towards her. "You know..."
"Hmm?"
"Sometimes I feel guilty for not helping out Gatta and Weston and the rest of the Crusaders."
Yuna didn't even bother opening her eyes to respond. "End of discussion."
-----------------
"I've never been inside here before."
"Not many people have." I tilted my head at Eimour and smiled. "It's not a place people actually want to come to, really." I pointed a finger at the window, which had a clear view of the obstacle course. "They train soldiers here. Not exactly a tourist attraction."
"I understand," she said, admiring some of the plaques on the wall. "Whose are these?"
"Those are Gatta's. This room is his office. He told me to make out a tentative equipment list before he came." I finally found some paper to write on. I quickly scribbled down my 'list.' It really wasn't a list because all I had on there was "Ten knives, ten non-magnetic handguns, and ten hip satchels. The rest would come after the squad was trained.
"He's...very high up in the Crusaders, isn't he?"
"He's the commander of the entire army, dear. Gatta's the top man. He answers only to Yuna."
"Wow...and you're friends with him?"
"I guess you could call us that. More like fellow soldiers, really. We get along, if that's what you mean."
"It's still amazing that you...do you have any rank in the Crusaders?"
I shook my head. "I'm...technically an 'advisor' to Gatta, meaning I offer advice..."
"And help in battle."
"Right."
"Shouldn't you at least join the Crusaders?" she asked, making eye contact with me. "Then, you could say you're actually apart of Yuna's army..."
I smiled. "If this behind the lines training works out, I will be given a rank. The official rank, as far as Crusader ranks go, is 'Conscript Officer Level Three.' Translated, that means I was 'drafted' into the Crusaders rather than volunteering. I didn't really want to become affiliated with them, but if I want to lead this, I'll have to. Therefore, I'm conscripted...and I'm an Officer Level Three, which translates into 'Squad Leader.'... I'm boring you. Sorry."
Eimour shook her head. "No, it's...interesting. I didn't know so much organization went into it."
"Without organization, an army will crumble. I find it all convoluted...but it's still needed." I shrugged and added, "I'm done, so if you wanna follow me to the training area..."
She smiled. "I do. I find this really interesting."
"At least you're not bored..."
We made our way outside to the training area. The obstacle course seemed to really enthrall Eimour. I had to tear her away from it when I saw the small airship approaching. The airship was Al Bhed, its small black frame littered in red and gold tribal patterns. I had learned from Gatta that most of the Al Bhed's technology was reverse-engineered from salvaged machina that predated the Sin era. If the Al Bhed's technology really was ancient, it certainly still worked very well.
The airship touched down and out popped Rikku, bubbly as ever.
"Weston! I've got the -coolest- thing to show you. I think you'll like it."
I laughed. "Then show me." I turned my head and eyed Eimour. She nodded and smiled, urging me on with a shooing hand gesture.
Rikku ran back into the ship and I followed. When I stepped into the airship's doorway, she nearly ran me over. However, she kept her balance though and blinked up at me. "Oh, I thought you were going to stay back there."
"You had me excited."
She smiled at this and then lead me back outside. I never got a chance to even see where Gatta was in the ship. I did hear men's voices coming from within, though, and I was glad that they were at least being chatty.
Rikku led me to a wooden bench near the obstacle course. She set a medium-sized hard-shell black case onto it. After piddling with two side locks, the top of the case popped up only to reveal a yellow foam type material. A growl came from her and I simply looked on, smiling.
"This lining -never- stays in the lid! Ugh!"
"Ever thought of glue?" I asked her.
Her cheeks flushed. "..."
"I'll take that as a no."
After a few more moments she got the top half of the inner foam container to lift up. Under it was what I thought was a Heckler and Koch G36...but it wasn't.
It was in pristine condition, not a single scratch or speck of dirt blemishing its dull olive green body. Well most of it was green. The barrel end was segmented, obviously to disperse muzzle flashes. Under the forward section of the weapon was a black padded grip complete with a non-slip ribbed surface. This weapon had a simple magazine catch, with the release under its trigger guard. The magazine itself was a semi-transparent and looked to hold about thirty rounds. I couldn't quite tell what the caliber of the weapon was since the magazine was empty. Guess I'd have to find out about that later.
The trigger was simple looking and the fire-rate selector above it looked very much like one found on an HK MP5 submachine gun. It was round with a thumb-stem and had a white line that lined up with three red-lettered modes: Single, Burst, and Auto. Above the trigger was a bolt that was inside of the plastic outer covering. This probably made the weapon very adaptable to multiple climates. Maybe even made it water proof...
The butte was accented in a black pad that looked as if it didn't cut down on recoil at all, and a black, upward-incline shaped cheek pad was on top of the stock. On top of the next section was a sight that looked a lot like a red-dot scope. Below it was a marking that really struck me as odd. It read "M8, property of United States Military, manufactured by Heckler and Koch Inc. in Columbus, Georgia."
"M8?" I asked aloud.
"That's what it says. It also says it was made in that United States place you claim to come from."
I looked to Rikku. "Where did you find this?"
"Bottom of the sea, near Bikanel. There were about two crates of this weapon just sitting there."
"How many in total?"
She put her finger to her chin. "About twenty four. There are four different types of it, I think. Four have a long barrel, another four has a very short barrel and stock, and yet another four have this big drum where the clip should go. The rest look just like the one here."
"Hmm. So there's the carbine, light-carbine, sharpshooter, and machine gun model. Wow, versatile."
"When Gatta took a look at them, he thought they'd be perfect for what you have to do."
"Yes they would. Was there any ammo in those crates?"
She nodded. "Just a few boxes. I've already got a team of engineers working on reproducing them."
I smiled. "Excellent."
With that, I picked up the weapon. It was very lightweight and fitted perfectly in my aiming stance. It was only slightly longer than an M4 and weighed at least two pounds less. Everything from the breech arm to the magazine release was ambidextrous. It was, simply put, an amazing weapon to hold. Its over all grade, though, would depend on how well it performed in a live firing test. That'd have to come later.
I put the weapon back in its case. "Can I keep it?" I asked her.
"Of course. Here." She reached into a sack and handed me a heavy box of ammunition. "This is the ammo that was in the crates."
The box she handed me simply read "Winchester 5.56mm" which I took to mean that the M8 used the 5.56 caliber shell used by most assault rifles. Still, the firing test would have to come much later. It was time to meet my men.
-----------------
Gatta sighed and walked out of the small airship, hands on his hips.
"You going to drool over that weapon all day?" he asked.
Weston turned around, laughing. "That depends on if these men of yours are worth my attention."
"Let's hope they are. Fellows, file out."
Gatta shuffled off to Weston's side and watched his handpicked group of Crusaders file out of the aircraft.
Every one of them donned the standard navy blue Crusader uniform, minus the helmets. Gatta had never liked the helmet the average Crusader grunt wore, much preferring the now defunct Chocobo Corps' armor. On each of the men's right hip was a sheath and across their chest was one of the newest editions to the Crusader uniform: a pistol holster. The men were without their weapons, as Weston had requested. Gatta had no clue as to why, but he figured that Weston knew what he was doing.
"So these are your best men?" Weston asked, eyes squinting as he looked at the men standing in a line.
Gatta nodded. "Yeah."
"What the hell is Chappu doing in this group?" asked Weston, a growl in his voice as he pointed to the red-haired man.
This upfront question, for some odd reason, made Gatta shrink back a bit. He gathered himself and firmed his voice. "He took down my entire police patrol upon arrival. It seems he was angry about something." At that, Chappu's eyes flared and, for a moment, he stepped forward. Gatta saw Weston shake his head at the man and Chappu only seemed to get angrier. The man next to Chappu, a tall brown-haired man known only as Nooj put his hand on Chappu's shoulder. This didn't seem to calm the young man, but the grip must've been firm. Chappu couldn't move.
Gatta sighed and nodded. "He volunteered for the most dangerous post I had. I gave him this one. He certainly proved himself after taking out my guards."
Weston only hmmed and frowned. "I don't know. He's a wild card. A stealth squad requires discipline and teamwork, not a hot-headed child."
Chappu roared in anger and finally slipped out from underneath Nooj's grip. Gatta stepped in front of Weston, but he only shrugged him to the side. Weston took the full force of Chappu's lunge and turned it on him. Chappu was on the ground in the blink of an eye.
Weston sighed. "Chappu, if you want to be a part of this outfit, you'll have to not only calm down, but you'll also have to learn how to properly attack a man."
Gatta only heard Chappu grunt. Weston picked Chappu up and pushed him back towards the line. None of the other soldiers, Nooj included, tried to help Chappu back into line. The young man only fumbled backwards and stood his ground in front of the line.
Weston only stood there, staring at Chappu. Gatta knew exactly what was going on, of course. The two men obviously had a bad spot in their past and Chappu had yet to get over it. Gatta laughed aloud.
Both Weston and Chappu looked to Gatta.
"Somethin' funny?" Chappu asked.
Gatta nodded. "Weston must've really given you a beating in the past."
"I did." Weston said, voice devoid of emotion.
The other men in the group chuckled under their breath.
"Look," Weston started. "You have two choices, Chappu. Either you behave and deal with the fact that I will be leading you, or you can leave. But if its danger you want, you're in the right group of soldiers. Besides, you still have that chance at a rematch, just after this squad is done with its job. What will it be?"
Chappu growled and squinted his eyes, but said nothing. After a moment or two, he sighed and hit his fists together. He quietly slipped back into line.
-----------------
And just like that, Chappu was eating out of my hand...for the time being.
The men didn't really look all that special. Of course, that meant absolutely nothing. They could've all been horribly disfigured but still be great soldiers.
I walked along the line of men...until I got to the women. Yes. That's right. Women. While I've got nothing against women being soldiers, I was curious as to how women got into the Crusaders. I turned to Gatta.
"Women?"
Gatta laughed. "The Crusaders are not male only."
"Ah...surprising."
I turned back to the two women and shrugged, moving on down the line. Nothing particularly special about them. Of course not...what was I thinking. I didn't even know who they were yet. I stepped back, far enough to see most of them in one glance and said in a shrill voice, "Sound off."
They just stood there. I repeated my statement. The soldiers started looking at each other confused.
Gatta was laughing his ass off. "What does 'Sound off' mean, Weston? I've never heard it and I doubt they have either."
I grunted. "Ok, soldiers, here's what sound off means. It means each one of you will step forward, give me your name, age, rank, and your background, battle experiences, area of expertise, etc. Got it?"
They looked at each other and shrugged. I don't think so.
"Got it?!" I yelled.
That got their attention. They nodded. Sheesh.
"Say 'Yes, sir,' okay guys and gals?"
They said, in unison, 'Yes, sir' even though I knew they didn't really want to.
I pointed to Chappu on the right end of the line. He stepped forward, clicked a heel, and yelled, "Chappu. Corporal. Battle experience...not so good. I did get a few licks on you though."
I laughed. "Yeah, yeah."
I pointed to the tall, pony tailed man next to Chappu. He stepped forward. "Nooj. Corporal. Participated in Luca Offensive. I'm good at shooting people, sir."
The line laughed. I did as well. "Very well." I said, noting that Chappu and Nooj were going to be two of the four assaulters in the squad.
Nooj stepped back and without me pointing, the next man stepped forward, a rather short individual with blonde hair and a medium build.
"Klodre. Rank of Scout. Former locksmith and hunter in Kilika. I fought in Kilika and Luca. I've got a knack for spotting traps and game, and I can pick locks."
"Excellent," I responded. Klodre would be the squad's Counter- Defensive man. In other words, he'd sneak ahead of the party and spot targets as well as traps and pick locks when necessary. The next man stepped forward. Er...woman, I should say. She was about five foot four inches tall and looked very muscular, even through the baggy uniform. She had short brown hair.
"Acua. Rank of Scout. I was a Luca Goer before joining the Crusaders after the Kilika battle. I've been told I'm a good shot with the Al Bhed's new machina weapon. I fought in Luca."
"Luca goer?" I asked her.
"I was a Blitzer."
"Ah." Acua would more than likely end up being the squad's sniper, but I could use her for recon if needed. She stepped back and the other woman stepped forward, a tall blonde that looked rather out of place. She had a ponytail and wore a uniform that looked way too baggy for her.
"Joli. Rank undefined. I'm an Al Bhed. I was a Missile Maker for the Al Bhed's airships until I was sent to Kilika for trade purposes. While I was there, the Kilika battle broke out and I decided to join the Crusaders. I first fought during the Luca Offensive and helped secure the marketplace. I've been a mechanic most of my life and I especially like making things that go boom."
"Wonderful." Joli would be an explosives person. If they were needed, that is. If not, she could hold her own with a rifle, I imagined. The man next to her stepped forward. He was probably five-seven and looked fairly strong, especially in his forearms.
"Fedra. Rank undefined. I, too, am Al Bhed. I've been working on Airships ever since the Calm started and just before this war broke out, I started assisting Joli with Missile production. I was drafted into the Al Bhed army just before the Luca Offensive. I fought in Luca and then joined the Crusaders."
"Why? The Al Bhed Army is just as good."
"I like the Crusader uniforms better."
The rest of the soldiers laughed. I only smirked. I had my mechanic, and if he was any good, an explosives person too. He stepped back and a man no larger than five feet tall stepped forward. He was muscular, though.
"Iddio. Rank of Healer. I was a Summoner, but my pilgrimage stopped shortly after Yuna defeated Sin. I still wanted to help, so I joined the Crusaders and I've been a healer for them during Kilika and Luca. I have little battle experience, but I can heal."
I nodded. "Good." A medic. He stepped back, the man stepping up looking a lot older than the soldiers around him. He was tall, muscular, had graying hair, and a very rough look about his face. A scar ran from across his nose to the left corner of his mouth.
"Narr. Rank of Officer Level One. I was a bouncer at a bar in Luca during Sin Time. When Lord Braska started his pilgrimage, I joined the Crusaders. I've been a Crusader since then. I had almost retired when the Kilika battle broke out. I participated in the Luca offensive. Not to brag, but I have a body count of thirty four from that battle."
Klodre laughed. "Yeah, Narr took out a whole building of Yevonites."
I cocked an eyebrow. Narr would definitely be an assaulter, probably point man.
Narr smirked a little bit and stepped back once his smug spell wore off. The last man, who was around five-six, stepped forward.
"Nonu. Rank of Corporal. Before joining the Crusaders, I was a technician at Luca Stadium. I helped set up the communicator network during the Luca battle. I fought in Kilika, too."
I nodded. "Well, thank you for that. I think I have an idea for what your jobs are going to be."
The man named Nonu raised his hand. "Yes," I asked.
"Sir, when do we get to go into battle."
I smiled. "I've got to train you first."
"But we're soldiers already," Acua protested.
I shook my head. "You're not properly trained for behind-the-lines operations, yet, though. That's what I'm going to do."
Nonu sighed. "So when do we get to train?"
I pulled my pistol from my pants' pocket and shot into the air. "Right now."
-----------------
Narr had never seen such arrogance. The overgrown sprout with the Al Bhed pistol had shot into the air and then chased the group of soldiers straight to the obstacle course, running right behind them the entire time, voice growling at them all the way. At the end of the course, he showed them the proper hand signals to use and then instructed them to talk to him using only those signals. Whenever someone messed up, Chappu especially, he ran them through the course again.
Four hours later, they knew the signals right and left. The signals themselves were simple. A fist meant 'hold position,' a fist turned into an open hand meant go. The index finger was used to point to things. If you saw an enemy, you'd put your middle and index fingers under your eyes and then, with a show of fingers, mime out the number of targets seen. If you only heard something, you'd cup your ear and, depending on what you heard, you'd make different hand signals, ie, if you heard a gun shot, you'd cup your ear then make a 'trigger pull' movement with your index finger. If you heard footsteps, you'd cup your ear, wiggle your middle and index fingers back and forth and then point in the direction your heard the steps.
Narr knew they were simple, he had learned them fairly quickly...but the way the sprout taught them to him was less than respectable. But the signals were only the beginning. After that, he separated the group into "teams." Those teams each had a different name. He put Narr, Nooj, Chappu, and himself in the Assaulter team. Fedra and Joli, both Al Bhed, were put into the "Explosives" team. Klodre and Acua were placed into the "Recon" team and Nonu joined up with Iddio for the "Support" team.
The teams were each given a card with funny markings. The assaulters were given what the sprout for a leader called King of Diamonds. The explosives team was given King of Hearts. Recon was given King of Spades and Support was given King of Clubs. Whatever those were.
Narr's team was blindfolded and taken somewhere. When their eyes were uncovered...they were...in the middle of a dense jungle. Wonderful. Narr had sort of expected this. Some sort of test to see if they could do their job properly.
Chappu was the first to speak. "What the..."
Nooj shrugged. "It's a test I'm guessing."
Narr nodded. "I know. We've all got pistols, too."
The other two men looked to their chest holsters. Sure enough, the team had pistols.
"Now what are we supposed to do?" Chappu asked.
Nooj bit his lower lip in thought while Narr already knew the first objective. "We gotta find out where we are."
The younger men blinked and then nodded. Narr continued. "That would help us out a great deal. I know we were taken somewhere in an airship cuz' it felt like it. So we ain't in Besaid anymore. We need to find our way through this jungle and find some landmarks."
Nooj and Chappu both nodded, instantly accepting the older man's advice. Narr liked that. Besides, he outranked them.
"Ok, so we gotta get a sense of direction...I say we go whatever way the wind goes."
This got some attention. Nooj titled his head. "Why?"
Narr shrugged. "Just a suggestion."
Chappu shook his head. "No. Let's just head towards the direction with the most light.
Nooj sighed. "The sun's about to go down, Chappu. That's not going to work for very long."
"But if we're near a settlement, the lights from it will guide us."
"If we can even see 'em," Narr said.
"True," agreed Nooj.
"Off we go, then?" Chappu asked with a smile.
Narr and Nooj grunted, but nodded and followed Chappu.
-----------------
The explosives team was dropped somewhere in Macalania Woods. The only instructions they had received were "Bomb the old Rin's Outpost on the outskirts of the woods."
They had no explosives, no weapons, nothing but their uniforms and that silly looking card their squad leader had given them. Still, they knew this was some form of test and made quick work of the woods. When they made it to the outpost, they saw a uniformed Crusader airship pilot standing along side a carrier ship.
He walked up to them and smiled. "Congrats, you just bombed the outpost. Can I see your card?"
Fedra and Joli were both rather confused. They hadn't done anything but made it to the outpost. "Is that is?" asked Fedra.
The pilot laughed. "Yeah. That's just about all you have to do. Make it to the place you gotta bomb. I am wondering how you got past the obstacles so quickly."
Joli blinked. "What obstacles?"
The pilot shook his head. "Which way did you go to make it here?"
"The longest way, of course." Fedra replied. "Taking the shortest route is always the stupid thing to do."
The pilot blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, I think you guys have passed."
They all laughed and boarded the airship.
-----------------
The Recon and Support group had been dropped together somewhere near Kilika temple. Their instructions? Link up with the "injured" assault team in Kilika jungle. Klodre knew exactly what this was testing. Tracking and healing abilities. The recon team would have to track the movement of the assault team and the support team would have to heal the injuries and then radio back to Besaid for an airship. Klodre had to admit, this form of training was rather fun.
Acua held up a fist almost immediately upon being on the ground. Already she had heard something. She turned to the other men and cupped her ear, following with a mimed scream. Klodre nodded and waved the support team to stop and be quiet. They did.
After a few minutes, Acua opened her palm and started to inch forward, Klodre, Iddio, and Nonu following in suit. They made their way into the jungle, following a path that looked freshly cut. Klodre saw something. He tapped Acua's shoulder and then held up a fist. Acua and the others stopped. Klodre moved to the front and began moving forward, motioning for the others to follow.
The former hunter had just found something to track. Three sets of boot prints, one of the six prints showing a hint of blood near the toe. There was the healing part. Now if they could just keep up with the assault team. With an injured person, he guessed they wouldn't be moving too fast. Still, he had his doubts.
Acua stopped him and pointed off to the side. There lay a wooden spike, half soaked in blood. Obviously, one of the assaulters had fallen prey to a trap...just as was planned, thought Klodre. He inspected the area and found a couple more of the spikes, buried beneath the sand of the path.
"Not a nice path." Acua whispered.
Klodre nodded. "These other traps were disarmed. The assaulters aren't that dumb after all."
Acua smirked. "One of them is."
The rest of the group smirked and continued onward. Soon, the jungle gave way and there stood Kilika. In the dying sunlight, the town had an eerie presence. Its wooden piers were lined with torches, the flames flickering to and fro. The group spread out, the support team behind the recon team.
They cautiously walked into an almost dead town. Some people were looking at them from outside their homes, but no direct contact with the villagers was made.
A few minutes later, and they found the assaulters near the chief trade ship pier. Chappu had apparently been the victim of a trap and the other two men had helped him along on the journey to the town. The other two had also been smart enough to check for traps. Klodre just had to laugh. Acua did as well. Iddio simply walked up to Chappu and poured a small potion onto the wound in his foot. The wound soon shrank to nothing and Chappu was back up on his feet.
Klodre nodded to Nonu and Nonu then made the call on the communicator. Within minutes an airship was at the docks. Inside was Gatta.
"Congrats, guys, you've passed."
"Passed what?" Chappu asked angrily. "All I did was get a hole in my foot."
Gatta laughed. "Weston will show you how to disarm traps."
"Don't bother. Old man and Nooj already showed me...while laughing their asses off."
Narr and Nooj began "laughing their asses off" again and the laugh migrated through all of the soldiers before Gatta said, "Alright, let's go. Time to head home."
A few cheers from the soldiers and about fifteen minutes later, they were touching ground near the Crusader outpost in Besaid. Weston walked up to the ship smiling widely. As the teams got off of the ship, he congratulated each of them on a job well done.
Klodre asked, "Where's the Explosives team?"
Weston laughed. "They finished way ahead of time and are now in the bunks getting some rest. You are all allowed to do the same. I'll see you guys tomorrow after lunch time."
The soldiers lumbered off to their barracks and Weston turned to Gatta.
"They're fine soldiers, I'll give you that."
"Thanks. I picked the best I have."
Weston smiled. "Thanks for doing this." At that, he headed back towards his cabin, Gatta entering the airship, headed back to the foot of Mount Gagazet.
-----------------
Yeah, I was tired. Yeah, I was a tad late. Well, tad wasn't really the word. I wasn't expecting Eimour to even be up. But there she was, sitting at the kitchen table. I walked in, sighed, and plopped down at the table.
"What took you so long?" she asked almost immediately.
I shrugged. "Went ahead and tested the men that are going to be under my command for the new special operations unit."
Emmy frowned, obviously not happy with that subject. She dodged it with, "What about that new weapon?"
I cocked an eyebrow at her subjected change, but shook it off and smiled. "It was excellent. It's going to really help the operation out. Get this...it's from the United States. Rikku just about had a heart attack. I told 'em that the United States existed! Now they know."
At this, she kinda tilted her head. "How...could you tell?"
I smirked and responded, "It said 'Produced for the United States Army' right under its stock. It was -so- plainly stated. Quite entertaining."
"You -would- find that entertaining, wouldn't you?" she said, shaking her head and laughing.
I grinned. "Hey, who do you think you're talking to? Of course I would!"
She sighed and smiled warmly. "Thought so." At that, she turned and began walking back to the kitchen. But something about her walk was odd...almost like she was having a hard time walking away. I felt something was up. I was about to get up and go to her when she turned and faced me, her face scrunched in thought.
"Do you want something to eat? The kitchen isn't 'closed' quite yet."
I knew something wasn't right then. Her words were hurried, as if trying to come out as fast as possible...almost as if she was out of breath.
Something was wrong as I was going to find out what it was. I got up and yawned, a nervous tick of mine that shows up in odd situations. I made my way to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You ok?"
"O...of course I am. Do you want something to eat?"
I smiled. "You're repeating yourself. Did -you- eat tonight?"
She nodded in defense. "Of course. I fixed Gary dinner tonight."
"That's not what I'm asking. Did you fix -yourself- something?"
Her eyes refused to meet mine. "Of course. Now what do you want?"
"You haven't eaten have you?"
Still, no answer. I sighed. "Don't worry about me, Emmy, I'll just fix a sandwich. You need to be in the bed."
"Don't be silly," she said, waving a hand. "I'll fix you something. Now go. Sit."
I thought about that for a moment, and then shook my head. I grabbed a loaf of bread from the counter and snatched a pieced of wrapped meat from the cooling chest. "Make me and I'll think about it!" I said, sticking my tongue out.
Apparently, she didn't feel like playing. She grabbed a chair, turned it a certain way, and then shoved me into it in the blink of an eye. Honestly, she'd make one hell of a soldier...well maybe not.
So I'm caught off balance. Nothing to be ashamed of. Really. The next part, when I hit the chair and don't think to stop myself, is when you can start laughing. Gravity takes hold and I flop back, the bread and meat flying into the air and...luckily landing on the eating table.
I heard her laughing. "Told you so. Now what do you want?"
I growled, got up on one knee, and then jumped her. Gently, of course. She fell, my arms cradling her from any hard impact, and I put my nose to hers. "Got. You." I said, grinning.
She only stared at me, blushing like mad. Oopsie, had I gone too far? Then, it hit me...the blush...yeah. I knew what it meant and the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I quickly stood back up and started apologizing. I don't even remember what exactly I was saying. My cheeks had to have been bright red, even through my stubble.
Emmy slowly began to rise from the floor, brushing herself off. She smiled warmly at me and said, "It's...it's perfectly okay. No harm done."
But I still wasn't really ready to face that smile of hers. I was too embarrassed at the thoughts that had crossed my own mind. I turned away from her, mumbling under my breath. I shoved my hands into my pockets and stared out of the window at the sea.
"I wouldn't mind that sandwich...you shouldn't be up this late...and you certainly shouldn't be fixing me something...you need to be in bed."
"I don't mind," she replied. "I...feel better when I know you've made it home safe."
I sighed and glanced at her from the corner of my eye. "I feel better knowing you're here, safe, while I'm out there soldering. It's...nice to have someone to come home to. Loneliness, it's said, is more dangerous than any bullet ever made."
Emmy's cheeks reddened. This was certainly starting to get tense... "I...made some mistakes thanks to loneliness." I saw her then eye the room Gary was sleeping in. "But not all of them have turned out horribly."
I smiled. "Mistakes are a double edged sword. Most of them happen for a reason, though, and I think in your case, as you say, it turned out rather well. At least Gary got most of -your- traits. I still want to strangle that bastard that did that to you. Even if it yielded a beautiful child, emotionally it was just wrong."
I sighed, smile fading. "Sometimes I feel as if I'm fighting for morals that are obsolete. Be the hero, get the girl, defeat the monster, save the world. When I was growing up, that's what I always wanted to do. But now that I've had the chance to be a hero, I see the isolation of it and I really question my choice for a career."
Her eyes moved to me. "So are you saying you don't think you'll get the girl? Or that you regret ever starting down that path?"
I sighed once more. "What...what girl is there to get? Girls never liked me before I was a soldier; they -really- hated me after I became a soldier. Now I'm a man and what have I got to show for it? I've never even romantically kissed anyone. It's pathetic. Why try for that path when it's hopeless in the first place? I dunno...there are times when I think I've got some hope...but...then I see what I do and how I do it on the battlefields and I think to myself, 'How can she ever love a killer like me? How could I give my heart to her when I don't have a heart to give?'"
I saw her shoulders slump, and I had realized I had been too honest, too blunt with her. Her eyes seemed to glaze over and all she said was "Oh..."
Crap. She sighed. "If that's how you feel..." and in a voice almost too low for me to hear added, "but I feel you're making a mistake..."
I sighed and sat back down, ready to make a whispered statement of my own. "I guess...I guess I just know how to..." I said, full voiced. I then added, very softly, "how to deal with these new feelings..."
That got her attention. Her head perked up and she briefly caught my gaze before lowering hers to the floor. A rueful smile came across her face. "It's getting kind of awkward, isn't it?"
I laughed uneasily. "Awkward? I think we passed that the first day I woke up in your apartment." He laughs. "Awkward is long over. Tense is more like it."
She smirked, shaking her head. "How about 'uncomfortable?' That sounds a bit more like it." Then she giggled, probably at the absurdity of our conversation.
"Hmm. Well...if it really is that uncomfortable, I can go see if they've got room for another soldier at the barracks."
Emmy shook her head, almost violently. "No! Er...I mean, if anyone, it should be Gary and I who leave. This -is- your house, after all."
I shook my head. "Nah, I don't think you two should leave. This would be a perfect house for you guys. I hate to keep intruding. I can build houses, you know. I built this one. If you want, I could build you a really nice house, big and plenty of room for toys for Gary. I'm going to make sure you guys never have to worry about money again."
She smiled. "Thanks, but," and she looked upwards, indicating the small cabin, "this is home. And...you're a part of it. I don't think I'd feel right living here without you."
Wow...I was kind of shocked...but I honestly felt the exact same way about her and Gary. I could only smile to that. I stood up, too. My arms crossed as I thought about the situation.
"Well, I think I might be able to stay, but we really need to do something about this 'uncomfortableness', ya know. Any ideas?"
She stepped forward, cheeks flushing. "I...I have a few..." And with that...she leaned upwards and pressed her lips to my own.
To say I was surprised by the bold move would be an understatement. To say I didn't enjoy the kiss would be flat out wrong. I just couldn't help myself. I was grinning from ear to ear. But I wasn't going to let her win at this game.
I leaned forward, rested one hand on her hip and the other on the back of her head. I dipped her forward and gave her the best and deepest damn kiss I could muster.
At last...I was whole. I had my purpose. And nothing, not a damned war or Nyka himself was going to keep me from coming back to Emmy. Not a damned thing.
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A/N: Yeah, yeah. It took a little while. But look at all those lovely words! Just over 9500 of them! How about that? :P Oh, and I've broken the 140,000 word mark. Whee. Dang this fic is too long :P
Been busy, but I got some inspiration and I was finally able to work out some details with Weston's squad. Go me.
The "thank you"s:
Thanks to Jave for pointing out the HK "XM8" Assault Rifle, currently in field tests to replace the M4 as the Armed Forces' main assault weapon. It's a beautiful gun. (- carbines/xm8.html)
Thanks to Shad-chan for sticking it out with me and betaing this behemoth, as well as offering lovely advice. I just keep rushing that Weston/Eimour fluff! Shame on me!
Thanks to Artemis for making the last segment of this chapter happen. It wouldn't even be there if it weren't for her.
Thanks to the guys and gals at RPGclassics.com for digging AtS and offering it an alternate home (should be up soon, at least that's what the mods tell me ^_~)
Thanks to the readers for sticking with me and my late as ever chapters. Hey, here I am at 1:30 in the morning posting this thing when I'm supposed to be getting up early and going to class today :P I even wrote on this with a research paper due tomorrow. Who loves you guys? I do. Keep reading ^__^ Not long to go, now. Just a few more chapters.
~No 0ne