"Well, I can't say I share your confidence in such a scheme…"
As soon as the agreement was made between Gaius and Valens, the former would talk of his plans to the flame general. Estinien and Milisandia followed, and soon the three of them had Raubahn's full attention in the conference hall. He listened with intrigue, but his gaze remained full of doubt and questioning. He saw it as a very daring and somewhat unplanned decision, something Gaius could understand, but it was no reason for them to change the course.
"Yet it's the exact opportunity we needed." - Gaius retorted with confidence, making it clear to Raubahn that he was not going to go back on this decision.
"And is it worth it?"
"Valens would be brought to justice and his last weapon destroyed. I will free my sons, and the Alliance will have one less threat on their radar in the face of Fandaniel's chaos."
"If it works…"
"Is that doubt I see?" - Gaius looked at the wounded general, whose once ravaging fires were fainting. "I have been told that in the face of my ultimatum back in Ul'Dah, you were the one who urged others to fight even when the seedseer and Grand Admiral were on the brink of laying down their arms. The odds have been stacked against you, and yet you were still willing to face them."
As Raubahn heard this encouragement, a spark glimmered in his eyes, followed by a proud smile he carried before entering a battle. That's how Gaius remembered the flame general, and he knew that no defeat, struggle, or injury would be able to lay him low, the same way it would not extinguish Gaius's fire.
"You've got a good bloody memory." - Raubahn got up as he was slightly shaking due to his scars. The general leaned on his table and looked at his allies with faith. "We aren't the ones to flinch in the face of doomsday, never have been. If you want to seize the opportunity, then you have my full support." - He declared with confidence. "I take it you expect the halls to be emptied?"
"More or less." - Milisandia responded. "Father asked to see as many soldiers as possible, and Valens wouldn't miss on the opportunity to humiliate us with a myriad of spectators."
"He's also getting desperate." - Estinien added. "I am sure he doesn't want to risk his last weapon, especially with all the towers, hence any attempts at communication. If I disable it, he will have nothing up his sleeve."
"We will need a small airship to get there." - Gaius proposed. "I can't promise it returning in one piece, so there is that. And speaking of your spies, has there been any progress in discerning the layout of their base?"
"You'll have the airship ready in a few hours. As for the layout…Some have charted the way to the lab, which is presumably where the Diamond Weapon will be held. From what they have reported, the shortest way to get there infected is through the eastern slums."
"That will do." - Gaius looked at Estinien; the dragoon sighed and nodded.
"Well, I did sign up for it."
Moments before he finished speaking, the doors opened with Valdeaulin and Fordola entering the room.
"I have heard there's another insane operation in the planning." - The elezen looked at Gaius with loyal eyes. "Couldn't miss that, could I?"
"I'll go too." - Fordola claimed. "Estinien will need help, and that won't be the first weapon I helped to crush."
"Thank you both; I appreciate it." - Gaius said with pride. "You will help Estinien during infiltration while Milisandia and I will go through with the agreement. I don't know what he wants to do with us immediately upon arrival…But we'll try to buy some time."
It seems that they have gathered an impressive squad here; for a moment, Gaius felt premature confidence once again but swiftly pulled himself back to reality.
It was the time for final preparations.
…
"It's all patched up, ready to fly."
The moment Garlond established the necessary communications between the Ruby Weapon and himself, Nero activated the engine, pushing the Ultima up into the sky. Cid made sure to repair any minor damage that the weapon might have suffered in preparation for what could have become its most crucial task, attacking the tower. Nero was happy to oblige; he would never refuse an opportunity to see one of his theories be proven correct, especially before Garlond.
Speaking of opportunities, Nero came to see the merit of Gaius's plan. If it was to be an executioner professionally, this might spell out an end for Valens. Nero's only regret that stung in his eager heart was that using the weapon itself was out of the question. The engineer understood why this was, but the thought of sitting on the sidelines while his arrogant failure of a protege is losing what little he still had did not sit right with him. But alas, there was also a matter of Gaius's family. Seeing him struggle to fight for them, telling him about his perished son, seeing what oversoul has done to his daughter…And now, the torture Valens inflicted on the remaining two was clear. Perhaps for their sake, he could accept not interfering just this one time.
"You're approaching the tempering zone. Fly in, but by the gods, be careful." - Garlond's nagging immediately pulled Nero out of his state of surprising humility.
"Thanks for reminding me of the plan we discussed a few minutes; I appreciate the devotion, Garlond." - He snarked before slowly moving the weapon forward.
"Considering it's you I have to deal with, be thankful it's not every few seconds..." - Garlond closely followed Nero's advance. Nero wouldn't admit to it, but he couldn't shake off the unease as he approached the tower in the Ruby Weapon. What if the crystals wouldn't work as intended? What if Milisandia was wrong or was lied to by other engineers? As Nero flew closer, he felt his head aching, though he couldn't tell whether this was the tower's influence or that of his own mind.
"If I get tempered, bury me in Mor Dhona. I like that place; the scenery is quite awing."
"If you get tempered while inside that thing, it will be you who'll have to bury all of us."
"No, that's out of the question. Have you seen the tempered scouts? They can't even walk without looking like corpses. Some complicated procedures would be too much for their mind. Maybe I'll be too stupid to pilot the weapon, as well…" - This was the most horrifying aspect of a tempering prospect. Becoming an oaf and utter idiot whose only use is to become an attraction in some zoo. When Nero was absolutely certain that he had crossed the threshold, he gave in to his single deepest desire at that moment.
"GLORY BE TO GARLEMALD!" - The engineer shouted directly at the radio, creating a few moments of awkward silence between the two.
"No, that's too expressive." - Garlond said dismissively.
"Sorry, can't sound too much like a fool. But admit it, I got you for a moment."
"Not at all. Next time try to sound…Well, imagine it's midnight, and Valens has woken you up and now tries to explain why the magitek reaper has sunk in the nearby lake."
"You're a cruel man, making me remember this kind of horror…"
At least, the theory was proven right, and the weapon protected its pilot from tempering. Nero wondered if this would extend to someone outside but very close to the weapon, though he wouldn't want to test it. Now, the task was clear-to see what this thing was capable of. Judging from Fordola's report, the heart of the tower is at its top, which was where Nero was aiming.
Before he could rise high enough, however, the tower's top burned with purple flame. The garlean couldn't even blink, so fast was the emergence of a violet dragon that was flying above the city with Fandaniel. Bahamut, the recreation of the very same creature that scorched Eorzean land in the last calamity. Fandaniel must have been fond of this creature, considering his own desire for chaos.
"Here it is, just as Fordola described." - Cid said.
"Let's see if it's in any way a rival to the original!" - Nero smiled before unleashing the crimson rockets at the approaching Bahamut. The dragon swiftly evaded most of those, though the last two rockets were able to hit its essence and slowed the dragon down. Bahamut maintained a safe distance from Nero but immediately began to prepare for the next attack.
The spiral of aether has turned itself into a mighty blast just beside the Ruby Weapon. It hit the machine's side, though the armor deflected most of the damage. Nero swiftly pulled away and prepared a crimson ray. The moment it was unleashed, Bahamut evaded, and the energy struck the tower's edge. Its basis proved more resilient than Nero expected, but there were visible cracks emerging there. After destroying this dragon, this would be ripe for the taking.
"Try not to damage the tower much; there are prisoners and tempered in there."
"How timely, maybe you should pilot it if…"
Nero didn't finish talking as Bahamut unleashed another wave of flame from it. This time it has been split into numerous smaller blasts, each one of them charging into the weapon. Nero activated all of his shields. At first then, reflection maintained a perfect rate, but soon they began to weaken.
The engineer was swift with his counterattack; the weapon dashed forward and attempted to wound Bahamut with a hexiclaw, leaving scars on one of its wings. This wasn't enough to make the dragon fall as it retreated closer to the tower. This gave Nero an impression that the beast was weakened, and so he pressed on. The dragon seemed fragile and unable to destroy a single machine, a shameful recreation. Perhaps Fandaniel thought too much of himself and his plan? How would a lone rogue ascian be able to single-handedly end the world?
But the fight was not over yet. Bahamut charged at the Ruby Weapon, imbued by dark power. Seconds more, and it would pierce the weapon. Nero reacted faster than that, however, and soon the creature was caught in the hexiclaws. There was no time to waste; the garlean immediately activated the aether consumption protocol. In a moment, the energy will be drawn from this monster, and its pathetic existence will be over.
But he celebrated way too soon. The Bahamut unleashed a powerful aetheric wave, swiftly weakening the weapon's grasp and breaking free. Nero was surprised to have faced such resistance, forcing him to retreat. Bahamut let out a monstrous roar, only growing more powerful. The creature was brimming with rage, and it turned out to be a much stronger opponent than Nero anticipated.
"Return here. It's too dangerous!" - Cid commanded, and as much as Nero hated to admit it, this might have been the right course of action. He turned the weapon and retreated. Bahamut followed him for split seconds, but when Nero got far enough from the tower, the dragon would stop and return to his "post."
"So damn close…" - Nero's disappointment was immeasurable, but at least this was far from their last attempt. He landed the weapon and hastily got out of the cockpit. "I almost thought that dragon had no purpose other than posturing, but I can be wrong on a rare occasion…"
"Seems his nature doesn't allow him to leave the tower." - Nero heard a familiar gruff voice beside Garlond. As he got down, he noticed the Azure Dragoon standing by his colleague's side and watching his progress.
"Come to offer some expertise on slaying dragons?" - Nero wondered as he approached the two.
"He approached so quietly that even I was surprised!" - Garlond said with impression.
"Just to wish you two good luck with the towers." - Estinien said with a shade of warmth. "And to say that we are leaving."
"So eager to begin the mission?" - Nero asked.
"Well, yes, there's no time to waste. Me, Gaius, Milisandia, Valdeaulin, Fordola, we're all on it."
"So now's the time…" - Cid said with a tone of worry, but it got swiftly replaced with a spring of faith and confidence. "With a team like yours, I doubt Valens stands much of a chance."
"If you need me to "engage" or something, I will be on the line." - Nero hinted with pride.
"It might come to that, but that's the worst-case scenario."
"In any case…" - Nero pondered for a moment. "Good luck to all of you. Remind that idiot of his place."
Nero spoke from the heart as he wished them a resounding success. It was past time to finally turn the tide.
…
When Ricon was chained by VIIth's soldiers, the au ra believed that this was the end, and he was bound to accept it. Their machinations and attempts to break free were found out, and now there was no way to evade Valens's cruel schemes. Ricon's heart was cracking with fear, but he remembered the lessons his older brothers taught him. That even in the face of inevitability, he should stand tall and look them in the eyes with pride.
Ricon expected to suffer, but instead, he was tossed to a remote cell. For days he has not been visited by Valens or his servants except the few left to guard him. Ricon knew that Valens would focus on Rex, considering his prior defiance, and this thought horrified him. He didn't know if his brother was even alive and was powerless to do anything about it.
Eventually, in the face of all this uncertainty, Ricon fell asleep. He walked through a gateway to another, much more heavenly world. The one where after opening his eyes, Ricon would be met with Allie, running around excitedly and beckoning him to take a swim in the turbulent waters of Terncliff. Everyone was there, all over the city. Avilina and Milisandia have stuck together and enjoyed the vista; Rex seemed to fumble around his new chaotic invention together with Nero. Even Livia was there, back in the days where obsession had not wholly consumed her just yet, as well as Rhitathyn, a proud and noble roegadyn sent out to meet them instead of their father. Speaking of father, he was with Alfonse. They found a secluded place to train, something Alfonse had yearned to try for a long time now. Both held gunblades in their hands, and Alfonse was carefully following Gaius's moves. Brother became a stronger fighter with each attempt; it was a marvel to witness…
Until Ricon had to open his eyes once again. To remember that he was in a gloomy cell, shivering from the cold and utterly powerless. This time he wasn't alone, however. In front of him, Ricon saw a little au ra girl, even younger than Allie, sitting by the wall and staring into the abyss. She looked up when Ricon awoke; some uncertainty flashed in her gaze.
"Hello…What's your name?" - Ricon asked gently, trying to make her feel safe near him. She must have been one of those poor souls completely brainwashed by Valens. "I won't hurt you, I promise." - He reached out but quickly realized his mistake when the girl flinched. "Oh, I'm sorry…Why have they put you in here?"
"I need discipline." - She replied emotionlessly, cutting right through Ricon's heart as he realized all the horrors she had to go through.
"But…Why?"
"I didn't want to hurt him…I refused to discipline him. I was corrupted by being bad." - She continued to recount.
"To hurt who?" - Ricon thought to himself, but he could already realize the answer. His brother now found himself amidst Valens's unhinged wrath. Ricon felt the cold encroaching his body as the girl stopped talking. "Do you mean Rex?"
No response.
"Listen, you didn't do anything wrong; just tell me what…"
He couldn't finish, not before two soldiers; another imperial soldier had descended into this corridor to talk to the cell's guard.
"What are you doing here so late?" - The guard asked suspiciously.
"Lord Valens's order, need to take a girl by the name of Nira to the correction chamber."
"Ah, I see. I have her right here." - The guard opened their cell and walked inside, throwing a disdainful look at Ricon before looking at the girl he talked to. "Get up; your time's now."
She stood up and obediently followed. Ricon had the temptation to attack, just like Rex did, but this would only serve to make matters worse. Resistance was tiring, but not being able to resist has tired Ricon way more.
"Thanks." - The soldier said as he took the girl by her hand. "And prepare for the shift change. Lord Valens wants you to deliver a message."
"Where?" - The guard said as he locked the door behind him.
"Tell the scientists to prepare the Diamond Weapon; he said we might need it tomorrow."
"What? I heard it is unstable and not ready for use."
"And? Orders are orders. I trust you remember that."
"Yes, I do…Very well; consider them warned."
The Diamond Weapon…The last of Valens's monstrous toys, the only remaining force that granted him enough power to behave in a horrific manner he does, just like a magitek shield. And he will utilize it tomorrow. Would Valens throw him and Rex into oversoul? Will he force them to watch as others suffer moments before that? If this was true, then their battle was lost…Ricon had but one relief within his mind. Among the sorrow their family endured, at least Milisandia could escape this hell and reunite with their father. Together, they will rebuild Terncliff as they have planned, and the glorious future will be realized. As for him and Rex…
This will end tomorrow, one way or another.