Chapter Seventeen
"This is Red Alpha One to Red Delta, do you copy, over?"
Newly promoted Wing Commander Ryan Yorke tried to tell himself he was ready for this. He wasn't being very convincing. Why was it him? Well, a lot of the upper ranks had been fired. Everything was being shaken around.
"Uh, this is Red Delta One, Red Alpha, receiving you loud and clear Ryan, over."
Ryan took a deep breath. 'It's alright, just remember that you're one of the 3rd. This is what you were trained for, after all.'
"Red Delta, we will have the target in visual range in five minutes. You'll be second wave. Over."
"Understood Red Alpha. Good luck Ryan. Out."
Ryan smiled, and flipped the 'transmit all' on the comm.
"This is Red Alpha One. Come in low, and remember guys, hard and fast."
"Understood."
"Understood."
"Understood."
Ryan flipped the comm off, took one last deep breath, and waited.
***
Squall stood on the top floor of the Presidential Palace, looking West over the city. Esthar was beautiful in the evening, when the last rays of the setting sun reflected from the glass buildings, making the city seem built out of Gold, paved with Rubies and Amethysts. But Squall's mind was on something far beyond the city, to his home.
"Esthar's my home now. But it won't feel like it till she's here."
"Rinoa?" Laguna stepped onto the balcony. Squall relaxed when he saw who it was, and turned back. Nothing he'd seen of Esthar had softened his feelings toward the man. He was pathetic, the opposite of everything Squall tried to be. Gods only knew what the man had been like as a soldier…
***
Seifer dodged as the Torama sent another dense ball of pure magic energy at him. Demi could be deadly. Bringing the Hyperion up for another blow, he charged at the lion-like creature. The creature tried to duck aside, but Seifer was too fast, and the black blade bit into the monster. It howled and crouched ready to spring. Seifer leapt back, and let another shot of Flare at the Torama. It howled in pain, and Seifer finished it off in one swift slash of his Gunblade.
***
"Nida!"
Nida looked up to see Xu. "What?"
"Galbadians! Heading straight for us!"
"Shit!" he fumbled with the comm. "All SeeD units! All SeeD units! This is Captain Nida Harrison. Report to Battle Stations. Balamb Garden is under attack by Galbadian airborne forces. Repeat, Balamb Garden is under attack."
***
Seifer whirled round at the crackle of the radio. Snatching his Gunblade and jacket from the chair, he ran out of the Palace, leaving Laguna and Quistis behind. Only one thing was on his mind.
"RINOA!"
***
Seifer jumped at the crackle of the comm.
"Galbadian forces?" Who had…no, no time for that. He had to do his duty, setting his Hyperion across his shoulders, he strode back up the ridge to Balamb Garden.
"Rinoa."
"This is Red Alpha One to Red Delta, do you copy, over?"
Newly promoted Wing Commander Ryan Yorke tried to tell himself he was ready for this. He wasn't being very convincing. Why was it him? Well, a lot of the upper ranks had been fired. Everything was being shaken around.
"Uh, this is Red Delta One, Red Alpha, receiving you loud and clear Ryan, over."
Ryan took a deep breath. 'It's alright, just remember that you're one of the 3rd. This is what you were trained for, after all.'
"Red Delta, we will have the target in visual range in five minutes. You'll be second wave. Over."
"Understood Red Alpha. Good luck Ryan. Out."
Ryan smiled, and flipped the 'transmit all' on the comm.
"This is Red Alpha One. Come in low, and remember guys, hard and fast."
"Understood."
"Understood."
"Understood."
Ryan flipped the comm off, took one last deep breath, and waited.
***
Squall stood on the top floor of the Presidential Palace, looking West over the city. Esthar was beautiful in the evening, when the last rays of the setting sun reflected from the glass buildings, making the city seem built out of Gold, paved with Rubies and Amethysts. But Squall's mind was on something far beyond the city, to his home.
"Esthar's my home now. But it won't feel like it till she's here."
"Rinoa?" Laguna stepped onto the balcony. Squall relaxed when he saw who it was, and turned back. Nothing he'd seen of Esthar had softened his feelings toward the man. He was pathetic, the opposite of everything Squall tried to be. Gods only knew what the man had been like as a soldier…
***
Seifer dodged as the Torama sent another dense ball of pure magic energy at him. Demi could be deadly. Bringing the Hyperion up for another blow, he charged at the lion-like creature. The creature tried to duck aside, but Seifer was too fast, and the black blade bit into the monster. It howled and crouched ready to spring. Seifer leapt back, and let another shot of Flare at the Torama. It howled in pain, and Seifer finished it off in one swift slash of his Gunblade.
***
"Nida!"
Nida looked up to see Xu. "What?"
"Galbadians! Heading straight for us!"
"Shit!" he fumbled with the comm. "All SeeD units! All SeeD units! This is Captain Nida Harrison. Report to Battle Stations. Balamb Garden is under attack by Galbadian airborne forces. Repeat, Balamb Garden is under attack."
***
Seifer whirled round at the crackle of the radio. Snatching his Gunblade and jacket from the chair, he ran out of the Palace, leaving Laguna and Quistis behind. Only one thing was on his mind.
"RINOA!"
***
Seifer jumped at the crackle of the comm.
"Galbadian forces?" Who had…no, no time for that. He had to do his duty, setting his Hyperion across his shoulders, he strode back up the ridge to Balamb Garden.
"Rinoa."
