Chapter 15
Squall walked into the briefing room. He was met by eager faces.
"Well…?" asked an inquisitive Zell.
"He is denying any knowledge. He's not going to help us." They all sighed.
"What now?" asked Quistis.
"We go ourselves I guess." Said Gered, who had been very quiet up to this point. "What else can we do?" Nobody said a word. "Come on, we can't leave her there…" everyone was quiet for a moment. Selphie was the first to speak.
"I'll go."
"Sefie…?" said Irvine.
"What can I say. I know computers. And if there's one place with a lot of computers its Esthar. Besides, she said she'd join the Garden Festival Committee." She smiled.
"I'll go." Said Irvine. "I'm not letting Sefie, uh Selphie go alone. Besides, Yannie is one of us, we can't let her down." Selphie patted him on the back. Quistis stood up.
"You're going to need someone to clear this past Cid." She said. "He will only allow it so long as I go with you." Gered nodded.
"What the hell. I'm in too." Said Zell. Gered smiled at him. He looked around the room.
"So how many now?" asked Gered. "Selphie, Zell, Irvine, Quistis and myself. Five of us."
"Will you be needing the Ragnarok?" Asked Nida, who had been stood outside the door listening in.
"Only if we got a pilot…"
"I suppose I could fly it." Said Nida smirking.
"So that is six of us." He said. "Where's Xu?"
"Down with a cold." Said Nida.
"So she's out. We need one more." All eyes were on Squall; the only person still seated.
"Squall?" asked Gered. "I know we've had our differences," he said rubbing his nose, which was still a bit swollen. "But I'm asking if you'll put them aside, at least for the time being." Squall did not move he kept staring at the floor. Gered held out his hand. Squall looked at is as if he had never seen a hand before. He stood up and walked to wards the others.
"I'll come with you, but don't think that we are even." He said. Gered sighed. He hated fighting with anyone. Probably in the wrong job, he thought to himself. But, at least he was coming. That was one thing.
"Fine. Let's get ready."
***************************
Had he been to hard on Squall, the President thought to himself. If anyone held a grudge against Odine, it was himself. If it hadn't been for Odine labs kidnapping Ellone when she was young, he would never had to come to bloody Esthar in the first place. He wouldn't have had to leave Winhill, and Raine.
Hyne he missed her. He missed her more than anything. He looked at the picture on his table of her. Took only months before her death. She was wearing that white polo neck jumper that she loved so much. Her tummy was bulging slightly underneath it where she was expecting their first child together. She was already a mother, but not to her own child. Being the kind woman she was, she looked after Ellone after soldiers looking for a successor to Adel killed her parents. She was well in the knowledge they could come back looking for her again. The child she died bringing into the world was none other than the boy he had just been talking on the phone to. He was ashamed of himself. Like a coward, he left Ellone and Squall in the orphanage together. Always in the back of his mind they were. It was only to be temporary, but he got tied down with work, and lost contact. It was too late to begin to form a relationship. Too much time had past, and the chasm was too wide for bridges to be built.
He wanted to help this new test subject Squall had told him about. No doubt she was Odine's latest favourite. That old man has no respect for anything that isn't part of his research. Hyne, he doesn't care who he walks all over so long as he get the results he wants. Even if that does involve kidnapping.
But he couldn't get involved. The President launching an attack on the worlds leading authority on sorceresses? Doesn't exactly spark public confidence in the government. Dammit! He hated bureaucracy and red tape. His gut instinct was to send a troop of soldiers and ransack the place. Then put Odine in prison for the rest of his life. But he couldn't do that. The public loved Odine. The guy even had his own range of jewellery out. How could he put him in prison?
If he didn't quit his job soon, he would go mad he was sure. If only he didn't have to take responsibility for his actions. If only he could just disappear. He didn't want to be run by rules and laws.
"Shit." He muttered to himself. "I gotta do something." he picked up the phone.
***********************
The six SeeDs and one SeeD pilot were in the Ragnarok. They landed a few miles south of Esthar. The plan was to drive the rest of the way in an Esthar Military Vehicle, which they had stolen earlier that year for another mission. There should be no problem getting in the city in the EMV. The group had been briefed as to the details of the mission, one of the most ambitious missions ever to be undertaken by SeeD.
Once Nida had landed, they spent no time at all getting into the EMV and out onto the ground. The drive took a few minuets, the EMVs being particularly fast. It looked like a scaled down Galbadian vehicle, except in grey silver and purple.
There was no problems getting past the man at the gate. EMVs came and went all the time, and there was nothing unusual here. Squall was driving as the others slipped into their false Estharian uniforms.
"Ooooh," said Selphie, "These are so much more comfortable than those itchy smelly Galbadian uniforms." The rest nodded in agreement.
"Keep your mind on the mission." Said Squall, already in his uniform. We get caught, we get killed." Selphie stopped talking. "Almost there. Remember the plan." Squall said, more of an order than a question. This is stupid, he thought to himself. All this to save one person. Ridiculous.
The car pulled up outside Odine labs. Two Esthar soldiers stood at the door.
"What now?" whispered Zell to Selphie in the back of the car.
"Now," she replied, "is where we blag it."
Squall got out of the car. The others saw him salute. The guards saluted back. In the car, they couldn't hear what was said, but after about a minute of talking, they could tell that something was not right. One of the guards reached for his radio, and Squall pulled it out of his hands and punched him in the face. He unsheathed his Lionheart and swung at the other guard. He fell to the floor, not dead but unconscious, as Squall had the courtesy to strike with the blunt end. With two immobilised soldiers at his feet, he motioned towards the others to follow. They obliged.
"They didn't believe your story?" asked Irvine.
"No, I didn't believe theirs." He reached down and picked up the radio. "Since when did Esthar soldiers carry radios?"
"Of course!" said Selphie. "They have radio's built into their helmets."
"They're not the most advanced nation in the world for nothing you know."
"So what are you saying?" asked Zell. "They are not real soldiers"
"Maybe once, probably just mercenaries now." Said Squall, pocketing the radio. "It doesn't matter, lets go." Squall walked to the doors, but they didn't open.
"Locked huh?" asked Selphie. "Lets just see if I can sort that out." She stepped forward, and out of her pocket she produced a small square keypad and a small green display built in. She plugged in the keyboard into the numeric keypad next to the door, and began typing furiously. The others watched in amazement as after a matter of minuets, the door unlocked.
"There we go." she said as she removed the keypad and put it in her pocket. She walked in through the door first, and the rest followed.
"Wow." Said Zell.
Inside they sorted out some more phoney soldiers, and made their way to the lift to take them to the control deck. What faced them, they were unprepared for. A floating robotic mechanical enemy was directly in front of them. On each of its shoulder's was a probe. Behind stood Odine.
"I thought zat you vould come." He said. "The subject zpoke of you. I do not vant to fisticuffs, so, if you vill listen to vat I have to say." He stepped in front of the mechanical beast. "You can not take it avay. It serves a much higher purpose than you could imagine. The test subject vill bring about…"
"Stop calling her an 'It'!" shouted Gered. "Like it or not she is s person."
"She, as you say, is my property. I made it, I vant it back!" Gered lunged for the old man, but was stopped by Irvine who grabbed his shoulder.
"Calm down man."
"Ah, ziz iz not going to verk I see. I hate to do ziz. He pulled a controller out of his pocket. "Good luck." He said before his holographic image flickered and died.
"What now?!" shouted Zell.
"Now we fight!" shouted Selphie, who had already got out her Shinobou. Squall cast scan on the robot.
[I]Mobile type 9, next generation of Mobile type 8. Stronger magically, and also physically, with new attacks. No known weaknesses.[/I]
"I knew this was a bad idea." Said Quistis after reading the scan report. This thing was unstoppable. Its HP was off the charts. No weaknesses, and high absorption rates of magic. It made a 'wirrig' noise as it powered itself up.
"Shit…"
Squall walked into the briefing room. He was met by eager faces.
"Well…?" asked an inquisitive Zell.
"He is denying any knowledge. He's not going to help us." They all sighed.
"What now?" asked Quistis.
"We go ourselves I guess." Said Gered, who had been very quiet up to this point. "What else can we do?" Nobody said a word. "Come on, we can't leave her there…" everyone was quiet for a moment. Selphie was the first to speak.
"I'll go."
"Sefie…?" said Irvine.
"What can I say. I know computers. And if there's one place with a lot of computers its Esthar. Besides, she said she'd join the Garden Festival Committee." She smiled.
"I'll go." Said Irvine. "I'm not letting Sefie, uh Selphie go alone. Besides, Yannie is one of us, we can't let her down." Selphie patted him on the back. Quistis stood up.
"You're going to need someone to clear this past Cid." She said. "He will only allow it so long as I go with you." Gered nodded.
"What the hell. I'm in too." Said Zell. Gered smiled at him. He looked around the room.
"So how many now?" asked Gered. "Selphie, Zell, Irvine, Quistis and myself. Five of us."
"Will you be needing the Ragnarok?" Asked Nida, who had been stood outside the door listening in.
"Only if we got a pilot…"
"I suppose I could fly it." Said Nida smirking.
"So that is six of us." He said. "Where's Xu?"
"Down with a cold." Said Nida.
"So she's out. We need one more." All eyes were on Squall; the only person still seated.
"Squall?" asked Gered. "I know we've had our differences," he said rubbing his nose, which was still a bit swollen. "But I'm asking if you'll put them aside, at least for the time being." Squall did not move he kept staring at the floor. Gered held out his hand. Squall looked at is as if he had never seen a hand before. He stood up and walked to wards the others.
"I'll come with you, but don't think that we are even." He said. Gered sighed. He hated fighting with anyone. Probably in the wrong job, he thought to himself. But, at least he was coming. That was one thing.
"Fine. Let's get ready."
***************************
Had he been to hard on Squall, the President thought to himself. If anyone held a grudge against Odine, it was himself. If it hadn't been for Odine labs kidnapping Ellone when she was young, he would never had to come to bloody Esthar in the first place. He wouldn't have had to leave Winhill, and Raine.
Hyne he missed her. He missed her more than anything. He looked at the picture on his table of her. Took only months before her death. She was wearing that white polo neck jumper that she loved so much. Her tummy was bulging slightly underneath it where she was expecting their first child together. She was already a mother, but not to her own child. Being the kind woman she was, she looked after Ellone after soldiers looking for a successor to Adel killed her parents. She was well in the knowledge they could come back looking for her again. The child she died bringing into the world was none other than the boy he had just been talking on the phone to. He was ashamed of himself. Like a coward, he left Ellone and Squall in the orphanage together. Always in the back of his mind they were. It was only to be temporary, but he got tied down with work, and lost contact. It was too late to begin to form a relationship. Too much time had past, and the chasm was too wide for bridges to be built.
He wanted to help this new test subject Squall had told him about. No doubt she was Odine's latest favourite. That old man has no respect for anything that isn't part of his research. Hyne, he doesn't care who he walks all over so long as he get the results he wants. Even if that does involve kidnapping.
But he couldn't get involved. The President launching an attack on the worlds leading authority on sorceresses? Doesn't exactly spark public confidence in the government. Dammit! He hated bureaucracy and red tape. His gut instinct was to send a troop of soldiers and ransack the place. Then put Odine in prison for the rest of his life. But he couldn't do that. The public loved Odine. The guy even had his own range of jewellery out. How could he put him in prison?
If he didn't quit his job soon, he would go mad he was sure. If only he didn't have to take responsibility for his actions. If only he could just disappear. He didn't want to be run by rules and laws.
"Shit." He muttered to himself. "I gotta do something." he picked up the phone.
***********************
The six SeeDs and one SeeD pilot were in the Ragnarok. They landed a few miles south of Esthar. The plan was to drive the rest of the way in an Esthar Military Vehicle, which they had stolen earlier that year for another mission. There should be no problem getting in the city in the EMV. The group had been briefed as to the details of the mission, one of the most ambitious missions ever to be undertaken by SeeD.
Once Nida had landed, they spent no time at all getting into the EMV and out onto the ground. The drive took a few minuets, the EMVs being particularly fast. It looked like a scaled down Galbadian vehicle, except in grey silver and purple.
There was no problems getting past the man at the gate. EMVs came and went all the time, and there was nothing unusual here. Squall was driving as the others slipped into their false Estharian uniforms.
"Ooooh," said Selphie, "These are so much more comfortable than those itchy smelly Galbadian uniforms." The rest nodded in agreement.
"Keep your mind on the mission." Said Squall, already in his uniform. We get caught, we get killed." Selphie stopped talking. "Almost there. Remember the plan." Squall said, more of an order than a question. This is stupid, he thought to himself. All this to save one person. Ridiculous.
The car pulled up outside Odine labs. Two Esthar soldiers stood at the door.
"What now?" whispered Zell to Selphie in the back of the car.
"Now," she replied, "is where we blag it."
Squall got out of the car. The others saw him salute. The guards saluted back. In the car, they couldn't hear what was said, but after about a minute of talking, they could tell that something was not right. One of the guards reached for his radio, and Squall pulled it out of his hands and punched him in the face. He unsheathed his Lionheart and swung at the other guard. He fell to the floor, not dead but unconscious, as Squall had the courtesy to strike with the blunt end. With two immobilised soldiers at his feet, he motioned towards the others to follow. They obliged.
"They didn't believe your story?" asked Irvine.
"No, I didn't believe theirs." He reached down and picked up the radio. "Since when did Esthar soldiers carry radios?"
"Of course!" said Selphie. "They have radio's built into their helmets."
"They're not the most advanced nation in the world for nothing you know."
"So what are you saying?" asked Zell. "They are not real soldiers"
"Maybe once, probably just mercenaries now." Said Squall, pocketing the radio. "It doesn't matter, lets go." Squall walked to the doors, but they didn't open.
"Locked huh?" asked Selphie. "Lets just see if I can sort that out." She stepped forward, and out of her pocket she produced a small square keypad and a small green display built in. She plugged in the keyboard into the numeric keypad next to the door, and began typing furiously. The others watched in amazement as after a matter of minuets, the door unlocked.
"There we go." she said as she removed the keypad and put it in her pocket. She walked in through the door first, and the rest followed.
"Wow." Said Zell.
Inside they sorted out some more phoney soldiers, and made their way to the lift to take them to the control deck. What faced them, they were unprepared for. A floating robotic mechanical enemy was directly in front of them. On each of its shoulder's was a probe. Behind stood Odine.
"I thought zat you vould come." He said. "The subject zpoke of you. I do not vant to fisticuffs, so, if you vill listen to vat I have to say." He stepped in front of the mechanical beast. "You can not take it avay. It serves a much higher purpose than you could imagine. The test subject vill bring about…"
"Stop calling her an 'It'!" shouted Gered. "Like it or not she is s person."
"She, as you say, is my property. I made it, I vant it back!" Gered lunged for the old man, but was stopped by Irvine who grabbed his shoulder.
"Calm down man."
"Ah, ziz iz not going to verk I see. I hate to do ziz. He pulled a controller out of his pocket. "Good luck." He said before his holographic image flickered and died.
"What now?!" shouted Zell.
"Now we fight!" shouted Selphie, who had already got out her Shinobou. Squall cast scan on the robot.
[I]Mobile type 9, next generation of Mobile type 8. Stronger magically, and also physically, with new attacks. No known weaknesses.[/I]
"I knew this was a bad idea." Said Quistis after reading the scan report. This thing was unstoppable. Its HP was off the charts. No weaknesses, and high absorption rates of magic. It made a 'wirrig' noise as it powered itself up.
"Shit…"