The Galbadia Presidential Residence was every bit as spacious and magnificent as would be expected for the dwelling of the most influential man in the world. Even without an elected President, Galbadia was still the strongest political force in the world, although it was uncertain whether or not recent events would serve to break Esthar's seventeen years of silence.

Squall, Zell, and Rinoa were escorted by four soldiers wearing the red Infantry uniforms of the Galbadian Elite Guard. They silently directed them through the maze of hallways filled with ornate sculptures and paintings — the late President Deling had certainly liked his art — to a pair of massive double doors, behind which lay an almost cavernous conference room. Both walls were covered with a diorama which seemed to depict the rise of Galbadia, all the way up to the occupation of Timber. A wooden table stretched the entire length of the room, daring visitors to figure out where the engineers had found a tree that large.

At the far end of the table stood two men and a woman, all in Galbadian generals' uniforms. Behind them stood another pair of Elite Soldiers.

Squall frowned at the center man. That's....

Presenting Squall Leonhart, Zell Dincht, and Rinoa Heartilly of the Timber Forest Owls, said the leader of the soldiers who had led Squall's party to the conference room, addressing the trio of generals. He then turned to Squall. Presenting Generals Tolmar and Naraka, and Lord Marshall Caraway, of the Galbadian Combined Army. The introductions out of the way, he retreated to one side of the room.

Squall looked at Rinoa, but she did not seem to react at all to the presence of her father.

Rather, Zell was the first to speak. Lord Marshall?' he demanded.

Caraway nodded. Yes. I am, for the moment, the provisional commander of Galbadia.

Then I guess you're the one who has to give Timber its freedom. Rinoa plopped herself down at the opposite end of the table, a good twenty meters away from her father. With a mental shrug, Squall sat down to her right, and Zell to her left. Caraway and his two companions sat down on the opposite end.

We're here to negotiate the return of our soldiers, the man on Caraway's right said, in a slightly grating voice. Squall guessed he was Naraka. Nothing more.

Timber's freedom is the term, Rinoa said flatly.

That's not possible, Caraway said simply.

Well, you'd better find a way to make it possible, Zell called across the table, unnecessarily loudly.

Squall cautioned.

The release of Timber would mean an unacceptable shift in this continent's power base, Caraway explained. Not only is the town a nexus of sorts for every railroad in the world, but it would mean a space of unclaimed territory between Galbadia proper and Winhill.

There's practically no contact with Winhill as it is, Squall pointed out.

Naraka said. If we let Timber go, Winhill and all our holdings in the south will quietly slip away as well.

Wouldn't that be a shame, Zell muttered, drawing a sharp look from Squall.

Timber's freedom would mean the release of an entire city-state, Caraway said. That would have profound political repercussions throughout the continent, and could destabilize the entire nation of Galbadia. I could not possibly condone that.

Perhaps we could offer a compromise, Tolmar interjected. We withdraw the Galbadian troops stationed in Timber — say, establish a barracks outside town — in exchange for the appointment of a Galbadian civilian governor —

Rinoa said flatly. We won't settle for anything less than Timber's freedom.

Rinoa, please be reasonable, Caraway said, his voice almost pleading. I can't allow such a drastic change in the balance of power.

That's all you ever care about, isn't it? Rinoa snapped. This isn't about power! It's not some kind of game! This is about people's freedom! She stood and turned for the door.

Caraway stood as well, reaching out after her. Rinoa —

Timber will get it's freedom, Rinoa interrupted, spinning to deliver her parting shot. And you can't stop it. With that, she turned on her heel and left.

Squall looked across the table. I think we're done here, he said.


After the massive double doors swung closed, Caraway collapsed back into his seat and buried his face in his hands. Just once, he wanted his daughter to look at him without hate in her eyes. Just once....

They're going to be trouble, Tolmar observed.

Naraka scoffed. A bunch of kids who want to play war, that's all they are. They'll get bored in a few weeks and go looking for something good on television.

They have SeeDs with them, Tolmar reminded. We have to take them seriously. For all purposes, they've liberated Timber already.

Which is exactly why we must act now! exclaimed Naraka. We send a legion of our troops to reoccupy the city. No team of three or four can possibly withstand an occupation for long.

They'll never stop fighting, Caraway sighed. Rinoa won't let them. This is personal for her; she will never allow me to win.

She's a nuisance, Naraka growled. You should never have let her out of prison.

She's my daughter! Caraway snapped.

Her TV broadcast has already had serious repercussions, Tolmar broke in. Our agents within the Dollet Dukedom indicate that the Parliament is seriously considering an insurrection of its own to remove our presence there. In the wake of the affair with Sorceress Edea, there is serious question as to not only our military capacity, but our resolve. It's believed that we may let our outer holdings slip just to secure the Monterosa province.

We can't allow this to progress any further, sir! Naraka pressed. We need decisive action, and we need it now!

Caraway stopped listening. Is all this...because of me? he wondered. He knew that Rinoa had originally gone to Timber because of him, and he wondered if her involvement in the Forest Owls was truly out of compassion for Timber rather than a desire to oppose him.

Reaching into his pocket, he produced a ragged, faded picture of a very young Rinoa with him and her mother. It was not too long after Timber's surrender, he remembered. A great parade. It was also the last time he had seen Rinoa smile. Julia, where did I go wrong? Why could I never connect with her the way you did? Hyne knows I tried, but after you died...she just slipped away.

And now she's forcing me to destroy her.

It won't be enough to eliminate this resistance group, Naraka was saying. Timber is full of them, and the loss of one will simply make the rest angrier. We need a demonstration of our power and resolve, that will make it apparent to the people of Timber — and the world — that the Galbadian Republic is not to be toyed with.

With a long sigh, Caraway pocketed the picture once again. His duty to Galbadia had to come first. And by now, he had little left to lose. What do you suggest?