Edea crossed the street in a hurry. She was suppose to be giving a speech in downtown Esther about tolerance and patience towards those scared of magic. Lately the discrimination against Sorcerers and Sorceresses had worsened in Esthar. People were scared of the ever growing numbers of them. Scared of being ruled by another Adele. The entire ballroom had been booked and she was late. It was hard to catch a cab when your sash identified you clearly as having magic. As being different. Still that was the cause she fought for.
It was important that Sorcerers and Sorceresses understood that joining forces with groups like the Alliance would only lead to a war between those with magic and those without. Would only lead to more violence and death. They had to be strong and no matter what happen not fight back, because if it did it would only justify the discrimination against them. Instead they must work on gaining other people's trust. Showing them they were really no different then any other human. Magic was just a tool and a tool is not evil. A knife is not evil it is just a tool, it can be used for good or evil depending on who wields it.
So caught up in thinking over her speech was she, that she didn't notice the three men following her down the block. They whispered to each other, heads ducked low, faces hidden in the shadows. Until one reached out and grabbed Edea from behind, pressing a knife to her throat and hand against her mouth. They dragged her back into a dark alley way. Away from the noise of the street and the eyes of the public. The three wrestled her to the ground, for even with the knife in place she fought as much as she could.
One of the men slapped her so hard her head struck the pavement with a loud crack. The fight went out of her as blood began to mat her raven hair as tears dripped from her eyes. The hand came away from her mouth and went to tie her arm behind her back with a wire cord. One of the others, the one with a black cap sat across her and looked down into her eyes. "What's the matter Sorceress? Why do you cry? Never thought this could happen to you? Thought you were invincible? Well your not. Your vulnerable like everyone else and I won't have you kind thinking the can rule over us. No, tonight we are your masters."
Edea couldn't breath. The man's weight was crushing the air out of her lungs. "Just let me go, please."
The one behind her laughed as he reached forward and fondled her breast. "I like it when they beg."
Third man said nothing but kicked her as hard as he could in the side. The loathing reflected in his eyes. To him she didn't qualify as a human. She was bug, even less then. The group began to beat, torture, and rape her. All it would have taken was a word, a movement of her hands, and they would be dead. Yet through all the pain she refused to use her magic. She had vowed to never to use her magic to harm a human again. Edea's screams echoed through the alleyway, but were ignored by all those that heard.
In Balamb, Squall stood with his back to the others looking out the window. The meeting room was silent. All his friends were there looking to him., waiting for him to make a choice. A choice that would affect their children's lives. He still hated being leader at times like these. He didn't know what to do. It was clear that someone had tried to kill Torrin and the others. A remote control had been found in the car and while Quistis had been able to trance it back to the organization that had purchased it, a group calling themselves The Upper Hand, that's all they new about them for the moment. Zone would be working day and night with his team to collect more information on them.
With a sigh Squall turned around, his hand went to his head. Looking up he met Siefer's eyes and Siefer gave a slight nod. It was done then. "Selphie your sure Torrin is in fight condition?"
Selphie smiled, but it seemed to lose some of it's cheeriness. "Yes Squall. Her GF protected her well."
"Then they leave tonight to attack the Genesis Corporation headquarters in downtown Dollet. There mission is to come in undetected from the sky, break into the main office, and recover program files on there latest research projects." Squall placed his hands on the table. "Is there anything else?"
"Do we notify Damon about his mother?" Rinoa asked. Squall could still see the pain in her eyes. They had all just found out that morning, but it had not hit the news yet.
Squall shook his head. "I think it best we talk to him after the mission. I'll take him aside." The others nodded. "It is done then. Dismissed."
The Phone was ringing. Eveonna turned over with a grumble a picked it up. "Hello?" Suddenly she was wide awake. "Your sure? And they didn't catch it? My cousin? Are you sure? I'm going immediately. No, no one else goes. I'll do this alone. To many people are involved all ready. Goodbye?" In record time she suited up for battle placing her whip in it's holder at her side. Just as she was headed out the door though she stopped and turned back. Picking up the phone she dialed a number. "Cloud?"
Skylla hung on to the side of the helicopter as they circled in above their target. She was sure all her friends must be feeling the same way as her. Nervous, excited, and at the same time she felt like a true SeeD and that was wonderful. Her dreams to become just like her father were coming true. Damon on the other hand did not look so excited. Instead he was serious, his amber eyes scanned the landing sight. Squall had made him Squad Captain. When the were down on the ground it was his orders that they would all be listening to. Torrin wondered if what Squall had told him before they left bothered him. "Damon, Come to my office later for a word." She wondered what Squall had wanted.
"We approaching mark one. Team ready for deployment." The SeeD instructor announced signally the pilot to open the side doors. Wind rushed in around them. Skylla grabbed Torrin's hand and gave it a squeeze. Torrin smiled back. She was Confident in her teams abilities.
Damon nodded his head. "Torrin and Dex jump first. Cassandra and I will follow. On my mark…now!"
Torrin jumped out and went straight into a free dive. This was probably one of the riskiest parts of the mission. Parachutes would have been to slow and obvious to use so they had to use garbling guns. Used the wrongly you could easily break your arm. Miss your target and you ended up meeting the ground with an impact that would be like a bug hitting a windshield.
Torrin tucked her self into a ball and flipped in the air, bringing her gun around to aim and then fire. The line shoot through the air and then going tight as the line went taunt. Torrin then yanked as hard as she could setting the hooks in the stone. She hit the building at a run to slow her momentum. When she finally came to a stop she looked down to see both Dex and Sky wave at her. They had all made it. Two lights streaked across the sky. Damon and Cassandra using magic. They would be waiting for them at the top, on the roof. Signaling the others they climbed up the ropes.
Torrin and Dex reached the roof about the same time. Unhooking their lines they went over to were Cassandra and Damon waited.
"Took you long enough." Cassandra smiled.
Dex leaned in and spoke to Damon in a low tone. "Damon I think Sky landed wrong and hurt her ankle. She'll not admit to it but as leader you should be aware of it."
Torrin smiled when she saw the flash of concern in Damon's eyes. It was brief but still there. Damon knew Sky would not appreciate him fussing over her. "Right," he acknowledged. "I'll help Sky with the line. You guys start working on the roof door.
Things happened quickly after that. Damon had just reached down and taken Skylla's hand as explosions rocked the roof. Low flying craft swooped down and fired. Torrin yelled as she saw the blast throw Damon and Skylla over the edge. She didn't see what happened to them though, Dex grabbed her and threw her down, taking cover quickly as more bullets rained through the sky. He laid over her protecting her as Cas casted a shield around them. Tor could feel the bullets deflect off it.
The radio she wore in her ear suddenly came alive. "Squad A, I have lost contact with the teams leader. Abort mission, I repeat, abort mission. We are coming to pick up."
Torrin pushed Dex off her, but grabbed his hand and gave it squeeze. Only then did she realized they were not the only ones on the roof. People dressed in the uniforms of the Alliance were firing up at the crafts that where shooting down. The place was rapidly becoming a war scene. What on earth was going on?
Torrin had no time for such questions . The SeeD helicopter moved in an tossed down the ladder. "We are aborting." Torrin said taking control of the situation, "I'll go first so I can provide cover fire for the two of you."
The climb was hellish. Ships zoomed around them. Bullets sometimes coming so close she could feel them but she mad it to the top. Laying down on the floor she loaded her gun a took aim. Not really paying attention which side she hit more often. As far as she was concerned they both were her enemy. Cassandra joined her and began throwing Golden fire balls at the air craft. One or two went down in blaze.
The helicopter began more of a target. Dex was still on the rope and Torrin felt a growing panic in her mind.
She watched helplessly as her worse fears became a reality. Everything slowed. A missile flew right at them. The pilot had no choice but to pull up as fast as he could. Torrin caught hold of the side of the wall and Cassandra as they pitched, keeping them from falling out, but there was nothing she could do for Dex. He lost his grip and fell backwards. Crashing through a skylight and out of sight. Torrin hadn't even had time to scream. She just knelt there in shock at what she had just seen, one thought racing through her mind over and over.
That hadn't happened, That hadn't happened, none of this had ever happened.
It was important that Sorcerers and Sorceresses understood that joining forces with groups like the Alliance would only lead to a war between those with magic and those without. Would only lead to more violence and death. They had to be strong and no matter what happen not fight back, because if it did it would only justify the discrimination against them. Instead they must work on gaining other people's trust. Showing them they were really no different then any other human. Magic was just a tool and a tool is not evil. A knife is not evil it is just a tool, it can be used for good or evil depending on who wields it.
So caught up in thinking over her speech was she, that she didn't notice the three men following her down the block. They whispered to each other, heads ducked low, faces hidden in the shadows. Until one reached out and grabbed Edea from behind, pressing a knife to her throat and hand against her mouth. They dragged her back into a dark alley way. Away from the noise of the street and the eyes of the public. The three wrestled her to the ground, for even with the knife in place she fought as much as she could.
One of the men slapped her so hard her head struck the pavement with a loud crack. The fight went out of her as blood began to mat her raven hair as tears dripped from her eyes. The hand came away from her mouth and went to tie her arm behind her back with a wire cord. One of the others, the one with a black cap sat across her and looked down into her eyes. "What's the matter Sorceress? Why do you cry? Never thought this could happen to you? Thought you were invincible? Well your not. Your vulnerable like everyone else and I won't have you kind thinking the can rule over us. No, tonight we are your masters."
Edea couldn't breath. The man's weight was crushing the air out of her lungs. "Just let me go, please."
The one behind her laughed as he reached forward and fondled her breast. "I like it when they beg."
Third man said nothing but kicked her as hard as he could in the side. The loathing reflected in his eyes. To him she didn't qualify as a human. She was bug, even less then. The group began to beat, torture, and rape her. All it would have taken was a word, a movement of her hands, and they would be dead. Yet through all the pain she refused to use her magic. She had vowed to never to use her magic to harm a human again. Edea's screams echoed through the alleyway, but were ignored by all those that heard.
In Balamb, Squall stood with his back to the others looking out the window. The meeting room was silent. All his friends were there looking to him., waiting for him to make a choice. A choice that would affect their children's lives. He still hated being leader at times like these. He didn't know what to do. It was clear that someone had tried to kill Torrin and the others. A remote control had been found in the car and while Quistis had been able to trance it back to the organization that had purchased it, a group calling themselves The Upper Hand, that's all they new about them for the moment. Zone would be working day and night with his team to collect more information on them.
With a sigh Squall turned around, his hand went to his head. Looking up he met Siefer's eyes and Siefer gave a slight nod. It was done then. "Selphie your sure Torrin is in fight condition?"
Selphie smiled, but it seemed to lose some of it's cheeriness. "Yes Squall. Her GF protected her well."
"Then they leave tonight to attack the Genesis Corporation headquarters in downtown Dollet. There mission is to come in undetected from the sky, break into the main office, and recover program files on there latest research projects." Squall placed his hands on the table. "Is there anything else?"
"Do we notify Damon about his mother?" Rinoa asked. Squall could still see the pain in her eyes. They had all just found out that morning, but it had not hit the news yet.
Squall shook his head. "I think it best we talk to him after the mission. I'll take him aside." The others nodded. "It is done then. Dismissed."
The Phone was ringing. Eveonna turned over with a grumble a picked it up. "Hello?" Suddenly she was wide awake. "Your sure? And they didn't catch it? My cousin? Are you sure? I'm going immediately. No, no one else goes. I'll do this alone. To many people are involved all ready. Goodbye?" In record time she suited up for battle placing her whip in it's holder at her side. Just as she was headed out the door though she stopped and turned back. Picking up the phone she dialed a number. "Cloud?"
Skylla hung on to the side of the helicopter as they circled in above their target. She was sure all her friends must be feeling the same way as her. Nervous, excited, and at the same time she felt like a true SeeD and that was wonderful. Her dreams to become just like her father were coming true. Damon on the other hand did not look so excited. Instead he was serious, his amber eyes scanned the landing sight. Squall had made him Squad Captain. When the were down on the ground it was his orders that they would all be listening to. Torrin wondered if what Squall had told him before they left bothered him. "Damon, Come to my office later for a word." She wondered what Squall had wanted.
"We approaching mark one. Team ready for deployment." The SeeD instructor announced signally the pilot to open the side doors. Wind rushed in around them. Skylla grabbed Torrin's hand and gave it a squeeze. Torrin smiled back. She was Confident in her teams abilities.
Damon nodded his head. "Torrin and Dex jump first. Cassandra and I will follow. On my mark…now!"
Torrin jumped out and went straight into a free dive. This was probably one of the riskiest parts of the mission. Parachutes would have been to slow and obvious to use so they had to use garbling guns. Used the wrongly you could easily break your arm. Miss your target and you ended up meeting the ground with an impact that would be like a bug hitting a windshield.
Torrin tucked her self into a ball and flipped in the air, bringing her gun around to aim and then fire. The line shoot through the air and then going tight as the line went taunt. Torrin then yanked as hard as she could setting the hooks in the stone. She hit the building at a run to slow her momentum. When she finally came to a stop she looked down to see both Dex and Sky wave at her. They had all made it. Two lights streaked across the sky. Damon and Cassandra using magic. They would be waiting for them at the top, on the roof. Signaling the others they climbed up the ropes.
Torrin and Dex reached the roof about the same time. Unhooking their lines they went over to were Cassandra and Damon waited.
"Took you long enough." Cassandra smiled.
Dex leaned in and spoke to Damon in a low tone. "Damon I think Sky landed wrong and hurt her ankle. She'll not admit to it but as leader you should be aware of it."
Torrin smiled when she saw the flash of concern in Damon's eyes. It was brief but still there. Damon knew Sky would not appreciate him fussing over her. "Right," he acknowledged. "I'll help Sky with the line. You guys start working on the roof door.
Things happened quickly after that. Damon had just reached down and taken Skylla's hand as explosions rocked the roof. Low flying craft swooped down and fired. Torrin yelled as she saw the blast throw Damon and Skylla over the edge. She didn't see what happened to them though, Dex grabbed her and threw her down, taking cover quickly as more bullets rained through the sky. He laid over her protecting her as Cas casted a shield around them. Tor could feel the bullets deflect off it.
The radio she wore in her ear suddenly came alive. "Squad A, I have lost contact with the teams leader. Abort mission, I repeat, abort mission. We are coming to pick up."
Torrin pushed Dex off her, but grabbed his hand and gave it squeeze. Only then did she realized they were not the only ones on the roof. People dressed in the uniforms of the Alliance were firing up at the crafts that where shooting down. The place was rapidly becoming a war scene. What on earth was going on?
Torrin had no time for such questions . The SeeD helicopter moved in an tossed down the ladder. "We are aborting." Torrin said taking control of the situation, "I'll go first so I can provide cover fire for the two of you."
The climb was hellish. Ships zoomed around them. Bullets sometimes coming so close she could feel them but she mad it to the top. Laying down on the floor she loaded her gun a took aim. Not really paying attention which side she hit more often. As far as she was concerned they both were her enemy. Cassandra joined her and began throwing Golden fire balls at the air craft. One or two went down in blaze.
The helicopter began more of a target. Dex was still on the rope and Torrin felt a growing panic in her mind.
She watched helplessly as her worse fears became a reality. Everything slowed. A missile flew right at them. The pilot had no choice but to pull up as fast as he could. Torrin caught hold of the side of the wall and Cassandra as they pitched, keeping them from falling out, but there was nothing she could do for Dex. He lost his grip and fell backwards. Crashing through a skylight and out of sight. Torrin hadn't even had time to scream. She just knelt there in shock at what she had just seen, one thought racing through her mind over and over.
That hadn't happened, That hadn't happened, none of this had ever happened.