ALL THINGS SACRED
CHAPTER TWO: BROTHERS IN ARMS, part one
Aboard Balamb Garden, later that afternoon…
"…and Squad C will approach from the Eastern drop point, and reinforce Squad A at the Staging Area, as such," the instructor pointed out on the electronic map at the head of the classroom. Rinoa tried to intently absorb the older man's instructions, but she was nearly bored to death. He thought that the group of Level-A cadets were mere children, and needed countless reminders in the basic arts of covert warfare. "Our troopships will land, and with the safe delivery of the soldiers, the exercise will end. Now, Head Instructor Trepe will head out the Command Assignments for each squad. Quistis stepped up to the lectern in the center of the room, and spoke to the cadets.
"First, on behalf of the staff, I'd like to congratulate you all on this accomplishment," she said. "Not all cadets ever make it this far. Now, don't let your guards down tomorrow. This is a planned exercise, but the 'enemy' soldiers will be using live ammunition. They will also be in protective clothing, so they aren't injured by your rounds. However, you can, and might be hurt or killed if you decide to slack off even for a second. This exercise in entirety will last no more than twenty minutes, from drop-off to securing the airships. The enemy will be ruthless and cunning, so be prepared. Now, on to squad assignments." She read off the names of the sixteen Level-A cadets and placed them into four squads, Rinoa hearing her name for Squad D. Quistis paused for a moment as the students discussed their assignments, and then spoke again.
"There will be one commander for each squad. They will control the logistical details of the operation, and their word is gold," she warned. "Now here we go: Squad A: Jassu Del. Squad B: Nadia Vanne. Squad C: Lancer Edmund. Squad D: Rinoa Caraway. You're on leave until oh-six-thirty tomorrow, cadets. Keep out of trouble, and we'll see you in the morning." Rinoa sat breathlessly. She was in command? This had to be Squall's doing: this had to be some sort of test to see if she could handle the pressure of issuing command. Well, she wasn't exactly sure…
"Rinoa!" Quistis exclaimed, walking over to her. "What's wrong?"
"It's this assignment," Rinoa explained. "I'm not sure I can handle this kind of pressure." Quistis laughed.
"You sound just like Squall did," she chortled. "But it's not my doing anyway. The Commander made the assignments and positioned the commanders."
"I am so going to kill him," Rinoa growled. "He knows that I can't take this sort of pressure."
"A SeeD has to take that sort of pressure, Rinoa," Quistis replied. "I, for one, think you'll make a great leader. I mean, you have Squall hanging on your every word, most of the time."
Rinoa was forced to smile. "Yeah, but that's different. He just knows that he doesn't want to be in trouble with me."
"You should really hold that over their heads tomorrow," the women heard as Squall, in a Class-A uniform opposed to his usual casual wear, strolled into the room and placed an arm around Rinoa. She smiled, and put her head against his shoulder. "So, what else is new?"
"We're trying to figure out what has you screwed up in the head now, big shot," Rinoa chided, elbowing him gently in the side. "Why did you decide to put me as squad commander?"
"Because I have full faith in all of your abilities, but I want to see you exhibit the quality of leadership necessary of a SeeD," Squall answered matter-of-factly. "This is being treated as a military mission. At oh-seven-hundred I'm going to place the Garden under full battle ready. I believe you have it in you to become a squadron commander, or maybe even an Instructor. I just have to have the right paperwork to follow up, and the only way I can do that is through observance."
"You mean that?" Rinoa asked.
"Every bit of it," Squall replied. "You're a brave, loyal, attentive soldier. You're one of the best I've seen so far."
"You're just saying that because you want to…" Quistis joked.
"Enough, Instructor," Squall mocked in an authoritative tone of voice. "Now, will you ladies be joining me for lunch or will you remain here for the rest of the afternoon discussing the fine art of girl talk?"
"Are there any troops alive that swear fealty to Ultimecia?" Avatar asked as Rinna paced the sanctuary.
"Nearly ten thousand in the D-District Prison," Rinna replied. "But they're under guard of a SeeD detachment round the clock. They have no hope of escape."
"You underestimate my powers, my loyal servant," the spectral apparition replied. "Do you not think that with a wave of my hand, they'll be armed and free?"
"You…bear that power?" Rinna asked. "That prison is the most secure facility on earth…and you can change that?"
"Have faith in your master's powers," Avatar replied. The spirit moved back to the glass ball on the altar, and spread his arms wide. Bolts of lightning came through the ball into the specter, and he began to glow with an immense light. Rinna lowered the visor on his helmet and still had to cover his eyes.
"Give me your lives, Soldiers of the Sorceress!!" the thunder cried in far-off Galbadia. "Capture the prison! Kill the SeeDs! Worship your new master!"
"Commander! Commander!" Squall looked up from his dish to see a junior classman running in.
"What can I do for you, pal?" Squall friendlily asked.
"Headmaster Cid needs you right away!" the young boy breathlessly shouted. "He says it's urgent!"
"I wonder what it could be?" Squall asked himself aloud.
"Maybe you forgot to sign the appropriations reports again," Rinoa offered with a laugh.
"No, that's next month," Squall replied. He bent down and briefly kissed Rinoa. "I'll catch up with you guys later. This shouldn't be too long, hopefully."
"What's going on, Cid?" Squall asked as he walked into the office. "I was enjoying a perfectly good lunch!" He jokingly added.
"Here," Cid replied, pointing at a television monitor. Squall walked over and was terrified by the sight he saw.
"You're fucking kidding me," he spat. "No god-damned WAY!"
"Oh, yes," Cid answered. "The Whites have staged a prison break. They've executed the thirty-five SeeD guards we had stationed, and the countless Galbadian officials."
"With what, toothpicks?" Squall sarcastically retorted.
"It seems that they're armed with Galbadian SR-99 assault rifles," came a familiar voice coming down from the Garden's control center above the office.
"Dad!" Squall exclaimed. "You're here too?"
"With an order from the Council," Laguna added. "SeeD is immediately to be dispatched, under the dual command of Squall Leonhart and Zell Dincht."
"Hiya!" Zell said, coming in behind Squall. "Long time no see!"
"We've only got about five hundred able-bodied SeeDs around the world," Squall answered. "Only a hundred or so here in Balamb. We can't possibly take on ten thousand troops."
"Galbadian and Estharian troops are already on the scene," Cid answered. "And we're not sending in all we have. We're sending in a small team to assassinate their leadership and push them back into compliance."
"Who's running this show?" Squall asked.
"We have no clue yet." Laguna's face was stern with worry.
"Give the pilot the orders to fly to the southern tip of Galbadia," Squall ordered. "I'm placing the Garden at Code: Red Standby." Squall took the elevator up to the control center, and walked over by the tall, red-haired new pilot, an Estharian SeeD named Reno.
"Reno, we're flying to Galbadia," Squall ordered. "Open the mike."
Reno nodded, and as the Garden shifted mid-air, the intercom microphone was opened.
"Attention everyone, this is Commander Leonhart. Garden is responding to a dangerous issue in the southern Galbadian desert. The D-District prison has come under attack from the inside, and SeeD has been dispatched via Council orders. I need Instructor Trepe and Cadet First Class Caraway to report to the bridge immediately. The Garden is under lockdown and we're upgrading warning status to Code: Red Standby. Please remain calm, and all graduated SeeDs need to be ready for deployment. Thank you."
"That bad, cap'n?" Reno asked.
"Yeah," Squall quickly answered as he took the elevator back down to the office, where Rinoa and Quistis were both waiting.
"Get Irvine and Selphie's asses back here, too," Squall ordered to the young messenger boy. Have them meet us at the Galbadian command center. I want full intrusion gear prepped for six soldiers: Myself, Rinoa, Quistis, Zell, Selphie, and Irvine. Understood?"
"Gotcha, sir!" the boy shouted and ran out of the room.
"Stealth gear?" Quistis intriguingly asked. "We're breaking into the prison?"
"And we're hunting down whoever's behind all of this," Squall solemnly answered.
"Garden's on the move. I wonder why?"
Seifer sat upon his chocobo, wanting to turn towards Winhill, but he also noticed that Garden had left Balamb in a scurry towards the Desert.
"The Prison," Seifer concluded, as the wind swept back his longer blonde hair. "Something happened with those damned Whites, and now Seifer was curious as to what it was. He pulled an apple out of the pocket of his trench coat and took a bite.
(Do you see, Seifer? It has already begun. Avatar has moved against the planet…)
"Words of the fucking wise," Seifer spat. "Squall can kick his ass."
(Your friends need you now, Seifer. You can save them.)
Maybe something bad is about to go down, Seifer thought to himself. Maybe…maybe I should just check it out. Not get into any action, but just make sure everything's cool with Squall.
Thoughts of impending destruction were on his mind as he sped the chocobo off to the Desert.
"Our Scout Team has met with the Galbadian force and they're establishing a staging area for us," Quistis told Squall as she hung up the telephone. Irvine and Selphie are already there and geared up, ready to go."
"Good," Squall replied, zipping the back of his black body glove and placing the black durasteel armor plating on. "God I remember how much I hated stealth gear, but I think that this is one of those times that it's necessary. OK, everyone geared up?" Nods came from Rinoa, Quistis, and Zell.
"Good," Squall replied, picking up the bulletproof helmet. "We have to make this quick. There's only so many places in that place that a leader would choose as a command center. Our first target is the upper control room. We'll asses whatever evidence presents itself there, and decide where to go next." They felt the jerk of forward motion as the transport launched from Garden's new docking bay. "The airship will land in about five minutes. No magic if at all possible. We can't use Guardian Forces any longer, and these stones might not hold up too long. They're simply a back up plan, except for Rinoa, that is."
"Don't worry about me," Rinoa reminded. "I know about enough of my power to do diddly squat."
"Good. Now, this is no ordinary mission. We can't let ourselves be seen. We have to have the element of surprise. So when we find their head honcho, we're going to place Irvine about fifty yards out with a sniper rife, and let him do the job while we distract the commander."
"Landing at Desert Command Center in one minute," the pilot crackled over the intercom.
"You heard the man," Zell said with a smile. "LET'S DO IT!"
"I'm telling you, I'm a friend of the commander's, and I need to speak with him, you dolt!" Seifer shouted at the Galbadian guard. "I'm an ex-SeeD cadet! Let me in!"
"Sorry, Mr. Almasy," the Galbadian soldier answered. "No unauthorized personnel admitted. This is a Code: A Classified Operation. No civilians!"
"Damn you, I should…" Seifer growled.
"Is there a problem, Private?"
"This civilian desires to speak with you, Commander Leonhart," the soldier said as Squall walked up, in full stealth gear.
"Well, Seifer, how are you?" Squall asked. "What can I help you with?"
"It's what I can help you with," Seifer replied. "I think I know what's going on inside, and who's behind it."
"Really…" Squall mused. "Come on, then. You can tell me about it." The guard stepped aside, and Seifer passed through. However, the minute the guard turned back around, Seifer chunked a stone and hit him in the head with it.
"Bastard," Seifer fumed. "Told ya so!"
END OF CHAPTER TWO