BLACK RAIN
Chapter 7 – The Last Briefing
(Esthar – Airstation)
The Ragnarok arrives and lands without effort onto the Airstation. As they disembark, Rinoa spots Squall and Zell standing at the entrance to the station.
"Squall!" calls Rinoa, running over to him and hugging him tightly, not letting go until the others have caught up.
"Hi, Rinoa, nice to see you too," says Squall sounding slightly embarrassed. "Hey you guys, how you all doing?"
"Ready for ACTION!" yells Selphie, almost deafening Squall and Irvine, who are standing right next to her. Irvine laughs.
"I'm a bit deaf now, but fine"
"I'm OK" says Quistis. But Squall hears a slight uncertainty in her voice. He ignores it.
"Well, should we get going?" asks Zell.
"Yeah, let's go, we're going to the presidential palace"
"Are we going to see Laguna?" asks Selphie.
"Yeah" Zell answers "even though he didn't personally make the request for SeeD, the government did. But he will be there when the mission is explained."
"As long as they don't try to imprison me again, then that's OK" Rinoa says, laughing nervously.
"They won't. I'll make sure of that" replies Squall, almost immediately.
Rinoa smiles. Thank you, my knight she sends to him. Squall looks at her; uncertain as to how she did that.
"Maybe later" she whispers to him, moving closer and linking his arm with hers.
(Esthar – Presidential Palace)
The group, accompanied by an aide they met at the entrance, get off of the lift, and are led down to a room they have never seen before. A label on the door reads:
TACTICAL GUIDANCE AND COUNTERMEASURES ROOM
A war room, Squall thinks to himself. Would it really come to something as drastic as war?
"You may go inside, they are waiting for you," says the aide.
"Thank you" says Squall, and leads the others inside.
The room is vast, and very much decorated. Various paintings adorn the walls at both sides of the room, vast hangars depicting the Estharian flag hang from various points of the ceiling. A plush red carpet is beneath their feet.
The biggest item in the room by far is the table. A huge, oval-shaped wooden table that seemed to stretch forever. Squall studies the various people seated at the table. Various Esthar officials are sitting to the right of the table, and a number of Esthar generals are seated on the right. At the head of the table, sits, Laguna, Kiros to his right, and Ward to his left.
"Man, that's a lotta suits" whispers Zell to Squall. He silently agrees.
"Come in! Come in! Sit down!" says Laguna, motioning for them to come in. Squall walks up first, followed by the others. Rinoa comes in last, and upon doing so, a number of the officials flinch at the sight of her.
So, it was them, she thinks to herself, feeling a small surge of anger. They're the ones who almost sealed me away forever. She gives them a small smile, and seats herself next to Zell.
"Wow" says Laguna, "we ask for three SeeD's, and they send six. The best! Well, 5, but you know what I…" he shuts up, scratching his head. Kiros stands up, and walks over to them.
"Ok, ladies and gentlemen, let's get down to business."
They're not wasting time thinks Squall. Oh well, saves us hanging around doing nothing.
"As you know" Kiros continues "The Esthar government requested the help of SeeD for a particular reason. This reason is also your mission, and that is to hunt down and assassinate Dr Odine. Or, failing that, attempt to capture him, and bring him to us."
Everyone was silent as Kiros carried on. "Now, our last reports show that he is not in his laboratory. In fact, he has not been seen for a few days now. But there was no sign that he was taken by force, or had left in a hurry. We believe he left of his own free will, but wasn't alone."
"And that requires us?" asks Zell. "Look, no offence guys, but how come you can't do it? Don't get me wrong, but why us? What's so different about this mission that you guys can't handle it?"
"Be quiet," says Quistis, glaring at him.
"No, he has a point" Kiros says. "We hired you because you may have more than just Odine to contend with"
"Like what?" asks Irvine
"Take a look at this" Laguna speaks up. He presses a button under the table and suddenly a section of the wall behind him disappears. Revealing a perfect map of Esthar."
"Wow! Cool!" Selphie says.
Laguna also stands up. "We have reason to believe that Dr Odine went to Tears Point, and into the Lunatic Pandora, armed with a great deal of equipment from his lab, and a number of aides, also form his lab."
I knew it thinks Squall. Rinoa speaks up.
"How did he get into it from there? Is there a lift or something?"
"No, which makes it even stranger. The only way in is to fly there, like you guys did" replies Kiros.
"Then, how?" asks Quistis.
Laguna looks at the floor. "We don't know"
"What makes you think he's actually inside the Pandora?" Asks Squall "he could be inside Tears Point somewhere."
"Because of this" Laguna says, pressing another button under the desk. The map disappears, replaced by a series of photos. They depict a trail caused by a number of vehicles, travelling across the plains from the city toward Tears Point.
"From our spies" Kiros tells them. "As you can see, the trail leads to Tears Point. But look at these two pictures"
The last two pictures are indeed strange. The first picture shows the vehicles stopped, unloaded, and the various personnel, along with the doctor (easy to spot due to his ridiculous costume) and the equipment, standing at the entrance to Tears Point. But the other picture is even stranger; there is nothing there, except for the vehicles. Kiros explains
"From what our spy told us, a person appeared at the entrance, then there was a series of flashes, and everything was gone. He went to take a photo, but the camera wouldn't work, almost as if something was blocking it. But that's impossible, as our spy was a good 20 miles away." He hands them the original photos. Squall passes them to the others.
"Who's this 'person'?" Quistis asks, equally puzzled with the others.
They all shrug their shoulders. Rinoa, however, doesn't. She is studying the 'first' photo with interest.
"Something wrong Rinoa?" Squall asks. Rinoa ignores him.
"Rinoa?" Squall repeats.
"President Laguna" Rinoa speaks up. "Can you put this photo up by itself?"
"Um, OK" Laguna punches it up. Rinoa stand up and walks up to the picture, spooking the Estharian officials further.
"Don't worry guys, I'm not going to bite" she smiles at them, then turns her attention to the photo.
That person, she thinks. I can't help but fell a presence form them. They're in this photo, but just barely. She touches it with a finger, closing her eyes as she does so.
Yes, no doubt about it, I'm right. They had good reason to call us. She turns to the others, who area all watching her intently.
"You made a good call asking for SeeD's. Because that person is a sorceress."
Laguna and the others flinch "Are you sure Rinoa?" asks Squall.
"Very sure" she says "and a strong one at that. Also the reason they disappeared so fast, coupled by the fact that your spy says he saw a 'flash', was because she made a gate."
"A what?" Kiros asks.
"A gate of space" Rinoa continues. "Basically, a teleporter that only a sorceress can make. She moved the whole lot from this position at the entrance into the Pandora."
"Uh, Rinoa? Can we have the stupid version please?" asks Zell, thoroughly confused.
"A sorceress can travel anywhere in the world, instantaneously, just by opening this gate, and choosing the destination at the other end. And as long as it remains open, anything or anyone can pass through." She looks around the room. There is a look of fear on the Esthar officials and Generals. There is a look of worry on the SeeD's faces.
"Therefor" she continues, "she moved Odine, the equipment and his aides into the ship. That's why your spy's camera wouldn't work. The power she must have used to move such a vast load must have been unbelievable."
"This is great," says Laguna. "Not only Odine, but also a sorceress. Just great."
"It's simple," says Squall "we take her out as well."
Laguna and the others look at him. Normally he would have told them to stop staring, but this was too serious a matter to be concerned right now.
"Please explain," asks Kiros. Squall gets up and walks around the table.
"Well, if it involves Odine, then its bound to be dangerous." Squall sighs. "Now, here's the deal. Myself, Quistis and Zell will go ahead to Lunatic Pandora, and see what we can do. Irvine, Selphie, Rinoa, you guys, if its OK with you, Laguna, go ahead to Odine's lab, and search it, see if you can turn anything up."
"Sure they can" replies Laguna "but they'll be wasting their time, we've already searched twice over, and found nothing."
"We'll look anyway." Irvine chips in.
"What? Why?" Kiros looks at him
"A gut feeling" he replies, closing his eyes briefly
…A hidden safe…
…A blue folder…
"Very well" Kiros says, "we'll also see to it you are not disturbed"
"When do we start?" Squall asks, getting bored of all the talk.
"Whenever you are ready" replies Kiros. "Also, let us know. We will issue you with a special radio device. When you have completed your mission, radio us, then get out."
"Why?" Zell asks.
"As soon as you guys are done, we're going to launch a series of missiles at it, and destroy it."
"Why can't you do it now?" asks Selphie.
"They're… not ready yet" Kiros answers. Rinoa catches a hint of (something) in his voice.
"Ok. We'll go first thing tomorrow." Squall says
"Tomorrow?" Quistis turns to Squall. "Why tomorrow?"
"We have to have a meeting of our own."
Irvine catches on "Yeah sure, let's go."
"We must go. We'll carry out your mission." Squall nods to Kiros, Laguna and the officials.
"Don't worry, it will be done." He says. They leave closing the door behind them. A few minutes later, Laguna gets up.
"COM's Kiros, Ward, good luck guys. With everything."
Laguna also nods to his officials, and leaves.
"Yes" one of the generals says. "Now we know what were up against, we'll deploy the missiles as soon as possible, hopefully with both sorceresses inside. Three problems out at once. The two of them, and the doctor."
"What about the SeeD's?" asks another official. "What shall we say to garden?"
"Tell them there was an error with the launch device, or the radio device, and offer to compensate them. Easily explained away."
The other generals and officials nod their heads in agreement, all smiling together.