X
Escape !


Lunar Base
« Nothing, nada, zilch. » the sensor officer hit his console in frustration. « Those things aren't there. »
« Relax, Lieutenant. » Lunar Base's commander said. « This kind of equipment is hard to come by and has to be kept in one piece. »
« Sorry sir. »
« It's okay. » The commander waved the apology away.
The young lieutenant turned in his chair. « Permission to speak freely, sir. »
« Shoot. »
« With all due respect, sir, we've been scanning for these damned things for I don't know how long and we've come up with nothing. Frankly sir, I don't think there are any 'orbital platforms' out there like you've said. »
The commander thought over that comment for a few moments, then he got out of his chair. « Maybe you're right. »
« Sir ? » the young lieutenant didn't quite believe what he was hearing.
« Maybe there aren't any of those platforms in orbit capable of deflecting a directed beam of energy. Light can be bent in another way. »
« And what would that be, sir ? »
« Ever seen a full solar eclipse ? »
« I don't think I have, sir. »
« That can be arranged. » The commander went over to the lieutenant's console and adjusted a few controls. The blazing yellow disc of the sun appeared on the screen. From the left side of the screen, the moon closed in and began to slide over the sun. As the twilight deepened, they saw a star wink into existence just above and below the sun. « Do you see those two stars ? »
« Yes sir. »
« Keep an eye on them. »
The moon continued to slide over the sun until it covered the entire solar disc. And then, the lieutenant saw something he hadn't seen before. The star above and below the sun changed positions a wee bit as the moon eclipsed the sun. The one above moved up a bit and the one below moved down.
« What the ? » the lieutenant stammered.
« Now if you use your brains for a second, you'll find out. »
The lieutenant thought frantically. He replayed the last seconds of the eclipse to see the two stars shift. And then, he got it. « Gravity. »
« Bullseye. Gravity can bend light. »
The lieutenant nearly lit up with pride. But it was short-lived as the commander torpedoed it.
« However, that possibility is probable but not very likely. »
« What do you mean, sir ? »
« For light to be bent by gravity, you need a powerful gravity source. And this planet doesn't generate enough gravity to bend a ray of energy like the one we've seen. The only gravity source strong enough to really influence light is a black hole. »
« Your point being, sir ? »
« My point is that there have to be mirror equipped orbital platforms out there. But we can't see them just yet. »
« That's the problem, sir. » the young lieutenant bounced back. The commander merely smiled. For a kid, this lieutenant had a skeptical mind and questioned everything until it made sense. He would make it far.
« I know that, son. I know. » the commander said. « Keep scanning on all frequencies inluding infrared to ultraviolet. »
« Scanning on all frequencies including IR and UV, aye. »

Tevarion's hideout
In their cell, Moira and Lucas sat on the hard bench.
« When'll dad come ? »
« I don't know. » Moira said. « But he'll be here. He'll get us out. »
Lucas got up and moved to the door where he peeked through the little gap which was used to deliver their meals. Save for the two Jennai Soldiers patrolling nearby, the place was empty.
« Maybe I can pick the lock. »
Moira joined her son by the door and took a closer look at the lock.
« Mom, you got a hairpin or something I can use ? »
A year or two ago, Lucas had accidently locked himself in the closet which had been built into the wall of the second floor. He had yelled for help, but no one had heard him. Not giving in, he looked around the closet and found a piece of steel wire. With that, he had single-handedly picked the lock and thus freed himself from his nasty situation.
« I don't think that's gonna help. » she said.
« How come ? »
« This is a magnetic lock. It doesn't require a key to lock it. Just a command from a computer and electricity to power the lock. »
« Can't we trigger an overload or something ? We've got to get out of here. »
« Well, we first have to find the cables that feed the lock's internal mechanism. Then, I would need some tools to trigger that overload you spoke of. But where am I gonna find tools in this bare cell ? »
« Got them right here. » Lucas took out his pocket knife out of bottom of his boot. « I've been walking around on that thing for nearly eternity. »
« Lucas, you're a genius. » She kissed her son on the forehead and took the pocket knife. It had lots of mini tools including a screwdriver, a nailfile, a pair of scissors, tweezers, a saw blade and, of course, the knife itself.
« Gee mom, get a grip. »
They heard running outside the door. The two peeked through the gap again and saw several soldiers run past, scientists or engineers among them.
Some ten minutes later, they felt the ground rumble as the HYPERION cannon fired its test shot.
« What was that ? » Lucas wondered.
« Your guess is as good as mine, son. » Moira said, still looking through the gap. « It seems that that Tevarion bastard is planning something big. »
At first, they didn't notice it, but after several minutes they did notice it. The two soldiers had stopped patrolling. The corridor was empty.
« Okay Lucas. » Moira said and began to search for the cables feeding power to the door's magnetic lock. « Now or never. »

Dyenso Village
When Talinn and Ringo were looking for Cathy who wasn't in her room when they wanted to wake her, they found her in the kitchen, munching on yet another sandwich. Obviously, she had set her mind on conquering the food in their fridge after such a long time of wandering in the woods.
« Gee, what an appetite. » Ringo said. Cathy took another bite as to emphasize that.
« Why don't we all get something to eat and then we'll go see the Chief. » Talinn suggested.
« Good idea. » Ringo agreed.
After breakfast, they went to the Chief's house.
« Archie, wait here. » Catherine instructed her companion. The wolf laid down on the ground next to the door and put his head on his paws.
« Chief ? » Ringo looked around the main room.
« Coming. » they heard from somewhere in one of the back rooms. After a few moments, the Chief came hurrying into the room. « Hey guys, what's up ? »
« We have to talk to you about something. » Talinn said, closing the door.
« And that would be ? » the Chief asked.
« Did it not strike you as odd that Catherine here showed up in our village when she and her family live on the other side of the world ? » Talinn began.
« Yeah, now that you mention it » the Chief mused. « How did you get here ? »
« She was the victim of a kidnapping. » Ringo slipped in perfectly.
« My mother, my mother and myself. » Cathy added to that. « We were being taken somewhere. I fell out the back of the truck and managed to escape. Since then, I had been looking for this village because father had told me about this place. »
« I see. » the Chief said.
« My father is looking for me. He's on his way. »
« How do you know that ? » Ringo asked, a bit skeptical.
Talinn hit her husband on the head. « In case you're not fully awake, she's Duncan's daughter. She's got to have the same Lifestream capabilities as he has. »
« Actually, my connection to the Lifestream has only recently been made. I can feel it growing though. »
« So what do we do now ? » Ringo wondered.
« We have to warn Duncan his daughter is here. » Talinn said. « The only question is : how ? »
« Maybe we could send Nicky. » the Chief wondered.
« Send him where ? » Talinn asked. « These woods are ominous. Besides, we don't know where he is or where he'll arrive. »
« Good point. » Ringo said.
« Indeed. » the Chief agreed.
« C'mon, we have to do something to get my mother and brother out of those soldiers' clutches. »
« Sodiers ? What soldiers ? » the Chief asked, getting wind of what was coming next.
« Soldiers in black uniforms with a black helmet and a green blast shield. I couldn't see their faces. » Cathy explained.
« Jennai Soldiers. » the Chief, Talinn and Ringo said as one.

Tevarion's hideout
Along the bare walls of the cell, Moira searched for the cables which fed power to the internal mechanism of the magnetic lock. Lucas pointed at something small and out of the ordinary in a corner near the door.
« What's this ? »
Moira pryed the chalk off and a red wire was exposed. « That's the one I was looking for. » She yanked on the wire a few times, loosening it up. « Stand back, this could get a little rough. »
Lucas moved back while Moira whipped up the knife. She held the sharp end against the wire and turned her head away. Then, she cut the wire with all the force she could muster. The knife slid through the wire and a shower of sparks followed a split-second thereafter. While the two exposed halves of the power wire were still sparking a bit, the magnetic lock clicked.
« All right. » Lucas cheered from the corner where he'd taken cover. Moira silently pushed the door open. No one.
« Come on. » With Lucas right behind her, she kept close to the wall and moved to the nearest intersection of corridors. There they learned they were on level 5 below ground. And fortunatly, there was a computer terminal there. She wasted no time and began to examine the system. Her training in SeeD paid off once again as she began to hack into the system and methodically and meticulously erased her tracks. Something caught here eye. A file, protected by a Level-4 security code. Only the commander could access it.
« Hah, I had bigger fish to fry. » she muttered and bypassed the code. Moira had once, long ago, broken Cid's personal access code which had given her access to the entire computer network of Balamb Garden. She had done this because everyone doubted her capabilities and she wanted to prove herself so she had decided to break Cid's access code which was Level-7. Cid was royally pissed off and proud at the same time.
« What the hell is this ? » she asked as the file opened. On the screen, the schematics of a cannon were displayed. 'Schematics - HYPERION cannon' stood in the lower right corner. « This must be what caused that rumble. »
« What's that, mom ? » Lucas asked, looking at the screen.
« Schematics of some kind of cannon. » She opened the e-mail program and sent the file to a safe location in the Balamb Garden computer system. She was barely finished when an alarm went off. The sound of booted feet running echoed through the corridor. Moira shut down the terminal after erasing her tracks and ran. Lucas followed right behind her.
« Now to find a way out of here. »
They ran around the corner and hid in a dark place when at least twenty Jennai Soldiers ran past them. The two held their breath, hoping no soldier would notice them. When they were gone, mother and son ran through the underground corridors once again.


XI
Tevarion's Declaration of War


Tevarion's hideout
In the command center, all was going according to plan. At least, that was what Tevarion thought. He had no idea Moira and Lucas had escaped.
« Gentlemen, it is time we officially announced our and HYPERION's existence to the outside world. Prepare HYPERION for another shot and stand-by to open a broadband channel on all frequencies. »
« Yessir. » Several technicians go to their consoles and started to implement changes in the cannon's angle. A few other men took care of the broadband signal.
« Target, sir ? » the targeting officer asked.
« A stretch of open land not far from Deling City, Galbadia Continent. We don't want to hurt any people. » Tevarion grinned. « Yet. »
« Aye sir. » The targeting officer got to work. In its bay, the HYPERION cannon angled upward a bit and turned 27 degrees to its left, directing itself to mirror satellite 16. From there, the ray would go to satellite 13, then to 8, to 4 and finally, it would be sent down to its target. « Target acquired. »
« Stand-by on the broadband signal. » Tevarion ordered.
« Ready, sir. » the comm officer reported.
« Cannon ready. All systems green. » someone reported from his console.
« Fire. » Tevarion ordered. Then he added : « Broadband signal. »
The telltale mess of hasty status reports echoed through the command center. « Cannon onlinepower flow stabletargeting systems synched with satellites 16, 13, 8 and 4cannon is firingenabling broadband signal »
Outside, the cannon fired its red energy ray into the air. The beam sped to satellite 16, bounced off on its mirror and was relayed to 13. From there, the ray was deflected to satellite 8 and hit 4's mirror. Mirror satellite 4 sent the ray to its destination : the targeted stretch of land not far from Deling City in Galbadia. The result was everything Tevarion had hoped. The beam slammed into the ground, making an ominous crater. The people in Deling City got a good scare when the air colored bright red and beam hit.
Just after the ray had struck, every screen on the face of the world was filled with static. Then the impact of the beam was shown. After that, the face of commander Tevarion replaced the image.
« People of the world. You've just witnessed our project in full action. I, Tevarion, hereby declare myself leader of this world. Every nation has one week to surrender to us. If there should be any resistance, we will target more precisely. Cities and villages to be more exact. » He bent closer to the screen. « Remember : one week and no resistance. »
Then, the screens showed static once again before going to their usual displays.
« Nicely done, sir. » Burke, his second-in-command said.
« Thank you. » Tevarion nodded. « By the way, check on our 'guests'. See how they're doing. »
« Yessir. » Burke went to a console and typed in a few commands. The screen switched to a view of Moira and Lucas' cell. What he saw sent a shiver up his spine. The door was wide open. « Sir, they're gone ! »
« WHAT !? » Tevarion whirled around.
« The door is open. How did they get out ? That's a magnetic lock. »
Tevarion wasted no time and summoned to him as much Jennai Soldiers as he could.
« The prisoners have escaped. Your mission is to find them. However, don't hurt or kill them. The first one that does so, will pay with his life. Find them and place them in another cell. Understood ? »
« Understood. » they all acknowledged as one.
« Good. Move out ! »
The soldiers turned and hurried out the command center to find the two escapees.

Elega settlement, Neron Continent
The hovercraft reached the harbor and moored to its designated pier. All passengers disembarked, including our seven friends. The ride to this continent had taken all day and now night was creeping in. Selphie scratched the back of her head.
« Gosh, night already and I don't feel tired. »
« We'd better get some sleep or else our internal biological clock will be confused. » Duncan said.
« Let's go, people. » Squall took the lead to the Elega Inn. When they entered, they were confronted with a mess. All the people present sat huddled near the television set in a corner of the main room.
« What's going on ? » Rinoa wondered. She'd just asked this, when Squall's comm unit started beeping. « Leonhart here. » he said after taking the comm unit out of his pocket and switching it on.
« Squall, headmaster Cid here. We've just got confirmation of a strike on Deling City in Galbadia. No injuries. We've got a message stating this attack is merely a warning. This guy who calls himself Tevarion has declared himself leader of the world. All nations have one week to surrender. No resistance or else he'll target more precisely. »
« Surrender or die. » Squall slipped in.
« You could say that. Anyway, if there's any resistance he threatened to blow up cities and villages. »
« That sucks ! » Zell shook with frustrated rage.
« I know Zell. » Cid agreed. « And something else : we've received an e-mail from Moira. »
When he heard that, Skywalker's heart leapt up. « From Moira ? »
« Yes. There wasn't any text. Just blueprints or something. In the lower right corner something is written : schematics - HYPERION cannon. »
« That must be that cannon they're using. » Duncan wondered. « Thank you, Moira. » he added silently.
That was the ultimate proof she was still alive and okay. Duncan felt relieved beyond words. However, that went down a little because he didn't know about his two kids.
« We have to assume that that is indeed the case. » Cid said. « Be careful guys. » he added.
« We will. » Rinoa said.
In the meantime, Squall had gone to a public computer terminal and had gained access to Garden's computer system through remote access sequences using a superuser account he personally had set up some time in the past. He took the comm unit from Rinoa. « Where's the file ? »
« In the schematics subfolder of the mail program. »
Squall opened the mail and accessed the schematics.
« Holy hell. » Zell said for all of them.
« Indeed Zell. » Cid agreed once again. « Holy hell. »

Dyenso village
In the early morning, everything was being prepared for the rescue of Catherine's mother and brother. Every able-bodied warrior ran to and fro with weapons and other stuff and supplies. Some ten men were al set and ready to go. Catherine watched them with awe. What seemed like a regular village had seemed to have transformed into a military installation.
« Gosh, you guys sure kow how to stack arms. »
« We do, don't we ? » Jeb asked with a grin.
Talinn joined them. « We're all set. We set out in ten minutes. »
« I'm coming too. » Cathy said. Archie, her wolf-friend, leapt up. He wanted to come along as well.
« You'd better stay here. » Talinn suggested. « Where you'll be safe. Let us handle it. »
« Stay here and miss all the fun. » she pouted. « No way. »
« Come on. » Jeb cut in. « What can you do in a situation like this ? »
« This for instance. » She grabbed Jeb by the wrist and threw him over her shoulder. He went flying through the air and landed a few meters further flat on his back. « And that's not all. » she added.
Jeb got to his feet and charged at her. « Why you little »
That was all he could say when Cathy sent him flying again. This time into the open door of a nearby cabin. A lot of noise was heard when the unfortunate Jeb crashed into the kitchen.
« I rest my case. » they heard him moan. « She can come along for all I care. »
« I think she could be of some use. » the Chief said with a smile.
« Yeah, perhaps. We'll see. » Talinn said and moved off to the waiting warriors. « Come on. » Cathy followed close behind.
The group left the village and disappeared in the woods. Ringo and Talinn took point, followed by Cathy. The rest of the men followed close behind. They came into a clearing from where the barrel of the HYPERION cannon could be clearly seen.
« That thing must be huge. » one of the men said.
« Yeah, it's huge alright. » another agreed.
« Don't fall behind back there. » Talinn said, looking over her shoulder.
After some fifteen minutes of walking through the woods, they ran into a patrol of fifteen Jennai Soldiers. Their orders had stated that if they saw Catherine they should capture her and bring her in. However, now there were twelve people from Dyenso Village with her who were fighting the soldiers. Cathy defended her as well of course, but the villagers kept the soldiers away from her.
Suddenly five of them broke through the defense line and went for Cathy. Archie growled beside her, ready to jump in and attack. She was outmatched. Five against one. What would father do ? she wondered. It wasn't fair. Then, she felt something deep down inside. A sense of control.
« Stay away from me ! » she yelled and unwillingly released a burst of raw Lifestream energy. The energy wave shot up from the ground and killed the five soldiers and a handful of other Jennai Soldiers nearby. The others were dealt with by the villagers.
« And that's that. » Ringo said while sheathing his sword.
Talinn knelt beside Cathy who was staring in front of her, shocked beyond words. « You okay ? »
« I I killed them. » she stammered and looked at Talinn. « I killed them. »
Archie sat down beside her and looked up at his mistress.
Talinn laid her hands on hers shoulders and felt she was shaking all over. « It's okay. » she said reassuringly. « They were the enemy. We had to defend ourselves. »
« Yes, but »
« Let me tell you about these soldiers, Cathy. » Talinn looked Cathy straight in the eye. « These soldiers are merciless and ruthless. They carry out their commander's orders without hesitation or questions asked. Killing them is the only way to stop them. »
« It is ? »
Talinn nodded. « It is the only way. They first Jennai Soldier was built gene by gene and the other soldiers are copies of the first. »
« As in clones ? » Cathy asked, feeling better. She had stopped shaking during Talinn's explanation.
« Clones, yes. »
« How do you know all this ? »
« Because I've seen it. I was there when Jennai sent forth his new soldiers. »
« Was my father there too ? »
« He was. » Talinn replied with a smile. « They didn't stand a chance against him. »
Cathy smiled. « He's great, isn't he ? »
« Indeed he is. » Talinn smiled back.
Ringo approached the two. « Why don't we take five ? She can come to her senses while we dispose of the soldiers. »
« Good idea. » Talinn agreed. « What do you think ? » she asked Cathy.
« Great idea. » she said. « I could use a bit of rest. »
« Okay then. » Ringo turned back to the ten villagers who had come along. « Okay boys, get rid of those soldiers and then take a break if you want to. »
Some of them had been injured and were being treated by the others.
As they got rid of the dead soldiers, Cathy sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree and stroked Archie over his head.
She wondered if they would find her mother and brother in time.
Someone gave a yell and pointed to the barrel of the HYPERION cannon change position. A few moments later, it fired.
Cathy took the control card out of her pocket. « Guess my little sabotage attempt was not successful. »
« Where'd you get that ? » Ringo asked.
« I took it when I was on my way here. The soldiers were gone for a moment. I took advantage of that and snatched this control card. » Cathy explained.
« And they managed to bypass it. » Talinn said. « Damn. »


XII
Movements


Elega settlement
When Talinn and her team were preparing themselves, Skywalker opened the door leading to the balcony. From there, he had a view of the surrounding area and the woods beyond the walls protecting the settlement. He leaned on the railing while looking over the treetops, wondering what his wife and kids were doing now. Or something far worse. However, the feeling was vague. Somewhere out there, he could vaguely sense the presence of those loved ones he was seeking. He had to assume they were okay. Moira could take care of herself. And Lucas and Cathy too ; especially when they were working together as he'd experienced back home.
A hovercraft departed for a destination somewhere in the west. The noise from it's propellor engines could be heard from the relatively distant harbor area.
Sighing, he went back inside, put on his coat and equipped his Daïkatana. Duncan went downstairs and found the others already waiting for him.
« Took you long enough. » Selphie said, being her usual cheery self.
« Selphie, give the man a break. » Irvine said, seeing that Duncan was still worrying about his wife and two children.
« Sorry. » she said, a bit disappointed. « Just trying to have a good time. »
« It's okay, Selphie. » Duncan said. « You be your usual self. I don't mind at all. »
« See ? » She hit Irvine right on his shoulder. « Don't be such a grouch. »
« Okay okay. » Irvine complained.
« Let's just grab a bite to eat. » Rinoa said and moved off to the main room of the inn. Squall shrugged as if saying « She's got a point » and followed. The rest followed as well, getting some breakfast and after that, looking for a way into the dense forests of Neron Continent.
« You know these roads better than we do. » Squall said, turning to Duncan. « How do we go in there ? »
« I went in on foot. » Skywalker replied. « But it would be better for the girls if we could use some transportation. » He looked around, searching for something. His eye fell on a chocobo farm a bit further. « Like chocobos, for instance. »
« Yay, chocobos. » Selphie cheered. « Let's get going then. »
They made their way to the farm and got five chocobos which would take them into the woods of Neron Continent.
Duncan got on his chocobo and spurred it. « Yah ! » The chocobo sped forwards at almost full speed.
« Hey ! Wait up ! » Selphie yelled and spurred her own. Irvine had his arms around her waist, hanging on for dear life as Selphie let te chocobo race after Duncan's. The others followed.
« Duncan sure doesn't waste any time, does he ? » Rinoa asked, holding on to Squall.
« Nope. » the latter agreed.
« Do you know where to go ? » Selphie yelled ahead at Skywalker.
« If my hunch is correct, yeah I do. » he yelled over his shoulder. He brought his chocobo alongside Selphie's. « But it'll take some time to get there. »
« How long ? » Squall asked.
« Two days at the most. »
« So where is it we're going ? » Rinoa wanted to know.
« If my gut feeling isn't playing tricks on me, we'll be able to find out a whole lot when we reach Dyenso Village. »
« Let's get moving. » Quistis suggested.
« Hold on. » Squall cut in. « If we start racing, we'll exhaust our rides. »
« Yeah, we'd better take it easy. » Zell added.
Everyone slowed their chocobos down to half their usual speed.

Tevarion's hideout
Lucas and Moira were still racing through the underground corridors of Tevarion's base. Not so long ago, she'd mailed the cannon's schematics to Garden. She could only hope that headmaster Cid was smart enough to warn Squall and maybe in doing so, alert her husband as well.
She rounded a corner and saw a door open further at the end of the corridor. « Back. » she hissed. The two crept back into a dark corner and held their breath. Ten Jennai Soldiers ran past them, not one of them looking at the place they were using as hideout. But then Lucas accidently kicked a can. It made one hell of a ruckus as it clattered across the concrete floor.
« Dammit Lucas. » Moira swore silently.
« Sorry. » Lucas tried to apologise.
One of the soldiers came back to investigate. With a flashlight, he illuminated the location from where the noise had been heard. The beam moved across the wall to the two escapees' hideout. Moira wasted no time when the light beam reached them and kicked the soldier clear in the face. It happened so fast the soldier didn't have time to react. He spun around several times before landing hard on the concrete floor. Dazed, he tried to get to his feet but Moira's foot connected with his jaw again and sent the soldier sprawling. Taking advantage of the situation, she lunged out, grabbed the knife that was on the soldier's belt and rammed it through his chest. Lucas stood gaping at his mother who'd just killed that soldier. « Mom, you'd » he tried to say.
« I know, son. » she reassured him. « Just returning the favor. »
She hauled the now dead soldier into the dark area they had been hiding in moments before. Then, she stripped him of everything they could use. The submachine gun, for starters, Moira hung over her shoulder. She also took the radio and the field rations. The knife she gave to Lucas.
« Whereto now ? » Lucas asked, taking the knife.
« I'm not sure. » Moira looked around the deserted corridor. « But we have to sabotage the cannon. I didn't get a good look at the map though. We had to bail pretty fast, remember ? »
« Yeah. » Lucas nodded.
« Come on. »
She took point again, running through the underground corridors that formed the maze which, in turn, formed Tevarion's hideout under the remains of Lakoya City.
« I wonder where we are. » Lucas broke the silence.
« I don't know either. »
« Unit 615, rendez-vous with Team 65 on Level 3. » crackled out of the radio. Moira stopped running and turned the volume up a bit. « Unit 615, respond. » Several seconds passed. « 615, come in, dammit. » Then the vague report to someone was heard on the background.
« Trouble. »
« What's up, mom ? »
« They just found out one of their soldiers is missing. Now they'll come looking for him. »
« Then we'd better put as much distance between us and that dead soldier. » lucas said.
« Spoken like a true survivor. » Moira smiled and took point once again.

Woods of Neron Continent
« Okay people, let's get moving again ! » Talinn got to her feet.
« Question. » Jeb said.
« Shoot. »
« What's the plan when we reach that place ? »
« I guess we do some good old-fashioned sabotaging, like in the old days. »
With 'the old days' Talinn meant their struggle against Jennai and his city. Duncan Skywalker had provided them with the necessary tactics and had helped them take down Jennai.
The team was on the move again. Cathy was walking close to Ringo with Archie by her side. « I'm scared. »
Ringo didn't quite belive what he was hearing. « So are we. Stay close to us and no harm will come to you. » he reassured her.
Jeb caught up with Talinn and Ringo. « Say, any idea when Skywalker'll arrive ? He's on his way right ? »
Ringo noticed Cathy stare in front of her with a distant look. « He's on his way. With backup. » She'd just sensed Squall and the others' patterns within the Lifestream. All living things had a distinctive pattern which enabled the Skywalker family to sense and distinguish them.
« Backup ? » Jeb asked.
« Yes, six people. » The distant look was replaced by her usual clear eyes as she lost the sense.
« Where are they now ? » Jeb asked impatiently.
« I lost it. » she said.
« What ? Argh, c'mon. »
« Jeb, give her a break. » Talinn barked. « We know he's on his way and bringing backup. We just have to wait and see. »
« Yeah. » Ringo agreed. « In the meantime let's get Cathy's mother and brother out of there. »
Grumbling, Jeb went back to his position as the team moved on to the remains of Lakoya City. Sticking out of the treetops, the barrel of the HYPERION cannon could still be seen.

Lunar Base
The sensor officer rubbed his eyes. Scans in the infrared and ultraviolet band of the spectrum of the planet's visible hemisphere had revealed nothing. Not one single platform popped up on the sensors. The officer went to get himself some coffee. Perhaps that could clear his head and drive away the fatigue.
Lunar Base had been scanning continuously for these 'orbital platforms' for the past seventeen hours. And still nothing came up. He sat down again at his console and took a sip from his coffee. The screen still showed the visible curve of the planet and the moon in the distance. But no positive contacts that would indicate there were orbital platforms capable of deflecting rays of directed energy.
Annoyed, he set the scanning sequence on a sidetrack and redirected some of the sensors to the planet surface. Almost immediately, the HYPERION cannon became visible on his screen.
« Maybe if I set the sensors to scan for the same metallurgic composition of that thing. » he murmured and implemented the changes. The sensors went to work, trying to detect the elusive platforms.
The crew of Lunar Base had also seen the red ray shoot up from a certain location within Grandini Forest. The sensors had immediately detected the energy release. The beam had bounced off of on unseen objects and hit the ground not far from Deling City. Then, the screens on Lunar Base had also shown Tevarion's message, or his declaration of war to be more exact. His ultimatum for every government on the face of the planet to surrender to him before the week was out. The sensor officer wondered how president Laguna would react to that.
The console beeped. No positive contacts.

Presidential palace, Esthar City
« Never ! » Laguna flared and banged on the desk. « This jackass can send up as many energy rays as he wants but he'll never lay his hands on Esthar City. »
« We still have a bit less than one week. » Kiros said. « Surely Squall is on the case. »
« Let's hope so. » Laguna sighed. He went to his desk and made a comm link to Balamb Garden. When he got through to headmaster Cid, he asked if Squall had found out what all this was about. Cid told him that he hadn't received any updates yet. Alongside Duncan Skywalker, Squall and his team were still spitting out this situation. Esthar's president thanked him and closed the link.
« Well, that's one good sign. »
« Indeed. » Kiros agreed.
Every screen in the city had shown the impact of Tevarion's ray and his ultimatum. Because of this, the people got scared. A handful of them had stated that he should surrender to Tevarion. Laguna had merely said that they were overreacting.
« They'll find out what's going on. » Kiros said as Laguna sat down behind his desk and swiveled his chair around to look out the window across the city. « Besides, Skywalker's with them. They can't fail. »
« No they can't. »
He sighed and turned back o his desk and got up. « Better ready the Esthar soldiers. You might never know when it may come down to a showdown. »
« Right. I'm on it. » Kiros left to notify the soldiers they were on stand-by.



XIII
Moira's Plan


Tevarion's hideout
Moira and Lucas raced through the underground maze of concrete corridors. A hailstorm of bullets ricocheted over their heads. The two ducked behind the corner. Moira took the submachine gun she'd taken from the dead soldier. « Blasted. » she cursed.
She peered around the corner and saw a handful of Jennai Soldiers standing further down the corridor. « Damn them for all eternity. » she hissed and readied the submachine gun. The safety was flipped off and Moira leaned out and fired a short burst. When she took cover behind the corner again, she heard at least one body hitting the concrete floor. One down, several more to go.
« Can't we take another route ? » Lucas asked.
« Nope. » she replied and checked the clip. Still enough bullets to make a reasonable stand. A burst of bullets from the patrol chipped off the concrete of their corner. The two ducked away. « This is the only corridor that gives access to the engineering section of this hellhole. »
« So what do we do ? »
« I'm not sure yet. » she peered around the corner once again and examined the layout of the corridor. Aside from the bare concrete walls, there were several conduits which lined the walls. She was looking for one specific color : green. That color represented a flammable carbon-based gas. It had been discovered not so long ago and had proven to be a useful source of energy. But as for every combustible energy source, it wasn't going to be around indefinitely. Sooner or later, centuries hence, it would be gone.
She leaned back, a plan ready in the back of her mind. « Better take good cover. »
Lucas crawled back, until he was well away from the corner they were using as cover. Moira leaned out once again and fired a round of bullets at the conduit. The conduit breached and one bullet ricocheted off a metal ring and made a spark which ignited the released gas. The result was that an enormous explosion killed the remaining soldiers. But the downside was that a raging flame was blocking the corridor.
But Moira was counting on the safety mechanisms strewn throughout this underground facility. That maniac could be crazy, but he surely would have installed safety measures. And he had done so. A few seconds after the blast, a siren wailed, the gas supply was cut to this part of the corridors and fire extinguishers in the walls spewed out white foam. This choked the roaring flames and put them out.
« Let's go. » Moira took the lead again with her son close behind and ran through the corridors again. They had to get out of there before more soldiers would come along with a repair crew. But before they ran on, Moira stripped the soldiers of their gear. Several submachine gun clips were taken as well as the knives and rations. She also took another submachine gun to be on the safe side should the one she was carrying now, jam. Lucas looked at the soldiers lying on the ground. They were all charred and burned. One of them had lost a part of his helmet in the blast. A part of his burned face was visible and one lifeless eye stared straight at him. The boy backed away.
« Relax. » his mother said calmly. « He's not going to do any more mischief in this lifetime. »
« He's dead ? »
« Of course. No one could've survived that blast. » She put the last of the clips in her pocket and got up. « Come on. Let's keep moving. »
The two ran again while the commander tried in vain to reach the squad in Corridor 32 Beta.

Woods of Neron Continent
The chocobos slid easily through the foliage of the forest. It was as if they were made to run around in there. Already the sun had climbed to its highest point in the sky, indicating it was a bit past high noon.
« I think I need to take a break. » Rinoa said.
« I agree. » Squall amended and relayed the message to Duncan.
« Okay, we take five. » He let his chocobo stop in a clearing and dismounted. The others dismounted as well and stretched their sore muscles.
« Man, riding chocobos is fun. But not something to do for nearly all day. » Selphie said rubbing her back.
« You'll get used to it. » Duncan said. « It's not that bad. In the beginning, I had trouble as well. But now, I can ride them all day if I have to. »
« You're not gonna do so with us around, are you ? » Quistis asked.
« Of course not. » Skywalker smiled. « I'll go easy on you guys. »
« Oh good. » Zell sighed. He noticed Irvine walking around rather awkward. « Hey Irvine, what's up ? Why you walking so weird ? »
« I kinda sat on the edge of that saddle. » he complained with a slightly painful grimace. Selphie couldn't help but giggle. Irvine paid no attention to her and slowly sat down on a fallen tree.
« Well, I'd never thought of being in Grandini Forest in my lifetime. » Zell said, looking at the ominous trees surrounding them.
Duncan walked around, putting the parts of the puzzle they had found out in their place. His wife and two kids had been kidnapped by a group unknown. They had taken them to a hovercraft port and set course for Neron Continent. Where they were he didn't know, but he was getting close. Skywalker had a gut feeling that he was getting near and if he ever found the one who had kidnapped Moira, Cathy and Lucas would have to answer to him. He took a deep breath, held it for a moment and let it out slowly. He looked down at the ground and noticed something. Footprints. Footprints of a child. His heart lept up. These specific prints looked familiar. They were Cathy's. He'd recognise them at once.
« She's okay. »
« Huh ? » Zell asked, turning around. « Who's okay ? »
« Cathy. » Skywalker said with a smile. « These are her footprints. I recognise them. Somehow, she must've found a way to escape. »
« That's all very interesting. » Squall said. « But these woods are ominous. Duncan, no offense but she could've perished in there. »
Everyone thought that Skywalker would flare up but he merely smiled. « Not Cathy. She's a survivor. And so is Lucas. They're like me. They'll find a way to stay alive. »
« Let's hope that she still is. » Rinoa said. « And time for us to move on. »
With one last look at his daughter's footprints, Skywalker got on his chocobo. The others were also ready. Duncan took point and the group vanished in the foliage again.

Tevarion's hideout
Tevarion laughed as he heard the report that Squad 132 had pinned down the two escapees in Corridor 32 Beta. « Send in an additional squad to 'escort' our guests back to their cell. »
« Yessir. » the officer at the comm station saluted. But before he could relay the order, the underground bunker rumbled when a part of the green pipeline Moira had fired on, exploded.
« What was that ? »
« We've got a breach in gas line 543 in Corridor 32 Beta. » one of the techs reported. « Safety measures active. Gas supply cut, fire extinguished. »
« Squad 132, come in. » Tevarion activated his radio. No response. « Squad 132, this is Commander Tevarion. Come in ... Respond ! » Still nothing. « Status on the systems in Corridor 32 Beta ? »
« Most of the systems are offline, however a few of them are still functioning at fifty percent. Readings are inconsistent, but it looks like the squad's dead. »
« Damn them. » Tevarion swore under his breath.

Upon leaving Corridor 32 Beta, Moira took a left turn to the engineering section. Hopefully, she could use her SeeD training to sabotage some of the systems. Namely those of the HYPERION project. When she rounded the corner, Moira froze and pushed Lucas against the wall while pressing herself against it as well. Standing next to one another with their backs to the wall, Moira pointed up at a piece of machinery near the ceiling not far from their postion. « Camera. Looks like they've got this place scoped out to the max. »
« What do we do now ? » Lucas asked.
Moira didn't reply at once, but kept an eye on the camera. When it turned away, she took her son's hand and ran to a position right under the camera. When it turned away in the other direction, the two ran on and disappeared around the corner. They passed a door on which was written 'Power supply HYPERION project'.
« Well well. » Moira grinned. « How convenient of them. »
Opening the door to a narrow slit, she peered inside. No one was there. She opened the door and went inside, Lucas following close behind. He closed the door behind him and looked around. Massive machines were producing massive amounts of power for the HYPERION cannon to use. This energy was used to make the cannon move and fire its red energy ray. And possibly, it produced power for this entire facility as well.
The two passed a machine which was responsible for distributing the power to different areas of this underground hellhole, as Moira liked to call it. It was fairly big with a lot of cartwheels. It sort of looked like the inside of an old-fashioned clock. She turned to her son. « Ever seen one of these ? »
« No. » Lucas admitted. « What are you gonna do ? »
« Sabotage. » his mother merely said.
« How ? »
« What can cause a machine like this to malfunction ? »
« I don't know. » Lucas shrugged. « Decay over time, I guess. Or something happens to it, like something gets in there that doesn't belong there. »
« Close. » Moira said and took a monkey wrench out of a toolbox she had found in the meantime. « Watch. »
She threw in the wrench and backed away. The room instantly was filled with screeching noises and cracking metal as the wrench fell in between the wheels. The machine stopped and in most sections, the power was cut off.
« What easily causes a machine like this to malfunction, » Moira explained.
« is throwing a monkey wrench in between the cartwheels. » Lucas finished.
« You got it. »
« Power failure. » a computer voice echoed through the base. « Initiating backup power supply. » The lights came back on.
« Damn. Backup generator. » Moira swore.
« Are we gonna sabotage that too ? » Lucas asked.
« That might be a good idea. » his mother said, thinking. « But we'll have to move fast. Now that we've managed to sabotage the power system, they'll be warier. »
The two went back to the door. Moira opened it and peered in the corridor. No one. But the faint sound of running was getting louder. « They're coming. We'd better get moving. »

Presidential Palace, Esthar City
Laguna was reviewing files on special projects which had seen the light of life in the past few years. Several were deemed useless to deal with this situation. The next file was also a dead end. Nothing they could use to stop this bastard's cannon.
Kiros came in, carrying a can of coffee. « Thought you could use a cup. » He set the can on the desk and cast an eye on the screen. « What're you doing, anyway ? »
« Trying to find a way to stop that asshole's energy ray. Lunar Base still hasn't found those 'orbital platforms' they spoke of. We need a line of defense here or we'll be wiped away by that ray. For what it takes, the next target could be Esthar. »
« Indeed. » Kiros agreed. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, then his eyes became alive again. « I just remembered something. »
« Like what ? »
« Remember that project in Galbadia ? » Kiros asked. Laguna called up the data on projects in Galbadia.
« MAJIVE ? » Laguna read off the screen.
« That's the one. » Kiros smiled. « It's roughly the same concept as that madman's cannon. But the downside is that it wasn't completed. Lack of funds. »
« Or the unwillingness of the government to supply them. »
« That's also possible. » Kiros agreed.
« Complete or not. » Laguna said, overviewing the data on the Galbadian MAJIVE-project. « Now we've got something. »


XIV
The Activation Of MAJIVE


MAJIVE had been HYPERION's predecessor. The Galbadians had conducted some research in the direction of directed energy weapons. The output system, namely the cannon, was built as a large satellite dish to mask its true purpose. The Galbadian scientists had discovered that MAJIVE worked best when it was linked to two supercomputers, designated ICARUS and DAEDALUS. Both computers had enough processing power to take care of all the sequences involved when firing a shot. The complex in which the MAJIVE-project was housed, was located somewhere in the Galbadian mountains. Its exact location was, of course, classified and known only to a strictly select group of Galbadian officials.
However, when Duncan and Squall and his friends had fried Galbadia's Lexan supercomputer, they couldn't porceed anymore with the classified MAJIVE-project. Thus, it was shut down and filed in the archives where it faded from the minds of the people.
Little did they know that the project would be dug up again sometime soon.

A handful of SeeD cadets were on their way to the complex which had been located during one of the Ragnarok's expeditions. The location had been recorded but deemed useless and was stored in the memory banks of Garden. Until now.
Eight SeeD vans stopped near the entrance of the MAJIVE complex. The occupants stepped out and overlooked the cracked walls of the place.
« What a mess. » one of them said. His name was Jack.
« Yeah. » a girl, Sera, agreed. « Typical of the Galbadians to let this place go to waste when they don't need it anymore. »
These two had been temporarily assigned to be the squad leaders.
Sera turned to face her squad. « Okay, people. Let's move. »
Jack relayed the same order to his squad. Both squads went inside the building.
« Do you figure we could stop that deranged guy with just a satellite dish ? » Jack asked, having some doubts about the orders they had been given.
« Beats me. » Sera replied. « Cid said we'd get our data when we were on site. Let's go to the center point of the complex where all the commands are given. »
« Sounds good to me. »
The two SeeD squads moved deeper within the complex. Headmaster Cid had sent them to Galbadia to check out the status of the MAJIVE complex after he'd gotten a message in which Laguna had explained his idea. Cid had immediately dispatched two squads.
They arrived in the central command center. On all the consoles lay years worth of dust.
« Well, we're here. » Sera said and took her comm unit. « Balamb Garden, SeeD squads 1 and 2 are on site. »
« Acknowledged. » Cid's voice came back. « See what you can find out on the operational status. »
« Yessir. » Sera acknowledged. « But what are we specifically looking for, sir ? The only thing we've seen so far is carcked walls, dusty consoles in the command center and a huge satallite dish nearby. »
« I guess I should tell you guys. Right now, you're standing in the central command center of the forgotten Galbadian MAJIVE project. Your mission is to ascertain the operational status of the entire project. »
« Right. We're on it sir. » Sera signed off.
« MAJIVE ? » Jack could hardly believe it. « Did he really say MAJIVE ? »
« He did. » Sera nodded. « Let's get busy, people ! »
The squads spread out and the first thing they noticed was that there wasn't any power available.
« Power's out. » someone reported.
« Take two others with you and see if you can get main power back online. » Sera ordered.
« Gotcha. » The SeeD cadet ran off with two others in tow. Jack and Sera went to the main console which incorporated the directing and firing controls.
« Let's hope we can get this baby online before that madman starts to shoot accurately. » Jack said, looking at the big black main viewscreen on the wall.
« Yeah. » Sera agreed. « I'd hate to see Balamb Town be shot to bits. Not to mention Winhill. I've been there on vacation once. »
« You never mentioned that. » Jack smiled. « I've never been to Winhill. What's it like out there ? »
« There's lots of flowers in the fields outside the town. Last I heard, Laguna had stayed there for a while. »
« No way. » Jack couldn't believe his ears. « Laguna ? The president of Esthar City ? »
« The same. »
« So wanna go out to dinner sometime ? » Jack asked but when Sera wanted to reply, she was cut off by the beeping of her comm unit.
« Bart to Sera. You got your ears on ? »
« Yeah Bart. Talk to me. What's up ? »
« Bad news. The relays are all worthless. And on top of that, the jump start batteries are totally drained. »
« Great. » Sera muttered. « See what you can do to get main power online. »
« Copy that. »

Bart Maxwell turned and examined the fried relays. « Okay, let's try and get these babies online. »
« Anyone got a bike ? » Simon, one of the two technicians asked with a playful smile.
« A bike ? » Maxwell asked. « What for ? »
« Maybe we could hook it up and try to activate this joint by pedalling. »
« I think it's gonna take more than a bike to start this place up. » the other tech, Jeff, corrected with a look at Simon.
« Like what, Mr Smartass ? » Simon shot back.
« A high power flow or something with a lot of voltage. » Simon simply said.
« High voltage. » Maxwell muttered and looked around the dimly lit engineering section of the MAJIVE project. He took his flashlight when he thought to have seen something that might come in handy. And he saw well. Several large Argonium batteries stood nearby. « We're in luck guys. »
« What are those ? » Simon asked.
« You're a technician and you don't know what these are ? » Bart asked while tapping on one of the batteries. Simon shrugged. « These are Argonium batteries. These babies almost last a lifetime. They're based on a mixture of lithium and argon gas which allows the battery to absorb loads of power when charged. »
« All right. » Jeff cheered. « Let's hook them up and see what happens. »
The three techs rolled the batteries to the drained jump start batteries. They hooked three up, cleaned up the relays and Simon pressed the 'Activate' control.
Nothing happened.
« Three more. » Maxwell said.
Three more batteries were hooked up and Simon pressed the control once again. The lights came on and some other machinery, but that was all that could be powered with this much power.
« Let's hook 'em all up. » Simon suggested. The remaining seven Argonium batteries were hooked up and Simon pressed the 'Activate' control one final time.
This time, the consoles hummed to life, the lights shone brighter and the machines started to work.
« Okay. » Bart said. « Power's up. » He took his com unit while he transferred power to the other parts of the complex.

« How come we've never heard of this Tevarion character before ? » Jack wondered, leaning against the main console.
« You got me there. » Sera said. « Maybe some guy who holds a grudge or something. Or maybe he is indeed mad enough to think he can take over the world. »
« Anyway. » Jack changed the subject. « You didn't answer my question about dinner sometime. »
« I don't know, Jack. » Sera said with a small sigh. « Maybe in the near future. I've got a lot on my mind right now. »
« Women problems ? »
« Yeah. » Sera nodded. That was exactly the word she had been looking for. « Women problems. »
« I see. » Jack said, clearly disappointed.
Sera's comm unit beeped while the consoles and other machines and screens hummed to life. « Sera here. »
« Maxwell here. You've got your power. »
« Excellent work. Get back here on the double. »
« We'll be there in a jiffy. Maxwell out. »
Sera switched her comm unit off. Within five minutes, the three technicians were back in the command center.
« Okay people, let's see what we can dig up. » Jack ordered his squad. Sera's order was roughly the same.
The main viewscreen was filled with data on the status of MAJIVE. The satellite dish-shaped cannon was currently out of backup power. One order from Jack and the backup batteries began to receive their power. Slowly, maneuvering capability was being returned to the cannon.
« A little bit more. » Sera said under her breath.
When the backup batteries were fully charged, one of the Balamb techs let the dish make one full lateral turn. Then, came the vertical alignment sequences. The dish made a full 180 degree sweep, as if tracking an object which was coming directly overhead.
« Status on DAEDALUS and ICARUS ? » Sera inquired.
« ICARUS is currently at 78 percent efficiency and improving. » a tech reported from the ICARUS computer console.
« DAEDALUS at 86 percent efficiency and rising. » the tech seated at the DAEDALUS console reported.
« So within the next fifteen minutes we'll be able to synch the entire MAJIVE project. » Sera estimated, eyeing the data on the huge main screen. Two bars which were respectively labeled 'ICARUS' and 'DAEDALUS' slowly filled as their processing power was being restored.
Outside, night was creeping in and stars emerged from the twilight. Around 19:00 hours, both supercomputers had their usual processing power restored.
« DAEDALUS fully active. » the tech reported.
« ICARUS active as well. » the other added.
« Synch MAJIVE. » Jack ordered.
Everyone began to input commands, prepping the system for the synching of the entire MAJIVE project.
« DAEDALUS ready. » the DAEDALUS tech reported.
« ICARUS ready. » the ICARUS tech added right thereafter.
« Synching MAJIVE. » another technician announced. He was sitting at the main console which held the directing and firing controls. The complex was filled with a humming noise as DAEDALUS and ICARUS linked and then linked themselves to the dish-shaped cannon assembly. All checklights on the screen switched to a soft green as the synch was completed.
« MAJIVE synch completed. »
« Well, that went well. » Jack smiled.
« Now, we test the thing. » Sera said.
« What ? » Jack stammered. « You mean fire it ? »
« Of course. »
« Then they'll find us. That Tevarion creep will then know we've got an ace up our sleeve. »
Sera thought it over. « Hmm. You're right. Last I heard he's got 'orbital platforms' as Lunar Base once had reported. If we fire this thing, he'll surely notice. »
« Hey boss, maybe we could simulate a shot. » the DAEDALUS tech suggested.
« Great idea. »
« How do we do it ? » Jack asked the next important question.
Sera looked at the time. 20:30 hours. « We target a star. » She turned to the main console and gave her first real orders. « Heading for MAJIVE : 2-3-5, mark 1-5-8. Vigo in the constellation Libra. »
The dish-shaped cannon aligned itself with a star in the sky.
« Target acquired. No abnormailties. »
« Fire. »
« Firing. » MAJIVE went through its simulated sequences and fired the simulated shot. « Sequence complete. Direct hit. »
Smiling, Sera took her comm unit and made a comm link to Cid's office. « Sir ? MAJIVE is operational. »