XX
A Sly Weasel
Near Dyenso Village, Neron Continent
Squall and his friends and the Skywalker family raced through the foliage to
the old naval base. When they reached a clearing they ran into the remaining
batch of Tevarion's men. And some eight Jennai Soldier batallions which counted
about a dozen soldiers per batallion. And they had blaster rifles.
« There they are ! » the one who had assumed command pointed. «
Kill 'em ! »
Just as they trained their rifles on the group of friends, something blurry
came between them. It looked like a huge blurry glass plate. Duncan immediately
knew what it was. The rays of the blaster rifles were deflected or broken up
into harmless colors.
Squall bent closer to the phenomenon. « What the hell ? This ain't glass.
It's how should I put it ? something different. »
« You mean crystalline ? » Duncan asked with a smile.
« Yeah. »
« Well, my friends, meet the Celestial Dragon. »
While the soldiers were still firing their lethal energy rays, the dragon's
head appeared over the treetops. It was protecting them with one of its crystalline
wings. The structure of the wing worked pretty much like a prism. The rays which
came in from a certain angle were broken up into all colors of the rainbow.
Others were deflected away or back at its source. The soldiers were falling
like flies.
« Nice of you to drop by. » Duncan said. Moira and the kids and
Squall and the others stood there gaping at the jewel-like creature.
I figured this was an excellent opportunity to repay you. the dragon
answered. Move along, I'll deal with them.
« Right. » Duncan took point again and ran ahead to the naval base
while the Celestial Dragon wiped out the remaining part of Tevarion's force.
When they reached the old naval base, they saw one completely decayed facility.
Partly overgrown, with no functioning systems, this place had a dead look to
it. But they didn't come here for sightseeing. They had a score to settle and
an antagonist to catch. The team ran into the base to the docks and found the
sub. It was as Talinn had described. The sub there didn't look quite new and
not quite old. Everyone climbed aboard and found that most systems were still
intact.
« Zell, can you take care of the engines ? » Duncan asked, immediately
assuming the role of Captain and after explaining submarine nomenclature and
designations.
« Take care of the engines, he asks me. » Zell laughed. «
Back in Garden I'm known as The Engineer. »
« Yeah right. » Squall rolled his eyes. « We've seen that
in the Deep Sea Research Center. »
« Well, you got yourself an engineer. » Zell said to Duncan with
a dirty look at Squall.
« I'll give Zell a hand. » Moira said and followed Zell.
« Okay, who's taking the steering ? » Skywalker looked around as
Zell and Moira moved off.
« Me ! Me ! Me ! » Selphie jumped up and down.
« You know how to steer a sub ? » Duncan asked.
« Hey, if I can fly the Ragnarok, I can do this too. »
« Who's got good ears ? »
« That would be me. » Quistis said. « Sonar ? »
Skywalker nodded and Quistis moved to her station without much questions asked.
« Irvine, you're in charge of the torpedoes. »
« I knew that. » he replied with a smile and went to the torpedo
bay.
« Squall, you're my second-in-command. »
« Right. » Squall nodded.
« As for the kids and Rinoa well you guys sit tight until we need
an extra hand. »
The others nodded and found a cozy spot.
« Right. Activate all systems. » At Skywalker's request, the sub
came to life. « Squall, ahead full. Take us out. »
« You got it. » he relayed the order to the engine room where Zell
let the engines churn up all the power they could provide. The sub moved out
of the dock and into open sea.
On board the Regalia
Tevarion's sub moved out of the underwater cavity which gave access to the docking
space on the lowest levels of his base. Now, it was reduced to shrapnel as the
self-destruct mechanism did its work.
« Sonar ? »
« Nothing on sonar, sir. » the sonar man reported.
« Steady as she goes. »
« Aye sir. » the navigator acknowledged.
« They'll be following us sometime soon. » Tevarion reasoned. «
All ahead full. »
« All ahead full, aye. » his new second-in-command repeated and
relayed the order to the engine room. The Regalia jumped forward as she
picked up speed.
« What's our current location ? »
« We're just passing the Island Closest To Heaven, sir. » the navigator
reported.
« Good. Once we're clear, find a spot where we can hide. We can only move
when we get those hounds off our tail. »
« Yessir. »
The Regalia continued on its steady journey past the Island Closest To
Heaven.
« Sir, sonar is picking up sound. » the sonar officer reported,
breaking the silence.
« Distance ? » Tevarion was by his side in an instant.
« Not far. I guess a good nautical mile or two. »
« Where are we now ? »
« We've just passed the island. According to the map there's a trench
where we can hide in. Bearing 4-5-3. »
« You heard him. » Tevarion said to the steering officer. «
Take us down to one hundred and fifty meters and hold that depth. »
« Aye sir. »
The Regalia changed heading and went deeper in the blue abyss of the
ocean.
The Concordia
Skywalker walked around the bridge of their sub. His eye caught a plaque on
the bulkhead which was mostly rusted over. But only one word could still be
read : CONCORDIA.
« Well, it looks like our sub is designated Concordia. »
« Catchy name. » Selphie said from her spot. « For a sub.
»
« Yeah. » Squall agreed. « I think that kind of name would
be more suitable for a plane. »
« Engine room to bridge. »
« Go ahead. » Duncan said after tapping the intercom button.
« It seems this sub is outfitted with a booster system. »
Zell reported. « From what Moira and I could make of it, this system
allows the sub to boost its speed by a considerable degree. But it has to charge
up first. »
« Define 'considerable'. »
« Moira here. By 'considerable' Zell means almost twice its top speed.
»
Duncan whistled in amazement.
« Indeed. » Moira agreed.
« Thanks for the update. If there's anything alse, contact me. »
« Copy that. Engine room out. »
« Well, that explains the name. » Lucas cut in.
Rina sat a bit further on a metal bench, playing a game of patty-cake with Cathy.
The Concordia had sought up a depth of around seventy meters and was
on the prowl for Tevarion's sub, the Regalia.
Duncan sat down in the captain's chair as the sub ploughed through the cerulean
blue of the deep ocean. He then got up and moved to the intercom system. «
Irvine ? »
« Irvine here. » Kinneas replied and added : « Master
of all torpedoes in this bay. »
« Spare me, torpedo-master. » Skywalker said with a grin. «
How much fish do we have ? »
« Enough to fight a war. We've got around sixty fish and some twenty
decoys. »
« Allright, thanks. »
« No problemo. » Irvine signed off. Selphie sat at the helm,
giggling at Irvine's replies. When he signed off, she got back to steering the
sub.
« Sonar's picking up a contact. » Quistis reported.
« Distance ? » Squall asked.
« About a mile or two. »
« That's got to be him. »
« Yeah, and from what I can hear he's trying to get as far away from here
as possible. Sonar is picking up heavy cavitation. »
'Cavitation' was a naval word for a sub at high speed. The sub in question,
that being the Regalia, had its screw turning so fast it made a small
pockets of vacuum in the water. And from that noise, other subs could make a
good estimate on the target sub's speed and location.
Quistis pressed the headphones to her ears as if trying to hear better. «
It stopped. They've stopped. »
« All stop. » Skywalker ordered.
« All stop, aye. » Squall repeated and relayed the order to the
engine room. The Concordia slowed down and stopped, hovering at a depth
of seventy meters.
« Where the hell is he ? » Duncan asked through clenched teeth.
« This is no simple jackass we're dealing with. This guy's a sly weasel.
»
Squall had rolled open the map of the ocean floor. « My guess is they're
hiding in one of these trenches. » He pointed at several trenches near
the Island Closest To Heaven. « If I were him, I'd hide there. »
« Set a course for the Island Closest To Heaven. » Duncan ordered.
Selphie acknowledged. « Half speed. » The Concordia began
to move again as Zell received the order.
Several minutes passed. At her post, Quistis yanked the headphones off her head
as a loud ping noise was heard. « Shit ! What was that ? »
« He's pinging us. » Duncan said, looking around as if to see through
the hull. « This guy's trying to pinpoint our location. »
Pinging was another example of submarine talk. This involved sending out a sonar
signal at full burst for a split-second. This allowed the enemy sub to find
out where its opponent was. The other side of the medal was that, if the enemy
sub pinged, they gave away their location as well.
Quistis put her headphones back on.
« You okay ? » Squall asked.
« Aside from a low ringing in my ears, I'm fine. »
« She can't go on like this. » Duncan said. « With that ringing,
you'll hear only half of what's out there. »
« Rinoa, you take over. » Squall ordered.
« Okay, what do I do ? » Rinoa asked while taking Quistis' place.
« Put these on and listen for anything unusual. » Duncan said.
She put them on and listened as the rest went to their stations. After a minute,
she bolted upright. « I hear screws. »
« The sub ? » Squall asked.
« No, it sounds faster. Two of them. »
« Fish in the water ! » Duncan yelled and hit the alert button.
« All sections, hold on to something solid. Incoming torpedoes ! »
XXI
The Hunter Becomes The Hunted
The Regalia
Tevarion's sub closed in on the trenches near the Island Closest To Heaven.
He had ordered to get here as soon as possible and with the highest speed.
« We're closing in on the trenches, sir. » the navigator announced.
« Open forward viewport. »
« Opening viewport, aye. » an officer manipulated some controls
and the forward part of the bridge opened up, showing the blue ocean beyond.
Tevarion pointed ahead. « Take that trench. Once we're in, shut down the
engines and don't make any noise. »
« Yessir. » the navigator steered the Regalia towards the
trench. The view of the ocean darkened as the sub lowered itself into the trench.
« Shutting down engines. »
« All hands, we go silent. Repeat, we go silent. » Tevarion ordered
through the intercom. The sub darkened as systems were put on stand-by and everyone
kept quiet. Orders were given whispering.
« Sir. » the sonar officer whispered. « Sonar is picking up
screws. Double, bronze, going at half speed. »
« Send out one ping to determine his location. »
« Yessir, but then we're giving away our location. »
« Just do it. We'll deal with that when that problem arises. »
« Aye sir. » the sonar officer sent the ping. « Got him. Bearing
6-3-2, depth : seventy meters. »
« Come about to that heading. Flood torpedo tubes One and Two. »
« Coming about. » the navigator reported. The Regalia slowly turned.
« Tubes One and Two flooded. Torpedoes ready. » the first officer
reported.
Tevairion nodded. « Let's blow them out of the water. Fire One and Two.
»
The Regalia launched two torpedoes, heading straight for the Concordia.
The Concordia
Skywalker didn't waste any time. « Full reverse, dive angle 45 degrees
! » The Concordia sprang backward and went deeper at full reverse.
« This is gonna be tense. » He pushed the intercom button. «
Moira, charge the booster system. »
« Copy that. »
Everyone listened at the screws of the two incoming torpedoes. They've gotten
close enough to hear them without sonar.
« One closing in from the port side. » Rinoa announced.
« Selphie, level out and turn us towards that torpedo. » Duncan
ordered.
« What ? » Selphie couldn't believe it. « We're gonna be blown
out of the water. »
« No, we won't. Not unless we don't make ourselves as small as possible.
Turn us towards the torpedo. We don't have much time. »
« Leveling and coming about. » Selphie let the Concordia
turn to face the incoming torpedo.
« Okay, they're close behind one another so we have to move fast. »
Duncan said. « Where's the second torpedo ? »
« Still a good ways off. » Rinoa reported. « But closing in.
»
« Let's hope this works. » Selphie prayed silently.
« Here it comes. » Rinoa announced. The torpedo could now be clearly
heard, closing in fast and shoot past them.
« It worked ! » Selphie cheered.
« Where's the second ? » Duncan asked.
« Closing in, 26 degrees starboard. »
« Selphie ! »
« Gotcha. » She let the sub turn to face the second torpedo. But
this one was closer than Rinoa had thought. Right before the turn maneuver was
completed, it was on them. The torpedo banged on the hull and screeched along
it. Everyone pulled in his or her head, waiting for the explosion that would
rip the Concordia apart. But fortunately, it didn't detonate. It kept
on screeching along the Concordia's hull and passed them.
Duncan went to his kids who had gotten a good scare when the torpedo screeched
along the hull. « It's gone now. »
« I'm scared. » Cathy said with frightened eyes. Lucas didn't show
any signs of fear, but underneath, Duncan knew, the boy was shaling like a reed.
« I know. I was scared there for a minute there too. » he reassured
his kids. « More of these situations may arise, so sit tight. I won't
let us sink. »
« I know you won't. » Lucas said with a firm voice. Duncan ruffled
the boy through his hair and went back.
« That rat bastard almost got us. Any sign of him ? »
« None. » Rinoa said, still listening for the Regalia's screw
noise.
« Damn. Ahead slow. Keep a lookout for him. »
The Concordia moved forward at slow speed, searching for the Regalia.
« Flood tubes One and Two and switch to battery powered engines. »
The Regalia
On the silent bridge, everyone listened for the explosion.
« Torpedoes are on course. » Sonar reported, still whispering.
« I hear a lot of cavitation. » the navigator announced. «
They're maneuvering. »
« They can't run. » Tevarion half laughed. « Those torpedoes
are too close. »
It remained silent for several seconds. The faint sound of the torpedoes' screws
could be heard on the silent bridge.
Until the sonar officer broke that silence. « First torpedo missed. »
« WHAT ? » Tevarion bolted out of the command chair.
« Sir, we're currently running silent. We can't afford to be detected.
» his second-in-command whispered.
« To hell with it ! » Tevarion was seething with rage. This was
the umpteenth time his plans were foiled.
« Screeching noise. » Sonar reported. « My guess is the torpedo
is sliding over his hull. » He yanked the headphones off his head. «
And that noise is too much to bear. »
« I'll say. » the navigator agreed as the sonar officer put his
headphones back on.
« Stand-by for new heading. » Tevarion ordered and went to the chart
of the ocean floor.
« He's moving. » Sonar reported. « Slow speed. Damn, I lost
contact. »
« He must've switched to battery powered engines. » Tevarion's second-in-command
suggested.
« Of course he did. » Tevarion spat.
« Flooding ! » Sonar cut in. « He's flooding his torpedo tubes
! »
« Evasive maeuvers ! Get us out of here ! »
The Regalia turned and made its getaway.
The Concordia
« He's on the move. » Rinoa reported.
« Heading ? » Squall asked.
She looked at the dial in front of her and calculated the other sub's most likely
location. « 0-6-5. »
« Follow him. » Duncan ordered calmly. « Dead slow. We've
got him where we want him. »
« And where would that be ? » Quistis asked.
Duncan turned to face her and smiled. « On the run. »
« Heavy cavitation. » Rinoa cut in. « He's getting out of
the trenches at full speed. »
« Fire torpedo One to show we also mean business. Make it detonate in
close proximity to his hull. » Duncan ordered. Squall relayed the order
to Irvine in the torpedo bay.
« Torpedo away. » Squall informed.
Everyone, especially Rinoa, listened as the torpedo sought its target. To all
but her, the sound of the torpedo faded away as the distance became too great.
« Torpedo on course. » she reported. Then a distant boom could be
heard and the shock wave felt as it reached them. « Torpedo detonated
at target coordinates. Enemy sub is changing course. 2-8-9, still at full speed.
»
« Selphie. » Duncan said.
« Way ahead of you. » She steered the Concordia in the new
direction Rinoa had mentioned.
« Incoming torpedo ! »
« Damn ! » Skywalker swore and the kids got scared again. «
They must have an aft torpedo launcher. Evasive maneuvers ! Fire decoy ! »
As Selphie steered the Concordia away from the incoming torpedo, Irvine
launched a decoy torpedo.
« Decoy launched. » he reported over the intercom.
While sending out a fake submarine screw signal, the decoy sped away from the
Concordia which was veering off. This proved to be a clever maneuver,
because then, they found out that Tevarion had launched another type of torpedo.
The type that locked on onto a sub's screw sound and remorselessly followed
it until it ran out of fuel or impacted with its target. At a distance of several
dozen meters, Duncan ordered to shut down the engines and keep calm. A distant
explosion could be heard. The decoy had just been destroyed by the torpedo.
« Close call. » Squall sighed. At the sonar station, Rinoa grabbed
a metal bar to calm her nerves.
« Indeed. » Duncan agreed.
« How can you be so calm about this ? » Quistis asked. « We
were almost destroyed. Again. »
« But not yet. » Duncan cut in. « Back in the Western Regions,
I also helped out at a naval base which also had a few subs. Due to the lack
of COs, I was assigned to one of those subs as Commanding Officer. I know what
it's like to live on a sub. »
« And you've learned all the tactics there too. » Lucas added.
« Yep. » He turned back to Rinoa. « Any sign of him ? »
« None. » she reported. « I don't hear him anymore. »
« Great, we just lost him. » Squall complained.
« Engine room to bridge. » Moira's voice crackled out of
the intercom.
« Go ahead. » Skywalker said after pushing the button.
« Booster system is fully charged. »
« Allright, thanks. Keep it on stand-by. I have a feeling we're gonna
need it. »
« Acknowledged. »
« All ahead full. Head for their last known loaction. »
The Concordia picked up speed as it headed for the Regalia's last
known location.
The Regalia
The sub made its getaway at full speed, heading out of the trench they were
hiding in. Their adversary had outsmarted them and now they had to retreat to
think of a new strategy. Through the forward viewport, they could see the trench
disappear as the Regalia left its confines.
« Incoming torpedo ! » the sonar officer warned.
« Evasive maneuvers ! » Tevarion ordered.
The Regalia banked, getting out of the torpedo's path.
« We're not fast enough ! » the sonar officer panicked. «
Torpedo closing in fast. »
« All hands, brace for impact ! » Tevarion said over the intercom.
« Repeat, brace for impact. »
A moment later, the Regalia shuddered violently as the torpedo from the
Concordia exploded closeby. Consoles gave off showers of sparks, the
lights flickered and the engines could be heard fluctuating because of the shock
wave.
« Damage report ! »
« Some systems are overloaded, a few short circuits and no severe damage.
The torpedo exploded not far away, but close enough to rattle us. » the
damage-control officer reported.
« Status on the battery powered engines ? »
« They're fine, sir. Aside from some minimal damage. »
« Switch to battery powered engines and drop a shock grenade and a decoy.
Head for the Deep Sea Research Center. » Tevarion switched on the intercom.
« All hands, we go silent ! »
The Regalia headed for the Deep Sea Research Center after dropping the
shock grenade and the decoy and switching to battery powered engines.
XXII
A Small Setback For Both Sides
The Concordia
« He slipped through our fingers again. » Squall punched the nearest
bulkhead. Though it hurt like hell, his face didn't show it.
« I'm picking up a faint sound. » Rinoa said.
« Location ? » Duncan asked.
« Near the trench, on the ocean floor. »
« How can they make noise when they're on the bottom ? » Selphie
wondered.
Skywalker momentarily closed his eyes and relied on his connection to the Lifestream.
« It's because they're not on the ocean floor. » He opened his eyes.
« You're saying he tricked us ? » Quistis asked.
« He tricked us indeed. » Duncan agreed.
« It's a decoy. » Lucas said from the side of the bridge. The boy
sat on the metal deck, cross-legged and his face showed concentration. Cathy
sat next to her brother in the same pose.
« He's moving away at full speed, heading south by south-west. »
« Selphie ! » Duncan turned his head to the navigation console.
« I'm on it. » she steered the Concordia in the new direction.
The sub passed over the decoy and shock grenade dropped by Tevarion. The sensors
in the grenade triggered the explosive and the grenade detonated, sending out
a shock wave. The wave hit the Concordia, rattling the sub and damaging
various systems such as engines, power supply and sonar.
« Damage report ! » Skywalker yelled over the noise of the alarm.
« Sonar's out. » Rinoa reported.
« Helm's not responding. »
« Engine room to bridge. »
« Go ahead. » Duncan said after pressing the intercom button.
« What the hell was that ? » Moira asked.
« I think it was an explosive device which sends out a shock wave when
it's detonated. »
« Well, whatever it was knocked the stuffing out of the engines. Both
of them. Battery powered engines have taken a beating but are still partly functional.
The other one is too far gone to use. »
« The booster system ? »
« It got rattled, but I think it can still be used. » Zell
cut in.
« Okay, thanks. »
Moira signed off.
« Okay people, time for repairs. »
Duncan, Lucas and Quistis moved to the engine room to check on the engines.
Along the way, main power was restored. As they had heard from Moira, the engines
were in pretty bad shape.
« We'll be stuck here for a while. » Moira said.
« Not unless we get a move on and get these engines repaired. »
Lucas said firmly.
« Spoken like a true engineer. » Moira smiled.
« Come on. » Duncan said and got to work.
The repairs took several hours to get the battery powered engines back in shape.
Duncan ordered the Concordia to proceed on a heading of south by south-west
as Catherine had said. Selphie complied and the engines hummed to life. The
sub moved away at two-thirds of its top speed.
« Let's get some rest. » Zell suggested.
Skywalker told his kids to get in their bunks and go to sleep. They did as they
were told, because the two were exhausted. They had been awake for nearly 26
hours straight. They went to their bunks and immediately fell asleep. A few
minutes thereafter, Duncan came to the bunks to check on them. Moira came as
well, wearing an engineering coverall and cleaning her greasy hands on a rag.
Her long hair had been tied together so it wouldn't bother her.
« It's good we're together again. » she said, looking at their two
sleeping children. Lucas had taken the top bunk, Cathy the one below her brother.
« Yeah. » Duncan sighed and put an arm around his wife. «
But we still have that rat bastard to catch. »
« All the more reason to get the damage repaired A.S.A.P. » she
said.
The repairs took several hours to get the battery powered engines back online
and to full power. The regular engines were an entirely different matter. Those
engines were also used for propulsion and to recharge the batteries at the same
time. Moira and Zell worked on them till way past midnight. Then, whether the
egines worked or not, they went to their bunks too. The Concordia proceeded
on its course on silent running.
The next morning, Skywalker came onto the bridge while putting
on his coat. Selphie was already there, keeping an eye on the sub's course and
speed.
« Do we need to yell 'Captain on deck' and salute ? » she asked
with a grin.
« You don't need to do that for me. I'm not officially a submarine Captain.
But I know most of it. »
« Right. » Selphie nodded, still with the same grin on her face.
The Concordia was still heading south by south-west on silent running.
Lucas and Cathy stepped onto the bridge.
« Slept well ? » Duncan asked his two kids.
« Like a log. » Lucas yawned.
« Me too. » Cathy added.
Quistis entered and went to the sonar post. But it was still a mess. «
So, any idea when we'll have sonar back ? »
« I have no idea. » Duncan shrugged. « Moira took a look at
it last night and wasn't all too enthusiastic about it. »
« Great. » Squall said. He'd come in along with Rinoa. « So,
basically we're blind. »
« Sadly, yes. » Duncan admitted. « I wish we had a passive
sonar. »
« Passive sonar ? » Rinoa wondered.
« It's like active sonar. » Skywalker explained. « Instead
of sending out pings, we listen to what's happening outside. We let the sound
come to us. »
« I see. »
« I'll do this passive sonar. » Cathy suggested and went to the
forward part of the bridge and placed her ear against the cool metal.
« What the hell is she doing ? » Quistis wondered. Cathy shushed
her.
« We've just passed the southern tip of the Esthar Continent. »
she said.
« How do you know that ? » Selphie asked.
« Empty ballast. We're going up. » Duncan ordered.
Rinoa went to a console and pressed a few controls. « Emptying ballast
tanks. »
« Dive rudder at 30 degrees. »
« Rudder at 30 degrees. » Selphie echoed.
The Concordia began to ascend. Some ten minutes later, it surfaced. Duncan
went to the tower. The others tagged along.
« Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. » Duncan said while looking at
the southern end of the Esthar Continent in the distance.
« Told you so. » Cathy said proudly.
Moira came out a trap door in the Concordia's hull a bit behind the tower
and opened a panel. A thick cloud of white smoke came out.
« Just giving the place some air ! » she yelled.
« Right ! » her husband yelled back. « We'll be diving soon
! »
« Gotcha ! »
Twenty minutes later, the Concordia submerged again and resumed its course.
Still on silent running.
The Regalia
Tevarion's sub was well away from the location where they had dropped the shock
grenade when the shock wave reached them and lightly rattled the sub.
« The shock grenade just exploded, sir. » the navigator reported.
« Did it destroy him ? » Tevarion asked.
« As far as I can tell he's crippled. He won't be going anywhere for a
while. »
« Good. » Tevarion went back to the captain's chair and sat down.
« What's our current location ? »
« We're about to reach Centra Continent, sir. » the navigator said.
« Do we take the shortcut through the continent or do we go around ? »
Tevarion rubbed his chin while thinking. « We go around. » he said
after a while. « Course : due south. Full speed. »
« Due south, full speed, aye. » his second-in-command repeated and
relayed the order.
The Regalia turned and headed due south and increased its speed to full.
If they could reach the Deep Sea Research Center before their pursuers they
would give them a real fight.
First of all, Tevarion reasoned, he'd order the sub to find a spot where they
couldn't be seen but from where they had a good view and aim. Then, when the
other sub arrives, he'd keep the entire sub silent and fire one torpedo after
another until their adversary was destroyed.
The sub vibrated due to a shock wave produced by an undersea earthquake.
« What was that ? » Tevarion asked.
« Sounded like an undersea quake, sir. Epicentre is about 2 miles away.
»
« Very well. Maintain speed and course. »
« Aye sir. »
« Rolling rocks ! » the sonar officer warned.
Tevarion bolted upright. « Come about ! New heading »
It was already too late. The rocks banged against the aft side of the Regalia
and damaged the screws and rudder fins.
And until repairs were done, they were stranded.
The Concordia
« How's it going ? » Duncan asked Moira as he stepped into the engine
room.
« Fairly good. » she said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead.
« The engine problem is almost taken care of. »
« Great. Could you take a look at sonar when you're done ? »
« Sure. As soon as the engines are back in shape, I'll take a look. »
Duncan nodded and went back to the bridge.
« Any sign of our friend out there ? »
« None whatsoever. » Selphie said.
« I don't hear him. » Cathy said, still listening at the forward
part of the bridge. « Not yet, at least. »
« Maybe he surfaced. » Squall guessed.
« Possibly. » Duncan nodded. « Go to periscope depth. »
The Concordia ascended to perscope depth. Duncan raised the scope and
did a 360 degree sweep of the surrounding area. « Nothing. Well, he didn't
surface. » He lowered the scope and ordered the Concordia to go
to its regular depth. « Resume course. »
The sub sprang forward and continued on. Moira came onto the bridge and went
to the sonar station.
« What about the regular engines ? » Duncan asked.
« Zell's taking care of the last bits and pieces. » she said as
she opened the casing of the sonar unit. She had barely said it or the distinctive
whine of the regular engines could be heard. « And I say he did it. »
« Yeah. » Squall agreed.
« Let's see. » Moira began to fiddle with the wires, pushing them
aside so she could have a clear look on the sonar unit's innards. « Ah,
there it is. I'll have this baby fixed before you can say 'hullabalooza'. »
While the Concordia proceeded on course at full speed, Moira fixed the
sonar unit.
« Give it a try. »
Quistis sat down, switched on the sonar and put on the headphones. She sent
out one low ping and listened. She nodded as she heard the return signal : the
ping 'bouncing off' on other undersea objects and being directed back at the
source. « Its working. »
« Told ya. » she said while lightly tapping her husband on the chest
with a wrench.
« Yeah yeah. » he grinned and gave her a kiss. « Now you better
get back to the engines before Zell screws up. »
« You got a point there. » she said, smiled and headed to the engine
room.
XXIII
Fortune And Misfortune
The Regalia
On the bridge, Tevarion paced back and forth, awaiting the report on how extensive
the damage was. Why did that quake had to happen right at the time the Regalia
came through the area ? Whether it was Skywalker's doing, he couldn't know.
The damage control squad came back.
« Well ? » he asked.
« The rudder fins and the screws have taken a beating. We're not going
anywhere until they're fixed. » the squad leader reported.
« Get moving. » Tevarion ordered. « We need to get at least
the screws back in shape. We'll worry about the rudder later on. »
« But sir, the rudder »
« I know the rudder is important ! » he spat. « Now we concentrate
on the screws ! You have your orders ! Move out ! »
« Yessir. » The repair squad saluted, turned and headed to the airlock
to begin repairs.
A half hour later, Tevarion stopped his pacing and went
to the sonar station. « Anything on sonar ? »
« Aside from a bunch of dolphins, two whales and a heck of tuna, there's
not much going on out there, sir. » the sonar officer said.
« A simple yes or no would've been enough, lieutenant. »
« Yessir. Sorry sir. »
« Never mind. » He turned around. « Any updates on the repairs
? »
« We just have the screws online and standing by. » one of the officers
reported. « The rocks have been cleared and right now, the repair squad
is taking care of the rudder. »
« Good. » he nodded.
« Screws ! » the sonar officer cut in.
« All hands, silent ! » Tevarion said through the intercom. He moved
to the sonar station and lowered his voice to a whisper. « Distance ?
»
« Roughly estimated, I'd say about one hundred meters. » the sonar
officer whispered back. « He's going at full speed. Lots of cavitation.
»
« Heading ? »
« Centra Continent. No doubt about it. »
« Right. » He went to the center chair and sat down. « Speed
up the repairs. » he whispered to his second-in-command. « We lay
low for a while and then we pursue him and stage an assault from the rear. »
« Understood. » the officer moved to the intercom to relay the order.
The Concordia
The sub sped on on its course which would take it to Centra Continent. Without
knowing it, they had passed the Regalia.
« What's our location ? » Duncan asked.
« En route to Centra Continent. » Selphie reported. « If we
don't do anything we'll collide. » she added with a playful grin.
« Okay. » Skywalker nodded. « Head into the Centra Corridor
and hold position at the beginning. »
« Gotcha. » Selphie gave him a thumbs-up signal in her own usual
cheery way. With Selphie aboard, things were rather fun.
Quistis pressed the headphones tighter against her ears and frowned. «
Hmm. »
« Something wrong ? » Squall asked.
« I thought I heard something. But it's probably nothing. The engines
are making one hell of a ruckus, so I can't make sure it's our enemy. »
« Okay. » Duncan cut in. « Keep listening. If there's even
a small sign our enemy is nearby, let me know. »
« You got it. »
The sub continued on and soon, they had reached the Centra Corridor.
« Coming up on Centra Corridor. » Selphie announced. « Holding
position. »
The engines were shut down and the Concordia came to a complete stop.
Quistis bolted upright. « Got him. Closing in from the rear. Tubes flooding.
» She looked at Squall and Duncan. « All of them. »
« Stand-by for 'Crazy Ivan'. » Duncan announced.
« Crazy Ivan ? » Rinoa wondered. « What's that ? »
« It's a designation for a situation in which our opponent is preparing
himself. He's gonna make a sudden move and attack at full force. » Duncan
explained. « Submarine talk, you know. » he said with a small shrug.
« Right. » Rinoa nodded and resumed her game of patty-cake with
Cathy because they had nothing to do anyway. Lucas on the other hand was looking
around, gauging everyone's reaction on the current situation.
« Fish in the water ! » Quistis anounced. « Four of them.
»
« He's veering off. » Selphie added.
« Crazy Ivan ! » Duncan said and pressed the intercom. « Irvine,
four decoys ASAP. »
« Okidoki. » Irvine loaded four decoys and flooded the tubes.
« Ready. »
« Fire decoys. »
« Decoys away. » Squall said after the launch of the four bogus
torpedoes. That's what they were, those decoys : bogus torpedoes. They had a
transmitter on board which emitted the screw sound of a sub at full speed. And
if it worked, they lured the live torpedoes away from their target and close
in on the decoys.
« Ahead full, initiate booster system. » Duncan ordered. The sub
jumped forward as the booster sent the Concordia forward at twice its
top speed. Everyone held on to something solid. « Hold position. »
The sub slowed down and stopped.
« Silent running. » Squall said through the intercom. Almost at
once, the sub became real quiet as if on a graveyard.
« Now we sit tight. » Skywalker whispered as he sat down in the
captain's chair. Through the hull, they could hear the decoys rush away, luring
the torpedoes away with them.
The Regalia
The sub had risen from its concealment and had followed the Concordia. They
kept tailing them until they stopped at the beginning of the Centra Corridor.
Tevarion ordered the Regalia to hold position.
« He's stopped, sir. » the sonar officer reported, still whispering.
The entire sub was still going silent.
« Move us to his rear. » Tevarion ordered.
« Aye sir. » The navigator steered the Regalia towards the
Concordia's aft.
« Hold position at two hundred meters. »
« Holding position. » the navigator reported as he placed the sub
at two hundred meters from their enemy's rear.
« He's probably wondering where we are. » Tevarion's second-in-command
whispered.
« Indeed. » Tevarion agreed. « Load torpedoes, all tubes.
Flood tubes One to Four. »
« Torpedoes loaded, tubes flooded. » came the report after the torpedo
tubes were ready.
« Fire. »
« Torpedoes away. »
The four torpedoes were launched and sped towards their target : the Concordia.
But Quistis had heard the flooding of their torpedo tubes. Four decoys were
launched and the Concordia bolted away. Four explosions could be heard.
« Goodbye Mr. Skywalker. » Tevarion grinned in the center chair.
« I don't hear him. » the sonar officer reported.
« Of course not, you nimrod. » Tevarion barked. « He just
had four torpedoes shoved up his rear end. »
« I know sir. » the sonar officer said. « But even with four
torpedoes, I should be hearing the sub break up and the metal tear apart. I
don't hear neither of the two. »
« He got away ? » Tevarion's second-in-command wondered.
« Impossible. » Tevarion shook his head. « We fired four torpedoes.
Move us to the place where we detected him. »
The Regalia advanced at half speed towards the place where Tevarion assumed
the Concordia had found its end. Through the forward viewport, they could
see the ocean floor pass under them.
« Target area reached. » the navigator reported. All eyes stared
through the viewport at the ocean floor. There was no trace of the Concordia.
No debris, no bodies, no nothing.
« He got away. » Tevarion sighed.
The Concordia
Muted cheers went up as they heard the vague explosions. The decoys had done
it. They had lured the torpedoes away with them ; away from the Concordia.
« You're a real tactician. » Squall said, whispering.
Duncan merely smiled. « Status on our opponent ? »
« Holding position at two hundred and eighty meters from our current position.
» Quistis reported. The short dash using the booster system had brough
the sub about half-way into the Centra Corridor.
« Bridge to engine room. » Duncan said through the intercom.
« Engine room. » Moira's voice came back.
« What's the deal on the booster system ? »
« Drained for two-thirds. We were just gonna recharge it. »
« Good. I want it fully charged ASAP. »
« Acknowledged. Engine room out. »
« He's moving. » Quistis said. « Heading this way. »
« Selphie, set us on the floor. » Skywalker ordered and went to
the intercom again as the sub began its descent. « Silent running. »
he ordered a shipwide silence once again through the intercom grid. A rumble
went through the craft as it made contact with the ocean floor. « Deactivate
all systems, except sonar, the torpedo system and life-support. Keep the batteries
on low running to provide the necessary power. »
« Right. » Squall relayed all the orders. Within the next minute,
the entire sub was as silent as a graveyard at midnight.
« So, what's the deal on this one ? » Selphie whispered when she
came to stand beside Duncan.
« We must've passed them earlier. Somewhere, there has been an undersea
quake and somehow, their sub must've been damaged. » Duncan whispered
back.
« I see. » Selphie nodded. « So that's why they suddenly popped
up behind our backs. »
« How right you are. »
« Here he comes. » Quistis warned. Through the hull, they could
hear the Regalia's twin screws coming closer. The sound got louder and
louder until it could be clearly heard and pass over them.
« There he goes. » Selphie said in a really low voice. Duncan nodded
in agreement. The kids let out a small sigh of relief. For a moment, they thought
it would be another fight.
« What do we do now ? » Rinoa asked silently.
« Now we keep our heads down. Let him search for a while. » Duncan
said in an equal low voice. « Then, we use the same strategy he used on
us : we attack from behind. »
« Right. » Squall nodded. He thought it a good plan. He looked around
and saw the same look in the others' eyes. At least, those who were on the bridge.
He went to the intercom and updated Irvine, Zell and Moira.
Silence ruled the sub for several long minutes.
« Where is he now ? » Duncan asked.
« Heading through the Centra Corridor at half speed. » Quistis reported.
« Looks like he's still looking for us. »
« Okay. Selphie, rise to 30 meters above ocean floor. Follow him, match
course and speed. » Duncan ordered.
« Right. » Selphie let the Concordia rise up until it was
at 30 meters above the ocean floor. Then, she let the sub follow the Regalia
at the same speed.
« Irvine ? » Duncan activated the intercom.
« Kinneas here. »
« Load all tubes with Mark 12 torpedoes. Flood them as silently as possible.
»
« Right. » Irvine acknowledged. « But the flooding
is gonna be harder than it seems. »
« Just flood those tubes as quietly as possible. »
« I'll give it a shot. Torpedo bay out. »
On a console, one light after another lit up indicating the torpedoes had been
loaded. Then, came slowly a gurgling sound. The tubes were flooding. Irvine
had let the torpedo doors open slow in order not to let the water rush in but
to let it flow in. Some five minutes therafter, the tubes were fully flooded.
Still following the Regalia, the Concordia prepared itself for
battle.
XXIV
Hide And Seek
The Regalia
« What now ? » Tevarion's second-in-command asked.
« Ahead, half speed. »
« Aye sir. » the navigator acknowledged and set course into the
Centra Corridor at half speed.
« Sir, I don't like this. » the sonar officer said. « There
isn't any trace of them. I'm not picking up any sound from the enemy sub. »
« I don't like this any more than you do. » Tevarion said flatly.
« We just have to keep our heads cool. »
« Keep our heads cool ? » the navigator muttered. « Yeah right,
in a pig's eye. »
« Sonar ? » Tevarion asked.
« Nothing yet, sir. »
« Maybe he got scared and bailed. » someone suggested.
« Someone like Skywalker doesn't scare that easily. » Tevarion said
while looking the officer in the eye, then turned to look out the forward viewport.
« He's out there. Somewhere. »
« So, what's the plan ? » his second-in-command asked.
« Load all torpedo tubes, fore and aft. Flood all tubes when ready. We're
gonna make a stand. »
« Hopefully not a suicide stand. » the sonar officer said.
« We'll leave that up to fate and our opponent. » Tevarion said
with narrowed eyes.
The Regalia continued on and passed over the Concordia which had
shut almost all of its systems down. Tevarion's sub passed them without detecting
them. When the Regalia was well away did the Concordia rise up
to 30 meters from the ocean floor and pursue its enemy. Even the careful flooding
of the torpedo tubes was unheard.
The Concordia
Duncan pressed the intercom. « Irvine ? »
« Kinneas here. »
« Can you drop a few torpedoes and activate them using some kind of remote
control ? »
« Maybe. »
« I'll send Zell over so you guys can work it out. »
« Right. Torpedo bay out. »
« Hold position. »
« Holding position. » Selphie let the Concordia slow down and hold
position.
It didn't take Zell and Irvine long to come up with a working plan. All it took
was modify some of the torpedo's electronics.
« Torpedo bay to bridge. » Irvine's voice echoed through
the bridge.
« Go ahead. » Skywalker said after tapping the intercom button.
« Good plan. Ready to drop torpedoes. » Irvine reported.
« So it works ? »
« It works. »
« Good. Drop one here. »
« Dropping. »
A few dull clangs could be heard when a torpedo was dropped. Duncan ordered
the sub to continue on and drop another torpedo a few hundred meters further.
If it was going to come down to an underwater showdown, at least they were prepared.
The Regalia
The sub continued on, still looking for their enemy. The sonar pings they sent
out revealed nothing.
« Keep looking. » Tevarion ordered. « Resume course to the
Deep Sea Research Center. »
The navigator set course for the Deep Sea Reserch Center while sonar continued
to search for the enemy.
« Sir, I'm picking up a vague contact right behind us, almost out of range.
» the sonar officer reported.
Tevarion was by the officer's side in an instant. « Is it him ? »
« I'm not sure. It could also be a whale or a sea monster. »
Tevarion rubbed his chin. « Stay on course. If it is him, he'll make a
move anytime soon. »
« Aye sir. » the navigator acknowledged.
The Regalia stayed on course and headed through the Centra Corridor to
the Deep Sea Research Center.
« Whatever it is, is following a straight course. » the sonar officer
muttered while eyeing the sonar display. « That's not normal for a creature
of the sea. »
« Did you say something ? » Tevarion asked while turning to face
the sonar officer.
« Yes sir. I said that whatever this contact is, is following a straight
course. »
Tevarion looked over the officer's shoulder at the display. A ping revealed
a vague contact right behind them, almost out of range. The next ping revealed
the same image : the same vague contact on a straight course matching their
course and speed.
« It's him. » Tevarion said with wide eyes. « He's tailing
us ! » His face was a mask of rage and confusion alike. How did he get
behind them ? As he looked around the bridge he saw the look he'd seen before.
Fear.
Fear of Skywalker. The same fear of him coming to get them.
« Fire aft torpedo ! Blow him out of the water ! »
Almost immediately after his order, the aft torpedo tube spewed out its torpedo.
The underwater weapon sped on towards the Concordia with the intention
of blowing the sub out of the sea.
The Concordia
« Judging from the pings he's sending out, he's still looking for us.
» Quistis said, listening to the Regalia's sonar pings.
« So much the better. » Rinoa added.
« Indeed. » Skywalker agreed. « But we still have to be careful.
We're barely outside his sonar range ; which goes double for us. »
The kids sat on a bench on the port side of the bridge, not exactly knowing
what to think. Were they going to be destroyed ? Or were they going to be victorious
? Rinoa put a reassuring hand on theirs and gave them one of her angelic smiles,
as if saying that everything was going to work out. The kids used this as a
means to get their spirits back up.
« I think he's catching up on the situation. » Quistis said. «
He's doing something but I can't make out what. »
« Is he maneuvering ? » Squall asked.
« No, he's still moving on. But there's something about it that I don't
like. »
« Keep an eye on him. See what he does. » Duncan ordered. Quistis
nodded.
Time passed as Selphie matched the Regalia's course and speed.
Until both Quistis and Selphie heard a distinct sound. The sound of a torpedo
closing in.
« Fish in the water ! » Quistis yelled. « Heading straight
for us ! »
« Evasive maneuvers ! » Duncan ordered and punched the intercom.
« Irvine ! Decoys, now ! »
As the Concordia moved on, a decoy was dropped and activated. The torpedo
heading for them suddenly diverted and shot under the sub towards the decoy
and destroyed it, rattling the sub with the resulting underwater shock wave.
Everyone held on to something solid as the sub shook and bucked.
« Everyone OK ? » Squall asked when the wave had passed.
« No problem. » Rinoa said, checking on the kids.
« Same here. » Selphie added.
« I'm okay. » Quistis said while looking around the bridge.
Duncan punched the intercom again. « Engine room, everything okay back
there ? »
« We'll live. » Zell responded. « Moira's okay too.
»
« Good. Bridge out. Irvine ? »
« Shaken up but still in one piece. »
« That's good. How much fish and decoys do we still have ? »
« Enough torpedoes but the decoys are a bit less. We've got about 9
of them. »
« Looks like we have to conserve a bit. » Squall said.
« Yup. » Irvine agreed.
« Thanks Irvine. Bridge out. »
The Regalia
« Torpedo on course. » the sonar officer reported.
The bridge was silent except for the fading sound of the torpedo they had just
launched. The sound faded and ended in a distant boom.
« Did we get him ? » the navigator asked while looking over his
shoulder.
« I don't know. » the sonar officer replied. « I don't hear
anything. »
« Keep pinging. » Tevarion ordered.
« Aye sir. »
While the Regalia was holding position somewhere in the middle of the
Centra Corridor, the sonar sent out ping after ping to determine where the enemy
was hiding or if there wasn't any enemy at all ; destroyed by their torpedo.
Tevarion turned to his second-in-command. « I want this sub on full alert.
Any sign of him and we go into battle. »
« Understood, sir. » the latter nodded. « I'll see to it.
»
Tevarion turned back to the sonar station. « Sonar ? »
« Nothing yet, sir. » the officer shook his head. « Or he's
being clever and is hiding or sneaking ; or he's destroyed. »
The commander rubbed his chin again. Were they going to take the risk and investigate
or move on to the Deep Sea Research Center ? He decided to stick around and
see what was going to happen. « Hold position and keep an eye out for
the enemy. »
« Aye sir. » both the navigator and sonar officer acknowledged.
Alert lights blinked on and off, indicating the sub was on full alert. The sonar
kept sending out ping after ping.
« He's biding his time. » Tevarion muttered to himself. «
He's out there and biding his time to strike. And when that time comes
»
Tevarion couldn't finish his sentence.
« Hey, what's that ? » the navigator wondered. « Aft, port
side. »
The sonar officer listened to the noise the navigator had heard. It was a distinct
sound of a screw at high rotation, closing in fast. He whirled around in his
chair to face his commander. « Incoming torpedo ! »
« Evasive mauevers ! » Tevarion barked. The beeps of the warning
system quickened, indicating the torpedo was getting real close. As the Regalia
began to move, the torpedo slammed into the top of the command tower.
« Hull breach ! Command tower ! » the damage-control officer reported
over the noise of the alarms. Water was leaking through the closed hatch which
led to the command tower. Somewhere in the aft section of the bridge, a console
sparked and ignited. While a team of three was busy sealing the leak in the
hatch, another team extinguished the fire.
« Damn you, Skywalker ! » Tevarion swore while holding on to the
center chair. « Status report ! »
« Hull breach in the command tower. Secondary systems in that area are
functioning at 30 percent. Primary systems in command tower are offline. »
Damage control reported.
« See what you can salvage. » Tevarion barked. « I want this
sub battle-ready ASAP ! »
« Sir yes sir ! » echoed through the bridge.
Crewmen raced everywhere, other offcers came and went, repairs were being done.
Everything which was needed to make the Regalia battle-ready. After several
minutes, all was ready. Torpedo systems were still functional as well as propulsion.
Now was the time for the final showdown.
XXV
The Last Battle
The Concordia
« Okay Irvine, activate the torpedo we had first dropped. » Duncan
ordered after punching the intercom button.
« Activating torpedo is responding torpedo away. »
Irvine reported. On the bridge, the sound of their torpedo could be clearly
heard as it passed them.
« Torpedo on course. » Quistis added. « Impact in thirty seconds.
»
Everyone listened on the silent bridge. The sound of the torpedo faded away
and ended in a soft boom.
« Direct hit. » Quistis reported. Cheers went up.
« Can you determine where ? » Skywalker asked.
« Hard to tell. There isn't any metal tearing apart so I think we hit
him in his command tower. »
« Good enough. » Duncan smiled.
« Fish in the water ! » Selphie warned.
« Dive, dive, dive ! » Skywalker ordered. The Concordia shot
down, making the incoming torpedo make a course correction which made it pass
them right behind the command tower. The torpedo lost all sense of direction,
tried to compensate and slammed into the steep rocks. The sub leveled out while
the underwater shock wave radiated outward from the place of the explosion.
« Damn, that was close. » Squall wiped the sweat off his forehead.
« Yeah. » Duncan agreed.
« He's moving. » Selphie said.
« Confirmed. » Quistis added. « Target is moving coming
about. »
« Irvine, keep those torpedoes coming. » Duncan said after pressing
the intercom.
« Righto. » Irvine acknowledged.
« Fish in the water. » Selphie warned once again. « Four of
them. »
« Damn, he's determined. » Squall said.
« Yeah. » Duncan agreed and pressed the intercom again. «
Irvine, activate the second torpedo we dropped. Detonate on my mark. »
« Activating. » Irvine reported from the torpedo bay. «
Torpedo away. »
The torpedo shot forward towards the four incoming torpedoes. It continued on
until it was close to passing the four other torpedoes.
« Now, Irvine. »
Irvine gave the command to detonate and their torpedo carried out that command.
It exploded, taking the four others along with it.
« Incoming torpedoes destroyed. » Quistis reported.
« Good work. » Skywalker said through the intercom. He went back
to the center of the bridge and grinned. « He's getting desperate. »
« So it seems. » Squall agreed. « But desperate men also make
dangerous enemies. »
« Indeed. » Duncan agreed. « But desperate men also make more
mistakes. »
« True enough. »
« What I wouldn't want to give to see that guy's face. » Lucas said.
« Wouldn't we all, son. » Duncan said while rubbing his boy through
his hair. « Wouldn't we all. »
The Regalia
If he were still alive, Jennai wouldn't have stood for this. Seeing his second-in-command
blunder like that was intolerable. Tevarion could already hear the scolding.
Brutal and relentless.
« Come about ! » he barked. « Fire all torpedoes ! »
The sub came about and when the maneuver was completed, all four torpedo tubes
spewed out their torpedo.
« Torpedoes on course. » the sonar officer reported.
« Let's see you handle this, Skywalker. » Tevarion grinned.
« Incoming torpedo ! »
Tevarion's eyes narrowed. A seemingly double boom could be heard not far away.
First a small one and a bigger one a split-second thereafter.
« Torpedoes have been destroyed. » the sonar officer reported.
Tevarion looked stricken. They'd just fired a load of four torpedoes and their
opponent had managed to take them all out with one shot.
« He he destroyed all four torpedoes. » the sonar officer
said with wide yes which were still staring at the sonar display.
« Reload ! » Tevarion ordered. He was shaking with frustrated rage.
In the torpedo bay, all four torpedo tubes were reloaded.
« Ready, sir. » the Regalia's second-in-command reported.
« Fire ! »
« Torpedoes away. » the sonar officer announced. On his screen,
four blips sped away.
« Reload Tubes One through Four and fire when ready ! » Tevarion
ordered. The order was carried out and three minutes after the first batch of
four torpedoes had been launched, another load of four followed.
« Deal with that ! »
The Concordia
« What's he doing ? » Duncan asked.
« Holding position. » Quistis replied. Then, with a jerk, she turned
around to face Skywalker. « He's flooding his tubes. »
« Fish in the water ! » Selphie announced right after Quistis had
finished what she was saying. Through their headphones, the two clearly heard
the sound of four torpedoes closing in.
« Fire Tube One. » Duncan ordered. Squall relayed the order to the
torpedo bay. Right after that, Tube One spewed out its torpedo. The projectile
shot towards the incoming torpedoes and detonated when the order was given,
destroying the enemy torpedoes in the process.
« That's that. » Rinoa let out a small sigh.
« Don't get your hopes up. » Quistis warned. « Four more fish,
closing in fast ! »
Through the slowly sinking debris, the four other torpedoes headed for the Concordia.
« Damn, there's no time to launch a fish. Blow out ballast ! Get this
thing up ! » Duncan ordered.
Squall raced to the console and began to empty the ballast tanks. The torpedoes
closed in. Three missed by a hairsbreath, but the fourth slammed into the port
side of the Concordia just behind the command tower in Section 5.
« Hull breach ! » Selphie yelled over the noise. « Section
5 ! »
Duncan managed to get to the intercom while the sub was leveling out and activated
it. « Moira, seal Section 5 ! Now ! »
« Sealing. » his wife replied, then added after a few minutes
: « Section 5 sealed. »
« Good. » Skywalker let out a sigh. « How are you guys doing
back there ? »
« Shaken up. Zell's got a nasty cut in his right forearm, but it's
no big deal. Nothing vital got hit. »
« Okay. Sit tight. Bridge out. »
With a faraway gaze, Duncan assessed the situation. Everything else faded as
he concentrated on the matter at hand. Both sides had suffered damage. The enemy
was getting desperate, so they had to play it careful and with their eyes peeled.
And if he got it right, they still had one ace up their sleeve : the second
torpedo they had dropped, waiting to be activated. Everything snapped back into
reality. « Status ? »
« Hull breach in Section 5, just behind the command tower. » Squall
reported. « Section 5 has been sealed. All systems in that area are offline.
»
« What systems were in Section 5 ? »
« The torpedo guidance system. Zell's working on a way to relay the commands.
»
Skywalker nodded. « Good. »
Minutes passed until the intercom beeped.
« We've managed to bypass the torpedo guidance system. »
Zell reported. « We didn't get any chance to test it, though. »
« Doesn't matter. » Duncan replied. « How you doing, Zell
? »
« I'll live. »
« Okay, I think it's about time we end this. Bridge out. » He pressed
another control to make a shipwide announcement. « All hands, silent running.
Repeat : silent running. »
Immediately after his command had been given, the sub became silent. Skywalker
turned to the helm console. « Selphie, ahead dead slow. »
« Ahead dead slow. » she confirmed silently.
The sub began to proceed forward.
« What's the plan ? » Squall asked silently.
Skywalker looked beside him at his kids sitting on a bench on the port side
of the bridge. « Either we win, or that lunatic controls the world. »
The Regalia
« There go the other four. » the sonar officer reported when the
Concordia destroyed the first load of four torpedoes. « Second
batch on course. »
On the bridge, everyone held their breath.
« Second load proceeding. »
Everyone looked up when the sonar officer said that. He was still staring at
his screen. He pressed his headphones against his ears and a smile formed on
his face.
« What's so funny ? » Tevarion snapped.
« Direct hit. » he merely stated.
Tevarion's face lit up. « Finally. Did we destroy him this time ? »
« I don't think so, sir. There isn't any sound of metal tearing. »
« Well, at least we dealt him a blow. »
« Indeed, sir. » the sonar officer said when he sent out a ping.
But the smile disappeared. « And now, I'm not picking up anything. »
« What ? » Tevarion was by his side in a heartbeat. « That
can't be. Did he give us the slip again ? »
The sonar officer was adjusting the sonar when a slow moving blip showed on
the screen. « What's that ? Must be a sea monster. »
« No, you nimrod. » Tevarion slapped him on the back of the head
and pointed at the blip which began to accelerate. « It's him. »
The Concordia
« Daddy, are we gonna win ? » Cathy asked. Lucas had the same questioning
gaze in his eyes as his sister.
Skywalker knelt before his two children. « Of course. I made a promise,
didn't I ? I promised I wouldn't let us sink. »
« You did. » Lucas said. « But it almost happened. »
Duncan sighed. « I know. But we managed to seal the leak and contain the
sea water. Sit tight, this'll be over soon. » He turned back. «
Selphie ! Ahead full ! Ramming speed ! »
« What ? » Rinoa couldn't believe what she was hearing, and neither
could the rest. « We're gonna ram them ? »
« It's all part of the plan. » Duncan said and went to the intercom.
« Irvine, stand-by to activate the second torpedo we had dropped. Once
activated, let it follow us and then make it divert to the enemy when we pass
them. »
« Roger. » Irvine acknowledged.
« Distance to target ? » Skwyalker asked.
« Three hundred meters and getting lesser by the minute. » Selphie
said.
The sub closed in on the enemy. It went as Duncan had planned. He'd figured
that the tactic would confuse them. It didn't miss its outcome. Tevarion's men
were scared and didn't quite know what to do.
« Two hundred meters. » Selphie warned.
« Stand-by, Irvine. » Duncan said through the intercom.
« Standing by. »
The Concordia moved at full speed towards the Regalia. The enemy
tried to come about and launch torpedoes but then they realised that the Concordia
was too close. If they fired a torpedo now, it would also destroy them.
« One hundred and fifty. » Selphie said.
« Now Irvine. »
Irvine activated the second dropped torpedo. The projectile followed them and
came dangerously close. But the Concordia veered off and Irvine gave
the command to lock on onto the Regalia. The torpedo complied and went
for the enemy. The torpedo hit Tevarion's sub clear amidships, ripping the hull
apart with the resulting explosion. Water rushed in and the sub began to break
apart.
« There he goes. » Quistis said, listening. « He's breaking
up. »
Skywalker knew what was going on right now and didn't want to share that particular
knowledge. At this very moment, water rushed into the Regalia through
the breach. It came in a full force, filling the sub and sink it and taking
the lives on board along for a one-way ride to the bottom.
« We won ? » Lucas asked.
« We won. » Duncan confirmed. Though they had defeated their enemy,
he couldn't stop thinking of the lives that had been lost, not about the men.
There wasn't any good or evil, just a matter of perception and which side you
take. « Let's go home. »
« Yeah ! » the kids cheered.
« Selphie, take us to Balamb Island. »
« Copy that. »
The Concordia left the Centra Corridor and headed for Balamb Island.
XXVI
Epilogue
The Concordia sped towards Balamb Island at full speed at a depth of
fifty meters. After leaving the Centra Corridor, Selphie had made a sharp turn
and had made the sub head north. Right now, they were in the ocean between the
Galbadian Continent and the Esthar Continent. Balamb Island was straight ahead,
several hundred nautical miles away.
On the bridge, the kids were jumping up and down. « We're going home !
»
Duncan let them be. It didn't bother him much and after all they've been through,
they could use a little enthusiasm.
« What's our location ? »
« Just passed the intercontinental bridge. » Quistis reported. With
that, she meant the long bridge connecting the Galbadian Continent with the
Esthar Continent. Fisherman's Horizon was situated somewhere in the middle of
that bridge. The Concordia had passed it by several hundred meters.
« Okay. Selphie, when we reach Balamb Island, surface and dock at Balamb
Harbor. » Duncan ordered.
« You got it. »
The door in the back opened and Irvine stepped onto the bridge. « Hey
all. »
« Nice work on the torpedoes. » Duncan complimented.
« Ahh, it wasn't such a big deal. » Kinneas scratched the back of
his head.
« Right. » Selphie said under her breath.
« Balamb Island dead ahead. » Quistis announced.
At the harbor, headmaster Cid sat on the quay with a fishing
rod. Some SeeDs had made a suggestion and now, he was giving it a try. He'd
just cast his line when the rod bent down.
« It's a big one ! » Cid reeled in with all his might. A few other
SeeD students, who were on leave came to look.
« Yeah sir, you sure got a big one. » one of them said.
But then, the tip of the Concordia broke through the waves and splashed
down after the sub surfaced.
Cid and the SeeDs were almost soaked while staring at the sub with wide eyes.
« A submarine ? » another asked baffled.
« Better get ready. » Cid said. « Who knows what might crawl
out. »
The SeeDs took their weapons and stood before Cid, protecting him. As the hatch
in the command tower opened, all eyes turned towards it to see who or what would
come out. Big was their surprise when they saw it was Squall helping Rinoa crawl
out of the crampy sub.
« Squall ! What in tarnation are you doing in that thing !? » Cid
asked as the SeeDs put their weapons away. Meanwhile Selphie, Irvine, Quistis
and Zell had come out.
« It's a long story ! » Squall yelled back as the students moored
the sub to the pier. After Squall and the others, Duncan came out and with him
his wife and two kids.
« Finally, fresh air. » Moira said, taking in a lungfull of air.
Cid's office, Balamb Garden
« And that's the whole story. » Squall concluded after regaling
Cid of their adventure. The MAJIVE team was also present.
« What happened to this MAJIVE system ? » Selphie inquired.
« There was an energy buildup in the main prefire chamber of MAJIVE after
our last shot which had destroyed the HYPERION cannon. » Sera said. «
We couldn't stop it. The explosion took out the entire complex. »
« Well, at least we don't have to worry about the Galbadians restarting
their directed energy weapons research. » Cid said with a smile. «
But I would've liked to have had a look at the data of that thing. »
« Well, you can. » Josh said and took a small optical disc out of
his pocket and gave it to Cid. « This disc contains everything related
to MAJIVE. »
Cid took it and put it away. « Well then, I think this calls for a celebration.
»
All eyes turned to Selphie.
« Right, I'm on it. » she said in her cheery way and ran off to
make preparations.
Later that night, when the party was going at full speed, Moira went to the
balcony just outside the ball room and leaned on the railing, gazing over the
fields in the twilight. Her husband ha noticed she was gone and went to look
for her ; and found his wife on the balcony.
« Homesick ? » he asked while placing his hands on her shoulders.
« Yeah. » she sighed. « I want to go back home and do nothing
for the first week to come. » She leaned back against him. « What
are the kids doing ? »
Duncan looked over his shoulder at the open glass door and saw two or three
heads vanish behind the curtains. « They're partying, I guess. »
He looked back and whispered his wife in the ear : « Don't look back but
I think Selphie, Rinoa and Quistis are spying on us. »
Moira laughed. « Who cares. » Then, she turned around and kissed
her husband.
The next day, the Skywalker family went home. The train
disappeard into the tunnel and took them back to Oregonia. There, another surprise
awaited them. Talinn, Ringo, Jeb, Butch, Alex and a few other men from Dyenso
village had just arrived in a sailing ship when Duncan came home.
« What brings you here ? » Skywalker asked.
« A certain someone Cathy knows very well wanted to see her. » Talinn
explained. From behind her, Archie came running towards Catherine.
« Archie ! » she cried and gave her friend a hug.
« A wolf ? » Duncan wondered while his daughter ran off with Archie
in tow.
« It seems we have a new pet. » Moira said also looking at Cathy
play with her friend. « First a falcon, now a wolf. What's next ? »
« Say, you guys want to stay for dinner ? » Duncan asked.
« Thanks, but no thanks. » Ringo politely refused. « The Chief
wants us back ASAP. »
« I see. »
« Take care. » Moira said as the visitors went back to their ship.
« You too. » Talinn replied with a smile. They boarded the ship
and set sail.
« Let's hope it's finished now. » Moira sighed. « No more
fights, no more Jennai Soldiers, no more anything. I just want to live here
peacefully. »
« I think you'll be able to do that. » Duncan said, looking at the
sky turning orange with sunset.
While doing that, he thought about what had happened in the Centra Corridor.
Somewhere in the middle, a big oil stain floated on the surface of the water,
mixed in with debris from the Regalia. Among that rubble, was a shard
of Tevarion's uniform.
Proof that it really was over and done.
