X

Cid's office, third floor of Balamb Garden
Irvine, Zell, Selphie, Cloud and Squall stepped into the headmaster's office after knocking and receiving permission to come in.
« Squall ! What news ? » Cid asked.
« Bad news. Irvine ? »
Irvine nodded and began his report. « The Galbadians are up to something. The Mako Reactor is complete. Cloud confirmed they are going to initiate something called the Neo Midgar-Project'. My guess is they're coming after us next. »
« What is this Neo Midgar-thing ? »
« It means, sir, » Cloud clarified. « that they are going to turn that town into a big city with at least eight Mako Reactors. »
« What ? Then Timber'll be destroyed. »
« Exactly. » Squall confirmed. « We can't let that happen. »
« No, we can't. » Irvine acknowledged. « But the resistance factions are giving them a hard time. »
« That's a relief. » Cid said.
« We should keep a lookout for the Galbadians. » Selphie suggested.
« Agreed. We should make preparations in case we have to go mobile again. »
The four SeeDs and Cloud nodded, turned and went out.

Galbadian Shipyards, Galbadia
Heidegger personally inspected all of the ships docked at the construction yard near Deling City. After flying over with a personal transport, he'd gotten a few hours rest, then he began his inspection.
There were seven destroyers, two aircraft carriers and numerous engineering and support cruisers docked at the piers. Each carrier had some thirty-three fighters on board. All ready to be put into active duty.
« Keep the carriers out of their weapons range. Put the destroyers in front and the support cruisers behind them. » he ordered the fleet commander.
« Aye sir. » the FleetCom replied.
« All ships seem in perfect working order. Excellent. »
« Well sir, it was the only thing we could do from being bored to death. So we decided to repair defective engines and then we cleaned these babies up. »
« You did it well. » Heidegger complimented.
« Thank you sir. »
« I've never seen such a decent fleet in my life. »
The FleetCom nearly lit up with pride. The late president Vinzer Deling hadn't been so willing to give compliments.
« We're still working on the engine of the fifth destroyer, sir. »
« Take your time. » Heidegger said. « We set out as soon as the engine is ready and tested. »
« Aye sir. » the FleetCom replied, saluted and went to the fifth destroyer to tell his men to get on it.

Balamb Garden
« So what's next ? » Zell asked as they went back to the entrance to the Dormitory to check on the others. « We take a break ? »
« Yeah. » Squall sighed. « You've earned it. »
« Great. » Selphie cheered and ran ahead.
« Hey Zell ! » Moira called.
« What ? » Zell asked. Moira pointed outside at Duncan who was practicing again.
« What the » Zell asked silently and walked outside. So he knows martial arts too, huh ? I'm gonna take him by surprise, heheheh. He silently approached Duncan who seemed oblivious to Zell's presence. Zell jumped towards him to grab him in a choke-hold. But then Duncan whirled, grabbed his arm and threw him into the bushes. Zell flew squealing through the air and hit the dirt a bit further behind some bushes.
« You know, even an apprentice samurai would hear you coming. »
Huh ? Zell thought while rubbing his head. I thought I was coming in silently enough.
Skywalker walked over to where Zell had landed and helped him to his feet.
« Guess I did a lousy job, huh ? »
« Well, you need to work on it. But you'd do fine with the Galbadians. »
« Thanks. That's a relief. »
« Zell, can I ask you something ? »
« Sure. »
« Did Rinoa really become a Sorceress ? »
« Yup. After we defeated Edea in Galbadia Garden, Ultimecia left Edea and possessed Rinoa. Bang ! That's when she became a Sorceress. Why ? »
« It's still there. »
Zell gaped at him. « You're joking. »
Duncan eyed him with his ice cold light blue eyes. « No I'm not. To be honest, she's not fully a Sorceress, but some of the Sorceress power has remained behind in some sort of dormant phase and became active because of a dream she had. »
« I heard about it. Something with drifting through space. »
« Yeah. That's it. »
« How is she doing ? »
« Fine, but still a bit woozy. »
« Okay. Man, getting hungry again. Hot dogs, watch out ! Here comes Zell ! »

Library, Balamb Garden
While Zell raced to the Cafeteria for his load of hot dogs, Duncan headed for the Library to see what Squall's beloved Rinoa was doing.
He found her in a corner in the back, reading a book. Duncan approached her.
« Hey, whatcha readin' ? »
« A book about Sorceresses. » Rinoa replied.
« To see what they're capable of. »
« Right. » she confirmed.
« So, what did you find out ? »
« Watch. » Rinoa said, lifted her hand and sent a long icicle soaring through the entrance into the main corridor. Duncan heard the muffled cries of people who the icicle nearly hit.
« I still need to work on my steering ability. » she humored.
« Yeah, so it seems. » he confirmed.
Rinoa closed the book. « Enough for today. »
Together with Skywalker, she headed back to the main corridor where they saw some SeeDs ice skating on the circular ice ring.
« Oh yeah, I still have to unfreeze the water. »
« No Rinoa, don't » Duncan tried to stop her but it was already too late. She closed her eyes and an instant later the ice turned back into water. The ice skating SeeDs fell into the water while cursing out loud because the ice had suddenly vanished from under their feet. Rinoa saw it and covered her eyes. « Uh-oh. »
« I tried to tell you, » Duncan began. « that there were people on the ice. »
She sighed. « Should've listened. »
« Damn right. » Duncan replied. « Next time, check if no one's in the neighborhood before you try such stuff again. »
« I will. »
« Okay. Another valuable lesson learned. »

Galbadian Shipyards, Galbadia
The reparation of the engine of the fifth destroyer was proceeding as scheduled. In a matter of hours, they would be ready to set out into open sea.
But what not a single Galbadian knew was that Zone and Watts had managed to sneak into the complex with the aid of some of the hardest trained members of the Timber Wolves and spy on Galbadian activities.
« Not good. » Zone said. « This is definitely not good. »
« Exactly what I had in mind, sir. » Watts said in an even low voice as Zone's. They were spying on the Galbadians from behind a stack of crates which would be loaded in when the ships departed. And that was not going to take place for quite some time. Watts had heard they had problems with the engine of the fifth destroyer.
« Just look at the size of those carriers. » Zone mumbled.
« D'you think they're going after SeeD ? » Watts asked his buddy.
« I don't know. They probably might. »
« We'd better warn them. »
Zone sighed. « Yeah, let's do that. »
The two got up and ran to a comm station to warn Balamb Garden of the threat.

Balamb Garden
The sun was setting again. Another day came to its end. As every SeeD went to his/her room in the Dormitory, so did Squall and the others. Cloud, Tifa, Cid Highwind and Nanaki decided it was time to turn in early in order to get up early in the morning and see what this elite mercenary unit was going to do about Shinra and the Galbadians.
While Squall and Rinoa went to the Dormitory, Moira Luna came storming towards them. « Squall ! Urgent message in the headmaster's office. »
« Shit. » Squall cursed and with Rinoa in tow, ran after Luna to Cid's office. Cloud saw them running. He told Tifa he'd be back as soon as he could and followed the small group. They passed Duncan who wondered what was going on and decided to follow too.
The group took the elevator to the third floor and ran into Cid's office without knocking.
« What is it ? » Squall asked as he came to a stop beside the headmaster.
« We've got contact with Zone at the Galbadian Shipyards. »
« The lion's den. » Rinoa pointed out.
« In a matter of speech, yes. » Cid agreed, then turned the speaker on. « Go ahead Zone. »
« Is Squall there ? » Zone asked.
« Yeah, I'm here. »
« Good, I don't have much time so listen up. » Zone began. « I think the Galbadians are planning to attack Balamb Garden. They've got a massive fleet docked here. I saw two aircraft carriers, seven destroyers and a heap of support cruisers. This looks bad. Real bad. »
« Can you disable them ? » Squall asked.
« What ? All those ships ? Are you crazy ? Of course we can't. We'd get caught. »
« Okay, forget about disabling them. » Squall said, immediately regretting he asked the question. « Can't you do anything ? No matter what ? »
They heard Zone think because of the silence that followed. « We might be able to put a leak in their fuel barrels. Then they'd have a limited supply of fuel for those ships. We're on it. »
« Good. See what you »
But Squall couldn't say anything more. « Crap, they're coming. Gotta go. Remember : they're coming. »
Then, the link was severed.
Squall remained silent, Rinoa looked out the window to see if there weren't any Galbadian ships in sight yet, Duncan looked down at the floor while thinking about this threat and Cloud didn't know what to ask.
« This is real bad. » Cloud pointed out. « What do we do ? »
The Galbadians are coming. History is about to repeat itself. Squall thought. Well, there isn't a Galbadia Garden around. Which is good. But they got aircraft carriers and destroyers
Duncan looked up. « Wait a minute. »
All eyes turned towards him.
« Yes ? » Cid asked.
Duncan turned to Cloud. « You mistook me to be this Sephiroth-character, right ? »
« I did. » Cloud confirmed. « What are you getting at ? »
« Did the Shinra fear him ? »
« They shit their pants full even if they heard his name being mentioned. » Cloud laughed.
« Good good. » Duncan grinned.
Rinoa hid herself behind Squall. « This is scary. » she said in a low voice.
« What's your plan ? »
« Maybe I could impersonate this Sephiroth. Let's give Heidegger a good scare. »
Cloud thought about the effect it might have on their adversaries. In his mind's eye he could see Heidegger shaking like a reed when he saw Sephiroth. « It might work. »
« Well, get on it first thing tomorrow. » Cid ordered.
Squall nodded.
The rest followed him towards the elevator.


XI

Dormitory, Balamb Garden
The next day in Squall and Rinoa's room, they began making plans to scare Heidegger real good. The girls were busy reproducing Sephiroth's clothes as was described by Cloud and Tifa. Duncan had about the same height as Sephiroth and that was just fine. Rinoa and Quistis were busy with the new black coat while Tifa and Selphie were working on the rest.
« You guys take a break. » Quistis said. « We'll be busy for some time here. »
« Okay. » Zell said, all too happy to get to the Cafeteria whenever he had the chance. The guys went out and headed to the Cafeteria.
When they were gone Selphie asked Tifa : « What was this Sephiroth like ? »
« He was a real menace. » Tifa said. « He was once a member of Shinra but disappeared for reasons unknown. Later we uncovered that Cloud had mortally injured him and that Sephiroth had turned his body and soul over to the mercy of the Lifestream. An echo of him rampaged over the surface of the planet, searching for Black Materia. »
« What's Black Materia ? » Rinoa interrupted.
« Condensed Lifestream energy with dark potential. Real dangerous. Sephiroth got his hands on it and summoned Meteor which nearly destroyed the planet. »
« Duncan isn't going to turn into this Sephiroth, is he ? » Moira asked.
« Of course not. » Tifa said. « We're only gonna make him look like Sephiroth. »
« Oh good. » Moira let out a big sigh of relief. Making those clothes nearly took all day.

Cafeteria, Balamb Garden
« So we're gonna scare Heidegger ? » Irvine asked.
« That's the plan. » Squall replied. They were sitting at the bar, discussing about what was to come. Duncan stood a bit further eyeing a plant which wasn't growing too well.
« We've tried everything. » the lady behind the bar said. « Nothing helps. »
« The pot is too small. » Duncan pointed out. « That's why it ain't growing. »
« I thought it was just fine. »
« Change to a bigger one and it'll grow again. I guarantee it. »
« I'll give it a try. Thanks. »
« No problem. » Duncan walked back to the others.
« Then what ? » Zell asked. « We pray he gives up ? »
« Sort of. » Squall replied.
« Sort of ? » Cloud interjected. « He won't quit. Not Heidegger. »
« Then why the charade ? » Irvine inquired.
« It's to make him see there are other things transported over. Or seem to have been. » Cloud corrected.
« So he starts to make mistakes. » Squall said.
« Exactly. »
« Let's hope it works. » Skywalker said.
« It'll work. » Cloud said. « Damn straight it'll work. Heidegger will stand before you shaking even harder than a blender at full speed when he sees you. »
« Good to know. » Duncan said and finished his drink.
Three hours later, Selphie stormed into the Cafeteria. « It's ready. Woo-hoo ! »
« Let's go see. » Squall suggested.

Dormitory
Back at the Dormitory, Cloud inspected their work. « It's identical. »
« Go try it on. » Moira said. Duncan disappeared behind a screen and came out a few minutes later, dressed up as Sephiroth.
« Aside from the hair and scar, I'd say he's Sephiroth. » Cid Highwind groused.
« Yeah, the hair. » Tifa muttered. « What about that ? It takes months or years before it's at the right length. »
« What about a wig ? » Quistis suggested.
« Good idea. » Selphie replied and ran out the door.
« Oh shit. » Skywalker muttered silently.
She came back with a wig, pulled up a chair and put the wig on Skywalker's head. Perfect fit. It was as if Sephiroth had come back from the dead.
« Identical. » Tifa said silently.
« What about the scar ? » Nanaki asked.
« I could say I got it in a fight with Cloud. » Duncan suggested.
« Good excuse. » Squall said.
« Let's do it. » Duncan said and walked out the door towards the front gate. There, Moira stopped him for a moment. « Duncan ? »
« Yeah ? »
« Be careful. »
« I will. »
« There's something not right yet. » Cloud said.
« What ? » Tifa asked.
« The eyes. »
Luna wrapped her arms around his waist as a way to say goodbye and to take care and come back safely. Then she stepped back and gazed into his eyes and saw them shimmer. « What the »
« What's wrong ? » Squall asked.
« Duncan, your eyes are shimmering. »
« What ? Gimme a mirror. » She gave him her small mirror. He saw his ice cold light blue eyes change into blue-green. « Full Lifestream capacity. » he said silently. He turned ot the others.
« Whoa, now I say he Sephiroth. » Cloud said.
« Yeah. Totally. » Cid added.
Duncan nodded. « Time to get serious. »
« How are you gonna get there ? » Selphie asked.
« I go through the underpassage. »
« Underpassage ? »
« Through the Lifestream. » Cloud clarified.
« Take care. » Rinoa said. Duncan nodded and disappeared in the Lifestream.
« Let's hope he has some success. » Quistis said for all of them.


XII

Galbadian Shipyards, Galbadia
Heidegger followed the steady repair of the engine of the fifth destroyer. It would be a matter of days if not hours before they could set out.
« How are we doing ? » he asked the chief engineer.
« A few more adjustments, sir. Then we'll be able to test it and if it's good, we're ready to go. » the chief engineer reported.
« Excellent. Take as much time as you need. We don't want to get stuck in open sea with a defective engine, now would we ? »
« Of course not, sir. »
« Keep me informed. »
« Yes sir. »
Heidegger turned, left the destroyer and went to the office building which was located in the center of the shipyards.

Evening had descended.
After emerging from the Lifestream not far from the shipyards, Skywalker/Sephiroth took a moment to remember what he was supposed to do. Transporting oneself through the Lifestream was, of course, real handy, but it caused temporary amnesia. After a few moments he remembered it again : scare Heidegger and, if possibly, give him the idea that attacking Balamb Garden was a bad plan.
He got out of the bushes and approached the shipyards. There, he stepped into the shadows and disappeared from view to sneak past the guards.
Cloud had explained how Sephiroth had thought and acted : recklessly, without remorse. Cloud also told him that Sephiroth went for a kill without no apparent reason, but Duncan had vowed only to kill when there was no other way. Where would he be ? he asked himself as he proceeded through the shadows. He saw the lights on the top floor of the office building were still on. Probably there.
He carefully inched his way to the building. Suddenly, a guard appeared out of nowhere. Before he could sound the alarm, Duncan grabbed him and knocked him out cold. Then, he tied him up and locked the guard up in a shack.
He ran across the short illuminated path to the building. He looked around once more, then went in.
He ran up the stairs and headed for Heidegger's office. He got there just as Heidegger came out of the elevator.
Duncan dove into the office, without attracting Heidegger's attention and closed the door. He positioned himself behind the door just as it swung open, hid him from view and Heidegger stepped in. Without looking back, Heidegger threw the door shut behind him.
He sat down behind his desk and switched on the desk light, casting only the desk in a yellow glow. The rest of the room remained dark.
« SeeD will pay for stealing the plans of the reactor. » he groused and laughed his horse laugh which made Skywalker's skin crawl. « The fleet'll be ready by tomorrow, I think. » he murmured while studying print-outs. « Then we set out and destroy this Balamb Garden. »
Duncan/Sephiroth decided it was time to set the charade in motion. « A foolish plan. » he said.
Heidegger looked around. « Who's there. »
« I'm right here. » Duncan/Sephiroth said and stepped into the hazy glow. « I, Sephiroth. »
« S Sephiroth ?? » Heidegger stammered. « This is this is impossible. Cloud beat you. »
« Well, I faked my death. » Sephiroth replied and laughed. From the corner of his eye, he could see him reach for the intercom. « I wouldn't do that if I were you. »
Heidegger pulled back his hand as he drew his sword. Then, he bent forward, his face inches away from Heidegger's and spat : « If you execute that doomed-to-fail plan of yours, terrible things will happen. »
He straightened as Heidegger shook like a reed.
Cloud was right he thought. They feared him.
« Uhhh I uhhh » Heidegger stammered.
« And to show you how serious I am, here's a little something. » Sephiroth said and slashed the desk in two. « Don't even think about it. »
With that, he turned and walked out of the office.
When Sephiroth was gone, Heidegger wiped the sweat from his face. This was impossible. He took the intercom, fear aside and pressed the button. « We have an intruder ! Triple security ! I want him found ! »
When he heard that, Duncan only grinned. There were numerous shadowy corners and niches where he could hide. The rattle of boots became louder. Soldiers on their way up. Duncan simply stepped into a corner shrouded in shadows, put his sword away and waited. The soldiers ran past him. He waited two full seconds, then moved on downward. Without incident, he arrived at the entrance where he hit a guard in the base of his neck. The guard slumped to the ground with the elegance of a sack of potatoes. Duncan continued to the entrance to the shipyards in stealth-assassin-style. Once arrived there, he threw a small rock in the bushes and waited. The guard heard it and went over to investigate. Duncan took advantage of this and ran out as silently as a ghost. When he was well away from the shipyards he went back to Garden through the Lifestream.

Back at the office building, Heidegger asked the soldiers if they had any luck into finding Sephiroth.
« No sir. It's as if he disappeared off the planet. » a soldier reported.
« Into the planet you mean. » Heidegger muttered. The soldiers didn't hear it.
He sighed, then issued his orders. « Speed up the engine repairs of the fifth destroyer. We set out as soon as it's complete. Forget about the tests. »
The soldiers went out to relay the order to speed up the repairs.
I'm not letting Sephiroth ruin my plans. I just keep on going.

Balamb Garden
It was just past 22.00 hours when the SeeD guards saw a blue-green eruption nearby. Squall, who had stayed up saw it too. He wasted no time and ran towards the place of the eruption.
« Good to see you. Did it work ? »
Duncan eyed him while getting up. What's with him ? Squall asked in the back of his mind.
« This is Balamb Garden, right ? »
« Yeah. You got a whack or something ? »
All came back to him now. « Sorry about that. It's just that going through the Lifestream causes temporary amnesia. That's why I asked. »
« Okay. Thanks for clarifying that. Now seriously, did it work ? »
« It went just as Cloud said. » Duncan told Squall. « Heidegger was standing before me, shaking like a reed. I told him not to execute his doomed-to-fail plan or else some terrible things might happen. And to show him how serious I was, I slashed his desk into two. »
« Get outta here. Really ? »
« Really. »
« We'll continue tomorrow. You'd better get some rest. »
Skywalker nodded and went to his room in the Dormitory.
Weird fellow Squall thought.
When Squall reached his room in the Dormitory, he became aware of a dim shrieking noise in his mind.
« What the Ellone ? Not now » Squall collapsed onto the ground while his consciousness was sent back into the past towards a certain house in Oregonia.

He found himself in a house of which he had no idea to whom it belonged. It was nicely decorated. A big table with eight chairs in the living room, a small corner with stuffed seats, low table and TV, warm colors, a fireplace near the low table and a few cupboards.
A female voice called out from behind an open door. « Duncan, I'm still having trouble with these power converters. »
« Coming. » Squall heard him say. He realized he was seeing
through Skywalker's eyes. He walked through the door and around the corner. Squall saw Duncan's wife then. She looked almost exactly like Moira Luna, except she hadn't any freckles. And, Squall noticed, she had her hair reaching till her waist. For a moment he wondered how Rinoa would look with hair that long.
« The converter's fried. See that left one ? Lightning impact. Totally burnt out. »
« Ahh great. » she complained. « Now I'll have to go to the town and get some new ones. »
« Charlie, there just converters. Lighten up. »
She looked up at him with a bright smile. « You're right. »
« Now get your butt to that store. I'll shut everything down and wait till you get back. »
« Okay. » Charlie said, kissed him and ran out the door.
The next hour that followed was quiet. After that hour, Duncan got up and looked through the window. He saw her coming, converters in hand, waving triumphantly.
But then a car came racing across the path and hit her from behind. Skywalker was out the door like a lightning bolt. He slid to a stop beside the unmoving form of his wife. He looked up to see the zig-zagging car disappear behind a tree.
« Hang in there, Charlie. » he said and took her into his arms. Then, he went to the local hospital as fast as he could.
When he arrived at the hospital, he laid her down on the nearest bench and searched for a doctor. He found a few in a nearby room.
« Good you're here. My wife's had an accident. I think it's critical. »
The doctors only laughed. One of them pointed at the calendar. It read April 1.
« Look guys, this is NOT a joke, okay ? She's dying ! »
They pretended not to hear him.
« Bastards ! » Duncan spat and hear her call out for him. He went back and knelt beside her.
« Too late. » she whispered.
« No, it's not too late. They might help. If they stop making jokes. »
« No, it's too late. Here, take my ring and never forget me. »
Then, all life left her. Duncan was out of himself with rage and sorrow. His cry of ourage sounded inhuman.
« What do we have here ? » a voice asked behind him. Two of those docs. Duncan got up, whirled and punched the nearest in the face as hard as he could. The doctor staggered back with a broken nose. Then, Duncan put all his hate and rage into one single look and spat : « You morons just killed my wife. »
Both physicians recoiled. He bent down, took his wife's lifeless form in his arms and walked outside. While he passed the flower section, all flowers hung their buds in sympathy.
Squall saw him bury her under a big oak tree on the cliffs, overviewing the sea.
« Farewell. » Skywalker said. « I'll never forget you. Never. »
In the house, he looked in the mirror and noticed his eyes had changed.
The following two weeks were terrible for him. He sat in a silent house, all alone, mourning the loss of his wife who was the only one who truly understood him. After those two weeks, Duncan decided to journey the world, looking for a purpose in life.
The next thing Squall saw was a mixture of his experiences. His encounter with the Shaolin, teaching him martial arts. The Yakuza, whose butts he had kicked when they were terrorizing the locals. That's where he got the scar, as Squall saw. He had barely walked away with his life from that fight.
His travels through the Northern, Eastern, Southern and Western Regions. His last adventure in Neron Continent, Jennai, Sigma Station, the Celestial Dragon and the destruction of both Jennai and the station.
« Squall, this was Duncan's life before he ended up here. »
he heard Ellone's voice say. « I hope now you understand the pain he wanted to save you. Now, he's confused because he saw Moira. »
« I understand now. » Squall whispered back.


XIII

Galbadian Shipyards, Galbadia
The next morning someone knocked at the door of his office. Heidegger woke up. « Come in. »
It was the chief engineer of the fifth destroyer. « The engine's fixed, sir. We ran some tests all night long and we're ready to go. »
« Why didn't you tell me ? »
« Well, you have a lot to deal with as it is, sir. We didn't want you to fall asleep in the middle of the mission. » the engineer clarified.
Heidegger gave him a smile. « Very thoughtful. » He reached for the intercom and pressed a button which would connect him to the Fleet Commander. « Ready the ships. We're setting out in one half hour. »
« Aye sir. » came the reply.
A half hour later, the two aircraft carriers left the harbor, followed by the destroyers and the support cruisers.
On the bridge of the first carrier, Heidegger gazed over the open sea. « Set course for that Garden. »
« Aye sir. » the Fleet Commander said. « New course : go to 0-2-5, half speed, destination : Balamb Island. »
« 0-2-5, half speed, aye. » the helmsman acknowledged. « Heading for Balamb Island. »
« How long till we arrive ? » Heidegger asked.
« Three to four hours, sir. » the FleetCom replied.
« Use the time to prepare the ships and crews. »
« Aye sir. »

Balamb Garden
When Rinoa woke up at the same time the Galbadian ships left the shipyards, she saw Squall lying on the ground. She was out of bed and by his side in an instant. But he was all right. He was beginning to wake up and sat up straight on the floor.
« You okay ? » she asked. « What happened ? »
« I'm fine. » he replied. « Ellone showed me Skywalker's past. »
« What was it like ? »
« You've got no idea. Full of fights. I saw him lose his wife. The feeling was terrible. He wanted to save me that feeling. You wouldn't believe the things he's been through. »
« So, he brought me back out of compassion ? »
« I think so. Judging from the look in his eyes when I saw him for the first time, I didn't think he'd be capable of showing compassion. »
« Well, » Rinoa said as she wrapped her arms around him. « we all have our ways to do things. Some of us are somewhat seclusive, others aren't. »
« Yeah, » Squall replied with a smile. « Remind me to call you when I need a shrink. »
Rinoa laughed, got up and stepped into the bathroom.
Squall stood up, dusting off his clothes. He didn't want Quistis call him dust-ball' again.
Just as Rinoa came out of the bathroom, the intercom sounded. Headmaster Cid's voice echoed through the room : « Squall, could you come to my office please ? »
Now what ? Together with Rinoa, he went out of the Dormitory and took the elevator to the third floor. Once arrived there, they entered Cid's office.
« What's up ? » Rinoa asked before Squall.
Cid handed Squall a pair of electrobinoculars. « Have a look. »
Squall took the binocs and gazed over the ocean. What was there to see ? Nothing but ocean. Squall sighed when he saw nothing. Nothing except Wait a sec he thought. On the horizon, he could see some black specks. He switched the binoculars to full magnification but the specks remained tiny specks. The only thing he could make out was that there were a lot of them.
He lowered the binoculars while still gazing in the same direction.
« What's wrong ? » Rinoa asked.
« Trouble. » Squall replied. He reached for the intercom and ordered the rest of the team to come to Cid's office. A few minutes they arrived, followed by Cloud and his friends and Duncan and Moira. Skywalker had put off the Sephiroth diguise and had left it in his room.
« What's going on ? » Cloud asked.
« Something's heading this way. » Squall said.
Duncan took the binoculars from Squall and looked at the black specks on the horizon. « The Galbadians. »
« What ? » Cid asked. « You can't be serious. »
« I am serious. They're coming. It's their fleet. They're about two hours away. »
« We need to do something. » Irvine suggested.
« Like what ? » Zell asked. « Freeze the ocean ? »
« There's an idea. » Squall said and looked at Rinoa.
« Sorry. » she replied. « No can do. I'm still trying to master it. »
« Okay, forget about that. » Cid intervened. « We've got to prepare ourselves. »
« If we only knew what ships they had. » Selphie murmured.
« Zone told us, didn't he ? » Irvine wondered. « Two aircraft carriers, five destroyers, and uhh »
« Two carriers, seven destroyers and some support cruisers. » Duncan corrected.
« Right. » Irvine acknowledged. Skywalker gazed over the ocean again.
« They'll be in weapons range in approximately 30 minutes. »
« Squall, » Cid ordered. « Send a team down to the MD level and prepare for mobilisation. »
Squall turned around. « Rinoa, Zell, Quistis, you're on it. »
« Right. » Quistis replied and ran with the others to the elevator which took them to the MD level.
Cid looked in the direction of the Galbadian ships. « If it's a direct hit on us, it's game over. »
« Not necessarily. » Duncan replied and closed his eyes. From the west, a thunder storm closed in fast. The sea became rough.
« That's what I had in mind. » Selphie said for all of them.

Galbadian fleet
From the bridge, Heidegger could see their target in the distance. He turned to the Fleet Commander. « Status ? »
« All is ready, sir. Cannons are being loaded at this very moment. »
« Good. Lock on target. »
The weapons officer typed in a series of commands. The screen in front of them showed the target. « Target locked. »
Outside, the cannons on the destroyers and in the side of the carriers turned their barrels towards the defenseless Balamb Garden.
But before Heidegger could give the order to fire, the weather officer turned away from his console. « Sir, you'd better wait with the assault. We've got a heavy storm closing in fast from the west. »
Heidegger sighed. « Put everything on stand-by till the storm has passed over. »
« Aye sir. »
The weapons systems were switched from active to stand-by. On the screen STAND-BY' flashed in big red letters.

Balamb Garden
« They're not attacking. » Cid noticed.
« They're falling for it. » Cloud added. In Cid's office, the tension was almost tangible. Whether the Galbadians would attack with such a heavy sea, no one knew. But they didn't.
« That'll buy us some time. We have to get out of here. » Squall suggested. He went to the headaster's desk and called Esthar. A moment passed before he got a connection to Esthar's president, Laguna Loire.
« Squall, good to see you again. »
« Yeah yeah, save it. We got major problems here. We need the Ragnarok, fast. »
« No can do. Someone blew the energy conversion manifold in the starboard engine and a part of the engine core has destabilized. We've got days of work here. Why do you need the ship ? »
« We're about to be attacked by the Galbadians. A storm is keeping them from bombing the shit out of us for the moment, but it won't last. »
« Get out of there. » Laguna suggested.
Squall then remembered he had sent Rinoa, Zell and Quistis to the MD level. « Right. Garden out. »
Squall turned to the headmaster. « We're going to fly the Garden away from here before they attack. »
Cid nodded. Squall activated the intercom. « Attention everyone. The Galbadians are right at our doorstep with an armada. They can't attack right now because of a heavy storm. Prepare yourselves and Garden for mobilization, repeat, prepare yourselves and Garden for mobilization. »
Squall switched off the intercom and waited. A few moments later, it crackled. It was Rinoa on the MD level.
« Squall, we're all set down here. »
« Copy that. Stand-by. » He looked at Cid.
« Go. » Cid merely said.
« Mobilize ! »
« Mobilizing. » Rinoa acknowledged.
Deep in the bowels of Balamb Garden, Zell pushed the necessary controls. A shudder ran through the catwalks. The engines and massive turbines activated and began to produce power for the conversion. The bridge section began to rise up.
In the office, Cloud and the others recoiled when they saw a brilliant white patch of circular energy appear on the floor. An instant later, the bridge module shot up through that energy circle and locked in place.
Next, the massive disc which hovered over Garden began to rotate clockwise and transformed into pure energy so it could pass over the Garden.
The entire Garden rose up a bit and moved away from its spot on Balamb Island and headed towards the sea.

Galbadian fleet
« Man, I hate bad weather. » the FleetCom complained.
« Me too, sir. » the helmsman added.
The Fleet Commander sighed. At least the Garden wasn't going anywhere. Being assigned to the naval part of the Galbadian military system had its downsides. He didn't know the Garden could move.
« I sure hope that storm passes over quick. » he said and turned to look at the island in the distance. What he saw next was impossible to him, but it was happening anyhow. Through the blurry window, streaked with drops from the rain, he saw Balamb Garden move. « What the bloody ? »
He reached for the intercom. « Sir ? You'd better take a look at this. »
Heidegger was on the bridge in an instant. Every other bridge officer had stood up to look. « Dammit. » Heidegger cursed. « Fire. Destroy them, damn you. »
Hovering just above the water, the Garden would pass them at port if it continued on its current course.
The barrels aligned themselves with their target the STAND-BY'-word disappeared from the screens and was replaed by WEAPONS LOCKED'. But before they could fire, the fleet was hit by an even rougher sea.

Balamb Garden
Nida piloted the Garden towards the sea. They used the coast as a ramp' to get to the sea. Balamb Garden hovered just above the surface and set course for open sea. Ahead of them was the Galbadian fleet.
« Pass them on their port side. » Squall ordered.
« Roger. » Nida acknowledged and steered the Garden towards the Galbadians' port side.
« They're gonna fire. » Quistis observed.
« Not if I can help it. » Duncan said and the sea became rougher. « There. Now they won't be able to fire one decent shot. »
« Sweet. » Moira commented.
« Where are we heading ? » Nida asked.
« Cloud you guys drop me off at Edea's house ? » Cid asked.
Squall shrugged. « Whatever. Set course for Cape of Good Hope, Centra Continent. »
« Roger. » Nida replied.
Balamb Garden changed course to Edea's house on Centra Continent.

Galbadian fleet
Everyone held on to something as the ship wildly went up and down on the rough sea.
« There they go. » the Fleet Commander pointed out. Heidegger stared at the massive Garden sliding by.
« Turn the fleet around ! » he ordered. « Pursuit course ! »
The big carriers began to turn first, followed by the destroyers. The support cruisers, which were more maneuverable came last. The fleet rearranged itself and began to pursue Balamb Garden. But it seemed the tide was against them, because they were steadily losing them.

Balamb Garden
« They won't be a problem anymore. » Xu said. « Not for a little while at least. »
« You can say that again. » Quistis commented. « I've had my fill of those guys. Always sticking their noses into somebody else's business. »
« Guys, I'm gonna get some shuteye. » Zell said, stepped onto the small elevator which took him down and went to the elevator beyond the twin wooden doors of the bridge and rode it to the ground level.
Skywalker stared out the big window. « I've just made a void in the Lifestream right under the reactor. It just shut down. »
« Cool. » Selphie said. « The Galbadians without any power. »
« All that was linked to the reactor is shut down. And now, I'm going to get some rest too. » Duncan walked onto the elevator pad. Moira quickly hopped on as well.
« I'm going to the Dorm too. » she simply pointed out.
« Okay. » Duncan replied, but knew there was a catch.


XIV

Balamb Garden
As the evening fell, Balamb Garden proceeded on course towards Cape of Good Hope. The storm diminished as they flew farther and farther away from Balamb Island and the Galbadian fleet.
Most of the SeeDs members went to their dorm rooms to rest. So did Skywalker, followed by Moira Luna. Duncan stopped at the door to his room. Moira took the door next to his.
« Hey, wasn't your room elsewhere ? »
« Relocation. Comes with the orders. » she explained.
« I see. So when Squall ordered you to keep an eye on me, you had to take the room next to mine, right ? »
« Right. » Moira replied and went in. Duncan sighed and stepped into his own room. His trusty companion, Shirrah, was already asleep. Lazy ass Duncan swore in his mind. He hung his coat on the chair in the corner, his katana and daggers he put within easy reach and laid down on the bed.
Edea's house. That name sounded familiar. He stared up at the ceiling. Edea Rinoa mentioned that name. She saw her in that dream she had. But I've heard that name somewhere before
Although he never really knew who his biological parents had been, Edea seemed to resurface every now and then. He sighed and closed his eyes.
His thoughts shifted to a stone house with a lighthouse. An orphanage. Wait a minute Edea, Sorceress Edea Edea Kramer Cid Kramer They're married ? Time Compression Ultimecia SeeD's victory All this leads to
He sat up straight as his eyes flew open.
Matron !

Moira couldn't sleep and decided to check in the room next to her. She got out of bed, got dressed in a matter of seconds and stepped out the door silently. She knocked on Skywalker's door. « You sleeping ? »
« No. » came the muffled reply.
She opened the door and stepped inside. « Nice. I can't sleep. »
« What's up ? »
« I wanna chat a little. »
« Well, I don't think this is the right place. » he said while looking around the room.
« But I know a good place. »
« Yeah ? Where ? »
« I'll show you. C'mon. » she tugged on his arm to get him off the bed. Duncan grabbed his sword and daggers as she kept tugging.
« Okay okay. I'm coming. » he said as he put the sword and daggers away. Then, he stepped into the Dorm corridor. « Whereto now ? »
« Follow me. »
He followed Moira through the deserted corridors into the equally deserted main corridor to the elevator. They went in and Moira set it to go to the second floor. Then, she guided him to the observation deck on the second floor.
« How's this ? » she asked as they stood on the observation deck.
« Nice. » he replied as he looked around. Above them, the stars were bright as ever. On the horizon, flashes of lighting were visible. Remnants of the storm he had generated to keep the Galbadians at bay. He walked to the rim and looked down at the Garden's massive decorated disc rotating far below them, then back at Moira. « Yeah, nice place. So what do you want to talk about ? »
« You. Me. Us. » she said and positioned herself beside him.
Skywalker didn't know what to say.
« I think I'm in love with you. » she continued. « And scared at the same time. »
« What do you mean ? » he asked. She looked into his now blue-green eyes.
« I saw that change in your eyes. And to tell you the truth, it scared the hell out of me. Suppose something really bad happens to you then what ? »
He turned back to the rim of the deck and leaned on the railing with his elbows, staring into the darkness. « If something should happen to me maybe that I'd die then nature would be dealt a heavy blow. It would become destabilized and it would take years if not centuries to recover. If I die by natural causes, like old age, then nothing would be the matter. But if it's too sudden, the result would be cataclysmic. »
She moved in a wee bit closer. Oh what the hell she thought and hugged him. A moment later, she felt his strong arm wrap around her, which took her by surprise. Moira looked up at him and saw in his eyes a look of recognition.
« You wouldn't know how much I've missed that feeling. »
« How long has it been that you know. » she asked, clearly not wanting to hurt his feelings.
« That Charlene died ? Seven and a half years. »
« That long ? »
« That long. » he confirmed. « Look Charl ehh Moira. Goddammit. See, it almost happened. »
They both laughed.
« This is confusing for me. Charlene died seven and a half years ago and now I run into you, looking almost exactly like her. »
« I know. Can I see that picture of her again ? »
He gave her Charlene's photo.
« Yeah, it's pretty amazing. But there's a difference »
« Freckles. » Duncan pointed out.
« Right. » she replied with a smile.
« We'd better get some sleep now. »
« Okay. I'm getting tired. »
Together, they went back to the elevator and went to their rooms.
« Thanks. » she said when they got to their rooms.
« Thanks ? For what ? »
« That little chat. Now I know you a little. »
« Moira Luna. » Duncan said in a sort of teasing voice. « You don't know me at all. »
« That goes for me as well. You don't know me at all. »
With a smile, she went in and closed the door. Duncan went into his and almost immediately fell asleep.

Cape of Good Hope, Centra Continent
Edea's orphanage had been rebuilt after the battle against Sorceress Ultimecia. It looked just like the old one. It was crawling again with kids, orphans who had no other place to go to.
Edea stood in the door frame, looking at the kids she had vowed to take care of. They were playing in the fields which were filled with flowers.
Some of the kids stopped playing and stared in the distance. A light rumble ran through the ground.
« What is that ? » one of them asked, pointing straight at Balamb Garden in the distance, hovering over the woods and steadily coming closer.
« I don't know and I don't wanna find out. » a girl said and ran to the house. Most of the other children followed. Only the tough kids remained outside, but close to the house so they could run inside in case there should be a battle.
The rumble increased as Garden came closer and grew more and more ominous. It stopped well away from the orphanage and Edea was happy to see Squall and the others coming out of the flying Garden.
« Who are they ? » the girl who had run into the house asked.
« SeeDs. » Edea replied. Then she added : « Friends. »
« Oh, okay. »
Cloud and his friends remained in Garden while Squall and his friends, accompanied by Cid, Duncan and Moira went to the orphanage.
« Squall. Good to see you again. » Edea said.
« Likewise, Matron. » Squall replied with a smile. Cid waved hi' at his wife and went in.
Edea stared at the man with the long black coat. « Hello Matron. »
« You know her too ? » Quistis asked.
« Yeah. » Duncan replied without taking his eyes off Edea. « When you mentioned where we were headed, it all came back to me. »
Edea approached him. « Do I know you ? »
« You should. » he replied. « I was always in the woods or the fields or tending to the flowers in the plant-boxes in the house. »
« Oh my » Edea didn't know what to say next. « Duncan is that you ? »
« Yes, it's me. »
« You've grown. »
He smiled. « Let's go in and explain why we're here, shall we. »
« Exellent idea. » Squall said.

When they were seated at a large table and explained all, a group of kids were whipsering among each other and pointing at Rinoa.
« I tell you. She's a Sorceress. » a kid said.
« Get outta here. That can't be. Our Matron is the Sorceress. It said so in the books. » another retorted.
« No man. » another kid interjected. « Matron passed on her Sorceress power to her. » He pointed straight at Rinoa. As if sensing it was about her, Rinoa turned in their direction. « Uh-oh, she spotted us. »
« Run. » the girl suggested. They ran off.
Then, another girl came in, crying. Rinoa excused herself and went over to check on the crying girl. « What's the matter ? »
The little girl told her someone had thrown a bucket of water over her.
« A bucket of water huh ? » Rinoa asked testily. « Let's go see. »
They stepped outside, right under the prankster's position on the roof who didn't hesitate and dropped another load of water. But then, Rinoa lifted her hand and the water froze in midair. The prank-boy got scared and ran, vowing never to do it again.
« I say it got him spooked. » Rinoa said laughing. The little girl also laughed.
Rinoa stepped away from the frozen, in midair suspended patch of water and let it resume its course : straight down and splashed onto the ground.
« Thanks. » the girl said.
« No problem. »
Together, they went back in.

« So what you're saying is that the Galbadians are up to no good again ? » Edea asked.
« That's what I'm saying. » Squall confirmed.
« And their fleet ? »
« Way bahind. » Duncan grinned. « Problems with the weather. »
Edea lifted her eyebrows. « Weather problems ? »
« Yeah, » Selphie said. « You should've seen it. They were gonna blow us to smithereens, but then Duncan here did something and, BAM, there was a huge storm closing in. »
« Knowing the Galbadians, they'll keep on going until they've reached their goal. » Edea said.
« We know. » Irvine cut in. « But they've got help from some fat guy who has built something he called a Mako Reactor' in Timber. »
« What does this reactor do ? »
Duncan explained it to her. About how the reactor processed Lifestream energy to produce power how the surrounding area withered and died how the Galbadians were carrying out Heidegger's plans to convert Timber into Neo-Midgar. « Luckily I had made a void in the Lifestream so the reactor can't process any more energy. »
Edea nodded. « Back to the Galbadian fleet now. When do you think they'll catch up ? »
« In about a day or two. » Cid said.
« You'd better get going then. »
« I'm staying here with you. » Cid announced. « Spend some time with you and these kids. »
« But what about »
Cid held up his hand. « Let SeeD handle it. They're trained for it, remember ? »
« Yeah. » Zell jumped up. « We're gonna make these guys see they can't mess with SeeD. »
« Where are you headed next ? » Matron asked.
« I've been talkng to Laguna in Esthar. He said he has some fighter squadrons left. So our next destination is Esthar. » Squall announced.
« Squall, in case you don't remember, » Quistis informed him. « the Esthar continent is not suitable for flying the Garden. »
« I know. We'll work something out when we get there. »


XV

Observation deck, second floor of Balamb Garden
Cloud and Tifa had also discovered the observation deck. They saw the others in the distance at Edea's orphanage.
« D'you think Heidegger is in command of the Galbadian fleet ? » Tifa asked Cloud.
« Of course he is. Squall said that the Galbadians were keeping a low profile after they had whooped their asses real good. So I believe he's been doing some recruiting and has used the Galbadians to carry out his plans. »
Tifa stared in the distance, across the rocky landscape surrounding the Cape of Good Hope. « So we have to face him again ? »
« Yeah. But we're not alone. We don't have to face this army by the four of us. We've got allies. Powerful allies. »
« I know. » Tifa turned towards him. « Enough about Heidegger and the army. I can't stop thinking about Barret, Yuffie, Vincent and Cait Sith. »
« They're fine. At least I think they're fine. At least they don't have to worry about a Shinra member running loose. »
« Shinra » Tifa muttered. « It's as if we're destined to foil their plans whenever they arise. »
« After this, we won't have to anymore. » Cloud vowed.

Edea's orphanage, Centra Continent
« You never mentioned you have lived here. » Irvine said to Duncan who was gazing over the grassy fields.
« Well, no one asked. » he replied and saw Matron coming closer fro the corner of his eye.
« Duncan, you got a minute ? » she asked.
« Sure. What's up ? »
« How are you doing these days ? »
« Fine, I guess no if I'd say I'm fine, I'd be lying. »
« How come ? »
« Confused. » Duncan said and explained the situation of how he lost his wife, then seven and a half years later, of running into Moira.
« That's confusing indeed. » Edea admitted. « But there's something I need to know. Squall told me you can do things with the weather. »
« He's right. I can. » Duncan explained how he got into contact with pure, untamed Lifestream energy on the school's playground when he was a kid, of how it changed his life.
« I see. » Edea said, then excused herself because she had some work to do.
Squall and Rinoa stepped into view from behind a corner, hand in hand.
« I see you've found our place. » Rinoa said.
« What ? » Duncan asked, not knowing what she was talking about.
« It's a long story. But basically, if we'd get lost in our dreams, we promised to meet each other here. » Rinoa explained.
« I see. »
« So you've lived here too ? » Squall asked.
« Yeah. » Duncan replied. « Didn't really know my parents. Heard they died in a plane crash. I was one of the first generation of kids that lived here. Five years later, I got adopted. When I was 18, I decided to fly on my own wings. »
The night at the old orphanage had been great. Squall and the others had dug up more memories about their life here during the evening.
But now, the time to depart had come as Moira ran up to them yelling Nida had spotted the Galbadian fleet on the horizon.
The SeeDs didn't waste any time. Cid stayed with Edea while Squall and the others went back to Garden.
« Good luck ! » Edea called after them.
« Thanks ! » Skywalker yelled back.

Inside Garden it was total mayhem. Now they could have some rest, most personnel had taken a nap. But when the announcement came that the Galbadians were closing in, they rushed back to their stations.
Balamb Garden lifted itself up from the ground by means of its anti-grav cussion and set course for open sea.
On the bridge, Nida inquired about the Garden's course.
« Take the shortcut through the continent. » Squall ordered. Nida steered the Garden across the water which found itself between the two halves of Centra Continent.
« Can you do something about them ? » Rinoa asked Duncan.
« No can do. » he replied. « If I create a storm here and now, we'd get thrown against the rocks. »
The Galbadian fleet seemed to continue on its course.
« What are they doing ? » Irvine asked.
« Beats me. » Quistis replied.
« They're going to try to cut us off on the other end of the continent. They'll come into view just as we want to clear the mountains. I'd suggest we go for full speed. »
Squall nodded to Nida who increased the Garden's velocity to full speed. Balamb Garden soared across the water towards the other end of the continent.
They cleared it a few minutes before the Galbadian fleet. Heidegger didn't waste any time and ordered the destroyers to open fire.
As Garden proceeded across the sea towards Esthar, two of the destroyers opened fire.
« Incoming shells ! » Xu warned.
« How difficult is it to steer this thing ? » Duncan asked.
« Not difficult at all. » Nida replied. « Why ? »
« Let me try. »
Squall gave permission and Skywalker took control of Balamb Garden.
« Tell everyone to find a place somewhere cozy and hold on. »
Squall relayed the message. All over Garden, SeeD members, students and SeeD candidates held on to something solid.
Meanwhile on the bridge, Duncan had raised the Garden higher to have more maneuvering space. All around them, Galbadian shells made the water fly up in fountains as they missed. Some, however, came dangerously close.
« Hold on ! » Duncan yelled and sent Balamb Garden in a gut-wrenching turn that made the deck plates groan in protest. Right in front of them a shell hit the water, barely missing them.
On the bridge of the first aircraft carrier, Heidegger swore. « Can't they hit that thing ? It's ominous for crying out loud. »
The target began to zig zag, trying to outrun the shelling.
« Try to compensate and hit them for a change. » he ordered.
« Sir, yes sir. » the weapons officer began to implement the changes in the vectors of the destroyers' cannons.
« They're getting clearer shots. » Squall announced. The shells had come closer and closer despite Duncan's evasive maneuvers.
A shudder ran through Garden.
« The Quad ! The bastards hit the Quad ! » a SeeD reported.
« What ? My festival. » Selphie swore, then turned to the window where she could see the fleet as the Garden turned again. « You friggin' morons ! You just wait till I get my hands on you ! »
« Does this thing have any weapons ? Guns or whatever ? » Duncan asked.
« Aside from my gun, none. » Irvine said.
« Damn. » Duncan swore.
Cloud and the others rode the elevator to the bridge module.
« What the hell is going on ? » Nanaki asked.
« The Galbadians are trying to bomb us. » Squall replied.
« Oh nice. » Tifa complained. « They hit that section outside where »
« I know. » Selphie said.
Duncan stared across the sea, then his eye fell on the decorated disc rotating below them. « Does that disc generate some kind of energy field ? »
« Anti-grav. » Squall said. « What for ? »
Duncan gave control of the Garden back to Nida and checked a computer terminal. His hunch had been correct. Aside from an anti-grav field, the disc produced something else, also invisible to the eye like the anti-grav field.
« Lower the Garden just above the sea ! » he said to Nida. Nida looked at Squall.
« Do whatever he says. » the latter ordered. Nida nodded and Garden lowered itself. Duncan was busy recalibrating the disc controls.
« What are you doing ? » Tifa inquired.
« Aside from an anti-grav field, this disc produces something else. Polaron particles. »
« So ? »
« I plan to use this disc to send a polaron burst to the fleet, making their computer systems go haywire. Now, if you could let me work here now. »
Tifa and the others went back to the big window and looked outside. The shelling had stopped. Probably because Heidegger wanted to spare ammunition. That proved to be wrong as a bolt of green energy soared past them.
« What the hell ? » Cloud stammered.
« Graviton energy round. » Duncan reported. « They just want to shut us down. Their cannons aren't calibrated to fire these shots, so that's why it takes so long before the next shot will come. »
« How long till your plan is complete ? » Moira asked.
« Just a little longer There. Nida, lower the disc into the sea water. »
Balamb Garden's decorated disc lowered itself into the water as it sizzled with accumulated polaron energy. Skywalker pressed the final control and a ring of unbrideled polaron energy was sent in every direction. The only ships in the vicinity was the Galbadian fleet and when the polaron burst hit, every ship sizzled as if they were hit by an Electro-Magnetic Pulse at full power. Every computer screen blurred as pipes and conduits exploded all around the crew.
« What the hell was that !? » Heidegger asked over the chaos.
« I have no idea, sir. It seemed like an EMP burst but I can't say for certain. At least not right now. » the Fleet Commander reported.
« Blast ! » Heidegger swore.
« We lost them ! » Nida cheered from behind the controls as she looked back from the scanner. « Their power patterns are erratic. I say they've got problems. »
« All right. » Rinoa cheered along. « Nice going, Duncan. »
« Ah, it was nothing. Really. Just a matter of physics. »
« Uh-huh. » Moira harrumphed. « You just saved our butts again, pretty boy. »
« Well, my ass was on the line too. Too bad they hit the Quad. »
« Yeah, » Selphie complained. « now my festival is ruined. »
« It can be fixed, don't worry. At least no lives were lost. »
« Thanks to your formidable turn. » Quistis said as she rubbed her head. « I lost my grip and smashed into the console here. »
« Sorry about that. »
« Forget about it. The main thing is we're alive. » Quistis interrupted.
« You can say that again. » Irvine cut in.
Selphie dragged him away by his collar. « Come on, kickass sniper, we are going to assess the damage in the Quad.
« Hey, wait a Selphie ? You can't be serious hey » Irvine protested.
The little display brought a little laughter on the bridge and a sense of unity.
Duncan gazed into Moira's eyes and was glad he'd done that little polaron trick.
« How long till we reach Esthar ? » Squall asked.
« About three to four hours. » Xu reported.
« Good. Then we can use the time to make provisional repairs at the Quad and »
Squall couldn't say anything more as something shorted out and Balamb Garden fell into the water.
« What the hell was that ? » Quistis asked.
Duncan had rushed to a nearby console and was already scanning. « The Garden just lost all anti-grav lift. The disc stopped rotating. »
« How did this happen ? » Nida asked.
« I have no idea. But my guess is that the polaron tactic has overloaded the anti-grav systems. » Duncan admitted.
« We're dead in the water. » Rinoa said for all of them.