Chapter 13
"Ok genius so how are we supposed to get in?" Selphie stood hand on hips in front of a sheepish Irvine. Her look would have scared any monster in her path.
"Well, I dunno," he muttered. "I only thought that it was the best way."
They both stood on the pavement near the Presidential Palace. Security outside the Palace was very tight, there were three guards in groups posted at every hundred metres. All of the soldiers were elite and they weren't looking very friendly. What was even worse was that both Irvine and Selphie had already seen a few old friends hanging around inside the gates. Both Longstaff and Sekh had decided to join the party.
"Selphie crackle Irvine?" Quistis's voice rang over the radio. "I have a plan. You need to get back to base."
"Is that it!?" said Selphie. "Just one quick recon then back?"
"Selph love, we needed to see what defences they had." Irvine placed a hand on her arm trying to stop her rage at her lost friend.
"Something's just not right about this," she muttered under her breath as Irvine led her away from the palace.
"I've been saying that all day."
* * *
"Listen up."
Quistis' voice rang above the din. As she unrolled a map of the Presidential Palace, everyone gathered round to see.
"Right then, we split into three teams, grab uniforms and infiltrate. Rescue Rinoa and be out asap. Everyone understand?"
"Errr Quistis," said Vincent tentatively. "Isn't that a pretty easy and obvious plan? Wouldn't it be easier to attempt the sewers."
"Yeah, is this the best you could think of?" piped up Selphie.
"Look, the sewers openings are blocked off at that area. They knew that we were coming," said Quistis. "All that I do know is that there is a squadron coming from D-District prison in half an hour. We're all strong fighters so we attack them and steal their uniforms. Ok, got it!"
"Well that is a bit more thought out. Quistis, dear. If it's too much for you then I'm sure that I can take some of that burden."
Seifer smirked, then had to duck a flying chair.
* * *
"How long do you give it before Irvine and Selphie blow our cover," asked Seifer. Beside him Ling was trying to adjust her uniform.
"I thought they would have done ten minutes ago."
Seifer smiled to himself. Those were his odds too.
They were inside the Palace after successfully managing to jump the squad and steal the uniforms. There was a problem when they entered the palace and found that the Galbadians were expecting eight and not six, but Vincent had managed to smooth things out. Now they were on the second floor and having no more luck.
Ling suddenly motioned for Seifer to stop. Straining their ears they could hear voices coming from a room at the end of the corridor. There were two voices, one was definitely Rovan, and the other one was unknown.
"Are you sure that Squall is gone permanently?"
"Yes, the book we planted was found, however sooner than we expected."
"Do we have any clues where he has gone?"
"No, only that he is far away and I do not believe that there is any hope of a quick return."
"Ling," whispered Seifer. "We have to go now." Reluctantly she backed away.
* * *
Selphie and Irvine stalked the corridors of the first floor. Methodically they checked every room that they came to.
"Oh come on Selphie, she isn't here. They would have had her under closer guard in case we came here. This is just futile."
She had to agree with Irvine, he was right. No one would have kept Rinoa here. There wasn't a single guard around the entire floor.
"Okay then Irvine, we go downstairs, underneath the palace," she said.
"If Quistis and Vincent catch us, we're finished. Quistis really will kill us, especially since she joined that group with Seifer. Neither one has changed for the better."
"I think that it's worth the risk, if we find Rin first." Irvine agreed with Selphie, to him anything was better than remaining on the first floor.
* * *
"Quistis here, I've found her."
Vincent motioned to an entire army of guards protecting a room. They were at the back of the store rooms, probably under the kitchens which were on the ground floor.
"Okay then, how do you wanna do this?" Vincent asked her.
"I don't know, but I don't think that we can take twenty guards by ourselves. We need the others."
"Like us," said Selphie and Irvine joining them.
Quistis didn't know whether to hug them or kill them. They weren't supposed to be here, but they had saved valuable time by leaving their post.
"We'll talk about this later. You two," she motioned to Selphie and Irvine, "will take the ten on the left. We take the rest."
"Right then, lets go," said Irvine, then pulled out his shotgun. "Let's rock."
Pushing their way into the multitude of guards surrounding the cell door, the Galbadian's were surprised at the sudden intrusion. The rescue party took this to their advantage and pushed the soldiers further away from the door to Rinoa's cell.
"Selphie see if you can get her out we'll have to make a run for it," Quistis shouted over the din. Selphie obliged and after stopping a guard trying to flay her, started across the battlefield towards the prison. One guard started off after intending to stop her in her tracks, but was immediately brought down by Vincent who beheaded him.
Getting to the doors, Selphie manipulated the lock and slowly it swung open.
"Rin," called Selphie. "Are you there?"
Out of the shadows Rovan appeared holding Rinoa roughly by the neck.
"You come here seeking your friend, but I cannot let you take her," he said softly. "She s far too dangerous."
Throwing Rinoa against a wall Rovan then transformed into a hideous monster. Slime dripped off his gruesome fangs as his hands extended into claws that looked sharp even in the dim light. Skin cracked and peeled until the under layer showed scales that rippled with a tint of green. A tail then grew from his backend and his size grew till he loomed over their heads and screamed an eerie wail.
Yelling a battle cry all attacked as one. Seifer was the first one to attack. He received a backhander that rendered him unconscious, his gunblade skidding across the floor towards the immobile Rinoa. Irvine and Selphie then attacked simultaneously. Both were thrown back and landed on Quistis.
"You cannot defeat me, for I am eternal. I have existed for eons and shall always be." He rose to a great and terrible height, then swept in for the kill. Seifer flickered his eyes as he slowly came back to reality to see Rovan diving for him.
Rovan stopped suddenly and started to gurgle. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as a cry sounded from his cracked lips. Slowly he slumped to the floor and a dazed Rinoa stood up, holding Seifer's gunblade.
"Come on, let's get out of here."