You want to go where?

Jay buried his head in his hands, unable to look at Tycho. After a few seconds, he turned to the one matter he could actually think to handle at the moment.

he said, We're all grateful for your help. Are you sure there's nothing we can do in return?

What I need, you cannot give me, the other man replied.

Right. Well, we're glad for your help.

Nodding, Darian turned and headed for the door. Not in the mood for sentimental goodbyes, Jay took a deep breath and fixed Tycho with a steady gaze. Jiri was still looking at the other SeeD as if he had mutated into a Galian Beast.

Okay, so let me get this straight, he began. You want me to use our SeeD privleges...and our Garden account...to buy us all round-trip tickets...to the moon?

Look, man, I know how it sounds, but —

Tycho, name one thing on this mission that went right.

The raiders didn't torch the Shumi Farm, Tycho replied automatically.

Now name everything that went wrong.

He scratched the back of his neck.

Now tell me how you'd like to be the one making this report to Headmaster Ayo.

Look, Jay, this is important, all right? Tycho snapped, right hand curling into a fist.

Right, right, Jay said, thinking I probably shouldn't make him mad. Groaning, he shook his head. I'm sure your dad will be all right. But this is insane!

Hey, how would you feel if that was your dad up there? Tycho demanded.

Jay fixed him with a deadly glare. If my dad was up there, he growled, my first instinct would be to send up a bomb.

The other SeeD paused as he realized he had just done. He blanched, but continued nonetheless. ...Well, so it's different with me and my dad —

Then you should have left my family out of it. Jay turned and strode across the waiting room to the hotel's reception desk and pounded the call panel. Hello? We want to talk to someone about our reservation!

Look, man, he could be in real trouble up there! If something could happen...you know I haven't seen him since I came to Garden?

You had plenty of vacation time. And what makes you think whatever's going on up there is something we can help with?

A hand grabbed his arm, and Tycho spun him around to face him. Look, man, I have to do this, okay? This isn't one of those things that's going to make sense. I have to go up there and see, or else I'll be wondering for the rest of my life!

Jiri stepped forward. Come on, Jay. I know how I'd feel — y'know, if I knew my parents.

Jay stared at them for a moment, thinking. Tycho never talks about his family. I always thought we had that in common. But if there really is trouble on the Lunar Base...dammit, how am I supposed to deal with other people's feelings?

Excuse me, sir? A clerk had appeared behind the desk, looking slightly confused.

Yeah, we signed in this morning, but it looks like we won't be staying. I'd like to cancel our reservation. That's Room 125.

The clerk glanced briefely at Jay's uniform. Um...there's a 500-gil cancellation fee, sir.

Five — Jay started, then shook his head. Take it up with Garden, he snapped, then turned on his heel and walked away.

Sir! Wait, you can't just —

The clerk's voice was swallowed up in the noise of the outdoors as Jay stepped out onto the thouroughfare. As soon as the hotel doors slid closed, he turned to make sure that Tycho and Jiri were still behind him. You're taking full responsibility for this, he warned the former.

Tycho grinned with relief. Thanks, man! Look, I promise —

Don't thank me. Jay started in the direction of the airstation's massive outline. I am only going with this because I doubt there's a single way to make this mission look good. Besides, he thought, I think we're about due for some good luck.


Wow! This is awesome!

One hour into the flight, the restraints had released, and they were free to float about the cabin of the pod. Once again, they had the entire pod to themselves, as there was no regular traffic scheduled for the moon for another week or so. The officials at Trabia Airstation had complained loudly about the prohibitive cost of the lunar shot, and had vowed to make Garden pay for every gil. Which almost made Jay not want to go back down.

One look at the sea of monsters put an end to that idea. Jay thought he could actually see them crawling across the surface of the moon; their bodies, individually too small to even see at this distance, formed dozens of disfiguring black splotches all across the surface. Why didn't it ever look this ugly from the surface?

Can you believe that we are actually in outer space! Jiri continued, literally bouncing off the walls in the pod's free-fall. This is incredible!

Last time we went into space, you were scared we'd miss the recovery grid and dig down to the planet's core, Jay reminded her. Despite his training, Jiri's antics were making him a little bit spacesick. Now we're going ten times as fast, twenty times as far, and straight away from civilization, and this is

Jiri paused long enough to give him a disapproving stare. Jay, you are such a pessimist! she admonished.

I'm — He shook his head, and turned away. He had decided long ago that trying to understand Jiri was a waste of time.

Tycho, too. During all his time at Garden, he had only mentioned in passing that he had a family. Now, he was willing to sacrifice his career — and Jay's and Jiri's too — because of some news report of an accident on the Lunar Base? None of this made any sense to him, and that was a feeling that he was quickly becoming tired of.

Instead of trying, he stared out the window again, at the dark blobs meandering their way across the surface. Does it always look this bad from space? he wondered. He had never noticed the monsters before, but now they seemed to cover the entire lunar world.

At least he no longer had to wonder why the moon had never been settled.

Man, how slow is this thing going? Tycho demanded.

Seventeen kilometers a second, Jay growled.

...Right. But we must've been in here for three hours!

Jay pressed his eyes tightly shut for a moment, before glancing at his watch. We're about halfway there. We'll be there in a few more hours.

Tycho looked unhappily out the window. He was agitated, that much was obvious. However, Jay was in no real mood to care.

Hey, Tycho, why do you want to see you dad so bad? Jiri asked. I mean, I never thought you were that close.

We're not, Tycho replied. What difference should that make? I can't be worried if he's okay?

Well, sure you can, but isn't all this a little extreme?

Tycho glared at her. Hey, if you found out your dad was alive one day, and maybe in danger, what would you do?

The pod fell silent again. Jiri looked down at her feet, Tycho his watch, and Jay returned his focus to the moon, looming above them like some giant hammer ready to fall any second.

What's so great about having parents? How much better did Squall Leonhart's life get when he found out his father was alive? Why is everyone acting like family is the most important thing in the world?

God, I hope I don't get expelled.