'Sir, the preparations for the first stage of the operation are complete.
The initial attack force is only a hundred miles from the city of Timber,
and the three units of the second attack wave are fully armed and awaiting
your orders.'
'Excellent.'
There was a heavy click as the flame of a cigarette lighter was momentarily summoned into existence. Another click, moments later, signified its banishment and demise.
'Order Unit One and Unit Two to be ready to leave by water in twenty-four hours time. Unit Three needs to be spared for now. They will remain stationed in Deling City. Our military strength is unrivalled by SeeD, but I still don't want to take any chances, especially against a man like Leonhart.'
There was a brief, uncomfortable silence as the subordinate shifted his feet and cleared his throat nervously.
'Problems, Worthing? Or has something I ordered offended you?'
The messenger, suddenly fuelled by an unusual bout of confidence, took a deep breath and shuffled forward uneasily.
'Sir - you must understand, sir - I do not wish to speak against your will or q-question your strategies, sir, but - '
'Get to the point, Worthing. And do not care to waste my time or your breath again with unnecessary babbling. I do not tolerate waste.'
'Sir,' the messenger began. 'Do you really consider it - prudent to make such assumptions about Garden and SeeD so early into the operation? Even with all our intelligence, sir, we are yet to pinpoint the exact location of Balamb Garden and our operation - it -'
The messenger's voice stuttered, struggled and finally stalled in his throat, like the engine of an aging car, as his eyes registered a look being directed at him that would make any man seriously consider the idea of crawling under a large rock for the rest of eternity. He decided, instead, to switch into reverse gear.
'I am sorry, master. I-I should not h-have spoken out of turn - I sh -'
'Worthing,' the deep and menacing voice began silkily, 'I didn't ask for your apologies and I certainly wasn't going to. Your courage should be applauded - there aren't many who would speak 'out of turn' in my presence, even if I commanded them to. You agree, Regianus?'
A hoarse, rasping hiss and a heavy fluttering of wings sliced through the shadows in reply. The messenger, quivering at the knees, began to edge away from the dark corner of the room as the hairs on his neck stood to attention like orderly soldiers.
'Courage or not, Worthing, my orders will be carried out to their fullest potential. I am the commander in chief of this army now and anyone who fails to see this, I regard as an enemy. You do know what happens to my enemies, Worthing? Do you want to spend the last few minutes of your miserable life wishing that you had never been born? Does he, Regianus?'
Worthing's confidence had finally shattered like a pane of glass. He was reduced to a whimpering wreck as the eyes of an unseen predator suddenly, frighteningly pierced the darkness that lay between them.
'I know Leonhart in more ways than you could imagine. I know his past, and I know his present. I know his hopes, his dreams, his strengths, his weaknesses - I know how to make him suffer.'
As the flame of the lighter was briefly conjured to life again from the nothingness of the dark, Worthing managed to catch a glimpse of his master's face. The numbness of his lips was the only thing that kept him from screaming at the tops of his lungs.
'Garden WILL crumble! And the world will be mine again!'
'Y-yes, Colonel Massery. Your o-orders will be carried out i-immediately.'
* * * * * * *
'Good evening, gentlemen.'
The pleasant flutterings of idle conversation were quickly silenced as the tall, proud figure marched into the room. Each of the four commanders immediately stood to attention, stern and ever so slightly nervous, as they faced their superior.
'Commanders of Trabia Garden,' greeted Squall formally as Rinoa gave him one last warm smile and slipped quietly into the corner of the room, 'Thank you for agreeing to meet at such a short notice. I apologise for any inconveniences this may have caused to any of you.'
'No need for the apology, Leonhart,' replied Commander Reiken, relaxing slightly in his posture, 'We all realized the seriousness of the situation as soon as we received your message. There was no way we could've agreed not to meet with you.'
'Trabia Garden has been placed on a high alert status for now,' added the youngest and least experienced of the four war hawks, Commander Beasley, 'They are ready to act on our decisions as soon as we make them.'
'Excellent,' said Squall, stepping forward and leaning heavily against a marble pillar, 'Now that the, err, formalities are taken care of -' he paused to allow a hearty chuckle to pass along the rigid line of four, 'we can start going over our real business for tonight.'
Squall abandoned the comfort of the pillar and began to pace the length of the room, back and forth, along an imaginary line. He paused only to smile widely at his four other companions, who were seated side by side behind a table at the back, and laughed to himself quietly at their responses. Zell Dincht, a cocky and arrogant buffoon who Squall had grown to like over the hardships of their adventures, grinned manically and punched the air with a closed fist. Selphie Tilmitt, an energetic young girl and a former student at Trabia Garden, bounced up and down in her seat and waved wildly with both hands. Irvine Kinneas, a fantastic sharpshooter from Galbadia Garden and a self-proclaimed ladies man, nodded back at Squall calmly as he balanced his wooden chair on two legs, rocking steadily backwards and forwards. And Quistis Trepe, a former instructor and a woman who's precise feelings for Squall would always remain a mystery to the world, automatically produced a smile that's warmth failed to penetrate the icy outer layer of her face. These were Squall's greatest friends, a ragtag team of opposites who had supported each other and fought together from the very beginning of the Sorceress Wars. None of the monsters they had battled, nor any of the adversaries they had faced or trials they had encountered, had succeeded in breaking the invisible bond that united them. They were closer to each other now than they had ever been, and they had all paid their dues for the friendship in sweat, tears and blood. As long as they were by his side, Squall would never be truly alone.
Irvine, with a confident smirk plastered across his face, slowly snaked an arm around Selphie's neck and rested it on her opposite shoulder. She was quick to respond, brushing it off and punching him softly in the leg.
'Irvine Kinneas!' she hissed loudly in his ear, 'Behave yourself for once in your life! This isn't a movie we're watching in here!'
'Shame,' Irvine whispered back, 'I was just in the mood for some popcorn.'
Squall smiled. Some things, it seemed, would never change.
'I trust that you've all been kept up to date on the situation?' he said, returning to the matter in hand.
There were nods and general murmurs of approval from the commanders.
'Colonel Aifel Massery is planning to bring Galbadia under the control,' Squall continued, 'and this plan seems to begin with the domination of Timber. At approximately 0333 hours last night, Balamb Garden received intelligence from the Forest Fox resistance group that a force of G-Army soldiers was rapidly approaching the city. The message claimed that the unit had crossed the northern plains of Galbadia at the time of writing and were already making steady progress through Roshfell Forest, on the outskirts of Timber.'
Squall paused to clear his throat and examine the concrete faces of the commanders. He found no signs of objection.
'Although the Forest Fox didn't give approximations,' he continued, 'as to the number of soldiers involved with the G-Army unit, or any indications as to the equipment and artillery that they were armed with, the message claimed that the oncoming force was 'at least twice as large as the independent army currently in control of Timber'. Do we all agree on these facts?'
Another low murmur of approval was passed along the row of leaders like a Mexican wave. Rinoa, watching Squall intently with a glow of pride, marveled at how well he had opened the meeting. She knew her boyfriend well enough to realise that he hadn't intended to dispense hard news to the commanders with his opening speech. They were experienced, responsible men of power and they would already have the facts and numbers tattooed into their brains. His real intention had been to establish common ground with which to build on together by debate, to prevent feelings of awkwardness or one-sidedness arising within them. He needed these men on his side, and to do that he needed to tune into their wavelength quickly.
'Massery's an arrogant fool,' sneered Commander Simons, 'He's mad to think that he can unite a continent as large and divided as Galbadia, and waging war on his own people wouldn't help. This G-Army unit's an empty threat - as soon as Massery realises that Timber're prepared to fight for their freedom, he'll have that unit turn around and march back to Deling City. Personally, I say SeeD should sit back and call his bluff.'
He leaned back, smirking confidently, and waited for the other three alongside him to murmur in agreement. None of them did so.
'It's too risky to make presumptions about Aifel Massery, especially at this early stage,' replied Commander Reiken. His voice rang with an aura of intelligence and thoughtfulness. 'If we held back and did nothing, when Timber specifically asked for our help, what would be the consequences to the people of Galbadia, and the reputation of SeeD, if that unit did become hostile?'
'I'm not saying we should do nothing,' wheedled the pitiful voice of Simons, 'We could order our soldiers to remain on standby, in case Massery does attack Timber. Commander Leonhart could do the same. We could mobilize our forces and retaliate against the G-Army if a bullet from a Galbadian's gunblade touches a hair on a civilian's head.'
'No,' said Squall forcefully, ending his pacing of the room and placing both hands flat on his desk, 'That's not an option. We wouldn't know what kind of state Timber's forces would be in by the time our soldiers could arrive. The G-Army could have burnt all the bodies and marched on over the horizon, to the next village, by then. We can't take any risks with this one, gentlemen. Either we ride it all the way, or the train stops here.'
'Leonhart's right, Simons,' added the last commander, Commander Gilmore, 'Timber asked for our help in fighting Colonel Massery. Either we fight him, with all our strength and soldiers behind us, or we turn a blind eye, but we can't choose an option half-heartedly. At least see that.'
Simons shuffled back shuffled back slightly on his heels and stared grudgingly at the floor, like a mongrel retreating from a fight with his tail between his legs. Finally, it seemed, he conceded.
'All right,' he mumbled, 'I'll admit that much.'
Squall marveled at how such an arrogant and conceited man could have ever risen to the rank of Commander.
'But how do we know if Garden is even able to defend Timber?' continued Simons, clutching at straws to try and save face in the debate, 'We don't have any idea as to how many soldiers are in this 'G-Army unit' of Massery's. The SeeD force could be slaughtered!'
'In fact, Simons,' said Commander Reiken quietly, 'We do.'
A sudden buzz of confusion arose from the row of four commanders as a roomful of eyes turned to stare at the confident figure of Reiken. Slowly, he raised a scarred hand to silence the din, and marched briskly towards a table at the back of the room. On it lay a bright red folder that Squall had failed to notice up until now. Judging by the bewildered expressions on the faces of the other three superiors, he wasn't the only one not in on the act.
'I was going to send a message to you, Leonhart, as soon as this information came my way,' said Reiken, removing a thick wad of black and white satellite photographs from the folder, 'but I felt it would be more efficient to wait until we were all together before I shared it.'
With all the eyes in the room still fixed upon him, he slowly strolled over to Squall's desk and calmly placed the photographs down for him to peruse.
'You're not the only person with powerful friends overseas, Leonhart,' Reiken smiled as he stepped backwards to retake his position in the line, 'You have Laguna Loire in Esthar and General Caraway in Deling City. I have my own sources from Dollet City, who agreed to reactivate their communications dish and obtain those useful satellite photos. As a favor to me, of course.'
Squall was momentarily dazed by the sheer efficiency of a man who was supposed to be below him in the chain of command. Although it figured, he thought, that not everyone would have wasted the day worrying about the impending crisis like he had. As soon as Commander Reiken had received Squall's message regarding Aifel Massery and the G-Army, he had begun building his own bridges towards success. Squall, on the other hand, had stalled at the starting line.
Squall snapped back to his senses. Drawing his gaze away from Reiken, he began to thumb slowly through the thick pile of satellite photographs, doing his best to take in all the facts and figures as he read. The quality of the pictures was excellent. But what attracted his attention the most were the numbers displayed at the bottom of each snapshot. According to the last photograph, which depicted a complete view of a well-organized G-Army unit marching into the heart of Roshfell Forest, Aifel Massery had only dispatched . . .
'Twelve hundred Galbadian Military soldiers for the invasion of Timber,' Squall breathed heavily, a triumphant grin at the edges of his lips.
'Standard trained Galbadian Military soldiers,' finished Commander Reiken.
It was as though the black veil of despair had suddenly been removed from over Squall's eyes. This was exactly the outcome that he had hoping for from the meeting. Surely a man as supposedly brilliant a tactician as Aifel Massery couldn't have left a hole in his plans this gaping . . .
'SeeD can mount a total attack force of at least eight hundred soldiers!' he exclaimed, 'Well trained and experienced soldiers, more so than a standard G-Army unit. This is our chance! Massery can be defeated!'
'Coupled with the independent army that currently defends Timber,' continued Colonel Gilmore quietly, 'We could amass a total army of fourteen hundred troops to fight against Massery's invasion force.'
Squall's elatedness was quickly stifled, however, as Commander Simons stepped forward and cleared his throat dramatically.
'Excuse me, gentlemen,' he retorted, 'but weren't we talking earlier about how we shouldn't make any assumptions about Aifel Massery? And what are you all doing now? How do you know that Massery won't dispatch a force of ten thousand soldiers when he hears that SeeD is helping to defend Timber?'
Squall bit his lip. As arrogant and cocky as Commander Simons was, Squall had to admit that he did have a point.
'Umm . . . I might be able to help you there.'
Once again, all the eyes in the room suddenly swiveled around to fix intensely onto one person. This time, however, the person in question had shoulder length black hair, and was wearing a blue cardigan that hung down to her ankles.
Squall was taken back. 'Rinoa?' he whispered to himself.
Rinoa stepped forward, her fingers linked behind her back and her eyes lowered to stare at the floor. Others may have interpreted this as a gesture of defiance, or boredom, but Squall knew that she was still gathering her courage to speak. He realised at the same time that half of it was down to the fact that he was present.
'Miss Heartilly,' gestured Commander Gilmore friendly, 'Do you have an idea to share with us?'
Rinoa finally raised her head. The penetrating gazes of the four commanders weren't enough to break her confidence as she kept her eyes firmly away from Squall.
'Umm . . .' she began, 'I know that I'm . . . not really a . . . trained fighter, so I can't be help in the battle at Timber . . . if it goes ahead, that is. But . . . I still want to help where I can. I could, umm, go up to the top of the . . . the Shenand Hills, just behind Timber. From there, with binoculars, I could be able to see across the whole of the northern plains. I could . . . just, watch, you know, and radio back if I can see . . . any other G-Army soldiers coming your way.'
There were slight murmurs of interest passed around the room. To Squall, it seemed as though the commanders were taking her idea seriously. He, on the other hand, would have none of it. He took a deep breath and turned to stare straight into Rinoa's eyes, filled now with worry and willingness.
'Thank you, Rinoa,' he said, slowly and clearly, 'but I can't allow you to do that.'
Rinoa was momentarily stunned by Squall's response.
'It's a really sensible thing to do,' she pleaded, attempting to pluck Squall's heartstrings, 'It'd mean you'd have all your SeeDs available to fight the Galbadian unit. And you wouldn't be missing me from the fight, because I'm not a SeeD member, and -'
'Exactly,' Squall cut in, 'You're not a SeeD member. That means I can't involve you in any of our operations, and I wouldn't agree to even if I could. It would make me responsible for your safety, and sending you off alone to play watcher would violate that.'
'But Squall -'
It appeared that Squall's heartstrings had been forged from steel.
'No, Rinoa. I know how much you want to help, but that's my final answer on the subject. I'm sorry.'
He had done it. He had touched a nerve. The worry in Rinoa's eyes quickly clouded into anger and frustration as she stepped forward even further, folding her arms in defiance.
'Squall, do you remember the last thing I said to you before we came into this meeting?'
Rinoa wasn't the only person to be cursed with fury. Squall's, having been forcefully contained in a mental prison for more than a day, suddenly decided to give the bars a vigorous rattle.
'Would you gentlemen excuse me for just one minute?' he said politely, turning briefly towards Commander Reiken. It was more of a statement than a genuine question. 'I won't be long.'
As he took Rinoa's arm, slightly more forcefully than he would have usually, and led her to the corner of the room, Squall could feel a spotlight of attention being focused on him. He could feel the disapproving stares burning into his skin, hear the bitter murmurs being exchanged between the very men that he desperately needed to recruit to his cause. He could feel the worry among his loyal companions, as they watched a relationship that they had encouraged and praised being battered to a pulp before their eyes. He knew that he just humiliated his girlfriend, and that she was definitely angry with him for it - he also knew that he was right. She had to see that.
'Rinoa,' he whispered harshly into her ear, 'This is the time that I need your support more than anyone's.'
'I'm trying my best to help you, Squall,' Rinoa hissed back, 'If you won't let me at least do that, don't expect me to cling to you all the time.'
Squall's fury was now positively rocking its cage backwards and forwards.
'This is exactly the worst time for this kind of thing,' he quivered.
'No, Squall,' whispered Rinoa softly, but with all the force of a two ton truck, 'this is exactly the time for this sort of thing. Before you make any decisions you might regret later.'
Jailbreak.
'Rinoa, how can you even think about doing this?!' he positively spat into her face, 'A whole city of innocent people need our help! And you're slowing down the rescue plans because you actually want to be part of the carnage!? I'm sorry that you're not a SeeD, Rinoa, I really am, and I'm sorry that I can't involve you in this plan too, but it's time to grow up! Stop being such a child, and don't try to ever play the guilt trip on me again when I've got four of the most powerful men in the world to recruit standing in front of me! I need to get them back on my side now, and I pray, for your sake as well as the lives of the people of Timber, that you don't interrupt me again! Is that clear?!'
'Excellent.'
There was a heavy click as the flame of a cigarette lighter was momentarily summoned into existence. Another click, moments later, signified its banishment and demise.
'Order Unit One and Unit Two to be ready to leave by water in twenty-four hours time. Unit Three needs to be spared for now. They will remain stationed in Deling City. Our military strength is unrivalled by SeeD, but I still don't want to take any chances, especially against a man like Leonhart.'
There was a brief, uncomfortable silence as the subordinate shifted his feet and cleared his throat nervously.
'Problems, Worthing? Or has something I ordered offended you?'
The messenger, suddenly fuelled by an unusual bout of confidence, took a deep breath and shuffled forward uneasily.
'Sir - you must understand, sir - I do not wish to speak against your will or q-question your strategies, sir, but - '
'Get to the point, Worthing. And do not care to waste my time or your breath again with unnecessary babbling. I do not tolerate waste.'
'Sir,' the messenger began. 'Do you really consider it - prudent to make such assumptions about Garden and SeeD so early into the operation? Even with all our intelligence, sir, we are yet to pinpoint the exact location of Balamb Garden and our operation - it -'
The messenger's voice stuttered, struggled and finally stalled in his throat, like the engine of an aging car, as his eyes registered a look being directed at him that would make any man seriously consider the idea of crawling under a large rock for the rest of eternity. He decided, instead, to switch into reverse gear.
'I am sorry, master. I-I should not h-have spoken out of turn - I sh -'
'Worthing,' the deep and menacing voice began silkily, 'I didn't ask for your apologies and I certainly wasn't going to. Your courage should be applauded - there aren't many who would speak 'out of turn' in my presence, even if I commanded them to. You agree, Regianus?'
A hoarse, rasping hiss and a heavy fluttering of wings sliced through the shadows in reply. The messenger, quivering at the knees, began to edge away from the dark corner of the room as the hairs on his neck stood to attention like orderly soldiers.
'Courage or not, Worthing, my orders will be carried out to their fullest potential. I am the commander in chief of this army now and anyone who fails to see this, I regard as an enemy. You do know what happens to my enemies, Worthing? Do you want to spend the last few minutes of your miserable life wishing that you had never been born? Does he, Regianus?'
Worthing's confidence had finally shattered like a pane of glass. He was reduced to a whimpering wreck as the eyes of an unseen predator suddenly, frighteningly pierced the darkness that lay between them.
'I know Leonhart in more ways than you could imagine. I know his past, and I know his present. I know his hopes, his dreams, his strengths, his weaknesses - I know how to make him suffer.'
As the flame of the lighter was briefly conjured to life again from the nothingness of the dark, Worthing managed to catch a glimpse of his master's face. The numbness of his lips was the only thing that kept him from screaming at the tops of his lungs.
'Garden WILL crumble! And the world will be mine again!'
'Y-yes, Colonel Massery. Your o-orders will be carried out i-immediately.'
* * * * * * *
'Good evening, gentlemen.'
The pleasant flutterings of idle conversation were quickly silenced as the tall, proud figure marched into the room. Each of the four commanders immediately stood to attention, stern and ever so slightly nervous, as they faced their superior.
'Commanders of Trabia Garden,' greeted Squall formally as Rinoa gave him one last warm smile and slipped quietly into the corner of the room, 'Thank you for agreeing to meet at such a short notice. I apologise for any inconveniences this may have caused to any of you.'
'No need for the apology, Leonhart,' replied Commander Reiken, relaxing slightly in his posture, 'We all realized the seriousness of the situation as soon as we received your message. There was no way we could've agreed not to meet with you.'
'Trabia Garden has been placed on a high alert status for now,' added the youngest and least experienced of the four war hawks, Commander Beasley, 'They are ready to act on our decisions as soon as we make them.'
'Excellent,' said Squall, stepping forward and leaning heavily against a marble pillar, 'Now that the, err, formalities are taken care of -' he paused to allow a hearty chuckle to pass along the rigid line of four, 'we can start going over our real business for tonight.'
Squall abandoned the comfort of the pillar and began to pace the length of the room, back and forth, along an imaginary line. He paused only to smile widely at his four other companions, who were seated side by side behind a table at the back, and laughed to himself quietly at their responses. Zell Dincht, a cocky and arrogant buffoon who Squall had grown to like over the hardships of their adventures, grinned manically and punched the air with a closed fist. Selphie Tilmitt, an energetic young girl and a former student at Trabia Garden, bounced up and down in her seat and waved wildly with both hands. Irvine Kinneas, a fantastic sharpshooter from Galbadia Garden and a self-proclaimed ladies man, nodded back at Squall calmly as he balanced his wooden chair on two legs, rocking steadily backwards and forwards. And Quistis Trepe, a former instructor and a woman who's precise feelings for Squall would always remain a mystery to the world, automatically produced a smile that's warmth failed to penetrate the icy outer layer of her face. These were Squall's greatest friends, a ragtag team of opposites who had supported each other and fought together from the very beginning of the Sorceress Wars. None of the monsters they had battled, nor any of the adversaries they had faced or trials they had encountered, had succeeded in breaking the invisible bond that united them. They were closer to each other now than they had ever been, and they had all paid their dues for the friendship in sweat, tears and blood. As long as they were by his side, Squall would never be truly alone.
Irvine, with a confident smirk plastered across his face, slowly snaked an arm around Selphie's neck and rested it on her opposite shoulder. She was quick to respond, brushing it off and punching him softly in the leg.
'Irvine Kinneas!' she hissed loudly in his ear, 'Behave yourself for once in your life! This isn't a movie we're watching in here!'
'Shame,' Irvine whispered back, 'I was just in the mood for some popcorn.'
Squall smiled. Some things, it seemed, would never change.
'I trust that you've all been kept up to date on the situation?' he said, returning to the matter in hand.
There were nods and general murmurs of approval from the commanders.
'Colonel Aifel Massery is planning to bring Galbadia under the control,' Squall continued, 'and this plan seems to begin with the domination of Timber. At approximately 0333 hours last night, Balamb Garden received intelligence from the Forest Fox resistance group that a force of G-Army soldiers was rapidly approaching the city. The message claimed that the unit had crossed the northern plains of Galbadia at the time of writing and were already making steady progress through Roshfell Forest, on the outskirts of Timber.'
Squall paused to clear his throat and examine the concrete faces of the commanders. He found no signs of objection.
'Although the Forest Fox didn't give approximations,' he continued, 'as to the number of soldiers involved with the G-Army unit, or any indications as to the equipment and artillery that they were armed with, the message claimed that the oncoming force was 'at least twice as large as the independent army currently in control of Timber'. Do we all agree on these facts?'
Another low murmur of approval was passed along the row of leaders like a Mexican wave. Rinoa, watching Squall intently with a glow of pride, marveled at how well he had opened the meeting. She knew her boyfriend well enough to realise that he hadn't intended to dispense hard news to the commanders with his opening speech. They were experienced, responsible men of power and they would already have the facts and numbers tattooed into their brains. His real intention had been to establish common ground with which to build on together by debate, to prevent feelings of awkwardness or one-sidedness arising within them. He needed these men on his side, and to do that he needed to tune into their wavelength quickly.
'Massery's an arrogant fool,' sneered Commander Simons, 'He's mad to think that he can unite a continent as large and divided as Galbadia, and waging war on his own people wouldn't help. This G-Army unit's an empty threat - as soon as Massery realises that Timber're prepared to fight for their freedom, he'll have that unit turn around and march back to Deling City. Personally, I say SeeD should sit back and call his bluff.'
He leaned back, smirking confidently, and waited for the other three alongside him to murmur in agreement. None of them did so.
'It's too risky to make presumptions about Aifel Massery, especially at this early stage,' replied Commander Reiken. His voice rang with an aura of intelligence and thoughtfulness. 'If we held back and did nothing, when Timber specifically asked for our help, what would be the consequences to the people of Galbadia, and the reputation of SeeD, if that unit did become hostile?'
'I'm not saying we should do nothing,' wheedled the pitiful voice of Simons, 'We could order our soldiers to remain on standby, in case Massery does attack Timber. Commander Leonhart could do the same. We could mobilize our forces and retaliate against the G-Army if a bullet from a Galbadian's gunblade touches a hair on a civilian's head.'
'No,' said Squall forcefully, ending his pacing of the room and placing both hands flat on his desk, 'That's not an option. We wouldn't know what kind of state Timber's forces would be in by the time our soldiers could arrive. The G-Army could have burnt all the bodies and marched on over the horizon, to the next village, by then. We can't take any risks with this one, gentlemen. Either we ride it all the way, or the train stops here.'
'Leonhart's right, Simons,' added the last commander, Commander Gilmore, 'Timber asked for our help in fighting Colonel Massery. Either we fight him, with all our strength and soldiers behind us, or we turn a blind eye, but we can't choose an option half-heartedly. At least see that.'
Simons shuffled back shuffled back slightly on his heels and stared grudgingly at the floor, like a mongrel retreating from a fight with his tail between his legs. Finally, it seemed, he conceded.
'All right,' he mumbled, 'I'll admit that much.'
Squall marveled at how such an arrogant and conceited man could have ever risen to the rank of Commander.
'But how do we know if Garden is even able to defend Timber?' continued Simons, clutching at straws to try and save face in the debate, 'We don't have any idea as to how many soldiers are in this 'G-Army unit' of Massery's. The SeeD force could be slaughtered!'
'In fact, Simons,' said Commander Reiken quietly, 'We do.'
A sudden buzz of confusion arose from the row of four commanders as a roomful of eyes turned to stare at the confident figure of Reiken. Slowly, he raised a scarred hand to silence the din, and marched briskly towards a table at the back of the room. On it lay a bright red folder that Squall had failed to notice up until now. Judging by the bewildered expressions on the faces of the other three superiors, he wasn't the only one not in on the act.
'I was going to send a message to you, Leonhart, as soon as this information came my way,' said Reiken, removing a thick wad of black and white satellite photographs from the folder, 'but I felt it would be more efficient to wait until we were all together before I shared it.'
With all the eyes in the room still fixed upon him, he slowly strolled over to Squall's desk and calmly placed the photographs down for him to peruse.
'You're not the only person with powerful friends overseas, Leonhart,' Reiken smiled as he stepped backwards to retake his position in the line, 'You have Laguna Loire in Esthar and General Caraway in Deling City. I have my own sources from Dollet City, who agreed to reactivate their communications dish and obtain those useful satellite photos. As a favor to me, of course.'
Squall was momentarily dazed by the sheer efficiency of a man who was supposed to be below him in the chain of command. Although it figured, he thought, that not everyone would have wasted the day worrying about the impending crisis like he had. As soon as Commander Reiken had received Squall's message regarding Aifel Massery and the G-Army, he had begun building his own bridges towards success. Squall, on the other hand, had stalled at the starting line.
Squall snapped back to his senses. Drawing his gaze away from Reiken, he began to thumb slowly through the thick pile of satellite photographs, doing his best to take in all the facts and figures as he read. The quality of the pictures was excellent. But what attracted his attention the most were the numbers displayed at the bottom of each snapshot. According to the last photograph, which depicted a complete view of a well-organized G-Army unit marching into the heart of Roshfell Forest, Aifel Massery had only dispatched . . .
'Twelve hundred Galbadian Military soldiers for the invasion of Timber,' Squall breathed heavily, a triumphant grin at the edges of his lips.
'Standard trained Galbadian Military soldiers,' finished Commander Reiken.
It was as though the black veil of despair had suddenly been removed from over Squall's eyes. This was exactly the outcome that he had hoping for from the meeting. Surely a man as supposedly brilliant a tactician as Aifel Massery couldn't have left a hole in his plans this gaping . . .
'SeeD can mount a total attack force of at least eight hundred soldiers!' he exclaimed, 'Well trained and experienced soldiers, more so than a standard G-Army unit. This is our chance! Massery can be defeated!'
'Coupled with the independent army that currently defends Timber,' continued Colonel Gilmore quietly, 'We could amass a total army of fourteen hundred troops to fight against Massery's invasion force.'
Squall's elatedness was quickly stifled, however, as Commander Simons stepped forward and cleared his throat dramatically.
'Excuse me, gentlemen,' he retorted, 'but weren't we talking earlier about how we shouldn't make any assumptions about Aifel Massery? And what are you all doing now? How do you know that Massery won't dispatch a force of ten thousand soldiers when he hears that SeeD is helping to defend Timber?'
Squall bit his lip. As arrogant and cocky as Commander Simons was, Squall had to admit that he did have a point.
'Umm . . . I might be able to help you there.'
Once again, all the eyes in the room suddenly swiveled around to fix intensely onto one person. This time, however, the person in question had shoulder length black hair, and was wearing a blue cardigan that hung down to her ankles.
Squall was taken back. 'Rinoa?' he whispered to himself.
Rinoa stepped forward, her fingers linked behind her back and her eyes lowered to stare at the floor. Others may have interpreted this as a gesture of defiance, or boredom, but Squall knew that she was still gathering her courage to speak. He realised at the same time that half of it was down to the fact that he was present.
'Miss Heartilly,' gestured Commander Gilmore friendly, 'Do you have an idea to share with us?'
Rinoa finally raised her head. The penetrating gazes of the four commanders weren't enough to break her confidence as she kept her eyes firmly away from Squall.
'Umm . . .' she began, 'I know that I'm . . . not really a . . . trained fighter, so I can't be help in the battle at Timber . . . if it goes ahead, that is. But . . . I still want to help where I can. I could, umm, go up to the top of the . . . the Shenand Hills, just behind Timber. From there, with binoculars, I could be able to see across the whole of the northern plains. I could . . . just, watch, you know, and radio back if I can see . . . any other G-Army soldiers coming your way.'
There were slight murmurs of interest passed around the room. To Squall, it seemed as though the commanders were taking her idea seriously. He, on the other hand, would have none of it. He took a deep breath and turned to stare straight into Rinoa's eyes, filled now with worry and willingness.
'Thank you, Rinoa,' he said, slowly and clearly, 'but I can't allow you to do that.'
Rinoa was momentarily stunned by Squall's response.
'It's a really sensible thing to do,' she pleaded, attempting to pluck Squall's heartstrings, 'It'd mean you'd have all your SeeDs available to fight the Galbadian unit. And you wouldn't be missing me from the fight, because I'm not a SeeD member, and -'
'Exactly,' Squall cut in, 'You're not a SeeD member. That means I can't involve you in any of our operations, and I wouldn't agree to even if I could. It would make me responsible for your safety, and sending you off alone to play watcher would violate that.'
'But Squall -'
It appeared that Squall's heartstrings had been forged from steel.
'No, Rinoa. I know how much you want to help, but that's my final answer on the subject. I'm sorry.'
He had done it. He had touched a nerve. The worry in Rinoa's eyes quickly clouded into anger and frustration as she stepped forward even further, folding her arms in defiance.
'Squall, do you remember the last thing I said to you before we came into this meeting?'
Rinoa wasn't the only person to be cursed with fury. Squall's, having been forcefully contained in a mental prison for more than a day, suddenly decided to give the bars a vigorous rattle.
'Would you gentlemen excuse me for just one minute?' he said politely, turning briefly towards Commander Reiken. It was more of a statement than a genuine question. 'I won't be long.'
As he took Rinoa's arm, slightly more forcefully than he would have usually, and led her to the corner of the room, Squall could feel a spotlight of attention being focused on him. He could feel the disapproving stares burning into his skin, hear the bitter murmurs being exchanged between the very men that he desperately needed to recruit to his cause. He could feel the worry among his loyal companions, as they watched a relationship that they had encouraged and praised being battered to a pulp before their eyes. He knew that he just humiliated his girlfriend, and that she was definitely angry with him for it - he also knew that he was right. She had to see that.
'Rinoa,' he whispered harshly into her ear, 'This is the time that I need your support more than anyone's.'
'I'm trying my best to help you, Squall,' Rinoa hissed back, 'If you won't let me at least do that, don't expect me to cling to you all the time.'
Squall's fury was now positively rocking its cage backwards and forwards.
'This is exactly the worst time for this kind of thing,' he quivered.
'No, Squall,' whispered Rinoa softly, but with all the force of a two ton truck, 'this is exactly the time for this sort of thing. Before you make any decisions you might regret later.'
Jailbreak.
'Rinoa, how can you even think about doing this?!' he positively spat into her face, 'A whole city of innocent people need our help! And you're slowing down the rescue plans because you actually want to be part of the carnage!? I'm sorry that you're not a SeeD, Rinoa, I really am, and I'm sorry that I can't involve you in this plan too, but it's time to grow up! Stop being such a child, and don't try to ever play the guilt trip on me again when I've got four of the most powerful men in the world to recruit standing in front of me! I need to get them back on my side now, and I pray, for your sake as well as the lives of the people of Timber, that you don't interrupt me again! Is that clear?!'