AN: 'insert witty comment here'

Seifer: 'abandon hope all ye who enter here'

Squall: '...'

Additional Warning: Allegations of incest - nothing graphic

Book Three of the Sorcerer Arc Battle Lines Chapter Three Moonshine Addict

Edea returned to Esthar with Squall's decision simultaneously filling her with courage, and concern.  She'd thought for a while that she'd managed to retain something to bargain with in the future - the knowledge of Kylari's probable goals.  But then she'd considered the facts, and realised that Squall had simply allowed her to retain her dignity by not forcing her to say the words out loud.  Kylari wanted revenge on the already dead.

There was, of course, the fact that Squall and the rest of SeeD had no way of knowing exactly how that could, and most likely would be achieved.  It had been so long since the great pogrom against the sorcerers that only a few sorceresses still placed any credence in the tales of sorcerers even existing.  But it suited her for SeeD not to know.  If they knew, they would try at all costs to protect any sorcerers they found - if any still were to be found.  Personally she thought they'd probably died out centuries ago, but if Kylari was convinced otherwise...

The space station 4NX - or 'Phoenix' as she'd been dubbed early in construction - was nothing more than a speck of darkness against the moon's light from the planet.  Still, to reach that speck of darkness was the prize that, every day, a handful of 'space cadets' laboured for.  Most were inspired by the tales of others who'd been up there, 'space veterans' who wore their distinctively mottled 'moonskin' with pride.  No one was quite sure why the closer proximity to the moon's reflected light caused such discolouration, although the scientists had decided it probably had something to do with magic, and the nature of the monsters upon the moon's surface.  Whatever the cause, it was a matter of honour to have moonskin, and a stigma to return from the Phoenix without it - no matter the reason for the expedient return.

Of all the people on the Phoenix, however, there was one who had never gained the moonskin, and probably never would.  She was the reason that the scientists suspected magic was involved, for, as a sorceress, she undoubtedly had near-perfect magic defences.

Ellone sighed and turned away from the console to study the nearby moon.  Night had yet to fall on the planet below, and so the moonscape was shrouded in darkness.  In a way she was glad.  The moonshine, more of a glow this close to the satellite, was distracting to say the least, and the movements of the vast hordes of monsters would only disturb her mind further.  So much was happening on the planet.  So much that she might have prevented through the use of her powers.  But there was no guarantee of that.  Just as there was no guarantee that Edea's plan would work.

She couldn't quite believe that Squall had agreed to the course of action Edea was proposing.  Couldn't quite reconcile an image of him cold-bloodedly agreeing to the murder of innocents, with the image of him as a child, searching for pretty pebbles along the beach at the orphanage.  But then, she couldn't quite believe that Trabia Garden was gone either.  An entire Garden, annihilated, and Irvine and Selphie among the dead.  Nor could she believe that Deling City was no more.  But truly, the lights on the very curve of the planet below that had used to shine from the ever-awake Galbadian capital had vanished one night.  And they had not appeared since.

A war, as yet covert and shadowy, was raging across the innocent-looking blue and green orb below, and she could only watch helplessly.  Unless she returned.  Unless she too hardened her heart and agreed to Edea's lunacy.  A silent tear slipped from one eye, floating upwards to bounce against the ceiling.  If Squall truly had agreed, then there was clearly no other course.  A second tear followed the first, reflecting red light as night fell on the planet, and the moon began to rise.

Ellone turned away from the window.  She would not, could not, watch dawn break over the moon, for the heaving redness of the satellite's cold, monster-ridden surface suddenly looked all too much like blood.

Her announcement to return to the planet was received with surprise, and more than a little concern.  It was no secret that she'd returned to space in order to avoid becoming a pawn in such events as were unfolding, and so to find that they had failed in that regard was greatly dispiriting.  It certainly put a dampener on the welcome celebrations for the newest crew member.  In fact, she'd been given such a baleful glare from the young man that Ellone had almost felt guilty.  But then she'd remembered why she was going back, and had glared back at him until he was forced to look away.

Maybe it was a shame that he wouldn't be there long enough to gain his coveted moonskin, but that wasn't her problem.  Her problem was the slaughter of millions on the planet below.  A slaughter that both Edea and Squall seemed to think she could prevent from occurring again - the only catch being that their plan involved the deaths of every sorceress on the planet whom Kylari had not already killed or otherwise subverted to her cause.

Ellone finished dressing, and opened the door of her room.  She was confronted by the sight of the latest crew member, armed and waiting for her.

"What's going on?"  She demanded, frowning in confusion.  Surely there was no way Kylari had managed to reach them up here, or to sneak her subversives into the space training program through Laguna's rigorous screening.

"You came up here to stay out of the crap that happens on the planet.  We're not letting you change your mind just because a sorceress and SeeD say you should."

"That sorceress happens to be the closest thing I have to a mother."  Ellone growled, pleased to see some of the colour draining from the young man's still-normal skin.  "And SeeD happens to be run by my half-brother."  She added.  But the crew member had ceased to be impressed, or cowed.

"All the more reason to prevent you making a hasty decision."  A suspicion started to nag at the back of her mind.

"And do all the crew share your sentiments?  Why aren't they here as well?"  A calculated look flitted across his face.

"Some do.  Some don't.  But they'll come around.  We're in charge now."  He finally drew his weapon, a low-powered stun gun.  It would be enough to incapacitate, but not kill, and most importantly, a miss wouldn't result in damage to the space station.  "Go down to the control room.  Slowly.  And remember I'm right behind you with this."  He waved the weapon warningly.  Ellone sighed, and began the short journey to the control room, pulling herself hand over hand along the rail.

She paused when she entered the control room.  The entire crew of the Phoenix was there, most of them herded to one side of the room under the watchful eyes of the only two without moonskin.  Ellone sighed, realising at last just how dangerous the space cadet obsession with moonskin had become.  If only they had known the truth, would they have been so obsessed?  She wondered, but it was not something she could do anything to change.

"Has she agreed to stay until we get our 'skins?"  One of the two guards demanded, noticing her standing in the doorway with her personal 'guard' behind her.  A moment later he frowned, obviously receiving a negative headshake from the one behind her.

Taking a deep breath, Ellone glanced a few minutes into the future...and saw what she had to do.

It had taken a considerable amount of persuasion, and some inventive helpfulness on the part of the captive crew, to finally convince the three mutineers that there was a secret, ultra-fast way to gain their moonskins.  But having been told that it required suiting up and exiting the station to float in space for at least an hour of the moon-day, and with only three hours of that time left before dawn on the planet, Ellone was hoping that none of them had been able to install any sneaky 'contingency plans'.

Now, with the three at a tether-rope's length from the station, she had decided it was time to let the three young fools know what they were so determined to get themselves into...

"So.  Any of you three actually know what moonskin is?"  Heads twisted nervously as two of the moon-bathing crew looked at each other.

"A symbol of our courage, determination and excellence."  The third replied, conviction strong in his voice.  Ellone shook her head sadly.  How more wrong could he be?

"No.  Your ignorance would have you believe that, but that isn't what it is.  Moonskin is the external and only visible symptom of Carcinoma Lunamagia, Moon Cancer.  Caused by the magic radiation of the moon."  There was stunned silence for a moment, then the two uncertain crew began babbling denials.  The third remained silent.  Ellone wondered what was going through his mind.  Was he resigned to his path?  Or did he believe so strongly that her words had not registered?

Blinking back tears, Ellone nodded to one of the crew members who'd remained loyal.  Everyone there except the three outside had been back to the planet since getting their moonskins - they'd been briefed, and they'd agreed to return, even though they ran the risk of speeding their deaths.  There was a series of three sharp cracks that seemed to echo through the space station as the tethers were released, leaving the three spaced crew floating helplessly.  Soon the moon's gravity would slowly begin to drag them towards its red bulk, and the monsters that inhabited it.  Fortunately shock and terror seemed to hold the three in a grip that rendered them voiceless.

"Did you really think that none of us suspected treachery, bitch?"  The calm and cold voice of the ringleader shattered that assumption - at least in one case.  "Did you really think that by rushing us out and then spacing us you would prevent us from retaliating?"  He laughed, a chilling high-pitched giggle.  "Well, see how fast you can jump back into your brother's bed without a shuttle, SeeD whore!"

As if his words were a signal, there was an explosion that rocked the space station.  The shuttle.  At some point he'd clearly attached a bomb, and now it was clear he had been sentenced to death, he'd attempted to seal the fates of all onboard the Phoenix. 

And it was going to be close.

The shuttle had been damaged beyond repair, but ordinarily that wouldn't have affected the space station beyond a few adjustments to the orbital path.  Luck hadn't been with them, though, and as parts had sheered away in the blast, the lower levels of the station had been badly damaged.  The Phoenix's hull had been seriously compromised.

So the crew member who escorted her to the escape pods explained.  What he didn't explain, and she didn't discover until too late, was that in order for her pod to have a clear re-entry path, the remaining crew of the Phoenix intended to use the last of the space station's manoeuvring fuel to blast them towards the moon.  The Phoenix was going to go out in a blaze of glory, as befitted her name, and in the last hour of moonshine...

And all she could do was shake and cry, and vow that their deaths would not be in vain.

AN: Yes, before people point out the whole 'but Squall said/thought/knows Ellone isn't a sorceress' issue, Squall knows, and probably a few other people know, including Ellone.  But that doesn't mean everyone knows, and Squall at least is quite happy to limit the number of tests run on his half-sister.

Seifer: I'm bored.

Zell: snorts you've only been out of the action for one chapter.  I've got more reason to complain - when are you going to explain why I was not in the apology for authery evilness last chapter?

Seifer: smirks that's easy, Chickenwuss.  Everyone knows that's how you act normally.

Irvine: If you don't want to attract flies, don't eat so many hotdogs

Zell: runs away screaming I see dead people!

Squall: That was cruel smirks

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