What the heck. I updated a day early.
Before I begin, I want to state that this is the original chapter I've been hinting at for a while. Nothing in this chapter actually happened in the game, but developments within this chapter will ultimately lead to the events of the final battle in Centra. This chapter tries to tie a few loose ends as well as show more to the conflict between Garden and Galbadia in the days leading up to that battle. Enjoy!
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Chapter 34: The Art of War
He was old, experienced, his weathered face covered with lines that marked his lifetime and years in t he Galbadian Navy. He had risen high up in the chain of command, achieving Rear Admiral before retiring. He spent the rest of his days sailing and commanding cargo ships and tugs, and away from the troubles of commanding a naval vessel.
However, his decades of experience also showed him when he was outmatched, and so, when over a dozen sleek, speedy, blue-painted ships with gun turrets that seemed to have been grown out of their hulls swooped down upon his ship, he had struck his colors immediately. The alternative was too much damage to his ship in an ultimately futile battle with a superior enemy.
Thus, the cargo ship's elderly, weathered captain stood on deck, hands raised in surrender, as dozens of black-clad soldiers swept onto his ship with frightening ease and coordination. Anyone who did not follow the captain's lead was taken down, mostly mercifully, excepting one gung-ho sailor who tried to be a hero and was wiped out by a half-dozen bullets and two bolts of fiery magic.
"I figured as much," the captain muttered as he looked over the invaders' weapons. Many of their armaments included unorthodox or exotic melee weapons, which, combined with the enemy's professional nature, told him all he needed to know.
"You're with SeeD, I presume?" the captain asked as the leader of the pirate force, a young man with very long brown hair and holding a heavy multi-purpose shotgun in hand, approached.
"You could say that," he commented in a strong Galbadian accent. "But I'd like to think we were picking up donations to a charitable cause."
"And what cause might that be?" the captain asked as the SeeDs began to take inventory of his cargo.
"Why, saving the world, of course," he replied. "Oh, and making sure a certain member of our staff always has enough hot dogs to eat."
"Sweet haul, O King of Pirates!" came a shout from further down the deck as one of the SeeDs looked down into the cargo holds. "Xu's gonna flip when she sees the goodies we'll be bringing her!"
"I certainly hope so," the pirate leader replied. "Now, Captain, if you'll do us a favor and head up to the bridge so we can redirect our course."
"Certainly," the captain replied, giving no resistance. That was for fools and heroes, and both of those only ended up dead in this kind of situation.
"Glad to see you're a reasonable leader, Captain."
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"Heat seeking missiles and launchers, over a thousand Galbadian M4 assault rifles, five hundred rocket propelled grenades, five hundred pounds of C4 charges, two complete Aegis radar scanners, anti-missile chaff and flares, and mounts to equip our Salamanders with all of the above that can conceivably go on a naval vessel," Xu ticked off, positively beaming. She sat back in her office, surrounded by reports of the equipment that Irvine's pirate team had picked up.
"Not to mention vehicle parts for repairing heavy armored craft," Squall added, nodding as he looked over the haul they had taken from the pirated cargo ship. "Selphie and Zell will have a field day with those and the Iron Clad."
"It's a pirate's life for us," Xu added. "Can't wait for the next shipment to come in."
"They'll probably begin changing their trade routes as we hit them," Squall commented. "But still, for now, we can deny the Galbadian military badly needed equipment and strengthen our own position. See if you can get price estimates on the stuff we can't equip on our Salamanders. We'll offload them and make a profit off the gear when we put in at Dollet tomorrow."
"Can do, Commander," Xu replied, and Squall nodded, before turning an leaving. Things were turning out well, he had to admit. Five days in port at Balamb had done them a world of good, as the Garden had refueled and loaded up with food and other necessary supplies. In addition, over forty SeeDs had reported in, some stationed inside the town during the occupation and the remainder showing up during the docking from stations in Timber, Dollet, and Galbadia. One of the SeeDs had even managed to hack into the Galbadian Naval Trading Guild's computer database, pulling up cargo manifests and trading routes. Irvine had volunteered to lead what others were enviously calling "Pirate Duty," raiding cargo ships and making Xu extremely happy with the constant inflow of goods. They were focusing on military targets at the moment, denying Galbadia badly needed war material, and whatever they couldn't use in Garden they intended to sell to the government of Dollet or funnel into the black market or resistance factions in Timber, any of which would be more than happy to have top of the line Galbadian hardware. Plus, handing weapons over to Galbadia's enemies increased the pressure on Galbadia itself, which was always a good thing.
Rinoa, it turned out, had been the one to present the idea to sell weapons to enemies of Galbadia itself, explaining that the Forest Owls had done such in the past when money was tight. Having someone familiar with guerilla warfare had helped out in their planning tremendously.
Squall rode the elevator up onto the platform, where Cid stood with Nida, directing their course.
"Good afternoon, Squall," the headmaster greeted, and Squall nodded. "I heard about the raid. Excellent work."
"We have to thank Rinoa for the idea, sir," Squall answered with a shrug. "We should make a substantial profit off the stolen gear in Dollet."
"That reminds me," Cid added. "We'll need teams to go into the mainland while we're at Dollet to see if they can find any other SeeD units."
"Agreed. And once we land we should have a team try to get into Deling City and contact General Caraway."
"That won't be necessary," Cid replied. "There was a short story on the Galbadia News Network that General Caraway has been forcibly retired."
"Is he still alive?" Squall asked, and Cid nodded.
"Edea probably knows he was part of the assassination plot, but she hasn't had him killed," Cid stated. "Probably because he has a lot of clout among the enlisted ranks. She kills him, she gets a revolution. Thus, she has him quietly step out of the picture."
"We'll still need to contact him," Squall added, and Cid nodded.
"He has a summer home in the mountains between Galbadia itself and the Monteresau Plateau. Safer to try to get to him there than in Deling, anyway."
"Once we arrive in Dollet I'll put together a team to contact him," Squall said. "Even if he is out of the military he probably still has useful information."
"Rinoa should definitely be on that team," Cid added, and Squall nodded in agreement. "Also, While we were in Balamb I sent a message out through our covert channels. The SeeDs were scattered should be gathering at Dollet as we speak. Any who haven't our teams will try to locate while we're heading to Trabia Garden. Also, we received a encrypted message while were docked at Balamb."
"Who sent it?" squall asked, curious.
"Duke Edwin Haroldington of Dollet," Cid stated, smiling. "He wants to meet me for, I quote, 'discussions of mutual interests'."
"This could be interesting," Squall commented, looking out the wide glass window and the ocean far below.
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The parking garage had been transformed into a massive refitting hangar. Dozens of nT-33 Salamander warships sat atop fabricated rails as SeeD technicians and cadets scrambled over them, fitting targeting equipment and missile launchers into their cramped hulls. It had been a hell of a time getting them into the garage to begin the refits, but once the were in place and atop the rails, the crews had torn into them. Directing the operations were an eager Selphie and Zell, who themselves were not working on the warships, but rather on something much larger.
"Hydrospanner!" Zell shouted from on top of the tank once known as the Iron Clad, which Selphie had renamed the fanciful "Blue Bomber." The tiny SeeD slid out from underneath the tank and grabbed the tool from a box near her head and tossed it up to the brawler. His hand snatched out, catching it, and then retreated into the inside of the tank.
"Man, I can't believe this thing is in such good shape!" Zell commented.
"Yeah, especially after the beating we gave it!" Selphie added, sliding back underneath. "But I think the hydraulics are shot after Squall hit it with Leviathan."
"Yeah, you're right there," Zell replied, hammering something inside the hull. "Well, we can push it wherever we need to put it, if we have to. I'm thinking its only gonna work on defense, anyway. Beam cannon's out of commission, too. Unless the King of Pirates can get us parts for that thing, we've only got the machineguns."
"Someone called for His Majesty?" came a shout from outside, and Zell popped his head up, goggles over his eyes, a hydro spanner in one hand and a wrench in the other. Selphie slid out as well, clad in a gray jumpsuit smeared with enough oil to power most cars. Irvine stood outside, behind a cart laden with missiles and launchers.
"Fresh supply of weapons for you guys," Irvine added, patting one of the launchers. "Looks like we've got too much gear for the Salamanders, though."
"We've got too much gear for a battleship," Selphie stated, standing up and wiping her gloved hands. "But I think we can mount the missiles on the Blue Bomber. Its got the frame to support the missiles."
"So, the King of Pirates is reduced to a porter?" Zell added as he ducked back inside the tank. Irvine, though the brawler could not see him, looked appalled.
"Why, even a king must assist his subjects," Irvine replied, standing tall and proud, taking a heroic and stately pose. Selphie couldn't help but giggle.
"Anyway," he added, turning to Selphie. "Since its getting near lunchtime, and I'm pretty hungry, I was wondering if you wanted to join me?" Selphie grinned and patted her stomach.
"I was getting hungry," she said. "Can't work on an empty stomach! Let me get changed, and I'll meet you there." She doffed her gloves and goggles, and together, they turned to leave. Selphie didn't see the smile edging across Irvine's face.
Score, he thought to himself. Maybe I can make my move soon . . . .
"Hey, Selphie," Zell called within the tank a few minutes later. "I need a heavier hydro spanner." He paused for a second. "Hey, Selphie? Selphie?"
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Squall eyed his opponent cautiously. He raised his hands into a ready guard, and settled his weight between his legs, left foot forward, right foot back. Perfectly balanced, he stepped forward, closing in. He wasn't an expert at hand-to-hand, but neither was his opponent, and Squall had a lot more experience fighting unarmed.
His opponent stepped in, mirroring his own guard, and struck hard and fast with a quick left jab. Squall hopped back a single step, putting him out of reach, and stepped to his right as his opponent's hand extended. He struck low, with a quick right cross aimed at his enemy's midsection, but the left hand snapped down and deflected, and they spun, coming up in a right kick aimed at his ribs.
Squall spun backward and to his left, and the foot shot past his chest. His left arm snapped forward, closing around that leg and pinning it to his side, and he slapped his right arm into his opponent's left armpit. He continued the spin, lifting up and tossing his lighter opponent across the mat. There was an exclamation of surprise and a quick turn in midair, but Squall's opponent did not manage to land feet down, and tumbled across the mat.
"Didn't see that one coming," Rinoa commented as she sat on her butt, shaking her head. Squall stepped across the mat and extended a hand, and she took it, rising to her feet.
"Adaptation," Squall replied. "SeeDs are trained to improvise on the fly. There was a great martial arts master that our teachings were based on. He said that the ideal warrior should be like water: formless, adaptive, flowing, shaping itself to any situation. A true master innovates, rather than use rote responses. At least, that's what we're taught."
"Interesting," Rinoa commented, smiling, as she crossed the training dojo to where she had set her blue coat, beside his jacket. "Is that why you don't teach any one style here?" she asked, and Squall nodded.
"Every student has to know multiple fighting styles," he explained. "And we're always being pushed to innovate new techniques and methods." Rinoa nodded and put on her coat as they reached the bench. Squall began to follow suit, but paused as she straightened her outfit, not looking at him. She flipped her hair back a bit, and Squall suddenly realized her was staring. Before she could turn back, he quickly donned his coat.
"Say, are you hungry?" she asked, and Squall nodded. "I'm heading down to the cafeteria, want to join me?" Squall hesitated, but the response that came was both surprising and not at the same time.
"Sure."
As they walked out of the dojo and toward the elevators, squall considered what he had just said. A few weeks ago he would have outright refused to join anyone on an offer to eat together. While he wouldn't have been rude about it, he still would have declined, preferring to eat alone. But yet, when Rinoa asked him, he didn't have a problem with it. He, at some level, wanted her companionship, in a way that confused him. It hadn't been that way before their short dance at the concert. It was as if Rinoa was filling in a gap he'd never realized had been there before, a gap that had been ripped open by the disappearance of his Sis so long ago . . . .
Squall decided to stop thinking about it. Not now. Right now, he just wanted to share a meal with Rinoa, together.
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"Really?" Selphie asked, her green eyes wide. Irvine nodded, sitting across from her at their table in the cafeteria.
"Yep," he said with a shrug. "No magic for me. Never even bothered signing up for a single magic class."
"A SeeD without magic?" Selphie asked, not quite comprehending the concept. Irvine nodded again, taking a bite out of his sandwich. He chewed and swallowed while Selphie continued.
"But, I thought all SeeDs had to learn magic," she said, but Irvine shook his head.
"Its optional at Galbadia Garden, and the Galbadian officers have to take it as required courses, but we Galbadia Garden SeeDs don't need it. We place a lot more faith in our weapons than on energy manipulation. More reliable, easier to maintain, and ammunition is easier to replace than magical energy. Its like what one of my instructors said: 'Hokey energy manipulation and archaic weapons are fine, but they're nothing compared to a good handgun by your side.' And I agree with him." Irvine patted his revolvers, in their holsters inside his coat.
"Wow, I've never heard of a SeeD like that," Selphie commented. "In Trabia, we all specialize in magic. There's a lot to manipulation, especially in modifying spells and stuff like that. Like . . . ." Selphie concentrated, looking down at her glass and the soda in it. She reached down and touched it, and blue energy rippled down her arm and into the glass, freezing it solid. She looked back up at Irvine's surprised expression.
"Bet you've never seen a SeeD who could do that either, huh?" she asked, and Irvine shook his head, taking another bite. "Squall can do something like that, but Guardian Forces don't allow for subtle manipulation like what we can do at Trabia." Irvine nodded again, looking into her bright green eyes as she tore a bite out of her hamburger with surprising savagery.
Everything she does makes me like her more and more. And everything she does brings back more memories . . . .
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Two dozen fully armed paratroopers flanked the massive double doors leading to Edea's throne room. They waited like stone statues, with orders to shoot first and not bother with questions later. But while they stiffened at his approach, they did not stop or question Seifer Almasy, for there was no other who held Edea's trust more fully. He moved down the hallway, his somewhat frayed white coat flying out behind him as he did so, and opened the door to Edea's throne room without bothering to knock. As soon as he passed through, the guards quickly closed the door behind him.
Edea had not taken a massive throne for her own, but rather simply used the small, delicate chair she usually sat in, facing outward toward the outside balcony and looking over the lights of her domain. Rather than surround herself with advisors, she sat alone, waiting for her knight to come forth.
Seifer respectfully marched wide around her chair, coming to a halt before her and dropping to one knee, bowing his head forward.
"I have heard the reports," she stated quietly.
"I am sorry, my Sorceress," he admitted. "I should have engaged them with what I-"
"No," Edea replied, shaking her head slightly. He raised his eyes, meeting her amber orbs, which fixed him where he kneeled.
"You did correctly with bringing your forces back," she stated. "If you had engaged them, SeeD blood would have flowed, but more Galbadian would have done so. And we likely would have lost Galbadia Garden. Besides, you had already finished your sweep of the town, and have brought back valuable information." She leaned forward slightly, smiling.
"The one who dared to strike me still lives, as does Garden itself."
"I will hunt them down, if that is your wish," Seifer replied, lowering his head.
"No," she answered, shaking her head again. "They are insects. If we encounter them, feel free to crush them, but otherwise ignore those children. We have more important things to worry about."
"Have we found Ellone yet?" Seifer asked, and Edea chuckled darkly.
"One of our naval squadrons has encountered a SeeD craft that they believed was carrying her, fleeing south toward the continent of Centra. They caught up with them, only to encounter resistance that they were not expecting."
"Who? Dollet?"
"No," she replied. "Esthar."
"Then I take it this means your preparations for war with them are becoming more important?"
"Not yet," she replied. "I want you to mobilize the majority of our fleet and send them south to Centra. Have them comb every inch of that coastline for the SeeD ship that took Ellone. Then, order three battalions of our best men to board Galbadia Garden. I will conduct this hunt personally."
"What of the reports of SeeD raiding our shipping lanes?" Seifer asked.
"Inconsequential," Edea replied. "Ellone is the key here, and nothing else matters. Not Dollet, not Esthar, and not even Cid's pitiful weed-filled Garden."
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The team deployed for the meeting with Caraway was small. Squall would have preferred that Irvine accompany the group, but Zell had complained that he was out "playing pirate on the high seas" and thus, he was unavailable. Squall had narrowed down the team for the contact. He himself would have to go in, considering the importance of contact, and Rinoa had volunteered to accompany him, which was something Squall and Cid had agreed she could do anyway, considering that they would be contacting her father.
Squall and Rinoa had rented a small, sporty car in Dollet and were out of the city and halfway across the Monteresau Plateau by the end of the day. Rinoa had nodded off halfway through the trip, leaving Squall to drive along the rough dirt roads in silence. He occasionally glanced back to her as he drove, noting how peaceful and serene she seemed when sleeping. For the first time while driving, he actually noticed how perfectly beautiful she was. Of course, he'd already recognized it before at a more basic, reptilian level, but he had yet to have really appreciated how beautiful she had been overall.
Thanks to her (and some creative help from his other comrades) he had opened up a little more. That concert had definitely triggered something for him, an understanding of how alone he really was. She was trying so hard to fill that gap that he had been left with when his Sis had disappeared so long ago, and while Squall was still resistant to letting anyone get close, he could tell consciously that his resistance was waning. Once he'd tasted what it felt like to really trust someone, he didn't want to lose it again.
He glanced over to her again as night began to give way to day. She had placed tremendous trust within him, and he would not betray that trust. And in return, he would have to trust her and everyone else. And being able to put your faith in someone else so fully was a wonderful thing.
Squall swore he would do whatever it took to keep Rinoa safe. She had done this much good for him . . . how could he himself do any less for her?
They arrived at Caraway's mountain retreat later in that morning, after Rinoa had awakened. A quintet of heavily armed guards stood outside the gate barring the mountain road leading up to his mansion, but the soldiers themselves were good friends of the former general and recognized Rinoa. They were happy to let her and her "bodyguard" into the mansion grounds.
Squall was directed toward a spacious garage, in which he parked the rental. A servant met them as they exited and conducted them through the household to a sizable study, where Hibrom Caraway was sitting, staring out a window over the barren countryside. He looked up as the servant announced Rinoa and her "bodyguard's" arrival. Once the man had left, the former general rose, a smile forming across his weathered features.
"Welcome," he said, meeting both their eyes. Something was exchanged between Rinoa and her father at that moment, a bit of strained tension, and at the same time, a bit of embarrassment. He gestured to a pair of recliners across from where he had been sitting. "Please, have a seat."
They did so, settling into the chairs, and Caraway did likewise across from them.
"Its good to see both of you are safe," he said. "When I heard you were being taken to the D District Prison, I feared the worst."
"We're fine, General," Squall stated. "Garden is safe, despite whatever media control Edea tries to spin is saying." The former general smiled again.
"If you believed everything the news said you'd think that Galbadia had already conquered the world," he said. "And as you already know, I'm not a general anymore.
"Well," he added, sitting back. "You obviously aren't here for chit-chat. I've already heard some of the news of your exploits. Liberating Balamb without losing a single man, and raiding Galbadian shipping daily. Nothing crippling, but its certainly a start to this little war."
"How are they reacting to our attacks?" Squall asked, and Caraway shook his head.
"You might as well not be doing them for all they're concerned," Caraway replied. " They're ignoring you. From what I've gathered, the Galbadian military is focusing on the south, the navy heading for Centra."
"What's down there?" Squall asked, but immediately the answer hit him. "Ellone."
"Precisely," Caraway said with a nod. "Or at least, the ship that was carrying her. However, while I don't have the connections to Galbadian Intelligence that I did a few days ago, I do have an acquaintance in an important position within another government that has a vested interest in this Ellone as well. He has informed me that Ellone is not in Centra."
"Is this confirmed?" Squall asked, and Caraway nodded.
"Confirmed," he stated. "And I trust this man. Galbadia has committed its forces on a wild chocobo chase."
"Then we don't have to worry about them finding Ellone, for now," he said with a nod. "What about Trabia Garden? Has there been any news about them planning an attack there?"
"Beyond the missile strike, no," Caraway answered. "Galbadia isn't even looking up there. Edea has her eyes fixed solely upon the south. Trabia Garden is safe up until she realizes the search is fruitless."
That was good news, Squall realized. They would have more than enough time to mount a relief operation to Trabia.
"Unfortunately, I don't have much more information I can give you," Caraway explained. "Like I said, most of my connections to Galbadian Intelligence have been severed, and my friend within this other government won't give me specifics. Operational security."
"We understand," Squall replied, standing. "Don't worry, General, this is more than what we were hoping to get with this meeting."
"I'll do whatever I can to help," Caraway answered, joining him. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect this country from that madwoman." Rinoa rose as well, but was a bit hesitant.
"We'll come back if we need anything else," Squall stated, and Caraway nodded. He and Rinoa glanced at one another again, and Squall caught that significant look.
"Umm, Squall, could I have a minute alone?" she asked, and he nodded. A moment later, he was outside of the room, the door closed behind him. Rinoa and her father met each others' eyes again for a long moment.
"I'm sorry," they both said at once, then paused. Caraway managed a strained laugh, and glanced back at the door.
"It looks like you've found a good friend," he stated, gesturing to the chair. Rinoa nodded and sat down again, and her father followed suit. She nodded at his words.
"Rinoa, I'm . . . I wish to apologize for what I've done," he said. "I just wanted to keep you safe. When Julia died . . . ." He trailed off, closing his eyes. Rinoa watched him for a moment, and then rose, crossing the short distance and putting a hand on her father's shoulder. He reached up and touched her hand, and started sniffling.
"I understand," she whispered, crouching low, putting her face level with his. His sniffling began to turn into sobs, and Rinoa quickly reached forward, hugging her father. He pulled her close, taking comfort in her touch as he vividly recalled the pain searing through him, his wife's blood on his coat as the rain poured down, and how the paramedics had pulled him from the car with a shattered leg, but were unable to reach Julia before it was too late.
"Your mother," he whispered through the sobs. "I . . . I lost her through my own weakness. I didn't want to lose you too."
"I know, daddy," she replied quietly, using a word she hadn't spoken in years. "But she doesn't blame you. I don't blame you. Daddy, no matter what happens, no matter what, we still love you."
"I'm sorry," he sobbed. "Rinoa, I'm so sorry . . . ."
"I know, Daddy," she whispered soothingly, holding him tightly through the fresh grief. "I know."
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"Ah, Headmaster Cid Kramer," greeted the large, muscular man seated behind a wide table, covered with food. "Please sit, and partake. Custom demands I set out a sizable luncheon for such an esteemed guest."
"Duke Edwin," Cid replied, smiling. He extended a hand to the graying Duke of Dollet. The man shook Cid's offered hand, and the headmaster took a seat.
"So, what do I owe the pleasure to?" Cid asked as he looked over the wide array of fine foods that the Duke had prepared.
"Why, what else?" the Duke replied, his experienced, gray eyes twinkling. "The only thing that seems to matter over the last few weeks. War."
Cid considered the Duke's words, and observed the man. Duke Edwin Haroldington held a lot of power within the Dollet Dukedom Parliament, mainly because he had the backing of the military, which allowed him to draft a constitution that made him chief executive officer, and head of the armed forces. He couldn't pass laws, and was subservient to the parliament itself. But, he did have complete control in military and diplomatic affairs, such as now.
"You've made quite a name for yourself, Headmaster," the Duke added, cutting into a fine steak with an equally fine knife. "Your little war has raised some eyebrows."
"We've just started the war," Cid replied, helping himself to some type of soft-shelled egg covered in sweet syrup.
"Indeed, but it has interested some of those willing to find themselves free of the yoke of Galbadian oppression."
That got Cid's attention. The Duke might as well have just said that he wanted a war with Galbadia outright. His country was the only territory in the west that was not under direct Galbadian rule. But they lived under the constant shadow of Galbadia itself. They had just been invaded a few weeks ago, after all, and were under threat by Galbadia to keep the communications tower operational. Cid knew that the people of Dollet were intensely proud of their heritage and resentful toward Galbadia for reducing them to a tiny coastal nation, and many would jump at the chance to regain part of that lost legacy.
"Such as yourself?" Cid asked, and the Duke smiled.
"My country prides itself on remaining largely independent of Galbadia, but even so, we still live under their shadow. And if the rumors that Sorceress Edea is plotting to go to war with Esthar are true, I fear my nation's already existing freedom may soon fade away at the ends of Galbadian swords."
"She won't tolerate a free nation harboring enmity so close to her borders with a war underway. Such a nation could prove a useful ally to Esthar."
"Indeed," the Duke replied. "At the very least, we would be turned into a puppet state for Galbadia. At worst, we become a province of the mighty Galbadian empire."
"Then it is an important time for Dollet, I suppose," Cid continued.
"Agreed," the Duke replied. "However, such a time as this would be opportune to reveal a military might that we have concealed for a long time. What would you say if you discovered that my military might is in fact three times that which the Galbadian military faced when they attacked my nation three weeks ago?"
"I would be interested in where this military might had come from," Cid replied.
"Its always been there," the Duke replied, smiling. "I've been quietly building up my military for over a decade. Galbadia does not realize it, but I have enough force to ward off any attack, or at least make a successful attack cost many times what they expected."
"And why weren't these troops present when we came to assist you?" Cid asked, and the Duke chuckled.
"We retreated into the mountains," he explained. "The time we supposedly spent 'reorganizing' was in fact spent calling up my reserve units hiding there. While your SeeDs kept Galbadia off-balance, my reinforcements assembled to repel the invasion. It was sheer luck that your men found the true Galbadian intent and allowed us to negotiate their withdrawal before I had to reveal my hidden forces. Even now, they're assembling in preparation for the coming Galbadian push to annex us into their empire. But, I'd rather not have to fight a war."
"And if Garden can stop Edea, there will be no war," Cid finished, nodding. "You want to render aid?" The Duke nodded.
"Galbadia's fleet is mighty, but Dollet's is just as powerful. With Galbadia sending the majority of its fleet south to Centra, we have maritime superiority, at least, in the regions we control. The entirety of the area between Balamb, Dollet, Fisherman's Horizon, and Trabia is free for Garden to sail, and you are under our protection in those waters. Furthermore, Dollet is a safe harbor for you to dock at will."
"I appreciate the gesture," Cid replied. "This will allow us to sail safely without fear of a Galbadian attack at sea."
"But that alone will not allow you to win this war," the Duke said. "One problem that you have, even with all the SeeDs and cadets from all the Gardens put together, is that you don't have the numbers to really win this war." Cid nodded.
"That is one of our biggest problems. We've already picked up almost all of the SeeDs we scattered, and a lot of the Galbadia Garden SeeDs and cadets have also shown up in Dollet to join our Garden in the war. We hope to add some of Trabia Garden's populace to our army when we get there, but we don't know how many survived the bombing. But even so, we're badly outnumbered, despite our advantage in sheer power in man-to-man battle. In total, we expect to have about fifteen hundred to two thousand men. "
"Then I suppose extra troops would be a boon?" the Duke asked, smiling.
Cid blinked. Was the Duke offering him what he thought he was?
"Dollet's elite 125th infantry battalion has assembled in the capital at my order. Simply say the word, and two thousand of my finest will be at your disposal, doubling your numbers." Cid's mouth opened in surprise at the offer. Then, after several long seconds, he raised a glass of wine.
"Duke Edwin Haroldington, on behalf of Garden I am more than happy to accept that offer."
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Hoo boy. Yes. You read correctly. Dollet soldiers will be in on the final battle at Centra. I don't think any of you guys saw that coming.
And speaking of which, one more chappie to go before the battle! Yee-haw! Actually, I'm working on that battl eirght now. But I'm mean, so you won't get to read it for a couple of weeks. XP. But hey, no complaints. This chapter is a day early, so be happy.
Oh, and the Blue Bomber. Guess where the name comes from. XD
Anyway, shout-outs.
Dragoon Swordsman: A GF summon (the way I'm approaching it) would have done a lot of damage, maybe wiping afew platoons out, but wouldn't have really begun to hurt the occupation force. They would have steamrolled Squall, Zell, and Irvine. Cid iwll play a mor eimportant role next chapter, and I'll explain where he vanished to afterwards.
Daniel Wesley Rydell: I liked doing the organization. Felt like actually giving an order to the things Squall says at the begining of the big battle, and adding room for my own improvements. Like, y'know, the Dollet troopies.
Rusty Knight Productions: I like springing surprises on people. Like with this chapter. XD The repaired Iron Clad (correction: Blue Bomber) will make its appearance in the big Garden battle.
DBZ Fanfiction Queen: Whoa, settle down. -gives you tranquilizers- Anyway.
Yes! I threw in Seifer! For the fun of it. that bit where seifer walks past Squall and he says 'I look forward to meeting you again, Squall," was from Hellsing. You must watch it. Gory, bloody, and has a crazy mass-murdering psycho as the good guy.
Fujin, having a crush on Squall? Nah. Impossible. If anything, she'd have a crush on Seifer. Of course, anything is possible in fanficcery....
I always took Squall's commentary on how he actually ran the battle. Apparently, he focused on defense instead of offense, but he did have offensive forces. Maybe they got left out of the game? Anyway, he put too many troops on defense and not enough on offense, which SeeDs are best at (the way I'm coming at it from)
Well, I did hint that they found him napping. Hm. I'm considering putting in Ma Dincht saying that Fujin almost ran Raijin over with her car when he was napping as an edit.
A lot of the older stories have been pretty good, but the newer ones....yeah. Bad quality. And what's worse, the good writers aren't writing anymore. Prodigy and Nique have stoppe,d though of course, Ashbear keeps it up, and Ashbear just rocks. How the hell else are you going to get a thousand and more reviews for a story? By kicking ass, that's what!
I'm more than halfway through the next chapter. Its safer to say I'm halfway through Synthesis rather than the next chapter of Gunblade. The Trabia reunion and the first chapter of the war are already done (the war is waiting for editting, and my editor already loves it.)
Kaiser-kun: I really should have used the cardboard boxes. XD Don't forget to keep an eye out for my Metal Gear Solid novelization I'm working on. Its on hold for now, but iIm already a quarter of the way through the first disc of Twin Snakes.
In the Corps, we get issued our rifles and other gear, but we can purchase personal firearms and the like. I think we get K-Bars for free, though. I'm not in the Corps yet, so I don't know. I'm just an ROTC Midshipman. I'm actually planning on becoming a helicopter pilot.
Chris Ganale: You url doesn't work. X( Anyway, sorry for the anti-climactic ending, but I liked writing the Raijin vs. Zell duel. Remind me later when they hit the Pandora to have that duel be much cooler and longer.
I like that celebration XD One more chapter!
imaginaryfriend101: Squall is likely the only one to fully upgrade his weapon. I'll be honest about that. Irvine may buy upgrades but won't change his model to the Exeter version. Zell's grandfather was a rifleman, not a martial artist, so he can't get gloves from him. Sorry.
Akira Stridder: There will be a lot of survivors of Trabia. Might as well spoil that.
cherieandpepe: Ooh, big review. -rubs hands-
Yeah, Triple Triad got left out. Mainly because I couldn't find a good spot to insert it and because, well, look at how huge this thing is. I guess I forgot with the big rush of all the other stuff and all the fight scenes. XD
Magical subtleties are a bit more present in my fics than in others', but nonetheless they're a bit undeveloped. A lot of the more powerful spells may not get used, excepting by the Sorceresses (Flare, Demi, Ultima, Meteor, etc.) magic will play a prominent role in the battles against Edea, Adel, and Ultimecia, however. Refining items is more of a "behind the scenes" sort of thing. I introduced it in the begining and have asusmed it happens in the background from that point on. Note that I'm no longer even mentioning spell names anymore, just commenting on power level. I may go back and edit that into the earlier chapters too.
Again, I doubt that I'll have the others upgrade their weapons. Squall will upgrade to the Lionheart, however, but I don't think it'll be unbalanced. To quote Gray Fox from Metal Gear: "Only a fool trusts his life to a weapon." Yeah, its a powerful weapon, but a blade is only as deadly as the man who wields it. Then again, its Squall...XD
I'm not a big fan of random encounters. 8-Bit Theater's black Mage says: 'Random encounters make no sense. There isn't a thematic reason for them to fight us. Stories are about conflict. If you expect random battles to occur without rhyme or reason and then have no impact on the story, then how can you expect it to advance?" Of course, then he gets crushed by a random giant. XD
But honestly, I don't like throwing in random encounters with enemies unless I have a good reason to. Besides, I'm already creating tension before the battle with Galbadia Garden by mentioning Garden (next part editted because it contains evil evil evil spoilers) And I've set up Garden so it still doesn't have the ability to use radio, yet.
Tonberry, Odin, and Eden probably won't appear, though Bahamut might. Tonberry is silly, plus the other two are sidequests. I'm not too keen on covering sidequests.
Thanks for the suggestions, though. You are giving me some ideas, maybe for fics set later.
Aaron: Wow, not putting anything up for a week is considered never resuming? XD I'm rather busy and hard-pressed to put out chapters as consistently as I do nowadays. Back during the begining of the year it took me weeks to get done with my chapters. I update weekly, so never fear. Just keep an eye out. I update every Friday, though sometimes I may stop briefly due to time and schedule problems. Being a prospective Marine Corps officer and a helicopter pilot isn't easy!
