Chapter 42: Lunacy

A deafening cataclysm of thunder blasted over the Estharian plains as Zell Dincht stood outside the Lunar Gate. In rapid succession, three white-hot comets erupted from and equal number of the tubes pointing at the distant moon far overhead. Within moments, the projectiles, the capsules containing Squall, Quistis, and Rinoa, had vanished into the afternoon sky, and the rumbling echoes from the launch had faded. The brawler shook his head, and glanced back to Edea, Selphie, and Irvine. They, too, were a bit disoriented by the noise, but were recovering quickly.

"Never ceases to amaze, huh?" asked one of the soldiers nearby, laughing.

"Indeed," added Spark, who was also shaking his head. "That magnetic accelerator is quite powerful. Much smaller versions are used on our naval vessels. Come, Mrs. Kramer. I assume you wish to return to Doctor Odine's laboratory to finish your purpose here?"

"Of course," Edea replied with a nod. "If you will lead the way?" Spark moved away from the slight shadow of the building and toward the sleek Corsair transport they had arrived on, still waiting on the landing pad. Spark, Edea, and her SeeD escorts boarded the vehicle and took their seats, and were immediately pressed back into their cushions as the vehicle rose into the air and shot off toward the city.

They rode in silence for a short while, each of them thinking of their friends taking that vital journey into space. While removing Matron's powers was a critical objective, they all knew that it was just as important that Squall finish his quest to save Rinoa.

"Hope everything goes well," Zell commented a few minutes into the flight.

"Hey, don't worry!" Selphie replied, patting the brawler on the shoulder. "They'll be fine."

"Esthar may be a weird place," Irvine added with a grin, "but they'll be in good hands."

"We can only pray for their safety," Edea added, but then smiled. "Rinoa is safe in Squall's hands, however. He will not give up on her, under any circumstances. And with Quistis standing beside him, they can overcome any obstacle." The others nodded cheerfully at Edea's reassurance, and silence returned to the cabin of the Corsair for a few moments. However, that did not last long, as one of the view-screens suddenly shifted to show the face of the Corsair's copilot.

"Excuse me, Advisor Spark?" the man called, his voice slightly apprehensive. His tone sent the SeeDs and Edea into an alerted state, and they listened intently as Spark rose from his seat.

"Yes?" he asked. "What is it?"

"You should come see this, sir," the man replied, and Spark frowned. He strode toward the door leading into the pilot's compartment. Moments later, the SeeDs and Edea had released their straps and were following him into the cockpit.

The pilot and copilot were in their seats, but both were stiff, the pilot's knuckles white over the controls, while the copilot furiously tapped keys on his control panel.

"Esthar Air Defense Grid just picked this up approaching on the western coastline," the copilot explained, and a holographic image appeared, showing the rocky, craggy Estharian coastline, and floating above that, a single massive rectangular pillar of steel-gray metal, emblazoned with the Estharian sigil on its forward face. Spark's eyes bulged in shock.

"My Hyne," Spark said, his mouth dropping open. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, sir, it is," the copilot replied. "Homeland Defense Command has just sent an full alert to all military forces in and around Esthar, and all forces are mobilizing. Every available fighter and aircraft is scrambling to engage the threat. Current reports say its almost over the city by now, and enemy helicopters are already dropping large numbers of enemy troops on the upper roads and skyways. There are reports of skirmishes throughout the western sector of the metropolis."

"Full scale invasion?" Spark asked, almost terrified at the thought.

"It seems that way, sir," the copilot replied.

"'Scuse me!" Selphie interjected on behalf of everyone else. "What's going on here? What is that thing, and who's attacking Esthar?"

"That, Miss Tilmitt," Spark said, gesturing toward the pillar flying through the skies over Esthar, "is Esthar's dirty secret. Doctor Odine named it the Lunatic Pandora, so if you have any questions concerning it, you should ask him. As for who is invading, I think you should already know by now."

"Galbadia," Zell spat, and Spark nodded.

"What are they trying to do?" Selphie asked, confused. "I mean, no one would be crazy enough to invade Esthar, would they? They've got to have another motive or something."

"Well, we'd better find out, then," Irvine replied. He pointed toward the distant city of Esthar, and on the horizon beyond it, a dark shape closing in. "We need to get over there, pronto!"

"Roger that," the pilot said, the first words he'd spoken. "We need to get over there anyway, we've just gotten urgent orders to transport assault troops to board that thing."

"Where's Doc Odine?" Zell asked Spark.

"His laboratory, likely," Spark replied. "We shall head there immediately."

They flew on in silence for the next twenty minutes, closing in with the city. They listened to the copilot report the progress of the oncoming threat and the escalating series of skirmishes occurring throughout the city, and as they saw the city's skyline, a massive shape grew on the horizon, towering above the city like a silent monolith, a harbringer of destruction.

"This isn't good," the copilot hissed as they neared the edge of the city. Distant blue and yellow flashes could be seen in the sky around the advancing Lunatic Pandora. White bolts of energy and glowing purple-pink needle-like missiles lanced up from the city at the oncoming structure, but deflected harmlessly off a shimmering, watery energy shield. Return fire from the monolith, consisting of missiles, recoilless rifle fire, and downpours of machinegun fire dropping from opening panels on the faces of the structure, raked the Estharian ground defenses. Heavily armed Galbadian fighter craft and helicopters weaved through the sky, launching missiles and machinegun fire at the slender, pastel-painted Estharian fighters. The Estharian ships answered with glowing pulse lasers and more of the glowing needle-like missiles. Pieces of burning wreckage from the annihilated fighters on both sides rained upon the city, but seemingly endless numbers of Galbadian fighters continued to launch from the Pandora's upper levels, engaging Estharian craft that swarmed up from hidden airbases within the city. Sections of Esthar burned blue flames as Galbadian fighters ran bombing runs, and distant explosions could be seen in the city itself as Galbadian ground troops around the Lunatic Pandora battled Estharian troops.

"Galbadian troops are sticking close to the Pandora," the copilot reported. "Aircraft are running bombing attacks against ourground-based defenses. Hynedammit, its all happening too fast! They took out half our air fleet while it was still taking off, and the rest can't get past those Galbadian fighters to hit the Pandora!"

"What about ground troops?" Selphie asked. "Why did they drop soldiers into the city?"

"Yeah, seems kind of risky, doesn't it?" Zell added.

"The Pandora has a powerful shield generator," Spark explained. "Except around its base. That is where the anti-gravity generators are located. The anti-grav field interferes with the shield, but it also makes it impossible for aircraft to get close, due to the interference with their flight systems. The hull, however, can be penetrated by ground troops. Theoretically."

"They need infantry on the ground to cut off any ground response we might make," the copilot added, shaking his head. "Whoever's in charge over there is pretty smart."

"That rules out Seifer," Zell deadpanned.

"I'm taking us low," the pilot stated, and matched words with action, dipping low, beneath the level of the higher rooftops at the edge of the city. "Hopefully the Galbadian fighters won't notice us."

"Unlikely," Spark added, and nodded in agreement with the pilot's choice of options. The pilot took the Corsair through the twisting towers and mountains of glass and steel, ducking beneath and drifting over roads in their path. As they neared the capital sector, they could feel the dull rumblings of explosions in the sky, and hear them through the ship's hull.

"Everything's going to hell out there!" Irvine commented, and the others nodded grimly.

"The sooner we take out that thing, the better," Zell added. A loud, insistent beeping filled the cockpit, and the pilot cursed.

"Hold on to your butts!" shouted the pilot without warning, and he pulled up hard, nearly throwing the passengers off their feet. An instant later, a vicious shudder and a powerful rumble filled the Corsair, and on the tail of that was the screeching of a fighter plane swooping past, and another explosion.

"Damn Galbadians!" the copilot growled, checking the radar. "Good thing that missile missed."

"Better thing that we have missile lock warnings," the pilot corrected as he sent the ship into another dive, ducking between two towers. "And even better than that is having some allies flying with us!"

"How far to Odine's lab?" Selphie demanded, and the copilot glanced at the radar again.

"We're one minute out!" he replied, and the pilot sent the Corsair around another building. There was a flash of light to their right and chunks of steel flew by, the half-melted image of the Estharian sigil momentarily visible. An instant later, another Estharian fighter flashed past, chased by a Galbadian jet. A barrage of pink needles lanced down from above, and over a dozen impaled the Galbadian craft. There was a brilliant pink flash of light, and the fighter was sheared in half.

"Echo 419, this is Raptor Squadron, do you read?" a call came over the radio. The copilot slapped the switch.

"We read you Raptor Lead," he replied. "What's the situation?"

"Its bad as a Marlboro's butt up here!" the speaker replied. One of the slender, almost delicate fighters slid into place beside the Corsair. "Looks like our spot's a bit clear for now. What are you doing out here in this mess? Thought you were running a big-wig around town."

"We were," the copilot replied. "New orders. We're headed for Odine's lab, we've got some special SeeD cargo to deliver."

"Copy that," the speaker replied. "Raptors, form up around Echo 419, we'll need to keep those Galbies off their ass for a few moments!" There was a chorus of acknowledgements, and one groan about protecting a flying boulder. "Cut the complaints, Nine, or you'll be peeling tubers tonight for the whole airbase." Nine more fighters swooped down and around, taking up screening positions around the Corsair, most of them bearing char marks from damages already suffered.

"Don't worry, Echo, we'll get you there in one piece," Raptor Lead called.

"Reasonably," added another pilot with a snicker.

It turned out that the Raptors' escort was unneeded, as no other enemy fighters came close enough to engage the group of aircraft. Within moments they were swooping over Odine's lab, and the Corsair came to a stop directly above the street outside the structure's ground level, opening a side doorway. The SeeDs and their Sorceress charge quickly stepped out, covering their heads as a missile blew apart a fighter directly overhead. The Raptors roared off into the sky as a wedge of Galbadian fighters flew past, and Spark sent the SeeDs a quick wave before the doors sealed up once more and the ship ducked back beneath the level of the rooftops, flying toward the looming Presidential Palace. As the Corsair passed, the quartet could see the Lunatic Pandora, now far closer and drifting nearer every second.

"Let us hope that the Doctor knows how to combat the Lunatic Pandora," Edea stated, and turned toward the entrance to the large, many-leveled structure before them.

There were no soldiers inside the structure, which was different from how Zell and Selphie remembered their period within the building as Kiros and Ward. There were a number of citizens, many in a state of awe or panic at the sudden Galbadian invasion. They were forthcoming enough about where Odine was, in his personal lab on the top level, and the Sorceress and SeeDs wasted no time taking the lifters to that lab. Within minutes they had risen through the structure, to the upper levels, and burst into Odine's laboratory.

"Tear's Point!" came the first words from the Doctor as they entered, seeing him happily fiddling with instruments as a hologram of the Pandora was shown, floating through the city. Tiny, minute explosions were visible all around the structure as it began to pass over the capital.

"What?" Irvine asked as they entered. The diminutive Doctor glanced up at the intruders momentarily, but then went back to his work.

"Oh, yez, zey are headed for Tear's Point!" Odine exclaimed, and played around with the monitor he was working in front of, which shifted to show a map of Esthar's territory. To the southeast of the city was a glowing dot, above which was incomprehensible Estharian script.

"What's this Tear's Point?" Zel demanded, crossing the lab. "And what's this lunatic Pandora? And what in freaking Hyne's name is Galbadia doing here?"

"Zo impatient!" Odine complained, turning back toward the group in a huff. He waved his hands emphatically in the air. "Ze Pandora is a very special machine! I know much of it. It iz my great project from zo many yearz ago, before ze president had us dispoze of it!"

"Yeah, yeah, big and important, blah blah," Zell replied. "What the hell is that thing?"

"A vessel for ze Crystal Pillar," Odine answered simply. "Obviuzly."

"Oh, yes, now everything makes sense," Selphie replied with a dry tone. However, Edea seemed more thoughtful than annoyed.

"Was it excavated from Centra?" the Sorceress asked, and Odine nodded emphatically.

"Yez!" he said, pointing toward the structure as a wedge of Estharian fighters attempted to make a bombing run on the top of the craft. "Ve found ze Crystal Pillar in northern Centra about eighteen yearz ago. Initial analysis showed zat it vas originally located at ze epicenter of ze Lunar Cry which destroyed ze Centra civilization eighty yearz ago. Adel decided zat ze Pillar would be useful az a veapon and had it excavated and an armored zell built around it. Zen ve added zields and engines and moved it to Esthar for further ztudy on the Crystal Pillar-"

"That thing has the Pillar inside it?" Edea exclaimed in shock. "And it is headed for Tear's Point?"

"Yez," Odine replied, nodding. "Ze reaction vill be most interesting to vatch! Zere are already reports from ze Lunar Base zat-"

"We have to stop it!" Edea cried, and the SeeDs looked to her, confused.

"Okay, whatever you say, Matron," Irvine answered. "But why is it so important?"

"The Crystal Pillar causes Lunar Cries," Edea answered. That jolted the SeeDs, and all three of their faces paled at the image of a disaster of that level. Zell looked back at the Lunatic Pandora with new fear.

"A Lunar Cry? In the middle of Esthar?"

"It'll wipe out the whole city!" Selphie added, and Edea nodded grimly.

"If ze Pandora reachez Tear's Point, zen ze Cry vill occur immediately," Odine added. "Ze resonant energies from boz ze Crystal and ze Point are very powerful, and are already in action right now.If brought together in cloze proximity, zey can call down ze Cry instantly. Zat vill be interesting to zee!"

"More like a complete massacre," Zell growled. "But how does that thing call down a Lunar Cry?"

"Ze Pillar originated from ze moon many millionz of yearz ago," Odine answered with a shrug. "It impacted at Tear's Point. We were in ze prozess of researching ze meanz of calling ze Cry when ze project vas canceled by ze President. All ve know iz zat if Tear's Point and ze Pillar are reunited, it can call down a new Cry. Very interzting, no?"

"How do we stop it?" Irvine demanded, ignoring the question.

"Ze drive system is poorly protected by ze zield, but ze Galbadians are being very ztubborn about protecting it," Odine replied. He tapped a button, causing the Pandora hologram to expand in size, the camera zooming into the base to show the lower fifth of the massive monolithic structure. All around the base, dozens of yellow squares were highlighted.

"Zere are one-hundred and twenty-eight external accezz portz for ze Pandora," Odine explained. "Ze Galbadians defend all of zem. Take one of zem and you can get inzide ze structure and maybe zut down ze assault." The Doctor shrugged. "Zat iz ze bezt I can offer."

"It'll have to be good enough," Zell replied, punching a fist into an open palm. "Let's go kick some ass!"

-

"Three capsules inbound," reported one of the technicians in the Lunar Base control room.

"That's them, huh?" came a reply from a synthesized voice. A man clad in a heavy, bulky suit, vacuum-tight and designed for survival in space, stepped up to the tech. His face was hidden behind the reflective transparisteel visor of his helmet.

"Yes, Mr. President," the technician replied with a nod. He couldn't see the man's face, but the tech had heard rumors that these people were very important to him somehow. "I'll start the recovery process right now."

"Hope there won't be any problems," commented the President, looking away, toward the moon looming beyond one of the transparisteel view ports. "Anyone got any idea why the moon is so red now. Looks kinda ominous . . . ."

"We've been getting some weird signal interference from the capital," the tech commented. "Probably a coincidence. The science team likely knows more about what's going on. Probes are en route to catch the capsules." The tech paused. "You want me to put troops on standby?"

"Probably won't need 'em," replied the President. "Something tells me that we'll be fine."

"Right," the tech said. He tapped a key on his panel, opening an intercom. "Response teams Alpha, Bravo, and Delta, go to standby status." There was an acknowledgment from the other end, and a sigh from the President.

"You always do that," he muttered. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Never let us down before, sir," the tech replied with a grin. "Your advisors were smart when they laid down that policy on gut feelings."

"Yeah, yeah," the President replied. "Anyway, I need to inspect Adel's Tomb. Take care of the rest, will ya?" The tech nodded as he continued to monitor the progress of the recovery.

Out the view port facing the planet below, three lines of green force-field nets, shining in the void of space, manifested themselves in the paths of the oncoming capsules. As the President left, the first of the capsules impacted, the momentum of the tiny craft slowing down as it passed through the first field and met the next one, each impact successively slowing the device down. As it drifted to a much slower speed, teams of suited astronauts floated out through the black emptiness and seized the capsules, guiding them into the gaping hangar bay of the massive Lunar Base.

-

Things had gone from bad to worse in the few minutes it had taken to meet with Doctor Odine. Before, they had been caught in the leading edge of the hairy aerial battle overhead. But as the SeeDs and Edea steppe outside the lab, the battle overhead had drifted directly over their position, in the middle of the capital. The lunatic Pandora towered overhead like a massive rectangular mountain, casting its shadow over the city. Missiles and slugs from recoilless rifles lanced down from its massive height, smashing into buildings and roadways where Estharian soldiers gathered in an effort to get near the structure. Twisted, blackened wreckage rained from the heavens as hundreds of fighters dueled in the sky like vicious angels and demons warring in an apocalypse. Helicopters and Corsair transports flitted around the city, trading bolts of energy and missiles and deploying soldiers on both sides in the midst of the chaos.

The quartet had barely managed to take in their surroundings and see that the Pandora was already halfway across the capital when the roadway before them became congested with a mass of familiar blue-clad Galbadians dropping from a swooping helicopter. Almost immediately, a platoon of Estharian soldiers rushed onto the skyway, from an adjacent path, and met the Galbadian soldiers in an immediate and ferocious battle of blades, bullets, and flying plasma.

"Let's get in there!" Irvine shouted, and shouldered his rifle. He fired two shots, nailing on Galbadian with a pair of bullets to the back of the head, and putting another pair of high-caliber rounds into a soldier's lower back. Zell growled an affirmative response and leapt into the thick of the battle, leading his charge with a flying kick that hurled a Galbadian soldier off the roadway. Magic from Selphie sizzled and forked in, striking down two Galbadians with fiery blasts. The Estharian soldiers felt magic sweep over them, and mere momentarily confused, until Galbadian swords and bullets bounced off protective shields that Edea had placed over them.

The assistance of the Sorceress Edea and her SeeD escorts turned the tide instantly and overwhelmingly in favor of the Estharian soldiers, who quickly routed the Galbadian soldiers and cleared the skyway within less than a minute.

"You guys SeeDs?" asked one of the soldiers, bearing an odd decoration on his shoulder that was likely a rank indicator. A transparent green force shield glowed on his left arm, and number of other Estharians wielded the similar shields, except orange in color. Zell nodded.

"We've got to get inside that thing!" the brawler yelled, pointing at the Pandora.

"We've been trying ourselves," the ranking soldier replied. "Lifters aren't working, and the Galbadians are tearing up the roads leading toward the Pandora's lower levels. I think the flyboys managed to save a few roadways and are keeping them safe from bombing runs, but Galbadian troops are all over them. We can't beak through."

"Well, that's what we specialize in," Selphie replied with a grin. "Making things explode into smithereens!"

"Which is the closest route to the Pandora?" Edea asked urgently. The soldier pointed behind hi.

"There's a shopping mart that the Galbadians are holing up in. We've been trying to get inside, but there's not much we can do without leveling the place. The Pandora is almost on top of it. We've got maybe two or three minutes before it reaches that spot, and about five more before it passes it."

"We can't waste any time, then!" Irvine hissed. "Let's go!" As he was speaking, on of the Estharians suddenly pointed into the air, toward a pair of fast-moving aircraft swooping toward the congregation.

"Overhead! Incoming!" he shouted.

That was the only warning the SeeDs, Edea, and the other Estharian soldiers had before a wedge of missiles streaked in toward their position. The sounds of screeching engines and explosions in the sky overhead had masked the pair of Galbadian fighters' approach, but as they roared in, the one soldier had spotted the missiles as they lanced out from the aircrafts' wingtips.

Edea thrust a hand out toward the missiles, and telekinetic force ripped into them, breaking down two of the missiles in midair and shattering them. The remaining missiles streaked in, and Zell stepped forward, grabbing Edea and pulling her with all his strength. Irvine did the same with Selphie, pulling her back as she gestured toward the missiles herself, wind rippling outward from her fingers. The incoming explosives were knocked partially off course, several of them missing the clustered group, but one somehow managed to fly true through the buffeting winds and smashed into the center of the formation.

There was sound, there was force, and there was heat, followed by silence that reigned for several moments, only gradually giving way to the continuous noise above as aircraft dueled and died in the skies above Esthar.

-

One second, Squall was wrapped in the darkness of cold stasis. The next, he was awake, virtually blasted into consciousness. He reeled forward, almost tumbling out of the capsule's open door, when he found nothing to fall onto. In fact, he didn't fall at all, instead tumbling forward through the air, across a wide, red-painted chamber. He twisted his body in mid-air as he floated out, and saw a wall behind him marked with dozens of holes, all the proper size to hold the capsules he, Quistis, and Rinoa had used to get out into space. Quistis, he saw, was just starting to float out of her capsule as well, shaking her head in shock as she too entered the zero-gravity environment. Rinoa simply drifted out of her capsule, her body limp and unmoving in the weightlessness. Squall quickly oriented his body toward her and waited until he had reached the opposite wall of the chamber. His feet touched the wall and he kicked off, floating toward where she was drifting. The SeeD caught her hand as he neared and squeezed tightly as they spun in the chamber.

"Sorry about that," came a call over the intercom. "Quick-thaw results in a pretty quick awakening. Hold on for a moment, we're going to lock down the gravity system." Squall nodded, not sure where the camera was, but not really caring. They had made it this far; Ellone wasn't far away.

"She alright?" Quistis asked, and Squall turned toward her, seeing his fellow SeeD floating toward them slowly.

"No change," Squall answered, glancing at Rinoa's body, and seeing her chest move slightly, the usual indication that she was still in whatever state she was in. "I hope that's a good thing, though."

"Don't worry, Squall," Quistis assured him. "We've come this far. Ellone will help us find a cure for Rinoa."

Squall's answer was cut off as gravity began to tug on the trio, gently at first, pulling them toward the floor. It steadily strengthened as they got closer and closer, until becoming normal planetary gravity as they touched down. Squall wasted no time during the descent with cradling Rinoa in his arms, keeping her still body close to his, even if it was just to feel her shallow breaths on his neck.

A door near to where they had emerged slid open, and a blonde man in a white coat bearing the Estharian sigil on its shoulder stepped in, flanked by a full squad of Estharian soldiers, wearing the same black and olive uniforms of the Lunar Base crew. Each of them carried a small but powerful looking black energy rifle in their hands.

"Welcome to the lunar Base," said the blonde man, with a cheery tone and smile that belied the squad of armed men behind him. "I'm Captain Piet, Estharian Air Defense. I'm in charge of this base. You are Commander Squall Leonhart, I presume?" Squall nodded. He nodded to Quistis.

"Quistis Trepe," she said quickly, before he could introduce her. "SeeD, as well." Piet nodded and glanced to Rinoa.

"And that is the . . . patient, I presume?" he asked.

"Rinoa Heartilly," Squall replied.

"Excellent," Piet answered. "I apologize for the quick thaw, and the . . . somewhat hostile greeting. These men are here for security purposes. Presidential order."

"I understand," Squall answered.

"Let's take her to medical, hm?" Piet stated, and gestured behind him, to the corridor beyond.

-

Irvine had momentarily blacked out from the impact, but as his consciousness returned, he found himself surprised to be alive. He was even more surprised to feel pressure on his chest, though it was a bit too light to be one of the Estharians. He opened his eyes, and found to his surprise that his arms were wrapped around whatever was on his chest. His vision swam back into focus, and he saw, in his arms, clutched tightly, was Selphie.

"Selphie!" he gasped weakly, his head spinning from the explosion. "Selphie, you okay?"

"Owie," she muttered, raising her head, her own dazed eyes meeting his. "That hurt."

"Are you injured?" Irvine asked quickly as he loosened his grip. She shook her head, pushing herself up off his chest.

"Chalk another one up to GF," Selphie replied with a weak grin. "I'm aching all over but I think I can still fight." She looked around them, and winced visibly. Irvine followed her gaze and grimaced himself.

Of the thirty Estharian soldiers that had been assembled outside O Lab before, there were now perhaps half that number still reasonably intact. Only a few of those men were even moving or breathing. The skyway itself had been blown apart by the missile strike, leaving only a couple of twisted pastel blue roads protruding in the air.

"Zell!" Selphie shouted, looking over the carnage.

"Matron!" Irvine added, surveying the area, looking for their comrades.

"Over here!" came a pained shout, and the two turned to see Zell standing shakily on another skyway, the one that would have led toward the shopping mart the Galbadians were holed up in. Edea was helping him stand, seemingly uninjured herself.

"Ya'll okay?" Irvine called, and Zell nodded. He looked around, seeing the destruction, and how almost none of their allies were still alive.

"Can't say the same for our friends," Zell replied. "Bastards! We've got to take those assholes out!"

"We will head on and do what we can," Edea called as she cast a healing spell over Zell, mending his wounds. "Try and meet with us later!"

"Right!" Selphie replied. "Don't worry, we'll find a way around!"

"Don't save the world without us!" Irvine shouted. He bent down and scooped up his fallen rifle. He glanced back to where Zell and Edea stood, to see the brawler crouch next to one of the dead Estharians. The man had been the same ranking soldier they had spoken to moments before, and Zell muttered something before reaching down to his arm. The brawler unstrapped the shield generator off the man's forearm and put it on his own left arm. He tapped a button and a transparent green shield appeared before him.

"Let's kick some ass, Matron," he said, and she nodded.

"I will support you, Zell, if you will keep me safe," she replied, and the brawler nodded.

"Got no problem being a bullet sponge," he said, hefting the shield. "Especially with this!" With that, the pair moved off down the skyway at a full run, Matron surprisingly able to keep up with Zell despite his youth and strength. Before them, the Lunatic Pandora loomed larger and greater with each stride as they dashed through the city.

Irvine watched them go, and turned back to Selphie. He blinked as he saw her rummaging through a dead Estharian soldier's pastel red backpack, looking at some rather large shells that were contained within.

"Uhh, Selphie, what are you doing?" he asked. She glanced back up at him, and then down at the soldier at her feet.

"This guy is, er, was a cyborg," she replied, nodding toward his left arm, which was blasted apart, revealing wires and a strange sort of elastic metal sheath over them. "And he had a backpack filled with these." She tossed Irvine one of the shells, which he caught, and grunted at the weight. He glanced at them and blinked.

"Thirty-millimeter armor-piercing," he said, and looked back to Selphie, to see her moving the dead man's body and grabbing something beneath it. She tugged on the object, and Irvine watched her extract a long-barreled rifle with a huge diameter bore, and heft it with a slight smile.

"Spark said only the military could use these," she said, and popped the breech on the Halconnen. She slid one of the shells into the weapon and snapped it closed, and raised the anti-vehicle sniper weapon with all of her inhuman strength.

"And in this type of crisis situation," Irvine replied, nodding, but also amazed at how . . . sexy Selphie looked with that huge gun in hand. "The rules can be bent."

"Let's blow it all up boom-boom!" Selphie said suddenly, pumping her free hand into the air.

-

Squall walked over the transparisteel floor that overlooked the planet far below, showing off his world in a dazzling display of greens, whites, browns, and blues he had never imagined could exist. The floor was almost entirely transparent, excepting a short metal "path" leading toward a coffin-like metal bed in the center of the room.

"Please set her in the bed and allow her to rest," Piet said, gesturing toward it, and Squall moved toward the device, cradling Rinoa in his arms like a child. He gently laid her out on the bed, and as he stepped back, the bed sealed up, a metallic shell sliding over her body, except a small window, through which he could see her face.

"The sensors in the examination bed will analyze her condition," Piet explained. "With them we may be bale to understand what is causing her . . . Ailment."

"Don't let anything happen to her," Squall said quietly, and the base commander shrugged.

"Don't worry, we know the details. Her knight in shining armor and all. My crew is aware of the situation. Everything will be alright." He gestured out of the room. "Please, come with me to the control room. I know that Advisor Spark has given you a rough tour of Esthar, and we were hoping to include the Lunar Base among those sites your people would get to see." Piet paused. "Not to mention the President was wanting to meet with you, personally."

"Me?" Squall asked, and Piet nodded as they left the medical wing, leaving a quartet of guards and two medical orderlies with Rinoa.

"For a long time, he has," answered Piet. "Though I believe he is out right now, checking on Sorceress Adel."

"Wait, what?" Quistis asked, and Piet nodded.

"Esthar's philosophy is to contain and control as opposed to outright destroy. We seek to understand what we do not, and you can't do that if you annihilate said subject, now can you?" Piet smiled as they moved out into a long hallway lined with transparisteel panels.

"What does that have to do with Adel?" Quistis asked, and Piet gestured out one of the windows as the walked. She and Squall looked in that direction, to see a gray disc-like structure floating in space, tethered to the station by many smile, almost delicate-seeming wires. A series of tiny specks could be seen floating toward the structure.

"Adel's Tomb," Piet said, proudly. "Our greatest achievement. Sorceress Adel has been sealed away inside that device for the last seventeen years, directly by the President's own hands, no less. We have kept her up here, at the Lagrange Point between the moon and the planet, for analysis and study. This base's primary purpose is to watch her and remain ever vigilant. We won't let another reign like Adel's occur if we can avoid it."

"Fascinating," Quistis said after a moment. "In other words, there's no way that Ultimecia could possess her?"

"Indeed," Piet replied, nodding. Squall glanced to him.

"You know about Ultimecia?" the SeeD asked, and Piet nodded.

"We have for some time, yes," he replied. "Doctor Odine is the real expert here, though. But yes, Ultimecia has been known by us for some time. We were aware, for example, that she was the primary cause of Galbadia's aggressiveness in past months. However, I can assure you that there is no way Ultimecia could possess Adel."

"How is that?" Quistis answered as they passed through a guarded intersection and through a doorway. They found themselves inside a control center, with numerous technicians sitting at consoles or analyzing holograms. The majority of the images on monitors and in holograms showed the lunar surface, a surface that seemed to writhe and twist and glow a hellish red light.

"Adel's Tomb uses our most advancing sealant technology," Piet explained. "Aside from holding her in suspended animation behind a foot of crystallized transparisteel it would take cruise missiles to breach, the Tomb itself emits powerful jamming signals that effectively block any signal, magical or technological, that would attempt to reach her. These signals are so strong that they interfere with radio transmissions on the planetary surface."

"That's the cause of the signal interference we've been living with?" Quistis asked, shocked.

"We believe it's a small price to pay," Piet replied. "In exchange for keeping Adel contained, for all eternity if need be."

"What's happening on the moon?" Squall asked, his attention stolen by one of the holograms.

"Monsters," Piet replied. He reached into that hologram and tapped a spot, and the image zoomed in, showing thousands of creatures, many of shapes Squall recognized, lurking and gathering. "We've never actually seen this before, and it started very recently; within a couple of hours of your arrival in fact."

"Lunar monsters gathering tightly together," Squall muttered. He ran back over his training with monsters. The lunar world was one of many different types of beasts, an uninhabitable world of freaks and creatures. These monsters normally existed safely on the lunar world, except in rare cases where they congregated due to a harmony of magical energies between the planetary and lunar surfaces. In such a case, a narrow "tunnel" of magical energy could potentially form, and when that happened, monsters would be pulled from the lunar surface to the planetary one. That was the source of the monsters on the planet itself.

However, such events were powerful and terrifying occurrences, and history was full of instances of cities, nations, and entire civilizations wiped out by such events. They had been dubbed "Lunar Cries" so long ago, and the most recent one in memory, eighty years ago, had shattered the Centra continent and the civilization itself.

"Is this leading into a Lunar Cry?" Squall asked. Piet shrugged.

"Lunar Cries only occur once every few hundred years at the quickest," he replied. "Its only been eighty years since Centra was annihilated. This Cry, if that is what it is, is very anomalous. What is more disturbing," he reached onto the hologram and fiddled with the image, zooming it out, "is that this gathering of monsters is directly above our position."

"What's below us?" Quistis asked, now somewhat apprehensive.

"Tear's Point," Piet replied.

-

A thunderblast joined the continuous drumbeat of war overhead, and a Galbadian helicopter was split in half, an armor-piercing round blasting into its midsection. The chopper blew in half, and Selphie paused to pop open her heavy rifle, quickly loading a new shell into the cannon. Beside her, a stream of lighter, faster blasts sounded from a pair of Calicos as Irvine cleared the road of a squad of enemy soldiers who had been dropped off before, by the very same helicopter. As the last Galbadian fell to the street, the two SeeDs moved on, rushing down the road, which ran parallel to the one that would take them to the shopping mart that the Galbadians were holding. The Pandora was already closing in with that position, the leading edge almost close enough to reach from the business area.

"Gotta stop wasting time!" Irvine growled as chunks of the helicopter crashed down on the road ahead. Another sonic assault sounded beside him as Selphie fired again, and another Galbadian helicopter was shattered in mid-flight.

"I don't think there's any way we can get over there to help them out," Selphie replied, shaking her head as she reloaded her weapon. Irvine finally had to nod grimly as he saw Zell and Edea running up the skyway in the distance at full speed. A squad of Galbadian infantry was positioned ahead of them, but the brawler and the Sorceress made quick work of them, Zell smashing headlong with his energy shield in hand, while Edea sent out rippling waves of magic that sent the Galbadians reeling to the floor, stunned and disoriented, but not dead. They were nearing the shopping mart by now, and would soon meet the Galbadian troops holed up inside.

Irvine frowned and reached into his coat, producing the scope he used on his PSG-1 rifle. Using it as a rough telescope, he zoomed in on the shopping mart, and his fears were confirmed as he saw what was within the sheltered position.

"Hynedammit," he muttered, and reached into his coat, pulling the separate parts for his sniper rifle from the webbing along his body.

"What are they up against?" Selphie asked, to which Irvine tossed her the scope. She looked through the device, and her eyes widened.

"There has to be an entire company of Galbadian troops in there!" she exclaimed. "Not even Zell and Matron can take on that many!"

"Which is why they're going to need some help," Irvine replied as he screwed the barrel into his sniper rifle. "That soldier pack some of those explosive shells?"

"I think so," Selphie replied, tossing the scope back to the sniper. He fitted it onto the top of the rifle and zoomed in, grunting as he paused to calibrate the scope properly. Once he had attained proper sight alignment, the sharpshooter wasted no time finding a target. He lightly pulled the trigger on his rifle, and a deafening crack sounded around the pair. One Galbadian soldier was hurled off his feet by the high-powered round that smashed his helmet sensors.

An explosion sounded beside Irvine, and an instant later the entrance to the shopping mart exploded, hurling two squads of Galbadian troops (and the parts of another squad) all around the business area.

"Nice shot," Irvine commented as he searched the smoke for another opponent. He spotted movement within the fire and smoke, and put another bullet through another enemy helmet.

"Don't need to be too accurate with this baby!" Selphie replied. "Now we need to - uh-ho."

"Uh-oh?" Irvine replied, firing a third shot and sending another foe to the transparent blue road. He looked away from the sniper's scope, and his eyes widened. A pair of helicopters were swooping in toward the advancing Sorceress and SeeD, laden with troops and bristling with guns and missiles.

"Selphie, see if you can-" Irvine's words were cut off by another sonic blast, and one of the choppers was sent into a wild spin as its tail was severed from the fuselage, and it plummeted into the city below, raining troops and equipment. The other pilot stoppe dhis vehicle for a moment, confused, and then pulled up and away.

"What's he doing?" Selphie asked as she reloaded her Halconnen. "I can still pick him off from here, he's just exposing himself to me."

Her question was answered when a barrage of pink needles speared the helicopter, followed an instant later by a massive explosion that blew the aircraft apart, sending crew and soldiers flying. Two Estharian fighters swooped past, followed by a fast-moving Corsair transport that was braving enemy fire from multiple directions. It dropped toward the skyway as Zell and Edea neared, and Estharian troops poured out the side.

-

"Mind some assistance?" came a familiar voice as the Estharians rushed out, over forty men, all fully armed.

"Spark, you devil!" Zell called, spotting the Advisor within the Corsair. "What are you doing here?"

"Providing some assistance with the assault," he replied. "We knew we had to attack whatever places that the Pandora was nearing with whatever forces we could muster and thus we convinced Raptor Squadron to escort-"

"Gotta bug out!" came a shout from the pilot as a rocket propelled grenade shot past. The corsair lifted up, pulling away as one of the Estharian soldiers, wearing special bulky armor, fired a return shot from a Halconnen in the direction of the attack.

"So sorry!" Spark called, his voice fading as the pilot skillfully swung the transport away. "Good luck with the . . . ." His voice vanished as the Corsair pulled away. The screaming of Estharian engines could be heard overhead again, over the whine of plasma and the roar of shotaxes firing as the Estharian soldiers opened fire on the shopping mart, suppressing the Galbadian fire coming from it. Two explosions were heard overhead as Raptor Squadron came back around, blowing apart a pair of Galbadian fighters that were swooping in. There was another explosion from the direction of the shopping mart, providing momentary cover as Zell rushed to the front of the Estharian platoon, joining a half-dozen soldiers with shields like his own.

Edea looked back over her shoulder, and saw two distant figures on an equally distant skyway, and mentally thanked Irvine and Selphie for the cover fire as Zell let out a roar, and the Estharians charged. She followed right behind them as the leading shield soldiers, along with Zell, led the charge toward the shopping mart. Her hands worked momentarily, and magical shields fell over the group, adding to the protection that Zell and the shield soldiers were providing.

The Galbadians opened fire with small arms, but the bullets fromt heir rifles deflected off the shining Estharian shields. Several bright lights on the opposing side hurled grenades their way, but a gesture from Edea stopped them in mid-flight and hurled them back into the shopping mart, sending the enemy soldiers diving for cover before they exploded.

There were several more long, tense seconds as the Estharians ran forward at full speed, sending wild covering fire as Edea covered them with more and more defensive spells. More bullets deflected off shields, and a couple of the Estharians fell, before another explosion engulfed the shopping mart, followed by several Galbadians outside the explosion range flopping to the floor, faces and chests erupting in crimson fountains.

Then, they burst into the shopping mart, nearly forty Estharian soldiers, a Sorceress, and a wild SeeD smashing headlong into Galbadian forces that had nearly been halved by the efforts of the attackers and their distant sharpshooter allies. Confusion instantly reigned as nearly sixty Galbadian survivors met the Estharians in a wild, furious melee of clashing blades and flying bullets and sizzling plasma. Edea drifted to the center of the melee, using measured spells to drop her foes, always with just enough force to incapacitate and not kill. More often than not she focused on casting mass healing spells or placing defensive shields.

Zell was far more aggressive, bowling into a cluster of enemy soldiers with his new toy leading the way, taking all of them down. He rose with feet flying and his right hand smashing, while swing his left arm wildly, knocking over foes with the force shield's edge. Within seconds he had crushed the group he had smashed into and spun on another collection of the enemy. With a furious roar, he leaped to the attack, bearing them down under his furious charge.

Several more foes collapsed inexplicably, heads blown apart, torsos blasted open, or limbs ripped off, as Irvine provided distant cover fire. Selphie could do nothing in that wild melee except watch, and be content that her shots had taken out over half of the enemy already.

The Galbadians were overmatched, but it took them too long to realize this fact. As the Pandora passed near the shopping mart, a few broke away from the battle and rushed toward the structure. On the side of the massive flying monolith a portal seemed to materialize in the craft's side, and a Galbadian soldier poked his head out. The man's mouth opened as he saw the rout outside, and he began to wave for his comrades to climb in. They did so, moments before Zell noticed the escaping enemy. He let out a shout, and Edea and many Estharians heard him. A full squad of surviving Estharian soldiers surged forward, beside Zell, and with Edea right behind. Covering fire lanced out from the portal as soldiers within opened up, and several Estharians fell, while others returned fire, rushing forward.

The last of the escaping Galbadians managed to leap up, grabbing the lip of the portal, and his comrades began to haul him inside. The door started to shape itself closed once again, and Edea raised her hands to cast something to keep the way clear.

Then the portal exploded, leaving a gaping and quite open and accessible hole in the side of the Lunatic Pandora.

"Damn fine shot!" Irvine commented as Selphie pulled her eyes from the Halconnen's sights, grinning like a joyous child.

"Get on there and give 'em hell, Zell and Matron!" Selphie shouted. Though her words couldn't be heard by the pair, Zell did indeed rush onto the Pandora, pausing only to grab Edea and bring her up on his back, and then leap the intervening distance. They passed through the gaping hole and landed on the deck inside, leaving the surviving Estharians behind, unable to reach the entrance as the Pandora passed.

"Well, here we are!" Zell said, setting Edea down. "All we've got is an army of Galbadians and Hyne knows what else between us and Seifer."

"Then we should get to work," Edea added, and Zell grinned. He gave her a thumbs-up, and they proceeded down the scorched hallway, stepping over blasted Galbadian bodies as they moved into the massive metal monolith.


Yay! Another chapter complete! Though it took me forever to finish, at the expense of my sleep. I'm almost working full-time now (not by choice, grr….) on top of college and Marine shenanigans. That and I put my head into Mercenaries for a while, and just now pulled it back out. Heh. Damn these addictive games! I better wait until I'm finished before I get Resident Evil 4.

Anyway, its done. Whoo. I always imagined that there should have been some aerial response to the Lunatic Pandora's incursion, so, well, you see what happened when I though about that kind of scene. Reminds me of Independence Day, kind of. And rest assured, this isn't the end of airborne hijacks either.

References? Well, spot the references to the needlers from Halo, and the Jackal shields. They're pretty obvious. Raptor Squadron was roughly based around Star Wars' Rogue Squadron. And yes, those are blasters the Estharians are carrying in the Lunar Base.

Next chapter, we see much more! Squall and Rinoa and Quistis in space, more on the Pandora, and the appearance of everyone's favorite airship. Deep space rescues, desperate acts of love, Sorceress possessions, aliens, and the first truly romantic, unfettered moment between Squall and Rinoa, not to mention an ever-so-tiny plot revelation that has left many FFVIII players' jaws dropping in surprise.

And what Peptuck-brand chapter would be complete without the shout-outs? Wow, there's a lot, too….

-Prodigy: Ah, my evil clone-type-person-mini-me-thingy. You will continue posting the Ultimecia affair. Or I will smite you. Hard. With a spoon. You lift weights? Huh. I'm getting into shape using bodyweight exercises, myself. Hindu squats, Hindu pushups, and back bridges mostly. Good stuff, surprisingly tires you out. I'm not actually going into OCS, I'll be enlisting into the Marine Reserves. Just need to finish these silly medical things. The doc at the MEPS here is really, really anal. I got my MOS sorted out at least. Machinegunner, baby! I gets to shoots the .50 cals!

-Angelo Di Desiderio: Yeah, I got a thing for Esthar, myself. I dunno, I just like that place.

-Solid Shark: Yeah, Duran was more of spur-of-the-moment thing. She may or may not return. Other AIs may appear, however.

-Daniel Wesley Rydell: Writing no jutsu, the ancient Japanese art of ninja writing. Those who fail or are weak must commit ritual suicide by gutting themselves with their daggers (not their wakazishis, contrary to popular belief), also known as seppuku. Only the great writers can master writing no jutsu. XD

-Sherif: Hmm, maybe. Heh. I always imagined that Selphie would be pretty scary with the Halconnen, myself.

-Shootski: For some reason I love writing your name. XD That guy who wrote that commentary obviously wasn't paying attention during the bridge scene. "Man, I've changed," Squall admits, even to himself, at that point. Though I thought, personally, he had changed during the orphanage scene where they talked with Edea. Admittedly, Squall's change is so subtle lots of people miss it, until the third disc, where the trauma of losing Rinoa basically brings it all out to the surface so suddenly.

I dunno. There was this awesome thing about FFVIII where there was all this love going around without anyone outright saying it. But, again, to disprove the article, Squall himself admits he's fallen for Rinoa, in his own thoughts. "I've fallen for you" he thinks at one point. (either in space or at the orphanage, I forgot which)

-Spikestrife: You saw it too? Yeah, that surprised me when I saw the Ultima Sword in Ultima Weapon's hand.

The group may grab Bahamut. Maybe not. The way I'm writing it at the moment may not even give them time to conceivably go on a quest to get Bahamut.

-Chris Ganale: Hold on, kid! You're losing even me with those technical designations! XD Hope you liked raptor Squadron, I even included a Corran bit in there. Not too obvious, but its there.

-DBZ Fanfiction Queen: Y'know, you can download the manga if you really want it. I have them on my computer, actually. Good stuff. Volume 5 is scary as heck. Anderson is the loony priest, Walter is the awesome butler with the monofilament wires that slices stuff up. Walter rules. "Oh, dear, I missed! I suppose I'm not as spry as I used to be."

-Dragoon Swordsman: I might just. Heh.

-Jade Almasy: Whoa! Big block of text! XD

Yeah, Spark, like the AI I based him off of, is a very annoying tour guide, to a degree.

Laguna knows all about Squall, in my fic, and likely in the game too. You may have caught a somewhat important comment made by Spark in the previous chapter involving this.

-Ma-Chan1: See! This is what I like to hear! People telling me stuff like what you said! That's part of the goal in my writing this.

Ultimecia's castle . . . The puzzles may not be included. In fact, most of the guardians will likely be dropped too. Again, this is due to my penchant for avoiding what amounts to needless battles.

-Rusty Knights Productions: The Estharian fighters I wrote about here are an odd mix of stuff. They use needlers from Halo, but (in my head) I imagined them to be like the Scouts from Starcraft. The Corsair is a mix between Halo's original Covenant dropship and the new Phantoms.

-Kimahrigirl: Heh. I knew people would spot the Spark and Cortana personalities there. Cortana's one of my favorite characters, and though Spark is annoying, he's got great dialogue.

-OniRazz: Well, not quite the same title, heh. Raise Thy Sword is a track off Soul Caliber II's soundtrack, and was the chapter title for the first chapter of the Garden war.

-Akira Stridder: Not quite as huge as I wanted it to be, but still quite the mighty colelction of ass-kickery.

-Anime Obsessed Fan: Oh, yes, its gonna suck to live in Esthar in the near future. XD

-Xenogears: Ha! See! I knew you were joking! You g et the previous chapter I sent you?

-DeathDragon66: All great stories take ideas and thoughts and inspirations from previous ideas, thoughts, and inspirations. That's what makes them all great. Heck, even Daz stole a lot of ideas from other sources in The Omega (not the least of which was Goro…er, Sio. XD)

-Kaiser-Kun: Oh, just wait till you see the special weapon.

Hmm, I haven't actually thought of having the characters use alternate weapons. Maybe in a later fic, there isn't much room in Gunblade for that. Though, as you saw here, there was some alternate weapon usage by Selphie herself.

Garden and the Lunatic Pandora raid? Are you a mind-reader?

And yes, I am an evil edge-sitter. Mwaha.

Avion Jade: Always nice to see a new reviewer! Yeah, thatw as part of the rason why I was arming Selphie with a Halconnen to begin with. XD

You like GTA? Grab mercenaries, too. Kill stuff, and get paid for it, too!

Okay, that all of you people? Good. Now, go do something constructive, like plant a tree, or read a book, or read The Omega.

Till next chapter!