A pair of Imperial stormtroopers meandered along the Mushroom Rock Road on their patrol, boredly glancing around every now and again for any signs of rebels. They chatted over their private helmet comlinks as they went, discussing how boring patrol duty was, and how they almost wished that there was genuine Rebel activity on Spira.
Behind a rocky outcropping, the red-haired second-in-command of the Youth League glanced out, affirming that there were only two stormtroopers, then glanced to another outcrop across the path. She pointed to her eyes, then held up two fingers. She paused, then circled her hands around each other once before crossing them over her throat at the wrists. After a nod, she brought her hands up to shoulder level, placing them palms against each other and tilted toward her right. Then she made a motion of someone sweeping something away with both hands. Taken together, those were the hand signals for "Kill silently, and hide the bodies."
Across the path, her black-haired companion nodded and turned away. She turned away as well and signaled her orders to the men near her. She had three of the Youth League's finest soldiers with her. One would make the kill, while the other two would cover him. They didn't want to have to fire their weapons; that would give them away faster than if the stormtroopers managed to get out a signal before they were killed.
Within a few minutes, the stormtroopers wandered past the outcroppings and continued on their way, oblivious to the danger surrounding them. Less than a second after the stormtroopers were well past, two unarmored soldiers of the Youth League darted out, dashing up behind the stormtroopers faster than the white-clad shock troops could react.
Almost simultaneously, the two Youth League fighters got a hand on the helmets' chins, the other on the back of their heads, and jerked their arms quickly to one side or the other. The snapping of the stormtroopers' necks could easily be heard from the concealed positions. Wrapping their arms around their inert cargo, the two Youth League soldiers dragged the stormtroopers back behind the outcroppings.
The three soldiers quickly stripped their stormtrooper of his armor and bodysuit, then two of them cast a series of mid-level Fira spells to immolate the body while the third outfitted himself in the armor. Meanwhile, the red-haired leader kept watch for more Imperial patrols. Across the way, she knew that their companions would be doing the same thing.
After fully suiting up, the armor-clad Youth League soldier, one of their technical experts and demolitions specialists, pulled out a hand-held comlink and synched it with his helmet comlink, then handed it to his leader. Then he stepped out from behind the outcropping, almost simultaneously with his new partner from across the way. In silence, the two of them made their way toward the elevator up to the Youth League headquarters.
---
The two stormtroopers standing guard at the elevator nodded in greeting as the patrolling pair walked past them toward the command center. The other pair nodded in return and continued on their way. The two at the elevator returned to their private conversation, when a flash of yellow and blue to his left drew his attention toward a young man with blond hair simply standing on the elevator platform, a sheathed sword at his right side, staring contemptfully at them.
"You there!" the stormtrooper said. "This is a restricted area. You can't be here."
"You came to Spira seeking destruction," the young man said in a menacing voice, ignoring the stormtrooper's words. "If death is what you came for…" In a flash of movement too fast to have been accurately followed, he had drawn his sword and dropped down into a fighting stance. "Then I shall be your reaper!"
Before the stormtroopers could react, he had dashed forward, swinging his sword up and into the unprotected joint at the first stormtrooper's right elbow. The sword sliced through bodysuit, flesh, and bone with no difficulty, severing the man's limb with an outcry of pain which was quickly interrupted as the young man spun around, sword flashing. Mere seconds later, the stormtrooper's headless body collapsed to the rocky ground outside the Youth League headquarters.
The second stormtrooper quickly backed away from the young man, bringing his E-11 around and firing hot red bolts at him. Expecting to see the man collapse to the ground with charred craters in his torso, the stormtrooper was instead greeted by the sight of the blaster bolts passing right through him without harming him at all.
Stopping, the young man looked down at where the bolts had passed through him, then he slowly brought his head back up to stare the stormtrooper in the eye, grinning evilly as he did so. "You can call me Death."
As he spoke those words, the young man gestured with his free hand toward the stormtrooper and a black haze formed between them. From the center of that haze formed a bodiless creature that chuckled evilly, its only limb ending in a three-clawed silver hand. The creature struck out at the stormtrooper, who tried in vain to block the blow as its claws passed directly through armor and body alike, reaching into his very soul and grabbing that essence of life. Still laughing evilly, the creature removed its clawed hand, clutching a glowing orange orb within. It held the orb before the stormtrooper's gaze for a few theatrical moments, then, with a flick of its wrist, crushed the orb flat. Instantly, the stormtrooper clattered to the ground, lifeless, and the avatar of Death vanished.
Shuyin turned away from his victims, toward the Imperial command center attached to the Youth League headquarters. He gestured toward the building, calling out as he did so, "Come, fiends! Let us purge this repulsive Empire!"
There were two stormtroopers ahead of him, but he made no move to attack them. He knew that they were disguised agents of the Youth League; he had watched the ambush on the lower path. He was not worried about them, knowing that no fiends would attack them. Sword in hand, he charged past the ersatz stormtroopers, a horde of fiends crawling out of the nooks and crannies of the canyon and following in his wake.
---
At Kilika Temple, a quartet of stormtroopers exited out into the daylight on another routine patrol, only to stop when they found a young woman wearing blue with long brown hair standing directly in their path. The Empire hadn't declared the temple off-limits, and the stormtroopers were somewhat used to the locals staring at them oddly by now, but this woman was unfamiliar to them.
"Step aside, Miss," the lead stormtrooper said as politely as possible. "You're blocking our way."
Instead of replying, the woman merely smiled coldly and gestured with her right hand.
On the ground at her feet, a guttering flame rose several inches, which she ducked down into. As she did so, four curving arms of fire spiraled out of the center of the flame, forming a circle of charred ground around her. A runic symbol flashed in the circle's bounds before the ground splintered and shattered upwards. Half-molten rocks flew into the air a short distance before solidifying, with the woman on top of them, forming a capsule of sorts around the monstrous canine-like form contained within.
With a flex of its hugely-muscled arms, the beast broke free of the binding rocks, leaping up into the air and raising up its right arm just as the woman came down and landed in the crook of its arm. The beast dropped back to the ground on three limbs, the right arm still holding the woman in place. It lowered its arm to let her hop down to the ground, then reared back and let out a terrifying roar, flames filling the air around its open maw.
The stormtroopers backed away from the monster in fear, but not without getting a good look at it. The pair of horns curving back behind its head must've been ten feet long, the claws that tipped each of its fingers and toes were at least two feet long each, and looked fully capable of slicing through plastoid armor in a heartbeat. Fires smoldered in at least four locations on its brown-skinned body, and its eyes burned the color of fire.
"Destroy them," the woman spoke, waving her hand toward the stormtroopers.
Loping forward like a dog, the beast rushed the four troopers. As the troopers brought their blaster carbines around in an effort to defend themselves, the beast somersaulted forward, avoiding the first of their blaster bolts, and raised its right arm in midair.
Its victim did not even have time to scream as the razor-edged claws sliced through armor, flesh, and bone with equal speed, shredding the stormtrooper where he stood and allowing the different slices to collapse in a bloody heap on the steps of the temple.
The other stormtroopers quickly turned and fired on the beast. But as they stared in growing horror, the flaming beast simply seemed to absorb the energy of their blaster bolts. It turned toward two of the stormtroopers that were standing near each other and reared back on its hind legs, forming a huge ball of flame in front of its mouth, which it smashed its right palm into. The ball of fire shot forward faster than they could blink, smashing to the ground in their midst and quickly reducing them to nothing more than flaming cinders.
Turning toward the last stormtrooper, the beast merely lifted its left hand and backhanded the armored troop, sending him flying back against the walls of the temple with bone crushing force. The trooper fell limply to the ground and did not get up again.
Lenne looked around her, surveying the carnage of the four troopers' deaths. Focusing on her magic abilities, she brought her hands together before her, then lifted her right hand into the air. A modified Fire spell shot into the sky, signaling the rebellious citizens in Kilika Port that the temple was soon to be under her control.
She dismissed Ifrit with a gesture of her hand, then turned and headed toward the entrance into the temple. She gathered electrical energy in her body, her hands sparking and sizzling with lightning as she strode forward.
The two doors to the antechambers beside the main entrance opened almost simultaneously, and stormtroopers, a half dozen total, stepped out of both doors. The leader of the group on her right spotted her, leveled his blaster carbine. "You there–"
He never finished his sentence. Lenne raised both her hands, pointing them toward the two individual groups and releasing the charge of electricity built up inside her. Thick blue bolts of lightning shot out of her fingertips, arcing across the distance in an instant and slamming full-on into all six stormtroopers. The air filled with the smell of charred meat as the massive charge of energy electrocuted the stormtroopers.
One of the poor unlucky fellows who caught the lightning in the wrong way flew off the ground as the water in his cells vaporized and exploded, liquefying his body instantly. The now-empty armor clattered noisily to the ground, with melted stormtrooper leaking out of the smoldering body suit.
Grimacing slightly at the grisly remains of the stormtrooper, she turned away from the growing pile of corpses and walked down the steps leading into the temple. As she reached the bottom, she could see another half-dozen stormtroopers hunkered down behind the statues for cover, their blasters aiming toward the doorway she was entering through.
"It's her!" one of the stormtroopers said. "Blast her!"
Lenne waved her left hand before her as the stormtroopers opened fire, and a translucent blue shield materialized around her, stopping the blaster bolts cold. One of the stormtroopers pulled a spherical object off his belt, then depressed a button on the top, which began to flash red, before throwing it at her. She knew right away what it was.
Running forward, she caught the grenade out of the air, then spun quickly and hurled it toward the cluster of stormtroopers on her left. Spotting their own explosive device sailing toward them, the stormtroopers started to dive out of the way, but Lenne solved that quickly enough by sending a Fira spell after the grenade, detonating it directly over the troopers. The explosive force shattered the two nearby statues, and wasn't much nicer to the three stormtroopers caught in its blast radius.
She spun quickly, turning toward the last three stormtroopers, pulling her combination microphone and summoning staff from her side as she did so. Flipping the weapon so that she held it by the microphone end, she crossed her right arm over her body and flung it out toward the stormtroopers. The sharp end of the weapon pierced the black material of one of the stormtroopers' eye visor, driving all the way through to splinter the back of the man's helmet.
As the last two stormtroopers began to reassess their chances of survival, Lenne reached her left hand into the air as the warm sensation of magic flowed through her body. With the lowering of her arm across her body and the loose clenching of her fist, the spell casting was complete and she shot across the room faster than the stormtroopers could follow her.
Her slender fingers wrapped around the pole of her summoning staff as she jerked it from the head of the lifeless stormtrooper with a spray of blood and brain matter. Spinning on her heel with an audible squeak, she lashed out with the sharpened lower edge of the staff, slicing across the throat of the dumbfounded stormtrooper nearest her who had yet to realize that she was standing beside him rather than across the room. Blood sprayed from his throat and she blinked her eyes shut as the crimson fluid splashed onto her face.
As that man's blaster clattered to the ground while he reached up to stem the tide of blood flowing from his throat, Lenne spun one more time and struck forward with the staff, the end of it driving through the throat of the last stormtrooper. The dying man reached up in an attempt to pull his throat free from her staff, but she saved him the trouble. She tore the staff free of his throat as she spun around, bringing up her right boot and planting it firmly into the stormtrooper's torso plate with the extra momentum of her spin. The force of her kick took the stormtrooper off his feet and sent him flying across the chamber.
Turning away before the loud crash of the stormtrooper hitting the far wall reached her, Lenne surveyed the carnage she had caused. A part of her reeled back in shock at the devastation she had wrought, but outwardly there was no sign of that shock. She had learned long ago, on the front lines of the Machina War, how to be vicious, brutal, and lethal. Those skills would aid Spira well in the coming days.
Scoffing slightly, she reached up her left hand and wiped the stormtrooper's blood off of her face, leaving horizontal crimson streaks on her forehead and left cheek. She took one last glance around, then closed her eyes and tapped into an ability that all the spirits of the Farplane possessed.
Kilika Temple is mine, she thought.
Good, Shuyin's voice responded in her mind. The Youth League headquarters is almost under control. They summoned their fighter craft before we took out their command center. It's going to get busy soon.
Shall I send Bahamut to assist you?
No, that won't be necessary. We found some portable missile launchers here that we can take down their craft with.
Very well. I'm going to go assist the uprising in the village. Any news yet from Sir Jecht?
No, no word of the Mi'ihen Highroad. I expect that the rebels in that area will take many casualties. There is almost nowhere to hide on the Highroad.
I am not worried. Sir Jecht can handle things there.
Nor am I. There was only the slightest pause before Shuyin continued. Be careful, Lenne.
She smiled. You, too.
---
The group of Imperial forces marched quickly along the Mi'ihen Highroad, the formation led by a pair of AT-ST Imperial Scout Walkers. Directly behind them was a TX-130S fighter tank that presumably carried the commander of this convoy. Marching along behind the vehicles in a stately fashion were fifty Imperial stormtroopers.
All of them were totally unaware of the hundred and fifty Youth League fighters and warrior monks who waited, armed with weapons salvaged by Rikku and Gippal, for the moment for the battle to commence. They were hunkered down into the grass, hugging the ground to keep the Imperials in the AT-STs, with their higher field of vision, from seeing them.
Farther up the Highroad, two Youth League demolitions specialists waited atop a rock formation beside the road, each armed with a salvaged Merr-Sonn PLX missile launcher. It was their job to take out the AT-STs at the front of the formation. Scattered in trees along the route were a half-dozen marksmen of both the Youth League and New Yevon, armed with DC-15x sniper rifles and using the branches of the trees to brace the weapon's heavy recoil.
As the Imperial formation neared the rock outcropping, the pilot of the leftmost AT-ST suddenly spotted movement atop the rock. Glancing in that direction, he saw two men wearing the livery of the Youth League aiming PLX launchers directly at his walker.
"Look out!" the pilot shouted, manipulating his controls to bring the chin-mounted blaster cannons to bear on their attackers. "Missile launchers on the rocks!"
It was too late. In an instant, two rockets flashed out directly toward the walker. The first impacted against the outer hull on its left side, deeply cratering the armor. The second arced straight through the open forward viewport, slamming into the back wall inside the walker and detonating. Spewing flame and smoke, the walker shuddered, then listed heavily to the right and fell, directly into the path of the second walker.
Backpedaling quickly, the second walker's copilot swung the side-mounted lasers around and fired at the rocket-bearers, but failed to elevate the guns properly; the twin laser blasts chewed into the rock formation but did no harm to the already-moving Youth League fighters.
A streaking blue laser bolt suddenly shot into the cockpit of the walker, crushing the copilot's face and slumping his body over in his seat. The pilot quickly turned the walker around to angle the open access ports to the cockpit away from where he presumed the sniper's shot had come from. As his walker came around, he saw that the Imperial platoon was under attack, taking fire from both sides of the Highroad, and from trees which contained snipers.
Angling toward the east side of the Highroad, the pilot sent his walker lumbering forward, firing his heavy anti-infantry blaster cannons toward the origins of the enemy blaster bolts. Some of the rebels scattered and others flew into the air or simply collapsed over dead as grass ignited.
The light repulsorlift tank swung around to the opposite side of the Highroad, firing its heavy blaster cannons into the grass as the stormtrooper manning the laser cannon swept the coursing beam across the area, cutting down a few of the rebels. The stormtroopers on the road fanned out into the grass, moving to engage the enemy in an area where they had slight cover as well.
A rocket whizzed past the side of the AT-ST. The pilot laboriously turned his vehicle around and fired the main blasters at the retreating form of the Youth League demolitions specialist. The figure was already moving behind the rock formation by the time the pilot fired, and he doubted he'd managed to kill the enemy.
Keeping the walker's head angled down to prevent the enemy snipers from shooting into the cockpit like they had before, the pilot turned his walker fully toward the formation and advanced forward. Moving to come around the side of it and get an angled shot against whoever might be hiding behind it, the pilot turned the walker's head to the left and held his finger ready over the firing studs.
As he passed closest to the rock formation, he felt something hit the top of the walker's cockpit and assumed that the rebels were throwing grenades at him. Mere seconds later, the top hatch wrenched open, and the pilot turned back just in time to see the DC-15 blaster pistol wielded by the Youth League soldier spitting hot blue light at him. Then he saw no more.
Yaibal took a moment to look at his handiwork, then holstered the blaster and dropped into the cockpit, moving into the copilot's seat. He stared at the unfamiliar controls and levers before him in absolute confusion.
He didn't look up as the Al Bhed who would pilot the stolen walker dropped into the cockpit, pulling the body of the Imperial pilot out of the seat and dumping it behind the pilot's chairs. The goggled man grinned over at Yaibal, then pointed to two sticks with red buttons on top of them.
"Those are all you've got to worry about," the Al Bhed said. "They direct the cannons on the sides of the head. Left for left, right for right. Red button shoots." He pointed to a screen showing holographic images from cameras mounted to the cannon barrels. "Watch those screens and shoot when your crosshairs are more or less right on a target."
Yaibal nodded and wrapped his hands around the control sticks, moving them experimentally a few times to get a feel for how the camera images changed, and how the cannons themselves would react. After a few moments, he gave a thumbs up over to the Al Bhed pilot. "Ready!"
Nodding, the pilot grabbed his own controls and began to turn the walker around.
Jecht looked up from driving his broadsword through the chestplate of a stormtrooper commander as the walker turned around and stalked toward the battle. The walker advanced at a fast pace, turning its boxy cockpit toward the Imperial light repulsorlift tank. All at once, a hail of blaster fire poured from both the blaster cannons mounted under its chin and the two light cannons on either side of its head. The tank seemed to vanish under the barrage of light from the sustained blaster fire, until it exploded seconds later, knocking over two stormtroopers who had sought shelter near it and probably killing them with the concussive explosion force.
The stormtroopers along the western side of the Highroad were too busy fighting with the Youth League and New Yevon fighters to notice the stolen walker bearing down on them, its blaster cannons raining destruction on them. One of the stormtroopers looked back just soon enough to see the Al Bhed manning the pilot's seat, and called out over the comlink, "Look out! The rebels took the walker!"
On the other side of the Highroad, stormtroopers looked back to see the walker attacking their own forces and suddenly had a decision to make. They could continue fighting against a numerically-superior enemy who had them surrounded on all sides using one of their own vehicles and die down to the last stormtrooper, or surrender and live.
They chose the former option.
Steeling themselves against their inevitable fate, the stormtroopers charged out, firing their blasters as fast as their fingers could pull the triggers. A dozen Spirans fell before the remainder shook off their shock and returned fire.
The stolen walker waded into the middle of the mess, firing its blaster cannons at concentrations of stormtroopers, killing them three and four at a time. The snipers also took their toll, downing stormtroopers in waves who had thought themselves safe just moments before.
Within minutes, the last stormtrooper on the Highroad collapsed to the dusty ground with a shriek of anguish, clutching dully at a smoking crater on his chest. Jecht lowered his broadsword to his side as a triumphant cheer coursed through the ranks of the surviving Spirans on the Highroad. He looked around at the cheering soldiers around him, tossing those nearby a cocky grin.
The Spirans were winning these battles against the Empire. Though they were minor skirmishes, and only killed a handful of the Imperial troops at a time, they were winning. Victory equaled confidence, as any blitzer knew. Victory also meant experience, which was something sorely needed by the people of Spira.
And on top of that, they were taking territory. Shuyin's blitzball-style assault with fiends for backup on the Mushroom Rock Road quickly managed to recapture an easily-defended area with many caves and other places to hide should the Empire attempt to siege there. Tales of Lenne's vicious and dominating attack on Kilika Temple would quickly spread through the ranks of the Empire. Those stories would give them pause to think about forces canny enough to control fiends and annihilate whole squads of stormtroopers with little apparent effort. It was yet another advantage that Spira desperately needed.
Jecht only hoped that they could hold off the Empire long enough for Yuna to complete enough of her training. Adding a Jedi into the mix of destructive and unstoppable forces besieging the Empire would sow more discord into their ranks.
The dark-skinned blitzer looked up toward the stolen walker, flashing a thumbs-up and a grin to the two who had stolen it. Then he turned and waved down the cheering of his forces, drawing their attention to him.
"Listen up, men! We did good work here today, but we're not finished. We're going to push forward and reclaim the entire Highroad. Congratulate yourselves on a job well done. We've shown the Empire that we're determined to throw them off our land."
He waited as more cheers and congratulatory remarks filtered through the soldiers under his command, then nodded again. "The Highroad is a vital choke point, but it will be very hard to keep control of. The faster we take the Highroad, the faster Luca will fall. Now let's go! To the next battle!"
Letting out a tremendous roar of enthusiasm that Jecht was sure could be heard from the Farplane, his men charged forward toward the travel agency, their stolen Imperial AT-ST in the lead.
---
As Jecht's forces waged battle with the Imperials outside the travel agency, and Lenne reported the last of the Imperial forces in Kilika had been finished, it was night in the Calm Lands. Not that it mattered; as far back as they were into the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth, night and day were relative.Yuna opened her eyes silently, remaining still so as not to disturb Tidus. The blond blitzer slept behind her on the stone floor of the cavern, one arm wrapped protectively around her waist.
Breathing slowly, she leaned back against Tidus, reaching out through her fledgling power over the Force to seek out and amplify those feelings that had been so vivid in her dreams. She could sense wellsprings of powerful emotion from three different locations in Spira: Kilika, Mushroom Rock Road, and the Mi'ihen Highroad.
Furrowing her brow in frustration, she stretched her senses out toward the emotional signature she had long ago known to be Lenne. The young songstress was a blur of emotion. She sensed an almost equal amount of anger and determination, with just a tinge of regret. Without knowing any details, Yuna knew that Lenne had slaughtered mercilessly that day, and did not enjoy doing it.
Yuna let out a breath she had been holding, and reached out her feelings to Lenne, attempting a new ability that Luke had taught her that same day. She reached out, touching Lenne's heart, and spoke only four words to her friend's heart. Everything will be okay.
She smiled slightly as she felt Lenne's confusion, and she could almost see the smile forming on the singer's lips as she realized that Yuna had been the one to try and calm her heart. Withdrawing her sensation back to the narrow cavern around her, she turned slightly, staring with one green eye toward the sleeping form of Tidus, his head laid against her back.
Lifting her right arm, she pressed the first two fingers of her hand to her lips, then twisted her arm and lightly touched those same fingers to his lips. He stirred at her motion, his sky blue eyes opening in the darkness. "Yuna? Is something wrong?"
"Maybe," she replied, rolling over to lie face-to-face with the love of her life. "They have begun," she said softly, wrapping her arms around him. "They have struck the first blows against the Empire, and they have won. The Rebellion has been born."
He reached up with his right hand, gently brushing a strand of hair out of her face before kissing her forehead. "Don't worry, Yuna. Shuyin, Lenne, Auron, and our old men are leading them. Everything will be fine."
She nodded once, then looked into his eyes and smiled. "I will become a Jedi," she said. "And you're going to help me."
A/N: This chapter is something of a reward to those of you who have suffered through chapter after chapter with little to no action, and have been waiting breathlessly for stormtroopers to start getting their asses kicked. Rest assured friends, the time is at hand! Let the battles commence! I have purchased Stunner, Inc's entire stock of Whoop-Ass, and I intend to open every last can. And now, on to shout-outs.
Morgaine of the Fairies: Wow, it didn't even occur to me to have Shuyin show up, just for "old time's sake." And yes, adding in rebellious stormtroopers was an awesome touch. As you'll see, with those guys on their side, the Rebels have an opportunity to get large portions of its forces into Imperial-occupied territory.
Raven: You lazy ass! Actually read a chapter when I give you the link!
Wolfy16: Fiend smackdown, you say? >:3 Ask and ye shall receive. The next encounter with Shuyin and fiends will be more satisfying, I promise.
SevenTowers: If you think that was something, wait until the finale. >:3 It's gonna be a mega twist I don't think anyone will have seen coming.
Furitaurus: Nah, Yuna's still a newbie Padawan. I didn't mention at the start of last chapter, but about a month or so passed between chapters six and seven.
Random Note: I'm making up a be-all, end-all overdrive for Lenne and Shuyin to use in the final battle against the Empire. I'm going to work my ass off to intricately describe every maneuver, every action, and every brutal death that is met at the hands of their ultimate overdrive, which is called The Song of Ultimate End. Look forward to it. Maybe I'll also come up with some kind of sidequest that they have to go on to acquire it. But with the timing issues of the war, I don't know about that.
