Alrighty then, in this chaptyr all kinds of interesting stuff is going to happen, like I'll send a brigade after Odine's punk ass. Let's read.

I do not own any of the characters featured in this saga, save for General Gartier and Kaytsu. That's right, any children they have are mine! Hmwhahahah!

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The elevator whirred its way down from the bridge. Squall and Quistis stepped off together and walked over to the seated area. "Quistis," he began, "I need to ask you something about the Ultimecia fight. I know it was a long time ago, but try to remember." Quistis nodded. "...When Ultimecia called on Griever, did you see her use a ring of some sort?"

"A ring..." she repeated. "Yes, I do believe I saw her throw a ring down just before Griever showed up."

"You did...?" Squall was mortified. "(Then it is that ring. And if Rinoa has it... something is going to happen to Rinoa...)"

"What's wrong?" she asked worried.

"Nothing..."

Quistis shook her head. "Nothing? Squall, what is it?"

"Squall!" came a shout from the bridge issued by Xu. He and Quistis exchanged glances and quickly hopped onto the elevator. Quistis stationed herself at her usual spot. "It's Laguna..."

Squall shook his head knowing what news she bore. "No..." he sighed to himself.

Xu dutifully continued, "He's been assassinated."

Squall turned his back toward his officers. "Who?"

"They believe it was Dr. Odine. They found his body in a lab of sorts with a hole burned through his chest. Kiros is now the head of Esthar and is working desperately to find the murderer. There are no traces of Dr. Odine as of--"

Squall rode the lift back down.

"Squall..." Quistis whispered in her concern.

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Squall was in his quarters. He stood with his arms folded, his shoulder and head rested on the window as he contemplated life and existence. For a few moments he felt glad that he had met his father while he could, but he was left with that same bitter aftertaste: sadness and hopelessness. He could never get back his father... He tapped his head on the pane.

Just then the door opened. It was Rinoa. She was carrying Kaytsu. Squall continued to stare out the window without a word. She set Kaytsu in the other room and tipped over a bucket of blocks for him to play with. Rinoa then came in and stood right in front of Squall. She spoke softly, "I heard."

"(How could she have heard about it so fast? Oh, of course... Quistis.)"

She grabbed onto one of his arms, catching his attention. "I'm so sorry..."

"You killed him?"

She almost wanted to roll her eyes, but she just kept her peaceful manner. "I'm sorry that you lost him, Squall. You guys had so much catching up to do and..."

"It's a good thing we didn't get too close, or I'd feel much more miserable."

"Squall, when you get closer, the memories you've shared with that person will last you a lifetime and you never lose sight of them... You two have had some good times. Never forget them and you will always have your father."

Squall agreed for the most part, but felt that the memories more reminded him that Laguna wasn't around than provided him peace of mind.

Rinoa's soft smile faded. "But little Kaytsu... I'm afraid he might lose his father all too soon. Squall," she pleaded, "let's leave this place before something terrible happens."

"Rinoa, here is where we are safest."

"Do you love your son?"

"What?" he asked confused.

"Do you love your son?"

"Of course I do..."

"Then let your position as headmaster go."

Squall was infuriated. "You think I care more about being headmaster than my own son!"

Rinoa spoke in an even lower tone to try and bring Squall's voice down. "All I know is that our son has been traveling on a military base for 3 years despite my wishes that he not be in the line of fire."

"Everything was peaceful."

"Yes, everything was peaceful for many years, and that's why I tolerated my son being carted around on this Garden. But now, the president of Esthar has been assassinated--"

"By Odine..."

"They don't know that! Squall, please... I'm taking Kaytsu out of here. Come with us. Kaytsu still has a father. Don't deny him that..."

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Gartier crunched his leather gloves together as he hunched over them to read a memo. The low lamp was focused on the memo, but the general's mind was elsewhere. "(So, President Dincht... you think you can just lay down the army and have everything work according to plan? 155 thousand people still out of work with nowhere to go, or making minimum wage, despising you as I do. You've made quite a number of enemies...)" The general picked up a fountain pen, writing 155,000 in bold, black ink. He encircled it over and over again. "(A standing army of 7 thousand, how pathetic... The only real protection you have is befriending Esthar.)" He stabbed the paper with the pen and it bled through the pages of the memo entirely. He watched it consume the '155,000.' He swiveled his chair away from the mess and looked through the chinks of the blinds into the night. "I will repair this country's might..."

"General Gartier, sir. I have some important news."

"Then fax it to me..." he growled.

"I think you would like to hear this in person, sir."

Gartier turned around to face the young soldier. "Well, don't stand in the doorway like an idiot. Come in and tell me about this news that is so important." The general liked to receive reports at arms length, so if they bothered him for nothing, he would make sure they were sorry.

The private saw the fountain pen stuck through a thick report of some kind and swallowed hard. "Uh... the President of Esthar, Laguna Loire, has been murdered, sir. His body was--"

A light danced in Gartier's eyes. "Do they know who did it?"

"It is suspected that a Dr. Odine is committed the heinous act, it was one of his inventio--"

"Have they found him?"

"They are currently on the look out, but Odine is still at large."

"Good, good." The private started at the general's sentiments and he corrected himself, "...It's a good report. Now get out of here. Oh, and, get someone to clean this mess, would you?"

"Sir! Yessir!"

General Gartier stood up and looked out over the city. "(So comes my opportunity at last! Esthar is distracted and so, fate smiles upon Galbadia!)" His features were marked with elation as he turned and rushed out of the room. He passed the maid on the way out and she hardly recognized him.

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Watts' sat on the edge of his chair to stare into the TV as if 2 feet was a great divide. He was so intrigued by the device that he spent most of his time gazing into it. It informed him of his previous home, Timber, while he traveled on the SeeD ship. Zone had also gained an interest in the little machine...

Zone walked into the 'TV cabin' and pulled back Watts' seat a painful 5 feet. "This is the last time I get to watch it before we go home, so..."

Zone reached for the dial, but Watts said, "I can't let you do that, sir!" and tackled him.

"Hey!" Zone grunted as they wrestled across the floor, "You get to watch it all the time!"

"At least I watch it, sir! You just want to listen to scrambled porn!"

"I could make it come in!"

The two wrestled around only stopping when they heard mention of Esthar on the tele. Laguna had been killed by Odine 2 weeks ago...

The duo sprang up and told the White SeeD Leader who ordered a heading to Esthar. Zone buckled over and Watts complained that they wanted to go home, but the leader felt a great indebtedness to Laguna for taking care of Ellone.

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Squall unpacked the radio that he brought along despite Rinoa's wishes. He squatted down and set it up in the corner of the living room. Kaytsu had finished his exploration of the 4-roomed cabin and now walked over to his father, curiously watching his every move. When Squall finished tinkering with the radio, he rolled onto his back and picked up the little toddler. "Kay," he smiled and Kaytsu beamed back, "we are going to have so much fun here. We'll sled everyday... and go fishing, and hiking... All that good stuff."

Squall bounced him around and Rinoa smiled as she watched from the kitchen. Then she retuned to unpacking the pots and pans.

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Well there you have it. That's the set up. I know Rinoa is still Rinoa after 10 chaptyrs, but let me tell you, or should I say warn you, things are going to come to a close pretty soon. This is the calm before the storm. And what a storm Kheheheh.