A/N: Those of you who read this chap before may notice it's been reloaded and slightly altered (mostly for the sake of continuity between this chap and the next).

Part 8 – Wind breaker

Galbadia's detention facility for political prisoners, the D-District Prison, was as hostile on the inside as it was on the outside. Situated in the middle of the Galbadian Desert, its three towers of detention blocks were surrounded by miles and miles of unforgiving, scorching sand. But the prisoners weren't much better off inside its walls.

Behind the desk that made up his make-shift office in this place, Sir Seifer Almasy mentally went over his 'things to do' list. There were more items on it than a child's birthday wish list, and it made him all the happier to know that his old posse had come all the way out here to find him.

Fuujin and Raijin, his friends and 'posse' from Garden, were also SeeD cadets, but had abandoned Garden and come to their friend's aid. And the fact that neither had even taken a SeeD exam yet had helped him to convince Sorceress Edea that their loyalty lay with him and not Garden. His Lady had allowed their presence, albeit reluctantly.

It felt good to have back-up from people he knew so well, and who he trusted with his life. They had always stood by him, no matter the trouble it got them into, and it seemed that his newfound Knighthood was no different. Their loyalty was as heart-warming as it was heartbreaking, since he'd never told anyone the true nature of his plans, not even them. Still, they trusted him blindly, and he them.

But it also meant there were another two people for who he was personally responsible. Another two people he cared about and who he wanted to see through these events unscathed.

It made it all the harder for him to complete the execution of his latest orders.

He scanned the document in front of him. He'd started making preparations, but those were now at a point where he'd stalled them with the excuse of 'waiting for the opportune moment'. All there was left for him to do was give the right order to the right officer, and his Lady's wishes were fulfilled. But his lady's desires were unorthodox at best. 'Murderous' was a better word to describe them and that didn't exactly inspire him to give her what she wanted, regardless of the penalties he'd face if he'd refuse to see this through…

Then the door opened. Fuujin strode in, stood to attention before him and announced the completion of the tasks he'd entrusted her: getting Squall to spill information on the SeeD's plans, without damaging him more than necessary.

"CONFESSION," she simply declared.

Seifer looked from his work, taking a split second to place her cryptic message. "Did he now?" he finally said with half-hearted sarcasm. "Was it any good?"

"NEGATIVE."

He leaned back in his chair. "You've got me curious now, Fuu."

She raised her brows, but still proceeded to recite their prisoner's confession. In her own way, of course.

"GROW FLOWERS. WEAKEN PEOPLE. TAKE OVER."

He blinked a few times, working it out in his mind.

"Let me get this straight. Leonheart wants to grow flowers?"

"NEGATIVE. SEED."

"Okay, so SeeD wants to grow flowers. And then weaken people?"

"AFFIRMATIVE."

"With the flowers."

"AFFIRMATIVE."

He smirked despite himself. "And then they want to take over. The world, I presume?" he chuckled, raising his brow incredulously.

"AFFIRMATIVE."

His chuckles exploded in to roaring laughter, which despite its mirth lasted only a few seconds. "Priceless! I had no idea Leonheart actually had a sense of humour." He grinned, but it faded almost immediately again. "But you're right: his confession is absolutely worthless. I've got no idea what SeeD was truly intended for, but I'm pretty sure this is not it."

Fuujin smirked back at him in obvious agreement, but straightened her face when his grew darker.

"And that means that either he is tougher than I expected, or he simply knows nothing."

"OTHER MEANS?" she suggested. "BLADES?"

He shook his head. "Already considered that. Sorceress Edea insisted on red hot irons or other things that inflict more permanent damage, too, but I convinced her that he can't tell us anything anymore if he doesn't survive our methods of inquiry. No, I'm thinking more along the line of psychological pressure, but I haven't come up with anything that'll guarantee results. And she is getting impatient."

He'd be biting his lip if he'd allow himself to lose his composure. I've got to give her something soon, preferably before she decides to subject me to an inquiry of her own.

"FRIENDS?"

He looked at his comrade. At least she was trying to be helpful.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that," he answered, and silently discarded the option immediately. I'm not going to kill any of them if not for a very good reason. That was his heart speaking, but not without a very solid rational reason to back it up:

"The problem is that they are all SeeD," he explained. "They all know the risk of being a mercenary. I'm not sure if threatening to harm or kill their friends would have the desired effect."

The silver-haired girl nodded, but when no further response on his part came, she cocked her head and gave him a long, serious look.

"I'd expected you be enjoying this more, having Leonheart at your mercy like this," she finally said.

Now Fuujin always spoke loudly and in as few words as possible, that was true. The grapevine in Garden had it that she couldn't talk properly. Reality was that she could, but chose not to for reasons she wouldn't disclose, not even to her posse. But she did grant them the privilege of normal speech, usually as an invitation for a more in-depth conversation. Seifer gave her a faint smirk to acknowledge her words as such.

"My goal has always been to best him in battle, Fuu. Not electrocute him."

She raised her brows. "Then why torture him in the first place?"

Seifer got to his feet. "Because Sorceress Edea is very… persuasive in her arguments," he answered. "And she wants to hear what he knows about the plans plotted against her, as well as the true intentions of SeeD."

"Then why let the sharpshooter go? And that girl, too? They might have useful information. Or at least function as a lever to get Squall to talk." She eyed him intently when he only looked away. "Is it because she's your girlfriend?"

The statement drew a chuckle from him. "Hardly. Bedding a girl doesn't automatically make her my girlfriend. No, it's because her father's a Galbadian general who we'd like to keep on our side."

"And the cowboy sharpshooter?"

"Also politics. The cowboy's a Galbadian as well. Besides, the Heartilly girl needed an escort."

"Then why not send one or two soldiers with her. We've got plenty of them." Her silver brows knitted when gritting teeth were his only reply. "It doesn't sound very convincing, Seifer. Something's up and you're not telling us."

Angered by her questioning him on things he couldn't give her a satisfactory answer to, he slammed his fist on the table.

"I know what I'm doing, Fuujin," he hissed. "I know Edea wants the SeeD dead, but we can't kill them now. Not just yet."

"Why not?"

"Because…"

He was interrupted by a guard bursting into the room.

"Sir! The SeeD prisoners have broken out and are trying to escape the facility, sir!"

Seifer narrowed his eyes and forced himself to keep a straight face, pleased to find that the SeeD did exactly as he had anticipated.

"Sound the alert," he ordered the guard. "And stop them!"

The guard saluted and sprinted out the door. Fuujin made ready to follow him.

"You stay here!" Seifer commanded her before she could leave. "The guards can handle this."

She turned around and frowned at him. "These are SeeD, Seifer, not the average street rats! The guards'll need all the help they can get to stop them!"

"You'll do no such thing!" he hollered, and she froze, shocked at his outburst. She had seen him act this way before, of course. He had a reputation for it. But until now, she had never been at the receiving end of his fury.

He noticed her reaction, but only his eyes mellowed a fraction. "If they're strong enough to fight their way out of this place," he told her, more quietly now, "Then we'll let them."

She gave him an incredulous look. "What? And what about the Sorceress' anger you're so afraid of?"

"She'll only take it out on me. And in this case I'm willing to risk it."

He picked up the paper with his new orders and handed it to Fuujin. Her single eye glued to the lines written on it, she didn't even start when without prior warning, the prison's siren started wailing. When she had read the document twice, she looked up at him, her face showing true, wordless horror.

He gave her a compassionate look as he took the paper back. "Like I said, Fuu. We can't kill them just yet. Let them escape if they can. This," he tapped the paper, "is not something I want to take responsibility for. But I can't disobey her. And that leaves Squall and his SeeD as our only hope of preventing this massacre from taking place."

And we go straight on!