Chapter 2

An Unlikely Army

Thalassa Dincht, recently nominated Captain of White SeeD, was leading an unusual but considerable army from the ruins of Centra City. A great battle had just been fought there, and its veterans followed in a trailing formation behind.

Forty White SeeDs, the elites having suffered only minimal losses, largely in part to the unusual creatures hopping around in their midst. These were the cactuars, who had joined forces with them at their island home off the Kakashbald, lending Edea's SeeD surprising strength and impressive agility. Tonberries, with their knives and lanterns in webbed hands, their golden eyes seemingly vacant as they lumbered forward. The Tonberry King and Jumbo Cactuar remained free Guardian Forces, and they were leading their races. Jumbo tottered sidelong, the way all cactuars seemed to move, towering so high he could be seen far across the plains.

Yet the bulk of this army was made up of undead soldiers. Ancient Centran hoplites who were also veterans of a much more pivotal battle, having been part of the fracture of the Centran empire two millenniums before; the fallen followers of Zefer. They were skeletons, to put it bluntly, the remaining shreds of flesh long since fallen from their once robust bodies. Most were male, but a considerable number of them had been female, too. Masters with the spear and the short sword, their phalanxes unwavering. Those round iron shields had rarely left their off-hands over the centuries. Unlike their bodies, their weapons were in excellent condition, as they had little more to do than tend to their armoury and patrol what had once been their capital city.

The wraiths required neither sleep nor sustenance. Even the Mother of all Lunar Cries – obliterating the thriving kingdom that had risen from the old empire's ashes – had not stopped them. They had defended their Necropolis from the Lunarians as indifferently as they had done so whenever the skies over Centra had reddened. These hoplites were now finally free to die, as the awakened Griever had lifted Sorceress Adel's curse from them the previous day. Yet the Allies had been impressed with their fortitude at the Battle of the Necropolis, and Griever asked the wraiths to delay their journey to the Netherworld long enough to see Ultimecia's downfall. Their own captain - identifiable by his uniquely crested helm - had obliged, and now two thousand of them followed the Daughter of the Armageddon Fist, to free their homeland from Adel's heir.

Walking beside Thalassa was her newfound lover from the future, Gerra Almasy, having been somewhat successful in his mission to prevent the present-day Ultimecia from achieving world domination. Gilgamesh walked behind the couple. Since the alien's acquisition of the Ultima Weapon, his other weapons had either been discarded or remained sheathed within his veiling scarlet cloak, save for the Yoichi greatbow behind his back.

One blade the outworlder had retained was a charcoal longsword with a cross guard in the motif of golden horns, called Ragnarok. Gilgamesh had found it exploring the ruins of Lenown, the Lost Kingdom's old capital. By rights it belonged to Steiner of House Christophe, the great-grandson of Adelbert, and Centra's last king. Of the royal bloodline, and now Thalassa's closest confidants with the fall of their elders, was Relm and Noctis. Relm's father, a former bandit who had once gained royal favour, was scouting above them on his black chocobo. This mercenary had previously identified himself as Shadow, though was currently aiding White SeeD as a freerider. His senior doberman had swiftly given his identity away, opting to remain on the ground with Relm.

Thalassa would give the order to make camp a day's march from the Necropolis. They were heading for Mysidia, rather than Palamecia, hoping to take the naval base before the grievously wounded colonial army could redeploy their forces or seek reinforcements from elsewhere in the Empire. Keeping a communications link open to Squall, who had links to western satellite feeds from Battleship Island, they had learned the remainder of the colonial force had remained within their bases. It was predicted they would pool their forces at Mysidia to prevent the loss of the base. It was the naval base that was key, as much as Thalassa yearned to liberate the Centran mines. Steiner had painstakingly gathered tens of thousands of descendants from the Lost Kingdom across southern Centra, and was waiting for passage across the sea.

'We'll make camp here,' Thalassa said to Gerra, stopping suddenly.

He just nodded. She had tidied up his appearance before their journey to the Fire Cavern, and although he had been looking more like his thirty namedays, he was starting to look dishevelled and rugged again. His hair, beard and trench coat were marred with dirt and blood. Thalassa only looked marginally better herself, her White SeeD uniform painted brown and red after her late arrival to recent battle.

Word was passed down the line, one of the White SeeDs giving a horn signal to halt for the evening. The wraiths wordlessly deployed their entire number in a circle around them as they made camp. This would ensure that everyone else present could get a sufficient night's rest, as there was certainly more fighting to be done on the morrow.

'We're about twenty-five miles from Mysidia,' Shadow was saying to Thalassa. 'If you do your junction with the cactuars again, we can be there well before noon.'

'How will we get the tonberries there?' Gerra asked. 'They don't move as fast as the wraiths.'

Shadow shrugged. He had offered his sword to White SeeD for free, but Thalassa guessed that, as he returned to Reaper on the edge of the White SeeDs, his attitude was that speeding up the tonberries was not his problem. Interceptor remained with Relm.

'No ideas, Clyde?' Relm asked to his retreating back.

Shadow stiffened momentarily, but did not look back.

'I am not leaving those who aren't as agile behind!' Thalassa said unequivocally to her people.

Noctis stepped toward her. 'If the colonials beat us to Mysidia, we'll be looking at a siege, Captain.'

He might be a prince, but Noctis was still subordinate to Thalassa within White SeeD. It was perhaps to experience humility why Steiner had allowed his son - along with his niece, Relm - to join White SeeD in the first place. They had never once presumed to take a high ground among the crew, and the late Captain Kurin never would have allowed it. However, Thalassa was learning towards Relm on being her second-in-command.

'I know, Noct,' Thalassa replied patiently.

Noctis' closest friends were ever present, rarely leaving the prince without their company. The fair-haired Prompto, the spectacled Ignis and the hulking Gladiolus. Thalassa acknowledged nearly forty other White Berets angled in her direction.

'We've got the numbers,' Prompto said simply. 'We can take 'em!'

'A siege wouldn't be to the Governor's advantage,' Ignis pointed out, then boasted, 'We can breach any defences at Mysidia with our power!'

'Yeah,' Gladio agreed. 'Leviathan can flatten the whole town with his tsunamis. The tower, too!'

'That's unacceptable!' Thalassa said immediately. 'There's too many innocent colonists there, Gladio. The collateral damage would be too high, and we all know Matron would never forgive me for such an action! Leviathan may have to sit this one out. And, I stress again, we need that fleet! Pandemonium guides our sails, and he will be the key, if I can convince Fujin to fight once more.'

'Without her throwing arm?' Relm queried doubtfully.

'Fujin remains junctioned with Pandemonium,' Thalassa pointed out, 'and even without, her command of the wind element is on par with a deity's. I doubt her chakram would be any less accurate thrown with her off-hand.'

'What about the mines, Captain?' Relm asked. 'One of them lies just off our route.'

After Matron's death, Thalassa had oft fantasised about freeing her fellow orphans from the mines. She was unaware the mine were no longer staffed with children taken into slavery. Regardless, it pained her greatly to allow anyone to remain in those hellholes for another day.

'You know how much I wish to free those children, Relm,' Thalassa responded sadly. 'But we can't take hundreds of crippled children with us to a potential siege. We'll take Mysidia. Then, with Steiner's numbers, we'll take all the mines on the way to Palamecia.'

No one objected. She had only been Captain for a day, and they had all unanimously voted for her to take the reins from Kurin. Even those trusted few remaining on the White SeeD Ship had messaged Thalassa their votes of confidence since. As had Fujin and Ellone. She had been endorsed by the remaining Children of Fate, too. There was no question of her disappointing in her newfound position.

'Get some rest, everyone!' she ordered. 'I want immediate shuteye! We've got a long day tomorrow!'

'Yes, Captain!' Edea's SeeD replied in unison.

To Thalassa's displeasure, the White SeeDs were woken by a commotion in the early hours of the morning. As the wraiths could not speak, the ones at the near side of the circle repeatedly smacked their spears against their shields. This was in response to numerous shouts and haphazard gunfire to the southeast.

'What's happening!' Noctis exasperated. 'Is it the Esthari?'

'It can't be!' Thalassa replied. 'Squall would have warned me if they were anywhere near us!'

She started summoning Leviathan. Ocean-blue orbs surrounded her, making Noctis' quartet step back a few paces. The Demon of the Deep took form above her, lowering his tail so that Thalassa could climb unto him.

'Come on, Gerra!' she said, gesturing for her lover to join her.

A sudden apparition of Phoenix's wings, composed of golden fire, unfurled from Gerra's onyx trench coat. He swiftly rose and gained purchase on Leviathan's shield-sized scales, unsheathing Maralith.

'I sense no malice from these intruders!' Leviathan said, with his low rumble. 'I fear this a misunderstanding! We must make haste!'

Within seconds, Thalassa was soaring over a sea of dimmed tonberry lanterns to the defensive circle. Plasma fire tore into the wraith phalanx from some distance away, and some of the undead had fallen, lacking the artificial forcefields that protected modern-day soldiers from gunfire. Yet so too did the assailants, it appeared, many of whom had been gutted by frighteningly accurate spear throws. They were backing into the night, covering their front lines all the while.

To immediately prevent any more casualties, Leviathan launched nonlethal spheres of energy from his maw. These wavered into water as they flew, and he fired several of these balls into the retreating formation. When the assailants realised it was Leviathan, many of them gave audible cries of fear and bolted, their retreat becoming haphazard. The wraiths regrouped and ran in pursuit, but Leviathan's commanding voice rang out.

'Do not follow!'

The GF advanced, now flying in an arc. His simmering form glowed in the night, and Thalassa now saw the fleeing assailants in their entirety. This force numbered less than half the wraiths', and the bulk of it was stationary. She could also see that only those who had advanced near the camp had weapons.

'Who are they?' Gerra wondered aloud.

Leviathan halted some distance above this force but had become a large target for the retreating gunners. The plasma rifles lacked long range, their thin green and purple rays stuttering out after a hundred metres. The pistols had only half that effective range.

'Hold your fire!' Leviathan's voice travelled far and wide. 'I am a now a free Guardian Force, junctioned with the Daughter of the Armageddon Fist! I was freed in Galbadia!'

Suddenly, Thalassa understood. These were not Esthari, nor Centrans. They must be from the mines.

Leviathan patiently repeated himself a couple of times, and the gunfire finally ceased. He cautiously careened toward the ground. The gigantic GF lowered almost to the plain, allowing Thalassa and Gerra to slide off. The White SeeD Captain glowed that ocean-blue as Leviathan returned to her. After a minute or two, the silhouettes of four individuals approached them warily, their hands in the air. They were not children, nor were they stunted. They seemed to be fit and carried themselves well, even awkwardly holding their hands to the sky as they were.

'What the hell's going on?' a tall man among them demanded, his hair shaven and his features square as he got closer. His accent sounded Galbadian. 'We saw the Wraiths of Zefer and thought we'd stumbled upon the Necropolis! They advanced and we opened fire! When we saw Leviathan, we assumed that Praetorian Reinhardt had been dispatched to the Province!'

'I'm truly sorry for the misunderstanding,' Thalassa said earnestly. 'The wraiths are our allies and were merely guarding our camp. Leviathan answers to Reinhardt no longer, nor Ultimecia.'

'Who?' the woman next to him questioned, also shaven headed, as was everyone who Thalassa could see.

'Sorceress Reina, the Empress of Esthar,' Thalassa clarified. 'She goes by a different name, now.'

'Ultimecia,' the Galbadian man tested, then added thoughtfully, 'I've heard that name before! I remember some soldiers talking about her, at the capital, during the last war. Something about Seifer Almasy being in league with Ultimecia after Edea's defeat.'

'You're the daughter of Zell Dincht?' the woman enquired, now saying enough for Thalassa to pinpoint a distinct Timberian accent. 'Of course, you are! I remember you from Redwood! But wait, you were junctioned with Carbuncle before!'

'I was,' Thalassa responded carefully. 'Sadly, Carbuncle has been lost to the Empire.'

'Who is with you?' another man demanded.

Many had their eyes on Thalassa's Riptide gunblade, but they were also regarding the equally impressive Maralith, which was glowing a brilliant amber in Gerra's gloved hand.

'My name is Gerra,' he offered. 'I defected from the Empire some time ago and have been offered shelter with White SeeD. I also command the power of Ifrit.'

Thalassa thought it wise Gerra kept Phoenix close to his chest, as well as his true origins. He was one of only three to ever emerge from the magma of the Fire Cavern, and these men and women already had enough new information to process, if they were whom she believed they were.

'Ifrit?' the same man pressed. 'How? He's been with Edea's Bloodhound since before the last war!'

'Seifer Almasy is dead,' Gerra said bluntly, causing gasps and much whispering. After a moment, Gerra added, 'He died defending Galbadia City.'

Thalassa cut in. 'You're all POWs, aren't you?' she asked. 'From the Timber invasion? Or maybe even the Great Plains? You've escaped from the mines.'

'Escaped?' the first Galbadian spat. 'They started gunning us down when we were working! Hundreds died, and we had no choice but to rush the sentries. We took them all out in the end, but at a heavy cost!'

'How many children are with you?' Thalassa wondered.

'Children?' the Timberian woman asked. 'There are no children at the mines anymore, thank Hyne! It all changed under the new Governor. The kids got patriated to Esthar two years ago; anyone who was younger than fifteen.'

Thalassa allowed her mouth to part a fraction. 'Is that so?'

'Yeah,' the fourth among them conceded; he was short but thickset. 'The Governor visits the mines, every now and again. Chrysanthe. She gave us proper working rights and promised us we can go home after the war. If we behaved.'

'Chrysanthe can't have given the order to kill!' the Timberian women said certainly. 'It must have been that bitch, Gorgo!'

'We weren't even sure where to go from here,' the tall Galbadian mentioned. 'We've got too many wounded to be crossing the plains for long. Less than a third of us have weapons, even less have shields. We were hoping to take another mine, grow our numbers. What else can we do?'

Behind Thalassa, the wraith army had advanced to within spear throwing distance. The Tonberry lanterns, now fully lit, spoke of the assembly of the roused green dwarfs to the east. Cactuar squeaks were increasing in frequency. Some of the POWs started to back up.

'It's fine!' Thalassa assured them. 'They're all with us!'

'Tonberries?' the woman asked disbelievingly. 'And cactuars?'

Gerra could not resist a grin, which Thalassa knew came easier to him in light of recent victories.

'Hey, have we got a story for you people!' he said.

As it happened, the POWs were in even more dire straits than was anticipated. The same atrocity had occurred at every mine and at the inland munitions facility, resulting in the same uprising. There were half a dozen other beleaguered groups across the plains, transporting masses of wounded – many of which could not walk unaided. Only the group from the facility were sufficiently equipped. The other groups were unshielded from the air and could easily be pinpointed by Esthari satellites, and thus were open to drone and airship attacks.

Even though Thalassa had taken full advantage of Rinoa and Selphie's healing before their departure, the two Sorceresses had departed with Neo-SeeD. Her best white mage, Minwu, had died at the Necropolis. His own selected replacement, Ellone, was back on their ship. None of the POWs had access to para-magic, and Thalassa simply could not spare her crew's remaining white magic stocks before the coming battles.

The same problem was presented with the wraiths. At least fifty had been blown apart during the misunderstanding outside their camp. The ones who had lost limbs would no longer be effective in combat. And so, their own captain had given them leave to die. The similar number of POWs who had died from spear thrust or throw had been respectfully arrayed by the wraiths by way of apology. Then, Gerra summoned Ifrit to incinerate them all, as they lacked the tools or time for a burial.

Thalassa hoped that with the taking of Mysidia, she would be able to distribute more artificial shields among the wraiths. If they were invulnerable to gunfire, even for a short length of time, they would be nearly infallible in battle. But until then, the hoplites would have to be used carefully. As soon as the joint cremation was over, Thalassa got the coordinates for all five remaining pockets of POWs from Squall. Then, she tasked Shadow with rounding them all up, giving the sellsword some predetermined coordinates to implore the POWs to head to.

There was a small colonial town named Cornelia twenty miles east, with only a token Esthari garrison, and with a sizeable hospital. The able-bodied POWs could easily take Cornelia, and Thalassa would attempt to get Ellone there as soon as she and Steiner had control of the colonial fleet. Thalassa would temporarily unjunction from Leviathan so that he could patrol the skies, warding off any possible harassment of the POWs from the air.

For now, she implored the Unlikely Army to resume its much-needed rest. She was still hoping to reach Mysidia before noon.