Episode 02: Legacy
Reno let himself out of the Seventh Heaven via a secret passage he was used to taking before he became a Turk, when ever he got in trouble with the hutts. The passage led him to the spaceship docks.
Reno looked at the ship that had brought him and the cadets to Tatooine. He was leaving the cadets there, if the Chancellor wanted them back, he could send a ship for them. Or the cadets would eventually figure out a way to get off Tatooine. "Are you sure this thing won't fall apart?"
Cid was tempted to throw a wrench at Reno, but he refrained from doing so. "Of course not! This is the Millennium Falcon, the legendary ship that once belonged to-"
"Han Solo, I know," that convinced Reno to trust the ship every time. He knew it was falling apart, but he couldn't help it but to occasionally share Cid's fascination with the ship. The only time Reno stayed awake during history class in elementary school, was during the tales of Han Solo when they studied the history of the fall of the empire. He had also read every Han Solo comic ever made.
"I take it you're ditching your cadets again, senator." Cid only called Reno senator because he knew the redhead hated it.
"I really want to test my light saber on you," Reno grumbled as he boarded the ship, implying a positive response to Cid's question.
"Just try it kid," Cid knew Reno didn't like to be called kid either. "I'm surprised you keep that old light saber, I thought you'd use a blaster like your favorite comic book hero."
"Solo was real!" Han had died of old age before any of them were born and Reno knew that Cid knew that, but what the pilot was implying was that the stories in most of the comic books were fiction. "I like light sabers and close combat." Reno sat at the co-pilot's seat, where Chewbaka would have sat years ago. "You really have to clean this ship, I get wookie hair all over every time I sit here."
"I'm telling you, it'll ruin the legacy," Cid sat at the pilot's seat and started up the engine. Cid always worked on the Millennium Falcon and Reno wasn't sure if he was trying to improve the old ship, or simply keep it from falling apart.
"Mustafar," Reno decided it was best to head straight there.
"It's a good thing I got the AC fixed," the Millennium Falcon took off leaving, Tatooine behind. A little further, they a made a jump to light speed.
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Mustafar as a volcanic planet, covered almost entirely in lava, the Millennium Falcon landed, in a platform above the lava. A little anti-gravity flag protected by a force field, floated over the spot where the epic duel between Anakin Skywalker, who had already become Darth Vader, and Obi Wan Kenobi had ended, as a landmark. A group of tourists wearing black armor and fake respirator masks, were squealing and cheering, pointing at the spot. The same group continued their happy squeals when they saw what they thought to be a very realistic replica of the Millennium Falcon near by.
"I don't want to know what they'll do to my ship if they figure out it's the real Millennium Falcon," Cid watched the tourists with distrust. "I'll wait up in the atmosphere; give me a call when you're done."
"Sure," Reno exited the ship, calling back to Cid one last time. "I'm not even sure what I'm looking for," indicating that it might take a while.
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Reno walked around the gift shops and considered forcing his way past security, but he decided against it, they wouldn't provide a challenge anyway. After showing his ID as a Turk and thus a member of the senate, he was offered a tour, which he refused. "I'll look around by myself," thus he made certain to lose the employees and sneak off to the basement.
Supposedly, the tourist attractions were built on top of the ruins of an old base, rumored to have been also used as a research laboratory. If the lost son of Grimore really was in Mustafar, Reno could think of no other place where he would be.
Reno made his way to the deepest basement, then stomped on the metal floor until it sounded differently, hollow. He then used his light saber to cut a hole on the floor and jumped down. He had indeed arrived at the ruins of an old laboratory, but the place was in bad shape. Even so, Reno explored.
Deep inside the deserted laboratory, Reno saw a man dressed similarly to him, though more formal, with a tie included. Turning around quickly, his long black hair falling back perfectly into place, he had his blaster aimed at the unexpected visitor. The weapon was put away when the new arrival was recognized as an ally, "I see you found out about Grimore's long lost son," Tseng concluded.
"How did you know?" Reno curiously inquired.
"The information was obtained by Sephiroth from the hutts while he eliminated them and transmitted to me," Tseng tossed a small holographic communicator known as a PHS at Reno. "You forgot that, so I couldn't contact you, but I called the Seventh Heaven and left a message, I thought you would be there."
Reno had gone though the trouble of finding information only to realize it had already been found. "I guess Tifa thought it was in her best interest not to give me the message, or rather, not to tell me it was from you. No one wonder she sounded so sure when she gave me the message."
Tseng looked at Reno curiously, "it was encrypted."
"The people of Tatooine are tricky," Reno replied, "so what exactly do we need to watch out for?"
"A coffin, containing a man frozen in carbonate," Tseng informed.
Reno nodded, "got it." The two men went further down into the structure, the heat was nearly unbearable. "It's hard to believe that anything could stay frozen down here." Yet they found a coffin, just as the rumors said, and opened it. Reno poked at the silvery block inside it, the man's expression frozen. "He looks like he was upset," it should come as no surprise; anyone about to be frozen against their will would be upset.
"Take him to the secret base at the Alderaan asteroid field and wake him up, you know what to do next. I will return to Coruscant," Tseng decided. "There's been a lot of political activity in the capital and this will bring a lot more."
"No problem," Reno would continue with his mission, to gain Vincent Valentine's vote or terminate his life if he refused to join their side.
"Take your time negotiating with him," Tseng gave the frozen man one last glance before leaving.
"Great," Reno spoke to Vincent after Tseng left, even if he knew the other man could not hear in his frozen state. "Now I'm going to have to drag your coffin all the way out of here." He wasn't doing it by himself, Reno called Cid on his newly recovered PHS, Phone Hologram System. "I found Valentine; I need some droids down here, strong droids."
The little blue-ish hologram of Cid replied, "I'll send in some droids," and with an amused laugh he added, "you look like you're being cooked alive."
"I am, so make it quick," Reno shut off the communication device and hoped he wouldn't pass out from the extreme heat before the droids arrived to carry Vincent to the Millennium Falcon.
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Later, the Millennium Falcon arrived at the secret base in the Alderaan asteroid field. Cid stayed with the ship, working on it as he always did, and Reno followed the droid who carried Vincent to the medical facilities.
Vincent was being prepared to be woken up from his long sleep, while Ramuh watched the entire procedure, ready to start one his tales any time. "Back in the days when Luke Skywalker was still alive and I was just a little kid, people said the new Jedi order would last forever and the Sith would never return."
"But they both became extinct," Reno finished.
"Yes, that's what we keep telling ourselves to avoid thinking of another war. There were a lot of difficult times back then, always wondering when your home planet would get blown up with you still on it, remember?" Ramuh recalled.
"No I don't, grandpa," Reno replied, "I wasn't even born, so I can't remember."
"Details, details!" Ramuh shook his head. "You don't have enough vitamins in you, Reno. That's why you're so low on midiclorians." Ramuh's logic was a little odd, but he did have a good deal of highly evolved midiclorians, so he was kept around, even if he was ancient. The way he could call up the power of the Force to create electricity was amazing. It was an ability Reno could copy, only if he was aided by technology, but his grandfather was convinced that if he simply ate his vegetables like his was told, the sleeping midiclorians he claimed Reno had, would miraculously awaken.
Reno didn't think vegetables would do any good. "Let's just unfreeze this guy and get it done." The mechanism attached to the block of carbonate was, as expected, not functional, however the block was placed onto a larger machine and the carbonate was easily melted, the mysterious Vincent Valentine falling forward flat on his face.
"What that supposed to happen?" Ramuh was obviously teasing his grandson about forgetting that a man who had been frozen for so long, couldn't possibly stand up right after being freed, as if nothing ever happened.
Reno grumbled and ordered some clones, "pick him up and heal him."
They were Sephiroth clones, though for an unknown reason, they all turned out looking different and none looked exactly like the original, though they all had silver hair. It was as if the original simply couldn't be copied to perfection. The clones were genetically modified to be submissive and obedient but fierce against the enemy, save from three of them who were special. The regular clones did nothing of their own initiative and none of them had been ordered to catch Vincent Valentine when he fell.
"I only require assistance in freezing myself again. I have failed and must sleep to atone for it." Even shaking from the after effects of being frozen, Vincent had a strong precense. He could be useful should he be persuaded to join Shinra's side in the senate.
"Can you see?" Reno knew being frozen affected the eyes, though not permanently, but Vincent was frozen for a long time.
"No, only a red blur," Vincent replied.
"At least you're easy to find," Ramuh joked, Reno's hair did stand out against the dull gray background.
"Better than seeing nothing," Reno decided to ignore the comment about his hair and help Vincent, though his assistance was not directed towards helping him go back to sleep. "Put these on for a moment," Reno took off his goggles and put them on Vincent. The redhead pressed a tiny, nearly invisible switch on the side and the goggle's mechanism activated. Not only did they protect the eyes, but they also healed though high tech instant laser treatment. But mostly Reno just wore them on his forehead because they looked cool. "Is that better?"
Vincent took off the goggles and handed back to Reno, "yes, I can see clearly now."
"The rain is gone!" A clone suddenly came rushing over to give Reno the news. "Sir, we have received reports that the storm that has been over Kamino for the century has finally dissipated. The Kaminoans see it as a bad omen and wish to make sure the negotiations with the Supreme Chancellor still stand."
"Oh yeah, I had to deal with Kamino last time, but that was before the rookie joined, give that message to Elena, she has Kamino now," Reno replied.
"Yes sir!" The cadet ran off to relay the message.
"I wonder how Rude is doing on Naboo..." Reno hoped things went well, only Rude had enough patience to deal with the Gungans.
"Excuse me, I do not wish to interrupt but I wish to return to my slumber now," Vincent wasn't sure what was happening, but acted as if it was none of his business.
"Join us," Reno requested, "whatever it is you need help with, I'm sure the Supreme Chancellor will help you."
"Nobody can help me, I must atone," Vincent refused.
"I don't think you'll be doing much by sleeping," Reno reasoned.
"Listen here young man," Ramuh waved his hand in front of Vincent, "you do not need to go back to sleep."
"Yes I do," Vincent insisted.
"You will help the Supreme Chancellor," Ramuh repeated the action.
"I have no interest in participating in the council," Vincent insisted.
"A strong one," Ramuh laughed, "it's hard to believe someone as strong willed as you would run away.
Reno's PHS rang and he answered it, a hologram of Tseng appeared, "Reno, this is a private transmission."
"Be right back," Reno left to a private room, to hear the news from Tseng. "Okay, you can tell me now."
"After Sephiroth sent his report he took some time off and was spotted heading to Dagobah," Tseng revealed
"It's about time he took a vacation," Reno found nothing unusual about it at first, until he remembered what kind of planet Dagobah was. The place was famous for being the hideout of Master Joda for many years and the training place of Master Luke Skywalker. However, the planet's stubborn swamps and creepy caverns, kept it from being turned into a tourist attraction. "Why would anyone go there?"
"That's what we need to know. I'm sure General Ramuh can continue the negotiations with Valentine in your place. I need to remain in Coruscant for the time being, Rude is still in Naboo and Elena is on her way to Kamino. Reno, you need to investigate what Sephiroth could be doing in Dagobah without being discovered."
To be Continued
Disclaimer, I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Star Wars.
