You know, something just occured to me. I never added a disclaimer to this story yet. Oh well. Why start now? Anyway, sorry to those of you who reviewed and how long it took for me to reply. For some reason fanfiction didn't send them to my e-mail. Only got them today. Hopefully my replys made it out. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter and the ending is just about done! Gin
13:05 Air above Bevelle
"Ok, everyone listen up! We land in 15 so be ready." Rikku took charge of the mission. They had to come home safely. She would never forgive herself if they didn't. "Whatever you do, keep moving. Do not stay in one place for more then a minute!"
Three voices answered her. "Yes, ma'am!"
Rikku took one last glance at the small group she had chosen. For one quick second, she began to have doubts. Would they be able to pull this off? Would they be able to make it out alive? What if he didn't want to come? The last question scared her most of all. She didn't even know why she cared at all. He was the enemy, a general and leader of those who held no mercy for her people.
She suppressed all those fears and more. This was war and it held no time for thoughts such as those. Tidus saw the flashes in her swirled eyes, but said nothing. He would support his Captain as well as he was able. If that meant he would have to carry her out himself later, then so be it. Her life came first. He knew what he was getting into when he joined.
He then looked around to the other two members of his team. They were the best in what they did too. This should go smoothly, but he forced himself to dwell on the negative. It meant if something went wrong, you could be prepared for it.
The transport landed quietly. The four of them snuck out and into the city. Getting to the main building without being seen would be the easy part. Getting inside the main building without being seen, that was going to be more difficult. They arrived as expected, no one had seen them yet.
"Ok, Linna, Keyako, you're on." Rikku whispered to them.
They nodded in understanding and moved in. Tidus watched as they took out three guards before entering the complex. They would stay back until they received the signal.
It was a tense twenty minutes as they waited in silence. Finally the signal came.
"Captain, this is Keyako. Linna has almost finished with the transmission block. We will be out of contact in...five, four, three, two." Then the signal died.
"That's our cue. Let's go Lieutenant."
The two blonds snuck in much the same way as the first two did. The path would be clear of any obstacles until they veered from that path. Rikku made sure to memorize the floor plans her brother had somehow managed to intercept for her. She didn't ask questions where he got them from, only thankful he did.
Using one gloved hand, she signaled where they would be parting from their comrades. They met in the middle of an intersection as she commanded them to head back. With practiced ease they made their way to the transport ready for when the officers came back with the rescuee.
Tidus nodded he was ready when she glanced at him. One hand hovered over his weapon as he held a grenade in his left. They moved through the halls without a sound, dismantling alarms as they came across them. At one point they almost got caught when three men came walking toward them. Luckily they turned just before they came to the invaders. They both let out a silent sigh of relief at having escaped detection.
Rikku found the flight of stairs needed and pointed down twice to indicate they were still two floor above where they needed to be. Tidus nodded in understanding and took the lead. He was to offer cover so that Rikku would be able to make it to her target and convince him to come along.
They paused in their tracks as they heard footsteps coming closer to their path. Rikku froze before nodding to her Lieutenant. There was only one set meaning they were alone. If that was true, then they would be able to get around much more easily with a hostage if trouble were to arrive.
Tidus stood around the corner waiting until they came closer. As soon as the person came into view, he reached out his hand and covered her mouth so she was unable to shout. Just as quickly though, he released her. "Yuna?" He whispered.
"You!" She exclaimed when she saw who it was that had attacked her. "You came. I knew you would." Her face broke out into a smile before disappearing. "We have a problem. They know someone is in the building. But because the alarms are down, they can't sent for reinforcements. That's the good news." She noted when the officers gave her odd looks. "The bad news is Sir Auron has been moved. He is no longer being held in the containment cells. Major General Seymour has requested that he be held upstairs inside the courtroom. I think he's expecting you."
"Then we won't let him down." Tidus stated in Spiran.
Yuna glanced at him in shock. "You do speak Spiran!"
"Yeah we both do. Can we save it for another time perhaps?" Rikku interrupted. "We have a life to save."
Tidus agreed before turning to the Bevelle healer. "Right. Yuna, will you come with us? Help us know where to go?"
"I, I guess so. Yes, I will do it. Auron took care of me. It's time I returned the favor."
Rikku punched one fist into the air. "Right-O. Let's go then." She pointed to Tidus to go next as she took the rear. He understood the sign that she wanted him to take care of Yuna. Not that he was going to argue that order.
The three of them moved silently down the halls as Yuna used a key card to get into high security areas. Rikku couldn't help but to be amazed at the technology the city possessed. Most of this was forbidden, yet it was used freely here. No wonder the higher authority here held so much power. They prohibited the people from this so they could use it for themselves. Well as soon as they got out of here, she was going to speak up about this.
"This is it." Yuna noted with some apprehension in her voice. They had arrived at the designated floor.
"Thank you, Yuna." Rikku said before turning to Tidus. "Lieutenant"
He quickly saluted to await what she was going to say.
"Take her and get out of here. She will be considered as much a traitor as him if she stays." She glanced at the sun outside. "We still have about a half hour of signal blackout. That should give you enough time to make it back to the transport." She began to branch off from them waiting for them to move away.
"Captain, you can't be serious." Tidus tried to protest. "He will kill you for sure. There is no way you could possibly hope to defeat him by yourself. Let me come with you. I can help." He pleaded.
Yuna could only look on. She didn't know either one of them well, but yet, she knew that if given the chance they could quickly become friends. She glanced to the girl again and noticed she was fighting tears. Her eyes were squeezed tightly together and she had a pained expression on her face.
"Do it! Just go! That's an order." She finally managed control over herself. "I will not risk your life for my own foolish plans."
Yuna moved forward first and wrapped her arms around the Captain. "You are a true friend. I will make sure he gets out of here safe." She reached into a side pocket and pulled out a small piece of plastic. "Take this. You may need it. It will give you access to any floor you want." She said before pulling away and slipping it into the Captain's hand.
Rikku looked down amazed. It was a key card, much like the one that was used to get them where they are now. "Thank you. I won't let you down. Now go, both of you, go."
"Take care Captain. We will see each other soon." Tidus said before saluting again and taking Yuna's hand before running.
Rikku watched them go. She was alone in this now. She prayed to any higher being listening that they would make it out safely. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves before swiping the card and opening the doors.
14:45 Bevelle Tower
"Do you think it was a good idea to leave her alone?" Yuna questioned once they had taken off.
"She will be fine. The Captain is trained for this." He answered as he pulled her along by her hand. If the situation wasn't so dire, he might have thought it to be romantic.
"Yes, but the Major General is not one to be taken lightly. He has power beyond your wildest dreams. Some say he dabbles in black magic." She tried to warn.
He stopped in his tracks, and Yuna had to compensate before she crashed into him. "Black magic?" He repeated. "We have to go back!"
"Yes, we must. I can help too." Yuna agreed.
Before they could go anywhere, alarms began going off around them "What's going on?" Tidus asked in a panic. "We were supposed to be in a signal block for another fifteen minutes."
"I don't know. They must have found a way around it!" Yuna shouted to be heard.
"Tyssed." He cursed. "Let's go. We have to get out of here now."
"But what about the Captain and Sir Auron?"
"We have no time. They will be upon us soon. We have to get out of here as quickly as possible." He pulled his transceiver from his side and turned it on. "Linna, Keyako, frana yna oui?" (Where are you)
It was a female voice that answered. It was full of static, but still able to be understood. "Fa ryt du suja. Saad ic yd dra tacekhydat cbud B." (We had to move. Meet us at the designated spot B.)
"Affirmative. Fryd rybbahat du dra cekhym pmulg? Ymynsc zicd cdyndat kuehk uvv. E druikrd fa ryt vevdaah suna sehidac." He asked anxious to know what happened. (What happened to the signal block? Alarms just started going off. I thought we had fifteen more minutes.)
"Cunno Mieadahyhd, drao sicd ryja ujannettah ed cusaruf. Yht fedruid kuehk pylg eh, E lyh'd tu ed ykyeh." She responded. (Sorry Lieutenant, they must have overridden it somehow. And without going back in, I can't do it again.)
"Hu, cdyo frana oui yna. Fa femm fung ynuiht ed. E femm ryja yhudran bancuh fedr sa. Dra Lybdyeh untanat ic uid. Cra femm lydlr ib fedr ic mydan." He commanded them. (No, stay where you are. We will work around it. I will have another person with me. The Captain ordered us out. She will catch up with us later.)
Yuna noticed the hurt on his face as he spoke. Whatever was said bothered him.
"Affirmative sir. Meet you there." Tidus turned off the receiver.
"Let's go." A shot was fired before he could move. The projectile missed his head by mere inches. "Check that, let's go now!" He grabbed Yuna's hand once more and pulled her along behind him. In his other hand he held his weapon ready to fire if anything got in his way.
14:50 Bevelle Tower/ Tenth floor
"You have finally arrived. I have been waiting." A blue haired man greeted Rikku as the doors opened. He wore the typical Bevellian military fatigues. Light in color, with bars on his sleeves indicating the rank he held. His blue hair was short with only one long stand that defied gravity hanging in front of his face. She should have been shocked to see him, yet was also expecting something like this.
"Who are you?" She questioned as she attempted to keep her voice even.
"I am Major General Seymour Guado. I assume you must be here for our General Auron, are you not?" He was smooth, too smooth she noted to herself. He gave a sly smile when she refused to answer. "Ah, yes. I can see it in your eyes. They burn with hatred for me. Tell me, why have you come here? He is your enemy, yet you seek to rescue him."
They stared at one another waiting for someone to make the first move. Seymour took it. "I see. What irony. You are the lowly Al Bhed whose life he saved on the battlefield. You think that by coming here, you can repay the debt you owe." The sly smile came back as he finished.
Rikku wondered how he seemed to know this about her. There was no way he could see all that just by looking in her eyes, could he?
Alarms began going off at that time. Rikku took her attention from him for a moment to gaze around in shock. This shouldn't be happening yet!
"It seems as you have less time then you thought. My men have found a workaround for your block. Shame it took so long though. I will have to speak to them about that." He moved closer to her as she took a step back. Too quickly she found herself against the doors. "Join us and I can grant you all that you desire and more." He whispered.
"Never. I came here for one thing, and one thing only." She rejected his offer. Just as she finished speaking her receiver came to life.
"Captain, are you alright? What is your status?" She could hear Yuna's voice crackle to life. In the back round she could make out Tidus asking her what was going on.
Just as she moved her hand onto it to reply, she was met with an electric shock.
"Tsk tsk." Seymour waved a finger in front of him. "Naughty Al Bhed. And Lady Yuna as well? What a pity. I had hoped to make her my wife some day. I suppose that would be impossible now."
Rikku reached into her pocket for the key card Yuna had given her. She had to get out of there and fast! She swiped the card quickly, but another bolt stopped the control panel from sending the signal. She screamed in surprise before jumping away.
"I thought you wanted to save Sir Auron. How can you possibly think of deserting him now?" Seymour taunted. He snapped his fingers once and right away a man dragged a beaten General into the room.
Rikku gasped. "Fryd dra ramm tet oui tu du res?" She shouted. (What the hell did you do to him?)
"I am appalled. How could you ever accuse me of such things. I never laid one finger on him." He laughed lightly at her. "Sargent Wedge!" He called to the man behind him.
"Sir?" Rikku knew this man. It was the same one who had captured her and Tidus. He was also the one who went with her and Auron when he took her to bathe at the oasis. Did that mean he was the one to turn on his General?
"I see you know of my Sargent. That is good. I had hoped you would. Now if you will excuse me, I have things I must attend to. I trust you two will get along, hmm?" Seymour gave her one last smirk before leaving the room.
Wedge grinned at her with murder in his eyes. "Now I will get the chance to do to you what I could not before."
"How could you?" She tried to ask. It came out harsh and ragged, but still intelligible.
"Easy. As soon as he lay his eye on you, I could see a weakness in him coming through. The more time he spent with you, I could see him getting weaker and weaker. He refused to kill any one of your kind. Refused to let us do it. I had to do something to stop it. It's a good thing I did too." He watched as her face changed to one of horror with the more he spoke. "Would you like to hear how his hearing went? Why he was found guilty?"
Rikku shook her head no, but she knew he was going to tell her anyway.
08:10 Bevelle Courtroom/ Trial of General Auron flashback
Sargent Wedge laughed mentally at the shock that quickly passed over his General's face. It was subdued soon enough. He took the stand with a smirk on his face.
Major General Seymour strolled up in front of him. "Sargent, we have heard the testimony of Lady Yuna. Would you care to give us more information about the General Auron?"
"Yes, Sir. What do you need to know?"
"Very good. How long have you known Sir Auron?" Seymour began.
"Since he became the General of our platoon about seven years ago."
"And during that time, has he ever shown signs of treason?"
"Only within the past two years."
"I see. And can you give us some examples of how he has shown this? Be detailed as possible please." He urged the man.
"At first it was little things. He would misinform men where bases were. Telling us to go south when we should have headed north. Then later saying that the map was wrong. Allowing Al Bhed to live without giving reason why. We would get the necessary information from them, and he wouldn't allow us to kill them afterward, lest they escape.
The most recent was when we captured the two officers. Instead of letting us question them as we should, he requested that the female be brought to him. No one questioned it at first thinking he wanted to have a little fun with her first. The male was given over into Lady Yuna's custody to do as she wished."
"Hmm, tell me more about what happened in the days following their capture."
Wedge continued aware that all eyes were on him. All except for a certain scarred general. "I brought the female to him as he requested. I was then assigned guard duty for failure to report in as we were in the process of bringing them to camp. I could hear her laugh as I left the tent, yet he did nothing to stop her. Allowed her to do as she pleased. She spoke back often to him, always in that language of hers though.
On the second day I went with them to a nearby oasis where he let her get cleaned off. Something none of the other captives never had the luxury of. They are scum and should be forced to live like that."
"Sergent Wedge, I advise you to keep your personal feelings aside for now." Mika spoke up. "We will deal with that issue later. For now please keep your story relevant to the matter at hand."
"My apologies, sir. As I was saying then, I went with them to the oasis. I was dismissed then, but I had hidden myself nearby because I had my suspicions. He did not know I was there. He turned his back to her as if giving her the chance to escape. Instead I watched as she stripped and stepped into the water. His eye roamed over her body for a moment after he turned, watching her as she moved through the water. I could see the lust in it as he watched. It was prevalent. Later, Lady Yuna showed up with fresh clothing for the woman. I saw them talk, but was unable to hear what was said. I took that opportunity to make my leave. I had seen and heard enough.
That was until later when we were moving camp. General Auron had taken the girl off by himself. By all appearances it looked as if he was going to punish her. Again I followed to watch. But instead of watching him punish her, I heard him confess that he would not fight for Bevelle any more. That he was giving up and running away."
Auron had kept an even face as Wedge spoke. He took everything in stride. How could he deny the truth after all? But in hearing that the newly promoted Sargent had been listening in on a private conversation made him angry. He narrowed his good eye in contempt.
15:05 Bevelle Tower/ Tenth floor present
Rikku could only gape in shock. This was the man responsible for what his General had gone through? She adjusted her gaze to the beaten man behind him. Auron lay in an ungraceful heap on the tile floor. She wanted to run to him, to try and heal him. She knew that somewhere in her pocket she held at least one potion. But Rikku had to get passed Wedge first.
"Let's play a little." Wedge sneered. "It's been a while since I've been able to feel the blood of a battle in my veins."
Rikku nodded as she dropped her weapons and took a fighting stance.
"I knew you wouldn't let me down." He raised his own fists and ran in at Rikku. She dodged and rolled to the side. "Tricky girl."
Rikku took her chance to run at him as he was distracted with teasing her. Her fist connected with his side, and she twisted her torso to punch him again on his other side. Typical Al Bhed taught fighting. Keep moving, and move in ways the enemy would not expect. Her feet followed soon enough and she was several feet from him. She ducked low and used her legs to push off as she raised her fist for his face. It connected and sent Wedge flying back into a wall. He slid to the floor and struggled to stand. Rikku watched as he rubbed the back of his head.
Now prepared for her fighting style, he smirked at her once again. "You got lucky little girl. My turn now"
Rikku's eyes grew large as she saw him rushing at her faster then she thought possible. Before she knew what happened, she could feel blood in her mouth. Yet he was not finished. Her side, back, and head was next. He picked her up by her neck and threw her into the witness stand where only hours before he himself had sat. The wood busted on contact as it buried the captain in rubble. Rikku coughed once trying to clear her throat of dust.
Seeing she was weak and near the end of her strength, Wedge moved closer. As he walked passed it, he picked up the weapon she had carried in. It would give him great satisfaction to kill her with the same weapon that had been used against Bevelle for so long. He stepped over the body of Auron as he continued to move closer.
Rikku watched in horror as he came closer and closer. There was no way to escape. If she moved he would just shoot her anyway. Consigned to her fate, she closed her eyes. Might as well go peaceably. Wedge lifted the rifle and aimed. The explosion that sounded was much louder then she remembered for the weapon. Rikku opened her eyes again to see what was going on. One wall was missing and Wedge was thrown against the opposite wall. Debris still hung in the air as an air transport unit hovered just outside. The only thing that had protected her from the blast was the fact she was on the ground and hidden behind the judges stand.
"Captain!" She could hear Tidus shout as he jumped across the rift that separated the transport from the building. "We have to get out of here. Where's the General?"
Rikku glanced around quickly. Where did he go? She saw a black boot sticking out from some rubble. "Over there!" She pointed to the location before struggling to stand.
"Linna, the ramp!" Tidus shouted into his receiver as Keyako stood on the edge of the doorway ready. As soon as it was lowered he ran across to help Tidus carry the injured captain and general to safety.
When everyone was on board, Linna closed the hatch and took off heading for home.
18:42 Al Bhed Home/ Infirmary
"Just what did you think you were doing?" Cid shouted when it was clear every one of the team members were fine. "This wasn't supposed to be some fool suicide mission!"
"And it wasn't!" Rikku cut in to defend herself. "We made it back safe, didn't we?" Truth was, she was was scared they would lose someone. But the higher beings must have smiled on her.
"And if it hadn't been for Keyako, you wouldn't have. Did you even think what would have happened to you if you would have lost?"
As soon as the fight broke out between father and daughter, everyone else wisely left the room. Cid was known for his quick tempers, and Rikku would be quick to defend herself and her friends. Auron lay on a sterile hospital bed not five feet away from the argument. Lucky for him, he was still unconscious.
"But we didn't. We went to save him, and that's what we did!" She shouted as she pointed to Auron's body. "It was either me or all of us. Which would you have rather had, Vydran?"
"Enough!" Cid roared. "You are on probation for your actions today. You are dismissed Captain." She was only supposed to get in, get out. She had risked her life, as well as the lives of those under her in the fact they had to save her from the tower.
Rikku stared at him for a moment, her mouth opening and closing a few times in silent rebuttal. Composing herself, she gave a crisp salute and fled the room.
Cid sighed as he watched her go. His back turned to the man on the bed. "I know you're awake. You might as well say what you're thinking." He said calmly.
"Very observant of you. They do not give you enough credit in Bevelle." Auron coughed as he tried to clear his throat of obstructions. Cid turned to face him. Auron was attempting to pull himself into a more comfortable sitting position.
"You saved her life, she saved yours. You are even now. I would advise you to stay away from her in the future now. One thing leads to another, and pretty soon you find yourself in a bigger mess then you can handle." Cid warned.
"She will be back. You and I both know that. She is stubborn," Auron paused before adding the next phrase. "Just like her father."
"Bold words for a Bevellian in Al Bhed territory." Cid noted.
Auron only grunted in response. Perhaps he was a bit too forward in saying that remark.
The bald man watched him for a moment more before turning to leave. He was nearly knocked over by Tidus as he did so.
"Oh! I'm sorry sir. I did not realize you were still here. Is it a bad time?" He rambled out.
"No. Kad fryd ehvunsydeuh uid uv res dryd oui lyh. Fa sekrd pa ypma du ica cusa uv ed mydan." Cid ordered the young Lieutenant before leaving. (Get what information out of him that you can. We might be able to use some of it later.)
"Yes, sir." He muttered back out of sheer habit. Tidus then turned to the Bevellian with a smile on his face. "You finally woke up, I see. Cid let you live, did he?"
"It would appear that way." Auron retorted. He was in no mood to talk right now. He had enough on his mind at the moment.
Tidus continued either immune or oblivious to the tone used. "You know, you're rather heavy. Took two of us to carry you here. But I think in the end, it was worth it. And you have Rikku to thank for it!" He beamed.
Auron's good eye narrowed. "Rikku?" He questioned silently.
Tidus scratched the back of his head. "Oops, hehe. Guess I shouldn't have said that. Well too late to worry about it now."
Auron had to wonder if he planned that or not. No one could be that naive. Could they? He let out a deep breath and dropped his head. "Where's Yuna?" He finally asked after some silence.
The boy brightened once again. "Oh don't worry about her. She's safe. I'll bring her down after she wakes up. I'm sure she would love to see you herself."
Down, so that meant that he was in the lower levels of the building. Auron put that information in the back of his mind for future use. If somehow things turned sour, he would need have a basic knowledge of the setup of the compound. Not that he feared that, but it was a thought that would stay with him for some time.
"Hey, you okay?" The blond was speaking again. Auron must have turned into his thoughts without knowing it.
"I am...fine. I think I need to rest more." He answered before any more questions could be asked. He lay back to signal that the conversation was over.
Unknown time/ Bevelle
"Dead, we will have to do something about this. I will not allow them to insult us like this. You have placed the tracker on him as asked?"
"It has been done. Sir, may I request leadership of this operation?"
"Might I ask why, Seymour?"
"Lady Yuna is with them as well. I would rather not see harm come to her if it can be prevented."
Mika nodded. "I understand now. You are still insisting to make her your wife then?"
"Of course. I would have no other. I will have nothing less then the best." Seymour stated hautily.
"Then perhaps it is time we get back what is ours."
Seymour smirked. He moved away from the Bevelle Army General and stood next to the gaping hole in the wall to overlook the city. "I agree sir. Our troops are ready and waiting."
Mika moved so he stood next to the younger man. "Very well. You are in command."
"Yes, sir." Seymour turned to leave.
"Just one more thing." Mika spoke before he was gone. "Our young captain, don't kill her right away. Let her live long enough to watch her people suffer. Then she may die."
"Affirmative sir."
Mika took one more glance at the city before stepping over the no longer living Sargent and leaving the room.
08:30 day five Bikanel Base
A knock sounded on her door waking her up from her sleep. Yuna sat up and opened the door to see what whoever her guest was, wanted. She was almost surprised to see the blond captain in front of her.
"Can, can I help you?" She asked nervously.
The two men stationed outside her door glanced between the woman watching for any signs of threat.
"Oui yna tecseccat." Rikku said quickly. She did not want any prying ears for what she wanted to ask about. (You are dismissed.)
Yuna watched as they saluted and left. She knew they were there not only for her protection, but also for the protection of the base. She was from Bevelle, she knew that if someone from Bikanel was brought in, they wouldn't trust them either. She moved away from the door and sat on her bed waiting for the other woman to speak.
"I want to know about your General." Rikku stated in clear Spiran.
Yuna blinked several times in surprise. This was not the same person she had met in camp, or who brought her from Bevelle. This was a war-hardened Captain who stood in front of her now. She stood wearing the standard tan fatigues, and black boots.
"What..do you want to know?" She asked cautiously. She held her breath as she waited for an answer.
"I need to know how loyal he is to Bevelle." There was no emotion to her. Her request sound dull and flat in her ears.
"I don't know anymore. I don't think he wants any part of them now, not that I know of. I think, I think they betrayed him. I was not there for all of his trial, but I could see how it crushed him to be there." Yuna winced as she stumbled over her words.
Rikku adverted her gaze to stare at the wall across from Yuna. Her father did not trust the man, but this was not enough information to prove he's innocent. She needed more. "He once told me he was ready to turn away from Bevelle. Tell me how I can know he was telling me the truth."
Yuna gulped. Whatever she said now could be used to make or break the man who raised her as his own daughter for ten years. She stared at the other woman as she thought about her answer.
"Because he, he would never lie to me. And at his trial he admitted to feelings of dissident with Bevelle." She hoped that would be enough.
It must have been, for the blond then relaxed and very nearly choked her as her arms wrapped around her neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can now tell Vydran." Something wet hit her shoulder and she had to pull back to see for sure.
"Are you...crying?"
"I'm just so relieved I can't help it. Now I can tell him he has nothing to fear."
"Then, I am..glad. Captain?"
"Call me Rikku." She interrupted.
"Alright, Rikku. Can I go see Auron now?"
"You betcha! He's resting now, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind some company."
The woman were just about to leave the room, when the whole building seemed to shake around them. A piece of ceiling came crashing to the floor behind them.
"What was that?" Yuna asked in the start of a panic.
"I don't know!" Rikku answered as she practically threw herself to the call button near the door. "Pnudran, fryd ec kuehk uh? Fryd'c rybbahehk?" (Brother, what is going on? What's happening?)
The response was staticky at best. "Fa..yddylg. Pajamma dnuubc..Vydran ec...nabund du..." He managed to reply before the line was cut off.(We..attack. Bevelle troops..Father is...report to...)
"Well that was a help." Rikku said sarcastically. "We have to get underground quickly. I will explain there." She grabbed Yuna's hand and pulled her along before she could protest.
They met Tidus along the way.
"Lieutenant, what is going on?" Rikku asked as they kept running.
"It's Bevelle. They found us. Cid and Jecht are down in the control room trying to prepare a counter-attack."
"Good. Here, I leave her in your hands. I have to get up top and take charge." Rikku winked as she handed over the healer.
"You can't Captain. Cid wanted you down in the control room as well. Said he had some things to go over with you." Tidus stopped her before she could run off.
"Tyssed. Let's go then. I don't think Bevelle is going to give us a chance to get together if they can help it."
"What about Sir Auron? We can't just leave him." Yuna protested. Both Tidus and Rikku cursed.
"We can't do anything ourselves." The building shook again as Bevelle struck. "Someone will help him." Rikku answered not even sure if she was telling the truth.
Bikanel Base/ Main control room
"Damage reports now! I want to know where we have been hit and how hard. Get our men ready for the next attack!" Cid shouted orders out before the place could become bedlam. If he could get his men concentrating on the task at hand, he would be in effect keeping them from panicking. "And does anyone know where Captain Rikku is?"
"E dymgat du ran ypuid dah sehidac yku, Vydran. Pid fa kud lid uvv eh dra settma uv dra dnyhcsecceuh." (I talked to her about ten minutes ago, Father. But we got cut off in the middle of the transmission.)
"Yht oui teth'd drehg du damm sa drec?" Cid yelled at his son. (And you didn't think to tell me this?)
The blond shrugged his shoulders before answering. "Cunno, oui hajan ycgat." (Sorry, you never asked.)
If Cid had hair, he would have been pulling it out of his head at that point. The room shook again as the next wave of attacks came. Jecht stumbled through the door at about the same time. He had momentarily left to check out the status outside.
He got right to the point as he looked to Cid. "We got trouble man. Bevelle is starting to enter the base. We have to evacuate now."
"What? You're kidding me!"