A/N: Holy crap, I updated. GOD, this chapter took much longer than I foresaw, mostly because I've been swamped with RL crap since I started this chapter – finals, being sick, training, other things I need to take care of, Call of Duty/The Elder Scrolls 4, etc. The aforementioned swamping is also my reason for not responding to a few reviews. Nothing personal, just a lack of time on my part. Expect another wait for the next chapter, since I've just had zero writing drive as of late. Maybe a few oneshots will help…

Also, many thanks for the increased review flow. I don't write to be an attention whore, but there's little point in spending my time writing fanfiction without feedback. Those who simply haven't gotten around to it, I hope to hear from you soon. I respond to ALL my review replies, unless RL has me so swamped that I can't set mouse on the internet (such as recently, as I mentioned already). All of you who have reviewed so far, thank you very much. I greatly appreciate your continued support, and I do feel bad about not being able to respond to your reviews at times. I hope you don't hold it against me. This ain't an LJ, so on with the chapter.

Felix stood beneath the waterfall and let it batter his head and shoulders, carrying away the last traces of dirt and gasoline. Lulu insisted that he and Wedge clean themselves, since the cave didn't allow for much air circulation. Apparently, some people objected to a pair of smelly soldiers in their general vicinity. Wedge, wanting to avoid being naked in frigid water, B.S.ed his way out of the situation by claiming that he needed to check on the other survivors.

He waded away from the waterfall and scratched his shoulder. Yuna and most of the village escaped in one piece, and he managed to not get himself killed in their defense. Felix frowned. Rikku said the Al-Bhed were the only people in Spira with airships: if she told the truth, that meant the Al-Bhed had to be more than just observers - they left their prints all over the attack.

He floated backward, watching clouds glide across the ever-starry night sky. The full moon, hanging low over the treetops, provided enough light to prevent drifting headfirst into a rock. Felix rolled over and swam the remaining distance to the shore, where his freshly-washed boxers waited on a flat rock. Felix added to his frustration by wiping the water from his naked body with his pants, which were also wet. A handful of Gil in one of the pockets jingled and he swore, realizing the unsalvagable state of the rest of his savings. Life would be quite spartan until his next paycheck.

He hurriedly stepped into his still-damp boxers and yanked them up; Felix didn't have the patience to sit around naked waiting for his clothes to dry. On another rock rested his pistol, which he grabbed and stuffed into his waistband on his way back to the cave. He peeked through the mouth of the cave, and cursed again. Wakka and Lulu were both asleep, cuddling in the center of the cave floor, facing the entrance. Nobody needs sleep but you two, eh? He grunted and walked back out, machina cradled in his hands. Felix examined the ground around the cave, searching for an appropriate spot to pass out.

"Felix?"

"Yuna?" Felix looked up, wishing once again his pants dried off faster. "Why aren't you asleep?" As she came closer, the moon outlined Yuna's ornate staff, the end of which dragged along behind her. "And where have you been?"

"Wedge asked me to perform a Sending for the village."

Felix sighed. "How many?"

She shook her head. Droplets of water, illuminated by the moonlight, fell from her hair. "Too many. This is a peaceful island, Felix – what does anyone have to gain by attacking it?"

He sat down near the cave entrance. "I don't know," he admitted. He forced his eyes shut and wished for the miraculous appearance of his pants. Sitting around half-naked in the tropics was fine, but that frigid lake reduced more than just his body temperature. "Go inside and get some sleep, Yuna."

"Lulu's a light sleeper," she said, her voice closer. "I don't want to wake her and Wakka up."

"So walk quieter," Felix grunted, his mind no longer content to focus on anything other than the aggravating slowness with which Yuna closed the distance.

"Um, Felix?"

"Yes?"

"Where are the rest of your clothes?" She asked, not-so-subtle playfulness in her voice.

"Wet. Dirty. Torn." Felix shifted his shoulders and sighed. "Why, you never seen a guy in his boxers before?" And yes, it was cold in there.

"Yes, I have!"

"Don't get so defensive," he chuckled. "Just a question. If I was more awake, I'd say you were embarrassed."

"I'm not defensive or embarrassed, I just wish my Guardian would dress more appropriately."

"Sorry. I'm tired, I'm sore, and I'm out of cigarettes. Now is not the time to nitpick my fashion." He clenched his jaw as a loud snore echoed out of the cave. "Christ, is something dying in there?"

Yuna giggled. "I used to plug his nose up to get him to stop. Lulu would just laugh, and Ch-" She paused. "And Chappu recorded it on a sphere to show Wakka in the morning."

"I'll have to kill him if he keeps it up," Felix growled, curling his fingers around the grip of his pistol. "I swear to God, I'll make it look like an accident."

"You could just wake him up."

"Why don't you just wake him up?" Felix asked, the stone behind him biting into his back. He adjusted his position again until some moss provided a cushion for his naked flesh. "Because if you don't, nobody else is getting any sleep tonight." He closed his eyes tighter, now desperate to keep his body under control; Yuna's scent and warmth and memories of her taste occupied his mind. Either she had no idea how she was affecting him, or Spira's High Summoner was a monumental tease.

"Wakka needs his rest, too." He heard the fabric of her kimono scrape against the stone as she dropped to the ground next to him. Yuna's voice dropped to a low whisper. "Do you mind if I sleep here instead?"

"It ain't comfortable out here," Felix warned. "Just kick Wakka's ass over and maybe he'll stop that godda-"

Something warm pressed against Felix's side, and he cracked his eyes open. Yuna was curled against him, her arms wrapped around one of his. The faint light from the moon glinted in her eyes, and one shoulder peeked out from the collar of her crooked kimono. He marveled for the briefest of moments at the unusual beauty the light brought into Yuna's eyes. Sky blue and spiraled green, matching her, and not each other. They reflected something besides the moon – Felix saw in her eyes the face of a hard man with a hard past; a callus built up from living by the sword.

"It's not that uncomfortable," she said, leaning closer. Felix pulled his arm from her grasp and quickly wiped away the hurt on her face by pulling her against him. She let out a little sigh, and her eyes fluttered shut. "Or cold," Yuna muttered, nuzzling her heated face into his neck. Whatever control Felix held over his body's reactions disappeared the instant Yuna touched him, and he adjusted his position in a feeble attempt to disguise the rather noticeable evidence.

"Guess that makes me a liar," he said, his lips brushing her ear.

"Mhmm."

He ran his fingers through her wet hair. "Shame."

Yuna rested a hand on Felix's chest. "Sure is."

"You know," Felix whispered, letting his hand rest on Yuna's bare shoulder, "Lulu's gonna kill me for this."

She intertwined her fingers with his. "She hasn't yet," Yuna giggled, turning her head to look up at Felix. She bit her lip and looked back down, mumbling about needing sleep.

Felix lifted Yuna's chin and met her halfway, again enjoying the feeling of her lips against his own. She hesitated when his tongue entered her mouth, but leaned into the kiss and moaned slightly. He slid his hand into her kimono until he felt even softer skin beneath his fingers. Yuna's breath hitched, and for a moment, she seemed ready to oblige him.

At least, until she pulled away.

"I should get some rest," she said, eyes focused on the ground.

"Yeah," he said, letting Yuna rest her head against his shoulder. Felix's hand settled on his pistol, and he forced his eyes shut for the second time. He tried to no avail to ignore her pitiless cocktease. "Get to sleep, boss."

"Diesel?"

Something kicked Felix's leg. "Hey, Diesel!"

Fuck off.

He snarled and cracked an eye open. "Wedge, there better be a damn good reason why you just woke me up."

The smirking Crusader dropped a gray bundle to the ground. "How about putting some clothes on, Sergeant?"

Felix opened both eyes and pondered the consequences of blowing Wedge's smirk into the jungle. He sat upright. "Where's Yuna?" He asked, realizing simultaneously her absence and a attention-grabbing pain between his legs. Oh, the joys of being teased. Felix decided to just grit his teeth and walk a little different for the rest of the day, or at least until Spira gave him enough privacy to relieve that godawful pressure.

"Putting your woman first, I see."

"Putting my job first," Felix grunted, the ache now a throbbing pain. "Did you need something, or do you just enjoy waking people up?"

"Both, Sergeant."

"Were you going to tell me, or are we playing a guessing game?"

"I'll give you a hint: it starts with 'Lady', and ends with 'Yuna'. It would help if a Guardian knew where his Summoner was, though."

"You're a dick in the morning."

"You're an idiot all the time. Now stop screwing around, get dressed, and explain to me why you don't know where Lady Yuna is."

He reached forward and grabbed the coveralls. "She was asleep inside, last time I saw her." Felix rubbed his leg and sighed. "Yuna mentioned a Sending earlier – you have her do another one last night?"

"That's a negative." Wedge's smirk broadened. "Did Wakka scare her off with his snoring?"

Felix raised an eyebrow. "You heard it?"

"Sergeant, I believe half of Spira heard it. Chocobos mate with less noise."

"What about chocobos?" Yuna stood at the edge of the lake. Mud covered Yuna's bare feet and the hem of her kimono, and lines on her face revealed a long night. She dragged her decorated staff alongside; the elaborate golden disc now served the unceremonious duty of handle.

"You alright?" Felix asked, staggering to his feet.

"I helped the other survivors tend to their wounded," she said.

"Wake me up next time; I'd like to avoid another 'good morning' from Lieutenant Sonuvabitch over here."

She laughed. "I tried, but you growled and told me to shut up."

Wedge crossed his arms. "So caring, so supportive. Truly, an example to Crusaders and Guardians everywhere."

"Bite me, Lieutenant." Felix unrolled his coveralls. He stepped into the legs and zipped the garment up slightly before tying the arms around his waist. "Yuna, what'd you do with my vest?"

"Here you go, Brudda," Wakka called out. He tossed the vest to Felix.

He pulled it over his head and stuffed his pistol into his waistband. Felix looked at Wedge again, and noticed the other Crusader wore what looked like a crude webbing system made from heavy black fabric. Small buckles held it closed at his chest, and padded straps sat over both shoulders. Four pouches were attached to the front in a horizontal fashion, and he could discern the rectangular shapes of magazines inside them. "Where'd you get the nylon?"

"The what?"

He pointed. "Web gear."

"Al-Bhed assault vests, ordered before training finished. I figured we'd need some way to carry extra ammo for the carbines, and the Al-Bhed in Luca seemed willing enough to cut us a deal."

"How many we have?"

"Enough to go around the unit. I told Gatta to hold on to yours. The S.S. Winno diverted from a sightseeing trip at the Omega Ruins with some supplies."

Yuna spun her ring. "How did they know?"

Wedge shrugged. "Guess someone got a sphere call off. The 'how' doesn't matter, anyway. The point is they have potions, clothes, and sphere comms."

Felix tapped his finger on his pistol. "What about food?"

"Yuna," Lulu said, "didn't the Liki have a full galley?"

"I think so. Wedge, Felix, would you mind getting some supplies?"

Wedge scratched the back of his neck. "Eh, you see, Lady Yuna, there's… a, um… a bit of a problem with that idea."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah," Felix interjected. "A huge-ass problem, actually. You see, me and Wedge caused a little collateral damage."

"Collateral damage," Lulu echoed. Her crimson eyes narrowed, and her violet lips pressed together. "How much collateral damage?"

Wedge bit his lip. "The Liki."

Wakka's eyes widened. "How on Spira did you manage to destroy the Liki, Brudda?"

"Fire," Felix said.

"You set the Liki on fire."

"Not purposely," Wedge explained. "We managed to wound the airship, and then set the wound on fire."

"How?"

Felix pointed to his head. "Lit up my beret and put it on a harpoon. Wedge made a helluva nice shot, too – thought we were dead for a second or two, but we made it off." He looked backward over his shoulder and noted a thin column of black smoke still smoldering near the dock. "Looks like that fire hasn't died yet. I'll be damned."

Yuna leaned to look around Felix and covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide.

Wakka gaped.

"I can't believe this," Lulu said, gesturing at the smoke. "You torched our lifeline!"

"Relax." Wedge pointed at the village. "The Winno has a galley, too. We can get something to eat there."

Felix placed a freshly-lit cigarette in his mouth and took a long drag. Inside the Winno, he discovered not only the miracle of Spiran coffee but a mechanic with a nicotine addiction almost as bad as his own. Felix bought two packs for a dozen or so Gil, and stored one of them inside the concealed pocket of his soft armor.

The tent he once slept in now lay in tattered pieces; fragments of jars and bottles crunched underfoot as Felix looked for anything useable. He blew a cloud of smoke at the charred, shredded fabric in front of him and sighed. Guess I need a new place to crash.

Something glinted in the sunlight, and Felix knelt down. His fingers probed through the ash and dirt for a moment before they brushed the corded handle of his combat knife. He pulled at it, only to be surprised by his entire scorched – yet intact – first line emerging from the debris. The knife slid free of its sheath from Felix's tugging, and its honed edge glinted in the sunlight. Felix paused and studied the scratched blade, its blood-soaked history racing through his mind. As the lives his blade cut short flashed before his mind's eye, Felix lifted his eyes to the shattered temple standing watch over cloth-draped, oblong bulges. If personalities and voices could be ascribed to inanimate objects, he knew the knife's calling for blood would drown out all other sounds.

"Diesel!"

He turned, and his rifle clunked against the magazines in his vest. "Yeah?" Felix asked, returning the knife to its sheath and his mind to reality.

"Another one." Wedge crouched and lifted a ragged piece of blue fabric. He winced, and set it back down. "That makes six, counting the woods. Temple's too smashed up to know for sure, but I'd say we lost a good ten or eleven in there."

"At least we managed to get most of the village out before he came back around." Felix drummed his fingers on his rifle's foregrip. "Heard anything from Luca?"

"Nothing you haven't, Sarge."

He pulled the shreds of fabric aside, and felt relieved that he didn't see another body underneath. After a liquid breakfast, Felix and Wedge geared up and helped the survivors onto the beach. That took up a solid three hours, and their current search looked like it might take just a little less time. The bodies in the woods, if piles of entrails and limbs still carried such a name, were counted just the same. Felix sighed. "Guess we're done here."

"Yeah." Wedge stood up and took off his beret. He wiped the sweat from his forehead before donning his headwear again and walking towards the jungle. "I think Biggs and the boys are just about done on the beach."

Felix crunched through the foliage behind Wedge, being sure to keep his carbine's muzzle from snagging on any branches. He looked to his left and noticed a pair of Crusaders descending the massive staircase he remembered from his first day on Spira. "Anything?"

A red-beret covered head shook. "Negative, Sergeant. Doesn't look like anyone's been up there in years. A few sword cuts and burns on the rock, but nothing noteworthy. We did see some more smoke off to the North, though."

"Right. Head up to the beach and give Biggs' team a hand," Wedge ordered.

"Sir!" The two men saluted, waded into the jungle, and soon disappeared.

Wedge frowned, reached into a vest pocket, and withdrew a small sphere. "Yeah? Oh, shit! We're coming."

"Something up?"

"That was Biggs. Looks like we weren't the only island to get hit."

The sphere didn't have much recorded on it. A few seconds of static, a brief flurry of words, then more static. That brief flurry, however, held the full attention of the eleven men standing on the beach. Felix pressed the single button again, and the sphere sputtered to life once more.

"-under attack! Please, send help! Repeat, Kilika-"

"Biggs, where'd you find this?"

"I found it, Lieutenant." The boy rendered a sharp salute. "Private Jazo, sir. It washed up about two minutes ago on a piece of driftwood." He pointed to the surf. "Sounds like it's from Kilika, sir."

"Think you're right," Wedge said. "Biggs!"

"Sir?"

"Call the Winno, and let the captain know we'll be commandeering his ship. Diesel, go get Lady Yuna."

"Ten-four." Felix began hiking up the beach, rifle hung from a simple two-point sling. He blew a cloud of smoke into the air and hoped Yuna had the sense not wander too far from the beach.The occasional branch whipped against his bared arms as Felix fumbled through the undergrowth, having ignored the 'proper' path in favor of speed. A vine wrapped around his ankle and sent him crashing to the dirt. "Asshole," he muttered, sawing through the fibrous tendril.

"What did that vine ever do to you?" Yuna chirped.

He sheathed his knife and looked up. Yuna sat on the edge of the stone staircase, a slight smile on her face. A navy blue skirt and simple gray blouse draped over her gentle curves, the fabric taut across her breasts and hips. She still looked in dire need of sleep, but her voice betrayed it.

"Wedge wants you on the beach, Yuna. We're leaving."

"Did something happen?"

Felix nodded, and kicked himself free of the offending flora. "We think Kilika got hit."

She froze. "Are- do you know that for sure?"

"We found a sphere with a distress call on it." He walked over and sat down next to her, resting his forearms on his carbine. He waggled his cigarette between his fingers. "We're probably gonna be too late anyway, but we're headin' out just to make sure. Wedge wants you to come along," Felix added, standing up. "Need a hand?"

Yuna smiled and accepted his proffered hand, but refused to let go. She laced her fingers between his and looked up at him nervously, biting her lower lip. Felix cupped her chin in his hand and brought his mouth down to hers, enjoying the little mmph of content Yuna made as he pulled her to his armored chest. The fact he couldn't feel her body against his frustrated the contractor, but the smooth movements of Yuna's tongue more than made up for it. His hand began to venture south from the small of her back, but Yuna broke away from the kiss and looked at the staircase. She bit her lip again.

"Something wrong?"

"I… Wedge is waiting," she said, starting down the path. For a moment, Felix swore he saw open regret in Yuna's eyes. He watched as she fought her way through the jungle, and wondered what on Spira just happened.

Higa kicked the copilot's chair over, knocking it into the three-dimensional map projector. Sig raised his gaze from the monochromatic data readout to contemplate his companion's rage. "This is just beautiful," Higa shouted, pounding his fist on the control panel. "One lucky shot! One!"

"Calm yourself. There is no use in getting so upset at something that is out of our hands. Regardless of whether or not the Crusaders were able to drive us off, we accomplished our employer's objective, as well as one of our own. This game is almost over. Soon, the other pieces will be put into play."

"Eh?"

"Vymmah will be fully operational within the week."

"Sounds like a plan to me, syda. Still," Higa added, "I don't like leavin' all that up to them. Too much's got a chance to go wrong."

"Regardless, it will doubtless make our own mission easier." Sig pulled up a three-dimensional map and made a selection. "We can abandon this airship and retrieve Vymmah from Baaj while we await payment. Cryng is compromised, but Vymmah is still unknown outside Bikanel."

"You keep talkin' about Gil, syda, but when're we gettin' it?"

"They told me no more than three days. After that time, we will proceed to our next target."

Higa grinned. "Luca?"

"Luca."

Maester Nayla stared at his reflection through the cloudy steam and smiled. He reached out and wiped the mirror until his features became clear, and poured a small amount of scented oil into his palm. He worked it through his brown hair, which he then parted and combed away from his face. The steam on the mirror began to dissipate, revealing a long, jagged scar stretching from Nayla's neck to his hip. He narrowed his eyes and ran his finger down the old wound in the mirror, a hint of a snarl appearing on his face. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and turned away. He opened the door; the remaining steam gave way to the onrush of cooler air.

He looked at the sphere on the table and sighed.

A loud knock sounded at the door. "Maester Nayla, are you decent?"

"Yes, Aenna," he responded, slipping into his robes. "Please enter."

The blonde councilman closed the door behind him with a soft click. He leaned against it and folded his arms across his chest. Aenna's frown deepened as Nayla moved about the elegant room, the other Maester's footsteps dull against the pale carpet. "Word has arrived from Kilika," Aenna said, his voice clipped. "The port is completely destroyed, and the death toll is rising by the minute."

"How dreadful," Nayla mused, fastening his ornate pendant about his neck.

He stepped forward and narrowed his eyes. "You despicable bastard."

Maester Nayla smiled. "Despicable, you say? By all means, please elaborate."

"Drop the act," he spat.

"My 'act'? I do believe you to be mistaken. If your perception is thus failing, Aenna, perhaps the Council should be concerned with your management of the booming tourism in your district."

"The financial status of Kilika is not the topic of discussion here, Nayla!" Aenna jabbed a finger at the other man. "The murder of my people is!"

"Such iciness," Maester Nayla said, shaking his head. "I may need to adjust the temperature in here."

"The Maester of Macalania would know much about iciness."

Nayla's eyes flashed. "The Maester of Kilika would do well to avoid letting his personal feelings interfere with his duty."

Maester Aenna leaned closer. "For your sake," he snarled, "I pray your hands are clean of this."

A slammed door and Maester Nayla's chuckle rang out inside the room.

Felix returned the half-smoked cigarette to his mouth and sat down on a coiled rope. He reached up and adjusted the position of his beret, aligning the simple flash over his left eye. His head lay against the Winno's boathouse. The boat rocked back and forth in a gentle rhythm, and Felix fought against the urge to close his eyes for a few moments of sleep. He drummed his fingers on the receiver of his carbine, still unable to shake the brown-haired Summoner from the forefront of his mind.

"It doesn't look like you're keeping watch to me, Sergeant."

He looked over at his lieutenant, who was leaning on the low railing surrounding the lower deck. "Just takin' a little rest, Wedge." He flicked the cigarette butt into the ocean. "Need somethin'?"

"Nah," Wedge sighed. He looked out towards the stern for a moment before sitting down opposite Felix. "Need a light?"

Felix retrieved a matchbook from his vest. "I'm good," he said, placing a fresh cigarette in his mouth.

"Something doesn't feel right about all of this."

"Worried about Kilika?" He asked without looking, then struck the match on his carbine's grip.

"Not just that. There've been too many attacks with too much collateral damage for them to all be done by one little group."

He paused, the match held before his face. "Thought you said the Al-Bhed had their own island." Felix played the stubby flame over the end of his cigarette and tossed the match overboard.

"That's just the thing," Wedge continued. "They've got the muscle for sure, so why are they screwing around like this? We can tell they want Lady Yuna, but they're sloppy. Sloppy," he repeated, "but lethal. It looks like everyone except Lady Yuna is dying. Crusaders in the line of duty is one thing, but civilians are a different matter."

"Maybe they've just got a chip on their shoulder. From what I can tell, Spirans don't treat the Al-Bhed all that well. Figure it's only a matter of time before the Al-Bhed start gettin' pissed off. Bustin' heads is a real quick way to get someone's attention. Think they just wanna get on the Council's radar?"

Wedge shook his head. "See, the thing is, Lady Yuna is half Al-Bhed."

"And?"

"Why would they be trying so hard to kill their biggest support? Lady Yuna has tried tirelessly to unify Spira."

"Ain't our business to find out," Felix said, removing the cigarette from his mouth. "We just kick ass and leave the name-taking to the suits. You can try all you want, but you're never gonna get an answer you like. Cogs in a machine, Wedge. Cogs in a machine."

"That's the most pessimistic thing I've ever heard."

Felix sighed. "If you'd seen what I have, Wedge, you wouldn't say that." He could still hear the words in his head: "Sergeant DiMarco, this board finds the charges against you and your comrades-in-arms to have sufficient evidence as to justify a general discharge from the United States Arm-"

The sound of Jazo's voice snapped Felix out of his reverie. "Lieutenant?"

Wedge lifted his head. "Yeah?"

"Captain says we're coming up on Kilika, sir, but something isn't right."

"Too slow?"

Jazo shook his beret-covered head. "Take a look at the bow, Sergeant."

Felix stood up. A streak of thick, black smoke rose perpendicular to the taut horizon, reaching almost to the large clouds overhead. The twists and spirals formed by the soft breeze gave it a serpentine appearance. He whistled. "I guess that'd be Kilika," Felix muttered, sending his own cloud of smoke into the air. "Did it get bigger since we left? I think Gatta mentioned more smoke in the distance back at the stairs."

"Either that, or we all need glasses," Wedge said. "Thanks, Jazo."

"Sir!" The Crusader rendered a stiff salute before jogging to the other side of the boathouse.

"Damn kid needs to unclench himself."

Wedge stifled a laugh. "He's a recruit, Diesel. We took him on maybe six weeks ago."

"I couldn't tell," he chuckled. Felix flicked a length of ash into the water.

He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Head on up top and take the watch, Diesel. I'll have Jazo take your spot on the rail. Try not to fall asleep this time," Wedge added.

Felix climbed the narrow staircase to the Winno's observation deck and sat down on another coil of rope. The sail over his head blocked much of the sun, but the heat waged a relentless assault against his body. He grunted and wiped a trickle of sweat from his face. Yuna's actions earlier still puzzled the contractor, and he focused his remaining energy on contemplating them as he took a long drag from his cigarette. She pulled away from him, but why? True, Yuna had to be tired, and her home was destroyed, but the possibility remained that she regretted their relationship. He leaned his carbine against the railing. If that was true, and Lulu was right about Yuna being hung up on that Tidus kid, then where did he fit?

"Are you busy?" The subject of his pontification asked.

He shook his head and tossed a far-from-finished cigarette into the ocean. "Nah," Felix said, trying to hide his anxiety, "just a little tired. Need something?"

"No," Yuna said, walking to the railing. "Just a little worried."

"About?"

"Kilika. I hope everyone there is okay."

"Yeah."

Silence.

"Yuna," he asked, "what happened today?"

She raised an eyebrow. "When?"

"This morning."

Yuna looked away. "Remember what I told you that stairway led to?"

"'Old memories', right?"

"Yes." She brushed her hair back, and Felix noticed the sweat beading on her temples. Yuna sighed, and her long earring rattled as she leaned forward against the railing. "I… I just don't want to relive some things, you know?"

Felix nodded. "Yeah," he said, standing up. He ambled over to Yuna and rested his hands on her waist. "I know exactly what you mean."

She pushed his hands back and stepped away. Yuna's expression blended hurt with something unidentifiable, filling Felix with the sudden dread he crossed some unspoken, unwritten line. She took another step back. "No," Yuna said, her voice cracked. "You don't." Her footsteps clattered down the stairs and disappeared under the deck.

He dropped back onto the coil of rope. Felix withdrew a fresh cigarette from his vest, struck another match, and lit up. The bitter, acrid smoke traveled down his throat, purging away the raw feeling. Black and white gulls glided near on broad wings, matching the Winno's less-than-ludicrous speed. His fingers drummed on the barrel shroud of the Al-Bhed carbine, and Felix found himself again contemplating what on Spira he did wrong.

"Looks like we're about a mile out," he grunted. Felix handed the crude binoculars to Wedge. "You seein' what I'm seein'?"

"Yeah," Wedge said. "The port got hit hard – can't even see the silhouettes on the horizon. You can see the logs from all the huts floating out."

He tapped his index finger on his carbine's charging handle and sighed. "We can't get this bucket to go any faster?"

"The Winno is built for comfort, not for speed."

"We're not talkin' about chicks." Felix pointed to the growing column of smoke. "If you're so damn anxious to get out there and do some rescuing, find a way to get there faster. Otherwise, there's really gonna be nothin' left." He leaned against the peaked bow and took a long drag off his cigarette. "Urgent, my ass. Don't know why we're even bothering."

"Orders from Luca are to 'render medical assistance and general aid as deemed necessary'."

"If there's even anyone still alive."

"Are you always this pessimistic?" Wedge asked with a sigh. "For Yevon's sake, try and have an outlook that doesn't involve widespread death."

Felix rolled his eyes. "It's been a day already, you can't even see the goddamn city anymore, and you're expecting to find someone alive?"

"Kilika is bigger than Besaid," he shot back. "From what I can tell, just the port village got destroyed. If that's the extent of the damage, then we can manage. Before the Eternal Calm, most Kilikans moved from the vulnerable port onto the island, in jungle huts. Better protection, since the port village got slammed all the time by Sin. The port," Wedge added, "is Kilika's most noticeable feature. Thirty-odd people, living entirely on stilted wooden huts."

"Sounds like Thailand. Me an' some boys took leave there a few years back."

"Tie what?"

"Back home. Think the population of Luca living on Besaid."

"Point being, Kilikans are used to aerial attacks. Figure… ten or eleven dead, about that many wounded."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "That's your estimate?"

"Yeah, and a generous one, at that." Wedge shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if they've got everything sorted out already."

"Christ, Wedge, take off the pink glasses." He added more ash to the growing pile at his feet. "War is hell. People die."

"War?"

"Yeah. Bombing hell out of two cities tends to be difficult to talk your way out of, no matter how much bureaucratic bullshit you sling. The Al-Bhed or whoever are gonna have a very fun time explaining all this."

"What about the Al-Bhed?" Yuna asked. She stood near the rope barriers surrounding the bow, her staff in hand.

"Sergeant Diesel and I were just discussing Al-Bhed gin, Lady Yuna." Wedge bowed.

Felix nodded. "Yeah," he said, blowing a cloud of smoke into the air. "I ran out of sake about an hour ago, anyway."

"Drinking on duty? Hardly acceptable behavior, Sergeant. Lieutenant Wedge, I suggest you have a lengthy conversation with your subordinate about proper conduct."

"Yuna," he laughed, "we're kid-"

"Don't speak to me that way," she ordered. "You are a Crusader and one of my Guardians – proper respect is expected of you. Lieutenant, I expect punishment will be meted out?"

Wedge frowned.

Felix clenched his teeth and fists. He crossed his arms across his militaria-laden chest. "Well, Lady Yuna," he growled, "shouldn't you be gettin' ready to go heal someone right about now?"

"Sergeant, a High Summoner is always ready," she said. "Your concerns are better directed at the readiness of your men."

"What are you talking about?"

Yuna turned her back to the two Crusaders and began walking away. "The captain says that we make landfall in ten minutes. Please prepare Sergeant Diesel to secure the village and surrounding jungle, Lieutenant. I will have to ask you to accompany me to the temple as security."

Felix stepped past Wedge and followed Yuna downstairs, nearly biting through his cigarette. They stepped inside her room, and he slammed the door behind them. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Felix demanded.

Yuna didn't move. "As High Summoner, I order you to leave, Sergeant."

Felix grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around to face him. "Don't give me that bullshit. I wanna know why the fuck you busted my balls in front of my men like that!"

Yuna's face destroyed the illusion of impassivity it seemed she so desperately wished to display. She blinked hard. "Please, Felix. Just-"

"Just what? Just sit there and let you cut my goddamn nuts off? Sorry, but I don't appreciate being made to look like a bitch in front of people who should respect me, especially not by you!" He released his grip, and Yuna dropped to a sitting position on her bed, her face buried in her hands. Felix's voice softened. "Yuna, what did I do? Can you at least tell me?"

She looked up. "I can't feel like this again, Felix. Please understand that."

"Fine," he snapped. "If it's distance you want, that's what you just got. I don't have the time or patience for games, Yuna." Felix turned to leave, but looked back over his shoulder. "You got what you wished for. Hope you thought this through."

Felix slammed the door behind him and took a deep breath, exhaling loudly as he climbed back into the sunlight. Wedge shot him a questioning look and received only a forced shrug in response. Another puff of smoke issued from Felix's mouth as he took a seat on a nearby barrel.

"Um, Sergeant Diesel?"

"Yeah?" He grunted.

"Why do- what's that for?"

"You never seen a cigarette before, kid?"

"A cigarette?"

Felix took the object in question from between his lips and held it over the deck. "This," he said, already missing the relaxing smoke.

"Ah. Can't say I have."

He returned it to his mouth for another drag, and let his eyes slide shut. "Lucky sonuvabitch."

"Beg pardon, Sergeant?"

"Damn things're bad for your wallet, your health, and your breath. Hard to quit, too."

Jazo's gear clunked against the boathouse. "Mind if I ask why you started?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Just stay as far away from these goddamn things as you possibly can."

"Roger that, Sergeant."

"Hate to interrupt this bonding session," Wedge said, "but we're expecting some company."

Felix cracked one eye open. "Do they have guns?"

"Negative, Sergeant."

The eye closed again. "Don't care."

A swift kick knocked Felix from the barrel and onto the deck. His eyes now very much open, he plucked his cigarette up and returned it to his mouth. "Asshole," he growled.

Wedge's face held no hints of humor. "The Council sent a courier out for Yuna. They want her in Luca for an emergency session now."

He pressed his lips together. "You tell her yet?"

"Figured it'd be best if her Guardian let her know, you know?"

Felix let his carbine hang from its sling and edged past his lieutenant. "Yeah," he lied. He descended the short staircase, but paused after closing the door behind him. Another cloud of smoke wafted to the ceiling as Felix pondered the exact way to converse with the same woman who, essentially, told him to fuck off. He sighed and walked to Yuna's door.

Two loud knocks echoed through the hallway.

"Come in," Yuna chirped. When the door swung open, the smile on her face fell. "I-"

He didn't allow her time to finish. "Council's sendin' someone out for you. Get packed," Felix added, trying hard not to notice the curves Yuna's dress clung to, "'cause they'll be here pretty damn soon." The door closed. Painless enough.

"Felix."

He winced. "Lady Yuna?"

"Please open the door."

Felix complied, and found himself face to face not with Yuna, but with High Summoner Yuna. Her eyes locked with his, and her arms were crossed across her chest. "Yeah?"

"I believe that it is no longer in either of our best interests for you to remain in my… employment." Yuna's expression and voice faltered on the last word. "Due to your newfound commitment to the Crusaders," she continued with renewed composure, "and my frequent travels, it would be quite impossible for you to serve both duties as competently as usual. Hereafter, please consider yourself free of any obligation other than to the Besaid Crusaders."

He felt like someone rammed a spoon through his navel.

Felix nearly shattered the hinges on his way out, leaving before his anger gained a voice.

On her way across the temporary gangway to the courier ship, Yuna's shoulder brushed his. Regardless of the physical insignificance, Felix once again felt like blunt silverware was entering his body in unintended and damaging ways. The scowl on his face intensified. Hostility didn't seem to help the disposition of the three armored men facing him, who looked like they wanted away from the pissed-off contractor as soon as humanly possible. Yuna's eyes avoided his as she traversed the narrow bridge away from the Winno.

An unfamiliar, green-and-purple-clad figure drifted across the bow of the other ship. "Yuna!" The man exclaimed. His hair hung in a long ponytail draped over one shoulder. He reached out for her hand, taking it with irritating gentleness. "It is a relief to see you alive!"

"Thank you," she said, smiling. Her expression became more serious. "Aenna, how bad is it?"

The Maester bit his lip. "The death toll is quite high."

She winced.

He patted her shoulder. "Do not burden yourself with our problems, Yuna. Kilikans are strong. We will see to ourselves." Maester Aenna smiled at the pair of Crusaders on the Winno. "Lieutenant Wedge and Sir Felix, correct?"

He gritted his teeth. "Sergeant Felix."

"Ah." Maester Aenna's composure faltered. "Sergeant, the fate of Spira is now in your hands."

Wedge put a hand on Felix's shoulder. "Your trust is well placed, Maester Aenna."

"Good. Trust seems to be so easily misplaced nowadays," the Maester said, thinly veiled anger exposed for a moment in his voice. "And now, gentlemen, it is time for us to depart. Yuna, would you allow me to lead you to your quarters?"

She smiled and extended a hand. "Please."

The pair disappeared down a staircase, and the two boats began to pull apart, the bridge already folded up. Wedge turned. "You don't like the Maester, do you?"

"He's a prick," Felix snarled at the horizon. "A grade-A, genuine, cock-sucking prick."

Wedge frowned. "Keep that to yourself, Sergeant – that's an order. Prick or not, Maester Aenna is a Councilman, and that means you salute and call him sir."

"Roger." Felix took a long drag on the cigarette and sent the smoke towards the fast-disappearing courier ship.

"So," Wedge began, "Felix, what the hell happened between you and-"

"Fuck off."

"Sergeant, I am asking you a question."

Felix clenched his fist. "Well, Lieutenant," he spat, "I was recently relieved of all duties that might serve as a distraction from my duty to Spira. Anything else?"

Wedge grabbed Felix's shoulder and spun him around. "Listen: experience or not, I am your superior officer, and I will not be talked down to. If you address me like that in uniform ever again, I will relieve you of your other duties and ship your smoky ass the fuck home. Do I make myself clear, Sergeant?"

"Crystal."

"Crystal, what?"

Felix narrowed his eyes, hands in his pockets. "Crystal, sir."

Wedge leaned against the wall. "Look," he said, his voice lowered, "I know you've got more experience than me in what's going on now, but I can't let my authority be broken down. It's nothing personal, but around the men, I expect a certain measure of respect from you." He turned and began walking towards the bow. "Don't make me do that again, Diesel."

He took another deep breath, swore loudly, and drove his fist against the wooden wall.

Yuna hurried along the long corridor, Maester Aenna at her side. "What is this all about?" She asked.

"Maester Nade called an emergency meeting," he breathed. "They sent me to retrieve you as quickly as possible. If we hurry, we won't be too late."

They reached the massive double doors and hauled one open, breathing heavily. The six men seated around the table rose, nodding their heads and issuing greetings of various formality. Maester Aenna fell into his chair, hiding his hands within the folds of his robe. Yuna walked down the length of the chamber, followed by six pairs of eyes.

Maester Nade cleared his throat. "We have a crisis on our hands," he began. "Two cities have been leveled by the Al-Bhed, and Bikanel has still made no attempt to resolve our situation diplomatically. During our earlier meetings, the decision not to act against the Al-Bhed was reached. Unfortunately, we no longer have the luxury of a peaceful option. The bombings of Kilika and Besaid are acts of unmasked aggression against Spira, and we must respond in kind in order to protect ourselves. This Council will no longer tolerate indecisiveness. We will reach a decision now."

Yuna reached her chair and sat down, crossing her legs. She curled her fingers around the chair's knurled arms. "I have faith in our diplomatic proceedings Maester Nade. As such, I refuse to condone a course of action that will lead us to war."(1)

"'Lead'?" Maester Nayla chuckled. "'Lead'? Lady Yuna, the time has passed for leading to war. Spira is at war. The Council will merely decide the method with which to wage it." He withdrew a small sphere from his robes and set it into the socket before him. A map of Spira appeared above the table. "The Al-Bhed entrepreneur Rin," he said, "has established outposts in these areas." Red dots appeared on various spots of the map, including Bevelle itself. "Bikanel relies on the income drawn from these 'Travel Agencies' to fund the construction of a new Home and support their young economy. If we seize the outposts on the mainland, the economic stranglehold will force Bikanel to choose between negotiations and bleeding herself dry.

"Bevelle, of course, will be where the hammer falls first. The subsequent mobilization of the Besaid and Lucan Crusaders will overwhelm the Al-Bhed present in Luca and along the Mi'ihen Highroad. The Bevelle Crusaders will secure the Calm Lands, while those from Macalania seize the Thunder Plains and establish a garrison in the former Guadosalam. Meanwhile," Maester Nayla continued, "Besaid and Luca will proceed along the Highroad to the Moonflow. Hostilities will be over in a matter of days, with a minimum loss of life."

Yuna stood up, her fists clenched at her sides. "As High Summoner of Spira, I once again forbid any military aggression toward the Al-Bhed."

Maester Nayla shook his head. "Lady Yuna, your naïveté is no longer amusing. Allow me to clarify the position you are now in: you will support our decision, or this Council will remove you from office."

She blanched. "You can't-"

"With all respect, Lady Yuna, we can." A grim smile spread across Maester Nayla's face. He rose to his feet, and hid his hands within the sleeves of his robes. "Your heel-dragging has carried on for long enough, and you have wasted more than enough lives with pointless delays and impotent musing. Spira is no longer under your control. I hereby raise a vote of no confidence in Lady Yuna."

"No, you can't, this isn't-" Yuna fell silent as six colored spheres clicked into place. The color drained from her cheeks, and she collapsed into her carved chair. She hid her face behind trembling hands. "Oh, Fayth…"

Maester Nayla rolled his sphere along the table, stopping it with an outstretched hand just before it fell into the spherical recession before him. "As you are fully aware of, Lady Yuna, a vote of no confidence requires unanimous agreement. Leave your petulant inanity behind – this is no place for children. You will agree with our decision – the right decision, mind you – or you will be sent to live out the rest of your days on the Isle of Omega. Choose freely."

She looked up. "You too, Maester Aenna?" She asked, her voice tremulous.

Maester Getta pressed his lips together. "I am sorry, Lady Yuna, but Maester Nayla speaks for all of us. Peace is no longer an option. My homeland has been decimated, and I will not sit idly by and allow such a tragedy to befall another city. Surely you understand?"

Yuna's eyes slid closed. "I… yes."

"Lady Yuna, do you agree to the conditions of warfare thus outlined?"

"Y-yes," she sobbed. "Fight your war."

Maester Nayla smiled. "You are quite mistaken, Lady Yuna. As you are the one who voted the measure through, this is very much your war."

He slid the stone along the edge of his combat knife with a practiced rhythm, scraping away thin strips of black paint to reveal the bare metal underneath. Every few swipes, he squirted a line of pale blue oil onto the stone. Felix wiped the blade clean with a scrap of cloth, set it down on the table, and reached down for his Al-Bhed carbine. The stamped receiver gave him no hints as to the weapon's disassembly, and he sighed. Felix heard the door to his suite swing open, but didn't look up.

"Diesel?"

"Lieutenant."

"You're not gonna have any luck with that. I think the Al-Bhed made those as disposable weapons," Wedge said, pushing the door open and taking a seat in the wicker chair to his left. "We couldn't find any way to take them apart – at least, not with the tools we had on the Winno."

"Great," Felix groaned, laying the 'disposable weapon' on its side. "We're gonna fight a war with cheap-ass toys."

"Not my fault. This is all we confiscated from the attacks on Lady Yuna."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's where you got the carbines?"

"Where else?"

"Private purchase"

"With the funding we get? Fat chance."

"I'd take a shitty hotel and decent weapons over this place."

Wedge smirked. "It's easy to get a hotel room by flashing a beret and machina." He scratched his forearm. "I just got our marching orders from the Council."

"And?"

Wedge sighed. "We're moving at first light. The Al-Bhed have an outpost near the Blitz arena; us and the Lucan Crusaders are gonna take it out. The Lucans outnumber us three to one, but still mostly use their swords, so it could get a little messy up close. Diesel," he added, "I don't think the men trust your machina just yet. They've expressed a real reluctance to leave their swords behind."

"Too damn bad." Felix racked the slide of his pistol and dropped the hammer on an empty chamber. "I'm not going in there with some giant meat cleaver – you want your boys to stack bodies, they're takin' the guns."

"If that's what you think it'll take, that's what we'll do. I've seen what you can do with machina."

"Right," he grunted, "and I trained the damn unit. The carbines'll do just fine." The pistol dropped into its holster. "Did Jazz get that ammo passed out?"

"Six magazines to every Crusader."

Felix squirted some of the oil into his carbine's action and worked the bolt. "Good. How big did you say that outpost was?"

Wedge sighed again. "It isn't even military. Ten or elevn Al-Bhed work there regularly, not counting however many guests are in the rooms."

He scraped mud and assorted debris from the ported barrel shroud with his knife, pausing as he reached a stubborn bit of rust. "They tell you what they meant by 'take it out'?"

"We need to keep collateral damage to a minimum, since we'll be operating inside the city. The Council rep told me they wanted to keep the death toll low as well, for the sake of appearance."

"Figure we can get the Lucans to hold a decent perimeter?"

"Already asked. They want the action, and since it's their city we're working in, we can't say no. Looks like it'll be our job to hold the perimeter."

Felix picked at the corroded metal again. "Fuck," he muttered, thinking of both the Lucan Crusaders and that goddamn piece of rust that did not want to leave.

Wedge rose and adjusted his beret. "Just thought I'd give you the heads up. From the looks of things," he added, "we've still got a little while 'til sunup."

"I'll be out in an hour," Felix said, leaning the carbine against his desk. "Wedge?"

"Yeah?"

He sighed. "I owe you an apology."

"Don't worry about it. Everyone's had a rough day. Just show me a little respect outside this room, and everything's smooth sailing."

"Roger." The door clicked shut, and he lay back on his bed, contemplating the hotel's luxurious décor – the designers forsook functionality in favor of meaningless extravagance. Their decision provided an amusing contrast between gold trim, red velvet, and the combat gear piled on the floor. Felix kicked his boots off and fumbled with the glowing sphere on the nightstand until the stars outside leapt into focus. He sighed. Operation: Mi'ihen II, as the Council dubbed it, marked his second real combat deployment in as many months.

Felix DiMarco closed his eyes and lapsed into an uneasy sleep. A bitter smile curled his lips as he felt consciousness fade away.

Welcome home.

A/N: Longchapter is long; latechapter is late. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Also, as is the drill, angry PMs about my characteriztion of Yuna may be sent... now.

(1) Of all her lines in the Star Wars prequels, this is Padmé Amidala's only redeeming one.