Just Causes

by Darren White

After two years of Eternal Calm, nothing is as it seems. A young summoner and a weathered soldier must go head to head with Spira's most dangerous political entity in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Behind one cloak, however, may await many daggers.

17. Just Causes

p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"strongspan style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"A/N: Well, here she is! As usual, direct your hate mail to my PM box. I told you I wasn't done with uCauses/u. I've just been crazy fuckin' busy. Next chapter is written already - I'm trying to get back to my old routine of working on two chapters at a time, one in pre-beta and one in beta./span/strong/p
div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"hr style="color: black;" align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%" /div
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Undisclosed location/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"1300 Hours/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"August 19, 2005 – two years ago/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Felix curled his toes inside a pair of stiff leather shoes. At the long table opposite him sat three men in medal-adorned dress uniforms, their wheel hats resting beside mugs of notoriously harsh Army coffee. The men studied the contents of a pair of manila folders open on the table before one of them looked up. "Sergeant DiMarco, your service record is commendable."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Thank you, General Mitchell, sir."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Have you been made aware of the charges brought against Specialist Van Dyke and yourself by Sergeant Burns?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Yes, sir, I have."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"The graying, mustachioed general frowned. "Do you understand the severity of these charges?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"His stomach churned. "Yes, sir, I do."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""And a' course," a colonel drawled, "there'll be no judge for you boys. Uncle Sam's gone and swept your dumb asses under the rug."/span/p
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;" /span/p
/div
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Sig turned his gaze away from the viewport, to the chirping aquamarine sphere on the center console. The desert screamed past outside, pockmarked by occasional ruins and oases. "Update from the Maester," he said. Past the thick glass viewport, tan gave way to sparkling blue as the airship hurtled over the ocean./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"On the other side of the center console, Higa's chin remained on his chest, his feet resting on the control panels in front of him. His eyelids stayed closed. "What's the fruit got to say, emsyda/em?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""'The sphere arrays are confirmed down. Only matched spheres can transmit now. Return to the mainland and await further instruction.'"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You woke me up for that?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""'The Council has agreed to double your payment, provided you arrive precisely at the transmitted date and coordinates.'"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Higa sat up, eyes open. "Now emthat's /eminteresting, emsyda./em"/span/p
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;" /span/p
/div
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"General Mitchell took another sip of his coffee. "We have to keep them off the official papers. Freedom of Information, all that lib bullshit. DiMarco, your discharge will be filed before the end of the day. You're done. Period. If you breathe a word of this to emanyone,/em you will disappear. As this is all off the record, I strongly suggest you and van Dyke end this yourselves and save us the trouble of hunting your asses down like diseased dogs. Dismissed."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"With the slap of folders on a table and the click of a pen, Sergeant Felix DiMarco was transformed from a decorated warrior to an outcast; from a middle-class life to being one of millions of unemployed. He destroyed his family name, and his legacy. He'd never be able to give his son his old uniform. The tattoo on his back was burning./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He remembered to close the doors behind him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Tears and sweat are indistinguishable in the Middle Eastern heat./span/p
div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"hr style="color: black;" align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%" /div
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"The man was clean, pale, and wearing a navy blue suit. All three of these were anomalies in the middle of Kuwait. General Mitchell looked up from his paperwork at the visitor who, according to the dispatch on the desk, had been waved through security checkpoints thanks to a small piece of paper contained in his otherwise normal-looking passport. "Can I help you, sir?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I was told you have new cases for me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Mitchell reached into his desk and produced the thick manila envelope. "These two. Don't know why you wouldn't look somewhere for people with cleaner records."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"The visitor accepted the envelope and tucked it inside his suit jacket. "They do the work, and aren't missed."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""From what I heard, Blacktip's been involved in some real shit. It'd be war if anyone found out where you got those boys."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""The private sector has been a wonderful thing for governments. Uniforms are a relic of a bygone time, Hank. War isn't about bullshit ideals, or loyalty, or any of that feel-good masturbation. Contractors only care about whoever is paying them to pull a trigger. Thisis the new face ofwar, and you and I are in on the goddamned ground floor." He turned to leave. "The money will be in the account in an hour. Same password as last time. Oh, and Hank?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"The General shifted in his chair. "Yes?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""If anyone finds out about this arrangement, I'd stay away from your windows for a while."/span/p
div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"hr style="color: black;" align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%" /div
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Two days after his eighth birthday, Felix went to the dentist to have a cavity-ridden tooth removed. The dentist, a wizened old black man with hair like steel wool spattered in whitewash, used far too little Novocain. The throbbing pain in his jaw remained there for weeks, much to his vocalized dismay./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"The pain he felt upon waking up was much the same as that memory, but occupied his entire body instead of just his head. He managed to crack one eye open – the lids of the other refused to budge – and immediately regretted letting any light reach his brain./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Oh Fayth, he's alive." Jazo's voice sounded drained. "Can you hear me?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""No," Felix growled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You're on the emS.S. Winno,/em Sergeant. We're headed to the Highroad to beef up the Crusader garrison – it's faster than going overland."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He opened his eye a little wider, no longer overwhelmed by the volume of light, and stared at the wooden ceiling. "Where's Biggs?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Asleep."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Wedge?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Attempting to find a bottle of sake."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I think I'll join him."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Sir, not in that shape, you won't." Jazo pulled his wicker seat to the side of the bed and ran a hand over his close-cropped hair. "You were bleeding like a stuck chocobo when we got you out of the tank. You got shot, by the way, and the absolute hell beaten out of you. Guess that vest thing worked after all."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I know."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""The Lucan mage had to save her energy for the other wounded, so you're not all the way patched up; I'm sorry, Sarge."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Is that why I feel like I slept with a silverback?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""A what?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He coughed. "Nevermind. When can I get up and smoke?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""When we can get you apotion and a pack of cigarettes, sir."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Felix shut his eye. "Ain't that just a bitch."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Jazo fell silent for a moment. "Um, sir?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Felix attempted to open his other eye, reaching up to rub away an obstructing crust. He noticed the bags under the Crusader's eyes, as well as the large mug in his hands. "Just Felix; I work for my living. The hell were you up so late?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Yes, si- Felix. Mage's orders – someone had to make sure you kept breathing and didn't soil that brand-new dress."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He glanced down at his new clothes. The garment reminded him of a hospital gown, except it wasn't made of paper and didn't leave his ass hanging out. It was more like a shower robe than a hospital gown, actually. emI think it's called a kimono. /em"Kept the night watch, huh?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Something like that."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He sat up, leaning against the wall behind his bed, legs hanging over the side. The bandages that wound around his upper chest didn't allow much freedom of movement, making Felix feel more like a mannequin than a human. He tugged at the end of the gauze and stared at the floor. "You saved my ass, Jazo."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Wedge is the one who got the hatch open."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You shot Mongo off me." He scooted forward until his feet made contact with the wooden floor. "When're we expected?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Not for a while. Now lay down."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""No." Felix staggered to his feet, one hand wrapped around a bedpost for balance. "I'm gonna go drink myself into a stupor first."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Jazo shook his head. "White mage says you need rest."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""She can get boned. Just because I owe you don't mean I won't put your little head through the wall, Jazz."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He laughed and offered Felix the mug. "Here, drink this. It's not emjust/em tea."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Felix laughed. "I knew there was a reason I liked you," he said, wrapping his fingers around the handle of the mug. He took a gulp of the steaming contents. The taste reminded him of Tracy after her morning tea. With a sigh, he hoped the extra ingredients could make him forget that./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Something wrong?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Nah. How much did you put in here?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I'm not sure what you mean."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Jazo, what the fuck did I just drink?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""It's my sister's secret blend. Told you it wasn't just plain tea."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Huh." He took another sip. "Tastes good." It wasn't a emcomplete /emlie; the tea tasted about as good as dead, boiled plant bits could taste. Felix preferred whiskey-laced black coffee to plain weed water, but without seeing so much as a shot glass of his old friend since showing up in Spira, tea would have to do for now. Until he found another stash of sake, that is./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I'll have to tell her you like it. Nobody outside our family has had a taste yet."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He forced his aching muscles to allow him to shuffle towards the door. "This has just been the vacation of firsts, hasn't it?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Jazo laughed. "Don't worry. She learned how to make it from our great-great aunt. I guess you could call it a family secret."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I wouldn't know anything about that kind of thing," Felix said, "but if this tea'll keep me going for a little while, I can't say I object." He squeezed his shoulder blades together to try and ease the stiffness out of his upper back; with an audible empop/em, the tension in his spine released./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Sounds like it hurt."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Nah. I'm not that old, yet."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You look it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He shot the Crusader a glare. "The hell's that supposed to mean?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I haven't seen a whole lot of Crusaders with gray in their beards, Sergeant."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Felix reached up and scratched his whiskers. The first bits of gray popped up in Bosnia, and every tour after that added a little more salt to the pepper. Still, it wasn't emthat /emnoticeable, was it? "It happens."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""When you get old."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I emtold /emyou, I'm not old."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Forty is old here in Spira./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He groaned, remembering Yuna's comments about his age. emYuna./em Felix pressed his lips together a fraction of a moment to gather himself. "I'm in my prime, kid. And I've got a little ways to go until forty. Luca was your first combat deployment?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Jazo stiffened, as though unsure of how to react. "Ah, that's correct, Felix."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""What'd you think?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He paused. "It's... different."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Felix nodded. "Ain't like the stories."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Not at all."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Whatever shit you saw, and whatever shit you had to do – you're never gonna forget it." He leaned against the wall. "I shat cinder blocks my first time out."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Really?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You coulda built a stadium in my shorts."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You got over it, though."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Yeah." Felix recalled his first combat deployment, roping in from a Huey into a little hole-in-the-map. He also recalled, with just a little less of a smile, the first time he snuffed out a life. A skinny, dirt-caked little bastard was only the first in a long, long line of deaths. Felix flinched. He hadn't let himself think about it lately. He had to stop before he remembered the reasons./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You okay?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He opened his eyes. "Yeah. Just lost myself, there."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Maybe you should head back to bed."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Oh, go to hell. I'm not laying in bed like some kind of fuckin' invalid. I need a smoke and a drink, and I don't give a damn if I have to shoot half of Luca to get 'em."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Your funeral."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I'm not emthat /emlucky." Felix stepped out of the carpeted hallway and up the stairs, flicking the storm latch aside and muttering a wish that the gorilla who kicked his ass was getting sodomized somewhere in Hell. Opening the door revealed yet even more sunshine, accompanied by a stiff breeze and the ever-present smell of salt. He stumbled onto the deck, and seized by a sudden migraine, leaned against a wooden support. His head felt like it was being sheared in half from inside. He needed a cigarette. Felix's kimono twitched in the wind, and the freedom that came with a lack of pants or undergarments displayed its drafty downside. He wondered if he could find another pair of pants like his obnoxious yellow ones. He liked those./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"A smart-looking Lucan corporal shot the engineer of his train of thought, tapping Felix on the shoulder and gesturing at the boathouse. "The rest of your men are down in the galley, Sergeant."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He thanked the man and made his way to the railingem. How long have I been here? Weeks? Months? It has to be months. Christ, what have I missed in the real world? /emFelix laughed gently – any harder, and he might have made his wounds worse. emOr is THIS my real world now?/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Hey, Felix." Wedge appeared at his side, forearms resting on the whitewashed railing. "Feeling better?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""S'much as I can hope for," he replied, popping his back again. "Is there any food left downstairs?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Breakfast's been cleaned out already. But I bet the cook would give you some extra servings if you ask."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Felix chuckled. "I think I will. I heard you were out scrounging for sake."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Couldn't find a drop. When the Lucans say a place is dry, they mean emdry/em."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""emGreat./em Just what I needed to hear."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I figured you'd be overjoyed." Wedge paused, then continued with a more somber tone. "We left a few of us back there."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""How many?" He asked, staring at the breeze-scraped surf./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""From Besaid? Darren, Leks, and Gatta. The bodies are headed to next of kin. From the Crusaders? Yevon only knows."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Felix turned and faced Wedge. "The mages couldn't save him?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He shook his head. "Gatta was messed up bad. Maybe Yuna could have done something for him, but she's busy in Bevelle trying to keep Spira from exploding at the seams. Hope those Council types are all happy we took Luca."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Or what's left of it," Felix added, remembering the mounds of rubble that littered the once populous city. What should have been a quick raid turned into a drawn-out battle, replete with artillery and , emtank. /em"The Al-Bhed did a real number on the place. And we sure as hell did our best to help."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Yuna better bust Nade's chops – the Al-Bhed militia managed to put together that gigantic machina right under his nose."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"The second mention of her name reached his ears with more clarity. Felix wondered how the Summoner was faring in the world of political affairs – of which he knew little, aside from their ability to royally fuck up the world. He also wondered about whether or not she was burning effigies of him at the moment, but emthat /emsituation needed to be contemplated in the presence of a lot of booze. "That wasn't the only thing someone has to explain," he said, re-boarding his train of thought at the correct station. "There were too many of them, too well-equipped, and too well-trained for that to be a local militia."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You heard the sphere – the Al-Bhed in Luca rallied together. The Council got the intelligence from a captured unit."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Felix laughed. "Wedge, like I said, I've spent enough of my life dealing with local insurgencies to tell you that that wasn't one. Besides, there's no way in hell emevery /emAl-Bhed in the city had the exact same outfit and equipment as their neighbor. We didn't lose three of us and however many Lucan Crusaders to a bunch of pissed-off college students with hunting rifles."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Felix, we've been over this already."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""No, emthink /emabout it this time!" He waved a hand at the rearward horizon. "We show up to arrest a few civilians, and wind up blowing the hell out of an entire city trying to fight off every Al-Bhed on the planet. Christ, they had fucking mortars. And a tank. A emtank!/em Nobody issues a permit for that, not emeven/em in a world where you can put people back together with fuckingem magic /emand emride giant birds./em"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""They're bad neighbors, to say the least." Wedge furrowed his brow. "It's the preparations that really bother me, and I've been trying to explain them away to myself. But you're right. They had to know something was coming. There's no reason for them to stockpile those weapons otherwise. If they were that prepared for us, then this proves the Al-Bhed were definitely behind everything – the bombings and the attacks on Yuna were just a prelude for an all-out war, a war the Al-Bhed have been wanting for a long time, apparently."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He nodded. "This is just the start of something a hell of a lot bigger than you, or me, or Biggs can imagine."/span/p
div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"hr style="color: black;" align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%" /div
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"The door to her room exploded inward. Yuna leaped to her feet and whirled, a blur of red silk and brown hair, knocking her chair to the floor behind her. Flanked by a pair of the mirror-plated ceremonial guards, Maester Nade flashed into the room, seizing the static-emitting sphere on Yuna's desk. "Arrest her!" He barked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""What?" Yuna exclaimed, backpedaling away from the advancing guards. She snatched her staff from its resting place against the wall and brandished it in front of her. "Nade, what-"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You have betrayed your people and your country."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I've done nothing wrong!" She tightened her grip on the rod and flicked her gaze from guard to guard. Her breath raced, exhaling in quick pants. Yuna gritted her teeth. "As High Summoner, I order you to stand down. emNow./em Nade, you've made a mistake."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""The only mistake here, emLady/em Yuna, is that the people of Spira believed you were their loyal leader."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""emI've done nothing wrong!"/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Then explain your midnight call to Bikanel!" He thundered, slamming his fist onto the desk and sending a quill pen flying. Nade's breathing quickened. "Imagine my surprise – my horror – when I discovered the High Summoner was trying to contact the enemy." Nade drummed his fingers on the sphere. "Your lineage is known to all of us, Lady Yuna. That damned swirl in your eye gives it away."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Yuna's hands twisted around the corded grip of her staff. "You forget yourself," she snapped. "Leave."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""We thought you would never allow your heritage to interfere with your duty." He stepped toward her. "We thought your love of Spira was greater than your familial tethers. It appears that we were horribly, horribly wrong. You've betrayed your people, and Lord Braska's memory."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Yuna clenched her teeth. "You...you embastard/em! You manipulative, lying, emBASTARD/em!" She jammed the end of the rod against the hardwood floor and snarled. The flames of the candles in the room turned white. "You already forced me against my blood – don't you emdare /emattack my father's memory!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Nade sighed. "I'm afraid my outburst has caused this to become much more difficult. Guards, escort Lady Yuna downstairs for the remainder of the voyage. Ensure she is comfortable, but she is not allowed any contact with the rest of the crew or passengers."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"The guard on the left made a painful mistake, and grabbed Yuna by the arm. She whipped her staff upward between his legs. He collapsed to the floor in a whimpering heap. She swung the weapon in a wide arc at the remaining soldier, but he deflected it with an armor-plated forearm and latched onto the sleeve of her pajamas. With a yank and a spin, he twisted her arm behind her back. Yuna shouted, lifted her foot, and stomped down on the armored knee closest to her. It gave way with a sickening emsnap/em. The guard shrieked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Yuna turned around, rod in hand, and found herself nose to nose with the snub barrel of a compact machina./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Behind his pistol, Nade's face contorted in sneering triumph. "Drop your stick. You emwill /emwalk downstairs, or the gulls will feast on your corpse."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"After a moment's hesitation, the rod clattered to the ground./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"The candles were golden once more./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Another pair of guards clanked through the doorway, this time carrying pistols. The first stepped forward and gestured with his head toward the hallway. "Time to go, Lady Yuna."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"She stepped over the good leg of the moaning guard and made her way across the room, past Nade and his upraised pistol, and took her place in front of and between the wary soldiers. The two men nudged her forward with their rifles, and the trio exited the room. Armored footfalls drowned out the almost silent tread of Yuna's bare feet. After a few moments, the sound grew more muffled, then disappeared./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"With another sigh, Nade returned the little gun to its place within his robes and placed Yuna's sphere within his sleeve. He glanced at guard on the floor. "When you've finished," he said, speaking over the sound of dry retching inside a helmet, "take your friend to the mage." He strode out of the noisy cabin and chuckled./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Where'd she learn to fight like that?" Aenna asked, leaning against the wall just outside./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I would very much like to know. She nearly forced me to kill her."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You know as well as I do that we can't do that yet," he murmured. The younger Maester, despite his words, held a compact pistol in his left hand. His fingers tightened about its wooden grip. "It's well that she's not trained in the black arts. We all would have been incinerated."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""A white mage as experienced as Yuna is every bit as deadly," Nade chided. "But a bullet to the brain remains as effective. Had she moved to cast, she would be dead."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Aenna fidgeted. "What's stopping her from doing it now?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Restraint, Aenna. Restraint." Nade inclined his head towards the end of the hallway. "Yuna may have the capability of destroying this ship and all aboard, but never would she attempt such a thing. Not even to save her life."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""We've taken away her contact to the outside and placed her under watch in the guards' quarters. She has every reason-"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""In her mind, there are too many innocent people aboard for her to take action. The guards, yourself, and even the servants – Yuna would emnever /emkill them to escape. Besides," he added, "she remains convinced that she will triumph over the Council – why take a chance at ruining that hope? And something else seems to be weighing upon her mind as of late."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Your analysis is hardly reassuring," Aenna said. He tapped his foot. "We shouldn't have arrested her. It makes our motives too obvious."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Nade stepped closer to Aenna, his robes rustling. "None of the Council expected this. Especially not Nayla, that shortsighted fool. When word gets out that Yuna tried to get a sphere call through to Bikanel in the midst of a war, the half-bred bitch will emhave /emno allies. The people of Spira have not forgotten their hate for the Al-Bhed, especially after the recent attacks. She rose to power solely by her Spiran heritage, emnot /emher contamination. Hell, no one even emnotices /emthat eye of hers until it's pointed out. The sheep are all so desperate to convince themselves their leader is one of them, and not some swine, that they would put out their own eyes with a hot iron before they faced the truth. Now, they will have no chance. Bringing the Calm is nothing compared to what many still believe: that the Al-Bhed's use of machina aggravated Sin and caused countless deaths. Yuna has delivered herself into the Council's hands. With her arrest, the Outline is supremely accelerated. We will seize emergency powers and bring this war to an immediate halt with overwhelming force. Following that-"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""The people will rule," Aenna finished. "It's our ultimate goal."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Nade smiled. "Yuna's betrayal was unexpected, but timely. Go to your quarters and inform Nayla of this development. He may be a fool, but he is a powerful fool, and one we must continue to keep on a short leash."/span/p
div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"hr style="color: black;" align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%" /div
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Nayla switched on the sphere and reclined in his chair, the room draped in a pale green glow. "So, Yuna has been arrested, Nade?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Yes. I'm glad the spherematch worked – it would be dreadful if the Council was unable to communicate."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Indeed." He toyed with his pendant. "Aenna is delightfully ignorant, isn't he?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""As well he should be. He has swallowed our bait, and the hook with it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Let him cling to the Outline," Nayla mused, smiling. "It gives him hope. After all, what is Spira without hope?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Enough of that. What news from your right hand?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Luca has been taken by the Crusaders. And apparently, the Besaid islanders' use of machina was particularly effective." He rubbed his thumb across the smooth silver on the back of his pendant. "The sphere networks are reporting your story about a militia uprising to the expected effect."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Excellent."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Except amongst the Besaid Crusaders. Elias reported that a non-commissioned officer in that unit remains adamant that it was an Al-Bhed military that occupied Luca, and that they had advance warning of the Spiran offensive."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""This is a disast-"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Nayla smirked. "However, he believes that if we announce emthat/em as the 'truth,' it would serve as perfect justification for total war with Bikanel. After all, why emelse/em would the Al-Bhed have emsoldiers/em in Luca?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Elias is worth his weight in Gil. Inform him that his payment will be doubled on the next transmission. I'll see to it that the sphere networks discover that the men we interrogated were lying to protect Bikanel. That should provide double safety for us."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Certainly," Nayla said. "And as for our Al-Bhed friends?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""They made landfall over Home a few hours into the battle for Luca. Communications on the island have been completely severed."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""And the Council?" He sat forward. "What of our emergency powers?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""We convene in Bevelle after you make landfall. The troublesome parties will be dealt with, and the rest of the Council will assume its rightful place at the head of Spira."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Excellent. I will make ready."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"The sphere hissed, then fell silent. Nayla laughed – a low, soft, noise that barely broke the silence in the room once again shrouded in darkness. He looked around the chamber, reached for the sphere, and bathed the room in light once more – this time, blue. With a smirk on his lips and an almost singsong voice, he began to dictate to the far-off audience./span/p
div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"hr style="color: black;" align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%" /div
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Nade shut the door to his cabin and left the bolt open. He glanced around the empty room, made his way to his desk, and sat down on the padded leather chair. Pursing his lips, he withdrew the pistol from his robes and set it beside a sheet of parchment. Nade stared at the weapon. "It can't be helped," he muttered aloud. "You were clay in my hands, boy, but you've become a thorn in my side."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He took up his pen, and began to write./span/p
div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: normal;" align="center"hr style="color: black;" align="center" noshade="noshade" size="1" width="100%" /div
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I trust you are well, Aenna?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"The young Maester of Kilika frowned. "Yes, of course. Forgive me – we just finished speaking, and I'm quite unsure of why you see it necessary to call me again."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Because we have things which must be discussed further."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""These things being?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Nayla's sigh crackled forth from the glowing purple sphere. "Aenna, your hostility will only complicate things. Please, set aside your animosity for me and focus on your love of Spira. The Outline is in grave danger."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Aenna's lip curled as he glowered at the sphere. "Why should I believe you?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""If you ignore me, you will render pointless the sacrifice of so many of your people. If you listen, they will be rightfully canonized as martyrs for freedom in a Spira devoid of monarchy."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He was silent a long moment./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Aenna, emplease/em."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I'm listening," he responded at last./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""It's Maester Nade. He plans to betray the Council and seize power for himself. When you told me he had Yuna arrested, I was terrified it would be too late to act. But the window is not yet closed."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He drummed his fingers on the desk. "Why should I believe you over Maester Nade?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Do you recall the Council's vote to hire the Al-Bhed mercenaries?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Of course. It was the first step in the Outline."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Do you recall out of whose purse the funds were drawn?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Aenna tapped his foot and frowned. "Maester Nade carried the cost. He said it was a small burden to bear for so just a cause."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""And do you recall who served as our ambassador to the Al-Bhed?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""It was…Nade. Nade said he would oversee the affair."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Why was Nade so anxious to control every angle, Aenna? Why would he insist on going alone to meet with the Al-Bhed? Aenna, those mercenaries are under Nade's direct command. Whatever order he gives, whether or not the Council approves, those soldiers will obey."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Your words are troubling."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Kilika still has not recovered from the bombing, correct?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"Aenna clenched his teeth. "Yes."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Do you recall by emwhom /emyour island was attacked?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""You're wasting my time," Aenna snapped./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Al-Bhed mercenaries. emNade's/em mercenaries. The Outline is his cloak to maneuver in position to seize control of Spira as Grand Maester; he has no interest in democracy. The bombing of Kilika accelerated war with Bikanel, but it also accelerated the development of a power vacuum into which Nade can and will step, if we allow it."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;"He paled. "The Council would never-"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""If we do not act emnow, /emAenna, there will embe/em no Council!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""What would you have me do?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""When you reach the mainland, give word to Nade that I wish to speak with him regarding the fate of Lady Yuna. Mention this conversation to no-one, and certainly do not let Nade know that you are aware of his maneuvering. We must keep him in the dark – the hunter, as the old cliché runs, is now the hunted."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""I understand. Nayla?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""Yes?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;"span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: black;""If what you've said is a lie," Aenna said, blinking hard, "I'll kill you." He turned off the sphere, shoved it in a drawer, and buried his face in the sleeve of his robe./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p