…I guess this is it.
Just like old times…
Ragnar turned and looked over his forces. He was standing in the lead, determined to take the others into battle in this one last charge. And because of that…Cloud was at his side. The girls were positioned behind him deeper in the ranks, where Ragnar wanted them. The sun was higher in the sky now. It had taken them about an hour to get organized. However, the New Shinra hadn't come. They had waited patiently for their foes to make their move. After all…the result would be the same no matter what they tried. Ahead of them, Ragnar could clearly make out more details of the trenches and emplacements. The New Shinra didn't even bother bringing additional troops up to this location. Behind them, the destroyers provided the main guard, waiting to strike.
The first line was made up of mostly heavy troopers, and the few mobile artillery units they had. They would be the ones that would take the first hits. Just behind them were soldiers wielding RPGs, materia users, and teams carrying the small artillery. The first line would essentially sacrifice themselves to allow the second to get into position and fire on the destroyers. If they could push all the way to shore, they could get out of the range of most of them. By then, they would mostly be dead…but after that they would be clear. There was an incredibly slim chance that they could survive up to destroying one or two destroyers. But after that, the rest of the New Shinra forces would come in, and that would be the end.
The youth saw that his army was ready and waiting. They were all looking for him to personally lead the charge. The field was strangely silent…the calm before the storm. But even more than that…it felt like some sort of temporary peace had rested on it. It almost made things seem more relaxing…more ethereal… Ragnar wondered…was this what it was like to accept death?
The general finally turned to Cloud.
"…Ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Cloud answered.
Ragnar gave a nod. "Right." He began to turn back to the front, and prepared to raise Ragnarok to give the signal.
"Hey, kid."
Ragnar stopped here, and turned back to Cloud. The ex-mercenary gave him a smile.
"I know Barret would kill me for this…but if we ever did get married, I'd want you for my best man."
The youth hesitated on hearing that. He smiled in the end.
"…I'd be honored."
With that, Ragnar turned back ahead to the open field. He raised Ragnarok high into the air. As it caught the sun, it flashed like a fiery flame, so strong and bright that all could see it. Then, he swung down…and immediately charged full speed toward the coast.
The others fell in behind him, and soon the plains came alive with the sound of a stampede of humans. Covering the area like a carpet, they ran forward as one huge mass and barreled for the shoreline. Some cried out war. Others banged their guns, and even shot some rounds into the air to accentuate their ferocity and power. And to even the most well-defended place on Gaia…they were a fearsome sight to behold. As the officers far in the distance watched them on binoculars, they couldn't help but feel some fear at the sight of the massive, unified hoarde.
Ragnar's own face lit up with passion. His noble, commanding presence had become vented into a kingly wrath, and he swung Ragnarok around him like he wielded a piece of the sun itself. His cape flapped about him with an apparent life of its own, and his face was as fierce as the most primal and savage of nature. As he came, the feeling bled back and over those behind him, only fueling their rage and passion.
The perimeter ahead grew closer and closer. The details became more distinct. The youth began to see mounted artillery units and heavy machine guns. They turned and clicked into place, aiming at the approaching force. Behind them, seated in the ocean like dark sentinels, the destroyers began to react as well. Their huge deck guns rotated and pointed south, taking aim at the multitude that was coming. One thing was certain…they would be unable to stop this charge. They were too many, and driving too hard. They wouldn't stop them from taking a piece of the New Shinra with them. Ragnar let that thought encourage him, and did not fear.
As the mass closed in on the last mile, Ragnar focused his gaze hard on the destroyers. If he had to, he would cut his way into them and tear them apart alone. He wasn't afraid of them. There were dozens of them, all encircling the bay and staring down the mass that came upon them. They were emotionless and cold, ready to destroy them all without pity or fear. But he didn't care. He would make them feel fear. Any moment now…and they would come in range. They would fire at the front line, and many of them would die. But Ragnar forced himself to keep going. He would go first. He would make them all fire on him…try vainly to kill him while the others fell in and started to attack. His fierce look zeroed in on one barrel…aimed directly at him, it seemed. His teeth flashed, and his eyes burned.
Go on…shoot. He mentally challenged it. I dare you.
As Ragnar and the others crossed an invisible threshold, this destroyer, the nearest to them…began to pull back its huge barrel…
And then…right before Ragnar's challenging eyes…it erupted into a ball of fire.
Immediately…Ragnar's steely gaze was broken. His final charge was suddenly deflated…and he felt himself bring his body to a halt. He thrust his feet down and skidded until he stopped his charge. Luckily, he wasn't alone in what he saw. Those behind him saw it as well, and rather than trample him they immediately stopped as well. They too acted as he did…and gaped in surprise at what they were seeing.
Abruptly…the line of impervious, formidable destroyers lit up in flames. One explosion after another went off, blasting along each of them. And they weren't small explosions either. They were from heavy weapons…ones larger than any PPA member had on them. The blasts were targeted at the deck guns…and on connecting they immediately burst into twisted metal and flame.
The massive, furious hoard of the PPA was rendered a dumbfounded group of gawkers. Fireballs were peppering the enemy destroyers, and each one did more damage. The New Shinra units in front of them, that until now had been training their own artillery and guns on the PPA…suddenly forgot all about them. Blue uniforms began to pop up out of the trenches, wheeling around and gaping at their line, as they saw their navy suddenly assaulted.
Cloud, his own jaw loosened, halted next to Ragnar. His mako-shining eyes were focused on the line, as he watched a second wave of explosions pound the destroyers again.
Ragnar blinked, unable to believe his eyes.
"…We aren't attacking them…"
"What the hell!"
Ashiah rose out of her seat in a fury as she said this. Ahead of her, the view of the outside had been replaced. A digital screen of sorts had dropped down instead, masking the outside…but relaying the images that it was getting from the rest of the fleet. Only seconds ago, a red alert had blared through the communications deck, and a distress call was put in from the New Shinra Navy back in Midgar Bay. Acting on protocol, the communications officer immediately put the screen on display. And as it showed its results to those on the bridge, the shock that had seized Ashiah spread throughout the rest of the chamber.
Another fleet was attacking the NSN.
It seemed as if they had materialized out of nowhere. One second, they hadn't been there. But the next…and the radar sweeps were suddenly revealing a fleet the size of the NSN's moving in on Midgar Bay from the east. The most logical explanation was that somehow they had been able to elude their radar, but when they engaged they lost the ability to go stealth. However…logic had nothing to do with this. The PPA had no fleet. No one else in the world had a fighting force. And yet…here they suddenly were. And the New Shinra Navy, secure in the belief that no one was out there to threaten them…had left their exposed backsides open to it.
"Thirty unidentified destroyers coming in!" The communications officer called. "Fifty…no, sixty hits confirmed on our own destroyers! 45 percent of fleet deck guns destroyed on opening salvos! Tempest and Flurry report extensive damage! Arbalast has been disabled!"
Ashiah glared at the radar screen hovering in front of her. It highlighted the new closing ships, showed how they were moving in on their own hapless, spread out units. And now, they had engaged them full force.
The Admiral began to clench her hands into fists…digging her nails into her own flesh so hard that blood began to flow from her knuckles…
Who the hell is attacking us?
A fleet.
A fleet as great and powerful as the New Shinra Navy itself.
Ragnar saw it, but he couldn't believe it. He blinked, thinking he was dreaming this whole thing up. But it was no dream. Far out from where he was, beyond the coast and onto the sea, he saw what looked to him like a miraculous host from Heaven. Great ships…gleaming like polished gold in the morning sun…were coming into the bay. They were large and formidable. Each one had four giant turrets on their upper deck, each one bearing a deck gun. Because of the turrets, they were completely mobile and highly precise. That was obvious enough from the opening hits. Ragnar realized that this fleet had to have drawn a bead on the New Shinra Navy when they came in, in particular the deck guns. Their shots had hit each of the enemy ships right smack dab on their deck weaponry. They had all but disabled the enemy's guns in one fell swoop.
They weren't finished, however. As Ragnar and the army watched, he saw them sail into the bay. Their guns were still thundering, and they began to strike the destroyers on the bridges next. They were attacking viciously, seizing their opportunity to strike the motionless and unguarded fleet. And they were quickly wracking up damage. One of the destroyers was already bursting into flame. Two more were beginning to bend, already looking like they were sinking. Those that were left frantically began to pull away from the shore. They were helpless here, and sitting ducks for enemy fire. But even now, it would take them time to pull out, right themselves, and then plan a counterattack. The new gold fleet didn't seem to want to give them that chance. Their shots changed, and now they began to aim for the rears of the ships, trying to take out their propellers.
If that wasn't enough, deck gun shots began to hit the edge of the shore. When they did…trenches were blown sky high. Artillery units were obliterated. Fire and mud burst forth, and blue uniforms scattered in panic. The irony was almost too much for Ragnar to fathom. They had expected to be decimated by the New Shinra Navy deck guns…and instead the guns of these new ships were being trained on their ground forces.
"…Who in the world are these people?" Ragnar finally said aloud.
"I don't know…but I think they don't like the New Shinra." Cloud answered.
Ragnar stared on at this for a bit longer. When he was done…he let out a somewhat dazzled laugh. He couldn't help it…this was funny. Not funny humorous…but funny in the biggest display of irony he had ever seen.
This was supposed to be the blaze of glory that the PPA was going to die in. Ragnar had gone into this fight fully expecting to never return. And yet…at the same time…he remembered feeling something within him. He felt that this wasn't the end. He felt that there was some hope still here, although everything seemed dire and futile. Deep within him, inside the fiber of his very soul…he felt that he needed to strike, and to have hope for victory. Though there was none to be had…he had believed it. They all had believed it, somewhere inside them.
…Now, their hope was justified. Ragnar had believed only a miracle would save them…and now it had. Somehow…from somewhere…this fleet had come. Ragnar didn't know if they were some private navy…or if somehow Heaven had sent them down to deliver them in their hour of need... It seemed impossible for them to even be here. But it was happening. This was no dream or hallucination. He was watching the formidable, unstoppable fleet of the New Shinra being turned into fire and rubble right before his eyes. The army around them was being thrown in disarray.
Just as the day had broken the darkness of night…now Ragnar felt the last traces of his gloom and fear evaporate. Their crushing defeat had been turned into hope for victory. Their deaths had been wiped away…and a chance for life and triumph remained. The navy was broken. The army was spread out too far. And the whole host of the PPA, unchallenged, fully armed, and assembled, was poised at the right moment to break forward. This fleet was destroying their artillery and trench emplacements. If they charged now…they could easily take that part of the field all the way to the coast. Then they'd be behind their foes, behind all of their defenses and blockades… And they'd be too stretched out to mount a counter offensive.
Impossible as it seemed…unbelievable as it seemed…Ragnar realized that they could wipe out the entire enemy force.
Great as Ragnar's passion had been before, it suddenly increased twofold. His look of shock was replaced with a look of confidence and might. Cloud turned his head to him, and noticed this change. On seeing it…he immediately understood. He didn't know if this fleet was enemy or ally…but for now, they had a common cause, it appeared. And their charge was no longer one of desperation, but one of victory. He soon turned and glared at the horizon, raising his blade as well. Those around them soon noticed, and saw that the charge was on. And now, seeing victory once more in their grasp, they began to smile and ready themselves again too. It continued to spread down the line…filling the PPA with new passion and hope for victory. Soon, the entire host was once again ready to fight, and this time even harder than before.
Ragnar once more raised Ragnarok into the sky, flashing its flame into the air, and then bringing it down. Now…with the whole army cheering…the PPA advanced onto the enemy.
There was a slaughter in Midgar…but it wasn't the Planet Protector Army that felt it.
The New Shinra were completely disorientated when the new navy struck. They hadn't been expecting anything like it, and paid a severe price for that. Yet while they desperately tried to recover and counter, their older foes took the advantage. They struck first in the weakest point, right at the shore. The new navy had already done away with much of the artillery and fortifications, and sent the soldiers there into a panic. It took little in the way of pushing to finish them off. With their army already thinned out and pressed, the NSA was almost powerless to stop the PPA from finishing advancing and splitting their forces in half.
The mass of the Planet Protector Army began to move west now, destroying trenches and artillery as they went. All of the New Shinra's armaments were aimed the wrong way, and hence could do little to stop them. What more, the PPA was now in a mass, while the NSA was stretched out in a perimeter. The field was soon being swept, with little to nothing there to stop them. Only the sweepers could have afforded a mounted defense that could have retaliated to this, but they were all to the east, and unable to stop the PPA from decimating the forces on the west. In no time at all, the entire west wing was collapsing. On the way, grenades and explosives were planted on each silo, turning the trump cards of the New Shinra into so much fiery debris.
At last, the sweepers and the eastern army managed to come up to bear. But by that time, the Planet Protector Army had established a rear guard and mounted their own artillery units. What more…the New Shinra Army had already taken severe damage, while the Planet Protector Army was more numerous than it had ever been before. When they clashed, they were unable to break through, and the losses that they inflicted on the PPA were not nearly as painful as the ones inflicted on them.
The navy was all but useless. They were unable to provide any support to their ground troops, but were forced to fight for their own survival. But these new ships didn't have to shift direction to fire like they did, and they were able to keep on shooting regardless of where they were at. In addition, the opening "free" shots had nearly disabled their ability to counter. By the time destroyers were finally ready to counter, they barely had the capability to do so. A few shots were fired that managed to impact the enemy ships, but unlike the New Shinra destroyers, these ones had equidistant guns. Destroying one did little to effect the other three. The New Shinra was already so weakened that it couldn't disable even one of the enemy destroyers.
After only a few hours, the commanders of the navy and army alike realized that their formidable force was nearly broken. The navy had completely turned their world upside down. Just as they had managed to circumvent the defenses of the PPA by building the missiles, they had been circumvented by this new navy. Destroyers, already heavily damaged, began to go down one after another. Troops on land and ships on sea began to blow up transports. The New Shinra forces on land were only managing to hold their own, but they were slowly weakening. They realized that soon their navy would be disabled or destroyed, and when that happened the New Shinra forces on land would be unable to escape. They would be the ones with no way out. Soon, the destroyers wouldn't even be able to cover an escape, and if they fled they would be picked off one by one.
With that in mind, the ground commander, aghast and overwhelmed at what had happened, put in a call. He already knew what the verdict would be if he contacted the Admiral…and so he did the only thing he could to save his army.
He went over her head and put in a call to General Leers himself.
"Damnit all! I said I wanted maximum speed!"
"We're already at maximum speed, madam! The engines are overheating!"
Ashiah clenched her fist again, drawning more blood, and smashed it against the railing. "Damn Maritza and her useless toys!" She sneered.
No one dared point out the fact that, despite its incredible size, the Juggernaut was moving at 80 knots. It was a miracle of modern engineering that something could make that much speed. But to Ashiah, it was going slower than a rusted tugboat. The fact of the matter was that they were simply too far away. No matter how fast they moved, they were never going to get back to Midgar Bay in time.
One distress call after another came in, followed by one damage report after another. Everything had been reversed at Midgar Bay. 60 percent of the destroyers were disabled. Half of those were destroyed. Only five deck guns out of the seventy-five that the fleet had possessed were still working. Over half of the transports were sinking, and the other half was following close behind. On shore, 73 percent of the perimeter had collapsed. Two of the armies that had been sent in were gone, and the two remaining ones were taking heavy damage. All this had taken place in only four or five hours. The Juggernaut still wouldn't be there for another twelve hours at the current speed. It was becoming painfully obvious to the entire crew that they wouldn't last that long.
To everyone, that was…save Ashiah.
The communications officer spoke up again. "Field Marshal Steele is sending out a general signal, Admiral. He has given the order for all troops to withdraw to the transports. He's requesting the fleet to cover them as they board."
"The hell he is!" Ashiah snapped back, nearly animal-like. "Call him and tell him to sit his cowardly ass on the ground, and to not get up until I get there! Tell those useless idiots to stand and fight! These are ignorant volunteers, for #$& sake!"
The crew shuddered in the wake of Ashiah's savagery. She sounded almost like a wild beast. She was spitting as she screamed…seeming to nearly foam at the mouth. And yet…still, no one dared disobey her. Trembling a little, the communications officer began to relay the message back. After a few moments, he turned back to the Captain's chair.
"…Admiral…he says he contacted the General directly and gave a report of the situation. The General ordered a complete evacuation of Midgar Bay before damage grew any worse."
Ashiah's face snapped around to the officer. "He did what!" She nearly screamed. "That stupid little desk officer went over my head? That son of a bitch tried to go around my orders!"
The officer began to cringe at this, fearing that Ashiah would vent her wrath on him, especially with this next portion. But he managed to finish. "…General Leers also orders us to return immediately."
"What the hell does the General know about the situation?" Ashiah violently screamed back, turning red in the face. "He's back in the damn Dome! I'm in charge here! I'm the head of the New Shinra here! The General can go to hell along with Steele!"
The vicious woman rose from her chair at this and walked to the railing. She was nearly twisted with rage now as she glared over the bridge. Everyone around her…was betraying her. They were all stabbing her in the back. Maritza probably made the engines slow on the Juggernaut so that she couldn't react in this sort of situation. Steele was probably another one of her pawns. She was surrounded by her agents. Perhaps…even her trusted crew…they were in her pocket as well. Perhaps they were all looking to backstab her the first chance they got… That was why they wanted her to follow this order so badly…to reduce her to a laughingstock…to discredit her ability…and elevate Maritza in her place…
You…traitorous…bastards… The woman thought with violent hate.
"You listen up, every single one of you!" The woman roared. The crew stiffened, and turned around to look at her. Each one of them was rather fearful at this point, but even more so as they looked at the woman. "You follow my orders, understand! You do what I say! If I tell you to jump into the propellers of this ship, you will do it! I've had it with insubordination! You have tried my patience for the last time! The next one of you who disobeys me…gives me any crap for my decisions…is going to be executed for mutiny! Do you all understand? Now get this damn carrier back to-"
Thud.
Ashiah's furious look of hatred and rage suddenly evaporated. Her face loosened and went limp…and the rest of her body soon followed. In a heap, the Admiral fell to the ground, unconscious. Now the crew was truly shocked. They had been recoiling in fear until now…but someone had just done this to their main officer. They gaped for a moment at her fallen body, not really believing that it had happened. But then, they looked up to see who the culprit was.
The first officer, pale and a bit sweaty, for he had feared Ashiah's wrath as much as the rest of them, quivered as he held the butt of his personal pistol at the spot where he had struck the woman in the back of the head. He quivered a bit now, standing there and staring at what he had done. The woman was acting like a lunatic. She was going mad. And yet…she was still the commanding officer. What he had just done could be construed as mutiny. Everyone who saw him, including the security officers on board, knew it. And yet…everyone had been thinking, even secretly hoping, that someone would have done this. And so no one moved.
In the end, the first officer swallowed and put his gun away. He stood up straight and smoothed himself out, and then turned to the security personnel.
"…Admiral Ashiah is under arrest for disobeying a direct order from General Leers." He simply stated. "Take her to the brig and do not release her until I give the order. I am assuming command of the Juggernaut and all Midgar Bay forces. Carry out the General's orders and begin evacuation."
Ragnar didn't think he would see this day for years…and a few hours ago, he thought he would never see it at all.
Yet there it was. The New Shinra lines had completely collapsed. The remnants of the last two armies boarded the few transports that were left and attempted to sail for it. In the end, it still wasn't enough. Destroyers had to risk making port, taking even more damage than before, to load up more. Even then, the new navy was relentlessly pounding them. As noon approached, the ships had no choice but to turn and flee for it. They left at least a fourth of their troops behind, who had no choice but to surrender to overwhelming forces.
The gold navy continued to pound away at the ships as they left. They inflicted even more crippling damage in their wake. But they could only take it and keep running for it. In the end, as they began to make for the horizon and leave the bay, the guns ceased at last. As the last echoes of explosions died down, the PPA army halted in what they were doing and turned to look out to sea. Ragnar was among them as he watched the ships vanish.
Ragnar was bloody and bruised in a few places. His cape and tunic had been torn, but were still mostly intact. Several times during that battle…he had felt the urge to call forth the power of his sword, and it had lit into flame. That power was growing in him…becoming almost under his control. However, he didn't think of that right now, or how tired he was. He only thought of what was around him. His army was spread all over the field. Twisted metal and carnage filled everywhere. And yet…the enemy was no longer there. This area right here that his forces had guarded for months was his to guard again. He couldn't believe it…
The general looked around a moment as the force began to realize the battle had ended. Wanting to take the lead in charging, and having stayed together as they moved on, the group of his closer friends was around him. Cloud was at his side, holding his sword still at the ready and panting, as he had been practically the entire battle. The two had reasserted their reputation in the New Shinra Army of being immortal gladiators that could take over a thousand men with machine guns. Nearby, Tifa was looking rather bruised herself, and was rubbing her gloved hands. They were bruised from how much she had punched during the fight. Looking probably the cleanest out of all of them was Aerith, standing behind Ragnar. She wasn't there on purpose…he had just made a point of being a shield in front of her the entire battle. She still was quite dirty and looked shaken up. After all, she had never been on a battlefield. But her ability to use her powers had soon caused soldiers, already shocked that they were being attacked by such an upset, to fear the "witch". That was part of the reason she was so clean. On Cloud's right stood Barret. Having exhausted all of his ammunition and power cells, he had used the clamp in his artificial arm to grab a circular shell and used it as a sort of hammer arm throughout the rest of the fight. Finally, on Ragnar's left stood Yuffie. Her invisibility cloak had been torn during the fight, and she didn't seem to realize as she stood there that she looked like a disembodied arm and half of a head. She looked around herself in a bit of bewilderment, before turning back to the general.
"…I think that's all of them." She stated at last.
Ragnar was inclined to agree, although he still couldn't believe it. At last, he reached down to his radio, which had somehow miraculously avoided being smashed during the course of the battle. He unclipped it from his belt and raised it to his mouth. After adjusting to a channel, he put in a message. Because it was a channel that was more generalized, several other radios across the field began to sound it. Those nearby turned and looked to Ragnar, however, and listened to what his said.
"Captain Cid? Do you read me?"
"This is Captain Cid, over."
"What is the status of the Juggernaut and the ships with her?"
"Hauling ass out of here, General. We did it. We retook the bay."
A ground-shaking roar of triumph filled the valley. Everyone who had heard the news immediately erupted into cries of victory. Those nearby who hadn't heard soon gathered it and began to cheer as well. The bloody, tired army, which had thought it was marching to its death this morning, now rejoiced in their overwhelming triumph. Even those back in Midgar soon heard the news long before the radio report went out, simply from the cheering that was pouring across five miles of valley and back to the city.
Yuffie threw off her invisibility cloak and began to leap in the air with her own cheering. Barret made a fist and cocked it back as he let out a massive laugh. Tifa ran forward to Cloud, and as he turned to see her she leapt onto him and flung his arms around his neck. Cloud quickly grabbed on as well and swung her around, both of them breaking into smiles and joy.
Ragnar, on his part, let out a long sigh…and then collapsed to the ground. He managed to keep himself up in a seated position…but his arms fell limply at his sides, and he stared out ahead of him with a look of utter amazement. He still couldn't believe it. Not since the Giant of Bab-Il had there been such an upset in the history of war. Just last night he had been plunged into despair and trying to disband the very army that surrounded him in an attempt to save their lives. Now his army was saved…in better shape than ever. The New Shinra were retreating. They'd be confined to the Northern Continent again.
The youth felt so stunned that he could have been knocked over with a feather. As the others rejoiced around him, he just sat there marveling at the irony of it all. There was only one thing that could have snapped him out of it…and it did after a few minutes.
A pair of arms gently wrapped themselves around him from behind, and he felt a warm kiss planted on his cheek.
At that, Ragnar blinked and snapped out of it. He turned, and to his amazement saw that Aerith had come up behind him. She was the one who put her arms around him…and, he began to realize…she had just kissed him. Just on the cheek, but still…
The Cetra smiled at him. "Congratulations, General."
Ragnar, caught off guard, was stunned for a moment. He found himself speechless, staring back at her and unable to reply. His mouth opened and closed for a few moments…
However, he then became aware of his situation. The initial celebration was dying down, and now the officers were beginning to come to him. Cloud and his friends were included among that group. And as they did…he suddenly realized where he was. Splayed out on the ground, with an attractive woman's arms around him staring at him while he just gawked like a dumb teenager.
When that happened, the youth immediately swallowed. He coughed once, and quickly began to draw himself up. He began to straighten to stand. Aerith released him (thankfully) at that point, and stepped back. He was left to finish rising to his feet. Once he was up, he quickly smoothed his uniform and himself out, taking on a more commanding presence once again. After that, he turned his head to Cloud.
The ex-mercenary shook his head. "I can't believe it's real, general…but we pulled it off just the same. We drove the New Shinra out of Midgar Bay."
Ragnar took a moment longer to steady himself, but then exhaled. He turned and looked out to the ocean. It seemed like forever since he had this close of a look at it. However, as he continued to look at it…he also realized that it wasn't clear now either. Now it was filled with the golden naval ships. And they weren't showing any inclination of turning and vanishing again to wherever they came from. They were moving in to take the places of the New Shinra ships…
"…We should save most of our thanks for them." Ragnar stated, gesturing out to the ocean. "Whoever they are…and assuming that they like us more than the New Shinra."
Cloud and the others began to turn out to the sea as well. They too looked over the golden-colored ships that filled it. There were plenty of Planet Protector Army units in range at the moment, but they weren't being fired on. If they were hostile, then Ragnar assumed that they didn't see any need to be at the moment.
"Who the heck are these people, anyway?" Cloud asked.
Ragnar kept his eyes on them as he shook his head. "I don't know…but they were aware of the New Shinra's weaknesses. They struck them when they least expected it. They hit them right where their guns were. They're able to fire without orientating themselves to them. And seeing how off guard they were hit…I'm guessing they know a way to get around their radar."
The officers were silent for a moment, staring at the ocean and their mysterious saviors. However, as they continued to look, Ragnar's radio buzzed. The general turned, and saw that he had dropped it on the ground when he collapsed. He quickly bent down and picked it up, and then brought it to his ear.
"General Ragnar here."
"Incoming message from one of the destroyers, General. Requested to be directed straight to you."
The others heard this, and turned to Ragnar in response. The youth paused a moment, but then gave a nod. "Put it through."
There was a blip of static. But after a short pause, a voice began to speak…one that Ragnar, and everyone else, immediately recognized.
"Well, General…looks like you're still alive after your kamikaze mission."
The youth's eyes widened, as did those of the people around him.
"…Colonel Nanaki! Is that you?"
"Yes, I am here. And quite grateful to be relieved of one of those annoying headsets…"
"Where the heck are you?"
"On board the flagship of the Wutai Gold Navy, the Murasame."
Everyone reacted to this. They turned and began to look at each other in astonishment. After a few moments, however, the eyes of Cloud and his close friends narrowed…and they turned and gave a rather critical look to Yuffie.
However, the young ninja looked just as bewildered. "What?" She said aloud. "I didn't know about this! I'm just as astonished as you are!" With that, she turned to the radio and yelled as if Red XIII could hear her. "When the hell did we build a navy anyway?"
Ragnar turned back to the radio as well. "Yeah, when the hell did you…I mean, when did Wutai build a navy? Why did they come here now? What's going on?"
"Admiral Godo Kisaragi is more than willing to explain." Red XIII calmly answered. "But first, he humbly requests clearance to dock in Midgar Bay. It has been a long trip for all of us, and, frankly, I'm feeling a little nauseous myself."
Ragnar was still adjusting his cuffs as he walked through the door of the main operations building for the Planet Protector Army. Cloud himself was pulling at his neck. He hated that he was wearing his official uniform. Most of the time, he just ran around in his battle uniform. But Ragnar had made him change. This was going to be their first diplomatic interaction. He wanted to make sure that Godo knew they were perfectly serious about this, although their actions might have already demonstrated that.
It had been about two hours since the conclusion of the battle and Ragnar's transmission. Over the radio, he had arranged for a meeting between himself and the heads of this new navy. He had learned little else. Apparently, these ships were from Wutai, and had been newly named the Wutai Gold Navy. This was their maiden voyage, apparently. After getting clearance to dock, Ragnar had typically wanted to talk with them, and they wished for the same. The only thing was that the officers on the ship were already clean and ready to meet, while the PPA officers were still rather dirty and haggard from battle. They suggested an immediate meeting, which Ragnar had agreed to, but only gave himself two hours to get cleaned up for it. And so, he had raced back along with Cloud as fast as he could, washed the dirt and blood off of his body, changed uniforms, and then raced back to their op center. The rest of the army was still regrouping and moving back into the city by the time he reached the building, but there were enough there to resume operations. The Wutai officers had already arrived by then, and Ragnar and Cloud were rushing in to meet them.
"How's Tifa and Aerith?" Ragnar asked as he continued his brisk walk.
"Fine. They're going to go pick up the kids and bring them back." Cloud answered. "Looks like we'll get to celebrate Marlene's birthday tonight after all. We'll be starting later, but I think we have a lot to be glad about, so none of us mind living it up a little."
"I should be there. Goodness knows that I've earned a day off after all this…" Ragnar murmured in response.
"How's the city? Reeve called you about it yet?"
"Yeah. While you were in the shower. The city's doing fine. There were already some stores open for emergency sales this morning before evacuation. I think it was just people trying to make a buck before they lost it… Anyway, they're resuming normal operation now, and everything else is coming back on too. Isuzu Industries is already starting its machines up again. The mayor is organizing a ticker tape parade for repelling the New Shinra. And…there's some guy on a radio station saying that the Planet Protector Army keeps orchestrating fake invasions just to get more support for our 'true' goals of world domination."
Cloud couldn't help but grin and snicker at that. Ragnar frowned in response.
"I didn't think it was that funny… The guy was serious…"
"You're too uptight, kid. We've just cheated death and got the entire Eastern Continent to boot. If you're going to be upset today, then you're never going to be happy."
Ragnar sighed in response, but then closed his mouth and kept walking.
The two walked on a bit farther, but then approached the door to the meeting chamber. The guards posted gave a salute, and then stood aside to let them enter. Ragnar reached it first and opened it, and both men stepped in.
Sadly, the room was still in much the same disarray it had been after the last meeting. But there was nothing for it. Ragnar had no reason to believe there would ever be another meeting in this room ever again this morning. This particular meeting was supposed to be for high officers only. As a result, Cloud and Ragnar were some of the only officers of the PPA in the room on entering. The only other one was Red XIII, who was already within and seemed to be talking to a small group of what Ragnar assumed were Wutai officers up ahead. Other than that, the only other PPA personnel were a pair of guards inside flanking the inner door. They were still dirty and had bloodstains on their uniforms from the battle, and they wobbled a bit from being tired. Their faces had been wiped (obviously), but that was the only clean part on them.
The Wutai officers caught Ragnar's eye almost immediately. The Planet Protector Army dressed in tan colors. Part of it was that the drab color made good generic camouflauge. Another part of it was that the type of fabric was cheap. Hence, the uniforms of the people from Wutai stood out. They were mostly black except for the collar and rims, which were a bright red color. They looked rather pressed, new, and of higher-quality material, making the PPA look a bit shabby in comparison. These were highly decorated as well.
The officers had brought their own armed escort in with them. Four less decorated troops stood around the room, looking stony and cold as statues. They were armed with rifles, and looked more disciplined and battle-ready than the special forces in the PPA. They made Ragnar a bit uncomfortable as he looked at them. Not only were they better dressed and armed, not only were they steely and proper, but they also seemed much better trained and focused than his own volunteer troops. He could say the same about the officers themselves. There were five of them. Four were similarly decorated, and were a blend of old, young, male, and female. However, all four looked rather hard and emotionless. They stood perfectly straight and tall with their posture at a military "at-ease" stance. Only one looked remotely casual, and that was the most decorated of all, and the one who stood next to Red XIII and talked with him as the two generals entered. Ragnar immediately recognized him as the man he had met almost a year ago: Godo.
"General Ragnar Vice, I presume." He greeted as Ragnar entered. He immediately straightened up and stood at attention with the rest of his officers. He gave him a look over for a moment afterward. "You look more official than the last time I saw you. Allow me to introduce my head captains." He turned and gestured to the officers after this. As he named them, each one gave a respectful bow. "Captain Gorki, Captain Shake, Captain Chekov, and Captain Staniv."
Ragnar had come to a stop at this point, near the group. He wasn't sure exactly how to respond to this at first. In the end, he gave a somewhat shaky bow of his own back to them. After that, he turned back to Godo. "Thank you for coming. …We weren't really expecting anyone, so…I'm going to have to ask you all to pull up a chair from the audience."
Godo hesitated after hearing that. Those with him looked a bit puzzled. However, he soon turned to them and gave a nod. Somewhat slowly, as if not expecting to have to do this, the four high officers walked out to the audience area and began to take chairs. Ragnar himself pulled a bit at his collar, and then turned and began to get one himself. Cloud followed behind. Red XIII seemed to grimace…and then went over to one of the chairs without armrests and put his teeth around an exposed part, which he began to drag back. In a few moments, the officers were all taking chairs back to the main table in the center. As they put them around, Ragnar groaned inwardly again when he saw it still covered with material from earlier. Like a shoddy host that was clearing a space for a recent dinner guest, he reached over, seized the maps, and began to yank them off and behind him, letting them fall into a pile. Cloud began to help after a moment. Red XIII was unable to, for he was still dragging his chair into place and putting it in position. Needless to say, the Wutai officers were already seated on their side of the table before they were finished. At long last, they were done, and quickly took their positions. Ragnar sat at one end of the table, while Godo sat at the other. Cloud was on his right and Red XIII leapt up on top of the chair and sat on it on his left.
Ragnar took a moment to situation himself and control his embarrassment at how ramshackle he appeared. After that, he folded his hands in front of him and developed a more mature appearance.
"Alright…now that we're all situated, I'd like to get underway. First and foremost, I-"
"I don't care if it's private! Let me in there!"
This sound was from a scream that came on the other side of the door to the meeting room. All those at the table immediately turned to it…and recoiled a moment later as the door abruptly was smashed open, nearly knocked off of its hinges. Ragnar alone was the only one who didn't react. Instead, recognizing the voice, he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Not long after, Godo himself put an elbow on the table, rose his hand to his face, and massaged the point in between his eyes…as if something rather tiring had just come upon him…which it had.
Having not cleaned up in the least, still matted with mud and blood, and throwing one of her typical juvenile fits, was Yuffie. The guards on the interior were shocked when she smashed the door open, and as such weren't able to stop her when she rushed right in. On seeing her and recovering, they immediately came forward to try and stop her. However, Yuffie pushed by them. She was angry, and her face was entirely focused on Godo.
With a tired look, Godo raised his head from his hand and stared at her. "…You always did have a tact for disregarding all propriety when you made a scene at my meetings, daughter of mine…"
"Cut the bull!" Yuffie immediately snapped back. "What's the big idea? A year ago I wanted you to go to war and you gave me all this crap about not wanting to risk Wutai or its people, and now you come in with a fleet big enough to level Junon?"
"…Although I wouldn't use as rough terminology as Commander Yuffie…" Ragnar interjected, not wanting this to degenerate into a father-daughter spat, and calling Godo's attention back to him. "I have to express similar sentiments. I got the impression when we last met that Wutai had elected to remain neutral throughout our conflict with the New Shinra."
"Well…to be honest, that was our intention." Godo responded, turning back to the General and folding his hands in front of him. Seeing that she was being ignored, Yuffie pouted, stamped her foot angrily against the floor, and then acted supremely childish by plopping down on the ground and sitting on it, crossing her arms impugnantly. The two guards looked to her, and then back up to the officers. Cloud himself sighed and waved them off. They paused a moment, but then turned and went back to their posts.
"You see, I knew about the New Shinra before you arrived before me, General." Godo went on. "After all, we had been noticing that some of our supply ships and fishermen had been disappearing. We looked into it, and those people began to disappear as well. After that, we employed a much more rigorous and advanced group of spies that only the people in highest authority of Wutai knew about. This was far more ambitious than anything we had ever done before. We created branches with the highest levels of security and specialization. We set up separate side groups that knew nothing about the existence of others. We started setting up people as bait with the intention of being captured, only to report back to us when they fell victim. We even took up operating on some of our people, reconstructing their faces to look less like Wutai descent and more like that of the rest of the world. We in fact created the largest spynet that this world has ever seen. We have branches everywhere now, not just in civilian areas, but also within the Northern Continent, the New Shinra minor officers…and even some within your own forces, General Ragnar."
The youth didn't feel too comfortable about that. However, this did make sense to him. Back during the incident in Junon with Aerith and Krystea, Vincent had reported that there was an extra party of spies in there that he didn't know about. So this was what they belonged to… They were from Wutai. Nevertheless…he still felt a bit violated, and a bit nervous about things he might have said or relayed. For now, he held his tongue about it.
Cloud, however, turned his head back to Yuffie on the floor, and gave her another dark look.
"I didn't know anything about it!" Yuffie immediately yelled. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"
"At any rate, we were researching the New Shinra for over a year." Godo went on. "We analyzed what type of weapons they were using, and got our own developers to build the most effective counter design. The navy that is docked in Midgar Bay is one example. Four highly precise and mobile turrets at equidistant points…no clear delineated bridge…and the ability to negate New Shinra sonar. We didn't actually see them in action until today, but as you can see our results were impressive."
"Yes, that's all very well and good." Ragnar broke in. "But my main problem is why you didn't tell us about this earlier. I can understand you wanting to wait until you had a sizable fleet to strike, but we could have used the information from your spynet. We could have used the credibility of an ally or some sort of help in munitions or funds, especially in the early part of the war."
"I didn't know you." Godo simply replied. "And to be perfectly honest…I thought you were an overzealous revolutionary punk. No offense. This is the same reason I didn't tell my daughter about what we were doing. You seemed like her." (Both Ragnar and Yuffie felt insulted for different reasons on hearing this.) "You were willing to go totally gung-ho against the might of the New Shinra with only a hundred machine guns and a sword to your name. I wasn't anywhere near ready to begin my own attack, which I considered far more thought out and well orchestrated, and I wasn't going to blow my nation's cover on assisting your own ambitions. To tell you the truth…I expected you and everyone who I thought, at the time, was foolish enough to follow you to be annihilated in your first armed conflict."
"Thanks for the confidence vote…" Yuffie grumbled from her place.
"Any support I could have given you would potentially be wasted, in my opinion." Godo went on. "If I sent you intel, you would have used that against the New Shinra, and it would have become useless to us in the future. If I gave you support, there would have been a paper trail leading back to Wutai, risking us becoming a target. I tell you right now…if the Juggernaut hadn't abandoned the fleet today, we wouldn't have made the strike."
Cloud crossed his arms at that. "…I take it from that comment that you haven't found a way to damage it either."
Godo frowned and slowly shook his head. "We hadn't yet infiltrated that level of security when it went under construction. All we know is that the ship is made of an almost unbreakable alloy. It doesn't become workable unless it is superheated or supercooled. More heat than thermite can generate, at any rate."
"So why did you decide to come now?" Ragnar asked.
"Wutai has gained more faith in us since we began." Red XIII answered, causing Ragnar to look to him. "We were able to repel an army that had us overwhelmingly outnumbered and overequipped. We managed to evacuate the Northern Continent with minimal casualties, considering what we had, in an extremely rapid fashion. We foiled a naval invasion using modified jet skis. Our ability to fight is no longer in doubt. And now that we are getting better equipped and generating real numbers of troops, we have become more valuable to them. On my arrival in Wutai, I was informed of the plot to bomb Midgar with the Albatross rockets. The spies of Wutai had already become aware of it. Realizing that he would lose a potential ally and had an opportunity to lash out at the New Shinra Navy without a risk of counterattack by the Juggernaut, as well as the fact that if the New Shinra was allowed to perfect this technology that Wutai could be next, Admiral Godo decided to make his navy 'public', so to speak."
"We have intelligence and we have a navy, but that's all we have." Godo added. "We cannot prevail against the New Shinra alone. We need ground troops. I thought that it would best serve our interests to team up with the Planet Protector Army. We handle the naval sphere of combat, while you handle the land sphere."
Ragnar hesitated momentarily on hearing this. He drew himself up a bit more and appeared to think this over for a few seconds. Cloud and Yuffie both looked to him with some confusion at this. What was there to think about? The two forces had proven devastatingly effective today. Shouldn't he be jumping at this?
Nevertheless...Ragnar felt uncomfortable about some of the terminology Godo was using. And something about all of this made him uneasy as well...
"…I couldn't help but notice that you're referring to my army as a sort of…accessory to your country." Ragnar said at last. "And that long before I showed up you were planning this. If I hadn't been around, and you triumphed against the New Shinra on your own…that would still leave the world with one powerful military: Wutai. Anything that would be on the Northern Continent would pass to you, am I right?"
The room turned silent at this. A dark air suddenly pervaded it, spurned on by the edge on Ragnar's voice as he asked this question. Godo's face grew a bit darker in expression, as did that of his fellow officers. They seemed to suddenly be a bit colder and foreboding.
"…Are you insinuating something, General?"
"Nothing." Ragnar answered. "I'm merely noting that there aren't many armies in the whole of history that go to war just for the sake of making the world a better place. Even those that are defending their own territory expect some sort of compensation for the tremendous cost involved."
Godo's eyes narrowed slightly. A cold air permeated the room, on which the air suddenly seemed to grow more charged and tension filled. Cloud was starting to get what Ragnar was saying. It was rather bold, considering his position. He was hardly in a place to refuse help if it was offered. Yuffie herself turned to Ragnar with something of a dark look, considering this an insult to her father despite her rebellious disposition. However, Ragnar held. Wutai had once been a very powerful country, one that saw no need for allies or negotiation when they engaged the Shinra for the first time...and who stood to become stronger yet if they could avenge themselves...
"…What's your point, General?" Godo asked in a flatter, slower voice.
"My point is that I'm thrilled at the idea of creating an alliance, and I think together we can beat the New Shinra far faster than either separately. Perhaps we can even persuade a surrender. But before we make any sort of alliance, consider this. The Planet Protector Army is not a nation. Our goal is to defeat the New Shinra and to completely remove the threat of them and of mako power to this world. We are going to liberate Icicle Inn and the City of the Ancients for their respective owners and no one else. If you have an issue with any of that, then I'm afraid I must respectfully decline."
The room was silent again. Cloud and Red XIII as well as the Wutai captains turned and looked to Godo after this. Even Yuffie had gone silent for once. The man stared on at Ragnar for a few moments. It was difficult to say what he was seeing. Perhaps he was thinking of him as an upstart once again. Perhaps he was commending his bravery for being so steadfast in a time where he clearly was not in a position to negotiate. Perhaps he felt insulted that Ragnar was suggesting these things…or perhaps he felt unsettled that Ragnar had called his true intentions.
Godo slowly placed his hands on the edge of the table at long last, and pushed away. Once he was clear, he slowly rose to his full height. For a moment…Ragnar feared the worst. He was walking out on him. But after a moment, Godo gave a nod.
"I have no issue with such matters, and as a representative of Wutai I can say that my country does not either."
The darkness disappated a little. Tensions began to die down in the room once again. Ragnar himself pushed away from the table, and rose to a stance as well.
"Alright then. We have an accord."
Both commanders began to walk around the table and to one another. As that happened, both men began to pass by the awkward moment and started to look looser and more genial. They were both smiling by the time they reached one another. Finally standing across from him…Ragnar realized just how tall and impressive a man that Godo was. He looked far wiser, stronger, and mightier than him. However, Ragnar showed no intimidation, and simply extended his hand out to the man. Godo took it soon after, and they both shook.
The new alliance was struck.
To be continued...