Draco: Okay, two minor complaints about FFN's category for Final Fantasy Agito XIII. (A) Type-0 was never playable when it was called Agito XIII, and (B), there should really be a "Class Zero" in the character listing for fics that just involve the whole class instead of select Classmates Zero. You did it for the Organization, why won't you do it for the Agito Cadets?

Final Fantasy Type-0 © Square Enix

Vermilion Perch

=Gelumens XXI, 841 RG=
Lorica Alliance territory
Jubanla Region

Class Zero's transport of choice for Code Crimson operations was a Shimakaze-class high-speed airship that had been customized by Mother for maximum mobility. The airship would get them wherever they needed to be as soon as possible, was capable of cloaking itself via a casting of Invija across the length of the ship (although the spell tended to hold up poorly at higher speeds, it kept the ship cloaked to the outside and not to the inside), and carried five magic autocannons - two to each side, one at the prow - in case the unranged Classmates needed strike from the deck.

The airship was also not painted in dominion red, as the Crimson Wings airships deployed by the legions were; thus, Lorican paladin Ishme, waiting in the Jubanla Region for the independents from Rubrum, was very confused when this small, silvery-steel airship arrived over the mountains from the Iscah Region. Ace, watching over the larboard railing, saw the large man standing next to a large beast that he could have sworn was a great tauricorn and raised a hand at his side. "I see him!"

"Right," Eight mused. "Send him your card. We'll start warping down."

Ace reached into the 'card holster' at his hip, drawing out the card he had prepared for this. He didn't keep his attacking cards in there - none of them carried their weapons on their persons, dominion magic made that unnecessary - but whenever he needed a card for any non-combative purposes, he would store it. Such as, for example, a message for a Lorican paladin; he quickly flicked the card forward, simple directive magic trailing white behind it as it steered towards the earth

Ishme saw the red glow of dominion teleportation appear below the airship. His hand shifted on his sword before he noticed something small falling from the airship. As it got closer, he realized it was a card, and then that there was something flowing from it; that flow faded out as it arrived above him, however, and the card began to tumble weakly to gravity's whim. He managed to catch it before it hit the ground, and found a message written upon it.

Agito Cadet Class Zero,
here on behalf of Arecia
Al-Rashia to assist in
dealing with the Militesi
renegade V&W Faction.
~Ace

He hummed lightly, raising his gaze at the approaching figures - twelve in all. They all wore identical, hooded black cloaks, but their faces were many and varied. At the front was a girl with black hair about shoulder-length, with a simple pair of glasses resting upon her face. As they approached him, she came to a stop, raising a hand at her side for the others to cease; then she stepped forward alone, coming to a stop at five paces.

The Lorican soldier looked over the gathered cloaks before turning to the girl with the glasses. "Welcome, Class Zero. I am Ishme of the Black Paladins."

"My name is Queen," the girl reciprocated. "I understand you'll be taking us to the city of Lorica for preparations against the V&W faction?"

Ishme shook his head. "I am afraid there has been a change of plans," he apologized. "In expectation of an attack from the Militesi renegades, the Alliance military has been preparing every defensive measure we have. Consequently, the city is ill suited to be hosting outsiders - not for any preconceived notions," he added quickly, seeing Queen's face shift, "but because the city is rather... less-than-easy to navigate in the calmest of times, unless you've learned the city your whole life."

Another boy stepped forward; there was a card in his hand, and Ishme realized this must have been Ace. "If that's the case," he explained, "where will you be briefing us?"

"Worry not," Ishme insisted. "We've found a place within which to begin preparations."

He turned to the great tauricorn at his side - and everyone in Class Zero was surprised when he pulled himself atop the beast, grasping reins that had been prepared upon the creature and directing it to turn. "If you would come with me..."

+x+x+x+

Nobody doubted Ishme's claim that Lorica would be difficult to navigate upon seeing it - projections of maps and photographs in books couldn't compare to the sight of a city built around and within a massive hole in the earth. From the edge of the city, they could see straight down to the Black Peristylium - a massive temple in the pit of the sinkhole - and they were all surprised to hear the sounds of battle. Standing before the temple was a man clad in black armour that bared his arms, carrying a blade that needed to be braced upon his shoulders.

"That's a huge sword!" Cinque exclaimed.

Ishme chuckled. "King Gilgamesh Ashur of the Lorica Alliance. Primus l'Cie to the Black Tortoise Crystal, and the most battle-thirsty man in Orience."

"The King's a l'Cie?" Eight mused.

"Don't act so surprised," Trey insisted. "The queen of Concordia is also a l'Cie, in service to the Azure Dragon Crystal, and so she is able to-"

"Trey," Deuce warned, "you're rambling again."

As the archer clammed up, the Class noticed a man getting to his feet. "Who's the guy on his ass?" Cater asked.

"Enkidu Uruk," Ishme replied. "His personal advisor, and closest friend."

"What?" Nine demanded. "Why's he beatin' up his best friend, yo?"

King huffed. "What did he do to deserve punishment from the ruler himself?"

Ishme laughed. "He didn't do anything," he insisted. "He's just the only one who can go a few rounds with a Primus."

A chorus of "Huh?!" sounded as the entire Class turned to him.

The paladin only beckoned for them to follow, spurring his steed to continue. "Come on."

As they walked, Ace stepped up beside him. "So," he mused, "you guys control tauricorns?"

"No," Ishme corrected. "No, no. The dracoknights of the Azure Dragon control monsters. We of the Black Tortoise tame doublicorns upon which we ride into battle. The same way you of the Vermillion Bird will capture chocobos to serve as your steeds, or men of the White Tiger breed lesser coeurls to act as their watchdogs."

Ace chuckled nervously. "It's a bit of a leap comparing a lesser coeurl to a great tauricorn," he observed.

"A paladin must show he can handle a doublicorn before he is permitted to mount a great tauricorn," Ishme explained. "And even then, it takes a while before we can ride them into battle. I still have scars from the first few rides."

"That's... pretty awesome."

+x+x+x+

Ishme led them to a small wooded area in what was literally the southwestern corner of the Lorica Region; a large and aged - but yet strong-standing - wooden house lay in that forest, safe from prying eyes that might be passing by. "This building used to belong to an old l'Cie from some two hundred years ago," Ishme explained, "but it's been unused since long before she sublimated. We've elected to use it as a base of preparations for the independent forces willing to aid us in dealing with the V&W faction."

"Wait," Jack insisted. "Forces, plural? I thought it was just us."

"Well..."

The door was drawn open, and everyone was surprised when a woman of rather short stature stepped out of the building, dressed in what looked like Concordian dracoknight armour - sans helmet. "Ishme, have the phoenixes arrived yet?"

Half of Class Zero went for their weapons. The other half gave them sharp whacks in reprimand.

Ishme quickly dismounted his tauricorn. "Karia, this is the Agito Cadet Class Zero. Class Zero, this is Seles Karia Sandien Viruto."

"Oi, Concordia names," Nine muttered.

King elbowed him in the ribs as the Concordian woman stepped forward. "A pleasure to meet you, Class Zero," she greeted.

"And you," Deuce reciprocated. "I didn't think there were any independent forces in Concordia."

"There aren't," Karia admitted. "I received word about the V&W Faction from a friend of mine who lives in Amiter. She told me that Lorica would not ask aid from the Vermilion or Azure Peristylia, and would only accept offers from independent units." Her gaze fell as she continued; "I, er... requested leave from the warden, and then took six of the best skyverns available to the Yoiyami Guard and fled here. I'm fully expecting to be discharged from the dracoknights upon my return."

"Ouch," Eight mused. "Well, that's pretty generous of you, putting your job at risk like that."

Karia smiled. "I couldn't well leave Lorica to be attacked by rogues, now, could I?" she observed.

"And you don't have a problem fighting with us?" King inquired.

"One set of wings cannot take the sky for themselves," Karia insisted. "I have no objections to fighting alongside noble phoenixes."

Seven shook her head. "I hope you aren't expecting to bombard the camp with your six dragons," she insisted. "If they see your flock-"

"Thunder," Karia interrupted. On receiving the Class' confusion, she elaborated; "A group of dragons is properly referred to as a thunder."

"That's pretty badass," Sice praised.

Karia chuckled at that. "In any case," she insisted, "I know full well that this small number of dragons is ill suited to attacking a Militesi encampment, even if it is belonging to renegades. However, the mountains between Lorica and Berith are no small feat to climb. It should be a simple matter for the skyverns to take you to the Berith Desert, though we dare not fly you directly to the base."

Ishme coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention. "Let us step inside," he prompted. "I'll brief you on what we've learned about the V&W Faction."

+x+x+x+

Being unable to attack the renegades had not stopped Lorica from being able to observe them; they had a complete map of the encampment prepared for Class Zero to observe. The renegades entered and exited from a gate at the east side; several warehouses were scattered about the eastern 55% or so of the base. The remaining western portion consisted of eight buildings packed so closely together as to form a courtyard between them.

"Biggs and Wedge command the renegades from here," Ishme explained, beckoning to the westernmost building. Then, indicating the two buildings connected to the north corner and the long one on the south; "These are the soldiers' barracks, and this..." Here he beckoned to the long building that bordered off the courtyard as he finished, "...is a training hall they've put together. The rest of the buildings are warehouses, holding their weapons and machines." Tapping the four corners of the encampent, he added, "They've also got four watchtowers, with enough men and enough firearms to shoot down a whole quake of great tauricorns."

Cinque raised her gaze. "A 'quake'?"

"A herd," Karia simplified. "A group of doublicorns is properly referred to as a quake."

Queen ran her hand along the edge of the encampment. "Are the guntowers their only perimeter defense?"

Ishme shook his head. "They've got some soldiers in smaller MAs patrolling the edge," he explained, "and the fencing in and around the camp is electrified. Only the main gate is uncharged, and only when it's not closed."

Cater hummed, peering closely at the map. Karia seemed to notice; "Would I be correct to assume that you've plans already?"

"Well, not plans," Cater insisted. "We've got teams, and we've got objectives. The plans don't come until we see your details, and now we've got 'em."

"What do you mean, 'teams'?" Ishme inquired.

"Eight, Cater, and Nine watch the outside edge," Jack explained, pointing out the Classmates as he named them. "Sice, Seven, and King distract them when they need to be distracted. Then Deuce, Ace, and Cinque sneak in and take out the big targets, and once they're all boned then Queen, me, and Trey get in there and start dishing out sand."

Karia and Ishme were both surprised to hear them say that. "You're..." The Concordian shook her head. "You've thought this out."

"Well, something like that," Ace admitted. "If you can get us into the desert, we can take them out by morning."

"You plan to strike at night?" Ishme inquired. "I wouldn't, if I were you."

"Why so, hey?" Nine asked.

"Berith is cold at night," the paladin insisted. "Nesher cold, even. The wind is frigid. You Vermilions won't last a chance.

Glances were exchanged between Class Zero, remembering what Mother had said about their Camouflage Cloaks functioning worse in cold conditions. "Alright," Trey mused. "When do you recommend we move out?"

"At dawn," Karia observed. "If you can get moving in the transition between the chill of night and the heat of day, you should be able to get any long-distance travel done without too much trouble."

"Sounds like a plan," Ace agreed.

Draco: 'Coeurl' is a weird word. That's a long string of vowels to get wrong.