Chapter 13 The Flight of the Strahl

Vaan swung his sword through the air gracefully, more gracefully than he would ever

have believed possible. Seeing the imaginary foe before him, seeing the weaknesses

in his defense which beforehand he had barely thought about. Swing, block, slash, thrust,

trip, stagger, fall... Vaan fell flat on his face in the murky water.

"No no no." Basch laughed as he approached his soaking student. "You can't keep your

feet so rigid, if you don't move your legs and you try to advance what's going to happen?" Vaan

glared. For 3 days now Basch had been dragging him down here and making him run through

graceful dances you do with your sword he called forms.

"How is dancing going to help me fight?" He spat. Basch looked quizically at him.

"Well, I could tell you but you wouldn't understand until you actually fight someone." He said

thoughtfully. "Now get up and take it from the top." Vaan grumbled as he took his stance for

what must have been the 45th time that morning. "Widen your stance." Ordered Basch,

"With a poor stance you can be easily toppled." Vaan obeyed. Slowly he began running through

the dance move by move. Once again he began to feel the strange satisfaction of swinging the

blade so cleanly through the air. One, two, three, four, five, six, Basch stepped in and snatched his

sword away from him. Vaan stumbled, tripped and fell in again. He coughed and spluttered his way to

dry land while Basch examined the blade.

"This is without doubt the worst quality sword I have ever seen." He said incredulously. "Where on earth

did you get it?" Vaan staggered to his feet.

"In Nalbina." He gasped. Basch raised an eyebrow.

"Why did you chose this one?" He asked. Vaan thought for a minute, trying to recall that room full of

weapons and equipment.

"I guess I kinda liked the cool pattern on the hilt." He said sheepishly. Basch shook his head.

"Do you see this?" He said drawing his own curved blade. Vaan gazed in wonder at the weapon and nodded.

Basch looked grimmly at him. "Well even if this were made of the most meager iron and protected by

the oldest straps of leather if it was still sharp, tempered and strong I would still carry it proudly. A sword

is beautiful to me because it does it's job. This thing is so heavy and awkward you would probably drop

it as soon as you draw it, no wonder you're finding it difficult to pick up the forms." Vaan snatched his sword

back.

"Well if that's the problem," He said with an evil grin. "I have a solution." Basch watched bewildered as Vaan

pulled a brick out of the wall and pulled from it one of many pouches.

"Oh." Said Basch quietly. "Your a thief." Vaan looked insulted.

"Only from the Imperials." He returned. "Now come on, wear a cloak and hood and you can go outside." Basch

looked confused.

"Where are we going?" He asked bewildered. Vaan grinned.

"To buy me a new sword."

"So what was that about Amalia?" Vaan asked airily as they strolled through lowtown. Basch looked up at mention

of the name.

"You know her?" He asked. Vaan nodded.

"Sort of, we met just before we got sent to Nalbina." Basch smiled ruggedly.

"Our paths keep crossing yours and mine." He chuckled. "It's more than just coincidence." Vaan laughed.

"You mean you were destined to be rescued by me and now you are honour bound to train me. Thats just annoying."

Basch shrugged.

"I'm sorry. Allow me yet another annoyance, a favour." He said solumnly. "I want you to help me find Balthier, even

caged birds need wings." Vaan raised an eyebrow.

"How do we know he's even still in the city?"

"We don't, but I have to try and rescue Amalia." Basch said fiercely. Vaan looked away.

"Why is she so important to you?" He asked. "Is she... Y'know, with you?" Basch averted his gaze.

"Only know, that I am bound to her in such a way that I cannot turn away when she is in need." Vaan shrugged

"Ok, but first stop is my sword."

Amal the swordsmith had already had a busy morning with a pike that needed reworking and a sword that needed

retempering when a teenage boy walked in.

"Sorry young man, I can't sell a sword to you." He was about to launch into the long prepared speach he had about

not selling weapons to children when a tall man walked into his workshop wearing a black cloak with a hood that obscured

his face.

"Then sell it to me." Said the figure in a gruff voice, Amal decided it was best not to argue with tall dark strangers.

He could have sworn a fortune teller said something of the like to him. So Vaan was shown the sword racks and was

made by his rather intimidating friend to try every single one for feel, weight, grip and balance. At the end of

each trial the cloaked stranger would hear the boy's opinion and then carefully examine the blade. After an exausting

trial period lasting at least 2 hours the two of them selected a curved scimitar with a hand and a half grip, made of steel,

tempered lightly with a full tang. Not much to look at but one of the best quality swords he had, Amal took the money for it,

desperate to get these strangers out of his shop failing to notice that it was the boy who paid. Just as he got back to his forge

the soldiers marched through the door for their new tempered sword. Amal groaned, this was just not his day.

Vaan admired his new blade as the two of them walked the streets towards the one place he reasoned a sky

pirate would be if he was still in the city. The tavern. He stopped when he realised Basch wasn't with him, the

knight was watching a group of orphan children playing in the street.

"A lot of kids lost their parents during the war." He sighed drawing up beside him. "Mine had... Had already

died before that. The plague took them both." Basch looked sadly at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's okay," Vaan said quickly. "It's been 5 years now. After that happened I lived with Dalan and Penelo's family."

He dropped his gaze. "Then the war came." He finished pathetically.

"Sorry." Basch said quietly. Vaan glowered at him.

"You don't have to keep apologising." He said firmly. "It wasn't your fault my brother died." He looked up at the

crimson flag that hung on a nearby mast. "It was the empire." He said, his voice full of utmost disgust. "My

brother was right to trust you." He said to Basch as they walked through the doors of the sandsea.

As they entered the pub something huge and blue barged it's way through the doors after them.

"Vaan." Came a raspy voice from none other than Migelo.

"Migelo?" Vaan exclaimed. "Where've you been?" But Migelo was in hysterics, it looked as though

he had sprinted across half the city.

"Vaan it's terrible, just terrible." He wheezed. "I need to see the sky pirate who left for Nalbina with you.

I've tracked him to this pub ." And with that he ran off through the pub with surprising speed and up

the stairs to the restricted section. Vaan waited till no-one was looking, then followed.

"As I said, It's a misunderstanding." Came an all too familiar voice from the door.

"Misunderstanding!" Shrieked Migelo's voice. "What I'm understanding is that they took Penelo because

of you!" Vaan burst through the door.

"What about Penelo?" He demanded. Migelo turned to him, the poor bangaa was in tears.

"Vaan it's terrible, they've taken Penelo." He sobbed. "And there's a note, a note for this Balthier." He glared

at the pirate who seemed perfectly at ease with his vierra companion beside him.

"Hello again Vaan." He said cheerily. Vaan didn't smile.

"Is this true Balthier." Balthier looked a little uncomfortable.

"There may have been a moment when you were unconcious, I gave something to her to assure her of your

safe return and if the kidnapper caught wind of that he might have thought me related to her or something." He

said quietly. "And now this message is telling me to come to the lhusu mines in Bhujerba."

"It must have been Ba'gamnen." Said Fran unexpectedly. "He was in Nalbina."

"If anything were to happen to that sweet child why I've her parents memories to consider." choked Migelo.

"Your going to aid her and that's that." Silence on the table, Migelo looked awkward. "That's what you

sky pirates do isn't it?"

"I don't respond well to orders." Said Balthier dangerously. "You do know that the Imperial fleet is massing in

Bhujerba?"

"Fine, then I'll go." Vaan said, startling everyone. He turned to Balthier. "You at least have an airship don't you?

Take me to Bhujerba. Just get me there and I'll find Penelo myself." Basch stepped forward.

"I'll join you, I have some buisness in Bhujerba anyway." Balthier chuckled knowingly.

"An audience with the marquis per chance?" He said slyly.

"Balthier," Said Vaan, rummaging in his pockets. "Take us there, and it's yours." He held out the magicite from the

treasure room. Balthier's eyes widened, if only slightly.

"The gods are toying with us." Said Fran, noticing the glint in her partner's eye. Balthier shook his head in exasperation,

then rose to his feet.

"Make yourselves ready." He called back as he left the room, Fran hot on his heels. "We leave in three hours."

"Come on." Said Basch, making for the door but Vaan didnt move.

"Basch," He said. "I need to do something quickly before we go. Meet me at the aerodome." Basch nodded and closed the door

behind him.

"So my boy." Said Migelo as Basch left the room. "What is this you need to do?" Vaan looked sadly at

the old Bangaa, he had always been good to him. He and Dalan were about the only adults in the whole

city who'd really been good to him.

"Migelo, I..." Vaan began, but Migelo held up a hand to silence him.

"You don't know if your coming back, and you don't know how to say goodbye." He finished for him. Vaan was

shocked.

"How did you know?" He said. The bangaa laughed, wiping the last of the tears from his eyes.

"Vaan, I've known ever since you first stumbled through my door. Your not like Penelo. She would be quite

content to stay here all her life but not you, and I think that's for the best. Just promise me one thing." He said

putting a hand on Vaan's shoulder. "Don't get yourself killed, come back and visit me once in a while." Vaan gave

Migelo a hug, unable to express his thanks any other way.

The four of them walked down the long tunnel to one of the aerodome's private hangers, Vaan began to feel

curious. He hadn't known Balthier for that long and didn't know what to expect. Would he see a stunning

warship or a light manouverable skiff. No matter what it was it had to be customised, he's heard how every

sky pirate improved his vessel as time went on but what if Balthier hadn't had this ship for very long...

"Here she is." Balthier said proudly. "This is the Strahl."

Vaan looked up to see the most beautiful fighter airship he had ever set eyes on. It had clear Archaidian design,

smooth slimline fins for stability. Two powerfull engines, and a pair of foldable wings. Wings! On a fighter! As for armament,

Vaan could pick out 4 harasser guns, two sets of four missile tubes and two huge thunderdrak cannons. The whole thing

was painted silver and gold for a regal finish.

"She airship enough for you?" Boasted Balthier. Vaan ran towards the ship like an excited child.

"How fast is she? Does she need much fuel? Are those two hover rings regular skystone? Could those guns punch

through battleship armour? Could she take the Ifrit?

"I suppose I could tell you," Balthier cut across him walking up the boarding ramp. "But wouldn't you rather see it for

yourself."

Vaan grinned and ran up the ramp.

"So you really are a sky pirate?" He said in awe.

"Well the headhunters seem to think so." Quiped Balthier as he entered the cabin.

"Fran, our course?" He asked as he sat down next to her. The vierra was busy pressing buttons,

"The shortest way is over Dorstonis." She said blankly marking it down on a map in front of her.

"How flies Bhujerba?" Questioned Basch.

"Oh she's as free as can be for now." Answered Balthier. "The Empire took notice when they announced the princess's

suicide and your untimely excecution." Basch frowned.

"Then if it becomes known I am alive, the marquis would lose favour with them." He murmered.

"I'd try to steer clear of such things." Balthier advised as he fired up the engines. "Right it's time to fly." He barked to the passengers

who all hurried to reach a seatbelt in time and the Strahl's hover engines pushed it out of the open roofed hanger and into Rabanastre airspace.

The sun was dazzling as it reflected off the resplendant hull, the craft slowly turned into position as the wings began to unfold.

Great golden wings for a beautiful vessel. When all was ready the craft seemed to hang in mid air, everyone on board and off held their

breath. Then with a great roar the engines fired up and the Strahl rocketed over Rabanastre and out into the saphire sky.