A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS

Just a quick message to say I have rewritten this whole chapter. I was never happy with how it originally turned out, so I redrafted the whole thing.

And also, in response to one review I got, I have made the chapter longer and begun the battle for Fort Condor here. You have no idea how hard it was trying to come up with the perfect way to start this battle. I kept starting and restarting, trying to come up with the most believable and authentic way to begin.

I was also toying with the idea of actually characterising the mercenaries. I even had a name for one: Cirran (he was meant to remind them of Cloud). In the end I ditched the idea, fearing that was straying too far from my original goal of an authentic novelisation. I hope no one minds about the originality prior to the battle.

Anyway, I hope you like the redraft. I'll shut up and get to work on the next part.

Final Fantasy VII [3rd Instalment]

Emerald Princess of Vernea

Chapter Ten

"Cloud…… I don't understand a word he's saying……" Tifa murmured softly.

She was speaking to herself. The doctor and his assistant were in the room next door, discussing who knew what. They were worried about her, she knew, for she had slept little and had returned to the hospital that morning pale and drawn. The concern had been visible in their eyes.

Tifa sank wearily into her chair and gently took hold of Cloud's hand. There had been no change in his condition; the mako-poisoning remained. His face was still pale and his eyes remained glazed and unseeing. His words were garbled, like he was trying to speak but couldn't quite make the words take form. At times, usually when she was nodding off, Tifa fancied she could see recognition in his blue eyes, but it was just her imagination.

Another thing she knew was that the doctor was more worried about her than he was for Cloud. Despite his assurances and kind words, Tifa knew what his real thoughts were. To him, Cloud was already lost. He and the nurse did everything they could, but in truth they believed it was only a matter of time.

Despite her efforts, Tifa was beginning to believe it as well. It was beginning to look like nothing would be able to rouse Cloud from his feverish hell. She had tried talking to him. She told him stories of their childhood. She talked about the day she arrived in Midgar, and how she met Barrett and the other members of AVALANCHE. She talked of the Seventh Heaven, and of Marlene. She tried to talk of Nibelheim, but each time she tried Sephiroth's words rung like giant bells in her heart, and she found herself unable to carry on.

"I'm such a fool……" Tifa said sadly, her head sinking to her chest. Her dark hair fell over her face, hiding the tears that were welling in her eyes. She closed her fingers tightly around Cloud's hand. "I thought there was something I could do for him……"

A soft, almost inaudible muttering made her lift her head. She watched as Cloud rolled his head to one side, away from her. His eyes were wide and unblinking, seeing a world only he could see. "Uh……a……aah……" he croaked, his throat dry. "……What…… what number…… am I?"

Tifa fought back the tears and continued her solitary vigil.

"Hmmn, now this is something," said the old man, nursing a freshly made mug of tea with aged, gnarled hands. "I never thought anyone would ever climb up here." Lifting the mug to his lips, he took a long, deep gulp. When he was done, he put the mug down on the old oak table and leaned back in his chair to take in the group of youngsters who were gathered before him. "Any minute now, this will be a battlefield against Shinra. You'd better get down before you get involved."

Cid's brow furrowed. "A battlefield? We can't overlook that."

Behind him, Barret cursed. "Shinra? The hell those jackasses doing here?"

"Shinra again." Red XIII sighed and shook his head.

The old man raised an eyebrow. "It appears you have a problem with Shinra, too," he said. He did not seem surprised at this. There were few people in the world these days who supported Shinra. He picked up his mug again and took another long sip, and Cid suspected there was more than just tea in there. "After all, you climbed up here," the old man continued when he put the mug down again. "Why not listen to what I have to say for a moment?"

"All right, talk on!" said Cid. He reached for a cigarette.

"Do you know what's at the top of this mountain?"

Cid stopped in the middle of lighting a match and gave the man a level stare. Was this a trick question? It was not hard to miss what stood on top of the mountain.

The settlement in which they stood was built on top of a small mountain in the southern part of the Condor Plains, about half an hour's flight from the port town of Junon. It was originally built and owned by Shinra, and house one of the company's first and oldest mako reactors.

The reactor was built on the mountain's peak. On a clear day it could be seen from miles away, another eyesore on the face of the Planet.

Also on the mountaintop was the reason for which the settlement had gotten its name. A giant condor lived there, perched on top of the reactor. The condor had made its nest there after Shinra left, and it had been there ever since. Because of this, the people of the settlement fondly referred to their home as 'Fort Condor'.

The people currently living in Fort Condor had made the settlement their home not long after Shinra had left. The citizens were made up of all types—farmers, builders, merchants. Even then, it was a far from easy life. The withered land surrounding the mountain made it difficult for farmers; they had to travel a few miles out to reach fertile land. It was worse for the builders and the merchants, who had to travel as far as Junon to conduct their business. But the people of the settlement were happy. They had lived happily and peacefully for many years with hardly any trouble from the Shinra, who seemed to have forgotten about the reactor. Now it seemed things had changed.

Barret crossed his arms. "Huh? Something's up there?" Besides a reactor and a condor, he wanted to add, but didn't.

"No matter how you look at it, that's a reactor," said Cid. "And on top of it, is that the Condor?"

"I can see you're very perceptive. Yes, it's a reactor and a condor." The old man smiled broadly, pleased that they had remembered the condor living on top of the mountain. "Looks like there's a special materia up in the Mako reactor. Then came the condor, so Shinra dispatched troops to get rid of it." His face flushed red, and his hands gripped the mug tightly. "Their plan is to get rid of the condor and the people on this mountain and to get the materia from the Mako Reactor.

"Unfortunately, we don't have the ability to fight Shinra ourselves," the old man continued with a sigh. "That's why we have hired soldiers to help us. As our sponsor you can help us with a contribution or by fighting alongside of us…" He looked up at Cid, his eyes bright and eager. "What do you think? You want to join us in our fight?"

Cid put his cigarette back in its packet and scratched his head. He had to admit: he was touched by the old man's story. It further proved the lengths that Shinra were prepared to go to achieve their goals. Not content with destroying the settler's livelihoods, they were also prepared to destroy the condor, which had made this place its home. Cid was far from being the sentimental type, but even he found himself sharing the old man's anger.

"If you go that far, what can I say," he said, turning to look at the others for their opinion. The looks on their faces said it all. It was a unanimous decision. Cid turned back to the old man. "Well, we'll be able to do something if you leave it up to us."

"Hey! We'll come to the rescue!" said Barret. He was already fired up, excited at the thought of battling Shinra one-to one. The events of North Corel had been a pleasant distraction, but there had not been enough soldiers to satisfy Barret. A full-on onslaught against an army of soldiers… that was more like it!

Red XIII nodded and flexed his long, black claws, scraping them against the rock. "Got it. I'm gonna lend a hand, too."

The old man smiled once more and returned his attention to his mug of tea. Cid and the others made a quick circuit of the settlement before making their way up to the battlements, which was situated at the top of the mountain near the reactor. It was not really a battlement so much as a wooden hut with slitted windows. It did provide a good view of the land surrounding the settlement, with the view stretching as far as the western ocean.

The lookout was already waiting for them. Word of their cooperation had already spread among the villagers, no doubt thanks to the old man and his suspicious mug of tea. The lookout was a tall, burly man in his early thirties, with a bald head and skin that was deeply tanned from months of working in the sun. A crafter by trade, he had been forced to take up other work in these times of unrest. Although he stood as tall as Barret, he had to stand on a stool to see out the windows.

"So shall I let you in on our strategy?" the lookout asked once the introductions had been made. "The enemy is targeting this mountain's reactor and will be climbing to reach it. We must set a trap and hire soldiers to protect the place."

He turned to the window and signalled for Cid to join him. Cid climbed onto the stool next to him and looked out. Gathered outside were a small handful of mercenaries, no more than five in total. Cid turned and cast the lookout a sceptical glance.

"Well, this is all we have……" The lookout seemed embarrassed. "This village doesn't have any money. Even if we wanted to fight, our hands are tied 'cause we're broke. To hire one soldier, we need 400 gil. So, if we hire 20 soldiers, we must have 8000 gil." He scratched his bald head. "That is, we would like you to use your own money to hire these soldiers, buy the trap, set it up and give the commands."

Cid shot him another sceptical glance. The lookout simply smiled back at him shamefacedly. Cid sighed heavily. What the people of Fort Condor were really looking for was somebody with enough money to fund and fight their battle for them. For a brief moment Cid regretted agreeing to help them. It wasn't as though they were broke – they had plenty of money stored in the Highwind – but he didn't particularly want to waste their money hiring soldiers.

"We know that what we're asking is selfish," the lookout added quickly, seeing the look on Cid's face. "We sent our wives and kids to another village. We are resigned to our fate."

Cid flushed guiltily. It seemed there was no other option. They would have to fight.

The lookout brightened. "Let's get back to square one. If the enemy penetrates this shed, you'll have to fight them off immediately. I know it's a one-shot deal, but I'm asking for your help. Now then, is there anything you wish to ask?"

"Enough," said Cid, sighing. There was nothing else that needed to be said. The few mercenaries that they had managed to find were already here and, judging by the anxious look on everyone's faces, it would not be long before Shinra arrived and the onslaught began. There was no time left to find more fighters, and Cid doubted the villages would join in the battle. It was up to them to protect Fort Condor.

The lookout turned to the window. His expression turned serious, and he looked over his shoulder at Cid. "Ready?" he asked.

Cid also looked out. Far in the distance, marching steadily towards them across the Condor Plains, was the Shinra army. They were a black mark on the green countryside, a perfect match for the other eyesore that was the mako reactor on top of the hill, which doubled as a dark beacon for the Shinra army to follow. Cid pursed his lips tightly and closed his fingers around his spear.

"Okay, ready," he said.

"This is the deciding battle," the lookout said, a nervous tremor in his voice. "The enemy numbers more than ever before."

It was less than an hour before the Shinra army reached Fort Condor. Due to the steepness of the mountainside on which the fort rested, the army had been forced to march round to the southern side. Here the ground was smoother and easier to climb, making it the perfect striking point for the army.

It was clear that Shinra did not expect to meet with much resistance from the villagers. They had sent only a single platoon, marching fifty strong, to fight for control of the settlement. The army was mostly being used as a show of force, an attempt to intimidate the villagers and force them to surrender. Of course, the army would have no trouble in eliminating any who were foolish enough to try and defend the settlement.

Marching along with the army was one of the Weapons Development Department's proudest creations. To Cid and the others, standing on top of Fort Condor, it looked like a large robot. In reality it was a highly advanced battle suit, designed by Scarlet herself. It stood twice the size of the ordinary soldiers, was heavily plated, and carried stronger weaponry than all of the soldiers put together. Inside the suit was an ordinary soldier, likely the general in charge of the attack force.

Scarlet had never liked SOLDIER. They held no use for her. It did not matter how much mako they had been infused with, or how 'advanced' they were in the eyes of Hojo and the rest of the Science Department; they were still ordinary little people in Scarlet's eyes. A soldier's true strength, she believed, lay in the power of the weapon he held in his hands. The battle suit was one of her proudest creations.

It certainly had its desired effect on the men of Fort Condor. The villagers were not cowards; they had managed to fend off Shinra attacks on their settlement before. But the sight of the battle suit, along with the rest of the Shinra platoon, preparing to march up the mountain towards them, left more than one feeling a little nervous.

Red XIII padded up beside Cid, who was watching the army assemble at the foot of the mountain from outside the hut. "I have spoken with the mercenaries," he said in his soft voice. "They have agreed to go along with your plan. They don't have much materia of their own, so they will provide a frontline attack along with Vincent, Barret and I. Yuffie and Cait Sith will stay near the top of the mountain to provide materia support and activate the traps." He smiled. "It took a while to get Yuffie to agree."

Cid said nothing. He continued to watch the army.

The hound followed his gaze. The army was almost assembled. The sound of the general's voice could be heard even from up here. He was issuing commands to his men, who were hurrying to get into position. It would not be long before they began to climb the mountain. There were fifty soldiers in all, and only eleven of them, including the mercenaries. Red XIII sat down on his haunches, and his tail began to swish and sway through the dirt.

"We are grievously outnumbered," he admitted reluctantly, "but we do have the advantage." He gazed around. "The terrain is steep and this is the only way up the mountain. It is a narrow battlefield, so the enemy will only be able to climb a few at a time. Cait Sith tells me these soldiers come from Junon, so they will still be shaken after the attack from Weapon. He says if we take out the general, it is likely the rest of the soldiers will run. How accurate his information is…" He shook his head.

"Yeah, once a member of Shinra, always a member of Shinra…" Cid took a long puff of his cigarette and sighed, letting the smoke blow away in the breeze. "Well, there ain't no use worrying about it now. Whatever will be, will be, or so they say." He turned to Red XIII. "Well, let's get movin'," he said, giving the hound a pat on the head before walking off to join Vincent and Barret, who were just coming out of the hut with the rest of the mercenaries.

Yuffie came out of the hut after them, carrying Cait Sith in her arms. "Now, you guys better be careful, you hear me?" she was saying sternly. She shook a determined fist. "And don't you worry about the traps, all right? We've got your backs! And remember: if you get in trouble, just call me, and I'll—"

Cait reached up and clamped a paw over her mouth. Ignoring her angry mumbles, he said: "Remember, the whole Shinra army has been disorganised since Weapon started attacking. The general is the only thing keeping this army together. Take him out, and the whole army will crumble. You got that, lads?"

"But he's all dressed up in that damn metal suit!" Barret sputtered, spitting in anger. "How the hell are we supposed to get to him?"

Before Cait could answer, an ear-splitting horn blast filled the air. Everyone, including the mercenaries, turned and looked down the mountain. The Shinra army was assembled, and at the sound of the horn, the first patrol began to make its slow climb up the mountain.

Cait Sith scratched his head. "That's something you're going to have to figure out on your own, I'm afraid." When Barret glared at him, the cat added: "Well, I am still in Shinra. I can't give you all our secrets, you know. What would be the fun in that?"

It took every ounce of Barret's strength to restrain himself. The temptation to smack the cat out of the ninja's arms and then throw him headfirst into the oncoming army was almost too great to bear. Luckily at that moment Vincent tapped him on the shoulder, drawing his attention back to the events at hand. Cid was beginning to head down the mountain after the mercenaries, with Red XIII padding at his side. Barret shook his fist at the cat before following them down.

The first patrol was marching steadily up the hill. They marched in groups of four, spread out across the narrow path that wound its way up the mountain towards the settlement. When they reached the midway point the first two lines of soldiers dropped to their knees, raised their rifles, and opened fire.

The response from the rebels was immediate. The five mercenaries launched into action, drawing their weapons and charging down the mountainside into the battle. They dodged the bullets with practiced ease, weaving in and out of the line of fire. Within moments they reached the front line of soldiers and smashed straight in, blades slashing through the air.

Cid and the others were not far behind. The landscape was steep and uneven, making running immensely difficult. Even Red XIII, with his padded paws and sharp claws, had difficulty keeping a firm grip on the ground. Bullets began to rain down from the sky, whizzing past their ears.

A gap appeared in the rain of bullets as the soldiers on the back lines paused to reload. Seeing his chance, Vincent pulled ahead of the others and leaped into the air. He drew his Shortbarrel and fired on the soldiers from above. His aim was perfect. Four soldiers had fallen before the army realised they were being attacked from above and lifted their guns to the sky.

A bright light filled the sky. The light was so piercing that many soldiers cried out in pain and were forced to shield their eyes with their weapons. When the light faded and they could see once more, they looked back up into the sky and wished instantly that the light had taken their sight forever.

In those few moments when the battlefield had been filled with light, Vincent had changed himself from his human form into the powerful form of the Galian Beast. It was the sight of Galian descending from the sky that caused the soldiers to cry out in fright and attempt to scurry away.

Galian slammed into the ground, in the midst of the Shinra army. The impact caused by his monstrous form caused the ground to shake, and all those on the back lines froze in fright. One soldier managed to gather enough courage to raise his rifle, but Galian knocked the weapon out of his trembling hands before he could fire. Galian raised his head and roared, and then charged headfirst into the scrambling army.

Red XIII followed Vincent's lead by leaping up over the soldiers. He used their helmets as footholds as he jumped from head to head, trying to reach the inner ranks.

A flash of orange light caught his eye. Quickly he leaped to one side. A large fireball sailed past him, brushing his flanks and singing the fur. Red XIII dug his front claws into the helmet of the hapless soldier he landed on, twisted his body round, dug his back claws in and then jumped in the direction of the soldier who had cast the Fire magic. That soldier did not have the chance to cast another spell before Red XIII was on him, his jaws locked around the soldier's arm. He held on tight until the soldier finally relinquished the materia-powered weapon he had been holding. Only then did he let go, and jumped away and back into the fray.

He was in mid-leap when a barrage of bullets sailed beneath his belly, and another handful of soldiers fell. The hound twisted his body and clamped his claws into the helmet of another soldier. He looked around and then leaped off in another direction.

The heavy gunfire was coming from Barret. The former rebel leader was standing on top of a large rock, shooting down the soldiers from afar. There was a fired-up glint in his eyes as he took down one soldier, then another, and another.

His diversionary tactic worked, as the captain in charge of the first group ordered those men who were not currently engaged with the rebels to turn and open fire. This made an opening for Cid, who until then was surrounded on all sides. As some of the soldiers turned, he swung his spear and knocked them aside, and then dived out and continued running down the mountainside.

The Shinra captain saw Cid's dash and ran to intercept him. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of Cid's scarf and yanked it hard. Cid croaked and tumbled backward, his head slamming into the rock. While he lay there, stunned, he felt a heavy weight crush his chest.

Cid opened his eyes. The Shinra captain was standing over him, his boot pressed against Cid's chest and keeping him pinned down. Cid tried to swing his spear, but realised that his hand was empty. The spear lay a few feet away, thrown from his grasp when he fell. The captain raised his rifle and aimed at Cid's head—a direct shot. The pilot closed his eyes tight.

There was the sound of a gunshot, and an agonised cry filled the air. Cid opened his eyes once more and looked to his left. The captain was on the ground, clutching at his leg, which was encased in ice. Part of the ice was stained crimson where the bullet had landed. As Cid scrambled to grab his spear, the captain reached for his gun.

Cid got there first. He snatched his spear off the ground and swung it with all the strength he could muster. It connected with the captain's head with a loud crack. The captain crumpled, his fingertips resting on the rifle. Cid looked at Barret and waved a hand in thanks.

He was just about to take a breath when he heard a terrible roar behind him. Cid spun around in time to see Galian pounce on the back of a soldier who had been sneaking up behind him. The soldier fell to the dirt with Galian on top of him. The beast took the rifle from the soldier's quivering hands and crushed it in his vice-like grip. He then climbed off the soldier, who scrabbled back and then ran back down the hill as fast as his legs could carry him.

He was not the only one. The rest of the surviving soldiers were hurrying back down the mountainside at great speed, overwhelmed by the surprising strength of the rebels. Two of the mercenaries gave chase, not wanting to let their prey escape.

Seeing the soldiers flee, Cid leaned over and breathed deeply. His head was beginning to throb painfully. Being a leader was harder work than he thought.

Galian came over to stand by Cid. His eyes scanned the landscape. "It is no time to rest yet," the beast said in a guttural voice entirely different to Vincent's own deep baritone. "The battle has only just begun."

Cid spat. "%&$^! I know that! I was just… getting my breath, that's all."

"Perhaps you're getting too old for this."

The pilot snapped his head round. Was that a smirk on Galian's face?

He was just about to make a comment on this when a second horn sounded. Cid turned and looked back down the mountain, Galian at his side. The soldiers from the first wave had regrouped with the rest of the army, and now the second wave was beginning to make its way up the hill towards them. Marching at the back of the group was the general, encased in his battle suit.

"I sure hope Yuffie's got those traps ready," Cid muttered under his breath. He reached for his cigarettes. He lit one and took a long drag. "Otherwise, we're toast."