Chapter 28
Serious
(Quistis)
Quistis' whip hung in a loop clipped at her belt. Recently, she had begun wearing it everywhere. It made her feel safer, more ready for the unexpected. The black leather whip matched her SeeD uniform, and the weapon itself matched her mood.
(I can't let my guard down.)
It wasn't as if she felt she was in constant physical danger. Things between her and Mireya had gone sour, but had not escalated to the point where she felt she needed to defend herself from violence. Nor did she really believe that Galbadia was going to appear suddenly on the horizon, leaving her with no time to recover her weapon.
Having the whip by her side at all times just felt good. It felt right. It established her authority, and her willingness to do what was necessary to protect Garden. She had made mistakes in the past, but she wanted everyone to know that her mistakes were not born out of cowardice or weakness.
But a symbol of power attached to her waist was not enough. She knew she needed more, so she called for a meeting between the only people in Garden that she knew she could trust. Together, they would work on getting Garden back on track, and reasserting her command.
The group met on the bridge so that Nida could participate in the meeting without having to stop piloting Garden. Remaining stationary for too long or getting a backup pilot onto the bridge were both unacceptable options. Quistis wanted this meeting to be in private, and she wanted the school to be in motion.
The bridge was only large enough to accommodate a few people at a time, so they had to work out a system to keep them all safely atop the bridge without falling. Nida stood at the front, guiding the control column, his back facing the others. At his heel, Zell and Ami sat cross-legged on the floor, facing back towards the lift. Headmaster Cid and Edea sat on the right and left wings of the bridge respectively, while Quistis stood in the back, near the mechanical lift. It was a little crowded, but not uncomfortable.
(Let's begin.)
"Nida, double-check to make sure that the intercom isn't on," Quistis said. She didn't want to be caught broadcasting her supposedly secret meeting over the school's PA system. Nida leaned over and glanced at the switch.
"It's off, Commander," Nida said, turning his head.
"Make sure it is," Quistis said. She realized that her tone was too sharp, but it was too late to correct herself now. She winced in silent apology and allowed Nida to further inspect the intercom.
He flicked it on, making the familiar chimes of the school intercom come over the bridge's speakers. "Testing," Nida said, his voice echoing from further down in the school. He shut off the intercom, then said, "Testing" again, but this time there was no echo.
Quistis nodded, satisfied. She gathered her thoughts and then began the meeting.
"What happened at the assembly was intolerable," Quistis said. "I fully accept responsibility for the outcome of that assembly, and any future consequences that may arise later on because of it."
She could see that Cid and Edea were about to protest, perhaps to share the blame around a little, but Quistis cut them off.
"No, I'm not here to discuss that assembly any further," she said. "It is over and done with and we need to move on. This meeting will discuss our options concerning SeeD's future."
"Whaddya mean?" Zell asked, scratching his head.
"I mean to say that the SeeD's identity has been drastically warped by that recent vote against Rinoa," Quistis said. "Even I didn't fully realize the consequences until after it was over."
"I still don't get it," Zell said. He shook his head.
"Think about it," Quistis said. "SeeD just had a vote to dissolve all relations with Rinoa. She is Commander Squall's girlfriend. The woman that he went to the moon and back in order back to rescue. He recklessly dove out into space to protect her, and defied the Esthar military to save her from a lifetime spent entombed."
Understanding began to fill Zell's face, but Quistis continued just to ensure that there was no mistaking the severity of the situation.
"In truth," Quistis said, "That vote not only dissolved relations with Rinoa, but with Squall as well. SeeD has effectively voted against their own Commander and opened a rift between their leadership and their students. If something is not done to correct this situation, then the rift may worsen, culminating in another internal war, like the one we had between NORG and Headmaster Cid. Or it may destroy SeeD utterly. We're here to prevent that."
Cid sat on the raised step on the left wing of the bridge, his hands on his knees. He raised a hand to get Quistis' attention, then spoke. "I know you said that you want to discuss the future and forget about the past..."
"I don't want to forget," Quistis corrected. "I want to move on."
(Forgetting the past would be the worst thing I could do.)
Headmaster Cid shrugged and waved his hand. "In any case, I don't want you to feel that this is all your fault, or that the burden is all yours to shoulder. We're here to support you in whatever way we can and to help you get SeeD back on track. You needn't do it all alone."
Quistis nodded at the Headmaster, then looked around. As she met the gazes of the people gathered at the meeting, they all showed her their support and their unity. Zell clenched a fist and made a single pumping motion in the air, grinning intensely. Beside him, Ami smiled and nodded curtly. Nida turned away from the control column and gave her a thumb up. Cid and Edea gave her a pair of matching, parental smiles. Quistis smiled humbly.
(I know I'm not alone.)
(But I'm the only one who's the SeeD Commander.)
"Besides," Headmaster Cid said with a wry grin, "After all the effort we spent getting Squall to come out of his shell, it would be a shame if we did the reverse to you."
His joke got a few light chuckles from the others. Quistis sighed and looked out through the glass window of the bridge and to the ocean.
(I do feel like Squall sometimes.)
(But I think it's just the Commander position.)
(It forces me to think more and speak less.)
(I have to be careful about everything I say and do now.)
(Especially after Mireya…)
"You're doing it," Cid said. He pointed at her. "That's the look Squall always has on his face."
Quistis broke away from her thoughts and looked at him. "What face?"
"Never mind," Cid said. "Continue on. You're doing well so far."
Quistis cleared her throat and started again. "There are a number of ways we can approach the situation. For one, we can leave things as they are and carry on, focusing on our more immediate problems. However, that only delays the ultimate problem. Eventually, Squall and Rinoa are going to come back to Garden, and we'll have to deal with this problem then. Perhaps violently."
"Whoa, whoa," Zell said, waving his hands. "Why violently? Seems a little… you know… extreme."
"We're talking about Rinoa's life here," Quistis said. "A majority of SeeD—according to that recent vote—are willing to completely ignore Rinoa or even hand her over to the Galbadians. Without SeeD's protection, Rinoa will be left alone at the mercy of the Galbadians. Squall, of course, is not going to let that decision stand. And I don't think anyone here will accept it either."
Quistis paused and let the others nod their heads in agreement.
"Then there will be a fight," Quistis said. "Between those loyal to Squall and Rinoa and those who fear and hate sorceresses too much to trust her. If we do nothing about the situation, then I can't see how the fight can be avoided. As long as Squall refuses to abandon Rinoa and SeeD refuses to help her, it's almost inevitable."
(I suppose there's another option.)
(There's a chance Squall might choose to leave Garden with Rinoa but…)
(… Would he really do that?)
Quistis decided not to speak these thoughts aloud. She didn't want to turn this meeting into a discussion of Squall's thoughts and motives.
Zell's hand shot up. Quistis nodded at him and he lowered it.
"Okay, maybe this is a dumb question," Zell said. "But how come so many people hate Rinoa to begin with? I mean, I know you mentioned somethin' about it before, but I thought people liked her. Now all of a sudden everyone's okay with just chuckin' her to the curb? It makes no sense!"
Zell punched the floor in frustration. The metal grating rattled.
"It's not a dumb question," Quistis said. "In fact, it's crucial to figuring out how we are going to address the problem. The fundamental issue we have here—as near as I can tell—is that we are standing in opposition of generations of superstition and misinformation. Sorceresses have been the root of nightmares around the globe for most of recorded history. And they are feared, I think, because they are not understood.
"It's only recently that advances have been made in Esthar that allow humanity a greater understanding of sorceresses." Quistis continued. "Furthermore, all of us here have personal experiences with past and present sorceresses, so we know that they are not monsters who have been corrupted by an evil power. We're in a privileged position. And it seems that we have allowed ourselves to forget that other people in the world—other people in Garden even—do not know Matron or Rinoa as well as we do."
Edea nodded and spoke up. "I concur. I was a sorceress for the majority of my life, and I can count the number of people who ever knew about me on one hand. I always knew about the fear and hatred people harbored in their hearts and I knew that exposing my secret was the most dangerous thing I could do. So I remained silent, and I lived with Cid in a secluded area far from civilization in order to guard my secret. I had hoped, now that I am no longer a sorceress, that I could educate the students about the truths concerning sorceresses, but it appears that my lessons have either been ignored or forgotten. The younger students seem willing to listen, but the older ones are more resistant. They have their own ideas, and they dislike when those ideas are challenged. Perhaps a shadow of doubt still lingers, and people fear that I might be lying to protect other sorceresses. That I am biased somehow. It wouldn't surprise me if that were the case."
"Right," Quistis said. "Which is going to make this harder for us. We have to convince the students to reverse their stance on Rinoa and we have to do it before Squall and Rinoa come back."
"How?" Zell asked. "I mean, like, all the students? 'Cause that's a lot!"
"Well, perhaps not all of them," Quistis said. "But we have to at least regain a majority. Enough so that we can prevent the onset of violence, or at least shut down the dissenters quickly, before it escalates and becomes uncontrollable."
"How?" Zell asked again.
"That is what we're going to discuss," Quistis said. "For one, I think our trip to Trabia has gained even greater importance now. Getting Irvine and Selphie back aboard Garden will play into our strategy. Not only are they friendly, outgoing, and trustworthy, they are also friends of Rinoa's and have great experience with sorceresses. I think Irvine and Selphie can talk to people who are on the fence and bring them over to our side."
Ami raised her hand timidly. Quistis nodded to her.
"Um, this might be a stupid question too," she said softly. "But if we're trying to gather support for Rinoa and other sorceresses, isn't Trabia Garden a bad place to start? I mean, after what Edea did…" she shot a glance at Edea, then shook her head. "Um, I mean what Ultimecia did, wouldn't they hold a grudge?"
"Good point," Quistis said.
(That's a very good point actually.)
Originally, Quistis had hoped to recruit the entire school of T-Garden, to bring them aboard Garden to both protect them and to have them shift the power balance in SeeD. But as Ami had just pointed out, the students of T-Garden had no reason to support Edea, Rinoa, or any other sorceress. In fact, if Quistis brought them on board, they may very well all choose to side with Mireya and the other anti-sorceress students, exacerbating the entire problem.
(We may not be able to use the T-Garden students after all.)
"We'll have to see when we get there," Quistis said. "We can talk to Irvine and Selphie and try to get a feeling for what the students think about Edea and the other sorceresses. If they are against us, then we obviously cannot use them."
Nida turned from the control column and caught Quistis' eye.
"The Trabian Peninsula is in sight," he said.
"Good," Quistis said. "Any sign of the Galbadians?"
With one hand on the control column, Nida raised a pair of binoculars to his eyes and scanned along the horizon. "Looks clear. Nothing in the ocean and nothing on the shore."
(Galbadia doesn't have much reason to come up this way.)
(They may even believe that Trabia no longer exists.)
"Nida," Quistis said. "Take the radio and try to get a signal from T-Garden. They probably won't answer, but we should try anyway."
"Aye aye, Commander," Nida said. He unclipped the radio from his belt and began working the dials on it.
Quistis continued with the meeting. "We should discuss ways that we can talk to students and bring them around to our side. We should also talk about specific people that we can trust."
"We can always trust Dr. Kadowaki," Headmaster Cid said. "In fact, I'm surprised you didn't invite her up here. She's very level-headed and fair."
"Dr. K doesn't take sides," Quistis said. "You know that, Headmaster. And bringing her out of the infirmary would only draw undue attention to this meeting. We can trust Dr. K to stay loyal and neutral, but I don't think we can use her to our advantage in any meaningful way."
(Nor can Mireya use her against us.)
Headmaster Cid's expression changed, growing slightly more severe. "Quistis, we are not going to 'use' anyone to our advantage. The students of Garden are not pieces on a game board that we can move around and sacrifice. I once said that I don't want my students to become machines. And I don't want them to become pawns either."
(I didn't mean it like that.)
"Headmaster…" Quistis said, rather shocked by his abrupt change of mood. "I-I'm only trying to do what's best for Garden."
"Your heart is in the right place, but your head is not," Cid said. His expression softened and he shook his head. "I apologize for my little outburst. You see, NORG often spoke like that. How he and I could best 'use' the students of Garden. How best to gain the most profit from them. Things of that nature. Now, whenever I hear rhetoric like that, I cannot help but be reminded of him. It brings up bad memories. Sorry."
"So what would you have me do differently?" Quistis asked.
"Reconsider the way you're thinking about the situation," the Headmaster said. "Don't think of the students as objects in a game to be either gained or lost. Rather, think of them as people. We're not trying to force them to obey, or crush our opponents with numbers. We are trying to educate our students about the truth. That is an important distinction to keep in mind. I will help you come up with a plan for us to best deliver this message. But I won't participate in any plan to use or manipulate SeeD."
Quistis bowed humbly. "I'll try to remember that in the future."
(Was I overstepping my bounds?)
(Or is the Headmaster being too sensitive?)
Garden reached the shoreline of the Trabian Peninsula and began to rise up as it climbed from the ocean and up the beach. The bridge shifted under Quistis' feet, and she adjusted easily, having grown accustomed to the sensation.
Outside the broad window, Quistis could see the iconic mountain ranges that Trabia was famous for. The mountains were darker, taller, and more jagged than the mountains that bordered the northern shore of the island of Balamb. They looked old, strong, and unfriendly. Some of the higher peaks were capped with snow, despite the summer season. Hardy pine trees grew in thick clusters along the slopes and the foothills of the mountains.
Pale green grass fought for life among the lichen and scraggly bushes. Wildlife—mostly deer and birds—scoured the countryside, struggling to eke out an existence in the harsh environment. Smaller monsters patrolled the open fields, while larger threats hid in the forests. Above them, the sun seemed to be smaller and farther away, casting diminished light upon the planet. The sun's rays reached Quistis' skin, but there seemed little warmth to be found in the light.
(I couldn't imagine living here.)
"How long until we reach Trabia Garden?" Quistis asked Nida.
"About a half an hour, Commander," Nida said. More than anyone else at the school, Nida had developed an innate sense of speed and distance, which gave him very accurate predictions concerning Garden's route. It seemed to Quistis that Nida was a born pilot.
"So, Dr. Kadowaki then?" Quistis asked, turning to the Headmaster.
"Yes," Cid said. "As you said, she officially never takes sides in any debate. Or even in any war. But I believe that she may have a moderating effect on Garden, providing an unbiased middle ground that will be appealing to many students, I think. She may help keep Garden from fracturing further. We should definitely include her in our discussions."
Quistis nodded. "Right. Anyone else?"
"My friends, probably," Ami said. "We've never talked about sorceresses much before, but they like Rinoa. I can talk to them later."
"Very good," Quistis said. "Zell, what about you?"
"Umm…" Zell said. He scratched his head. "I might know a couple people I can talk to."
"You seemed to have bonded with that blonde-haired boy during the Timber mission," Quistis said. "Dax, was his name?"
"Oh no, no, no," Zell said, frantically shaking his head. "I mean, uh, yes, we bonded and all, but he's way, way anti-sorceress. He wanted to kill Ciel on day one. Seriously. He won't help us any."
(Is that so?)
(I'll have to remember that.)
"I will continue talking with students and making myself available," Edea said. "I don't want to force myself upon the students or seem too demanding. That, I feel, would be counter-productive."
"I agree," Quistis said. "Just be yourself, Matron."
"Also, maybe you should avoid mentioning Ultimecia," Ami said. "In fact, we all should avoid that. Mireya seemed to score a lot of points on that subject during the assembly incident."
("The Assembly Incident?")
(Is that what we're calling it now?)
"Right," Quistis said. "Excellent point. Try to keep the focus on Rinoa and the current sorceresses. Ultimecia is too abstract and difficult to talk about. Mentioning her will only weaken our arguments."
"I'd like to talk to the students as well," Cid said. "I've been spending too much time locked in my office planning strategy. I've become such a recluse. We all need to become more transparent to the rest of Garden. The students should feel like they're a part of Garden, rather than just mere employees."
"All very good ideas," Quistis said. "What else we can come up with?"
They talked in this manner for some time. Progress was made and ideas were formed, but ultimately Quistis was disappointed with the meeting as a whole. She had hoped that someone—the Headmaster, Edea, or maybe Ami—would be able to come up with a magic bullet solution, something that could resolve the situation quickly and effectively. But no such solution presented itself in the course of their discussion.
(I shouldn't hope for easy answers.)
Nida steered Garden around a mountain spur, heading into the middle of a crescent-shaped valley. Placed in the center of this valley was Trabia Garden, or what was left of the Garden anyway.
Quistis had never gotten a chance to see T-Garden while it was still whole. After some reflection, she decided that it was probably a good thing that she had never seen what the Garden looked like when it was in perfect condition. This way, there was no sense of loss for her. For Quistis, Trabia Garden had always appeared as a crater and thus, when the crater was once again visible, it sparked no emotions in her, brought no sense of nostalgia or pain.
(It's only a place. Just like any other.)
A perfect circle of wreckage had been blasted into the valley, at the site of the former school. A metal perimeter fence, one story high, surrounded it. But things were not as Quistis remembered them, from when she and the others had visited T-Garden after the missile attack.
For one, everything inside the perimeter wall was gone. The Galbadian missiles had caused irreparable damage to the school, but there had still been remnants of buildings, a cracked and ruined stone walkway, and other signs that people once lived at the site. Now there was only churned brown soil and stray chunks of debris.
The remnants that Quistis had expected to see were now in tall, haphazard piles outside of the perimeter wall, as if the students of T-Garden had busily torn everything down and hurled it over the wall.
But the biggest and most noticeable problem was the emptiness. There were no people. No patrols on the perimeter wall. No students camped inside. No evidence of cook fires or shelters or human habitation. The valley was empty, aside from SeeD and the ruins.
(Trabia Garden is gone.)
Nida stopped a short distance outside the perimeter fence and then pushed down on the control column to park the school. Quistis felt the floor shift as Garden eased to a stop, then descended to the ground, landing with a thump.
Once Garden was down, Nida spun and faced Quistis. "Can I come along, Commander?" he asked, his eyes shining brightly like an eager child.
Quistis nodded. "Grab your spear. I have a bad feeling about this."
Nida looked confused. The others all rose to their feet. Zell hopped up in one dexterous motion, while Cid and Edea needed to lean forward and rest their hands on their knees to get up.
"Are you coming too?" Quistis asked Zell and Ami.
Zell shrugged. "Sure, why not?"
"Do I need my weapon as well, Commander?" Ami asked softly. Quistis nodded. Nida and Ami walked past Quistis to retrieve their weapons from their dorm rooms, and Zell followed after Ami. The three loaded onto the bridge lift and descended to Cid's office.
The Headmaster turned to Quistis and frowned. "You seem concerned."
"There's no one out there," Quistis said. "Haven't you noticed?"
The Headmaster shook his head. "My eyes aren't what they used to be." He made a point of adjusting his glasses.
"Do you believe they were attacked?" Edea asked.
"No, I don't think so," Quistis said. "But I'm not taking chances." She unconsciously rested her hand on her whip. "Headmaster, do you have a radio?"
"Yes, on my desk," Cid said. "Why?"
"Just in case I need to contact you," Quistis said. "All right, I'm heading out."
"Be careful," Cid said. Quistis raised a hand in acknowledgment and then descended the lift to the office. She crossed the marble floor and headed to the main elevator. From there, she rode down to the first floor, then walked out to the front entrance.
To her surprise, the other three were already there and waiting for her. Nida held his thin spear across his shoulders. Ami clutched her long staff in one hand, with the bottom resting on the floor. Zell cracked his knuckles loudly.
"Everyone ready?" Quistis asked as she approached.
"Ready!" Zell said, punching one palm with the fist of his other hand. Ami nodded without saying a word. Nida twirled his spear and slammed the butt end onto the floor dramatically, then nodded.
"Then let's go," Quistis said.
She reached over and pushed the glowing green button on the wall, opening the front gate. The massive door creaked and moaned as it fell open outwards, forming a ramp leading down to the ground. A cool breeze blew in through the door, rustling Quistis' hair. She brushed her hair aside with one hand and stepped out into the pale sunshine.
The ground was rocky and crunched under their shoes. They had to meander their way around a few heaping piles of rubble—the tallest of which stood a full head higher than Quistis—as they headed for the perimeter wall.
"Yo, where is everybody?" Zell asked. He peered around the piles of rubble, as if he expected to find people crouched behind them.
"That's what worries me," Quistis said. "I didn't see anyone when we approached."
"You think somethin' happened to 'em?" Zell asked, his voice rising with concern.
Quistis shook her head. "We'll see."
The four reached the perimeter wall and paused, standing side-by-side. A green mesh net had been tossed over the side of the wall to form a makeshift ladder to the top. Additionally, a crude set of stairs had been built alongside the wall, using chunks of asphalt and debris as steps.
"Hello?" Quistis called out. Her voice echoed through the valley, bouncing off the mountainsides and returning to her again and again. She waited for her own voice to fade away, then turned to Zell.
"You try," Quistis said.
Zell cupped both of his hands around his mouth, took a huge lungful of air, then screamed, "HEEEEEEEEY!"
His voice boomed like a punch to the ear. His shout caused a small rockslide somewhere in the mountains. Quistis could hear the loose rocks slipping and tumbling as they fell. The echoes continued to be heard for almost a full thirty seconds. Still, there was no answer from Trabia.
"Want me to try again?" Zell asked, raising his hands to his mouth.
"No need," Quistis said. "If they didn't hear that, then they're not here."
(Or they're dead.)
Quistis didn't voice this thought.
"Let's take a look around to see where they went," Quistis said. She approached the green mesh and stuck her foot into a hole and began climb up the wall.
"Yo, Quistis," Zell said. He jerked his thumb at the nearby stairs. "They got stairs, you know."
"I don't trust them," Quistis said, continuing to climb. "They look unsafe."
"What, and that's safer?" Zell asked, pointing at the mesh.
"We've used this mesh before," Quistis said as she neared the top.
The other three climbed up the steps without any problems. Despite their ragged construction, the stairs were apparently sturdy enough. Quistis hauled herself up to her feet and looked into the circle at where Trabia Garden used to rest. The other three got to the top a few moments after her, then stood beside her.
Being closer to the ruins revealed no new information. The great circle formed by the high perimeter wall was empty. The dirt inside was fairly clear of rubble and—Quistis noticed—still smelled strongly of soil, as if it had been moved only recently.
(Has Trabia Garden become mobile?)
(If so, how?)
Zell scratched his head.
"Well… that's weird," he said. "Any ideas?"
Quistis crossed her arms and took a breath. She scanned all around, along the wall, down into the dirt, and up into the mountains.
"I don't think it was a battle," Quistis said. "It's too clean for that. We'd see bullet holes and dead bodies. Evidence left behind. It's too empty here."
"Hey!" Zell said. He snapped his fingers. "Ya think Trabia became mobile too? Like us and G-Garden?"
Quistis nodded. "It's possible. But I'm trying to see how they managed that. Most of the Garden was destroyed in the blast. How would they salvage enough of the machinery in order to get it working again? Then, once they got it working, how would they control it? And finally, if it's indeed mobile, then how is it that we haven't heard anything about it yet? Why wouldn't Irvine and Selphie tell us about this immediately?"
(It doesn't make sense.)
"Ah, good point," Zell said. He scratched his head. "Er, points. Good points. So now what?"
Quistis sighed. She was growing rather tired of fielding that question from Zell over and over again. "So now what?" She was learning to despise that phrase.
She organized her thoughts. Obviously, her initial plan was completely ruined at this point. Trabia Garden was gone, as were—presumably—Irvine and Selphie. Whether T-Garden had become mobile or if the Garden had been utterly destroyed did not really matter. She needed to think of a new plan regardless.
(Well, we can still use this area as a hideout for now.)
"All right," Quistis said. "We're going to stay here for now. Let's go back to Garden and organize a full search team to look for any usable supplies left behind."
"Like food," Zell said, rubbing his stomach. It growled on cue.
"Don't get your hopes up," Quistis said. "We'll be lucky if we find anything at all. Seems to be nothing more than rubble and dirt now."
Zell slumped his shoulders dramatically. "Aww."
Before she turned to head back to Garden, Quistis scanned along the mountains that surrounded Trabia on three sides. The valley floor was largely devoid of trees and other plants, but a thick green forest had managed to come into being along the slopes of the mountains. She rested a hand on her hip, looking around at the mountains.
(Do we really want to be penned in like this?)
(If Galbadia comes, we'll only have one way out.)
Perhaps they wouldn't stay very long after all. Maybe enough time for them to search for supplies and look for any indications of where Trabia Garden went, but no more than that. The mountain walls didn't feel as safe as she had imagined they would.
Behind Zell, in the mountains, something caught Quistis' attention. She narrowed her eyes and focused. There was a spark, a flash in the trees. A tiny circle of bright white light, as if from sunlight glinting off a—
(Sniper scope!)
"GET DOWN!" Quistis yelled, leaping back from the wall without looking. A moment later, a gunshot filled the valley with an echoing thunderclap. Quistis hit the rocky ground hard and rolled to absorb the impact. She sprang to her feet and dove behind a nearby pile of rubble, carefully tucking in her arms and legs to avoid exposing any part of her body to the sniper. She quickly inspected herself, and saw no blood or bullet holes.
(It didn't hit me.)
Zell, Ami, and Nida scrambled behind the pile of rubble a moment later. Another gunshot crackled, but too late—all four were now behind cover. The second bullet glanced off a brick, shooting up a cloud of white dust, but harmed no one.
"Everyone okay?" Quistis asked. The three nodded.
Quistis turned and looked at Balamb Garden. The front gate was there waiting, still standing wide open. She was glad she hadn't bothered to close the door behind them. But the entrance was at least a hundred paces away. Not a terribly long distance, but more than enough for any adequate sniper to fire off two or three more rounds. They'd gotten lucky with the first shot. Either the wind or chance had caused the bullet to go astray. But Quistis wasn't willing to try their luck again with a dead sprint across open ground.
As if reading her mind, Zell spoke up with a solution. "Protect spells!" he said. "It should be enough to get us to the front gate. Xu and I used them when we fought Galbadia outside of Timber."
Quistis flinched at the mention of Xu's name. Then she shook her head.
"Not against a high-powered sniper rifle," Quistis said to him. "With small arms fire—even most machine guns—yes, a protect spell can divert the bullets. But any large caliber weapons or armor-piercing ammunition is likely to blow right through our spells."
A memory flashed across Quistis' mind. She remembered the night that SeeD and Galbadia had joined forces in an attempt to assassinate the Sorceress Edea during her parade. At that time, they had given Irvine one of the most powerful sniper rifles in the world, yet Edea had been able to deflect it with a spell.
(But she was a sorceress, and we're not.)
"Then what do we do?" Zell asked. "Wait him out?"
Quistis shook her head again. "It's unlikely that the sniper is alone. There's going to be more soldiers somewhere. If we try to wait it out, that will allow time for the sniper's allies to get into better position."
(We have to move!)
An idea struck Quistis. If they could not go to Garden, then perhaps they should have Garden go to them. She unclipped her radio from her belt and brought it to her mouth.
"Headmaster, do you read?" Quistis asked. There was a moment's pause, then a voice responded.
"I'm here," Headmaster Cid said. "Did I hear gunshots earlier?"
"Yes, we're pinned down by a sniper," Quistis said. "You have to bring Garden to us. And alert the students. Get them into their battle stations."
"Oh, dear," Headmaster Cid said. "I'll try my best."
Nida unclipped his own radio from his belt and pushed the button to talk.
"Don't worry, Headmaster," Nida said. "I'll walk you through it."
"Thank you, Nida," Cid said. "Hold on, I'm going up the elevator now. Oh, dear."
More gunshots crackled in the air, but not from a sniper rifle. This time it was the steady stream of automatic weapons raking along the outer shell of Balamb Garden, filling it with discolored pockmarks. Some of the bullets traced along the ground, blindly groping for Quistis and the others. These bullets were coming from the mountains on the opposite side, and their protective pile of rubble could do nothing to help them in their current position.
Quistis' animal instincts screamed at her to move, to find a different pile of rubble and hide behind it to escape the chattering machine gun fire. But her SeeD training overrode these instincts. She knew that the Galbadians had almost no chance of hitting them from such a long range with most conventional weapons. Even though the sniper was silent, the sniper was still a greater threat. Quistis and the others couldn't afford to move from their spot.
(We just have to wait for the Headmaster.)
"Protect spells," Quistis said, casting the transparent blue magic around herself. Zell and Ami cast the spell on themselves, but Nida didn't have any stocked in his inventory, so Ami shared one of hers. Quistis hoped it would be enough to save them if any of the Galbadians scored a lucky hit.
With bullets tossing up clouds of dirt and rubble all around them, Quistis drew up her knees to her chest and ducked her head, making herself into the smallest possible target. The other three followed suit.
"I've sent the message to the students," Cid said over the radio. His voice was barely audible over the thundering of the gunfire. "Now how I do move this thing?"
"Pull the column straight up to get it started," Nida said.
A few moments later, the four could see as the outer ring of Garden began to cycle slowly around and around the exterior of the school. It sprayed up dust as it kicked off from the ground and hovered in place.
Nida brought the radio to his mouth and said, "Okay, you don't need to go full speed, so just push the column straight forward about thirty degrees."
"What about full speed?" Headmaster Cid said. Gunfire roared and echoed around the mountains. "I can't hear you."
"NO! NO!" Nida shouted. "NOT FULL SPEED! Forward thirty degrees!"
"Forward how many degrees?" Cid asked.
"Just push it!" Nida yelled.
"Okay," Cid said. A moment later, Garden began lurching forward, traveling about as fast as Quistis could jog. The four got to their feet, but were careful to remain hunched over and behind the cover of the debris pile. Quistis clipped her radio to her belt, while Nida raised his to his mouth.
"Okay, stop, Headmaster," he said.
"All right," Cid's voice said over the radio. But instead of stopping right away, Garden kept moving forward, until it was on top of the four, blanketing them all in its shadow. Quistis looked up and could see the underside of Garden. It was mostly just blank silver metal, marred with dents and bullet holes.
"Want me to set it down?" Cid asked.
"No, no!" Nida said. "You'll crush us. Back it up a little and then set it down."
"Um, how much?" Cid asked. "You have to be specific."
A bullet zipped past Nida's head and crashed into their debris pile. Nida grimaced but remained focused.
"Pull back and count to five, then let it go," Nida said.
Garden went into reverse, the machinery humming loudly and almost drowning out the noises of the bullets all around. Quistis could see Nida mouthing, "one, two, three, four, five." As soon as he'd whispered the last word, Garden came to stop, a few steps away from and above their position.
"Good job, Headmaster," Nida said. "Push down on the column to set it down."
"All right, Nida," Cid said. A few seconds later, Garden hit the dirt and shot up a ring of dust in all directions. With the front gate wide open and the dust cloud in the air, Quistis knew there was a narrow window when the sniper wouldn't have a clear shot.
"MOVE!" Quistis yelled, sprinting across the short gap between the debris pile and the open door. A bullet zipped through, but with all the dust in the air, it went wide and continued off into the mountains.
Quistis dove and rolled into the Garden, then spun around. Zell, Ami, and Nida were right behind her, unharmed. When they were all inside, Quistis slammed the green button on the wall to close the front gate. Another bullet sped inside Garden, burying itself in the interior wall. It was just another blind shot—one last attempt to take out a SeeD before Garden escaped. The front gate sealed shut with a low, satisfying boom.
(We made it!)
"Get to the bridge!" Quistis said to Nida. Wordlessly he dashed towards the central elevator. "You two okay?" Quistis asked Zell and Ami, panting more from her tense nerves than from exhaustion. Zell and Ami glanced over themselves and each other, then nodded.
"Now what?" Zell asked.
(That question again!)
"Get to your battle stations," Quistis said. "Keep everyone organized. This isn't over yet!"
Zell and Ami nodded, then dashed off into the school. Coincidentally, both of them had been assigned battle stations in the quad, so they reached the central walkway and then sprinted to the left. Other SeeDs were running through the halls, carrying supplies and weapons from one area to another. Some were standing guard at strategic locations throughout the school, ready for impending battle.
Quistis ignored the cuts and bruises in her body and willed herself to sprint for the central elevator. When she arrived, she stabbed the button to call the elevator. It arrived a few seconds later and carried her up to the third floor. As she rose up, she felt the whole school begin to move. She dashed across Cid's office and rode the lift up to the bridge.
Once she arrived, she saw that Nida had already taken control over from Cid, who appeared desperately relieved to have the burden of piloting lifted off his shoulders.
"Are you all okay?" Headmaster Cid asked. "I tried my best but…"
"You did fine, Headmaster," Quistis said. She saw Nida's spear resting beside him on the floor of the bridge. "Go somewhere safe. We'll handle it from here."
Headmaster Cid nodded. Then he rode the lift back down to his office.
Nida was busy piloting Garden back out of the valley, heading for the opening in the crescent-shaped mountains. Quistis scanned the ground, looking for troop encampments, artillery, anything that could bar their escape, but she couldn't see much aside from the muzzle flare from dozens of rifles that continued to harass the school. Nor did she see any sign of G-Garden, which was her chief concern.
(We may survive this yet.)
The arms of the valley slid behind them and into the distance they headed into the winding mountain ranges of the Trabian Peninsula.
"Where are we going?" Nida asked, nudging the control column to steer them around a low mountain.
Quistis crossed her arms and thought.
The only way Galbadia could have realistically gotten to Trabia is by boat, which meant the G-Navy was presumably docked at one of the nearby shores. She doubted that Galbadia would bring a cluster of troops onto the peninsula and then abandon them, so that meant that the ships were probably still there, waiting. In her head, she calculated Garden's odds of breaking through the G-Navy and escaping.
Garden had rushed through a blockade of ships once before—when they had last gone to Timber—but in that situation, they had moved from the sea and onto land, preventing the ships from following them. But this time, they would be fleeing from the land and into the sea. Even if they broke through the initial blockade, the ships would be able to easily pursue them and continue the battle, launching bullets and artillery nonstop into Garden. The school would not be able to endure a long fight under those circumstances.
(We might be safer staying on land.)
Before she could decide on a battle plan, an explosion at the base of Garden rocked the entire school, pitching Quistis off her feet. Her sore hands and arms cried out when they hit the hard metal of the bridge floor.
"What was that?" Quistis asked, once she regained her feet.
"I don't know!" Nida said. "Sounded like some kind of missile."
That was when Quistis noticed them.
Atop a hill, nestled at the base of a jagged mountain, was a cluster of Galbadian vehicles and artillery. Gunfire chattered in yellow bursts from that hill, but that was not the most frightening thing she saw. In the middle of a ring of cars were five mobile missile launchers. Each vehicle was little more than a long metal frame with wheels. Four of the five carried long black missiles, each nearly the length of a city bus. One was currently empty, and was being hastily reloaded by a troop of Galbadian soldiers in bright blue uniforms.
The missiles were not as large or as powerful as the ones that had leveled Trabia, but they were more than enough to break through Garden's shielding and cause permanent damage to the school. As soon as Quistis spotted the artillery launchers, two more missiles fired off from the hill, trailing long white lines of smoke. The last two missiles followed behind, emptying all five launchers.
"Evade!" Quistis said, even though she knew it was futile. The Garden was quick and agile for its size, but compared to a group of surface-to-air missiles, it was like trying to steer a pontoon boat to escape a fish.
Nida obeyed his order. He lowered his shoulder into the control column and heaved, directing Garden to angle away from the missiles. The school had barely begun to turn when the missiles crashed into the bottom and side of the school, rumbling the base, and once more knocking Quistis to the floor. The intercom came to life on its own and began blaring the school's fire alarm. Somewhere in Garden, there was a fire blazing out of control. Possibly several fires.
Quistis did not need to issue any orders to put out the fire. The school already had a designated firefighting plan and a special team trained to handle it. It was their job to hear the alarm and respond appropriately. Quistis needed only to trust in the skill of her students and continue the mission.
The glass dome encasing the bridge had been cracked in the last explosion, sending a streak of white across Quistis' field of vision. Her gaze returned to the hill where she'd seen the missile launchers and saw, to her dismay, that they were already being prepped for a second barrage.
(We might not be able to survive a second round.)
The Galbadians had positioned their missile launchers perfectly. With their high vantage point and wide, unobstructed view, they could launch a second, third, and possibly even a fourth round of missiles into Garden before the school could retreat to the nearest shelter. Quistis scanned around, but there was nothing that they could put between Garden and the missiles that would save them. They were caught in an open area between two long mountain ranges, and neither running for the next range nor retreating to the previous one would help them.
But to the south there was a small gap in the mountains. Between the snowy rocks and scraggly pines Quistis could see the dark blue of the ocean beyond. The gap was tiny, compared to diameter of the school, but Quistis saw no other options. Garden would not survive long against those missiles and had no realistic options for destroying the launchers. But if they ran for the ocean, they would at least have a chance—however slim it was.
"Head for that gap," Quistis said, pointing to the opening. "Full speed!"
"It's too small, Commander!" Nida protested. "Garden won't fit!"
"There's no choice," Quistis said. "Do it!"
Nida grimaced with doubt, then tugged backwards on the control column, then pushed it forward. He angled the Garden towards the gap between the mountains, aiming for as close to the center as he possibly could. Garden lurched as it accelerated to max speed and rushed for the opening.
"Intercom, Nida," Quistis said. Nida hit the switch, and Quistis told the students, "Brace for impact!"
The gap in the mountains approached, seeming to become smaller and smaller as the school drew nearer. Quistis soon regretted her choice, but it was too late to change her mind now. She said nothing as Nida leaned forward on the control column to try to hold the school as steady as possible during the inevitable upcoming impact.
On either side of them, the mountains closed in, then pinned them from both sides. Metal shrieked as it raked along the rocky mountainsides. There were hollow bangs as whole chunks of Garden were sheared completely off. Sparks flew high enough for Quistis to see them leaping past the glass dome up on the bridge. The whole school shook as if there was an earthquake.
But somehow Garden kept going.
More parts were broken off. There was a bang far below as the bottommost part of Garden slammed into a rock outcropping. The cracks in the glass dome above the bridge splintered outwards and grew, fed by the massive vibrations that rattled the school.
And still, despite the dangerous shortcut, they were not fast enough to beat the Galbadians. Five explosions from five missiles erupted in back of Garden, one after the other in rapid succession. The missile collisions were loud enough to momentarily drown out the screaming of the metal-on-rock and the shrieking of the fire alarm. Quistis was thrown off her feet once more, while Nida desperately clung to the control column to keep from falling off the bridge. His spear slid along the floor, threatening to pitch off the edge and fall to Cid's office below.
A moment later, everything was relatively quiet. The chaos stopped as Garden finally broke through the gap in the mountains. The fire alarm still blared, but Quistis didn't notice. Beneath her, outside of Garden, Quistis could see the damage that had been done to the outer ring that encircled the base of the school. It was full of holes large enough for Quistis to walk through. It had been bent, warped, and burned, like a tin can used for target practice. It spun—not in a smooth circle—but in a drunken ellipsis, with small pieces falling off it like water in a rainstorm.
Garden descended and smashed roughly into the ocean, sending a white spray of water rushing over the window of the bridge.
Quistis leapt to her feet and scanned around the sea, searching for the Galbadian navy, but they were not in sight. Perhaps Galbadia had not expected Garden to flee through such a dangerously narrow gap. If that was the case, then the G-Navy was likely waiting at the next nearest shoreline, which would put them at least a half hour west of SeeD's current location.
It had been ugly, brutish, and had caused massive damage to the school, but Quistis' hurried escape plan seemed to have worked for the time being.
"Head south along the Esthar coast," Quistis said to Nida. "We have to… we have to…"
(We have to what?)
She had no backup plan after this. She could practically hear Zell asking her, "Now what?"
But this time she didn't have an answer. She'd made a lot of assumptions about Trabia Garden. That the school would still be there. That Irvine and Selphie would be able to help her. That, if nothing else, the peninsula would provide the school with a brief respite from the fighting. And in the course of a few minutes, all of those assumptions had proven false. She'd already exhausted every plan and backup plan she'd conceived of and had no idea what to do next.
Nida watched her, waiting for her finish her sentence.
"We have to keep moving," Quistis said finally. Nida nodded and turned his attention back to piloting Garden.
A minute later, the control column began to shake in Nida's hands. He narrowed his eyes and stared at it, perplexed. Garden, without Nida's input, began to list to the left, heading for the cliffs along the shoreline to the east of them.
"What the?" Nida said. He pulled back on the control column and heaved it forward at a slight angle, trying to compensate for the Garden's unusual curve. Garden straightened out again and continued south.
"They must have hit our rudder," Nida said with a shrug. "Or whatever it is that steers us. Garden keeps trying to turn left."
"Damn," Quistis said.
(As if things weren't bad enough already.)
Once more, despite Nida's compensation, Garden began drifting to the east again. Nida pulled the control column and pushed at an even steeper angle to counter it.
This worked for only a few seconds before there was a loud clanging sound from the base of the control column. Outside, through the cracked glass, Quistis could see smoke rising in dark gray wisps from beneath the school. A deep mechanical moan echoed through the halls. Garden jerked and whined, then drifted to a stop.
The fire alarm stopped blaring. Silence.
The power was still on. The lights in the office were working. But aside from that, everything had gone dead.
"Nida…" Quistis said.
"I'm tryin' Commander," Nida said. He pulled back on the control column and pushed it forward.
No response.
He pushed it to the side.
No response.
Backwards.
No response.
He tugged up and down on the column fruitlessly, then got on his hands and knees and searched the machinery underneath the column.
"The controls are dead," Nida said at last. "Nothing seems wrong up here, so it must be a problem down at the base."
(Damn.)
"Down at the base," Quistis said. She closed her eyes. "Which is currently underwater and unreachable."
Nida wiped sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. "Yeah."
Quistis opened her eyes and looked around. To the east and north, the shoreline was visible, but distant. They were far enough away—Quistis hoped—that the Galbadian missiles wouldn't be able to reach them, but it wouldn't be long before the G-Navy found their way over to this portion of the sea, and right on top of the immobilized Garden. There were no escape boats and no way off the Garden except by swimming, and while the shore was fairly close, it was not close enough to swim to.
They were stuck there in the ocean, waiting for either the Galbadians to come destroy them, or for a miracle to come save them. There was no third option.
Quistis closed her eyes once more.