Well, my inspiration came back to me at an interesting time - I sat down and wrote this chapter in the better part of five hours. Not much to say about it; it'll speak mostly for itself.
Begin!
Book I, Part III: Mortal Conflict - Element of Treachery
Chapter IX—Fireproof
[July 3, 2152 | Esthar, Presidential Palace | 2:14 PM]
The Estharian Presidential Palace was truly a remarkable sight, the figurative crown jewel in Esthar's shining technological city. It represented the many technological, judiciary, and commerce advances that the capital city had made over the many centuries of Esthar's existence. Fifteen hundred years of technological advancement and research, of advanced civilization and world power, of unified ancestry and common knowledge.
In fifteen hundred seconds, nearly a quarter of that history was ablaze.
Black smoke rose ominously over the afternoon sky as sirens wailed across the area, firefighters, policemen, and Estharian soldiers all working together to save as many human lives as they could. The President had been evacuated as soon as the fire had been noticed, with aides and members of Esthar's elite Presidential Guard moving quickly to secure their country's leader and get him out of the building. Laguna had been greatly worried during his escape about his chief aides, Kiros Seagill and Ward Zaback, but the guard's commander had reassured him that they were fine and that he should focus on leaving at the time.
Now, standing outside of the Palace and watching firefighters try and control the blaze, Laguna felt another pang of sadness in his heart as the fire raged on. The Palace was his home, and he hoped that everyone inside had been able to make it out safely.
"Laguna!"
Laguna's dim expression brightened at the sight of two figures, a dark-skinned man with short-cropped hair and dreadlocks accompanied by a much-larger man with a bald head, as they approached him and his guardsmen.
"Kiros! Ward! Did everyone else make it out okay?" Laguna called back, waving his hand at his two old war companions.
"Couple people have some burns, but none are life-threatening," Kiros remarked as he and Ward walked up to Laguna. The larger man took a look back at the burning building, which firefighters were now making progress on controlling, before turning back to Kiros.
"I think Ward's thinking the same thing I am," Kiros added, causing Laguna to fold his arms.
"That would be?"
"This wasn't an accident." Kiros' voice was flat and to the point, and Laguna looked down as he took Kiros' words into consideration. "We won't know for sure until we can get inside and check things out, of course, but..."
"You're pretty sure something's up, huh?" the President asked, frowning slightly.
"Did you see the news this morning?" Kiros asked, causing Laguna to shake his head - he'd been meeting with the president of Executive Outcomes earlier to discuss a project that he wanted to contract their company for. "Well, it was all over the news this morning that there was a string of fires in the business district of Galbadia City last night and early this morning. The police don't have much hard evidence to support it yet, but they're claiming that the majority, if not all, were arson."
Laguna's eyes suddenly perked up at what Kiros was getting at. "You're thinking that those fires and this one are connected."
"Just a guess right now, but yeah. It's too coincidental, even for cities halfway across the world from each other."
"You don't believe in the whole 'Chocobo flaps its wings in Balamb, there's a hurricane in FH' idea, do you?" Laguna said with a grin. Ward glanced over at Kiros for a few seconds, causing Kiros to chuckle.
"Nope, and I don't think Ward does either," he said, looking back at the smoke rising from the structure. "What do you think we should do?"
Laguna shrugged stiffly - he'd not given it much thought yet, so concerned was he over his people. "Not really sure, Kiros. Press conference?" His smile grew even bigger for a moment - the mention of press conferences, given Laguna's penchant for nervousness, was usually good for a laugh among the trio as a reminder of easier days.
"And have you get a leg cramp on national television? Too risky," Kiros joked, seeing a similar smile on Ward's face. "Seriously, though...we need to do some investigation. If these are connected, things are gonna get messy."
Laguna nodded his agreement, placing a hand to his chin as he thought about how best to handle the situation. "Yeah...we'll need to handle things fast if there is a connection, too. It would be a mess if the same thing happened in Galbadia, after what just happened over there."
Kiros stayed silent for a few moments, running through ideas in his mind. The Presidential Guard would make a good choice for investigation, but they would probably be too busy for the time being securing the palace proper to begin any serious investigation. By that time, whoever was responsible could've covered their tracks and skipped town, and then any leads they might have would be gone. There were a few other contacts they could look into around town, but they weren't suited to working on such a short time frame. Frowning, Kiros' mind continued to work, going over possible sources for help that Esthar could turn to...before an idea suddenly came to him.
"SeeD," Kiros suddenly said, the statement causing Laguna to return his attention to his aide.
"Huh?"
"Trabia Garden," Kiros clarified, Laguna making no move to stop Kiros from continuing his explanation. "We could call Trabia Garden and get them to send a team out here to help investigate - it would be a matter of national security if the President's life were at risk, you know, and this kind of thing just happened in Galbadia, like you said."
Laguna nodded lightly, mulling over the idea that Kiros had just explained. It would free up the Presidential Guard for more important matters, and it would also ensure that great care was taken in the process - SeeD held themselves to the highest standards, after all.
"Go ahead and make the call, Kiros," Laguna finally said, prompting his aide and friend to nod and take out a cellular phone, placing the call in a matter of seconds. Almost immediately, Kiros heard the voice of a younger boy on the other end, his voice clear and professional.
"Office of the Garden Commander of Trabia Garden, Petty Officer Ein Beoulve speaking. How may I help you?"
[July 3, 2152 | Trabia Garden, Third Floor, Raj Ahten's Office | 2:58 PM]
'Another mission, so soon?' I think to myself, stepping quickly and quietly down the hallways of the third floor of Garden. 'World must be a mess right now.'
Graduation was just two days ago, and following one of my classes on Alchemy earlier in the morning and afternoon hours today, I received a message that I was to be going on a mission and that I needed to report to the office of Raj Dharmad Ahten, whoever that was. I haven't quite gotten to know the names of each of the command officials and faculty in Garden, and so all that I'm doing now is looking for any indication that I'm in the right area.
Whoever organized these offices must have had some strange and warped plan when they did so, because it follows no obvious rule of departmental, alphabetical, or even ranking organization at all. At least, none that I'm aware of.
"Marché...Bayloh...Prime...Drake..." I mutter, reading off the names on the doors to myself as I pass. "Where the heck could it -"
"Excuse me?" a voice says from in front of me, causing me to stop and look at the person standing there.
"Silvia?" I ask, recognizing the brown-haired SeeD quickly. "What is it?"
"You looked a bit lost...what are you looking for?"
"I was told to go to the office of someone named Raj Ahten...whoever that is," I explain, walking over to her and glancing around at more doors as I do so. "But I have absolutely no idea where his office is, or even if I'm in the right place."
"You're on the mission too?" she asks suddenly, her momentary surprise causing me to blink.
"You're on the mission?" I echo, practically mirroring her own surprised look. "Well, at least I know I'll have good help."
The younger SeeD giggles, then shrugs. "I'm not exactly sure where his office is myself, but I think we're getting close. Most of the offices for officers of the Republic of the Sphere are in and around this hallway, from what I've seen."
"At least I'm not completely lost," I remark, starting to walk further down the hallway along with Silvia. "So, any idea what this mission's about?"
"Not really," she replies. "I don't know where we're going, or who is going with us, if anyone."
"I'd hope they wouldn't send two newly-inducted SeeD members out alone," I state, looking over at her as we walk. "Then again...you never know."
"That's true. I don't think they would send us on anything too dangerous, though," she says.
"Fair enough."
As I start to turn left down the hallway, moving further away from the stairs I entered the third floor at, Silvia motions towards the right, noting that she'd already been down that way with no luck. Nodding, I start to walk down the hallway to the right, examining and muttering each name on the doors to myself, much to Silvia's amusement. Finally, five doors down on the left side, a plaque on the door boldly states "Commodore Raj Dharmad Ahten," with "Knight of the Sphere" underneath in smaller text.
Silvia and I both turn to each other momentarily before I reach out and knock lightly on the door. A voice from within tells us both to enter, and Silvia pulls the door open to step inside, followed by me a moment later as I shut the door behind me.
"Welcome, Ensign Conrad, Ensign Powell," the same voice greets, causing both of us to salute as we turn our gazes to the figure behind the desk at the back of the room. A young officer sits there, a boy not much older than I with slightly-spiked brown hair and brown eyes. His uniform is the same as ours, with the notable exception of teal trim along the shoulders and his rank insignia, featuring the Trabia Garden insignia trimmed in light red and five vertical bars to the left, connected by a single bar behind them in the exact center. His voice, though calm, seems to hold attention, and he nods to the both of us politely as I notice that there are three other figures in the room.
"Afternoon," Andréa Beoulve says, also offering a polite nod. The other two, Naoki Ishida and Sumiko Remiere, likewise greet Silvia and myself, both of us saying 'hello' even as Commodore Ahten motions for us to take a seat.
"It's good that all of you are here so quickly - the sooner we can move, the better. I'll keep this briefing short and simple. About an hour ago, there was a large fire at the Presidential Palace in Esthar. No major injuries reported, though there was quite a bit of damage to one wing of the complex. We received a phone call from Kiros Seagill, one of President Loire's advisors, requesting that a team of SeeDs be dispatched to Esthar to aid with an investigation. The President and his chief advisors believe that the incident may not be accidental, but rather an act of arson."
"Arson?" Andréa asks, sitting up a little straighter in her chair. "The news this morning reported a few incidents that are being labeled as arson in Galbadia, didn't they?"
"They did indeed," Raj replies. "Those at the palace believe that the events may be connected, though the authorities are still investigating those instances."
"First Galbadia, now Esthar," Naoki adds, a thoughtful look on his face. "It could well be the work of the same people."
"The five of you will be going to Esthar to aid President Loire in his investigation of the incident. Before that, however, I should inform you that, due to Major Beoulve's promotion, you four have been assigned to her squad from this point on. Remember that following your squad leader's orders and generally just using your best judgment is the key to success, and you'll do fine."
A chorus of agreement comes from the four of us that causes Raj Ahten to smile, obviously pleased by the lack of objections and our good attitude. "Well, then, I've nothing else to say. Does anyone have any questions?"
"I assume we'll still be able to connect to the Garden Network and global news feeds while in Esthar using our GLDs?" Naoki asks.
"That's correct," Raj answers, nodding. "Hopefully, the situation in Galbadia will yield information that may help you while you're in Esthar. Any other questions?"
The five of us look amongst ourselves for a few moments, before Andréa speaks up. "No, sir."
"You'll be leaving for Esthar as soon as you have your equipment ready, then. Good luck to all of you."
Without any further ado, the five of us stand up and exit the room in a calm manner, Andréa grabbing a scythe that was leaning near the door before leading the way out.
"Congratulations on the promotion," I say as we exit, having been unaware that she'd been promoted recently.
"Thanks. They promoted me yesterday, in fact, before the graduation ceremony," she explains. "Now, do any of you need to head back and grab equipment before we leave?"
All of us run a quick check of what we have on our person at her words; Garden policy is that while cadets aren't allowed to carry weapons within Garden except during combat training, Ensign-ranked officers and higher are allowed and expected to be armed and prepared for combat at any time. Both of my twin katanas are in sheathes hanging at my right side, and my various throwing knife sheathes are in their appropriate places as well, as well as a small pouch on my left side for potions in case they're needed. My comrades are similarly equipped, though their weapons vary - Naoki appears to have a single katana at his side and two pouches at the back of his belt, Sumiko has a rapier and a single pouch similar to mine, and Silvia has only three pouches on her belt, one on either side and one in the back.
"My gauntlets are in here," Silvia says, patting the pouch on her right side.
"Fair enough," Andréa replies, shrugging slightly. "Well, if no one needs to go back for anything, we should hit the airship hangar. I believe they're already waiting for us, or will be by the time we get there."
When there are no dissents, she nods, turning and heading down the hall without a second glance back. "Then I'll expect to see you all in ten minutes. Dismissed."
Chuckling, I start to follow her down the hall, as do the rest of the members of my new squad. At the very least, it appears that Andréa is already comfortable in the role.
[July 3, 2152 | Trabia Garden, Third Floor, Headmaster's Office | 3:08 PM]
The door to the headmaster's office quietly clicked shut, the low sound of footsteps able to be heard as Albel Nox made his way around the polished oaken table in the center of the headmaster's office, taking a seat around halfway down and picking up a small, yellow manila envelope that had been placed there.
"Open," the Trabian headmaster said, his back turned as he stared out the window at the back of the office. The General of the Sphere turned at the sound of the voice, staring at the Senior with interest.
"What is it?"
"Just look," he replied simply, the tone of his voice telling Albel that something was certainly not quite right. Without another word, he opened the envelope and pulled out the contents inside - several sheets of paper, the top of which held a long list of business names and addresses, alphabetized and numbering in the dozens.
"Last night, around forty of our business fronts in Galbadia City were hit," the headmaster said quietly, his voice masking the irritation he felt. "Most were torched, but a few were forcefully taken and their owners and staff...evicted."
Albel quietly ran down the list of names with an analytical gaze. Most of the names seemed to be linked in no apparent way, other than the fact that Darius Sr. owned them or had a stake in their operation. At first glance, they appeared to be entirely random hits, but almost all were profitable ventures. He began tallying a rough estimate of damages in his mind, glancing back up at the headmaster after several seconds.
"Six hundred thousand Gil. Nothing we can't replace," he commented, earning a subtle nod from Darius Sr.
"Of course. That's a drop in the bucket for our family. Keep reading."
Albel turned to the second sheet, scanning its contents with the same critical eye. A list of people, also - with exceptions - seeming to have no ties with each other, but most of whom Albel recognized as involved with Senior's dealings in Galbadia.
"Total casualties are around fifty," the Senior said. "However, in our defense, we did kill almost as many as we lost."
Albel smirked, despite himself. "It speaks of the incompetence of the worms in the Deling family."
"The third sheet, Nox," Senior continued, giving only the slightest acknowledgment of Albel's statement. Once more, the General of the Sphere turned the page, this time greeted with a black and white photo, taken from security camera, presumably of a safe house recently set up in Galbadia City. He couldn't quite tell what, but something seemed slightly off as he looked at the picture...right before he noticed it, eyes making out the blurry details of the security photo.
Dead bodies - six of them, from the looks of it.
"Our safe house was compromised?" he said, his voice having a subtle growl to it. The figure at the window simply nodded.
"We have a fairly good idea that it was the Deling family," the Senior remarked, turning around to face Albel with a dark frown on his face. "I don't like it at all."
Albel nodded, taking a phone from his side and flipping it open. "I'll have a team standing by within the hour." If possible, the headmaster's frown deepened as he walked over to take a seat across from Albel.
"No, Albel. Not yet."
"Sir?"
"Deling is...volatile," the Senior remarked, moving his hands into a vague temple shape as he closed his eyes. "Any moves we make outside, in broad daylight, may be taken in the wrong way by our supporters. One wrong move, and we might find ourselves with Galbadia City...but without business. I'm sure you understand why that cannot become the case."
"Then what are you going to do?" Albel asked, now truly curious as to the family leader's intentions.
"It's funny you should say that," the headmaster replied, a sharp knock on the door catching his attention. "Right on time, too. Enter!"
The door opened at the Senior's words, allowing a second figure to enter the room. His face nor clothing could be seen, both covered by a long, black cloak and hood that covered most of his body from view.
"DeValle," the figure muttered. "I heard you had a job for me."
"I believe it's tailored to your particular skills. Please, have a seat," Darius Sr. replied, prompting the figure to walk over and take a seat beside Albel. Reaching up, he removed his hood, letting the Senior and Albel both see his face before discussion began.
"Brother," Albel said, barely glancing at the face of the person beside him. "It's been a while."
"Yes, it has," Jarok Nox said, taking a similar glance at the face of his twin - and older - brother. Few people outside of the DeValle family were aware that Albel Nox had a brother, most of those remaining being those within the DeValle family still alive who knew their father, Glou Nox, decades ago before his death.
"Jarok, I believe you know of the situation within Galbadia City?" the Senior questioned, causing the younger Nox to nod. A moment later, the headmaster procured a similar folder to that which Albel had been shown, sliding it across the table to Jarok. Much as Albel had done minutes prior, he opened the folder and began to peruse the contents for a few seconds before replying.
"I do. I was in the preliminary meeting for it. Deling wanted a harsh blow - financial and bodily. Problem for him is, it looks like he didn't accomplish much of either."
Senior's eyes narrowed as Jarok continued to look through the files. "Mister Nox, I need to know where your loyalties lie at this moment."
Jarok smirked, the look making him appear, for just an instant, much more identical to his twin, before his face returned into a stoic expression. "If you're asking whether I'm going to leave this meeting and tell the Deling family that you're pissed off 'cause they hit your fronts? No. He already knows that, after all." The Senior frowned at the statement, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms.
"How much do you know of the strikes last night?"
"Besides what the news is saying? It was supposed to be indiscriminate. Everyone was told that if it had any connections to the DeValle family, they could torch it and do whatever they wanted to the ones inside. They even got some information about your safe house, and sent the Silver Dragon herself out - I heard that she took your safe house out rather quickly, too," Jarok said with a smile, also leaning back in his chair.
"That doesn't matter," the headmaster remarked with a sigh. Jarok quirked an eyebrow, leaning forward once more.
"So, what's so important as to call me in?"
"As much as I would love to have you and your brother go in and wipe out the Deling family," Senior began, noticing the momentary look of satisfaction that the statement brought to Albel's face, "that's not in our best interests. I simply want you to deliver a message to Deling."
"And what might that be?" Jarok asked, his lips moving up into a slight smile.
"I want you to inform them that I wish to broker a deal between our families. Surely an arrangement could be worked out for our families' mutual benefit...however, let them know that if I do not receive a positive response by midnight tomorrow, that I will have their business assets within the city torched as they did mine."
Jarok scoffed at the Senior's statement. "You know that Deling may be a moron, but he's not afraid of petty threats."
"There may be a monetary incentive for their family should they accept my offer," he countered, unflinching.
"Look, I know that you're pissed off about the attacks, but I also know this family. You've got resources that most governments don't have - what's the point of dealing with Deling when you know he's not going to accept the deal?"
"Deling's operations are important to us because the area can be very profitable if we can get a strong foothold. His attacks on our operations, however, have stopped that. If we can appeal to him, we may be able to solve this situation without violence, which will reduce the risk of damage to our image in the area," Darius Sr. replied, not missing a beat in countering Jarok's argument. Jarok wasn't fazed, however, leaning back and placing his feet on the conference table as he looked between Albel and Darius Sr.
"You've both gotta know that Deling won't be afraid, and he probably won't take a bribe either," Jarok remarked, clearly skeptical about the headmaster's supposed plan.
"Then we must take the Deling family out of the equation, by any means necessary." The Senior's statement caused Jarok to chuckle darkly, impressed by the elder DeValle's statement.
"I'll give you credit - you've got balls. Assassination of the Deling leaders, right?"
"If that's what it takes," the Senior responded, his voice firm. Jarok smirked again, nodding.
"Your family's able to pay for my services...but are you willing?" Jarok asked. In response to his statement, Albel pointed to the fourth paper in Jarok's folder, speaking up for the first time in several minutes.
"Your contract. I believe you'll find that should you take the mission, you'll be well paid for your time." Jarok looked over the contract, reading the lines of print silently for several seconds before letting out a soft whistle and looking up at the Senior.
"Damn. If they go with peace, I get fifteen percent of the profits from the DeValle family, on top of eight hundred thousand Gil?"
The Senior simply nodded in reply. "Of course, if things change and peace becomes no longer an option, you'll also be paid well for your service." Jarok's eyes drifted back to the contract for a short time longer before he looked up once again, taking a pen from the center of the desk as he did so.
"I'll need some supplies."
The headmaster nodded in an understanding before moving back to his desk, picking up a phone there and pressing a button before putting it to his ear.
"I have someone I need you to attend to," he said, pausing as the voice on the other line spoke. "Don't argue with me. Just do what I ask." He took the phone from his ear afterwards, pressing a button once again before placing it back on his desk and stepping back towards the table.
"Of course, any of our remaining resources in Galbadia City are at your disposal. However, I would like to stress that in this situation, failure is not an option."
Jarok smiled, seeming to carelessly disregard the Senior's warning. "You obviously don't know who you're talking to."
The Senior shook his head at the words of Albel's younger brother as the door opened once more, this time revealing the stoic and slightly annoyed figure of Revolver DeValle. The middle DeValle son took one look at the table, seeing the three figures sitting there, before his eyes settled on Jarok.
"That the guy?" he growled, obviously displeased by what he had been asked to do.
"Yes. Please take care of any needs he may have for supplies. Jarok, you'll leave as soon as you're equipped and prepared."
The younger Nox brother stood from the table, meeting eyes with Revolver for a tense moment before Revolver turned, stepping out of the room with Jarok in tow. As the polished door shut behind them, Albel looked at the man sitting across from him.
"He's cocky. It'll probably get him killed someday," Albel muttered, causing the headmaster to chuckle.
"So are you, General."
"Touché."
As I said, my inspiration came back at an interesting time, specifically for the third portion of this chapter. That section, in the headmaster's office, is taken from chapter two of one of my co-author's stories, Family Rites. That story expands a bit more on events that will be referenced and mentioned later, so it's worth a look - the link to his profile is in my profile.
As always, please read and review.