Stealth
Chapter xxv
By YuriNigasa
*standard I don't own FFVIII, Squaresoft, characters, etc. applies from now until whenever I decide I'm done*
Stealth
Chapter xxv
By YuriNigasa
They responded as soon as the message went through - taking a transport from Balamb and arriving early the next morning. As they piled out of the train an air of mortality hung low, a palpable heaviness. I smiled grimly, welcoming them all to the hell that had become hallmark of my existence.
Seifer stood behind me, a reassuring presence. When Zell approached, I wondered how it would go. Standing a foot or so back, he wiped a hand on his pants and extended it towards Seifer in a gesture of reconciliation. Seifer grabbed his hand and pulled Zell to him in a hug.
"Chicken!" he exclaimed, ignoring Zell's expression of mild consternation. "You do love me!" Zell grinned bashfully.
The tension was broken instantly. The mood lightened. I couldn't help but smile. We made our way to the hotel and once settled in, we headed to the Command Center. We appropriated a back room for planning.
"Hey Quistis, did you bring what I asked for?" queried Seifer.
"Here," she said, handing him a disk.
"What's that?" I asked.
"My place to start," he said, smiling at me.
I quirked a brow, demanding further explanation
"All of Garden's files on Centra," he said.
"And?" I asked.
"I figure it like this. It's the only major landmass with a civilization we're largely uninformed about. If this Guardian were anywhere else, it would at least be familiar to someone. Yet, when I searched for information - even in the Shumi database - it came up with nothing. Centra is the only place that would make sense to start in."
"Yes," said Quistis, "but do we even have a range as far as time period?"
"Nothing." Seifer shook his head. "I can't predict when I'll get another one of these 'visits' and Squall doesn't remember his. And... nobody's seen Alisa Case since the last time she spoke with us."
"Hasn't anyone looked for her?" asked Selphie incredulously.
Seifer rolled his eyes at her. "What do you think?"
She stuck her tongue out at him. "Jeez! Just asking ohhhh great one!" she giggled.
"Children," mock-scolded Quistis, which earned amused glances from everyone.
"Actually," I spoke, restoring order to the discussion, "we haven't been able to expend the resources we'd like to. Primarily we've been relying on the townspeople for help in locating her."
"Is it possible," asked Zell, "that she was taken in the raid?"
"When Yenrai radioed, he said nothing about her. We haven't questioned Eckner yet. We've been monitoring him for further signs of latent magical effects," I said.
"I'll try to talk to him about it," said Seifer. "Maybe since he feels comfortable with me it will be less stressful. Plus, maybe these latent powers or ... whatever," use of that particular word earned him a smirk from me. We must be rubbing off on each other, "will enable me to monitor him for further effects."
"If she's been taken, it presents an entirely new set of problems. That means whatever it is that's been masterminding these raids is aware of things even we aren't. Like what exactly our purpose is in this," Seifer nodded toward me.
"If it is," said Irvine, "there's a definite was to draw it out."
"How?" asked Zell.
Seifer sighed heavily. "Let me guess... bait."
"Exactly," responded Irvine.
"No," I said, "Too risky."
"Squall's right," voiced Quistis.
"How about this?" asked Selphie. "Irvine, Squall, Zell, and I go out to search. Since Seifer's the only one who's really got any understanding of this he and the queen brain stay put and try to find something in the Centra files."
I had to admit it, it sounded reasonable, even if I didn't like the idea of us splitting up. There was no reason for us to stay here, cowering.
"On two conditions," I spoke. "One, I want a com line continually open and monitored by Quistis. Two, we take a vehicle. If we should come upon anything, I don't think this is a confrontation we can win at this point."
We broke from the table and readied to head out. Seifer lingered in the room until everyone else had left, then crossed the distance between us and enveloped me in his arms.
"Just watch yourself out there," he said, placing a soft kiss to my temple.
I ran my hand through his hair and traced his jawline with my fingertip. Now wasn't the time to get upset about his being overprotective. "I will," I said simply, placing a kiss on his lips.
The last thing I wanted was for Squall to head out there. It made me nervous, especially in light of Alisa's suspicious disappearance. What else could be done, though?
I sat in front of a monitor with Quistis. The best estimates placed the destruction of Centra approximately seven hundred years prior with the arrival of the Lunar Cry. Several of the more radical schools of thought claimed that the two occurrences were unrelated. Several experts maintained that by the time the Lunar Cry had hit Centra, Centra had long been in ruins. It were these particular arguments that I found myself drawn to.
One expert in particular, Doctor Citan Usuki, placed the downfall of the Centra Empire at nearly fifteen hundred years prior. I wanted to speak with him. It was no trouble locating his current whereabouts with Garden's considerable resources at my fingertips. Apparently he lived outside a small village in the mountains of Trabia, a village called Lahan. He claimed to have irrefutable proof of his claims. I would definitely find out.
I asked Quistis to put in a message to the Headmistress of Trabia Garden, requesting that two SeeD be dispatched to locate Dr. Usuki and bring him to Trabia so that he could speak with us by video conference, or possibly even be escorted here to the Catania site.
She came back, a look of mild surprise on her face.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Well, I was able to speak directly with Headmistress Gerri, and she said that they'd dispatch two people right away, but that's not it."
"What is it, then?"
She furrowed her brow. "Well, from what she said, a sizeable check arrived from Esthar yesterday, enough to cover the cost of repairs to Trabia Garden, with the kindest wishes of President Loire. It was sent on behalf of Selphie. She wanted me to pass along thanks to Selphie for whatever she had done."
"Well, looks like he's not a complete bastard after all," I shrugged. "You going to radio out and tell Selphie?"
"Of course!" she exclaimed. "She'll be thrilled."