Deliver the Goods [Mission!]

[wrmods]

[The stopover at Fishermans Horizon takes maybe two minutes, total.]

[One moment, the Garden is slowing to a halt -- the next moment, the dock latches hiss into their closed position, the ramp into town is secured against the second-floor exit, and the SeeDs are being gestured out the door and into action. In the same moments, in a flurry of action, a hatch deploys on the side of the floating citadel and a transport boat steams out to position itself at the ladder just next to the Garden's dock. The Ragnarok swoops gracefully through the air to land in the center of the city, while down in the train station, traffic has come to a brief halt while an engine waits at full steam, quivering with anxiety.]

[No sooner do the teams touch ground than each receives a small package, easily tucking into a medium belt pouch or pocket. No words are wasted; the SeeDs receive only a cursory nod from the waiting townsfolk before they hurry back into work. The hatch shuts, the latches disengage, and Balamb drifts away, picking up speed as it does.]

Comments

[gunbladegrrl]

All I want is Ifrit for certain. Diablos, Shiva, and Siren for you, Quezalcoatal, Carbuncle, and Ifrit for me?

[To his second question, well. She can't even believe he's asking.] You should take it, sir.

[The sir is reflexive -- she's spent a year addressing the people who are now her comrades as such. She wants to pace, but she takes a seat anyway, recognizing perfectly well what'll happen when the airship takes off.]

[morphitudinous]

That's acceptable.

[Billy finishes his configuration, then appears startled by her words. Well, if she's comfortable with formality, he reasons...]

I'll do it, ma'am.

[gunbladegrrl]

[She flushes red at the formal address.]

Sorry! I forgot... still so new.

[Meanwhile, as they speak, the Ragnarok lifts off smoothly.]

[morphitudinous]

Don't worry about it. I've done the same thing. Even to students sometimes!

[Billy straps himself into a seat just in case. All the secrecy has his hackles up.]

Are you feeling confident?

[gunbladegrrl]

I don't know if confident is the word. I feel like I can take on the world. Is that close?

[morphitudinous]

More than confident.

[Billy nodded firmly as if to convince himself, watching the ocean fly by beneath them.]

I always feel off-balance when I don't know what's going on. I know it's for the best, but...I wonder if it will really be that bad. We'll just have to endure it.

[gunbladegrrl]

I'm sure the Commander wouldn't keep it secret if it wasn't necessary.

[Speaking of being that bad, a metallic glint shines out of a cloud almost out of their field of vision.]

[morphitudinous]

Right. It's our job to trust and do the work.

Billy sees a flicker of a shadow. Maybe nothing...birds don't fly this high up, though, do they? He shakes his head firmly.]

These lenses weren't supposed to smudge. [He pulls them off and swipes the cleaning cloth across]

[wrnpcs]

[The next sign of that glint -- is a flash, actually, and a rumbling boom, just before the Ragnarok shudders and tilts sideways. The pilot furiously pulls on the control stick to right it.]

We're under attack!

[gunbladegrrl]

[Maria all but jumps to her feet, steadying herself on the back of the chair.]

Can we evade?!

[morphitudinous]

[Billy joins her at the next chair, crouching low and biting back a curse.]

Status report?

[wrnpcs]

[Their pilot yanks on the control stick again, pushing the Ragnarok into a climb.]

Low-yield weapons. No systems penetration, but it was accurately targeted -- if I didn't know better I'd swear they hit us with a a cannonball.

[The airship climbs above the cloud layer -- but another deep boom precedes another crash, and an oath from the pilot.]

It's a helicopter design!

[gunbladegrrl]

We have to have the advantage of speed, then!

[She's gripping the seat hard to avoid reaching for her gunblades, which she reflexively wants to draw, and which would do no good here at all.]

[morphitudinous]

Right. A helicopter with a cannon...we can still make it to Trabia, can't we?

[Billy dropped low, pressing his head to the top of the chair in thought.]

Can we go any faster?

[wrnpcs]

[Their foe breaches the cloud wall. The vessel is wooden and in the shape of a sailing ship, but in place of sails it has a set of massive helicopter blades that slice through the air at incredible speed. An old-fashioned, iconic airship in every sense of the word.]

[It rapidly ascends to gain the height advantage on the Ragnarok. The pilot opens up the throttle, pouring energy into the ship's engines, but a hideous bang! has the Ragnarok both yawing and listing to the side.]

They put grapeshot into the starboard engine!

[gunbladegrrl]

They can't shoot us down or they risk losing what they're after. Unless they're willing to destroy it...

[morphitudinous]

Let's assume the worst. Considering that we're over the ocean, it could be catastrophic.

[He shoves the package even deeper into his jacket]

If they're aiming for that, they'll just chase until we're dead. Or they run out of fuel.

[wrnpcs]

Then I'm getting us to land, sir.

[The pilot pushes the Ragnarok into greater speed, though it wobbles violently through the air as he deploys rudder and ailerons to compensate for the uneven thrust.]

[No further attacks come.]

[gunbladegrrl]

They've taken a superior position. Looks they intend to force us to ground.

[Maria frowns, then looks over at Billy.]

[morphitudinous]

Then we have to be prepared for battle. We have no idea how outnumbered we are

[Billy picks up his weapons and scowls. There has to be something he can do---build a bomb, create a distraction...]

Can we throw together anything flashy?

[wrnpcs]

[Abruptly, the airship above them descends, to the point that its keel plunges within a few feet of the cockpit windows before the pilot accepts the inevitable and aims the Ragnarok for an island.]

[gunbladegrrl]

First thing I do next quarter is audit an Explosives class. Wait -- GFs! If we summon them straight off, then charge...

[morphitudinous]

Great idea. We're already in a hostile situation, so diplomacy's unlikely to be of any use.

[Billy braces for landing and calls on Diablos, quietly whispering a wish of luck.]

[wrnpcs]

[The Ragnarok lands fairly gently -- which is to say, painfully and violently, but not with murderous force. It IS a massive airship impacting the ground at speed, after all, no matter the skill behind the yoke.]

[It skids dramatically for a bit, then finally comes to a stop.]

[gunbladegrrl]

[Maria slams into her seat hard, letting out a grunt-slash-moan of pain as she does, but once the ship comes to a stop it doesn't last. She picks herself up with a scowl, then rolls his shoulders as she heads for the door to the main cabin.]