Galbadia's Ploy (Rinoa, Invite)

[thelion]

Darkness had overtaken light, in the form of one of its most valiant combatants. A slow blink of the eyes came, with a flash of light blue as the overwhelming sight of the daytime sky came rushing into view. Leon lay still for a few moments as he tried to register where he was, what had happened, and what he was looking at. Just what world’s sky was he looking at right now? A curious expression overtook the feature of the brunette as he slowly sat up into a crouch, briefly taking a look around before putting a palm to his forehead. The last thing he could remember was the fight against the silver haired man…or so Leon thought. He couldn’t be sure to say whether that was a man at all from the way it fought, and the unusual power about it was undoubtedly strong. Eventually darkness overtook him and then Leon had blacked out, waking up where the sky was clear out with but a few clouds. Lowering his hand from his face, Leon looked beyond his fingers to see that he was sitting in a field of grass a few miles down the road from the town of Balamb. How was this possible? The Proud Lion was certain that he had been in Radiant Garden only what seemed like minutes ago, yet his home world was well across the other side of the Sea of Stars. Perhaps the darkness used by that creature he fought had sent him away, but why to here of all places? Leon slowly rose to his feet, not saying a word but simply took off in a calm walk towards the base site of Balamb Garden, hoping there was a chance that it would possibly be grounded for the time being.

Each step that Leon took upon the grass gave a soft, wet crunch that told the SeeD that it recently stormed through the area, maybe earlier this day or the night prior. Balamb was often known for its tropical weather patterns, given it being one of the smaller continents on the world. Fortunately for Leonhart he had blue skies to travel under for the moment, which was a change for the better from Radiant Garden’s recent gloomy appearance. As he kept walking Leon kept his eyes out for the road, yet once he had spotted it and turned its direction, several minutes had passed and there had been no sign of any traffic. Usually the road leading out of town was a busy one, but Leon shrugged it off then turned to head up the pavement towards where he suspected the Garden to be. As Leon continued down the road towards his destination, hopeful that the headquarters of SeeD’s forces was docked in its usual place, the whirring sound of an approaching vehicle caught the brunette’s attention. Pausing his walk for a moment, thinking that someone from Garden might possibly recognize him and give him a ride, Leon stopped to look over his shoulder toward the source of the noise. Within a few moments a weathered canary yellow military truck packed with Galbadian soldiers passed by, taking no time to stop or slow down for Leon, and continued down the road while leaving the brunette in a cloud of dust. The Proud Lion briefly raised a gloved hand to cover his mouth, and then lowered it once the dust had settled as Leon stared after the truck.

(What are Galbadian soldiers doing in Balamb?)

Leon could only wonder in thought as he watched the automobile disappear beyond the peak of the next hill. After the sound of the truck’s engine had faded, the warrior of the Light continued on his walk toward the Garden. After what had seemed like fifteen minutes, yet had only taken eight, the sound of the truck returned. As before the vehicle sped past Leonhart, leaving him dusted in the wake of dirt of its journey, but what the brunette didn’t expect was for it to suddenly stop down the road, and sit there idling for a few moments. Without warning the red brake lights came on, and the truck hit reverse in a hasty manner, backing up until the driver side window was at even level with that of Leon. The SeeD had kept walking until he heard the truck moving again, and jumped back a foot or two to avoid getting run over by the Galbadian auto. As the dirt encrusted window began to roll down, a rather gritty and unkempt face met that of Leon’s bright blue eyes, giving the gunblade wielder a tasteless smile before the man’s expression went firm. “Hey you boy, yeah you there. Wouldn’t happen to know where tha’ Balamb Garden went would ya?” asked the soldier in a thick accent, one that told Leon that the pair of soldiers driving this truck this afternoon had a little bit more to drink than they should have had. He wouldn’t say anything regarding the matter, for it was not as though anyone could really tell a soldier from Galbadia anything and expect them to listen. Arrogance and an egotistical display of one’s own merit was often something to be expected from the troops in blue, yet fortunately they weren’t doing much to pressure Leonhart with that kind of behavior. Leon didn’t answer the man though, leaving the soldier to get frustrated that his question went seemingly ignored by this leather clad brunette walking the road.

“Ah forget him Steve. From the looks of it, half these punks out here don’t know north from south from the back of their own behinds to me. I doubt this one’s much different, let’s just go report to the commander.” The soldier in the passenger seat up front added his two cents to the conversation, not permitting Leon the chance to speak even if he had wanted to. The driver looked to his comrade and simply nodded, then gave a halfhearted shrug before hitting the gas again; the military grade truck taking off to full, reckless speed once more as it disappeared down the road. Leonhart stood there for a moment in silence, watching after the truck with a narrowed gaze, his concern for those in the Garden growing more severe by the minute. At least now he knew that the Garden was mobile thanks to the soldiers, but Leon couldn’t imagine just where it would be at the moment. What was worse was that Galbadian soldiers seemed to be looking for it, which didn’t make Leon any more comfortable given his past experience with the military group. Under command of Ultimecia and Seifer, Galbadia had done some very terrible things to the people of Archipelago, all in the name of the Sorceresses’ hunt for Ellone. The army of the former President Vinzer Deling was known throughout for its rash and sometimes questionable tactics, but more often than not a force’s actions could easily be left to blame upon the leader’s commands. Leon had to wonder who was running Galbadia’s affairs now that Ultimecia and Seifer were no longer influencing them.

(Why is the Garden so important to Galbadia all of a sudden?)

Leon couldn’t help but ponder the obvious as he stood there to himself. Though as the dust settled and a cool warming breeze swept down and across the road, rustling the features of the SeeD, he began to think something suspicious might be going on. There was only one way to find out though. Realizing that he needed to find Balamb and his friends as soon as he could, Leonhart started walking again, this time in the direction of Balamb’s only town. Hopefully Leon could find some answers, and also be able to prepare the Garden for the inevitable war that was sweeping the Sea of Stars at that very moment.

Musical Shift

[rinoa]

Rinoa had stayed behind on the Ragnarok when she, Squall, and Genesis got to Radiant Garden. She knew that Squall would be safe but the ship she had her doubts about. That didn't seem like the best place to leave a ship like the Ragnarok unattended altough if someone or something had decided to try to take it if she went with him that she would be able to see it take off. But by then it would be too late to stop it. So she would stay behind and keep the ship safe and primed in case they needed to make a quick getaway.

The sorceress watched with worry as signs of a battle could be seen in the city. But she promised Squall that she would stay with the ship and that's what she did. Finally the battle seemed to end and Rinoa waited and waited for her knight to return to her but he never did. Finally she couldn't sit still any longer and she left the Ragnarok, searching the city up and down for Squall. She much have looked on every block and every storefront but she couldn't find him anywhere. After what seemed like forever she returned to the ship. Something had happened to her Lion but she couldn't figure out what. What he safe? Where did he go?

After a lot of hesitation she fired up the Ragnarok's engines and left the world of Hollow Bastion. Knew that there was always a place she could look for Squall if they got seperated. She put in the coordinates for her homeworld and the ship sped off for home. It was a good distance to her destination but eventually she was back home. When she entered the atmosphere she once again took manual control of the Ragnarok and made her way to Edea's Orphanage. She landed the ship and went right to the flower field but... no Squall. She knew that it was a possibility but what if he couldn't make it here before she did? What if she left and he showed up and she wasn't here? She knew that was a possibility but she couldn't just sit here and wait while he was Hyne knows where.

With her mind made up she boarded the Ragnarok once again. She would make a stop in Balamb and stock up on supplies before searching the rest of whe planet and then other worlds. When she was flying over Galbadia alarms started going off all around the ship. Then the console in front of the Sorceress began beeping and Rinoa pulled up the radar. There were three Galbadian missles locked onto the Ragnarok. Not good. Rinoa put the ship in full throttle and began working to evade the missles. The ship twisted and turned as she made her way towards Balamb. Then she got an idea. She nose dived towards the ocean and pulled up at the last minute and two of the missiles hit the water and exploded on impact. Only one missile left to deal with.

Rinoa sped toward the island of Balamb as fast as she could. She could see the main road and a single Galbadian jeep traveling in the direction of the crater where Balamb Garden used to be before they discovered that it was mobile. She also saw a single figure walking towards the town of Balamb but she couldn't worry about who it was but prayed that they would stay safe. Rinoa flew right over the town with missle right behind her. She weaved around the mountains. The missle was getting closer. She circled the island and headed right for the mountain. She pulled up and managed to only graze the ship on the mountain top where the Missle exploded shortly after.

The Ragnarok was reporting damage to it's left engine and Rinoa had to set it down. She managed to land the ship just outside Balamb's town gate and leaned back in the pilot's seat and let out a breath she didn't know it was holding. That was a close call. She was glad that she learned how to fly this thing so well. After a few moments of relief Rinoa made her way off the ship and went around to the engine to inspect the damage and sighed. She would need to figure out how to get some engineers out here from Esthar to fix this, or the mechanical team at the Garden but Esthar was too far away and she had no idea where the Garden was. This was a bad situation. She had an unflyable ship and it would also seem that Galbadia was up to something again if the missiles were any indcation. She just wished that Squall was here with her.

[thelion]

Leon kept his reasonable pace towards the town for a good twenty minutes, his mind remaining fixated on the curiosity he felt surrounding that Galbadian jeep, and the possible locations Balamb Garden could be visiting. It wasn’t odd to think that the headquarters of one of Archipelago’s top mercenary academies had relocated to better serve a potential contract, and it would be understandable if the authorities behind Garden were still regaining a hold over their former influence. Ultimecia’s ploy had done a number on the company, and it had probably taken some time to get Galbadia Garden back in possession from the Army. Balamb was probably the only functioning facility they had left for the time being, and if that was the case, Leon’s home was running a tight and busy schedule with traveling. At least this is what the SeeD anticipated was the reason for the academy’s disappearance, and assumed he would naturally come across answers once he was in town. The softly audible cycle of leather sole upon pavement continued, while Leon continued to keep his eyes out for any possible signs of friends, or worse, enemies. When the Proud Lion came within the sight of town, a deafening roar of engines could be heard, which would prelude the Ragnarok by seconds as it came bursting out of the clouds above. The SeeD stopped his motion in full as the sight completely surprised him, his bright blue eyes widening as they bared witness to the starship being pursued by missiles. As he noticed how dangerously low the craft was flying given how fast it was going, Leon became concerned with what was possibly going to happen. Narrowing down his choices on what to do would be difficult, but he felt it urgent to get to town for help, just in case the worst were to happen and that ship crashed in a remote location. The Lion of Balamb took off in a sprint towards the port town.

As Leon continued to run a loud explosion could be heard from behind in the distance, which caused the SeeD to slow his speed a bit while he decided whether or not to turn around. Though within a few moments a large shadow overtook the road, and Leon saw the Ragnarok make its descent near the entrance to town, taking note of the smoking and damaged plating of the left engine. The sound of the engines dying could be heard, letting the Proud Lion knowing that the Sorceress had shut down the damaged ship. Leon ran through the damp grass once more toward the ship, noticing a familiar figure in blue investigating the engine that had taken a beating. Slowing his run into a walk as he neared Rinoa, Leon came to a stop just behind the Sorceress, and then began to examine the damage as well before he looked down to the raven-haired girl. “Rinoa…you’re alright. You’re not hurt are you?” asked the concerned SeeD as he looked over the girl once more, briefly hugging her tightly before letting go. Leon looked in her eyes as he waited for her answer, then glanced back to the ship before stepping past the Princess of the Forest Owls, walking up to the damaged metal to place a gloved hand on it. Blue eyes looked at the scars ripped into the plating by the mountainside, which told the SeeD that Rinoa had doubtlessly tried to outmaneuver the pursuing missile, and had won a very risky gamble that could have been extremely costly. Leon was just thankful his only love was safe, but his brow began to furrow as he wondered what Galbadia was really up to. First soldiers are searching for the Garden, and now missiles were being fired upon Estharian ships. Leon was certain that last ballistic would probably violate the peace treaty Laguna had set up if he ever found out about it, but there was a bigger question to ask here. Why? What was going on behind doors in Deling City these days?

“Both of you, hands in the air where I can see em’!”

The voice surprised Leon to an extent, for it wasn’t Rinoa’s and sounded more demanding and military than forgiving and comforting. The Proud Lion turned from the ship to see that a whole squad of Galbadian soldiers had arrived on the scene of the near crash, and had surrounded the Esthar ship with their weapons drawn, fixated upon both Squall and Rinoa as though they were a potential threat to whatever operation they were initiating out here. Blue eyes narrowed as they examined the soldiers in blue surrounding the Proud Lion and his Sorceress, taking into account the severity of the situation, as well as the various assault rifles aimed for his heart and head. There were at least sixteen men, all properly trained to serve Galbadia’s military power, whom all neglected to show remorse or compassion for their actions committed through orders. Leon wondered whether it was part of the province’s training program, to filter out compassion, pity, empathy and other emotions that would potentially hinder a soldier’s judgment when carrying out orders. Fortunately the training was more sufficient and competent within the halls of Balamb Garden, and Leon had been lucky enough to receive the best Garden had to offer. He was a highly and efficiently trained operative of SeeD, and on any other day, Leon would be able to outgun, out fight and ultimately outlast this entire group of soldiers in combat, and still have ferocity left within him to continue the struggle. This was different though and the pair found themselves at gunpoint, which would prove very badly if either himself or Rinoa tried to resist the arrest. Squall was confident in his abilities with his gunblade, however drawing arms against these heavily equipped soldiers could be potential suicide. Being arrested and taken into the town wasn’t his ideal method of finding out what the Galbadians were up to, but Leonhart figured that this could be a good opportunity to get closer to the enemy.

There was still a lot he had to do regarding the Restoration Committee, and Leon was doubtless that Hope Estheim probably needed some help back at the Academy, but the rest of that would have to wait. The Proud Lion understood the importance and urgency of getting back to helping Sora and the rest of his friends against the warriors of Darkness, the need of his presence in Radiant Garden to help drive away the would be conquerors, as well as morale support for all who fought for the Light in the world. For a moment Squall watched the soldier that had commanded him to put his hands in the air, then moved closer to Rinoa as the crowd parted to reveal a burly man in red, no doubt the Galbadian Commander stationed here at Balamb. The man was slightly taller than Leon, and carried a wider, thicker build than the Proud Lion, yet he would never be able to intimidate the SeeD. As the man approached the heroic pair with a confident smirk upon his unshaven face, the stern gaze of blue that greeted him only intensified. “Ah Esthar spies, what a surprising turn up. I didn’t expect this during our search of Balamb. Well you’ll just have to come with us now,” began the Commander, before turning to his Lieutenant to speak to him. “Put them in cuffs and on the train with the rest of the prisoners. They’ll be taken in for questioning once we arrive in Timber.” The volume of which this was told was nearly a whisper, however something told Leon that such knowledge was probably common among these men, and held little importance to be kept from the ears of civilians.

(So they’re taking prisoners to Timber? What for?)

“We’re not spies, we live in Balamb” began Squall, attempting to dissuade the accusations made upon himself and Rinoa by the Galbadian troops. The Commander turned to look upon the features of Leon, and stepped forward as he shifted his gaze to the now quiet form of the Ragnarok. He let out a dark chuckle before looking back at the leather-clad brunette, and then took the time to spit upon the grass at his feet just before the SeeD. “Now I’m sure you may think you’re being real clever right now son, but I know what you’re doing. Playing it cool like you did nothing wrong, making me out to look like an idiot so you’ll seem cool in front of your girlfriend here, but let me fill you in on something. I’ve been in the service longer than you’ve been walking boy, so don’t take me lightly for some kind of ignorant security guard. I know this here is an Esthar vessel, and you two are the ones who crashed it here in our jurisdiction. I’m inclined to believe whatever I want based on my proof of evidence so far, and from the looks of it, you’re a pair of Esthar specialists sent in to disrupt our operations.” The statements were so direct and to the point, which Leon could hardly believe how firmly set this man was of his declaration. Two soldiers then stepped forward, each carrying a set of handcuffs for both Rinoa and himself. Two other soldiers stepped forward to aim their firearms on Leonhart and Heartilly, preparing to put down the new prisoners if they attempted to escape or harm their comrades.

Leon could feel the cold steel of the cuffs clasp around his wrists as the soldier put them on, just before he held up the set of keys before the Lion’s eyes and jingled them with a smile; The nerve of these guys. One of the two soldiers with rifles then stepped forward, and then moved around behind The Proud Lion before he forcefully checked him with the stock of the weapon. Leonhart stumbled forward, however after a few steps he regained his balanced, and cast a glance to Rinoa before being checked again. Squall caught himself before falling once more, and threw his left elbow back as he twisted his weight. The SeeD managed to catch the soldier square in the face, and could feel the crunch of the man’s nose against his arm. Though as the aggressive soldier retreated in pain, his Commander walked forward to deliver a sucker punch straight to Leon’s diaphragm. The Relentless Revolver felt the wind knocked out of him unexpectedly, and fell down to his knees as he doubled over. “Take these prisoners to the train, now!” ordered the Commander, which provoked two of his soldiers to step forward and each grab hold of one of Leon’s arms. Hoisting the disabled SeeD up off the ground, the pair carried him through the crowd of soldiers into Balamb. Another soldier then walked up to Rinoa, and put the barrel of his gun a few inches from her face. The Commander turned in time to look upon the girl to see this, and walked forward to place his hand upon the man’s arm, which provoked him to lower the weapon away from the Sorceress. “Come with us, my dear” spoke the Commander to the spellcaster in blue, gesturing to the gates of the town where his men had taken her Knight. Though as the watchdogs of Galbadia continued to carry the Proud Lion to the train station, he remained confident that he would be able to find out what the Army was up to.

[rinoa]

As Rinoa scratched her head wondering how on earth she was going to get the Ragnarok up and running again she suddenly heard a voice from behind her. She quickly turned around to see her knight, Squall Leonhart looking at her concerned. He asked her if she was hurt before hugging her tightly. [green]"Yes. I'm fine. Just a bit shaken up from dealing with the welcoming commitee."[/green] She replied with a small laugh. She watched Squall as he walked passed her and examined the damage. [green]"She's grounded for now Squall. She was reporting the engine a total loss. I'm sorry."[/green] She knew that her Lion wouldn't care as much about the ship as he would about Rinoa's safety but she still felt a little guilty from being the one who had gotten the ship in as bad a shape as it was.

Just then another voice was heard and before Rinoa knew it she and Squall were surrounded by an entire squad of Galbadian soldiers. They all had their guns pointed at the two. This was bad. There wasn't any way that they could take on all of these guys. If Squall drew his gunblade or Rinoa started casting spells they would be shot down before any of their attacks even finished. Rinoa looked over at Squall with a hint of worry evident on her face but she was careful to limit it. She didn't want these soldiers thinking that she could be intimidated so easily. In truth she couldn't. She had been through the worst with that whole Adel and Ultimecia situation so over a dozen men with guns wasn't going to frighten her. She was more worried about Squall's safety than her own.

A man in a red uniform entered the circle of soldiers and walked up to the Knight and the Sorceress. He called them Esthar spies and told his men to arrest them and put them on a prisoner train to Timber. [green]We're not Esthar spies. What is going on here? What is Galbadia doing?[/green] Rinoa asked herself. Then she looked over at Squall as he tried to tell the commander that they lived in Balamb and were not the spies he claimed them to be. The commander then did this speech that accomplished little more than calling Squall a liar. Then two soldiers came up to Rinoa and Squall with handcuffs while others kept their guns pointed at the two.

They cuffed Squall then Rinoa simply watched at a soldier bound her hands together as well. A soldier got behind Squall and smacked him with the butt of of his rifle. Rinoa winced for her Knight since it looked like it hurt. Why were they doing this? What right did they have? She had to figure out a way to get her and Squall out of this mess. It was her job to protect him just as it was for him to protect her and seeing him get hurt like that was making her angry. She saw Squall look at her before he was hit again. It would seem that Squall had had enough as well and his clocked the soldier that was behind him good with his elbow. Her smile that formed from that display was wiped of her face instantly when the commander punched her Lion right in the stomach. [green]"Stop it!"[/green] Rinoa said loudly but it fell on deaf ears.

One soldier put his gun directly in Rinoa's face earning him a glare from the Sorceress but the commander had walked over and put his hand on the weapon prompting the soldier to lower it. He told her to come along and gestured to the gates of Balamb. She wanted to resist but she knew that anything she did would have a negative consequence for both her and Squall so she nodded and began walking to town.

Her and Squall were taken to Balamb's train station and led onto the only train at the station. The were put in the car just behind the locomotive and told to sit down and remain quiet. Rinoa mind raced as they sat on the bench seat together. What does Galbadia possibly stand to gain by breaking the peace treaty with Esthar and Balamb? Surely they would have to know that once Laguna found out that he would not be very happy and one thing a smart country wouldn't want to do is piss off the most advanced nation on the planet. Rinoa looked over to her right at Squall and then leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. [green]"What's going on Squall? Why is Galbadia doing all of this? Why fire on the Ragnarok? Are they after the Garden too?"[/green] She didn't know if Squall had any of these answers but maybe things would become more clear when they reached Timber.

Rinoa felt the train lurch forward as it began it's journey to Timber. It would not be a long trip. She hoped the they could get out of this situation soon and find the Garden before the Galbadians did. They needed to know what was happening and stop Galbadia before it was too late.

[thelion]

The soldiers had been rough in putting Leon on the train, however the SeeD didn’t overlook how fairly they were treating Rinoa. For a moment the Proud Lion wondered if this could possibly have to do with her father, who just happened to be a general in the Galbadian Army, though the rounding up of prisoners didn’t seem like the old man’s style of command. As the brunette walked down the hallway on his way to the locomotive, then through each exit to the next car and on, Leon couldn’t help but notice the amount of prisoners occupying the majority of the passenger quarters. Some appeared to be normal civilians, while others to Leon’s surprise, were wearing SeeD uniforms or training raiment. He wasn’t sure what to make of this, or what exactly the Army could be up to. All he was certain of was that the pair of them needed to find their friends and Balamb Garden as soon as possible, and maybe they would be able to free the captives being taken to Timber. Once Rinoa and himself had been seated on a bench in the compartment just before the engine, Leon awaited the inevitable departure for Timber. His blue eyes remained fixated on the floor and his handcuffs for a moment, sitting in silence with his arms rested upon his legs as he tried to figure out this scenario in his head. What was going on in Timber, and why were people being taken there instead of the D-District Prison? Had something happened in Deling City to cause a shift in power, and if so, who was running the chain of command in Galbadia? Leon’s focus was broken by the weight of Rinoa against his shoulder, yet it would seem that she was just as curious about this whole situation as he was.

As the Sorceress asked her questions, Leon continued to sit still, but he thought once again about the possibilities of this incident’s source. Leon wondered, had Ultimecia returned, or were the Galbadian troops acting of their own accord? The only thing that remained certain to him right now was that this train was heading for Timber, and it would be a good idea not to be in the enemy’s custody when they arrived at the station. As the engine roared to life and the whole train lurched forward to begin its journey, Leonhart looked about the room for a means to escape their handcuffs. His blue eyes moved down to his wrists to see they probably needed a key, and judging from the thickness of the link between them, they probably couldn’t be cut by anything found in this room. The Proud Lion’s brow furrowed slightly at the revelation of this, knowing then that he would have to somehow get the key off one of the guards. There were at least two outside in the hallway of this car, yet they could possibly alert the rest of those aboard if this wasn’t taken care of discreetly. Leon looked down to Rinoa’s jet black locks for a moment, and thought of how riding on this train with her now, reminded him so much of when they had first met. It had been aboard the Forest Owls’ secret base during Squall’s first mission as a SeeD, which had proven to be the most vague contract to have ever been handed out by Headmaster Cid. Rinoa, Squall, Zell and Selphie had all climbed outside on top of the moving trains of the Forest Owls and President Deling. During the operation the SeeDs managed to uncouple the cars, and fasten the car containing Vinzer Deling to the base of the Forest Owls. That operation had ended in unexpected failure despite the appearance of success, for as they cornered the President, the group had learned that it had been a doppelganger the whole time. It would be interesting to see Timber again, especially after Leon and the group had been forced to flee the town due to Galbadian troops locking down the area.

“I’m not sure. Though…on our way in here, I saw several cadets from Garden being held in the other cars” began Leon, attempting to answer Rinoa’s questions the best way he could. He didn’t know much more than she did at the situation, and it was all he could do to try his best not to let himself show this. Leon wanted Rinoa to remain secure with him, not to feel as though this predicament they had landed themselves in was beyond their control. “They were looking for the Garden too, but I’m guessing it’s gone mobile. It still doesn’t explain why they’re rounding up members from Balamb, or why they’re being taken to Timber.” There wasn’t much to really assess given their situation, nor anything to really plan for as the pair continued to speed toward their destination on a one-way train. Leon felt that the way things were going already, that he surely didn’t want to be in the possession of these soldiers once the train arrived at the station. The trip to Timber was relatively short compared to some of the other train routes in the world, though Leon and Rinoa would find themselves blessed with a minimum of twenty minutes before this trip would come to an end. A shadow started to cast itself on the far wall through the glass of the door to the compartment, telling Leon that one of the guards was returning on his patrol to check on the “Esthar spies.” The Proud Lion needed to turn the advantage toward their favor, and it started with getting the key from that guy.

Without warning Leon doubled over on the floor, and proceeded to pretend as though he were in pain, clutching at his stomach and wincing in a very convincing manner. While Leon did this he happened to notice the guard outside come to the window, and peer inside to check on the high priority prisoners. The man was surprised to see that one of the spies had fallen from the bench, and was now holding his abdomen in clear pain. Opening the automatic door to step inside, the guard eased the strap of his rifle around his shoulder, and then walked over toward Leonhart. “Hey, what’s wro-“ started the man as he leaned forward to inspect Leon, being cut off sharply by an unexpected action. As the guard had moved closer to the Proud Lion, the SeeD had ended his ruse by reaching up to grab the back of the man’s head, then forcibly pulling it down as his knee was brought up to violently crack the man square in the face. The Galbadian soldier was knocked unconscious almost immediately, and rolled over onto his back as Leon pushed the dead weight off of him. Leonhart wasted no time to move next to the guard and begin searching his belt, and then his pockets, which after a moment or two produced the key to the handcuffs. Leon returned to his feet and walked over to Rinoa, taking her wrists one by one to unlock each of the steel clasps around them, then finally handed the key to the Sorceress. After waiting for Rinoa to unlock his own cuffs, Leon moved to the window of the door and peered out to scout for any other guards. Fortunately there were none; the second guard assigned to this car must have gone to make his report. Leon focused his blue eyes back on Rinoa for a moment, then down to the unconscious guard lying upon the floor. “We should get off this train, Rinoa. Showing up in Timber in Galbadian custody won’t help us if we intend to find out what’s going on there” spoke the Proud Lion to the Sorceress, knowing she would probably like to get off this ride as much as himself. Leon didn’t make towards the door just yet though, for he wanted to make sure Rinoa was ready with her junctions and equipment before they started. Somehow things were starting to feel like old times again.

[rinoa]

Rinoa became more worried as Squall said he didn't know exactly what was going on but he did say that he saw some students from Balamb Garden on the other parts of the train as they boarded and that the Galbadians were indeed looking for the Garden but he didn't know what the purpose of rounding up people from Balamb and taking them all to Timber. [green]"They might be gathering them to try to get the Garden to come out of hiding. It's just a guess though."[/green] Rinoa wanted to know why Galbadia was up to it's old tricks again and she suspected that Squall wanted to know too. Especially if they wanted to do something about it.

Suddenly Squall dropped to the floor and was groaning in pain. Rinoa had no idea what was going on. Squall gave no indication that he wasn't feeling well when they first met up outside of town. [green]"Squall! Are you alright?!"[/green] Rinoa said with true panic in her voice. Just as she spoke the guard had entered and that is when Squall sprang into action. He jumped the guard and knocked him out. He then took the key off the guard and then walked over to the Sorceress and unlocked her cuffs. She slapped him on the arm once her hands were free. [green]"The next time you pretend that you hurt you could at least warn me!"[/green] She was a little mad but she was mostly amused that the trick worked. After all it couldn't have been the first time someone pulled that on a guard.

Rinoa took the key from her knight and undid his handcuffs, letting them fall to the floor with a thud. After his arms were free she watched Squall look around to make sure that there were no more guards around. Determining the coast was clear Squall looked at Rinoa and spoke again. He said that they should get off the train and that they couldn't find out what's going on if they were still prisoners of the Galbadian military. [green]"Alright. What's the plan then?"[/green] As she waited for an answer she made sure that she was ready for any fighting they might have to do. She Junctioned Tornado to her Elemental attack and Firaga to her Elemental defense then in a flash of light her Blaster Edge appeared on her wrist. [green]"I'm ready when you are Squall."[/green]

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Junction - passive - no cooldown

[thelion]

Squall observed the girl in blue as she Junctioned her elements to attack and defense, and then summoned her infamous Blaster Edge to her wrist. Though the circumstances of their situation wasn’t his ideal way of carrying out their day, Leon had to admit to himself that he really appreciated the fact he and Rinoa were spending time together again. It was a better change from the past several years, going about his daily routines and patrols of Radiant Garden as he fought with his friends against the Heartless, all while wondering whether or not this world and Rinoa had remained out here in the Sea of Stars. Even though they had been taken into custody, and put on a prisoner train bound for what could potentially be a military operation hot spot, the Proud Lion felt a sense of relief that he would be able to keep an eye on his only love, and be able to uphold the Oath he had once made. Heartilly was a powerful Sorceress, yet at heart she was still the rebellious daughter of a general in the Galbadian military; a girl who operated a group of self proclaimed liberators of Timber in an attempt to defy her father, and make a point to those who refused to listen. She was a kind and gentle, but fairly outspoken individual who cared deeply about her friends, and was very opinionated about her thoughts on any given situation. Personality wise Rinoa was everything that Leon was not in the past, though after their journey to defeat Ultimecia and put a stop to her Time Compression, the Proud Lion came to openly show a more caring side to his nature. He had the girl standing in front of him to thank for that.

Leon nodded in response when Rinoa said she was ready whenever he was, prompting the SeeD to hold out his right hand to let it shine with a bright light. As his Revolver gunblade appeared, it was grasped and raised to rest on the man’s right shoulder before he looked towards the glass window once more. “Stay close to me,” requested Leonhart as he moved toward the threshold, prompting the automatic door to open for the pair. The Proud Lion moved to the edge, and then peered around the corner once more, only to see that a pair of troops had entered the car from the far side. Well that was the door leading to the other cars; there was no question about that, but knowing the way the trains on the western continent operated, Leon would need either a ticket or security card to get through it. There was little time to act, and Leon felt it was dire that the pair of them get off the train. While the Garden cadets on the train needed to be freed, Leonhart determined that they could be rescued once they had been brought into Timber. Freeing the prisoners now would potentially cause problems for the arrival in the station, and could provide problems for Rinoa and himself further down the line. Right now there was only one option to the Proud Lion, and it was that very option that drove him down the hallway toward the two soldiers.

The SeeD’s breath was heavy as he sprinted down the car, extending his left hand to fire a Blizzard Barret from his palm, just as the pair noticed the leather clad youth springing at them. As their guns were raised the sphere of ice collided with the first soldier, causing him to flail with surprise, and in turn fire several rounds of his rifle into the roof of the car. His partner did not expect the sudden movements, and found himself bumped into just before a sharp blade of silver cut down the two, letting them slump to the floor. Kneeling next to the unconscious guards, Leon set the Revolver down next to him before rummaging through the pockets of the pair, eventually turning up a security card and a potion. As Leon tucked the card into a pocket in his jacket, he turned and tossed the Potion to Rinoa in case she needed it, then took a few steps forward before the SeeD came to a stop, his attention being drawn out the window. The brunette then furrowed his brow at what he saw, for outside the glass traveling alongside the train, was what appeared to be a pair of motorcycles carrying more Galbadian soldiers. Much to Squall’s surprise though, the cycles sped just above the ground, and seemed to operate on projection jets rather than axles and tires like most bikes he had seen. Leon didn’t know just where the army had gotten their new toys, or just when they had started an R&R program, but he was certain that it wouldn’t stop them from getting off the locomotive.

As the cycles drew nearer, the pair of the guards riding passenger on them motioned to get closer to the train, allowing them to board and take care of the fiasco going on in car 1. The two piloting the jet cycles turned in and kept the crafts steady long enough to allow the others to get on outside the end of the car. After they had boarded the automatic door at the end of the car slid open, which caused alarm in the two soldiers as they came to sights with Rinoa and Squall, as well as two of their unconscious comrades lying in the floor. Squall wasted no time to take advantage of the first man’s hesitation, quickly making an uppercut with his gunblade, catching one of the soldiers in the rifle as it severed the barrel in two. As the gunpower and shells of the first man’s gun sprayed out, temporarily blinding him, Leon moved to grab the shirt of the second then push him backwards. The man lost his balance, stumbled, and then somersaulted backwards off the steel stairs, landing with a sandy thud in the dirt as he deboarded the train. Looking back to Rinoa as the first of the new guards fell to his knees, Squall nodded at the Sorceress before taking a glance to the soldiers on the jet cycles. These guys could prove to be a problem if they weren’t taken off those things.

“Our ride’s here”

The sentence was a brief and sarcastic one, but Leon wasn’t kidding when the words had left his lips. As one of the Galbadian pilots neared the train, Squall let his Revolver vanish in light, just before jumping off the deck to land on the cycle just behind the soldier. “Hey! Get off!” proclaimed the soldier as he threw an elbow backwards to try and catch Leon in the face. The SeeD grabbed the man’s arm, and then began to wrestle him just before the soldier was rolled over, and collided fiercely with the dirt beneath as he lost ground. Leon then scooted forward on the cycle’s seat, and took firm grasp upon the controls, raising the speed so that rivaled that of the train. While the Proud Lion managed to keep their ride steady and in line with the car, he tried to maintain the cycle’s levels so that Rinoa could safely board the craft.

Abilities Used
Blizzard Barret - Squall's hand becomes cocooned in ice, before he fires a bolt of ice at his intended target(s). Has a chance to freeze upon point of impact. 2 post cool down.