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Post by Vincent on Jul 10, 2008 17:55:23 GMT -5
In a shady, run down and rusty room located somewhere in Fisherman’s Horizon, Vincent lays on a bloodsoaked bed, what appears to be a doctor examining him with Nahla and Tresk standing beside the door, watching. The doctor turns around and acknowledges the two.
“He’ll be out for awhile, I heavily sedated him. The wound is bad and refusing to close on its own, even with the stitches and potions, not sure if it will close at all. The bleeding has stopped for now, at least.” The doctor departs and Nahla looks to Tresk. “Check on the others, I’m going to stay here for awhile.” Tresk nods and walks off.
Elsewhere, Nivzad and Rafee oversee the salvage operation of the Hijrah. Several tugs have moved it into a dock on the outskirts of FH and are currently trying to pump the water out from the lower decks so she'll stay afloat.
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Post by Vincent on Jul 15, 2008 14:03:07 GMT -5
Tresk comes running back to Vincent's bedside where Nahla remains, watching over him. "Nahla!" *pant* "There's another attack, Timber, demons again. Just like before."
Nahla rubs her forehead and mumbbles out. "Natalia... Tresk!" She stands up. "Watch Vincent, I got to take care of something."
Tresk appears slightly confused. "Uh sure, where you going?"
Nahla answers as she picks up her rifle. "Just got to take care of something, concern yourself with the captain, not me. Goodbye."
Before Tresk can reply, Nahla has darted out of the room and heads to the Hijrah.
She arrives at the dock where the shattered remains of the Hijrah are struggling to stay afloat. Nivzad and Rafee are hanging over the side of the vessel, welding the large gash in the hull. They spot Nahla walking quickly to the ship and stop to call to her.
"Hey, Nahla! How's Vincent?" Rafee asks.
Not looking to them, she replies. "As good as to be expected, is the gunboat opperational?"
Nivzad and Rafee look to each other and shrug. "Yeah, she didn't take any damage. Why, going somewhere?"
"Yes, dinner reservations in Timber."
Nivzad and Rafee appear even more confused. "With who!?" They ask similtianously.
"An old friend, if I'm not back by tomorrow... keep waiting!" With that last statement, she disappears into the ship.
Few minutes later, the shattered ship rumbles and a small, single seat flying craft shoots out from the Hijrah. It corkscrews and shoots off into the horizon with a burst of its after-burners.
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Post by Vincent on Jul 17, 2008 20:00:19 GMT -5
Nahla returns, the gunship flying in on fumes only. She comes to a semi-hard water landing beside the Hijrah and glides up to the dock next to her. Nahla jumps out, onto the dock and tosses a dock-hand her helmet. Rafee and Nivzad run up to her.
"What the hell was that all about!?" Nivzad asks, obviously worried.
"Saw Natalia, as you can tell..." Motions to the slightly damaged gunboat. "We won the battle, sort-of, but it ain't over yet. Nivzad can you check over the little girl, replace the canopy and such? She needs to be ready to fly in twenty-four hours, until then I'll be preparing for my own little case of revenge."
Nivzad nods gruffly, knowing full well what Nahla had planned.
"Rafee, go to the Hijrah and open the armory then assist Nivzad, I need to check on the captain."
Rafee nods then runs off.
Nahla breathes in deep then walks off to visit with Vincent one last time.
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Post by Situation on Jul 17, 2008 23:58:54 GMT -5
A moderately heavy package arrives for the Hijrah, via a moogle carrier service. The moogle stops Nahla and makes her sign for it. Its wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string. There’s no return address, just the name of the ship and oddly, the this exact location, postmarked for this exact moment in time.
What’s inside feels like a medium sized rectangular object, untying the string and ripping the paper away reveals a hardbound book. It’s entitled, The True Story of Gaea’s Gilded Age: An Unabridged History written by “Dr. Sergio O. Rasputin”. Opening the book to the first few pages leads you to the acknowledgments, there it thanks “To those who destroyed our world and those who tried to save it, great and small. May your deaths be not be entirely fruitless.” The contents page just after this one reveals the book is first-hand accounts, biographies, and testimonials of history from before the first Cyrus war to the end of the Order. Secret wars, forgotten battles, places and people all explained within its pages. A quick skim through however, with your knowledge of the events you took part in, it is clear this history isn’t exactly what you may recall happening. The lines between hero and villain are blurred, no longer black and white but instead reversed, blurred, and altered. A new picture of history is being painted within these pages, yet if you read the chapters closer you fear you may have to agree with how some events and people are being portrayed and ask yourself, is there such thing as a true line between good and evil.
In the center, a news clipping from the Timber Times falls out, talking about a new history book that just recently became a best seller and which is making people take another look at the conventionally taught history that we all learned growing up. A picture beside the article shows a bookstore with scores of people buying a copy.
Then, there, on the inside back cover is a note, written freehand with a quill. A simple little statement, which reads, “I told you I’d be remembered the way I wanted… for Tabula Rasa and the Golden Age.” And it’s signed by none other then Loci himself.
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Post by Vincent on Jul 18, 2008 0:04:40 GMT -5
Nahla growls as she looks at the book in her hand, this truly was the last insult. Wanting nothing to do with this book, she flings it into the water and walks on.
Once arrived at Vincent's bedside she runs her hand over his forehead, he's sweating and running a fever. Tresk updates her on his conditions and asks what she was up too. Nahla explains in all to round-about terms and tells Tresk to keep an eye on the captain for her, just a little longer. Tresk nods and reassures her that he hasn't left his bedside but for more then a few moments at a time.
After some quiet moments, Nahla again, without a word, leaves and heads for the Hijrah.
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Post by Vincent on Jul 20, 2008 14:41:30 GMT -5
Inside the Hijrah's armory, though now a mess from the wreck, with bullets rolling around the bulkhead and guns scattered around the place.
She sits on an ammo crate and slowly loads a shot gun, beside her is a slew of other weapons and ammo. As the saying goes, she could start world war three with her arsenal of firearms all being prepped for battle.
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Post by Vincent on Jul 28, 2008 14:16:50 GMT -5
Emerging from the crippled Hijrah, Nahla laiden down with more weapons then any one person should be able to carry slowly makes her way to the gunboat where Nivzad has repaired and prepped it for another battle.
"She ready?"
Nivzad pops his head out from the back of the gunboat.
"Yea, she's ready- you think you got enough guns!? Christ woman, ever heard of overkill... where you keeping the ammo!?"
Nahla throws a backpack that makes a loud rattle behind the seat of the gunboat.
"Never you mind that, the radio was alive with attacks by our friend Natalia... going to assist the others asap. So finish her up while I do the pre-flight check."
Nahla puts a large assortment of weapons into a catch on the side of the gunboat then hopes in and starts to check the systems.
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Post by Vincent on Aug 7, 2008 23:27:23 GMT -5
Nahla arrives back, her gunship in decent shape though scratched with a few battle scars. The vessel glides to a gentle stop beside the dock just behind the Hijrah. Again, flipping the canopy open she hops out as she’s greeted by Rafee and Nvizad.
“Well!?”
She throws her helmet to Nivzad. “Seems Natalia is dead, couldn’t find the b***h that attacked us though. In the end, we won, all that matters now. How’s Vincent?”
“Better, Tresk has been keeping an eye on him around the clock. The wound has started to heal and he has been awake, told him what happened to the ship – then he passed out again.” Nivzad lets out a bellowing laugh.
“Good, going to tell him the news… Rafee put the gunship back.”
They both nod and walk past Nahla to the gunship as Nahla walks off to Vincent’s room.
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Post by Vincent on Aug 8, 2008 17:00:44 GMT -5
"Tresk, leave me with the captain." Says Nahla as she pops in the doorway.
"Oh um... hi Nahla good to see you're back. Yea sure." Tresk scurries out of the room quickly as Nahla enters. She sits beside his bed.
"Captain?"
Vincent stirs, his eyes blinking and slowly and painfully turns his head to Nahla. "Uh... Nahla, there you are. The others said you went off alone?"
"Couldn't let Natalia get away with what she did. She almost killed you, captain."
"Don't run off like that again on my account, understand?"
"Yes, captain."
"So I take it we won, again?"
"Natalia is dead yes, though I can't confirm if the one who attacked us died as well."
"With Natalia gone, doubt whoever she was will make a move against us. You did good, though, real good."
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Post by Book of the Twilight on Aug 11, 2008 17:43:33 GMT -5
::While Nahla and Vincent speak, a breeze flutters in through the window, carrying with it a single envelope that lands on Vincent's bed. If he turns it over he'll notice that it's addressed to him with no sender apparent. However it bears the insignia of a purple eye::
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Post by Vincent on Aug 11, 2008 23:35:03 GMT -5
Vincent and Nahla warily watch as the odd letter just floats into the room from the window and lands on Vincent’s bed. Vincent reaches for it but Nahla warns him to be careful but despite this, he takes it and examines the envelope. The purple eye sends a cold chill down his spine.
“Captain… don’t. Could be a trap.”
Vincent crumples it, nothing hard inside. “Well, it’s not a bomb. What can a letter do… right?”
Nahla’s expression shows an air of uncertainty as Vincent rips the envelope open at the edge and pulls out the letter and reads.
“It’s an apology…” He raises his eyebrow at the letter. “Honestly, it sounds a little like bs though she claims she left us a sum of Gil in Balamb to repair the ship.”
“Let me see that really quick.” Asks Nahla as she takes the letter and quickly reads. “Feels a little empty though and I can’t believe she thinks that money will make it all better. And what did she tell Miguel? Wanted us out of the conflict… she propelled us into it!”
“Nahla!” Vincent snatches the letter from her hand. “Perhaps in her strange way, she thought it was the right thing to do. We don’t know what exactly went on, until then lets not assume. Though I do agree… it’s rather empty and cold of her to think money will make it all better.”
“So…?”
“Oh I’ll take her money, don’t get me wrong. How Rafee and Nivzad doing? The ship still floating?”
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Post by Vincent on Aug 18, 2008 0:56:21 GMT -5
--Sometime later--
Vincent, though bandaged and still in pain, sits on the bridge of his beloved Hijrah, with Tresk at the helm.
"Tresk, is the ship operational?"
"Yes captain, she'll fly."
"Then let us fly." Vincent takes the radio mic. "Captain to crew, prepare for flight." Clicks off. "Tresk, lets pull away from the dock and begin our test flight to Balamb."
The Hijrah's engines rattle awake, smoking out the rear. She rumbles and shutters, her new bolts and metal expanding and contracting with new found life. She pulls away from her dock home and glides, somewhat awkwardly through the water. Her engines kick to afterburn as she faces away from FH then shoots off like a bullet along the waters surface. She slowly raises above the waters and in a few minutes, shes in the air and soaring away.
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