Chapter 20: Bringing Down the House ----------------------------------- "So what do we do now? Without the Whale, the six of us are like fleas against the Figaro army." Celes stood with the others around a table in Nikeah. "We have one thing they don't... magic." Rydia pointed out. "They have hundreds of things we don't... airships, an army, chocobo legions for the land and two types for the air, a huge energy weapon..." Celes started rattling off. "Alright, so all we have to do is find the others. If we can get enough strong magicians together they might be able to cast spells long enough to keep the entire army at bay," Cid said. "How do you figure?" Rosa asked. "Simple. An Ultima spell lasts for about 10 seconds and uses about 2/25ths of a strong magician's magic. That means they can get twelve casts off, and at ten seconds a piece, that makes 120 seconds. Two whole minutes to get in, plus it would take its toll on the castle." "A castle that can hide beneath the sands..." Celes said. "So they have us outmanned, and outweaponed. Let's do what Yang whould do..." Rosa said. "Who? Yang?" "Yang once almost got himself killed by sacrificing himself to stop a weapon aimed at destroying the dwarfs. Let's do something like that. We can disable their airships..." Rosa said. "I agree with the Chosen One. They have too much power, so we shall take it away, a little at a time." FuSoYa said. Celes nodded. "Cid, were any of your plans left behind?" "No. I destroyed them all when I tried to escape." "Then they can't rebuild them..." ***** "Ooomph." The guard hadn't seen a thing coming. Rydia rolled the unconscious man over. "Come on, Rosa. Hurry up." "Why do I have to do this part?" "Because you lost the rock, scissors, paper game." ***** "Yoo hoo, boys..." Rosa called out in her sexiest voice. The other officer's uniform was a little too big for her, which made what she was going to do even more difficult. She walked toward the two uniformed men. "Hi there." "Helllllo, Miss." This one looked about eighteen. Great, just what she needed. "Hello, ma'am." This one seemed more courteous. He was a little older, maybe twenty-five. She smiled, and turned toward the courteous one. "When do you get off duty?" "One o'clock. Wait for me." She leaned a little closer. "How about now? Your friend can guard this entrance by himself, can't he?" she whispered. "Jack, you're on your own." He bowed to Rosa, and with a sweeping gesture offered for her to go first. The rest waited until he was thirty yards away. Far enough. "Ungh!" Celes clubbed him on the head with the handle of her sword. "Come on." FuSoYa said. "We don't have much time." They started down the corridor. Rydia looked back. "Be careful, Rosa, he's a dirty one." ***** Celes gazed at the airship. "FALCON" was painted on the side in bright red. It was quite majestic, and Celes wished they could steal it instead of destroy it, but if Edgar's "Light of Judgement" didn't get them, the other four airships would. Her gaze followed the room. She counted eight guards. She had to assume there were that many on the other side too. Four on sixteen. What would Setzer say about those odds? She thought they were good. "Fu?" She had come to calling FuSoYa that in a crunch. He looked. "Could be as many as two dozen, but looks more like sixteen. Cid?" "The Falcon was a wing ship. It was designed for speed, not strength. I would suggest trying to knock it out quickly and run. You don't have to destroy it, just damage it enough so it doesn't fly. They won't be able to repair it." "Think there's a chance we can sneak aboard and take it out from there?" "No." "Alright. Rydia, do your call thing." "From the land of the summoned monsters, I call Bomb!" The familiar balloon-like thing appeared. BOOM! The explosion rumbled throughout the place. Rydia passed the orb to Celes, who cast Ultima, and while it was mid-way through, tossed it to FuSoYa, who cast Meteo. The airship was withstanding much of it. It could probably still fly. But the others were upon them now. Celes drew her sword; Rydia, her whip. "You two get out of here. We'll catch up." The two women attacked. Their magic and keen weapon skill immediately knocked three unconscious. Guards got behind them. No way out now. Celes hacked her way into the middle. Backed herself up against a beam. Then she got an idea. The support beam. It had been damaged by the magic. She turned and started slicing with her sword. One hit, two, three, four... it was really starting to cut into the weakened beam. Rydia had the orb; no sense in her getting hurt. "Rydia, cast Exit, NOW!" Celes said it so forcefully that she obeyed. "Come on. Damn! Come on!" Finally, her sword cut through. They'd never be able to rebuild this airship! She dashed through the the scattering guards. She made it halfway to the exit when she was hit by something. She fell to the floor. ***** Rydia appeared. FuSoYa and Cid were there. Rosa was running toward them, still wearing her uniform. "Where's Celes?" "I don't know, but we better get out of here." ***** "Ow! Shit!" Celes struggled to stand. Her leg had been hurt badly. At least she had gotten away from the collapsing building. "Tired... hurts... rest." Vague thoughts connected in her mind. She had to stop. She was too tired. She collapsed to the ground. Letting her arms and her good left leg support her, she let her head droop and her eyes close. "Just... a... little further," she thought. She looked up. And saw four guards with swords pointed right at her...