Where Darkness and Light Collide

[Acteur de la Noir]

Travel between the Worlds wasn't the same as interstellar travel--not exactly, anyway. Space was an infinite, all-encompassing void of blackness, inhabited only by planetary bodies like stars and planets. The Hyperspace between realms, however, was more complex and varied by far. Depending on where one was headed, they might find themselves soaring through a vast sea of golden cloud-like vapor with shafts of light streaming through it (known to Gummi Ship cartographers as the Sunlight Storm), zooming along a seemingly-infinite stretch of ancient "road" that wove between the ruins of an ancient city that inexplicably floated in an inky void shot through with gleaming violet nebulae (experts had penned this the "Ancient Highway"), or flying amidst a series of islands that floated in a sunlight-yellow ether--lush, coral-strewn isles that were blessed with pools and falls of cascading water (The Splash Islands). On the whole, Hyperspace was a truly multifaceted experience--very often, its numerous routes and branches seemed to take on the properties of the Worlds that they led to. And nowhere was the suggestion of infinite possibility more evident in the hyperspace lanes that connected these routes--those surging conduits of pearly luminescence that were mixed with traces of the rainbow and midnight alike.

However, as the machinations of a monstrous and elusive entity--the darkness born from the heart of a wizard who had ventured into avenues of research best left alone--now threatened to spread darkness across all the Worlds, those corridors and routes began to darken and seethe. It was as though the nocturnal elements of the most forbidden routes of Hyperspace were seeping through, trying to infect and taint even the brightest regions. And within that darkness, its children--the Heartless--were on the move, surging outward to launch what was to be the final campaign against the Light.

To any who were searching, the most prominent sign of it would be that one ship, vast and formidable, lurking in Hyperspace like a titan of the deep. It was here that the darkness in the ether seemed to be the most prominent--as though this was the source of the spreading night that threatened to engulf all. And moreover, it was here that this vessel of Gummi material, reinforced with Darkness, seemed to stand alone--as though its crew were so confident in the flagship's capability that they couldn't imagine it being overcome. Thus, there was danger...but also, for the valiant, an opportunity to strike a major blow in the Heartless offensive.

Or so it would seem.

For, at the manipulations of a master puppeteer and magician, his very being overflowing with the dark essence of his master, the Harbinger's presence had become deceptive. As any who engaged the Heartless flagship would discover, things were not as they seemed, and the forces of Darkness were not an enemy to be taken lightly...especially not now, when final victory was within sight.

And engage the Harbinger, the forces of Light would have to...sooner or later, this region of Hyperspace would become the sight of a battle that would bring several ongoing conflicts to an end. A final end.

But what sort of end?

Only time would tell...for the thoughts that went through the mind of the aforementioned puppeteer--the secret thoughts, buried so deep within the darkness that engulfed him, were not what one would expect from one who served a world-ender. Within the seething shadows, there was a single flickering spark. Beneath the nihilistic desire for an eternal nightfall, there was a lingering desire for more...not a dawn, perhaps, but an exotic, unique twilight that was neither Dark nor Light in nature. And, separate from the puppeteer's servitude to his brethren, there was a thought of a single denizen of the Light...she who was among the few who deserved the Heart she'd been given.

Thus it was that, deep in this secret, lost part of his being, the puppeteer's final remnants of his truest self spoke, whispering a silent eulogy:

Cherie...Sarah Appleton...would that you might hear this. I thought I manipulated the threads of fate, making the fools of the Worlds dance to my strings in the ultimate irony. I thought myself a harbinger of revolution, toppling corrupt and foolish peoples who had grown complacent and self-assured because they lived in the Light. I thought that I would create a new world, one in which the beauty of the night could finally be shown for what it truly was.

But alas, the irony was mine to bear. For lo, it was my creator who subtly directed me, his will so insidious that I mistook it for my own. Just how many of my deeds were of my own volition, I wonder? Was my desire to topple the Light truly mine, or that of the Fallen acting through me? Was my dream of a nocturnal Eden--a slap in the face of the common perception of Darkness--merely an illusion; a verse for Maestro to re-write when it no longer suited his designs? Oh, what wicked, cruel fate...I thought myself master of my fate, but I have been a puppet all along!

And yet...there is something in which I can take solace. Surely, the Fallen would not have seen how precious and beautiful you were, what talents you possessed on your own. Nor would he have cared about the potential that your unique, Twilight path has to offer. And, most certainly, the Fallen would not have come to value you for your personal qualities--your beauty, your open and creative mind, and your quiet strength of will. He would not have come to care for you so deeply...he would not have sympathized with you...he would not have cared if you lost yourself in becoming Heartless.

He would not have loved you.

Yes...I love you. This, surely, is my own personal will. Puppet though I was, I had this much. Enough for the Fallen to see it buried beneath the chaos of his own, monstrous form of Darkness. The choices I made regarding you, the feelings I developed...they were mine. The Fallen may have stripped it all from me, but it still existed! In this much, I was real!

Alas...t'is no longer relevant, any of it. I am no longer master of myself. My fate is written. This may not even be coherent thought anymore, but merely a lingering echo. But I wonder...can you survive? Can you end it? For, if my will was still mine, that would surely be my wish--for you to have the resolve to do what is necessary. To put an end to the macabre parody that I have become. To topple the monstorsity that has been pulling my strings. To keep on walking your Twilight path, proving that Light and Dark need not always fight. To play such beautiful music, that moves the Hearts of all who listen to it.

But above else...remember me as I once was. When we had our future ahead of us, with infinite possibility. Perhaps, as long as the memory of me remains in your Heart, I will truly have existed as my own being, and not merely a puppet.

Echo or not...this is my wish...be strong, Cherie...

These words were spoken with heartfelt sincerity; yet surely, this last spark was doomed to fade away, its speech fated to never be heard...

...or would it? Perhaps those words would be heard, somehow...

[Sai]

Following the Rose, a series of smaller ships would all lift into the hyperspace around Sherwood Forest, occupying the planet's upper atmosphere. Among them was a simple series Gummi Ship, manned by the Nobody of the Fallen, and armed with a green wizard and a red-haired hero.

Sai was at the helm, in charge of the navigation of the ship. He had left the guns to Oeilvert on his left and the shields-slash-defensive capabilities to Kim Possible on his right. The communications were open so they could receive flying orders from the Bridge of the Red Rose.

"This is it. Be alert," Sai reminded his crew, his eyes set on the Harbinger through the clear domed covering of their own bridge. This battle... was going to be massive.

[Acteur de la Noir]

On the verge of attack

As the assembled forces of Light stood poised to make their decisive stand against the Darkness, they would be assuredly prepared to go to guns with the massive cruiser that was descending into the upper atmosphere--the Harbinger, the flagship of the Fallen and a study in bat-winged, heavily-armed devastation. They would also be prepared, beyond any doubt, to engage the powerful cruiser in open battle, with no quarter given and every shot counting. And, it went without saying, they would be prepared to do whatever they could to win this fight--any strategy, tactic, and secret that might give them the upper hand would be implemented. With the stakes so high, it would be folly to underestimate their fleet, ragtag though it was in comparison to the Harbinger.

But even with all of that...they still wouldn't be prepared. For, in the deeper reaches of Hyperspace above Sherwood, there were surprises yet to be revealed. Forces that would turn this desperate engagement into a nightmare. And it would be all the more nerve-wracking for the "heroes" because, as far as they knew, the Harbinger was their only problem. They wouldn't be expecting anything else until it was too late to compensate for it.

Except now, one lone snub of a craft--a Space Bike, really--stood to expose everything as it made a solo run...

On the Harbinger's bridge

In one of the stylized command chairs that held center stage on the bridge, a lanky figure slouched with a decadence worthy of a disinterested nobleman...which was oddly appropriate, when one considered his elegantly-cut theatrical finery, complete with black-velvet cloak and wide-brimmed, feather-plumed hat. However, it would be a fool who mistook this individual's posture for sloth...for the Darkness that enveloped him was palpable, swirling around him in a cohesive mist of penumbral blackness that seemed to leech all color and life from everything it touched. Myriad strands of glistening shadow stretched from gloved fingers, weaving into the very hull of the Harbinger and stretching out as though reaching into the Aether beyond. And behind that cracked porcelain mask, a pair of keen yellow eyes burned feverishly, glittering with concentration and effort.

Acteur de la Noir, Phantom Puppeteer of the Heartless, was hard at work. It was his trickery that kept the rest hidden, and bolstered the performance of the crew. With his mastery, those fools of the Light would be fated to face their final curtain call...

...In the Beginning, all I did was hate. I let the darkness come...wanted to let it blossom.... that I'd be happy...

...However, when I began...know you...to understand myself...

For a moment, Acteur's head whipped up and darted to and fro like an owl, glancing about for the source of that unspoken voice. What was that? Had it been...? He shook his head abruptly, dismissing the notion. No. Surely just an echo of a fragment that no longer was. Some lingering notion of what he had once been, nothing more. There was nothing else. Nothing but Darkness, now and forever.

At that moment, the Phantom Puppeteer spotted the solitary figure that flitted into view out the main observation port--the sole craft that was not touched by his Phantom Puppetry. That, alone, was reason to identify it as threat--whether it was an advance guard scouting ahead, some coward who'd gotten cold feet, or a random inter-realm vagabond, they now stood to discover the Harbinger's accompanying fleet. And that just wouldn't do.

Thus did Acteur's fingers dance, tugging on shadow-strands and sending messages to alert the gunnery crews and communications arrays. And thus did that masked visage turn, presenting its gleaming yellow eyes and crescent-moon leer to the occupant of the other command chair. When the warning came, it was delivered in a voice that had once been both haunting and elegant, now twisted into a harsh, ghostly monotone.

"Mon Capitaine. A single gnat approaches, not part of my web. I'm directing the ship's gatling-beams to swat it, lest it buzz its way back to our audience..."

[Orestes]

You have gone to the precipice of death and back.

You have shown the true qualities of what it takes to be a leader.

You will crush the wielders of light and usher in a new era for our Heartless bretheren.

The Harbinger is yours...Captain Orestes...

Orestes' eyes opened as brief snatches of dialogue between himself and Atticus flowed back and forth in his mind. All of the pain and hardship he had been through suddenly flowed to the surface, threatening to overwhelm him. The ocean that was his emotional torment threatened to overflow in his ecliptic thunderstorm of pain and confusion.

And yet, amidst it all, there was a guiding light. A single beacon of hope for Orestes. It was the Heartless Army. He had grown with them, through thick and thin, and they had never let him down. He was sure that this battle would show all those who had wronged him before, Heartless or not, that he was capable of leading and he could succeed.

The bittersweet feeling that emptied itself from the pit of his stomach was quickly soured when he saw the small space bike approaching its solo run. As Acteur mentioned that he had the lasers powered up, Orestes nodded absent-mindedly, waving his fingers in a casual gesture of nonchalance.

"Yes, mon ami," he began, tightening his fist so his nails bit deep into the flesh of his palm. He enjoyed the brief sensation of feeling, letting the slight burst of pain cloud his mind and remove all doubts. There would be shadow, and it would be absolute and unforgiving. He would crush those who would stand against him.

"Destroy it. Make sure there isn't a single speck of bike or flesh left to return to the crew of Atticus' enemies. OUR enemies. Perhaps that will show them that we are not one to be trifled with. Maybe they will abandon hope and beg for our forgiveness. I might still keep the Nobody's head as a trophy to present to Atticus..."

He stood, walking the length of the bridge as his Heartless Armada remained hidden. Soldiers and the like scurried about the ship, carrying out orders and relaying communications through the array at the bridge. Looking out at the blackness of Hyperspace, Orestes sent a small tendril into the darkness, seeking what he knew he would find...

And there it was. The Nobody, in his small Gummi ship with two other occupants. Orestes stretched lithely, making sure to block off his mind in case the Nobody had a few tricks up his sleeve. He carefully probed around the magic user's defenses, instead opting to allow his cold, reptilian voice to snake into the Nobody's mind.

Ah...you are the worm that Atticus has spoken about. The one who seeks to redeem himself and acquire his heart. What chance do you have against the Harbinger? If you wish to come to a peaceful solution, I am prepared to negotiate...for a price. But if you continue your foolhardy actions, I assure you it will only end in death for you and your "Wielders of Light".

I cannot promise that you will live if you surrender. But I can promise your death will be much less painful than if you continue. I'm sure you will be able to find a way to respond, and I'd be more than happy to bring you onto the Harbinger, if that is what you desire, to negotiate terms.

But I have a feeling you won't accept. And that I will be forced to crush you under my heel like so many weak, squirming insects. It will make it all the more delightful when I tear out your crew's hearts and corrupt them with the one true power, Darkness...

Orestes withdrew himself from the Nobody's mind, keeping the telepathic link there, in the event that the insect decided to reply to him. For now, he simply resumed his spot at the Captain's Chair, conserving his power for the fight to come...

[Acteur de la Noir]

Acteur de la Noir nodded once as he heard Oresete's edict, his pale yellow eyes glittering with an ominous anticipation--though his former cavalier had been swallowed in the darkness that now engulfed his being, his inherent eloquence and theatricality lingered on, twisted and warped into a macabre and sinister inflection worthy of Edgar Allan Poe. As his fellow commander turned to deliver his challenge to the Nobody reflection of Atticus (the Master, the Liberator, the Light-Ender), the Phantom Puppeteer turned his own attention to the Heartless crew, sweeping out a gloved palm in a simple-yet-elegant gesture of command. When he spoke, his voice was low as a well's depths, whispered like a bone-chilling breeze on a Halloween evening...but more final and ominous than any bold statement or shout.

"Target the fly. Smite it from the ether. Let it be known to all...no more games. No more holding back. Thy end has cometh."

With his shadowy threads spiderwebbing outward to coil themselves amidst the gunnery crews of the Harbinger, the words weren't really necessary--connected to his will, those shadowy kin would have sensed the killing intent long before words ever escaped Acteur's porcelain visage. And yet, it was the echo of his old self that called for the eloquence...and those dark, sepulchral tones seemed to lend extra speed to the Heartless as they turned to the consoles, entering the commands that would ultimately find their way to those formidable weapons.

Outside, in Hyperspace:

Along the hull of the Harbinger, panels along the hull would slide away, revealing the vessel's primary response to the need for a massive outfit of firepower in short order, delivered en masse from multiple angles. Multi-barreled laser weapons emerged from these hidden ports, the powerful union of the Gatling gun and futuristic magi-tech. Arranged across the hull like the myriad spines of some ancient centipede, those clustered-barreled weapons swiveled smoothly on their mountings, moving in legion as they tracked the target that had been commanded of them--that solitary space bike, piloted by a prodigy vampiress who had, against all logic, sided with the Light against the Darkness.

Perhaps now, she might realize the consequences of such a betrayal of her race's true nature.

As one, those gatling lasers tracked her, target lock acquiring. A single moment passed in absolute silence.

And then, as one, the cannons fired. Myriad flashes of hardlight energy erupted from a legion of whirling multi-barrels, and a downpour of Darkness-laced energy pulses lanced out into the void. The ether of Hyperspace became a blizzard of deadly bolts, flying with the speed that powerful capitial cannons lacked. Would the space bike they sought prove faster, more agile? Or was she doomed to be swept from existence, the first casuality of the final stage of the war between Light and Dark?

The space of the next several minutes would tell.

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail was in the hold with Ellin as the ship was lifting skyward and upward. She had to get the components of a holy II prepared before she could cast it. She was just about to take care of it, when Ellin stopped her for just a moment. After a few touching words, the dark knight put a small vial containing an elixir concentrate into the woman's hands.

The White Mage looked up, her eyes wide she gazed into the knight's eyes. "But... what about yourself?" she asked, showing concern for her. "Don't you need this?"

A hand lifted up, touching the area over Ellin's heart. A smile crept over her lips before she'd stand on tip-toe to kiss her softly. "This... this means so much to me..." she said. Then, blushing, she took a few steps back to begin working on the spell circle.

She had to create a circle of salt, with drops of potion on the four corners where a cross would intersect the whole thing. Bending down, she took some charcoal out and began to write the spell's words along the outside of the circle, while muttering to herself. Then, she clasped the vial in her hands with a smile to Ellin... and knealt in the center, praying.

The entire circle began to glow brightly, charging the power it would take to cast. Holy II was forming...

[Ellin Destroix]

Ellin nearly melted when another kiss was bestowed upon her by the lovely white mage. She sighed dreamily at first, before shaking her head after noticing a Chocobo watching them from the corner of the hold; It seemed to be 'chuckling' in that strange way a bird does, and this caused the dark knight to blush darkly. She would glare at it shyly, wanting it to mind its own business, and then her attention went back to Abigail, who continued to pray.

The girl knelt down, and began to formulate the mass of the symbol, and how wide she would create the corridor. Agrias gave her an important task, and she wanted to complete it immaculately... but for this to work, she needed as much precision as the white mage...

[Sai]

Sai's eyes lifted upward once more as a voice intruded on his mind. He was silent throughout the disembodied vocalization's demands and posturing, showing no hint of feeling one way or the other regarding anything he said. If Orestes could in fact feel emotions, he'd still get nothing from his target. Then again, if the heartless was attempting to intimidate a Nobody, then the poor soul was simply wasting his time.

Sitting back, Sai paused a moment or two when the words had finished, then sent back a simple, three word reply.

"Are you done?"

That was it. Nothing suggesting interest or dismissal, just a simple question regarding the rather long-winded and cliche'd villain's posturing, which they both knew all too well to be as genuine as snake oil. Besides, Sai was already mid-way through calculating the final outcome of this battle.

Would it frighten anyone that he was labelling it at 50-50?

[General Beatrix]

General Beatrix continued waiting for Sylvia's reports on how long it would take for the Sister Ray Cannon Red Rose Series to complete loading, and as she did so she observed as the Alexandrian flagship broke through Sherwood's world barrier to meet alongside Brass' galleon, standing before the mountainous Harbinger.

"Indeed it is quite the leviathan," she remarked. "much bigger than I remember the last time we met."

Beatrix stood and moved forward, to take in a better view of the fleet before them, and waved her arm to the side, where soldiers waited for orders.

"Give Amrita and Laura the go-ahead to begin firing the gatling guns, and for Michelle and Maria to launch cannons. Once Sylvia has informed us the Sister Ray is ready, we will ascend and veer up some, as I suggested before. Please tell Dahlia, Carmella and Jane to prepare the hull, unlatch everything bolted down in the cargo bay, so that we may shift weight. I want our hull heavy enough so that the base may slice into that monstrosity before us."

The general's response was a flurry of "Yes, ma'am! Right away, ma'am"s before women began running off the bridge in several directions, obeying her orders and showing that Alexandria does not dally.

"Agrias," said the general, turning slightly. "Please man the bridge for a moment. I need to speak with someone."

She waited for no response and exited the bridge, halting just behind the emblazoned curtain that separated command center and hallway. She pulled the iPod from her pocket, which had been buzzing for quite some time.

"Show me Acteur," said Beatrix. When darkness formed on her screen, she waited patiently to see the face on the other end, but went ahead with her conversation. Little did the general know, however, was that the Phantom Puppeteer was based on the enemy ship before them.

"Acteur De La Noir, this is General Beatrix Lilian Flint. We are in dire need of assistance, as the Fallen's battleship is blocking passage. What can you tell me of the ship's core, and how to take it down?"

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The Brass Duke, Cobalt and the crew, a mixture of humans, moogles and golems, were ready for battle, their cannons directed towards the Harbinger, transporters targeted to somewhere within, and mages in magummi rooms, ready to launch war spells when ordered to.

"This is going to the Nobody," said Brass into the intercom. "Since you should know. What's the best angle--weakest--for me to attack? I'm sure I can transmute some of it, make it even weaker or tear at least bits and pieces away from its skeleton."

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[glow=gray,2,300]"I am ready to fire whenever you give your orders, Captain," said Zolapaz, having taken initiative and simply sat where he decided he'd be needed the most: at the weapon panel.[/glow]

[Twilight Path]

Sarah stayed on the bridge, not able to help out with anything. She could only wait for Acteur to somehow make a way for her to reach him. She had to fight him with her own hands to save the one she loved. Looking at Beatrix, she realized she had forgotten to tell her about Acteur's current condition.

Approaching what looked to be a curtain, she heard Beatrix talking. The voice of Acteur's last, almost desperate plea came into her mind. She opened the curtain and looked at Beatrix with a hesitant, but confident expression.

"I am no longer master of myself. My fate is written. This may not even be coherent thought anymore, but merely a lingering echo. But I wonder...can you survive? Can you end it? For, if my will was still mine, that would surely be my wish--for you to have the resolve to do what is necessary. To put an end to the macabre parody that I have become. To topple the monstorsity that has been pulling my strings. To keep on walking your Twilight path, proving that Light and Dark need not always fight. To play such beautiful music, that moves the Hearts of all who listen to it."

"Acteur won't answer now. He's no longer in control of himself."

[nexus]

Nexus made his way through the inner walkways of the ship, taking the long way to the cargo bay. Every time he passed by a gathering point or lounge, he would look in and glance over the women that were in them, after the last one he passed by, almost to the bay, Nexus shock his head "What am i doing....... we are in a emergency status, of coarse she would be running around doing what a soldier should be doing......." he said to himself shaking his head "I guess i just wanted to say goodbye to Ria " he chuckled a bit as he entered the cargo bay.

When Nexus entered the bay his eyes went wide with the amount of people running around preparing for the battle to come. He saw Airinose over in her corner, and walked over to her. On his way he passed by Abigail and Ellin. "Good luck ladies" he said on his way.

Airinose turned her head for the ladies of dark and light in their preparations, to Nexus walking up to her, she smirked at him "About time you showed up, i was wondering what was going on" she said through their mind link.

Nexus walked up and patted Airinose on the side of her neck "Yeah ,well sorry, i wanted to know what was going on...... Say Airinose, you ok for flying?" Nexus asked aloud

Airinose looked at her shoulder, which had almost healed up after her rest "Yes, i'm fine to fly, but whats wrong Nexus, you look.......well worried?" she cocked her head a bit

Nexus looked up at he eyes, "I dunno, i guess I'm just worried, i dunno whats out there, and.............. i don't know if we're gunna .....well..." Nexus trailed off

Airinose's eyes slanted, and with a half roar, she snapped down, just inches away from his face, and with a growl she let some smoke pour out the side of her mouth "THAT is not you Nexus , you never have doubt, soooooo what makes you have it now" she hissed

Like being woken up from a daydream reality snapped back into place, Nexus's eyes went wide and without thinking he smiled, and then took on a devilish grin. He placed his hand on the side of her face, "yesssss" he hissed back at her

They both exchanged idle chatter after that, preparing themselves to launch, A soldier walked up and handed Nexus a communication gummy in the form of headset to keep in contact. With that the two waited for the battle to start before the launched out int the fray.

[General Beatrix]

"Acteur won't answer now. He's no longer in control of himself."

Beatrix turned to find that she was not alone in the hallway, drew a hand to her hip, and gave Sarah a look of contempt and confusion. Taking a deep breath and clearing her throat she raised her iPod hand and waved it before the piper.

"Do you mean to tell me that he no longer knows my voice, let alone your own?" she asked, moving close to there the girl from Middleton stood. "If that is the case, then we must find a way to assist him once this mission is completed."

She withdrew the seeing machine into her breast pocket and turned for the bridge, hoisting the curtain slightly. However, before pressing on she had to pause, and give Sarah one last look over.

"I'm sure all will be well, Miss Appleton, but we must first eliminate the Harbinger and threat of darkness. Come, I could use you on the bridge. What can you offer the crew? Your prowess with magic most delicate and dark, I'm sure, could prove useful. No?"

[Twilight Path]

"Magic?" Sarah looked a little confused at the way Beatrix addressed it. "I'm afraid I can't use it anymore." She closed her eyes, knowing what Beatrix said would be useless. She knew what Acteur wanted and she had to do it herself. "The only way I used magic was my piccolo. Now that it's part of my key blade I can't play it to activate its abilities."

She wasn't aware in her travels of how to naturally use magic. The medium of the piccolo was necessary and she was trained to use it. It would take too long to learn it without a medium and she couldn't use it as well as Ellin or Beatrix. The only other thing she could do is remain connected to Acteur, but there was no way the messages she sent could be confirmed.

[Sai]

Another voice. This time from without rather than within. Sai completely severed his link with Orestes, seeing as he didn't want the heartless to have any real advantage here. And quite frankly, should Orestes try to delve into those depths again, Sai was already preparing mental defenses that would leave the man a drooling pile on the floor before he learned so much as where the link had landed.

Now, Sai lifted a hand and pressed the button to communicate between ships, answering a call for him from the Brass Duke's gaudy flying castle. His response was calm, despite the tension felt all around.

"I'm afraid I cannot offer any tactical advice on the layout of The Harbinger. I have no real insight as to my other half's actions nor the construction of the vessel. My knowledge is generalized to standard-to-semienhanced gummi designs based on the models produced in Radiant Garden. However, based on my priliminary observation, I would suggest the most obvious weakpoints would be from below, which appears to be less densely laid out with weaponry, and from the direction of the engines for the same reasons. That is not to say that neither of these is not extremely fortified, but rather less offensive than all other routes."

Sai looked over and tapped another button, to ensure that information was relayed to the Flagship of this ragtag fleet. "Agrias. Did you receive the last transmission?" he asked, ensuring that whatever information he could offer to their chief tactician would be where it was most effective.

[The Alexandrian Army]

"The Sister Ray is at 80.5 percent efficiency, General Beatrix. With every shot there might be recoil damage, so as Agrias says, we must use the weapon wisely between intervals and selective shots. If we put too much pressure on the Rose for it, she might not be able to handle it even with current structure." Sylvia would frown a bit, examining the specks of the ship and massive weapon, "I think our limit would be about 10 shots, and we have to make them count if anything."

"Ten should be enough...." Agrias would mutter, looking at the battle ship models upon the table, "...should be... what is the maximum wait between one hit and another?"

"It needs about five minutes, Lady Agrias" Sylvia would answer, frowning a bit at the thought, "It won't be able to operate, and will be useless until it is charged again, and since it is the main weapon, and huge..."

"Then it will be the perfect target for them to strike... but not to worry, Lady Abigail and Lady Ellin will take care of us in that time span." It was then when she heard the General speak to her...

"Agrias, Please man the bridge for a moment. I need to speak with someone."

"Right."The knight muttered, and walked about the bridge and opened communications to the other ships, "Alright, is everyone ready out there?"

"I'm afraid I cannot offer any tactical advice on the layout of The Harbinger. I have no real insight as to my other half's actions nor the construction of the vessel. My knowledge is generalized to standard-to-semi-enhanced gummi designs based on the models produced in Radiant Garden. However, based on my preliminary observation, I would suggest the most obvious weak points would be from below, which appears to be less densely laid out with weaponry, and from the direction of the engines for the same reasons. That is not to say that neither of these is not extremely fortified, but rather less offensive than all other routes."

As she heard the Nobody wizard speak, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine this for a moment, only to frown at the idea, "It would seem like the perfect way to go..." she sighed, rubbing a little at her temples, "... but there might be a hidden plan for such 'weak spots.' ... 'Tis the most obvious route, is it not?" Agrias turned to the bridge, and continued to speak, "Alright then. Sai, take Nexus and scout the lower regions of that ship-- we will deter fire from thee-- if thou find actual weak points, and no traps then we will give that a go. Ye' two have agile ship and dragon, so if anything happens, thou will be able to get out of there quickly." she paused, "Ser Brass Duke, if such a weakness is found, I would like thou to weaken it further if possible, and if not, to take on the sides of that monstrosity one at a time. That way thou can prevent damage by not having both sides come at thee."

She walked over to the stationed map at the center of the bridge, and moved about the small model ships in order to see it play out, " ... The Red Rose will handle the heavy weapons with the Sister Ray.... and with its own agility, can swerve away from anything that thing can throw at us in such distance."