2020-11-27: Desperate Times

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  • Log: Desperate Times
  • Cast: Citan Uzuki, Leon Albus
  • Where: The Calm Lands
  • Date: November 27, 2020
  • Summary: Citan speaks with Leon about his concerns regarding their position, and the steps that may be necessary to stave off Yevon.

<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.

    The Calm Lands live up to their name -- large enough, mostly unsettled (chocobo stables and assorted infrastructure for travelers aside) and just distanced enough from the front lines and other problems to the south for a bunch of wayward Drifters to regroup and assemble their plans.

    This much is certain: Yevon is unlikely to let their 'insult' slide. The war will continue until Bevelle falls or the Guard breaks itself on Yevon's defenses. Home is gone. Most of the major cities are under the control of either the Guard or Yevon.

    Eventually, someone will make their move.

    It may be for all these facts in conjunction with this reason that, as the sun sinks low behind the mountains, Citan Uzuki comes to speak to Leon Albus.

    "Is this a bad time, captain?"

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"Hardly so," Leon says. He had been at the travel agency on the Calm Lands -- he spends time there or the Fereshte, these days, when not in the field. He had a hand against a post of a fence used for chocobos, to keep one here in its pen. He pushes off it, and turns his head.

His silver eyes shift over towards Citan Uzuki. He knows him well enough; they've spoken many a time, and he has been reliable. He has been, at the very least, very helpful with Fei.

Given Fei's other personality, Leon would accept help from nearly anyone. He is glad that the doctor seems competent.

"A pleasure as always, Doctor Uzuki," Leon says. "What can I do for you today?"

<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.

    Citan nods the once, giving Leon the time he needs. "To be more accurate, perhaps it may be 'what can I do for you'," the doctor leads with, folding his arms over his chest. "...I have been thinking about our situation here. It is a habit of mine to, ah, overthink matters such as these, so please excuse me for being blunt on the matter, but I believe these are the facts as they currently stand.

    His gaze rests on Leon, as if to read whatever expression may arise. "...Yevon and the front lines lie to the south of us. To the north is Mt. Gagazet, and I understand passage through there may not be easy. While we are not truly trapped so long as we have the airships... our back is otherwise 'against the wall'." His expression grows somber. "...I do not believe Yevon intends to forget what we have done. It's only a matter of time until they move against us -- indeed, I wonder if some situation on the war front has kept them from doing so already." He pauses, as if to give what he has said room to breathe. "...Do I have the right of things, captain?"

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon shakes his head once. Bluntness is fine by him; Leon hardly minds bluntness out of people. He prefers it to sugar-coating things.

"You're quite right," he says. "Yevon won't forgive us for what we've done--though I dare say, after all their Maester did on Filgaia, I've every reason to believe they would turn on us sooner or later anyways." He barks a laugh out.

"And our geographical situation is tenuous," he adds. "The airships let us slip into Luca, Besaid, and the other southern areas... but I wouldn't want to spend a great deal of time there. We've got a need to find some way out of this mess."

<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.

    "Indeed... I did not expect us to remain even remotely on their 'good side' for long, though I admit," and here the doctor does smile, even if it's a helpless one, "I did not expect us to be at odds quite so quickly. To hear the others tell it, much, if not all of the leadership in Yevon is allied behind the Maester. No doubt, they are in agreement with him and his methods."

    There is a pause, wherein he shakes his head. "Though, I suspect, they would not care for the specifics of his plan, if what I have heard is correct. Nor do I believe we've seen the last of him. The Maester has... demonstrated himself rather resilient to 'dying'." Only the slightest twitch of Citan's mouth betrays this dry statement as a rather grim joke.

    "Indeed. And there is more besides. I have heard stories that some force is occupying Lake Macalania. From what I have been able to glean, no one has been able to get close enough to identify the party involved, but their abscence from the conflict in Spira -- so far -- suggests but a few possibilities. It is possible even the air could be barred from us, if I am correct."

    Citan shakes his head. "What I am saying is this: we need to act, and the sooner the better. We lack the defenses and the forces to hold our ground here, and I would not wish to put all our faith in an aerial escape. Neither can we afford an attack on Yevon: forgive me, captain, but we would lose if we attempted to storm Bevelle."

    Citan glances up, at the blue sphere of Filgaia hanging in the sky. "We need, I think, another option. And for that, we may need to buy ourselves some time. ...We need to give Yevon something to think about other than ourselves."

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"I wondered," Leon ventures. "I think that we're going to find those sorts hard to keep on the good side of for long."

He rubs his hand over his chin. It has more stubble on it than he used to; he hasn't shaved as well as he once did, it seems. Maybe he lacks a good razor in Spira. He tilts his head to the side, then.

"I can guess who is at Lake Macalania," he says. "Because we never really pushed them out, did we?" he says. He hesitates for a second, and then he bobs his head once in agreement. "You're quite right. What do you suggest, then? That we find them a new enemy? Or that we try to find a way out of Spira?"

<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.

    "Perhaps so," is the doctor's only answer, in that regard.

    If anything Citan... hesitates for a moment, before nodding. "Then you, as well... Yes, I think that 'they' are the most likely ones to be there. Others would have played their hand already, or have lent their aid to... the Guard, I believe, if my understanding of certain alliances is correct. Most likely they are instead monitoring the situation from there, and perhaps also..."

    He doesn't finish that thought, instead closing his eyes as if overburdened.

    "...Their presence there means that passage back to Filgaia is barred." He glances back at Leon. "I think we may need to do one to accomplish the other. Perhaps there is another way to Filgaia from here. I do not think it is that unlikely: we have found 'one way doors' on either side, as it were. In order to find that passage back, however... we will need time. Information, too -- perhaps Cid may know of some likely places to search."

    But he raises a hand to rub at his chin. "We need some way to strain their defenses. Another enemy would do this. There are other possibilities: the mere illusion of another threat could buy us time, as could disruption of their supply lines." His gaze turns away from Leon, as if he were loathe to speak of this possibility. "I admit that I had considered this previously, after the rescue mission failed. A city that large cannot survive without significant supplies from the outside. Disrupt them by whatever means and conceal our hand..."

    He shakes his head. "...However, whatever we do, we also run the risk of bringing their attention upon us should we fail." He smiles, unhappily. "'Thus weighs heavy the burden of command'," he remarks, only to again shake his head. "But, if things remain as they are, I fear their attention will soon return to us. It has already been some time..."

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"Quite likely," Leon agrees. "'They' would be content to stay there, from all I know of them. Odessa... is rather foolhardy, in that respect. They would have struck out, I think."

And, besides, Odessa has some way to teleport between the two. They never found it on the Warwing Varukias, but they had the Sorceror Globe. The thing must be somewhere.

"Hmm. Strike at their ability to receive supplies?" he asks. "That is a thought. There is one way--they seem to have a port, and the Guard have largely crossed over land. Sin seems to prefer the waves, besides."

Leon shrugs. "If we destroy their harbor in an attack, that would likely accelerate the end of it." He frowns. "Though... honestly, most Drifters would have a problem with sentencing a city to starve."

<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.

    "I wonder if Odessa might not have already," Citan muses, rubbing at his chin.

    "Indeed. The port would be the most likely place to strike. However..." There is one large problem with that plan, even if they kept their hand in it hidden, and it is one that Leon names shortly thereafter.

    "...Yes..." the doctor replies, glancing over at Leon. "There is no sense pretending they would not be correct. That would be the intended outcome, in fact," he continues, readjusting his glasses. "It is another reason I am loathe to consider that option overmuch, but..."

    Citan shakes his head. "Nevertheless, unless we find a solution soon, I am certain Yevon will come to us. If we have no other options..." He lets the matter hang in the air, neither fully advocating for it nor against it.

    "Perhaps first, before we consider the actions we could take, we should take stock of the situation with Cid. He may know something we do not. ...Nevertheless, we must consider our options and take delaying actions if we must."

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"Almost certainly," Leon says. "They remind me of commanders on the front that would take rash actions, as fast as they could, to appear decisive. Then they overreach, and get batted back down."

Leon nods his head, though. "I think we should speak with Cid, first," he ventures. "And see what we can find. Yevon will move, but they're likely to send specialists -- not entire armies. Their army is rather tied up at the moment."

He wrinkles his nose, then nods. "But... we should have it in mind. The other Drifters are idealistic, so sometimes, we have to be sure those ideals don't get them killed. And do what's necessary."

<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.

    "Yes... what drives them is their own 'idealism', if in the guise of 'fanaticism'," he remarks. "Some of them are soldiers through and through. Others... are not," Citan adds, on the subject of Odessa.

    "I agree. At present, I run the risk of overthinking the matter -- my wife did always say that was one of my weaknesses," he says, sighing and shrugging his shoulders. "There is no sense making plans to act -- though I think we must -- before we understand the situation. Cid is a native: he will know many things we do not."

    He nods, then. "Yes. They will not crush us with an army... but I would not take any 'specialists' lightly."

    Perhaps he would know well the power of a well-placed group of specialists... or even just the one.

    "Yes..." the doctor says at length, gaze resting on Leon for a moment before sweeping out to take in the rest of the encampment. "I do not think that idealism is... a terrible thing, to be certain," he says, watching over this place that has become home. "To envision and plan for a better world... However, in order to protect that 'better world', at times... yes, we must do what is necessary."

    Even if the ones they are doing it for do not wish it.

    Citan turns his attention back towards Leon. "Perhaps we share this point of view because we have served," he says, and smiles, though it is without any scrap of mirth. "If, that is, in very different institutions. It is strange to think that, now," he adds, only to shake his head. "'If this or that had not happened, we would be foes.' At times, there is nothing certain about one's path in life..."

    With that pensive statement voiced, Citan smiles, somewhat more honestly this time around. "Well then. Perhaps we should find what the others are preparing for dinner?"

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"A little thinking never hurt anyone," Leon says, cracking a smile. He nods, though. He has no illusions about either their specialists or the people that they might send after them. Those could pose far more danger than an army, spread out.

"It isn't," he agrees. "I can't say I feel that idealism myself. Perhaps when I was younger... though, it was different." He shrugs his shoulders once. When Leon was younger, he was an idealistic Kislevi soldier; time has disabused him of that notion.

Then, he nods his his head. "Quite right. I could have been, too--ah, were things different, I might have been trying to get Weltall back from Fei. Strange, how it ended up." He cracks a smile.

Then, he stands. "Let's," he says. "I could stand for some good food."

<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.

    "I think Yui -- my wife -- might agree with you on that," Citan remarks, shaking his head. "However... I must confess that I am not known for 'a little thinking'. On that front, she is entirely correct."

    He still won't admit that she's right that he talks too much, too, though.

    The risk of specialists only increases with the spread-out nature of their encampments, along with the lack of no easy way to communicate with each other. Even one person could overwhelm them. The fact that it hasn't happened yet--

    Well, it only makes him that much more uneasy. There's too much going on about which he knows very little.

    "Maybe so..." It has been a very long time since he himself has felt such naked idealism. These days, he has optimism, indeed, even hope for the future... but it is tempered by the realities they face every day. Sometimes, one must do terrible things.

    "Oh?" Citan arches an eyebrow. "...Ah yes, Weltall was stolen from Kislev. Perhaps so. Perhaps so..." He shakes his head. "Well then! Be as it may, we are here now as we are. With any luck, we shall still be here tomorrow!"

    And for the moment, that involves getting dinner.