The Gelnika landed on a grassy peninsula east of Cosmo Canyon. Reeve rode out of the cargo plane on a black Chocobo; Reno, Rude, Elena, and Cait followed close behind, riding their own Chocobos. A squadron of troops and SOLDIERs were the last to leave the plane. Reeve turned to the group and addressed them.
       "Reno, I want you to head to Nibelheim to make sure the mansion is secure. Elena, go on to Cosmo Canyon; the Elders should be waiting for you. Half of the SOLDIERS go with Reno; the other half with Elena. Rude and Cait Sith are coming with me."
       Reno spoke up. "Where're you going, Reeve?"
       "The Gold Saucer. I have some things there that I have to pick up. After that, we'll rendezvous in Nibelheim. Everyone understand?"
       All of the Turks and SOLDIERs nodded, and left on their missions.

          Reeve, Rude, and Cait soon arrived at the base of the Gold Saucer's main support pillar, finding it strange that the prison that surrounded it was devoid of human life. After a brief look around, the three of them took the freight elevator up to the Chocobo stables, and then stepped out into the main betting room of Chocobo Square. They found the place quiet and dimly lit. As they searched around for a light switch of some kind, a voice spoke up from the darkness; "Who's there?" it asked, causing the three intruders to freeze in their tracks. Upon recognizing the voice, Reeve stepped forward and answered, "It's just me."
       From the betting room's main entrance, Ester emerged, with a young security guard following her from close behind. The Chocobo trainer exclaimed, "Reeve? What are you doing here?" Reeve noted that the security guard was looking at him more curiously once he heard the name.
       "Mainly, I came for the Moogle Siths, but I also wanted to know how everyone here fared after Meteor struck."
       Ester shook her head. "Things have been pretty chaotic around these parts… Gongaga and Corel have been plagued with riots. You haven't been to Corel yet, have you? I noticed you came through the jockey's entrance. The Ropeway cable's been cut, so…"
       Reeve nodded. "I came through the prison, though I didn't see any criminals. I'm guessing they all escaped in the post-Meteor confusion. Anyway, has anyone been doing anything about the rioting?"
       "There are some squads of SOLDIERs and other Shinra units that have been fighting them off… I think they're trying to protect the reactors. Also, there's been sightings of a large blue airship over some of the more conflicted areas."
       Reeve mused, "A blue airship…"
       From far away, an explosion could be heard. All heads turned in the direction of the sound. The security guard pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked at Ester. She nodded, "Go ahead and check it out, Saber." The guard took off for the nearest security tower. After Saber left, Rude asked, "What was that noise?"
       Esther sighed. "Probably some fighting going on in Corel…"
       Reeve turned to Rude and Cait. It was time for action. "Rude, you and Cait go down there and see what's going on… take the Chocobos-- you'll get there faster."
       Rude nodded and took off down the freight elevator, with Cait following from close behind.

       Reeve rode into Cosmo Canyon late that evening, with a large group of giant Moogles of various colors following him from close behind. These were the Moogle Siths, similar to Cait Sith in that they could only be controlled by Reeve. Soon, the man and his Moogles were at the town gates to pick up Elena and her squad. When he got to the top of the stairs, he was surprised to see others waiting to depart with them, namely Elder Hargo and a small group of former Shinra employees who had been visiting the Canyon on a scheduled retreat when Meteor struck. Reeve didn't argue as the newcomers joined the caravan headed to Nibelheim.
       Meanwhile, in Corel, Rude and Cait had managed to cross the desert and head toward the far end of the valley, where North Corel was located. Some of the villagers recognized Rude as being from Shinra and rushed forward, killing Rude and Cait's Chobobos. The imposing Turk fought back with his gloved fists and Materia, while Cait yelled demands to see the rebel leaders through his Crystal Megaphone. Unfortunately, the Corel rebels weren't feeling all that cooperative and forced Rude and Cait deeper into the battle.
       They were at the Reactor now, along with battalions of SOLDIERs and many scattered rebels. The SOLDIERs were startled to see Rude fighting alongside Cait, but didn't question it. One of the SOLDIERs ran up to Rude and tried to draw his attention to the small maintenance tower that stood above the Reactor core. Rude and Cait both turned to see a man trapped inside the tower, apparently held hostage by the rebels. Cait rushed forward in an attempt to help the man, but was pulled back by Rude, who pointed up at a large blue airship which had positioned itself directly over the reactor. The robotic cat shouted, "Wait! They've got--" but it was no use. Missiles, not unlike those used on the Highwind, poured out from the bottom of the ship, and rained down on the reactor below. The reactor exploded, and everyone who was still alive started running away, hoping to avoid the blast. Many didn't make it, or were swallowed up by the pure Mako which was slowly flooding the whole area. Rude and Cait Sith managed to climb up to a nearby cliff ledge; there, they paused to watch the damage unfold beneath them. Cait looked up at the blue airship in wonderment, and was soon snapped out of his trance by a heavy hand on his shoulder. Rude looked at the cat grimly through dark glasses. "There's nothing more we can do here. We should get going."
       Cait nodded and followed Rude down the mountainside, and along the railroad tracks. Upon reaching the town of North Corel, they couldn't help but shake their heads at all of the injured who were hit by the shrapnel that had come flying from the reactor. Cait turned to Rude. "We've got to stick around and help these people… it's the least we could do." Rude nodded solemnly and took out his PHS to call the Gold Saucer and request medical supplies.

       Back at the site of the North Corel Mako reactor, dozens of rebels and Shinra's finest lay dead, strewn all over the ground. A large crater filled with green liquid occupied the space where the reactor once stood. The whole area was marked with an uneasy silence.
       Suddenly, a hand broke through the surface of the Mako lake and gripped the ground fiercely. It belonged to a man who was pulling himself up from the Mako. He bent over and coughed up globs of green liquid, breathing heavily. After catching his breath, he stood up and looked at the carnage around him with a dispassionate eye. He gripped his long, black hair in his hands and squeezed the dripping green fluid from it. Then, he took off his black coat jacket and attempted to brush away the Mako which had tried to seep through the coat's tightly woven wool. Finally, he brushed off his black tie and black trousers as best he could, then pulled his jacket back over a white cotton dress shirt, which was now stained with light green splotches.
       He narrowed his dark eyes, pushing his brows to meet at the small birthmark located at the base of his forehead, directly above his nose. He looked up to the sky, catching sight of a small blue dot high up in the clouds. Then he surveyed the carnage around him once more.
       "That's the last thing we need right now," he muttered to himself as he started climbing the northern mountains.

*****

       When Reeve and his party returned to Nibelheim that evening, the small town was deserted. A low fog was creeping in, and a cold breeze blew in from the Nibel Mountains. Elena leaned over and whispered, "I don't like it…"
       Reeve answered, "Neither do I. Let's hope Reno and his group managed to secure the area…"
       Reeve, Elena, Hargo, and the Shinra managers met Reno at the foot of the Mansion's front steps; the Turk told them that Nibelheim was relatively safe, and that most, if not all, of the spooks were cleared out of the Mansion. As the others spread out around the Mansion to take a breather, Reeve headed for the ballroom, where he sat down and opened up his laptop. I wonder if the BlueJay Nexus has posted any more news, he thought to himself, as he turned the device on and logged in. Sure enough, there was an EFA message wating for him. It contained details of the battles of Gongaga and Corel, of Yuffie's returning to Wutai-- possibly with all of AVALANCHE's Materia, and of another recent sighting in Wutai… of Cid Highwind.
       Reeve raised his eyebrows. Apparently Cid had survived as well, and was well out of Shinra territory. This news was too good to ignore; for, if they could get in touch with one another, Cid would prove to be an excellent asset to Reeve's cause. Reeve walked quickly out of the ballroom and called for Elena and Reno. The two Turks came out from the East Wing and looked at Reeve, who began to talk excitedly. "Listen… Captain Highwind's been spotted in Wutai. I want you two to go see if you can meet him there and find out what his plans are. Take the Gelnika… you are to leave immediately!"
       Without another word, Reno and Elena left the room to prepare for the mission; their Gelnika flew off toward Wutai at sundown.

       The next few days were spent fixing up the Mansion, investigating Hojo and Gast's old lab in the basement, and reconditioning the Mako reactor on Mount Nibel. Reeve was happy with the progress that they were making, and was especially happy with the townspeople's assistance. One morning, Reeve, Elder Hargo, and a few managers and technicians met in Jenova's Room in the reactor, going over their final plans. Hargo asked Reeve what he planned to call his new corporation. Reeve turned back to him and answered, "You know… I've been so busy that I haven't given much thought to it."
       One of the managers said, "I think we should incorporate the Shinra name into it somehow… as it is recognizable and represents us as an offshoot of Shinra."
       Reeve rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Not a bad idea… but I also want this name to mean something… I don't want our company to merely be Shinra's 'offshoot'."
       Then, a memory took hold of Reeve…

       He was in his office in the Shinra Building, with Tseng sitting in the chair directly across from him. They were eating Wutaiese food; fumbling with their chopsticks and discussing plans for infiltrating AVALANCHE. It had already been decided that CAIT (Catlike Automaton for Infiltration and Tracking), the newest model Sith, would be the one Reeve would control for this mission; under the guise of a fortune-telling machine at the Gold Saucer. However, what would be the reason for Cait Sith to join the group?
       Reeve spoke up. "How about, Cait Sith reads them a fortune that is so cryptic, that he has to join them to find out if it will come true?"
       Tseng nodded. "Not a bad idea. Now the question is, what sort of fortune would that be?"
       Reeve opened his fortune cookie. Looking at the slip of paper that was inside, he laughed. "Certainly not this one."
       "What does it say?"
       Reeve held it forward so Tseng could read it. Written on the slip of paper was: "Be careful of forgetfulness. Your lucky color is blue."
       Tseng did his best to stifle a smirk as he leaned back and opened his own fortune cookie. Reading the fortune, his expression turned grim. He silently handed the slip of paper to Reeve. Out loud, the bearded executive read, "What you seek will be yours, but you will… lose something dear…"
       For a brief, silent moment, the two men looked at each other. Finally, Tseng said, "Good thing I'm not superstitious… In any case, I think we have our fortune."
       Reeve nodded, and wondered about Tseng. There was something disquieting about his current demeanor. Reeve looked back at his own fortune. "Your lucky color is blue…"

       "Reeve? Are you all right?"
       Reeve snapped out of his reverie and turned to look at the group, who were anxiously awaiting his answer. "Yes… yes… I'm okay. And I have the perfect name for our company…"

       Late that afternoon, some residents of Rocket Town stormed the Nibel Reactor. Running only on backup Mako, the Reactor was in fair shape as the people broke into the building. They started to make their way to the main control center when they came across a group of Nibelheim residents. A dispute broke out, talking turned to shouting and things started to get violent. A shot was fired; the shot ricocheted into a lightbulb, casting darkness on the villagers. Another shot was fired; this one punctured one of the Mako cells. The cell opened and a monster crawled out. Startled and frightened, the villagers froze in their tracks. The monster began to glow, ready to let out a powerful destructive spell when suddenly, an Ice 3 spell was cast on the monster by a large round figure standing in the shadows by Jenova's door. The monster vanished.
       The villagers turned their heads toward Jenova's door. It opened, streaming bright light into the room. An imposing figure in a long dark cloak stood in the doorway, his black boots shining in the light. His sharp chin turned toward the giant purple Moogle stationed by the door; he nodded, and the Moogle walked off and disappeared. In his hand, the cloaked figure cluched a legendary weapon, the… Starlight Phone.
       "I forgot how cold Mt. Nibel is," said Reeve, dressed in a dark grey trenchcoat, shivering as he walked down the steps. Following him from Jenova's room were Elder Hargo, an engineer from Rocket Town, and a former Shinra Manager. He looked toward the stunned crowd and smiled as the Moogle switched on the backup lanterns.
       "I know that many of you are aware of the current chaotic state Shinra is in," Reeve stated. "I am here, because I want to offer everyone freedom from President Shinra's oppression. With some help from the Turk Alliance, and hopefully, with your help, I will be able to beat Shinra at it's own game. There are better ways to live than with Mako." Reeve scans the crowd, looking for their response. He spotted Elena entering from the rear.
       Reeve continued, "I know that it's hard to imagine life without Mako. But surely, many of you remember when the land around Midgar was green, when there were fish in the ocean near Junon, and when this very mountain was teeming with life. But things aren't like that anymore, and it's all due to the exploitation of Mako. Shinra has also exploited its resources in other ways, in promising us the world, and coming up short. You residents of Rocket Town surely remember the Space Program; you were promised steady employment. That is, until Shinra realized how profitable Mako was and cancelled the program."
       A voice came forth from the crowd. "So what? The rocket got launched anyway, and, besides, the Captain is missing. What else are we to do now? All we've got left is Mako."
       Elena spoke up. "If you mean Cid Highwind, then he is alive and well." The crowd from Rocket Town looked in her direction. A small smile crept onto Reeve's face; So it was true…
       One of the Rocket Town residents asked, "Where is he?"
       "Wutai. I didn't get a chance to speak to him. The guys at Turtle's Paradise said he was building a plane and planning to leave shortly."
       Reeve was silent. He scanned the crowd again. "I have to go, but if anyone would like to be a part of the future of Shinra, and the Planet, these gentlemen here", Reeve said, motioning to the three men behind him, "will gladly answer any questions."
       Reeve walked through the bustling crowd toward Elena. A question is shouted in his direction. "Did you go to Cosmo Canyon? Is Red XIII there?"
       Elder Hargo answered, "Unfortunately, no one in the Canyon has seen or heard about Nanaki since he left for the Northern Crater." Reeve scanned the crowd, trying to get a glimpse of the questioner, but saw no one. Nexus…, Reeve thought.
       Reeve walked over to Elena, and left the Reactor with her. As they headed back down the mountain toward Nibelheim, he told her, "We need to get in contact with Cid, but first, I need a drink. It's been a long week."
       Elena nodded in agreement. "So, what about this company you've just created? What is it called, anyway?"
       Reeve just smiled and looked down on the village below. "Blue Shinra."

       The next morning, Saber arrived to work at the offices of the Gold Saucer's security division. There, he noticed a group of his fellow security guards huddled around a television. Curious, Saber walked over to look. On the TV, Reeve was giving a speech, apparently on a pirated Shinra channel. The former Shinra executive was sitting at a large desk, in a room that looked like an old library. A large banner hung behind Reeve; it was blue, with a blue and indigo Shinra logo displayed in the center. Reeve said:
       "Good morning citizens. As you may have heard, the Shinra Electric Power Company has been split into two factions. To differentiate between President Shinra's company and our own, we are calling ourselves the Blue Shinra Utility Company. In conjunction with the Turk Alliance and a select group of Shinra's own military forces, Blue Shinra will work to ensure the well-being of the Planet while providing you with the finest electricity at the lowest rates. We are truly committed to building toward a better future, with none of the Shinra Electric Power Company's lip service. To find out more about Blue Shinra, please visit or write to our offices in Nibelheim. Thank you, and have a wonderful day."
       Saber walked away from the television after watching the speech. He went to his locker and started changing into his uniform, to get ready for another long day of work.

---

Completed September 2001 | Revised January 2003 | Copyright 2001-2003, The Blue Shinra Project.

You may notice that I brought Saber in a little bit earlier than he originally appeared in the roleplay. As he becomes a VERY important character later on, I felt that an earlier introduction was more than appropriate. Saber, hope you don't mind :)

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