Zack leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath. He looked around the small locker room, where four bodies were strewn about the bloodied floor. He had only been in Junon for a half-hour, and already, Zack had been forced by Jenova to kill a small group of Shinra MPs and their superior officer. In the corner of the room by the door, a walkie-talkie lay; on it, a small red light flashed on and off. Zack recognized it as the standard distress signal.
         Wearily, Zack thought, "More troops are on their way…"
         "We won't have time to deal with them," Jenova replied, "for we must now head toward the dock, where we will find passage across the ocean… but to get there, we must not draw attention to ourselves."
         "How are we going to do that?"
         "Silence, puppet. I will take care of everything."
         Zack sighed to himself. After so many days spent in the wilds of the Eastern Continent, he had grown used to his captor's dominion over him. He didn't like it, of course; but by this point, he had seen little incentive in fighting against it. Zack remained motionless as Jenova worked her usual brand of strange magic over him. However, instead of having him grow wings or tentacles, Jenova made him immaterial, impossible to touch. Zack held his hand in front of his face. He could see straight through it. Focusing on the room he was in, Zack found that he could see through everything else as well. Before his very eyes, the world around him blended together in a visual capophony.
         Just then, the sound of several pairs of boots reached Zack's ears. It was a group of military personnel, and they were headed this way.
         "Jenova—"
         "Yes, I hear them as well. Let them come…"
         A SOLDIER flung open the door to the locker room, gasping as he came into the room. His eyes shifted over to where Zack was now floating.
         "Se-Se-Sephiroth!" the SOLDIER stuttered as three of his comrades followed him inside.
         Zack—now in a ghostly Sephiroth form—simply nodded once. Then, he flew up through the ceiling, and was gone.

*****

         Rufus stood before the War Room's large window, gazing out over the vast ocean which separated the Eastern and Great Continents. It had been awhile since he had last visited Junon, and he'd forgotten how stunning the ocean looked on bright, clear days such as this one. He hoped that this good weather would last until the day after tomorrow, when his Welcoming Ceremony would be taking place.
         From behind him, Heidegger's voice interrupted his train of thought. "Sir, the Turks have arrived like you've requested."
         Rufus turned away from the window to face the Turks. They stood behind Heidegger, all wearing businesslike expressions. The President paced before the group and began the meeting.
         "Now, as you all know, the Welcoming Ceremony is two days from now. There has been a lot of planning and preparation for this event, and I want everything to go off without a hitch. Tseng, I want you and the other Turks to oversee security for the parade."
         Tseng replied, "Sir, if I may, I have some questions. Do you want all of us for this job, or just some of us?"
         "Well, now that Reno's back, what's the status on Elena?" said Rufus, looking over at the newest Turk. "Are you keeping her on or not?"
         Elena's eyes widened, and she began to protest, but Tseng interrupted her with a raised hand.
         "I have decided to keep her on as a Turk." Tseng answered. Somewhat suprised by this reply, Rufus raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Elena, who had noticably relaxed after hearing her boss' words.
         Tseng continued, "Now, again, which of us do you want for this job?"
         "All of you; one person each at the Airport, the Airport Path, the Dock Corridor, and the Dock."
         "Which brings me to my next concern," said Tseng. "We can only provide adequate security if we know what we're up against. Rude, Elena, and I received a lead from a SOLDIER stationed in the Condor region that a man in black was headed toward Junon. I realize that Sephiroth's presence is a very real security concern, and as such, I must know if there have been any sightings of him in this area within the last twenty-four hours, so that we can plan accordingly. I also believe that AVALANCHE may be en route here, from Fort Condor. It appears that they are seeking Sephiroth as well, though their exact motives remain unknown."
         Rufus ran a hand back through his hair. One of the things that had always annoyed him about Tseng was how damned thorough he was. He glanced at Heidegger.
         "Have you or your men heard anything?"
         "Acutally, a report came in just a few minutes ago from a platoon of SOLDIERs. They had seen Sephiroth in a locker room, shortly after he had massacred four MPs and a seargeant. Sephiroth escaped, and his current whereabouts remain unknown." Rufus folded his arms across his chest. "I see. And what of AVALANCHE? Have there been any new reports on their movements?"
         Heidegger shrugged. "I have neither seen nor heard anything about AVALANCHE being anywhere near Junon. The MPs and SOLDIER are keeping their eyes peeled in case they do show up."
         "Very well." Rufus paused in thought for a moment, then continued "If you do see them, make sure they're stopped. I don't want them to slip by us again. Everyone is dismissed… keep up the good work."
         As Rude and Reno turned to go, Elena gave a slight bow toward Rufus and said, "Thank you, sir."
         Rufus raised an eyebrow. Reno quickly pulled her away from the President.
         "Did I do something wrong?" she asked, a confused expression on her face.
         Reno just shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Let's just get out of here."
         Heidegger saluted and turned to join them, when he was stopped by Tseng.
         "Mr. President, Mr. Heidegger," Tseng said as he let go of the Peace Preservation chair's arm. "I have a proposal, if you're willing to listen."
         Rufus glanced over to Heidegger, then back at Tseng. "What sort of proposal?"
         "I would like to plant a spy in AVALANCHE's party. I believe that this will be the most effective way to keep track of their movements."
         "Are you sure that's really necessary?"
         "Well, they've already been ahead of us once, in Kalm. Like it or not, they may have better leads than us as to Sephiroth's whereabouts… or motives."
         "What sort of spy were you thinking of planting?" Heidegger asked. "An undercover officer?"
         "No; something a bit less conventional than that. Mr. President, do you know anything about the project I have been working on with Mr. Heidegger recently?"
         Heidegger interrupted, "You don't mean the Battle Square recruitment device?"
         "The very one."
         Rufus walked closer to them, feeling irritated that he was being left out of this circle of knowledge. "What are you two talking about?"
         "The Battle Square recruitment device," Heidegger explained, "is a reconfigured audio-animatronic fortune-teller codenamed Cat Smith—"
         "Cait Sith, sir," Tseng corrected.
         "Right. Cait Sith. It was originally intended for use as a long-range means of monitoring Battle Square's contestants, scouting for potential SOLDIER candidates."
         "What do you mean by 'long-range'?" Rufus asked.
         "Cait differs from other Gold Saucer animatronics in that he can be controlled from any part of the world via Shinra's Global Positioning System," Tseng said. "In contrast, the others must be controlled from within the confines of the Saucer. Cait has a number of other such versatile features, but I can spare you the details for now, if you wish."
         Rufus nodded and turned away from Heidegger and Tseng, focusing back on the large window and the shimmering ocean beyond. He sat down in a swivel chair parked by one of the room's many computer terminals and listened as Heidegger and Tseng discussed the feasability of using this device as a spy.
         "What I'm thinking is that we can send Cait to whereever it is AVALANCHE travels next, to hand out flyers for the Gold Saucer," Tseng said, "From there, he can weasel his way into Cloud's group."
         "It's not a bad idea," Heidegger replied, "but the device is still in development."
         "I used the beta not too long ago during a mission where I tracked down and captured the Ancient. I believe that the full-sized model should be ready for deployment."
         Rufus listened to their conversation while thinking over Tseng's plan, then smiled. He swiveled around in his chair. "There's just one little problem, as I see it."
         Tseng asked, "Which is?"
         "We don't know where Cloud and his friends are headed."
         "You mean after Junon? No, not yet."
         "In any case, I'll have to say no to your idea… for right now, at least," Rufus decided as he rose from his seat. "Until we can get a strong lead on either Sephiroth or AVALANCHE's whereabouts, planting a spy in their party seems like a waste of time. And you will find them, will you not?"
         "I'll do my best, sir," Tseng answered.
         "As will I," Heidegger added. "Now, if you would please excuse me sir, I have work to do."
         After Rufus nodded in approval, the Peace Preservation chair saluted before the two younger men, then turned on his heels and walked out of the room. Rufus, noticing that Tseng had started to follow Heidegger, walked up to the Turk and reached a hand toward his shoulder. Tseng quickly whirled around, just before Rufus' hand was to touch its newfound perch.
         "Is there something else, sir?" Tseng asked, with nary a shread of emotion in his voice.
         "Before you go," the President said, "there's something I need to know."
         "What is it?"
         "This Battle Square Cait Sith device of yours requires a human operator, right?"
         "Yes it does."
         "Let's say that I do give you authorization to deploy this unit. Who do you have in mind to control it? You?"
         "Well sir, I—"
         Rufus smiled slyly. "I need you here… you know that."
         Without changing his expression, Tseng replied, "To do my duties as a Turk, I presume."
         "Yes… yes, of course," Rufus said assuredly, reaching a hand out to stroke Tseng's chest. "To be a loyal Turk… just like your father was."
         Tseng stepped away, just as Rufus' fingers were about to brush against the fabric of the Turk's tie. Tseng's eyes narrowed at Rufus; the President saw that they were as cold and hard as onyx. Rufus smiled thinly, pointedly.
         "You know, don't you. Admit it."
         "Yes, I know," Tseng affirmed through clenched teeth. "And it makes you that much more despicable in my eyes."
         "And here you are, still working for the Company…"
         "I never had any intention of leaving."
         Rufus frowned; this was not the answer he had been expecting. "How quaint. Sometimes I wonder how you can stand to be around me."
         Tseng simply said, "I try not to think about those sorts of things."
         Rufus sighed and looked out the window once more. Going back to the original topic of conversation, he said, "So… about Cait Sith's controller—it can't be you. Do you happen to have anyone else in mind?"
         "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, if we get to it."
         Tseng left the room, leaving Rufus to mull over the Turk's subtle way of saying "no".

*****

         The Welcoming Ceremony took place two days later, shortly after which Rude went on a fact-finding mission for Heidegger. Rude's task was to gather information from the locals as to either Sephiroth or AVALANCHE's whereabouts; conviniently enough, it gave him an excuse to hang around the local bars and shops for the rest of the day. The other Turks had it even better: they weren't assigned at all.
         The early afternoon sun rose high as Tseng stared out of the War Room's large window. He didn't mind the downtime; in fact, it was a welcome break from the rigors of travel that he had been subjected to since leaving Midgar. However, his mind was plagued with anxiety, for he had neither seen nor heard anything of Aeris in days. Speaking of which, there was also the matter of Junon's security. Sure, Rufus had assured his staff that AVALANCHE wouldn't have been able to penetrate Upper Junon, and things had been fairly quiet at the Welcoming Ceremony, but Tseng suspected that the group wasn't very far away.
         "Hey, Tseng?"
         The voice was Reno's. "Yes, what is it?"
         "Elena and I were going to get some lunch. You want to come with us?"
         Tseng paused, thinking it over. Perhaps this break would be good for all of them; after all, Elena had yet to really see the relaxed side of Tseng that the others knew. He turned around and nodded.
         "Sure. Where were you thinking?"
         "The little diner on the Dock Path."
         "The one with all the blue neon?"
         "Yeah, that one."
         "Sounds good to me. Let's go."

         Elena had been waiting for them just outside of the War Room. The three Turks rode the lift down to the main thoroughfare and walked to the diner. Throughout the city, the Welcoming March was still playing, and members of Shinra's army and navy were bustling about, readying the cargo ship that would take Rufus and Heidegger to the Great Continent. They arrived at the dimly-lit diner, which was buried just far enough inside the building to block out most of the sounds from outside. Aside from themselves, there were no other customers.
         Reno eased onto a barstool and dragged a glass ashtray over from the other side of the bar. Tseng and Elena took seats to either side of him as a redheaded waitress came over to the customers and dropped menus before them. Tseng opened his, glancing over at Reno, who was silently appraising their server's cleavage, and at Elena, who was silently ignoring her neighbor's salaciousness. Reno pulled out a pack of cigarettes and made an unsuccessful attempt of offering smokes to Tseng and Elena. He shrugged and lit up by himself. Tseng sighed and shook his head as he browsed the lunch specials.
         "I still don't know why you try and offer me cigarettes when you know very well that I don't smoke."
         Reno exhaled a gray plume that rose and curled in the blue light. "Force of habit, I guess."
         "You hang around Reeve too much," Tseng countered good-naturedly.
         "What's that supposed to mean?"
         "Nothing."
         "Bullshit. Anyway, what're you thinking of getting?"
         "Pastrami on whole wheat."
         Reno rolled his eyes. "You always get pastrami! Damn man, get something different for once."
         Tseng put on one of his custom intimidating stares. "I happen to like pastrami."
         "Fine, fine," Reno replied, obviously not intimidated in the least. "What are you getting, Elena?"
         "I'm not sure… you wouldn't have any suggestions, would you?"
         "The omelets here are really good."
         "So's the pastrami," Tseng added, just to annoy Reno further.
         Reno glared at the smirking Turk leader. Elena leaned over the counter and gave Tseng an inquisitive look.
         "Don't mind me, Elena. I'm just messing with our friend here," Tseng said.
         "Seriously though, what do you recommend, sir?"
         Tseng's smirk vanished as he returned to the menu. "Well, if you aren't in the mood for pastrami or an omlet, the chocobo salad's good."
         "Yeah, I forgot about that," Reno added. "Their chocobo salad's the best on the continent."
         "All right," Elena replied with a smile. "I'll try a chocobo salad sandwich then."
         Seeing that the Turks had finally made up their minds, the waitress took their orders, shooting a wary glance at Reno as she jotted his down. After she disappeared into the kitchen, Reno tapped the charred part of his cigarette into the ashtray and got their conversation going again.
         "So," he said to Elena. "Tseng told me Rude showed you around yesterday."
         "Yeah. He said he used to work in Urban Development as a surveyor while undergoing his Turk training.."
         Tseng cut in, "That he did."
         "Sir, if you don't mind my asking, what did you do before you became a Turk?"
         "First off," Tseng answered, "we aren't on duty. Please, call me Tseng."
         "All right… Tseng."
         "And to answer your question, I was an intelligence specialist for Peace Preservation."
         "No surprise there, eh?" Reno quipped, winking at Elena.
         Tseng returned the ribbing with a sly smile. "Elena, has Reno ever told you what he did before he was recruited into the Turks?"
         "No he hasn't."
         At first, Tseng thought this strange. He had gotten the impression that Reno and Elena were rather close. Perhaps they just happened to have that certain chemistry… the kind of friendship where one feels as if they've known the other their whole life; the kind of bond he himself had with all the other Turks save for his newest recruit. As he thought this, he realized that perhaps it wasn't so unusual that Elena knew so little about Reno. They all had their own secrets, after all…
         He shook himself out of his thoughts when he noticed Elena staring at him, anticipating his reply. Reno, on the other hand, regarded him coolly; Tseng knew exactly why. Still, he couldn't resist.
         "He was a rocket scientist."
         "Tseng!" Reno barked, which caused the other man to burst into laughter. Elena stared, eyebrows askew, as Reno lunged at Tseng's throat.
         "Are you two all right?" she asked.
         "Yeah, don't mind us," Reno replied, fiercely letting go of his grinning leader's shirt collar. "This dickhead here just thinks it's funny to call me a former 'rocket scientist'."
         Reno shot a look at Tseng; the redhead was annoyed, but the mischievous glint in his eyes told Tseng that he had expected no less from his leader.
         "He was a materioloist for the Space Program," Tseng said, a certain level of seriousness having returned to his voice. "I first met him in Rocket Town during the Wutai War."
         "Yeah, I remember that day. You scared the shit out of me."
         Still addressing Elena, Tseng continued, "Rocket Town was the Shinra settlement closest to the front. Seven years ago, Reno played a key part in the Battle of Leviathan on the plains just north of the launch pad."
         "As I recall, the Shinra No. 22 was on the pad at the time. That was the last project I worked on."
         Through their reminiscing, Tseng found himself seeped in that past. He remembered being astounded at how this libidinous young prodigy from Cosmo Canyon not only oversaw significant parts of the Space Program's materia research, but also thwarted spies and faced a whole unit of Wutai's most vicious ninja. When he met Reno Cerise face to face for the first time, Tseng had found him zoned out on his kitchen floor, stark naked, under the influence of the hallucinogenic side-effects of one of his own experiments. Reno had screamed upon Tseng's entrance, believing him to be a black chocobo with large claws who was about to tear into him. It took two castings of sleepel, one of a high-level ice spell, three tranquilizers, and a thick coil of rope to bring Reno under control.
         Tseng sighed, his forehead resting on his folded hands. Reno had certainly been a character back in those days, but so had he. Those were good days, the ones from the past; but they were also days filled with sorrow and angst.
         The waitress came back with three plates and three glasses, breaking the sudden silence of the Turks with the clattering of ceramic and silverware. The Turks' conversation was set aside for a moment as they began to eat.
         In between bites from her sandwich, Elena said, "It's funny. I never had you pegged for a scientist, Reno."
         "I don't know if you'd call materiology a 'science'," Reno replied as he poked a fork at the tomatoes and onions spilling from his omelet. "Especially not the way I practiced it. Anyway, that was seven years ago. I don't want to talk about that old stuff any more."
         "I second that," Tseng added. After all, this whole discussion was bringing up some unpleasant memories of his own. "Let's just enjoy our meals. That's what we came here to do."

         They remained in the diner long after finishing lunch, drinking coffee and chatting about inconsequential things. Then, as they heard footsteps approach the diner's entrance, the Turks fell silent, waiting for whoever it would be to come in and go away again. Tseng turned his head slightly to see the visitor come through the door while his comrades remained focused on their coffee mugs. It was a Shinra MP, a grunt, and he was coming straight toward Tseng. The MP shouldered his assault rifle and saluted. Tseng started to wave the MP away, when the latter motioned for the Turk leader to lean closer.
         "Hey, it's me," the MP whispered.
         Tseng's eyes bulged momentarily. The voice was one he had not heard in all too long.
         The head Turk stood up and told his colleagues he'd be right back, not even bothering to venture a reason for his departure. Reno stared hard at the MP, then nodded; Elena just nodded, apparently not giving any thought to the MP's business. Tseng escorted the MP to the barracks and climbed the stairs until they came to the dark corridor that led to the Turks' quarters. He knew that in this military town, it was one of the few places where it would be safe to talk.
         Once Tseng locked the door, the MP sat down on the the folding chair next to the storage lockers.
         "Aeris… so you're all right?"
         She set the rifle down on an adjacent table and took off her helmet, smoothing out her bangs as best she could. Indeed, she looked the same as ever.
         "I'm fine, yes. This past week's been strange to say the least."
         Tseng sat down on the bed across from her, laying his arms across his folded legs. "I know. It's been that way for us, too. So, are your friends in Junon as well?"
         Aeris froze. "You aren't going to report us, are you?"
         "I'm off-duty…"
         She shook her head. "Sorry, but I can't say."
         Tseng nodded. "I understand. We live in two different worlds, now even more than in the past. I'm just glad to see that you're safe." He paused, then looked at her more intently. "Your friends are here, aren't they? And they plan to board Rufus' ship?"
         Aeris didn't reply.
         "Have you seen Sephiroth in your travels?"
         "No. We heard he was here, but I haven't seen him, nor has anyone else—that I know of, at least."
         Tseng furrowed his brows. "None of us has seen him either. Rude's out gathering information, but we haven't heard much yet." He examined her face carefully. For some reason, he found her usual calmness somewhat alarming.
         "Aeris, listen to me. I'm headed back to Midgar soon. You should come back with me. I don't want to see you getting involved in this mess."
         She shook her head determinedly.
         "Why are you doing this? You're risking your life going after this madman. Not only that, but the Shinra are after Sephiroth as well. You're putting yourself in twice as much danger as a result."
         Aeris closed her eyes and sighed. Tseng hoped that she wasn't losing patience with him. "I'm traveling with Cloud and the others because there are things I need to find out about Sephiroth."
         "Such as…?"
         "Is he really an 'Ancient' like I am? Is he out looking for the Promised Land? You know, there are still things about myself that I don't understand yet."
         Tseng stood up and paced away from Aeris. "Yes… I realize that now. I wasn't aware of your intentions, and for that, I apologize. Just realize that if you do continue traveling with your new friends, I can't be around to help you."
         "I know that."
         "Also, keep in mind that I will worry about you."
         "You don't trust me?"
         He walked back to where Aeris was sitting and kneeled before her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He looked her straight in the eye. "It's not that. It's just… I love you too much not to know if you're all right. You're like my little sister, Aeris. You know that…"
         Aeris lowered her eyes and sighed sadly. "Yoshiro, what will it take to convince you that I can look after myself? We aren't children anymore."
         Tseng let go of her and resumed his position on the bed. "If traveling with those fugitives really means that much to you, then I suppose I can't stop you."
         "Thank you. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go."
         She stood, picking up the assault rifle from the table. After slinging the weapon over her shoulder, she took her helmet and started to put it back on. Tseng sat on the edge of the bed in silence, watching her attempt to conceal her long ponytail beneath the helmet.
         "Yoshiro… umm… can you help me?"
         The Turk frowned, slightly irritated at her hypocrisy.
         "I thought you could look after yourself."
         "Yoshiro," she sighed. "Please?"
         "Very well." He stood up and helped her tuck her long hair underneath the cramped confines on the helmet. "Is that all right? Are you comfortable?"
         "Yes, I'm fine. By the way, it was good to see you again."
         "Same here," Tseng replied as he took Aeris' hand in both of his. "Now hurry up. Rufus' ship leaves port about an hour from now."
         Aeris' gloved fingers curled around one of Tseng's hands. He squeezed her hand in response, then let go and headed for the door.
         "Take care of yourself, Aeris."
         "You too, Yoshiro."
         Tseng opened the door and led Aeris back down to the ground floor, where she promptly took off for the dock, and he returned to his comrades in the diner.