The following morning, Rude was just about to leave the Turks' Junon quarters when the door swung open and Reno stepped inside. As Reno had left for work earlier that morning, Rude immediately took his coming back as a sign that something was up—and he was right.
         "Change of plans," said Reno. "You're helping us out at the submarine dock."
         "But I don't know the first thing about submarines."
         "Neither do I, but the covert submarine squadron is short-handed, since a lot of their crewmen died in an attack by some underwater Weapon a few days ago. Don't worry, you won't have to drive the damned thing, just give orders."
         Rude sighed. "All right. I'll make sure the guard on Nibelheim's Huge Materia is doubled in the meantime. Anything else I need to know?"
         "Word came in that the rebels living at the base of the Condor mako reactor had a little bit of help in fighting off Shinra's forces yesterday."
         "AVALANCHE?"
         "Who else? With any luck, if they comes here next, we'll be able to handle 'em."
         "Right," Rude replied. Reno took off, and, after checking that he had everything he needed, Rude soon followed.

         Rude walked out of the barracks and onto the Airport Path, where large cranes and helicopters were busy lifting the recently detached mako cannon. Just ahead, a regiment of Shinra troops in tan uniforms were gathered; these were the Underwater MPs, a special Shinra unit that provided security for the Underwater Reactor and piloted the company's Covert Ops submarine fleet. Rude silently approached this group as their commander, a corporal in a red uniform, briefed them.
         "…Our units will be in the water precisely one hour before Shinra Numbers 1 and 2 leave the dock. We must keep an eye out for any and all enemy vessels before, during, and after our mission. Some members from the regular army will assist us, as we are short-staffed."
         "What about Shinra C-04, sir?" one of the MPs asked. "She still doesn't have a captain."
         "Actually, he's just arrived," the corporal replied, nodding toward Rude. The group of MPs turned back to look at him. "Rude Powers of the Shinra Turks will be the captain of Shinra C-04 for this mission. Please do everything you can to assist him."
         "Yes sir!" said a group of three MPs, whom Rude presumed to be the Shinra C-04's crew. The corporal continued, "Are there any more questions?"
         "No sir!"
         "All right. Be in position and ready to depart the Submarine Dock at 1100 hours! Until then, dismissed!" The MPs scattered, leaving just the corporal and Rude. The military officer gave the Turk a salute. "Glad to have you aboard, sir. You know the details?"
         Rude nodded. "There's just one thing. After this is over, I need to be at the airport with the Huge Materia to fly to Rocket Town."
         "Not a problem. I'll make sure your unit is the one closest to the dock when Shinra No. 1 departs. You can be their escort, along with Shinra No. 2."
         "Shinra No. 1 will be carrying the Huge Materia?"
         "Yes sir. It'll be the large red submarine on your vessel's radar. Shinra No. 2 will be white, and the Covert Ops subs will be gold."
         "Good to know. Thank you, Corporal…"
         "Tromwell, sir. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. And you're welcome, sir!"

         A couple of hours later, Rude and his small crew of three MPs were underwater in a submarine, awaiting the arrival of the fleet's two main units. Soon, the radio sparked to life.
         "Shinra C-04, this is Reno Cerise of the Turks. Is your captain there?"
         One of the MPs replied affirmatively and handed the radio over to Rude. "I'm here, Reno. What's going on?"
         "The Huge Materia's on board Shinra No. 1, but we have a little problem. Cloud and company have arrived."
         "Cloud? But wasn't he caught in that cave-in at the Northern Crater?"
         "That's what you told me, but it looks like our old friend's alive and well. Anyway, one of the cargo-handling mecha's keeping 'em busy at the moment. I doubt they'll be able to get past that thing, but just in case, keep an eye out for anything suspicious after the red and white subs launch."
         "Right. Is there anything else?"
         "Nope. I'm on my way to the airport at the moment. My plane's leaving soon—they pushed the flight time up."
         Rude lowered his head slightly; he was hoping he'd be able to send Reno off with a proper farewell, but it looked like there was no chance of that happening now. "I see. Well then, best of luck to you."
         "The same to you and your crew."
         "Take care, Reno."
         "Yeah… you too, Rude."
         The radio went dead, and Rude silently handed the receiver back to the MP. The ship was fairly quiet for those next few moments until a red blip showed up on the radar.
         "Sir!" said the MP stationed at the main control console. "Shinra No. 1 has left port! Shall we commence with the operation?"
         "Let's wait for Shinra No. 2."
         Sure enough, a few minutes later, a second blip, white this time, appeared on the radar.
         "Shinra No. 2 has left port! It's following close behind Shinra No. 1."
         "Steer this vessel so that its course is parallel to that of Shinra No. 2."
         "Yes si—"
         The MP's words were cut short by a small grey dot on the visual display, originating from Shinra No. 2. Rude stared at the blip, hoping that it wasn't what he thought it was, but then, the words of one of the other MPs confirmed it.
         "Captain! Shinra No. 2 just fired a torpedo at Shinra No. 1! What's going on?"
         Hijackers, Rude thought. It looked as though Cloud and his buddies had survived their encounter with Reno's mecha and had somehow taken control of the white sub. In the most commanding voice he could muster, Rude ordered the crew to aim their own torpedoes at Shinra No. 2.
         "Sir?" one of the men queried. "Are you telling us to sink one of our own ships?"
         "That ship has been taken over by AVALANCHE. We must protect the sub carrying the Huge Materia at all costs. You—" Rude ordered, pointing at the third MP, "—get on the radio and let the other covert subs know what's going on."
         "Y-yes sir!" the MP said, picking up the receiver.

         In the end, their best efforts were for naught. The Shinra No. 2 did eventually sink the Shinra No. 1, and before any of the vessels in the Covert Ops fleet could get to the downed sub, their efforts were hampered by the large green Weapon swimming in the vicinity. Suddenly, the radio crackled to life with an order for the entire fleet: they were to steer their ships to the main dock topside so that the Huge Materia could be taken to the airport. Rude immediately asked the MP manning the radio to change the frequency to a closed channel and hand him the receiver.
         "Sir, this is Rude Powers in Shinra C-04. The vessel carrying the Huge Materia has been sunk, and there's no way we can retrieve the cargo at this time."
         "What? But how? And why are you using an encrypted channel?"
         "It's because Shinra No. 2 has been compromised. She's the sub that took out Shinra No. 1."
         "I see. Well then, get up here right away and I'll see that you get on your flight before AVALANCHE has a chance to sabotage that."
         "Thank you. Over and out."
         The radio-manning MP started moving the dial back to the one the submarine fleet normally used, when something caught Rude's attention.
         "—day! May—"
         Rude leaned forward in his seat; that was Reno's voice. "What was that?" he asked the MP.
         "I think it was one of the Gelnika channels; sounded like a distress call. Should we report it, sir?"
         "No… Open the channel."
         The MP paused, as if wondering what a sub could possibly do to save an airplane, then shrugged and carefully moved the dial back to the correct frequency.
         "—This is Shinra Gelnika No. 9! Mayday! Weapon is attacking and we—oh shit—damaged wing—going down fast—east of the Corel Desert—the ocean—we're losing altitu—" Reno's words were interrupted by a large, dull boom. Rude pinched his eyes shut, doing his best to suppress a gasp. The only thing that could be heard over the radio now was static.
         "Sounds like they crashed into the ocean, sir," the radio man said without prompting. Rude simply nodded in acknowledgement, then ordered the radio man to return to the encrypted channel.
         "Sir?"
         "I must inform the Corporal that there's been a slight change in plans."

*****

         Reno's copilot had died before they even hit the water. When that huge, flying Weapon—the same one that had carried out that first attack on Junon a couple weeks prior—knocked their Gelnika out of the sky, the co-pilot's neck snapped due to the sheer force of inertia, and his head fell with a heavy thud onto the control console, pressing some button which only served to accelerate their downward plunge into a particularly deep bay off the coast of the Great Continent. Reno himself had been a bit luckier, suffering only a few large bruises on his upper body; once the Gelnika had settled to the bottom of the sea, he took care of these injuries with a hi-potion.
         It had now been three hours since the Gelnika had landed on the ocean floor, and Reno had abandoned the cockpit and sealed it as tight as he could, since water was leaking into the place at a steady rate and threatened to fill it up completely. Unfortunately, since he had to leave the cockpit so hastily, he wasn't able to pull his co-pilot out of his chair and into drier quarters, and instead left him in his new, watery grave.
         The rest of the Gelnika had fared better. There was a tiny leak here and there, but nothing severe. The main hold in particular was in decent shape, although the helicopters and some of the other cargo had been badly damaged. Various members of the three species of monsters he had helped create roamed around freely; most of them were dazed, but otherwise unharmed. Reno breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that perhaps his plan could still be salvaged… that is, provided someone heard his distress call.
         It was as he stood on the catwalk, leaning up against the wall as he watched his creations wander about the cargo hold, that he noticed something odd lurking in the shadows. Reno squinted at it, his eyes widening them as this thing drew closer. It was a large sea serpent; it must've somehow gotten in along with the water that was slowly leaking into the ship as a whole. The serpent's glassy eyes locked with Reno's before the beast itself suddenly lunged at him. A startled Reno quickly scrambled out of the room, slamming the door shut before the serpent could reach him. He heard a loud thud against the door—probably the serpent's head—which was followed by a deafening silence. Somehow, he had to get out of this damned plane.
         Not long after his escape did he feel something large bumping up against the Gelnika from the outside. Reno remained still, not knowing what it was, but not feeling up to investigating it, either. However, the next set of sounds he heard came as a welcome surprise—shoes against the clanging metal rungs of a ladder, followed by footsteps in puddles of water. He stood up straight, arms folded across his chest, awaiting his rescuer, yet he never could've anticipated the sight that met him next.
         "Rude? What're you doing here?" Reno exclaimed, his mouth agape, once the bald man entered the hallway.
         "Got your distress call," Rude answered.
         Reno grinned and rushed up to his comrade, gripping him in a tight, grateful hug. "I have no idea why you're here and not well on your way to Rocket Town, but I don't care." He let go of Rude, still grinning. "Thanks for coming after me."
         "Where's your co-pilot?"
         "Dead. His body's in the cockpit, but I wouldn't go in there if I were you—I'm sure it's completely flooded by now. So how'd the submarine mission go?"
         "Cloud and his friends sunk the sub with the Underwater Reactor's Huge Materia… we were unable to salvage it."
         "Shit," Reno replied, pacing back toward the cargo hold; from behind, he heard Rude's footsteps follow. "So what about Nibelheim's Huge Materia? Hopefully they didn't get that one as well."
         "No. It left Junon safely, and is on its way to Rocket Town. I arranged to have one of the Gold Saucer's helicopters pick me up and take me there once I'm done here. Want to come along?"
         Reno shook his head. "You know me and Rocket Town aren't on the best of terms. It's better if I don't."
         "Then what do you plan to do?"
         "Go back to Midgar, talk things over with Rufus." Reno watched as Rude bent down to examine the shut door; there was a small dent where the sea serpent's head had struck it from the opposite side. "If I'm lucky, we'll be able to salvage this plane's cargo and get it to the rendezvous point at the Northern Crater as planned."
         "And if not?"
         "Well I don't want to think about the 'if not' right now, if you know what I mean."
         Just then, Reno heard a set of footsteps; once again, they were against the rungs of a metal stepladder, then splashing through water. Unlike Rude's, however, they sounded a bit more muffled, as if they were made by rubber-soled boots. Maybe it was one of the crewmen aboard Rude's submarine?
         As Rude stood up, Reno turned around to get a look at the newcomer after they had walked into the room, only to find himself coming face to face with a visitor who was even more unexpected than the last.
         It was none other than that spiky-headed blond bastard who seemed to make a hobby out of cheating death, doubtless for the sole purpose of annoying him.

         Reno didn't feel too guilty about running away this time; after all, if Cloud and his friends wanted to explore the wrecked Gelnika, they were perfectly welcome to do so. Those "weapons" of Reno's and the Science Department's should be recovered from the shock of crashing, and not only that, but hungry. He and Rude made a beeline for the exit, the latter calling the sub via radio to see if they were ready for them.
         Once they were safely inside the dry confines of Shinra C-04, the sub began its ascent to the surface. Along the way, it passed the Shinra No. 2, floating above the sunken Gelnika, seemingly indifferent to the Covert Ops sub in its immediate vicinity. Unfortunately, there was no time to do anything about the stolen sub now. Rude had to be seen to dry land as soon as possible in order to board a helicopter that would ferry him away to Rocket Town, where Palmer and the town's mechanics were busy preparing the long-neglected Shinra No. 26 for launch.
         Rude placed a call via PHS as the sub rose; by the time they surfaced, the helicopter was there waiting for him. Reno wished his second good luck and thanked him once again for the rescue, then watched as Rude boarded the helicopter and then, after one final wave, took off into the sky. After watching him go, Reno walked across the deck of the submarine and entered it once more.
         "All right," Reno told the crew. "I'm taking over from Rude as the captain of this vessel. Let's head back to Junon, full speed ahead."
         "Yes sir!" replied the MPs, and they all got to work. It was not long after they left the Great Continent that the radio crackled to life.
         "Sir, this is Corporal Tromwell! Did you manage to find the felled Gelnika?"
         Reno motioned to an MP to pass him the radio receiver, which the latter did. "Corporal, this is Head Turk Reno Cerise. I was rescued by Rude and your crew from the Gelnika. Rude had to continue on to Rocket Town, so I'm afraid he's not on board this vessel any more."
         "Ah, sir! It's good that you made it out of there alive! And what of your co-pilot?"
         "Unfortunately, he died during the Weapon attack, and I was unable to retrieve his body before the cockpit flooded."
         "I'm sorry to hear that."
         "It happens. Listen, Corporal, I'd love to chat with you longer, but I have to report this little incident to the President."
         "Very well, sir. Over and out."
         The radio went dead and Reno handed the receiver back to the MP. He then pulled out his PHS, but was hesitant to flip it open and dial Rufus' number. His gut instinct told him that if he did, and reported the President about what had happened, then any possibility of a salvage mission for the Gelnika would be ignored in favor of "Plan B". Seeing how he was Plan B, he didn't want that to happen.
         On the other hand, Rufus was bound to find out about the wrecked Gelnika from somebody, so either way, he was fucked.
         With a bitter scowl on his face, Reno leaned back in his chair and called the President's office in Midgar.

*****

         "No… no, no, no…"
         Elena had been at this task, by herself, for the past few days. During that time, Cloud had somehow returned to his AVALANCHE friends, and together, they stole the Underwater Reactor's Huge Materia. Just the previous day, they boarded the Shinra No. 26 shortly before it blasted off from Rocket Town. Or at least, those were the reports she had heard from various sources.
         The Shinra No. 26 did collide with Meteor as planned, but unfortunately, the rocket had failed to destroy it. In fact, all the Shinra No. 26 had succeeded at doing was merely blowing a few chunks from the Meteor's surface, chunks which remained in close orbit around their source. However, it seemed as if the President was not one to give up, as the plan for destroying the barrier over the Northern Crater continued to progress right on schedule. It still wasn't known whether killing Sephiroth would have any affect on Meteor, but there was little else any of them could do but try. That same afternoon, Reno had come by the office to tell her and Rude that Rufus had ordered him to accompany the army into the Crater once the barrier was gone. Stunned by this news, Elena insisted that Reno take her with them, and Rude likewise pledged his support. Though he seemed to be touched by these gestures, Reno could barely break a smile, and insisted that he had to take the rest of the day off. Neither Elena nor Rude objected.
         Yet, despite these events, nothing could prepare her for this, the culmination of her research.
         "This… this can't be right…"
         Once she had arrived at the office the morning after Rude and Reno left for Junon, she'd dumped her bag and coat at her desk before making her way upstairs to the Corporate Libraries, ready to get to work, despite her massive hangover. Since then, she spent much of her time scouring corporate records—expense accounts, employee absences, travel and entertainment receipts, the minutes of meetings, and numerous other bits of paperwork. She then would compare this information with the Turks' own notes regarding Cait Sith's travels: when Cait first joined Cloud's party, when her and her fellows encountered Cloud in Gongaga, the afternoon of her kidnapping by Don Corneo in Wutai, the horrible experience in the Temple of the Ancients, her last encounter with Cait in Icicle Inn, Barret and Tifa's escape from Junon. Numerous names had already been crossed off her list going by comparing dates alone, but on that fateful evening, the day after the rocket launch, one particular set of documents in the Urban Development library gave her pause.
         "It's got to be just a coincidence… But…"
         She had stumbled onto these documents entirely by accident; as she hadn't been getting very far with her usual research tactics as of late, she decided on a different approach and pulled this particular set of papers out at random. They regarded an eviction case: a house in the Sector Five slums which had violated some obscure building code. As per Urban Development Division regulations, the owner of the house was taken into custody, along with any occupants—in this case, a little girl whom the owner was taking care of. Later on, it was discovered that the charges had been made in error, and the homeowner and little girl were let go.
         The timing of these two events—the eviction and its overturning—was uncanny. The first report was filed the day before Tseng retrieved the Keystone from Cait Sith at the Gold Saucer. The second report was filed the very same day that Barret and Tifa escaped from Junon, with Cait's help.
         However, the most damning thing about the eviction documents was the name of the house's tenant: Elmyra Gainsborough. According to the Turks' own records, Mrs. Gainsborough was the foster mother of Aeris, the Ancient that had been traveling with Cloud's group up until her reported death. Also curious was the name of the little girl who was mentioned in the documents. She went by Marlene Wallace; her surname, of course, was the same as that of Barret Wallace's, the leader of AVALANCHE and, until Cait intervened, a man the Shinra Company had sentenced to die.
         What if, somehow, Cloud and his friends learned, or at least suspected, that Cait Sith was a spy, around the time of the mission to retrieve the Keystone? What if Cait blackmailed them to keep quiet about it, and only decided he had earned their trust after helping Barret and Tifa to escape Junon's gas chamber?
         What if, in order to pull off this act of blackmail, he relied on his position within the Shinra Company, manipulating his subordinates into looking into this supposed building code violation—in the Midgar Slums of all places?
         Elena glanced down at her list and began crossing off names again. Once she was done, two names were left, both belonging to high-level officials within the Urban Development division. Nervously, she pulled out a number of other building code violation reports and sifted through them. Unlike the Gainsborough documents, all of the reports were signed off on by regional managers. She picked up that particular set of papers again and double-checked the signature at the bottom of the last page, then, just to be sure, examined her other notes regarding the owner of said signature.
         One more name was crossed off her list.
         Already on her knees, numerous books, binders, and loose sheets of paper on the floor surrounding her, she slouched and sank back against the nearest bookcase, sitting down with her legs stretched out.
         "Not him… It can't be… He wouldn't…"
         A knock interrupted her train of thought. She looked up to see Hart, the Deputy Mayor of Midgar, standing at the entranceway of the Urban Development library.
         "Time to pack it in, Miss Elena. We're closing up for the night."
         "Okay. Thanks, Mr. Hart."
         "Did you get any closer to the answers you were looking for?"
         "Yes. Yes I did. I made a lot of progress today."
         "I'm glad. Will you be coming back tomorrow?"
         Elena shook her head and started to stand up. "I think I'm done here, at least for now."
         "Hmm, that's too bad." Hart walked over to her and began to help her pick up the scattered materials. "So, uhh… would you mind if I asked you out to dinner? For, say, tomorrow night?"
         She didn't pause in her reply, as she had noticed how Hart had been looking at her since the previous day. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I already have plans," she lied.
         "How about later this week, then? That is, provided Meteor hasn't rammed into us by then."
         "Sorry, can't be done."
         "Listen, if you're already seeing somebody, you can just say so, alright?"
         Elena paused, suddenly annoyed by this intrusion into her personal life. "I'm not, but there's someone else I…"
         Hart shelved the two books in his hands, abruptly shoving them back into their correct spots. "It's all right. I understand. I can handle rejection." He walked back toward the door, and without turning around, told her that the library would be closing in five minutes.
         After he had left, Elena stared down at the Gainsborough report she held in her hands, the last set of documents left to be put away. It was too late to go find a copy machine, so she set the documents down on the floor, drew out a small camera, and photographed every single page. Just as Hart returned to lock up the library, she returned the documents to their place on its shelf and hurried to the door. He wouldn't so much as look at her when she left, bidding him a terse good-bye.

         She took the elevator downstairs. It was now fairly late and most of the employees on their floor had already gone home. Such was also the case in the Turks' own office; the dull green light of the city shone in through the windows, only serving to emphasize the dimly-lit emptiness of the room. She retrieved her jacket and other belongings to take home, and stared at the phone on her desk. The information she had found out was certainly important, but it was late and she didn't want to bother her boss with the news. Especially this news.
         However, she also knew that if she didn't tell him now, then it would only be harder for her to tell him later, and she'd continue to procrastinate with whatever excuse she could come up with until it was too late.
         She stood there for a number of minutes, trying to decide what she should do. Finally, she figured that the best course of action would be to get it over and done with. She picked up the phone's receiver and dialed Reno's PHS.
         "Reno here."
         "It's me."
         "Hey, Elena. Another late night at the office, huh?"
         "Yeah. Listen, I… I think I may have found out who's behind Cait Sith."
         "Oh yeah? And only one day late, too; I'm impressed."
         "Whatever," Elena replied. It seemed that the night Reno and Rude left for Junon, she had promised the former that she'd know Cait's identity by the time they got back. Elena honestly couldn't remember such a conversation occurring, but thankfully, Reno hadn't given her too hard a time about it.
         "So, who is it? Who's the traitor?"
         She took a deep breath, and remained silent afterward.
         "…Elena? You still there?"
         "Yeah. I-I'm sorry."
         "Is everything okay?"
         "No…"
         "Why? What's wrong?"
         "It has to do with Cait Sith."
         "Huh? What do you mean? You know, you still haven't told me that one little detail. Who's pulling Cait's strings?"
         "…Forrest Reeves."