The Phoenix Ordinance

Prologue: AVALANCHE Landing
The train spiraled up the long column which seperated the upper class area of Sector Seven, Midgar from the slums. It rushed through checkpoints and sped past armed guards, all unaware of what was actually happening inside of the minds of four people inside the train.

"What are you thinking, Saotome?" someone asked. "You gonna chicken out of this one like you did our last fight?"

The voice in question was that of Ryouga Hibiki. Or at least most of him. Since the last time Ranma had seen him, Ryouga had a new addition to his wardrobe.

Oh yes, he still wore the yellow and black bandana, almost religiously. But this change was a little more permanent.

Sometime, since the last time Ranma had seen the lost boy, before joining SOLDIER, he had lost most of his right arm. And in its place was grafted a rather interesting looking chaingun.

"In your dreams, Hibiki," Ranma said. "And what the hell are you talking about, anyway? I waited for three days at the Gold Saucer Trolley!"

"Yeah, but when I showed up on the fourth day--"

"Boys, boys," a third voice, a girl, interrupted. "Please. We've got to focus here. If you hadn't noticed, there's a task at hand?"

Ranma shrugged. "Whatever."

The girl placed her hand on Ranma's shoulder. "Saotome, right? Ranma Saotome?"

"Look," Ranma said. "I'm not here to socialize. I'm here to do what I'm getting paid to do."

"And nobody wants to get paid more than I, Saotome," the girl said. "But Ukyou said you were the man for the job, and I'm inclined to believe her." She backed up and looked toward Ryouga. "And you should feel glad that we've got somebody who will work for chocobo scratch," she said.

Ryouga growled to himself. "Look, he's an Ex-SOLDIER, I--"

"Ex-SOLDIER or not, he's helping us. And he's got a past with Ukyou. If she says we can trust him, we can trust him," she replied.

"But, Nabiki--"

"No buts, Ryouga. We've got a plan, and we're going through with it."

Ryouga nodded. "Fine," he said. "But, Saotome... after the mission, we settle the fight."

Ranma shrugged. "Whatever."

Nabiki sighed as Ryouga stormed down the train car and took a seat next to a rather perturbed-looking businessman.

"What's the deal with you two, anyway?" Nabiki asked.

Ranma laughed. "About a year before I joined SOLDIER, he wandered into Nibelheim," he said. "Ukyou and I had to escort him back to North Corel, that was a helluva trip. We ran into a pack of wild Chocobos and he tried to catch one. Damn thing nearly trampled him to death. So I jumped in and tried to help out. I caught it, he looked like an idiot, and we rode that Chocobo back to North Corel. There's been a rivalry there ever since."

"In other words, it's his way of being himself," Nabiki asked.

Ranma nodded.

"About two months later, I recieve this letter of challenge through the post. It says, 'Ranma Saotome, I challenge you,'. Told me to meet him at the Gold Saucer Trolley, about four hundred yards from his front door. So I travel all the way from Nibelheim to meet him there. After the first day, I went to his house. His mom said he'd gone off looking for me. The second day, I went up into the mountains and checked out around this new Mako Reactor they were building. Workers there hadn't seen hide nor hair of him. Finally, after the third day I'd had enough, and just went home."

"Sounds like him," she said. "By the way, my name's Nabiki. Nabiki Tendo."

"I'd offer to introduce myself, but you already know who I am."

"Ranma Saotome, SOLDIER extrodinaire," Nabiki said. "Have you met the others yet?"

Ranma shook his head. "Do I need to?"

"It's good to know who you're working with, isn't it?" She pointed into the train. "We've got you and Ryouga, obviously. You guys are the musclemen. It's your job to clean the Reactor out from the Mako mutations, security systems and Kuno Foundation Soldiers." She pointed toward a rather young looking girl at the far end. "That's Tsubasa Kurenai. He knows the layout of that reactor like the back of his hand."

"Waitasec. 'He'?" Ranma asked.

"Just... don't ask. He's also got a major crush on Ukyou," she stated.

Ranma shrugged. "Whatever."

"Then there's me and Kasumi," Nabiki said. "We'll be deciphering the codes that allow you to gain entry to the Reactor. I also designed the bomb that we'll be using to destroy the reactor. So if there are any problems, they're by human error. Got it?"

Ranma smirked. "Sure."

"Heads up, everyone," Ryouga said. "We're pulling into station."

Ranma gripped his hand around the hilt of the giant sword strapped to his back.

"I see two Kuno guards, Ryouga," Konatsu said.

"We'll handle them. You guys just focus on getting into the Reactor," Ranma said.

Finally, the train pulled to a stop.