SOLDIER Base - Gymnasium - Some months before the present
"Can you see it? Can you see... Their true essence?" Sable exhaled quite loudly as she pushed the metal bar towards the ceiling to complete her set. Bench press had never been her favorite exercise, but she recognized that it was something that had to be done and she was not going to let herself fall behind others. Her chest heaved up and down lightly before she pulled herself upright and gazed around the room. She focused on no one in particular, rather it was simply a way to pass the time as a hand towel failed at being an effective tool to wipe away sweat with--either that or she was not giving enough credit to the workout she had just finished. Despite the sea of thoughts swimming around, one line in particular kept replaying in her head. She had been ignoring it for months, but it was beginning to elevate in volume. Sable refused to accept the conclusion that would confirm what had to be an impossibility; a seemingly disembodied voice was trying to speak with her--in her own head.
"Screw it." With a sigh and a shake of the head, Sable stood and grabbed a hi-tech looking sheath that had been leaning on the bench rack. The silver and grey finish glinted in the bright lights against rectangles of red that ran the length of the metallic scabbard. Cadets and other SOLDIER personnel paused their conversations and some even watched as the dark haired, first class woman made her way towards the door and into a corridor that would lead to a separate room. A sliding metal door whooshed shut as lights automatically flipped on in a set synchronization revealing a medium-sized room with large mirrors on three of the four walls. The only wall was that not a mirror was the one the door was built into. The space reminded most people of a dance studio, but it acted as an area good for shadow training. If one wanted to work on their combat forms and technique without the use of a sparring partner, this was the place to do it.
A grin instantly formed as a cursory glance showed the room devoid of all other life. The silence and emptiness helped Sable get the most out of her form training and it was rare that the room was empty so this was an opportunity to be taken advantage of. Slipping off her combat boots and placing them near the door, Sable slowly, purposefully, made her way towards the center of the room. Upon gripping the hilt of her blade, the red rectangles flashed green and small whirring noises escaped into the air as the sheath opened up and pushed the blade up just a few centimeters. Sable effortlessly pulled the weapon out and tossed the scabbard away--it was durable enough to take that sort of punishment. She faced one mirror and her reflection while two other reflections mimicked the SOLDIER at her side and rear. Two hands clutched the hilt of the forty inch, single-edged sword as she took her stance.
"Can you see it? Can you see... Their true essence?" "Damnit!" Sable shouted and threw her blade to the side causing a loud thud and ring of metal alloy. "I have to be going crazy. But it's been getting even more frequent," She muttered to herself. "And now I'm fucking talking to myself. God." Sable chuckled and pushed her fingers through black locks that ended in a ponytail. A sigh of exasperation followed before she picked up her blade, sheathed it, slipped on her boots, and turned down the corridor intending to head for her room. More cadets and personnel stopped their conversations and stared as she passed by clearly in a huff. Everyone knew of the attitude of Sable Maxwell and that was before she became irritated. None of that mattered today though. Today, the voice had finally gotten to her and she embraced the ease it took to walk a straight line to her room as everyone around her moved out of the way. Today, she had finally become sick and tired of feeling like she was losing it. Once she made it to her room, Sable sat on the bed and contemplated.
It wasn't long after the incident that Sable was finally called in to what she considered a timely diversion. She was going to a new posting on the front lines of Archadia.
Somewhere in Archadia - A few days before the present
Brown eyes opened and immediately squinted at the intensity of the sun's light. The pain in her side was piercing and her leg was throbbing, but for the most part Sable figured she was not too badly injured considering her limbs responded to the command to move. She slid upwards against the rock her back was already leaning against and pulled her legs inwards. She had underestimated the pain slightly, but then again she was SOLDIER and this was hardly an obstacle she could not overcome. Using the rock for leverage, she grabbed hold and pulled her armored body into a standing position. It didn't take long for her to remember what happened. The battlefield around her did a fine job of reminding her as well. A curse escaped muttered breath as she surveyed the area.
Bodies were strewn about and blood dotted the handfuls of white snow and normally green fields. Weapons were scattered around the area and some stuck in the dirt like they were patiently awaiting their owners to come and rightfully pull them out. The bodies were both SeeR and SOLDIER. The mission had been a simple one; SOLDIER was to escort a supply division to a destination. Broken and jagged memories pieced themselves together in Sable's mind and she remembered the ambush mounted by SeeR. She remembered how the escort was woefully unprepared and, even though she had gathered herself quickly, how the unit had no chance against such numbers. She had slaughtered her share of the enemy, but after being outnumbered and injured, she followed a retreat order and found safety in a small alcove. Losing consciousness must have happened after that.
Sheathing her blade on her back, Sable almost pressed a button that would reform the helmet around her head until she heard voices in the distance. She listened for a moment to make sure they were real before racing off in their direction. There were survivors after all.
Luan Fields - Present Day
If it wasn't one situation, it was another. After the survivors of the SeeR ambush came together--Castor and Walter were the names of the other two--they had come to the agreement that it was best to return to SOLDIER base to report the incident. The group had made it back into Galbadia, but only as far as the Luan Fields before they were set upon once more. Esper Ridge Eagles could be especially aggressive beasts, but Sable was not thinking of her bestiary knowledge. It was bad enough that they had the misfortune to be part of a successful ambush against SOLDIER--a shame in and of itself in Sable's opinion--but now, injured no less, they had wound up facing off against a pack of rather strong monsters for the area. Thus far, they had not attacked outright yet, but some had chosen to swoop down and near them in what Sable figured was an attempt at sizing up their prey before diving in.
With a grit of her teeth and a hand on her hilt behind her, the helmet of Sable's Ravager armor quickly reformed around her stern expression and the single red dot on the face lit up in anger. She was not going to settle for another loss. "Come at me then, you bastards!" She dared as the Sabre Edge sped from its sheath into the fighting stance of its owner. No sooner had she prepared herself for combat did beeps in the HUD of her helmet indicate two figures racing towards the battle area. Sable glanced over to see a woman and a freakishly large man rushing towards the Eagles, weapons at the ready. SOLDIER had finally decided to show its face. Facing the Eagles once more, Sable tightened the grip on her hilt and depressed a hidden button which caused a bright violet hue to envelope the edge of the blade. "Took you fuckers long enough!" She shouted in the direction of the coming cavalry.
