Chapter 1

The air was scented with pine trees and that early morning smell you get just before sunrise, a brand new day promising everything you could want.

A new start, a new love, a new job, all endless possibilities within the opening of a new day, but this day in particular would only promise bloodshed and destruction.

Chimera valley was situated just three kilometers from Dollet's official borders, a vast open winded chasm that rose and fell forming a great big scoop out of the earth, with the surrounding mountains rising up into immense peaks, which formed an effective windbreak and special recluse for anybody wanting to get lost.

In this case they didn't to be found, a small military complex had been established at the bottom of the valley close to a decade ago, the reason given that it was just a outpost to keep eyes on the neighbors and train soldiers in wilderness tactics and survival.

The truth however was far more convoluted and diabolical, the base itself had an enormous silo housing close to a hundred ballistic missiles and other ordnance, everything from scud to cluster bombs were stored underground within it vaults.

All bearing the colours of the Galbadian military, constructed during the lead up and eventual breaking down of negotiations between Dollet and Galbadia, this was the invading forces ace in the hole.

Should the country rise and suppress the invasion and make plans of their own to invade Galbadia, this base would make sure there was nothing left of Dollet's government and military to make those ambitions real.

But due to the course of events in which the invasion had come to nothing and had been forced into a uneasy stalemate, resulting in the closest thing to conflict between the two countries was their diplomatic representatives staring daggers and bickering childishly within the walls of the wartime nations committee.

Thus the use for a fully armed secretive and highly illegal missile base had diminished in its capacity for usage, the funds being put into the base were ridiculously high for something that didn't have a purpose and funding was cut back with the stroke of a pen.

Troops deployed to the base were reassigned, equipment was torn out of the walls and the missiles were all relocated to other areas or put into storage, and the base returned to the official role of a communications outpost.

That's the way it stayed for a year, with the permanent intention of having the older soldiers serve out their final years within a secluded and boring assignment to get them ready for retirement.

But something had happened there for the activity and interest to race back to this small complex, nobody knew what had been discovered but as soon as the higher echelons had heard, tall hard faced men in black suits had arrived and taken command.

The veterans shunted aside and replaced with younger more reliable soldiers that knew how to keep a secret, and if anybody outside that of the Galbadian military knew of a base they sure as hell wouldn't find it now.

Within a period of hours, files were erased from hard drives, paper documents were burnt and all witnesses were paid off with so much money that they ceased to care about a boring little compound out in the wilderness.

Everything had become classified and funding was once again poured back into a highly secret, fully armed illegal military base operated by the Galbadian military.

It had been six months since a combined effort of SeeD and Dollet intelligence had been observing this place, its location having been found entirely by accident by a local group of hikers.

If not for this opportunistic mistake, the suspect set of buildings would have kept running without a hitch, something that was going to change today.

Seifer Almasy stood at the edge of the cliff side clearing that over looked the valley and breathed in deep of the icy frost filled air, closing his eyes he relished the sharp bite and small buzz that the chill gave him.

Wearing his trademark trench coat over camouflage fatigues, he was moderately protected from the cold that surrounded the peak where they had set up the command post, not that the freeze bothered him much.

He gazed down at the small compound and wondered why it was so necessary to hide a place like this, but like a boil the real damage was down the bottom under the skin.

He smirked slightly at his colorful metaphor, why hadn't he become a writer, oh that's right no original ideas.

Whirling his arms and rolling his neck to improve circulation, he turned as the sound of a door flap being pushed aside and the sound of boots crunching across the snow.

"What are you doing out here? don't you have a job to do?" asked a stern voice from behind him.

"You know me Quisty, I love the cold" he sniggered back "and the duties assigned to me are done, and now I'm bored as shit" turning to look at the instructor staring at him with an exasperated expression.

"Mmm, the weather matches your heart" she said walking over and standing beside him.

"Oh Quisty I'm crushed" he chided back punching her arm playfully almost knocking her to the ground "By the way, why aren't you commanding like your duties require".

"I am, the attack begins in twenty minutes" leaning down to brush sleet off her SeeD uniform short skirt.

"I can't believe I was left out of this" Seifer complained loudly, while surreptitiously glancing at Quistis's slender legs.

"Stealth is not your forte Seifer" turning her head to look at him sternly only to see his head snap back to gazing out into the valley, Quistis smiled slightly before continuing "yours is more akin to a blood bath" wrapping her arms around her chest to stop from shivering.

Seifer noticing this took hold of her hand and began pulling her into the warm confines of his trench coat, her half hearted struggles against him were futile as she truly loved the feeling of his warm embrace.

Large muscled arms encircling her, and a hard chest pressed against her back, Seifer was like a furnace, totally wrapped within each other with his chin resting on the top of her head.

"Do we have any idea why there is so much activity in this place" he questioned to the blonde snuggled against his chest.

"huh?" replied Quistis as she was knocked out of the blissful feeling that came over her entire body as she was held by her lover, "no, but that's why we are here to shut it down and retrieve any information we can" she stated with difficulty as her response got less and less coherent due to Seifer nibbling on her earlobe.

"Oh that's right" purred Seifer "Is that why I'm support?"

"Exactly" she replied, her breath catching in her throat as he slid a tongue down the side of her neck, sending delicious jolts of shivers down her spine.

"Well I'm in no position to argue am I" said Seifer as his hands crawled under her blouse and began to caress her stomach, gentle circles being rubbed around her belly button that resulted in whimpering moans coming from deep within his beautiful Quistis.

"Seif this isn't the time nor the place" she whispered faintly as her resolve to remain stoic and in control was gradually melting, just like her.

"Oh but you taste too good to stop" he whispered huskily as he began to move his hands slowly downward, "There's nothing that can stop me you know" as his fingers began to slide through the waistband of her skirt "nothing".

"God Damnit" an angry scream echoed from behind them accompanied by a large thud

"All except that" growled Seifer with frustration.

"All these stupid cables lying around are pissing me off" complained Zell, "Those Dollet guys are way out of their league" he announced as he wandered over to the couple.

"What are you doing chicken? Aren't you supposed to be running communications?" Seifer questioned.

"Yeah but I'm sick and tired of listening to the Dollet commander argue with Xu over chain of command" kicking the snow with the toe of his boot.

"They do have an ego on them, but it can't be helped" said Quistis "this all must run smoothly if we want to get paid" wrapping herself tighter within Seifer's cuddle.

"Hmph, the sooner this is over the better" he replied "I hate the cold" he said jumping up and down on the spot to try and warm up.

"Sure you don't want to join us over here? Plenty of room" she called enticingly gesturing with the hem of Seifer's trench, to which Seifer automatically tensed up.

Zell just gave her a glare as icy as the wind "Pass"

Her watch beeped and she pulled away from Seifer reluctantly, "Ten minutes, I'll see you both when this is over" she said walking briskly towards the tent.

Seifer sent a longing gaze after her to which Zell sniggered "Pussy whipped, huh Seif"

"Fuck you chicken" snapped Seifer as he turned back to the valley and lighting up a cigarette.

Grinning, Zell put his hands behind his head and looked up "I bet she makes you squeal like a bitch".

"Other way round" replied Seifer without emotion taking a long drag and blowing out a long sinuous cloud.

"Yeah, I just bet" smirking slightly, "I bet it's killing you that your support"

"I agree with the commanders decision, and I am of no place to question it" unable to hide the bitterness in his voice.

"Whatever" said Zell taking a pair of binoculars out of his pocket and focusing them onto the base below, "Who's leading the squads?" he inquired.

"Selphie and Rin are with commander sulky, and an eight man team of Dollet special forces led by a captain McCormack" he answered fishing his own pair of scopes out of the trench coats deep pockets.

"What about Irvine?"

"Sniper support in the western hills, bet he's as bored as me" Seifer answered lightly.

"don't know about that, he's been scoping Selphie the entire time I bet" said Zell grinning.

"That stupid cowboy can't keep it in his pants" growled Seifer, "He's a liability"

"We'll see soon enough, it's starting" replied Zell with growing nervousness.

Seifer zoomed in on the complex gates roughly five hundred metres from the actual buildings, five sentries, one in the gatehouse and four patrolling down the road out of eyesight of the gate guard.

All heavily armed with standard sub-machine guns and grenades, but their patterns of patrol were too far apart, so that they couldn't see each other when they walked the bend of the road.

Seifer scrutinized them with a practiced eye, they all looked to be in their very early twenties that lucked out after basic training, all given a highly paid, easy but boring job by which they could plan the rest of their lives after compulsory military service.

Seifer checked his watch, 5:45 the sun had barely risen and ochre light was filtering through the filmy clouds, perfect, he thought to himself, the guards would have been patrolling all night and considerably exhausted, this was the best time to attack, reflexes and alertness dulled by the tedium of an eventless night, they would never see it coming.

Zell raised his watch "three….two….one" he exclaimed "here we go".

On cue the two teams moved through the thick tree foliage down to the road and wandering guards, the first guard had paused to gaze at a couple of squirrels gamboling around the roots of a large fir tree, and as silent as a ghost, a figure in a white balaclava and winter camo fatigues slid out of the shadows of a large shrub.

Crossing the road quickly but discreetly as he drew a large gunblade from his back, the figure moved up behind him and slit his throat neatly and then pulled him into the tree line, hiding the body from sight.
Seifer huffed with displeasure, that should be my kill, he thought to himself unhappily before zooming in on the guard a little further down the road, who had turned his back on his comrades death while pausing to light up a smoke.

A second later a shorter more lithe figure crept out on to the road, moving ninja like and producing a large pair of nunchuku's, the soldier was undoubtedly Selphie Tilmitt.

Holding the weapon's sticks in both hands, she threw the chain that linked them around the sentry's neck and scissored it so the chain cut off his air supply, struggling he tried vainly to throw off his attacker, but Selphie kicked out one of his knee joints so that he was forced to kneel.

His thrashing became more and more desperate before she snapped his neck and struggled to drag the cadaver into the shade, emerging a minute later she continued down the path just as ninja like proposing to do the same deed to the next one.

Coming within five feet of the next guard that was idly fidgeting with his weapon, she promptly tripped over an exposed root and landed with a loud thud, the soldier turned suddenly alert and pointed the gun at Selphie.

Seifer and Zell drew a collective breath "were fucked now" breathed Zell, the guard had begun to reach for his radio to call in the intruders, only to have a large arrow nail him to the tree through the centre of his skull accompanied by a large dollop of snow to land comically on the corpse's head.

Rinoa ran onto the road and helped Selphie drag him into the brush after pulling out the arrow.

"That was too close man" said Zell shakily, Seifer just nodded in agreement.

He could hear static crackling in his headset, "This is Squall to all units, McCormack your men take the next hostile, and Irvine on my mark you take the gate guard".

The deep rugged voice of the spec ops leader was heard first "Acknowledged" there was silence from Irvine though, "Understood Irvine?" Squall asked.

A few seconds later they heard the toneless voice of Irvine "Understood commander", Seifer smirked "Ten gil says he chokes".

"You're on" replied Zell.

The last guard died quickly, his body riddled with silenced bullets and then being dragged out of sight by two Dollet spec op guys, "Neat and tidy, gotta give them that" said Seifer.

The gate house sentry was absolutely oblivious to the events and his soon to be death, leaning on his chair and reading a book, he was yawning and probably looking forward to breakfast and sleep.

The gate house itself was a small rectangular building that held communications equipment, extra arms and a small kitchen for the soldiers on patrol.

A large covered port where vehicles would check their identification before being admitted past the boom gate.

"Are all units in position?" Squall sounded over the radio, a few seconds later they heard McCormack's reply "Affirmative, standing by"

"Good, Irvine take the shot when your ready" Squall commanded.

"He'll fuck up, you watch" said Seifer with glee.

"We'll see" replied Zell.

Seconds crawled by and the guard was not dead yet, "Irvine you've got thirty seconds before we have to do it ourselves" declared Squall "Take the shot".

"I told you" laughed Seifer "Liability".

Ten seconds, the guard had begun to stretch his joints from lack of movement, five seconds.

"Irvine!" yelled Squall, and a small hole appeared in the temple of the guard accompanied by a spray of blood and brain matter across the glass behind him, then he slumped forward and lay motionless.

"Well done" breathed Squall, "All units move up".

Seifer lowered his scopes to see a grinning Zell looking at him expectedly, "Lucky shot" he grumbled searching his pockets for the money.

Zell just laughed at him, Seifer glared back shoving the money at him.

The spec-ops guys ran forward in a neat team, no movements wasted and all strictly disciplined.

Two men took the gatehouse and held position setting up a large caliber machine gun through one of its blocky windows, forming a firing point on the road ahead of them just in case any reinforcements would come to the rescue, they would be shredded under sustained fire.

"Everybody move up" Squalls voice sounded over the radio "Irvine take higher ground and provide surveillance".

"Roger that" replied Irvine.

They all complied with gusto hurrying to the base itself which was at least a click away, Seifer could easily pick out the ones he knew, Squall with his rigid no nonsense stride.

Rinoa with the way she swung her arms as she ran, and selphie by the fact that he knew she was desperately trying not to break into skipping.

"Well it's been fun but some of us have to work" announced Zell, "later bitch".

Siefer aimed a misplaced kick and landed hard in the slush, Zell just danced away giggling madly while Seifer could only curse and grumble as he picked himself up and brush mud off his jacket and stamp out his cigarette.

"Team two plant explosives on the generators and radio shack, then clear the barracks" Squall ordered over the radio "Selphie you're with them".

"Yes Mr Squally sir" came the girly reply from Selphie as she eagerly bound over to the team and resumed ninja stance while creeping over to the barracks.

Team two finished planting the Semtex demo charges and moved into file around the barrack doorway, a rectangular 100X50 standard barrack template unpainted wood building which could hold up to a three hundred combat ready soldiers.

A serious threat under normal circumstances and was an able obstacle within the pretext of a stealth operation like this, However there were a few things about this base that wasn't quite right Seifer thought to himself.

A thousand meter perimeter gate surrounded the base on all four sides, creating a huge open area that consisted of basic military structures, Barracks, mess, administration and a storehouse and firing range, nothing suspect.

All except for a large concrete flat building that was roughly fifty meters tall that was backed to the surrounding mountains situated next to the vehicle depot.

Zooming in with the scopes he realized that there were no other guards on base, odd he thought, sweeping the entire complex there were definitely no security present beyond that of the gate.

A base this secluded that was so unguarded, It was just….wrong.

"On my mark breach the barracks and trigger the explosives" came Squalls voice.

Seifer keyed the comm bead in his headset "Squall wait, something's not right about all this" he stated.

"All units hold position and wait for my mark, what's all this about Seifer?" asked Squall sternly.

"Well look at the security, there is none" he responded.

There was a pause on Squall's end "Rin check the administration and I'll take the mess, McCormack split your team and get them to check the store and firing range, report anything out of the ordinary no matter how small" he ordered briskly.

Moving as one they all went to their duties and completed them like clockwork, Seifer bit his lower lip, he couldn't put his finger on it just smacked of an ambush, did they know they were coming?

McCormack's men entered the buildings quickly and efficiently, while Rinoa took administration.

After 2 minutes Squall grew impatient, "Report".

A young Dollet private answered first "There's…… nothing here sir"

"What do you mean?" Squall demanded

"There's no ammunition, no rations, no supplies whatsoever it's like there is no personnel stationed here" he replied perplexed.

"Same over here, all the files and computer logs are empty, there are no records whatsoever" Said Rinoa just as equally perplexed.

"What's going on here Squall?, this doesn't feel right and you know it" Seifer questioned cautiously.

"I don't know, but we can't stop now, as far as were concerned all secondary objectives are complete, we proceed to the bunker as is our main goal" said Squall with authority.

Seifer snorted with disgust as they regrouped and filed at the entrance to the huge blocky building, ignoring your instincts can get you killed thought Seifer contemptuously.

The sliding doors to the bunker were reinforced steel, military made and designed to keep things out, it took ten minutes to break the locks and haul it open just wide enough so that they could all just slip in.

The comm. crackled "Squall this is Quistis, what do you see?"

His reply came through a wash of static and distortion "It's a warehouse, drums and crates mostly….wait I think I see something".

Seifer stepped from foot to foot impatiently as he waited, he despised build up and tension.

"It's a cargo elevator, it goes down but we don't know how far" he replied.

"Squall I don't think you should proceed without proper support" Quistis worried.

"No choice, we've come too far to go back now" came his stoic reply.

"That's reckless Squall" grinned Seifer "I'm impressed"

"Enough Seifer" scolded Quistis.

"Were descending" Squall reported through static that seemed to be getting worse.

"Squall our comms are breaking up, I'm not sure how long we will be able to monitor you" Quistis announced.

"Understood, we'll just have to play it by ear if it fails then" he responded.

A few minutes later Seifer heard them again.

"We've reached the bottom, the shaft goes down at least two kilometers and opens into a service tunnel, very low visibility".

Seifer smirked "want me to come down and hold your hand".

"Wait….. I think I see someone" he replied apprehensively, "state your name, rank and serial number!" Squall demanded.

To this was only responded by a blood curdling scream from Selphie,

"Open fire and fan out!" Squall screamed, "multiple contacts!, were outnumbered!" as gunfire and terrified shouts filled the comm.

Seifer began to panic "Get out you moron, get out now!".

The comm. suddenly came alive with static and weird distorted sounds, sounds that came very close to primal shrieks and animalistic howls, to which Seifer could only listen in horror

"We are compro...I re…….. fall ba…need support…..demons……" and then the comm. went dead.

"Squall!, Squall! Respond!" Quistis screamed.

Seifer felt the blood drain from his face and ice drop down his spine at what he had just

heard.

"Everybody back to camp" demanded Quistis in a shaky voice, Seifer could tell that she was close to tears, "All of you fall back".

"No!" screamed Irvine, "My Selphie is in there, I won't leave her"

"Do it Irvine" said Zell quietly "we need to plan"

With a roar of anger and a flurry of frustrated gunshots that echoed over the valley, he replied with a defeated growl "understood".

Seifer tried to light up a smoke but found his hands were shaking too much, he stared down at the base morosely.

"You better not be dead asshole" he said before turning and striding towards the command tent.

To be continued…..

Another cliffhanger, for some reason my stories seem to end up going in that direction.

It's because I have no real direction for the story to go, just random ideas that I turn into something.

As of that I'm not particularly happy with the ending but whatever.

I want to put more violence in this and I definitely want to go on with the Seiftis pairing but I'm not quite sure how.

That's why if you like it review it and give me some ideas, I don't care if their good, bad or really shit house I just need some inspiration to go on cause my muse teases me with whispers of sweet nothings while I sleep, total bitch.

If anything I doubt I'll get back to it soon unless I get bitchin reviews, spread myself too thin and can't do everything at once.

Cheers, Go Aussie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!