Prologue:

Day 7: Palumpolum : Morning

Six days before Final Fantasy 13

Raian Arashi found that his uncle was a very persistent man.

"Come on Raian," The large man said cheerfully, "If you're going to join the Guardian Corps, might as well go to Bodhum. It's peaceful there, and my team would be happy to train you."

Raian let out a sigh, "I know Uncle Amodar, but it doesn't feel right…"

He knew his Uncle meant well, but Raian didn't feel patrolling Bodhum was exactly his calling.

Besides, if Uncle found out about his…occupation…

Amodar finally left, and Raian could not help but feel a wound in his gut. He would not his uncle die in service as a Fal'cie slave. Raian took out a blue-white communications device. The phone had a burst a static before the communications officer's voice broke in, "Please confirm." Raian held the phone up to his ear…

"Lieutenant Raian Arashi confirms. What is the new mission?"

"Standby…mission paramiters classified…" Of course, Raian thought, irritated.

"…PSICOM is investigating an unconfirmed disturbance in Bodhum…"

Of all the places…Raian was tired of hearing that name.

"…command has dispatched you to investigate. Transport will be arriving as scheduled, out."

Raian put his black-white special ops uniform in his backpack and headed out the door of his home. This time, he would see what PSICOM had dug up…and plant the seed to stopping it. Then the people would be safe.

In the name of the Cavalry, Raian would succeed.

Day 7: Noon

Bodhum Beachhead

Raian stood on the beach, taking in the surroundings. It was beautiful, he had to admit, but he wasn't there to enjoy it. He opened his comm-phone and dialed the Cavalry communications number.

"Lieutenant Arashi?"

Raian stiffened. Rygdea! Raian had only met the second-in-command once. Just the thought of him having tactical control of this mission...

"Sir!"

"Listen up kid, this mission is very important. General Raines ordered you take on the mission himself..."

Raian felt his jaw drop. General Raines?! He was a commando, but still...to have the General himself entrust a new lieutenant to undertake a mission Raian had no idea about...?

He regained his composure in an instant. "Understood sir! What do you need?"

Silence. "A Vestige-Class ship is undergoing investigation by PSICOM...it's believed Pulse in origin. You are to avoid detection and confirm the ships affiliation, out."

The call ended. Raian shook off his disbelief. Pulse Vestige or not, he needed to find out. General Raines needed him to find out. He could not fail. Not with the good General trusting in him.

Day 7: Night

Bodhum Beachhead Facility

Raian quietly exhaled the breath he had unconsciously held. He had found that the PSICOM grunts were very stupid when it came down to spotting enemies. The common golden-brown "Wardens" were clearly the more...lower-ranking soldiers. It was the higher-end purple-black "Infiltrators" that nearly caught him. He would have been found and shot if not for PSICOM's concentration on the Pulse Vestige...which Raian found was complete Pulse origin and design. Now, he was clear of PSICOM's multiple restricted zones and just had to get to the dock...conveniently located on the other side of the lighted (much to his displeasure) beachhead resort mall building. Raian rounded the corner of the corridor that would lead him to the dock...

And ran straight into a female Guardian Corps officer.

Raian jumped back. Dammit! Of all the people to find me! Then he realized just exactly who it was. A female Bodhum Security Regiment Sergeant around his age...just like Uncle Amodar's subordinate.

Sergeant Lightning Farron.

"Damn!" Raian cursed. Lightning pointed her quick-drawn gun-blade right at his head. "Who are you?!" Raian froze. She had him in a superior position, where he could not do so much as move. "Calm down..." Raian, in his great wisdom, had an unconcealed pistol holstered on his left hip.

Not your ordinary civilian.

Lightning didn't seem in the generous mood, and time was running out for his ride. Raian looked at the sergeant, and sighed.

The sad tone in his voice was clear...Lightning didn't know why he seemed more sad than afraid of being shot...

Raian looked regretfully at his uncle's sergeant.

"Sorry."

Lighting saw him grab a hilt from his right hip...which ejected segments of metal from within. A retractable baton?!

Raian batted the gun-blade away from him, stepped up and swung at Lightning neck...a disabling tactic.

The sergeant, however dodged and brought her sword to bear.

They clashed weapons, keeping each other at blade's length, until finally Raian slipped around and landed a strike at the back of her neck.

Lighting felt herself drop. The solider almost killed her...just enough force on spine would have done that.

"Sorry..." The Lieutenant ran off...

Raian made to the dock. The pilot seemed to think two minutes late meant he'd failed...Which I probably did.

That sergeant...the memory of that hateful look on her face shook him.

The small transport launched, leaving Raian alone in his thoughts.

Day 8: Morning

The Lindblum

Home. The Cavalry cruiser-airship was a great sight to behold.

Raian stepped on the platform where Rygdea was waiting.

"The General is waiting in the war room, Lieutenant."

"Yes sir."

Raian moved out of the hangar, through the hallway, and into the war room.

He stood at attention.

"General, Lieutenant Raian Arashi, sir!"

General Raines stood on the opposite side of the room, back to the door. He was nothing but majestic in his blue-white general's uniform.

"Please, take a seat. I trust you found the origin of the craft?"

"Yes sir, it is clearly of Pulse origin."

Raines turned towards Raian, "Good...I honestly should have sent someone with more experience, but I hear you managed to evade PSICOM. For that you have my thanks."

Raian looked down, "Sir...a Bodhum Security officer confronted me on the way to the transport..."

Raines lifted an eyebrow, "Oh? What did you do?"

"The officer had a gun-blade pointed at me, so I disabled her with a strike to the neck with my baton."

Raines stared directly at him. His eyes seemed to find the truth from Raian's lack of comfort. "You knew her?"

"Y-yes sir, she is my uncle's subordinate..."

Raines relaxed his stare, "I see...Arashi, thank you for your honesty. I'm sure since your uniform was not Cavalry, we will be fine. Please accept my humblest apologies for making you go through that. Dismissed."

"Sir!" Raian saluted and left. On his way back, he could not feel more honored.

General Raines truly was a good and truthful man.