By Ramsey Anderson
All characters in this fic are property of Squaresoft and were not created by me.
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Chapter 9
First, steal an enemy uniform and an entrance card key, then waltz into the base and make my way to the command center. Then find the key for the computer console, then access the missile statistics menu and throw the launch into disarray. Afterwards, attempt to locate the self-destruct switch and blow the place sky high while I make my escape.
The plan seemed feasible, but surely not easy. Selphie had once told me the story about the time she destroyed the missile base, and had told me everything that I could want to know. I hadn't actually ever been to the place, but with Selphie's description, I basically knew the layout. Since it would take me some time to get there, I had plenty of time to run down the plan and work out any kinks that could occur.
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Wow, assassinate Sorceress Edea? That's quite a task. And I'm the one to deliver the kill…I suppose I understand why we're being assigned this mission…Edea has changed for the worse. But still, I just don't know if I can take Matron's life. Back in the orphanage, she took care of me, and everyone else too! I can't believe that Quistis, Selphie, and Zell don't remember…or maybe they just don't care. How can they be okay with this mission…? Doesn't matter I suppose, I'm the one that has to shoot…
While we were riding on the train to Deling City, I couldn't stop thinking about what I had to do in this mission. Nobody understood me, nobody remembered the past. I heard from somewhere that equipping GFs could do something with your memory, so I guessed that that could have something to do with it, but I just didn't want to accept it. I do think that it's destiny that brought us all together like this…maybe Selphie would agree. I used to have such a crush on her as a kid, now I get to do something about it.
"Hey Irvine, do you know someone named Squall?" Quistis approached me.
Of course I remembered Squall, he had been at the orphanage too, he was always the quiet one that would fight with Seifer all the time. I was surprised that Quistis remembered him, maybe they were friends or something, I figured. "Yeah, we used to know each other way back."
"Hmm…well he says hi." Quistis walked away with an expression on her face that implied that she was thinking or figuring something out.
That confirmed it, they knew each other and had spoken not long ago. That's strange, Squall must've known that I live at Galbadia Garden if he knew that Quistis and them would run into me. Hah, maybe he looked me up or something. I wonder what he's up to lately…
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I hid behind a large rock in the desert, waiting like a panther for a Galbadian military vehicle to approach the missile base. It had been almost an hour since I had began waiting, and the clouds had not been kind enough to hover over me while the sun beat down, never letting up.
A vehicle came into view and I watched and waited for it to come into range so that I could begin the first phase in my operation. When it passed by me and the rock that I was hiding behind, I ran after the car, blade drawn. Luckily, the car was slow since it was made to carry heavy objects and resist the forces of nature. I raised my gun blade and struck the back right tire, causing it to burst and flatten immediately. The car came to a halt and I immediately ran to the back end, crouched out of eyesight and attempted to listen inside.
"What was that? Sounded like a flat, I'll go check it out, you two wait here." One of the soldiers inside the car said to the others.
So there are three of them, that'll make it slightly more difficult, but not a problem… The soldier closed the passenger side door and saw the flat. I jumped from behind the vehicle and quickly casted a sleep spell on him before he could stop me. He shouted, then fell almost instantly and I dragged his sleeping body towards the back where nobody would see him. I heard from inside the car, "What the hell was that? I'll be back."
A soldier crept slowly to the right side of the automobile, "Sid? Where'd you go?"
The soldier caught me by surprise as he jumped into my sights, his sword drawn. I rushed into him and gave him a swift hit to the skull with the blunt end of my gunblade, knocking him out immediately. I had no time to move his body out of the way, as I heard the driver get out on the opposite side of the vehicle. I crouched as I walked from the back to the left of the car to catch him by surprise. I kicked him square in the back, knocking him on his stomach, only to have him turn to see my blade pointed at his throat.
"Oh god, please don't kill me! I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt me!" The soldier pleaded.
I was lucky, I'd found a complete coward. "I'm not gonna kill you, I just want you to change that tire, alright? Can you do that? If you don't, well, you just might end up like your buddies there…"
"Y..yeah! I can change the tire, n..no problem!! Just gimme a minute, oh..okay?"
After taking the frightened soldier's weapons, I allowed him to retrieve the spare tire and the necessary tools from the trunk of the car while I had my blade drawn on him, making sure as to maintain a degree of threat. The man worked fast, scared out of his wits that I would murder him. I had no such desire, I wanted him to re-think his life after this incident, perhaps choosing a better career and becoming a better person.
When he finished replacing the tire, he stood up with his arms high in the air, not knowing what would happen next. I spoke, "Good job, I appreciate it. Now I can't have you going anywhere to alert anyone, so sweet dreams."
I casted a sleep spell and he fell right away, not to wake for at least another hour. I observed the three dozing soldiers, trying to figure out which uniform would be the best fit. I chose the first man I'd knocked out, Sid, as the other soldier had spoken. I put his uniform on over my own clothes and made sure that I could pass for a Galbadian trooper. I confiscated the car keys, got in, and drove off towards the military base.
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"General Caraway's mansion is right through this gate, but... I can't just let you walk in." The man guarding Caraway's mansion informed us.
"I do think that he is expecting us." I mentioned.
"Yes indeed, but... I was ordered not to let you through until your skills have been tested."
"What does he want us to do?"
"The Tomb of the Unknown King to the northeast. All you have to do is go there. It's real simple, but... You have to bring back proof that you were there. A code number."
"We came all the way out her for some stupid test of courage? Who does he think we are?" Zell exclaimed.
"There are many students like yourself who wish to call on General Caraway. There was a student from Galbadia Garden yesterday, who has yet to return from the test at the Tomb of the Unknown King. The Tomb of the Unknown King is located northeast of the city. Your objective is to go to the Tomb of the Unknown King, look for traces of this lost student, and return with his ID number. You should be able to find what you're looking for shortly after you go in. The ID number should be written on it. I don't recommend going any further than you have to. You may never make it back alive. Anyway, here's a map for you."
He handed us a map, I pocketed it, and we all walked away. I couldn't help but think about the ID number that Squall had given me before he left us. He told me that I had to remember a number, and that I would be asked for it later, now here I was, having to go out of my way to find a number…It was too similar. It couldn't just be a coincidence, Squall knew that we were going to need that number.
"Wait, everyone. Do you remember Squall giving us a number, and ID number, before he left?" I asked the group.
"Hey, now that you mention it, he did say something about some digits or something, didn't he? Didn't you write it down?" Zell responded.
"I did, but don't you find it strange that he knew? How could he have known that we would need it?"
"Well, what are we gonna do?" Irvine asked.
"I say that we think this through first." I responded. We all walked to the entrance of the town near the water fountain and sat down. "Okay, what are our options? We can go all the way to the Tomb Of The Unknown King and see if Squall was right, or we could trust Squall and tell the guard the number."
"I would sure hate to have to go all the way out there; I'm all for staying here." Selphie suggested.
"I agree with Selphie, it does seem pointless to travel so far for something we probably already have. Besides, Squall did know that we were going to run into Irvine. I mean, what are the odds?" Zell expressed his opinion.
"Let's just do whatever will get us to Vinzer Deling sooner." Rinoa said impatiently.
"You know I'm always up for a long walk by the beach," Irvine said as he looked at Selphie, "But hey, I'll go with whatever you guys decide to do."
"So it's decided, we'll trust Squall and tell the guard the number. Let's go." Rinoa said, then got up and started walking away.
"Wait! We can't go now, he'll suspect something. We can talk to him in a couple hours. That's about how long it would take for us to get to the Tomb, if we were to go that is." I mentioned.
Rinoa stomped her foot on the ground and crossed her arms, looking very irritated, but understanding my decision.
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The guard at the gate waved me through without one doubt that I could be an impostor that could, by the end of the day, destroy a missile base. Piece of cake, I thought, now the real thing begins.