Behind Black Curtains
Amaranthos
Chapter 47: A Transmission
It was somewhere around late evening, before Zack had left base when he received a transmission.
"Sir…" an officer started, "we're receiving a transmission from the bay area"
"What?" Zack inquired quizzically, who the hell could be sending a transmission now at all times, unless of course Rufus Shinra had gathered their coordinates and wanted to wish them farewell. Shinra might have been sardonic but certainly he wasn't the head case, right?
Answering the transmission, he was surprised by the voice
"Zack, pick up…"
"Cloud?" Zack almost shouted into the receiver, "what the hell man?"
"Well… you didn't wanna listen, so I decided to do this on my own…"
"Are you seriously freaking mental or something?" he paused, "this is a death wish Strife"
"Last time I checked, it was better for one to die instead five hundred. You don't need to tell me how it feels to see your whole team die. So without the need to be dramatic, lemme just get this off my chest…"
"You're crazy Strife…"
"Yeh, tell me about it" he laughed, "I need me some coordinates for the beach spread…"
"Wait a minute…" Zack shook his head, "you got in?"
"Let's just say, its better I'm here alone rather than an entire regiment. They've got this placed wired and tapped good." He paused, "the only way I can transmit, is through their receivers"
"Good to know" Zack nodded, "so what's it looking like?"
"Bad, in a word" he paused, "but…" he chuckled, "I think with stealth I'd be able to rig the tower guards and defect transmission for two hours. I'll need a small team of five to get here and assist. I can do what I can but keep your transmissions pinged to this frequency for further updates. And another thing, if we lose transmission at any point in time consider it compromised"
The raven-head nodded, "understood"
"When do you plan to get your five here?"
"In about an hour" Zack replied, "really Strife, why'd you do this?"
"Seriously, I swear we never had this discussion…"
"You know what I mean…"
"Look, it's hard to make peace with an order like yours. I've seen my men die, and its not something I can wipe from my eyes, so let it be one of us who carries the burden"
Zack scoffed, "and here I thought you were doing this for the girl"
"The girl's the perk"
They laughed momentarily, and it felt good that just for a second they could in a place like this.
"You be safe buddy, Delta's on their way…"
"Roger, over and out"
Zack stared at the receiver for sometime. So… orders had changed and Cloud had managed to make first base. Impressive, cheeky bastard. If he survived, he might actually be worthy for promotion, but knowing Cloud could cared less about promotions, living another day was good enough…
The deployment was smooth and tight. Cloud was right the place was too complicated for an army of five hundred, there was no way they could even make it to the beaches if they decided to be brutes about it. Zack placed a fist in the air, stopping his troops.
"Charlie… you're out one click, Bravo, two." He spoke into his earpiece, "I want it nice and quiet gentlemen, the rest of us, disappear"
As it were two snipers had deployed themselves on the beach in the bushes whereas Zack and the others, went in for quick kills and planting explosives. For the most part it was easy to bury a mine, knowing an accidental explosion was probable he rigged them with receivers.
Now to find Cloud. He should have been here by now. Looking at the tower he could see guards around the helm. This wasn't looking good. Zack sighed and found himself in a quiet place, tempted to feed a transmission to the lost Cloud. Yet if he did he risked compromising everything.
"Commander, this is Bravo, I'm clear and ready for a shot"
"Charlie… where are you man?" Zack asked
"I'm here. All in the clear"
"Hold your fire. I don't see Cloud, we'll wait for him and then Charlie you'll go first, then Bravo"
"Yes sir" they confirmed.
Seeing the time going, Zack was beginning to worry that something terrible had happened. It didn't make sense there were guards on the platform so where exactly was Cloud?
Pulling into the shadows, he timed the seconds as they went one by one.
"Come on buddy, where are you?" he whispered
The nearby bushes rumbled and Zack whipped around pointing his gun defensively.
Erupting out was a messy Cloud.
"Sheesh Strife, you scared me man" Zack whispered.
"Told yah I wouldn't disappoint"
"Glad to see you're alive" they embraced momentarily, "so what's the plan. I see guards at the tower?"
"I've rigged the towers and the relaying towers" he smirked.
"Wait what? How in the world were you able to do that in that short space of time?" he inquired
"Well… let's just say you guys were slow and I was bored" he cheekily smirked.
"Bastard!" Zack scoffed.
"I had an opportunity. You know me, I can't resist" he paused, "Alpha isn't even needed, so if you wanna see fireworks, let's get the hell out of here"
"No!" Zack shook his head, "Bravo and Charlie are in there and Alpha's coming…"
"Bravo and Charlie will be fine, but Alpha's strike has to be called off…"
"No can do"
"The hell do you mean no can do, it's a simple transmission"
"No, it isn't. The lines are tapped. As of now if I sent a message I'd be compromising our location and Alpha's as well. It's too risky, so what I'll do is plan the strike on the anticipated time of their arrival."
"Sounds tedious Zack"
"Well, it's the only plan we got"
They sighed, unfortunately he was right. They'd have to wait it out until Alpha arrived to execute fire.
As they sat there behind old food storage drums, both men took a small breather.
"You ever thought your life would come down to this?" Cloud asked
"Whatcha mean?" Zack asked, pulling apart his gun for inspection.
"I mean serving, dying… tch, sometimes I think I've been the most delusional of all" he explained.
"Ok, now I'm really lost"
"I think that for a long time I've admired the idea of a soldier but now that I am…" he introspected, "I hate it"
Zack laughed, "yeah its not all it's cracked up to be"
"I use to admire General Lockhart…" Cloud breathed, "admired him like a father, believed him like he were…" he paused, "I believed in him. But something you said earlier had me thinking, what does all mean, what did it even matter?"
"When you're in a place like this so close to the edge, not exactly sure the outcome you find yourself saying pretty stupid things kid…"
"..." He stopped, "am I? Aren't we fighting to appease the ones who taught us serving meant honour, yet look at what its done? It brings mindless worship and death …"
Zack sighed, "I always told myself that one day I'd get out the military, marry me a cute girl, make me some kids and live a simple life…" he scoffed, "who I'm kidding to think I even deserve that?" he shook his head, "but every time I'm this close to quitting, I find myself here. You know the truth is Cloud, when I lost my dad, it took his funeral to make me realize I was freaking living…"he paused, "and I started dreaming again about a life I might someday have if I had the guts to chase it. Hang in there buddy…"
He grunted
"Let me ask you something…" Zack started, "why do you have feelings for Tifa and please don't tell me its because of some guilt trip crap"
Cloud laughed, "you know, I guess its just me wanting to protect her. When General Lockhart accepted me into his family from a very young age, I was more than a visitor, but his daughter's friend. Tifa didn't get around much, she was always stuck in the castle, so understanding what it meant to be a loner, I made it my business to keep her company. Somewhere along the line she took it as a sign I had fallen her, and maybe I did … but I wasn't ever certain.."
"Sounds to me you never liked her romantically at all…"
"How would you know?"
"Well, 'sounds like to me, you were being like a big brother… admiral but odd considering. What I don't get is why you'd guilt yourself into thinking you love her"
"That's because I do love her. I intensely care about her…"
"No…" Zack shook his head, "and yes. You love Tifa as a brother, not as a lover…"
Actually, Zack had a point. He had countless opportunities to reciprocate romantically and yet all were null and void because he hadn't the eyes of affection she desired of him.
"You aren't saying this to date her, right?" Cloud inquired
"Me, with Lockhart's kid?" Zack smirked wildly, "well I do know she's a looker and I wouldn't mind tapping that a few times –
"- Zack!" Cloud pushed his shoulder
"-I'm more interested in pummeling the brat for getting caught in the first place"
Cloud laughed, "yeh she might deserve that"
"Yuh think?"
"Look…" Zack started, "if we get out of this, lets go on a vacation and find ourselves some cute girls."
Cloud laughed, "deal"
"Delta B… this is Alpha B, where is your defense unit?" head of the unit inquired.
"Damn you guys took forever, what took yah?" Zack jested, "we're outside the major perimeter, about five clicks out."
"What's the stats on the explosives?"
"Let's just say we've rigged both bay and relaying towers, its just a matter of exploding this junk. I'd prefer if you guys give us some leg room, and get in play for the clean up"
"Roger"
"Alright, here goes nothing…" Zack sighed, "Bravo, Charlie, you're on queue, make it count boys"
As Zack and his team left, Bravo fired rapid shots to the bay tower, killing the officers, and seeing it clear, Charlie finished up on the right tower.
"Mission a success" they reported.
"Excellent, now get out of there as fast as possible, five clicks north"
When everyone had congregated at the clear zone, Zack patted his snipers on the back, relieved they made it out without a scratch.
"Awesome work guys. Now lets leave this to the clean up crew"
Turning his head to the Black Crescents bay, he pressed the switch for the explosives and the sky went orange with a loud bang.
No sooner had Alpha B arrived, and in brilliant response and stealth they destroyed the remaining victims and transmission towers.
"Anyone on line 4, pick the hell up" a voice called on transmission.
"Cid?" Zack asked.
"Zack? The hell are you doing answering this frequency?" he inquired
"I could ask you the same question…"
"I don't have time for this. Where's Alpha B team leader?" Cid, Commander of air strike attack asked.
"On site killing vermin." He paused, "what's up?"
"Damn it, did Bruno seriously forget to coordinate with me on clearance?"
"Oh I doubt, we only launched the explosives seconds ago…"
"Roger. We're four clicks out, should we proceed?" he inquired
"Most definitely proceed seeing you have the advantage"
"And what advantage would that be?"
"The air-lement of surprise, get it, air…"
"…" Cid sighed, "you're pathetic…"
"Come on man, that was great"
It wasn't long before Cid arrived with his airship fleet, discharging missiles on the Black Crescents bay. It was a fantastic show of fire and explosions. For a while Cloud looked back at the calamity, something like a small smile on his face…
For my brothers…
Silver hair went flying, as he stood there eyeing the calamity known as war. For the first time in a long time, something strange surfaced within him. A feeling of goodbye. For as long has he'd known himself, war – the intimate seductress had had her way with him. Perhaps the single, darkest romance of his life, she lured him these many years, seducing, bending and raping him with exquisite satisfactory.
Not to be fooled, he smirked, he'd been a beneficiary in her service too. War had made him into a specimen, a god…
Yet looking at the final pages of his story in the waking, he knew soon the time would come to say goodbye to this familiar feeling… but first he was being watched
"Sephiroth?" a voice called.
His eyes slipped to a close, "Velrog…" he whispered
"Taking a breather I see…"
"Only fractionally…" he announced, "it's spectacular isn't it?" looking over the vista of fighting soldiers in the far distance
Velrog laughed, "not exactly the words I'd choose, but a mastermind like yourself must prize the occasion…"
"Prize you say…" he repeated and thought on it for sometime.
"I'm anxious and the war reminds me it's anything for anything…" he paused, "I've worked my life in this service and the only true reward needed is the satisfactory of winning…"
"Are you not concerned then of what winning brings?" Sephiroth inquired
Velrog shot him an expectant look, "even you know some sacrifices must be, to succeed"
"I wasn't talking about that." he paused, "what you lose at the end of the war, because of it, reminds us the price we must pay for being a man. Besides, the need to win is savagely out of context, for what do we win when we stand back in the death of all we've conceived?"
Velrog laughed, "you're much too negative, bah! Things are looking up for us…"
"If your son dies and your empire falls… but you stand the victory against Arthur Lockhart and his empire … what do you win?" Sephiroth eyed him thoughtfully
There was silence…
"My son…." he whispered, "it's my pray he'll be changed for the better by this war, but his death…" he couldn't bring himself to say it, "I'm old Sephiroth and he's my lineage… he's the me I'd hope to be"
Why did it sound like the more he listened to men and their rationale for war, it sounded more ambiguous? The reason was somewhere between a conjecture of protection for the ones they loved and a need to materialize an enemy who opposed their pride.
"When you've followed a path as long as I have, you begin to realize that the victory forged in the mind, is contrary to that of the heart, so… pick one, because war doesn't allow you to have both…"
"What are you saying, Sephiroth?" the man narrowed his eyes…
"I thought I made it simple… pick what is most important to you" Sephiroth nodded, "I must go, I'll have an update to you by no later than sundown…"
Velrog nodded. When Sephiroth was a distance out he sighed…
There was a knock on her door and she suddenly looked up alert, and yet petrified.
The door blasted open and standing in its wake were three officers. They read her in full detail her accounts of strike and before she could even process the sentencing, he said…
"You will be executed at midday"
Suddenly her throat goes dry, and reality grips her in a cold lock. It wasn't that she didn't think they would kill her, just not so soon, or by the hands of Rufus Shinra. And Sephiroth? Why hadn't he come to save her?
She racked her mind deciphering all the reasons they seem suddenly vested in her death. Was her father near, had Black Crescents suffered major attack?
Bound to the chair that would remain the last chair she sat upon, she stared at the officers in the room whose sole duty she guessed, was to ensure no one or nothing came between her and her fated death by Rufus' hands.
By now tears had ran out… after all, she hadn't just been crying for days but months and while the entire thing was dismal, seriously what could be worst?
A part of her had become brazen, maybe this was her fate, so why not meet it out head on? She was fighting hard to save herself, the man she loved and the father she knew. Yet what exactly did she save when she was still in this wretched place with evil men who knew no limits?
A knock came to the door and she blinked a tear away, suddenly snapping at the noise.
There he stood not inches away but those frigid blue eyes held such vehemence…
"Velrog…" she croaked…
"Tifa…"
There was a silence in the room before he took to the large window at his front.
"I like this room…" he started, "it's one of the few rooms that has a view of the courtyard" he informed.
"Did you come to get all sentimental about window views?" she suddenly found her tongue.
He smirked, "I suppose not…"
"So tell me, is this your grand idea of revenge at Arthur Lockhart?" she questioned, "And when I thought you of all people had more finesse at cutting lose ends"
"There is no art to cutting lose ends, child" he informed, "war has no finesse, no grace… just callousness…"
"Clearly"
He took a deep breath, "this war serves to remind us that one will certainly be stronger, smarter and more efficient than the other."
"So tell me, have you convinced yourself it's Black Crescents who will succeed?"
He momentarily eyed her curiously, "my my, I don't believe I've ever heard you speak this way. Tell me, has the imminence of your death given you an adrenalin rush?"
"I don't see why it should. It was always inevitable wasn't it?" she paused, "why are you really here Velrog?"
"There is a reason I've spent long years in the shadows observing your father's strategy in play. I'm not blind to see his pieces, his crumbs, his tiny mistakes…" he started, "but I've learnt something these many years and that's how to wait out an enemy and deliver a strike with brevity"
"Bravo, what words of wisdom, said no one…"
"It's you Tifa Lockhart who will be my pawn and deliver me my victory. It's you who will bring this war to its knees, and I can certainly assure you I will enjoy every moment of it" he smirked and stood tally
There was no exchange as he started for the door but she stopped him, "does Liberta mean nothing to you?" she asked, "was it all some memory for you?" she inquired
"What is gone is gone -
"- my grandfather loved you as a brother Shinra" she shouted into the hollow of the room, "tell me what inside your heart is so dark you could wipe away the memory of your best friend and repay him with the death of his son?" she inquired
He stood and looked at the wall, "you'll stand to be what you are in this war … third party, a nobody, some fool speaking a language no one quite understands." He paused, "what do you know of your perfect grand father, no… from where you sit you decide the favour of whose good and bad, forgetting to remember there are two sides to a story, so before you paint me the deceiver… question it all, least your pretty pacifism stays dead"
To be continued…