Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Celestial Rise ❯ Always Forward ( Chapter 12 )

"It's unbelievable," Celes said softly. "This cannot be real. It just can't. It doesn't make any sense."

"To you, it does not. To most of the military, it won't. But to me and the Emperor, it makes perfect sense," Leo calmly answered. He stood by a large window with a great view of the army grounds and the sunset. The cityscapeoutside the boundaries of the Bronze Compound appeared like bony fingers greedily reaching up to the sun and stars.

They were in his office--a large room that resembled a trophy room. She felt like she was in a war museum. It looked similar to Colonel Llurd's office--only bigger. On one wall hung various commendations. The sheer number of which had made any one of them seem unimportant. His medals were all polished and framed. To the opposite side were relics of many kinds: swords, both real and ornamental, shields, pieces of armor proudly displaying the scuffs, dents, and other violent abrasions, Vector's flag, bloodied and tattered, scrolls and journals. His desk was clean and spotless. At the moment it served no purpose, as it rarely ever did. General Cristophe was a man of action. He abhorred the tedious military paperwork procedures. He was once heard quoting, 'The only paper I wouldn't mind writing on is a clean map of the battlefield.'

Celes stared at the floor. It was clean, spotless, and to her disappointment, dull, as well.

"I don't see how this is going to help the military," she said flatly. She wasn't trying to argue.

"Exactly!" Leo turned to face her. "They won't see it coming. But the lesson will be there. It is a perfect way of testing the military's honor and discipline. It is a test to filter out those who have doubts. The Emperor wants to find those who question his authority. He wants to know how well-tempered the military's resolve is. The leaders will be asking in silence. Those who are foolish enough to confront this decision will be thrown out of the military. Those who step out of bounds will be severely punished. Ultimately, those who stay will be strengthened and forged."

"A lesson?" Celes asked. "In other words, sir, you want me to be a… lure. A bait."

"You will be a figure of everybody's doubts, at first. And then you will surprise them all. You will achieve what nobody, not even I, has ever achieved before in my lifetime. You will earn their respect, one way or the other. What they will first behold as a demoralizing decision by the New Council will eventually be their source of high morale in the end."

Celes was still not convinced. The talk was not helping her at all. "Begging your pardon, General, but… you make it sound so simple! I am but a lieutenant. I have very little field experience. I know little about strategies. I haven't won a single battle. I don't know how to lead. I--"

"You will be taught."

Celes gave a short cry of frustration. It was almost derisive. "There are some things in life that can't simply be taught, sir! Some things in life are learned with battle scars and… and…broken bones… and… and… severe burns! Experience teaches us to ignore pain, and disregard fear whenever we need to. Most of all, experience teaches others to learn to trust me. My own battalion will hesitate to go with me to battle. They will think I am weak because they know for a fact that I have none of the things that my commanders right now have. Or worse, they will resent my rank. They will only despise me. Demoralization is an understatement, sir, if I may be so bold."

"Have you ever heard of the expression 'Heroes are born, not made?'"

"Again, sir, if I may be so bold as to accuse you… you oversimplify the situation."

General Cristophe laughed. "I am not saying it's going to be easy. But neither am I saying that you'll be alone. I will help you, Celes. I will train you. I will offer you my advice. Doors will be opened before you. You will have full authority to the various resources of the Empire. You may do with them as you wish. You will receive advanced training sessions. You will assimilate the politics involving the military and Vector. You will have the privilege of the magical infusion process…" At the mention of the words Celes's eyes widened and her expression changed from uncertainty to interest. Leo sensed it. He smiled inwardly. "You will experience the thrill of power and authority in your hands," he concluded.

Celes was in thought. She was still in much doubt, but her attitude towards the proposition had changed. "You will teach me?"

"Yes," Leo said calmly.

"How can you be sure that I am going to learn all of these quickly enough?"

"That is why we chose you, specifically, Celes."

She shook her head, still not in understanding. "I still don't know how--"

"We've been watching you closely, Celes. Not just you, but dozens others. We've been in constant watch for the subtle clues of a great leader."

"And I… exhibit these traits?"

"Yes. Because you are focused. You are determined. You will go to all lengths to reach your goal as long as it is honorable. You believe firmly in the chain of command. Your philosophy clearly matches the will of the Empire. Most of all you have the great capacity to learn and adjust."

"Let it be now known to you, sir, that my only goal was to be one of those privileged enough to be in the magical infusion process," she confessed.

"And now that you are, what do you hope to accomplish next? Surely, you can't be content with just being a captain or even a major."

"I'm not that ambitious, sir."

"You don't have to be ambitious to accomplish great things."

"I'm a realist, sir. I know my limit."

"I don't think you do, Celes," Leo said firmly. "How can you know your limit just by thinking it? How can you be sure without even trying?"

Celes had no answer, but her doubts were still strong. The responsibilities--the hardships--they were overwhelming. "You said you have been watching others, as well. Who is your next candidate?"

"Do not pass this opportunity, Celes. You are first in line. Don't let anybody else take the prize that is rightfully yours," the general urged her.

"I just want to know who it is, sir, if it won't make much of a difference."

General Cristophe was silent for a moment. He frowned. Celes wasn't sure whether he frowned because she had asked or perhaps he did because the next candidate was not a very promising one. "He is also a lieutenant. In fact you know him quite well. His name is Arnold Beigeletter," he lied.

Celes scoffed. "Pardon me, sir, but--"

"You don't think he'd make a good leader. Yes, not a lot of people do, but the hints are very subtle, and we see it in him," Leo quickly finished.

"He doesn't even... er…"

"Doesn't even what, Celes?"

"Nothing, sir, I stopped before I could speak ill of him."

"You are a general now. Be blunt and direct."

"I was going to say, sir, that he… I don't think he even deserves to be in the military. I know I have no proof of this, but there have been rumors that--"

"Yes, yes, I've heard of those stories, too, and I am also inclined to believe them. But like I said, he shows promising signs. He has almost the same capacity to learn and absorb knowledge just like you do."

"Surely, you jest, sir. There has to be another!"

"I do not like the idea of giving him this privilege more than you do, Celes, but if you decline this offer then we have no choice. Think about it. If the next candidate is a man like Beigeletter, what would the next person behind him be like? Will you let a man like Beigeletter ascend to generalship?"

Celes wanted very much to answer 'no,' but she caught herself just in time. She was afraid that saying 'no' would imply her acceptance.

"I sure don't!" Celes was silent. It felt wrong for her to just accept. She desperately needed to be convinced. The lure of the privilege was great but so were the challenges that came with it. "Capacity to learn?" she asked softly.

"You have it. You don't know that you have it because you've been kept behind. You've been grounded here, training the recruits, day in and day out. You don't yet know your limit, only what you've been restricted to believe. You say that it takes experience to learn some things. Well I say that, sadly, sometimes the opportunity does not come to those who deserve them. What the New Council and I are doing now is helping opportunity find the right person at an early time. Experience is not compromised in the process, Celes. You will have them. You will be given this opportunity unlike my friend who had broken his leg in training, or my commander who died a tragic and meaningless death. They had potentials just like you do now."

"There is no guaranty that this will work, sir. If I accept, you can be sure that I will do my very best."

"Does this mean that you--"

"But if my best does not turn out to be good enough for your expectations. What then? This lesson that you wish to convey to the military will not be delivered. I will not be a symbol of morale and inspiration as you would hope. I will be a symbol of failure. Sir, do you have any idea how great a responsibility this is for me?"

"Look at it this way, Celes. We have watched and thought this over extremely carefully. Do not think that we did not have doubts during the process. Vector does not make quick judgments. But if the Emperor, myself and the New Council are convinced about this, then the cause for concern should be minimal."

"The Emperor approves of this?"

"Just between the two of us, Celes, he is very enthusiastic to know where this will lead."

A huge portion of her doubt was removed. She paused in long silence to sort out what was left to consider.

The most powerful people in Vector are confident about this. Surely, they did not come to this decision lightly. Do I really know my limits? Is it really that improbable for me to become a great leader?

"I will be taught?" she asked softly.

"Yes."

"I will be trained?"

"Yes."

"And you believe that I will be able to cope with this change?"

"Rapidly."

"I have the approval of the Emperor?"

"And the support of many influential people."

A sudden thought returned to her. "But this rank is only temporary. What happens to me when General Fencross recovers? Will I return to my previous rank?"

"A very good question, Celes. But we also have considered this. Depending on how pleased the Emperor is to the result of this experiment, he may actually grant your rank's permanence."

"And if his lordship does not?"

"Then you will have the privilege of continuing to serve the Empire as a colonel."

A colonel! If I accept then--

"In other words, if you accept you are guaranteed colonelship at the least," Leo said, stealing the words from her thoughts. Leo saw her eyes brighten. "It's a lot to think about, Celes. But as you do, I hope it becomes more apparent to you that there is only one logical answer," General Cristophe said with a warm smile.

"Sir--"

"You are technically a general at this moment, Celes. Please call me Leo."

Celes was appalled at the thought. In some ways, technicalities didn't matter at all. For her it would sound very disrespectful to address him by his first name.

"Leo…" she said clumsily and with a slight wince. The general only smiled more. Celes blushed and hurried to ask her question. "If I don't accept then Beigeletter gets the job?"

"If he accepts, yes. And we both know that he would most likely do so."

"Knowing Beigeletter, sir--Leo… I cannot let that happen. Therefore, logically speaking, I would have to…" Say 'accept,' fool! she thought. "I will have to accept."

General Cristophe took a deep breath of relief and smiled. "Very good, Celes! You will not find yourself regretting this decision!"

"However--" Celes added. "If you wouldn't find it of me as disrespectful, I have a condition."

General Cristophe raised a brow. He was very curious to hear the condition, however, he knew deep inside that no condition was costly enough for her acceptance. "Name it, Celes!"

"I don't have to shave my head, do I?" she said, staring at Leo's mohawk hair.

Leo laughed heartily. Celes chuckled nervously and shyly.

"No, Celes. I don't think you're privileged enough to have that!"

**********

Celes Chere arrived at the Magitek Lab wearing a cloak over her normal training leather armor. The hood covered much of her face. She entered the lobby quietly. It was dry out unlike the previous day where it poured almost non-stop. White noise coming from a Private First Class's communication device covered her sneaky entry.

The private was stationed at the entrance lobby of a Magitek Facility that night, and he was alone. He did not immediately notice the visitor's arrival as he played with the knobs and dials of the communication device, listening in to the latest news about the border-wide barricade and embargo. Another day had passed, and he still had not received word from his beloved who was away, visiting a sick relative, and was due for arrival some time this week.

He was worried for her. She had been away for far too long. The Vector citizens who were locked out set up camps just outside the borders under the watchful, untrusting eyes of the Vector soldiers. No news yet. No news whatsoever about the Emperor's long-awaited edict to lift up the Imperial Seclusion.

"You need to get out more often, Jasom. Staying cooped up in here the whole day is not very healthy," Celes Chere said as an announcement of her arrival.

Jasom Keep, startled, snapped to attention and saluted. Celes acknowledged promptly with a smile. "Lieutenant! What a surprise! I did not expect to see you here today."

Celes removed her cloak, and threw it carelessly onto her favorite waiting chair. "Well, Keep, sometimes life is just full of surprises!" she said cheerfully.

Jasom didn't know what she meant by that. He simply shrugged it off. "Is the master director expecting you today, Lieutenant?" he asked.

"Yes and no. I was supposed to meet with him earlier but I… um… something came up. So now I thought I'd come to him here."

"I see. Let me contact his office right now, Lieutenant, and let him know that you're here."

"Oh, don't bother, Jasom. I can manage it from here," she said, flashing another smile that seemed cryptic with meaning.

"I… I don't follow, Lieutenant."

She grinned at him as she headed straight for the main entrance of the lab. She produced a security access card tied around her neck like a necklace and slid it at the door's control panel. The panel chimed, and the door opened. Jasom was astonished. He knew very well that to obtain permission to enter the high-security building was close to impossible for a lowly lieutenant. From within, four armed guards stood up from their resting bench to greet the newcomer with the usual procedure.

They, too, were surprised to see an unfamiliar face enter. They had almost forgotten to ask her for the proper documentations. Celes handed them a scroll bearing an official military seal. It bore what was called the First Seal. It meant that the bearer of the document was of high rank and great influence. The first guard took it from her and read the contents. His jaw dropped after reading the document, and then he looked at Celes incredulously.

"Is there a problem?" she asked with a twisted smile of confidence and utter enjoyment of the soldiers' reactions.

"I must have this document verified, er… sir… ma'am!. It's only standa--"

"By all means!" she concurred. "Take your time."

She turned back to Jasom who watched with utter surprise as the guards remained determined not to let her in. The first guard took the document with him to a nearby communication device and pushed a button. "This is Magitek Lab Alpha Entry station. Please put me through the Office of the General."

"As I was saying, Jasom, you need a break. Relax a little. Take a vacation!" Celes started to talk casually.

"I… uh… of course," he replied clumsily.

"Tell you what, Jasom. Pick your seven ideal days, give them to me, and I'll take care of it!" she said with a wink.

Jasom didn't know what to make of it. She was flaunting authority that he didn't know she ever had. Unless…

"Did you get promoted, lieutenant?" he asked excitedly.

The other guards raised their brows and glanced at each other nervously. The one guard was still busy talking to somebody through the comm device. Celes was overexcited about the whole thing that she couldn't hide her cheerfulness. She flashed the brightest smile that Jasom had ever seen her show.

"Great goddesses! You did! Congratulations, Captain Chere!" he exclaimed, saluting her again.

Celes still held her smile on her face. It was hard for her to rid of them. She shook her head and jerked a thumb up.

"Higher?" he asked in bewilderment. "Major? You made major?"

Celes still shook her head and continued to make that motion with her thumb.

Jasom frowned. "I don't think I follow. Surely, you didn't make lieutenant colonel straight from a first lieutenant!" he said, chuckling uneasily. "Did you?"

The guard at the comm device was overheard saying, "Are you certain? The name is Celes Chere! C-H-E-R-E!" the guard said loudly. "But… but--yes, sir. Yes--no, sir. Absolutely! I understand, sir."

The guard flipped off the comm switch wearing a baffled expression on his face. He turned towards Celes, who was staring at him expectantly. The guard cleared his throat and hastily stood before her. And then he saluted as he handed back the document to her.

"Forgive the delay, g-general! I did not know!" the guard apologized. The other guards looked at each other again, more nervously this time, and utterly confused. The first guard turned towards them and scolded them. "Get out of the way! Let General Chere pass!"

The guards clumsily moved out of the way, almost dropping their weapons in the process. None of them were sure whether they had heard right. Jasom's mouth hung wide open. Celes turned back towards him and saw the look on his face. He had lost the normal color of his face. She felt the need to burst out laughing, but it would've been undignified of her to do so. Instead, she maintained the bright smile on her face that made her seem even less justifiable of her alleged status.

It's impossible, Jasom thought. "G-general? General of what?"

"She is the new General of the Army, Private!" answered the guard from behind Celes. "Salute to her!"

"At ease! All of you," Celes simply replied. "The announcement is not until tomorrow, so let's just all pretend that I'm not at the moment. Please stay awhile after your shift, Jasom. I have a gift to give to you after I see Cid."

Celes took the First Seal back from the guard and walked inside through the corridor, leaving the bemused soldiers behind her. She felt good about walking the corridor that was previously restricted to her. It didn't occur to her until that moment that such a simple thing such as traversing the insipid passageways could give her a thrill of exhilaration. Doors did open to her as General Cristophe had said. There was virtually nothing in Vector that she could not go see.

Celes stopped at the first intersection. A printed sign on the wall labeled the directions, but they were in codes that she did not understand.

X-6940 - EAST
N-3332 - WEST
V-0092 - NORTH
EXIT - SOUTH

The corridors were empty and quiet. She felt small like a lab mouse in a proverbial cardboard maze. Her instinct, at first, was to turn back and ask for directions from one of the soldiers, but the more adventurous side got the best of her. She chose a random direction, and off she went.

**********

"He did what?!" snarled Kefka upon hearing the news from his right-hand man.

"It is true, Master. The Old Council is no more, and General Cristophe himself has presided. He handpicked the New Council himself--a group of war veterans no longer in military serv--"

Kefka interrupted, "On what basis did they make that decision?"

"Their excuse was that the Old Council was too easily influenced. They--"

"No, no, no! I don't care about the New Council! Tell me about Subject A!" Kefka said, impatiently.

Tayan calmly answered his master. "It is not yet known, Master, as to how they managed to get this past the Emperor."

Kefka stood up from his chair and walked over to the window. It held a view of the Bronze Fortress and the Army Grounds. His "office" was located at the second highest tower of the Bronze Fortress itself. He stared at the highest tower which was on the other end and squinted. It was the Emperor's tower. It had a great view of the whole of Vector Capital.

"No," Kefka said calmly. "The Emperor knows all about this. He pretends not to know. He pretends not to care. He summoned General Cristophe from his mission. I should've been more inquisitive about his arrival. The two are plotting against me!

"But quite frankly, I approve their move! Prudent, decisive, and underhanded!" Kefka chuckled maliciously. "I like it! The Emperor does not trust me about Subject A. But he is careful not to cross me, either. I do not yet know what his plan is, but Leo is the key," he snarled again, saying the general's name with unmistakable loathing.

Tayan listened carefully, trying to piece together what his master had rapidly deduced. He admired his master's perspicacity. Though he was only hearing his master's hypothesis, he knew that he was most likely right about the matter. "I still do not know how the New Council's decision is such a threat to our plans," Tayan courageously stated. He did not fear his master's possible rebuke.

"Do you not? With Subject A in the High Ranks, she is protected. It would not be so easy to touch her--manipulate her. The emperor had taken away the Slave Crown Project from me to make sure that I do not use it on her. And as an added insurance, he took her away from my comfortable reach, too. We will have to move more carefully now."

Kefka frowned as he thought in silence. Tayan dared not make any sound. After a good fifteen minutes, a sinister smile appeared across Kefka's painted face.

"The Emperor has challenged me to a game of chess and I shall gladly accept it. Though it would be more difficult for me to make my moves, I know that it is the same for him. The pieces are in a teetering balance. He will use his knight to maintain that balance while all I have to do is tip it."

"His knight? You mean the general?" Tayan asked to make sure he understood perfectly.

"Correct, Chosen Mage," Kefka said, pleased to see his most trusted could follow. "Subject A may be a general now, but she is still a pawn. Do you know how pawns move, Tayan?" Tayan nodded. "Forward--always towards the opponent and never turning back!" Kefka laughed, pleased at the plan he had formed in his mind.