Final Fantasy VIII Part #27 - Part Twenty-Seven: Caraway

Part 27: Part Twenty-Seven: Caraway

Part Twenty-Seven: Caraway

Having found out that the other student was #6, it's time to drive back to Deling City (in reverse the entire way).

Squall managed to turn it around in time to actually return the car, at least.

All I have to do is report back to the guard and then we're in to see Caraway.

Before that, I decided to re-enact the cover of Abbey Road in the street. The one bus stopped for Squall, but the other plowed through Zell.

Let's get this on the road.

For some reason, they chose this annoying menu style for entering a number. It's not a big deal, of course, but it's a fuckin' weird thing to do.

Caraway's Guard: That's correct! Please, right this way.

And with that, Caraway's Guard walks off the screen and disappears forever. I didn't even show his last line.

General Caraway has a pretty swanky place.

: (...No point in me thinking about it. 'SeeDs aren't meant to question why.')

Squall, being himself, disregards any misgivings he may have about this mission.

Ehh, just go with the flow.

I get the sense that this room is not actually the first room of the house, and the game just cuts out a bit of travel.

I did not immediately get the sense that I had control of Squall. I thought the game had glitched.

Very eloquent, Zell.

SeeDs hate waiting.

Like, half the curriculum at Garden is "complaining about waiting".

Irvine will not talk to me.

Fun fact: I thought the computer on the desk was some sort of weird half-wall.

Irvine will not talk even if you manage to get behind the desk. I don't know why.

Oh, and we can't leave.

Always? Do you have many audiences with high-ranking Galbadians?

: I'm gonna go complain.

Complain to fuckin' who? Is it even a good idea for Rinoa to be here?

: Everyone just wait here.

As I said, I can't leave.

Rinoa can, though.

Oh, and BY THE WAY.

: So don't worry.

What, don't worry that the leader of a resistance is the daughter of the general hiring mercenaries to commit what I'm going to assume will be considered treason? Hadn't crossed my mind.

This is the part that Squall feels inquisitive about.

First, let's ask if it's an order:

: Your contract hasn't expired yet. That was an order, right?

: Order...? More like a... Ahh, whatever. Just don't leave me here, ok?

Squall just waves it off. What a pro.

How could it possibly.

If we take a different tack, though...

This is a pretty good question, to be honest.

: Umm... I don't know. Just treat this like an order from your client, ok?

I don't think Rinoa really expects anything that bad to happen to her. I think she's more worried about running into Caraway.

Squall doesn't ask, though.

And we're back here.

That is a good question. Our circumstances have changed immensely, and we're still not being told much.

Before we can wonder, though, this gentleman shows up. General Caraway, I presume.

This is true, and having Rinoa on the mission could screw things up.

General Caraway: It's for the best that she stays out of this operation.

: So you're Rinoa's father?
General Caraway: I can't remember the last time she called me that.

: That's bad... Really BAD!

It seems like the person it would be worst for is Caraway. Still #2 to the whole "plot to kill a major diplomat" thing, though.

General Caraway: Yes, indeed. It's a serious problem.

The father-daughter spat may not be our concern right now, but we're still under contract, so it might become our concern very soon.

General Caraway: Besides, we have far more important things to worry about.

: (Garden's directive and Rinoa's orders have the same value to us.)

: I don't know what your situation is, but please don't interfere when the time comes.

Holy shit, Squall's actually doing some leading.

General Caraway: And if I do?

: (What's his problem?)

Translation: if Caraway tries to stop us from taking his daughter with us after the mission, we will kill him. This is the real reason that Rinoa is a problem for him.

: We're here to knock off the sorceress, right?

I hate to say it, but Irvine is right. Our interests probably don't line up with Caraway's all the way, but we're here on business.

Let's.

And let's put on some music while we "set the stage":

Tensions are running a little high at the moment.

We're all pros, though.

This next bit takes place during a walking tour of Deling City.

Squall obviously finds something interesting about the sorceress's name.

...Stand by for what?

Yeah? And what if we wait somewhere else, huh?

Squall helpfully recaps for us here. This is not a useful line.

Explains why we couldn't get through the gate earlier, I guess.

General Caraway: Once the ceremony ends, a parade for the sorceress will begin. That's when the gate will open. Lay low until then. The parade may be canceled if there is any commotion. We must avoid that at all cost.

Try not to start any riots before we pop the sorceress. Got it.

General Caraway: With the parade drawing the crowd and the guards' attention, it should be rather easy to move about.

Okay, but where are we going?

The roof that we can definitely 100% see from the ground?

Can you spot the hatch in this picture? If you can, congratulations, you're better at this than I am.

Can you spot the sniper rifle in this picture? I seriously have difficulties finding things during this one part of the game in particular. The cause is unknown.

It's called a "float".

For this next part, Caraway is running around pretending to be the float, which is kind of silly for a man in his position. I also have control of the party, so they're kind of chasing him around like the world's least appropriate game of tag.

Thanks for explaining how a circle works, man. It was touch-and-go for a second.

It fuckin' would. Classic sorceress.

What, away from the Presidential Residence?

I'll bet you a hundred bucks their job has something to do with the arch.

Haha, suckers. Now you all owe me a hundred bucks.

General Caraway: The sorceress will be trapped inside the gateway.

Except for the gateway and the fact that the float will be facing away from us unless the sorceress also insists on driving in reverse.

Uh, do we have a way to get out after we kill a major diplomat?

Not gonna address that, huh?

General Caraway: Stay out of trouble.

: (Who do you think we are? ...We're not like your daughter.)

Squall means this as "we're professionals" but I like to think Caraway's hearing "we will cut you in half if you try and stop your daughter from leaving your house."

You know, it's already dark out in Deling City. I wonder what time it is.

While we're here, we can check out the little control room in the gateway.

Upstairs, there's the little terminal that controls the gate.

And the window. Great view.

Nobody in the city has anything new to say.

So let's just head back to Caraway's place.

I say we make Zell the sniper. They'll never expect it.

General Caraway: The sniper and the leader of this operation will form the sniper team. The leader's role is vital.