| This article is about a non-canonical topic in the Metal Gear series. |
General Augustine Eguabon was the leader of the Gindra Liberation Front (GLF) and was once one of Big Boss' faithful followers. He led a shadow war disguised behind the battle for Gindra's independence, during the Galuade Incident.
Biography
Project Babel
A mercenary working in Outer Heaven, Augustine Eguabon became a personal subordinate to Big Boss himself, and was a U.S. contact during this time, as it was originally part of a U.S.-backed project. After Big Boss's death and the collapse of Outer Heaven, Eguabon travelled the world as a mercenary for years, before eventually returning as the "new Big Boss."[1] Around 2000, Eguabon was contacted by United States Army Chief of Staff John Parker and became the field controller of Project Babel, a re-invented version of Outer Heaven, the objective of which was to establish the U.S. as the sole superpower in Africa, creating a climate of hostility to discourage organized alliance, then to send a contingent of U.S.-dominated peacekeeping troops for an indefinite stay, where they could exercise control over the entire region. In return for Eguabon's services was a lavish reward and guarantee of safety. His subterfuge regarding the Boias in Gindra was successful enough that he managed to appear genuine in his promises and rhetoric despite neither being a Boia himself nor even of Gindran birth.[2]
With the intention of betraying them, Eguabon used funds from the U.S. to help reorganize the Gindra Liberation Front and soon became their leader. During this time, he became known as "the General," and he had a brief affair with his subordinate Sophie N'dram. Parker, however, suspected that Eguabon would inevitably betray him.[2]
Galuade Incident
In 2002, with leaked info from Black Chamber on a prototype Metal Gear unit, Eguabon began his insurrection. Operating from the fortress of Galuade, he ordered Black Chamber and members of GLF to steal Metal Gear GANDER, with which he planned to threaten the U.S. and win Gindra's independence. In addition, anticipating that Parker would send in someone to erase the Project Babel data and assassinate him, also retrieved all documentation and evidence on the project from Galuade's central computer.[3]
After successfully stealing Metal Gear, Eguabon made preparations for the first strike by charging its rail gun, blacking out the power to Galuade in the process. Because Black Arts Viper had managed to prevent Solid Snake from reaching Metal Gear, Eguabon managed to successfully launch the weapon. The weapon that he launched was actually a dummy warhead, and he had set the coordinates to a nuclear testing facility in Nevada. Eguabon then transmitted a video feed to the U.S. President, revealing his launch of the weapon, and stating his ultimatum: that he either call off UN troops from Gindra and allow them their independence, or else he would launch a real nuke at an American city, giving him three hours to decide. Two hours later, after Snake managed to destroy Galuade's power station and eliminate Metal Gear's use of its rail guns, Eguabon sent a new video feed to the U.S. President: chastising him for the lack of sincerity in his methods, and assuring him that the nuclear missile could still be launched from GANDER, even without the rail gun. Claiming himself to be a gentlemen, he decided to go by his original terms of negotiations, stating that if the president did not recall UN troops from Gindra within one hour, America would be the target of a nuclear strike.
Eguabon, while personally piloting Metal Gear, eventually encountered Solid Snake within Galuade's underground maintenance base. He then told Snake that the last one standing in their fight would be the winner, and he vowed that he would be that winner, not Snake, not Black Chamber, and certainly not America, hinting that he used America, and more specifically Parker. Snake was confused by this, and Eguabon realized that he was little more than a pawn to them as well, knowing absolutely nothing about their connection, so he promised that he would tell Snake everything if Snake defeated him.
After being critically wounded in the battle with Snake, Eguabon, true to his word, revealed the connection between the U.S. and GLF, and he also handed Snake a disk that contained proof of what he had told, including details of all bank transactions and a list of all those involved. Snake called him a traitor to his followers, including Sophie, and upon hearing her name Eguabon felt regret. Eguabon went on, explaining that he had no intention of being Parker's henchman in his schemes, stating "...I was going to break the bargain and build our country. The end justifies the means, especially when others had faith in the fiction." Snake wondered if a nation built by those means could have any value, and The General replied that the world operated on "those means." Knowing that his dream had failed, he said that it was not the worst thing, and died.
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Notes and references
- ^ Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
-Stage 6-2 clear-
No. 4: As the 'General' said, Outer Heaven was conceived as an unofficial military reserve to keep various anti-American forces in check. But what he didn't say was that he himself was once an Outer Heaven mercenary, and a fervent disciple of Big Boss. His connections with the U.S. government date back to that period. After Outer Heaven fell, he drifted from country to country -- then came back, this time as the 'big boss' himself. Maybe all this explains why he chose Outer Heaven of all places to resurrect Galuade... - ^ a b Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
-Stage 12-2 clear-
No. 4: It looks as though Parker was aware of the possibility that the 'General' would betray Project Babel; they just went right ahead, using each other. The 'General' was doing a top-notch job. He fanned the flames of the minority identity movement for the Gindran Boias group with seemingly authentic ideology, and organized the GLF into a force to reckoned with - and all of this in spite of the fact that he is neither a Boian, nor even, as a matter of fact, of Gindran birth. But even he failed to best Solid Snake. We expect you not to repeat that mistake. - ^ Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
-Stage 2-2 clear-
No. 4: I'll let you in on something Snake didn't know. At the time of the Delta Force team's termination at the hands of Black Chamber, Chris Jenner, instead of fighting with her unit, was looking for data on Project Babel in Galuade's central computer. As you know, she didn't find anything; the 'General' is a cautious man. What she did find instead were the bodies of her comrades.
