Part 18: Hit 'Em Where They Least Expect It

Welcome back. Last time on Exit Fate, we met the only strategist who was able to outsmart General Keyser in the past, former major Bast Gunwood. After hearing his story, Bast agreed to lend us a hand, as long as we kept his presence on the down-low. Of course, we can't keep his presence a secret from everyone, because some people in the State Army need to know about it. Like Erin. So let's go talk to her.




Yes, Captain. He told me he wants to come here without drawing attention, so he sent me ahead to ask you to come to the castle.
I see... that's so like him.



Fade to black...

Music: Mission - Xenogears, "Leftovers from the Dreams of the Strong"




Thank you, Captain, but I don't hold that rank anymore. Just call me Bast from now on. Anyway, let's get to business immediately. What is the exact situation right now?
Our sources indicate that any opposition in Mayfall has been struck down by Kirgard. Some of our scout reports have just arrived. Shortly after the colonel withdrew from Mayfall Kirgard troops returned to Amen Corner, and it's been well-defended ever since. Blackwater Port is also under Kirgard control, and there is a large camp near the Mayfall river bridge. General Keyser himself has not been sighted yet, but it's very likely that he's with his main force in Mayfall City.
So the district has been tightly sealed off by the enemy. Have we lost any people of great importance?
It's hard to say, since we know little about what's going on in Mayfall City. Both Governor Miller and Colonel Merrick were at the city when it fell. They have most likely been taken prisoner.
Hmm...



Lord Shiro? According to the reports, he's been placed under house arrest.
House arrest, huh?



I'm gonna need maps of the area, and someone who knows the location of the Kirgard encampments and their troops. I also want records of everything Keyser has been doing as a general.
I can take care of that.
That's all you'll need?
It's enough for now.



Very well, I will return tomorrow then.




Of course. It's right outside the meeting hall.
Good. I'll be there if you need me. Come back in the morning and I'll tell you what I've come up with.



Music: Elysium - Chrono Trigger, "Frog's Theme (Orchestral Version)"



And once again, the game hands control over to us for the minute it will take to walk back to our room. Before we head there, however, let's head over to the sparring area on the west side of the castle for no particular reason.



Wait, what? How did you get here?



Augh fuck that portrait. I had almost forgotten about that!

Fitch? What are you doing here?
Oh, well you see, I uh... Well I just got bored in Alfheim! But hey, this is a really great place! Can I stay here with you!?
I... don't think that's a very good idea.



... Will it shut you up if I say "yes"? Fine.







So yeah, Mr. Soulless Eyes is back, and he's just as we left him. Once you meet Bast, Fitch will just kind of pop back into existence in the castle's sparring area, and will sit there until you go and talk to him to get him to join permanently. It's entirely possible to play through the majority of the game without ever realizing that he's there. I definitely didn't do that on my first playthrough, no sir.




Anyway, Carson and Bast are hard at work in the room next to the meeting hall, just like we told them. So let's head back to our room.



Ayara is waiting for us when we arrive.

Music: Reflection - Chrono Trigger, "At the Bottom of the Night"




Yes... I'd like to think that I was prepared for this, but seeing these people I once knew before me, I realized it's impossible to prepare yourself. And this is still the second legion, that I've had little contact with... they're not even the people I've been through so much with.
I feel the same way, but... it's too late to turn. I've already decided.



Thank you, Ayara. I appreciate it. Ayara... what do you know about Almenga?
Only a bit, from what I've been taught in school. You fought in the war against Almenga eight years ago, didn't you, sir? I'm sure you'd know more about them than I do.
You'd think so, wouldn't you? And yet... I didn't even know the name of their supreme commander.



True. Almenga closed itself off after the war, so it probably wasn't considered important that there was a change of command.
Maybe it was right at the end, when Emperor Sigmund's son took the throne. The old Emperor's followers were probably replaced at that time.
That's right, I almost forgot...




I guess the two didn't have a very close relationship. Anyway, a lot of lives were saved thanks to him, on both sides.
Maybe so. I guess I can't really imagine what it would be like since I never knew my parents.
Really? What happened to them?
Who knows... I was raised at the orphanage in Levier. Apparently I was brought in as an infant, but that's too long ago for me to remember.
I'm sorry to hear that.
Oh, don't be. It's not like I had a bad childhood.






So... why were you so interested in this Brunhild person anyway?
Yes, why am I? I wonder... She's the army commander of a country that has been isolated for almost a decade.



I'm sure that I've known her. What do you make of that?
I don't know... It sounds pretty strange.
Yeah, it does. But the only people I could possibly ask about it, the ones I grew up with, are out of reach... I've decided I should forget about it for now. At this moment, we have more important things to be worrying about.
I guess so. Well, I think I should be going to sleep now.
You're right, it looks like tomorrow's going to be another tiring day. Thank you for dropping by to talk for a while. After all, you're the only one who's in the same situation as me.



Well, good night.

The next morning...

Music: Mission - Xenogears, "Leftovers from the Dreams of the Strong"



All right. Listen up, all of you. After studying the situation, I've come to the conclusion that the defense in Blackwater is much weaker than in the other areas. Since Helman Island is completely under Kirgard control, Blackwater Port is not strategically significant, so there is only a small enemy camp outside the town. A handful of well-trained soldiers could land at Blackwater and take it with little effort.
What's the point of that? It would be just as easy for them to take it back.
Come on, you think I didn't realize that? I have no intention of occupying Blackwater.



That could work, but... What are you trying to achieve with that? I'm sure it would be of some help if Lord Shiro returned to the army, but would that really turn the tide? I don't see how it's worth the risk.



There's no point in using tactics that would work against anyone. No, you need something that works only against Keyser. Shiro may have retired, but he played a major role in the last wars against Kirgard. He's a powerful symbol of Zelmony resistance. But you're right. Getting him back to us won't make a huge difference. That's not the reason I'm proposing it.
The act of freeing Shiro from Keyser's grasp is more important than having him on our side.
Exactly. Do you know what Keyser's greatest strength is? It's his foresight. He rarely overlooks anything. Conventional plans don't work against him.




So the whole aim of this operation is to bring Keyser off-balance? Is that going to make him less attentive?



He won't understand why. He'll start doubting his strategies, even if it's only a little. He'll have no idea what we're planning. Trust me, that's the worst thing that could happen to a man like him.

I have to say, Bast's strategy in his flashback was kind of hard to follow, and I didn't really get why it worked so well. But I really like his plan here. The whole idea here isn't to outsmart Keyser directly, it's to force him into a place where he can't understand the situation. If he can't understand why we're doing what we're doing, he can't plan for it. And rescuing a person who really isn't all that important in most people's eyes actually sounds like a pretty decent way to mess up what he thinks about our intentions.



So, Captain. Are you convinced yet?
It's... highly unconventional, but we brought you here precisely to come up with a plan like that. I will trust your judgment.
Then, who's going to carry out this mission?
Going by what Carson told me, you guys are better suited for this kind of thing than the State Army. What about it, Daniel? Do you think you're up to it?



Who will you be taking with you? I recommend you take Sally's boat to Blackwater. Since she's a regular visitor and native to the town, she won't look suspicious.
If you're going, I'm going as well, sir.
Hmmm... Then I'll also take...



I hope you enjoyed this party, because we're going to be switching to a new one pretty soon. Sally is required for this segment, but I remove her from the active party before we leave.



Why not?
Why not!? There's no need to put yourself in such danger! You should take more responsibility as commander of the Elysium army!
Calm down, Captain. Are you saying you don't think he can do it?
But...!



Damn right we aren't. This'd be a pretty boring game if that were the case anyway.

They have to be there, in the middle of the action, so they can make sure everything's going the way it should. Isn't that right, Daniel?
I guess so.
I'd offer to go with you myself if I wasn't trying to lie low. It's not like I'm enjoying this either.
Hmph, do what you want. Just keep me informed about this mission.




Don't go unprepared, but don't waste any time. Come back to me whenever you're ready.



After a quick trip to the menu to move Sally into the entourage, it's time to get this show on the road.



Yes.
Good luck, Daniel. If possible, try to enter without being noticed and catch them by surprise. You have to prevent them from alerting the soldiers at the nearby camp.
I'll do my best.



Do or do not. There is no try.

Some time later...

Music: None





I see our plan is off to a fine start.

Calm down, matey! This town's me home, I just got back from the sea.
What, you're sailing all by yourself, little girl?
Who're ye callin' a little girl, lubber? I was crossin' these seas with me father while ye were still sittin' in yer momma's lap!
Uh, whatever. Either way, I can't let you go until I've inspected your ship. It's not like I'm suspecting you of anything, but it's just my orders.



Hey, relax! I'm not making the rules here, okay? Just let me take a quick look and I'll be off.
Over me dead body!
Sigh...





This girl is acting suspicious. She won't let me look at her ship.



Music: Rescue Mission - Xenogears, "Steel Giant"



Looking for something?
W-What!?



Hey, there were only two of you! What gives?



This fight is a joke. I barely even take any damage.



Yeah, yeah. We got them before anyone else noticed us, didn't we? Let's get a move on.



Right then, there's nowhere to go but into town.




Immediately upon entering, we're thrust into another battle. This one is even easier than the last, since there's no sergeant leading the group.



Once that's done, we can look for Shiro without having to worry about reinforcements showing up too soon.



You know, for someone who supposedly abhors violence, Daniel is awfully eager to kill every soldier in the town. For this segment we need to find the groups of soldiers standing around and defeat them all. Each set forces a battle with the same group of shitty soldiers we just saw twice above, so I'm not going to bother covering them.



Once we've defeated all of the soldiers, Daniel will tell us to go find Shiro.

Fade to black...

Music: None



Do you think we're under attack?
Ugh... Why does it have to happen to us?
Should we go outside to help?
Uhm, I think it'd be a better idea to hide and wait for reinforcements to arrive.




Fade to black...




We're briefly given control back here. The only thing to do is enter Shiro's house in the center of town, and then head into the basement.

Music: Vault - Chrono Cross, "Dead Sea (Tower of Destruction)"



I don't know what I was expecting to find in the basement, but it wasn't this.

This... Aye! I think I know! I've heard a few rumors about this house. They say it's built on top of an old vault.
This is a vault?



So they took Shiro down here? Is that it?



Did they close the doors behind them?
Looks like there's some trick to opening the doors.





Well, that doesn't seem like a bad guess, but...






Suddenly, Sentinels come out of fucking nowhere.




Sentinels' only attack is to claw the front row for okay damage. They're hardly a threat.



We're apparently still overleveled, as we barely receive any experience.





And with that, we're given control back. We need to get down into the depths of this vault, which means it's time for a puzzle dungeon. There aren't any random encounters here, but that doesn't mean we won't be fighting.



The first puzzle is this switch puzzle here. Daniel had the right idea when it came to the torches, but he did the reverse of what he should have done. The actual solution here is to pull down the switches on the far ends, while leaving the center switches in the up position.



The next room is full of boxes. How exactly did all the soldiers get through here?





The gimmick here is that we need to push the boxes out of our way to clear a path to the door. It's hardly a challenge.



In the next room, it's time to break the laws of physics.




The gimmick in this room is that every time we step on a box, the four boxes surrounding it will change state: floating boxes will sink and vice versa. This makes absolutely no sense from a physics perspective, but whatever, it's a puzzle dungeon, we'll roll with it.



The door in the upper right is locked, so we first have to make our way to the bottom half of the room, where we find two switches.




The switch on the left summons monsters.



Relics can be assholes, since they love to cast Amnesia and Mindblow. Fortunately they have no idea who to aim for, and will often target your frontliners with those spells while leaving your actual mages untouched.



They go down fairly quickly.



The switch on the right opens the door.



Unfortunately, while trying to get to the door, I land on the bottom-right box here, which leaves me stuck. The game makes a disapproving buzzing noise and warps me back to the entrance, but now there's nowhere for me to go.



Fortunately, leaving and returning to the room resets it.





In the next room we find a strange machine.




I enter a random number and predictably, nothing happens.



The information needed to solve this puzzle is in this room, on a couple of scrolls on the wall.





However, stepping in front of a scroll will trigger a battle. These guys still aren't any threat.



Good to know, but 1289 isn't the password. We'll need to get some more info.



There's another scroll on the right side of the room.




Predictably, another battle triggers when we approach it. Still trivial.




Most important year in history, huh? Well, if it wasn't immediately obvious, the most important year to this mad king is the year when he was born.





And into the depths we go.

Music: None




Remember, when you get out of this unharmed, you'll have me to thank for it.




What!? There's only a handful of them? Hah! Come and get him!



And with that, we're forced into battle with a Kirgard Captain and his lackeys. The Captain has enough HP to be a boss, but he doesn't get boss music.



It takes all of thirty seconds to remove his minions. After that I swipe a Silver Helmet from him, the best helmet we've seen yet.






The Captain mainly attacks physically and will occasionally use Column Strike. This can be slightly worrying because it means that Midian or Yan Angwa are taking physical damage, but it's still not really a problem. He's also capable of using Lightning, but his MAG is atrocious and it hardly does any damage.



Hey, Daniel has 60 MP!




Awww yeah.



Midian takes the captain out not much later.



Aside from the large amount of Arn, we also receive a Leather Belt for winning. The belt is an accessory that grants +10 to max HP, but we're going to have a different use for it very soon.




We'll explain later. We have to get out of here quickly.

Fade to black...




We cut to Daniel and company leaving Blackwater, when suddenly...





Well, balls.

Music: Fuse - Xenogears, "Fuse"



Uh... let's run?
No! Even if we get to the ship, we'll be sitting ducks out on the water! Damn it...



What!?
Remember, this mission has great symbolic value! We can't afford to fail!
Have ye gone mad!? We can't leave ye behind!
This is an order! We don't have time!



If you're captured, then this mission will be a failure, even if we get Lord Shiro to safety! It's my responsibility to ensure your safety. Please, let me take care of it. I'll stay behind.
Ayara...



Everyone! Run!




Elsewhere...

Music: Suspicion 2 - Suikoden V, "Standing Firm"



That's right, sir. A small team inflitrated the town and rescued him from his mansion. It was definitely the State Army's doing. A survivor told us that Colonel Vinyard was in charge of the team.
Him again!?
Thank you for your report. You're dismissed.
Yes, sir.





Wasn't that like twenty years ago? He's the mayor of some sleepy town now. He can't be anything special anymore.
No, he's not to be underestimated... and yet...
If he's a threat, why didn't you bring him here to Mayfall City? They would've never gotten him out that way.



It's got to be, right? We're on the verge of winning this war. They must be completely out of options. That fool Daniel coming by himself is proof of that. He was risking his life for that guy. He must be their last hope.
It doesn't make sense. It was -too- risky. Colonel Vinyard is not a foolish man. Maybe this was a test for him, but still...





That can't be true, right, General? You wouldn't miss something that important. It's probably nothing.
Colonel Erickson. Bring the other officers here. I'm going through all our plans again to see if there is anything we overlooked. I can't allow any more mistakes.



Back at Elysium...

Music: Elysium - Chrono Trigger, "Frog's Theme (Orchestral Version)"



Well, that's it. Ayara's gone. We're going to have to vote in a new party member.



That's all right though. We've got a lot of new frontliners and--




--oh. Or Ayara could be at Elysium already. Wait, what?



But... how did you make it back so quickly?
Well...

Fade to black...

Music: None



Are you another Kirgard traitor? Surrender now! The rest of the brigade will arrive any moment. You don't stand a chance! Lay down your weapons! If you do that, you may still survive!




But just then...





Ninja comes out of fucking nowhere.




Would you really lay your life down for that man so easily?
Yes, I would! I'll do anything to let the colonel succeed!!
I've never understood that kind of self-sacrifice, but...



What!?
I've realized it now. I've been going after the wrong man. We're on the same side. We were all deceived by someone else. I want to live to find out the truth. What about you? Do you want to live as well? Then fight with me.
Fight with you...?




Fade to black...

Music: Elysium - Chrono Trigger, "Frog's Theme (Orchestral Version)"




I'll have to thank you for bringing one of my soldiers back safely.
Don't thank me. We're even now.
So, do you believe now that the Kelsinger incident wasn't my fault?



The way you and your men interact... No, it just wouldn't make sense.
Well, I'm glad. That's one less assassin after my head. What are you going to do now?
Do you still intend to find out the truth about the incident?
Of course. Not a day goes by when I don't think about it.



For as long as that's the case, I will help you. I no longer have a home to return to, as I've already broken the code of my clan by seeking vengeance.
Very well. I'll accept your help. Let's discover the truth together.
Call upon me when you need me.
Wait!









Rorschach is our second thief, and is basically Joe all over again. They have very similar stats, though Rorschach is faster and Joe has better defenses. If you want a thief, you can't go wrong with either of them.





Rorschach attacks with his katars, which always struck me as rather impractical weapons, but they get the job done. As a thief, his damage is okay but not great.



I'm sorry it had to come that far. It's my fault as commander.
It's not your fault, sir. And I'm happy I could mean something for you. This is what I'm here for. As the commander, you shouldn't worry about us so much.
Sorry, I can't help it.



Next time: We've put Keyser off-balance. Now it's time to topple him.