Part 3: Mission #3: The Unspeakably Villainous Exploits of Isao Takemura

Mission #3: The Unspeakably Villainous Exploits of Isao Takemura

Last Time: Kazuki went to an army base where his sister worked. Suddenly, there was a large explosion. Kazuki did the only rational thing by attempting to conquer the base in a desperate attempt to protect his sister. Tragically, he was captured by the evil Japanese Defense Force before he could murder them all...



: ...
: Oh, he's Kazuki Takemura. I'm Ryogo Kusama.
: Why did you take the wanzers for a joyride?
: I already told you! To help my sister!
I don't know that that's really much of a defense...
: Kazuki, just calm down.
: Using the new wanzers? Why don't you make up a more believable lie?
: You're no help. You're just getting Kazuki worked up. Drop the attitude. Let's go home.
: Then check for me! There is a student named Alisa Takemura working at this base.
If she is, then Kazuki's crimes don't count! It's the law!
: I don't have time for your stupid lies. You won't get out until you tell the truth!
: Uh, he is telling the truth, sir. Will you check with Isao Takemura?
: Takemura? You mean Colonel Takemura?
: Yeah, that's him! That's his dad.
: !? Is that true?
: None of your business. That's not my father.
: Hey, don't complicate the situation! Never mind what he just said.
: I'll go check. Stay here!
: Yes, sir!
The guard goes off to check.
: Jeez... You go crazy when it comes to Alisa. Calm down a little.
: Alisa was adopted from another country. She lost her parents in an accident. She used to cry all the time.
: That's the past! She's a happy girl now.
: What do you know about Alisa? I have to protect her!
Yes, because Kazuki wasn't unlikeable enough with his hair-trigger temper, he also has a borderline creepy obsession with 'protecting' his sister.
: Alright, alright. If that's how you feel...



: Colonel Takemura!
Just to make things clear, this guy isn't Sasaki, he's someone named Takiguchi.
: What is it?
: Your son is being detained in the brig. He needs you.
: That idiot! Why is he causing trouble at a time like this? Tell them I'm on my way.
: Yes, sir.



: Thank you for your time, Colonel! We detained a boy who claims to be your son.
: Yes, that idiot is indeed my son. Sorry to waste your time.
: No, sir. It's quite all right.
: You can go back to your station.
: Yes, sir.
: Cool, Kazuki. We can go home now.
: You're calling me your son? What a joke.
There is no limit to how much of a dick Kazuki can be.
: What were you doing, going rampage at the base?
: Wouldn't matter to you anyway.
: Hey, stop, Kazuki. We were trying to rescue Alisa from the accident.
You know something's gone wrong when the comic-relief sidekick is the voice of reason.
: Alisa?
: You didn't even know she worked here, did you?
: You went on a rampage for such a frivolous reason?
: What do you mean, frivolous!?
: Don't worry. Alisa is safe.
: Oh, good. Right, Kazuki?
...
: You no longer have any reason to be here. Leave immediately.
: You should say please.
: We're busy looking after the accident. Leave now, or I'll place you under arrest.
: Better not annoy your dad anymore.
: Get out!
: Fine, I'm leaving!
: Hey, wait! Kazuki!


: I understand, but it's still being tested. No, that's not what we were trying to do...Yes we'll ship the original right away. We don't want to be isolated from the OCU.
This is Sasaki. He'll be playing the role of mysterious evil member of the military-industrial complex for the time being. He's also finishing up a phone call, presumably with another member of his shadowy cabal.
: Was that the OCU Ministry of Defense?
: Yes. They know about the accident already. They're demanding the surviving scientists and MIDAS.
: Will you comply?
: Yes. It's too early to isolate ourselves from the OCU. But we
went through a lot of trouble to acquire MIDAS. You understand?
On the one hand, Front Mission 3 thinks enough of its audience to not typically spoon-feed them the plot. On the other, it can occasionally make things a bit hard to understand.
: Should we attack during transport?
: No. Wait until it reaches the destination.
: Yes, sir.
: And the rats sniffing around for MIDAS?
: I will take care of them.
: I'm counting on you.



: What's wrong, I just helped you out!
: Hmph, just getting rid of a nuisance.
Kazuki is an asshole. But, if we give him a tough enough Wanzer, he can become a mean motherfucker.
: What a jerk...
: !



This is the part of the mission where Kazuki suddenly develops some sort of super-sight.
: Hey, Ryogo, did you see that?
: What?
: That trailer, there's a wanzer inside.
: What about it? It's not that unusual...
: No, that wanzer wasn't JDF or OCU. Maybe USN?
: Okay, I know you're a wanzer expert, now let's go.
: Wait, don't you think it's strange? What's a USN wanzer doing here...? Hey, Ryogo, follow that trailer!
Why are we doing this?



: What, Kazuki!?
And then he gets in that car. I'm not sure if it's a loaner or if Kazuki just added grand theft auto to his crimes.
: They told us to get outta the base... Can we do this?
: You don't have to come along.
: What, and let you have all the fun!?
Ryogo Kusama, faithful unto death.
: Hey, isn't that it?
: No wanzer? Maybe it went underground? Let's go!
: Maybe you're imagining things?
: I'm gonna check things out.
: Yeah, yeah.



Meanwhile...



: What was that explosion? Are we safe?
: I wonder what happened...
Meet Alisa. I don't know why, but she always looks a bit...off. I think her eyes are too far apart.
: Alisa.
: Dad! What was that explosion!?
: It was in the underground lab supervised by Chief of Staff Sasaki.
: Does it involve the research?
: There's no time for an explanation. Get out of here, now!
: Why? If we can see the site, maybe we can find out what they were doing.
: It's dangerous here. Sasaki's men will begin moving. Then, it'll be too late.
You know, if everyone just listened to Isao Takemura, this game would be over in about fifteen minutes. I guess the moral of this game is make sure your children are obedient by any means necessary.
: The explosion blew up the entire lab. I bet it's chaos outside.
: What about you!?
: I still have things to take care of. You sneak out while they're confused. Go to Kazuki. The least he can do is protect you.
Actually, having played both scenarios....that's asking a lot of ol' Kazuki.
: Dad...
: You can't stay here. You're in danger. Please understand.
: Okay, dad.
: Good thing the explosion didn't affect us. I wonder where
they're taking us.
: Get out. It's dangerous here. Take this with you, Alisa.
: What's on this disk?
: Images of the accident. It might provide a clue to what Sasaki's doing.



: Hey, how long are we doing this?
: Until they show up.
I think Kazuki is waiting for the USN Wanzers to show up. I have no idea why, other than he wants to really piss off his dad by starting a war.
: You just don't know when to quit. What!? Something's coming.
Oh, and Kazuki and Ryogo just happen to be standing in front of two vacant, yet armed, Wanzer. That's...fortunate.



: Isn't it just a construction wanzer? ... Alisa!
: Oh, it's over now. If the wanzer's starting to look like Alisa,
you're pretty messed up...
Ryogo, you're the greatest.
: Stupid, Alisa's in the wanzer! Let's go!
: Hey, Kazuki! Wait up!
: Alisa!
: Kazuki!?
: !
: !
: !?



Looks like Kazuki finally was able to find the USN Wanzers...um...what exactly did he plan to do once he found?



And here they come!
: He must have gone underground! What's under the base!?
: Shoot, we've been found! What do we do? Fight!?
Meet Joe. He's an ace pilot and strong evidence that no one at Squaresoft had ever been in the room with anyone of African descent.
: Wait, they look like civilians. What's that!?
And meet Emma. We'll eventually get to know her pretty well.  She does have a whole fucking branch named for her, after all. 
: Oh no! Alisa!? Run, Alisa!
: Nooo!
: Ryogo, help Alisa!
: Help Alisa? What are you going to do?
It's a good thing that God come down from his cosmic throne to give Kazuki and Ryogo these Wanzers!
: Use this wanzer!
: What, this worn-out pile of junk!? I'm sorry I asked.
: Hurry up and get in!



Finally, a Wanzer of Kazuki's own!
: Joe, a wanzer! It's coming this way!
: Can't be helped. Cindy, Gastor, get ready!

Battle time! Let's see what we've got and what we've got to kill.



The Zenislev is the Wanzer on the cover of the Front Mission 3 CD Cover. Sadly, it's not really that good. It's okay enough at melee, but it's subpar for any sort of ranged weaponry, and since I usually have Kazuki stick with the shotgun...



The Kyojun is a good mid-range ATAC, especially with Machine Guns or Shotguns. It's a bit weak, so by the end-game you'll probably move on from it, but for the moment, it's good enough, and it does teach some reasonably nice battle skills.



And our opposition's Wanzers. The Grapple is a damn fine melee wanzer, including some of the best battle skills in the game. It also has loads of HP, and there are two of them.



There are also two Reksons. They are unexceptional, and they're further limited by having rifles. I'll get into more detail about them once we have a party member who uses them, but, suffice to say, there are quite disappointing.



As you might guess, the game doesn't really expect us to kill four superior wanzers in our first real mission, so we just need to survive.



But, well, I kind of would like to get something out of this level, and am rewarded when Ryogo unlocks Zoom I, a battle skill that ups your accuracy a bit. Then again, that's really only have of its power...



Anyway, I elect to save it on Ryogo's computer so it can be with him forever...or until I delete it. Beyond making your attacks more effective, battle skills can often trigger in a chain, allowing you to effectively attack several times in a row for no extra AP cost.



That is not promising, I think I'm ready for this battle to end.



And, after three turns it does.
: We can't stay here any longer. Let's pull back.



Yay! The JDF is here to save us!

: Hey, those USN guys are running away again.
: Don't you move either!
: Crap, did we overdo it!?
: What do we do, Kazuki?
: Throw down your weapons, now!
Well, it's back to prison for us!



: What!? More of them?



And a mysterious wanzer appears out of nowhere and opens fire on the JDF wanzers.



: Hey, what's going on!?
: I don't know!
: You wanna get arrested!? Hurry!
: That hadn't even occurred to me... Let's go, Alisa!
So, being arrested never occurred to him as the probable consequence of engaging in a wanzer battle in the middle of a city...and now he's getting into the truck of a man he just met and knows nothing about. And frankly, when we learn more about this guy, this whole thing will seem like an even worse idea.
: Kazuki!? Wait!
: Hey, what about me!? Don't just leave me here!

Next Time: Exposition, lifeblood of the jRPG.