Part 123: Mission #55: Yang's House of Discount Battleships

I sense something soul-crushing is about to happen. Anyway, first you get your mission, then you get your parts list.

Mission #55: Yang's House of Discount Battleships



Having rescued Emma and Alisa, it's time to head back to Guan Lei's house.



: All we need to do now is escape the DHZ.
: What's up, Alisa? Aren't you happy about going back to Japan?
: What's to be happy about? That I'm not normal? That I was created to be used like a puppet?
: Alisa, stop!
: It's all your fault! It's all because you made that bomb! If it weren't for you, everything would be fine!
: Alisa, stop. She's your only sister.
She's also Kazuki's only sister, meaning that when Kazuki and Emma have kids, Alisa will be some sort of double-Aunt.
: My sister...? Because we were made from the same ingredients? I'm not a human! I'm just a puppet!
I wish. A puppet would complain less.
: That's enough!
: Kazuki...
: Think of how Emma felt! She was worried sick about you.
: ...
: It's okay, Kazuki. She's right. I've done nothing to make her like me. But I want you to believe this: Even if we aren't related by blood, you are my sister.
: ...
: Hey, cool it, everyone. Let's go out.
: I wanna go, too!
: Alright! Let's go!
: I need to coordinate our escape plan. I'll stay.
: Okay. See ya.



: The DHZ military is hunting down the Hua Lian Rebels. Business slowed down because of it. Looks like the war will continue for a while.
: So the military and the Hua Lian Rebels fought in Shanghai. And the rebels were destroyed. There's no hope. I can't see the future.
Yeah, it is kind of a bummer that we, you know, led the rebellion to its destruction. Still, you can't sweat the small stuff.
: I hear the Ravnui Ambassador was killed. He was one among the many fruit flies in this country. Why don't they kill each other and make the world a better place? There will always be crooks in this world. Where there is trash, there are fruit flies.
: Everyone is so depressed! Like the world is gonna end tomorrow. It's not like you're responsible for world peace or nothin'. Just do what you can! Don't look so depressed! Sit up straight! This will all pass.




: My country is going to abandon Emma... If I follow their orders, I'll be betraying Kazuki. (I've done many reprehensible things for my country.) But this is different. (Without Kazuki, no one will know about MIDAS.) However... (If we make Japan the scapegoat, the USN won't take responsibility.) Is that what I really want!? (It's for the USN.) Am I going to keep lying to and betraying everyone?
If it'll end this fucking game, then I'm all for Dennis killing everyone.



Flashback!
: There are some things the world shouldn't know.
: You're just being arrogant!
: I'm protecting my country!
: Do you really want to live in a world filled with lies? Are you that afraid of change?



: Dennis, you look troubled.
: Marcus!? I thought you went out with the others.
: I was concerned. What happened?
: There's been a change of plan. Look.
: Assassinate Emma!? Dennis, are you gonna...
: Of course not! Why would I show it to you in the first place? I'll send false information, but they'll find out sooner or later.
: Then they'll come after us.
This implies we have several missions before the USN figures out what's going on. We don't have quite that much time...
: We need to escape the DHZ before that happens.
: And you're okay with that?
: I'm not heartless. And I'm not ready to give up just yet!
: Good for you.



: That's the story. We need to leave the DHZ right away.
: Yeah, Bal and Lukav are both dead. It's all over. Let's go back to Japan.
: Not yet.
: !
: Lukav was going to do something with the JDF. It's not over yet.
: The JDF...
: Does it have something to do with the military coup in Japan?
: Probably.
: Emma, who is the ringleader of the coup?
: That's...
: Tell me. You do know, right?
: His name is... Isao Takemura.
: I knew it! He was working with Lukav!?
: No! Dad would never do that!
: That's right, Kazuki. We don't know for sure. Maybe he has a plan.
: A plan? He only thinks about the JDF! If he's serious about the coup, I'll kill him!
And he'll do it with a smile!
: Kazuki...
: Leave him alone, Alisa. So how are we gonna get to Japan?
: We don't have any way to get there.
: Let's go to Lianyunang.
: Lianyunang? What's there?
: A junkyard of battleships. We might find something.
After all I've been through...I deserve a battleship.
: We can try.
: Is that alright, Kazuki!?
: Yes. We need to get to Japan right away!



Okay, time to get out of China.



: Whoa, dude... It's like some ship graveyard...
: All war ships that the army has no need for gets disposed of here.
: Why aren't they used now?
: It costs money to dispose of them. I guess they would rather use the money for newer equipment.
: It's the fate of all items that no longer are needed...
Oh, Jose, you could make anything depressing.



: You're with the military, aren't you!? Come any closer, and I'll hurt ya!
: Da Han Zhong?
: No, I don't think so.
: Wait, we're not here to fight! I'm here to talk!
: I can't believe that! Get out of here!
: Hey, geezer, we're just looking for a ship to take us to Japan. We'll leave soon, so stay out of our way.
: What!? I knew you were after the ships. All the ships are mine! I have nothing to give you!
: What's with that stubborn old man!?
: I don't know. It seems he's guarding this place.



Oh, what now?



: All units, commence attack!
: USN Special Forces!? This isn't good. The USN is faster than I thought.
: They must be serious about killing us!
: We're considered traitors. They tend to trash anything they don't need.
: So we're no better than trash, eh?
Well, the party did betray them, and are also harboring two people with extremely sensitive information that could lead to nuclear war, so, it's not like USN is acting unreasonably here.
: You're not laying a finger on my boat!
: Hey, old man, get out of here!
: Aaahh!
: Old man!? Dammit!



Alright, it's the last mission for these wanzers. Emma, Ryogo, Jose and Linny make up one of the weaker squads I've ever sent out. The key to this mission is holding your ground. There are eight wanzers going up against your team of four. Four of them are Grapples with fists, which are pretty scary, while four are Reksons with rifles, which are considerably less dangerous. If you split your forces up, they'll probably get overwhelmed, so it's better to clump your team together and let the enemy come at you in waves.



Linny's getting better...if not yet actually good.



Emma expertly guns down a wanzer with her machine gun. I must say, Nick Buntline, the Stolen Heart is by far the best wanzer Emma has ever had.



And Ryogo kills another Grapple. It's a shame I'm retiring the Time To Fly after this mission, it was finally coming into its own.



He's on fire!



Linny...oh, Linny.



And Emma gets force-ejected for the sake of tradition.



Ah, Nick Buntline, I can not say enough good things about the Stolen Heart.



Linny finally makes good! Granted, it's against a wanzer made of glass, but, well, this is as good as Linny's apt to get.



And now Linny will end this battle with his deadly Double Assault technique...



Hmmm. Well, it'll have to do.



Very good. Emma wins MVP.



Old Soldier: Quit calling me old man or geezer! The name's Yang!

: Why were you trying to protect a place like this?
: I'm trying to breathe new life into these abandoned ships.
: So you're fixin' the junk here then?
: This isn't junk. They can all fight. The military disposes what they don't need. Be it humans or not. I was thrown away by the military, like these ships. That's why I'm going to show them that we can still fight!
Wait. Is Yang fixing these ships so he can go on some sort of rampage to spite the DHZ military? He sounds like a pleasant fellow.
: Wait a minute... Then there are functional ships here!? Yang, could you please lend us a ship that would make it to Japan!?
: Hmph, I normally don't lend things out... You saved my life. I'll help you. Come with me!
I'm glad he's glossing over the fact that his life was only in danger because of the party's actions.

Next Time: Seaway to the Danger Zone!