Sigma Star Saga Part #18 - Not My Fault I'm Illiterate...

Part 18: Not My Fault I'm Illiterate...

Starbase 2 again, filled with dead troops and...

Hey wait, who're you?

Huh?

Talking to these new troops reveals that no one knows who Zelly is and that someone named Commander Ammer has supposedly always been Commander here. Let's chat with the man himself.

: I don't see you in my appointment book. Who are you and what can I do for you?

: I am Recker. Previously assigned here to Commander Zelly.

: You are human!

: Yes. Can you tell me where to find the Commander?

: I'm afraid the only commander on this starbase is, and has always been me!

: But I served with her here. I spoke to her the other day in this very room!

: You must be mistaken. Many starbases look alike, and they are rotated from time to time. You wouldn't be the first to walk into the wrong classroom so to speak.

: I...suppose so. How embarrassing for me!

: Pay it no mind. Well, I have things to attend to!

: Yes me too. Forgive the interruption.

This is bad. Better call Psyme.

: Go.

: Commander Zelly is gone. They've erased all record of her existence.

: Incredible. They are cleaning away every footprint. Pretty soon you and I will be the only ones left who know what's going on.

: Has she been transferred? Or killed?

: I noticed while working on SB2 that they have a detention section.

: I'll check it out.

We found a Gun Data here before, now we can fly over this gap.

Well look here, hidden hallways.

And Gun Data too! The Cannon Data, Node Orbit is just like Double Node Orbit but with a faster rate of fire and a smaller orbit. Useful I suppose but I don't switch to it.

Zelly in chains. Somehow...fitting.

: Don't...look at me Earthman.

: I'll get you out of here.

: ...

: The Tyrannical... Overlord... Turned on me... I...knew too much...

: I'll take care of the crew. Can you find your way out?

: Yes... but... You mustn't let... anyone escape... ...Not a single one, Recker.

: Count on it.

Now we have to kill the crew. Gunfights, hooray!

This guy throws what looks like a croissant. Or a double-bladed knife.

Lastly we have to kill Ammer. His parasite grows plant heads that spit bullets at you.

Just shoot him and use the excessive slowdown from the red overlay and bullets to win.

This is also the only time you see Zelly's standing sprite. Is it just me or does she look really tall compared to everyone else?

: Recker, why did you come back?

: I'm attempting to sabotage the Overlord's bio weapon. He's been using all of us to search for it.

: I knew there were six special planets. But I don't know why he needed them.

: Well, Psyme and I found one he's missing. It's a Forgotten Planet... no starbase there. Without one, we're helpless.

: You need me to transfer a station there.

: Can you do it without the Overlord finding out?

: Effortlessly.
The Overlord is too busy being evil to worry about paperwork.

: Starbase 5 will find new orders, placing it above the Forgotten Planet within a few hours. The crew will follow commands upon your arrival.

: How can I make it up to you?

: You already have. But Recker, do one thing more.

: Yes?

: Take out the man at the top.

: Will you be safe here?

: Yes, it will take a while for High Command to catch on. Congratulations Mister Recker, you've just hijacked a Krill Starbase.
I like to think I'm a quick learner. Also a beeping sound plays.

: Looks like you have an incoming transmission in the Comm Room.

: I'll take it here.

: I found our stray sheep.

: Where is she?

: I'll tell you in person. Get to Starbase 4 on the double.

: I wish you both a safe voyage.
I don't know if that's sarcastic or sincere.

I guess I kind of overplayed Zelly's personality. In my mind I recalled her being crazy but the killing of the crew as per the order she received was the only real instance. She was a bitch most of the time but in the end turns out to be of great service and even thanks us.

Skipping ahead to Starbase 4...

: The reason my surface scans couldn't pick her up before is because she's underground.

: Where underground?

: Looks like a temple of some sort. Beneath the ruins. She must have the anti-virus. Why else would she hide there?

: When Blune arrived to steal the virus, she must have run off with it.

: Which means Blune killed Professor Zart to get it.

: Makes sense.

: I've moved a Krill Fighter to the launch bay and loaded the coordinates into the NAV computer. Pilot the ship into the temple, make your way to the central chamber and grab Scarlet. Oh and make sure your SAVE your progress before launching!

: I'll be back in no time.

So for this mission, I'm taking the Free Aim Cannon since rapid fire forward shots are useful for the boss. Super Power Shot is a no brainer. Lastly, Super Vampire is nice because there are a lot of walls to crash into in this mission and I made sure to hit all of them.

VIDEO: Chapter 4 Boss Mission

Mission starts you off outside the ruins with a couple enemies.

Then you fly into the ruins.

The sandfalls are purely aesthetic and don't affect your movement at all. Good thing too.

The level has a bunch of vertically moving segments like the Chapter 2 Boss Mission did. Just gotta avoid getting hit while also keeping on your toes.

Big plant! I like the feel of this mission despite its difficulty. It looks nice and requires a fair amount of maneuvering, making it interesting the whole time.

Tight passages are no fun though.

As is tight maneuvers though scrolling walls. Pretty sure I crashed a second later.

The game doesn't show it, but that moving piece goes behind the left sandfall so you can still get hit by it there. Of course, I managed to do so.

There are three of those enemies that appear out of nowhere right here that in test runs I always crashed into. This time I just barely avoided them. You can also see a Vampire health box.

Finally we come to the boss arena.

The boss is simply the wall. You have to shoot all 77 tiles when they flip over. Most boring boss in the game, even more so than that gigantic worm.

Yup.

Finally it dies, drops only 900 EXP and Scarlet shows up as a couple pixels at the bottom.

: Okay, I've made visual contact with Scarlet.

: Pick her up already!

Ship flies over, grabs her and the Stage Clear screen pops up.

: Thank goodness you got my note about hiding in the ruins.

: Note?

: I left you a note on the table! The note written in English?! The note only you could read?! Wow. You are a total brain case.

: Ah. Errr, what matters is that you have the anti-virus, right?

: Yes. Take it. It's your problem now.

: leash. We know Earth has a virus to destroy the weapon if it falls to the Krill.

: And if Earth gets the bio weapon, then you still have me.

: So for the tie being, the play field is level. The only thing we DON'T know is why both Tierney and the Tyrannical Overlord need six planets worth of alien matter to form the weapon. Why wouldn't one do the job?

: All of the matter must be linked together for a reason.

: We'll find out soon enough. Commander Zelly sends a greeting. Starbase 5 has taken position over the Forgotten Planet.

: Let's head out.