Part 123: Mission 50 - The Wings of Goodbye - Part 1
And we’re back, having brought karmic balance to the universe by ridding it of Hazard’s presence forever – Annex and Charme are gone, Ylbora and Misao have joined up. Everything’s good… but the Vajra still needs sorting out, which means another round of Frontier Plot. Bah.
Ozma and Alto are deploying as event units today, so here’s how we’re going:
Joe/Ylbora
Aesap/Sakomizu
Liubei/Kiriyama
Kurou/Deceive
Kazuki/Maya
Shou/Tsubasa
Sakura/Mike
Mazinkaiser/Vardant
Shinn/Luna
Mamoru/Shouko
Lu Bu/Seri
Arnie/Saya
Cao Cao/Domyoji
Dancouga/Eida
Heroman/Miu
Kouichi/Kiki
Sun Quan/Rennie
Kira/Kenji
Ishigami/Katou
Tactician: Ranka (If you’re on track for the Frontier secret, set her in.)
One last mission and we can say goodbye to this nonsense… Also, this is the cutoff point for the Demonbane secret kill tally. Kurou must have 200+ kills by the end.
Off we go.
: Our search for Madam Sheryl has yielded results…: It appears she was dragged out into space when the Elshank sustained damage during the previous battle…
: Huh…?!
: Ha-Hahah… You’re joking, right? Sheryl getting dragged out into space…: Hey, come on, tell me you’re not serious!
: Unfortunately, he is. Footage from inside the ship show that she was right around the area the attack hit…
: We ran scans with every conceivable sensor in and around the ship, but found no signs of life…
: What… Then, Sheryl—!
: No, she’s not dead.: Alto…: I know she’s not…: “The self does not vanish so long as the heart remains,” right?
: Yeah, right on. That was the case with Soushi, with Al…
: And with so many of us, too. I’m sure Sheryl’ll be no different…: Her earring'll relay her heart to me.: So, I’m not facing away from this. Come what may…: I’ll keep on flying until this battle is brought to an end…!
: Heh, I guess I shouldn’t call you princess anymore…: …: (“So long as the heart remains…”): (My heart, my emotions, are…)
: And you are…?
: U-Um… I just wanted to say your kabuki was amazing.: It was like watching an angel flying across the sky…!: The sky…?: Yes…
: We should get going, Sheryl… Come on now.: O-Oh, right…: …: …: I-I…: ??: I’ll be a singer someday!: And I’ll do it as beautifully as you. My song’ll send ripples across the galaxy!
Location: Island 1 – Ruins
: H-Hmm…: …?!: Th-This… This is Island 1! But… how did I get here?
: Pi… Pii…: Ai-kun…? You look so weak…
: That larva protected you… Using the Fold Barrier all Vajra have…: Y-You’re…?!
: I’ve… finally found you… Sheryl…
: So, that’s the Vajra Queen’s nest…
: All in all, this is a magnificent land… Its atmosphere doesn’t leave anything to be desired compared to Earth’s. This planet, indeed, is…
: Hmhmm. It’s a grand new Frontier for us – one blessed with both large stores of Fold Quartz and livable land…: (Fold Quartz, the other mineral with properties akin to the Odyssite…): (With this planet’s resources handy, I may just uncover the universal truth, that which transcends time and space…)
: Mishima, fellows of the Army of Mankind, you have my deepest gratitude for all your efforts.: All that remains is sending our troops to assault their nest and bring the Vajra Queen under control!: When it happens, the galaxy itself will belong to us…!: Indeed, it will belong to us…!: Th-That voice…!
Location: Battle Frontier – Bridge
: Wh-What…! You’re—*Machine-gun fire!*
: Yaaargh!*Dead.*
: Eliminating all obstacles…*Machine-gun fire!*
: Gwaaaaargh!*Also dead.*
: M-Mister President?!*Machine-gun fire!*
: U-rrgh…!*Beep.*
(TV): Mr. Mishima, what in God’s name is happening?!*Pods appear.*
(middle-aged man): You have done well, Antares 1.: The emergency autonomous program is already active.: Y-You’re from the Galaxy Fleet!: What are you doing here…?! (young woman): Hmhmhm, you idiot. Did you honestly expect us to be your obedient helpers? (young man): We very much appreciate you doing all the hard work for us. Both this ship and the Vajra’s Network are under our control now. (old man): You were always nothing but puppets dancing to the Galaxy’s tunes. : The Galaxy Fleet?! Those abominations are launching an insurrection?!*
* : Y-You monsters…! I won’t let you… have the universe…: Begone…*Bang!*
: Kch… Damn it all! The Frontier Government’s been taken over by monsters!: Prof. Shot, contact Commandant Hazard immediately!: …: I believe Hazard is already dead.: What…?!*
* : I appreciate you taking me along for such a long voyage, Madam Secretary General.: Y-You’re…!: Prof. Shot… Don’t tell me—*Gets Shot.*
: …*Beep.*
: It’s me. Everything’s taken care of. (old man): Heheh… You are a force to be reckoned with, Shot Weapon.: Everything I do, I do to arrive at the truth. (middle-aged man): Whatever suits you. We’re very much relying on your technological prowess now that we’ve lost Col. Grace. (young woman): Speaking of, what happened to her? (young man): She’s escaped, by the looks of it. But she’s been disconnected from our network, so I doubt she’ll last long. (middle-aged man): Forget her – what’s important right now is the Fold Quartz. (young woman): At last, we’ve found our Treasure Island! (young man): Soon… Very soon, everything’ll belong to us! (old man): But first things first: we’ll have the Battle Frontier storm the Queen’s nest…!
SRW UX - Rebellion Against Fate
: Y-You’re feeling okay…?: Bro, there’s really nothing wrong with your body?!
: Take a look if you don’t believe me. I’m feeling about a million times better than before.
: But you were in so much pain… How’s this possible?
: I believe it is the same phenomenon we observed with the Odyssea, Arnie and Saya.
: …?!: Just as their souls beckoned one another, and a life took root within Saya…: It could be that a new life has surged within Joe and Cmdr. Ylbora.
: A new life within us…If Ylbora’s dead:
: I believe that… Cmdr. Ylbora’s soul has caused a new life to surge within Joe.: …?!
: That man entrusted all that he was to Joe in his final moments.: …: He gave me a new life…*Common ground:*
: And I’m certain that Princess Romina is the one responsible for it succeeding…
: I am…?!
: There is a certain passage in Mirisha’s G-Records.: “As the lights of the moon and of the sun united, new life took root within the great ocean.”: Th-That’s…!
: Lemme guess, there’s a similar story in Planet Ladorio, right?: Y-Yes…: “The righteous sun and the righteous moon heard the pulse of the crane, gathering beneath its wings and weaving a new power.”: It’s an old tale passed among the Ladorio royal family.: I am quite sure that tale refers to the crux of the Ninja Legend.
: Wh-What do you mean?!: The sun and the moon would be the Tobikage and Zerokage; whilst the crane would be the Elshank.: Joe and Cmdr. Ylbora’s souls aligned with Princess Romina’s heart, and, thus, gave birth to new life.: The light unleashed at that time became the origin of the Ninja Legend, which was transmitted across the ages into the future Earth – Planet Ladorio.
: And Joe’s soul eventually lodged itself within the Tobikage, becoming the Elshank’s guardian…: Oh… So, that’s why the Tobikage would always come running whenever we were in trouble.: It… rather, our bro was protecting us all this time…
: Now that I think about it, that’s likely what happened with Karen, too.: He felt my wish to save her…
: And Joe’s soul, within the Tobikage, decided to grant it…: This sounds real crazy, though.: I mean, my mind lasted all the way into the future in the Tobikage; then, he came back to the present and joined with my life again?
: On the contrary, I’d say that cycle is precisely what made the Tobikage what he is today. It’s all due to the many, many times he accumulated your life within himself.
: And I reckon that’s also the case with the Linebarrel.
: Then, my father…?!: Yeah. Mr. Amagatsu placed his life within the Linebarrel by drawing lines between past and future and crossing countless possibilities together…
: Linebarrel, the form created by countless overlapping possibilities…: Given enough time, machines who were endowed with souls become human…: I believe it was from them that the divergent possibility of Mirisha came to be.To clarify what was exposed between Kouichi and Kongming, Linebarrel wasn’t just home to Amagatsu’s brain – but also to his very soul. As shown by the bot and Tobikage, eventually, a machine will gain a soul and turn into a human.
The game doesn’t OUTRIGHT state this, but, considering the context of this conversation and UX’s world as a whole, signs point to the Mirishans being a divergence of the Human Machinas, in a universe where they actually succeeded in becoming human.
My pet theory was that the SD Gundams were ELS-human hybrids (a thing that Trailblazer showed to be possible in its ending) that literally became Gundam due to Setsuna’s influence in the ELS hivemind. However, that theory isn’t as solid due to, one, being based on a movie plot point that UX hasn’t acknowledged, two, not every Mirishan being a Gundam, and, three, going against the central point of this conversation which is MACHINES becoming human. The ELS aren’t machines, but metallic creatures (I get a much bigger giggle out of my theory, mind).
: …
: Our world and this one really were the same, then…?
: Well, they sure have a bunch of stuff in common.
: Then, from our point of view, we and this universe’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms are divergent possibilities of one another…?
: And I believe all those present here bear such possibilities within.: Us, too?: Aye. Our meeting with one another, how I sensed the presence of my lost Deus Machina, Aeon, coming from the Demonbane during our first encounter…: None of it was mere coincidence. It was the result of various superimposed events which molded our fate.
: In that case, there’s got to be one divergent possibility where I became human and married my darling-robo!: Alright, I’m going to look for that divergence and make it happen here!
: WHAT are you talking about, Elsaaaa?!: That is a Route of perversion, and not the one you want! The fate you should strive for is one where the two of us evolve to become gods of the entire universe! (Reference to Flight of the Machine God Demonbane): Hmm, I really don’t see that happening, Doctor-robo…
: I’m sure Byston Well also has many different possibilities of its own…
: One being the Byston Well we knew, back in a previous universe…
: And now all these possibilities are being brought together…
: But, then, what does that make this universe we’re in right now? : Indeed, were I to dub it something…: I would say this is, quite literally, where all possibilities are gathered…: All possibilities are gathered here…*Beep.*
(TV): Jeffrey Wilder calling all UX personnel – we’ve located the Frontier Fleet.: The Frontier?! Where?!
(TV): They have detached the Island 1 residential colony and are at the surface of the Vajra homeworld.: They’re also giving out some major Fold Waves, which we presume they’re using to take control of the Vajra.
: Our fears were correct. They mean to carry out an armed incursion of the Vajra homeworld…: Then, we should move over there ourselves!: We’re also readying the Fold Sound stage for Ranka Lee to use.: I’ll be singing from the Quarter again…?: While we don’t know how effective it’ll be at countering the Frontier’s control waves, yours and Fei’s songs are our only hope with Sheryl gone.: …
: Everything’ll be okay, Ranka… right? Come on – we’ll get through to them together!: Yeah… I’ll sing for Sheryl as well! : Ranka…
: Alto, wait a minute!
: What is it?: Haah, haah…: There’s just something that I had to say to you…: Something you had to…?: I… I’m ready to carry on singing to my very last breath!: So, I made a song that captured what I feel for the man who has my heart…: Your heart?: …: I… I love you, Alto!: …?!: Ranka… I—: Don’t say it!: …!: I-I know it’s weird, but…: The thought of hearing how you feel scares me so much more than singing right in the middle of a warzone.: …: Whatever that answer is, I don’t think I’d be in any condition to sing once I heard it… and I want to sing my very best today!: I will make my song get through to the Vajra – not just for us, but for Sheryl too!: S-So, please, Alto… promise me you’ll make it back!: Ranka…: Yeah, I promise…
Mission 50 – The Wings of Goodbye
(young man): Fusion rate with the Vajra Queen has just reached 75%. (old man): Just a bit longer and we—
SRW UX - After-School Overflow
(middle-aged man): What? That’s…!: All hands, battle stations!
(young woman): Oh my, it looks like we’ve pursuers. And such a tiny force, even – how precious. (old man): We can just have the Vajra deal with them.
(middle-aged man): You will not interfere with us! Soon, the entire universe will belong to the Galaxy!
: The “Galaxy”?!
: But wasn’t most of their fleet wiped out in that Vajra attack?! (young man): We have abandoned the concept of individuality. However many of us are left is irrelevant. (old man): Just stay there and watch as we rise to become the rulers of the universe!
: I guess it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other. They’re after the exact same thing as Hazard.
: Then, our task remains the same: to pave the way for both humanity and the Vajra’s future!If Graham’s dead:
: Meaning what we gotta do’s the usual!
: Yeah. And that is to show them that we are Hell!: We don’t know what they’re doing, but we know we can’t allow it to continue. Life is meant to be free, not to be someone’s property…!: And that’s why I sing: to relay these feelings to everyone… and to the Vajra!: So, hold me to the edge of the galaxy!
Destroy everything, don’t lose a ship or Alto (why did Ozma deploy as an event if he’s not even tied to a losing condition? Not that I’m complaining, since it’s a free deploy for his partner, but…).
Final battle with the Vajra, but this start is pretty much a repeat of the previous battle – only with rougher terrain for your land-bound units. Same strategy as before applies, and you won’t even have stuff coming from both ends of the map. As we saw, the Galaxy folk are holed up in the NW corner and all reinforcements’ll be coming from that end. Move as a united front and tear through the Vajra as you would – you’ve plenty of command auras to offset their evasiveness, even without Kongming’s boosts.
SRW UX - Lion: Watch over me, Ranka, Sheryl!: I’ll stop their plans as a pilot… no, as just another life that calls this galaxy home!: I swear it on these proud wings of mine!
SRW UX - My Fate
And when you kill a handful of the buggers…
: Target locked. Moving to engage and destroy the enemy.: Brera?! What’re you doing here…?!: If I had to guess, I’d say he’s also being controlled by their Implants.
: Even he…?!
: Is there no low those people won’t sink to…?!: Brera…: He’s gonna be fine, Ranka…!: Holly…?!: That guy’s your big brother, so you just gotta pry his eyes back open with your song!: Right. The bonds between family aren’t broken that easily – no matter the distance between them!
: You may get separated and even lost your memories, but your heart’ll still find its way to him! Because… you’re brother and sister!: Sing, Ranka! And put everything you feel into those lyrics!: Alto, guys…: …: Okay! I’ll get all that I feel over to the Vajra and Brera!: (You’ve grown so strong, Ranka. I guess my role in this is almost done…): (But the one thing I can still do for you is save that man…!) Secret Alert! Macross Frontier Secret – 6th step – set Ranka as the tactician/cheerleader and have Alto down Brera.
Simple, especially considering Brera seems to prioritize Alto. He’s appropriately evasive and accurate, as enemy Valkyries are liable to be, but it’s nothing we can’t handle with some spirits.
To make the rest of the mission easier, make sure to wipe out all of the initial Vajra BEFORE taking Brera out.
And here he comes already.
SRW UX - Lion: A common human dares stand up to us? Idiocy…: You may be cyborgs, but I’ll find a way to carry out my duty!: Hold on, Ranka! Brera’s real heart is somewhere in him and I’ll get your song over to it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32P9gdIOkhY
Oh, and here’s the swanky DK for Ylbora’s best non-combo attack.
SRW UX - Dunbine Flies
SRW UX - Tales of Mirisha ~ The Brave Legend
SRW UX - Lion: You were helping us save Ranka not long ago, Brera. Was that all just a load of lies? Answer me!: I am a soldier who carries out the Galaxy Fleet’s orders. My reasons are what they tell me.: Oh, really...? Then it falls on me to wake you the hell up even if it takes some hurting to make it happen!: That’s my purpose right now – not as a captain of the SMS, but as Ranka’s brother…!
SRW UX - Lion
Brera drops a Ranka’s Disk.
: Rgh… There’s a noise inside my head…! Stop singing, Ranka Lee…!: (Brera…!)
: The control from those Implants might just be too strong for us to break…!: No, I’m sure it’ll work! Ranka’s song will get through to him, I just know…!: Open your eyes, Brera! Take back your heart from them!: Hrm… Enough of your nonsense! 
: Please, feel Ranka’s heart! She’s trying to bring you back!: For how long are you gonna be a wimp like that, Brera?!: I’m sure you didn’t survive until now just to be a pawn of the Galaxy Fleet, right?!: I-I survived to…*Tzeeeeeep.*
: (…?!): (What… What are… these emotions inside me…?!): (Please, Brera…! You… You’re my brother!): This song… these emotions are… Ran…ka… (young man): Stop this exercise in futility! (young woman): Nothing can resist our Implants’ control!: S-Shut up… I…
SRW UX - After-School Overflow
: I won’t be your puppet anymore! (middle-aged man): It can’t be…! You’ve overpowered the Implants’ control…?!: It was all thanks to Ranka’s song…: She set free the memories your Implants locked away!: Brera… thank goodness…! (middle-aged man): Hmph. Still, being betrayed by one cyborg’ll hardly be an issue. (young woman): We’ve already completed our fusion, you see. (old man): Behold the birth of the ruler of the universe…!
: Wh-What the hell is that…?!
: It’s a living weapon… the Battle Frontier’s and the Vajra Queen have fused together…! (old man): You may as well surrender. We have wired ourselves to the Vajra Queen – no outside interference will work on her. 
: They’re linked to her by wire?!
: Meaning they’re controlling the Queen directly! (young woman): Better yet, it means your songs are powerless! And with the Vajra Queen under our control, it won’t be long before all other Vajra follow suit! (middle-aged man): Bow down before the ruler of the universe!
: Aaaaaaah!
: G-Goddamn… that thing packs a mean punch…: Kch… I’m not giving up! Ever!: Alto…: Sing, Sheryl…: I’m sure that… your song will…: But… why, Grace? I thought you were an agent of the Galaxy…: Not by choice… What a bad joke, this is. Only now that I’m in this sorry state… was I finally freed from their Implants… : And I’ve raised you… like my own daughter… Please, let me hear your song… one last time…: Grace…!: …: (I’ll die if I sing now… but…) SRW UX - Obelisk: There’re people in need of my song! And, in that case, I’ll gladly lay down my soul for this…! (Grace): …: Here I go, Grace. I’ll sing for you as well.: Even if I wind up dead… my song’ll live forever!
: …?!
: This song…!: It’s Sheryl’s…! But where’s it coming from?!
: Over there! I’m sensing something at Island 1!: Alto! Everyone…!: I knew you were alive, Sheryl!*Alto flies over to her.*
: Alto, take me to the stage…! To the Macross Quarter!: …: Yeah, alright…!*Over to the Quarter.*
: Sheryl…!: …: Are you sure about this? If you keep singing, your body’ll…: If I’m going to die, I’d rather do so up on stage. I’m sure you can relate to that.: Besides, I…: My song’ll send ripples across the galaxy!: ?!quote:
: Back then… that was you? SRW UX - Lion
: Psh, took you long enough to notice.: Come on, Ranka! Time to kick this show into high-gear!
: Okay!
: It’s… Sheryl and Ranka’s emotions are echoing through me!
: Their hearts are spreading across this planet… across the whole sky!: Amaaaaaziiiiiing! It’s like the shout of their souls are resounding through our hearts!: The color of this music, its scent… I’ve felt so much, and I want the air, the sea, the sky – the entire universe – to feel all of it!: Have a listen to the show of the Weavers of the Wind, the trio who’ll send ripples across the galaxy! (middle-aged man): Sing as much as you’d like, you’ll never wrest control of the Vajra Queen from us! (young man): The Legend of Lynn Minmay was just a fabrication of the past civilization. (young woman): Song could never save the galaxy!: Then, we’ll just have to prove how wrong you are!: Song is a force that links all our hearts together! : (If the sky is your stage, then let me see you dance once again!): (Show me the true dance of Alto Saotome!)
Now we just have to beat the Queen Frontier, while keeping an eye on Brera as well.
Queen Frontier
Pilot Skills:
Prevail L8
Support Attack L3
Break Morale Limit
All Attack L3
Command L4
Mech Features:
Fold Barrier
30% HP and EN Regen
All-Canceller
Following our showdown with Hazard, we’ve yet another battleship boss, with all that that entails. Of note is the Macross Cannon MAPW, which blasts a 3x9 directional AoE (width is 4 from squares 5 to 8), but that’s only a problem if you let them get the morale to use it. A couple of Daunt casts should be more than enough to remedy it if all you’ve left to fight are the enemy reinforcements.
The galaxy honchos have plenty good stats and the Queen Frontier’s the bulkiest enemy we’ve had to face yet, but it’s nothing we haven’t dealt with before. Spread out your guys, approach from various angles if you can’t get their morale below 130 and let ‘em have it. As is true to all Macross Cannons, the Frontier can only shoot it from range 3 and beyond.
VF-27γ Lucifer F-SP (Brera Stern)
Pilot Skills:
Support Attack L2
Support Defense L1
Counter
Predict
All Attack L1
Spirit Commands:
Accelerate
Sense
Snipe
Confuse
Soul
Brera’s Squad Bonus: Mobility +5, Accuracy +5 (Mobility +30, Accuracy +30, 35% chance to Double Image, Movement +2)
Brera’s voice actor: Soichiro Hoshi
Brera’s not as massively overpowered as he was back in L, and he doesn’t get a combo with Alto, but he’s still VERY competent with stats, evasion and firepower on par with the YF-29. Loads of range and all his attacks are still ammo-based, so he can fit right in with a whole bunch of people.
Accelerate and Confuse already make him a priority pick, being able to fly, boost the squaddie’s movement range and packing good firepower means he ought to be one of the first units you turn to in order to supplement any gaps in your formation.
: This song’s lit a fire in me… What you see is the heart I’ve recovered due to Ranka!: And I’ll go on soaring through this sky, hand-in-hand with those emotions!
(young woman): Humanity could be freed of anguish and loneliness if it were connected to the Fold Network.: We represent the apex of our evolution!
: You’re wrong! What you’re doing is nothing but running away from that pain!
: Right. The pain that exists between people doesn’t just vanish even when their minds are connected. : And that’s what makes them want to reach out to one another, and find a way to heal that pain!: Despite all those hardships, we’ll never stop wanting to be here. And now you’ll see the power that wish, that will, gives us!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u8AWyzg7C4
And here’s Brera’s best attack.
SRW UX - Obelisk (young woman): Hmhmhm, you believe you can stand up to us with a Quarter-class vessel?
: Energy buildup within the target! They’re getting ready to attack!
: Reactive Furnace, output is stable!
: Weapon systems are all green!: Captain, let’s try and distract them! I’m sure a helmsman as skilled as Bobby can avoid any major hits!
: Aw, you’re making me flush, Cathy…!: But you’ve got the right idea! I say we go and give ‘em a reminder of all the legends that came from ships called Macross!: The freedom of the entire galaxy is riding on this battle. We couldn’t ask for a more deserving spot to ante up our lives! We’re going in, you lot!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SplWY1SULM
And, since we’re at it, the Queen Frontier’s own Macross Cannon.
Now, everyone’s still got plenty to say but, for simplicity’s sake, let’s skip ahead to when you get the Frontier down to 15%...