Part 14: Chpater #8: Ganlon's Betrayal, Part 1

Chpater #8: Ganlon's Betrayal

Last time in this reality, Dionne decided to give Bastion Gratia gratis. They're now transporting Gratia back to the kingdom....

Briefing



: Or will I simply have to destroy the entirety of his army?
: Take care with your attacks, Galvas! I don't want to harm any of Muspel's ATAC pilots!
: Why not, Your Highness?! They most certainly mean to harm us!
: Please, Galvas. I have my reasons!
Only healthy soldiers will make a fitting sacrifice to Bastion's new God!
: Alright, Your Highness. I will try my best not to injure them.
: The time for words has past. It's time to fight.

Interview



: I'm not surprised that Duke Radcot is so evil. Living in a desert like Muspel would make me crazy, too.
: It burns, Bastion! Oh, it BURNS!! Reyna's meatloaf is eating a hole through my stomach!
: Don't tell Nana, but I think her little pet Kyu-Kyu looks yummy. I wonder if it tastes like chicken.
Man, I don't know. I mean, it's an aquatic mammal, so you'd think it'd taste more like duck than duck if, in fact, it tasted like fowl. That's a real thinker, there, Barlow.
: Say, Bastion. Perhaps you should consider spending some time with Milea. I think she fancies you.
: Your Highness, I would suggest you avoid eating Reyna's meatloaf. It has an adverse effect on one's colon...
: Sometimes, Bastion, not even I know how I manage to look so damn good all the time. Genetics, I guess.
So...uh...we've dropped any pretense that these characters are living in Medieval times, then, right?

Mission



: I would have had a most difficult time obtaining it from Dionne and his nasty mercenaries.
Well then why the fuck did you try to capture Bastion before he got the damn stone?
: Now then, Prince Bastion, be a good lad and come over here, won't you?
: His Highness will never cooperate with your evil plan, Radcot! Never!
: And I certainly wasn't expecting it. I'll most likely have to torture him...or you, perhaps.
: Listening to that voice, imagining your triple-chins quivering as speak, horrifies me, quite frankly.
: With the Ultragunner, and the person who can use it, I'll never have to grovel at the feet of the Empire. I'll have the power to slice that damn smirk off Faulkner's face...and what a delight that will be. I will be the supreme ruler of the Continent! Kings and commoners alike will bow down before me! And I haven't even begun to mention my plans for assembling the largest harem in history! Ha, ha, ha!
: I'm going to be sick!
: Oh, well. That's enough conversation. Kill them all, my soldiers. Except for Prince Bastion, of course.
: Daddy, what are you doing?
: Nana?! Oh, my precious little Nana! What have they done to you?!
: You're the daughter of Duke Radcot?!
: I know you're angry at me, Bastion. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I knew that you were fighting with Daddy...And I didn't want to tell you that I was his daughter, or you wouldn't have let me come with you!
: Prince Bastion, I cannot believe you would stoop so low as to steal my sweet little girl! I will tear out your heart with my bare hands and feed it to a pack of mongrel dogs! I will chop off your head and drag your vile corpse through the streets of Muspel to be desecrated! I will cut out the tongue of anyone who speaks your accursed name in my presence! I will call upon the black arts and use the power of magic to endlessly torture your black soul!
Now, now, my dear Duke, I believe you have forgotten who holds whose daughter here...
: A man who has wrought such evil as you has no right to complain when evil is wrought upon him!
: Bastion, it seems like Duke Radcot is extremely distraught. Why don't you simply take the little girl and leave here while we fight? I highly doubt he would pursue you.
: While your idea makes sense, I could never do something so cruel. I'm going to give her back to Radcot. Nana, you belong with your father. He obviously loves you very much. I would never do anything to tear a family apart. I have felt the pain of losing a loved one...
Er...evidently the families of all those ATAC pilots he's already killed don't count.
: And it is a pain I wish no one else would ever have to suffer.
: Bastion...
: What's going to happen when we give her back, Bastion? Won't Radcot just attack us?
: Most likely.
: Ever the realist, aren't you, Bastion? But that's what I like about you! Besides, I know you don't want to miss this battle!
: Bastion, I so admire your honor.
: Your Highness surely realizes the tactical advantage you are willingly giving up...but your will is law.
: The battlefield is no place for the young, Bastion. You're doing the right thing.
: I'm going to let you our of my ATAC now, alright, Nana?
: Okay, Bastion. Daddy! Promise me you're not going to fight with Bastion and his nice friends!
: I promise, precious Nana! I won't fight with them! Now come here into my arms, where you'll be safe!
: I didn't get to stay with you for very long, Bastion, but I had a lot of fun!
Well, at least someone did.
: Maybe you can sneak into Muspel someday and come see me again! I'd really like that! Goodbye, Bastion.



And Nana heads to Radcot's ATAC.

: Oh, my lovely little Nana! You must have been so scared!
: Of course not, Daddy! Bastion was very nice to me! So I don't want you to be mean to him! You promised!
: Alright, Nana. Let's go home together. Listen carefully, soldiers! I expect you to bring me Bastion and Gratia! Do not return to Muspel otherwise!
: Yes, Duke Radcot!
: That's not what you promised me, Daddy! You're terrible!
: You were deceived by Bastion and his cohorts, my sweet Nana. They aren't nice people at all. They're evil!
: That's not true, Daddy! That's not true at all!! Bastion, I'm sorry!
: I'm surprised Duke Radcot is so callous that he would even deceive his own child!
: I am also not surprised, merely appalled that there exists a man with so little honor. At least we may now dispose of his puny underlings!
: Here they come!



Yet another fight against the Muspel Army, and they still haven't discovered the correlation between splitting up their troops into waves and being horribly murdered by Bastion and company. Also, in this iteration of the mission, Andrew is under your control, which makes things a bit easier. As if to cancel that out, Zeira's AI is especially suicidal in this mission, and tends to plunge head-long into the waiting Muspel reserves.



After a few turns, Ganlon shows up. I'm sure he's here to help. On a tactical note, notice how I've sent Andrew ahead to ensure that Zeira doesn't get gang-tackled to death. Your other troops don't need the help with the first wave of Muspel troops.

: You, ah, seem to be fighting hard, Prince Bastion!
: You chose an excellent time to arrive, Ganlon! Get in here and help us!
: Uh, certainly, Prince Bastion!
: Ganlon! Why are you here?!
: I was, ah, ordered by Ione to travel here and provide, um, support for Prince Bastion.
: That makes no sense! We have not the manpower to defend Araba Castle without you. And I'm certain Ione knows that. She'd never make such a blatant tactical error.
You mean the same Ione who you told to keep an eye on Ganlon?
: You're lying to us, Ganlon. And, I'm afraid it's not the first time. You better tell us what you're up to Ganlon! And I mean quick!
: I, uh, don't know what, ah, you're talking, er, about...Heh, heh, heh! I guess there's no need to continue my charade, is there? It was you who had Ione observing my actions, wasn't it? Of course it was, Duke Zeira. I should have expected such wisdom from the ruler of Avalon. I have decided to ally myself with the Empire...but they require proof of my loyalty, of course. And what better proof than to bring them Gratia, the key to unlocking the power of Ultragunner? Even the great General Faulkner will be most pleased with me!
: Faulkner? You dare invoke the name of that bastard?!
: Don't make this difficult, Bastion! Give me Gratia and I may let you live!



Ganlon is pretty damn tough. The Waiban is a pretty good ATAC and Zeira is sometimes dumb enough to charge him and his friends. This can lead to...well, the above screen-shot from a practice run of the level.



Now, Ganlon is likely to go after Zeira first no matter what you do....and that's less-than ideal. After that, though, well, it's a good news bad news situation. The good news is that Ganlon will usually leave Zeira alone after his first turn. The bad news...



...is that the Waiban has great range, and Ganlon will use it to great effect by charging and taking a swing at the weakest ATAC on your field. Usually Reyna and Barlow. Neither of those two is going to be able to hold out against Ganlon for long, so you should get rid of Ganlon as quickly as possible.



A fireball from Devlin's fist finishes Ganlon off.

: I worked hard for the Kingdom, and I was never properly rewarded for my services. I thought the Empire would show me me their appreciation, and give me the power I deserved. Now that I have seen your strength, Prince Bastion, I know that I made the wrong decision. Best of luck in your battle against the Empire and General Faulkner. You will surely need it.

Surprisingly classy, Ganlon. Best of luck on the Ninth Circle of Hell, where traitors to their lieges are forever condemned.



The remaining Muspel soldiers have no hope against the terror of...the block. The AI will always pick on your weakest characters, and, especially in the Kingdom path, you can't afford to let them die. Jamming all of your units together prevents more than one or two enemies from targeting them at a time.



And that's all there is to it. The time will come when more careful tactics are required....



But, well, it sure as hell isn't now!

: (This was a battle with a great deal of unpleasant revelations.)



Once all of the enemies are dead, Sadira and Franco show up.

: Princess Sadira!
: I have come with empty hands and open arms, Bastion. I am not here to do battle with you. I wish to speak with you about something which will affect both of our lives forevermore...

Next Time: Talking...talking...murder...talking.

Challenge #5 is still open! Show me your visions of what an Ultragunner ought to be!