Part 40: Chapter #4: Faulkner's Trap, Part 2

Chapter #4: Faulkner's Trap



: There is nothing to explain, Your Highness. The boy attacked us. We merely defended ourselves.
Well, that's a blatant....accurate summary of the preceding events!
: Liar! You attacked US, and ran away before I could pay back the blood deed you dealt my father!
: "Father"?
: Kamorge....is dead?
: Enough with your false tears! You're the one who gave our location to Faulkner after seducing us with your promises to end the war!
Well, technically speaking, the complete destruction of the Kingdom would end the war.
: How else could your soldiers have known precisely where to ambush us?!
: You're wrong, Bastion! I never told Faulkner anything of my encounter with you and your friends!
: Liar!!
: Bastion, you said "ambush"...do you claim that Faulkner attacked you by surprise, and without just cause?
: Can this snake attack in any other manner?
: And you have no affiliation with the army of the Pharastia Kingdom?
: No, sir, I do not!
: You answer with great conviction, Bastion. I would like to believe you speak the truth. General Faulkner, how do you defend yourself against the boy's charges? I realize that, as the leader of the Imperial Army, you must be given the benefit of the doubt...But as Princess Sadira said, you are supposed to be defending the palace. What led you to venture here.
: I was indeed stationed at the palace when I received a report from one of my sergeants at the front. He informed me that a small group of unknown ATACs had attacked our Imperial soldiers. It sounded serious enough for me to investigate the matter personally, so I journeyed here with my scouts. The ATACs of the boy and his friends perfectly matched the descriptions in the report. We confronted them...And they attacked without warning. This boy is fortunate to have been captured...and not killed.
: How can you spew such deceit, Faulkner?! Tell them the truth and salvage what honor you have!
: ... ... ...You have done well, Faulkner. I shall take custody of the prisoner on your behalf.
: Your Highness, why would you want to do such a thing? This rebel cur is extremely dangerous!
: I have little experience in the realm of Interrogation. This is a good time to remedy that.
: Interrogation is a thankless, horrible task, not at all suited to a member of the monarchy! Allow me to...
: I did not request to take custody of the prisoner from you, Faulkner. It was an order.
: You are hereby absolved of all responsibility in this matter, General. We will speak again at the palace.
: (I am starting to believe that Sadira delights in making my life more difficult. But not for much longer, brat...) Indeed, Franco, we shall speak again of this matter. Good day to you, Princess, and take care in your travels. The countryside can be quite...perilous these days.
Excellent way to not tip off the Princess, Faulkner, a veiled threat. Brilliant.



: So when does the interrogation begin, Princess? How do you plan to torture me? Will you delight in my pain?!
: Release the prisoner before the melodrama becomes unbearable.
Yeah, how dare Bastion be suspicious of the organization that just brutally murdered his father? I don't recall Peter Parker giving this much sass to the guy who killed Uncle Ben!
: Your Highness?!
: I am declaring Bastion a citizen of the Empire, and the newest member of my advisory council.
: Your word is law, Your Highness...



: And besides, why else would you show such kindness toward someone you've only met once before?
Damn it, Bastion, this plot isn't nearly strong enough withstand even the gentlest of scrutiny!
: Because I see the compassion and kindness beneath your anger. Come, Bastion. Come and speak with us.
: Madness...this is madness!
Yeah, I know, but what're you gonna do?
: Sadira saved your life, Bastion. The least you can do is honor her request and return with us to the palace.
: ...Alright! Fine! I'll come with you! But I'm warning you, Franco, I shall not lower my guard...



: I am Sadira's chief advisor, assigned my duty by the Emperor himself. I'm also pleased that you are here, Bastion.
: I am Halak, yes. An...assistant to the Princess, I am.
: ...Well met, all of you. I apologize for my earlier behavior. I often allow my emotions to get out of control...
So, uh, let's just assume that the trip back to the castle involved reprogramming Bastion to think that the Empire was a totally rad place to hang out, as opposed to the country that hunted him his whole life and killed his father.
: You fight with skill and passion, Bastion, and that is why I need you to fight for me.
: I won't do it, Sadira. How can you expect me to join forces with the very army that killed my father?!
: You wouldn't fight for the Imperial Army, Bastion. You would fight for MY army. Let me explain...I know of the corruption Faulkner has allowed to spread throughout our forces, and I intend to stop it...But our Army is so vast that it is impossible for me to personally follow up on every rumor or report. I travel to the front whenever I can, which is less often than I would like. My father frowns upon it...And Faulkner always does his best to interfere, because he knows I wish to prove HIS corruption.
: He's not just corrupt, Sadira. He's a cold-blooded murderer...
Well, no, actually, he killed Kamorge in the middle of a battle. In all honesty, it would pleaded down to manslaugher, and since an ATAC probably counts as a deadly weapon, he'd almost certainly have a good self-defense claim. No, I'm not optimistic about taking this case to trial.
: I've formed a secret corps of soldiers, dedicated to stopping the crimes that Faulkner's men are committing. Join my corps, Bastion. Help me prove beyond doubt that Faulkner's intentions are evil. You won't be fighting the Kingdom, or anyone else other than corrupt members of the Imperial Army.
: I admire what you're doing, Sadira...and I would love nothing more than to destroy Faulkner. But I...I don't know if I'm prepared to deal with the politics and the secrecy. I simply want revenge...
: Grateful to Sadira, you should be! You were a prisoner of war, until she saved you! Rotting away in a dungeon, you would be...or rotting in a grave!
Yeah, Bastion, how come you don't want to join the Empire? It's been like, one whole mission since they killed one of your family members!
: I...I know...
: All we ask is that you try, Bastion. If you decide not to continue, we shall surely grant you your freedom.
So all Bastion has to do is betray everything his father ever taught him to believe in for a little while, and then, if he doesn't like, officers of the government that killed both his biological and foster fathers will probably let him go.
: Alright, Franco. I owe you that much. How many ATACs are in your corps, Princess Sadira? Did you construct a hidden base to house them all?
: Um...not exactly.
: What do you mean?
: The secret corps of the Princess are arrayed before you, yes.
: You're not serious.
: Um...actually she is.
: Don't be embarrassed, Your Highness. He was going to find out eventually!
: I know...but why don't I summon the other member of our group, just to make myself feel better?
Well, I suppose this mysterious final member certainly can't possibly make this scenario make any less sense...
: Cecilia, please come in!



It's...a maid...okay, game, let's see what you got.
: Hello, Princess! Hello, Halak! Hello, Franco! And hello, green-haired boy I've never seen before!
: Cecilia is my bodyguard and maid. She does both jobs exceptionally well. Cecilia, this is Bastion.
: Hello, Bastion! Nice to meet you! How long are you going to be staying with us? I hope you're not messy!
: (I think this girl had a bit too much coffee to drink this morning..) Uh, nice to meet you, Cecilia. I have never heard your name before. What does it mean?
: It doesn't mean anything, silly! It's a code name that I made up! My real name is super-secret!
Well, there's nothing terribly ominous about that!
: Don't you know that ninjas never use their real names?
: You're a ninja? Well, you must be able to make beds faster than any other maid in the palace.
: Ha-ha! That's true, Bastion! And you've never seen anyone do windows like me before!
: I, uh, don't mean to be rude, but are you always this excitable, Cecilia?
: Ha-ha! Of course! My mother found me insufferable when I was a child.
And now, ironically enough, no one can find her.
: (You're still a child!) I'd like to see how you channel your energy into martial arts. Perhaps we can train together sometime.
: Bastion is the newest member of our group, Cecilia. You'll be impressed with his ATAC piloting skills.
: This is great, Bastion! Now we have five members of the secret corps! I was beginning to think Sadira created a depressing dead-end group.
: With just one more member, we can have quite a formidable squad.
NO! I mean, I don't think that adding another member would be necessary or wise.
: I doubt we'll ever have a sixth member. As far as I'm concerned, you're our final member.
: Well then, I suppose I'll just have to make the best of what's here, then! I'm honored to have been given this opportunity, Princess. I look forward to fighting on your behalf...And I especially look forward to exposing Faulkner's evil to the world.



: Share it with us, quickly!
: Our technicians were repairing your prisoner's ATAC, as you ordered. One of them entered the cockpit...And found a child hiding inside!
: What?! I promise you that I was alone in that ATAC, Princess!
: The child said he knew you, Bastion, and demanded to see you...



: Puck?! You get to answer my question first: what were you DOING in my ATAC?!
: Well, I was working on your Alba and I was feeling sleepy, so I decided to take a little nap...And when I woke up, two soldiers pulled me out of the cockpit and said I might be a spy for the Kingdom!
So, wait, if I'm getting this right, the entire, "Kamorge dies, Bastion goes after Faulkner, gets captured, and then agrees to work for the very Empire that killed Kamorge" took place in the time it took for Puck to take a nap. Unless Puck has some sort of sleeping sickness, Bastion must grieve fast...
: But where in the cockpit were you? And how did you sleep through all my fights?!
: I can answer one of your questions, sir. We found him stuck in the space directly below your seat.
: You were sleeping beneath...that's DISGUSTING!
: At least it was warm! Ha, ha, ha!
: Bwah, hah, hah! What an optimistic little runt!
: Don't expect me to clean up under there, Bastion! Ha-ha!
: I wasn't expecting another guest, but we can set up accommodations for your little friend.
: He's lucky I don't make him crawl back underneath that seat...



: Cecilia has already traveled there, and is monitoring the situation.
: Excellent. We shall depart at once! Bastion, I look forward to fighting at your side once more.
: I only hope I don't disappoint you, Princess. Or dishonor the memory of my father...
Well, champ, your father spent his entire life trying to prevent you from falling into Imperial hands so you could save the Kingdom. I...can't imagine you could dishonor his memory more, to be honest!

At the battle site
: Hello, Princess! Hello, everybody else! I'm glad you arrived so quickly! See that cave in the middle of the cliff wall? That's their hideout!
: How fitting that these roaches have chosen to inhabit a cold, dark hole. Let us exterminate them!

Next Time: I take a long, hard look at our troops.