Part 49: Chapter #10: Clashing in the Snow, Part 1

I see a lot of voting, but I don't see any propaganda or other chicanery. Don't let the other side win. If elected, your opponents have privately assured me that they intend to destroy this very thread!!

Chapter 10: Clashing in the Snow



This is for you, dis astranagant...

Briefing



: I bet there's so much air in your head that I could hold you underwater for hours before you drowned.
: Do we have a plan, Sadira?
: Well, these soldiers should already know that Lord Alden is expected my arrival. We'll hope that they don't recognize Claire, or don't consider her a threat. We'll be fine if we stay calm.
: I'm surprisingly calm, actually. It's the Hibernians whose temperaments I'm concerned with...

Interview

: Claire was my classmate at military school. We didn't exactly get along. In fact, I basically despised her...
: Her Highness has forbidden me from telling any more bad jokes. How can she be so cruel?
: Feeling healthy, you are? Good! Very concerned for you, I am, Bastion!
: What's wrong, Bastion! You're going to give yourself wrinkles if you keep frowning like that!
: You're pretty cute, Bastion! You must totally have a girlfriend...what? You don't? That's, like, hard to believe!
Victor Ireland was the head of Working Designs until it folded. Every time I read a line from Claire, I want to build a time machine so I can prevent him from being born.

Mission



: State your country of origin and the nature of your business here.
: Excuse me, Commander, but that red ATAC belongs to Claire, the daughter of Duke Logan! The child of our greatest enemy is standing on Hibernian soil!
Because nobody demanded it, the return of Devlin!
: What?!
: Hey, I recognize that blue ATAC, too! Where did we see that one, Devlin!
And wherever Devlin ventures, so to goes Barlow, yin to his yang, Abbot to his Costello, bottom to his top!
: When our convoy was besieged by the Empire, Barlow! How could you forget that?! Inside that ATAC was...The Imperial Princess! What are she and Logan's daughter doing together?
: Greeting, Commander! I am Princess Sadira of the Junaris Empire. My entourage and I are here because we were promised an audience with Lord Alden. Please let us pass.
: And why does your entourage contain Claire, the daughter of Logan?! Her very presence here is an insult!
Her very presence anywhere is an insult.
: Claire is here only as my friend, not as a representative of Nordilain! She has no intentions of aggression!
: Or perhaps the Junaris Empire is scheming with Nordilain to invade our country?!
That must be it, I mean, what better place to conspire against a country than the very country you intend to invade? No one would expect it!
: Impudence precedes the fall, boy! You insult the Princess with no clear insight, yes.
The fuck does that mean?
: Halak, perhaps you should allow Sadira to continue negotiating with these soldiers.
: My anger rages within, it does. Teach these impudent soldiers some manners, we should! Show them our fighting skill, we should!
: How dare you use such language with a commander of the Hibernian Guard! I've heard enough from the lot of you! All personnel, disable the intruders! Use deadly force if necessary!
Well, I suppose if you guys take nothing else from this update, it's that the Duchy of Hibernia takes proper syntax very fucking seriously.



I don't think we've seen this ATAC before. Look at that DEF...All of the Hibernians have high defense, but shit else. It's kind of like the inverse of the Nordilains from last mission.



I choose to cluster up on the center plateau because it takes too long for the Hibernians to make it across the damn map. I don't have many screenshots of this battle, so just imagine me using Turbulence eighty billion times as the Hibernians slowly get worn down.



After a while, Devlin, Barlow and the Security Chief start in. Killing any one of them ends the mission, so take care of every one else first.



I've been putting a lot of points in AGI. Among other things, this means I'm getting a lot more turns than the enemy. For example, in the time it takes Devlin to reach my troops, I kill pretty much all of the Hibernians.



: Like, whatEVER, Devlin! I came here to make peace and stuff! But now you're being all aggro and I have to smack you down and teach you a lesson!
: Your arrogance astounds me almost as much as your intolerable slang! Prepare for pain, Claire.
Transcribing that conversation took three years off my life.

: What are you doing here, Bastion?!
: That voice...you're from the caravan that was attacked by those bandits! You were there when I met Sadira!
Well, I'm glad you two to catch up...time to die, Devlin!

: I've been beaten?! This is entirely unacceptable!



But, before I can send Barlow to join him in hell...



: Devlin, I told you a delegation from the Empire was coming here?! Don't you ever listen to me?
: Who's that?

Next Time: A whole bunch of mildly ominous conversations!