Part 86: Episode LXXXIII: Prime Minister Shakhan is Doing WHAT?!

Episode LXXXIII: Prime Minister Shakhan is Doing WHAT?!

Music: Wings


Alrighty then. The Yggdrasil can now fly. Clearly, the final evolution of will take it into space. But for now, we’re free to tool around the world map in style.




The Yggdrasil III has no restrictions on where it can land. As long as there’s a flat surface, whether it be water, desert, or the ass-end of nowhere, then we can park and take a stroll around. Yggdrasil III is also back to the spiffy parameter of no random battles, which is also nice. We ought to get our butts to Nisan since its invasion is sort of our fault.

But first things first. You know, a fully equipped airship full of smelly pirates along with our party and Gears has got to produce a ton of garbage. I mean, before we could just dump it all in the ocean or out in the desert or whatever. But we have to be more responsible with trash up in the skies. But, doing a quick bit of research I think I have found the perfect spot to unload Fei and the gang’s trash.


Brilliant. Make sure the Chuthulhu litter box is emptied out too.


Much better. With that issue cleared up, we’re free to go liberate Nisan with a clean conscience.

Music: Invasion


Ugh. Invasion. I was hoping I’d never hear that music again. Let’s get this over with in short order. Right now all we can do is enter the city proper. Time for a bit of recon work.






Nisan is lousy with Aveh troopers. Man, it’s been forever since we’ve seen those guys. I wonder if they’ve improved in skill since back when they were total pushovers to a Level 10 Fei.  They haven’t. 


(What's more, I can't see any civilians!)
(They're probably in the hidden shelter. I dunno, but I'd like to think that everything is still okay.)
(I mean it’s Shakhan. That guy doesn’t scream competence unless he’s got a Gebler jerk with a hand up his ass doing the talking for him.)

Sigurd wanders over to the less than stealthy trio...


(Everywhere along the roads was also just as quiet.)
(What's your take on this, Sig?)
(From what little I've seen, there isn't anything much I can say.)
(It’s just a bunch of Aveh troopers. All they do is walk back and forth or stare off into space.)
(Either they haven't found what they are looking for yet... Or they've already found what they were looking for but have just left behind some guards... Either way, we still need to check on the safety of the residents before we even think of pulling out. Hey, by the way, how is Margie holding up?)
(From the looks of it, she doesn't seem much different from her usual self... But how she feels on the inside... well, who's to know...)
(She’s probably not feeling great about letting her country get invaded while she was serving as a glorified party member switching station on the ship.)
(Really... Thanks for looking after her, Sig.)
(No problem. Anyway, I shall go and command the other unit.)
(Alright. Be careful!)

Sigurd wanders off to join the “other units” that we will never see and I believe he’s just making up...


(She probably couldn't keep calm just staying inside the ship.)
(Yeah, I know but... Well, she's come this far, so we can't stop her now. Alright then... Let's get movin'.)
(So, what is the plan here?)
(Alright. Here’s the deal, Willy.)
(Billy.)
(Whatever. BILLY, you see those two guys over by the art studio across the plaza?)
(Yes.)
(I want you to creep up to them.)
(Okay...)
(And shoot them both in the face. In rapid succession, if you’re up for that.)
“...”
“That’s your plan?”
“Shh! Keep it down! Yeah. You go shoot those guys and then blast anyone else that comes down those steps. I’m gonna go headbutt that dude over there unconscious and then spin kick his friend. Bart is just gonna start whipping everyone he sees.”
“In the eyes.”
“Yup. Critical hit, yo.”
“...”
“Shouldn’t we be a bit more stea—“


“Let’s rock! Hiiiiyyyyyyyaaaaaahhhhh!!!”


“Balls!”


And so Fei and the guys take a page from the Caim handbook of hostile territory recon and proceed to murder everyone in a three mile radius.

Several dozen dead Aveh troops later...


”Man, I’m hungry. Let’s see if the villagers left anything to eat...”
“I call dibs on any pies left behind!”


We now return to another anonymous narration of events happening off-screen. What’s up with the sudden influx of narration? The last time we had any was the opening scroll explaining the Kislev/Aveh war... This doesn’t bode well...


However, the Fatima Jasper and the legendary treasures of the Aveh royal family were still in danger.
And now, he's going to play his last card and Shakhan's true intentions will be brought to light.






Well, for having just been the site of a bloody massacre, Nisan cleans up fairly well. Sigurd proceeds to mosey on over to the same assembly hall we had our first Nisan war plan meeting in 20+ hours ago.

Music: Bonds of Sea and Fire


"I'm fine. Marguerite and Bartholomew, I'm sorry..."
”I...see you two have made quite a few...colorful friends...since last we spoke.”
“It’s been a weird few weeks.”

Sigurd enters the convention center...


"Really?"
"Earlier, after everyone came out... Over half of the residents have fled from Nisan.”
”Yeesh. Homophobic much?”
“After that, Shakhan's position in the country was compromised so...he didn't care about reputations anymore and attacked this land."
"I see. A last desperate plan to reverse the situation..."
"Sister, I assume the people remaining in the town are...?"
"Yes. Hiding in the mausoleum."
”...”
“I just spent three hours canvassing the area looking for people, you know...”
"Mausoleum...? Hiding in a grave?"
"The Great Mothers and Kings of Aveh of old are revered there."
”Oh, so like a tomb?”
“Pretty sure they’re synonyms there, Nowe.”
"It's not just some regular grave or anything."
"Bartholomew, about that... Shakhan and the Fatima Jasper... He's after the Fatima Treasure."
"Treasure...? If he wants the treasure what is he doing attacking here..."
"Huh? Ahh..."


“There was even father's will there, but I didn't tell anyone..."
"Treasure... You mean that thing in the picture scrolls you showed me earlier in your base?"
"I'm surprised you remember that.”
“Pretty hard to forget something as dopey as a floor monitor.”
*grumble*
"Yeah. If you follow that legend, you're supposed to get your hands on some great power."
"We must stop them somehow."
"There's no problem. The Jasper is..."
"They plan to use the former Mother's retinas."
"Wha... what!!"
”Wha-wha-WHAAAAAT?!?!?”


"Use the body of Margie's mother?"
"Mom's...!!"
"I'm sorry. They used innocent citizens and sect followers as a shield. There was no other way... The truth we heard previously from Margie about the Jasper's true form and how it's used. They know now... I am truly sorry."
"Well... I don't blame you. They had hostages!"
”Still...WHAT THE HELL?!”
"Wait a moment. Retinas... what are you speaking of?"
"The Fatima Jasper is the topaz blue pupils of the Fatima dynasty... In other words... our retinal pattern. The doors to the treasure are opened by that... Or so it is said."
"So, that is the true form of the Jasper..."
”The retinal patterns of anyone from your bloodline...?”
“...”
“...Just how inbred IS your family?”
“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear you ask that question. As I was saying...”
“No one has ever used it. It's not to be used for minor conflicts. The doors are to be opened only when the kingdom is truly in danger. So neither I, nor my father, nor grandfather, nor my great grandfather have ever used it."
”...The government getting overthrown and your entire family being executed wasn’t cause enough?”
“Hey I was like seven when that happened. I couldn’t be expected to go pilot some Omni-whatsit at that age. And then I got into the whole piracy business and ya know...just sort of forgot about it until now...”
“Omni-whatsit...?”
“Yeah...the err... The super Gears they were talking about in Shevat.”
“The Omni-Gears?”
“Yeah, that...sorta jogged my memory... One err...might be down in the mausoleum...” *cough*
“...”
“...So the answer to that question was VERY inbred?”
“Tch. Whatever. Let’s just go get it now. Better late than never, eh?”


“That old coot, he wants to profane a holy person's corpse? That's unthinkable!"
"It is a closely guarded secret but the 'Ethos' people are not holy men. They simply supervise."
"Yes, of course they wouldn't feel anything!”
”Hey, I’m standing right here. I’ve already gotten my religion dumped on enough earlier in the week...”
“Let's go, Bart! Before the mausoleum is trashed."
"Alright!"
"Young master! I have a proposal."
"What is it Sig?"
"Currently, Aveh is in confusion with Shakhan running amok. It should be very easy to bring down the center with no Gebler units around. It'll be the best time to make our return to the capital."
"That is a good idea. Shakhan is most likely thinking of the Fatima Jasper as his last card. While we prevent the young one from handing over the treasure to Shakhan...a separate force will take back the capital. Then he will have nowhere else to go."
”Didn’t we try this like a month ago? As I recall, the Yggdrasil got trashed and dropped on Bart’s head and I ended up in a Kislev gulag. Really don’t wanna repeat that...”
“Nah. Don’t sweat it. It’ll totally work this time.”
"I got it... Sounds good. We can pay everything back in one shot! Let's split up! I'll go to the mausoleum. I'll take Fei and..."


We now get to choose who’s going to be our third wheel for this event. I was going to take Billy along, since we haven’t used him in a while. But...let’s see what happens if we try taking Dr. Uzuki along.


“Two former Solarians will dethrone the 'Ethos'... How very ironic."

And Citan has ducked out of another dangerous event. Yup. Citan Uzuki. Asshole.


"Alright! That decides it! Everyone else cooperate with Sig!"
"Hold on. I'm going too!"
"Huh? You don't have to...“
”They. Are. Tearing. Out. My. Mother’s. EYES!”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry, Margie. Come along with us."
*turns to everyone* "Alright, I'm counting on all of you! He's a dead man the next time I see him!"
”You see any Mr. Clean looking mofos between here and Bledavik, you take them out! Got it? Let’s move!”



Hey... I think there may be a small plot hole in this segment of the story... Can YOU spot it?











Margie Concept Art