Part 12: Episode 12 - Between Good And Evil

Chapter Twelve: Between Good And Evil

Music: Intermission



We don’t have much money this time.



I end up spending it all on the Justeen, raising its maximum HP up to 4,000 before continuing with the story.

Music: Tragedy



: This is the inside of the facility? There really isn't anyone here.

: It's proof that Deckson is doing his part within the plan.

: Who knew that there were all these underground passageways...

: It's the legacy of the colonists. The earlier immigrants were all specialists of their respective fields. Even these so-called temporary routes can still be used today. It's rather amazing, actually.



: Past experience. Shall we?

: (...What is it? I feel like I've met him before...)

: Hm? What’s up?

: Um, nothing. Let's go.



: Would you prefer to knock on the front door and be let in?

: But with the size of these things, neither you nor I will be able to get through.

: Don't worry. I'll go.

: Myona... Are you going to be all right?

: I wouldn't run from danger when I was the one who said I wanted to come with you to begin with. Besides, I want to help out, too. I'll be fine. I won't do anything stupid.



: Um. OK.

: Thank you. Uh, Cage. Um...your button...Can I borrow it?

: Wha?

: Oh, er, if you don't want to lend it to me, it's fine! It's just...I just wanted a lucky charm. It's a pretty song, too.



: Well, it commemorates our friendship...It's my prized possession. But if this is going to help you, Myona, by all means, please take it! Here!

: Thanks. I'll be very careful with it. And Ares...this song...what is it called? I know I've heard it before, and I've been meaning to ask you.

:...It doesn't have a title, and the composer was an old friend of mine. I'm sure you haven't really heard it before...

: Oh...I see...I thought that maybe it had something to do with my past....



: Well, here I go.

:...Myona?

: Yes?

: Be careful.

: I will!

: Good luck, Myona.

: Thank you!



: Cage, are you worried about her?

: Huh? How...how did you know?

: Heh heh...you are so simple! You can read your face like a book...

Suddenly, sirens start wailing!



: Wait, I don’t think it’s that. It doesn’t seem like the alarm is going off because they found her…

: Ares! It looks like there’s something going on outside! I’m going to go and check it out!

Cage runs off.

: Wait, Cage! Come back!!





This is meant to read ‘Scene 12: Beyond Good And Evil’.



:…prize this time, wasn’t it?

: This kind of thing is so easy for us Mars Angels.

: Shall we, ladies?

:…Well, actually I think I will excuse myself now…



: Well…

: Oh, I know. That older gentleman with the moustache?

: You mean that fellow we happened across late last night at the bar? Would you like to explain yourself, Miss Palme?

:…

: Did you forget our vow? Our triple wedding? How could you push Cubie to the limits like that and get yourself a boyfriend?

: A, anyway!! If that is what you are going to do, we cannot allow you to act individually.

: We are doing nothing but experiencing what has already been decided by fate. He and I were destined to meet each other on the “Crimson Sphere”. You on the other hand ignored the great prophecies, which is why you have still not…

: I believe you said the same thing before? Your ‘fate’ lacks credibility.



A yellow LEV with the label ‘MA’ suddenly spawns.

: Ah, a poor lamb who is afraid even to enjoy the provisions of life…Meandering, lost for all eternity, aging all the while…*Snicker*



A second LEV with similar markings also appears.

: Oh! Ha, ha, ha, ha…

: (Oh no, not again…)

: You seem to think that once he knows that head of yours emits nothing but spaced-out ideas, the relationship will continue – and THAT is simply thoughtLESS!!





: If you’re jealous, you should just admit it!





: And what might you be doing?

:…You started it.



Before that, three Acemos LEV’s spawn right in front of them.



:…entered the facility! Stop where you are, and disembark immediately! Otherwise…

: Well, then I would like to say that I know you drank my tea. Did you really think that I wouldn't find out?

:...Nature's gifts are for all to share. Gluttony is a sin!

: Then I have the right to go along with you too.

: Now that is a different matter altogether.



:...Ok, you're really starting to bug me...



Palme fires her Beam Gun at the Acemos LEV!

: Aaaaaaaaarrrrghhhhhhhhh!



: You're going to... rebel?!

: Really, please stop fussing!



Cubick follows suit, targeting a second LEV.

: Uggghghggh...!



: Cubie, Palme, you are so cool!

: You...You've displayed disrespectful behaviour within the UNSF compound! You...you hear me?! Get them out of there!





A mass of unmanned drones lift off to the west.

: ~Oh yay! There's so many of them!~

: Miss Palme, would you look at this? I suggest we continue this later.

:...Gladly...



:…from the factory! (There’s enough of ‘em; they’ll take care of it from here. I’m leaving!)

Proving himself to be the smartest NPC in the game, the nameless Acemos guard runs away. Meanwhile…



: Yes...Cage? You are very early...Are you already going to escape?

: No. Things feel weird, so I just came back alone...Hey, what is going on?

: I do not know. The LEV with the pink line arrived suddenly...It does not seem to belong to the UNSF.



: If they're in the facility, and they're not UNSF, they must be...in our industry?

: My, what lovely form!

: Oh, er, thank you. Who are you?

: If you are going to ask somebody's name, you really should state yours first.

: Huh! Oh! Excuse me! My name is Cage...Cage Midwell!!



:...This is not the kind of situation where we can afford leisurely chatter. Hurry, let's take care of business.

: OK. That's right - you don't want to be late for your date.

: That's true...To begin with, we shall destroy them...then we'll think about what to do next! Cage, is that all right with you?

: Wha? Oh, yes.

: Cage...Are you sure?



:…make a racket outside, it might make it easier for Ares and Myona to get in!

:...Roger. In this situation, we do not have much choice...Let us proceed!

: Got it!



:…nouveau-riche thrillseekers doing here?

: How am I supposed to know? We can just get rid of their sponsor and get rid of them.

: Don't bother with the little people. More importantly, you got rid of all those guards for me. I'll go ahead and finish my business.

: The old man's here, though.



: Hmm. OK. Well, you go ahead and do your thing. Ending communication...

:...

Player Phase Music: Sortie
Enemy Phase Music: Sudden Assault



Mission Map:



The game gives us control at this point. The map is pretty small this time around. There’s a Local Server nearby which we’ll want to grab at some point, and the Mars Angels are hanging around to the south east. The Mars Angels only appear in this one chapter, but from Ares’s remarks and the fact that they’re attacking an Acemos base it seems like they’re a fruitier version of BIS.



More pressingly there’s also the matter of the mass of unmanned enemies directly south.







The Acemos guard was lying his ass off, by the way – these are the exact same unmanned types we fought way back in the fourth chapter. They aren’t much of a threat, but there are a lot of them and if you’re not using IBS they can become a massive pain very quickly. They also happen to be the key to this mission, and this is where the route split comes in – the plot of the game changes depending on whether or not we manage to destroy more of these unmanned enemies than the Mars Angels.



With that said I’ll be ignoring the Local Server for the moment. There will be more opportunities to grab it in the future.





I succeed in drawing the majority of the enemy units towards Cage. The Mars Angels will probably score the first few kills, though.



As expected, Cubick moves to engage.





She can easily kill the unmanned enemies in one hit with very good accuracy. Luckily her companions aren’t in range of any other enemies.

Kill Tally:
BIS – 0
Mars Angels – 1





: Ms. Mebius!

On our turn Mebius arrives.



:…supposed to be infiltrating with the others?

: Mr. Warren! Um, well, it’s a long story…

: It doesn’t matter…Are the two inside? Then let’s provide a distraction outside. But make sure to get out before the support team arrives!

: Yes sir! Oh, and the LEV’s with the pink lines aren’t enemies! Please be careful!





: They’re your friends? We’ll never lose!

: Oh!! *Gasp* (That gentleman with the dark glasses…how wonderful he is…)



The conversation finishes, allowing us the chance to even the score.



The Earth forces seriously need to invest in better drones.



Kill Tally:
BIS – 1
Mars Angels – 1



Mebius moves down to engage the enemy’s flank whilst Warren goes for the Server.





The enemy takes its turn. Their chances of hurting us aren’t very high.



The majority of the turn is this happening over and over again.



One breaks the mold and goes after Warren.





He has more success.



Of course, the southern foes don’t hold back against the Mars Angels. Their chances to hit are still fairly low, but LEV’s take far more damage from beam weapons than OF’s do.



Like so. Another unmanned unit takes a shot at Cubick, but Cubick dodges him. The enemy shuffles some units around and the Mars Angels’s turn comes up.







Kill Tally:
BIS – 1
Mars Angels – 4

The Angels get three kills in one turn before passing it back to us.



: Who’s there? What are you doing in here?!

: What?!



Myona’s run into trouble, but we have our hands full killing drones.











Cage and Mebius get a kill each whilst Warren grabs the Server.

Kill Tally:
BIS – 3
Mars Angels – 4





This happens once more.





So does this.





Cubick is also attacked twice but evades on both occasions. The Mars Angels get their turn.



Surprisingly, an unmanned unit dodges Cubick’s attack.



But then Palme comes in and murders him anyway.



Digit kills the last of the southern enemies before passing things over to us.

Kill Tally:
BIS – 3
Mars Angels – 6



At the start of the next turn we get a scene.

: A question?



The game actually lets you decide whether or not to let her ask. Saying ‘No’ means you miss out on this dialogue and it isn’t repeated anywhere else. I think this is the only place where dialogue choices show up, which makes me think that more such choices were planned but ultimately didn’t make it in.

: Sure, what’s the question?

: Did Ares play the song recorded on the wearable player?

: Wearable…? Oh, my button! Yes, he did.

: If it would be okay with you, I would like to hear it.



Another choice pops up. Once again, there’s little point in choosing to deny her.

: What? I don’t mind, but…why?

: I don’t know, but that music has some effect on me that I cannot quite discern. Perhaps it is being played in a special way?

: I was…born on an emigration spacecraft, and spent my entire life on board.

: What?



:…to ship. Then last year, I boarded the Bonaparte III. By then I had become really quiet, and all I did was work and sleep. But one night, I heard that song from the lobby…I’ve heard it ever since then.

: Was Ares playing?

: It’s a very pretty song. It feels familiar, even when you hear it for the first time. It would make me feel very happy. I started talking to Ares, and he taught me how to play…although I never got to be as good as him.



:…more…)

:…And that is how you first met? I understand…So the song is very memorable for the both of you?

: Yeah. His emotions are expressed in his playing. That must be why you feel something when you hear it, too.

: Is…that why?

: Yeah, I think so.

: I see…

It’s odd that this really rather important bit of Cage’s backstory is entirely missable. It provides more concrete details about how Cage and Ares first met, as well as establishing a thematic link with BIS since Cage was quite literally born in space.



In any case, it’s time to even the score.







It’s not too difficult to get more kills than the Mars Angels. As long as you draw the northern enemies towards you with Cage on the first turn they’re stuck down south with fewer foes to kill.

Kill Tally:
BIS – 6
Mars Angels – 6







One of the two remaining enemies manages to deal meaningless damage to Mebius.



The other fruitlessly tries to hit Cage.



The Mars Angels move up, but there’s no way they’ll make it in time unless we let them.







We overtake the Mars Angels at last. We have to destroy the last enemy as well since a tie counts as a win for the Mars Angels.



Let’s finish this with something impressive – Cage’s new Halberd attack, which can only be used after accumulating 15 Spirit. Those who have played the original Zone of the Enders should be familiar with this, where it showed up as one of Jehuty’s weapons.





Kill Tally:
BIS – 8
Mars Angels – 6

I think that’s a pretty clear win for us.



: Digit, when were we competing?

:…My channelling abilities are telling me that we have overstayed our visit.

:…I guess we best get going. Digit, would that be all right with you?

: Sure.



: Data received. This is…this is the datalog for the Bonaparte!!

: Huh?

: Now we will be able to prove all aspects of the Bonaparte incident!

: But…why?

: You changed the course of destiny with your own strength…I merely obeyed the natural order. Heh heh heh…



: We were able to get the information we were after. That is something that came up in the process. Here is another record of something; you’re welcome to it if you are interested.

: What could this be?

: We are the heavenly bodies of the Crimson Sphere – the Mars Angels. We look forward to seeing you again somewhere. Until then…ta-ta!

The Mars Angels withdraw.



: (The Mars Angels…hmm…)

: Cage, should we not help the two inside to evacuate?

: Oh, that’s right. Can you locate them?

: Just a moment…Scan complete. Four responses registered.

: Four? Myona, Ares…and who else?



:…we will be entering.

: What?! If it’s Myona…!

BIS withdraws as the scene changes.

Music: Tension



: Stop it! Let go of me!

: To think that we would meet again!

: You’re finished!



: What?!

: The datalog for the Bonaparte. I should have gotten rid of it along with all the survivors, but the motherland wanted a full report. A formality.

: The survivors? You didn’t…

: It took me until now to realize, but I know that you are one of them.



: Yes! All those aboard the Bonaparte were cleaned up. Ned enjoyed that immensely.

As we thought, Ned murdered all the survivors when he investigated the crash site.

: You…monster…

: Ha…a little girl like you shouldn’t be walking around with a gun. It doesn’t become you…



: And if I don’t, you’ll shoot me? That’s fine. You won’t be able to pull the trigger.

: This is not an idle threat!

: Then shoot me. Can a child really shoot its parent? Fa…or I guess I should call you…Subject #417?



:…Put that down.

: (I…I can’t disobey him!! Why?!)

: Strange things have been happening lately…First the Iblis, then you. I never expected that you and your brother would take the Animus…

: My…brother? What…?



:…going on right now to have a civilised conversation. Heh heh…

: (I…I can’t do anything…I’m just an extra load that everyone else has to carry…)

Suddenly, Cage’s button activates!

Music: Promise of Reunion



: (Cage’s button! It…it’s moving! I can move my body again!)

: Hmm? That song…that button…

Suddenly a gunshot rings out!

Music: Danger



: Don’t move! Next time I will shoot you! The disk is mine.

:…Don’t do it. Come back. This is your home…

: Sorry to break it to you, but I’m Myona. Nobody else!

A door hisses open in the background.

: That’s enough, you little brat! Come here!



: Hurry along now!

: *Gasp* What are you doing?!

: Heh heh, we have to make sure you aren’t carrying any weapons…

The female guard thumps the male guard. Wait, where have we seen this before?



: Stupidhead! I was just trying to make things realistic…

: Semmy? Is that you? And…Razma?!

Yep, it’s the lovable duo.



: Sure took you long enough. Oh, don’t do THAT.

: Here’s a little token of our appreciation…sleeping gas. Nighty-night.



: *Cough* *Cough* *Hack* I won’t…Eggghegehe…you…

Zephyrs falls unconscious as the scene fades out.

Music: Every Day



: Myona! Are you okay?!

: Cage!

: Hey, Myona?!



: I…I don’t really know. But…you’re you. You’re not anyone else.

:…You’re right. Thank you.

: (WHOA!)

:…

: Instead of PDA, could you hurry things up? There are people back here waiting to get in.



:…And how did it all go?

: Y-yes. Here is the datalog for the Bonaparte…

: Somehow the plan worked, then?

: That’s great!



:…gave it to me…

: She said she was a ‘Mars Angel’.

: You met the ‘Mars Angels’?!

: Um, yes…



: We’ll talk about this later. We’ve gotten what we came for. Now let’s get out of here!

: We’re heading home!

And with that, this mission draws to a close.



The Local Server doles out some abilities this time. The Orcrist’s SSA1 is a skill that automatically refills a percentage of the Frame’s HP every turn. The Vjaya gains the Edge’s Replenish skill, which is rad since it can now supply itself with EN for its ludicrously expensive Burst Attacks.



Defeating more foes than the Mars Angels has put us on track for the ‘Good’ story branch. I hesitate to call it the ‘Good’ branch because the alternate path isn’t exactly bad per se, but it’s what the majority of the fansites and walkthroughs call it. For the purposes of this LP I’ll be calling it the ‘A Path’ and I plan on playing through the ‘B Path’ after I finish it.

Anyway, now we have all the evidence of Zephyr’s misdeeds. All we need to do now is make them public. Oh, and if you’re wondering why we need two copies of the Bonaparte datalog…it’ll make sense next chapter. It’s time to take a trip down to the TV Station…