Let's Play Galaxy Angel, Chapter 4, Part 4: All Hail the Firework Gun
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Everything that was distracting me before is now finished up, at least for the moment. No time like now to start this LP up again! If you've forgotten everything that happened, click the "First" button and reread it all. Last time, Mint confessed that she can't stand her father's employees (nor can anyone else, so it isn't much of a secret), and we're now being attacked by the five Hell Hounds, the team of miserable failure mercenaries.
Fun.
Rather than the usual fleet of Spards and Barmells, this mission introduces new enemy units. The missile frigates, which, frankly, look really stupid, are Gezels. You can tell them by the turrets on every possible extremity. They've also got two Zems, which we've seen before; they're the same type of carrier that Rezom had. You know, the one that looked like a shoe horn. We also learn that the high-speed fighters the Hell Hounds are using have the name "Sillus". I suppose that that would make the plural "Silli", which is awfully fitting considering the pilots.
Tact figures that actual people are less predictable than automated warships, so he orders to prioritize the fighters over the other stuff. Now, if we do that, we'll fulfill the victory condition (defeat the Hell Hounds) without getting all the experience we can from every other unit on the field. This is why I never go with the plan.
[BGM: Enter the Hell Hounds]
These guys are not cool enough for their theme music.
Each of the Angels starts out targeting her counterpart. I, of course, want them doing something else. I send Ranpha towards the back with Vanilla guarding her, have Milfie guard the Elsior, leave Forte on her path, and send Mint to the sides. Normally, I'd switch Milfie and Mint up because the fact that Milfie likes you from the start makes her pretty useful (as we've seen), but this is still Mint's chapter and her effectiveness bonus is still on.
This would probably work better if Vanilla could actually slow Ranpha down. She usually does, but this time, Kung Fu Fighter got way ahead of Harvester. Ugh. Maybe I should have had Ranpha guarding Vanilla instead until they got there. However, you may also recall how awesome Ranpha has been this playthrough, thanks to you guys voting to raise her affection at every opportunity. She practically one-shots one of the Zems and manages to last long enough for Vanilla to repair her to full.
With Ranpha taken care of and fighting the other Zem, I send Vanilla to attack one of the Gezels. They've fanned out in the back around the Angels, while the Silli have gotten past Forte (though she did shoot down Red Eye) and are heading to the Elsior in a line. This is the part where I really start to question my insistence upon not following the plan. At least I've still got Milfie guarding. I move the Elsior toward the side, since Mint is already blowing up the Gezel by that asteroid.
Forte makes it to the Elsior, and none too soon; the Hell Hounds have engaged it. When the Elsior starts using its useless weapons, you know you're in trouble. It's the only main character battleship in anything that I can think of that is utter crap in a fight. Thankfully, though, Forte takes out Vermouth and Riserva, leaving only two nuisances, and we've still got most of our health. Elsewhere, Mint takes out two more Gezels, one-shotting one of them with Flier Dance. I send her to the ship as well.
It doesn't take long after that to win, thankfully. While Ranpha and Vanilla are still double-teaming the Zem, Mint blows up Camus, and Guinness... well, I couldn't tell who shot him down at the time, but then I got the kill tally. Lucky Star - 0. Kung Fu Fighter - 1, that's that Zem. Trick Master - 4. Happy Trigger - 3. Harvester - 0.
Elsior - 1.
The freakin' Elsior got the final shot on Mr. Hot-Blooded with its useless ceremonial firework gun.
Nothing's going to surprise me from now on.
Camus calls us to say that he has a message from Prince Hairbow (and tells us to say "Prince Eonia" or "Emperor Eonia" or something instead of "Eonia", but no one's going to listen to him). Rather than let Tact decide whether or not he actually wants to listen, Camus just plays the recording.
[BGM: Eonia]
I'll just let this speak for itself.
Eonia: I know you are escorting my cousin, Shiva, to the Rhome system. You are making a fatal mistake. The remnants of the old regime wishing to protect their own interests support Shiva. However, he will just be a puppet. To know that my beloved cousin would be used for such a plot pains me. Moreover, that would bring ruin to our subjects. Additionally, if Shiva becomes the puppet of the old regime, the chaos will just be prolonged. None of us wants that.
Eonia:You are simply confused by the corruption the old regime left. However, there is still time to hand Prince Shiva over. You are victims too. I hope that you will have the courage to correct your mistake. My heart can accept your feelings. Of course, I promise that no harm will come to Shiva, because he is my only relative left. With Shiva's help, I want to build the Legitimate Transbaal Empire's future. I believe in your wise judgment...
Tact: ...
Camus: How's that? Weren't his majesty's words beautiful? Don't they just soak into your heart?
Tact: Yeah, it soaked into my heart, alright. If all he can do is accuse others of evil, then I know he's plotting something.
The Angels all agree with Tact and roll their eyes at the message. The Hell Hounds get all offended and leave (and Mint has a few choice words for Riserva, hitting hir straight in the superiority complex). Lester, of all people, asks if they should start shooting at them again just to get them to go away. Tact... has a different idea. He orders Almo and Coco to open the communication channel.
[BGM: Time to Fight]
Tact: Eonia, your army may be mighty, but let me tell you two things. First, we are not so stupid as to listen to your lies and hand over Prince Shiva. And second, no matter what, we will never yield to you!
Lester and the bridge bunnies are highly impressed. Camus whines about his tragic fate at having to fight his beloved Angels (and Milfie snaps that the sad thing is that they have to see him again), and the miserable failures leave, without any indication on radar that either they or the automated units are going to follow us. The Emblem Frames return to the Elsior. Time to go back into Chrono Drive and head in the general direction of Rhome.
But first...
We are still on Mint's chapter, so in case you forgot that, we get to go talk to her. She's doing an Internet search on... fast food restaurants on Fargo, the satellite-city orbiting Rhome that we're going to be arriving at for the resistance meeting. It looks like she took the conversation before the battle pretty seriously. She's planning out an entire "fast food tour" and invites Tact to come along. He hesitates, remembering his slip-up in the aforementioned conversation, until she says that they can decide whether or not it's a date later. This is as clear an answer as one usually gets from Mint, and Tact seems to realize that and agrees. To the future and unhealthy food!
The rest of the Angels promptly crash the conversation, and Forte immediately starts teasing them about whether something happened during the resupply. Mint says that they were just discussing compensation for her help and talks him into buying her a drink, even though he already got her juice before and she said that was enough. The other Angels promptly say that they helped too, and Tact ends up buying all their drinks. At least Milfie and Vanilla feel bad about it, but Ranpha orders the most expensive thing on the menu and refills of everything. Well, life on the Elsior's back to normal. For now.
Chapter 4: A Lady's Melancholy
COMPLETE
If you remember that the focus chapters go in numerical order of callsign, you'll remember that Forte's chapter is next. Team Forte, disperse your votes strategically for this segment. Everyone else, keep supporting your favourite Angel. Only two more chapters until the Big Obvious Route Split!
Poll
Everything that was distracting me before is now finished up, at least for the moment. No time like now to start this LP up again! If you've forgotten everything that happened, click the "First" button and reread it all. Last time, Mint confessed that she can't stand her father's employees (nor can anyone else, so it isn't much of a secret), and we're now being attacked by the five Hell Hounds, the team of miserable failure mercenaries.
Fun.
Rather than the usual fleet of Spards and Barmells, this mission introduces new enemy units. The missile frigates, which, frankly, look really stupid, are Gezels. You can tell them by the turrets on every possible extremity. They've also got two Zems, which we've seen before; they're the same type of carrier that Rezom had. You know, the one that looked like a shoe horn. We also learn that the high-speed fighters the Hell Hounds are using have the name "Sillus". I suppose that that would make the plural "Silli", which is awfully fitting considering the pilots.
Tact figures that actual people are less predictable than automated warships, so he orders to prioritize the fighters over the other stuff. Now, if we do that, we'll fulfill the victory condition (defeat the Hell Hounds) without getting all the experience we can from every other unit on the field. This is why I never go with the plan.
[BGM: Enter the Hell Hounds]
These guys are not cool enough for their theme music.
Each of the Angels starts out targeting her counterpart. I, of course, want them doing something else. I send Ranpha towards the back with Vanilla guarding her, have Milfie guard the Elsior, leave Forte on her path, and send Mint to the sides. Normally, I'd switch Milfie and Mint up because the fact that Milfie likes you from the start makes her pretty useful (as we've seen), but this is still Mint's chapter and her effectiveness bonus is still on.
This would probably work better if Vanilla could actually slow Ranpha down. She usually does, but this time, Kung Fu Fighter got way ahead of Harvester. Ugh. Maybe I should have had Ranpha guarding Vanilla instead until they got there. However, you may also recall how awesome Ranpha has been this playthrough, thanks to you guys voting to raise her affection at every opportunity. She practically one-shots one of the Zems and manages to last long enough for Vanilla to repair her to full.
With Ranpha taken care of and fighting the other Zem, I send Vanilla to attack one of the Gezels. They've fanned out in the back around the Angels, while the Silli have gotten past Forte (though she did shoot down Red Eye) and are heading to the Elsior in a line. This is the part where I really start to question my insistence upon not following the plan. At least I've still got Milfie guarding. I move the Elsior toward the side, since Mint is already blowing up the Gezel by that asteroid.
Forte makes it to the Elsior, and none too soon; the Hell Hounds have engaged it. When the Elsior starts using its useless weapons, you know you're in trouble. It's the only main character battleship in anything that I can think of that is utter crap in a fight. Thankfully, though, Forte takes out Vermouth and Riserva, leaving only two nuisances, and we've still got most of our health. Elsewhere, Mint takes out two more Gezels, one-shotting one of them with Flier Dance. I send her to the ship as well.
It doesn't take long after that to win, thankfully. While Ranpha and Vanilla are still double-teaming the Zem, Mint blows up Camus, and Guinness... well, I couldn't tell who shot him down at the time, but then I got the kill tally. Lucky Star - 0. Kung Fu Fighter - 1, that's that Zem. Trick Master - 4. Happy Trigger - 3. Harvester - 0.
Elsior - 1.
The freakin' Elsior got the final shot on Mr. Hot-Blooded with its useless ceremonial firework gun.
Nothing's going to surprise me from now on.
Camus calls us to say that he has a message from Prince Hairbow (and tells us to say "Prince Eonia" or "Emperor Eonia" or something instead of "Eonia", but no one's going to listen to him). Rather than let Tact decide whether or not he actually wants to listen, Camus just plays the recording.
[BGM: Eonia]
I'll just let this speak for itself.
Eonia: I know you are escorting my cousin, Shiva, to the Rhome system. You are making a fatal mistake. The remnants of the old regime wishing to protect their own interests support Shiva. However, he will just be a puppet. To know that my beloved cousin would be used for such a plot pains me. Moreover, that would bring ruin to our subjects. Additionally, if Shiva becomes the puppet of the old regime, the chaos will just be prolonged. None of us wants that.
Eonia:You are simply confused by the corruption the old regime left. However, there is still time to hand Prince Shiva over. You are victims too. I hope that you will have the courage to correct your mistake. My heart can accept your feelings. Of course, I promise that no harm will come to Shiva, because he is my only relative left. With Shiva's help, I want to build the Legitimate Transbaal Empire's future. I believe in your wise judgment...
Tact: ...
Camus: How's that? Weren't his majesty's words beautiful? Don't they just soak into your heart?
Tact: Yeah, it soaked into my heart, alright. If all he can do is accuse others of evil, then I know he's plotting something.
The Angels all agree with Tact and roll their eyes at the message. The Hell Hounds get all offended and leave (and Mint has a few choice words for Riserva, hitting hir straight in the superiority complex). Lester, of all people, asks if they should start shooting at them again just to get them to go away. Tact... has a different idea. He orders Almo and Coco to open the communication channel.
[BGM: Time to Fight]
Tact: Eonia, your army may be mighty, but let me tell you two things. First, we are not so stupid as to listen to your lies and hand over Prince Shiva. And second, no matter what, we will never yield to you!
Lester and the bridge bunnies are highly impressed. Camus whines about his tragic fate at having to fight his beloved Angels (and Milfie snaps that the sad thing is that they have to see him again), and the miserable failures leave, without any indication on radar that either they or the automated units are going to follow us. The Emblem Frames return to the Elsior. Time to go back into Chrono Drive and head in the general direction of Rhome.
But first...
We are still on Mint's chapter, so in case you forgot that, we get to go talk to her. She's doing an Internet search on... fast food restaurants on Fargo, the satellite-city orbiting Rhome that we're going to be arriving at for the resistance meeting. It looks like she took the conversation before the battle pretty seriously. She's planning out an entire "fast food tour" and invites Tact to come along. He hesitates, remembering his slip-up in the aforementioned conversation, until she says that they can decide whether or not it's a date later. This is as clear an answer as one usually gets from Mint, and Tact seems to realize that and agrees. To the future and unhealthy food!
The rest of the Angels promptly crash the conversation, and Forte immediately starts teasing them about whether something happened during the resupply. Mint says that they were just discussing compensation for her help and talks him into buying her a drink, even though he already got her juice before and she said that was enough. The other Angels promptly say that they helped too, and Tact ends up buying all their drinks. At least Milfie and Vanilla feel bad about it, but Ranpha orders the most expensive thing on the menu and refills of everything. Well, life on the Elsior's back to normal. For now.
Chapter 4: A Lady's Melancholy
COMPLETE
If you remember that the focus chapters go in numerical order of callsign, you'll remember that Forte's chapter is next. Team Forte, disperse your votes strategically for this segment. Everyone else, keep supporting your favourite Angel. Only two more chapters until the Big Obvious Route Split!
Poll