MARREND PLAYS XENOSAGA EPISODE 2!

So, y'all remember Suikoden 2? Even if you did not shame on you, you could transfer over data from your clear game save (or the closet thing to it) from Suikoden to get a few in-games things to happen. One of them is to enable the "McDohl" side-quest. However, if a character died outside of a plot event within the context of an army battle in Suikoden, they would stay dead for Suikoden 2 as a point of world building. Or, at least, this is my understanding of it. I've not actually confirmed this, nor am I willing to test this theory by making specifically bad decisions and getting possibly plot-relevant characters dead.

There was a transfer data function in Suikoden 3, but, it felt much more limited. This may have been in no small part because the number of returning characters from Suikoden 2 and/or Suikoden were also limited. However, I recall reading a rumor about Lucia making a quip about the name of the headquarters if one decides to name it "Dunan". I don't know if this is a function of transferring data from Suikoden 2, and properly reading the army's name from that game, or if this is hard-coded in some way.

Considering the above, this game is even more limited than Suikoden 3. The message window indicates that the player unlocks a swimsuit costume for Ziggy, KOS-MOS, and the Professor. The Professor wasn't even a character I interacted with during my LP of Xenosaga Episode 1, but, one gets this bonus either way, apparently.

I always wanted to believe that there was something beyond this. Like an extra level or two, as well as bonus skill and tech points to modify/customize your characters to be at least a little bit better off than players coming into the series new/blind. Call me a little curious, but, I did some unsaved comparisons of stats both with and without data transfer. The most immediate difference I can tell is a bonus of 2970 skill points on chaos if you do transfer. I feel it's highly likely the other party members from Xenosaga Episode 1 get a similar bonus.

Anyway, let's start up this game, and watch the opening FMV, because of course it opens with an FMV. Would it be a Xeno game if it didn't? So, we're inside some kind of room, with a video feed reporting a realian uprising. The camera shows us a man adjusting his uniform in preparation, as he listens to the report. At some point, a man in military garb shows on the screen. For series veterans, they will recognize this man as Helmer. He goes on to say that there will be further reports of failing model numbers by tomorrow, but, all the soldier wants to know is what any of this has to do with the mission, and why he was chosen, despite being a realian himself. This realian, Canaan, was designed by Vector, and Helmer's been given assurances by the CEO of Vector, Wilhelm, that Canaan would not be affected.

This assurance aside, Canaan is not alone on this mission. This cues the entrance of the navigator, who is another familiar face for series veterans, chaos. Canaan is initially dismissive, saying that no ordinary person can fly that thing. Which, of course, is why he's here. It would be really really nice to know what the hell they are even talking about.

We find out pretty soon, as the next part of the scene is a launch sequence for the ES Asher. Gone are the AWGS of Xenosaga Episode 1, and if I want to be frank, good riddance. This was one of the few good decisions this game makes, as ES craft are more akin to Gears than AGWS ever were. The cutscene continues as the Asher comes under fire, and preforms some maneuvering as it fires off it's cannon to take out foes. Once ammo is depleted, it rams the cannon into the last foe, detaching the cannon in the process. After taking out all incoming foes, the Asher lands smoothly. This is a fairly impressive cutscene, but, the video from the aforementioned list of cutscene videos has it's audio crapping out after only 11 seconds and never seems to recover from what I can tell. I did what I could to find an alternate, but no dice. I even installed OBS to record it myself, but, I'm certainly no expert in this matter. Also, while my locker is spacious, the file size was a bit concerning.

The next cutscene is Canaan getting something of a second debriefing from chaos. Of course, their mission is to locate the URTVs and, if possible, access the U-TIC mainframe and retrieve the Y-Data, because of course, the Federation wants the Y-Data. Who doesn't? Canaan's curiosity is raised when choas mentions that they might be running a little short on time. While Cannan knows the URTVs are the Federation's trump card against the U-TIC Organization, he might not be aware of the inherent dangers to using URTVs. Or that the Federation government is blind to those dangers. One gets the impression that the underlying message here is that desperate times call for desperate measures.

As a small aside, while the voice actor for chaos in Xenosaga Episode 1 did an okay enough job, the person who's voice acting for chaos in this game is a lot easier to listen to, and just really mellow and laid back. Which I feel was the right decision for this character.

The cutscenes done for the moment, we take control of the Asher on Old Miltia. Yes, Gear dungeons are back, baby! Er, anyway, in case the title of this session wasn't blatant enough about it, this entire section is a flashback to 14 years prior to the events of Xenosaga Episode 1. More specifically, this is set during the Miltian Conflict, which Xenosaga Episode 1 had repeatably pointed to as being a rather big event in it's universe.

If this were Xenosaga Episode 1, the soundtrack would die off as soon as regular gameplay is ensued, and there would be the white noise of military confrontation in the background. This game, however, uses it's soundtrack more often than it's predecessor did. This sometimes has mixed results, as we will see/hear going forward. However, for this area, we have...



...this song while putzing about, and it's at least okay. A save point is not far ahead, and there's a mini-tutorial about the use of save points. While I haven't been playing all that long, I'll still use it. A few destructible objects (and a mini tutorial about how to destroy them) later, and it's cut scene time again. More background from chaos, explaining that that the system that controls the Zohar was initially designed for teleportation, but, each attempt at using said system generally resulted in death. There were very small chances of survival, but, the subjects always displayed symptoms of a mental breakdown.

Helmer postulated that even URTVs, which were supposedly created to counteract that very system, could likewise be infected. If they suffered a mental breakdown, then the Zohar, itself, would spiral out of control, and that would lead to all kinds of craptastrophes naming land.

After this cutscene the game has chaos warn players of an AWMS unit ahead, and we engage in our first combat in the game.



This works very similar to fighting in AGWS in Xenosaga Episode 1, but, let's do a quick rundown of the systems regardless. Regular attacks are done with Square and Triangle. Square initiate a melee attack, with Triangle initiating a ranged attack. These moves accumulate both Boost and the ES' personal Stock gauge. Unlike Xenosaga Episode 1, Boost is a resource accessible across the entire party rather than being a personal resource of a unit. Units still cannot be boosted if they appear in the turn window, but, I respect the decision to have Boost as a party-wide resource as a quality of life upgrade.

Stock is a new resource that is used for the Tech Attacks in regards to the ES. The normal maximum amount of Stock is 200, but, I recall there being an accessory that ES can equip to make this value higher. Normal attacks make the value rise by 50, with the Stock command making it accumulate by 100.

I will note here the lack of a Guard command anywhere in this game. It was effectively replaced by the Stock command. The effect of the Stock command on foot isn't necessarily all that much different while than it is in ES. However, unlike Guard, Stock doesn't actually provide any defensive options. Conceptually speaking, it's a "gather power" move, so, it's not like it providing defense would make sense. However, it would have been nice if they included a Guard-like state for Stock.

Another thing I will note is the main party menu...



...in comparison to the same menu in Xenosaga Episode 1...



...and notice something odd. It's not the change in number of menu options that worries me, but the lack of money display. This is a little funny to me, because I swear I once saw LockeZ arguing on Discord not all that long ago that on-hand cash isn't actually relevant information until you hit a shop, or at least be in a situation where the variable can be manipulated one way or another, and that it doesn't need to be displayed on the main party menu. Maybe have it appear in the items menu, if at all.

Whither the development team of Xenosaga Episode 2 agreed with this assessment or not, the truth of the matter is that there are no shops in this game. Anywhere. We'll certainly visit more civilized sections of the galaxy later in the game, yet, not a single one will sell me goods, nor will allow me to dispose of unwanted goods. You only acquire items either by finding them on the field, getting them from quests, stealing (I forget if this is even an option in this game because I never use it) or enemy drops. As for disposing unwanted/unneeded items, well, too bad, I guess? It's a weird design decision to make for an RPG, and one would hope that the game is designed around the fact that there are no shops. This LP probably will see less item use than most regular plays, so, I cannot really speak on this matter any further.

Back to the game, the game throws a few more tutorials our way concerning Boost, Stock, and environmental traps. Traps in Xenosaga Episode 1 were few and far between, but, when they did appear, they were at least somewhat useful. The traps in this dungeon provide some benefit, but, they will fall off the radar entirely later on. Right, onto the next cutscene!

The Asher is walking along the city streets, minding it's own business, until a bright light appears, and a certain song...



..is heard. Canann hears it, and is initially unaffected. Asher is then found by Federation mechs, and is fired upon. An IFF signal is broadcast, but, the pilots have all gone insane. Asher's melee arm gets blown of from the oncoming attacks. Then, even Canaan is beginning to feel the effects of the Song, with chaos pleading for him to close his mind to the Song. So much for Vector's assurances! The troops move forward guns at the ready, but are destroyed mysteriously. The camera pans across another mech...



...that looks suspiciously like Heimdal from Xenogears? Canaan recovers enough to wonder who that other unit is. Working together, the infected units are defeated one by one until only Asher and the newcomer remain. The light and Song also dissipate. We are then properly introduced to...



...Jin Uzuki. chaos and Canaan attempt to recruit Jin to help them complete their mission, and he gives their situation a good think before agreeing. The rest of the dungeon is on-foot, but, before we delve deeper, let's hit up that handy-dandy save point. I'll note that Jin's skill points is 600, which is where chaos would be if we didn't transfer data. However, he starts with Medica and Refresh L already learned. The initial tutorial for on-foot battles...



...is pretty minimal, and only covers basic attacks, and the Zone system.

The Zone system is new to this game, so it bears some explanation. The basic concept is that a Zone relays a height in which an enemy, or attack, can hit. Speaking in broad terms, a character/attack in Zone C is on ground level, with Zone B being mid-level, and Zone A is in the air. Square attacks hit Zone B, and Triangle attacks hit Zone C. You can break an enemy's defenses if you hit a certain combination of Zones, and is the main mechanic by which enemies are defeated.

Circle attacks are also possible, and are generally available if a character has at least one Stock. chaos' Circle attack hits Zone C, and afflicts the "down" status if the enemy's defenses broken. Enemies that are downed can only be attacked by C-Zone attacks, but, every character can hit those zones with Triangle attacks. Likewise, Jin's Circle attacks hit the A-Zone, and afflicts the "air" state if their defenses are broken. Being in the air is kinda similar to the "down" state except only attacks that can hit the A-Zone are possible instead of C-Zone attacks only being possible. However, the number of attacks that can hit the A-Zone are more limited in scope to the Circle attacks of Jin, KOS-MOS, Jr, Shion and MOMO.

This means that if I'm not careful, or paying attention, I can smack a guy up with Jin, while choas is Boosted. Then, when chaos gets his turn, all his regular attack options will be grayed out. He may still affect the target through ethers, if he has any that are relevant, but, this "can't take a regular attack action" is one of my main gripes against this combat system.

While I might have a number of issues about Shadow Hearts - From the New World's combat system (screw you, Judgement Ring), it also had a zone system. However, you could more easier direct what zone to attack, and no character was locked into attacking specific zones like they basically are here.

The next tutorial is about Duel Techs. This game does away with character-specific Tech Attacks, and has Duel Techs instead. To be able to pull off a Duel Tech, one character needs to be the active battler, and the other character needs to be Boosted. They both also need a certain amount of Stock to be consumed as part of the cost of the move. The fact that each Duel Tech can only be used once per battle is what makes me steer away from using them. It just feels wrong. The amount of preparation you need to set one up isn't insignificant. Maybe the idea is that it's a "finishing move" and you should only need to use them once. However, as somebody who loved to spam Tech Attacks in Xenosaga Episode 1, it just incredibly off putting to not also have them in this game, and see Duel Techs effectively replace them.

A few mooks later, and we come across yet another cut-scene. Here, Jin posits that U-TIC is using this realian uprising as a cover to acquire the Y-Data, because of course, U-TIC wants the Y-Data. Who doesn't? He goes on to explain that all known phenomenon seems to come from a certain area of space, and that space is described only in the Y-Data. Among other tidbits of data, no doubt. This is just solidification as to the value of the Y-Data to newcomers of the series, which is nice to have, but, playing the preceding game is most certainly preferred.

Another save point after this, which I use. Thanks to the cheat codes, both Jin and chaos are maxed out in regards to skills. The passives I've got equipped involve a 30% status resistance, a 50% chance for Stock to increase by 2 instead of 1 when I use the Stock command, starting battles with 1 Stock, and the ability to Boost my characters even if they are already in the turn window. I find no enemy patrols between that save point, and the next cut-scene. So. Boss fight?



Well. That's a pretty big yes in my book. The actual fight doesn't actually take too long, but there is a following cutscene where Margulis and Jin go at each other that's pretty amazing. The two duel on the ground, and even in the air for a bit. A brief respite were Margulis mouths off to Jin, then the two swordsmen raise their blades against each other again, sending forth a charge of energy from the blades. Jin passes out from the blow, and Marguils, while still very much standing, is bleeding from his right eye. It will be scarred for life. Jin recovers enough to jump to safety as the structure they were on crumbles and falls, with Marguils following suit. Thankfully, this baddass cutscene seems more stable.



Jin takes out the data card he's been handling that will supposedly expose some facet of truth behind this conflict, and installs it into Canaan's database before tossing it into the void, then leaping forth, possibly to engage with Margulis again. Another earthquake, and something big looms on the horizon. However, this is where the flashback, and the chapter, ends. It's as good place as any to call this session a wrap as well. What's going to happen next? Find out next time, on the Xenosaga Episode 2 LP!

Last time, chaos and Shion went their separate ways after a visit to the Uzuki household, much to the chagrin of Shion. The game follows choas, as he moves towards the analysis of MOMO at Second Miltia's UMN control center. Upon entering, we get a cutscene, because of course we do.

Both Gaignuns are here, as is Ziggy and MOMO. A certain member of a certain subcommittee (I'll have to look up the name of it later) is here to personally supervise the proceedings, and that member is none other than Juli Mizrahi. She relays general thanks on the behalf of the subcommittee, calling out the happenings at Proto Merkabah. Ziggy then speaks up for MOMO, to which Juli relays thanks. MOMO is utterly ecstatic about this, and looks like she's going in for a hug, but, Juli remains in business mode. MOMO's response to this is...


...pretty much as downtrodden as one might expect. Meanwhile, Juli requests a room for her to organize things. Jr will make the arraignments, but, he's not exactly happy about Juli's treatment of MOMO either. Yet, she turns around, and tells MOMO that it might be nice if they could live together once all of this is over. This is definitely more than a little suspicious to me, but, MOMO eats it up, and her mood improves back to a more positive state. She is then escorted to a separate room by Shelly, with a little bounce in her step.

The cutscene done, we find ourselves as chaos again, with...


...this music running, and a save point right near the entrance. Sure, why not use it. There's a maintenance lab where Ziggy's hanging out on the other side of the hall, and a path up the middle where our next plot scene is. Here, Jr has a few words for Juli concerning MOMO. Juli wonders if her transition from cold to warm was to unnatural, and, if one is to be honest, absolutely yes. It was. She states that showing familial warmth should make the process easier. However, I also feel it's way too late to be saying stuff like this when she's specifically gone out of her way to not meet with MOMO, or react to her presence, as much as possible for a person in her position.

That talk out of the way, it's time to check up on Ziggy, which, yes, is where the next cutscene is. Juli is performing the maintenance operations, and while Ziggy is largely mechanical, he still feels uncomfortable with Juli performing the tasks. Still, the two manage a conversation that isn't unlike the one she just had with Jr about how she should treat MOMO more as a second daughter than a construct that happens to be designed to look like her first daughter, Sakura.

That done, I use the handy-dandy save point one more time before getting hit with the next cutscene. This time, the game asks me if I'm ready to start the analysis. Let me ask what kind of preparation does the game expect of me when there are no shops with which to buy consumables? Let me repeat that. There are no shops in this game. That, and the only other dungeon I could visit is Miltia from 14 years ago. Perhaps if I still needed skills, I could see it, but, because I use cheats of Titania, I don't. So, yes, let's proceed.

Trigger another cutscene. MOMO stands in the center, with Ziggy and Mary standing to either side. Mary is tapping away at a console, giving reassurances that things will be fine. The system starts up, and MOMO is lifted off the ground, and becomes bathed light. There are apparently mass-produced 100-series realians on the premises, as one reports the beginning of the analysis.

Mass produced 100-Series: We will be shutting down your artificial personality layer during the analysis. Your artificial emotion and abstract cognitive functions will temporarily cease to function, but please, do not be alarmed.
(MOMO struggles to bring her hands to her chest)
MOMO: Artificial... emotion?
Mass produced 100-Series: Since your artificial personality is an option for interpersonal interaction, this procedure will have no effect on your observational functions.
MOMO, thinking: My heart is... just an optional function?

To say the least, her mood is a bit dampened, and Ziggy notices straight away. She reaches out to the cyborg, but, her personality is shut down, and MOMO's form slumps into slumber. Ziggy's hand remains outstretched after this, but his eyes close as if in silent prayer. In the next room over, Shelly is tapping away as Gaignun, Jr, choas, and even Helmer observe the proceedings. They do have a bit of trouble. Not only does MOMO have high-level protection, but, some of the routes in her system were damaged from when Albedio was doing his thing to her in the Song of Nephilim. After some back-and-forth between Jr and Mary, Jr decides to bail.

The mass-produced 100-Series realians make various progress reports as the analysis proceeds, things appearing to run smoothly. Except, of course, they do not. The blue light that surrounds MOMO turns to red as a virus left behind by Albedo triggers. The mass-produced 100-Series present all fall unconscious. Red warning signs flash, as what operatives remain make status update reports to Juli. Juli orders another attempt at the cutoff, and to redeploy defensive logic against the virus. The request is denied. Something interesting happens next.

Female operator: 20 seconds to defensive logic failure. We're running the risk of complete data leakage.
Ziggy: What are you doing, Dr Mizrahi?
Juli: I'm using the emergency control code and destroying the data.
Ziggy: You can't! If you do that, MOMO will...
Juli: You have a better idea? We cannot allow the Y-Data to fall into the enemy's hands under any circumstance!
Ziggy: Dr Mizrahi!

As mentioned before, if there is any portion of her late husband's legacy that Juli has done her damnest to detach herself from, it is MOMO. While it might be questionable as to who the "right hands" would be, having the Y-Data getting into the wrong hands would not be a good thing.

However, despite putting on the face of a detached scientist and relaying logical, if rash, thinking, her finger wavers over the giant red button. While I'm sure the worst case scenario of having the Y-Data in the wrong hands is playing out in her head, there is another scenario playing in her head. The consequences to MOMO if the data is destroyed. This consideration, despite the barriers she's made between herself and MOMO. Perhaps the words of Jr and Ziggy have managed to reach her? That if she looses MOMO, it will mean she would have lost not one, but two daughters.

Ziggy makes no moves, and observes Juli as she wavers. Eventually, she withdraws the finger. However, the data is disappearing on it's own. It's MOMO, herself that's doing it. She's attempting to sacrifice herself so that the Y-Data remains untainted. Thankfully, it doesn't go that far. MOMO forcefully shuts herself down, and all data transfers become blocked off. Her slack body falls to the floor, and Juli rushes with Ziggy in tow to see what can be salvaged. Here's the cutscene.


After this catastrophe, the next cutscene shows Shion and Allen in a conference call with Helmer and Jr. They need the expertise of Vector's Third Division if they stand any chance of recovering MOMO, and the Y-Data to which she has been entrusted. Shion readily agrees to help as much as she can. Which translates to her ignoring protocol, and going herself, rather than contacting Third Division, and having them take care of it. As she's going personally, Allen, being Allen, tags along. We gain control of Shion again at...


...Vector's Second R&D Division for a brief spell before going to the UMN control center. Cue the next cutscene.

The Council of Doom Federation Council is deliberating over the Immigrant Fleet's movements toward Second Milita. The priest from before, whose name I cannot currently recall if the game has dropped yet, appears before the council and gives this long-winded history about their faction, how the Zohar was originally guarded by them, and that Proto Merkabah was summoned by Second Militain forces to reignite the flames of war. Of course, there is acknowledgement that Proto Merkabah was associated with U-TIC, and that Second Milita was officially cleared of all charges. That Vector provided supporting evidence. Of course, there is backlash that Vector supports Second Militia, so their evidence might not be trustworthy. The council wants to hear what Representative Helmer has to say about all this, and wonder as to what he's up to.

We find out next cutscene, as he speaks with Jin. He wants to recruit Jin, and to know the contents of the data Jin gave to Canaan all those years ago. Jin explains that it was obtained illegally, and would not stand up in court. Helmer doesn't care. As long as he knows what, or who, he's up against, that will be more than enough. Jin tries to beg off, saying he's just a lowly bookseller now, and might not be capable of meeting his expectations. That, and if Helmer really wants to know, it can only happen if a return to Militia is possible. Which is it's own can of worms, given that the UMN transfer data for that sector lies in exactly one place, the Y-Data. Which is, itself, such a huge can of worms right now, it's not even funny.

Back to the UNM control center, Shion explains that she was closer, and it's just more convenient for everyone if she does the support, rather than wait on somebody from Third Division to come along. Which I guess is a good point, but, she's still breaking protocol, and might get a bit of flak for it later. However, I think I want to hit up that handy-dandy save point before proceeding. Allen suggests making preparations for the dive into MOMO's subconscious, but, again, I wonder what kind of preparations the game is wants me to do? Whatever! Let's go Uchioniko!

Cutscene? Cutscene. So, the game verifies that the party going into the next dungeon MOMO's subconscious is gonna be Shion, Jr, Ziggy, and chaos. However, since the game doesn't totally hate it's players, KOS-MOS' data is to be uploaded, meaning we'll have access to her as well. The cutscene continues, taking direction from the Department of Blat and Backstory, going over the fact that MOMO was designed after Sakura, and that Sakura suffered from a central nervous system disorder, and was treated at the Yuriev Institute. The training the URTVs undertook were connected to Sakura's treatment. The going theory was that her symptoms might be connected to unusual wave pulses within the UMN.

More blat, and a flashback, concerning the nature of U-DO. U-DO is a name that's been dropped a few times, and Ziggy straight up asks what it is. The answer that we get from Jr is that it's some kind of energy from a higher plane. A force humans couldn't possibly understand, much less control. Which, given the context of Jr's emotions that he relays this info in, kinda sounds similar to the nature of the Deus in Xenogears?

Anyway, we finally delve into MOMO. The first thing we see is a house. MOMO sits on a swing set up on the porch, unmoving. Even though the game goes through Shion to tell us that MOMO is inert, and what we're seeing is a product of her own subconscious, only capable of simple reflexes, MOMO is absolutely available in the upcoming dungeon. Given last game, and how KOS-MOS was unavailable during the dive into the Encephalon, this decision to allow MOMO into the party is a welcome one. Though, all logic presented in the game, largely suggests to me she should not be.

We're not quite at the dungeon yet. First, we must explore the house, while listening to...


...this song. Though, to be honest, there isn't much space to explore in this house. The ground floor has an item for us to get, and the upper floor has our event. This introduces a certain trio of URTVs...


...in their younger years. We also get to finally meet Sakura, who...


...yeah, looks like MOMO by all accounts. The cutscene done, the task becomes following the phantoms of the young URTVs, the game pausing as it shows you which exit to take to proceed through these phantoms. This is a sequence we'll be seeing quite a bit of from during this story arc. As an aside, I find it a little funny/interesting that the game decided to transport our characters into an encephalon dive while undergoing an encephalon dive.

Anyway, the URTV training session done, they wake up one by one. It's a little interesting to see Juli in a U-TIC outfit as she talks to Dimitri Yuriev, but, I dunno if that's worth a screencap. Anyway, while the speaker says that units will start to awaken from #660 and go up, #666, Rubedo, wakes first, and relays a message to Juli from Sakura. Juli responds rather warmly, taking his hand, and telling him telling her what her daughter says. I don't know if this is some kind of perceived reality in regards to what MOMO wants from Juli. However, I don't doubt Juli would have at least asked then-Jr to continue relaying messages from her daughter.

The cut-scene done, the game relays what I've already told you. That they key in moving the game forward lies in following the phantoms. They lead us to the left side of the facility, where Rubdeo comes up to an open window. Inside is a piano, with Sakura playing, and Juli seated next to her. Juli speaks of Sakura's condition. How her severed neural pathways make it impossible for her to speak, and how no medicine has been able to make any progress. The follow-up scene has Rubedo and Sakura on the swing at the house in the subconscious domain. Sakura speaks of her father making a realian that's a lot like a human, and always in tune with her senses. Which sounds like the initial idea for specifically MOMO, though, perhaps the entire 100-Series line of realians in a more broad sense. When the question turns to parents, we get this exchange.

Sakura: Your dad is Dr Yuriev, right? Don't you have a mom?
Rubedo: Yeah, we have one. Genetically speaking, anyway. She had a healthy ovum, with a perfect set of chromosomes. That's all we really know about her.
Sakura: How come you're not looking for her? Don't you want to meet her?
Rubedo: *tch* What's the point? So I can say, "Hi! You're the mother of a bunch of genetically engineered bioweapons?"
Sakura: Don't say that. You're not a weapon. You're a wonderful boy.
Rubedo: Oh, yeah? The only time we get to leave the Institute is when there is a war going on.
Sakura: Hey, Rubedo. I have a favor to ask of you. My little sister is gonna be born soon. She's kind of different from a normal sister, I mean, my mom won't be giving birth to her, but, my mother and sister. I want you to look after them for me, okay?
Rubedo: Okay! If she's your sister, I'll look after her as if she was my own!
Sakura: You promise?
Rubedo: Of course! Leave it to me!

Even before he finishes this sentence, Rubido gets kissed on his cheek. The URTV is certainly taken by surprise by this action, and before he can process what just happened, Sakura is already waving goodbye, and moving back into the house. That scene done, the phantoms move to the entrance to the main facility, where we get our next cutscene. This is a short one, relaying that Rubedo has taken up the harmonica and is practicing along with Sakura's piano lessons. Of course, Nigredo digs into him a little, saying if he was so interested in her, he could just stay in virtual space, and that she would certainly not mind. Young Albedo relays that Rubedo's concentration has been off, but, Rubedo stands firm that, as the leader, he'll get the job done.

The next cutscene introduces the fourth horsemen another variant URTV, called...


...Citrine. The trio is markedly surprised to see a female URTV. Citrine brushes it off, saying that the project would ultimately lead to a dead end if URTVs would only have males. Still, she notes that a lot of units were disposed of, and now there's only nine female types left. Rubedo takes exception to the use of phrase "disposed of", but, Citrine merely remarks that even if they lost their waveworm and died, they wouldn't have the luxury of complaining about it. She also makes a claim that female types are theoretically superior to males, and has an air of superiority around her. Perhaps the game will later indulge us as to why she might think that, but, for now, we can only take her word for it.

Enough putzing around. It's time to delve back into Sakura's subconscious. This time, the target is a beach. The objective is to locate, identify, and eliminate her neural connection impairment. That is, assuming something like that can even manifest within the UMN, but, if the game says it's possible, who am I to argue the point?

So, now, after all this mess, we get our next dungeon. The music for which is...


...this. The on-screen enemies hear appear as...


...blue orbs? I'm not 100% what I should call these things, but, yeah. They are not representative of what is fought at all, which is something of a switch up from the previous dungeon, if not the previous game in it's entirety. I spoke briefly about how KOS-MOS and Jin were the characters that could knock people up with circle attacks. Shion's mechanics as a combatant are pretty much the same as MOMO's, in that she can only perform circle attacks.

I am somewhat dismayed that, while Shion might be using a multi-weapon system that she modified from Miyuki's original design in the first game, she does not use any kind of melee options for this game. Meanwhile, MOMO has switched from using wands and rods to using a bow. I can kinda understand the decision for MOMO to switch to a ranged weapon, as only two of her Tech Attacks in Xenosaga Episode 1 were melee, and she started that game with them. Shion was pretty much the exact opposite, with only having two ranged Tech Attacks, and one was late-game.

All that aside, there is another thing one might start to notice as a difference between last game and this game. There was a section on the Woglinde in Episode 1 were some Gnosis could become alerted to your presence. However, you could run around a pillar, and if the enemies followed you, they would not be able to catch up with you. I can't say if I have noticed structural features in this game so far that I might be able to use in the same way. However, either enemies move at super-speeds, or, by the time the enemy notices you, the amount of space between you and them isn't enough to maneuver in. Whatever the case, the end result is the players do not have any meaningful way to avoid combat once enemies detect them. Perhaps, a trap activation/placement, but, as last game, those are few and far between. Given the range of the Vaporizor plug-in, you'd be pretty damn lucky if you can manage to actually have an enemy within the range of the trap, and have it active, before they rush into you.

I also find it odd that when I encountered the enemy that I screencapped above, the enemies surrounded my party if the trap was active, but a normal encounter was engaged if the trap had fizzled, or the enemy was outside the trap's radius. I didn't save state scum enough to say with certainty that the conditions for that specific combat changed based on the whither the trap was successfully sprung, or not. However, even one instance where the benefits of the trap (bonus starting stock) was counteracted with a harmful state (being surrounded), well, that just makes me want to ignore traps all the more.

That said, there's been something nagging at me long before I started this LP, and maybe it's time to check it out. So, good ol' KOS-MOS is at level 17 with 35 STR, and does maybe 110 damage to an enemy. Level 99, she's got 93 STR, and deals 360-ish damage to that same enemy. The enemy I'm comparing with here has 700 HP, so even at max level, it would take KOS-MOS two regular attack actions to take it out. Ziggy, at level 16, has 37 STR, so he might have slightly higher values, but, something about this just doesn't seem right to me?

This is the third dungeon in this game. Well, second dungeon for characters. ES level up separately than characters, so, we shouldn't count ES portion of Miltia from 14 years ago in this regard. How long enemies take to die with max level party members is something I want to keep an eye on, since I know I've used codes to max my level in this game before, and I still manage to only take things out with stock/boost combos. This is normal enemies, mind you. Bosses, there is doubt about it.

Anyway, we eventually come across another cutscene that introduces a new enemy type. Infected URTVs. Albedo wonders how it's possible for them to be infected if they aren't in the U-DO simulator, but, regardless of how it's possible, they're before us, and attacking.

So, interestingly enough, the models that represent the infected URTV on-map match the enemy sprite/model/whatever in combat. So, I have to ask, what the hell is up with the blue orbs? Is the idea here that they are nebulous fears contained within Sakura's subconscious, and don't take form until you meet with them? I dunno, but, the game provides no explanation. Maybe there's content out there related to this series that does?

Entering the next map triggers another cutscene, where an infected UTRV morphs into a boss. There was an enemy that had three hit zones before breaking earlier, and this boss takes it up a notch to have four hit zones before breaking. The hit zones in question for this boss was CCBB, and my party of Ziggy, Jr and chaos felt like a good choice. The general strategy here was to stock up to full, then have anybody start the combo with a CC, then boost Ziggy or chaos do a BBCCC combo to smack it down to the ground, then have the other characters boost with follow-ups of CCBBB. There was one counter-boost near the beginning to mess with my flow, but, ultimately the thing fell.

Albdeo kicks a wounded unit, then starts beating him to the ground. Rubedo and Nigredo run up, with Rubedo stopping him, saying he'll kill him if he keeps going. Thankfully, he does stop. Soon after, the dive ends, and we're back in the Yuriev institute. The phantoms are leading us to the right side of the facility, but, I hit up the save point first. What things will the phantoms show us now before delving back into Sakura? Find out next time, on the Xenosaga Episode 2 LP!

Last time, Albedo's myriad cypher traps into MOMO's subconscious, as well as MOMO's own response to Jr and Albdeo fighting, allowed the white-haired URTV to release the Y-Data. The disk starts with Shion narrating the immediate fallout. Which has it's own disturbing parallel to the Black Room sequences from Disk 2 of Xenogears.

The detail that is first and foremost in this narration is the opening of the path to Old Miltia. The game specifically calls out the Immigrant Fleet and the Federation in advancing their fleets to the planet, with their objective being the original Zohar contained there. The Immigrant Fleet was more prepared, and was able to break through the Federation's perfectly legal blockade.

However, before I continue, let me point out one additional detail. Old Miltia wasn't just protected by it's node in the UMN column system to be deactivated, though, how that's even possible when the planet is very much still around is questionable at best. Then again, maybe it's because of the other detail concerning that area of space. Old Miltia is surrounded by not one, but two, count them, two black holes. Like, I don't pretend to have any knowledge of physics, but, I can't even comprehend how a fleet of space-fairing vessels would go about approaching a planet that is in visual proximity of one black hole, much less two. Is the gravitational forces at work somehow counteracting each other, making the planet more or less hold it's position?

Well, the game doesn't seem to care, so, maybe we shouldn't either. Let's cut to the cardinal-looking guy and Margulis. The cardinal notes that both Second Militia and the Subcommittee On Close Encounters (this can be shortened to just the Contact Subcommittee, which is both the committee Juli is a part of, and how this LP will refer to that group henceforth) have begun to take action. Perhaps a silent involvement from Vector. He then asks Margulis if he can handle them, and he's already got Inquisitors on the job. The cardinal wants Margulis to "show the strength of his devotion". He understands the implications behind this request.

Next up, it's Shion and Allen are boarding the Dämmerung, which has gotten onto the scene at Old Miltia. This is little more than a footnote for now, but, one gets the impression Shion will get at least a tongue-lashing for going against company protocol for what she pulled during the dive into MOMO's subconscious. Meanwhile, poor Helmer is working with the Federation government, and sending what forces from Second Miltia he can to support their efforts. He also headed a covert operation, secretly supported by both Vector, and the Contact Subcommittee, to acquire the original Zohar. The mission would be carried out by the Kukai Foundation. Or, if you want to be more specific, the crew of the Elsa, under the command of Jr. Canann and Jin are added to the crew to up the chances of success. However, loosing Shion, KOS-MOS, and Allen is a bit of a blow. Well, Allen's expertise lies chiefly in KOS-MOS, and various details of her development. Loosing him to deal with the fallout from Shion's actions, and looking after KOS-MOS, if possible, is arguably where he should be.

Next up is a scene with Juli and MOMO. So, given the situation at hand, a journey to Old Milita needs to happen sooner, rather than later. MOMO's top-tier navigational skills will allow travel to that area of space undetected. Still, it's a dangerous operation, and Juli seems unwilling to let MOMO go now, despite how much space she has heretofore placed between herself and the 100-series prototype. Of course, MOMO is ecstatic to hear such kindness from her mother, but, holds back on any physical manifestations of affection.

Cut back to the Dämmerung. Miyuki is trying to have a conversation with Shion, but, Shion's concern is more about the opening of Old Miltia, and how everything is on high alert on the ship. As it probably should be, as everybody and their brother's uncle wants their hands on the original Zohar that's on that planet. Miyuki reflects Shion's commentary, saying Shion has yet to submit her report regarding KOS-MOS's latest real-world data. At this point, everybody's favorite Elly-wannabe, Nephilim, drops by. She doesn't actually say anything, here, just makes an appearance with a sad face, then leaves. Shion cuts communications shortly thereafter, and wonders aloud if what she saw was just an illusion. If it was Nephilim, just what the hell is she up to this time?

We now take control of Shion, as she attempt to hunt down Allen for some sedatives. Girl's gotta get her beauty sleep. There's no save point in Shion's room proper (which might be slightly larger than the one she had on the Woglinde), but, there is one just outside her room. Which feels a little weird, but, whatever. At any rate, we can listen to...


...this ditty as we putz around. Well, I say "putz around", but, since the game still feels rather railroady, I'm inclined to find Allen sooner rather than later. He's not hard to find, and the exchange between them is a little weird? Like, Allen responds as if Shion asked him for a sedative, but then goes to say she should rest up in her room. Now, I don't dare to claim to have any knowledge of medicine, but, wouldn't a sedative help with that exact task? Welp, back to Shion's room in any case! Doing so prompts a comment from Shion about the sedative working, but, I wasn't of the impression Allen actually gave her one, so, maybe I was just reading things wrong.

Shion dreams of the Zohar, and Febronia. Febronia's penchant for being cryptic is almost as bad as Nephilim, but, to keep the LP moving, she states that the room they are in represent the cage her sisters, Cecily and Cathe, are held captive, and once again pleads with Shion to free said sisters from that cage. Naturally, she says nothing about where said cage is, only that Shion will be there soon.

Shion wakes up, and takes a brief moment to attempt to figure things out before realizing she still hasn't submitted the data for KOS-MOS yet. Which means going back to the room where we found Allen before, and triggering the next cutscene. Shion's tapping away at the console until she hears the tell-tale bell, sounding the arrival of Nephilim. Shion gets up from the chair, turns, and sure enough, there she is. Nephilim is as cryptic as always, and it takes Shion some amount of doing to figure out that the Elly-wannabe is telling her that Cecily and Cathe are on Old Miltia. Well, that's certainly useful information, but, it also complicates things. It's not like she can just go to the Militan surface with all the activity directed in that location.

With the arrival of Allen, Nephilim takes her cue to leave. While I get the impression Allen wanted to ask Shion out, he naturally gets caught up with whatever Shion's up to. The exchange goes something like this:

Allen: Ah, Chief! You're not busy are you? If it's okay with you, I...
Shion: I'm sorry, I have to go somewhere now. Talk to me later, okay?
Allen: What? Hey, where are you going in such a hurry?
Shion: Old Milta.
Allen: Ah, I see. It's very romantic this time of... wait, Miltia!? Whoa, whoa, whoa! Chief, are you out of your mind? Do you understand what's going on out there? We're on high-security alert! There's a war about to start! Besides, what are you going to do about transportation? There's now way the Administrations Bureau's gonna authorize a transfer in a state of emergency!
Shion: It's all right. I've got an idea. There's a transport here on the Dämmerung that Kevin was developing concurrently with KOS-MOS. If I use it, I could travel through hyperspace without going near the UMN.
Allen: Well, that makes sen... wait, what are you saying!? That's a AA rank secret, even within Vector! You can't just go and...

Allen's body slacks, knowing exactly what Shion is going to say next. Which is, of course...

Shion: I'm going. I've already made up my mind.

...this. With Allen to soon follow, because of course he does. This cues up the Dämmerung, itself, as the next dungeon. The entrance to the dungeon portion was guarded by a realian earlier, and while he's still there, he lets Shion past without any complications. I just felt that was a little off. The dungeon, itself, sadly, is nothing to write home about. There's a bit of a puzzle with destroying blocks, and a cannon that you can use to obtain an item to unlock a skill. The encounters aren't set up to allow players to exploit that Shion is the only active party member, but, they also aren't terribly hard. Like, all Shion needs to do is get up to full stock, then go. One enemy provides warnings of the use of lethal force if Shion doesn't surrender, but, I've never seen that enemy actually use said force. Perhaps if the player doesn't use Stock, they might do something, but, I'm not inclined to experiment with this theory.

There's a short cutscene of Shion in front of a console, as she brings up a live feed of the location of the ship she's planning to, let's say temporarily borrow. Her plan is to use brute force to get there, which puts Allen on his nerves, but, he continues to trudge along. There's another puzzle ahead involving a conveyor belt, and dropping down into the room containing the stairs down. You could access that floor before, but, of course, the room that contains the stairwell we want is locked from that side. Finding the right drop-point allows us to pass by the ship that's our destination, but, we've still a bit to go before getting there. Such as another puzzle involving a glass floor held up by blocks, and removing certain ones, tipping it over to reach a platform on the other side. The room after that is a wind tunnel, which is annoying in it's own right, as progress gets slower and harder as you approach the fan.

After the air tunnel is a set encounter that happens to use a boss fight music...


...but, I'd hardly call it a boss fight. The next room over is the ship, so, cutscene away! Allen got on board to do some pre-flight checks, and Shion's on the outside, asking how things are looking, even as she climbs on a rope to board herself. Everything checks out, but, a troop of three armed realians appear on the scene, making Shion think maybe things won't go so smoothly after all. However, Allen, of all people, fires a few warning shots, scattering the troops by exploding a nearby container, thus allowing Shion the opportunity she needs to board in relative safety.

Her theft temporary borrowing of this device doesn't go unnoticed, as the vessel happens to pass by Wilhelm's office as she makes her escape. The man barely reacts to this development, so this was totally part of whatever he's planning. A short exchange ensues between Wilhelm, and the red-cloaked guy. They speak of roles, and of Man's tendency to divide between "good" and "evil". There's no question that Shion sees herself as "good", but, does she perceive Albedo as "evil"? If there is to be a "knight" in this tale, must there not, must, therefore be a "villain"? Jank like that.

Next cutscene is Shion's approach to Old Mitita. Or, it would be, if she wasn't assailed by U-TIC craft, lead by an ES unit. The drones aren't the problem. The craft seems maneuverable enough. The ES unit, well, not so much. It pulls off some maneuvering that, at least according to Allen, are not possible for the human body. The ship is inevitably hit hard enough for it's shields to be depleted, and at this point, the ES unit unfolds itself in front of them in a rather menacing manner. Shion screams, and the camera cuts over to Second Miltia, right smack dab in front of KOS-MOS' maintenance pod.

Naturally, this is the cue for KOS-MOS to wake up automatically, despite how that feature should have been disabled. Allow me to remind the reader that Shion, waaaaaaay back in the beginning of Episode 1, mentioned how that feature should have been disabled as of two years prior to the events of that game, and here KOS-MOS is firing up automatically again-again. How it's possible this time, despite how her reactor isn't even installed, is a point that's never revisited. What's even more flabbergasting is that an apparent frame revamp...


...isn't complete either. Despite all that, she yet stands on her own two feet. Her pod responds to an unspoken command, and transforms into a bike/craft/thingy, and she takes off to save Shion. I can't help but to smile at the irony on display here. The point of "launching" a product before it's done, perhaps? I dunno if this is a reference to what could have been with Xenogears, if it was fully fleshed out, or even what could have been in regards to this series. Maybe I'm reading waaaaaay to much into this.

Either way, cut back to Allen and Shion in trouble. Allen has long shed any sense of bravery, or will to fight, as the craft whirls about. Shion snaps at him, telling him to quit whining and shoot something. Shion does what maneuvering she can, but, they are quite outnumbered, and the ES isn't letting up either. Just then, as Shion wonders if this is the end, some drones are taken out of commission. Well, okay, KOS-MOS is doing a lot of work out there. The area of space is littered with drones blowing up due to KOS-MOS, and even as she's doing that, KOS-MOS states over the comms that she's switching the craft to control B mode, and to prepare for docking. Now, call me crazy, but, the sequence that happens when KOS-MOS' vechile combines with Shion's craft is somewhat reminiscent of a magical girl transformation sequence? The combined craft shoot a massive beam that pretty much decimates the remaining enemy craft, with the ES unit warping out just in time. The associated cutscene...


...should make things a bit clearer, and is pretty awesome regardless. Shortly afterwards, a transmission from our very own friendly neighborhood scrap collectors space recyclers. We then board the Elsa...


...for the first time this game. The interior has certainly gotten a revamp from last game, even if the exterior has remained pretty much the same. We're still very much locked in plot, at least for now. How much longer will that remain true? Find out next time, on the Xenosaga Episode 2 LP!

Let me apologize for still not having the next update ready. The section I'm working on includes one of the more hated/stressful moments in the game for me, and suffice it to say, I'm not looking forward to playing through it again. For what little it's worth, some progress was made today! However, it might still be a bit before I feel comfortable calling the chapter/session/whatever-you-want-to-call-it done.

Last time, while the crew succeeded in removing a blockade made by the Immigrant Fleet, the Elsa was in no condition to proceed to Old Miltia. The Durandal picked them up, and set course to the Foundation to rest and reconnoiter. The chapter starts off with Gaignun sitting in front of a large console, and, it looks like he's having a seizure of some kind. A memory from earlier triggers, and there, we witness a conversation between Nigredo and Citrine, which goes something like...

Citrine: You're just like us.
Nigredo: Like you?
Citrine: Code name: Red Dragon. A useful, but dangerous creature with the potential to loose control. Our duty is to manage and subdue the Red Dragon's violent nature. Don't you think it's strange? The way you don't react to the U-DO simulator?
Nigredo: You don't mean...
Citrine: That's right. Red Dragon. Red, and precious.

...this. Perhaps this is just me, but, I get the distinct impression this is some kind of reference to Jr/Rubedo. That aside, we get another memory of Nigerdo shooting Dr Yuriev. The seizure won't stop, and Gaignun falls to the floor, his hair glowing and becoming... blonde? What?

Cut to the bridge of the Durandal. Jr gets right down to business, asking about the status of the enemy. The report from Shelly is that the Immigrant Fleet has already descended onto Old Milta. Given the narration from the beginning of the disk, and that the player knows of their connection to U-TIC, this is arguably what we should expect from them. Jr orders the Elsa to be moved to the Foundation bays, and to be repaired to Captain Matthew's specifications. He wants to launch as soon as possible.

A transmission from Helmer arrives. The news from him is that a Federation fleet has been deployed on their own decent mission, but, Helmer fears they might be too late to be of any use. So long as there is even the slightest possibility that the Immigrant Fleet has possession of the Zohar, the Federation is not willing to make any large-scale movements. Jr will do what he can, but, we don't know how long the Elsa will be out of order for repairs. Even if we set aside the costs, and I'm sure that's of concern to somebody as deep in debt as Captain Matthews, the time it would take to repair might make any action Jr and company could do to also be too little, too late.

The medley of cutscenes done, at least for now, we find ourselves in control of the party on...


...the Durandal. Back in Xenosaga Episode 1, we could use the tram to go to the park, dock, the Zohar emulator storage, the residential district, or the bridge. Maybe the hanger as well? In this game, the locations we can visit are: the bridge, the park, and the dock. So, quite reduced. There was a casino in the residential district in the first game, and having that entire block be cut off, well! I guess they really, really didn't want money to be a variable this game, ever!

Let me make a minor correction on this, and the "no shop" comment I've been harping on. One of the Global Samaritan Campaign quests allows players to sell unwanted items for the purposes of providing at least some form of debt relief for Captain Matthews. So, as a point of clarification, it's not the player that is receiving the money, it's Matthews. Don't get me wrong, the amount of debt to settle is a rather large sum at the start of the quest. However, while the amount never increases on it's own, there is also no way to increase that debt in exchange for items you'd actually use. I suppose it makes sense for the shop to be a "sale only" shop, but, it's still annoying as hell, and the shop stops functioning after the debt is settled, and the quest is complete. So, it's actually only temporary solution at best to get rid of unwanted items. You're still screwed if you want to acquire items.

That rant aside, we could certainly visit...


...the Kukai, Foundation, proper. Except...I cannot think of a single reason to do so? Aside from maybe getting involved in the aforementioned Global Samaritan Campaign. There are some GSC quests that have a funny tendency to direct players to go between the Foundation and Second Miltia, and then right back to the Foundation again because it's the most annoying, Futch-and-Bright thing to ask players to do. Maybe my memory playing tricks on me. Either way, I'm still not going to touch the GSC with a ten-meter stick. Even if you could support me on Patreon, I would refuse.

Going to the bridge of the Elsa, and talking to Captain Matthews, we learn we can, actually, make another attempt at Old Miltia right now. Which feels like a time-skip and a half, but, I'm not going to argue too much here. Matthews mentions that there's an old guy who joined the crew that helped with the repairs. This is a reference to the Professor, a character I might have mentioned briefly once before, either in this LP or for Episode 1. His role in both games include collecting certain items tucked behind Segment Addresses. Collecting them all grants a special Ether for Shion in both Episode 1, and Episode 2. Special Ethers are obtained for all characters via Segment Addresses in Episode 3, but, I'm getting a little ahead of myself here.

So! Choosing to go back to Old Miltia triggers, what else, a cutscene! No, it's not the Elsa getting into trouble for the umpteenth time, though, maybe that will be later. For now, we see the now blond-haired Gaignun talking to a solder over comms, the solider calling him... Dr Yuriev? Well, that's definitely something interesting.

So, Yuriev has been out of the picture for 14 years, so, naturally, asks for an update. The following report isn't something players don't already know. That "one of the URTVs" made partial contact with U-DO isn't new by any stretch to the player, as this is a clear reference to Albedo. However, the soldier's report indicates that this link caused a space-time anomaly, which is also obstructed by the double black holes. I can't say for sure if this space-time anomaly he's talking about is the self-same anomaly that cause Old Milita's UMN column to be silenced for as long as it was, but, it kinda feels possible. Later comes an interesting tidbit.

Soldier: By the way, how are you feeling? I heard your old body was disposed of.
Yuriev: I feel great. There's only so much lifespan-extension one can achieve. But now, I'm fine. Thanks to my son. *chuckles* That is, the son who killed me.

Cut briefly to the space above Old Miltia, where we see plethora of Federation and Immigrant Fleet vessels facing each other, ready for a confrontation, but neither side firing. Cut to the Elsa flying above an ocean during sunset, the camera panning towards the front of the ship, zooming in on the area where the bridge is located. Then, cuts to the bridge, itself. Hammer is tapping on his console, expressing that the capital looks the same, even after 14 years of isolation. Jr adds his own little tidbit of commentary, as does...

chaos: The country of the hills of Mud, the land of Mu was sacrificed. Being twice upheaved, it suddenly disappeared in one night. At last, the surface gave way, and they sank, along with their countries.
Shion: What's that?
choas: A fairy tale. A story about a land that vanished into the sea one night, long ago.

...chaos. I've heard of Mu before, though, my context in this regard relates to Illusion of Gaia, with the vampire double-boss, and Terranigma, where it is an optional area you can resurrect during the first act, and can visit in the third act. That aside, the idea is to do whatever needs to be done here as quickly as possible, and get the hell out. Nobody wants to be here any longer than absolutely necessary. Deploy the wanzers ES!

The Elsa lands in...


...a submerged portion of a city, not daring to get any closer to the action/Zohar. There's a handy-dandy save point right at the beginning of this dungeon, which I use before proceeding. If the Zohar has not moved yet, it should be stored in Labyrinthos. That building was owned an operated by U-TIC back in the day, and while the Immigrant Fleet is the faction that has a head-start over the other factions, we know they have some connection with U-TIC. Which doesn't exactly bode well, but, I guess we'll soon see how much security they've managed to deploy.

As it happens, the U-TIC drone fights start out pretty early, but, then again, this might be more a game design decision than an indication of how far along the faction is to recovering the Zohar. A number of encounters and screens later, we come across an obstacle in the form of a waterfall. Though, I don't even want to call this an obstacle. The solution is to move to a nearby pool of water, drop a few objects into it, and blow them up to cause a fracture in the wall, making the water level lower, or at least come from a different angle/height than before. Either way, we are allowed to proceed to a handy-dandy save point, which I use.

The next screen is a boss fight against...


...Vanderkam? The camera never switches to an internal view so that we can absolutely confirm this suspicion. However, given what is being heard over the intercom, I've my doubts it can be anybody else. A bit further in, there's a vantage point where we can see how close we are to Labyrinthos. However, proceeding on the ES doesn't seem possible. On a platform is a ladder down so, on foot the rest of the way we go.

Upon entering the sewers, we get...


...a music update. If there is one thing I will not complain about with this game, it's the soundtrack. Anyway, things proceed at a pace until we come across...


...this funky-looking wall. The initial theory floated by Ziggy is that this is the work of nanomachnines. MOMO backs this up, saying she's heard of nanomachines going out of control, making rooms and passageways all on their own. This could be a small reference to Segment Addresses, but, Shion has a different impression. That some form of consciousness was at work here. Jr backs her up, saying that it's U-DO, and worries about it's influence spreading this far out. I can't say for how how far U-DO might be from their present position, or if proceeding will get them closer to the thing, but, I don't exactly have much choice here, do I?

The next point of interest is an elevator that's got two plates in front of it's entrance. There's paths on each side, each one leading to button to release one of the plates. There's both puzzles and battles on each of these paths, of course, but, I'm not particularly inclined to say that there is anything is notable about them. Down the elevator is another puzzle. There's two locks, and removing the first of them allows us entrance into a complex that houses our next cutscene.

Jin and Cannan nod at each other, and get to work. Cannan would appreciate a it if Jin hurries, but, Shion has to ask about what the contents of the data Cannan's been carrying around. Jin takes a position in the Department of Backstory for a moment, and answers that it contains the identity of the person behind the Miltian Conflcit of 14 years ago. The game reminds the player that the person who has been blamed for that incident was none other than Joachim Mizrahi. The camera doesn't show MOMO while this exchange is happening, but, I doubt hearing this, not to mention that Jin threw the term "madman" when speaking of her father, is probably not doing her mood many favors.

Jin presses a button, and there's an obvious time skip before he opens his mouth again. He asks how familiar we are to the U-TIC organization. Shion's response is terse, in that it relays that it was an organization established by the aforementioned Joachim Mizrahi to study the Zohar. However, aren't we a little more intimate with that organization than that? I mean, these are the guys that kidnapped MOMO. Even if the characters aren't aware of their alignment to the Immigrant Fleet, or that they hired Albedo, we as the player, certainly are aware of that. Anyway, Jin retains his post at the Department of Backstory, and in so doing, relays some information. It gets a little blatty...



...but there's two main takeaways here. First, U-TIC has been, and probably still is, funded by company whose headed by a cardinal in the Immigrant Fleet. The other would be that Mizrahi was likely not responsible for summoning the Gnosis, or the awakening of U-DO. Something else caused that, and maybe it's related to the functions of the Song of Nephilim, considering the reactions made by the various cast members to the structure, or the song itself.

Cutscenes done for the moment, the button that disengages the second lock is in the operations room, so, we can proceed to another elevator down. However, Jin will stay behind with Cannan to deliver their findings to Helmer. I'm kinda suspicious about how long that transfer should actually take, given this setting, but, maybe it could take little longer due to making the data transfer secure, or whatever? Regardless of such suspicions, there's a handy-dandy save point were the elevator makes it's stop, which, yeah, let's use that.

The corridor leads to a cutscene with our friendly neighborhood Margulis. This shouldn't be of any surprise to anybody at this point, given that both players and characters know that U-TIC and the Immigrant Fleet have connections with each other. Of course, Margulis has a few choice words to say before launching a ball of energy, but, it gets deflected by a different ball of energy. Jin? Jin. Another colorful exchange of words before the two master swordsmen duel each other. Jin has a distinct disadvantage in this duel, as he's been out of practice, but, he still manages to mostly hold his own against Margulis. The FMV relays this much better than words...

...but, it's boss fight time now. Whatever your party setup was before, the character in position 3 is kicked for Jin. I switched mid-combat so that Shion and KOS-MOS were in the party, and if I must be honest, he didn't seem that hard? Then again, yeah, I've got level 99 characters with all the skills. After the fight, Marguils says a few words about how, regardless of how much we struggle, the wheels are in motion, and there's nothing we can do to stop it.

He leaves the facility via a pick-up job from Hermann's ES, and the party rushes forward and finds the original Zohar standing before them. Shion seems to recognize this place, and KOS-MOS relays that she sense life signs from the capsules ahead. The party moves closer, and Shion is able to read the labels. Cecilia and Catherine. Or, as we've know them in previous references, Cecily and Cathe.

I don't think seeing these two in a rather decrepit state, able to survive only on the life support systems they are hooked into is what Shion was expecting. Still, these are, in fact, Febronia's sisters that she kept talking about, and wishes to be free. Upon this realization, Shion takes several steps back before falling on her butt, and expresses her shock. After Jr and MOMO make some commentary, Shion expresses exasperation at the situation presented to her.

Shion: It's horrible! I can't stand this! I'm... I'm stick of all this! I just... I can't take it anymore! I just can't!

Setting them free from life support means they will die. On the other hand, can one really call the condition they are in "alive"? So, yeah, I can't exactly fault Shion for feeling rather icky about executing the wishes of Febronia, and feeling the pressure of the moral conundrum before her. Jr asks the question of the hour, "Why did they do this?"

A voice from elsewhere answers, "Because using them in their natural state proved difficult." Great, who's this now?


Oh. You. Hi! Jr asks the cardinal to identify himself, but, he is silent. Jin then asks why the leader of the Immigrant Fleet is here, though, I half suspect he already knows the answer to that. While the cardinal responds that there is no need for him to answer questions from the likes of us, he'll nevertheless entertain us. Transcript time? Transcript time.

Cardinal: The Zohar. That object originally belonged to us. To Ormus. Yes, since the dawn of recorded history, we have been its guardians. It turn, we use it in any way we see fit. That is the way of things.
Jin: Ormus. So, that's the real name of your organization.
Cardinal: That's right. Ormus has existed in the shadows since ancient times. Indeed, since before the crucifixion of the messiah. Human beings, no, all life throughout the universe must be guided forward by Ormus, and the Zohar, and they shall be lead unto a higher plane of existence. That is the mission that god has entrusted to us.

Things go on for a bit further, in accordance to the grant agreement with the Department of Padding, before Shion stands up and makes a stand against the cardinal, with the party's backing. Of course, the cardinal has an ace, maybe two, up his sleeves, and one of them is activating the system. A noise is heard, and Jr identifies it as the voice of U-DO. He warns that if the system isn't shut down, it will awaken. KOS-MOS transfers in a weapon to disable the system, but, Shion blocks her line of fire. KOS-MOS politely asks Shion to stand aside, or she will take desperate measures. Shion stands her ground for a while, but, then, Febronia decides to make an appearance, and seems to stop time when she does.

Once more, she pleads for the freedom of her sisters. Shion, now with full knowledge of what that means, pleads for her own sake, asking why this moral conundrum was thrust upon her. Feb only smiles, saying Shion has always been a kind person who wishes harm upon no one. Shion cries and sniffles, but, in the end, she stands aside, and lets KOS-MOS proceed.

Too little, too late. A mech powers up that Jin identifies as...


...Proto Omega. The machine engulfs the original Zohar, using it as it's power source. Jr and KOS-MOS fire upon the machine, but, it's a wasted effort. Proto Omega launches, and the whole facility shakes. Jr correctly assess that this is bad, and orders a retreat to the Elsa. The FMV of the Elsa's escape looks pretty slick but, something really really funky happens to Miltia.


This is a rather extended cutscene, but...


...here it is. As a side-note, the audio craps out after about 4:16. I tried looking for an alternate, but, to no avail.

Now on the bridge of the Elsa, Shion and the others look at the image of what remains of Old Milta on the screen in a combination of confusion (what the Futch-and-Bright just happened!?) and terror (the Zohar is effectively in the hands of U-TIC, so the possibility of what happened on Miltia 14 years ago repeating itself has increased dramatically). The game screen fades to black, then a save prompt, indicating the end of this chapter. So, it looks like Jr and the others need a new game plan going forward. What that is, I guess we'll find out in the next segment of the Xenosaga Episode 2 LP!

As a point of cross reference, here are the links to the other entries in this series.

Marrend plays Xenosaga Episode 1!
Marrend plays Xenosaga Episode 3!