The Oxsecians

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The Oxsecians is the eighteenth chapter.

18.1

Boom!

A massive explosion blasts the wall open.

They're here.

They're here.

Stamina Cost: 14 Difficulty: 42 Battles: 4

: 19	: 0	: 0	: 3	: 0	: 0
: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0

Beware floor traps

18.2

"We have carefully selected the word best suited to the situation in your language."

"Diiiiiieeeeee!"

Diiiiiieeeeee!

Stamina Cost: 14 Difficulty: 42 Battles: 5

: 26	: 0	: 0	: 1	: 0	: 0
: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0

Beware floor traps

18.3

"We must retake the Animata in pristine condition."

We must retake.

Stamina Cost: 14 Difficulty: 42 Battles: 3

: 14	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0
: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0

Beware floor traps

18.4

"What are you people, anyway?"

"We are the Oxsecian, rightful rulers of this galaxy."

We are the Oxsecian.

Stamina Cost: 14 Difficulty: 42 Battles: 4

: 26	: 0	: 0	: 4	: 0	: 0
: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0

18.5

"What do you want of us?"

"The Animata must be purged of all parasites."

"P-parasites? That's what you think we are?"

"You truly know nothing. Ignorant fools."

You truly know nothing. Ignorant fools

Stamina Cost: 14 Difficulty: 42 Battles: 5

: 24	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0
: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0

Beware floor traps

18.6

"The world you inhabited is no planet at all."

"Right, it's some kind of ship. That much we know."

"An interesting metaphor. The Animata is indeed rather like a ship that plies an ocean of starts in search of life."

Like a ship that plies an ocean of stars.

Stamina Cost: 14 Difficulty: 43 Battles: 4

: 23	: 0	: 0	: 1	: 0	: 0
: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0

18.7

With a glance at the device in his hand, an Oxsecian soldier abruptly turns pale.

"Central Command, we have located the queen in the target cluster!"

"What? In that case, you have new orders: Your target is now the queen."

"Understood!"

Your target is now the queen.

Stamina Cost: 14 Difficulty: 43 Battles: 5

: 44	: 0	: 0	: 1	: 0	: 0
: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0

18.8

"You know, I could swear I've seen these aliens somewhere before."

"I've been thinking the same thing. The way they fight using those devices seems vaguely famil--"

"I've got it!"

The murals...

You know, I could swear I've seen these aliens somewhere before.

Stamina Cost: 14 Difficulty: 43 Battles: 3

: 21	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0
: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0

Beware floor traps

18.9

You think back to the Tower of Temptation. The aliens resemble the figures in a certain mural--one that depicted them piloting a colossal warship and reducing scores of lives to ashes using mechanical devices.

"There she is!"

"So we're to be slaughtered like the people in that painting?"

"Not if I can help it!"

Be slaughtered like the people in that painting?

Stamina Cost: 14 Difficulty: 43 Battles: 4

: 26	: 0	: 0	: 4	: 0	: 0
: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0

18.10

"Aaah!"

Princess Palpa tries to run, but it's too late. The Oxsecians storm into the room and level their guns at her head in unison.

"We have the queen! Commencing extermination phase!"

"Princess Palpa!"

"Forget about me and run!"

"We'll do no such thing!"

The Oxsecian soldiers cock their guns with one finger. Then with another, they squeeze the trigger.

"I will neither run nor hide!"

"FIRE!!"

The princess is surely dead, you think.

But the light that bursts forth next is not Oxsecian gunfire.

Tachyons--particles faster than light--surround your party like a barrier, disintegrating the Oxsecians' bullets and driving the soldiers back.

It is as though they were protecting the princess.

Bathed in these tachyons, the armor encasing the Oxsecians begins to melt away as well.

"What is happening?!"

"Who is attacking us?!"

"I've no idea what's going on here, but this is our chance!"

"Come on, everyone! Run!"

--After the battle--

"I...I'm alive."

Palpa quickly puts a hand to her chest, reassuring herself that her heart still beats.

"That light.. it's like the ship came to our aid."

"I bet it was Pepropé! He saved the princess!"

"Pepropé..."

The Oxsecian soldiers who barely escaped with their lives fall back like the ebbing tide.

"F-fall back..." "Their life energy is off the chart. These figures are impossible."

"We'll be back to exterminate you. You'll see."

"Central Command, requesting emergency extraction. Transmitting coordinates now."

"Coordinates confirmed. Initiating transfer sequence."

Tachyons--particles faster than light --.

Stamina Cost: 14 Difficulty: 43 Battles: 3

: 16	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0
: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0	: 0

Beware floor traps

A very hard chapter to clear, especially if you don't have any character that has the Levitation skill.

However, the supporting fire from the 3 bosses during the 3rd battle has a way around it.

The Oxsecian Guard (the one creating the stone shields) doesn't bring forth any retaliation shooting from any other boss. The Oxsecian Soldier (the one using the laser) gets supporting fire from the Oxsecian Guard, and the Oxsecian Airsoldier (the one striking laterally) receives supporting fire from the second boss (Oxsecian Soldier, using the lasers).

Furthermore, the Oxsecian Guard has a distinct pattern of using his abilities: he starts by casting a 2-space lateral stone shield on both sides, then makes it disappear and hit his cross attack on the next turn. On his 3rd turn he will be casting the shields again, but on the perpendicular direction compared to the previous ones. You can thus take him out more easily by pincering him laterally the turn before he casts his shields vertically to avoid having your characters being moved by them.

Anyway, to avoid friendly fire you should try to get rid of the small fishes and the Oxsecian Guard first, then focus on the Oxsecian Soldier (lasers) and finally the Oxsecian Airsoldiers (lateral strikes). Take care in moving your units from the Oxsecian Soldier's line to avoid laser damage, and try to avoid sticking to the side of the Oxsecian Airsoldier as much as possible.