Of course, Thancred was not actually Lahabrea all along. The handsome, flirty man who investigated Ifrit with me was a true Scion. It was during his scouting of the Ascians that he was captured. In placing a crystal of darkness on his person, his body was opened to possession by Lahabrea. Minfilia explained that if we were to remove or destroy the crystal, the Ascian would be expelled and Thancred would return to himself. As for how we might get close enough to accomplish this, we would have to figure out later.
At the present, we had other concerns. As far as the Eorzean Alliance was aware, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn had been destroyed. They had certainly received an ultimatum from Gaius, with reports of what the Ultima weapon was capable of. Their hope was sure to be dwindling, and we needed to hurry if the realm was to remain free.
We arrived in Ul’dah not a moment too soon, for the gathered leaders were debating themselves to a standstill, not wishing to surrender, but neither ready to face Ultima head on. They were tired of fighting primals as the beast tribes summoned them, and if Ultima could force the gods into submission, would this not be the best option to sue for peace?
A foolish thought, we all knew, yet we Scions had to say it out loud. The Garlean solution would only serve to make the beast tribes even more desperate, bringing about summonings more frequently. In exchange we would surrender our freedom to the Empire, placing our people under their relentless rule, an unfavorable outcome as the Ala Mhigan refugees could attest.
Our very presence bolstered the courage of the Alliance leaders, and they firmly declined Gaius’ ultimatum. Yet this was just the start of our fight. With our refusal, Eorzea would need to move against Garlemald. Our main priority would be the destruction of the Ultima Weapon; a tall order, to say the least.
Alphinaud helped to coordinate the assault, a joint maneuver on the part of the entire Alliance. He chose to call this plan Operation Archon. Each army had its role to play, and he outlined one especially for me and a band of fellow adventurers I could muster.
For Phase One, my part was to report to Cape Westwind. There, I was to confront and slay the praefectus Rhitahtyn sas Arvina, a Roegadyn to whom van Baelsar had given rank and privilege. His demise served to panic the troops garrisoned in Castrum Occidens.
Then came Phase Two, the more complex part of the operation by far. Scouts reported that the Ultima Weapon was being housed in the Praetorium, a fortress within a fortress in Castrum Meridianum, located in Northern Thanalan. The Praetorium was protected by an energy field powered by three generators. In order to access it, I would first need to infiltrate the Castrum and either shut down or destroy the generators.
I took my band of adventurers with me inside. Our first order of business was to power down the searchlights at the entrance. While our arrival was sure to stir up some attention, turning out the lights would hopefully keep us from bringing the entire fortress down on us at once.
After my team disabled a Magitek Reaper, Cid arrived. That liar had told me we was going to stay back and run Alliance communications, but now claimed that Biggs and Wedge had it covered for him. I’m of the opinion he simply couldn’t keep himself out of the action. Regardless, his assistance was appreciated. The way into the fortress was closed, but he was sure he could blast his way in with the Reaper. However, repairing the damage would take time, so he advised my team to instead crawl through a nearby garbage chute.
I’ll not describe the indignity of that particular experience, though I will say some Morbols smell better. Once inside, we powered down another searchlight and destroyed a couple of the Imperial mechs known as Vanguards. These were carrying explosives, which we then used on the nearby ceruleum depot that provided power to part of the Castrum. Fuel line destroyed, one generator down.
An armored Vanguard, piloted by a high ranking soldier, dropped a convenient identification key after we defeated it, and then Cid finally caught up with us. He blasted a few holes through the walls to open the way for us, while we protected him from an enhanced Magitek Colossus, which conveniently enough dropped another ID key.
Once he had blasted open another way for us, Cid got an inspired idea. He diverted all power to his Reaper’s main cannon, aiming at the nearest generator. The blast was enough to destroy it, but in the process he overloaded the mech’s core, disabling it. My team went on ahead, still trying to decide how we would deal with the last generator. Our way forward was blocked again, and we may have needed that Reaper’s fire power if not for those ID keys we had found. We opened the door and turned out the searchlights, though not before we were spotted by a gunship overhead. Three of my team manned the mortars in the yard to bring it down while the rest of us took out the soldiers—including two Colossi—in the yard.
Eventually the mortars destroyed the gunship. The Twelve were clearly with us that day, because its crash trajectory just happened to bring it down on the final generator, destroying it and disabling the energy field surrounding the Praetorium.
Before we could make our escape, Livia sas Junis appeared, piloting a gaudy white and gold Reaper that matched the armor she wore. She challenged me, wanting to test if the rumors about my prowess were true. I obliged her, of course.
That mech of hers may have looked cheap, but it was actually extremely sturdy. None of the weapons wielded by me and my comrades used could even dent it. We had to utilize the cannons set in the parade grounds, taking turns firing upon her as she would turn her attention completely upon whomever fired on her last. After a half dozen shots or so, the vehicle was destroyed. The woman shrieked at me for taking away everything she cherished, everyone she loved. She declared that she would protect her Lord Gaius, and my death was the only way she could ever know peace.
I almost pity the girl. To her dying breath, she was crying for her lord. When Cid arrived moments later, he explained that she was one of many Gaius took under his wing, as he had even done for Cid himself once before. Like Rhitahtyn, Livia worshipped Gaius for his generosity. Perhaps if she had known love from anyone else, or even just thought of anyone other than herself and her lord, she may have taken a path similar to Cid, to leave Garlemald and find a better cause to fight for…
There is no point in contemplating these things. Livia is long dead at this point, far beyond any hope of redemption. With her out of the way, my comrades and I were finished with our business in Castrum Meridianum. We returned the our staging point in the ceruleum processing plant to prepare for our assault on the Praetorium and the Ultima Weapon.
