Xenogears: God and Mind >> The Complete Xenogears Script



Xenogears: The Complete Script Part 06 Chapter 14: City of Peace Compiled by [Begin music: "Singing of the Gentle Wind"] [Scene opens on Nisan. Fei, Citan and Bart walk into Nisan, followed by Margie and Maison. They stop just inside the gate. Fei, Citan and Bart turn around to Margie and Maison as Margie looks around.] MARGIE "Wow! It's been such a long time since I left here." [Margie runs off. The others turn and watch her go, except Maison who was already facing her direction.] CITAN "Well... First of all, we should accompany Marguerite up to meet the sisters!" [Bart turns around.] BART "... Huh? What is it old Maison?" [The others turn towards Maison.] MAISON "Sniff... Goodness gracious me...! To think that little Miss Marguerite was finally able to return here... ... It is so awfully moving!" [Fei and Citan look at Bart, who looks at them. After a moment they turn back to Maison.] BART "H... hey! Pull yourself together, old man!" MAISON "F... forgive me. How terribly embarrassing! I couldn't help it..." [Maison composes himself.] MAISON "I... I shall go back and give some instructions to the men left on the ship. Please, young master, go ahead and escort Miss Marguerite up to see the sisters. ... Excuse me now." [Maison acknowledges them and leaves.Fei and his friends walk around and enter a shop eventually. Bart walks up to the shopkeeper.] BART "Hello, grandma." SHOPKEEPER Hey, aren't you the young master? [She turns to the man behind her.] Hey you! ASSISTANT Huh? [The man turns around and sees Bart.] Huh! [He walks to the desk next to the shopkeeper.] It's Bartholomew! Are you doing well? BART "Good enough!" ASSISTANT Don't try to overdo it. Hey, are those your friends back there? BART "Yeah. Fei and Citan." ASSISTANT Friends of the young master are friends of ours. Take your time and look around. BART "Thanks." [They shop and find an attendant in the store.] ATTENDANT Young man, the old man from the Gun Room sent me here for supplies. If you want, I can also get Gear parts you may need. Just tell me. BART "Whoa, good preparations! If that's the case, please get the parts we need." [They place their orders and leave, then find an old man outside the shop.] OLD MAN So you're going to make your move eh, Bartholomew? But somehow I don't think that man's just going to stand by and let you do as you please though. [Fei turns to Bart.] FEI "That man?" BART "He means 'Shakhan'!" [Fei turns back to the man.] OLD MAN Yes. It's alright to try and avenge your father... ... but I don't think things will be that easy, though! BART "I don't want to hurt anyone. I want you to know I'm always thinking about that." OLD MAN Do your best! [A nun is praying with her companion outside near the city steps.] NUN The town representatives have been in discussion at the assembly hall since this morning. [Pan up to the hall and back.] NUN I hear they're talking about a plan to deal with the troops from Aveh. Some of them think the return of Margie is a nuisance. [The nun stops a second.] NUN I can understand why everyone is worried. But shouldn't we be counting our blessings that the Great Mother resides in Nisan...? [Fei and his friends wander up to the assembly hall where they peek through the door's window and overhear a conversation.] FEI "...?" [Scene change. Scene opens on the assembly hall. The Nisan Head Associate is holding a meeting with two elders, two associates, a woman and a head elder and his wife around him.] ELDER 2 How's Bledavik? [Head Associate walks towards Elder 2.] HEAD ASSOCIATE "It's under martial law so it's gotten progressively harder to contact our agents in the city. According to the info we finally got just a while ago, there's no major activity. We think they've found some reason to attack and are getting ready now..." ELDER 1 The possibility exists. HEAD ASSOCIATE However I've heard that Shakhan's powerbase in the capital is erroding away. He's probably weaker than we thought. [Head Associate turns when Associate 1 speaks.] ASSOCIATE 1 Anyway, it's happened and we're committed now. [Elder 2 walks down the stairs to the head associate.] ELDER 2 I feel the same way. [Head Elder speaks getting their attention.] HEAD ELDER Now that I think about it, 12 years ago... Ever since the coup d'etat by Shakhan, there's been a lot of tension in our country. With Marguerite back now, I agree that the former dynasty should be returned to power. [The woman gets up.] WOMAN Everyone feels the same but we must look at reality. Do we have the strength to do that now? ELDER 1 Now I hear Bartholomew, the one who brought back Marguerite, has started moving around out in the open. I'm certain Shakhan is preparing a large army. HEAD ELDER Shakhan may be coming here soon... [Scene cut to top right and pan over the meeting.] ALL MEMBERS ... [Scene cut to diagonally facing from lower left to top right, revealing another elder, an old woman, and a third associate.] OLD WOMAN What's gonna happen to us if he captures this area? ASSOCIATE 2 Will everyone be killed? ASSOCIATE 1 I seriously doubt that. Even he won't want to risk provoking any kind of outrage with the citizens. Especially in this situation, he will definitely want to avoid putting himself in a compromising situation. [Scene cut to behind the elder and pan to the hole in the front door.] HEAD ELDER We should set up a hiding place just in case... ELDER'S WIFE Maybe there... [Scene change. Camera opens on the roof of the assembly hall. The trio walks away from the door.] BART "Please, don't either of you talk about this in front of Margie... She's only just got back from her long time in captivity... I don't want her to have to worry... I want her to be happy for a little longer." [Citan turns to Bart.] CITAN "You should not be overly worried yourself! You have just got to think about what is best for the future of this land... What is done is done! You only did what you believed was right... Put the past behind you." BART "Huh... I'm alright!" [They head to the back exit of the town and find Margie there with an associate, an elder and a nun.] MARGIE "These are the people who took care of me when I was small." [They talk to the caretaker who is dressed as a Nisan Associate and standing in the exit arch. This is a different associate than the Yggdrasil welcomer.] CARETAKER Oh, Bart! I'm glad you're well. ELDER The people at the hidden port contacted us just before you came into town. CARETAKER I've already contacted the monastery. Please take Margie up there as soon as possible. She'll be so happy... not to mention the sisters! [The associate and elder move away from the door. Margie runs to the arch and turns back to Fei's group.] MARGIE "I must hurry and see the sisters." [Margie runs out the door. Fei and his friends follow. Scene change.] [Fei and his friends follow Margie up to the Nisan Cathedral and enter it. Scene change.] [Scene opens on a stained glass skylight in the Nisan Cathedral.] [Begin music: "The Wounded Shall Advance into the Light"] [Scene change. Camera pan down the cathedral slowly to the altar where nine nuns are facing the altar and singing. Scene cut behind altar of two angels with one wing. Scene cut to behind the nuns on the floor level.] [The last nun turns around.] NUN 9 Margie! [The nuns turn around. Fade music fast. Pause music.] [Scene cut to behind Fei's group. The nuns all run up to Margie except for the head nun who walks slowly up to her. Camera pan down behind Margie and Fei's group.] NUN 9 Margie! MARGIE "I'm back, everyone!" NUN 1 Oh, Margie... We're so glad you're safe... MARGIE "Yes, it is all thanks to Bart and his men." NUN 2 We just received word... So we were singing a hymn of praise and joy. We're so happy... Oh, what a relief! [Nun 2 realizes she is blocking the head nun, Sister Agnes, and walks out of her way.] SISTER AGNES "Welcome back, Margie. We had faith that you and your cousin Bart would one day return safely... We and your other friends have been waiting for you." [Margie walks up to Agnes.] MARGIE "Sister Agnes!" SISTER AGNES "Unfortunately, your mother and the blessed Royal Mother..." MARGIE "I know, Sister Agnes... I heard about it at the Royal Capital..." [Margie continues, almost nonschalantly.] MARGIE "... But at least I have made it back... I'll never go anywhere, or leave you from now on! I won't make you all worry anymore... ever again!" SISTER AGNES "Bless you my dear..." [Agnes turns to the side.] MARGIE "Sister Agnes, this just isn't like you at all! Here I am back safe and sound. Can't you rebuke me just a little, for old time's sake?" [Agnes turns back.] SISTER AGNES "Ha... I'm sorry... But I'm just so happy that I cannot help but..." [Nun 1 turns to Agnes.] NUN 1 "Sister..." [Nun 1 turns back to Margie.] SISTER AGNES "... There is no reason to be so solemnly quiet..." [Agnes composes herself.] SISTER AGNES "Well, everyone!" [Sister Agnes looks at the nuns.] SISTER AGNES "To celebrate the return of our dear sister Margie... and to express our joy to heaven, let us finish singing our hymn." MARGIE "... Thank you, and bless you all!" [Margie continues.] MARGIE "Oh, yes, Sister... May I go upstairs? It's been oh so long, so I want to have a look around up there too." [Agnes turns back to Margie.] SISTER AGNES "Oh, but of course, dear! Don't even think of holding back from anything... Except for one thing... Never stay away so long like that again." MARGIE "Ha, ha! I knew you'd say that. Now that's the Agnes I know!" [The nuns walk back into formation except for Nun 2.] NUN 2 "Margie, I am so glad." [Nun 2 runs to take her place.] [Resume music.] [Camera pan to up and behind Fei's group.] BART "It's been a while since the last time I was here." [Bart turns to Margie.] BART "...? Something wrong, Margie?" MARGIE "... Nothing. It's just..." [Margie turns to Bart.] MARGIE "I guess I got a little emotional... Heh, heh, heh..." BART "..." [Bart walks a step then turns back to Margie.] BART "Anyway, take it easy for a while. ... You've put up with enough, okay." MARGIE "... If you are trying to make me cry, you'll fail." [Margie turns to Fei and Citan standing in the doorway.] MARGIE "Oh yes! I'll show Fei and Citan around our cathedral... Follow me!" [Margie runs off.] CITAN "What a strong girl she is... It is obvious that she really wants to just break down and cry..." [Bart turns towards the altar.] BART "Yeah, you're right... That's just the way she has always been. For all her talk, she understands her position well... Maybe there are a few things I could learn from her too." [The three follow Margie to a side door in the cathedral.] MARGIE "We go up to the gallery on the second floor from here..." [Margie turns around. Scene change.] [Scene opens on the flight of stairs. Fei and Co. follow Margie up the stairs. She stops at the top and waits for them, then enters the door when they get there. Scene change.] [Scene opens on the skylight at a distance, revealing the ornate design of the cathedral's interior roof. Pan down and left slowly to show everyone standing on the second tier balcony looking out at the floor and ceiling from the cathedral's side.] CITAN "... How magnificent!" MARGIE "If we ever got scolded for pranks as kids, Bart and I used to hide here." [Everyone turns to Margie.] BART "Hey, stop telling those old stories. It's embarrassing!" [Scene cut to the side of the group. Margie looks at them, then begins walking away on the tier towards camera.] MARGIE "But to me, Bart hasn't changed much since then." BART "What!? You mean that you think I'm still a kid!?" [They follow Margie until she stops on the balcony directly above the entrance, looking out at the sisters. They stop and look too.] MARGIE "I like the view from here the best." [Camera pan out towards the ceiling. Scene fade.] [Scene opens on the side of the cathedral, panning to the right past the skylight's beam giving the altar behind it a golden look. Scene cut to a closer shot of the altar with the camera panning back to the left. Scene cut to the previous distance and pan back to behind the four observers.] CITAN "Yes, this is breathtaking!" [Citan starts analyzing.] CITAN "Light from outside shining through the stained glass of the cathedral's front... What a brilliant piece of artistry this is." MARGIE "Did you notice that the two great angels only have one wing each...?" [Scene cut to a closeup of the altar. Pan up to the two angel statues on top of it. Margie speaks during the camera pan.] MARGIE According to a legend handed down in Nisan... God could have created humans perfectly... But then, humans would not have helped each other... So that is what these great single-winged angels symbolizes... In order to fly, they are dependent on one another. [Scene cut to behind the balcony again.] CITAN "Ah, so that is the reason for it. I see... On further inspection, the left angel looks somewhat masculine... ... while the right one looks somewhat feminine." [Citan walks off a few steps to look at a different angle.] CITAN "Now that is an unusual feature, is it not?" [Citan walks back to the group a step.] CITAN "Usually these depictions are not gender-specific. But these angels are clearly distinguishable as having opposing genders." [Citan walks back away a step and examines from that angle again.] CITAN "And the space between them is the path from where god advents..." [Margie turns to Citan.] CITAN "Or could it be the path leading to god? Well... I do not know, it could be either, or even both." [Citan walks back to the group a step for a different angle.] CITAN "... Now I see!" [Citan muses.] CITAN "This all coincides with the teachings of Nisan." [Bart and Fei look at each other and then Fei shakes his head. Fei turns to Citan.] MARGIE "Ha, ha, ha! Why Doctor Citan Uzuki! You are an amusing fellow!" [Citan turns to Margie, half-startled.] CITAN "Oh! Excuse me. It is a habit of mine..." [Fei turns to Margie.] FEI "The doc knows a lot about a lot of things... Sometimes I can't even understand what he's talking about..." [Everyone turns back towards the altar.] BART "... Hah! Forcing them to fly together...? It would be less bothersome if they could fly on their own, don't you think, Fei?" [Margie turns towards Bart.] MARGIE "Bart! You miss the deeper meaning and beauty of it!" [Margie turns back to the altar.] MARGIE "Someday I wish I could be of help to someone like that..." [Margie turns towards the group.] MARGIE "Oh, we haven't visited the 'Room of Sophia' yet, have we? You're really supposed to go through some procedures before you can see it... But this time I think it will be alright if I make a special exception." [Everyone turns to Margie.] FEI "Sophia?" MARGIE "Yes, Sophia. She is revered as the founding mother of the Nisan nation... and the founder of the Nisan religion who set forth its teachings. There is a special room upstairs that has a portrait of Mother Sophia in it." [Citan looks at the altar, and Fei turns to Citan.] CITAN "I would definitely like to view that! Fei, let us go have a look at it!" [Margie walks off again, and the rest follow. But they stop and examine a door Margie passes. Scene change.] [Scene opens on the sisters' room. Fei & Co. walk in and Margie comes back behind them.] MARGIE "The sisters are still singing downstairs, so they won't be back for a while." [They turn to leave.] MARGIE "Let's go to the painting room. The sisters will probably be back by then." [The group leaves. Scene change.] [Scene opens back on the cathedral's tier. The group follows Margie to the end door. She goes in when they get there. Scene change.] [Scene opens on another flight of stairs. The group follows Margie up it. She stops at the top.] MARGIE It's farther on in. [The group enters the room. Scene change.] [Scene opens on a star-shaped pendant window in which light is pouring through. On close inspection, this is the same pendant shape as the pendant we've been seeing in Fei's "encounters." Camera pan down from the window to a rug with the same pendant design on it. Fei, Bart and Citan enter and walk on to the rug. Margie enters behind them and walks to a stone floor corner a little higher. They are all staring towards the bottom of the screen.] [Citan walks past Bart.] CITAN "Oh my... What an exquisite portrait! And the beautiful young lady portrayed is quite beyond comparison too..." [Citan stops a second.] CITAN "What is more... this looks rather familiar...!" [Citan turns to Fei, who's busy staring.] CITAN "What do you think, Fei?" FEI "Yes, I was just thinking the same thing. The hair is a different color, but the atmosphere or personality about her is exactly the same." CITAN "What? Hair color? What do you mean?" FEI "What do I mean? Look...! It's the girl I met in the forest..." [Fei turns to Citan.] FEI "It's Elly! I mean... there's something about her that's just like Elly..." [Fei turns back to the portrait for a split second then back to Citan.] FEI "You don't think so...?" [Citan turns towards the portrait.] CITAN "Yes, now that you mention it... She does resemble Elly." [Citan turns back to Fei.] CITAN "But that is not what I was talking about... I meant that the brush techniques and overall style used in this picture is similar to yours." [Citan turns back to the portrait and Fei follows suit.] FEI "...Really?" [Fei walks up to just beneath the portrait. Scene cut to show the portrait, finally. Camera pans up it from the bottom to reveal a woman wearing white clothes and a reddish blonde hair color. She is also wearing a pendant not unlike the one we've seen before. Like Fei mentions, there is a strong similar appearance to that of Elly. Scene cut to view of portrait from just under it looking up. Scene cut to wide shot of the room. Fei walks to the right side to get another angle, and turns back to it.] FEI "Does it...?" [Fei turns back towards the group.] FEI "First of all... I'm nowhere near as good an artist." [Citan walks up to the portrait.] CITAN "No... it is very similar to your style." [Citan turns to Fei.] CITAN "But somehow I can sense an atmosphere of sadness in this picture." [Citan turns back to the portrait. Fei turns to the portrait. Scene cut to overhead shot of the room. Fei turns to Citan, who's looking at the portrait.] CITAN "She is smiling, but in a way, gives the impression that she is anxious." [Citan turns to Fei.] CITAN "Perhaps the picture is reflecting her inner self?" [They both turn back towards the others.] CITAN "Or perhaps it is the inner feelings of the artist being conveyed." [Citan walks directly underneath the portrait and examines it.] CITAN "Ahh... If you look closely, you will notice that the painting is not completely finished." [Scene cut to close up shot of the bottom right area of the portrait that is smeared, and some plain canvas is still showing. Scene cut back to previous shot.] CITAN "The artist put his brushes down when it was near completion." [Bart walks up a few steps. Citan turns around to Margie.] CITAN "... Why is that?" [Everyone turns towards Margie. Scene cut to behind Fei. Margie turns back to everyone.] MARGIE "I don't know... But my grandmother might have known about it..." [Margie walks to the door and turns back.] MARGIE "Oh! What if we ask Agnes? She may know something." [Fei & Co. walk up to Margie at the door.] MARGIE "Alright then, I'll be with Sister Agnes." [Bart turns to Citan.] BART "Well... shall we head back to the town for now?" [Citan turns to Bart.] CITAN "Yes, alright... But this painting has caught my curiosity. Do you mind if I speak to Sister Agnes before we head back to town?" BART "Yeah, okay... We'll stop by her room on the way out." [Stop music. Margie leaves, followed by Bart and Citan. Fei begins to leave, then turns back to the portrait. Scene cut to view of the upper half of the portrait, looking up at it. Room flashes blue then green. Fade to white. Fade in on the same room. It looks like Fei is painting a portrait: he has a whole bunch of painting supplies behind him and is working on the portrait everyone has been looking at. He then turns. Scene cut to behind him, revealing Sophia sitting in a chair on the rug, facing him.] SOPHIA Lacan... [Scene fades to blue and green, then fade to white. Fade in on the same room, where Fei is standing on the step looking at the portrait. Citan is now in the doorway. Fei shakes his head.] CITAN "Is something wrong, Fei? You look like you are daydreaming..." [Fei turns to Citan.] FEI "Huh? No... It's nothing..." [Fei and Citan leave. Scene change.] ----- [Begin music: "Singing of the Gentle Wind"] [Fei & Co. walk back to the sisters' room. Margie is next to Agnes' desk.] MARGIE "I wonder what kind of person Sophia was. I would have loved to have met her." [The group talks to Agnes.] AGNES "I understand you were shown Sophia's portrait. The lady portrayed in that picture is Nisan's great founding mother... Some say that it was painted at least 500 years ago." CITAN "500 years ago... Now that is quite amazing. Personally, I find it intriguing. Do you have any historical material from that period?" AGNES "In our hands, there are no such records left intact. All records and materials concerning Sophia have been lost... The portrait is the only thing left. We too do not have much knowledge about her." CITAN "That is too bad! So there really is nothing left at all!?" AGNES "For someone who has helped Marguerite, I would have loved to have shared them... But unfortunately I am unable to help here..." CITAN "Oh well, none the matter. Please do not worry about it. I was just inquiring." [Citan turns away.] CITAN "But, it does seem somewhat strange... If such a majestic building as this survived history, then it is likely a scroll or two would remain too." AGNES "According to tradition, Sophia was present about 500 years ago... She sacrificed herself for the people and has been summoned to be with god. That's all I can tell you." CITAN "... I see. So everything was lost in the darkness of history." [The group leaves the cathedral and heads back to town. Bart stops as they reach the front end of the town.] BART "Ah!" [Camera pan up to reveal Maison standing in a doorway across the entry plaza.] MAISON "Yo-ung ma--ste-r!" [Camera pan back down to the group. They head over to Maison.Camera pan to the diagonal side behind Bart.] MAISON "The people of Nisan were most generous to allow us to rent this house. So there will be no need to seek lodgings at the inn for a while. Also, Master Sigurd wishes a word with you regarding your next move, if he may..." BART "Alright... So where is Sig?" MAISON "The good Master Sigurd is waiting for you inside." BART "Okay, thanks Maison." [Fei & Co. walk in the house. Scene change.] [Scene opens on the room in the house just beyond the door. Fei & Co. walk in. Maison follows them, Sigurd is facing the stove.] SIGURD "Whenever I come here it always calms my heart." [Sigurd walks into the front of the central room and turns to Bart.] SIGURD "Anyway, young master... I want to work out what our plans from here on are." BART "Alright. But before we do that... there is something I want to ask you." SIGURD "... Me?" BART "Yeah." [Bart walks into the adjoining bedroom. Fade music.] [Scene cut to a view of the bedroom. The exit is at the back as Bart walks towards the foreground.] [Bart stops at the back bed and turns toward the opposite wall. Sigurd walks to the steps, pauses and then follows him, stopping near the room's center. Citan walks to the steps, revealing himself. ] BART "Sig... What's up with you and that Gebler officer? What's the connection between you and him...? You know, you sure know a lot about Gebler for some reason!" [Outdoor birds are heard chirping. Sigurd walks in front of Bart, then turns to Citan.] [Scene cut to close up of the door. Citan walks just inside the bedroom. Fei is standing in the back of the doorway, and walks into the center of the arch just before the steps. Citan nods at Sigurd.] [Scene cut to original shot of the bedroom. Sigurd turns back to Bart.] SIGURD "... Alright. I'll tell you." [Citan walks into the room, stopping at the bed next to the one behind Sigurd.] SIGURD "Me and... Citan, here... We used to live in Solaris." BART "Solaris... ... You mean... where Gebler's from?" SIGURD "That's right." [Scene cut to the other side of the room where Maison is in the "kitchen." He perks up an ear, and turns towards the group.] [Scene cut to original shot of the bedroom.] SIGURD "Solaris... calls foreigners 'Lambs'... They are used as manual labor. Basically it's slavery." BART "Slavery?" [Scene cut to a shot of Fei in the arch.] [Scene cut to a shot of the room from behind and above Sigurd.] [Bart looks at Citan, then turns to Sigurd.] BART "Is that where you met him?" CITAN "Yes, it was there." [Scene cut to an opposite shot of the bedroom from just next to the doorway looking across to Sigurd.] SIGURD "We worked for the Solaris government for a short while... But we learned to dislike their methods and escaped the first chance we had." [Bart turns and walks towards Fei a few steps, then turns back to Sigurd.] BART "... You were friends with these people?" [Bart walks back directly in front of Sigurd.] BART "I met you when I was a kid and we've been together ever since then... So this would have had to have happened even before then." [Bart walks back towards Fei a couple steps and turns towards Sigurd.] BART "I probably wouldn't have understood this if I had heard it earlier but... ... Why didn't you think I could deal with it now? Surely you could have told me about this? Especially when you had something to do with the people who are backing that Shakahn idiot!" [Bart turns away.] BART "I wish you'd told me sooner." SIGURD "... There's nothing I can do about that now." [Sigurd turns towards Bart.] SIGURD "But, there's one thing I want you to believe... We left Solaris on our own will and for our own reasons. Now they've appeared before us, we can't just sit back and do nothing. If need be, I will give my life to stop them." [Bart looks down slowly. He walks in front of Sigurd, looks at him, then walks a couple steps back towards Fei and shakes his head.] [Scene cut to first shot of the bedroom from behind Bart. Bart walks back directly in front of Sigurd.] BART "Alright, I understand. But can you elaborate a little more?" [Bart sits down on the bed with his leg raised, holding his knee. Each question, he begins in this position.] [Begin music: "Jaws of Ice"] BART [Where is Solaris?] "What bugs me is this 'Surface Dwellers' thing... It's as if Solaris is in another location. Like up in the clouds or something?" SIGURD "Yes, well..." [Scene change. Scene opens on the rooftop of the house and pans over the roofs as Sigurd speaks, stopping at the opposite roofs.] SIGURD "Etrenank, the capital of the Solaris empire is located in the skies above. Solaris is separated from the land by dimensional distortion fields known as 'Gates'. Passing between the two requires special means of transportation... such as an airship." [Scene change. Scene open on the bedroom, next to the arch looking across at Sigurd. Fei is now a few steps into the room and Bart is up.] SIGURD "To get to Aveh we stowed away on a regular flight to the surface." CITAN "I came much later than Sigurd did... But I also escaped in the same way." [Scene cut to angle from just behind Bart.] BART [What are Lambs?] SIGURD "That is the word Solarians use to indicate those who live on the earth. As I said before, such 'surface dwellers' or 'earth dwellers' are used for manual labor there." [Scene cut to Maison in the kitchen who is listening from a distance. Pan back to the bedroom in front of Sigurd. Bart is up.] SIGURD "Manual labor could be anything from soldiers to administrative jobs. Solaris gathers its workforce from the land dwellers. Jobs are divided up by who is most suitable. Sometimes people are brainwashed." BART "Brainwashed!?" SIGURD "I... When you, young master, were still an infant... I was used as a test subject. There was probably something they valued inside of me." [Scene cut to in front of Fei behind Citan.] FEI "You too, doc?" [Scene cut to behind Fei. Sigurd and Citan turn to Fei, realizing he's there for the first time. Citan shakes his head.] CITAN "No... I was born in the lower city levels. It is not a complete secret... But I guess I am a Solarian..." [Scene cut to original shot behind Bart.] CITAN "You see... You still need people to run a country... ... No matter how scientifically advanced you are, you have no support without people." SIGURD "Pure Solarians are rare. They would not even make up a quarter of Aveh's total population. So, they support their country by stealing surface dwellers." BART [Who is that man?] SIGURD "His name is, Kahr... Kahran Ramsus. As you know he's the Gebler Commander." BART "Ramsus...?" SIGURD "We call him Kahr. In Solaris there is an officer training school called 'Jugend'. He became the commander after leaving there." CITAN "He is a lower level citizen, the same as me. However, with his amazing abilities... After graduating, he rose through the ranks with unparalleled speed." SIGURD "That man had one ideal. To achieve a consolidation of all his colleagues. Even land dwellers, if they had talent, were brought into the army." BART "So you two were picked by Ramsus...?" CITAN "No, we were not picked by him... we aligned ourselves with him." SIGURD "At that time... we agreed with him." CITAN "At that time, Ramsus was our hope. He had high ideals and wanted to change the system in Solaris. To us test subjects and lower level citizens, he was truly all that we wished for." BART "A benefactor?" SIGURD "Yes... even I, a test subject, was changed by his ideals." BART [Why did you leave?] "So why was it that you wanted to flee from Solaris?" [Scene change. Camera opens on an aerial shot of Nisan from the front entrance. Pan over the city as Sigurd speaks. Stop pan at the back of town.] SIGURD "We were placed in key military positions by Ramsus... And thanks to that, we came to know the relationship between Solaris and the surface dwellers." BART "The... 'Lambs'... right?" [Scene cut to the city stairs where an elder is sitting.] SIGURD "They weren't just using us 'Lambs' for slave labor... They also selected some of us, like me, to be used as subjects in experiments to refine their drugs. Drugs that change people's personalities, to make them more aggressive and to draw out their latent abilities. They were using us as human guinea pigs to test their psychological alteration drugs!" [Scene cut to the lower level city just below the house where two kids are.] BART "Human guinea pigs...!? Experimenting on humans?" SIGURD "Yes, for example... [Camera fade to white. Fade in on the overpass bridge as an associate walks over it. Pan towards the east end. Stop in arch.] 'Drive' That drug, and all others like it that are used now, are by-products of human experimentation..." CITAN "However, the role of such experimental subjects was not limited to just that!" [Fade to white. Scene fade in on the bedroom shooting across at Sigurd from beside the arch. Bart is in front of Sigurd again.] FEI "This 'Drive' drug is something that anyone in the Solaris army can use?" [Citan turns to Fei.] CITAN "At least anyone in the Gebler forces who is sent to the surface..." [Bart turns to Fei.] BART "You're worried about her, huh?" [Fei turns to Bart.] FEI "...!" BART "I saw some... in her room." [Scene cut to behind Sigurd.] FEI "No..." [Scene cut to original shot.] BART "... Anyway... using slaves as guinea pigs... How low are these guys...?" [Bart turns to Sigurd.] BART "Damn!" [I understand] [Fade music.] BART "Hmm... I think I get most of it." [Bart gets off the bed and turns towards the door.] BART "Old Maison! Go reserve the town hall for us. We'll finish talking there. I'm going outside to get some air." [Bart leaves. Fei walks over to Citan.] SIGURD "I should have been honest with him sooner..." CITAN "It is best not to worry about it. You did all you could at the time. The young one will understand." [Fei and Citan walk over to Maison in the kitchen.] MAISON "I am sure the young master would never have dreamed of such a tale." FEI "... I guess you already knew?" MAISON "Well, now that you ask... yes I did. However, when Sigurd was telling his story I thought it was best to stay quiet. Please try and help the young master come to terms with all that he has just heard." [Fei and Citan leave. Scene change.] ----- [Scene opens on Nisan.] [Begin music: "Bonds of Sea and Fire"] [Fei and Citan walk over to the overpass bridge in Nisan where Bart is standing.] [Camera pan to diagonally facing Bart.] BART "I had no idea Sig had such a past..." [Citan walks around Bart and looks out at the town, then turns to him.] CITAN "Are you still suspicious of Sigurd...?" BART "Well... I mean... it was just so sudden. I kind of expected to hear something different... like that we were childhood rivals or something... But that's nothing compared to the story he just told us, is it?" [Citan looks out on the town.] CITAN "Hmm. So hearing his story has you confused because it was not so simple... There was a time when he was cooperating with one of Gebler's generals... Furthermore, behind Gebler was a country that you had never even heard of..." [Bart turns to Citan.] BART "Hey, what are you picking on me for?" [Bart turns back towards the town.] CITAN "No I am not picking on you or blaming anything on you. What I am saying is this... If you think about how he feels, then you should see why he could not talk about this with you till now." [Bart turns to Citan.] CITAN "Looking at the activities of Solaris toward other countries up until now... ... It has never gone beyond simply maintaining their own empire, or 'self-preservation'. And as you have seen, their military power is immense. So Sigurd was probably thinking ahead... First he was probably concentrating on taking care of the problems here on the continent of Ignas. Once things were settled here, it would give him a stronger foundation to deal with Solaris later. Which is a much better plan than rushing straight into a war he knew we could not win. Quite logical, really." [Bart pauses, then turns back to the town.] BART "Sounds like you understand one another pretty well." CITAN "Well it is not like we are newly acquainted, is it? And we had talked about a lot of things up until we decided to escape from Solaris." BART "Speaking of that... Why did you leave? That Ramsus guy was supposed to be a 'Star of Hope' or something, wasn't he?" [Bart turns to Citan.] CITAN "Yes, I certainly thought so at first. But then I realized his way of thinking really was not that much of a change from the previous system. Basically, the only difference was whether they stressed people's rank and class, or their skill. The words had changed, but it was still no different from what Solaris itself had been doing until then. He had no intentions of bringing everyone a better way of life." [Bart turns back to the town.] BART "In other words, he's an elitist. I don't think I like him much either." [Bart pauses.] BART "So, Citan... Do you think I can beat Gebler?" [Citan turns to Bart.] CITAN "Why? Are you planning on fighting them?" BART "As long as they're working with Shakhan, there's no way around it. The way things are going, I'm sure we'll have to fight them sooner or later." [Citan turns back to town.] CITAN "Hmm... I suppose so, but... Even if we were to defeat the Gebler forces here, there is still Solaris, to deal with. If we are not careful, it is possible that we may get involved in a longer war than that with Shakhan. Do you not agree that continuing the way we have been going is rather hard on everyone? I think it is time we try to get help from a greater number of people." BART "So defeating Shakhan's not going to get rid of the likes of Gebler..." [Bart turns to Citan.] BART "I know what you're trying to say... 'To vanquish Gebler, first gain thy throne!' ... Right?" [Citan looks at Bart then turns back to the town.] CITAN "Hmm... You could put it that way." [Bart turns to the town.] BART "What do you mean... 'You could put it that way'? But then again, maybe it is time I did something about that." [Fei, Citan and Bart leave the bridge and go to the assembly hall. Scene change.] [Scene opens on the assembly hall. A table has been put in the center. Sigurd is behind it, Maison is standing by the north stairs.] SIGURD "I went to the tool shop to borrow a table. The owner said... 'if we need anything for the young master, just ask for it.'" [The trio gather at sides of the table: In clockwise order, Sigurd, Fei, Bart and Citan.] BART "I'm grateful." [Bart walks to the back wall and examines a picture.] BART "When I was a kid, I borrowed stuff from there and got in big trouble." [Sigurd and Fei turn to Bart.] FEI "Borrowed... What did you take?" [Bart continues examining.] BART "A toy boat. ... I think that's what it was. I put fireworks in it and let in float on the cathedral's lake. I always used to play 'navy'." [Bart walks to the center picture and examines it.] BART "I'm not sure, but I think I pretended the lake was the open sea... ... and I was the fleet commander." [Bart turns to the group. Fade music.] BART "Anyway... forget those old stories. We should get started." [Camera pans up to a more aerial shot of the room.] [Begin music: "Leftovers of the Dreams of the Strong"] [Bart walks back to his original position on the table and looks at the chart.] BART "First... Gebler is the big problem." [Citan turns to Bart and nods.] CITAN "Yes, Ramsus is headed towards achieving his goals. That he is now the commander of Gebler is proof of that. A normal man could not progress so quickly through that country's organization. And now he is presently located here in Ignas." [Citan turns to Sigurd and then back to Bart.] CITAN "Frankly, the situation is not very favorable. We need to somehow find a weak spot and attack it with all our might." [Bart walks away and looks down thinking hard. He then paces to the other side of the room and repeats the motion. He looks up.] BART "First, let's just concentrate on Shakhan. Once he's out of the way and Aveh is safe again, we can think about how to deal with Gebler." [Bart walks to the other side of the room and turns to the back wall.] BART "With our present strength we should be able to hold off the royal guard forces. The problem is how to deal with Gebler in the mean time... They will most likely move at Shakhan's request. They're not just gonna sit by and watch quietly." [Citan turns to Sigurd.] CITAN "... May I have a look there please?" [Sigurd walks to one side and Citan joins his side of the table. He begins to examine the chart. He looks up and turns to Bart and Fei across from him.] CITAN "In short, we want Gebler to leave for a while... At least until we are able to take back the Royal Capital, Bledavik." [Scene change. Scene opens on a map of Ignas. Three yellow half-crosses and a red and yellow diamond signify positions on the map.] CITAN "These are the Gebler units currently in Aveh, correct?" [The map moves into the yellow half-cross south of Nisan. The map goes dark and the half-cross flashes.] CITAN "The western guards..." [The map relights and moves to Bledavik. The map darkens again and the half-cross flashes.] CITAN "the Royal Capital defense force..." [The map relights, and moves to a section east of Nisan below the red diamond. The half-cross flashes.] CITAN "and... units along the front line at the border with Kislev." [The map relights and pulls back to full frame.] CITAN "There are three main groups. Each is made up of a mix of Gebler and Aveh forces. Only two of these are very large." [The map darkens, and Bledavik and Kislev border half-crosses flash.] CITAN "The Royal Capital's defense units and the Kislev border units. The western guard along Nisan's border are little more than a surveillance team." [Map pans in to Bledavik. The half-cross there flashes.] SIGURD "In order to recapture the Royal Capital... ... it will be necessary to draw these defense units away from Bledavik." [The half-cross quits flashing.] CITAN "We have some Kislev made Gears, correct?" BART "Yeah, we captured some earlier." [Map pans to the western guard half-cross and darkens.] CITAN "What if we use those Gears to make a raid on the western guards... ... here at the border with Nisan?" [A blue half-cross appears, flashing and pointing towards the yellow half-cross from the west.] BART "I see. We'll draw them out by making it look like Kislev is invading Aveh." [Scene change. Scene opens on the assembly hall.] SIGURD "But the problem is... will attacking the border guards be enough to set the center in motion?" CITAN "To be sure then, Nisan will just have to appear to align with Kislev. If they see it that way, they will certainly make a move." [Bart turns to Citan.] BART "You're saying that you intend to use Nisan as bait?" FEI "Doc!?" SIGURD "Shakhan is very sensitive to Nisan's and Kislev's actions. If Nisan starts moving he will probably leave it up to Gebler, but..." [Citan shakes his head.] CITAN "Of course I do not wish to do that from the beginning. But looking at the situation, we have to be willing to go that far." SIGURD Hmm... [Bart walks to the table.] BART "First, we infiltrate into the capital. To take out Shakhan, we'll have to meet up with our agents already in the city." [Citan turns to Bart.] CITAN "We are forgetting one thing... The front line units along Kislev's border." BART "...!" [Scene change. Scene opens on the map. Map moves into the Kislev border. Map darkens and a red half-cross appears opposing the yellow half-cross.] CITAN "The main strength of Aveh's fleet is the battleship Kefeinzel. It's been in service since the reign of the last king. Because of its firepower, the whole unit is nicknamed the 'invincible fleet'. I recall yesterday's intelligence report said that the ship is near the border." [Scene change. Scene opens on previous shot of the assembly hall. Bart walks near the door.] BART "Damn... That puts everything in jeopardy!" CITAN "Do not feel so down. I simply wanted you to see the current distribution of force in the area. Even in the worst case that they do come, it will not be such a great problem." [Bart turns to Citan.] BART "What do you mean?" CITAN "I have some additional information about Aveh's border fleet. The former Aveh supreme commander was transferred there. Not really transferred, more like demoted... His name is Vanderkaum." SIGURD "Vanderkaum..." [Sigurd turns to Citan, Citan turns to Sigurd.] SIGURD "You don't mean the Vanderkaum that was in Jugend?" CITAN "The very same." [Citan and Sigurd turn back towards Bart.] CITAN "Young one, he has not been able to adapt to the change in tactics... particularly following the introduction of Gears... He is a man who will never stray from his dependence on large naval guns." [Bart walks to the other side of the room and turns back.] BART "You mean, he's stubborn. He is all size and no real military power. An excellent target for pirates." [Maison turns to Bart.] MAISON "Young master! This is not going to be an act of piracy!" [Bart turns to Maison.] BART "Just kidding." [Bart turns to Citan and Sigurd.] CITAN "Actually, the number of Gears assigned to the fleet seems to have been reduced." [Citan shakes his head.] CITAN "Even with that... how gallant of him to be so self-righteous." BART "Is he that much of a muscle head? It'll be fun taunting him." MAISON "Young master!" BART "I know! I know! Anyway, Citan, do you think he can strike our Gear forces?" CITAN "It is not a problem. Even with Vanderkaum, we have enough forces left to pull off the feint. However, it would not be wise to underestimate our opponents." [Scene change. Scene opens on the map.] SIGURD "Well, now that we know what we are up against, here's what we'll do..." [Map pan into the Kislev border and darken. The half-cross is facing south now and flashes.] SIGURD "Apart from our main unit heading for Bledavik... we must keep the fleet at the Kislev border from returning to the capital." [A blue half-cross appears pointing east at the yellow half-cross and moves up to it.] BART "So you're suggesting we have another unit?" CITAN "A few effective soldiers to hold the enemy at bay... A small force is best." SIGURD "A small force...?" CITAN "What if Fei leads a group of Gears there?" [Scene change. Scene opens on assembly hall. Everyone is looking at Fei now.] FEI "Me...!?" [Sigurd turns to Citan.] SIGURD "Hold on now! There's no reason to involve you all in this!" [Sigurd turns back to Fei.] FEI "... I'll do it. Yes, let me do it. When do we leave?" [Bart and Maison look at Fei more closely. Bart walks to the table and turns back to get eye contact.] BART "... Are you sure?" [Fei turns to Bart and nods.] FEI "We've come this far... Hey, we're friends to the end, now!" [Sigurd turns to Bart. Bart nods to Fei.] CITAN "Speed is everything. We should do this as soon as possible." [Citan and Bart turn to Sigurd.] BART "Alright, tomorrow!" [Sigurd turns to Citan and back.] SIGURD "I am truly grateful... Fei... Citan." [Sigurd turns to Citan. Citan nods. Sigurd turns back to Bart. Citan walks back to his side of the table. Sigurd walks back to his original spot. Citan turns to Sigurd.] BART "Yeah!" [Bart turns to Fei and Citan then to Sigurd.] BART "There's no way we can lose! No one will die in vain!" [Maison walks up beside Fei.] MAISON "Well put, young master!" [Bart turns to Maison and nods. Scene fade. Fade music.] ----- [Scene opens on Nisan at night, the entrance area.] [Begin music: "Ominous"] [Scene cut to an area of Nisan further north.] [Scene change. Scene opens on the center of the room Maison has rented. Camera facing north, from the kitchen wall above everyone. Fei, Citan and Maison are lined up at the front of the center wall, Sigurd is on the opposite side. Bart is in front of Fei but looking past him. The door opens.] MARGIE "Good morning!" [Margie walks in and comes to the opposite side of the table next to Bart. Bart turns to her.] MARGIE "What's with the long face? Not feeling well? Or are you feeling sad about saying goodbye? Or maybe you're just nervous?" BART "Shut up, stupid! Don't bug me!" MARGIE "Hee hee." [Margie turns to Sigurd, then to Bart again.] MARGIE "Well... It's almost time." BART "Yeah, yeah..." [Bart turns to Maison.] BART "Is everyone ready to go? I'll be waiting here so let me know when you are through preparing." [Fei and Citan wander about the room talking to people.] MAISON "I have been waiting for this day for a long time." SIGURD "There's still some time until we leave. Why don't you make preparations?" MARGIE "Bart told me. You're helping out with the plan too? So you're caught up in this now as well?" FEI "I've come this far, so I might as well stay till the end." MARGIE "Thanks. I know you'll do a good job!" [Fei and Citan walk outside.] CITAN "There is a new wind blowing today..." [They walk into town to make prep and then return to Bart in the house.] BART "Are you ready?" [Alright!] [Scene fade.]
Chapter 13: Road to Nisan		Chapter 15: Recapture Aveh

(c) 2002 by StarcraftSquall. XenoGears: The Script is a compilation of a previously released video game and all original material contained within XenoGears: The Script is (c) 1998 by Squaresoft. XenoGears: The Script is licensed exclusively to Xenogears: God and Mind and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of and/or Xenogears: God and Mind.