So, Startacus, where are the boats? I thought you said they were waiting here?
Unlike what he promised, the boats weren't here. The slaves couldn't go home!
Slave: Startacus, the sea pirates want to see you!
Startacus: This better be good!
Kapp'tain: See, we have a wee-bit problem!
Startacus: What is it?
Kapp'tain: We... Had another deal...
Startacus is angry: What?!
He gets his dagger out and points it at Kapp'tain's throat, threatening to kill him if he doesn't speak.
Kapp'tain: Please! Let me explain! They offered us quarter of the universe if we got allied with them! The broman! The offer was too big to resist! And they are heading this way! 20,000 of them! They are out for you!
Startacus: Traitors! Assemble everyone we will have to fight!
A great battle ensues, unfortunately to most of the slaves' demise. They lost.
Brassus: Slaves! You will not leave this land! Slaves you were slaves you still are, and Slavs you will always be! Now hand me that code star! Whoever of you this Startacus is! Starts us will get tortured to death! All the others will be free... From death! But you will still be slaves! Forever!
Startacus stands up and is about to shout "I'm Startacus!" But everyone else, except Antonimus does so before him. Brassus is enraged and orders to kill all of them. Only some, including Startacus' wife, Antonimus and the messenger escaped that order.
Antonimus: Oh, Startacus, could've we won? Could've we? It's over, they got us good. At least we put up a good fight.
Startacus: Antonimus, go! Take the code star before he notices! The world needs it more than us! Now go!
Antonimus grabs the star, and runs for it. He is followed by the other ones that weren't condemned. What was he going to do?
Meanwhile, at Fort Hackula.
Hackula: Ugh! What's taking everyone so long? Bowser's army hasn't showed up yet, and Mario got his hands on another code star! He's starting to annoy me!
Peach: See, he IS going to get you! And I haven't mentioned Luigi's power yet! Wait till he and his friends get there!
Hackula: Still playing the Badass, ain't I right? You are to stay here princess, and I will consume this power you have of controlling the wills of those code stars!
He turns his back. Evilness wakes up and quickly remembers he is slim, and so gets out of his cage, and paralyses Hackula momentarily.
Evilness: Quick! Princess! Now's the chance! None of his allies are here except his own weak goons! Go! Escape!
Peach: But, what about you?
Evilness: I need to stay on him, or he'll wake up easily! Don't worry about me! Go help Mario save the world!
Peach finally successfully escapes fort Hackula via paragliding. But evilness is still in the castle. He is a code star, so we will need to go there after. Unluckily, there is a force field. How to disable it? We don't know yet. Something's sure though, we are getting somewhere.
Chillimpa: Thank you Mario, Chillianna, everyone! Here, take this! It will help you!
She gets out of her bag a note, looks more like a clue!
"
If you ever happen to possess a mysterious gem,
Feel free to do whatever you want with it!
But if it's the world that is hanging on a flower's stem,
Then place it on that other thing so you can take the hit!"
This meant something about defense or something that's for sure. But what exactly?
Yes, actually, and if we remember correctly, Rocknert and Nina saw a pedestal earlier and Stayzee was "entrusted" with a gem!
What if we put that gem on the pedestal? The ice sculpture collapses and reveals a chest. Open the chest, and a spell will fly your direction. Now you can turn yourself into a tube and go in narrow low-level passages! Hurrah.
So, now that you've taken care of this, shall we go back to Champs-Eclypsées? A surprise awaits you there.
Merlon: Mario! Great news! Get into the house! You'll see!
You get inside the house. What you see is someone familiar with a pink dress and a crow...n okay you know it's Peach. She had landed here while trying to escape. She's alright! .... Except that she's unconscious at the moment. How to wake her up? Well, she should be able to recover at some point. So she's fine!
Merlon: I found her just out the house! She seems to have had a hard time, she needs to rest, but she doesn't have any injuries thankfully. She will recover in some time. Now, about the next code star, I have found something interesting. Look.
He gets a book out. It tells a story.
This, is the story of a kingdom once prosperous. It was glorious indeed.
There was a kingdom where soldier were loyal to leader and leader respectful to soldier. Peace was that kingdom's key. Peace made the kingdom strive in what makes a kingdom a paradise, as well as a great empire.
One day, however, in the middle of a friendly quest, a task was given to the kingdom. A task so big the world depended on it. The kingdom was tasked to guard none other than a star capable of resolving any problem encountered on the way, a glitch repellent! It was so powerful, the king looked at it and stared for complete days.
The task came to everyone's ears, unfortunately to the kingdom's peril. That power was so great everyone wanted it. Greedy eyes began to spawn from the bushes, pointy swords sprout out from behind the walls, and hate snuck in and slowly gained power over the nice peoples' hearts. Peace was officially broken, war for the star began. Soon, the peaceful kingdom was engulfed by the dark jaws of war.
The king though, understood the gravity of the situation, and so decided to hide the star. No one knows for sure where, but we know it is somewhere in the place we know today as the Kenzie battlefield. War has still never stopped since the incident, and it doesn't seem it is coming even close to an end.
Goombeddy: So that glitch repellent must be the code star! That's great! Where is Kenzie battlefield?
Merlon: I by myself know it is located somewhere deep within those creepy woods where the old shack behind the circus is. If you continue straight from there, you'll get there!
Lucifer: Oh! That! Sigh... I have so much horrible memories of that place! But I guess there is no other way!
Kooplea: You know it's crazy how a lot of those stars are at places we've almost already seen! So anyway, what're we all waiting for?
Mario: Yoo-hoo! Let's a go!
Walk all the way there, and go talk to Dooplay while you're here if you want, and you will be in Kenzie battlefield. It is a plain area with no vegetation and extinct volcanoes in the background, and many tanks are here, as well as towers where archers guard around. But the most intriguing feature of this place was an alien researching base known as Area 64, which sits in the middle of the field. Rumor has it that alien signs of life were sighted on this battlefield and that everything concerning the space creatures is being illegally researched in the base. Everything seems suspicious from here.
Soldier: You are looking for something, amigo?
Everyone is surprised. They turn back, and see a skellobomber talking to them.
Sorry to scare the hell out of you, but see, pals, this ain't your territory. You are considered spies by us. You know what we do to spies? I won't say anything, because of the fact that they say this "game" is supposed to be family-friendly.
Mario and co stare at him for a second or two.
Soldier: Okay, anyway, to cut this short, we kill them that's what we do. So you better have a good explanation!
Nina: Yo! We are not spies! Only thieves! We no know anything 'bout ya or who you are!
Soldier: You know, we don't have proof about anything. But come with me! We will have to make sure you are not enemies!
You are taken into the base that is attacking Area 64. The Bone base is so different compared to Area 64, as it is seemingly weaker. You are interrogated. Everyone gets in one at a time, and after some time you are proven good guys.
Soldier: Well, folks, it seems we got worried for nothing, please excuse us. You may go now.
Penny: Actually, we have come here for a reason! We weren't visiting!
Soldier: Wait?! You are going to tell me you need that code star?!
Rockbert: Actually, yes! I hope it's no bother.
Soldier: Wait a minute... Thicc (oops) Thick mustaches, check, blue overalls, check, red and green shirts and caps check... Oh... Ohh... Ooooooooooh! Oh my..... You are Mario! And Luigi! And a bunch of people I don't know!
Luigi: Y-yes! That's us! The Mario bros!
Soldier: Then we should hand that code star to you, right?
Luigi: I guess so... So... You have it?
Soldier: Yeeeeee..... No! We are still fighting for it! It is still left unseen! We still have to find it! You getting the star will stop the war! And that is great! I'm tired of that stuff, dude.
Luna: Yeah, I can tell, just before you were speaking Spanish, and now you're a trash talker.
Soldier: I should tell the captain!!!! I'm so excited!!!
Block: He sure does look excited. So, what should we do?
Chillianna: Well, first off I think it is better to wait here, I-I guess? What if they think we are trying to escape?
Lancebob: Good point, my lady! But always be on your guards!
Soldier: Ok, the captain is here. He's waiting for you in his office.
Captain Bonehead: What is your business?
Luna: Well, see, we are looking for something. And the something is somewhere here!
Captain Bonehead: Now come! I know who you are, I won't be doing anything! In fact, I need your help!
Mario is now like "Whaaaaa?"
Captain Bonehead: Our ancestors fought great for that star, many of them have fallen. See, though that star was not our only hope. We also came here to get shelter from the bombs in our country, but apparently the bombs were coming from here. We decided to put this to an end the easy way, talking them into stopping, but they chose the hard way. We only wanted our piece of peace. They have refused it while it was easy to do. We had to take on revenge.
Luna: That is so sad, and disgusting at the same time!
Captain Bonehead: We do not know the reason they are so aggressive, but with you by our side, is there anything we can't do? If we find that code star, I promise to give it to you, and I am a man of my word!
Luigi: So, Mario. What do we do?
Mario moves his mouth. He is speaking the mute language until he stops doing so. In other terms, he does a speach to say he accepts.
Captain Bonehead: Oh no! The base is being attacked! Everyone, assemble!
Ok, fellow men, we are currently being attacked, so that's what we'll do. We will have first of all to deactivate every shield we have so they can let their guards down and chill a little, and we will seize this moment to send a few back of the base, go out from the back door while the rest of us show up in front of the soldiers. Now, DISABLE SHIELD!
Everything is done as said. That plan sure sounds good. But what's that? That is exactly what the enemy expected. Now we're supposed to battle.
Luna: No! This can't be happening! I can't participate at war!
Spike: We have to! This is the world we are talking about!
The leader of those troops is a man that looks strangely familiar because he looks like someone you know from some other game or something. He has a thick, (and no, not doing the Thicc joke again) gray mustache, a buzzy beetle helmet, and a sniper. He seems to be covering his eyes with eye-patches, both of them. He states his grade is Sergeant. He looks rather confused.
Enemy sergeant: We got you surrounded, Boneheads! You cannot make a single move!
Captain Bonehead: Okay, everyone, just act natural OKAY OKAY! YOU GOT US!! WE GIVE UP! JUST PLEASE SPARE OUR LIVES! A LOT OF US INCLUDING ME ARE STILL TOO YOUNG TO DIE! I'M JUST 47!
You battle the bad guys. They flee. Sergeant dude looks depressed.
Captain Bonehead: You did it! Soldiers! Reable shields! We will have to plan off! And hey, Mario, Luigi! Why don't you infiltrate Area 64 and go investigate stuff? The whole alien thingight get us somewhere.
You now go in Area 64, heavily relying on Nina's cloaking ability. In you find the leader of the army, who judging by the office door is called Kolonel Klein.
Sergeant: Sir, I am afraid our plan was not too good, must I admit. We need to replan.
Klein: Well, Blind, do you have anything else? That Skellobit country is part of the former kingdom in which the code star is located. This is eternal power, Blind, don't you want that?
Blind: Sure, I guess. There is nothing else I would want.
Klein: That's the spirit! Now, what was that backup plan, again?
Blind: Ok, it goes as... Hey what are you doing here! Get back here!
Luigi: Oh no! He spotted us!
Blind: Get back to the field, soldier! You still have a battle to take care of! And... HEY YOU! WHY ARE YOU HERE! YES, YOU, GUY WITH THE MUSTACHE! DIDNT YOU HAVE ENOUGH OF THIS FIGHT? You think that was fun? Think again, Plumber!
He battles you once again. He loses again, and cries to your toes again, as well as run away again.
Klein: Think this is over yet, spies?
You are caught by the enemy forces. You are put in the interrogation room, one head at a time. If you manage to come out at least 1 unimprisoned, then heads up to you, cuz those questions are party-killers.
Anyway, if at least one of Mario, Luigi or the partners are left out of inprisonment, then you are fine, you can try to free the others. If not, you need to escape. On the way, you will come across tanks full of weird liquid, and at your biggest surprise, alive aliens, begging for help. That's just dark, war duds! Some information can be found on the walls, like aliens being used as weapons or lab Gynea Pigs, or even worse, having their energy drained for powering up the base. How should Luce feel about that?
Lucifer: Ugh! I can't believe these guys are experiencing the exact same pain I had in that cage! And I thought I was the most miserable person here!
Goombeddy: This sure looks bad, these aliens have big strengh, that can possibly cause the army of being able to render themselves unstoppable! And with that they also want the code stars! How greedy!
Penny: It is Area 64 after all! Many alien sightings were spotted here! No wonder aliens are a big thing in that jerky place!
Blind: You again? I thought we put you in that cell?
Luna: Well, we got out of it, mister meanie! I don't want to kill you, but you are seriously taling this off-limits!
Block: Look, guys, can't we just deal with him and out him in jail?
Luna: Sounds good enough to me!
Luna, the peaceful girl out of the bunch, makes the first punch! Blind is defeated once again, but before he is put to jail:
Blind: No! Please! Don't! I can assist you! But don't put me here again!
Kooplea: Again?
Blind: It's... a long story.
I was so little when it happened, 60 years ago. My father always was by my side, always supporting me. I was loved by him regardless of how many times I messed up... He was the closest person to me, my mother beat me, and my brothers hated me for no reason. My father, was the only one I could trust. "Stay strong!" He always told me... Until... snif... one day... snif... he... he disappeared! And so was all my family! I soonfound out they were all killed, by a count who has lost his mind because his father cursed his love to wander between dimensions. I escaped... I escaped the shadow tribe I loved so much. I found my father's body on this field, inert. No matter how much I cried, no matter how much I called him by his name of "Blove", no matter the pain I was in, it was only the ugly truth that stood out in front of me: he was dead. I couldn't believe it, so I went all crazy like that other guy from my tribe, who was wearing a suit and monocle, and who I know you have encoutered. I went crazy and my soul turned evil, and I have since then looked for the code star the legend spoke of... to bring myself power, and avenge my father, who suffered in this cruel and HEARTLESS world! In honor to him, I removed my eyes, and became Sergeant Blind.
Goombeddy: That... was amazing!
Kooplea: You had a terrible childhood...
Penny: Oh God! We must've hurt you!
Lancebob: My good sir! You have put an arrow straight through my heart. You cut me down deep!
Lucifer: I... I know how that feels. I'm so, soo sorry, I wish I knew about it earlier.
Rockbert: You shouldn't beg! You convinced me!
Nina: And I myself doesn't cry easily. Great job into making me almost cry!
Stayzee: You do not deserve such treatment. Tell me, and I shall make you feel better.
Spike: It pains me a lot you had to go through that, man! Let's shake hands!
Luna: I'm so stupid! Me that likes peace and all, what's wrong with me?
Block: We must've informed ourselves before bothering you, you seem so innocent right mow!
Chillianna: Don't worry, come with us! I'm sure you'll find yourself comfort!
At these words Blind's face became a little happier. He removed his eye-patches, revealing empty eyeholes. He was creepy, but everyone preferred to not hurt his feelings.
Blind: Whenever I sneaked out to try and mourn my father, Klein would figure out and give me a soldier beating and suspending me in this cell. You defeating me caused me to realize there was no point at this code star. I will now go and say goodbye to this world, and join my father!
Just as he is about to shoot himslef, someone stops him.
Lucifer: NOO! Don't do that! Don't die after you lived all that pain!
Blind: Young woman, I deserve so!
Lucifer: No, you don't! Now come with me and face your problems! Deal with it! Your father is dead, just like mine, but you are not dead, and so am I! If you want to do something good, come and help us save the world!
Lancebob: Ok, that went overboard, I didn't know she was that deep.
Apparently, others thought she was a b**ch. Poor gal.
Blind: You... Really mean so?
Luigi: Mr. Blind, you touched us with that thing you said. Come along!
Blind, the sensitive Shadow Triber, joins the party after a touching moment. He uses high-texh gadgets to unveil invisible objects.
Lancebob: So, that is nice and all, Lady Lucifer and Sir Blind, but shouldn't we now continue examination?
Blind: Ok, everyone, listen up. We can't stay here any longer, but there is a secret passage somewhere.
He goes near a corner and gets his high-texh gadget and makes the secret passage visible.
Captain Bonehead: Hey, what're they doing with that guy. Traitors! They are teaming up with the bad guys! And... oh, they are not attacking... ok.
Luigi: Everyone! Do not panic! We brought an ally! He will help us, since he knows a lot about Area 64.
Blind: Yes I will. So, you all know about the rumors of the base exploiting aliens to their advantages, and that's true. The others will use these aliens to achieve their raid on this once peaceful land. I am going to tell you, the base has one chamber located on the lowest floor that controls these containers. If we get in, we free the aliens and leave Area 64 defenseless by also deactivating the force field. Problem is, that room is in the force field. There is a guy in it, though, and he doesn't know I'm your side. If I tell him to let me through, he will let me through, and I'll take care of him, then the whole base is ours for the taking.
Luna: No! Too much violence! I might throw up a little! This is too much!
You do that, solving puzzles, finding key cards, and all that stuff. Deactivate the force field by tricking the guy inside, and penetrate the most dangerous part of the Area. Many warrior enemies and mainly enemies like Hyper Bob-ombs, Rocky Wrenches, Kenters, those super generic feet soldiers, and Skellobombers.
Now you have to destroy the base. Though send some partners to go with Luigi look for the code star. With that, Goombeddy, Penny, Lancebob, Rockbert, Nina, Block and Blind stay with you. The rest goes with Luigi. Not destroying Area 64 entirely though, or Luna will just commit suicide. Just destroy every weapon and those types of things. At some point, you arrive in front of Klein's office, but it is locked. And there is no key to activate it. If we had an optional partner from the previous chapter, we could've gotten through easily. The door is metal, so Lancebob won't do it, freezing it makes it worse, and making it visible does not change anything since it already is visble. What you CAN make visible though, an air vent that leads there. Access it, and you are now in a choas of gears and machines and pollution and other unnecessary air vents.
The area is puzzling, so it will take a while to get to the end, but eventually you'll make it, and we're cool with that. You come out in Klein's office. He looks more like a Kenter whose head was munched and an actual body. What if he's alien himself? Anyway, that's not our beef here! We should "make sure he doesn't get the code star", or at least that's what we said, for Luna not to panic.
Now you must sneak up to him, using Nina. He however seems to talk to us.
Klein: Come out from your hiding, I can sense you.
Mario:?????
Klein: You are smart. Because some of you were gone, I had a hard time recognizing you.
He said that, with his back still turned away.
Klein: Your plan is outstanding, I blush in front of it, but there was one mistake... you underestimated me.
Penny: How did he find us? I thought you camouflaged us, Blind and Nina.
Nina: Hey, that guy must have one of those noses, cuz I'm a master of disguise!
Blind: Klein has a developped sense of odorat, just like me. Soldiers, most particularly mass assassins, train for this kind of situation. They can sense the presence of their enemies. That is most convenient if you are targeted.
Klein: Enough chattering, Blind, you traitor! You came here for me, you will get me! But not only just that!
He runs away, making you want to chase him. At some point, he opens secret passages. You venture in an entirely new area of the Area 64. It looks more like a lab than the other lab, correction, it looks like a mad scientist's lab. Aliens are seen there merged with others to create superpowerfuk beings utilized as weapons they want to use against the world. Go through that creepy maze, which is after all, located behing a creepy forest, solve puzzles and you get to the secretest of secretest secrets. It is a sort of Sentient Airplane Canon or something.
Klein: Glad you could make it! Looks like I can show you my creation! The... Actually haven't made up a name for it because it's weird and all...
Lancebob: Very creative of an invention indeed...
Klein: Glad you admit it, because that will be the last great thing you'll see! Now DIE!!!!!!
BOSS CHAPTER 12: KOLONEL KLEIN IN HIS WEIRD CANON.
Tattle: That is Kolonel Klein, Leader of the entire army of Kenters. Speaking of which, Kenters are soo pathetic, even more than goombas. Anyway, where was I? Max HP is 140, ATT is 8 and def is 4. He has a multitude of attacks: He can first of all, throw swords at you, shoot Bullet Bills, Fly with the wings his canon is equipped with. He can also make himself stronger and heal himself. He is quite tough for his kind. I wonder now, was he merged with something else like those aliens to become what he is?
Klein: What? You destroyed my super canon! Wait, that's what I should've called it... Anyway, you will pay for this, Blind! This not over!
Just then, Blind Kicks him off-screen. We won the war! Good thing Luna wasn't with us, she would've barfed. Anyway, speaking of her, she's with Luigi! Take control of him and find the code star, hidden somewhere in the skellobits' country. It is also revealed they come from the deepest section of Dried-out valley, near their laid-back cousins! So you get the twelfth code star, Regret, and we all go home.
Anyway, see you guys!
