A long chapter for you this time!

Disclaimer: I don't own FFXII

The Judge in charge of the interrogation stepped up to the cage and removed his helmet.

Basch shot him a weary but venomous glare as he dangled from chained wrists.

The man was identical to Basch... if Basch was healthy and groomed, anyway.

"You have grown very thin, Basch."

Vaan stiffened like he'd been stabbed. Basch. Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg. The man who killed King Raminas. The man his brother had looked to as a role-model. The man who turned traitor; cut down Reks and left him to die. Vaan suddenly found it difficult to catch his breath.

R gasped in surprise and confusion. "Oh no! Basch, what did you do?"

The Judge continued. "Less than a shadow. Less than a man. Sentenced to death and yet you live. Why?"

The chained Captain spoke, his voice raspy from obvious disuse. "To silence Ondore. How many times must I say it?" It was obviously not a new question.

"Is that all?" The sheer contempt in the query was offensive.

Basch raised his head to look the man in the eye. "Why not ask Vayne himself? Is he not one of your masters?" He spat accusingly.

The man grimaced in disgust and decided that a change of topic was due. "Hn. We've caught a leader of the Insurgence. She is being brought from Rabanastre." He paused. "The woman Amalia."

Basch's breath audibly hitched.

"Who could that be?" A knowing smirk.

A sigh echoed the prisoner's feelings of helplessness and defeat.

"Such a faithful hound to cling so to a fallen kingdom."

"Better than throwing it away!" Basch accused.

The Judge replaced his helmet. "Throwing it away? As you threw away our homeland?" He rallied. Moments later, the Imperials were gone.

Basch was shaken from his musings when he heard the footsteps of people that were not armoured Imperials. "Who's there?

Balthier walked to the edge of the decorative wall separating the floor of the room from a drop of unknown heights. "This the place?"

Fran swept over to her partner. "The mist is flowing through this room. It must be going somewhere."

"You! You're no Imperials. Please, you must get me out-"

Balthier smoothly interrupted him. "It's against my policy to speak to the dead. Especially when they happen to be kingslayers."

R's breath escaped him in a groan of despair. "No!"

"I did not kill him." Basch insisted, desperation lacing his voice.

R sighed in relief.

Desperation had no effect on Balthier. "Is that so? Glad to hear it."

Basch dismissed his efforts to persuade Balthier and instead turned his attention to Vaan.

"Please, get me out. For the sake of Dalmasca."

R looked at Vaan in worry. "Vaan, I fought with Basch, he is not a traitor!"

Vaan slowly looked up and positively snarled in rage. He leaped from the wall to grab the bars of Basch's cage, shaking it. "Dalmasca!?" He howled. "What do you care about Dalmasca!? Everything that's happened is because of you! Everyone that's died, every single one!" Vaan's anger gave way to grief. "Even my brother-"

R floated next to Vaan and lay a ghostly hand on his trembling shoulder in support.

Vaan shook it off and faced Basch. "You killed my brother!"

Balthier grabbed Vaan's ankle to get his attention. "Quiet! The guards will hear."

Too late. R heard armoured feet running their way.

So did Fran. "I'm dropping it!" She hit the stiff controls with a powerful kick.

As the cage began to drop, Balthier sighed at the concept of going into tunnels again. "A sky pirate without a sky." He and Fran jumped onto the top of the cage.

R followed them down.

Basch sat panting outside his destroyed cage when Vaan descended on him with a yell.

"Vaan stop!" The thief ignored the yell that no one else could hear.

He'd cocked back his fist to to as much damage to Basch as possible when Balthier grabbed his wrist and dragged him back off of the escaped convict.

The sky pirate looked down at him, hands on his hips. "Spare us your quiddities."

R shook his head even as he floated to Vaan's side. Who used words like that?

The youngest of the group spluttered. "Yeah but- But he's a-"

"A traitor. I know. Stay here and fight, if you want." It was obvious Balthier thought the idea moronic.

The leading man turned to Basch. "If you can walk, let's go."

Utter disbelief. "You're taking him with us?"

Balthier shut down any possible arguments. "We could use another sword arm."

Basch stood with a grunt. "And you have it."

R floated in front of Vaan and held each of his shoulders. He wanted the boy's full attention. "Vaan, listen to me! I know Basch, we fought together at Nalbina! He is a good man and he fights for Dalmasca. This man is not a traitor and he did not kill your brother. Use your head! Did you not just see a Judge who is identical to Basch? Is it not possible that the death of the King was the Empire's doing? Reks was likely killed for witnessing such a thing. Vaan just... keep an open mind? Basch could prove to be an invaluable ally to you. Could you do that for me?"

Vaan realized that those were the words that the ghost had said to him in his dream.

R smiled when the young thief sighed in defeat.

"Thank you."

Van sighed again, this time in acceptance.

The group looked around. The cage seemed to have landed at the top of several flights of stairs. While descending, the group found an old device of some sort that didn't work. After a brief inspection, Balthier declared it a central power relay with a blown fuse. There was also a room on that level with roughly 1500 Gil stockpiled. Just passed that, they found a blue crystal which healed all of their aches and injuries. Basch was especially grateful.

At the bottom of the stairs was a room. In the centre of the room was the base of the old device, but in the corner was a Bangaa selling his wares.

R suspected he was hiding down here.

In regards to weapons he had a Broadsword, a Dagger, a Shortbow, a Longsword and a Mage Masher. He offered Headgear, Chromed Leathers, a Magick Curch, a light Woven Shirt, a Leather Helm, Leather Armour, an Escutcheon, a Headguard, a Leather Breastplate, a Pointy Hat, a Silken Shirt, a Bronze Helm, Bronze Armour, and a Leather Shield. He had few accessories. A Bangle, a Steel Gorget, and an Armguard. The Bangaa also had Potions, Antidotes, Eye Drops, and even Phoenix Down. Finally, the Bangaa sold Blindna, Poisona, Thunder, Blizzard, Slow, Blind, and Protect.

Between R and Balthier's advice, the group bought a Headguard, a Leather Shield to replace Vaan's Escutcheon, a Bangle for Vaan, some sundries, as well as Thunder, Blizzard, Slow, Blind, and Protect.

The Headguard, Leather Shield, and Bangle went to Vaan. Vaan's Escutcheon was sold. The Orrachea Armlet was given to Fran. Balthier wore the Tourmaline Ring since Fran had a natural immunity to organic poisons and Vaan had an immunity to common desert poisons. Buying the black magic spells allowed Vaan to learn them while Fran was gifted with green and time magic, as such, they bought the spells in those categories.

The Bangaa also gave them a Tube Fuse that would enable them to turn on the power and open the gate.

The group went through the open gate.

R informed Vaan that they were in the Barheim Passage.

In a wide open room, they found a monster attacking a switchboard.

Vaan looked up when the lights flickered. "Hey! Who turned out the lights? One of those!?"

Balthier chimed in. "I've heard of these: Mimics. They disguise themselves as all manner of things, then strike when you're least wary. Some of them have a fondness for energy, I'm told. They gorge themselves on the stuff till there's naught left."

Vaan looked over his shoulder at the man. "So... what happens then?"

Fran's ears twitched. She heard a beast nearby.

Balthier's voice was dry. "Lights out. And it's worse in the dark. Much worse. So, let them get too close to one of those conduits and they'll suck it dry." His tone changed to sarcastically optimistic. "But don't worry. It'll give the energy back, if you ask nicely. Sticking it with a sword helps too. Clock's ticking!"

R chuckled. "That sounds about right. The Barheim Passage has never had a problem with Mimics, but then, I hunted them to near extinction as training!" The ghost laughed in fond remembrance.

Since the others were around, Vaan couldn't speak to the ghost. He shot R an inquisitive look and a raised eyebrow instead.

The ghostly man stayed near Vaan and continued as the group fought the Mimics and the Zombie. "I was born to a wealthy family in Nabudis which was at the time the glorious Royal City of Nabradia. I grew up learning from various tutors, when my watchers could find me, that is. I was a tad rebellious. I was fifteen when my father decided to cure my rebellious streak. He sent me to Nalbina Fortress to learn, work, and to see what happens to rule-breakers." He smiled. "It would have worked if I hadn't found the Barheim Passage. I was sent to fetch Captain Doros when the floor collapsed under me. It was not a dangerous fall but it hurt and made me late. After a night in the Stockade, I went back to the Passage. I started to decimate the monsters down here as training. I went back to my father just as rebelious as before but with the strength and skill to back up my wayward mouth. I returned to Nalbina each summer until my twentieth birthday. It was then that I moved to Rabanastre."

Vaan took a moment after fighting to digest all the information. That was more than R had spoken at any one time to date. He chuckled, amused that R hunted beasts in underground tunnels just as he did.

He smiled at the ghost and looked around the room. They found an extra quiver of Onion Arrows for Fran, but not much else. They continued through the tunnels to find more Mimics and kill them. R again proved helpful when he informed Vaan that Mimics were weak to ice. Vaan immediately used Blizzard under the guise of trying his new spells. Balthier caught on and the fights went by much faster.

Along the way, the group found Antidotes, Eye Drops, a map of the Barheim Passage, Potions, and Gil.

They encountered some Flan but a few fire spells got rid of them.

They got rid of some Bombs with Water spells from Fran and opened a gate leading south.

Fran stopped on the other side of the gate. "The Mist seethes."

Balthier was inspecting the ground. "It reeks. Something's close."

Basch found a sword and gave it a few experimental swings.

Balthier commented from behind, where he, Vaan, and the ghost were watching. "Nice moves there Captain."

Vaan added his own opinion. "You mean traitor."

R sighed. "Vaan..."

Balthier didn't bother to argue with the stubborn boy. "So they say. But I didn't see him kill anyone."

There was a pause. "My brother did."

Basch's head shot up to look at Vaan as if seeing something for the first time. "Reks."

Vaan said nothing.

"He said he had a brother two years younger." Basch nodded. "I see. He meant you. Your brother. What became-"

"He's dead."

Basch bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

Vaan gritted his teeth. "It was you who killed him!"

R grabbed his forearm and the slight chill helped to settle him. "Vaan!"

Basch hesitated, presumably choosing his words carefully. "I give you my word: that was not the way of it." He proceeded to tell them how the night really turned into a disaster. Separated in the corridors. Ambush. Dragged to the room where the Treaty was to be signed. Pinned to the floor, gagged. Reks confronting his brother. Deception. Reks being cut down. The trap. Betrayal. Lies. Arrest.

Balthier was the first to speak. "A twin brother? Fancy that. Hm. But still, the pieces fit. I'll give you that much. And he did look like you."

Vaan was facing away. The story was almost exactly what the ghost had told him. But still... He couldn't believe it! He didn't want to believe it! "I don't believe you."

Basch was sitting leaned against the wall of the tunnel, consumed by memories. "Of course not. It was my fault that Reks was there. I am sorry."

"My brother, he trusted you. He trusted you, and he lost everything. How can I believe you?"

Basch got up. "Not me then. Believe in your brother. He fought to the last to protect his homeland. No. Surely he fought to protect his brother."

Vaan pivoted on his heel and advanced on Basch. "You don't know anything!"

Balthier intercepted him. "Believe what you want to. Whatever it takes to make you happy. What's done is done."

Suddenly, Vaan felt like the bad guy.

It was but a few minutes later when they came upon a gigantic Mimic with treasure jars surrounding it. The gate shut behind them.

"Wow!" R was awed. "This must be the Mimic Queen. I would love to be able to take her down!"

Vaan grinned. Just like him and rats.

As the party approached the Mimic Queen, the jars transformed into Tiny Mimics which immediately swarmed the conduits in the room to supply their queen with power.

The battle was challenging and enjoyable. Vaan grinned from ear to ear as R howled their victories over the Mimic race. Through ample use of Blizzard, the party defeated the Queen. As she fell, the tunnel started to shake.

R gushed. "This is Ground Shaker, the Mimic Queen's last defence. She's caused a cave in! Run!"

With the Mimic Queen dead, there was enough charge to open the gate. Vaan took off, with everyone following.