Of Defectors and Defenders

“

Radovan and Sophie's expressions are as somber as their surroundings.

— In-game description

Steps

Sophie and Radovan were recently confronted with the harsh realities of life in Ishgard when they witnessed the frozen corpse of a homeless man being carried past. Moved by the plight of those affected by such adverse conditions, your comrades asked the Temple Knights if they could provide assistance and were directed to speak with a man named Reese, a member of Garlond Ironworks. Radovan tells you that their founder, Cid, is regarded as a hero by many living under Garlean rule, and he sees it as a great honor to be associated with his organization.

Reese reveals the plan to help a renowned Garlean scientist defect from the Empire. Upon his arrival in Ishgard, he is to oversee the installation of a ceruleum heating system to help alleviate the woes of the citizenry, particularly those most exposed to the cold. However, he is pursued by the Alaudae, imperial convicts who carry out missions to reduce their sentences. The leader, Vitus quo Messalla, was relegated from pilus prior for slaughtering civilians and assigned with handpicking conscripts for the Alaudae. Radovan was one such candidate, though he refused─and was summarily tortured for it. Now that Radovan is faced with the prospect of going toe to toe with his former tormentor, he tells Sophie not to participate in this mission, implying that she would be a burden to him. After she storms off, Radovan admits that this was a ploy to have her stay out of harm's way, as she is to the closest thing he has to family and he could not bear to lose her. You make your way to the Observatorium to commence the assignment, while Sophie remains in Ishgard.

You reach the top of the Observatorium, where you are introduced to the Garlean scientist Cato nan Mammula. Although you and Reese notice Radovan react strangely upon hearing this name, you choose not to press him on the matter, as time is of the essence. Once the group has descended the tower, they prepare to make the first leg of the journey, with Camp Dragonhead as their next destination.

Radovan and your clients have barely stepped foot outside the camp gates before being attacked by one of the Alaudae, who now lies at Radovan's feet, cut down by his gunblade. Now that they have discovered your location, they will stop at nothing to seize Mammula. Any number of pursuers may have hidden themselves in the snow between the Observatorium and Camp Dragonhead, so Radovan sends you ahead to lure them into the open.

As Radovan predicted, the Alaudae had sent several units of ruthless killers to bar your way. One by one they fall to your gunblade until you finally reach Camp Dragonhead, where you await the arrival of Radovan, Reese, and Mammula.

The remainder of your party finally reaches the safety of the camp, although not without incident, as Reese has been wounded by the Alaudae. Fearing that an encounter with Vitus quo Messalla is all but assured, Radovan opts to avoid combat altogether and take Mammula to the Gates of Judgement without being seen by the enemy, leaving you and Reese behind to reduce the risk of detection. Shortly after they depart, Sophie appears out of the blue, saying that she came looking for you and Radovan since you had been gone much longer than she had expected. When you apprise her of the situation, she is shocked to hear the name Cato nan Mammula, as he and Midas nan Garlond were responsible for the failed experiment that destroyed Bozja Citadel─Radovan's home. It dawns on her that Radovan may attempt to exact his vengeance on the Garlean scientist and she beseeches you to find her companion before he can execute his plan.

Radovan is poised to slay Mammula, who appears to have accepted his fate. You implore the gunbreaker to lay down his weapon, reminding him that he gave his word to deliver the Garlean defector from harm. The rage that had threatened to consume Radovan subsides, and he turns to leave, seeking solitude so that he may contemplate his actions. By the time Sophie arrives, he is long gone, and she takes command of the mission, leading the way back to Ishgard.

Reese and Mammula express their thanks for seeing the assignment through to the end, in spite of the numerous difficulties faced, both expected and otherwise. However, even within the walls of Ishgard, the threat of the Alaudae remains, necessitating Garlond Ironworks to keep Mammula in a secure location until they can be sure the danger has passed. Meanwhile, there is still no sign of Radovan, so Sophie decides to wait for him to come to his senses and return to Ishgard.