Dreadnought Leviathan
(6) Once setting out to find Ashe
beware of the beans on the wayYou'll see several scenes before being in control again. Those who aren't too fond of cutscenes might find it long, but think that in the end, you'll find yourself with one of the best possible guests, Vossler. This guy enters your party several levels higher than your team and deals physical damages as big as his sword. The only downside is that, unlike Amalia and Lamont, he doesn't heal himself, but then, he shouldn't need it too often as he takes it as well as he dishes it out. Plus he can even fight against flying monsters thanks to the Telekinetics technick (which you'll only be able to get waaaaaay later in the game). You will help him free Ashe who is somewhere on this ship as well. As he joins (6), you'll also automatically get the map of the Leviathan, which will be much useful. Save as this is your only chance to do so until you find her; of course, being aboard an airship, the save crystals you'll find won't allow you to teleport elsewhere. Now take the only exit - after a few steps, Vossler will warn you about the red beams that close a lot of ways. Should you cross one, it will set off an alarm and guards will come in. Like in most situations when you're warned against doing something at the risk of bringing in more enemies, you can actually precisely want that in order to level up and steal items. Imperials mostly offer Potions, which can come in handy if your stock is poor, especially since you're gonna need them quite a bit later on. You might also be able to build a good battle chain with Imperials; the only enemy aboard which can break that chain is the mastiffs (dogs) that sometimes accompany them. Also, be aware that there are some alarm beams that will show up behind you once you've passed a certain way. Most of the time, you won't have to go back on your steps, except when you'll try to get to a couple of chests
(7)The map of the Leviathan and the
princess' locationAshe is located in Brig no 1. Once you're past the Port Section, bring up your map and you'll see you have two ways to reach that area. The short way is south through the Large Freight Stores: it's the shortest way but there will be quite a few skirmishes that will be unavoidable. The other way is taking you north through the rather long Starboard section, which is an almost impossible maze if you want to avoid the red beans; however, there's a way to avoid them all if you're careful. All the way north, a bulkhead release awaits that will unlock the Sub-control Room. If you stay here long enough, guards will begin to arrive in waves, but nothing you should'nt be able to deal with. There are two treasure chests in the small dead end on the left. I would suggest not to go in there until you get out of Brig no 1 as you'll be able to save there: indeed, one of the chests may contain an Ancient Sword, the best you can get at this point. You will be able to buy it later on, but it could prove useful at this stage. Also, know that if you take that passage, alarm beams will appear and you'll have to cross them to go back to the room. Whatever you do, activate the other bulkhead release to progress to the Airship Berth Access and, ultimately, to the Central Brig Access
(8) Your last trial before being able to
reach AsheWherever you come from, there is a fight that is unavoidable once you reach the Central Brig Access: you'll find yourself pitted against 6 Imperials, two Judges, three Swordsmen and one Magus. Two tactics are open to you: you can either decide to defeat all of them, in which case the best tactics is to defeat the lesser opponents to focus on the Judges in the end. Begin with the Magus since he keeps casting Poison and it may quickly become annoying, then work your way until only the Judges are left. Just keep hitting them with physical attacks and keep your MPs for healing, although at the beginning, it may be more convenient to use potions if the battle is going a bit fast for you. But there is also another way to win this battle without having to defeat everyone, and that's by defeating the two Judges: once they fall, the battle is over, no matter how many other Imperials are left. Judges have about 2200 HPs, so it may take you a few minutes to take them down. Whatever you choose to do, you'll be rewarded with a congratulation screen and the victory fanfare, which is always nice, and, most importantly, with the key item No.1 Brig Key. Use it to access the Brig. There are four cells in all. Ashe is in the C-202, so go get her out of there; she immediately joins your party. C-203 hosts two moogles who will thank you for opening the cell for them and offer a variety of merchandise. Their inventory is quite up-to-date, so don't hesitate to browse through it and buy what you need. Cell C-201 finally has an urn with the System Access Key, and a Save Crystal. Use it as you may have some trouble with what will follow if your levels are still low (below 15), and it is the only Save Crystal before the Boss fight - and you also have to run all the way back to square one, namely back to Port Launch
(9) In between two alerts, you are
finally reunited with PeneloAs soon as you exit Brig No. 1, you'll hear the alarm again, which means that soldiers will be after you the whole time, and it is especially dangerous to linger somewhere, as they will close in on you and, once engaged in a battle, other will keep joining their comrads. It is especially true in the Sub-control Room where Imperials can enter from several sides, and it's not unusual to fight six or so of them at the same time. You can fight or run, your choice, but know that you won't be able to save and heal before the boss. Also, another detail that might prove useful is that you can use the System Access Key to reset the alarm, even if only for a limited time. One such control can be found in the Sub-control Room, while two are located in the Large Freight Stores. From the latter, reseting should give you just the time you need to reach Port Launch, so take a sprint once you've reseted it. If you're confused about the way to go, don't hesitate to bring up the map as the timer will pause while it's up. On the way, Penelo will eventually join you again - your team is now complete! Keep running and you'll eventually reach your goal, and a boss who is pretty upset to see you....
(10) You must defeat the first
story-related boss before escapingThe boss has never been a problem to me, but then, I usually arrive at this stage pretty strong, between level 17 and 20. I know some arrive at level 12 and I have a real admiration for them as this substential difference makes things a lot more difficult. Two tactics for you: not only you have to fight the boss (and his 4120 HP), but also three Imperial Swordsmen. Get rid of them first - for that, either target them in priority and bring them down with physical attacks, hopefully before the boss has the time to walk up to you. Or you can let everyone come close to you and unleash your Mist Knacks if some (or all) of your characters have one. Make sure you chain at least 3 lv 1 to trigger a concurrence that will hit all of your opponents, most probably getting rid of the Swordsmen immediately. Sure, this will cost all of your MPs, but now that you have 6 team members, you can substitute for members with full MPs, or stick to items for healing. Personally, I prefer to defeat the Swordsmen with physical attacks and keep the Mist Knacks in store to finish off the boss, at the latest when he becomes critical and therefore more dangerous. The boss himself loves to use against you aero magick that can deal easily 250-300 HP damage, which may be half of your current HPs, so keep those potions and Cure spells coming, or else your characters might be knocked out from just two attacks. A good idea also is to have a party that alternates close and long-ranged weapons, something that is true in a majority of boss and marks fights. Eventually you should be able to defeat him and escape from the Leviathan to find yourself back in Bhujerba
Your next move to progress in the story is to ask audience with the Marquis again - you just need to talk to the same guard as before to do so. However, as usual, you're strongly encouraged to explore the areas open to you at this point. There is no major new side quests available, but you may want to visit Lhusu Mines if you've had troubles on the Leviathan in order to level up, or if you don't have enough money to buy new equipment. New items in most shops of Bhujerba and Rabanastre are the major change from before your visit aboard the Leviathan, so you may want to spend some time shopping, although you'll be pretty free of your moves even after the next event, so don't fret if you can't afford everything new at once
Coming next: The Ogi-Yensa and Nam-Yensa Sansea - The Tomb of Raithwall
