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Battle of Nalbina Fortress
Final Fantasy XII

Nalbina Fortress
Location:	Nalbina Fortress
Result:	Archadian victory
Combatants
Archadian Empire	Alliance Kingdom of Dalmasca Kingdom of Nabradia
Commanders
Archadia Vayne Solidor Judge Bergan Judge Drace Judge Zargabaath	Dalmasca Lord Rasler Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg
Strength
Archadia Archadian Soldiers Archadian Mages Imperial Constructs	Dalmascan Army, Nabradian Army
Casualties
Ground Force vanguard routed, otherwise light.	Almost total annihilation of the defending force, Lord Rasler killed.

The following article is based on a subject that has not been officially named in any official Square Enix material; the current title is merely a placeholder.

"The fortress is lost! We must withdraw!"

—Basch fon Ronsenburg

The Battle of Nalbina Fortress was fought during the Archadian Empire's subjugation of neighboring kingdoms Dalmasca and Nabradia.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. (Skip section)

Just after the political wedding of Lord Rasler and Princess Ashe, Rasler was called to battle at Nalbina. Alongside Basch fon Ronsenburg, the two fought nobly until the end. But tragedy struck when the arrow of an Archadian soldier hit Prince Rasler in the neck. By the noble efforts of Basch, Prince Rasler's body was returned to the Dalmascan kingdom, where he was laid for mourning in the cathedral in the center of Rabanastre.

The SiegeEdit

The battle occurred in the evening, when the Archadian army marched towards Nalbina Fortress from the northeast. Earlier, the city of Nabudis was decimated by Archadia using a piece of deifacted nethicite. The remaining Nabradian troops eventually fought together with Dalmascan soldiers to fortify the fortress from Archadia.

Above the skies, a major air battle took place between an Imperial Fleet led by scores of Cruiser Class Ifrit airships and fighter class Dalmascan aircraft deployed from Rabanastre. Mages constructed a paling around the fortress, preventing an airstrike, but were quickly killed by Archadian infantry and the paling dissipated. This proved to be the start of Rabanastre's downfall, as the Imperial fleet moved in into Dalmascan airspace.

Down below, garrisoned Archadian soldiers were deployed into all chambers within the Nalbina Fortress. Captain Basch and Lord Rasler continued to defend the fortress even after the paling had fallen, only for Rasler to be hit by an arrow by an Archadian infantryman. A destroyed Ifrit falls on the fortress and kills many soldiers on both sides. Foreseeing defeat, Captain Basch carries the fatally injured Rasler away and retreated back to Rabanastre with his few remaining troops.

AftermathEdit

With the fall of Nalbina Fortress, the Archadian Empire moved in closer to Rabanastre. Lord Rasler succumbed to his wounds and died, where his funeral took place in the somber atmosphere of the cathedral. The Archadian Imperial Fleet that had reached the interiors of Dalmasca flew in Rabanastre airspace, signifying Archadia's successful occupation of the royal capital.

The Treaty SigningEdit

The trap at the treaty signing was a short battle that occurred after the fall of Nalbina. The trap also signified the defeat of Dalmasca, the death of King Raminas and the supposed betrayal of Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg.

Following Archadia's occupation, they presented Dalmasca with the terms of surrender, the Emperor's Treaty of Peace and implored King Raminas to sign it at Nalbina Fortress. Information reached the Order that the Empire aimed to kill Raminas afterward, and so Basch and Vossler set out to Nalbina with a small garrison of troops, including Reks, older brother to the game's main protagonist, Vaan.

Reks was separated from Basch and Vossler during their rescue attempt. Reks pressed forward until he reached the signing chamber, and found the King and many Dalmascan troops dead, with Basch standing in the middle. Basch claimed that the King had betrayed Dalmasca to the Empire and deserved to die, stabbing Reks afterward. Reks fainted, but he had managed to see Basch arrested by Vayne Solidor and the Empire's soldiers.

ControversyEdit

It is later revealed that Basch's twin Gabranth was the one who killed the king with a scheme he and Vayne concocted together. As Basch entered the chamber he found Raminas dead, and subsequently was captured. He could not do anything when Reks was made the witness in the ploy to ruin his name. Gabranth had posed in as Basch and convinced Reks that Basch was really a traitor.

After this, Basch was declared executed when in fact he was held captive in Nalbina. This signified the end of the war and defeat of Dalmasca. Rabanastre would be under Archadian occupation for two years. This also led to the creation of the Resistance that would fight for two years until the signing of a peace treaty with Archadia. Basch's name was never cleared, however, and only the player party knew of the truth.

Spoilers end here.