This is the second major visit to Rabanastre and follows the destruction of the Dreadnought Leviathan and the Shiva battle cruiser at the end of the last Section 2 of the game which follows Chapter 13: The Province of Allies out of the Memoirs of Marquis Halim Ondore IV.
There are a few cutscenes that take place prior to the team arriving in Rabanastre. The first scene takes place in the Senate of the Imperial City of Archades. Lord Gramis will resolve to bid Lord Vayne return to the city of Archades to be dealt with.
The scene turns back to Ashe and the rest of the party resolving to make use of the Dawn Shard and deciding that they should visit the Garif tribes just outside the city in the Ozmone Plain.
There are a number of side quests that can be completed before you leave Rabanastre and head through the Giza Plains to the Ozmone Plain and into Jahara – the Land of the Garif.
You will regain control of Vaan in the Muthru Bazaar area of Rabanastre. Travel over to the stairs and speak to Ktjn, the Viera, to complete another portion of the Ktjn side quest. If you have completed each of the previous sections, Ktjn will tell you that she would be as her sister is.
Do you think it possible?
Choose the last answer, “It’ll never happen”, as this is the only answer that will net you points towards the best reward for the side quest.
Make sure that you travel back to Amal’s Weaponry and complete Hunt 08: A Scream from the Sky if you managed to destroy the Wyvern Lord while you were in the Nam-Yensa Sandsea.
Travel back to the Clan Centurio shop and speak to Montblanc. You will be eligible for the following rewards:
Electrum
Warp MoteArcana, 2 Teleport StonesYou can also obtain another Elite Mark from him, Hunt 36: Paradise Risen which involves tracking down the Gil Snapper. It is recommended that this Hunt be saved until later in the game (namely, after you gain access to a few more powerful spells, such as 
Thundara).
Take some time to revisit each of the shops in the area as you now have access to new items that you can purchase. New items have been denoted below with an asterisk, however, some of these items have appeared in other shops outside of Rabanastre:
You may also be able to purchase a spell called 
Bubble from the Clan Provisioner in the Muthru Bazaar (depending on how many Hunts you have completed). Purchase it if it is available. This is an incredibly useful spell that greatly increases the HP of your party members.
You should take this opportunity to catch up on any Hunts that you have not completed. At this point in the game, you should have completed the following hunts:
Hunt 02: Wolf in the Waste (Rank I)
Hunt 03: Dalmasca’s Desert Bloom (Rank I)
Hunt 04: Waterway Hunting (Rank I)
Hunt 05: Marauder in the Mines (Rank I)
Hunt 08: A Scream from the Sky (Rank II)
Hunt 33: Little Love on the Big Plains (Rank I)
Hunt 34: The Cry of Its Power (Rank I)
Stop by the Sandsea and you should be able to access and obtain the following bills:
Bill No. 5 for White Mousse (Rank V)
Bill No. 6 for Ring Wyrm (Rank III)
Bill No. 8 for Marilith (Rank V)
Bill No. 9 for Enkelados (Rank II)
Bill No. 10 for Croakadile (Rank II)
Generally speaking, the Rank III and Rank V Hunts are too high level to be easily completed at this stage of the game. If you have done a lot of powerleveling and grinding, or if you are extremely experienced and have played through Final Fantasy XII a few times, you may be able to complete them at this stage.
It is recommended that you save them for later, though. The two Rank II Hunts for Enkelados (Hunt 10: The Defense of Ozmone Plain) and Croakadile (Hunt 11: A Ring in the Rain) can be completed in the next section of the game.
In the meantime, you can head around town speaking to the various petitioners so that you are prepared for the Hunts later on in the game when you are ready to complete them. The first petitioner is located right in the Sandsea. Speak to the Tavernmaster as he is the petitioner for Bill No. 8 (Marilith).
The next petitioner is Balzac and he can be found in Lowtown. He was previously called a “Rabanastran” and is the guy sitting on the crate on the west side of Lowtown. The last petitioner is a Moogle named Sorbet standing in front of the Aerodrome at the West Gate.
There are a few other side quests that can be completed before traveling to the Giza Plains which are entirely optional. You can skip to the next page of the walkthrough if you prefer to ignore them as they are not required.
Lost Cactoid
Travel to the Dalmasca Estersand and rescue Tchigri’s father, Ruksel, from the North Bank Village.
Desert Patient
The quest involving Dantro’s Wife and the desert patient can be completed once you have located the Lost Cactoid.
Bhujerban Madhu
Locating 14 bottles of Bhujerban Madhu liquor and selling them to the local residents for 1,000 gil each.
July Quest
Head back to the Nalbina Fortress to observe a short cutscene and get access to the Mosphoran Highwaste which yields a reward later on in the game.
Head to the Southgate of Rabanastre when you are ready to continue with the game and travel to the Giza Plains.
Poach
Stop
Cura
Dark
Soldier’s Cap
Heavy Coat
Lambent Hat
Chanter’s Djellaba
Winged Helm
Chainmail
Golden Shield
Lohengrin
Heavy Lance
Longbow
Sirius
Chopper
Paramina Crossbow
Healing Rod
Kogarasumaru
Musk Stick
War Hammer
Bhuj
Wizards Staff
Broadaxe