Always a dawn after the dusk

[empress_without_a_throne]

[So Mizuki's on the phone, talking with someone at home.  And things are pretty standard until-]

... You're kidding.  They actually pulled it off?!  That's- right.  I understand but that's one more hurdle cleared.

I have some things to tie up here, but I'll be heading back to HQ shortly.



And thanks Mom.  This was... the kind of news I'd never think I'd hear.

[1]



[Later...]

So Solaris contacted me a bit ago.  The DawnBird's nearing completion and we've managed to contact an old pilot interested in coming back for "one last ride" as it were.  It won't be long until SolSavior'll be back in action, and living up to its name finally too.

I'll be heading back to accompany them with the finishing touches, and also to "donate" the combination servos on the DuskBird.  And after that... well, we'll have to wait and see.

[2] (locked to people Mizuki has good CR with)



Hey...

[Before it was a big group-wide broadcast.  Now though, it's just the Abyss Empress finding you at some quiet point.]

How're you holding up?

Comments

[majestic_keiki]

Okay. It's good to hear that the project is moving forward. Who is the temporary pilot?

[empress_without_a_throne]

It's an older one, from the last group who fought back during the glory days. Don't know which one... but they're good people. I wouldn't be alive today if they weren't.

[majestic_keiki]

I can imagine. What kind of people are they?

[empress_without_a_throne]

The Crusader team were good people. When the Twilight Apostles were killed eleven years ago -and the Great Black Void beyond them-, they could've ended me and my parents. Had the Void not been destroyed, we would've been just another part of its goal of destroying life as we know it on Earth.

But we hadn't done anything wrong. They couldn't bring themselves to kill us, and instead took us back to Solaris.

I wouldn't be here today if not for their mercy.

[majestic_keiki]

That does sound like good, the heroes in stories don't kill innocents, even from unusual species. [There's a pause as she looks vaguely embarrassed.] Izuru explained it at length once.