Our Sun is setting...

[empress_without_a_throne]

[The battle against the NUNE wound up spiraling into other things... which entailed the first formation of Solaris's newest, strongest combiner: SolSavior.  The same machine now returning to the Sakihama Base, triumphant after kicking serious ass.  Reason to celebrate?  Not this time.]

Sara... you...

... Don't be dead out there.  Please don't be dead!  You... we're... the Savior team... and if you're gone then nothing will...

[Yeah, she's been like this ever since the first battle with a new threat -the Indalph- ended.  The Director's granddaughter -her best friend no less- missing and possibly held prisoner, though most likely dead.]

Dido... I'm sorry.  Putting you in danger like that, ordering you to launch with Sara's machine... that's not what you signed up for.

This isn't anything like I thought would...

Comments

[actuallyselfish]

"Mizuki..." Dido says hoarsely. She shudders and drops down onto a chair limply.

"No." She admits quietly. "No it wasn't like what we thought." She lays there, exhausted.

"What do we do now?"

[empress_without_a_throne]

Ken and I... we'll carry on. That's what Sara would've done if things were reversed.

And we'll find another pilot for the ShelLancer somewhere. I'm not going to ask you to risk your life for this on a regular basis.

[actuallyselfish]

Dido lets out a single, wheezing breath.

"Ohthankgod. I just..."

She wrings her hands. "Well, I'm not like you guys. Stick me in combat, and I turn into a babbling, twitchy mess."

She chuckles hoarsely. "Although...Sol-Savior was so juiced up it didn't even matter. Did you know it was going to be like that?"

[empress_without_a_throne]

I knew that the bulk of what you'd have to do is just regulate systems, nothing seriously intensive or timing required.

And... I know all too well just how powerful a Sol machine can be... and like Hetepheres once told me, if you can bring two contradictory powers together, something incredible can come forth.

I just wish... SolSavior's debut hadn't been marred like that.

[actuallyselfish]

"Yeah..." Dido says, rubbing her nose. "I'm sorry for being snappy with you out there, but...do you think we can rescue Sara somehow? Wherever she is?"

[a_linear_mind]

[There's a reassuring hand placed on your shoulder Mizuki. Surprisingly, it belongs to Willis who actually looks sincere for once.

He knew what she was going through all too well.]

Good job holding it together til now.

[empress_without_a_throne]

[She sniffles weakly, looking at Willis before giving one of those smiles that's a mix of grateful and sad.]

Well it wasn't like I was going to show those tears to that freak out there. Wouldn't have made the beatdown any better.

[empress_without_a_throne]

I don't know. Really...

She might already be dead. Maybe they're just going to kill her for retaliation for what we did to Saturnia. And even if she isn't, it's not just space but dimensional boundaries separating us from her.

[abugslife]

I think Sara is still alive.

If she was dead, the Indalph leader would rub it into your face, instead of beating around the bush with double meanings.

[actuallyselfish]

"Oh God." Dido covers his mouth, as if fighting to keep something down.

"We shouldn't have killed that Fate-guy. We should have taken her prisoner or something. Maybe we could have grilled her more, or tried to pull a hostage exchange, and now Sara's...."

She starts hyperventilating.

[empress_without_a_throne]

Dido... it's hard enough to keep myself together right now, I can't afford to carry both of us!

What happened was... what happened. And if we hadn't defended herself we might've died out there too... we just... we need to pray and opportunity will happen.

[empress_without_a_throne]

I know... and I want to believe that too...

But knowing she's... out there, beyond Earth even. And I can't just act like everything's fine when she could be in danger...

[majestic_keiki]

[Having been there out there and seen Mizuki's reactions, Kei approached to try to see if she could do something. Cautiously approaching with a small smile aimed at being comforting, she didn't move too quickly in case Mizuki wanted to be left alone.]

[a_linear_mind]

I know, it still must have been hard to hold it back.

[empress_without_a_throne]

I'm just lucky Saturnia went down like the bitch she was...

... What's your take on this though? Do you think Sara's alive?

[empress_without_a_throne]

[Considering her best friend's most likely dead, Mizuki appreciates EVERY display that means she's not alone. It takes her a moment of effort, but she still manages to return a smile to Kei.]

She was the first friend I ever made...

[actuallyselfish]

"Okay." Dido says at last, trying to slow her breathing down. "I'll stay frosty...we'll stay frosty. I'll start the repairs on Sol Savior, and you can start finding a proper test pilot. Ken can–"

She blinks in thought. "Where is Ken? Is he alright?"

[a_linear_mind]

I'd rather believe that she's still alive. I'm sure you're thinking the same thing also.

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya approaches slowly and sets a cup down in front of Mizuki before he backs up a bit and leans against the wall near where Mizuki is sitting. The drink is tea but upon taking the first sip a weak taste of alcohol is in the drink.]

I don't know if you drink or if this would be considered serving to a minor but it might take the edge off a bit. I have another minus the alcohol if you don't care for it.

[Yuuya motions with another cup in his left hand as he takes a drink out of the cup now in his right. He waits for a few moments before continuing.]

I know we haven't always gotten along as well as we could have and perhaps there's a bit more to my own experiences but I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened.

[Yuuya almost seems like he wants to say more but is oddly uncertain and waits for a reply.]

[abugslife]

She is probably in danger, yes. At the very least, the Indalph know her vague location. At worst, she is their prisoner.

We must find a way to find her.

[dolorous_sensei]

I... just want to say thank you. Without SolSavior we'd all end up like those NUNE soldiers...

[empress_without_a_throne]

No clue. I'll have to check on him when I get the chance...

But Dido? Thanks. Thanks for doing at least this little bit.

[empress_without_a_throne]

I wouldn't go that far. Hetepheres's machine was plenty capable of standing up to hers. She was too smug in her perceived invincibility... so when that illusion went crashing down it was almost a joke how easy it was to beat her.

And the only reason we formed SolSavior... is because I wasn't going to settle for anything less dealing with her. Not after what she did to the Solego and what the Indalph might've done to Sara.

[empress_without_a_throne]

Right...

... One lead could be to ask Seta about this. That one kijin arrived similar to the way the Indalph did, if they use a similar means of breaching reality, then that's something.

[empress_without_a_throne]

I am. But then there's the tricky part about what to do about finding her. The Indalph aren't going to just give her back... especially after what we did out there to one of their own.