Not crying just yet... but close to it

[prismphantom]

[Denzel: dead.  Setsuko, Toby, and who knows how many ESUN pilots: anywhere in all of existence and most likely dead too.  Not to mention whatever they'd gone to La Gias and were trying to recover was up in so much metaphorical smoke on top of everything else.  Be it with anger or sadness or something else, everyone's not going to be at 100% after that clusterfuck of a clusterfuck.  Selena and Albhard are making due with hitting the bar to drown their sorrows.]

... And Shu's gone too.  Can't imagine how that reflects on us as his handlers.  Can't say I'm looking forward to reassignment if it happens... not when there's still the mystery regarding all of that Aerogator intel now.  Though they could just cut us loose entirely... or even take it out on the Captain.



Only positive thing a report would say is just that we didn't all die down there.  Though now that Shu's just... out there...  So much for ever telling him about Jessica.

[A moment of silence passes before Albhard gestures over at the bartender.]

And at the very least, Denzel deserves at least a little something as tribute.

(You there with them?  Coming in?  Up to you!)

Comments

[tiger_ken]

And who exactly presides? The only people who really knew him are both...

[Ken walks in, and finds himself a couch to absolutely collapse into. A hand rises up to rest on his head, before he lets out a sigh.]

And we're left entirely out of the loop again. Shu knew Asakim, Asakim knew about Setsuko's powers... There's more going on, and we seem helpless to stop it. Along with nearly everything else this month.

[deathflag_survivor]

Shu barely knew about Asakim. Just that man's name, and how his machine was some sort of dark mirror of the Cybuster.

And there's always more going on that you won't know about. Things always lead to other things, but this are always like a puzzle. And once you have enough pieces for an area, you can figure out how the rest of it goes.

In fact, Kei and I are going to be checking out Shu's lab as soon as we can.

[tiger_ken]

Says he barely knew. Could've been something he forgot about, or 'forgot' to tell us.

[Ken sighs again though. He seems pretty certain now the world just enjoys messing with the Unity Group. In any case...]

Looking to see if Mr Shirakawa left any of the pieces lying around, eh? What do you think you'll find?

[deathflag_survivor]

Hopefully no surprises Asakim sent there via the TSEN system. That man's taken enough from us...

Still though... I think we can trust Shu on this.

[With those words, Selena nearly chokes on her drink.]

... When he stood up for us before back there. There was something about how he said it.

[tiger_ken]

...I know what you mean. There was that kind of... conviction, about it, right?

[Of course, Ken's not so sure what it means on the rest of what the man had said, but...]

...I wonder, if someone could use the TSEN, could we find them through that...?

[prismphantom]

As much as I'd like to hope that... we have no idea if Setsuko's power had any connection with the TSEN system or the crossgates.

It's not like we won't have the time to try... but shots in the dark are just that.

[tiger_ken]

I was also thinking... if that Asakim guy had a base somewhere or some such...

[By the tone in his voice, that was clearly more of the beneficial side effect, than the main aim.]

[prismphantom]

If he was using a TSEN. And that's the rub, isn't it? Shu and Saphine'd talked about weak dimensional boundaries before being how transportation to and from La Gias usually happened...

But it's worth a shot, no matter how slim it is.

[tiger_ken]

He found a way, which means we can find one too. Hopefully. For their sake...

[Ken gets himself up, and sighs.]

I should probably get to the hangar. See if I can maybe help with ScarleTiger's repairs, no matter how small.

[prismphantom]

Best of luck then. The Gesterben got off lighter than most... once Elma's done with repairs for it I'll see if he can help.

[tiger_ken]

Right. Tell him that even if I owe him, I won't help him make breakfast.

[And so Ken goes for the door.]

[abugslife]

This whole situation would be easier to solve if we still had access to La Gias. I do not suppose there is an alternative way to reach it, is there?

[prismphantom]

Without our TSEN in La Gias... nothing reliable. There's plenty of ways to cross through worlds and we've been seeing plenty of them recently...

... Just nothing we can use.

[abugslife]

Then we cannot reach the professor to answer our questions. We cannot reach the missing people either, if they are still within La Gias.

The situation is far from ideal.

[prismphantom]

So all we can do is wait then. Wait and go about our jobs and keep an eye and ear out. Something much harder than it sounds, no less.

If they're still in La Gias, I hope Shu can find them.

[abugslife]

And then send them back through a wormhole?

[deathflag_survivor]

Possibly, but if not, Professor Shirakawa had a TSEN in his La Gias base. If we're lucky, perhaps he could build a new one.

[abugslife]

If he somehow remembers the schematics, or where did he got the first one from in the first place.

I would not count on it.

[dolorous_sensei]

A toast to Denzel.

*Walt raises his glass.*

He was a good commander... and a good friend.

[prismphantom]

He deserved a better end than this...

[Selena's glass clinks sadly against Walt's, Albhard's joining the other two.]

... We really need to find Setsuko and Toby. The man didn't throw his life away for the other two only to have them be thrown to the winds.

[dolorous_sensei]

*Walt nurses his drink*

Do you think those two are still alive?

[deathflag_survivor]

Toby and the Canis team... all I can do is hope so.

But Setsuko... she's alive. She said her power would take her from danger. Take her someplace safer. I don't know how it decides what's applicable but I know she's not going to be dropped into the middle of a firefight.

[dolorous_sensei]

Sadly, safety is relative. What if they got transported onto space somewhere? Or in a remote, buried cave, somewhere deep inside the earth?

[prismphantom]

Let's just hope that isn't the case. Virgolas were meant to be able to perform well in most environments. And try to keep a look out. In case they're in danger and can only send us a distress signal.

[dolorous_sensei]

*Walt sighs.

First the Symphogear girl, then Yancy, then Denzel. You thought that with all these year, you'd get used to it, but you couldn't.

[deathflag_survivor]

Getting used to it's the worst thing that could happen...

I don't want to meet the guy who'd be parading around and calling for a party right now. Especially since I know he's paid visits here from time to time.

Squadmates can go beyond family. Denzel was like that.

[dolorous_sensei]

The worst part of it is that they're such good people. Of course if they're not, we won't be drinking for them like now, will we?

[prismphantom]

And if any one of us had been the one to die out there, Denzel would be drinking for us instead.

[She signals another round just for good measure before finishing off her last glass.]

You ever had to deal with anything like this, Walt?

[dolorous_sensei]

Much more often than I'd like to. I was in the divine wars, for one. The steel dragon battle group won the war, but we lost many battles beforehand.

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya enters the bar and upon noticing the team Jelba pilots nods and approaches.]

Care for some company this evening. The rest of the flight is getting their units re-calibrated but the second took more of a beating and needs a bit more time.

Funny how when you're forced to downtime it's never enjoyable. Especially not after what happened out there.

[After getting his drink he raises it towards the pair of pilots.]

For Denzel, and to hope that the others are found safely.

[deathflag_survivor]

... Beats being thrown into a firefight when we're like this.

[The other two drinks join with Yuuya's, and a moment afterwards Selena and Albhard both take a glulp down.]

It'd be easier if there were some sort of common trend where Setsuko would reappear whenever she teleported. No such luck this time though.

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya takes a long drink from his glass before setting it down.]

We've got enough units to sortie even without the ACTVs and the Shiranui Second. Of course the ACTVs weren't that bad off so they're up and running again but I guess Lt. Takamura is worried about sending a training unit up against the enemies we fight.

As for Setsuko I'm sure she'll turn up fine but I'm worried about having her pilot again when she does return. She was so close to quitting before the last mission and she's the type to blame herself for what happened despite everyone else failing to do any better.