You have one unheard message

[empress_without_a_throne]

[1]

[What's this?  A sound-only transmission coming from a PROGTECH base?  That's kinda odd...]

Hey... you there?  Solaris hasn't ducked out from helping the Unity Group, right?

[Wait.]

Sara?  Sara is that you?!?

Good to finally hear your voice too, Mizuki.  After what I've been through... well, it's nice talking to a being of darkness that isn't pure evil and all that.  For that matter, one with some brains.  I'm sorry for making you worry though... it's quite a story to tell  and I'm not exactly in any condition to tell it just yet.  I'll do what I can to see you soon though, or maybe you guys can drop by for a visit or just whatever.

We can do that... we can definitely do that!  Sara, after what happened-

I know.  But it's over now.  And it's good to be back.  Don't suppose you could get me in touch with some of the other people here though?  I'm sure they'd like to hear from me too.

[2]

[After Keep Away]



[The DuskBird's in bad shape when it finally arrives back at Sakihama.  It's still mostly there, just... lacking a sense of structure.  Joints.  Like parts of itself just coil up together under its own weight.  And Mizuki herself...?  Well-]

WHAM!

[... She just sent her first into a metal door and left a bulging dent.]

She actually...

She was better than this.  She knew better than this!  She saw all through her childhood battles and sacrifices and...

... And what comes afterrwards...

Comments

1)

[break_the_nine]

Sara..?

Sara its Leos! Are you okay?! You aren't hurt or anything right? Can you walk? Do you still have all your limbs? Are the people on the base making sure you're getting enough food?

[Leos' questions are almost rapidfire in his worry.]

[empress_without_a_throne]

One at a time, Leos, one at a time!

But I am doing okay... I couldn't make it back to even Star Rose from where I wound up, but I decided to trust in your advertising and take my chances with PROGTECH.

It's good to finally have a warm meal.

[break_the_nine]

That... that's good... I'm just really glad we could get another friend back.

[He sniffles a little and wipes his eyes.]

We'll be seeing you soon okay?

1

[tiger_ken]

[Ken literally came running once he heard the news.]

Sara?! Sara is it really you?!

[empress_without_a_throne]

Yes, it's me. Good to hear you're still with the Unity Group too, Ken. You haven't gotten into any other fights since I got captured, did you?

[tiger_ken]

Only against bad guys! I promise!

[We'll just neatly ignore the ones that knocked some sense into him...]

And what about you?! Are you okay?! Did they do anything to you?!

1

[majestic_keiki]

It's good to see that you're safe.

[empress_without_a_throne]

Good to hear from you too, Kei. Hope they didn't make you have to go it alone for any publicity stunts while I was gone.

[majestic_keiki]

Don't worry about it...You're okay, right? Nothing too serious happened while you were gone?

1

[abugslife]

It is good to see that you are alright, and in high spirit. Many people were worried you have fallen into the hands of the enemy, as a prisoner.

What happened on your side since your disappearance?

[empress_without_a_throne]

They'd be right. One minute I'm trying to scout NUNE troop placements, the next I'm surrounded by things emerging from holes in space. Lost my eye in all the chaos on account of broken glass.

The Indalph weren't exactly kind wardens either, but something must've happened to cause them all to just go into total shock. Stuck with them for a while too... because the interrogations got even worse after that. I guessed maybe it was something you'd done.

But when you're that rattled, you make mistakes. And when I saw a chance to escape I took it. Wound back up here a little while ago, been in the care of PROGTECH people ever since. Didn't have the strength to let them know who I was until recently.

Sara... you... went through all of that?

Not the hardest thing a Solaris pilot's had to do. That's what kept me going up there...

1

[actuallyselfish]

"Sa....Sa..."

Re: 1

[actuallyselfish]

"Sara!"

Dido starts to blubber.

"You're alive! Sweet Lord, you're alright! We missed you so...!"

She tries to compose herself. "It's good to hear you."

1

[brought_it_back]

Ms. Harper, do you require extraction?

[empress_without_a_throne]

Don't worry, I'm with good people right now in at a PROGTECH facility. Another day or two and I should be good enough to leave.

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya manages to overhear the conversation as he passes by. At the sound of the familiar voice he approaches and looks at Mizuki.]

Looks like you just got a rather amazing bit of good news there Mizuki.

[Yuuya turns to face the console more directly.]

So are you ready for us to come pick you up Sara? I'm sure Mizuki would like you back here with the rest of us and I imagine it'd be better to recover here than at the PROGTECH base. Though I'm sure when you come back there will be another family visit for Mizuki's parents to drag us all into.

[The last is said with a grin and good natured wink in Mizuki's direction.]

[empress_without_a_throne]

I don't know... how about this time we drag Director Harper over so we can embarrass Sara instead!

What? Y-you're joking!

2

[tiger_ken]

[A hand suddenly reaches from behind, and...!]

Hey.

[Delivers the lightest possible tap to Mizuki's shoulders. He wasn't here for her when they lost Sara the first time, so...]

If you need to vent, there's much better to choose from than a wall.

[empress_without_a_throne]

I know, but...

It was the closest thing on-hand. And if you're trying to offer up yourself, don't. You did good out there...

2

[brought_it_back]

...I will kill her, if you can not.

[empress_without_a_throne]

Not exactly the kind of reassuring that I'm looking for right now.

2

[dolorous_sensei]

Mizuki? Where's Sara? What happened?

[empress_without_a_throne]

What happened... was she defected to the Indalph. And this whole return of hers seemed like it was purely for the purpose of letting us know this.

2

[ugyuuya]

So I see Ken and myself aren't the only ones to start adding to property damage budgets when our temper gets the better of us.

[Mizuki can turn to see Yuuya looking rather worse for wear after the last mission, he's walking fairly well but there is a bit of a list to his steps and the severe vibrations that rocked his units have caused several capillaries to burst and his eyes are looking mildly bloodshot.]

I'm sorry about what happened out there and that we couldn't stop Sarah before she escaped. I'm still not 100% certain that it was fully her decision but despite that she does need to be stopped, I just hope we can do it with her getting out alive.

[empress_without_a_throne]

Don't blame yourself, you went through quite a bit too. I can't say I have the same faith that this is all some trick, but-

[And then she sees Yuuya.]

... Are you sure you're okay?