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.

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?

[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?

[empress_without_a_throne]

Alright.

And... yeah. Kanade, Yancy, Denzel... things didn't get any better after I got captured, did they?

[break_the_nine]

No... but things are going to get better now!

We're fighting back hard and getting stronger! We've got some new people around too!

[empress_without_a_throne]

He's right. Quite a few have been brought on... it's not like that balances out those we've lost, but still...

I know... still... that's the price some have to pay for keeping the world safe, if only for a few more days.

[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.

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?

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]

For the record, I had to knock some sense into him after you went missing... but that wasn't really a fight.

Good to know. I was actually kinda worried if the team would fall apart without me... But...

The Indalph did a bit to me... but the worst was what happened when the Solego got jumped. With all the glass and everything...

I lost my eye in the midst of everything.

[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.

[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.

[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...

[empress_without_a_throne]

Good to hear from you too, Dido. Good to hear from everyone, really...

... I have to apologize though for skipping out on everyone like that though. The ShelLancer finally gets finished and then its pilot goes missing... can't imagine how hard it must've been for grandpa to find a replacement...

[brought_it_back]

[A bit of silence as Eva evaluates her response. If Sara was under some sort of duress, it does not seem to show.]

...That is good, then.

[Eva sits there with the line open, not saying anything else.]

[empress_without_a_throne]

She one of the new people I was told about?

Something like that. She was a bit crazy before, but she seems to have mellowed out.

[brought_it_back]

...I was here before Ms. Harper was captured.

And I am always mellow.

[actuallyselfish]

"Er..." Dido says. "About that..."

She scratches the back of her head. "I sorta...took the ShelLancer out a few times while you were away? And gave it a Decepticon decal?'

[empress_without_a_throne]

... Yeah...

I... see... This could be awkward when I get back though...

We'll figure something out. Even if it means making a fourth machine. I mean, we could make it a dragon called the GrayScale.

[empress_without_a_throne]

You tried to kill something because it was giving you a headache and you couldn't be asked to just get away from it.

Mellow people don't do that.

She WHAT?!?

Another long story with Walt....

A lot's happened. I think we all'll have catching up to do.