For the Sake of Cheap Sentimentalism

[empress_without_a_throne]

[1]

[So many revelations brought on inside of the Lady's Good Men's base of operations.  Ingram and that impostor Calico.  The Lady herself.  But on a more personal note...]

... He... was right.

On our own, the Savior machines have done decently enough, but whenever we've combined things have rarely gone well.  And it's getting worse and worse...

[Sara nearly disabling the machine with such ease.  SolEraser trashing the machine once, and her own self-destructive attempt to defeat it the second time.  And now SolSavior's strongest attack more a threat to its pilots than anyone else.  The cuts, bruises, bandages, and bloodstains on Mizuki's clothing do not paint an uplifting picture.]

[2]

[video]



Everyone... I've made a decision.  It's entirely mine and mine alone, but...  In light of what we did... what happened out there I mean...

I'm stepping down from being a member of the Savior team.  I won't be leaving the Unity Group or Solaris, but... but I've gone as far as I can, done as much as I can to make the idea work.  But I guess the Lady's Good Men weren't the only ones at odds with the laws of reality.

Also, just to test the water... do you think "DawnBird"... would make a good name?  For a replacement machine?  Solaris's already made two new mechs... one more should be doable.

Comments

[tiger_ken]

Pretense? We're a team, regardless of that combination or not! You named the team, not for the machine, but because of what we wanted to achieve! Helping people, not just fighting bad guys!

You may feel fine tossing that aside, but I sure as hell don't! Its part of who I am - Ken Torao, knucklehead and ninja of the Saviour Team!

[Well, even with the yelling, at least he has some self-awareness.]

[empress_without_a_throne]

[The loud outburst makes her wince, but Mizuki steels herself.]

Who said I was going to just throw everything I've done?! I'm not going away and I'm not going to just give up on the team's ideals! But sooner or later there's bound to be a replacement pilot...

Ken, you don't actually think I'm leaving, do you?

[tiger_ken]

You're leaving the team. 'Replacement pilot', right?

[His gaze remains hard for several seconds, but softens with a sigh.]

I guess you're just following the advice the grown ups are giving you... The stuff that says you can't ever really be part of this world. That you can't reconcile what you are with everyone else.

[From his tone, Ken doesn't really believe it.]

Even where its already done some good.

[empress_without_a_throne]

[And then finally she's had enough. Her hand strikes out, smacking Ken across the face.]

Now you're sounding like Yuuya on one of his worse days. Don't jump to conclusions and don't act like this is the end of things! Nobody forced me into this... or even suggested it...

And I still have a place in this world, right here in the Unity Group! I might've been a little off the mark but that's all!

[tiger_ken]

[Ken takes it, not even blinking.]

Don't act as if you made this choice in a vacuum either. Your father made it quite clear what Solaris thinks of the situation.

And I'd say we hit the mark against the Lady's Good Men more than a couple times. Made our differences into a strength, and proved Loni and his friends wrong.

[empress_without_a_throne]

They've made it clear they don't want us killing each other, and that's a feeling I share. Those differences are a two-edged sword, Ken, and I've put you and Dido in the hospital once already, and we were lucky it didn't happen a second time!

And we made our best showing acting separate. What could SolSavior have done at their headquarters that we didn't accomplish just as three individual pilots, working together?

[tiger_ken]

I dunno, but I'm pretty sure Birmingham wouldn't have gone the same way, particularly at the end. Or when the Lady's Good Men had hostages in Russia. SolSaviour worked when we put it to use saving people, not just fighting them. I get that doesn't come up often in our line of work, for we which we should be thankful, but...

[...He stops, sighs, and simply turns around.]

Forget it. Your choice anyway, guess I should should respect it. Or whatever.