Super Robot Wars Unlimited Generation @lpha

[1]

[It takes mechanics to get the Mark Zwei open when it's brought back onboard the Tatsumiya Island sub.  The sight inside is both beautiful and horrifying; with so much of Ryo's covered in strange green crystals.  The Mark Zwei didn't stop the assimilation process, just drastically delay it.]

... I was a dead man even before I got in the Mark Zwei one last time.  And... I wanted to make these last moments, the most important of my life.

Everyone... thank you.  The L-Boat... Tatsumiya Island... we would not have survived if not for you...

[At any rate, he's moments from death.  If you have something to say, for the love of God this is your last chance.]

[2]

[And then it happens.  Maybe he was in the middle of talking with you, reassuring you that things were going to be alright or maybe you'd already made your peace with him.  But the crystals shatter, leaving nothing more than a fine dust.  And Ryo Masaoka is finally no more.]

... Yume...

[For anyone who decides to pay a visit to The Wall, you'll find that the entire length of it's been repainted over, and then in massive letting, absolute defeatest talk.]

We are all going to die here.  Every one of us.

[And not only that, there's Ryo, having grabbed another TSX pilot by the collar and... well for the first time ever, anyone present can see Ryo look furious.]

Why do something like this?  Hope of success is one of the things that's keeping this operation from being a failure!  We're halfway through the operation, and aside from that last attack-

That's rich coming from you, Ryo!  We're risking out live day in and day out!  And you're one to talk... you're the one using that new Fafner model... you know, the one who ISN'T going to kill you after only a short time of usage!  Besides, you ran away from the Island while the rest of us trained

You make it sound like I was just fooling around all day!  I was risking my life too to gather data on the TSX's performance!  The only reason those machines are working as well as they are is because I nearly killed myself using one!

Yeah, you did!  And you did it to get out of using one NOW, by picking and choosing when to fight!  Hiroshi's dead and Sumiko's in the hospital, just lying there!  The doctors can't do anything for them... but oh, your little friends from the Chalice; THEY'RE the ones that can be patched up good as new!  But it doesn't matter at all... you know why?  Because WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE-

[The pilot never finishes.  Abruptly, Ryo's fist comes crashing down into his face, all of his strength and weight put into it.  For one with such a sickly body, it's surprising that the blow completely floors the TSX pilot... but that's exactly what happened.  A moment later and Ryo himself falls to his knees, panting heavily as he glares at the fallen pilot.]

... This mission... it's going to be a success!  I never doubted that when I agreed to it!  We've fought tooth and nail and the people who are injured or who have damaged mechs can recover while others take up the slack!  Think about it for a moment...!  For a week, a whole week we've been fighting Festum!  And for that week we haven't been defeated... we're still here!  With no backup and no aid we've held our own against them!

That's reason enough to believe we'll make it home!

[So much data to hand over to the the higher-ups in Alvis.  Combat performance, his own physiological breakdown due to using the TSX, reports that the Festum were acting as far out as the moon... And before long Ryo is back onboard the White Chalice, eyes just as red as ever, and now in front of a new Fafner]

I have good news and bad news for everyone.  But I'll start with the bad because the good news is in response to it.

The fact is, when we came down to Tatsumiya Island and they lowered the shields, the island gave away its positioninng.  The Festum probably know right where the Island is, and needless to say there's certain things here we cannot let them get their hands on.  We just came from a rough battle, I know, and most of us are not in any condition to fight... plus Ichitaka and Haruka are still missing.

The good news is there's a plan.  It was devised a while ago and we're goinng to put it into motion.  Tatsumiya Island's an artificial island, so we can submerge it and move it safely to another location.  The White Chalice and the rest of the fleet can stay with it and conduct repairs and we should be ready to go in a little while.

... In the meantime, a small portion of the Island, called the "L-Boat" is going to stay behind as a diversionary measure.  Pilots and technincians are going to stay, and they can hold off the Festum so they're never the wiser of the truth.  The only problem is they're dangerously short on pilots with experience fighting the Festum... or even just familiar with their psionic attacks.  I'm the only member of the Island who's faced them so I'm going to be there, doing what I can to help both on and off the battlefield.  With this new Nothung-model Fafner I should be able to pilot again safely... if only for a little while.

I can't and won't order anyone to go.  I don't have the rank, after all.  I want to believe we'll all make it back but at the same time I can't promise something like that.  But at the same time, I respect all of you, as well as your decisions.  If you want to come along, by all means do so.

[So yeah.  This is the IC post for people who want to "volunteer" their characters to go on the L-Boat route.  This isn't going to be sunshine and lollipops, so don't expect that.  But feel free to use this to say why/how your character is going on the L-Boat, interact with Ryo, whatever.]