[ Vash smiles at her, relieved that she seems to be alright, at least physically. He has no idea how she got here, but he's glad to see her anyway; he hasn't exactly missed No Man's Land, but he has thought more than once of how Meryl and Roberto would have liked this place. He'd hated knowing they'd been left behind. As much as he'd like to catch up right then and there, he doesn't think a little bit of sand is going to deter Nai for more than a few more seconds. ]

You should find some cover, Meryl. We'll catch up later -- I promise. [ Vash's gun hasn't wavered from where it's trained on Nai, but he picks up where Meryl left off shouting at the guards to stay away. He knows they're not real, and that they're just doing what they're programmed to do, but all the same; he doesn't want to see them sliced up just for that.

Whether Meryl gets up on her own or not, he keeps himself squarely between her and Nai. ]

Nai, that's enough. Whatever you were trying to do -- just let it go.