"Je ne sais pas while we flirt with one another on this still and quiet night you only gaze at time before you." "You, my traveler in the stars..." "Pour quoi..." "My heart beating fast I awaken in the fleeting morning's light." "Murmuring to myself, I open the window and the white birds outside laugh and play." "Don't run from the wind..." "Don't fear the ocean, either..." "Even though they have the devil's smile." "Don't be hasty with your dreams." "Don't give up your love so soon because soon you'll see a rainbow in the sky." "On I march through the hell of my dreams." "Marchez..." "Tears in my eyes, marchez..." "As the stars spin in the sky, my song will go on." "Chantez..." "My song of tomorrow, chantez..." "The sky above laughs at their misdeeds  even though the sailors have no more words to say." "It's a nice song." "Wonder why?" "It's a song about a sailor who died and the woman who loved him." "No matter how sad an age may be, people are always like that." "They can never give up the things they love." "I used to be like that." "Oh, a girl in every port, huh?" "Andressen!" "All of them at once?" "I'm on a lucky streak." "You can kill yourself, man." "That's why I train so much!" "Oh, come on!" "We're space heroes!" "The Undefeated Soyokaze!" "The babes are all over us!" "That sounds so vulgar." "Does Captain Tylor do that, too?" "I've been wondering about that." "They say heroes like to fool around!" "And turning down a woman's offer disgraces a man." "That's not just with heroes." "ALL men are like that." "Mr. Tylor, too." "Mr. Yamamoto, too." "And Mr. Kojiro, too." "Right?" "And you call yourself a professional warrior?" "L" " Leave me alone!" "Well, even professional warriors need to play around within limits." "Professional warriors..." "Commander Star, despite how he seems the captain isn't like that." "Don't worry." "At the very least, I believe in him." "Mr. Yamamoto..." "You're really a gentle romantic at heart, aren't you?" "People always keep that true gentle part hidden deep inside, don't they?" "I like that a lot more than men whose personalities are only skin deep." "Well, er..." "I'm just a normal soldier, so..." "I love it when you say things like that." "Oh..." "You really mean that?" "I do." "I see..." "So, I'm really a gentle romantic at heart..." "Are you from the " undefeated" Soyokaze?" "Can't you tell from just looking at us?" "Who are you guys?" "We're from the destroyer Aranami." "The Aranami?" "!" "You mean the special operations destroyer?" "THAT Aranami?" "!" "Where's your captain?" "Yeah?" "You're to report to Admiral Mifune at once." "Report?" "Right now?" "Where is he?" "They say all organizations evolve from.." "...a state of autocracy to a state of democracy." "But this is an illusion." "A lie." "Not only for the military, but for every organization and business." "Even today, society is divided into upper and lower classes." "Castes we cannot see..." "How could you make me swim 25 meters in my clothes in the ocean in the middle of the night?" "!" "If you wish to say that the truth is unfair, you may." "The enemy has developed a terrible new weapon." "Very soon..." "We may go to full-scale war." "You must know that, even though you're my subordinate I've tried to have you killed several times." "Now that you mention it, I have nearly been killed a lot of times." "Both by the enemy and sometimes my allies." "But..." "But what?" "Well, I'm still alive, so I guess the pain you caused me all came out oflove because you had such high hopes for me." "Hmm..." "You can't get angry, can you?" "I take that as a compliment." "Can you trust me, a total stranger?" "Of course!" "Would you keep a promise to me?" "Of course!" "Can you trust your own people?" "Of course." "Could you let them die?" "Of cour" " Huh?" "I was asking if you can allow your crew who have faith in you, to die." "Sir, are you drunk?" "War demands soldiers to bequeath a perfect victory to posterity and leave nothing unfinished." "That is the nature of war itself." "And so...?" "Turn that on." "From here on, what we say and do will be recorded on that." "This will maintain your innocence in this matter, Commander Tylor." "You may choose the password for retrieving the recording and I'll leave it to you to do with as you see fit." "What's brought this on?" "I, Admiral Mifune, taking full responsibility for this decision am ordering you, Cmdr. Tylor, onto a vital and dangerous secret mission." "Secret mission?" "This secret is between you and I." "We cannot even let our own people know about it." "Only you can do this." "Oh, boy..." "However, suppose you successfully complete this secret mission." "What do you want in return?" "What do I want?" "As a reward." "I will make your dream come true." "My dream..." "That's sorta embarrassing, sir!" "Don't be so shocked!" "It's the greatest role a soldier can have, isn't it?" "!" "Besides, you can have your tiniest dream come true." "You'll do this, won't you?" "Hm?" "What is it?" "All the official arrangements have been made!" "All that's left is to know your intentions!" "I just have to laugh, sir." "Welcome back, sir!" "Right." "Hi, I'm home..." "What happened to you guys?" "!" "Oh, nothing, sir." "Don't worry about it." "" Heh-heh-heh" my ass!" "Look at those bruises!" "Let me guess..." "Another bar fight?" "Well, sir..." "I'm afraid this is all our fault" "You don't have to make a big deal about this, okay?" "The bar's owner already yelled at us and he REALLY let us have it!" "But we made sure to pay for all the damages!" "Yeah, and whose money do you think it was?" "Anyway, what did Admiral Mifune want, sir?" "Oh, yeah!" "I asked him to give us all big raises." "All right!" "Way to go!" "Thank you very much, sir!" "Just kidding." "It's a joke." "No, stop that!" "I'm a gentle-hearted romantic!" "I shouldn't get mad!" "People!" "They say money comes down from on high!" "Looks like our raises bounced right back up there again!" "But the captain can still make jokes about it, even at times like this!" "Isn't that wonderful, people?" "!" "What's up with the lieutenant?" "Probably got hit a little too hard in the fight." "Oh, where's Harumi?" "Who do you think bandaged us up?" "Of course." "Harumi!" "Got a second?" "Yes, Captain?" "What is it?" "I've got a secret favor to ask you." "A secret...?" "Of course." "Of course." "Ask me anything." "Okay, in secret now, can you contact Captain Dom?" "Oh, is that what you want?" "Well, yes, I could probably do it, but..." "I assume by secret you mean you only want Captain Dom to get it?" "Yeah, basically." "Well, in that case, it could be a little difficult." "I don't work for the Raalgon anymore, so any contact I make..." "There'd be reports, recordings made..." "Oh, really..." "Yeah, I guess so." "Should I still give it a try, sir?" "Never mind!" "Never mind!" "Just forget it!" "Day after day, it's the same, annoying things." "I feel so sorry when I hear of everyone's hardships." "It's you who must bear hardships, Highness." "Oh, yes!" "We should be talking about your promotion, shouldn't we?" "Don't you want to become an admiral and command your own fleet?" "As you say, although I am content to stay as I am." "You're saying you don't want a fleet?" "If I had one, I couldn't move with agility." "Besides..." "This way, I can remain at Your Highness's side." "Yes..." "But isn't there anything you want?" "Maybe I can get something foryour ship." "The new attack element we've developed is already being grafted onto my ship before any other." " That thing..." " Yes." "Soon we can show everyone your imperial fleet's invincibility." "I see..." "Might I ask if you desire anything, Your Highness?" "I...?" "Let's see..." "What is it that I want...?" "Perhaps..." "No matter what their position in life, everyone has something they desire." "I know!" "I wish to take a holiday!" "A holiday!" "I want to go back to just worrying about myself!" "But that's a wish that can't come true." "Just a dream..." "Still..." "I think of Paco-Paco and that woman and wonder what they're doing now." "That must be heavy." "I can take it now." "Oh, this is no trouble." "Not nearly as bad as that fight last night." "We really weren't ourselves last night, were we?" "Those who don't understand other peoples' hardships must be fought over and over!" "No, no." "I didn't mean what started the fight." "I've been feeling like this since we were drinking last night." "I don't think it was a very exceptional conversation, either." "But the others also devote their lives to war, so..." "That's what I mean." "What everyone talked about when we were drinking." "Battle techniques." "New weapons." "It was all about war." "Even the captain did that." "If you're not well versed in such things, you just end up in a grave." "Years ago, just before I joined up, I went drinking with someone." "A lover...?" "!" "Oh, no." "A girlfriend." "We just went in the bar on a whim." "It was a favorite with the soldiers." "And they got funny with you?" "!" "Oh, no!" "They were all wonderful people and behaved like gentlemen." "But, it was like last night." "All they talked about were weapons and strategies." "And they were really, really passionate about it." "My friend with me was so impressed saying "Wow!" "Wow!" "What soldiers!" "You're all professional warriors!"" "But I was shocked by it." "They all seemed so narrow-minded." "The idea of them being professionals..." "I hated it." "I ended up not saying a word the entire night." "Commander Star..." "Isn't it strange?" "Hearing me say that now?" "Oh, no!" "I don't think it's strange at all!" "It's the cleanest, most beautiful, normal thing to say!" "I..." "I mean that." "But, now I'm a pro." "A professional warrior..." "You ended up carrying it all the way here." "Sorry about that." "That's all right." "B" " By the way, what happened to your friend?" "She has two kids now, with a third on the way." "Oh, good for her!" "Her husband must be proud!" "He died in battle..." "Sorry for telling you such a boring story." "Tell me, have you told this to the captain?" "I don't think he'd understand." "You're the first I've told, Lieutenant Yamamoto." "Thanks for listening to me." "And for carrying my bag." "It was my pleasure!" "Now, if you'll excuse me!" "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." "I'll come at once!" "Right." "I'll do that." "Commander Star told me something she hasn't told the captain!" "I have to protect this bond of trust we've established!" "Hey, Yuriko!" "Yuriko, have you got a minute?" "Captain." "That looks heavy." "Need some help?" "No, thanks." "It's just some new clothes and things." "What's up?" "Well, you see, this mission coming up is sort of tricky." "Oh?" "I'm sorry you just lugged that stuff in here but I'd like you to leave the Soyokaze and wait for us." "What's brought this on?" "I just want you to be someplace safe." "I'll help you carry it." "Are you joking?" "Or has there been a problem with my work?" "Of course not." "Or is this some weird way of proposing to me?" "P-P-Propose?" "!" "Uh, no!" "It's not that at all!" "Then you honestly want me off the ship because it'll be dangerous?" "Everyone on the Soyokaze is here because they chose to be." "You must understand why they did that, don't you?" "It's because they all trust and believe in you." "That's why you shouldn't treat anyone on board differently from any other for personal reasons." "And as for the danger..." "Facing danger and doing our duty together is what draws us closer." "Besides, I'm a soldier, too." "The same as everyone else." "War demands soldiers to bequeath a perfect victory to posterity." "I can't leave the ship by myself." "I can't do it." "Not that..." "I'll make my own choice." "So, what does a gentle-hearted romantic do in this situation?" "No matter how you look at it, I always end up as the clown..." "What're you doing, Lieutenant?" "Would you like me to check for a fever?" "Out of the question!" "Completely out of the question!" "Never mind, Dom." "I guess I was being too selfish." "But, Highness..." "No!" "We've spent a great deal of time developing this new attack element!" "Our soldiers have great hopes for it as they await its deployment!" "And I could say their hopes rest with her Imperial Highness as well..." "The thought of Her Highness leaving her official duties to take a personal holiday is outrageous!" "Morale would plummet!" "People would lose faith in Her Highness!" "Just a short vacation from all her hard work." "Even the men on the front lines are allowed that." "Considering they'd die for Her Highness do you think they'd want her to sacrifice her good health?" "Besides, there's no need to tell soldiers on the front every detail of her life." "In that case, while Her Highness secretly takes her holiday someone must assume her official duties and direct the Empire's destiny, so to speak." "Now, tell me!" "Who can we find to do that?" "!" "Are you sure you want the Soyokaze to handle this?" "We have no choice." "But, if the Soyokaze fails you may be the one who'll be blamed for it, Admiral Mifune." "Hmpf..." "If we don't do this now, someone else eventually will." "Sacrificing my position for it would be a small price to pay." "Our target is the Raalgon imperial flagship Melva!" "Issue orders for all ships to move out!" "Contact the destroyer Soyokaze." "They are to pull away from the fleet and proceed as planned!" "Destroyer Soyokaze!" "Pull away from the main fleet!" "Aye, sir!" "Pulling away from main fleet!" "Who just touched my butt?" "!" "Ow!" "It wasn't me!" "Just start the briefing already!" "What was that just now?" "Is that possible?" "!" "It's a new enemy weapon." "Apparently some type of mass conversion bomb against which barriers and armor are useless." "Mass conversion bomb?" "!" "At the moment it hits the barrier, it converts to a new energy state penetrates the ship's hull and then explodes inside." "As you saw, the Asadachi was destroyed." "Captain...?" "You may continue, Doctor." "This is a terrible weapon." "We've heard that very few of their ships have this experimental weapon but it seems the enemy intends to try a large-scale field test." "If they use that on us, we'll be in big trouble!" "Even the Soyokaze will get turned into a floating coffin!" "This isn't just a question of the Soyokaze!" "What do you mean?" "That the fleet'll get wiped out?" "You're thinking too small." "Two outcomes...?" "Think about it." "Your mission is to hit the Raalgon transport ships carrying the mass conversion bombs to the field test." "This is a really vital and dangerous mission, so keep that in mind, guys." "But those transports are bound to have an escort fleet guarding them!" "And you know damn well they'll have those whatsit bombs ready to fire!" "The Soyokaze'll end up being a roast turkey!" "To draw their escort fleet off the big boys decided to take the main fleet under their control and hit the main enemy stronghold." "The Soyokaze is to meet up with a support ship and then together we'll give those naked delivery boys a nice, warm kiss!" "Pin them in a checkmate, huh?" "It..." "It could work..." "However, we'll only have one chance to beat the enemy." "It's a pretty desperate plan, though." "Lieutenant Yamamoto?" "Commander Star, why is such a vital mission briefing being...?" "!" "I know..." "I hate sneak attacks!" "I told Admiral Mifune that!" "Why, sir?" "Well, because..." "It's playing dirty." "Raalgon fleet, sighted!" "Flagship Melva coordinates, confirmed!" "All ships, stand by to warp!" "Hold for the next command!" "Enemy transport ships, sighted!" "Coordinates, confirmed!" "They're being escorted by seven ships, cruiser-class!" "Stand by to warp!" "Wait to rendezvous with the support ship." "Hold at max impulse!" "Warp, standing by." "Holding at max impulse!" "I have a question, Captain." "Yes?" "What is it?" "This is too much for the lieutenant!" "Don't you feel sorry for him?" "Oh, no, Commander Star." "It's all right." "It's just the way I am." "You didn't tell the lieutenant about an important mission like this?" "Why did you have the doctor give such an important briefing?" "!" "That's Lieutenant Yamamoto's job!" "Oh, I see." "Sorry, my bad." "But don't you think having someone who isn't directly involved in the battle explain the plan made it simpler to understand?" "That's why I asked the doctor to do it." "Sorry." "Sorry." "Oh, I see!" "So, was that it?" "You wouldn't discriminate against your subordinates or hide anything, would you?" "What is it?" "Oh, that's right!" "I hate tricking people..." "Oh, did I mention our support ship is the destroyer Aranami?" "It's the WHAT?" "!" "A...ra...na...mi?" "!" "What do you mean?" "!" "No one said anything about this!" "The Aranami!" "You have to be kidding!" "You wanna get us killed?" "!" "Wh" " What's wrong, guys?" "!" "Did I say something wrong?" "You never said anything about the Aranami!" "There's no way we're working with them!" "Those guys can't be trusted!" "I mean they mustn't be trusted!" "The Aranami is the Soyokaze's enemy." "I think we should cancel this operation right now." "Yuriko, even you...?" "Whoa, hold on here!" "The operation's already started." "We can't stop now, can we?" "Captain, the reason we got hurt so badly before was-- ...because you fought the guys from the Aranami in the club, right?" "Forget that!" "Forget it!" "Guys in the same army always have fights in bars!" "Mr. Tylor, everyone here teaming up to fight isn't something that always happens!" "But now the Soyokaze and the Aranami are major players in an important operation." "This isn't some kiddy fight!" "Who are you calling kids?" "!" "You don't know anything about it!" "Lieutenant Yamamoto..." "Hm?" "Yes?" "Whoops!" "Stop it!" "You're the gentle-hearted romantic, remember?" "We can't blame him." "The captain doesn't know what started the fight." "I..." "I suppose you're right." "This is the destroyer Aranami." "We have rendezvoused with the Undefeated Soyokaze." "Please confirm our position." "Gimme that!" "Attention destroyer Jerk-a-nami!" "Open up your ears and listen real good!" "If you don't wanna end up dead, don't try anything funny!" "Are you a bunch of morons?" "!" "Remember the mission!" "Admiral, the Aranami's rendezvoused with the Soyokaze." "What will today be?" "Sir?" "A day for luck or a day for disaster?" "Oh." "A day to just live through, sir." "Yes..." "To just live through..." "To all ships!" "Our fleet will commence attack!" "Activate warp drive!" "The Mifune fleet's warped!" "Okay, there's no going back now!" "We'd better make up our minds." "You can't find it?" "!" "That's impossible!" "The Soyokaze must be somewhere out there!" "The transport ships' escorts are scrambling!" "All hands, prepare for battle!" "Soyokaze!" "Activate warp drive!" "Activating warp drive!" "Uh, attention Raalgon transports!" "Surrender at once!" "Captain?" "!" "Captain?" "!" "You idiot!" "What do you think you're doing?" "!" "You're too close!" "Back off and open fire!" "That idiot!" "Admiral!" "A" " Abort operation!" "All ships, retreat!" "Our attack fleet's retreating!" "Roger." "R..." "ROGER?" "!" "Soyokaze!" "Pull out at once!" "They're going to shoot!" "There's no time!" "Undefeated Soyokaze, good luck to you!" "Damn you, Tylor..." "How dare you..." "How dare you do that!" "Damn it all..." "Is everyone all right?" "I think I can get gravity control working again but our engines' damage level is 65%." "There's no way we can do warp speed." "And the worse news is that communications are dead, also." "Damn it, Tylor!" "What were you thinking?" "!" "Were you trying to kill us all?" "!" "I wasn't expecting that warm kiss to go quite like this." "It's because you suddenly asked them to surrender!" "But they were unarmed." "So you just thought you'd rewrite the mission plan yourself?" "!" "They have a secret weapon, you know!" "Calm down." "Just accept it as a decision by the man in charge." "Didn't we all tell you before?" "!" "We just can't trust those guys on the Aranami!" "If you were going to change the plan, why do it suddenly instead of telling us beforehand?" "The Aranami fired knowing we'd be caught in the explosion!" "That's the sort of people they are!" "That's going too far, Mr. Yamamoto." "You're actually defending them?" "Oh, man..." "Captain!" "Do you know what those guys said to us before?" "!" ""Your captain doesn't follow the rules and doesn't have any common sense!"" ""You laugh at people who really fight and die!"" ""You trample other peoples' happiness for the sake of your own!"" "That you only win by dumb luck and that you're an irresponsible idiot!" "They're jealous of all our-- No, all your deeds!" "Hey!" "Didn't we say we weren't gonna tell him about that?" "!" "The truth is..." "We all wanted to keep it a secret from you." "We didn't want to hurt you." "That's why..." "That's why I hoped you'd listen to us before." "Really..." "Those guys on the Aranami are incredible!" "But everything they said about me is true!" "Captain..." "Our friends are here." "Well, guys..." "Shall we all take a trip to the hot springs?" "I've found you, Captain Tylor." "Hi there!" "Damn it all!" "We're official soldiers of the United Planets Space Force!" "You can't treat us this badly!" "Mr. Kojiro, they captured us." "We lost to them." "But it's okay!" "Mr. Tylor's with us!" "What's "okay" about that?" "!" "It's his fault we're in this mess!" "Is it true the Raalgon don't let their prisoners live?" "The only thing after capture is death." "This looks bad." "Very bad." "If we're gonna die, we can do whatever we want." "Yeah, we could." "Okay, then I'll do what I want!" "Me, too!" "I'll really let 'em have it before I go!" "Same here." "I am really... gonna tear that idiot Tylor apart!" "Me, too!" "Yeah!" "We'll get 'em!" "Silence!" "No talking!" "Part of me knew all along that this would eventually happen." "Hm?" "Lieutenant Kim, are you one of those people who likes being tied up?" "Oh, no!" "I was talking about how Tylor's luck had to run out." "No matter how lucky you may be, eventually it has to run out, right?" "I wonder what he'd have left inside if you took out all his luck." "Listen, even if you think you're so lucky that  you'll never get hit by a bullet, everybody has to die sometime." "Both soldiers and monks accept that the moment they choose their careers." "But isn't there a part of you that's still not convinced of that?" "I guess..." "I thought I could believe in him absolutely!" "But now I just don't know anymore..." "Because we failed our mission like this?" "At least with what happened with the transport ships I wouldn't consider this mission a total failure." "But, the captain..." "I know..." "A real man holds both true strength and true gentleness inside of himself." "And they come to the surface when they're needed." "Exactly." "Unfortunately, in the captain right now..." "That strength just isn't there..." "We came back together to follow the captain but he doesn't seem to be counting on us at all." "What do you think?" "Not counting on us?" "Like he doesn't really need us." "Need us...?" "The captain doesn't need any of us..." "But even saying that, he can't be that selfish, can he...?" "That's right!" "Even the captal n has no right to decide our lives for us!" "That's just what I mean!" "I said no talking!" "Commander Star, may I ask one personal question of you?" "No." "I can't?" "!" "Hey, idiot!" "Idiot...?" "If you want to talk so much, you'll have lots of chances later." "Walk faster!" "That hurts!" "Jeez..." "Strange..." "Sir?" "Captain Tylor..." "I can't quite fathom your actions." "Neither can I, actually." "Why does somebody so pretty have to be so violent?" "Do you want to die?" "!" "Yes!" "The acting ruler of the Holy Raalgon Empire is I, Wang!" "Well?" "Does that surprise you, Poco-Poco?" "Please!" "It's Paco-Paco!" "Are you sure they really put you in charge?" "You don't seem to have the right dignity for the job." "Here is my proof." "I feel sorry for you." "That job must have really worn little Azalyn out." "What did you...?" "Since, if she wasn't tired I doubt she'd choose to put a sly old fox like you in charge!" "Okay, I see you're in charge!" "Now take me to Azalyn!" "I see you're trying to flatter me into sparing your life, but that won't work!" "While I am the acting leader, I have full power to make decisions!" "It was foolish to spare a prisoner before but that won't happen now, Poco-Poco!" "It's PACO-PACO!" "Interrogation?" "Yes." "We will begin interrogating you prisoners now." "We, too, are honorable Space Force soldiers." "If you truthfully tell us what you know, I promise that the interrogation will be conducted in a just and friendly manner." "As if we can trust you?" "!" "Even we prefer to avoid the bother of needless violence or torture." "Torture?" "!" "Raalgon torture." "Wh" " What you said before..." "If you're truthful, we promise." "So, the true objective of your mission was to destroy the new attack element we've developed." "I can figure that out without asking you, but my first question is why were only two destroyers sent to do it?" "If you wanna know, I can just show you." "But you gotta say please." "Um..." "Please." "You must know that already!" "Our United Planets Space Force destroyer is really powerful for just one ship!" "Then my next question is, if they had to be sent why did one have to be the Soyokaze?" "Well because..." "Right?" "The Soyokaze's a popular ship." "Popular how?" "All I gotta say is " I'm from the Undefeated Soyokaze..."" "...and women are pushovers for me." "I see." "Then my third question is why couldn't the popular Soyokaze turn and run with everyone else?" "Don't get any closer to me!" "Why didn't you run with the rest?" "Tell Big Sister all about it..." "Not...so...close...!" "I guess sex appeal isn't going to open his mouth." "I think because the captain didn't listen to his subordinates' advice." "Advice?" "!" "You think it's proper for subordinates to give advice to superiors?" "!" "Of course we do!" "The Soyokaze's pretty much a democracy." "Understand?" "Once the ship sets sail, the captain's word is law!" "That might work if your captain is God or the Buddha." "But ours is human." "Don't you trust your captain's character and abilities?" "Are you nuts?" "Would you trust Tylor's character and abilities?" "Enough!" "My fourth question is why did Tylor suddenly ask the ships to surrender?" "Because he's like that." "He doesn't think about anything beyond the present." "Maybe that's part of his charm." "Charm?" "What do you mean "charm"?" "You mean your trust of his character and abilities?" "It's not... quite like that." "What exactly is charm...?" "I'm the one asking the questions here!" "Answer me!" "Let's see..." "I suppose you could describe it as an almost magical power that holds you whether you're asleep or awake." "You think about the person and get happy and sad and heartbroken and they give you courage, too." "Are you in love with someone?" "LOVE?" "!" "I happen to be a SOLDIER!" "Hmpf." "It sure looks like a sad sort of love to me." "A sad love..." "The important thing is to forget it." "That's right." "I think he really is in love with me." "You mean Lieutenant Yamamoto?" "No, the captain." "One great deed after another in battle prove his character and skill." "But he will eventually perish and women fall in love with the way he lives his life." "A common story." "It's not like that." "It isn't?" "How so?" "There are times I think he's just so irresponsible." "I wish he'd discuss things just a little before doing them." "But he keeps on doing whatever he wants to." "As long as he likes it, it doesn't matter how others feel." "Can I really love a man like that?" "You don't dislike him, do you?" "Even now, I can't..." "You may not want to hear this, but think of it this way." "Even if he swears his eternal love to you with all the words there are at heart, the animal called man is slovenly, irresponsible, and unfaithful." "There is no exception to this truth." "Just because some can be controlled, don't think that he is an exception." "You shouldn't tame a man to be what you want, either." "It's best to leave a wild animal living free in the wilds." "Then just what are women supposed to do?" "Women should be as slovenly, irresponsible, and unfaithful as the rest of us!" "What happened to you?" "Your crew is quite formidable." "No one is telling the truth!" "So, do you understand now?" "The troubles of the Soyokaze's poor captain?" "I understand most clearly." "However, why did you want to contact me before?" "Contact you?" "Did Harumi tell you about that?" "What did you want to tell me?" "To ask you not to deploy your new weapon." "You're saying you wanted to ask me to do that?" "Well, I was given extra work, thanks to you!" "Wars cannot be fought by consultations or petty tricks!" "Besides, the new attack element has already been grafted into the Doroume." "You people may delay us once or twice but it's just a matter of time until we transplant it to other ships." "Eventually, one day..." "We'll face each other!" "Face each other..." "We can't turn back the clock." "However, in all the questioning, there's something I don't understand." "Why did they send the Soyokaze?" "It's no use just thinking about it." "No use?" "Because I don't know why they did it, either!" "If you figure it out, could you tell me?" "What are you hiding?" "Or perhaps someone is testing you for something!" "Something you aren't even aware of yourself!" "N" " No kidding..." "Wow, that's incredible!" "No..." "There aren't many men in this world worth testing like that." "I'm wrong." "What if I said I came to see little Azalyn?" "To do what?" "If that was the reason you didn't try to escape, then you're a traitor!" "Your intentions are dishonorable!" "And dirty, too!" "I suppose..." "Since we've been captured, we're all gonna die, right?" "You heard what the acting emperor said!" "Then I wanna see little Azalyn one more time before I die!" "Impossible!" "I can't spoil Her Highness's beautiful memories by having you rudely begging for your life!" "I wouldn't dream of it!" "Condemned prisoners get a last request, don't they?" "You really wish to see her?" "I do." "And your intentions?" "Now, that's rude!" "That's between her and me." "You really are a slovenly, irresponsible, unfaithful pig of a man!" "There is no way I will allow such a creature to visit Her Highness!" "I'll tell everyone little Azalyn's taking a holiday." "Wh" " Who told you about that?" "!" "You did, when you freaked out before." "I wonder what all the Raalgon will think when they hear the empress was off on vacation enjoying herself during a life or death battle." "You make a better dirty politician than a soldier." "But I never give in to threats or blackmail!" "You're so cool..." "How dare you!" "Even you can't enter here without announcing yourself...!" "The Soyokaze has been captured." "Captain Tylor asks to see Your Highness at all costs." "Paco-Paco's here?" "!" "You're saying Paco-Paco is on board the Melva?" "!" "Yes." "Why didn't you tell me before?" "!" "Go on!" "Bring him here, now" "You said the Soyokaze, didn't you?" "Yes." "Meaning that woman is with him as well, right?" "What are they doing?" "Building gallows for us." "Hmm..." "No style at all." "Say, where's the captain?" "Are you still interrogating him?" "The interrogation is over!" "Then where is the captain now?" "Y" " You aren't torturing him, are you?" "!" "Relax." "I expect your captain is visiting Her Highness right about now." "What did you say?" "!" "We allowed him to have a private rendezvous with her, as he asked." "A..." "A rendezvous?" "That son of a...!" "While our lives are on the line, he's...!" "Just going off and having fun by himself, huh?" "!" "He wouldn't!" "The captain's not that kind of a man!" "It's been a long time." "We've got lots of stuff to talk about, little Azalyn." "I won't see him!" "I refuse to see Paco-Paco!" "B" " But...!" "I absolutely..." "Absolutely refuse to see Paco-Paco!" "Highness...?" "It's not that I don't want to see him." "I do want to see Paco-Paco, as much as the sky is big!" "But...!" "I am Goza the 16th, Empress of the Holy Raalgon Empire!" "Raalgon Empress Goza the 16th." "Little Azalyn..." "I am Justy Ueki Tylor, age twenty and I've brought a dream for you bigger than space itself!" "There was something that the gentle breeze taught me one day." "That understanding can wipe away any worries you may have." "A smile can let you get past all the bad things that have come." "And make even the painful things sparkle in your memory." "We met each other completely by chance." "Realized it in our pleasurable dance." "...Where we won't need any rules at all?" "With that honest look on your face." "In the same color light that we see." "For a hundred billion light years with the best of your power." "Travel on." "Forever space." "We met each other completely by chance." "Realized it in our pleasurable dance." "...Where we won't need any rules at all?" "With the feel of the wind on our cheeks." "Bathed in the very same atmosphere." "For a hundred billion light years, let's get starting." "On your forever wish." "Je ne sais pas while we flirt with one another on this still and quiet night you only gaze at time before you." "You, my traveler in the stars..." "Pour quoi..." "My heart beating fast as I awaken in the fleeting morning's light?" "Murmuring to myself, I open the window and the white birds outside laugh and play." "Don't run from the wind..." "Don't fear the ocean, either..." "Even though they have the devil's smile." "Don't be hasty with your dreams." "Don't give up your love so soon because soon you'll see a rainbow in the sky." "On I march through the hell of my dreams." "Marchez..." "Tears in my eyes, marchez..." "As the stars spin in the sky, my song will go on." "Chantez..." "My song of tomorrow, chantez..." "The sky above laughs at their misdeeds  even though the sailors have no more words to say." "So, you're saying that Tylor finally pushed his luck too far?" "Offers of a reward and my orders meant nothing to him." "Knowing that, why did you still let the Soyokaze in on that sneak attack?" "Because he..." "Because that man only does things his way." "I see." "Which is why you sent the Aranami to support them." "Can one know the heart of a bird in flight...?" "Hm? " Bird"...?" "I won't see him!" "I refuse to see Paco-Paco!" "But, Highness..." "I said I won't see him and I mean it!" "You can tell Paco-Paco that!" "As you wish..." "No!" "Wait a moment!" "Uh, no." "Never mind!" "Go!" "N" " No!" "I mean wait!" "No, that's enough." "Go..." "Highness..." "When I think about it, I guess it makes sense." "What?" "If you could only choose one which would you have:" "a girl or a job?" "You have to ask?" "It's normal for a man to choose the girl, right?" "Your point being...?" "My point being the captain's chosen the girl!" "Except..." "When I was still young and wild I once went on three dates in one day." "Jeez, you've been like that since you were young, huh?" "The first girl, I talked to a lot." "The second girl, I just repeated what I said to the first girl." "But with the last girl, I just didn't have anything left to say." "Meaning what?" "Meaning a man is chosen by women." "He doesn't choose them." "You mean you've thought about settling down?" "It's just a fairy tale from a long time ago..." "Can't you two shut up in this situation?" "!" "Act like men!" "Act like men?" "That's right!" "A real man doesn't suffer out loud!" "He believes in the woman he loves with all his heart fights with all his strength, and then dies without a word!" "THAT is what it is to be a man!" "Come on, how long do I have to wait here?" "Tell me straight!" "Am I gonna see her or not see her?" "Please, why don't you drink this and try to be patient?" "Oh..." "Thank you." "Paco-Paco?" "L" " Little Azalyn..." "Highness...!" "It's been a while, Paco-Paco." "What's wrong, Paco-Paco?" "!" "You don't like this outfit?" "No, not that!" "Just the opposite!" "You look really pretty..." "Don't you think so?" "I'm glad." "I guess I took too much time picking it out, though." "Oh, no!" "Not at all!" "You look just like a princess." "Oh, duh." "Little Azalyn here really is a princess, isn't she?" "Paco-Paco" " I mean, Tylor..." "I'm glad to hear you say that." "Highness, I must admit I feel as he does." "You may go now." "Leave Captain Tylor and I... alone." "As you wish..." "So, little Azalyn" "Could you please not call me " little Azalyn"?" "It makes me sound like I'm a child." "Just call me Azalyn, please." "I've really missed you." "I have to talk to you about something." "And I have much to tell you, too." "B" " But, let's not rush things." "We've been apart for a while." "Let's just take our time." "Sure thing, Azalyn." "Want a drink?" "Don't get too full of yourself, Paco-Paco!" "Yum!" "I..." "I mean, my throat was parched and this is very... tasty." "Your smile's gotten even prettier, Azalyn." "Really?" "Oh, yes!" "You said you wanted to talk, Tylor." "What about?" "Talk?" "Oh!" "I forgot about that!" "Mm." "Talk about what?" "Yeah, well..." "Go on." "What do you want to discuss?" "W" " Well, the truth is..." "You see, it's..." "Enough." "It seems I won't be needed here." "What did you just say?" "!" "Wh" " What's the matter, Azalyn?" "Tylor, you mean..." "You mean you came here to see me about that?" "!" "To cause trouble like this?" "!" "A" " Azalyn?" "!" "That's "Your Highness" to you!" "What's wrong?" "Paco-Paco, I hate you!" "Your Highness, what's wrong?" "Dom..." "This is why I said I didn't want to see Paco-Paco!" "I hate you!" "I hate everyone!" "Azalyn!" "A" " Azalyn...?" "How dare you...!" "YOU WORM!" "How dare you be disrespectful to Her Highness!" "But she TOLD ME to just call her Azalyn!" "You did it again!" "Damn you..." "Did you ask her to spare you?" "!" "Agh!" "I didn't!" "I didn't!" "Tylor..." "Didn't you say you came to see me?" "Didn't you tell me you'd never, ever forget about me?" "But, despite that..." "Why...?" "Why?" "Why was Her Highness so angry?" "!" "Why did you make her cry?" "!" "What did you say to her?" "!" "Agh!" "I..." "I can't tell you!" "You wouldn't understand!" "And just what is this?" "Shia Has, have this device analyzed at once." "Yes, sir." "Now it's just you and me..." "No one else around." "Don't get weird on me." "That's up to you..." "What did you say to Her Highness?" "Enough already..." "I'll make you tell me somehow!" "What did you say to Her Highness?" "!" " I..." "I can't tell you!" " Why can't you tell me?" "!" "Because it was our secret!" "Damn you..." "Why did you come here?" "!" "Stop it!" "I won't stop!" "STOP IT!" "TELL ME!" "STOP IT!" "Highness..." "Dom..." "Tylor!" "I'm sorry!" "I'm sorry, Tylor!" "Forgive me!" "If you forgive me, I'll listen to anything you have to say!" "Just please, forgive me!" "Do you mean that?" "TYLOR!" "Captain Dom?" "Did Tylor confess?" "Sir, what's wrong?" "Shia Has..." "Have you learned anything?" "No, I still don't know." "The system seems to be password protected." "A brute-force decode will just end up corrupting the data inside." "I see..." "You don't know..." "You don't know..." "Captain Dom?" "I don't know, either!" "I don't understand!" "And where the password to unlock this puzzle is I have no idea!" "Captain Dom..." "Carry on." "Hmm..." "Well?" "Mm!" "It fits you nicely." "You look good in it." "Isn't it a little too big?" "Whose clothes are these?" "My father's." "Oh!" "I'm sorry..." "Are you sure I should be...?" "Mm." "Anyway, let's try to continue our talk from before." "Yeah, right." "That's why I came, after all..." "I see." "So, you have those sorts of people in the UPSF as well." "We're all alone now." "Tylor..." "Is this part of your mission, too?" "Hm..." "Do you watch movies much?" "You know, movies." "Yes." "There's one I really like." "I don't know much about it, but it seems that, to make a movie you get a bunch of artists together who work really hard cause a lot of confusion, and it's all a big headache." "Yes." "And?" "Hmm..." "And all those opinions colliding together cause chaos." "I think this war is like that." "What?" "You're saying this war is like making a movie?" "Opinions and thoughts colliding and causing chaos..." "At times like these, there are jobs that someone has to do whether they want to or not." "They're things that can't be controlled by orders or duty." "So, you mean...?" "!" "Yes, exactly." "If people found out about this, there'd be even more chaos." "You seem to have matured a bit since I last saw you." "You took far too great a risk smuggling this sort of secret into the Raalgon Empire by yourself." "Thank you." "And yet all I did was think about myself." "I'm so ashamed." "I hope you don't hate me now." "Don't worry!" "You've gotten a bit prettier since we last met, Azalyn." "And besides..." "I really did miss you." "But, Tylor..." "Tylor...!" "Which movie do you like?" "Mm..." "I've seen " Roman Holiday" twenty times." "The ending always makes me cry." "William Wyler, huh?" "That's a really old movie." "Audrey Hepburn." "It's true, you know." "All I have to do is think about it and I start to cry." "Azalyn..." "Tylor..." "I don't want to end up like Audrey Hepburn did." "We're finally together like this." "I don't want to be left alone." "I could just keep you here like this forever as my Paco-Paco." "Idiot." "Tylor..." "You are Tylor, aren't you?" "D" " Don't be ridiculous!" "Azalyn, you should have more self-respect!" "You keep your clothes on." "This is Audrey Hepburn's revenge." "A revenge from the distant future." "I want you to remember me as I am now." "And never forget." "Don't be mad." "That's not the Tylor I know." "You're..." "You're beautiful..." "But..." "Just once..." "Just once, will you do me this favor?" "Tylor..." "With your arms, just once I want you to hold me tight, like my body was about to break." "Hold me as tightly as you can." "Highness, I wanted to say how terribly sorry I am about before" "TYLOR!" "Captain!" "Captain!" "Captain!" "Doctor!" "Wh" " What is it, Captain?" "What happened to you?" "!" "What'd they do?" "Torture you?" "What the hell happened?" "And that outfit..." "What kind of clothes are you wearing?" "Oh, these?" "These were Azalyn's father's." "Azalyn?" "!" "Then, where are your clothes?" "Oh, I took them off." "WHAT?" "!" "To hell with him!" "A disgrace like you should feel some pain!" "Captain!" "Please be honest with us!" "What happened?" "!" "No, what did you do?" "I didn't do anything." "If you didn't do anything, you wouldn't look like this!" "Honest!" "I didn't do anything!" "You've got a lecherous look on your face, Tylor." "Do I?" "At heart, the animal called man is slovenly, irresponsible, and unfaithful." "There is no exception to this truth." "Captain!" "Captain, just how far will you go  in disgracing us of the Soyokaze?" "!" "Oh, yeah." "I have a feeling we're all gonna be released unharmed." "Wh" " What did you say?" "We're all definitely going home." "Going home...?" "You mean we'll be able to escape from here... unharmed?" "Yeah." "Exactly." "What's going on here?" "!" "What's going on here?" "!" "I said the United Planets Space Force destroyer Soyokaze is to be set free and all items taken in her capture returned to her crew!" "No!" "Absolutely out of the question!" " I have a question!" " I won't hear it!" "No!" "Are you doing this because of your personal feelings for Tylor?" "!" "I want to know if you are!" "I won't answer that!" "Interpret this as you wish to!" "Highness!" "Do you really think such an irresponsible order will be acted upon without any protest?" "!" "You made an official document giving me full authority during your holiday!" "You signed and sealed the document yourself." "And I revoke it!" "You can't!" "The document is right here!" "Throw it out!" "This goes against the power of the acting emperor!" "Acting means temporary!" "You're being irrational!" "Perhaps, but from now on I'll decide what's irrational!" "Will you explain this?" "Denied!" "I can't agree to this without an explanation!" "Denied!" "You think soldiers can just act on a single order from you?" "!" "People don't act because of orders!" "People act according to their hearts!" "Dom, Tylor and the Soyokaze saved my life three times." "I owe them this!" "That's what my heart says!" "What?" "No execution?" "What's going on?" "Just hurry." "Aye, sir!" "Something's wrong..." "Yeah." "If we're getting out of here unharmed what do they need that thing for?" "You think he really just snapped under their torture?" "Maybe Mr. Tylor was just making that up." "Maybe he was just saying what he hoped would happen." "First of all, how would he know we're being released unharmed?" "Maybe he heard it from somebody." "From whom would he hear that?" "You saw that outfit he was in, right?" "Oh, I hate that!" "Getting your hopes up only to have them betrayed." "That's it!" "That's what?" "Betrayal!" "That SOB sold out to the enemy to save himself!" "Or maybe he traded some of our secrets to them..." "You idiots!" "Even Tylor wouldn't do anything like that!" "I've never heard of the Raalgon releasing prisoners unconditionally before, though." "What have you done...?" "CAPTAIN!" "Yes?" "Captain!" "There are right ways and wrong ways to do things!" "Do you understand what you've done?" "!" "You'll be known as a traitor who sold out his own side!" "A traitor?" "Yes, sir!" "A traitor!" "Now look, there are right ways and wrong ways to describe people, too." "Step out one at a time." "Wh" " Why?" "Are we being released?" "No, you idiot!" "Executed!" "Executed?" "!" "What's this all about?" "!" "Uh, this isn't what we were told." "Damn it all...!" "Captain!" "What about what you told us before?" "!" "Strange, isn't it?" "Maybe they're just playing a joke on us." "YOU'RE the only bad "joke" we need to have!" "Well, I hope you understand now!" "No matter what sort of deal you made before these people obviously can't be trusted to keep their word!" "Wh" " What?" "!" "You can go first, then!" "Huh?" "Who, me?" "Relax!" "Relax!" "It's just a joke, Mr. Yamamoto." "If it's a joke, then after you, please, sir!" "NO!" "Not me!" "I don't want to die!" "Wait!" "I'll be the first." "Commander Star..." "Release him!" "All of you prisoners are now free to go." "See?" "Wh" " What's going on here?" "What's wrong?" "Your execution's canceled." "Be happy." "Somehow, I just can't be happy about this..." "They even returned our weapons to us!" "What's up with that?" "When you held our empress prisoner, you released her unconditionally." "The debt is repaid." "No more and no less..." "Did the captain make some sort of secret deal with you?" "I find your captain to be..." "Despicable." "I'm ashamed to say we can't disagree with you about that." "I once believed he was a man of such great potential..." "No, I still want to believe that." "But in the end he may be nothing more than a hypocrite who's good at getting out of dangerous situations." "Even less than that..." "Lieutenant Yamamoto." "That's you, right?" "Yes?" "Take this." " What's...?" " Our empress wished that all your property be returned when we released you." "It's a little scratched because we tried to force it open." "Why give it to me?" "Because you're the first soldier I've ever met who can't lie." "If you learn anything from it, be sure and tell me, all right?" "I'm a soldier who can't lie...?" "I want to say one more thing to you." "Yes?" "A man who falls for a tormented woman like her is nothing but a weakling!" "Women can be vicious." "More than men may think." "I'm still a soldier, too, you know!" "Exactly." "Become a strong man!" "Gentle men are boring!" "The best they can be are friends!" "F" " Friends?" "!" "It's the strong men..." "that women fall for." "Okay, guys!" "That's enough saying goodbye now!" "Time to go home!" "It's the strong men that women fall for..." "What are you doing, Mr. Yamamoto?" "Let's go!" "I won't go back to the ship!" "As a soldier, I cannot accept this release!" "Do you understand what you're saying, Mr. Yamamoto?" "It's you who doesn't understand, Captain!" "If being released because of some secret deal means that I'll be known as a traitor to my side then I'd rather just be executed right here!" "I'm still an honorable soldier of the United Planets Space Force!" "A crewman of the undefeated destroyer Soyokaze!" "I don't want to be a man like you, Captain!" "If all you do is think of past victories and never move on you're more pathetic than the loser, aren't you?" "Lieutenant Yamamoto." "Enough." "Leave." "I refuse!" "You must agree with me!" "If you were in my position, you'd feel the same way!" "This is none of our concern." "Go home and resign." "Or face a court martial." "The decision is yours to make!" "Tylor..." "How many times must you shatter my dreams?" "All I wanted..." "All I wanted was to live a normal life." "I'll never be able to see you or "Roman Holiday" ever again..." "Highness..." "The debt... is now repaid." "Huh?" "What do you mean "democratic"?" "The crew wants to hold a democratic election about dismissing you!" "" Dismiss" meaning... what?" "It means to take away your power as captain." "As an expression of love?" "Or maybe as a joke?" "It's neither a joke nor an expression of love!" "You ignored your crew's opinions and unilaterally altered the operation!" "Besides that, you made a secret deal with the enemy!" "Nobody wants to do this, but after being released without any explanation...!" "In any case, this is the only way to deal with an untrustworthy captain!" "We don't want this proposal to be taken as an illegal mutiny." "So we won't do this by force." "Yuriko..." "You sound so cold." "If it's all right with you, Captain..." "Isn't there any other way?" "No, there isn't." "All that will be left to try is violence." "C'mon, there's really no other way?" "Oh..." "Well, no choice then." "Let's have some democracy!" "That's the way it goes..." "I wonder if we really did the right thing." "This is so depressing..." "It leaves a bad taste in my mouth." "Is this what they call the bitter taste of success?" "So, how is that any different from the bitter taste of defeat?" "Of course!" "Excuse me." "Captain?" "Hi!" "You okay?" "No..." "I feel a little sick now." "And you, Captain?" "I'm not the captain anymore." "I got democratically dismissed, remember?" "Wanna join me, Yuriko?" "You'll feel better." "I'm fine, thank you." "But now what should I call you?" "Just Tylor would be fine." "Yes, Cap" " I mean, Tylor..." "It's hard to say it." "It may be hard to say it, but Tylor's just fine." "Right..." "Tylor, why aren't you angry?" "Angry?" "Everyone was so confused before but you really should have gotten angry!" "As captain, you should have taken a stand and been angry with us!" "But why?" "Why...?" "!" "Because, you were the captain!" "Oh, Yuriko..." "Losing the captain's seat isn't worth getting angry about." "What?" "!" "But we all chose to come back to the Soyokaze!" "So when you have a reason to get angry, you should get angry at us!" "I think maybe, somewhere in everyone's heart everyone wanted you to be angry with them." "YOU IDIOTS!" "DAMMIT!" "MORONS!" "How many years will you have to fight before you understand that?" "!" "Like that?" "Is that how I should act?" "But I hate doing that!" "I..." "I'll admit, it seems out of character for you." "But I still think there are times you should be harsh with people especially when they're people you really care about." "Even if they end up saying the wrong things people still need to tell others how they really feel." "Getting angry is just one kind of hint you can give to another person." "Yuriko..." "By any chance, are you worried about me?" "Yes..." "Tell me..." "Do you consider me some sort of gutless coward because I can't get mad?" "Tiffany!" "No response." "Dogfight!" "No response." "Shoot-down king!" "No response." "Handsome!" "No response." "Assault landing!" "No response." "Existential impermanence!" "No response!" "I said think of a password Tylor would use, not that you would use!" "Well, even saying that, we aren't Tylor." "Yeah, he's a real pervert, for one thing." "Huh?" "That's it!" "Hm?" "You thought of something?" "Yeah, and this has to be it!" "Well, hurry up and tell us!" "P(CENSORED)Y." "Agh!" "You told me to tell you, so I did!" "Damn it all!" "Giving us our weapons back was just a setup for this!" "Emergency communication!" "Call for some help!" "Emergency systems are dead!" "Shield barrier!" "Aye, sir!" "Use the new attack element!" "The infamous secret weapon..." "Tylor, I don't care what you said to Her Highness now." "Let you and your secret be buried in the shadows of history!" "Are you okay?" "!" "Well?" "You see how the Raalgon really are?" "!" "Let your guard down and they think nothing of betraying you!" "This is the reality of war!" "It isn't a full-scale war yet." "Shia Has, the moment the Soyokaze returns fire, finish them." "Aye!" "Target the enemy destroyer!" "Damn it, all we can do now is fire back as hard as we can!" "Wait." "Just wait a minute." "Tylor..." "What are you doing?" "Hurry up and return fire." "The moment you shoot back will be the moment I erase you from this world." "We have to shoot back before it's too late!" "It's already too late." "Don't fire." "Don't shoot at anything." "What did you say?" "!" "Please stop that at once!" "You are no longer the captain!" "Please don't interfere with my first and final duty to perform!" "What are you saying we should do?" "!" "Return fire!" "Don't shoot." "Why?" "Why don't they shoot back?" "Shooting back is your only chance for survival!" "Or are you such a coward that you can't even return fire now?" "!" "Well, then..." "Barrier... disengage." "What did you say?" "!" "I said disengage the barrier!" "Move it!" "D" " Disengaging barrier!" "The explosions have stopped." "What's going on?" "Without the barrier on, those things can't get inside, right?" "Captain..." "I said not to call me captain, remember?" "C..." "Captain!" "Resume attack using standard weaponry!" "Heh, without that secret weapon, we can win!" "Leave this to us!" "Right!" "Now begin to return fire" "Don't." "No, Mr. Yamamoto..." "Are you saying we should just die without doing anything?" "!" "Sing, Mr. Yamamoto..." "Just sing..." "Tylor..." "Yuriko..." "Will you sing for me?" "Y" " Yes, sir." "Je ne sais pas while we flirt with one another on this still and quiet night you only gaze at time before you." "You, my traveler in the stars..." "Pour quoi..." "My heart beating fast as I awaken in the fleeting morning's light." "Murmuring to myself, I open the window and the white birds outside laugh and play." "Don't run from the wind..." "Don't fear the ocean, either..." "Even though they have the devil's smile." "Don't be hasty with your dreams." "Don't give up your love so soon because soon you'll see a rainbow in the sky." "On I march through the hell of my dreams." "Marchez..." "Tears in my eyes, marchez..." "As the stars spin in the sky, my song will go on." "Chantez..." "My song of tomorrow, chantez..." "The sky above laughs at their misdeeds even though the sailors have no more words to say." "Propulsion systems are off-line." "How's the captain?" "Unconscious." "He's lost a lot of blood." "Lieutenant, what about this thing?" "Hm..." "I don't think it really matters anymore." "Erase it." "Erase... data..." "Password accepted." "Replaying stored data." "From here on, what we say and do will be recorded on that." "We cannot even let our own people know about it." "Only you can do this." "However, suppose you successfully complete this secret mission..." "What do you want in return?" "As a reward." "I will make your dream come true." "My dream..." "That's sorta embarrassing, sir!" "To have a new ship to command?" "Maybe to be made an admiral?" "...escape, and then report back to me." "What, AGAIN?" "You will meet with the Raalgon Empress, Goza the 16th and find a way towards peace!" "To end this war!" "All the official arrangements have been made!" "All that's left is to know your intentions!" "I just have to laugh, sir." "Hm?" "What is your dream?" "What is your heart's desire?" "To live a happy, quiet life and raise a family with the person I love most." "The person you love?" "Lie--tena-t Com-mand-r Yur-ko Sta" "Playback impossible past this point." "That bastard really did try to get us a raise!" "Idiot..." "So, that's what was going on..." "This is the destroyer Aranami." "Have made contact with the Undefeated Soyokaze." "Any survivors, please confirm where you are." "If you can't talk, tap the mike twice." "What's going on?" "This ship's a wreck  but everyone here seems to be so happy." "Basically, when you raise the barrier you keep around your heart another person can sneak a bomb in and make a bang." "Understand?" "Right, right." "I understand." "So, the Soyokaze has its first defeat." "Serves 'em right!" "Who knows what would have happened if we hadn't come along." "I hope those jerks learned something!" "You're from the Aranami, aren't you?" "We appreciate you coming to save us." "Thanks a lot." "He's still unconscious, but once he recovers there's a punishment for changing the plan on his own waiting for him!" "You cannot know the heart of a bird in flight..." "I salute you from the bottom of my heart." "Let everyone from the Soyokaze know that I do!" "This has taught me that I really don't know anything." "Commander Star, I hate to say this, but I still can't see how the captain could take such drastic action without any hesitation." "He's the wind." "He's like a blowing wind." "Lieutenant Yamamoto, do you think that people feel betrayed because love and trust can come with conditions on them?" "Do love and trust really need to have strings attached?" "Commander Star..." "You see, he's like the wind when it blows." "And even if he loses love and trust and everything he has he still doesn't hesitate." "Well done..." "Commander Star!" "I know you two will be happy together!" "The captain and you..." "I'm sure you'll be happy!" "That's why..." "That's why I have to ask you a favor." "The captain..." "You and the captain..." "Enough, Dom." "Forgive me for putting you through that." "As I fought that battle, filled with more hatred and distrust than ever even our new weapon was no match in the face of the greater truth." "The greater truth?" "Yes." "I'm not sure how to say it, but it was a special element which doesn't exist within us Raalgon." "Special element?" "To put it into words, it isn't the power of your weapons which lets you win, but having eternally unshakable faith!" "Unshakable faith..." "Yes." "Dom..." "Can that element be smuggled to the Raalgon?" "Couldn't a man risk his life to secretly smuggle that special element to us?" "Smuggle it...?" "Do you think it will flourish with us Raalgon?" "War is something that deceives both soldiers and you, Your Highness." "Once war is inside of you, you develop a deep distrust of the other feelings you have." "That is the true face of war." "To those at war, the vision of peace Tylor smuggled in seems to be nothing but a phantom." "Just a dream of a dream." "A dream of a dream..." "Dom!" "Yes?" "That dream..." "Let's both live to see it come true!" "Yes, Highness." "There was something that the gentle breeze taught me one day." "That understanding can wipe away any worries you may have." "A smile can let you get past all the bad things that have come." "And make even the painful things sparkle in your memory." "We met each other completely by chance." "Realized it in our pleasurable dance." "...Where we won't need any rules at all?" "With that honest look on your face." "In the same color light that we see." "For a hundred billion light years with the best ofyour power." "Travel on." "Forever space." "We met each other completely by chance." "Realized it in our pleasurable dance." "...Where we won't need any rules at all?" "With the feel of the wind on our cheeks." "Bathed in the very same atmosphere." "For a hundred billion light years, let's get starting." "On your forever wish." "Azalyn, come on!" "Give it back!" "No!" "It's mine now!" "Azalyn..." "No, it's mine now!" "All right, all right." "You can have it." "Really?" "!" "My mother left that to me, so I know it'll protect you." "Take good care of it, okay?" "Mm!" "I'll take care of it!" "You promise?" "Mm!" "I promise!" "Open the cover." "It plays music." "I told you, I don't want any!" "But, Highness, if you don't eat your breakfast, your health may suffer." "I don't care!" "Highness, I heard you were feeling out of sorts." "May I ask how you are?" "What do you want?" "I thought perhaps it might be a good idea if I came to ask something ofyou..." "Would you please get to the point?" "!" "Yes." "I fear that, as this current lull in the war against our enemies, the UPSF, drags on the morale of our troops may begin to decline." "At a time like this, we should prepare for an enemy attack and keep our empire at a high level of readiness!" "I was hoping Your Highness might deign to mention this at the Imperial Conference." "I don't see the need for it!" "You want me to restart this useless fighting?" "!" "Please!" "Please!" "I dare say that isn't what I expect to hear from the empress of our Holy Raalgon Empire!" "Our empire is moving to control the entire galaxy..." "I don't want to control it!" "But the citizens of our empire do." "Your Highness should consider well her position." "My position as empress, huh...?" "Paco-Paco..." "Nothing but dreams that can never come true..." "Highness." "What is it?" "Captain Dom is here to see you." "Dom?" "Send him in." "Highness, since I'm going to Vishram tomorrow, I came to say goodbye." "Vishram...?" "You said you're going to Vishram?" "Yes." "I envy you." "You get to have a vacation." "Take your time there." "Highness, I'm going there to survey our resources." "Oh..." "You're not going there to relax?" "No." "While we've been neglecting it for a long time since the war Vishram remains a treasure house of natural resources." "I see." "Take care of yourself, then." "Dom?" "Do you think they still have grasshoppers on Vishram?" "Cruiser Doroume, launch!" "We have completed separation from the flagship Melva." "Setting course for Vishram." "Alter our course to Vishram." "Sir?" "I've plotted the most direct route..." "It can't be helped." "Plot a route with the fewest meteor storms." "Aye!" "Understood, sir!" "How many years has it been?" "It hasn't changed a bit..." "Dom, do you remember the Naas meadow?" "The meadow with the grasshoppers." "You said you liked it, Highness." "I did!" "Ruu and I would" "Shall we go there?" "Highness, Vishram isn't the place you remember." "The old Duchy of Ashran may have been destroyed but many Ashranians here wish to see it restored." "You're saying I can't even take a walk?" "I shouldn't have even brought Your Highness here in the first place." "I don't know how I'm going to report this to Admiral Lonawer..." "Just say that I forced you to do it." "And stop worrying!" "Then might I suggest Your Highness not forget that she's the empress?" "That's exactly what I came here to do..." "This thing's so heavy I can't stand it!" "Hey!" "What was that?" "!" "Over there!" "For heaven's sake..." "Maybe it was a rabbit or something." "Nah, it sounded bigger." "Just forget about it." "It really hasn't changed at all!" "It really hasn't..." "Can that be..." "Ruu?" "It is!" "Ruu, you're alive!" "It's me, Azalyn!" "Don't you remember me?" "Azalyn?" "You mean, the Raalgon...?" "!" "What's wrong, Ruu?" "It's me, Azalyn!" "Highness, Lord Ruu doesn't know who you are." "Not just you." "He can't recognize anyone." "NO!" "Prepare my fighter!" "Lord Ruu, you mustn't!" "Lord Ruu..." "He was fortunate to escape with his life." "But since that time, he's lost all of his memories." "There's nothing that can move his heart." "Ruu..." "When I heard my father had ordered the Ashran royal family killed because Archduke Ashran turned against him, I thought..." "I thought Ruu had died..." "I am Miranda, the family's head servant." "Highness, please be merciful!" "Please allow Lord Ruu to live!" "You think I'd have Ruu arrested?" "!" "When I'm with Ruu, I'm just Azalyn." "I was then..." "And now." "Highness..." "Isn't there some way for Ruu to return to normal?" "We couldn't find any cure for him on the frontier world we escaped to." "That's why we returned to Vishram, despite the risk." "This has always been Ashran land." "Ruu's home..." "Yes." "I thought bringing him here would help." "If he sees something that he remembers it might open up his heart a little." "That he remembers..." "Azalyn!" "You'll come back next summer, won't you?" "I will!" "I know I will!" "Highness!" "Highness!" "Miranda, bring Ruu here tomorrow." "Don't worry." "I won't tell anyone." "There's something I want Ruu to see." "Found it!" "Is Her Highness awake?" "Yes." "She said she felt under the weather and wanted to rest." "Highness?" "Ruu, look." "Your mother left it to you." "Don't you remember?" "Highness, Lord Ruu still needs time..." "It doesn't play music anymore." "We really can't go back to those days, can we?" "Highness..." "Lord Ruu still needs more time but this is the first time I've seen him try to take something." "Really?" "Then you mean...?" "Yes." "It may be happening slowly, but I think he's recovering." "Take us to the shore, Miranda!" "Ruu, let's go catch some grasshoppers!" "Let's go!" "Ruu!" "Look!" "See how many I caught!" "Wow!" "Vishram black-edged grasshoppers!" "You only find them on this world!" "Wow..." "You know a lot, Azalyn." "But what'll you do with so many?" "You're not gonna eat 'em, are you?" "Raise them!" "Huh?" "I'm going to raise them!" "Hey, Azalyn..." "What?" "Let's let them go." "Let them go?" "Why?" "Well, don't you feel sorry for them?" "Being locked up in that little cage?" "Would you like it ifyou could never set foot outside your home?" "No!" "So let them go." "You know what's right, Azalyn." "That's why you're a princess." "Welcome back." "O" " Oh, it's you, Dom." "Don't scare me like that!" "And where did you go out to?" "I..." "I went for a walk!" "I know what you want to say!" "Don't worry!" "Vishram is as safe as my own garden." "And are there things in that garden which comfort Her Highness's heart?" "Oh, there are." "There are." "All sorts of things." "That's good to hear." "Shall I share some with you?" "Here!" "Dom hates grasshoppers and locusts." "I also caught a lot of dragonflies, but I let them all go." "Ruu would always tell me when I was being selfish." "Lord Ruu must have thought of you as his little sister." "Just being here like this can let me forget..." "If only I could just stay like this forever..." "But the Ashranian people hope he recovers as soon as possible." "The dream of the Ashranian people is that Lord Ruu become our leader so that he might restore the Duchy of Ashran." "Restore Ashran?" "But that would mean fighting the Raalgon Forces again." "You're saying Ruu would make me his enemy?" "!" "If that happened..." "You don't know the sort of bond we share!" "Even if Ruu became my enemy, I could never fight him." "Not Ruu!" "But he'll fight." "If Lord Ruu becomes our leader, he'll do it for Ashran!" "You're saying he'd fight me?" "!" "He'll fight anyone who is his enemy." "That's one of the Ashran royal family..." "We're leaving the day after tomorrow?" "!" "Yes." "The resource survey has been completed." "And Your Highness must prepare for the Imperial Conference." "I won't go back!" "I want to stay here a little longer!" "Highness..." "Highness, you are still the empress of the Holy Raalgon Empire." "I never asked to be the empress!" "Unfortunately, Highness..." "It is natural for people to change." "You can't live in your memories forever." "In any case, please prepare to leave." "I told you I wasn't going, and I won't!" "Miranda, does Ruu have to become your leader?" "Lord Ruu said that he wanted to." "He told me once that he wanted to be a great leader, like his father." "A great leader...?" "Haven't you ever thought that, Your Highness?" "Never!" "I don't recall ever thinking such a thing!" "Lord Ruu!" "He laughed!" "Ruu was laughing!" "Highness, show him the watch again!" "It could bring back his memories!" "I won't!" "Highness?" "!" "If Ruu regains his memories, he and I will become enemies!" "Highness, even if Lord Ruu regains his memories and has to stand against you, what you two share won't change!" "How?" "!" "We'd be fighting each other!" "If we have to fight, then it'd be better to arrest him right now!" "Then please arrest him." "What?" "!" "Even if you arrest Lord Ruu, if his memories return he will still fight the Raalgon Empire!" "Then..." "I will gladly die to protect Lord Ruu!" "So you're saying he has to fight me?" "!" "Is that what it is to be a leader?" "!" "Does being a leader mean you're never able to live for what you want?" "!" "I'm afraid so." "Everyone lives to follow a certain path." "And leaders aren't the only ones who can't live for their own sake." "I don't understand..." "I don't understand!" "Highness!" "Dom!" "Highness, please return to the cottage." "What do you think you're doing?" "!" "We cannot allow the son of the old Ashran royal family to remain free." "You're here to arrest him?" "!" "Yes." "If we let him go, he could become a threat to both you and the Empire." "Take him!" "Wait!" "Highness?" "!" "Miranda!" "Get Ruu out of here!" "Highness..." "Highness!" "Think carefully!" "This could decide the fate of our empire!" "Miranda, hurry!" "R" " Right!" "Stop!" "NO!" "By the laws of the Holy Raalgon Empire and in my own name I will not permit either of them to be arrested!" "Ruu..." "Ruu!" "Azalyn..." "No matter who they are, if someone rises against me then as empress I will rise to fight them!" "Highness..." "Highness..." "We're leaving!" "You should get some rest, Highness." "Dom..." "Yes?" "Will a day ever come when war will vanish from the universe?" "As long as you wish it to come, Highness..." "I think so, too..." "You promise?" "Mm!" "I promise!" "Open the cover." "It plays music." "It's a pretty song, isn't it?" "When my mother gave it to me, she told me to become a great leader." "I'll bet if I give it to you, you'll become a great empress." "And when you become a great empress, give it back to me." "Because I want to become a great leader, too." "A great leader..." "You want to be one, too, don't you, Azalyn?" "Mm!" "I want to be one, too!" "Shimmering in my memories are the shadows of my childhood." "Let's both try to find the key to your heart that's hidden so deep inside." "I'll always be with you." "Because I promised you I would." "Oh, please, don't let those clear eyes of yours ever change." "I'll always be with you." "No matter how much time may pass." "Until the day when we both meet again." "Oh, please, don't let this gentle illusion just vanish, fade away." "I'll always be with you." "Even when we're both old." "Oh, please, don't let that smile I love ever change in any way." "I'll always be with you." "Even when we're far apart." "Until the day when we both meet again." "Take off in ten seconds." "Nine..." "Eight..." "Seven..." "Four..." "Three..." "Two..." "One..." "Ensign Kojiro Sakai, reporting for duty, sir!" "A pleasure." "I'm Yamashita." "At ease, son." "You're currently serving aboard a destroyer, right?" "Yes, sir." "Until we get new orders to set sail I was told to serve here." "Well, let's get right to it." "A test pilot..." "We're entering the final stages of flight-testing for our latest fighter design." "This is, of course, absolutely top secret." "I'm hoping your combat experience will be useful for our tests." "The test flight's at 05:00." "Meet us in front of hangar C3 at 04:30." "The code name's "Gunryu"..." "The UPSF's newest short-range, close-support fighter." "Most promising candidate, huh?" "We've cleared the atmosphere." "Proceeding to stage 1." "You all set, Ensign Sakai?" "I'm ready when you are, pal." "I wish you good luck." "May I sit here?" "The usual." "Coming right up." "The Samurai of Space, who keeps tearing from battle to battle on the front line in his desire to be called the shoot-down king." "Currently flying a Ranpu off of the destroyer Soyokaze in the outer galactic fleet." "Kill record, currently being updated." "Who are you?" "I'll be flying with you on the test flight tomorrow." "Chief Warrant Officer Musashi Kato." "I'm one of the permanent test pilots here at the base." ""With me"...?" "A fighter's abilities are brought out by the judgement and skill of the individual pilots who fly it." "To help overcome this reality gap they have to send two planes up on a flight." "Here you go." "The usual." "I have to say that I usually do just fine by myself but this time they're hot to get data from a combat veteran." "Pretty confident, aren't you?" "Well, more or less." "Up till now, all the planes I've flown have performed right on spec." "You must have a lot of skill." "I've always wanted to fly with a guy like you, Ensign Sakai." "I want to try my hand against someone with the kind of combat experience you have." "Entering course 1-1-3-8." "Coordinate axis, compensated." "Looking pretty good..." "They'll be entering stage 4 soon." "Ens. Kojiro Sakai..." "Want to try a little contest with me?" "A contest?" "I told you that I've always wanted to fly with a guy like you, right, Ensign?" "Okay, I'm game." "Whoa!" "You idiot!" "We aren't in the Blue Angels, man!" "Heh..." "Giving up, are you?" "What?" "!" "Yeah, you've got skill, all right!" "But if this was a real battle..." "Ensign!" "Despite what you say, if this was a real battle..." "If this was a real battle, I would've shot you down." "Flying objects approaching on course 1-3-7-2!" "Range from Gunryu: 12,000!" "I think they're Raalgon recon fighters!" "What?" "Out in this sector?" "!" "Range: 9800!" "They'll make perfect targets!" "Leave them to me!" "Get back here, you idiot!" "Do not engage them!" "Return to base at once, both of you!" "I say again..." "Musashi!" "Pull back!" "There's three of them and only two of us!" "Besides that, we each only have two missiles to shoot!" "That'll be enough for us, won't it?" "Warrant Officer Musashi!" "Return at once!" "Musashi, pull back!" "Range: 5200... 5000... 4800..." "Warrant Officer Musashi Kato!" "Return to base!" "I'm allright, Commander!" "Leave this to me!" "They can't break off now!" "Both groups are making contact!" "Drop your auxiliary fuel tanks!" "We're going in!" "Musashi!" "Keep 'em off my right!" "Musashi, do what I tell you!" "Musashi!" "What are you doing?" "!" "Brakes!" "Use your brakes!" "Don't tell me he's panicking after all that big talk of his!" "Musashi!" "Snap out of it!" "Musashi!" "That idiot!" "He really is panicking!" "Now listen!" "Calm down!" "They're just as scared as we are!" "I..." "I'm not scared!" "Jamming?" "!" "Come in!" "Come in!" "Try switching to channel G2!" "No good!" "I can't raise them!" "Commander!" "Scramble some support for them!" "Those two wandered into a nonaggression zone." "I can't risk broadening the war just for them!" "The enemy won't move against us over two fighters!" "B" " But, sir..." "And the enemy's up against one of the Soyokaze's crew." "Musashi, shoot!" "It's no use!" "You stubborn little...!" "Eat this!" "One left..." "Musashi!" "Where'd you go?" "!" "I'm out of weapons!" "Don't tell me he got shot down..." "If it wasn't for this new armor, I'd be dead by now!" "That's it!" "Yeah, that's it." "Keep following me." "Gunryu 2 is touching down." "We couldn't pick up Ensign Sakai's radio even after the jamming stopped." "Ah, well." "That's typical." "I'm sure he's all right." "The enemy may have figured out that we have a test base here." "I..." "What have I done...?" "!" "Musashi!" "Snap out of it!" "What the...?" "He's burning up!" "Get him over to medical." "Well, that's just great." "I can't call for help." "If I can just get the self-repair system on-line I might have a chance." "A..." "A dream..." "What's wrong?" "You should be resting." "Has Ensign Sakai made it back, yet?" "Musashi, you can't do this!" "Please, come back!" "Hey, look." "It's Warrant Officer Musashi." "Is he waiting for Ensign Sakai to come back?" "I think the ensign's a goner." "Musashi only made it back 'cuz he's so good." "What are you, Musashi's fan club?" "Commander!" "Maybe you should wait in the shade." "Commander, I..." "I'm a coward!" "We've got search planes out looking for him." "But space is pretty big..." "Musashi..." "Sir!" "If we leave him alone, he'll come back." "Who do you think he is?" "He's the shoot-down king!" "God..." "Buddha..." "Just get me back there in one piece." "Please..." "Please..." "Okay, let's get going!" "Oh, no..." "Come on, work!" "You're the UPSF's best candidate for a new fighter?" "!" "Show some pride!" "Now come on!" "It's working!" "That was real combat..." "And I went in thinking it'd be so easy..." "Huh?" "What the...?" "!" "What?" "!" "He's back?" "!" "Okay, now for re-entry." "Just hold together!" "We still can't contact him." "We've sent out a rescue plane to intercept him but he'll be entering the atmosphere soon." "It'll never make it." "25 seconds to atmospheric entry!" "We can see abnormalities in the plane's heat distribution." "H" " Holy..." "I didn't think a plane could fly when it's that badly damaged!" "He's nuts!" "It'll never survive re-entry in that condition!" "No one can stop him now!" "Ten seconds to atmospheric entry!" "Nine..." "Eight..." "Seven..." "Six..." "Five..." "Four..." "Three..." "Two..." "One..." "Gunryu 1 has entered the atmosphere!" "Musashi, wait!" "The ensign's one of the Soyokaze's crew." "Something like this won't kill him." "He's about to enter the ionosphere." "We won't be able to track him on radar while he's in there." "The blackout'll last for 180 seconds!" "Damn it!" "Should we secure from emergency stations, sir?" "Here he comes!" "It's not handling right!" "He's gonna belly it down!" "Ensign..." "Get that fire out!" "Hey there." "You still alive?" "Ensign..." "Ensign Sakai!" "I'm a disgrace!" "I abandoned you on the battlefield!" "I have to apologize to you, Ensign!" "Everyone's like that their first time out." "Come on, let's go." "G" " Go where, sir?" "To get a drink." "And you're buying." "Yes, sir!" "Oh, what's this?" "Gonna make me wait for my report, huh?" "Just what I'd expect from a Soyokaze crewman." "It's better to say nothing now." "There are times you need to show some tenderness." "The important things are always best left unsaid." "We seem to have lost sight of the bonds of the past and of the future, too." "But the things we believe in should remain in the back of our minds." "Don't say a word to me now." "Just embrace the love that we share." "We look out across the distance always from this spot." "Wipe away the feelings that are boiling up inside." "Cross your wings over one another." "A day will come when we can fly beyond the light and both become like a shining wind." "Free yourself from the burning heart you have..." "Cross your wings together like they're one." "A day will come when we become the light and the two of us will be wrapped in peace." "We of the sector 21 division are forming the core  of a new fleet being set up in the galactic sectors." "What do you mean you're seeing another man?" "!" "Everything with you is " Duty!" "Duty!" and you hardly ever come around, so..." "I don't come around?" "Why do you think I write to you every day?" "!" "Write me...?" "Aren't we a little old to be pen-pals?" "Pen-pals?" "What's so funny?" "!" "This new guy I'm seeing doesn't bore me with talk." "He's a soldier like you but he's a computer tech assigned to ground duty." "He may not have your muscles, but he beats you in the brains department." "Why, you...!" "You're a" "Karl Bjorn Andressen." "Code number 696428." "You are 38 minutes, 58 seconds late." "Please report to the office to explain the reason for" "You're in early today." "Hm?" "What's that?" "That Newtype armor we've heard about." "Looks pretty hot, don't it?" "Pretty impressive guy, this one." "They should let veterans like us have it!" "Why do we have to be stuck in a training class?" "They don't think we can handle it." "Then why don't they give us the license for it and see?" "A lecture course, huh...?" "A test?" "!" "I thought this was just a lecture!" "I believe you were told about this already!" "The Type-96 Newtype is far more advanced than current machines and extremely powerful!" "For that reason only people who have already been trained in its basic functions and use will be allowed to operate it!" "What was that?" "!" "In other words, unless you pass this test you will not be allowed to use the Type-96 Newtype!" "You've gotta be kidding!" "We've seen lots of combat!" "What do you have to test us on?" "!" "I believe I said it isn't like your current machines!" "Listen!" "On the front, there's no such things as "theories" and "experiments"!" "All right, then never mind." "I guess you won't be operating the Newtype, then." "Maybe this'll cut her down to size..." "I thought... 50 laps..." "would be a piece of cake!" "The gravity here's..." "stronger than on Earth..." "Just a bunch of kids with no real combat experience..." "What?" "!" "Cut it out!" "Those guys'll never be able to work Oscar's mecha!" "Did you say Oscar?" "Oh..." "You've never used the Newtype but you still know the designer's name." "Oscar designed the military's new weapon?" "And they didn't just give him a medal for it, either." "They say the Newtype's his memento to the Force." "Memento?" "!" "Did you really know him?" "I heard he went out in style in Karakorm sector." "To hell with the Type-96!" "What do those paper-pushers know?" "!" "I've taken on the Raalgon with my bare hands and I sure as hell didn't need a license for THAT!" "Hey, what's up with Andressen?" "It looks like that dead guy, Oscar was a classmate of his back in the Marine Academy." "So, he never got a chance to drink from it, huh?" "He was alone so often that I hardly ever saw him." "I guess the only one who'll ever drink from it is you." "I'm always out in deep space and I thought he only got assigned to ground duty." "What was he doing out on the line?" "I heard his father wanted him to earn a medal so badly that he transferred out to Karakorm." "His dad...?" "Shall I open it?" "Nah, that was his bottle." "This one's on me." "I heard that new mecha he designed was completed." "The Newtype..." "Anti-war?" "No, that's not it." "I'm just scared to go into battle." "I've always hated fighting, ever since I was a little kid." "I couldn't stand hearing the sound of my parents fighting coming through my closed door and so I'd sit in my bed and cover my ears." "Holding your cat?" "I didn't have one then." "Dad always hated cats." "So why did you end up joining the military?" "Because we're a military family." "My grandfather retired as the captain of the Aso." "My dad is a Naval officer, so..." "So, there was no way you could avoid going into the Navy." "I didn't go against my father's wishes." "I didn't want to be the cause of more fighting in my family." "Besides, I can still be an engineer in the military." "So, you design the weapons and I do the fighting." "No..." "I design the weapons for my own purposes." "Charly!" "You in here?" "Charly, I want you to find out everything about that mecha!" "That mecha...?" "What, the Newtype?" "Why me?" "Because you're the only one of us who'd understand it!" "You got me?" "!" "I gotcha, I gotcha..." "Take control via the blade code then execute the S-Y-S I-N-I-T routine..." "Hey!" "What's going on here?" "!" "Shut up!" "What's gotten into you?" "!" "Nothing!" "Hey, Charly!" "What the hell's an "application"?" "!" "Agh!" "Yes, sir!" "An application is a piece of software that" "Why the hell won't you tell us?" "!" "Something is buggin' you, isn't it, Lieutenant?" "Just leave me alone." "You suddenly care about getting good grades?" "!" "Well, I'm disappointed in you!" "We can run around the battlefield with just our bare hands!" "We take pride in that!" "Right, guys?" "!" "Yeah." "Yeah!" "There are times when bare hands aren't enough." "What?" "When aren't they?" "Did your pal Oscar say that?" "If you can't understand, then just stay outta my way!" "Wh" " What did you say?" "!" "Hah!" "You're a disgrace!" "Charly!" "You're running an analysis on that thing, right?" "Huh?" "Uh..." "Yeah!" "Just a little one." "I don't like this!" "Let's go!" "Uh, I suddenly don't feel so good, so..." "I just suddenly remembered something I have to do." "Today's Friday..." "So what if it's Friday?" "Uh, well, he gets really sick on Fridays, right?" "Hey!" "Right?" "Come on!" "Hey!" "What's wrong?" "!" "You okay?" "Get him to his room!" "His room!" "Hey, Jason!" "Are you okay?" "!" "Are you all set?" "Monitor looks good." "Operations panel and power indicators are all green." "Ready to activate!" "All right!" "Send out the target!" "What's going on?" "!" "You idiot!" "What are you doing?" "!" "No, sir..." "There's no problems with the controls." "Nothing on the indicators..." "Enough!" "Get out of there, Kubo!" "Kill the power switch!" "Go back and study some more!" "Aoki!" "Get ready to take over!" "Yes, sir!" "Damn it!" "What's going on here?" "!" "I've gotta train again?" "!" "Damn it, I hate this!" "Kubo!" "I thought I ordered you to switch that thing off!" "I did!" "The mains and the sub-systems!" "Kubo!" "What's wrong?" "!" "Kubo!" "Hey!" "What's going on?" "!" "Uh, well..." "The Type-96 has gone berserk!" "Berserk?" "It shot the operator after he got out and started moving on its own!" "We can't stop it!" "What?" "!" "The Newtype shot him?" "!" "Who's the Newtype's computer tech?" "!" "Uh, that's me, sir..." "Well, what are you just standing there for?" "!" "Hurry up and cut the auto-systems on that thing!" "You're the one who wrote this book, right?" "!" "Even if you tell me to cut the auto-systems..." "What, are you telling me this book's full of lies?" "N" " No, sir." "It's just that the pilot already killed the suit's main switch." "Then why is it still moving?" "No..." "I design the weapons for my own purposes." "I wonder why it's moving." "Don't ask me, you idiot!" "The Type-96 has broken into C-Block!" "Putting it on the monitor!" "Take it!" "Charly, you stay here and continue that analysis!" "Aye, aye, sir!" "Let's go, you guys!" "YEAH!" "We can guess what you'll do when you move your arm!" "Hah!" "It's stopped moving!" "That thing's something else..." "Angel's right arm is broken." "The shock caused Yamada to relapse into a chronic illness." "Snake has light burns, Rats has bruises on his face and Emperor just fainted!" "That is all!" "Jeez, don't they see that has no effect on it?" "Hey, Mr. Technician!" "You there?" "Yeah..." "We still don't know why it's moving." "Leave that to Charly!" "Tell me!" "Is the operator the Newtype shot at dead?" "No, he just fai nted from the shock." "Fainted...?" "Yeah." "He got a burn on his thigh." "His... right thigh?" "Yeah, that's what I heard." "His side arm...!" "Yeah." "He was wearing it during the test." "Guys!" "Change of plans!" "Why, you...!" "I told you not to bring those things!" "Damn, this thing's good!" "Let's go!" "YEAH!" "I don't believe these guys..." "They're nuts!" "Why the hell aren't you using your Type-95s?" "!" "Just leave this mech to us!" "We won't need the Hammers to destroy this thing!" "Be serious!" "Do you know what the Type-96 cost to develop?" "!" "That thing isn't yours to take on!" "I demand you help defend headquarters!" "You can say that, sir but if you do, this mess is only gonna get bigger!" "And that'll just send confidence in the Navy right into the gutter!" "Besides, it looks like this thing's headed there anyway." "We don't know what its target is, but..." "What...?" "Get companies 2 and 3 in front of the headquarters building!" "Run the driver for the M3 circuit in the CPU!" "Right!" "What is that?" "Now pipe in that sub-stream we decoded." "Look!" "That's it!" "That's what's driving it!" "Do you know where that chip is?" "Well, we can call up the plans and look..." "Right!" "What's with this thing!" "How much do we have to tear out before it stops?" "!" "And where's this thing going, anyway?" "!" "I think it's..." "Hey!" "We're on this thing!" "Y" " You idiots!" "Whoa!" "Why, you...!" "Andressen, we've got it!" "What?" "!" "The thing's command circuit!" "We still can't read the program, though!" "Never mind the program!" "Where is it?" "!" "Below the sensors!" "Behind the monitor!" "It's a chip-board labeled "M3"!" "Take it out and it'll stop!" "Game over!" "Good work, Charly!" "Here we go..." "Captain!" "I see it coming!" "The Type-96 is coming!" "Should we ready the phaser cannons, sir?" "You idiot!" "If we use those, we'll blow the whole base apart!" "How many of these things are there?" "!" "Is it this one?" "!" "All units, prepare to fire!" "Andressen!" "So, you're still alive, huh?" "As you can see." "You stopped it?" "Yeah, I stopped it." "Thanks to Charly." "So, he was useful after all." "Well done, Lieutenant Andressen." "God, they really did a number on this thing." "Just what I'd expect from those Soyokaze apes!" "It's gonna be hell putting it back together!" "Oscar sure screwed up when he designed this one!" "Is that thing loaded?" "I never like to carry empty guns, so..." "Lieutenant!" "What are you trying to do?" "!" "Get away from me!" "Rest in peace with your master." "What do you mean you could never love a soldier?" "!" "I'm sorry, but the smell of oil makes me break out in hives." "Some people are allergic to pollen." "I'm allergic to oil." "Sorry..." "Bartender, gimme a drink!" "A cold one." "You guys...!" "What are you doing here?" "!" "What do you mean, what are we doing here?" "I can guess from how you're acting that you got dumped again." "I'm right, aren't I?" "God, look at you!" "What a loser!" "What did you say?" "!" "I borrowed this suit from YOU, didn't I?" "!" "And where do you ever go dressed like this?" "!" "I..." "Well..." "That is..." "To my class reunion..." "Heh!" "Like you have a face that'd get you into a class reunion!" "Does your face matter to get in?" "!" "Sure it does!" "A face is everything!" "You're an idiot!" "All they care about is personality and personal honor!" "Did your personality and honor smash all the glass in that restaurant?" "!" "That tech told me about what happened with that brunette!" "WHAT?" "!" "You mean HE'S the one she left me for?" "!" "There's your honor for you!" "Man, what a loser!" "Charly!" "Why didn't you bring that little punk out here with us?" "!" "Shut up!" "Bring him out here!" "Bring him out here!" "Pretending to be tough, I turned my back on you." "But only so you wouldn't see me crying." "The words left echoing in my soul let me hear that enormous dream." "Time just keeps on passing by  on its journey to the seas of memory." "I whisper my prayer to the hesitant wind for this moment to never fade." "Memories, promise me you'll never fade away." "Oh, set out on your endless journey now." "Memories, promise me you won't vanish with the dawn." "I sing a requiem for you." "Memories, promise me you'll never fade away." "Oh, set out on your endless journey now." "Memories, promise me you won't vanish with the dawn." "I sing a requiem for you." "I sing a requiem for you." "Requiem..." "So, what present are you getting him?" "Well, it's a little over my budget, but I'm thinking of a nice necktie." "A necktie, huh?" "Well, that's a safe bet." "Maybe I should get one, too..." "When are you meeting him?" "7 o'clock." "Well, why don't we leave a little early and go shopping?" "Yes, hello?" "Oh, it's you." "I know." "The one with the strawberries." "Yes, I'll remember to buy it on the way home." "Christmas Eve..." "That's right." "It's Christmas Eve." "Hello?" "Data Resources..." "Oh!" "Commander Star!" "Yes!" "We're having a great time working here!" "...is what I'd like to say, but you know what Data Resources is like." "Check!" "Oh?" "The captain?" "Oh, I see." "The captain..." "Yes, I see..." "Okay, try that!" "Captain...?" "Captain!" "Huh?" "You called?" "Oh, Captain." "Sorry to interrupt your work, but..." "Well..." "You see..." "I was wondering..." "Would you like to get together tonight?" "Oh?" "Dinner?" "Tonight?" "Sure." "Gotcha." "Garden Place at 7 o'clock." "Right." "Okay, see you later." "Of course..." "It's Christmas Eve, after all..." "Eve?" "What do you mean?" "Wh" " What do you mean "what"?" "Tonight's Christmas Eve." "Oh..." "I see." "Exactly." "So, you two will be eating together..." "Why?" "Wha...?" "Now, look, sir..." "Oh!" "That's right!" "Where did that thing go...?" "Oh, here it is!" "I won this in a bingo game at a New Year's party." "One free dinner for two at the Ali Baba restaurant." "Ali Baba...?" "You should have come to that party, too, Mr. Yamamoto." "I was finishing up the work you hadn't done yet, sir..." "Oh?" "Is that what happened?" "Well, anyway, we'll check it out!" "It'll be a lot of fun!" "I don't think I've ever had Arabian food before." "I wonder if Commander Star will agree with that..." "Personally, my favorite is Chinese food, but..." "Oh, what the heck!" "What are your plans, Mr. Yamamoto?" "Well, I figured I'd go out with the Marines and go drinking?" "Well, it's Christmas Eve, sir." "Lucky guy." "Sounds like fun." "Well, why don't we all go out and have fun?" "Sure." "Ask Commander Star to come along, too." "Yeah, sure." "Let's do that." "Y" " You mean it, sir?" "!" "We'll meet up with you after we eat." "Oh..." "After you eat..." "The usual places, right?" "Yes." "I was thinking we'd hit Hyotokko last tonight." "Okay, see you later!" "Remember, sir!" "Hyotokko!" "Right, right." "...he says, with no intention of showing up." "What's this?" "Give this to Lieutenant Commander Karlson in Intelligence Division." "It's a cake that was ordered." "Hey!" "Remember, Lieutenant Commander Karlson!" "Hey!" "Who was that boy?" "Dunno." "What's that, sir?" "This?" "Yes." "A cake." "Although it's a little heavy for a cake." "It is pretty heavy for a cake." "The box is four-sided, 30 cm per side." "The wrapping paper has a teddy bear motif." "Extremely cute for wrapping paper." "What?" "What's it wrapped in?" "Teddy bears." "Teddy bears." "C'mon, you really think that's a bomb?" "Yes, sir." "Using a child to sneak a time bomb into military headquarters on Christmas Eve." "Captain, what are you doing?" "!" "Sorry!" "Sorry!" "It's Christmas Eve..." "This is what I should wear." "I'll pick that up tomorrow." "Yes, Miss." "We'll take care of it." "'Scuse me!" "'Scuse me, folks!" "Sorry!" "Captain!" "Just take care of this, Mr. Yamamoto!" "Captain!" "Captain, please!" "Hi!" "Hey!" "Hm?" "You calling me?" "What?" "Why don't you try to catch me?" "!" "For what?" "For what...?" "For the cake!" "Oh, that." "It caused a big commotion, but I told them they were overreacting." "Still, I think it's probably all over by now." "See you!" "Wait a minute!" "Weird?" "Yeah, you're weird!" "Why?" "'Cuz a normal guy'd try to catch me or call the police!" "Oh?" "But you were just playing a joke, weren't you?" "Yeah, and someone normal would get mad about a joke like that!" "That's what grown-ups do!" "And then you'd give a sermon about how I should never do this again!" "Really?" "And then you'd say it's getting late and if I don't get home soon my mom will start worrying about me, or something like that!" "Hmm..." "I guess you're right." "Agh!" "I'm late!" "See you!" "W" " Wait!" "Better get home soon or your mom'll worry about you!" "If I go home, nobody'll be there!" "Oh..." "Wait up!" "You're supposed to say "It's late." "Go home anyway!"" "That's what grown-ups are supposed to do..." "Sorry!" "Waiting long?" "Why are you following me?" "Why'd you pull me onto the trolley with you?" "Seemed like the thing to do." "How long are you gonna follow me?" "We're just headed the same way!" "Hey, mister!" "You, the cute guy!" "Who, me?" "Come on, mister." "Buy your girlfriend a present!" "They cost practically nothing." "Here, isn't this nice?" "He's not working overtime..." "I'm sure he said 7 o'clock." "Well, looks like I ended up buying you after all." "I know!" "I'll give you to Yuriko!" "He's not following me." "What's that, another timebomb?" "It's a real cake this time!" "Thief!" "Was it you?" "!" "You made that kid steal the cake?" "!" "Oh, you're a real piece of work, pal!" "Using a kid to do this!" "I've never seen a scam like that!" "If you pay me for it right now, I'll let it slide!" "R" " Right!" "Sure!" "Here!" "Take the money!" "For crying out loud!" "Sorry, sir." "Well?" "Aren't you gonna have some?" "Oh, man!" "Look at him!" "It's really low-class to eat stuff on the street." "Don't worry." "Don't worry." "Is this a Christmas party?" "Looks mighty nice." "How about it?" "Wanna join me, mister?" "You'll share it with me?" "Come on!" "Have as much as you like!" "Thanks a lot, pal!" "Whoa!" "You've got this with you, too?" "It's got wine inside." "I scored it from behind a restaurant in ward 3." "Wow, good for you!" "That stuff is really good, too!" "Let's try some..." "This just isn't normal..." "None of this!" "Good stuff." "CHEERS!" "Oh, hell!" "Yuriko's waiting for me!" "What's wrong?" "Gotta run?" "Yeah." "Sorry." "Well, guess we'll just call it a night, then." "When the cherry blossoms on the street bloom, we can have a picnic!" "It'll be a blast!" "If I make it through the winter." "Bye, guys!" "Take care!" "Are you going home, too?" "Yeah." "I'm going." "Well, see you." "Bye-bye!" "Bye-bye!" " What's wrong?" " My key!" "I don't have my house key!" "What could have happened to him?" "Dammit..." "Him and his free dinner for two!" "We know!" "We know!" "Jesus, this guy can never hold his booze!" "Lousy dinner for two...!" "I guess nothing happened with the military." "So, where do we go next?" "How 'bout someplace classy?" "It's Christmas Eve, after all!" "NO!" "Hyotokko!" "We are going Hyotokko!" "It's not here..." "Maybe somebody picked it up." "I guess we'll just have to search the whole way back to headquarters." "Never mind." "I'll look for it by myself." "Why?" "Because..." "Two people looking for it will be faster than one, right?" "Never mind." "Look harder!" "It's gotta be around here." "I said never mind, okay?" "!" "The key's..." "The key's with our apartment manager!" "Oh, really!" "Whew!" "That's good." "What's wrong?" "Hey!" "Are you all right?" " I'm... fine!" " You don't look fine to me!" "Damn him..." "Him and his Ali Baba whatever..." "How long are they going to eat?" "!" "Hey, Miss!" "Refill, please." "Coming!" "The kid had an asthma attack." "He doesn't really need to be in the sick bay." "If he rests here tonight, he'll be just fine." "So, who is this kid, anyway?" "Now that you mention it, I never got around to asking him." "His family's probably worried about him." "Yeah, you're right." "Oh!" "Of course!" "Could I get a message to Lieutenant Commander Karlson in Intelligence?" "Huh?" "Still working?" "Well, then, could you send a message for me, please?" "Pardon me." "They said my son Bob was here...?" "Lieutenant Commander Karlson?" "Yes." "Don't worry." "He's just sleeping." "This way." "I really appreciate your looking after him." "Oh, it wasn't me." "It was this guy here." "Forgive me." "Thank you for looking after my son." "Sure." "But what is he doing here?" "Well, you see, he and I were having a little Christmas party." "Christmas party?" "I see..." "He caused all that commotion tonight." "I'll give him a good talking to." "Not so fast." "Before you go scolding him, maybe you, his mother should ask yourself why he did it." "Sorry." "Maybe I got a little out of line there." "No, I really may be the cause of all this." "I'm sorta late for a picnic, so say bye to Bob for me, okay?" "What?" "Don't you want some company tonight?" "I'm sorta in a hurry, so..." "What got into him?" "Oh, and I need to borrow a bike." "Mom..." "Merry Christmas, Bob." "Snow?" "It's really coming down!" "YURIKO!" "The carols echo in the distance." "Confused, I sit with tears in my eyes." "As I see the candlelight start to flicker out I wish it could warm my heart a little more." "And here I am again, all because of you." "Embraced by thoughts so strong they break my heart." "This love I have was love at first sight and tonight is Christmas Eve for me." "The snow, like a miracle dances as it drifts down from the sky." "Merry Christmas." "And here I am again, all because of you." "Embraced by thoughts so strong they break my heart." "This love I have was love at first sight and tonight is for you alone." "Tonight is Christmas Eve for you." "I wonder if it's going to rain..." "I'm pretty sure it will." "It always seems to be raining around here." "It's going to ruin it..." "I blow-dried it and everything, too." "Hello, Yuriko Star here." "Hm?" "The chief of staff's office?" "You called me, sir?" "I know this is unexpected, but have a look at this." "Yes, sir." "What's...?" "A transport ship we had flying alone in frontier airspace." "We suddenly lost contact with it and it dropped off of radar." "We scrambled fighters to investigate, but..." "There were no survivors found, and the investigation conducted later concluded it was destroyed due to an accident." "However before Intel division officially classifies it as an accident they're thinking that there should be another investigation to eliminate any other causes." "Were any Raalgon fighters in the area at the time?" "The radar site couldn't confirm any Raalgon vessels." "But you're saying there's a chance this wasn't an accident?" "I don't know, which is why you'll be investigating this." "Y" " Yes, sir!" "Get this wrapped up ASAP." "I've already gotten you a desk over at Intel Analysis." "Yes, sir." "Understood." "That's not fair!" "Is that really the reason?" "Well, it's my job." "I suppose that's why you never seem to be in every time I call your room." "Yeah." "I'm working late every night." "But I thought this ground duty was supposed to be a rest for us." "Doesn't that mean we should be taking it easy?" "Well, that was the idea, but..." "But maybe there is something behind this accident..." "Oh, you're hopeless." "You always have to put duty first, don't you?" "I guess so." "You don't have to agree with me, you know." "Uh-oh." "Huh?" "This soon?" "But we still have some time." "I have to get that report in today." "Sorry!" "Well, see you." "Just married to her work..." "Commander Star, there's a package foryou." "Huh?" "I ordered it?" "But there must be some mistake." "Hm?" "The expenses are all paid, too?" "What are you...?" "Hello?" "Hello?" "Whywould I get a couple of dumb bells I never ordered?" "That reminds me." "The night before last..." "Maybe it was my imagination..." "Wh" " What's with this wind?" "!" "All right!" "All right!" "Yeah, hello?" "Hello?" "Hello?" "What was that all about?" "Hello?" "!" "Oh, Lieutenant Kim." "What's wrong?" "Why did you just hang up before?" "You didn't?" "You mean this is the first time you called?" "Never mind." "Yeah, right." "Lunch break, the day after tomorrow." "Bye." "And now this package..." "Things have been very strange lately." ""And no other causes have been found..."" ""...beyond those indicated in the initial investigation."" "There!" "All finished!" "Mmm..." "I'm done!" "Well, as long as I have them..." "Maybe I really have been working too hard." "L" " Lieutenant Yamamoto!" "Are you on your way home?" "Please..." "Don't scare me like that." "I'm sorry if I did." "I was on my way home, too, when I saw you, Commander, so..." "You look like you've had a lot to drink." "Yes, I suppose so." "Still, I didn't mean to scare you." "I'm terribly sorry about that." "Oh, no, it's nothing." "I thought somebody was following me." "I don't see anyone around." "No, it must have just been my imagination." "Very well, then!" "I shall accept this responsibility and escort you to your quarters, Commander!" "Thanks, really, but they're right near here." "I'll be fine." "See you." "Good night!" "Uh..." "Good night, then..." "Oh, well." "Commander Star!" "Commander Star!" "Taxi!" "Taxi!" "TAXI!" "M-67.." "Here..." "They must be in here." "All right, then!" "What's in this thing?" "Where am I?" "We've been raiding the hardware store, all for your benefit." "Lt. Cmdr. Yuriko Star." "UPSF Intelligence Division." "Currently assigned to investigating the frontier sectors." "You've been working late every night on your job." "You must be very tired." "It was you, right?" "!" "Following me and making those hang-up calls!" "And then sending me those things, as well..." "I beg your pardon for all that." "You contemptible...!" "LET ME GO!" "R" " Raalgon..." "What are you doing here?" "!" "Heh, you're as tough a girl as we heard you were." "Time is short, but I'll explain what's happening." "Commander Star, I swear that I'll save you!" "What?" "!" "You want me to rewrite the report?" "What you'll rewrite the report to say is that you found additional information that the transport ship was destroyed in a Raalgon attack after gaining secret data on a new Raalgon weapon." "A new Raalgon weapon?" "But that isn't true." "First of all, not one Raalgon vessel was in that area." "Not even a fighter!" "Commander, it doesn't have to be true." "The investigations division decided it was an accident." "Now the report from Intelligence will call that conclusion into question." "In short, our mission is to disrupt your intelligence network and cause disharmony in the United Planets Space Force." "Our ultimate aim to is make the UPSF ready to fight us again." "What did you say?" "!" "Well, shall we begin?" "Your conclusion is the military's conclusion." "That's how it must be." "No..." "It's a very simple plan." "Of course, once you data lock a file, it can't be rewritten." "But if we did, we could also encode a virus with the "secret data" which would infect the host computer as well." "If you did that, you'd throw Intel operations into chaos." "The entire Space Force would be paralyzed!" "Commander..." "Our goal isn't to paralyze Intelligence." "It's to make you ready to fight." "Hmm..." "Do I go left or right?" "Or maybe straight ahead?" "Hmm..." "All right!" "We've only cracked through this far on it." "You're the only one who knows this key number." "I don't suppose it's your birthday or something like that." "I refuse to say." "Well, I didn't think you'd be all that cooperative." "Now, about Captain Tylor..." "We have a great deal of interest in just how lucky he really is." "And what does that mean?" "This is the remote control detonator for a bomb that we've set in the captain's quarters." "You wouldn't." "Oh, I know you don't believe me, so..." "What's...!" "We did a little hacking into the surveillance monitor lines." "It's not that hard, even with this junk." "That was planted in a garage." "The next one's for real." "This one I have controls the bomb in the captain's quarters." "Do you believe me now?" "Now, if Captain Tylor isn't home, it'll prove how lucky he really is." "But, if he is home..." "You understand, don't you?" "I'm just back where I started?" "!" "Commander, make your decision." "Commander!" "All right..." "So, you're just a normal girl after all." "No, I'm not." "I make this decision as a soldier." "The military needs the captain!" "COMMANDER!" "Commander..." "What's wrong?" "Look, there's just one thing I'd like to know." "You heard footsteps?" "I keep hearing them wandering all around." "It's giving me the creeps." "Kill anybody who gets too close to here." "Why do you people have to fight so much?" "War is the history of the Raalgon Empire." "It's our pride." "Idiotic..." "What was that?" "!" "Don't you dare speak that way about us!" "You, who let half your people starve while the other half stuffs itself, could never understand!" "Enough fooling around, young lady!" "The only path left is straight ahead." "M-67..." "Where's the exit...?" "A floodgate...?" "!" "Please, open..." "Gate open..." "That's it!" "Floodgate has now been opened." "Area will flood in 40 seconds." "Please evacuate now." "What?" "!" "Commander Star!" "Lieutenant Yamamoto!" "Lieutenant, hurry!" "Right!" "This way!" "Damn them..." "Trying to be clever, huh?" "!" "Commander, the exit's the other way!" "The floodgate over this way is closer!" "If we can just get out of the reservoir block..." "What are you doing?" "!" "I lost my hat." "YOU IDIOT!" "Run for it!" "Wait for me!" "Iron bars!" "Stand back, please." "Lieutenant!" "There should be a ladder next to the exit!" "Here we go!" "Don't!" "It's impossible!" "Things will work out, right?" "Lieutenant!" "I told you things would work out!" "Commander!" "Commander, hurry!" "The rain's stopped." "Yeah, it has." "They were really planning to do something that horrible?" "!" "Thanks for everything, Lieutenant Yamamoto." "If you hadn't come, I don't know what I'd have done." "N" " No, I should have walked you to your quarters." "No, I just wasn't paying attention." "Probably because I was going back for this thing." "This thing...?" "You mean this isn't something valuable?" "It's all right." "But what's in it?" "Dumb bells." "Dumb bells?" "Actually, the Raalgon" "Oh?" "You two are in early today." "Captain!" "Morning." "Were you out jogging or something?" "Captain!" "Commander Star and I wouldn't waste our time-- Now, see here!" "Oh, by the way, Yuriko." "Could you do me a favor?" "I was out shopping and had something delivered to your desk." "Could I get it from you?" "You mean..." "You mean some dumb bells, sir?" "Yeah." "Wow, you mean they got here already?" "Here they are!" "Here!" "I guarded them like a baby in a womb!" "Oh, why didn't you just say so?" "What's this?" "Th" " That's...!" "You push this button here..." "Right?" "Even when you're buried in your work part of you longs for something more." "You're unsatisfied and your heart struggles to be free." "You know?" "Your heart is always longing to feel more." "Every day and night, throw off those rules that bind you." "You want your heart to separate the best from the worst." "Every day and night, hold off your regrets." "Don 't abandon me, because I know I love you." "I know sometimes, yes, I know sometimes things don't go the way we want." "And when they don't, it may leave you in a daze." "The glory of an honorable death..." "Huh?" "You're kidding, right?" "You think I'd lie or kid about this?" "!" "How's Mr. Yamamoto?" "That's the one bit of good luck in all this bad luck." "He wasn't hurt very badly." " Well, that's good." " There's nothing good about it!" "Why not?" "Because he failed his mission!" "So what?" "So..." "So what...?" "He's really depressed about it." "Mr. Yamamoto isn't like you, Mr. Tylor." "He takes responsibility very seriously." "He's been confined to his quarters for a week!" "So, it means Mr. Yamamoto will finally get a nice rest." "Um, now look..." "I feel so sorry for Mr. Yamamoto." "That's right." "He was so looking forward to it." "Cheers!" "Please!" "Thank you." "Thank you." "Too bad!" "I was hoping you could take it easy a while longer." "What are you saying, sir?" "If he isn't always looking forward to receiving emergency orders a soldier can't call himself a great soldier!" "That applies to me, even when I'm not on active duty." "You're finally a captain!" "That's so wonderful, Mr. Yamamoto!" "Don't sell yourself short!" "We've been losing transport ships lately!" "No kidding!" "Commander Star's been working really hard trying to track down the cause." "You never know what may happen." "I'll say it to anyone!" "Makoto Yamamoto will risk his life to complete any responsibility!" "All right, Captain Yamamoto!" "You don't think he'd resign, do you?" "He couldn't do that!" "Don't worry." "Mr. Yamamoto'll be just fine." "If you say so, Mr. Tylor then I'm sure he'll be fine." "Right?" "I beg your pardon, sir!" "Just what the hell did you do out there?" "!" "W" " Well, sir, I..." "I don't want excuses!" "Never mind that you didn't make any kills but couldn't you have gotten off even one shot?" "!" "I am prepared..." "to do the right thing." "Oh?" "Prepared to do what?" "Well, I'm a disgrace as a soldier." "I failed in my duty." "Ready to fall on your sword, eh?" "Doing that will only put your mind at ease." "It doesn't solve anything for the Space Force!" "B" " But, sir...!" "Lieutenant Yamamoto!" "You are confined to your quarters for a week." "Enough." "You're dismissed!" "B" " But, I" "I said you're dismissed!" "I thought he would avoid any Tylor-esque misadventures, but..." "I guess he just doesn't have what it takes to be a captain." "We can't afford to station any more ships on the frontier." "I agree, but the loss of any more transports will affect every area." "And I don't think the Raalgon are going to get careless now." "The times are changing faster than we can react." "The entire military has to recognize the reality that we face a new age." "Confined to quarters..." "Me?" "!" "Christ, where the hell did he go?" "And I told him to come out with us so he could cheer up." "He may not want to be with anyone at a time like this." "When you're feeling down, you want to party to feel better, right?" "Nope, a guy like that doesn't party when he's down." "The broken-heart tour?" "Bingo!" "He's an idiot who looks out at the sea and stuff?" "!" "Hey!" "Lieutenant!" "Hello, men." "Shall we begin?" "Miss!" "A beer, please!" "Large!" "Coming!" "That's exactly right, sir!" "A soldier can't let every defeat get him down!" "And another thing!" "Even a great soldier can lose sometimes!" "That's just how war is!" "Well, this is a relief!" "I thought for sure you were gonna resign your commission!" "Now, who ever said anything about that?" "Still, the enemy must've been pretty good!" "Even with those escort ships there, they won!" "Why'd" "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" "!" "If I had seen the enemy, even I wouldn't have lost so easily!" "If you had seen the enemy?" "What's that supposed to mean?" "Was it a new Raalgon weapon?" "I don't know!" "Come on, let's drink." "Drop the subject." "Oh, no, you don't!" "Come on, what happened?" "You never know when we might be sent out there next." "Just shut up, okay?" "Either way, I still lost!" "I wish I'd been scattered in space like the falling cherry blossoms." "Oh, so that's the problem..." "What the hell do any of you know?" "!" "How I've tried to be..." "How I've tried...!" "To be a commander like Captain Kogure..." "Lieutenant?" "Guess he really is still feeling down." "Captain Kogure...?" "The ideal soldier?" "Yeah." "The lieutenant always talks about him when he's drunk." "The kind of soldier he wants to be." "Captain Kogure..." "All that I've ever wanted was to be a commander like you." "And when I thought that dream might finally come true..." "Y" " You want me to command a vessel, sir?" "!" "As captain of the escort group's command ship, your duty will be to defend transport group M-17 from enemy attack." "Captain of the command ship?" "So, it's not a destroyer..." "Not good enough?" "Oh, no, sir!" "I didn't mean that!" "I suppose just defending the transport routes on the frontier won't show us how well you perform in action." "No, sir, what I meant is..." "Getting my own ship's command has been my dream for years, sir." "If this brings me even a day closer to being a great commander like my mentor, Captain Kogure, I'll gladly do it!" "Kogure...?" "Ah..." "Well, keep that attitude." "Admiral Mifune says that you're well-suited to this assignment." "Thank you very much, sir!" "Since we still don't know what destroyed that transport ship we scrambled after before, you'll need to be very careful on this." "Sir!" "I'll try to live up to your expectations of me!" "I'd seen it so many times before, but on that day space never looked to me as beautiful or as silent." "Now entering frontier sector." "Nothing unusual in the local airspace." "Right!" "Maintain current velocity." "Captain, our ETA to navigation point 1628 is 22:30 hours." "Right." "Well, we can switch over to auto pilot till we reach the next nav point." "Relax a little." "Aye, Captain!" "Switch to auto pilot until we reach point 1628!" "Aye, aye, sir!" "Captain!" "Can I get you some coffee, sir?" "Oh, one more thing." "Sir?" "Plenty of milk and sugar, please." "Aye, Captain." "Captain..." "Captain Yamamoto." "It has a nice ring to it." "Everything was going smoothly." "I seemed so close to becoming the sort of soldier I dreamed of being." "All my hard work seemed to have finally paid off." "But reality shattered my dream in an instant." "Objects closing with us from ahead!" "Are they ships?" "No, I think they're meteors." "Captain..." "No choice." "We'll have to avoid the meteors." "Change course." "Aye, sir!" "Cut out auto pilot!" "Change course to point 1635!" "Aye, sir!" "Changing course to point 1635!" "There are even more meteors coming in on our new course!" "What?" "!" "Don't panic!" "Put it on the center monitors!" "Wide-field dispersal..." "That's a problem..." "What are the projected courses for the meteors?" "I'm just getting errors on the course calculations, sir!" "What do you mean?" "!" "With their position and sheer number, I can't calculate it!" "What?" "!" "Access all data!" "Access impossible!" "Captain!" "The meteors' speed is increasing!" "You're sure they're meteors?" "Their radar profiles confirm it, sir." "They're breaching our defense line!" "Their speed is incredible!" "The meteors..." "They're breaching our defense line?" "Captain!" "At this rate, we can't avoid colliding with the meteors!" "That's..." "That's impossible!" "Captain!" "Prepare to intercept them!" "Fires have broken out in the launch bays!" "Some sort of electromagnetic energy is enveloping the ship!" "Radar is off-line!" "I've lost helm control!" "Get auxiliary power on-line!" "The Haruna just collided with the transport!" "Induction effect is repeating!" "Starboard energy lines destroyed!" "Engines are now off-line!" "Wh" " What's happening to us?" "Captain!" "Captain, wh- what's happening?" "!" "Captain!" "Give us an order!" "Fire!" "FIRE!" "FIRE!" "And so I returned like this, still alive." "I didn't live up to the responsibility given to me." "I was useless to the military." "Captain Kogure..." "What sort of soldier should I try to be now?" "So, what was he like?" "Apparently, ten years ago in a battle with the Raalgon he was a captain who had all his men abandon ship while he stayed behind to share its fate." "To get the honorable death a captain's supposed to have, huh?" "Probably what the lieutenant wanted." "That's his ideal, after all." "It must have been a shock." "To finally get a ship's command and then get wrecked like that." "Not to mention being confined to quarters." "His ideals must be driving him crazy." "Yeah..." "Any soldier wants to die a good death and avoid disgrace." "You came to see Kogure?" "You're... his wife, ma'am?" "Yes." "So, you knew him when you were in the Academy..." "Yes, ma'am." "Captain Kogure was my first instructor there." "Oh, I see." "Were you afraid of my husband then?" "Well, a bit, but-- I" " I mean, no!" "That's all right." "They used to say he was worse than an ogre." "Oh, no." "It was because of Captain Kogure that I've worked so hard." "He was a soldier's soldier, through and through." "Because he was a captain who went down with his ship?" "Yes, ma'am." "Captain Kogure would always say that honor came first!" "Yes, that's right..." "He did have an honorable death." "But..." "That's not quite right..." "Not right?" "How, ma'am?" "No, ma'am." "Abandon ship!" "Abandon ship!" "Come on!" "Speak to me!" "Hey!" "C" " Captain Kogure..." "Take care of him!" "C" " Captain, you have to get out of here, too!" "I'm pulling our navigational data!" "Go on ahead of me!" "Captain!" "Captain Kogure!" ""Why did the enemy beat me?"" ""What were the enemy's weapons and plans?"" "I'm sure that's all Kogure was thinking about when it happened." "You see, that's why, while others praised Kogure for being a captain who went down with his ship I just didn't see it that way." "But still, Kogure was a soldier." "He chose the way he would die." "And that's why I'm proud of him." "Captain Kogure..." "Captain Kogure..." "I..." "Without really knowing you, I wanted to be a soldier like you." "And now I wonder what honor really is for a soldier." "Captain Kogure..." "Damn!" "I'm late!" "Oh, right..." "I'm confined to quarters." "Still have to shave, I guess..." "Access impossible!" "Starboard energy lines destroyed!" "Engines are now off-line!" "What's happening to us?" "C" " Captain!" "FIRE!" "FIRE!" "Hm?" "What's wrong?" "We keep hearing rumors that Mr. Yamamoto will be resigning." "He seems so depressed now..." "Can't you do anything about it, Captain?" "Maybe if you try hard, you can think up something weird to try." "It's scary to see an elite officer so broken down that he's useless." "Oh, you two..." "Well, it's true in his case!" "Right?" "Captain!" "Are you listening?" "!" "I wonder why Mr. Yamamoto lost?" "Wh" " What do you mean, why?" "Christ, why do we have to be responsible for the Type-96?" "!" "The brass don't believe it really went berserk." "Huh?" "Lieutenant Yamamoto?" "The lieutenant?" "No way, he's confined to quarters." "Hm..." "That's right." "Well, now that he's got confinement on his record, his career's over." "He'll never sit in the captain's chair again." "Christ, what was the Force thinking?" "!" "The lieutenant has the worst luck!" "Huh?" "Lieutenant Yamamoto!" "Oh, Lieutenant Kim." "W" " Wait, where are you going?" "To Intel division." "What?" "Hold it!" "Wait!" "What's wrong, Lieutenant?" "Lieutenant, shouldn't you think this over again?" "I know how you want to resign, but..." "To resign?" "You're going to say goodbye to Commander Star, aren't you?" "What are you talking about?" "You can't let yourself lose hope at a time like this!" "Things will turn out okay!" "Sorry, but I'm in a hurry!" "See you!" "Wait!" "Lieutenant!" "We'll all go out drinking again, soon!" "We'll go out drinking...?" "What do you know..." "He's feeling better now." "There must a connection between that strange sound and red light and the signal Commander Star is analyzing." "Why didn't I get a chance to fight back?" "What was I really facing out there?" "!" "Is Commander Star here?" "!" "On this night when wishing for you to be with me only makes me sad." "Oh, what a strange contrast colors my feelings now." "Saying goodbye may lead to a reunion but my love for you still overflows." "I don't like the thought that someday I'll be a stranger to you again." "Cause your eyes, in them I see a gentleness no one else has." "You're the one." "I think that's all I need from you." "I want to take it all, as much as I can." "Even embrace your confusion, too, now." "I'll soar high, even with this heartbreak to the place where the sea and sky become one!" "Long ago, although by that I should say a very long time ago a dictator was overjoyed at his ally's sneak attack." "But when he unrolled a map of the world before his generals and military advisors and not a single one could find where the attack had taken place he was furious." "Where did his ally attack?" "Pearl Harbor." "I've never heard of it, either." "Is this a funny story?" "No, it's a parable." "A parable?" "About how big events can start on far frontiers." "Frontiers, huh?" "Yes." "You see, all nations had borders back then." "I don't get you." "You really impress me, Mr. Yamamoto." "Always thinking about this stuff." "Yeah, even though we're on RR you can't get military stuff out of your head!" "What are you talking about?" "We're the only ones on leave!" "While we sit here wasting our time Ensign Kojiro and even the Marines are on special duty!" "Oh, "special duty." Where are they and what are they doing?" "It's true!" "Mr. Kojiro went off somewhere to get away from us." "And we had all these plans to visit him, too." "Right?" "Now, come on, guys." "Ground duty doesn't equal RR, you know." "Commander Star is right!" "Until new battle orders are given to the Soyokaze we need to use this time to train and improve ourselves!" "Battle orders for the Soyokaze..." "Think we'll get them?" "An HS-501 interstellar transport." "Warp capable." "Launching into space..." "Now moving through area 4806 on course 469." "Maintaining cruising speed." "Okay, switch her over to auto pilot." "Man, now I see what they say about this frontier sector and why they can send us on this route unarmed, even in wartime." "This sector's as safe as they come." "Anyone want some coffee?" "Please!" "Me, too." "Sure thing." "Damn it, don't scare me like that!" "You'll be sorry if you get caught doing this." "Fine with me." "Once the Force puts you out in the boonies like this it means your career's already gone bye-bye!" "You're a barrel of laughs, you know that?" "God, I wish I was back on the ground again..." "What's that?" "Maybe there's been an accident." "Area 4806...?" "What's that noise?" "Huh?" "That's strange..." "The signal ID system can't decode it." "You can't identify it?" "You think it's the Raalgon...?" "!" "I'll check it out!" "Possibly a cluster of magnetically-charged meteors on the transport ship's route...?" "Are they Raalgon or not?" "No, I don't think this wave-form's man made." "Looks like a meteor cluster with a really strong magnetic field." "Great..." "A false alarm from some floating rocks." "Hey, what else do you expect out here on the frontier?" "So, do we report this or not?" "Sure." "Where's the harm?" "At least it'll show them we're doing our job out here." "Right..." "And can you cut off that noise now?" "Right." "Creepy sound." "Jesus..." "Our new high-speed cruisers will be finished soon." "The ships of Project R..." "And the High Command may soon decide how to dispose of the Soyokaze as well." "I know." "It's a decrepit old ship, and it has to be scrapped." "You're a cruel man, Admiral Mifune." "You don't have Captain Tylor's consent for this, do you?" "I only said the truth." "It has to be done." "The Soyokaze must be scrapped." "Despite an accident which occurred during its flight tests  the Gunryu tested well and its new armor system is being put into production." "Understood." "We have a report in from one of our radar sites." "Read it to me." "Yes, sir." "To COM-FRONT staff from radar site SS-2071." "Report number 0219." "Traced unidentified signal in area 4806." "ID system indicates meteor cluster with unusually high magnetic charge." "Situation quiet." "Report ends." "Sir...?" "Get me a list of Intel division staff with the rank of lieutenant commander." "Yes, sir." "Understood." "Hey, what's goin' on?" "!" "What the...?" "!" "It's that meteor cluster, but its magnetic signature's even higher now!" "Something's wrong." "Calculate their projected course, and fast!" "They're on a direct collision course with that transport!" "God damn it...!" "This is radar site SS-2071!" "Emergency report!" "This is the patrol carrier Utsusemi!" "We read you!" "Scramble request from SS-2071." "Meteor cluster in area 4806 is closing rapidly on a transport." "Probability transport will be struck is now at least 90 percent!" "Projected time of impact: 13:48 hours!" "Squadron 73, scramble!" "I repeat..." "Projected time of impact: 13:48 hours!" "What's our target?" "Meteor disposal, Ensign." "Trash collection..." "What's happening?" "!" "There's an awful lot more coming..." "We're coming up on the rendezvous point for that meteor cluster." "Unit 2!" "Unit 3!" "Take attack formation!" "Roger!" "Roger!" "Once we contact the meteors, we'll destroy them with our rail guns." "All units, activate vector targeting system." "Unit 2, activated." "Unit 3, activated." "Steady..." "Sir, I'm at the rendezvous point and I don't see any meteors." "Hm?" "!" "What the hell...?" "!" "Sir!" "At 2 o'clock...!" "Unit 2!" "Look for any enemies still in the area!" "Roger!" "Unit 3, start getting video of all this!" "Roger!" "This is attack squadron 73!" "Carrier Utsusemi, come in!" "This is the carrier Utsusemi." "Emergency report!" "Have sighted the transport at the rendezvous point!" "Huh...?" "Mr. Yamamoto...?" "What?" "!" "It's tea time." "The pot's right over there!" "Please get it yourself!" "Oh, right..." "You certainly..." "like to sleep when you're supposed to be doing your work!" "What about you waving that training sword around while I was asleep?" "I have finished all my work for the day!" "Oh, right..." "Besides that... even when the Soyokaze... isn't on combat duty I always do this... to keep my mind and body in shape!" "Mr. Yamamoto!" "Sir?" "What is it?" "This tea's lukewarm." "Must we really have to do this, day after day?" "Chief Kurusu." "I have that list of intelligence officers you asked for." "Just key in code 326 on your monitor." "Thank you." "It was nothing, sir." "Yes, sir?" "Please contact Lt. Commander Yuriko Star in data management." "It's been a while since we were last here." "Admiral, how we use the new cruisers is a question of life or death for us." "The Force will apparently be deciding it at the next general staff meeting." "Don't worry yourself over it." "Either way, the Force will accept this reorganization." "Project R's goal was to develop those high-speed cruisers." "The truth is, when they're deployed, the staff will eventually have to accept the reorganization plans." "I still say we need to be careful in seeing this through the meeting." "Leave it to me." "If this all works out the way it's supposed to not only will our influence on the High Command be increased but your authority will be unmatched, Admiral Mifune." "And all we have to do tonight is sit back and wait for the pot to boil!" "Yes, hello?" "WHAT?" "!" "The Naval base is on fire?" "!" "Lord Wang, it's time." "Please come to the main hall." "Silence, all of you!" "You are in the presence of her Imperial Highness!" "Wang, what did you just say?" "Merely that it was time we opened up peace negotiations." "Silence, all of you!" "And will this happen with the consent of the Imperial Forces?" "We have their consent, Your Imperial Highness." "Captain Dom..." "I know you already may have heard about this but here's all the sampling data we have on that transport both before and after it was destroyed yesterday." "This is that unidentifiable signal." "I want this master copy of the data on those magnetic meteors thoroughly analyzed." "Chief, are you telling me that it wasn't an accident?" "That's what you're going to find out, Petty Officer Gates." "Does Investigations Division think it was an accident?" "All Chief Kurusu said was "I want Analysis to make a decision on this."" "The Chief's orders, huh?" "He even went and sent for someone in Intel data administration." "He must be hot to solve this." "Oh?" "Who'd he get?" "From point 1310 to point 258." "Switching from cruising speed to warp in 5 seconds." "3... 2... 1..." "Warp!" "Subspace escape impossible." "Ship destroyed." "Lieutenant Katori, you made an error in the procedure." "Try again." "Roger." "Reset to try it again." "From point 1310 to point 258." "Switching from cruising speed to warp in 5 seconds." "DAMN IT!" "How were you able to get 34 points?" "!" "I'm just wired different up here!" "Hearing you say that really makes it hurt!" "Hey, how come we wear this stuff?" "Now, pay close attention." "Voila!" "For this, see?" "This!" "Don't you get it?" "Cheat notes!" "They're cheat notes!" "All that effort and you only got a 34?" "Wh" " What do you mean?" "Oh, that's freaking perfect!" "What's so damn funny?" "!" "I did better than 19 at least!" "Don't bring the 19 up!" "Don't even say 19!" "You must've had different questions than me!" "Shut up!" "You wanna fight?" "!" "Do YOU?" "!" "Hey, Katori." "Hm?" "Oh, hi." "I heard about the Type-96." "You had to take a test?" "Oh, we did fine!" "We always do great!" "Yeah, right..." "Anyway, what's with you?" "You look really down." "Well, they've upgraded the warp drive system." "I was training on it." "It's really hard to use." "So, are they gonna install it on the Soyokaze?" "I think it'd be a waste of time." "Its warp speed has been increased several times." "Even if they installed it on the Soyokaze, the frame couldn't take it." "So what's the point in training on it?" "I really wonder about the Space Force, sometimes." "No choice." "If I don't master it, I can't go into space." "Yeah, and without you the Soyokaze goes nowhere." "Well, uh, hope it works out for you." "Sure, and I hope your tests turn out okay." "Remember, anything below a 60 doesn't pass." "He's got it worse than either of us." "Really..." "I know how much that man wants to emulate Kogure but are you sure about this?" "It's good for us, isn't it?" "Guarding the transport routes on the frontier is a vital job." "...may be a good opportunity for both him and us." "It'll be easy to get Project R put into motion with the smoldering coals on the frontier route still fresh." "I see..." "And, like Yamamoto we can begin breaking up the rest of that group." "Even when they consistently do what they want, they still aren't consistent." "What's important now is to get the Project R cruisers finished quickly and to simultaneously reorganize the High Command." "Now to just get Tylor in here, order him to stand down as captain and hurry up with getting the Soyokaze scrapped." "I wonder how they'll look when they hear about it?" "Admiral Fuji, are you...?" "Never mind." "Y" " You think so?" "Really..." "So, Mr. Yamamoto, you got a fleet command." "You actually get to go out into space again!" "I'm jealous!" "Damn right!" "You get to go out into battle again!" "Oh, I wanna get back out there, too!" "Oh, no." "It's hardly going out into battle again." "It's just transport guard duty." "Really just a babysitting run." "This is so wonderful for you!" "Well, if you'll excuse me." "I still have some materials to gather." "We'll have a big New Captain party at Hyotokko for you at 8 o'clock!" "And we'll tell all the Marines to come, too!" "Sounds like fun." "Ooh..." "I wanna go out after the Raalgon, too!" "Attacking transports..." "Are the Raalgon really that petty?" "But, if we analyze the meteor swarm data against the sampling data won't we see some sort of a difference?" "I'm not sure." "All I know is that, before and after the transport was destroyed they picked up an unidentified signal from those magnetic meteors." "They weren't tracking any Raalgon fighters in the frontier sector and then the transport was destroyed." "You think the transport's destruction and this signal are connected?" "I don't know that, either." "I already wrote a report saying no relationship could be confirmed, but..." "I read that report myself." "This computer can tell us the frequency and vector wave-form of that strange signal and everything inside that swarm of magnetically-charged meteors." "But, in the end, it's all just numbers." "Yeah..." "Still..." "You think it might be some new Raalgon weapon?" "No, I don't think it's the Raalgon." "On what basis?" "The spies who captured me wanted me to make it seem like the accident was caused by a new Raalgon weapon." "If it really was, then why send spies to force me to write that?" "Then what did the spies want?" "They said they wanted us to be their enemies." "But if it's not the Raalgon doing it, then those accidents...?" "The real question is why do the Raalgon know about those accidents on the frontier?" "I get you now." "There's something hidden in this." "Highness, when I speak of peace, I must also point out that since the reign of Goza the 15th, I have devoted my life to defending the ideal that to fight is the pride of the Imperial soldier." "However, as this lull in the fighting has dragged on and our enemies' movements have become more threatening our troops' morale has fallen and the will to fight has vanished." "What are the threatening moves you speak of?" "Explain in more detail." "Of course." "Our enemies, the United Planets Space Force have completed new high-speed cruisers with improved firepower and defensive capabilities." "Also, there are apparent signs of small-scale mobile fleet movements on the frontier." "Lonawer, is this true?" "It is true." "Wang, continue." "Of course." "The enemy has used this lull to strengthen its forces and their defense lines." "However, while the Raalgon Empire has maintained military parity the proud Raalgon forces no longer have the will to fight." "When I consider the Empire's future, I see only defeat awaiting us." "Therefore, as prime minister, I feel it's prudent to establish a peace with the UPSF as soon as possible." "What do you think, Admiral Lonawer?" "With respect, Highness..." "We of the Raalgon Imperial Forces have by no means lost morale." "If anything, it's increased." "However, it's true that there is a sense of irritation in their morale which is impossible to hide." "But that is due more to the feelings our proud Imperial soldiers have for Your Highness." "Admiral Lonawer, do you oppose peace?" "Highness, please consider this:" "You fight a war to win it." "Once you embark on it, you cannot even consider defeat." "Admiral Lonawer, I will ask you again!" "Do you oppose peace?" "If I may be so bold, I'll say we could crush the UPSF if we used all of our forces in one, huge blow." "But the victory would be temporary." "What the Raalgon Empire requires is the establishment of true peace." "You swine!" "Have you no pride?" "!" "You, the commander of the Imperial Forces boast of victory while talking of peace?" "!" "Silence!" "Lonawer, you just said that if we fought you were confident we would win." "Is that true?" "Yes, but if peace is your will, we of the Imperial Forces would accept it without shame." "Peace is war by another name." "Nonsense!" "If the Imperial Forces, whose honor is battle, is so sure it can win then what sort of victory does it expect without fighting?" "!" "If Admiral Lonawer is sure our morale has not fallen and that victory can be ours, then I will withdraw my odious proposal for peace and press instead for an all-out attack on our enemies, the United Planets Space Force!" "Furthermore!" "I say we must deploy the Imperial Guard fleet to counter the enemy movement on the frontier!" "Just a moment!" "The Guard Fleet's direct duty is to protect Her Highness!" "To even suggest sending it against the enemy is unpardonable!" "I suggest it because it's necessary!" "There's no need for such a deployment!" "Then how do you plan to deal with the enemy on our border?" "!" "I'll think of a way!" "Keep Her Highness's welfare in mind!" "Oh, ho!" "Again, your cowardice shows!" "At the mere mention of using the Guard Fleet you have to fall back on Her Highness's authority!" "That's not true!" "It's just" "Never mind!" "Lonawer, you said we wouldn't lose this war." "But, Highness..." "I don't need the Guard troops." "As you said before, attack with all our troops and fight to prevent the disgrace of our empire!" "Decide what to do yourself." "I will withdraw for now." "Highness..." "Highness, wait!" "Please!" "Withdraw!" "Her Highness has made her decision!" "I believe you're familiar with how we in the frontier division forces have established the base of our defensive line." "The planets we've chosen to build military installations on for the purpose of defending our enormous border are in underdeveloped frontier sectors which aren't highly regarded by the enemy." "If they break through our defense line once they could head on to the rear of our central line cut off our transport routes, and possibly deliver a crushing blow to our forces as well." "Isn't preventing that what we pay you for, Admiral Mifune?" "Consequently, from a strategic point of view it's logical that the frontier division forces must be strengthened to ensure our defense." "Once our transport routes to the front line are secure we estimate that the value of these sectors will rise." "After consulting with the other fleet divisions I can say with assurance that it is vital that we establish new transport routes at once!" "I'd like to hear opinions from the other members here." "The Chief of Intelligence?" "Go ahead." "Admiral Mifune, we in Intel received a report yesterday that a transport en route through the frontier sector was attacked." "Attacked?" "That's news to me." "Didn't you say it was an accident?" "Investigations and Analysis have a joint investigation underway on that." "Either way, while all sectors, including the frontier sector are still in a state of war, there's no guaranteeing where the enemy may or may not appear." "Exactly." "However, we can't change our entire war footing over the destruction of one transport." "What?" "We've already dispatched escort ships because of that incident." "I'm sure you all understand how vital our frontier transport routes are." "Since mobility and powerful weaponry will be vital for defending such a vast area I move that we deploy our new high-speed cruisers to do the job." "The high-speed cruisers Admiral Mifune just mentioned..." "Is he suggesting we deploy the Project R ships?" "Ah, I thought those would come up eventually." "I was starting to think I'd jumped to conclusions." "Mr. Chairman, it's too soon to make any decisions about that!" "We in the fourth division were planning to take the Project R ships!" "So were we in the third division!" "Give 'em to a front line base!" "What's so special about Project R, anyway?" "!" "The dream of peace was so short-lived." "I..." "Highness!" "Highness!" "Something terrible has happened!" "Vishram has been attacked!" "What did you say?" "We are all in agreement." "All that is left is for Your Highness to give the order." "Highness..." "In my name..." "Is war really all that's left to us?" "I'm afraid so." "Now that Vishram has been attacked there are no other paths left to take." "Our empire has always been quick to respond to an enemy." "Your father, the late Emperor Goza the 15th, would have done this." "Highness!" "Very well, then..." "The Empire's decision is made!" "Gather every ship in our fleet and attack the United Planets Space Force!" "This I command!" "Highness, you have my sympathy." "It's fate that this would happen." "Never mind." "I've made my decision." "As I traveled around the Empire, seeing things for myself I realized something." "While nothing is apparently going on if our empire continues its hostilities with the UPSF it will eventually destroy our nation." "I don't believe that would happen." "Everyone thinks it's true." "Especially Wang." "And so that's why the prime minister wants peace?" "That man doesn't want peace at all." "Damn him to hell..." "First he stole my policy and then brilliantly took control of the Imperial Forces!" "Dom..." "In order for our empire to survive we warriors must change our basic way of thinking." "War is not simply fighting to crush the enemy and conquer them." "You mean..." "What do you think, Admiral Mifune?" "We'll leave the outer fleet in charge of the frontier transport route plan and, as the first division commander said we'll table discussion on Project R for now." "No objections." "The introduction of the new high-speed cruisers is a decision for the entire military to make." "Every division wants those ships, after all." "We've received an informal communique from the Raalgon!" "Read it." "Sir!" ""Our empire wishes to enter into peace negotiations..."" ""...with the United Planets Space Force."" "WHAT?" "!" "Lord Wang." "What?" "An unidentified signal is being broadcast from inside of the Melva." "I see..." "Disregard it." "Sir!" "Damn your meddling, Lonawer!" "I didn't know you were planning to do such a thing, Admiral." "Peace is also war." "Our empire stands on the brink of destruction." "We must find some way of winning this war." "Even if I have to isolate myself to do it!" "You must go to the frontier sector with the Guard ships." "I cannot leave Her Highness while she remains on the Melva." "Admiral..." "Understand this:" "No matter what happens never forget that you are a soldier of the Holy Raalgon Empire." "Now go." "We haven't much time." "Aye." "Admiral Lonawer." "What?" "I'm not convinced the UPSF attacked Vishram." "What?" "!" "Take care of yourself, sir." "Peace?" "!" "What?" "!" "Peace?" "!" "Guard Fleet, prepare to launch!" "Follow the cruiser Doroume!" "Huh?" "Peace?" "Doroume, launch!" "To defend Her Highness is a need that is engraved into the hearts of all of the Imperial Forces." "Is peace still even possible?" "Captain!" "Now entering frontier sector." "Right." "Well, we can switch over to auto-pilot till we reach the next nav point." "Aye, Captain!" "Switch to auto pilot until we reach point 1628!" "I love you so much." "Even when weakness makes us hurt each other." "It's never really fair of me  when I turn my eyes away without a word." "Oh, even then I love you in my clumsy way." "Because the dream I always had still lives on somewhere in my heart." "No one could ever take your place." "It's you I see before me." "Until you understand what I pray for you to feel  I'll always be looking at you." "Ruu!" "RUU!" "You should get some rest, Highness." "Dom?" "Yes?" "Will a day ever come when war will vanish from the universe?" "As long as you wish it to come, Highness..." "I think so, too!" "That signal requesting a peace conference is apparently being regularly broadcast from the Melva." "But it's not coming to us through official channels..." "Nobody on the High Command will believe this sudden call for peace." "And you don't believe it either, do you, Yuriko?" "Well, the broadcast may be an informal one but it's coming from the Melva, right?" "There aren't that many people who could get that done." "Prime Minister Wang, Admiral Lonawer..." "Maybe even little Azalyn." "Azalyn?" "I don't know, but I think whoever it was is telling the truth." "We have an emergency report." "At 12:05 Standard Time in the frontier sector a transport and its two escorts, led by the Kageroh suffered a devastating sneak attack." "Details on survivors and the extent of the damage are being gathered." "Isn't the Kageroh Lieutenant Yamamoto's ship?" "I repeat, at 12:05 Standard Time in the frontier sector..." "We still can't determine the meaning of the attack in the frontier sector or the validity of the Raalgon offer for peace negotiations." "However, we can confirm that a Raalgon fleet is en route to the frontier as we speak." "We have to scramble our forces at once!" "The 3rd and 7th frontier mobile fleets are already standing by there." "They're the elite units of the frontier division but the enemy fleet vastly outnumbers them so I can't guarantee they could hold out if any shooting starts." "Strange how the frontier has suddenly become so vital to us..." "This is no longer a question of one transport, First Division Commander." "I see." "You're implying that we must deploy the new high-speed cruisers on the frontier." "This accident comes at a very convenient time for you, doesn't it?" "This is hardly what I'd call an accident" "Events have brought the frontier into the center of things." "If that enemy fleet breaches our defense line any peace negotiations afterwards will be meaningless." "It's clear that preserving our forces must be given absolute priority." "The frontier is no longer some distant place to be ignored!" "You're sure about your proposal before that the outer fleet is prepared to accept the Project R ships into its ranks?" "Of course, sir." "Captain Dom, we've arrived at our target point." "The Guard Fleet ships have also formed up at their prescribed locations." "Right." "Have them stand by there." "Captain Dom, the destroyer Galguran is hailing us." "Patch it through." "How's the enemy look?" "Sir!" "According to our recon units the enemy mobile fleets are currently moving at cruising speed on an intercept course with us." "It's obvious they're moving to counter our movement here." "I agree." "Captain Dom, is it still bothering you?" "How moving the Guard Fleet here has left the Melva unprotected?" "With Admiral Lonawer still there, I don't think you have to worry, sir." "I only hope you're right." "L" " Lieutenant Yamamoto." "Weren't you confined to quarters?" "Yes, but there's something I had to tell you about the accident you're investigating, Commander Star." "Have you found any clues about that other accident yet?" "No, but since we have a report on the same signal from before I think we may learn a lot now." "What about besides the signal?" "Besides the signal, sir?" "What attacked us..." "It was a sort of... redness." "Redness?" "Yes, there was definitely a red light." "Our systems began to go crazy when the red light enveloped our ship." "Do you know which direction the red light came from?" "Is it on the flight recorder?" "I don't think there was any record on the flight recorder but there may be something on the phaser bank radar records." "Where are they?" "I think they were turned over to Investigation Division." "Mr. Gates, get me a line to Investigations right now." "Right." "Does the red light tell you anything?" "I'm not sure..." "But it may tell us something else about that signal." "Thank you, Lieutenant Yamamoto." "No, thank Captain Kogure for this as well." "What?" "!" "It's no use." "There's no response from the Melva at all." "And why is that?" "I'm not sure, sir but it appears to be an extremely powerful jamming signal." "A jamming signal?" "Captain Dom, the UPSF mobile fleets are almost in range." "That was fast." "I think they're equipped with their new warp drive." "Sound battle stations." "Until we clarify the Melva's status, we'll stand by at the ready." "Aye, sir!" "All ships, battle stations!" "Hail the Galguran." "Sir!" "So, we're finally settling things with the enemy fleet." "What is my ship's target, sir?" "No, I think we're being set up." "Besides that, we've lost contact with the Melva." "Send a recon plane out to the Melva at once." "The Melva...?" "!" "Aye, sir!" "What?" "You can't broadcast?" "No, sir." "The Melva is surrounded by a strange magnetic field." "A magnetic field...?" "We can contact neither the United Planets Space Force nor the Imperial Guard Fleet!" "Or Dom, either..." "Highness, you have to eat something." "This isn't healthy." "Please, just a little bit." "Has there been any word from Dom?" "No, Highness." "We still cannot contact him." "But I'm sure we needn't worry about Captain Dom." "It's not just Dom I'm worried about..." "So, he's pulled himself together, huh?" "He's seemed really depressed lately, though I can't blame the guy." "Ever since that day he went all nuts about that Kogure guy." "So, why didn't he come here today?" "He wanted to investigate everything about the sector they were attacked in." "Trying to find that red light of his?" "A red light, huh?" "Think it's a new Raalgon weapon?" "Fine!" "Bring 'em on!" "The Type-96s have been completed!" "Let's go test 'em out on somebody!" "Guys, those Type-96 suits are ground combat units, right?" "Hey, ground or space, a fight's a fight!" "A new weapon..." "Huh?" "!" "You don't agree, Captain?" "No, but is this new weapon and their peace proposal connected somehow?" "It's a strategy." "It's to their advantage to bog us down in peace talks." "Besides, that peace offer has stopped broadcasting." "Oh?" "That was sudden." "But you can't deny that Mr. Yamamoto's ship was attacked." "By the Raalgon?" "C'mon, don't you all find that a little strange?" "Strange?" "Yeah..." "What do you think, Yuriko?" "We have seen the Raalgon develop powerful new weapons before and they may be trying to play peace talks to their advantage but they're taking a long time to start the negotiations." "What if the people who want peace aren't the ones who attacked Mr. Yamamoto?" "You're saying the Raalgon are divided?" "If they really are divided like that then one side may have a new weapon and the other doesn't." "Can two factions that different in strength coexist?" "That's probably what Mr. Yamamoto's trying to find out." "I have to get back to Analysis." "Oh!" "Yuriko!" "I'll get your part of the tab today!" "Just pay me back later, okay?" "Captain Dom, an unidentified object far to the rear of the Melva is currently entering Imperial territory!" "Can you elaborate?" "Our recon unit said something about a red light and then we lost contact for some reason." "What?" "A red light...?" "Captain Dom, the enemy mobile fleets have crossed our defense line." "We may have been taken in by an enemy diversion!" "No!" "The United Planets Space Force doesn't have the strength to carry out an operation as large as that would suggest!" "But, then what...?" "This is too much of a coincidence." "What do you mean?" "It's as if they know our fleet's left the Melva practically unguarded!" "Are you saying...?" "!" "No..." "Rather, we've been maneuvered into leaving it unguarded!" "Captain Dom!" "You have the unmitigated gall to enter this place?" "!" "Do you have the results yet?" "!" "Explain it to him, Gates." "Right." "Well, first look at this." "This is the data from those two signal records." "It doesn't follow any standard military system." "When I checked it against other systems, it kept coming back as "a signal from within the range of a magnetic meteoroid cluster."" " However..." " However...?" "When we turn this into a sound wave with the audio analyzer, you get..." "That's it!" "That's the sound I heard during the attack!" "Right." "The same as we found on the audio data from the flight recorder." "Okay, here's the point of all this." "We amplify this data and then bring it from the low frequency band back to high frequency." "Both of the data samples form a regularly repeating organized electromagnetic wave pattern." "So, it's artificial and not made by magnetic meteoroids." "It also doesn't match any known Raalgon Empire signal pattern." "Here!" "I want you to look at this!" "This is from the frontier sector, right?" "Right." "This is it normally." "And then this is when the attack occurred." "The coordinates are the same." "What about it?" "Watch." "This is it normally..." "And this is during the attack." "Is there some difference?" "Yes." "Here." "Look here!" "Here it is normally..." "And now during the attack." "Those stars disappear during the attack." "I checked with the radar sites and they don't show the destruction of any stars in those coordinates." "Meaning something was blocking the light from those stars?" "Exactly." "From the angle and the fact it's a fixed star I first thought it could be a shadow from some planet." "But..." "If your analysis shows an artificial electromagnetic wave then I doubt there's just a shadow here." "You're going to need computer analysis from this point on." "And I think this is where we'll find the source of that red light." "This has gotten majorly interesting!" "Lieutenant Yamamoto, I don't know how far this will lead us but we've found a pattern now." "Load that photo's original data in." "I'm way ahead of you." "You two don't look like you've had much sleep." "I'm sorry to make this so much harder for you." "You've done just as much, Lieutenant." "It was a lot of work finding this much out." "Now I'll just give this a priority tag for the computers in Analysis and hopefully it won't take very long." "I appreciate everything!" "Really?" "Captain, do you understand?" "Right." "Our analysis of that strange signal clearly shows it's an electromagnetic wave generated by an man-made object." "In short, my escort ships weren't attacked by some magnetized rocks!" "And it was somebody other than the Raalgon Empire!" "Our forces cannot identify the enemy." "The High Command's already dispatched the third and seventh mobile fleets to guarantee that our defense line on the frontier holds." "In the end, both we and the Raalgon are dancing to someone else's tune." "At this rate, with neither side able to trust the other there'll be no way to avoid all-out war." "It looks like the Force has decided to send our new high-speed cruisers out to the frontier." "They've given the Project R ships to Frontier Division?" "That report details what Intelligence Division found, sir." "I think I get the gist of it." "If this is true, our forces have to prepare to deal with them at once." "Thank you very much, Admiral!" "So, our orders to move out..." "Well done, both of you." "You're dismissed." "We in the High Command will decide how to handle this." "Um, well..." "B" " But, sir, it's just..." "Admiral, why?" "Please send us out to the frontier, sir!" "To the frontier?" "You have to send the Soyokaze out, sir!" "What would sending you out there accomplish?" "To expose this misunderstanding." "We have to ensure peace!" "Peace?" "You mean you believe that offer they sent?" "Admiral Mifune, sir, I think it's time we were completely clear with them." "The scrapping of the Soyokaze has already been decided." "Y" " You've what?" "!" "And that is all we need to say to you on the subject!" "Admiral Mifune has been placed in command of all fleets." "He'll naturally be commanding from the new high-speed cruiser Hizen." "Oh, yes, I almost forgot." "We've named you as the captain of the Hizen." "Huh?" "Wha...?" "!" "ME, sir?" "!" "You should be thankful to Admiral Mifune." "He guessed you'd know the most about the frontier." "B" " But, sir..." "I..." "From house arrest to being named a ship's captain." "I'm sure you appreciate what that means." "They're gonna scrap our Soyokaze?" "!" "Just smash the thing up?" "!" "I don't believe it!" "But why?" "!" "Is that it?" "!" "They had this decided ever since they assigned us to ground duty?" "!" "Hey, let's calm down about this." "Look, I feel the same way about it, but..." "You gotta be kidding!" "What the hell's the Force thinking?" "!" "Whoa, hold on!" "Yuriko and Mr. Yamamoto didn't know about this, either!" "Hey, drinks!" "We need drinks!" "Bring a whole damn case!" "Coming!" "Yeah, we need drinks." "We need to drink ourselves to sleep." "Whoa, guys." "Captain Tylor?" "You have any ideas what to do?" "Well, I've got one, but..." "Saying they're gonna scrap the ship isn't the real problem, is it?" "Huh?" "C" " Captain, that's crazy!" "They're saying they're gonna scrap the Soyokaze, sir!" "Now, calm down." "Guys, listen to me." "HUH?" "!" "C" " CAPTAIN!" "Now these false dreams of peace have been smashed!" "We shall follow the path of the Chosen!" "We shall fight with indomitable will and the war shall end with the beautiful prize of victory!" "Give orders for the entire fleet to commence full-scale attack!" "Captain Dom, our ships are launching fighters without orders from us!" "Impossible!" "Who gave the order, then?" "Captain Dom!" "The Melva just ordered a full-scale attack!" "The Melva?" "We can contact them again?" "No, sir." "It was a one-way broadcast." "We can't get a signal through to confirm who gave the order." "What?" "!" "Shia Has, rein our forces in as much as you can!" "This attack order didn't come from Admiral Lonawer or Her Highness!" "Then who...?" "Wang..." "This is Wang's treachery." "We have to get the fleet back to the Melva!" "We can't retreat in the face of the enemy!" "Shia Has, try to withstand the enemy attack as best you can and preserve our forces!" "Aye, sir!" "At last you reveal yourself, Wang...!" "Enemy fighters now entering the battle zone, sir!" "So, here they come..." "Right!" "Launch all fighters!" "Prepare to intercept!" "Aye, sir!" "Launching all fighters!" "That peace offer..." "I should have guessed." "The enemy ships have launched fighters!" "The totally expected move..." "Dreams are built of such fragile stuff..." "The battle's about ready to begin, Admiral." "Even if we wanted peace, it's impossible now." "And if that crew tries anything, it won't make any difference." "Lieutenant Yamamoto told me this morning that he wanted the Marines transferred to the Hizen's crew." "What's wrong with that man?" "Did he really think you'd allow that, Admiral?" "Those people are so hopelessly naive!" "I allowed it." "Huh?" "What did you just...?" "If they can offer any details about the frontier as well I have no reason to object." "I've confirmed the Marines' transfer to the Hizen, Captain." "Right." "And you, Mr. Katori?" "Mounting it won't be a problem but will the Soyokaze's armor take it when it's activated?" "Captain!" "Th" " This is major!" "What's gotten into you?" "It's Harumi..." "Harumi's woken up!" "What about Harumi?" "!" "Peace..." "Peace conference was Supreme Commander Admiral Lonawer's wish..." "It is the wish of the Raalgon people..." "Communications with the flagship Melva are out, but..." "But the wishes of the Raalgon Empire remain... the same..." "It came from the Doroume?" "!" "Th" " Then, Captain Dom must have...!" "If Captain Dom can't contact the Melva, then..." "Then something must have happened to it." "Captain!" "That's right." "We may have to hurry." "Enough." "That's enough, Lonawer." "Highness, I hoped in my heart to defend you to my last breath, but could not." "I have no excuse to offer you." "Lonawer, that heart of yours..." "I understand." "Please, can you forgive me?" "What are you saying, Highness?" "To speak that way to me...?" "!" "You've looked after me since the day my father died." "I thank you." "Highness!" "Without knowing the wishes of my soldiers or my people I've behaved selfishly and shamefully as an empress." "Though the one enemy I had to fight was my own heart I never faced up to that challenge." "Forgive me, Lonawer!" "Highness!" "You've grown so much, and so strong...!" "I can die without any regrets, now." "Don't talk that way." "You have many more battles ahead of you." "Who are you?" "!" "Captain Dom ordered me to protect you, Highness." "Dom did...?" "Yes." "I'm to get you away from here in an emergency." " Very well, then!" " Can you?" "!" "I've secretly prepared an escape shuttle for us." "Highness, look there!" "Well, then, Captain." "I'll meet you later in space." "Just be ready for us." "Farewell to the ground, for now..." "I'm gonna kinda miss it, despite all the crap that happened." "All you did was get dumped by women!" "So did you!" "What?" "!" "Message to all ships!" "Prepare to launch!" "Aye, sir!" "Attention, all hands!" "We are about to set out to attack the Raalgon fleet at point 33-A in the frontier sector." "We launch in one minute!" "Initiate countdown!" "You're certainly enjoying this." "Well, after all, it looks like those Soyokaze clowns have given up." "Oh, have they?" "You think something's up, Admiral?" "Admiral Fuji, we still don't know the true nature of our enemy or whether or not they really want peace." "What are you saying, Admiral?" "We're about to go into battle!" "The Raalgon are the enemy..." "For now." "We'll see what the enemy looks like in a second." "What the...?" "!" "What?" "What's wrong?" "!" "This monitor may not be able to handle it!" "The data on the electromagnetic wave in memory is too strong!" "I'm switching to the main monitor!" "Look out!" "Hizen, move out!" "Commander!" "Enemy ship confirmed at five o'clock!" "Right!" "Form up and commence attack!" "Defense line broken at point 33-A!" "Ship is heavily damaged!" "Captain Dom, give the order to return fire!" "Our fleet can't hold out like this!" "Shia Has!" "Have you regained contact with the Melva yet?" "!" "I still can't withdraw the fleet!" "We still can't raise the Melva, sir!" "Our command lines are disrupted!" "We're trying to withstand the attack, but we just can't!" "Captain Dom!" "All right, all ships and fighters, return fire!" "Establish an air superiority zone!" "Aye, sir!" "Now preparing for ship launch." "Sub engine starter, ignition." "Sub engine ignition, aye." "Unlocking docking clamps." "Releasing oil supply lines." "Ahead slow." "Soyokaze now exiting dock." "We have cleared the dock!" "Prepare for main engine ignition." "Main engines, ignited." "We are ready to launch." "Just give the word, Captain." "Guess it's time." "First Officer, stand by for warp." "Commence countdown!" "Aye, sir!" "Countdown, starting!" "Countdown, starting." "Almost time." "I love the sounds the engines make when we start up." "Well, here we go..." "Doctor..." "It'll be all right." "Captain Tylor and Captain Dom will find a way." "Oh, feeling better now?" "I'll bet the gravity down there was pretty rough for you." "Look, we'll be off to space, soon." "Eight..." "Seven..." "Six..." "Five..." "Four..." "Three..." "Two..." "One!" "Engine output at maximum!" "Soyokaze!" "Warp, GO!" "Captain Dom, another fleet is approaching!" "Put them on the main screen as soon as you can see them!" "Aye, sir!" "Open all gun ports!" "Stand by to attack!" "Aye, sir!" "Captain Dom!" "Enemy fleet approaching on course 562!" "Putting it on screen!" "At last, they've come..." "All ships, prepare to attack!" "Communications!" "Message to all ships!" "Battle stations!" "Assume crane's wing formation!" "Mobile fleet forces will fall back behind us!" "All hands!" "Hizen, ahead slow!" "He's doing pretty well, eh, Admiral?" "Enemy fighters, now entering firing range!" "Forget them, even if they attack!" "All ships, target all guns on the enemy flagship!" "Enemy fleet has assumed an attack posture." "Our ship seems to be their main target!" "They're serious about this." "Admiral Mifune, sir!" "We have assumed attack posture!" "Your orders, sir!" "Captain Yamamoto." "Sir!" "I want one last message sent to the enemy commander." "One last message, sir?" "Message as follows: "Our forces have rejected your peace proposal..."" ""...due to your attack here."" "To establish peace, we must surrender?" "!" "Captain Dom!" "We've received an order to contact the Melva!" "You've what?" "!" "What is this?" "!" "It's them...!" "They've betrayed me!" "Our empire has been invaded?" "!" "All we know is a powerful magnetic field and a red light are involved." "Admiral...!" "Highness...!" "Enemy fighters falling back from firing range!" "They're retreating!" "Are they surrendering?" "!" "The Raalgon?" "Impossible!" "Even if they really do want peace...!" "We still don't know." "Have they taken the path of peace through surrender?" "Or do they still intend to fight?" "Communications!" "Is the enemy standing down from battle stations?" "Condition remains unchanged, sir!" "Now what?" "Sesshu Mifune must see for himself!" "The Raalgon aren't surrendering." "But they do want peace!" "I finally understand." "Do we have the enemy cornered, or do they have us cornered?" "And just who is the enemy here?" "What are you babbling about?" "Our only choice is to trust each other!" "Sir, I request that you give me command of the fleet!" "You what?" "!" "You should know better than that!" "What are you planning?" "Unless we try trusting them, we can't be sure!" "Ridiculous!" "And dishonor the name of the Frontier Division command?" "The situation is critical!" "Admiral!" "Very well." "You are now in command of this fleet." "Admiral...!" "Sir!" "Thank you, Admiral!" "Communications!" "Message to all ships!" "Maintain battle stations!" "All ships, stop engines!" "Hizen, ahead slow and approach the enemy flagship straight on!" "They're commencing attack!" "Closing on us from dead ahead!" "What the...?" "!" "Just one ship is, sir!" "One ship...?" "I don't know what their game is but we can't surrender in this battle!" "All ships, prepare to fire!" "Captain Dom!" "I've picked up a ship about to warp out of sub-space!" "It's alone!" "Alone..." "Forget it, then!" "Target the UPSF flagship!" "Prepare to open fire!" "It's the Soyokaze!" "The Soyokaze?" "!" "Tylor?" "!" " Almost time." "Think they're okay?" " Which way are they coming from?" "Here they come!" "What the hell is that?" "!" "They made it!" "Energy reserves now at 0.8 percent." "Engineering section armor, severely damaged." "Main engines, off-line!" "Soyokaze cannot move!" "That's okay." "Getting us out here was enough." "First Officer, contact Fleet Commander Mifune aboard the Hizen, please." "Aye, Captain." "I am the commander of this fleet!" "Ta-daa!" "No kidding?" "Well, I have a formal request." "I'd like the Soyokaze's crew to be taken aboard the Hizen, Commander." "Permission granted!" "Lieutenant Katori, Lieutenant Kim." "Switch all emergency hatches over to manual." "Aye, sir!" "First Officer, order all hands except for the bridge officers to abandon ship." "Aye, sir." "What's going on over there?" "The Soyokaze's crew are abandoning ship." "Get our lifeboats out there and recover the crew at once!" "Aye, sir!" "What does Tylor think he's doing?" "Lieutenant Kim, please open a line to the commander of the Raalgon fleet." "Aye, sir." "Opening communications line." "Captain Dom, the Soyokaze is hailing us." "Right, patch it through." "Heh, typical of Tylor." "Hey there, Captain Dom!" "Wh" " What are you doing there?" "!" "There is no way the proud forces of the Raalgon Imperial fleet are going to surrender in this battle, even if it is for peace!" "Huh?" "Surrender?" "Oh, I see." "You don't really have to surrender." "Just forget about it!" "Suppose a new threat appeared." "A threat to both of us." "What happens then, Captain Dom?" "Would we be enemies or allies?" "What the hell is Tylor talking about?" "What do you mean a new enemy?" "Our forces have been attacked by a fleet that produces a red light and uses a powerful magnetic field weapon." "I've got a picture of it here." "Red light and a magnetic field?" "!" "That's the same thing that's attacked the Melva!" "The Melva's under attack?" "!" "What does that blurry photograph prove?" "!" "I'm supposed to trust the United Planets Space Force based on that?" "!" "That's insane, especially after you've demanded our surrender!" "Captain Dom!" "If you can't believe in the truth of one little photo how the hell can you claim to believe in peace?" "!" "Whether I have this photo or not should make no difference." "I think that's all I need to say." "Energy reserves now at zero." "Captain, the Soyokaze is dead in the water." "Well, it's up to Mr. Yamamoto now." "Time to go, everyone." "Captain Dom, this new threat he mentioned..." "Is it possible?" "He came all the way out here to tell me that...?" "Is this another trap, Tylor?" "Captain Yamamoto, seven crewmen, including Captain Tylor have abandoned the Soyokaze in the last escape capsule!" "Move it!" "Recover them at once!" "Hizen!" "Open all forward gun ports!" "Target the destroyer Soyokaze!" "What?" "!" "H-H-Have you lost your mind?" "!" "Yama..." "Yama..." "Yamamoto...!" "Admiral Mifune, sir!" "The crew of the Soyokaze wish to follow regulations and carry out the orders of Frontier Division Command to demolish the destroyer Soyokaze!" "Admiral, will you give the word?" "To Captain Tylor and the crew of the Soyokaze I extend my deepest gratitude." "The word is given, sir." "Sir!" "Thank you, Admiral!" "All batteries..." "FIRE!" "Tylor, you magnificent fool..." "Mr. Yamamoto!" "Fleet Commander Makoto Yamamoto, your fleet awaits your orders!" "C" " Captain..." "Fleet Commander Yamamoto, your orders, SIR!" "Well, shall we give this a try?" "Message to all ships!" "Form up with the Raalgon Imperial cruiser Doroume!" "We're going to liberate the flagship Melva!" "All vessels, FULL SPEED AHEAD!" "I'm sure Captain Dom will pick up our beacon first." "Don't concern yourself, Highness." "I talked with Dom before about something." "He said peace would come to the universe so long as I wished for it." "But now I realize that he was wrong." "You can't gain anything by wishes alone." "The dream seems to overflow." "Just beyond my fingers' reach." "I pray you won't turn away when you open up the door." "Why must every meeting be doomed to end with a goodbye?" "Somewhere in my heart a trembling part of me isn't sure." "I love you so much." "Even when weakness makes us hurt each other." "It's never really fair of me when I turn my eyes away without a word." "Oh, even then I love you in my clumsy way." "Because the dream I always had still lives on somewhere in my heart." "No one could ever take your place." "It's you I see before me." "Until you understand what I pray for you to feel I'll always be looking at you." "Why does it hurt so much inside when I turn to face the future?" "Because the dream I always had still lives on somewhere in my heart." "No one could ever take your place." "It's you I see before me." "Until you understand what I pray for you to feel I'll always be looking at you."