Stardate: 1358.12
We found him!
We had been searching for Captain Rito for half a day. Ker-Chek and I combed through the wreckage, hoping to find him within the mangled ruins. We had no idea if he was still alive; we had hoped to at least recover his body. However, even that hope was fleeting as we overturned the pieces of debris. While many of the Farengis did survive, some were never recovered in time. It was quite depressing to find their bodies floating in the vacuum of space. Yet still, our captain was nowhere to be found.
Then, Princess Lala contacted us in our shuttle. It seemed that Tearju Lunatiqu from Engineering had submitted her recounting of the events in the last day and a half. She had been conducting eyewitness testimonies and gathering various other onboard recordings.
When we heard the report from Lunatique-san, it became abundantly clear that Rito was nowhere near our search parameters. Included in the report was some crucial information about the last few minutes before the collision between the two spacecrafts. Just before the impact had happened, Rito had blown out the rear airlock and was swept into space.
This was valuable data for where we could find him. Immediately after the airlock's seal had been broken, he must have been blown out into space by the explosive decompression. Carried out in the rush of air, he must have been sent drifting into space. Then, explosion from the two ships' colliding would have propelled him even further out.
Within an hour of receiving that report, we were able to narrow our focus to where he really was. Instead of in the wreckage, we flew out in the same trajectory as he had been traveling, as he was also being pulled by planet Mistletoe's massive gravity. Through careful calculation, were able to pinpoint where he could be within a few centimeters.
Lo and Behold, he was floating a good way away. When we came upon him in, his air supply was already running empty. A few more minutes, and he would have died from asphyxiation. In fact, he had already passed out by the time we got to him, and It took a while to revive him. It seemed like a miracle when his eyes flashed open and he inhaled so suddenly.
"Captain Rito, can you hear me?" I asked as he sprang up gulping air.
"Yes Zastin," He replied.
I was so overjoyed that, embarrassingly, I hugged him tightly in my arms.
"Where is everyone," he then said, "Are they safe? Are they all right?"
"Yes," I said, "You saved all of them."
"That's good. That's really good."
That was when he smiled. It was the first smile I had seen on him in a long time. You couldn't help but feel happy for him. Ever since we had started this journey, he always seemed somewhat somber. I guess the role of leadership was uncomfortable to him. This was, after all his first experience as captain of a starship. I do recognize the insane difficulties that befalls him. Now, even though he did relinquish his position to the Princess, I will continue to call him Captain, simply because it's a worthier title for him than the title "Master Groom". I do think he deserves it after what he has accomplished these past few days.
The journey back to the Astroboy went without trouble. We emerged from our craft together, with me supporting Rito by the shoulder. We were immediately swarmed by the crewmembers. Princess Momo clung onto him, and Princess Lala took my place in supporting him. Everyone else took their turns hugging him and congratulating him. I did noticed a few others missing though, including his sister, the Golden Darkness, and that Sairenji girl.
But then, I noticed her peeking from the corner. I immediately noticed that she had been crying for a long time and her eyes were red and swollen. It was a while before Rito noticed her as well. When their eyes met, all his mirth left him, and she charged straight towards him. While she didn't run, every step she took seemed to thunder like a coming storm. All of us backed away from then as she approached with such fury. She threw her hands around him and yanked him down into a fierce kiss. All of us gasped in astonishment, but she didn't care.
They were together for a good long while. Then, she pushed him away, and slapped him across the face. His head jerked back, and he fell back onto Princess Momo.
"How dare you Rito Yuuki?!" The Blue haired girl screeched, "Do you have any idea how worried I was? About you?"
She moved in and hit him some more. "You go frolicking out into space, hand yourself to an enemy, and get yourself stuck in a burning space ship…what am I missing?"
"What about crashing that ship into another?" Princess Momo chimed in, "And getting himself stranded in space?"
The Sairenji girl whirled around and tried to hit Rito again, but she was restrained Princess Momo and Dr. Mikado who had come up behind her.
"Let go of me!" The girl screamed, "After all the heartache he put me through!"
"I understand, I really do," Princess Momo said, "But right now, he's been through enough for one day. Mikado-sensei! Rito-kun needs medical attention! If you would please…"
"Of course. Run and Kyouko, please help me with the captain." Dr. Mikado and her two helpers took over carrying Rito to the infirmary. Once they disappeared up the turbo lift, Everyone else disbanded once all the excitement had gone.
I too, turned to leave, but then I notice Lala still standing there with her hands clutched against her chest.
"Princess?" I asked.
"Huh?" She jerked around as if awoken from a dream. "Oh Zastin. I didn't see you there."
I noticed the sudden wetness in her eyes. She had been holding back tears, but now that the others were gone, her eyes were wet like Sairenji-san's.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," She said, rubbing away her tears, "I'm fine."
For a minute, she didn't speak, but then she turned back and beamed at me. "He's going to be okay! What a relief!"
Yes, I agree! I thought to myself. Our captain is safe, with is with friends!
