Farewell to the Solar System
"Montana has left Pluto's orbit.", Shima reported, everyone had taken their positions on the Main Bridge. Kodai walks in, taking his seat with a satisfied smile.
"You did it, Kodai.", Shima congratulates his friend. "You got payback for your brother."
"No, Shima. We did."
Kodai's thoughts go out to his brother Mamoru back home. 'We did it, Brother.'
Abraham then orders the ship back to course. "We will return to our original course. Set thrusters to cruising speed."
"Adjusting course. Thrusters to cruising speed.", Shima affirmed, pushing the throttle forward and the ship sped forth, heading out of the Solar System.
21 February 2199 AD
Montana
Several days have passed since the overwhelming victory of Operation M2 at Pluto. Montana, with some battle scars, is now approaching the outer edges of the Solar System and passing over one of the billions of residing asteroids.
Abraham is in his private quarters, passing the time by reading Okitas' journal.
February 21
I'll be frank with you. The pain I've been feeling earlier today? That's my illness acting up again. Operation M-2 has taken a harder toll than I thought. I fear that I may not be able to see Earth once this journey is over. But that's for the future, and right now, I must remain strong for my crew.
Before he could read any further, Aihara called in.
"Captain, message from Project Chief Todo."
Bridge 1
"So you're already out there, at the edge of the Solar System?"
The chief staff all gather together at the main bridge as they see Administrator Todo appear on the big screen. Standing beside him is General Serizawa.
"This journey to Iscandar is lengthy. We've only taken the first step.". Abraham told Todo.
"That's true. But word has reached Earth that you and your crew have destroyed the Pluto Base. There will be no more planet bombs. You have no idea how much relief that's brought us."
"Just knowing the Montana is heading for Iscandar helps us keep going. So, Abraham, retrieve the Cosmo Reverse System. Earth awaits Montana's return."
The video feed begins to deteriorate with static patches before the feed cuts.
"The heliopause is starting to interfere with our communications.", spoke Aihara, attempting to reestablish connection with Earth. "Give me five minutes to set up the signal boosters."
"Go ahead.", Abraham nodded.
Laboratory
In the lab, Niimi is typing away on the computer, the screen reflecting off her glasses. A few windows are open showing a scan of nearby possible planets.
"It's rare to see you alone.", Ito said, entering the nearly empty lab. "I thought the XO would be with you."
"You must have a lot of free time.", Niimi responded, still typing away.
"Unless there is trouble on board, there isn't much to do for security."
The chief security leans past Niimi's shoulder, looking at the computer screen. "How are things going for you?"
"There isn't much for me to do until we reach a new star system."
"Oh?... I've heard that you've begun counseling for the crew.", Ito puts his hands on Niimi's shoulder. "Would you care to spend some therapy time with me~?"
"Stop joking around.", the woman tonelessly tells Ito, who backs off with a mock surrender.
While Niimi takes a sip of her mug, personalized with her name, Ito taps on a button on the computer. A new window pops up, highlighting a few planets labeled as habitable.
"Once we reach past the heliopause, we'll be unable to communicate with Earth anymore, right?", Ito said with a smile. "The captain should let everyone send at least one final message there. Oh, but if he did, it could just make everyone more homesick."
The woman only wordlessly looked back, having fed with the man. Ito only stands up and looks back with a smile.
"Keep at it, then."
As the shifty-eyed man leaves, Niimi puts down her mug, which is revealed to be a staff mug for Project Izumo. The Izumo writing, however, was scribbled out with a marker.
Elevator
Boarding the elevator, Kodai and Mori head up to the bridge. To pass the time, Mori asked Kodai about something that's stuck in her mind.
"Hey, Kodai. Back on Enceladus, didn't you ask me something strange?"
"Are you, by chance, related to any aliens?"
"Did you mean Sasha?"
"Uh..."
"The one on Mars. At first, I didn't know what you meant. But thinking about it, you saw her back then, right? That's why I wondered."
"Yeah. She looked a lot like you and our Sasha."
"...Sasha Iscandar. The woman who gave her life to bring us the Wave Motion Engine's core."
"Come to think of it, wasn't there another Iscandarian that came a year earlier?"
The elevator comes to a halt, and the doors open as both occupants exit.
"Yurisha Iscandar. That's her name.", Mori answered.
"A last message to Earth?"
Stepping out of the elevator, both turn to see Abraham revealing some surprising news.
"Yes. Once we pass the heliopause, powerful cosmic radiation will prevent us from communicating with Earth.", Abraham explains. "Therefore, I've decided that anyone who would like to speak with their families can do so if they wish."
"Simultaneously, we'll hold a line-crossing ceremony as we leave the Solar System.", Sanada added.
"Line-crossing is observed at the Equator, but is space.", Kodai said, confused about how such a ceremony would work.
"In the distant past, sailors performed line-crossing ceremonies when traversing the Equator to ask for their ship's safety. We shall do the same.", Abraham told Kodai.
Outside, several hatches open up and repair barges, and crew in EMU suits emerge from Montana as they work on fixing up the battleship's hull.
Cafeteria
At the cafeteria, the party for the line-crossing ceremony begins. Tables are lined with hot food and beverages and crew members are laughing and drinking away to their heart's content. Walls are brightly decorated and displays show motivational words, with music playing from above.
"EHHH!?", Harada cried in surprise. Unlike everyone else, she is the only one not in uniform and her loud exclamation drew everyone's eyes to her.
"I thought you had to wear costumes for the line-crossing ceremony?", the nurse asked, feeling red in the face at everyone looking at her maid uniform. Before her, Shima and Shinohara laugh and smile at Harata's gullibility.
"Haha, who told you that?", Shima asked.
"O-Ota."
Said man is now sneaking away from the flustered nurse.
"Oh, so he put you up to it, huh?"
"Heh, you really have to stop believing everything you're told, Mako.", Shinohara pitches in.
Shaking in rage, Harada angrily turns around and tries to spot the man who deceived her.
"Honestly, you shouldn't listen to any word he says.", Shinogara warns.
*clink clink*
Hearing the sounds of clinking behind her, Harada as well as everyone else, turns and gapes in surprise. Kato arrives in the scene and, much like Harata, is in his traditional monk robe and hat instead of his uniform.
"Well, I think it looks good on you.", Kato complements the maid nurse.
Harada feels warm and happy at the pilot's words, clasping her hands with red dusting her cheeks. "Thank you~."
Everyone's attention is drawn when the music stops and a loud feedback noise is heard, their heads turning to see their captain before a microphone. Behind him on the wall is a metal plate engraved with the ship's name and ID number.
SBB-67, EDFS Montana
"Is this thing on?", Abraham asked, giving the mic a few taps. Hearing the high-pitched whine, Abraham clears his throat.
"Ahem. Everyone, because of your combined and coordinated efforts, Operation M-2 was a success. No more planet bombs will strike Earth. As your captain, I thank every one of you. We will now begin the first-ever Solar System line-crossing ceremony. But our voyage has just begun. Once this is over, don't look back towards Earth. Look ahead! Keep your eye on the path towards Iscandar!"
Abraham raises the glass of water he's been holding. "I pray for the line-crossing ceremony's success. Kanpai!"
"Kanpai!", everyone in the crowd cheers back, raising their drinks, food, or anything that's in their hands. With that, the music returned and everyone went about their business.
At another table, Dr. Sado is, once again, drinking some more sake. Downing a cup, he spots Monty standing beside him. In his inebriated state, however, he saw a young man instead and offered his sake bottle. "Hmm, want a drink too, young man?"
Monty waved his hands in decline. "Sorry doc. My body can't process alcohol."
"Ehh, you're no fun."
Starboard Observatory Deck
Filled with people chatting and eating, Yamamoto gazes around and spots Kodai leaning against the window with a calm face and a glass of juice in his hands.
Hearing footsteps approaching, she turns to see her former superior Hirata, donning an apron and offering her a cup of tea.
"Supply Officer Hirata."
"I was his classmate at the officer training academy.", Hirata said, having seen Yamamoto looking at Kodai.
"Thank you for agreeing to my request.", the woman thanked, taking the cup of tea.
"It's no biggie. Besides, if you ever get tired of being a pilot (which I doubt), you're always welcome to come back."
Yamamoto doesn't respond, not paying attention as she sees Kodai pulling away from the window and throwing his empty cup in the bin before exiting. Hirata cracks a knowing smile, seeing her distracted look.
Outside, the crew barges with repair material and spare parts are handed over to the repair crew as they fix up Montnana. Damaged hull plates are removed and new ones are fitted in, while superficial damages are buffed out using what can be simply described as industrial-sized car body repair tools.
"Man, the deck crew got the short straw.", Shinpei Iwata, a bespectacled man who's part of Enomoto's team, complains as he welds together an exterior plate of the stabilizing fins above the rear fourth bridge.
"Ship repairs are our top priority.", Kiyoshi Toyama, Iwata's partner, responded as he held the plate for Iwata to weld. "So we don't get to talk to our folks back on Earth."
"Akemi-chan!"
"No talking on duty!", Enomoto's voice chastised over the radio. Turning around in surprise and engagement, Iwata sees the Boatswain smiling cheekily and pointing at his headset, signaling he has heard everything.
"Y-yes, sir! It's just that I-"
"Enomoto!"
"Eh?", now it is Enomoto's turn to be confused as he hears a familiar voice over his headset. Turning his head, he spots Kodai floating over to him in an EMU suit and slowing down to land. "Kodai?"
"What's up? Do you need anything?", asked the Boatswain, before remembering and straightening his back. "I mean, do you require anything, sir?"
"If anyone wants to speak with their family, there's still a space in the queue and I can take over the work.", Kodai offered as he arrived on site.
"But did you...?"
"Yeah, I spoke with my brother. One of the first in line."
Inside the comm booth that's been turned into a makeshift call room, Kodai steps in takes a seat, and faces the screen. Dialing in a few numbers, the screen flickers to show Mamoru in his office writing down a letter. A timer showing three minutes and thirty seconds is in the upper left corner.
"Hey, big brother.", Susumu greeted.
"Eh, Susumu?", Mamoru looked up from the paper in surprise, then in elation when he saw his little brother. "Little bro! How are you doing?"
"I'm doing rather well. Nothing bad has happened to me yet."
"Hahaha, I can see that much. I've heard that you and your team destroyed the base on Pluto."
"Yep, no more planet bombs will hit Earth. How's everything back home?"
"Eh, mostly same old, same old. Wake up, eat, go to work, do some paperwork, go home, eat, sleep, and repeat. Though, I got a job as a part-time lecturer at the academy, so that's something new. How about anything from your end?"
"Well, here's the brief rundown."
With that, Susumu gave his brother a summarised version of their journey so far, from their first warp experience to the firing of the Wave Motion Cannon and the engine troubles, all the way to being attacked on Pluto and coming out on top. Mamoru in turn asked about Susumu's more mundane things, such as asking what spaceship life is like and if he made any friends. Specifically, any girlfriends.
"So, little bro. Made any girlfriends?"
"Yeah. I got one, maybe two?"
"…eh?"
Susumu's bold declaration immediately stumped Mamoru, who only asked as a half-joke which went right over the younger Kodai's head.
"There's Mori and Yamamoto. They are girls and I consider them my friends. What's the difference?"
"….Eh, forget that I asked. At least, you made some friends other than Shima."
"Hey, FYI nobody can replace my best friend. Also, what do you mean-Oh shit!"
For the Kodai brothers, the time has passed so quickly in their conversion that Susumu almost missed he has less than twenty seconds left on the clock.
"What's wrong?"
"I got about fifteen seconds left before the call ends."
"I see. Hey, before I go, let me say this. Stay safe, kick some ass, and come back home alright? Love you, little bro."
"I will. Love you too, big brother."
With five seconds remaining, Mamoru raised a closed fist to the screen. Susumu did the same, doing an improvised fist bump.
0:03
0:02
0:01
0:00
The call cuts, the screen goes dark, and Kodai pulls back his fist from the screen. He looks at this fist and smiles, happy to see his brother once more.
"So, you talked with your brother then?", Enomoto clarified, then chuckled. "Well, then that means someone here will get to contact Earth."
"Make that two."
A new voice pitches in, this one female. Kodai and Enomoto turn to see Yamamoto in an EMU suit floating and landing before them.
"Hey, isn't that the woman who flew the Arwing?", one crewman asked from behind the group.
"Yeah, she is the one who took out the Gamilan base with Lieutenant Kodai.", another responded, recognizing the woman.
"Well, hello there.", Enomoto greeted the white-haired woman, then turned to Kodai with a knowing smile. "Hehe, looks like the tactical officer has gotten better at dealing with women."
"Eh? What do you mean?", Kodai asked, confused with what Enomoto meant.
"Saeki! Kishima! Both of you got married recently, right? Trade a place with them.", Emonoto instead turned to call out the two chosen crewmen to call their families.
Saeki and Kishima, both who were commenting about Yamamoto earlier, turn to look at each other in a joyful mood, bowing down in gratefulness at their superiors.
"Thank you, sirs! Thank you, ma'am!"
Laboratory
Sanada, away from the party, types away on his computer, still analyzing the Gamiloid connected with various wires on its body. Amongst the keyboard typing, the door opens to reveal Abraham walking in.
"Captain, do you need anything?", Sanada asked, seeing the captain.
"No, just visiting.", Abraham responds. "I see you are still analyzing the android instead of partying."
"Large social gatherings were never my forte, I'll admit. So I opted to be in an environment where I'm most comfortable with." said the XO, then turned his gaze at the Gamiloid. "Shame that this piece of technology will soon be destroyed."
"Yeah, it got an identity crisis of sorts when it hacked into Montana's mainframe and encountered Yurisha's consciousness."
"Speaking of Yurisha, is she…?"
"Small traces of her consciousness still linger around the Navigation Room. Not even a full factory reset is enough to wipe it out, so we decided to roll with it. Yurisha herself is in a stable coma, last I checked with Dr. Sado."
"And Yurisha's physical presence may just resonate enough to still cause future events to occur."
"Maybe, but that's then. And we should focus on the now. Maybe install a backdoor in the software for remote access? You and Monty have been programming it with customized firmware."
Sanada rubbed his chin in thought. "That could work. It might override our access command, but we might save it through a remote shutdown."
The scientist gave his captain a thankful nod. "Thanks for the idea, Abraham."
"No problem. I'll take my leave if you don't mind."
Abraham turns a leaves the lab. The door closed, and Sanada began to type away with renewed vigor.
Walking in the halls, Yabu heads off towards the party. Hands in his pockets, he moved out of the way when he saw a group of girls passing him in costume all laughing in fun.
"Where did they get those clothes from?", Yabu silently wondered. Shrugging his shoulders, he is met with Abraham approaching him and straightens to salute.
"Captain.", Yabu hailed.
"At ease. Yabu, right? Part of Engineering?", Abraham asked.
"That's me, sir? Is there anything you need?"
"No, just passing the time. How are you doing?"
"I'm…doing alright, I guess. To be honest, before this journey, I had doubts we could save Earth."
"Oh? I'm willing to listen if that's alright with you. It is my job as Captain to ensure the safety of the ship and all my crew."
"I suppose it all began back at Earth when we didn't have enough energy to take off. But, I was proved wrong. Every time we faced a setback, I thought we would die right there and then. Jupiter, Enceladus, and now Pluto. But I have been proven wrong time and time again. Each triumph made me think of Chief Tokugawa's words back on the Kirishima. To believe in our captain."
Yabu gave a smile. "Admiral Okita gave us the key to our path of salvation. And you opened the door to that path. I look forward to working under you, Captain Abraham."
Abraham returned with a grateful smile. "I'll do my best to save our planet, you have my word."
Both men shake hands at their declaration, then break off to head their paths.
"Montana will now be traversing the heliopause. The ship may experience some turbulence. All crew at the line-crossing ceremony, please take care."
Engine room
In the Engine control room, Yamazaki is running diagnostic checks. Hearing the door opening, he turns to see Abraham coming in.
"Oh, Captain. Everything alright?", asked Yamazaki.
"No, everything's good.", Abraham waved off, looking at the Wave Motion Engines through the window, their flywheels spinning. "Come to think of it, I've never actually been in the Engine Room until now."
"Yeah, these Engines sure are marvels of engineering. Do you need anything, Captain?"
"Just visiting. By the way, I met Yabu earlier. I read from his psyche report that he's usually pessimistic but my talk with him earlier contradicts that."
"Yeah, Yabu usually looks at the worse outcomes in dire situations. I suppose us coming out on top each time unscathed and Tokugawa's words is enough to cast away his doubts."
"He told me that as well. Well, keep up the good work. Make sure that Engine runs smooth as butter, alright?"
"Aye aye, sir."
With that, Abraham leaves the room and Yamazaki returns with his checks.
Away in a hallway, a colorful hand-drawn sign leads to the comm booth where a queue of people line up to speak with their friends and families on Earth. Everyone has a small numbered ticket in their hands to show who is next to enter.
"Oh, man. Now that's finally happening, I don't know what to tell them.", one woman nervously confessed in the queue.
"It's fine, just tell them you're okay.", another man reassures her.
Up at the queue front supervised by Mori, Tokugawa and Shima engage in a light talk about their families.
"Don't you have anyone at home?", the elderly engineer asked.
"Yeah, a mother and younger brother at home.", Shima answered, then his face turned sullen. "My dad…isn't with us anymore."
"Hmm, I remember. He passed away during the first encounter with the Gamilans. My condolences, young man."
Just then, the booth door opens and a man walks out.
"My child's been born. Man, we spent all our time just thinking of a name!", the man joyfully says, rubbing away his tears. Tokugawa watches with a smile, very well-versed in the joy of introducing a new family member.
"It's your turn next, Chief Engineer Tokugawa.", Mori said.
"Eh, my turn?"
Taking his seat, Tokugawa looks at the screen flickering to show the faces of his son Tasuke and granddaughter Aiko, the little girl pointing at the screen.
"Hey, it's Grandpapa!"
"Oh, Aiko! How are you?", Hikozaemon greeted with a smile, then noticed they were missing some people. "Tasuke, where are Hikoshichi and Kikuko?"
"Well, here's the thing. When Montana took off, it left us some extra energy and our situation here has improved a little bit.", Tasuke explained. "Right now, they are signing up for some extra food allowance."
"Tasuke, I'm hungry.", Aiko said, pulling on her uncle's sleeve.
"Don't worry, when Mom and Dad return, we'll have a big dinner to celebrate.", Tasuke comforts Aiko, bouncing her on his legs. He then faces his father. "If it weren't for Montana, we would have gotten a food shortage and they would have been getting some from the black market."
"What? I told them to stay away from those places many times. They didn't actually go there, right?"
"No, we can thank you and Montana for that. We can now rest well for a while longer. And hearing you safe and sound is enough for us to keep going forward."
Tokugawa only smiles at that, glad to hear his family is well.
"When will you be back, Grandpapa?", Aiko asked.
"A year. A year, and then I'll bring back presents.", the Tokugawa patriarch answered. "Tasuke, look after Aiko and our family. Earth's fate rests with you young people."
Walking into another booth, Shima takes his seat and the screen lights up to show his brother, Jiro, playing with a phone.
"Jiro!", Daisuke called, catching Jiro's attention.
"Daisuke!", the younger sibling turned and dropped the phone, rushing forward to the screen.
"Where's Mom?", asked Daisuke, seeing their mother missing.
"She's visiting Auntie at the hospital. She'll be back soon.", Jiro answered.
"Oh, I see, but I don't have much time.", Daisuke said, feeling down but attempting to keep a cheerful face. If only for his younger brother. "This may be my last message to you."
"Hey, don't say that!"
"Don't be selfish."
Time passed by as both brothers conversed about each other's lives up until now.
"Tell Mom that I'll see my mission through, just like Dad would've wanted.", Daisuke said, noticing he had less than forty seconds left on the call. "And I will return to Earth, no matter what. Take care of Mom, Jiro."
Jiro only nodded his head. There are now twenty seconds left on the clock.
"My time is almost up."
*click* "I'm back!"
Heading the sound of the door opening and their mother's voice, Jiro tells her to hurry.
"Mom, it's Daisuke!"
"Daisuke's here?!"
"Mom? Mom, wait just a little longer!", Daisuke begged as he leaned forward on the screen. Ten seconds left.
Thumping footsteps are heard from the other side as Saori, their mother, rushes into the frame.
0:07
"Daisuke! Oh, I'm happy to see my baby boy!", Saori cries with tears in her eyes
"Mom!"
0:05
"Daisuke, just be safe, and come back home, alright?"
"I will, Mom! I will."
0:03
"I love you, son."
0:02
"I love you too, Mom."
0:01
0:00
The call ends and Jiro and Saori disappear from the screen. He rubs away his eyes at the tearful reunion, then turns to leave the booth.
Outside
Kodai and Yamamoto carry on their repair on Montana, carrying a crate of spare parts and floating past the barrels of several Bofors and Oerlikon cannons.
"Did you already talk to Earth?", Kodai asked as they landed at the base of a triple 30mm Bofor mount.
"No.", Yamamoto simply replied.
"Are you sure you don't want to?"
"I'm sure. I am fine.", the woman said, facing Kodai. He then noticed the red color of her irises.
"Hey, could your parents be from Mars?"
"Ah, you noticed, huh?", Yamamoto asked, surprised that Kodai spotted something most people would gloss over. "Yeah, I'm a Marsnoid. You can tell that apart from my red irises."
"…My grandmother was born on Mars; her ancestors were part of the team sent to colonize Mars and red eyes were a side effect of repeated exposure to the Martian atmosphere. Since then, all of their descendants carried that trait, including my grandmother, my father, and now me.", the woman explained. "The Second Inner Planet War occurred right when I was born. After the Martian Government lost, all of us were forced to move to Earth."
"I see.", Kodai said, fascinated. "So you have family on Earth?"
"No, they were all killed by the Planet Bombs. I had one brother left who died in battle with the Gamilans."
"Oh...I'm sorry."
"It's okay, don't worry about it."
A brief moment of silence passed, then Kodai spoke. "Almost like me then."
"Hmm?"
"I lost everyone when the Planet Bombs fell. And I almost lost my brother during Operation M.", Kodai revealed. "In a way, I suppose I'm lucky."
In the meeting booth, Nambu's meeting with his parents wasn't the smoothest. The initial greeting and talks were alright enough, but when his parents discussed the future of his family's company, Nambu Heavy Industries, things went a bit south.
"What kind of sick joke is this?", Yasuo sighed, seeing his mother holding up a photo of a beautiful-looking young woman to the camera. Right now, they are talking about possible marriage proposals to Yasuo, and the young man has grown tired of trying to get hitched against his will. Forty seconds are left.
"Well, what do you think? Her father owns Morita Pharmaceuticals.", his mother, Tokiko, offered then pulled back the photo and revealed they are in their home office. "Your father says he knows a high-ranking official with a nice daughter, but I think-"
"Mother, consider our current situation."
"You're the one who won't grasp the situation. You will take over the company.", his father, Kozo, sternly rebutted. Twenty seconds.
"I won't do it! And I'll choose my own wife."
"All you need to do is what I'm telling you!", Kozo said, frustrated at his son's stubbornness. Ten seconds.
"Kozo!", Tokiko chasited her husband, trying to calm him as well as her son down. She turned to to face the camera.
"Yasuo. Whatever happens, come home safely. Please.."
0:05
0:04
Yasuo simply nodded.
0:03
0:02
0:01
0:00
The screen goes blank, and Nambu bowed down on the table.
"Please forgive me. I already have someone else I decided to marry."
"Looks like Nambu's done.", Aihara said, sitting in the communication control room and supervising the booths. The door to the room opens revealing Misaki coming in. Behind her, Nambu exits the booth and walks away.
"There are about twenty-eight people left.", she reported.
"Right, got it. By the way, you know your proposal for a radio station earlier?"
"How is it?"
"The captain approved it. Congrats!"
"Thank you!"
"Good luck. When it's ready, I'll put in a request."
"Sure! Anyway, it was great that Abraham let us talk to Earth."
"That wasn't the captain's idea, actually. It was recommended by.-"
"Me?", Niimi said.
"Am I wrong? Didn't you suggest it to the captain?", Ito confronted the woman, revealing that it was she who gave that idea.
"Security does like to ask questions, don't they?", Niimi dismisses the claim.
"Shouldn't you be calling Earth as well?"
"I know."
Ito's voice drops to a whisper as he leans to the woman's ear. "That said, he's watching you..."
Niimi turned her head to see that it was none other than Yabu staring at her. Now caught, Yabu tries to play it off by hastily drinking his juice, only to choke on it and embarrass himself.
"Once Montana leaves the heliosphere, we can no longer contact Earth. Anyone who wishes to must complete the request form and arrive at the queue at once."
At another table, Kato and Shinohara are eating their fill, the latter wearing Kato's straw hat and pouring himself some self-brewed beer made by the OCMS. Looking up, they saw Nambu who was walking around and looking for someone.
"Tch, he needs to relax.", Kato comments, seeing the gunner's stiff movements. Shinohara then offered a beer to him, which he declined.
"You know I can't drink."
"Hehe, fine. You sure you don't want to go, Captain?"
"There's no going back for me. My dad will just tell me how I have to take over the temple."
This sparked something in Shinohara, and he took off the straw hat. "Mine died in the first wave of planet bombing."
"I hated him. Always yelling and reeking of booze.", he recalled, surprising Kato who never knew about this. Sure, his father is extremely strict, especially after his mother died, but never this bad.
"But now, I find myself thinking about him a lot. Always the times he yelled at me."
Kato, feeling touched by this, puts down his plate and smiles. He pats his fellow pilot's shoulder and leaves for the booths.
"Jeez.", Shinogara muttered as he watched Kato move away and pour himself another cup of beer.
Montana, outside
"This is a lot of work."
"There isn't much for me to do until we reach a new star system."
Kodai and Yamamoto are now replacing damaged energy coils inside one of the replaced AA Bofor cannons. A green indicator lights up as Kodai secures the new coil into the cannon, Yamamoto fits in the insulating sleeve and closes the access panel. Nearby, other people are replacing damaged hull plates with new ones and buffering out minor damages.
"By the way, may I ask something?", Kodai wondered as the access port closed. "Why didn't you volunteer for the pilot squad first?"
"I did, but the squad captain didn't want to let me.", Yamamoto explained.
"You mean Kato? Why not?"
"He may look like it, but he is more sensitive to matters of life and death than most."
Over three minutes had passed inside the comm booth, and Kato and his father sat in silence. Neither man speaks a single word to each other. On the screen is the stern face of his father, eyes closed, with ten seconds left.
The seconds tick by, and with only five seconds to spare, the old man opens his eyes and looks at his son.
"Son, come back alive!", he says.
"Yes, sir.", Kato answers, then the screen goes blank.
Sitting alone, the pilot gave his thanks. "Thank you…."
"I think he didn't want me dying in combat like my brother.", Yamamoto told Kodai. "They were good friends. My brother and Captain Kato."
A brief moment of silence passes as Kodai listens to the woman's story which is interrupted by Enomoto floating from a barge.
"Parden me for interrupting, but can you go around to assist the port side.", the boatswain asked with a smile with other men floating into view
"Alright, alright.", Kodai said.
Yamamoto giggled to herself at the funny sight and playfully saluted. "Roger."
Floating up to the deck and maneuvering between the first and second turrets, the duo fly by the port side observation room, still filled with people, then land at the port side.
Port Observation Room
Nambu enters the room, still trying to look for a certain blonde. His head turns, eyes darting around, and finally spots Mori leaning against the window looking outside.
He was about to approach her but was cut off by Ota frantically running away from a still-mad Harada, the nurse now visibly drunk like a certain ship's doctor.
"Help! Help me!", Ota cried in vain as he was grabbed by Harada at the neck. "NOOO!"
"You won't get away~!", Harada slurred and dragged Ota back, her cheeks red with an empty shot glass in her hand.
"Heheheh, Otaaa~ I told you to pour me a drink~?" She pressed the glass against Ota's cheeks, which were now leaking crocodile tears from his eyes.
"Please, nooooohohoo!"
Everyone in the room laughs at this hilarious sight, including Mori but her attention is grasped when she sees two figures landing on a repair barge outside.
Her eyes focused, and she saw the red uniform of Kodai whose hands are on the shoulders of another person, female based on the figure. Her face is revealed to be Yamamoto, smiling as the duo converse. Mori's eyes narrow at the sight, perhaps in jealousy?"
"Attention, we will soon be completing our messages to Earth. Anyone wishing to speak to Earth, please report to the communications room."
Nearby, Nambu is now caught alongside Ota by Harada, but the former manages to break away from his captor and ningenrundayos for the hills, yelling for help. Harada, swaying from drunkenness, immediately gives chase. Now free from the nurse, Nambu tries to spot Mori but finds her missing.
"Ah, no…", Nambu sighed in dismay.
Mori, having left the observation room, is now in one of the comm booths, talking to Admiral Hijikata on the screen.
"How are you, Yuki?", the old Admiral asked.
"I'm doing well.", Mori answered with a smile.
"That's good. How is Okita's boy? How is he treating everyone?"
"Abraham is…a bit unorthodox. He doesn't mind being addressed by his title or name, and he treats everyone equally no matter the position. The way I see it, it makes all of us feel closer as friends or acquaintances than superior and subordinate."
"I see, I suppose he's not so different to Okita. Both always consider everyone else's feelings before themselves."
"Mmm. Admiral, I'm very grateful to you for taking care of me for the past year."
Hijikata simply nods and smiles.
"Just come back home alive, alright?"
Mori nods. "Yes."
Captain's Quarters
Abraham stands inside his room, looking at both pictures of his family. The door opens and Sasha walks in.
"Sasha, you're not at the party?", Abraham asked.
"No, I don't exactly feel like I belong with everyone there right now. Plus, the number of advances I got is...unnecessarily high. The food is nice though.", Sasha said, standing beside Abraham.
"Don't blame ya. When we first met, I called you a sleeping beauty. You know, like that really old fairy tale. Sounds cheesy, I know."
"And you are the prince that woke me up, and eventually married.", Sasha giggled at the memory. "You're right, it does sound cheesy."
Her expression then turns concerned. How's he doing?"
Abraham's brows narrow. "He has been quiet since our return. Which might sound good, but it's now getting concerning."
A wave of silence washes in the room, broken by the knocking sounds.
*knock knock*
"Who is it?", Abraham asked.
"Chief of Engineering Tokugawa."
"Come in.", Abraham permitted, quickly putting away the photo from his grandfather.
The door opens and in walks Tokugawa.
"Tokugawa, you need anything?"
"I'm just here to visit. And I see you have another visitor."
"Hello, Tokugawa. It's an honor to meet a veteran like yourself.", Sasha introduced herself, shaking his hand.
"A polite one as well. And the honor is mine, young lady.", Tokugawa returned the handshake. "A couple working together in this day and age, it's very rare."
"Yeah, sometimes I wonder if I'm blessed to have met her.", Abraham rubbed the back of his head. Sasha only smiles and kisses his cheek, prompting a hearty laugh from the old man. He then spotted the photo in Abraham's hand.
"It's already been a year, huh?", Tokugawa said. "How's Okita doing?"
"He's doing well, better actually.", Abraham answered. "He also told me he and Mom finally made peace with each other."
"That's good. I thought he and Shino would still drift apart from each other, but Okita made the right step. Oh, by the way.", Tokugawa brought out a bottle of sake from behind. "I thought maybe we should get to know each other a little bit over a good bottle."
Abraham only smiled and took out a few cups from behind a cupboard.
Later, the trio are sitting on the floor, drinking and reminiscing about their lives.
"Abraham, do you know what ship me and Okika first crewed together?", Tokugawa asked, holding his empty cup.
"I think Gramps told me this. It was called Defence Ship number 36, a tiny ship they didn't even name.", Abraham answered.
"It was a patrol ship, right? Back then, the Cosmo Navy was just established.", Sasha added.
"Haha, yep. We were so young and naive back then.", Tokugawa laughed, pouring himself a cup.
"sigh. Since then, how many young ones died while old men like me have kept living?", the engineer wondered as he poured two more cups. Abraham and Sasha each take one.
"I don't even want to count. No, I shouldn't allow myself to even imagine.", Abraham said as he looked at this sake, his reflection briefly morphing into Okita's. "People's lives are more than just numbers."
"All us survivors can do is to ensure the little ones have hope to fight for a better tomorrow.", Sasha's mind races as she recounts everything that happened until now.
"Mmm, that's all we can do to atone for taking so many lives.", Tokugawa drank another cup.
Rear Observation Deck
The sound of harmonica echoes as Kodai plays a tune, given to him by his brother. His mind reminisces on the memory of the first planet bombs
While going out to the spaceports to meet Mamoru with his parents, a thirteen-year-old Kodai and several other people looked up when he heard the sound of wind and a glowing dot in the distant sky above.
"Hey, is that a shooting star?", a businessman asked nearby.
"Looks like one. Dunno why it's so loud, though.", another answered.
Their curiosity quickly turned into fear once they realized it was getting closer and the air getting hotter. With a loud crash, everyone screamed when the glowing object smashed into a building Kodai was standing nearby. As the debris falls, the last thing Kodai remembers is his parents pushing their son out of harm's way.
When he woke up sometime later, he was greeted with the sight of ruined buildings and fiery wreckage. His parents were nowhere in sight.
"M-mom? Dad? Where are you? If this is a joke, i-its not funny!"
Only the sound of flames responds to him. In the distance, a mushroom cloud erupts.
"MOOOM! DAAAD!"
Hearing the door opening from behind, Kodai stops and turns to see Mori walking into the room.
"Oh, Kodai. I saw you working outside. Good work with the repair, by the way.", the blonde praised as she stopped beside Kodai.
"No problem. I did it because I had nothing else to do.", Kodai humbly waved off, putting away his harmonica.
"Did you speak to Earth?"
"Yeah, I spoke to my brother. What about you? Were you able to reach home?"
"...I don't have anyone left."
"Oh...I'm..I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, it's not like I remember much."
Mori's dismissal throws Kodai out of the loop.
"I can't recall my past. All I can remember is this past year; I have no memories before that.", she explains.
"...I see.", Kodai absorbs this information as an announcement plays overhead.
"Attention, Montana will now pass through the heliopause."
Broadcasting Room
Misaki announces their ships crossing the heliopause through the PA system. Beside her on the desk is a list of names and music requests from the crew.
"At that time, the Solar System line crossing ceremony will be complete. Moving on...", she said, flipping a switch and cheerful music played.
"Hellooo everyone! We now bring you the first edition of your local radio station, Montana Radio! I'm your local host, Yuria Misaki! With that, let us begin our first song."
Outside the door, Niimi passes by and enters the call booth.
Rear Observation Deck
"An oldie but goodie, the artist's name lost to time but perfect for the end of the line-crossing ceremony. Here's "Scarlet Scarf"."
A new song plays over the spea as Kodai and Mori gaze out in content and listen in.
"Kanarazu kaerukara. Makkana sukafu." ("Know that I will return. A bright red scarf.")
In the halls where the party died down, several crewmembers look at a screen displaying the redded surface of Earth, a reminder of what they must achieve.
"Kitto sonohi mo, mukaete okure." ("On that day, come meet me once again.")
In the resting room, Enomoto and his team have finished their repair on Montana and are enjoying some R and R time while listening to the song.
"Ima wa harubaru, uchu no hate. Yume wo miru no mo hoshi no naka." ("For now, at the corner of the universe. I dream amongst the stars.")
Hirata and his staff are busily clearing away the party venues, pushing way trollies of empty stacks of plates and beer bottles, and dumping eaten leftovers into the recycling bins.
Sanada has fallen asleep in the lab, his renewed vigor earlier not enough to last him the day. He's wrapped up in a blanket that Monty brought in, the android sitting at a console, booting the computer up and taking over Sanada's work while the scientist rests.
Yamazaki, in the middle of diagnosing the engines, smiles as he hums to the tune of the music. Kato, Shinohara, and other pilots in the air wing also listen in. In their quarters, Yamamoto exits her shower wrapped in a towel and Harada hangs up her maid costume and spins happily. Maybe she's in love, or perhaps still drunk as a kite? Who knows.
"Tabi suru otoko no hitomi wa. Roman wo itsu demo utsushitai." ("When he travels, a man's eyes shouldb e full of romance.")
Nambu is now slumped over the table in the halls, unconscious with doodles all over his face. Ota snickers with a marker in his hand, back to his mischievous acts as Aihara tries and fails hard to contain his laughter at the faux awake eyes and dicks on the gunner's face.
On the bridge, Shima's station displays that they have traveled past the heliopause. But the navigator himself is distracted by the memories of his family and gazes upon his father's good luck charm in his hands.
"La La La La La La…La La La La La La…La La La."
Tokugawa, who's now passed out by the sake, is gently hoisted up to his feet by Abraham and Sasha, each resting an arm over their shoulders. As the lyrics close, the couple looks forward at the empty black space before them one last time for the day, then carries Tokygawa back to his quarters below.
"Makkana sukafuuuuu!" ("A bright Scarlet scarf!")
Rear Observation Deck
As the song finishes, Mori and Kodai say their last farewell.
"Farewell, Earth.", Mori said.
"We will return.", Kodai cupped his mouth.
"We are going to come back! You hear us?!", the brunette shouted. "We will return!"
We will return.
We will return..
We will return…
The last violin notes of Scarlet Scarf play and the song closes. With that, Montana flies away leaving the Solar System behind.
Earlier, Call Booth
"Then there's no problem, yes? You're Earth's last remaining hope."
In the call booth, General Serizawa speaks to Niimi, who was just talking with Mamoru earlier about possibly getting back together once Earth is saved.
"I'm counting on you, Lieutenant Niimi."
Niimi nods her head in confirmation. But once the call to the general ends, her brows furrow in contempt.
Okita and Abraham: "People's lives are more than just mere numbers."
Joesph Stalin, 120 years earlier: "When one man dies, it's a tragedy. When millions die, it's a statistic."