Don't talk to me like we're old friends!
No matter how much this Hina of yours resembles me,
I'm not her.
And now, I have no other leads to go on.
I guess I really can't go back...
So I'm stuck living here...
Fly
and put a light into the sky of our future
Don't buckle under the weight of sadness
and sing forevermore
Unisonia
What does the world you see
look like?
I don't want to get used
to the pain of losing loved ones,
but the stars are so beautiful tonight
We are like two sides
of a rusted coin
lost on the streets
Persevere
Turn your love into what unites us
Let us put color into this world
To that end,
I sing my symphony
Let the future be as we desire it
We can change destiny
Cross time
Unisonia
Cygnus Mobile Strike Aeroship
My apologies for not reporting in sooner, Vice Admiral Richardson.
Vice Admiral Richardson: Pacific Fleet Acting Commander
It seems your arrival has been greatly delayed.
I am sorry about that.
Captain Kuramitsu 11th Aerial Expeditionary Strike Force 1st Navy Special Squadron
We ran into Zogilia's Protection Division along the way.
I hear you almost lost one of the new Valiancers.
The Coupling System
Well, not that its loss would affect anything in the big scheme of things.
Your ship is set to take part in the upcoming operation.
Do your best not to get in the way.
Good morning, everybody!
Huh?
What?
D-Doctor!
Hold on a second!
This is an encrypted channel! How did you hack into it?!
Hmm, you're annoying.
Huh? Wha...
Alessandro Fermi Pacific Rim Neuroscience Research Laboratory Director
Now, let me start over.
How are you all doing, my friends aboard the Cygnus?
You seem to be the same as ever, Doctor Fermi.
Captain, there's a ship ahead on an intercept course.
It's the Coupling System Research Ship, the Crane.
Crane Coupling Research Ship
Welcome to the Cygnus. We are happy to have you aboard.
Yes, thank you, beautiful young lady.
I'm glad to see you looking so well, Doctor.
Thank you.
As for you... I think you may have gained a few more fine wrinkles.
Oh, you and your jokes, Doctor.
Well, I know I only just got here, but...
A demonstration of the Coupling System?
That's right. We'd like you to show Doctor Fermi.
Thanks in advance!
It seems he came all this way from Hawaii just for this.
From Hawaii?
Yup. From Hawaii, where we should be arriving soon.
I guess he couldn't wait.
But right now, the Luxon is...
Fortunately, the cockpit block didn't take any damage.
It'll be possible to conduct a Coupling.
Huh, so that weird old man developed the Coupling System?
Precisely speaking,
I should say that he's the leader of the development team.
What do you mean?
Well, Doctor Fermi did propose the coupling theory,
and the core work of developing the System was done at the Doctor's lab...
...but what finally made his theories viable
was the cockpit Elvira designed when she was working with him.
In other words, that makes me the inept master
whose disciple snatched away his moment of glory.
D-Doctor...
But that's fine, isn't it? Being the inept master?
What?
You see,
it was under Elvira's grandfather that I began my research into the fundamentals of the Coupling theory.
So I've known her since she was in diapers.
I had no idea!
It took her a long time to get out of those diapers.
It had us worried.
Doctor!
But well...
Now, that little girl is a researcher who is even more accomplished than me.
How could I possibly be unhappy about that?
That's a nice story.
Enough with the chitchat already. We're going to begin!
Ensign Watase!
Connective, Dio.
Acception.
Emphatier Level frequency is stable.
I had no idea the Enharmonic Controls had been perfected to this degree.
Beautiful!
How long does the Coupling connection last?
The operational limit is 300 seconds.
Perfect.
Ten seconds to Decoupling.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Decoupling.
The System and the pilots are both in good shape.
Thanks for your cooperation, Aoba, Dio.
Sure.
What do you want?
Maybe you can fool some machines, but you can't fool me.
What do you mean?
You saw her, didn't you?
On that island? That Hina or whatever her name was?
No.
That's an obvious lie.
It's true. She's not my Hina.
What?
Here, in the future, she doesn't exist.
The Yumihara Hina, who saved me and sent me into the future,
no longer exists.
I see. So that's why you're depressed.
I'm not depressed!
You're more sensitive than I'd thought.
I told you, I'm not depressed!
This idea that an enemy pilot could know how to return to the past...
Where did you get that from, anyway?
A grade-schooler could think of a better story.
It's not a story!
I thought it was the only possibility.
I won't bring it up anymore.
What the hell was that for?!
Are your eyes open now?!
How long are you gonna keep whining?!
The Luxon's repairs will be done soon!
Even you're better than noth—
You're the damn whiner around here
aren't you?!
You've been sulking over your sister since she left!
Get off your high horse!
Why you...
Fiona's got nothing to do with this!
You sister-obsessed freak!
Shut up, you blabbering fool!
Hey...
You bastard!
What the hell are you guys doing?!
Cut it out, Dio!
Let go!
Hey! Let me go!
I'm going to beat some sense into this idiot!
Fuck you!
You idiots are too much trouble!
You're out of control.
The Captain said to cool your heads here for a while.
See you later.
Don't make us do more work, jeez.
Ah, to be young!
Oh?
Where's Doctor Fermi?
What?
Oh, now that you mention it...
Hey, there you are.
I hear that you're from the past?
From seventy years ago, I think it was?
You here to make fun of me too?
How much do you know about the Coupling System?
What?
You see, to put it simply,
that device connects the two pilots' brains in parallel
to dramatically increase processing power.
I see...
The key to this system
lies in relaying the two pilots' thoughts without any delays.
Because lag would be a hindrance in combat.
Relay thoughts without delay?
You can explain it all you want, you're wasting your time on that idiot.
You're still talking shit?!
Yes, yes.
Right now, you're only separated by a wall,
so you can make yourself understood in this way.
But on the battlefield, it doesn't work that way.
The farther apart you are, the greater the lag.
Even delays of just a few nanoseconds
are more than enough to prevent you from conducting a Coupling.
Then, how are we conducting these Couplings?
Time-leaps.
What?
If there's going to be a one nanosecond lag in relaying thought,
you just send the thought one nanosecond into the future
and the problem is solved.
Is that even possible?
On the level of elementary particles, yes.
On the level of elementary particles?
What's so funny?
It means that, in the end, the Doctor doesn't believe your story.
What did you say?!
You two seem to get along great.
Most excellent.
The new line of Valiancers is to be equipped with Coupling Systems?
You hadn't heard?
They're going to be rolling out soon.
It's just two Valiancers for now, though.
Those hard-headed folks at command must be hesitating.
Then, are you saying we're close to mass-producing Coupling Valiancers?
Unfortunately, we're not there yet.
The Confederation doesn't have much faith in Coupling Valiancers.
Even though the enemy is obsessed with them.
Zogilia's got him, after all.
Him?
A researcher, who was at the Doctor's lab, like me.
He defected to Zogilia.
He was a brilliant man,
so he must have a good appreciation for the importance of Elvira's cockpit.
What is the name of this man?
Hahn. Wilhelm Hahn.
Wilhelm Hahn, Zogilian Science Academy Test Laboratory 2 Director
I do think this is quite an interesting operation.
Very well.
I will speak to the Adminburo on your behalf.
Thank you very much, Doctor Hahn.
Commander Gallant 501st Mobile Company, 193rd U-boat Brigade
Special Officer O'Keefe National Security Committee Administration Bureau
Please do your best, Special Officer O'Keefe.
I imagine this is your last chance.
I wish you luck.
Slava Zogilia.
Vajra Heavy Attack Cruiser Aeroship
And that sums up our upcoming operation.
Any questions?
Commander, just who in the world is this Doctor Hahn?
He's just some scientist and he's got pull with the Adminburo?
That's not normal.
That is not for you to know.
I will be leading the team and taking command today.
Are you fine with this, Commander?
We'll let her have her way.
It's me! It's Watase Aoba!
I'll get you up on land soon.
But I want you to have it.
Watase Aoba...
Hina.
Bizon!
What's wrong? You look upset.
Hina, how did you get a signal off that island?
Not much time should've passed
between when we received it and when we arrived,
but the Fortuna's cockpit
was already underwater.
From the Confederation's new Valiancer.
What?! Then you...!
No!
I found it in the woods
and I was about to take it when the enemy came back.
So I just sent out the distress signal and...
I was unarmed, so...
But there were no Valiancers on that island other than the Fortuna.
It left before you all arrived.
I was hiding, so I didn't get a good look at it.
No one would ever believe that, right?
It's too convenient...
Have you told the Commander about this?
Not yet.
Tell the Commander.
It'll be troublesome if the Special Officer notices it first.
You're right.
From now on, tell me these things earlier.
I'm the only one who'll believe you no matter what happens.
All right.
Bizon.
There's no time. Get ready to deploy.
Roger.
Enemy Valiancers approaching.
Ten minutes until we make contact.
All hands, prepare for air-to-air combat!
Out! We're mobilizing!
Are we sure about this? Sending those two out in their current state...
What? They've always been like that from the very beginning.
That's true, but...
Here they come!
Spread out and prepare to engage!
Roger!
Don't think about anything else right now. Focus on fighting.
I know that!
Aoba. Dio. Please commence the Coupling.
Roger.
Connective, Dio.
Acception.
Multiple heat signatures approaching!
Zogilian cruise missiles!
Deploy the NECTOR Curtain!
Damage?!
Minimal. No problems here.
Second wave, incoming!
The Cygnus won't have the NECTOR Curtain charged up in time!
Shoot down as many missiles as you can!
Roger!
Wha—?!
There's no time to be surprised!
I can do that, too!
Just wait, Hina!
I'll take this bastard down!
Aoba!
Wha?!
Commander, you will provide cover!
Roger that.
Him again!
Lay off!
Damn it!
It got past me?!
The Crane has been hit!
Lieutenant Conrad, take down all missiles headed for the Crane as well!
Don't allow any more to find their marks!
There's no need for that.
Doctor!
I'm all right.
And the Crane won't go down so easily.
But...
Elvira, I've taught you everything I learned from your grandfather.
It's time you graduated.
The future's in your hands now.
Can we even take down this many?
Quit your whining! Do what you're here to do!
Amazing...
That's Aoba and Dio for you.
Now, if we just wait for the enemy to run out of missiles...
Let's just hope they do run out.
More missiles incoming!
Just how many do they have?!
Don't tell me...!
They're aiming to wait out the Coupling time limit.
According to Doctor Hahn's prediction,
those new Valiancers can maintain their Coupling for 300 seconds.
In other words, they have 90 seconds left.
Once the Decoupling happens, these numbers will be totally impossible.
Keep at it!
There's still more missiles coming!
But the Coupling is already...
Don't give up, Watase Aoba!
Didn't you resolve to remain on the Cygnus and fight?!
You're an idiot! And a hopeless one at that!
But once you've made up your mind, you stay the course, no matter what!
Isn't that the kind of man that you are?!
Right now, the Cygnus needs strength!
and you have the strength to meet that need!
Fight! For the people who need you!
Hurry up, Whiny!
Oh, no! I let one slip by!
I told you I'm not whining!
What?!
Get off your high horse, you sister-obsessed freak!
What was that?! You're the one who was down in the dumps!
I was just copying you!
Bastard! Of all the things you could've said...
Amazing!
Those two are arguing and still...
All those missiles...
But they're out of time!
Ten seconds until Decoupling.
Nine...
Eight...
Seven...
Six...
Five...
Four...
Three...
Two...
One...
It's time.
Not yet!
The Coupling is being maintained!
What?!
Impossible...
Madam Special Officer, your orders.
K-Keep firing those missiles!
There may have been a miscalculation,
but the Coupling can't last for long!
Fire! Fire! Fire!
We're going out there, too!
Roger!
The duration of the Coupling has exceeded 400 seconds!
I can't belive it...
All missiles have been intercepted!
Th-That can't be...
E-Eject!
Open! Open up!
I don't deserve to die here!
N-No!
Are you all right, Madam Special Officer?
That voice... Alfried Gallant...
The operation has ended in failure. All Valiancers returning to base.
Y-Yes...
Hey, Whiny, you're good when you put your mind to it.
Shut up, freak.
The duration of this Coupling was 429 seconds.
I can't believe it.
For it to greatly exceed even our ideal value...
Elvira.
Yes?
That was a Nice Coupling.
Doctor?!
Doctor!
What's wrong, Doctor?!
Doctor!
Unfortunately, it seems the Adminburo has decided to replace you.
You should receive word soon.
Why not take it easy until then?
I envy you!
I don't even know how many years it's been since I've had time off.
Doctor Hahn.
What is it, Commander Gallant?
Now that the Swan has arrived in Hawaii,
conventional tactics will no longer be effective.
Therefore, I would like to execute the operation I had proposed earlier.
Proposed?! When?!
I already spoke to the right people.
You can rendezvous with the unit in question soon.
I expect good things, Commander Gallant.
Slava Zogilia.
Reinforcements this late?
Who the hell are these people?
Tarjim!
It's nice to see you, Lieutenant Commander Ryazan.
What?
Have you been well, Hina?
Father!
Our hearts call to each other from afar
I've forgotten the end of pain,
but still I know you,
and I look for you
My soul kissed the remnants of a powerful light
deep within itself
If doubt paves the way for a tomorrow full of hope,
then all my hesitation is sure to lead me to a wonderful dawn
I want to protect and shelter
our dream of peace
Please hold out your hand
to grasp the love
that we are sure to find
Next Time: Father and Child
Next time on Buddy Complex:
"Father and Child"