Tomorrow, at 10:00 AM JST,
the Midsummer's Knights will return with the Engine series to Tanegashima,
aboard the container capsule Flügel.
We only have until tomorrow, huh?
We've gotta get close to him while we have the chance.
Come on...
Take care of it.
Hana, Pitz is doing much better.
Pitz!
Akari, thanks for taking care of Pitz.
Don't be silly.
We're friends. Right, Pitz?
Friends?
Preparations for the operation are in their final stages.
Sending Hana Mutou back to Earth will be risky.
I'm aware of that.
That's why I left Daichi and Teppei there.
I'd like you two to protect Hana.
Roger.
But...
It's okay.
If I'm with these two, I'll be fine.
Move the plan B tests into phase 2 by the time they return.
Teppei Arashi's test was completed.
All that's left is Daichi Manatsu.
I'm ready.
Earth Engine Impacter has reached the test area in Sigma sector.
Standby confirmed.
Orgone spectrometer, calorimeter,
and other observation instruments are transmitting clearly.
Ready any time.
Captain, we're ready here.
Roger.
Here I go.
How does it look?
Maximum output is 1.7 gigajoules.
Teppei-kun's output is higher.
Though it's still only 1.8 gigajoules.
A minimum of 2.0 gigajoules is required to fire the boosted plasmagnum.
In actual combat, Teppei-kun has shown an output of 2.2,
and the captain 2.1 gigajoules.
The fact that the level hasn't stabilized is our greatest concern.
But we're entrusting them with everything, right?
Onslaught Through the Wilderness
Hey, is it true you don't have a girlfriend?
Yeah.
Do you have a girl you like?
I don't know.
Does he, I wonder...
What do you think?
Come in.
Thanks for coming.
Do you need something, Governor?
Hello.
Do you know anything about Kivotos?
Isn't it a spaceship?
I called you here to ask a personal question.
I suppose I'm interested in you...
Interested?
Because I'm not a normal person?
No, not that.
Because Akari called you her friend.
Since she was little, she's never been able to make friends.
Or perhaps she simply refused to.
You're the first person I've ever heard her call a friend.
Akari is my friend!
Thank you.
I'm happy to hear that.
Why?
Because I'm her mother... I guess.
Sometimes, I think Akari doesn't need me.
Did Akari say that?
It only makes sense that she'd feel that way.
It's true that I left her alone for a long time.
I've only been her mother when it was convenient for me.
Akari isn't the kind of girl to think that way.
I don't have a family...
But I have Akari, Teppei, and Daichi.
I'm really happy.
But when I see you,
I think having a family must be nice, too.
Why?
Because whenever you talk about Akari, you look so kind.
I'm sorry.
Can I stay like this a little longer?
This is what a mom smells like, huh?
Listen, Hana...
Kivotos will only be able to fulfill its true mission
after docking with another spaceship.
This ship is humanity's last hope for survival.
I'm Professor Canis.
I worked on the development of Kivotos.
And you are?
Daichi Manatsu.
I've heard that name before.
Ah...
Then, you're the captain of the Midsummer's Knights?
What an honor to meet a hero here.
I'm not a hero.
I won't have this chance again.
Please shake my hand.
Rechecking the return orbit to Tanegashima.
All three ordinaries are mounted in the container.
Teppei-kun, next time you come back up here, let's go swimming again.
Roger.
You're popular, Teppei!
Hana, give Akari my regards.
Roger.
You seem different, somehow.
What's wrong, Captain?
A scientist I met here shook my hand.
Shook your hand?
So this is the chosen hero's hand.
He said my hand was "the chosen hero's hand."
But I'm not a hero.
That's right.
You're no hero.
You're only a child who happened to get a Livlaster.
You're about to realize that.
Return program entering final sequence.
Shutting down main thruster.
Deceleration thrusters stopped two seconds earlier than expected.
Recalculated orbit shows no problems with atmospheric reentry.
But we'll land a good distance away from the original point.
What does this mean?
The Flügel has entered the atmosphere.
Tracing estimated course...
I have their landing point.
It's in Australia.
They got us.
A spy?
Hundreds of staff members are on the Tenkaidou.
Some must be Ark Faction extremists.
The return program was altered?
If this is the Ark Faction's doing, they must be after Hana!
The Flügel has crash-landed!
Australia SE area 6!
The desert?
Can we contact the Flügel?
This is Tanegashima!
Do you copy, Flügel?
This is Manatsu.
We've crash-landed successfully.
No one's hurt.
We will now...
What's wrong, Daichi?
We've lost communication with the Flügel?
An aurora storm is occurring!
Electromagnetic fluctuations are affecting it.
That solar flare has reached Earth, then?
The enemy's plans even accounted for that?
I lost contact with the base.
Close-range communications like this work fine.
They deliberately sent us here?
Australian Central Command is nearby.
We should assume this is all a trap by the enemy.
It's okay.
We'll get home safely.
I'm counting on you, Livlaster.
By mastering the Livlaster's use,
it should ultimately be possible to generate infinite energy.
Of course, they haven't mastered it yet.
Their output is limited.
But the Princess's Livlaster used ecdysis mode.
There's a good chance it will become even more powerful.
Why can't we Planetary Gears fire the Livlaster?
I can find no logical answer to that question.
But reports from Globe scientists say
they believe the Livlasters are extradimensional life forms that take the form of guns.
They just aren't compatible with us, then?
Come to think of it, Kube got dumped by Hitomi.
Can you keep him under control?
I've received no information that Hitomi Makino has dumped Masaki Kube.
What "information" do you need?
He's gone after every girl in the company.
Hitomi won't be able to take it.
He's like a monkey in heat.
A monkey?
Calm down, Pitz.
I'll get Hana and the others back with my magic.
Wait, maybe...
Is Hana in danger?
I brought them down as planned.
Pluck the flower.
Over.
It's winter in the Southern Hemisphere, but it isn't that cold.
Come to think of it, this is my first time in another country.
But you're in space all the time.
Is space another country?
Hey, Teppei...
What's that lunch you're eating?
The girls on the Tenkaidou made it for me.
You're so popular, Teppei!
You really are...
Nothing like me, a guy whose first overseas trip only happened because of a crash-land.
Have you not traveled a lot, Daichi?
I guess the most I've done is go to Tanegashima with my dad when I was little.
What were your mom and dad like, Daichi?
I never told you?
My dad was a Globe space pilot!
I think he died fighting the first Kiltgang to attack Earth.
Parents are kind of mysterious, aren't they?
What about your mom?
My mom died of an illness when I was little.
So my uncle raised me.
You don't remember your mom?
I don't really remember her...
But why?
No reason.
The enemy?
They aren't friends.
It's fair to assume they're with the guys who crashed us here.
Oh, look.
A message from the enemy.
"Disarm and surrender."
What should we respond?
No need to respond.
We're leaving.
It's coming back.
Guess it'll be hard to escape them...
Teppei?
Teppei!
Hey, Teppei!
We shouldn't fight if we don't have to...
It's a UCAV, Captain.
And one of Globe's.
The Ark Faction?
Hey, Captain...
What?
Even if someone were piloting it,
I'd shoot them for the team's sake.
The time will come when you'll be forced to make that choice.
You know that, right?
But, well...
These days, there aren't many manned weapons.
Let's hurry.
This isn't the end, is it?
If it's the Ark Faction, they'll keep coming until they get Hana
because she controls the Blume.
Artillery fire from 3 o'clock!
I knew it. They're here.
Ahead of us, Captain!
We were ambushed.
Yeah.
They've sent the tank brigade.
And they have us so carefully surrounded.
These are unmanned, too.
Roger!
They're only attacking the Earth and Nebula.
I get it.
That UCAV was to see which one Hana's piloting!
Which means...
You and I will be killed here, Captain.
Seriously?
Captain, above you!
People on Earth are scarier than these guys!
It makes you wonder whom we're protecting and why, doesn't it?
Teppei!
Captain, the Nebula Engine is down.
I can't move.
Take Hana and run!
If they're here to capture me and won't attack me, I can protect you both.
Getting out of here isn't our only mission.
Isn't taking Hana back safely to Tanegashima our mission?
Once the smoke clears, they'll attack us all at once!
Before that happens, leave me and go, Captain!
So this is the chosen hero's hand.
He said my hand was "the chosen hero's hand."
But I'm not a hero.
You weren't chosen by fate.
You chose everything of your own free will,
and you can grasp everything with that hand.
Right?
What's wrong, Captain?
Captain!
Can I grasp it?
No, I will grasp it!
Wow.
Why didn't you leave me and run?
Wouldn't you have done the same thing?
You're being naïve, Captain.
If you keep that up, you'll lose something really important someday.
But thank you for saving me.
That attack was amazing.
What kind of output did you get?
Output?
5.8 gigajoules?
I'm amazed, Captain.
Teppei, is the Nebula okay?
It doesn't look like it will explode or anything.
But it can't walk on its own.
The two of us can carry the Nebula, right?
For now, let's go to Australia Central Command.
If we can get it that far, it'll probably be fine.
The Midsummer's Knights are heading for Central Command.
It's time to put the flower back in her vase.
Make sure you capture Hana Mutou.
For the sake of humanity's future.
We "borrow" a large transport plane from Globe's Carpentaria base,
and set a course for Tanegashima.
But more new weapons from Salty Dog attack us.
This one's kind of bad!
Just then, right in front of us is...
Next time, on episode 19 of Captain Earth:
Your Smile Means Everything
Your Smile Means Everything.
Earth Engine, expand!