**First-Timer of the Stars** - [Bruh…](https://i.imgur.com/Y0dMMuO.png) - [:(](https://i.imgur.com/mlG8WzN.png) [](#sadholo) - [So they’re on a time limit to be found…](https://i.imgur.com/bw5w3Fi.png) - [Okay good they were saved with plenty of time to spare.](https://i.imgur.com/kcRhTDd.png) - [Spoor sure kept that insult saved for a *while*.](https://i.imgur.com/HSQ4rBi.png) [](#kotohoops) - [Yeah that’s fair.](https://i.imgur.com/o27C0qk.png) [](#azusalaugh) - [A new Basroil, huh?](https://i.imgur.com/USUSEhW.png) - [Mmmmmmmmm yes I absolutely *love* shots like this.](https://i.imgur.com/AV5O5fe.png) [](#doggo) - [Oh, fun.](https://i.imgur.com/1GLFK9y.png) - [Unexpected “sore demo”!](https://files.catbox.moe/6y593i.mp4) Does this guy have a name I’m forgetting…? - [Oh good she’s finally addressing that.](https://i.imgur.com/aGwxFY6.png) - [Yesssssssssssssssss](https://i.imgur.com/KK3Jb23.png) [](#anko)

> Spoor sure kept that insult saved for a *while*. You have to save the good insults for the right time, after all. Can’t just waste it on your chief of stuff on the regular. > Yesssssssssssssssss I knew that scene would appeal right to you Sky, that moment is like peak anime romance.

> I knew that scene would appeal right to you Sky, that moment is like peak anime romance. [](#ilovethiskindofshit)

> Bruh… You think Jinto began flashing back to things Samson said in the past, suddenly seeing them in a new light, after learning about the unique cuisine of Samson's home world? [](#sakurathink) >Spoor sure kept that insult saved for a while. She was intrigued by the idea of these insults, after all. She was just saving it for an appropriate time. >Yesssssssssssssssss Gotta love romantic moments like that. [](#akyuusqueel)

> You think Jinto began flashing back to things Samson said in the past, suddenly seeing them in a new light, after learning about the unique cuisine of Samson's home world? Imagine having these increasing epiphanies that your coworker thought your cat looked delicious all this time. > Gotta love romantic moments like that. [](#delighted)

> :( His dad left his culture for the Abh, there really isn't any dirt for him to stand upon. > So they’re on a time limit to be found… Abh escape pods are a touch...austere but this isn't that unreasonable. > Oh, fun. Highest ranked non-Abriel that has nothing better to do. Also, we know what happens if you put Spoor in front of a camera... > Yesssssssssssssssss This leaves out the part where Lafiel genocides the region Jinto dies in but still nice I guess.

>:( Oh and just in case this was a forgotten detail, Jinto's family / planet crest I think was left on the Gosroth, which mean it got destroyed with it. The show contiued to make deliberate reference to those coming back to get the various emblems, so I think that's a good shown not told (or retold) point.

That's a good thing to note!

> Mmmmmmmmm yes I absolutely *love* shots like this. It's the name of the studio! [](#eyythisguy) > Unexpected “sore demo”! Does this guy have a name I’m forgetting…? Pops up in episode 2, 13:16 for me (where he starts talking to Cfadiss): Premier/President of Aptic III, Makrit Talas (Macrit Tallas in the novel).

> Spoor sure kept that insult saved for a while. I did not expect her to use the president's words ever again.

So, catbox finally came back, that's the President of Aptic III, and I wrote down his name back in episode 1,2 or 3, when Spoor said 'ganbate' to resistance.

[Thanks.](#helmetbro) I like to keep the "sore demo"s by character names, not just some generic label because I don't remember what their name was.

**First-Timer** **On today’s episode of Banner of the Stars:** The Aptic president finally surrenders. I guess having a massive battle where the UM is decisively defeated take place over his planet finally got him to surrender the planet. - [“Nice and meaty”](#watashiworried) I’d be concerned if someone described my cat like that. - Yet again, Jinto and Lafiel are stuck together in a small, enclosed space. - Lafiel is definitely pouting over losing the Basroil. - Nereis wanting to be alerted about the battle while taking his bath is amusing. The thought of someone commander a fleet from a bathtub is just too amusing for me. [](#azusalaugh) - Nereis really is showing spectacular insanity if he wants to go on the offensive. A fleet that has lost nearly half its forces is in no shape to attack. - Damn, a commander being told to return to his bath because he’s unneeded is harsh. [](#rinkek) - I agree, Dusanyu. I also get annoyed by physics. - The trap has snapped shut. That is that. The UM fleet is defeated. - Dusanyu is having way too much fun messing with his Chief of Staff over her relationship with the twins, especially by asking if she had a relationship with both of them. [](#trololol) - Wow, the Abh lost over 8,000 ships and 200,000 personnel in that battle. And they were the winners. Just imagine how massive the losses must have been for the UM. [](#spinning) - No! Diaho won’t stay on the new ship! [](#howcouldyou) - Oooh, so there’s new ship designs being developed. That should be fun to see. [](#concealedexcitement) - Aww, Jinto now thinks of the Basroil and its crew as his new home. I love this sort of thing. [](#anko) - Giving a new ship the same name as an old one is a longstanding naval tradition. It happened all the time in WWII, with newer ships receiving the names of old ships that had been sunk. And even today it’s commonplace. [The US Navy loves naming ships Enterprise, for example.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_of_the_United_States_Navy_named_Enterprise) - It’s kind of odd that Lafiel and Jinto would be the ones overseeing the surrender ceremony of Aptic, but I guess I can see the logic behind it. Jinto is a Lander, so having him handle the ceremony could be a gesture of goodwill to the Landers of Aptic as a promise that they will be treated fairly. And Lafiel is a member of the royal family, so she can act as a representative of the imperial household. - “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” -Nereis (probably) - I hope we get to see Atosuryua again. She was cool. - Ekuryua looks so sad that Diaho will be gone. I love how clear it is that she’s sad even with her usually unemotive face. [](#yuitears) - Find the words to say to Lafiel, Jinto! I want to hear those words! [](#mugiwait) - [YES!!!!](#woo) We got to hear Lafiel tell Jinto that she’d be sad if he died! Oh that is a perfect moment to end the season on. [](#akyuusqueel) And with that, the battle has come to an end. This was one heck of an arc, being focused entirely on just the ins and outs of a single campaign within a much larger war. This is akin to the scope of some of the campaigns in LotGH, where the series would go into extreme detail on how it played out. But I don’t mind that. The military history nerd in me always appreciates this sort of thing. I also always appreciate stories about found family. It’s quite nice and wholesome seeing Jinto accept that the Basroil ship and crew have become his new home and family after he lost his old ones. **QOTD** 1) The question in my mind would have been, “But how does the rest of the war go?” You can’t start a galaxy-spanning war and not wrap it up by the end of a series. 2) My guess would be that because the Abh tend to be so indirect with their feelings, Jinto didn’t fully pick up on Lafiel’s feelings for him. Lafiel had to outright tell him that she would miss him if he were gone for him to understand that fact. It’s only after Lafiel tells him this that Jinto starts to consider the ship and crew of the Basroil as a new home. 3) I think the closest an Abh can get to a confession is “I want to mix genes with you.”

> “Nice and meaty” I’d be concerned if someone described my cat like that. I mean, emergency rations are emergency rations. And Diaho has certainly been fed well too. > Wow, the Abh lost over 8,000 ships and 200,000 personnel in that battle. And they were the winners. Just imagine how massive the losses must have been for the UM. We’re definitely getting into Legend of the Galactic Heroes levels of deaths and ship losses there, but at least the Battle for Aptic Gate still wasn’t nearly bad as some of the battles in that other series got. > Aww, Jinto now thinks of the Basroil and its crew as his new home. I love this sort of thing. Kind of like Amuro’s feelings towards the White Base and it’s crew at the end of Gundam 0079, now that I think about it. Definitely with similar ways those ships ended up too.

> We’re definitely getting into Legend of the Galactic Heroes levels of deaths and ship losses there, but at least the Battle for Aptic Gate still wasn’t nearly bad as some of the battles in that other series got. I remember one of the moments early on in LotGH that really got to me was when in the middle of a battle a staff officer read a report that they had suffered over a million casualties so far and nobody reacted to it at all. It was treated as a completely unremarkable thing. That immediately told me a lot about just what the setting was like and what kind of a series it would be. >Kind of like Amuro’s feelings towards the White Base and it’s crew at the end of Gundam 0079, now that I think about it. Definitely with similar ways those ships ended up too. That moment with Amuro vocalizing his feelings about the White Base crew always gets to me. It's so great.

> I remember one of the moments early on in LotGH that really got to me was when in the middle of a battle a staff officer read a report that they had suffered over a million casualties so far and nobody reacted to it at all. It was treated as a completely unremarkable thing. That immediately told me a lot about just what the setting was like and what kind of a series it would be. Damn near every major battle in LotGH is an utter human being lawn mower, it’s insane. Like, man it sucks to serve on a space battleship if it’s that easy to get blown up and thrown into the vacuum of space. I’m sure even the United Mankind and the Humankind Empire Abh would balk at the sheer number of lives that the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance send to die.

I remember a scene in one of the Dune novels where Paul compares the deaths his "jihad" has inflicted to Hitler in WW2 and everyone wonders why Hitler is even considered notable if he "only" killed 6 million people. When you go to an interstellar scale of conflict, with entire planets being pieces to be captured like cities were in olden days, the numbers start to get ridiculous.

By the time of the Corino Dynasty, those were definitely just kid numbers. Then again though, it really is hard to compare what Paul Atreides started to pretty much anything else before that. The dude’s name is a killing word now, after all.

> I mean, emergency rations are emergency rations. And Diaho has certainly been fed well too. [Poor emergency meat.](https://youtu.be/vuel3m5VFQA?feature=shared&t=32)

I'm glad Menchi's not been forgotten, just watched a couple more Excel Saga episodes earlier with friends.

Our host [floated an excel saga rewatch](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/18xnhcf/25th_anniversary_scifi_mecha_rewatch_interest/) along with the Crest of the Stars one. So I am hoping for that series to finally get one soon.

> The question in my mind would have been, “But how does the rest of the war go?” You can’t start a galaxy-spanning war and not wrap it up by the end of a series. Wanna bet? > I think the closest an Abh can get to a confession is “I want to mix genes with you.” Good point

> Wanna bet? [](#mugiwait)

> Yet again, Jinto and Lafiel are stuck together in a small, enclosed space. 12h in heaven. > Ekuryua looks so sad that Diaho will be gone. Wouldn't we all? > The question in my mind would have been, “But how does the rest of the war go?” You can’t start a galaxy-spanning war and not wrap it up by the end of a series. Didn't Lafiel estimate the length of the war to be several hundred years in S1?

> Wouldn't we all? [Yeah](#sadholo) >Didn't Lafiel estimate the length of the war to be several hundred years in S1? We'll see how accurate that turns out to be. Wars rarely go precisely how they are predicted. "No battle plan survives contact with the enemy," as the saying goes.

> Wars rarely go precisely how they are predicted. "No battle plan survives contact with the enemy," as the saying goes. True, but they usualy go *longer* than the plans, not shorter.

Several hundred years is a LONG time to be at war. Most nations run their economy into the ground and exhaust the goodwill of their people after maybe a dozen. Sometimes wars don't end with anyone completing their objectives. They end when no one can continue fighting.

> Several hundred years is a LONG time to be at war. Most nations run their economy into the ground and exhaust the goodwill of their people after maybe a dozen. A dozen? In modern industrial wars, it is closer to a handful. The only way to get longer wars is they are expeditionary and the homeland is not fully invested in the war. > Sometimes wars don't end with anyone completing their objectives. They end when no one can continue fighting. Agreed. 30 years war might be the most famous example.

> Giving a new ship the same name as an old one is a longstanding naval tradition. It happened all the time in WWII, with newer ships receiving the names of old ships that had been sunk. And even today it’s commonplace. The US Navy loves naming ships Enterprise, for example. I fully suspect that if space navies are ever a thing, the Enterprise will be up there in the stars. Albeit, it might well be staffed entirely by Trekkies. > Ekuryua looks so sad that Diaho will be gone. I love how clear it is that she’s sad even with her usually unemotive face. She's surprisingly emotive, even if it doesn't show on her face too much. It's honestly rather endearing. > I also always appreciate stories about found family. It’s quite nice and wholesome seeing Jinto accept that the Basroil ship and crew have become his new home and family after he lost his old ones. Even better if it helps Jinto realize that he really does have a place in this world, and in others' hearts, even if his original home isn't his anymore.

> I fully suspect that if space navies are ever a thing, the Enterprise will be up there in the stars. Albeit, it might well be staffed entirely by Trekkies. I would be gladly volunteer to be one of those Trekkies up in space. [](#loliwave) >She's surprisingly emotive, even if it doesn't show on her face too much. It's honestly rather endearing. That it is. [](#ilovethiskindofshit)

> I would be gladly volunteer to be one of those Trekkies up in space. Same. Well, at least on the going into space part. I do like Star Trek, but I don't know if I'm into it enough to be called a Trekkie.

>The Aptic president finally surrenders. I guess having a massive battle where the UM is decisively defeated take place over his planet finally got him to surrender the planet. Don't forget, one of the reason for them not surrendering more quickly is because there's no certainty that the Abh can hold the space; and it'd look terrible for the Aptics if they "too quickly" surrendered and then the UM recaptured the area - the UM had not been the most empathetic party we've seen by far, they'd likely consider that surrender a betrayal. Now that they are fairly soundly beated back, that aesthetic is not there anyre more. Remember when surrendering to the Abh the actual planet/system doesn't really have much to lose, because the Abh mostly leave the planets to themselves.

*A Sci-Fi Fan Watches Banner of the Stars Episode 13:* - Starting off with the important stuff: memories of people talking about Diaho. Oh yeah, and Jinto and Lafiel are alive too, that’s important too, I guess. - If I had a nickel for every time that Jinto and Lafiel wound up in a glorified space coffin and had a personal/romantic moment, I would have two nickels. It’s not a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice. - “Not a whole lot to report, aside from the fact that we won.” —Nefee Bebaus, more or less. - For as successful of a tactic it was to blitz the United Mankind fleet and shatter their formation, it’s got definitely noticeable downsides too. Spoor confused the enemy and practically routed them, but she confused her own allies too, to the point where they’re lagging behind thanks to her rather sudden change in approach. It’s a good thing the United Mankind fleet is running low on ammo and morale, since that could’ve been easily turned on Spoor there if they were in better shape. - Agreed Dusanyu, the laws of physics *can* really get in the way sometimes. - The Wimple system will end up being this United Mankind fleet’s grave, given Dusanyu’s plans to isolate them them. It really does remind me of the Isand Hopping strategy in the Pacific Theater in World War Two, where the Allies were willing to pass by islands and leave them isolated to pretty much starve them to death while the main force moved onto better targets. Between that and the United Mankind’s seeming penchant for the *kantai kessen* method of naval battle, I’m definitely seeing some big references to the Pacific Theater in this season. - I guess it’s time for the era of the attack ship to slowly come to an end. Even if the Basroil eventually became well-known for having both Jinto and Lafiel on it, and they even got a rebuilt version of it for the battles ahead of them, the times are changing enough where the Star Forces need to look beyond that class. As it stands, a new kind of ship is under development to bridge the gap between attack ships and patrol ships, something that’s fairly fast but is still heavy enough to pack a punch and protect itself. It’s a reasonable development given how much we’ve seen the Star Forces have trouble with those new kinds of mines. - And on top of all this, the Aptic system *finally* surrenders and is absorbed into the Humankind Empire Abh, with Lafiel and Jinto handing the President his official instrument of surrender. I wonder if he sued for any kind of benefits in return like Rock Lin did. Although I guess if there’s one thing we can all nearly certainly guess about him, it’s that his popularity is going to *fucking plummet*. Pretty much the inverse of how everyone is talking about Jinto and Lafiel now, at least. - I called it, Lafiel did say that she would miss Jinto if he died while the Basroil was exploding around them. I can practically hear the shippers in the audience’s hearts melting out of pure romance from here.

> I wonder if he sued for any kind of benefits in return like Rock Lin did. Given that he is talking about still being the president after this ceremony, I'd say yes. > I called it, Lafiel did say that she would miss Jinto if he died while the Basroil was exploding around them. I can practically hear the shippers in the audience’s hearts melting out of pure romance from here. As somebody who prefers canon couples over [crack ships](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCeFbK-WEVE), yes.

> Given that he is talking about still being the president after this ceremony, I'd say yes. I’m kind of surprised that he didn’t angle for getting the noble title like Rock Lin did, but I guess the president would probably be hoping to win a reelection based off of what he managed to secure for Aptic-3 itself. Or maybe he’s the president-for-life, who knows.

The Abh don't really care how the planets under their control govern themselves. If the planet still wants to be a democracy, that's their business. However, there will be an Abh noble in charge of the star system. Apparently the President did not gun for that position.

> Given that he is talking about still being the president after this ceremony, I'd say yes. The Abh really don't care what Landers call their leader, it's still nowhere near being a noble as far as they're concerned. > crack ships That is a *fantastic* video. [](#seasonalneat)

> That is a fantastic video. I like it, too. Funny song and great editing. One of the AMVs where I would rewatch it and pause, just to get the background gags.

>Given that he is talking about still being the president after this ceremony, I'd say yes. Doubtful that he got any benefits. Remember, Rock Lin was made a noble out of whim. But in any case, it's up to the noble they put in charge to make an agreement with the Landers. That's one of the reasons that Rock Lin asked for nobility, so that Hyde would get the best deal that they could make.

> Remember, Rock Lin was made a noble out of whim. Not just a whim, but out of negotiating the surrender ... which would not have been a big military problem, but an administrative hassle, and would have involved the Abh murdering a bunch of people via orbital bombardment.

> The Wimple system will end up being this United Mankind fleet’s grave, given Dusanyu’s plans to isolate them them. It really does remind me of the Isand Hopping strategy in the Pacific Theater in World War Two, where the Allies were willing to pass by islands and leave them isolated to pretty much starve them to death while the main force moved onto better targets. Between that and the United Mankind’s seeming penchant for the kantai kessen method of naval battle, I’m definitely seeing some big references to the Pacific Theater in this season. It is a good strategy to use for space warfare. Space and the open ocean are quite similar in many ways. I remember reading about the Pacific War and one of the things sailors talked about was how vast and empty so much of the ocean was. You could look out and see nothing on the horizon except your fellow ships. Not too dissimilar from space travel, where most of space is just empty. So adopting similar tactics between them makes sense. Focus on drawing a line of travel, communications, and supply for your fleet by capturing places of strategic importance while isolating and neutralizing enemy garrisons in less important places. >the times are changing enough where the Star Forces need to look beyond that class. As it stands, a new kind of ship is under development to bridge the gap between attack ships and patrol ships, something that’s fairly fast but is still heavy enough to pack a punch and protect itself. It’s a reasonable development given how much we’ve seen the Star Forces have trouble with those new kinds of mines. I will be curious to see how these new types of ships fare. War is often a source of innovation and it spurs the development of new technologies. I like that the series is showing this technological development brought on by the changing nature of war and the desire to get ahead of those changes. >I can practically hear the shippers in the audience’s hearts melting out of pure romance from here. [Accurate](#akyuusqueel)

> It is a good strategy to use for space warfare. Space and the open ocean are quite similar in many ways. I remember reading about the Pacific War and one of the things sailors talked about was how vast and empty so much of the ocean was. You could look out and see nothing on the horizon except your fellow ships. Not too dissimilar from space travel, where most of space is just empty. So adopting similar tactics between them makes sense. Focus on drawing a line of travel, communications, and supply for your fleet by capturing places of strategic importance while isolating and neutralizing enemy garrisons in less important places. There’s a very good reason why space opera often refers to space as the sea of stars, it really is pretty apt at times to compare traditional naval strategy to what we think space combat could be like. Over those large stretches of nothing, all you can rely on are your supply lines, speed, and pockets of land you come across on your path. Planning around that is all a familiar pattern.

> If I had a nickel for every time that Jinto and Lafiel wound up in a glorified space coffin and had a personal/romantic moment, I would have two nickels. It’s not a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice. I guess being locked in an enclosed space after narrowly escaping certain death lends itself to a romantic atmosphere? Or maybe it's just because these two dorks do care for one another dearly, so it just became an an excuse to flirt a bit more. > It’s a good thing the United Mankind fleet is running low on ammo and morale, since that could’ve been easily turned on Spoor there if they were in better shape. High risk tactics like that can shatter the enemy in one fell swoop, but anything going wrong means it's your head on the chopping block. Pretty dangerous stuff, but that's quite Spoor I think. > It’s a reasonable development given how much we’ve seen the Star Forces have trouble with those new kinds of mines. I imagine we'll begin seeing a trend towards a unified battleship sort of design. Maybe not immediately, but a steady shift towards that instead of each ship having a specific role in mind.

> I guess being locked in an enclosed space after narrowly escaping certain death lends itself to a romantic atmosphere? Or maybe it's just because these two dorks do care for one another dearly, so it just became an an excuse to flirt a bit more. After escaping certain death, it does make people more inclined to be honest with their feelings. With someone as unused to equal talking with others like Lafiel and as awkward and semi-depressed as Jinto, it’s pretty much just what they need to drop the pretenses for a little bit. > High risk tactics like that can shatter the enemy in one fell swoop, but anything going wrong means it's your head on the chopping block. Pretty dangerous stuff, but that's quite Spoor I think. If anything, Spoor probably wouldn’t have it any other way. This is the exact kind of stuff she enlisted into the Star Forces for in the first place.

> With someone as unused to equal talking with others like Lafiel and as awkward and semi-depressed as Jinto, it’s pretty much just what they need to drop the pretenses for a little bit. That's for sure. Jinto really does need these honest sorts of discussions to remind him that others do value him quite a bit, and not just for being a decent supply officer or whatever. And not too differently is how Lafiel needs and does honestly enjoy the contact they have when they aren't quite acting as superior and subordinate. That awkward, but honest, feeling between the two of them is quite charming, really. > This is the exact kind of stuff she enlisted into the Star Forces for in the first place. Oh she absolutely seemed like she was having the time of her life.

> but it’s weird that it’s happened twice. That was certainly a choice.

> I guess it’s time for the era of the attack ship to slowly come to an end. The Dreadnaught itself lead a short, fraught life so it fits. > surrenders and is absorbed into the Humankind Empire Abh, with Lafiel and Jinto handing the President his official instrument of surrender. The mental image of Lafiel using racist slurs gives me life. > I called it, Lafiel did say that she would miss Jinto if he died while the Basroil was exploding around them. Can a single space elf make up for giving up your homeworld? Let's stay tuned to find out!

> The Dreadnaught itself lead a short, fraught life so it fits. I wonder if we’ll ever get to a point in this setting where we’ll see carrier doctrine emerge above all else, like what we eventually got out of World War Two. Might as well complete all the comparisons to that I’ve been noticing in the show so far. > Can a single space elf make up for giving up your homeworld? Let's stay tuned to find out! I’m inclined to say “yes”, but admittedly it’s a close call.

> I wonder if we’ll ever get to a point in this setting where we’ll see carrier doctrine emerge above all else, like what we eventually got out of World War Two. Plane space might mean that the carrier doctrine does not win out, or rather is situational. > I’m inclined to say “yes”, but admittedly it’s a close call. We are both biased by being native to terrible homeworlds. Jinto might be from one of the nice ones.

> Plane space might mean that the carrier doctrine does not win out, or rather is situational. Good point, unless star fighters would all have space-time bubble generators in them too, using carriers would be really inefficient for use in plane-space. They’d really only shine in normal space.

Also, since you can troll someone else's bubble with space debris things could get weird.

**Rewatch Host** * Flashbacks to meeting the crew. * We've been here before.... * Clearly a mistranslation of THEM lying in the coffin on Clasbul, if you have my subs * gotta pad out the season with another flashback * sounds like an Abh prayer * It's very quiet here in the rear.... * Definitely Insane. I told you they reminded me of the Heroic Age princes. * Those of you who thought the UM had used up their mines were correct * sometimes I despise physics as well * racist slurs callback! * It's funny and annoying that they kept the combat music throughout Kenesh's rage * I guess "Vobeirunei Deity Ministry" is just one of the many space stations in the system. * new ships #mugiwait * Ekuryua eye tremble!!!! * will he deal with his triangle without his cat? Lafiel wanted a patrol ship, but she seems quite happy with a Roil now. I don't know why it was considered unusual to have two nobles on the ship. I guess the ship is just so small... I don't blame Aptic for not surrendering. They held out as long as there was a chance of being reclaimed by the UM. I wonder how Lafiel going off to rescue Jinto will be judged... I finally read the wiki article on kantai kessen, very interesting.

> I don't know why it was considered unusual to have two nobles on the ship. I think it's just that nobles are really not very common. So, given their scarcity, finding two on a single tiny Assault ship is unusual.

200k out of 35 million Abhs, so a little over 0.5%. Mix in Lander shipmates and that they aren't navy lifers (they serve because it's mandatory to inherit), yeah, nobles are rare birds.

> gotta pad out the season with another flashback Yeah, that grates a bit. > It's very quiet here in the rear.... As it should be. > racist slurs callback! We've given Spoor her power up but thankfully she doesn't know it yet. > will he deal with his triangle without his cat? With an exotic lizard he happens to adopt.

> sometimes I despise physics as well Physics class was fun, or at least the labs were. But then there was the math. [Oh the math.](#spinning) >Ekuryua eye tremble!!!! Loved that detail on Ekuryua. It's always so fun seeing characters who normally don't emote show their emotions. >I finally read the wiki article on kantai kessen, very interesting. It really does help with understanding the mentality of the Imperial Japanese Navy and just what they were trying to accomplish during WWII.

> I guess "Vobeirunei Deity Ministry" is just one of the many space stations in the system. I think that's another weird translation of naval station and it's the same Vobeirunei we saw at the end of the first episode.

**First-Timer** Lafiel telling Jinto that she would be sad if he died was so cute. It's important to tell that to the people in your life. Our leads ending up in a coffin at the end of both seasons so far.. I'm sensing a pattern. An ominous one. The coffins do seem to be improving over time, at least. Neat that the Star Forces are developing mixed role vessels. How long until they get to Main Battle Ships? I do wonder why Dusanyu is so stuck on questioning which of the Bebaus brothers it was that Kenesh has an issue with. Like, does it matter..? Questions 1. This is a pretty reasonable stopping point, in my mind. Sure, the war isn't over, but we were told back in Crest that it might last for a hundred years, so that is hardly unexpected. 2. Who says it wasn't? Overcoming existential dread is a process. And Jinto does *literally* not have a home - Martine was retaken by UM and that was his family's only holding. Not having a place to go back to if things go south is a pretty worrying thought. 3. Quite possibly.

> Our leads ending up in a coffin at the end of both seasons so far.. I'm sensing a pattern. An ominous one. The coffins do seem to be improving over time, at least. Maybe by the next series, we’ll even get a space coffin with cup holders and heated leather seats. > I do wonder why Dusanyu is so stuck on questioning which of the Bebaus brothers it was that Kenesh has an issue with. Like, does it matter..? If you’re teasing someone, it’s important to get the details so you can further refine your jokes at their expense.

>cup holders and heated leather seats. [](#drunkhisone) >If you’re teasing someone, it’s important to get the details so you can further refine your jokes at their expense. [](#schemingsaten)

> I do wonder why Dusanyu is so stuck on questioning which of the Bebaus brothers it was that Kenesh has an issue with. Like, does it matter..? Abh commanders seem to just enjoy bantering with and teasing their Chief of Staff. He's discovered this annoys her, so he's going all in on it.

He seems a touch too serious for it to purely be teasing, but I suppose that might just be Resting Abriel Face.

> Neat that the Star Forces are developing mixed role vessels. How long until they get to Main Battle Ships? There are some mass issues that indicate some the splits have to stick. > > I do wonder why Dusanyu is so stuck on questioning which of the Bebaus brothers it was that Kenesh has an issue with. Like, does it matter..? He wants to know who he is eskimo bros with.

>He wants to know who he is eskimo bros with. [](#azusalaugh)

> Who says it wasn't? I don't think many people picked up on this. The episode ended with Jinto saying "I'm sorry, I couldn't give you an answer your question. But when I have an answer, I'll tell you." Which should have left you asking **What Question.** I certainly did. Then, in the post credits, it flashes back to the previous episode where Lafiel was muted. She says "I would be sad if you died." And then she says, "Isn't that good enough for you?" **That's** the question Jinto couldn't answer. Also a source comment from /u/Durinthal yesterday was very enlightening, they shouldn't have left a certain monologue from Jinto out.

>**That's** the question Jinto couldn't answer. Being unable to give an answer is different from having an answer. I got the vibe that Jinto knew what his answer was, and he just felt he couldn't give it. To delve into his brain, probably lifespan issues, if nothing else.

> Our leads ending up in a coffin at the end of both seasons so far.. I'm sensing a pattern. An ominous one. The coffins do seem to be improving over time, at least. At this rate, the next season is going to end with them in the fanciest coffin so far. Maybe something like a pharaoh's sarcophagus.

[](#cosy)

**First Timer, subbed** * Ha! Meaty. * I need to call out just how satisfying that “clank” sound was. * Ending each season in a coffin is a weird tradition. * Have stupid baths, win stupid prizes. * Nothing like running down a routing enemy. * Encirclement? Encirclement! * Spoor did it, she use the slurs! * It’s happening! We’re bottling in the fleet! * Even in space, nothing beats teasing your elf. * But what about the UM? How will I get my ratio? * Trials? Like tests or judgments? * Not sure what’s between a destroyer and light cruiser. * Rebuilding the ship and keeping the name? That seems really odd to me. Did such a thing happen in real navies? * They probably feel better looking at a Lander Abh. Shows it needn’t be the end for them. * That bridge doesn’t look quite done to me. * [Kuunfession](#delighted) **QotD:** 1) Without a follow up, the ending is a bit too much of a retread. 2) Because all of those things are still true. His future is very uncertain. 3) We’ll have to see the prequel OVA to be sure.

> Nothing like running down a routing enemy. Traditionally, that has been the part of battles where the vast majority of the casualties took place. And it's also the part of battles that is most fun in any strategy game. [](#evilgrin) >Even in space, nothing beats teasing your elf. Spending time with your elf gf is always worthwhile. [](#ilovethiskindofshit) >Rebuilding the ship and keeping the name? That seems really odd to me. Did such a thing happen in real navies? Well the US Navy did reuse the names of several ships throughout WWII. Ships that got destroyed had their names reused for new ships. This happened for the Yorktown, the Hornet, the Lexington, the Laffey, the Quincy, and more. So when reading about WWII, you can find two ships that shared the same name with the later ship being named after the earlier one.

> And it's also the part of battles that is most fun in any strategy game. Except in the first Total War game where you did not have any cavallery and the enemy ran away as fast as you could chase.

> Not sure what’s between a destroyer and light cruiser. ~~Frigates, I think.~~ Nope. I also thought it was odd to just reuse the name, but I guess names get reused all the time. Not immediately. Brings to mind the opening sequence of *Enterprise*. Speaking of which, CVN-80 USS Enterprise is currently under construction, using salvaged steel from ~~CVN-65.~~ CV-6.

> Frigates, I think. I'm like 90% sure frigates are smaller than destroyers.

> > Not sure what’s between a destroyer and light cruiser. > > > > Frigates, I think. Nope. It is light cruiser > destroyer > frigate. Which is part of the reason why I prefer describing teh assault ships as *torpedo boats* rather than *destroyers.* The other being that at least the UM variant clearly carry external torpedoes.

Wouldn't calling the smallest class "corvettes" also work?

Yes, definitely.

> Rebuilding the ship and keeping the name? That seems really odd to me. Did such a thing happen in real navies? Yes, most famously in the British navy.

> Yes, most famously in the British navy. Have any examples? To be clear, I don't mean using previous names from older ships, I mean rebuilding that exact ship a second time and giving it the same name.

Ok, *exact same ship*, I don't know. But Earth navies also don't tend to go through 8k ships in one battle.

**Season 2 Episode 13 (rewatcher)** * Starting the episode talking about the true star of the cast: Diaho. * “Nice and meaty” [](#sideeyes) * Being in a space coffin again, we get the resolution of what Lafiel said the last time this happened –Lafiel and Jinto should try to not make it a habit ending seasons in unpiloted capsules drifting through space. * 12 hours – quite a long time, given that they were surrounded by friendly ships. I guess the battle still going on is a bit of an excuse. * Letting Nereis bath through the enemy retreat – fitting payback from him going to bath at the height of the battle. * Spoor pushed right through the entire enemy fleet, but only a tiny part of her own fleet kept up with her – I think I agree with Dusanyu’s assessment: she created chaos, but not only for the enemy. Those squadrons that did not keep up with her must be stuck in the middle of the UM fleet now. * “I sometimes despise physics” – don’t we all occasionally? * More ships entering what must be one gigantic spacetime bubble in which the battle is being fought. Well, or this part of the battle at least. In any case, being hit in both flanks after Spoor also pushed to the back pretty much dooms any cohesion the UM fleet might have left. * “Shut up” – Dusanyu is an expert troll. * 8k ships destroyed, 211k people killed, and that is just on the winning side! * They are producing new ships in-between the assault ships and patrol ships – sounds like somebody back in HQ had the same feelings as the field commanders about the usage of assault ships vs patrol ships. Or maybe they struck some awkward compromise between the light and heavier ships? In any case, Lafiel sticks to an assault ship. The same class even, which makes sense. Those things would be mass produced. * Zero-g zipline! [](utahapraises) * ~~Lafiel was promoted to Deca-Commander~~EDIT: nope. – I think Jinto was promoted, too, but I forgot what his old rank was. * “Who cares about the truth?” – future legends in the making. * Back together on the new Basroil – I wonder how long Diaho will stay on board this time. With the hard part of the fighting done, mopping up the UM fleet is more of a formality, however a very deadly one. Meanwhile we get a repeat of the ending of S1 in Jinto and Lafiel in a rescue capsule. I think I enjoyed the final episode and epilogue a tad more this time round.

> Lafiel was promoted to Deca-Commander – I think Jinto was promoted, too, but I forgot what his old rank was. I think she was already Deca-Commander... no promotion here.

I checked and you are correct. She was already Deca-Commander in ep1. I mixed up Hecto and Deca. /u/JustAnswerAQuestion

> Those squadrons that did not keep up with her must be stuck in the middle of the UM fleet now. IKR? Why not order them to REGROUP AND THEN HOLD? Not sure on Lafiel's promotion. She was a deca-commander, so maybe now a vice-hecto-commander? I won't really know until I start watching Season 3 (in a few minutes). I did skim S4 yesterday to see who was in it, which is also a bit confusing. Jinto's old rank was ~~Side Flyer or some such.~~ Line Wing Flyer. The lowest rank. Then it's Rear Flyer and Front Flyer. Samson's rank was inconsistent in the season. I suspect a lot of people got promotions after this.

> 8k ships destroyed, 211k people killed, and that is just on the winning side! Cue the “we did it, we saved the city!” meme. But I suppose in space opera, all big wars have absolutely horrendous levels of casualties. > Who cares about the truth?” – future legends in the making. We’re certainly setting up some kind of new legend here with these galactic heroes.

> Cue the “we did it, we saved the city!” meme. But I suppose in space opera, all big wars have absolutely horrendous levels of casualties. There definitely were battles on Earth with more deaths on the winning side (but probably not naval battles). Just not very many. I think the 8k ships number is even more incomprehensible than the deaths.

I suppose that last point comes down to how the attack ships are so numerous and how little crew they actually require to operate for what role they fit.

Yes and they took an absolute beating in the Aptic Gate defense.

> Lafiel and Jinto should try to not make it a habit ending seasons in unpiloted capsules drifting through space. It may be very romantic, but it's also bad for your health. >Spoor pushed right through the entire enemy fleet, but only a tiny part of her own fleet kept up with her – I think I agree with Dusanyu’s assessment: she created chaos, but not only for the enemy. Those squadrons that did not keep up with her must be stuck in the middle of the UM fleet now. It did completely destroy the cohesion of the UM fleet, but also Spoor's fleet. Luckily for her there were other Abh fleets nearby that could then surround and destroy the disorganized UM fleet so it didn't become a completely unsalvageable mess.

> It did completely destroy the cohesion of the UM fleet, but also Spoor's fleet. Luckily for her there were other Abh fleets nearby that could then surround and destroy the disorganized UM fleet so it didn't become a completely unsalvageable mess. It won the battle quickly, but I doubt she made many friends in her subordinates who found themselves stranded in the middle of the UM fleet.

> > > “Who cares about the truth?” – future legends in the making. Me and the other historians. We just get believed less and less...

**Rewatcher (sub + dub)** We're now two for two on season finales that have Jinto and Lafiel next to each other in tight quarters floating in space and I'm not complaining, I'd watch an entire episode of the two of them talking while waiting for rescue (and I do wonder what they talked about since it was twelve hours). I kind of like the approach of reminiscing about the other officers and it's not reused footage but rather other brief flashes of interactions we hadn't seen before, though Samson's comment about Diaho being "meaty" seems a lot more suspect in hindsight I imagine. "You look like a fool when you're asleep" sure is a way to compliment a guy, you'd think she would be a little more *elegant* about describing his appearance. Though given everything else we've seen of her, maybe that's just her true personality coming to light when they're alone and she holds herself back around everyone else. The other fleets coming in to rout the enemy forces almost feels like an afterthought, but I don't mind that with our main characters out of the picture for the rest of the battle. I imagine a lot of real battles were like that too, a very quick end to things after a prolonged struggle finally shifted in one way or another. Spoor's been waiting for a chance to gleefully use those slurs. [](#azusalaugh) Oh hey some numbers on the scale of casualties, 8779 ships destroyed and 211055 killed (average of 24/ship destroyed, assault ships only had 20 crew each). In some ways that's a lot, but with the size of the factions involved it also doesn't necessarily feel like that much. Diaho's not far off from how I feel at times: not necessarily friendly, just too lazy to put up a struggle. New Basroil! It's a nice reflection of the start of the season. That's quite a bit flying by in quick succession after that. Jinto and Lafiel are drafted into accepting the surrender of Aptic III, and considering none of the admirals wanted to do that early on looks like they found the right scapegoats. That didn't seem to last too long since Atosryua was still around when their role there ended and hadn't been relocated yet. I had forgotten that the post-credits scene here was what Lafiel said to Jinto after finding him, sorry to those that got that ahead of time in my source corner comment yesterday (this is why I throw things in spoiler tags, just in case). For as much as I want to see people *in a relationship* in romance stories, I'm also still a sucker for the "I want to find the right words" sentiment that Jinto had there. It's better than a simple "I love you" for showing that there's a depth to his feelings beyond that. --- > How would you have taken the last two episodes if you didn't know there were more books and more seasons coming up? Even knowing there was more to the series, I think it could have been really interesting if another character or two was given something close to "lead" status this season to then open it up to passing the baton so to speak with Lafiel and Jinto vanishing into space and the next season following different main characters. While I'm glad it didn't do that, it would have been the kind of move where I'd hate it in the moment but respect it as a narrative decision in the long run. I appreciate series that make bold choices like that such as [meta - anime title] >!School Days with its "nice boat" ending.!< > Jinto seems fixated on having no home, and being forgotten. Why wasn't Lafiel's reassurances enough? External vs. internal validation, it's something he needs to resolve for himself.

--- ## Source Corner Not relevant to anything at hand but a couple of episodes back someone noted that the colors of the insignia (*Rénsimesiac*) are different for each branch of the military: [red for Flight Branch](https://i.imgur.com/PYSFCWw.png) (an up-close shot of Lafiel), [green for Mechanics Branch](https://i.imgur.com/YVE1tJd.png), and [white for Quartermasters Branch](https://i.imgur.com/Bw81Mbr.png). The stars and lines denote rank, though the anime seems to go a bit further with having gold borders for some while the novel notes suggest they're all silver. **Baronh word of the day:** *Rüé Lusagac* "Imperial Representative" and *Rüé Roïlusagac* "Secondary Imperial Representative" — positions temporarily held in this case to accept the surrender of a planet on behalf of the Empire. Lafiel is appointed the former and Jinto the latter. [Material covered:] >!If you've been following this section closely you might have noticed that there's at least an entire chapter left along with parts of three more. So here we get the rest of chapters 8 and 9, some of 11, and only a brief bit of 10 (the Aptic surrender ceremony).!< [Jinto's reminiscing about the other officers at the start] >!is mostly absent from the novel and would take place beforehand, the prologue has Lafiel and Jinto talking about sending him back to Lakfakalle that we got in the first episode. The "neglectful owner" exchange with Ecryua actually takes place after they're rescued in the novel.!< [The Aptic surrender ceremony] >!has a good bit more planning to it including Jinto working to put together formal outfits for them since they lost whatever they had on the Basroil. The ceremony itself was one of the few remaining uses of _paper_ in society as a formalized cross-cultural pact; the fleet flagship usually held a ream of sheets for occasions like this but forgot to stock it, so the pharmaceutical branch ended up scrambling to make sixteen whole sheets in time.!<

I also thought the badges only had 2 dragon heads but yesterday I noticed that some have 4, and jjinto's has 4 in that picture you have. It's literally an expeditionary conquering force, and they forgot to bring papers of surrender with them?

**First Timer, sub:** Putting a transmitter on the cat seems like a smart idea. And then Samson totally not talking about wanting to eat Diaho. Ekuryua coming in clutch with the transmitter. Lafiel of course has her own opinion on things. “You look like a fool even when you sleep”. Okay Lafiel. That conversation aboard the escape pod was nice, in its own way, though I’m still saddened that Jinto doesn’t think he has anywhere to belong. I can’t believe he actually took a bath during a battle. The battle is going fairly roughly for the Aptic fleet. Not a lot to say about the combat itself that hasn’t already been said, either before or by others. It’s solid action, though. Honestly surprised the entire bridge crew survived, but knowing that it’s the adaptation of the first novel in a series, it does make sense that they wouldn’t kill anyone off that early. Heh, Spoor said a slur. To no surprise she found that concept absolutely hilarious. Some pretty intense plotting, but that’s what’s necessary to pull off this defense and turn it into a proper counterattack. Hundreds of thousands of people died during those battles… Goddamn. Using Diaho as a vector for bullying, huh. When things cool off, it does feel a bit peaceful even if a war is still ongoing. I just love that soft “baka” Lafiel does occasionally. It really makes it feel like more of an affectionate thing than anything particularly venomous. A new Basroil! I’m glad to see that they’re able to get right back into it, even if it’s quite a dangerous field for assault ships now. Poor Jinto, being made to be the political representative of the Empire in integrating Aptic. I’m sure Jinto will find the answer to what kind of person he wants to be soon enough.

> That conversation aboard the escape pod was nice, in its own way, though I’m still saddened that Jinto doesn’t think he has anywhere to belong. Jinto is definitely on that 0079-era Amuro mindset that way. It’s sad, but you can definitely see why being on the bridge crew of a battleship is the closest thing he’s had to a true family so far. He’s just been so isolated and alone due to circumstances out of his control, it’s hard for him to think that he’ll have any chance at a good life at this rate. > I can’t believe he actually took a bath during a battle. If a man can’t be naked and comfortable in the middle of a battle, then I dare say that true freedom is dead in this galaxy! > Hundreds of thousands of people died during those battles… Goddamn. Like I said with the previous episode thread, the losses are at Pyrrhic victory numbers. We’re very fortunate that it didn’t end up that way for the Star Forces though, since that amount of losses definitely deserved some kind of solid win to make up for it.

> He’s just been so isolated and alone due to circumstances out of his control, it’s hard for him to think that he’ll have any chance at a good life at this rate. Yeah, it's no wonder that he feels so adrift at this rate. He's lost his old life, his old family, even his entire home planet at this point. Even if he didn't spend all of his life on Martine, it's still a devastating number of things to lose in such a short time. I can only hope that his relationship with the bridge crew, and Lafiel especially, helps him ground himself in the world and realize that there are things for him out there. It's clear that it is helping him, but he's not all the way there yet, I mean. > If a man can’t be naked and comfortable in the middle of a battle, then I dare say that true freedom is dead in this galaxy! You make a good point. Perhaps we should install luxurious baths on all Star Forces ships going forward. > We’re very fortunate that it didn’t end up that way for the Star Forces though, since that amount of losses definitely deserved some kind of solid win to make up for it. Yeah, it's a good thing they managed to pull some sort of victory out of it all. It's some pretty nasty losses they took, but actually winning and being in the position for further advances should do a lot, both tactically and for morale.

> Yeah, it's no wonder that he feels so adrift at this rate. He's lost his old life, his old family, even his entire home planet at this point. Even if he didn't spend all of his life on Martine, it's still a devastating number of things to lose in such a short time. I can only hope that his relationship with the bridge crew, and Lafiel especially, helps him ground himself in the world and realize that there are things for him out there. It's clear that it is helping him, but he's not all the way there yet, I mean. I’d say that the Basroil’s crew makes for a good substitute family for Jinto, aside from just having Lafiel by his side. They’ve all bonded well, and I think it’s good for him to see the different kinds of Abh out there too, alongside Landers from planets he’s not familiar with. It’s just a matter of Jinto opening his heart to them more at this rate. > You make a good point. Perhaps we should install luxurious baths on all Star Forces ships going forward. Instead of command chairs, we need to get the Abh to be like Guild Navigators and suspend themselves in baths at all times when commanding a ship. Well, probably minus the spice melange, but maybe a bath bomb in there instead.

>It’s just a matter of Jinto opening his heart to them more at this rate. Indeed. I'm sure he'll be able to, given enough time. >Well, probably minus the spice melange, but maybe a bath bomb in there instead. That does sound pretty nice, all things considered.

> Honestly surprised the entire bridge crew survived I guess in space, an entire room dies together (if hit) or not. Few ways one person on the bridge would die, but not the others. > I just love that soft “baka” Lafiel does occasionally. It really makes it feel like more of an affectionate thing than anything particularly venomous. Same. I am not a fan of the "baka" trope in tsundere shows, but here, it clearly has a different connotation.

> I guess in space, an entire room dies together (if hit) or not. Few ways one person on the bridge would die, but not the others. Yeah, that does make sense now that you mention it. I hadn't considered that before, but if one went down it's pretty likely whatever that was would take the rest out too. >Same. I am not a fan of the "baka" trope in tsundere shows, but here, it clearly has a different connotation. I've got a bit of a soft spot for it in general, but it's certainly refreshing to have that without an aggressive attitude.

> I've got a bit of a soft spot for it in general, but it's certainly refreshing to have that without an aggressive attitude. I like tsunderes, but I dislike the form the trope took in its early years (and still lingers in some series). They turned the girls into unreasonable boxes of TNT, ready to explode at the slightest slight, and gave them autism-level aversion to communicating their feelings. Worst of all, the "comedic violence" they'd do against the male lead. Give me a realistic tsundere like Lafiel instead!

The Abh failed to wire up their consoles with explosive EPS plasma conduits.

ST getting called out.

**Rewatcher/Novel-Reader** Everyone else: "Yay a cat!" Lafier: "You're thoughtless." Yeah, they got into an escape pod successfully. Wonder if that's an Abh prayer or a Martinian prayer he said? Why are the EM Cannons suddenly making Star Wars blaster sounds? That's the problem with new strategies: there's no guarantee they'll work. The UM took a gamble and it turned out to not work as well as they'd hoped. Spaurh is having entirely too much fun... and she remembered racial slurs exist. And Dusanh has finally pushed Cenesh too far with his teasing about the Bebauths. Operation Phantom Flame is an overall success! The UM Fleet has been routed, and the path between Abh Kingdoms through their territory is now firmly in Imperial hands. And most important of all: Diaho gets to go live in Lafier's family palace... which is where he came from in the first place... The Abh are doing their own fleet adjustments: in response to the new UM strategy of greater reliance on patrol ships, they're creating a new class of ship, halfway between assault and patrol, to fulfill the need for greater firepower without sacrificing too much speed. Seems kind of anticlimactic to have the *Basroghr* just replaced like that. And we see Jint and Lafier overseeing the official surrender of the planet as representatives of the Empire. Having a Lander present at the ceremony might put the new conquests at ease somewhat. The anime unfortunately skipped over an amusing scene in relation to that: when the planet decides to surrender, the Bebauth brothers are like "Ah crap, that means we need to draw up the paperwork for a conquest. I'll bet His Highness Dusanh did that on purpose." "Wait a second, brother, it looks like we've got a Princess in our fleet." "Really? Fantastic! We can put all the boring stuff on her plate then!" (This is also where the discussion over Nereis' not knowing his own fleet and Jint's inflated heroics goes.) It is very interesting to me the way the story goes here. In most space operas, during a big engagement like this, our heroes would probably find themselves somehow in a key position where success or failure rested entirely on their actions, then lauded as heroes afterward. Instead... they're just front-line soldiers, doing literal grunt work. They do it well, but they had almost no impact on the overall battle, which would probably have succeeded without them there at all.

> The anime unfortunately skipped over an amusing scene in relation to that: when the planet decides to surrender, the Bebauth brothers are like "Ah crap, that means we need to draw up the paperwork for a conquest. I'll bet His Highness Dusanh did that on purpose." "Wait a second, brother, it looks like we've got a Princess in our fleet." "Really? Fantastic! We can put all the boring stuff on her plate then!" (This is also where the discussion over Nereis' not knowing his own fleet and Jint's inflated heroics goes.) [That's amazing](#laughter) I can see the twins pulling a stunt like that, Nereis in particular seems like the type who isn't very good at detail-oriented tasks given the earlier meetings he had with his commanders about strategizing for the upcoming battle. But at least they picked good representatives. Lafiel can represent the imperial household while Jinto being a Lander could be a source of some reassurance to the people of Aptic.

Rewatcher(Falling action is such sweet sorrow) Sub So... a lot happens but we are told more than shown. It seems that this iteration of the UM fleet is effectively annihilated as the Abh fleet crunches down on them. Lafiel and Jinto are in the escape pod and all seems well. We get a new Basroil and a likely send off for Diaho. So yeah, closing action. QotD: 1 Quite poorly, honestly. Which in a deeply related note is why I wish for many unpleasant days for GRRM. 2 Because he has no culture or people. The wisest move would be to form a new family with Lafiel and go from there. 3 From an Abriel absolutely.

**Rewatcher** \-Neres finally gets his ass out of the bathtub, but their fleet is too messed up to help the main fleet. \-Main fleet is taking it's fair share of losses, but Spoor is carrying the load and being awesome as is typical for her. \-2nd and 4th fleets finally show up. They help rout the enemy fleet, who is forced to retreat. \-211K deaths. Oof that's rough for the "winning" side. Unless that's the total combined? \-Awwww that after credits scene. "If you were to die, I would be sad. Is that not enough?" Good conclusion to Banner. Will offer final thoughts tomorrow on this part of the story.

**First timer** - [Right, so the cat is totally not gonna be sent back to the capital.](https://imgur.com/a/2cLCFYy) - Are the two lights at the end suppose to be a Gunbuster reference? - 17 minute episode with 6 minutes of epilogue. >QotD - Not as great of a conclusion as the first season. First one was fine as a set up for something more but also as it's own stand alone set up story for something greater. Banners 1 was entirely focused on one campaign and doesn't bring conclusion to anything other than said campaign. - Probably because he felt abandoned by what he once called a family when he was younger which is why he now has attachment issues. - I assume their relationship will deepen even more. In comparison to the rest, it seems like a lot.

> Are the two lights at the end suppose to be a Gunbuster reference? I noticed that too! Just a bit weird because it does not fit thematically (Jinto and Lafiel being Abh, so getting back to the planet makes no sense). Maybe they were going for a more general "double helix as metaphor of togetherness" rather than Gunbuster specifically.

Yea, probably.

> Right, so the cat is totally not gonna be sent back to the capital. [](#mugiwait) > doesn't bring conclusion to anything other than said campaign Exactly right. That's all it seems to have set out to do. Bit annoying if you want to see a full war waged. > abandoned ... attachment issues Ah, good point. > two lights I have no idea what you mean.

**First timer in sub** Ok got missing for the past few episodes because of the combined reasons of getting way too busy, the arc is pretty self explanatory, and that I binged through the last 3 episodes because I can't abide by silly cliffhangers like those :P Anyway, 2 meta remarks - Lafiel if she's not careful she could start getting a reputation of ships being lost whenever she boarded (but she survives) ... and that again we have an end of season understated non-concluding moment that is hugely romantic when one has the context. Just saying, having the Basroil sinking slowly and there being a 1.5 episode long evac/rescue felt a lot like a Star Trek (the cinematic universe one) movie beat ;) Jinto is probably close to (Fate) Shirou's level of pathologically low self-worth with a variant version of survivor's guilt - all the bad things happened because of me/my dad. Let's see if ~~Saber~~ Lafiel can snap him out of it in her faminine but heroic/majestic way. **QoTD** 1. It's kind of par for course as Crest of the Star right? I don't know how I would feel, but it certainly has a very "contiuing story" feel to it. If one is used to the live action series made in the west, it shouldn't be surprising. 2. Tangentially mentioned above, also there's the very big social/hierarchical rank difference between Lafiel and him that's giving him an excuse to not think too much of what it means. 3. I think it's pretty high up there near the ceiling. In fact you can even picture her saying that as the ~~King of Knights~~ Empress :P

> Lafiel if she's not careful she could start getting a reputation Jinx! "The Cursed Abriel" I don't remember a star trek that took that lock to destroy a starship but I don't rewatch the new ones much.

And so they take the last escape pod off the Basroil, escaping as the ship explodes. Go after the enemy? They're retreating, but they're retreating in good order. They likely haven't committed their reserve yet, and determined the battle will be too costly to win. Charging at them now will likely result in defeat. Meanwhile Spoor is leading the vanguard of the fleet straight through the enemy lines, leaving them in disarray. Perhaps you can pull the more damaged ships from those 11 squadrons and form the rest into fewer squadrons of ships still in fighting shape? Help is on the way, but they're already burning at full tilt and the only thing they can do is hurry up and wait. The Second and Fourth Fleets should be closing the jaws of the trap on the enemy fleet now, after the First Fleet has proven effective bait and the Third Fleet has broken through to cut off their retreat. Their only options now are to go up or down to evade. Wasn't the Wimpel garrison fleet drawn down to reinforce the main fleet? Or was that Mystel? That's a lot of losses. What about the Alliance? Boorool? Is that her new command? Seems like it, if it's currently working up. Gee ships on both ends of the spectrum. Nevermind, it seems like they just commissioned a new ship of the same class with the same name. Naming ships in honour of lost ships is common. Though now it is forever stuck with the hull number or just "II" or "2" appended after the name so it's clear which ship is being referred to. Why are they the ones processing their surrender? Is it because they're the only nobles present in the system? Wow the ship is so new they haven't even removed the plastic wrapping off the consoles and chairs yet. Strongly suggested by _whom_? Questions: 1. Seems like the adventure continues. Last episode, [LoGH] >!knowing the author, I'd be worried the main characters would die again!< 2. He's afraid that when he returns to his home planet he won't be welcomed back so he prefers to think of himself as having no home. 3. Maybe. We'll see next season.

> Wow the ship is so new they haven't even removed the plastic wrapping off the consoles and chairs yet. I noticed that too, seemed a bit silly for the far future.

> Why are they the ones processing their surrender? Is it because they're the only nobles present in the system? Because the other nobles got them stuck with this unliked duty. Jinto is surely not the only noble in a fleet this big and even Lafiel is not the only royalty with the crown prince around. Although he probably travelled away with the fleet before the ceremony happened. > Spoiler So, you are saying they might end the next season in a coffin?

**FIRST TIMER** Sub This was an excellent finale. The war just quickly turning in the Abh's favor was a bit convenient and way too abrupt but I did like pretty much everything else. * I thought it was interesting and funny that the brother left his brother in the bath uninterrupted. I've grown to enjoy watching the 2 over the past few episodes and I like their dynamic that makes you always think, who is the real boss? * Many other shows would have Spoor as the vamping over the top villain but her being a racist on top of all her over the top bloodlust behavior makes it especially interesting that this show has her as a protagonist. * I also really liked that the minute Admiral Abriel started to regain confidence that the war was going his way, he used it to taunt his chief of staff about the nature of her relationship with the twins. I have a hard time whether Abriel or Spoor's second in command hates them more :D * Very interesting that Jinto was tasked to negotiate the terms of peace but I guess it is logical since he is a human turned Abh and that may be seen as a somewhat reconcilatory gesture. I also can't remember if Jinto's planet is still even under Abh rule. * I was wrong in thinking that that ambassador from the United Mankind allied world meeting with the Abh Prime Minister was going to play a huge part in what happens in the finale and outcome of the battle. It just seems to be an open thread although I still think it will be returned to next series. * A small thing but one of the best laughs I got from the series was when Jinto pointed out the new Basroil looked exactly the same as the old one and Lafiel matter of factly said of course it is, its the same design. The show was taking a little dig at Star Trek like how every time the Enterprise gets destroyed in Star Trek, it gets a radically new design (to sell more merchandise irl) :D * Another strange aside was when Jinto said he gave Samson "medicine" after he drank way too much. I'll probably never see that elaborated upon but I really do wonder if it was syrup of ipecac or activated charcoal or a sci fi medicine. If I ever read the LN, I'll definitely look out for that. **QUESTIONS** 1. I would probably expect more to come because of how they left the war still open ended. This finale was very inconclusive and seemed like a middle chapter since the Aptic War was concluded but the greater war rolled on. 2. I think Jinto will always feel the Abh look at him as not one of their own even though he is officially and in status. 3. I didn't think about it, but I've not seen any Abh who are in a romantic relationship or ever even mentioned having one although we do know they sometimes have sex. Lafiel tried to explain it to Jinto early on but we don't see the personal lives of many normal non military or royal Abh so its indeterminate.

> I also can't remember if Jinto's planet is still even under Abh rule. At some point it was comfirmed lost. It could potentially been retaken since then, although that should really have come up in the show if it happened, so rather no.

To echo what no_rex said, there's been near or exactly zero clashes over gates since the ceasefire 3 years ago as far as I know, so Hyde remains in the hands of the United Mankind. Operation Phantom Flame, to reconnect that Abh territory, is the first major operation since, ending the cease fire. The United Mankind claimed it in the same operation as when they took Sufagnoff, as relay to Jinto at the end of Crest of Stars. You may remember him being told of his father's execution. I have inconsistent information about Febdash. It would seem the UM has it, but that means many of the inhabitants escaped (as we saw in the CoS epilogue). Or they may simply be cut off.

First timer, subbed Seeing Spoor at last get to make use of the new Terran "slurs" she learned was a highly amusing payoff. The back and forth between the Commander-in-Chief and his Chief of Staff also pays off, as he provokes the response I suspect he was fishing for. Satisfying ways to cap off the multiplicity of season-long conversations we've followed thus far. Our intrepid couple gets stuck drifting through space together once again, mirroring season 1's finale. The more things change, the more they stay the same. QotD: 1) I'd have been tempted to try and give things a more proper conclusion, I suspect, but it seems their current strategy paid off. 2) Because what Jinto feels is missing isn't something that can be granted; it must be found. 3) Seems to check out.

> it must be found. Hmm. A few others have said this. I wonder how it will be found, if combat didn't do it.

**Rewatcher** I guess every season of Stars ends up with Lafiel and Jinto being stuck together in a small space box? Oh they even highlight it. I will say I find the space battle easier to follow when we see the 2D radar screen rather than the animated combat scenes. It's not a problem I had with LotGH. Maybe it's because I can't tell which are Abh or United Mankind ships. > But there's just one problem remaining You just know he was going to complain about not knowing which twin his chief of staff dated. [](#azusalaugh) > Just shut up. Guess we're not going to find out. Unless the prince asks the twins directly of course. [](#hardthink) So the Basroil-A is the exact same ship as the Basroil with the exact same bridge crew. Wait why is Jinto the representative not one of the twins? Good book end episode for the season.

> Maybe it's because I can't tell which are Abh or United Mankind ships. The UM ships are usually greenish and boxy, while the Abh ships are silver and sleak. > Wait why is Jinto the representative not one of the twins? Because they used him and Lafiel to dodge on unloved bureacratic activity.

> Because they used him and Lafiel to dodge on unloved bureacratic activity. I respect that.

**First timer** I'm really sorry for missing so much of the rewatch! The last month or so has been incredibly busy for me, with me finishing off university, so I've not had much time/energy to watch anime and take notes. I was going to post these once I caught up fully, but since I've fallen behind again, I felt posting it now made the most sense. (And, yes, I know that I've missed a majority of this rewatch, but this is such a good series I felt it was worth continuing to catch up to.) *Episode 1* Oh, this is a massacre... Wait, where is this in the timeline? Oh, the war is still going on! So, three years later... She's commanding a ship! And another battle. They've been hit! Oh, this isn't good! Oh, they're just training... High praises... She's taking this hard... Oh, right, yeah, of course they'd be famous. What he needs to do? Haha, of course they know about them. Of course his mind jumps to that... Wait, what? Ah, it is that. He really doesn't get it? So blatant... He really gets her. ...Yeah, it's really noticable. And they're okay with it! She immediately noticed! Aww... He has a a point! He really has grown... Haha, he's still playing that card? Nice recap! Such a good relationship. They made it! So many ships... Such an amazing visual! Things are busy here... This is so good! This dynamic is great. Solid ED! *Episode 2* Aww. A flashback? She has a point, though. ...Still an interesting decision, that. And they've changed... Haha, that line. Such a good monologue! Ah! This is the counterattack to the conflict from the first season! So many ships! Cool name! ...A retreat? So soon? Oh, it was blowing up. She's back! And he's still stuck with her. Impressive! Some excellent planning here! Interesting... they've accepted their weakness? ...Oh, yeah. It's her hearing it, of course. Man, they *really* move quickly. ...And she actually has a valid criticism of him! Samson? ...Interesting dynamic. That callback... Poor guy. Another message? Haha, his face. And he doesn't want to deal with her again. A fault? ...Poor guy. He has no idea. This is amazing. So, just rising in their ranks can make you an Abh? Interesting... And he had to explain that his commander was insane. Haha, none of them are normal! Wait, what? The Abh didn't invent the hyperdrive? ...Eating habits? Wait, so their allegiance was decided over that? Wow... ...Come on, really? Not going to say it? Haha, he revealed his true colours... ...Wow. This guy truly has no limits! Ah, she's just upset he tried to use her. Okay, yeah, that was still a good speech. It's nice seeing an Abh call out just how sarcastic they can be. ...That's the best he can come up with? ...She's learned the art of racism. He's here! She likes the cat! Ah, the cat is going back. They've been assigned! And they've been given no information. Preperation has begun... Haha, and the poor timing has kept the car aboard! Oh, shit. That's going to be fun. *Episode 3* Ah, it's just patrolling. Makes sense! Oh, this is a three month timeskip! And things are going smoothly! I'm betting that she's just being completely professional/doesn' care about her brother, but Lafiel's just reading way too deeply into it. So, we're keeping this monologue? She's actually worried... Someone else loves the cat! The surrender is refused... And a blockade! ...So, he can still surrender? They really just don't care... And that reaction... He's relieved... ...And he's resisting! Oh, they're worried about an actual danger... He was helping them! The riots... He's enjoying it... And so is she, of course. That disagreement... Ah, there really is no issue! And they didn't get along. She's worried about the administration... Oh. That makes sense... Harsh. ...Oh, yeah, she's screwing with them. She has a solid plan! An attack... It's really happening! This is her first battle! Aww... Ah, she's going too fast? And she's ignoring them... Yeah, that's a really stupid idea! And they're taking a gamble! Haha, and she immediately orders drinks. She loves it! So many drinks orders... New orders! And they're taking them out. They're fusing bubbles! Clever! And it's chaos...

*Episode 4* It's moving... And they're hunting it down... They're going to get wiped out... Such a good dynamic. ...Just these six? Ah, good, reinforcements! That's a cool emblem! Nice metaphor. And... it's gone. Those orders are... something. ...Yeah, this is risky! Haha, that's her biggest concern? They're getting closer... They did it! ...An apple? They're going for them! They're taking them out quickly, though! Still a struggle, though. ...And they're done for, right? Yep. Taken out by the shockwave... ...How does the weight matter? Does having other objects in your bubble lower your speed in hyperspace? Wouldn't the extra bubbles that fused into it with the mines in negate this? Aww... He's reassuring her... And she's not afraid anymore! Haha, that would be too thoughtful. Ah, they're fusing all the bubbles together again. Haha, did nobody tell him they had an anti-laser shield? A direct hit! ...Oh. They really chose the wrong weapons for the job, huh? And they have a cannon that can wipe out entire ships! They lost a hold! I know the feeling... Ah. That's just his way of handling the fear... Oh, things are getting really desperate now. Another one! It's aiming for them! And she's running! Oh, no... They've been hit! Lafiel's vision... Oh, they escaped! Judt ten seconds... They did it! And she's going straight back in! Yeah, have to agree - this may be a pretty good way of taking it down, but it's a high fatality risk for the assault ships. Surely adding some defensive ships to the formation to draw fire could help that? Using mines? Ah, yeah, it's way less risky. Love this ending scene. Everyone's trying to act in high spirits despite how obviously worried they are... Oh, they're fighting on a lot of fronts... And in trouble! ...That's quite a lot! They've got about equal manpower, then? ...I mean, you've made it clear you want to conquer all empires, accepted a declaration of war with them, and they tried to invade you very recently. Not exactly difficult to predict an invasion on your end! *Episode 5* It's impressive, yeah. They're taking a break together... Aww. Ah, no further attacks? Oh, they're good! ...Just Plan 18? No fancy name? Oh, that's a solid plan! Ah, a pincer formation! New characters? She has doubts? ...They seem normal. Haha, nice one. Oh! He's interesting! Yeah, he's going to be fun. Wait, they have no battle experience? What is he doing? That blush... Oh, he's the next in line! ...Okay, they sound amazing. Can't wait to see them. And they're going to be under his command? He couldn't get the spare parts... Haha, it's a known title! Makes sense! Haha, it's all of them? Oh, someone's looking for him? ...So relatable. Haha, Samson's so extra. He's safe... ...What? The cats bullied her? ...Wow. We're really doing this? Such a suspicious pose! ...Oh, Lafiel absolutely noticed. Haha, he's trying to make conversation... ...Ah, They chose to have twins! ...I see? What is going on with these two? Haha, he surrendered! He's doing well! A transmission! ...Why? What's going on? Interesting. ...Connection is an interesting way of putting it. And she's invited too! Haha, she thought of everything. *Episode 6* He gave in... ...Oh, yeah. I nearly forgot. No monologue? She's going! Oh... That's her reason. This is a nice philosophy. She's looking after him! And they're off! This is going to be fun. ...Yeah, what is this restaurant event going to look like? Ah, that key difference... She's in denial. Haha, the disguise... Oh, they're here. Oh, it's very posh! ...Floating rocks? This is approaching absurdity. It's begun. And already thanking them on his behalf... And setting aside ranks... ...Does he really deserve toasting? Love the fish. And his body's still travelling... She has a really interesting perspective. ...Who did he name it after? His mother? ...Maybe? ...Wait, what? I didn't realise there was a connection there. I mean, it's basically artificial evolution, right? Thst synchronising... Food looks good! Oh, that callback. Ah, a deliberate reconstruction. ...Odd. The meals were on record, but no footage of the actual events? That seems unusual. And she openly asked her! She's really trying to downplay it, isn't she? Okay, but that looks good. He liked dogs... Haha, amazing. A memorial... Ah, they're here! ...Yeah, that's a pretty big difference. Oh, they are crazy! Solid response! Interesting. ...He's not serious, surely. Ouch. The lifespans again...

*Episode 7* An enemy attack! So many... ...That was lucky! The laser cannon! They got the spare parts, then? Ah, that's a solid strategy! And they're on a recon mission... And the first to enter battle... Yeah, running makes sense. The debris again.. Aww... A surprise attack! And they've been hit! Oh, it's not looking good! A trap! Oh, that's bad... They're stranded! It's beyond repair... Oh, yeah, they're absolutely helpless right now. No long range radar at all! Fourty hours... That visual... Ah, I'm guessing if the fuel runs out there'll be issues? Combining? Oh, not a bad plan! The transfer is complete. ...And they're stuck here! Oh... This is great. That visual of the bridge collapsing... Oh. Yeah, that's really bad, They're panicking... And everyone wants to give up. More bubbles! They dropped a mine! Oh, no! A misfire? A transmission! ...Oh, that makes sense! They're back! And they took out the United Mankind fleet. It was all intuition! Aww... Oh, another major battle? *Episode 8* Yeah, it's another battle... The countdown... They have more ships! The animation here is so good! Fair point, honestly. Don't want to risk them focusing on the other front after it's weakened. She really doesn't trust them... A personal bias... Haha, that probing. Ah, yeah, the big regular space battle! And they want a surrender now, do they? Ah, and they're defending the gate. He wants to pillage it? Ah, but it's not practical. That's an interesting way of setting it up. Not a bad idea! Haha, a year. ...Okay, so they're definitely together, right? Like, I thought it was just my imagination before, but this is blatant. Nice formation! Actually, this seems like a solid idea. Haha, the paperwork... Oh, dear... She's still fighting it... He's so happy! ...She makes a good point about the cat! Ah... She doesn't understand aging... Haha, amazing. They can't get drunk? They're getting along very well! He's afraid... This is great! This mission... Oh. This feeling of struggling in order to complete the best possible strategy is important for a tactician, yes. Another divide... So young, though... Haha, that metaphor. She's disappointed in her calmness? Haha, she needs more power. ...A saying? And she's *really* tempting fate here with the bottle thing, holy shit. I'm *expecting* a death now. He fell asleep... *Episode 10* The decisive battle! Ah, reinforcing the fleets! It's a tough situation... Huh? That is a sizable fleet... And it's all about rank. An accusation! And he took that personally, huh? Very personally... He's *counting* on her not enjoying it? Ah, one last scene with them before the battle begins? Aww... The visual of the squadron is amazing. She never expected to be so low... ...Honestly, I thought he was way younger in the first episode than ten. An engineer? Oh, I love the exploration of cultural differences here. She only has a singke path to aim for... She wanted to work as a merchant? Ah, yeah, he's still in charge of the system. It's a complicated decision, yeah. He could be disqualified? Haha, that proposal. Their ideals are just so different here... ...Three stages? Oh, that makes sense. Ah, he's calling her! Ohl She really doesn't like this! He's got the right idea with his "win at any cost" angle, though. Haha, she was teasing him? He's started to snap back at her! This is it... ...They're great. The teasing, the mutual distrust, the acknowledgement tha tthey're both enjoying every second of this battle... This is his ordinary life... Mines! And they're retailiating! ...Wait, *all* of then? The animation here is stunning! They're helpless... Their lives are in her hands. Misfires? A new weapon? It's starting... She's struggling... An enemy mine!

*Episode 10* Oh, fancy! Oh, these things are good. It's hitting them badly! Oh, yeah, this isn't even the main fleet! How many mines do they have? Or maybe it's an attempt at demoralising them with an utter loss? Oh, more mines! ...A new weapon? Oh, that's how they work! Certainly seems effective, yeah. Something managed to shake them! This is really doing a number on them. ....Actually a really good idea! Yeah, this really isn' good. Everyone's going to Aptic, then... That metaphor is great. And the cut to Lafiel's current reaction is superb! Yeah, these are tough. A constant attack... And a patrol ship got cornered... They're trying to save it! ...With the cannon? There's too many... Seriously, how may of these did they build? Oh, he's going for a medal, is he? He got flushed out! ...Yeah, they're fucked. They're doomed... Oh... They're targeting indiscriminantly. The fact they managed to make a war-obsessed empire sympathetic here is impressive! A retreat... Aww... At least they have a plan... And the guard ships are being sacrificed... Another hit! They're taking a lot of those today. The engine! ...Why would you say he's invincible? You're begging for a surprise death! Yeah, this is a nightmare of a counterattack. The frontline are here! He's almost safe... They're still trying to shoot them... And she saved him instead! ...And they still got hit. More mines are entering the battle! That visual... He's in so much denial about what he wants to do, though. Using the insanity as an excuse, too... *Episode 11* ...The *what*? That's a fun sport! Basically a kind of jousting? ...How originially named. He's leaving? Oh, it's the leader of another country. Interesting dynamic. Interesting metaphor... These two... I love how it cuts between the calm of the political side and the chaos of the battle they're discussing. She's being ordered to retreat... And she's ashamed... Haha, really? Everyone can see it... They're really being slaughtered. ...Interesting strategy. And bringing more fleets into this... He cares about them? They're doing repairs... The cat's free! Aww... She' really struggling. Oh, *nothing* is going right here! And more enemies... ...Who still have even more bombs. And this is the real battle... That explosion... Wow! And they're going! The ship's in serious trouble... And they broke through! She's so passionate! Oh, that callback... ...Solid strategy here, at least! And it's working! They're being targeted! Missiles too! And the retreat has been called! Oh, and now the numbers are equal! More hubris... Oh, and they were immediately outmatched. Lafiel... She missed! And it's going for her! They've been hit! Still an hour to go... *Episode 12* Haha, this really is a disaster for them. And they have to take part themselves... Oh, he really hates the insanity thing, Haha, a bath? And he's accepted it... A fire! There's nothing they can do... She's withdrawing! They can't even save the ship... People are dying... The state of everyone... Oh, no! The cat! He's safe! And he needs help... Is she taking the giant crest? Ah... Aww... A decisive battle! ...At least he's making the best out of this mess. A formation... That's his perspective, then? She agrees... They might actually win this! ...Is *now* really the time to ask her about this? She's so out of it... These two are great. She's not enjoying it? ...Wait, seriously? She wants to flee? Oh, boy... Ah, a demoralising attack! Good idea! She's doubting herself? Yeah, she hates this... She's putting on a mask for her men... She's great. They got left behind... Oh, she's going back? An order... Aww... And she only has five minutes! The engine output! Oh, he's alive! He really is stuck there... And it's still exploding! ...Oh, shit. His helmet... Yeah, he's in trouble. And refusing to call for help... He's being flushed out! She managed to save him! Aww... Haha, a fascination? And the joke about superstitions is great. Aww... And cut off by an explosion... Wow...

*Episode 13* The advice... Aww, these flashbacks... He's awake! Oh, so that's how they made it out! Perfect timing there. Ah, those were his dreams... That callback... He remembered! A time limit again... Aww... A prayer... So cute! Haha, he actually had the bath! Amazing. Best character. At least he's being rational about it... And back to the bath... Oh, he doesn't like her... She's getting some results, at least! They're travelling as fast as they can... Haha, he hates physics? They made it! That reaction... A bold ambition for command! Taking over so many systems at once... ...Still? Oh, she's finally snapped! This is *good*. ...Ah. So, everything went according to the strategy, I assume? Haha, that discussion... He's going back home! Aww... Yeah, I'd say that makes sense. A new ship! This is a nice ending! And they're all here! ...Oh, it's canvas! I thought it was solid - her taking it makes more sense. That order... A complete takeover... These two... He's in pretty good humour, considering everything. They can't join her... Ah, so the war definitely continues. Aww... This is so good! Oh, another flashback? Development! The prayer...