The shuttlepod holo-radio buzzes to life with the image of an angry Captain

  Avean Captain
Shuttlepod 02! You do not have authorization to launch!
Return to base immediately!

  Glard Gorpnan
Oh, aaah, aaaaahh!!!

  Avean Captain
Repeat! Return to base immediately, or we will be forced to respond with force!

Sunny
* Glard. One to ten. How fucked are we.

  Glard Gorpnan
I-- we-- we just need to clear the upper atmosphere, and then we can jump into hyperspace!

Sunny
* Okay, righto, and how long's that gonna--

  Avean Captain
Hunter 05 and 06! Take positions!

  Avean Pilot
Deploying!

  Avean Pilot
Loud and clear!

As the shuttlepod climbs the layers of the atmosphere, a pair of Avean Fighter Jets approach it from behind

Sunny
* --Ahhh fuck.

—Jiro—
...
It's over
Like hell it is
→Can we outrun them?

  Glard Gorpnan
I-- maybe!? But, I don't know-- if they fire on us--!

—Jiro—
...
We're probably screwed.
Five in six chance we die here.
...Still a one in six chance we live.
→Sunny can handle them. Glard, you just think about getting us out of here.

Sunny
* I can!?

  Avean Captain
You have clearance to engage!

  Avean Pilot
Understood! Priming!

Sunny
* Jiro, fucking what am I meant to-- what do I even--?

Jiro softly touches his hand against Sunny's arm. He allows his Love Power to flow through to her.


Sunny
* Ah. Right.


He steps away from her, but they share a brief look and an uneasy smile as they do.

Sunny
* ...Aheh.
* You sure? We don't have to do it like this.

—Jiro—
...
I don't know yet
The fact that you think to ask makes all the difference
→Give them hell.





  Avean Pilot
Target locked!

The Avean fighter jets fire off their missiles!

  Avean Pilot
Firing!


The missiles are intercepted by blasts of light!

Sunny
* Fuck off!!!

  Avean Pilot
H-hey!!

Sunny is at the back window, firing off her glinting sunbeams through the glass. She's starting to sweat.

Sunny
* I'm sniping the missiles, but they got a fuckload more!!

  Glard Gorpnan
Oh-- oh, Helix!!
Are they gaining on us!??

Glard desperately fumbles at the controls, trying to boost the engines as hard as he can. Jiro is right behind him with a hand on his shoulder.

—Jiro—
...
Don't lose your nerve now
→Forget about what's behind us, focus on what's ahead.
Are we really going to make it...?

  Glard Gorpnan
Y-- yes sir! Of course!
We're-- we're almost ready to jump...!


The shuttlepod reaches the glittering emptiness of outer space.

  Glard Gorpnan
We-- we can--!!

The entire pod shudders as it is pulled away, far away, into the blinding light of hyperspace.