Chapter 70
At Kait's words, Emotion shrugged as if to say it couldn't be helped. She had probably predicted what Kait was going to say. While she appreciated her partner's reliability, Emotion wasn't that lenient.
"Then, Captain. Please take those two and head out to rescue Mr. Carlos."
"Huh?"
"Repairs will take some time. Staying with me during the work will only be boring, and it would be a waste of manpower."
That might be true.
However, they still didn't know what kind of threats existed on this undeveloped planet. While Kait had ways to defend himself, he wasn't confident he could fully protect the other two. If he believed what was said earlier, the two of them still had no backup for their lives.
Perhaps sensing the same anxiety as Kait, George hastily spoke up.
"Wait. I don't mind, but I want to leave Girl... Liz here."
"Why is that?"
"I have a weapon... the Psionic Launcher. But Liz doesn't have a single weapon to defend herself. Considering the potential danger, I'd rather not take her with us."
"Dear..."
Emotion didn't answer. She simply stared at George.
When a mechanical intelligence stared quietly, it carried a considerable sense of pressure. Even so, the fact that George didn't back down showed he truly was concerned for Liz.
"A-and also. Liz is good with maintenance. I think she could be helpful with your work... maybe."
"...Very well. I said something a little unreasonable myself. Ms. Talmira. Please assist with the repairs of the Tortoise here."
"U-understood!"
Liz nodded with a worried expression. It wasn't so much an awareness of being in a dangerous place as it was simply that she didn't want to be alone with Emotion.
Unfortunately, leaving George behind didn't seem to be an option. Giving up with a sigh, they decided to move the conversation forward.
"Emotion. We'll leave the ship as is. If anything happens, don't push yourself—evacuate with Ms. Talmira."
"Understood. Captain, I'll use the ship's spare materials for the repairs."
"Of course, that's fine."
"Take care."
"You too."
Without showing any concern for them, Emotion headed toward the Tortoise. Her back seemed to say, "Just go already." There wasn't the slightest hint of worry for Kait.
Kait understood that it was silent trust, believing this much wouldn't be a problem. With a wry smile, he urged George and left the area.
***
After Kait left, Emotion touched the Tortoise and spoke to Liz.
"Ms. Talmira. This ship... the Tortoise—"
"Y-yes!"
"It's been maintained very carefully. The modification concept is also good. I'd say it's a job well done."
"Ah, thank you!"
She probably didn't expect to be praised, answering with a surprised look.
Emotion finally realized that she wasn't very good at communicating with others. Until now, Kait had always been the intermediary, so the issue hadn't surfaced.
(I guess I was more dependent on the Captain than I thought.)
She found herself feeling grateful to Kait, even though he wasn't there. Of course, she would never say it aloud. If she did, he'd surely get cocky about it.
"Your Captain seems to be quite reckless too."
"Y-yeah. Is it the same with your side, Emotion?"
"He always says things like, 'Romance comes first.' He acts like he doesn't care at all about what I worry over."
"I get it! Even though he usually acts like that, sometimes he says things that make your heart skip a beat. Like, 'I can take risks because of you.' I always fall for that kind of thing. I know I shouldn't, but still..."
"You just can't hate him, right?"
"Exactly!"
Kait and George were very similar at their core, Emotion thought. That's probably why Kait had shown concern for the two of them—he must've sensed that similarity.
She thought it was naïve, but that naivety was also part of what made Kait who he was.
He didn't trust Earthlings as a whole, yet he was soft on individuals. That contradiction might be what made Kait such an Earthling.
"Now then, about the repair plan."
"Ah, yes!"
"We'll be using Federation-standard materials, so the boosters likely won't have the same performance."
"W-what should we do?"
"We'll replace both boosters. Is that okay with you?"
Liz was surprised by Emotion's suggestion.
She might've thought that replacing one was fine, but two would be impossible to repay.
"I-I don't mind. But are you sure? The materials aren't free, right?"
"No. In the Federation, materials of this level are provided free of charge. So that's not a concern."
"But?"
"We can't leave anything civilized behind on an undeveloped planet. The handling of these boosters becomes an issue."
"I see. Then what should we do?"
Emotion thought for a moment and then made a suggestion based on what Kait would probably do.
***
"Captain Tite. Are you really okay with such a cold-hearted partner?"
George asked with a tone full of frustration, and Kait responded with a wry nod.
"Of course. There's no partner who works better with me than Emotion. Just like you and Ms. Talmira."
"R-really?"
He didn't seem entirely displeased.
If time allowed, it might be nice to hear how the two of them first met. Thinking that, he ran through the forest, where the colors felt slightly off.
The location where the other ship had likely crashed had already been marked. He had to be careful not to encounter any lifeforms—especially intelligent ones native to this planet. He had explained the situation to George, but the real concern was Carlos and his group.
The reason Kait wanted to secure George's group first was because he believed they would have a worse impact on the planet. Though it was based on the assumption of pursuers and pursued, he now realized it was an extremely rude thought.
Carlos and the ship's crew had belonged to a criminal trading company. They likely wouldn't hesitate to interfere with an undeveloped planet, and the worst-case scenario had to be considered.
"There's something I want to ask."
"What is it?"
"Do you think the person you know as Tarlmache would go so far as to target Earthlings, even if it meant clashing with the Federation?"
"No, he shouldn't have that kind of boldness. But..."
"But?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if he sent a fleet, claiming to be picking up Carlos. If he came up with a good excuse, he'd do it. That's the kind of guy he is."
George's answer was exactly what Kait had hoped to hear. It was a perfect response. So, Tarlmache really couldn't resist the urge to get a taste of Earthlings.
That meant this mission should be considered time-sensitive.
If Tarlmache's fleet tried to enter Traltan 4, the Federation would surely stop them. But if they claimed to be waiting in orbit to pick up Carlos, the Federation couldn't interfere. This wasn't Federation territory.
They'd probably send only the minimum staff to the planet. If those staff reached Carlos before Kait and his team did, they'd take him away, and there'd be no immediate way to stop them.
"We'll have to hurry a bit."
The biggest problem would be if Carlos and his group had already moved from the crash site. There was no way to track them.
"If it comes down to it, rely on me. The Psionic Launcher can even shoot through a ship."
"Ideally, we won't need to use something like that."
Kait responded to George's hot-blooded remark with a sigh.