The Figurewatch fails to leave the hangar.

Just as it had so many times over its short tour of duty in the war, the Figurewatch engaged its thrusters and the launch catapult of the ship to deploy. The unit shot forward on the strip to dance gracefully through the low atmosphere-

Before colliding with the shut hangar door. The space-age metals of the Figurehead V were designed to resist both energy weapons and physical impacts, and that was a fight even the now-legendary experimental unit Figurewatch was destined to lose. The sleek angles of the savior of the human race compressed like a tin can as blue flames shot from its twisted, pancaked form and the ship was rocked by its explosion.

"... W-what the hell?!" Rebecca gasped in horror. "FV, damage report! Is Haruka okay?!"

"The Ensign ejected safely. The Figurewatch is critically damaged. The Figurehead V has sustained fifteen percent damage. Launching defense units will not be possible- Update. The Figurewatch has detonated. A fire has broken out in the hangar bay. Now automatically suppressing."

The captain collapsed in her chair, gripping the armrests and trying to think how she was going to explain to her superiors what had happened to their prototype. "Hgh... Haruka's supposed to be a thinking computer with a genius level IQ! How did she... Wait a minute! For that matter, FV! Why didn't you open the hangar door?! O-or stop the launch?!"

"Minimal Guidance mode is activated. In this mode, the Captain-"

"Oh, so you're saying it's my fault?" The captain sulked as she defended herself, crossing her arms. "I didn't know 'casting blame' was a function the Squadron was programming in its tactical AI these days-"

"Ho ho ho ho ho!!" a shrill laugh cut through the bridge. The captain hadn't deactivated Mekanee's comm line. "What did I tell you? My shots are having unpredictable chain reactions on your fuel reserves, clearly!"

"What are you talking about, idiot?!" Rebecca complained, standing up to shout at the monitor directly. "The thrusters are on the back of the ship! Why would the fuel reserve blowing up be at the front, near a hangar door?!"

"That's for your engineers to figure out, Captain, when they run the diagnosis on your shattered hull!"

"Enough! I'm ending this insanity! We'll just make something up about the Empire destroying the Figurewatch... and if I say it took two shots of the Figurehead Flying V to destroy their fleet, who will know otherwise? FV! We're firing the main weapon now-"

Red lights and a tremendous blare. "WARNING, CAPTAIN. THIS MEASURE IS HIGHLY-"

"Okay, okay, Dad. Open the weapon's shutter doors and THEN fire the Flying V." The captain rolled her eyes but immediately regained her good humor, looking forward to seeing the incredible power that had destroyed an empire swat her unexpectedly pesky adversary out of the sky.