The midday sun shone mightily on the Quarter's flight deck. The heated air rising up from the runway surface was immediately met and swept away by the cool ocean breeze blowing through the bay. Inside the hangar, Alto Saotome is hard at work cataloguing and inventorying supplies for the fighter squadron. Suddenly, his phone begins to ring, startling him out of his focused state.

The last thing Alto needs is a distraction keeping him from completing his job. He clicks his tongue and picks up the phone. The phone showed an unfamiliar number with an NUNS prefix, but sensing it could be important, Alto answered. "Alto!" a pair of voices boomed through the phone. Alto pulled the phone back in a reaction to his eardrums being bombarded by the sound. "Sheryl? Ranka? You guys know I'm on duty. You can't call me while I'm working," he said in an accusing tone. His words did nothing to sway their spirits. "We're going to have dinner at the new Nyan Nyan in Frontier City. We want you to come and bring the gang with you. We just wanted to let you know, okay?" Ranka said. "Fine, fine... I'll be there. Now, I gotta let you go before I get in trouble," Alto whispered, while hunched over trying to conceal the phone from prying eyes.

Just as he hits the disconnect button, the hangar speakers come to life. "ALTO!" Ozma's voice echoed. "I need to see you in my office now!" he yelled. Alto glared in anger at the phone in his hand. "Dammit!" he exclaimed as he put the phone in his pocket and tucked his tablet under his arm. Alto stomped over to Ozma's office across from where he was standing in the hangar.

Alto closed the door behind him a little hard as he entered the office. "Sir?" he asked, wiping the angered look off of his face. "When are you going to have that requisition report for me? We're up against the wall here and we need to have it submitted to NUNS HQ early enough or we're going to be leaving this planet completely understocked," Ozma barked. "I'm almost done, sir. I just need about 30 more minutes."

Ozma's facial expression became more relaxed. "That's good to hear." He reclined back in his chair and continued, "By the way... I'm incredibly busy right now and I haven't had any time to get lunch. Since you seem to have a bit of extra time on your hands, why don't you be a good lad and go fetch me something to eat from the galley? I feel like... a huge hamburger and fries. I like to eat while reading requisition reports at the same time, so make sure I get both within 30 minutes." Alto can't believe stuff like this keeps happening to him today. "Yes, sir," he says begrudgingly. A dark stormcloud hovered over his head as he stomped out of the office and slammed the door behind him. Ozma began to reminisce on how much he loves his job.

Just outside of the ocean bay sits the monstrous Island-1 space colony ship. Work has begun to dismantle it and many of the features it has that were designed for space travel. The retractable dome and glass shield have disappeared, exposing the hundreds of buildings and factories inside to the elements of Aimo's weather patterns. Although few people actually LIVE on the ship, many industrial companies have made it their home. The skyscrapers on the ship are adorned with large corporation logos and are grouped together towards the center of the city. Towards the outskirts of Island-1, numerous buildings clustered together sit at the end of a single runway. A large hangar labeled "Bell-Casse Dynamics" towers over the other buildings, which share the same logo. The giant doors on the front of the hangar are partially open as workers walk in and out carrying various equipment. Inside, a single VF-171 sits with its landing gear nestled between chocks. The cockpit is open, but empty, and a couple of technicians are working on the fuselage from on top. The faint sound of music playing from a boombox can be heard in the background.

A scientist with a long lab coat is standing in front of the Valkyrie yelling something at the two technicians on top of the plane. "Guys, you told me you'd be done with this an hour ago. You're cutting into our testing time!" the scientist yelled. The technicians angrily responded, "...and you promised us these parts were going to be here yesterday! Just relax and quit getting so worked up and maybe you'll be able to focus on other things." "Like what??" the scientist shot back. Before the technicians could respond, a voice from the hangar door answered instead. "Like focusing on finally losing your virginity!" the figure said. The uniformed man emerged from the halo of afternoon sunlight creeping in from the just above the treeline. After straining their eyes to see who was interrupting their argument, they finally realized who it was. "Cal! You crazy bastard! You scared the hell out of me sneaking up on us like that," the scientist exclaimed as he walked over to shake Cal's hand. One of the technicians on top of the Valkyrie hopped down from the wing to meet Cal. The other stayed on top of the plane, waving.

The technician who came down from the plane shook Cal's hand. "It's so great to see you again. We were just talking about you the other day. We heard you were stuck in some shitty hospital bed somewhere, but our attempts at reaching you were unsuccessful. What brings you here to this hellhole?" he asked. Cal smiled and responded while pointing to the scientist, "This asshole here wrote me a letter practically begging me to visit you guys. I decided to take time off my busy, busy day to appease his desires." David, the scientist, had to defend himself from Cal's statement, "Still a smack-talking, cocky-as-ever, tall-story-telling, son of a bitch... It's good to see you again, Cal."

David instructed the technician to let him know when they were done installing the parts onto the Valkyrie. Cal followed him to his office. The door was labeled "David Nguyen - Research and Development Department Chairman". Cal, surprised at David's position, had to remark on David's success after Cal left the company. "Department chairman? How many 'special' favors did you have to give the board of directors for that title?!" he jokingly asked while flipping quotation marks with his fingers. David just smiled and continued behind his desk to sit down. Cal marveled at David's huge office and intimidating desk. Sitting down, he complimented David's office, "Wow, look at this place. They sure do a good job making sure you don't go running off to one of their competitors."

David replied in a more serious tone, "I'm pretty sure I'll be spending the rest of my career here. We've had quite a bit of success despite losing Marie last year. However, a lot of our recent success is because of her. After her passing, we got into her research journals and found all kinds of incredible musings and ramblings she wrote about in her spare time. Some of the stuff she came up with was just beyond anything we had previously realized. I owe a lot of my success to her as well. I decided to take up her works and make them into reality and it's been a boon to our recent success."

David leaned forward on his desk. "How are you doing, Cal? You've been on all of our minds since Marie's death and your subsequent departure from the company. We felt like we were missing a couple of whole limbs from our operations. She was an important person to us as well. We'll all miss her terribly." Cal could tell David was being very sincere and let him know how much he appreciated his kind words of sympathy.

"Well, as you know, I just got out of the hospital and I'm returning to service. I got your letter, but went to interview for my deployment orders before I came by. A little bird told me that you guys are coordinating with NUNS to get some of your new gadgets into space. Sounds like you guys need a pilot," Cal responded to David's initial question. David became confused, wondering how Cal already know about the surprise he was going to reveal on Cal's visit. "...yeah... How did you find out? I wanted to ask you if you were interested in becoming our guinea pig again," David said.

Cal reached into his overcoat and pulled out the affidavits from HQ. He smoothly placed them in front of David without saying a word; he wore gratifying smile on his face. David was blown away after reading the forms Cal had given him. "You've gotta be kidding me!" he exclaimed. He looked at Cal and shook his head in amazement. "I'm not gonna say it. You pilots are already arrogant enough..." he continued. David turned around and opened the minibar he had behind his chair. He pulled out a split of champagne and two glasses he had hiding nearby. "Here's that drink I owe you then," David said while pouring the glasses. "To our success!" he said as he touched his glass to Cal's. The two quickly downed the champagne and moved on to other business.

"Cal, I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to work with you again. The rest of the team is going to be shitting kittens when they hear about this. You need to go see everyone. Oh! Make sure you visit the administration building and say 'hello' to the members of the board working there," David suggested. Just then, David's intercom chirped and he picked up the phone.

After speaking the the individual on the other line, David put the phone back in its cradle. "Okay, I have to get back to our little experiment I've been waiting on. The techs are done working on the Valkyrie, so I need to get this project moving. Come back tomorrow so we can roll out the equipment we're gonna send with you on your deployment in a couple of days." David rushed towards the door and stopped before he left the room to say one last thing, "It's great to see you again, Cal. We're glad that you're doing okay now." Cal was impressed by David's newfound confidence. He's not the dorky, annoying kid he used to be anymore. A lot of things can change within the course of one year.

The sun slowly crept towards the horizon, signaling the coming end of the work day. Hard working individuals wrapped up their work and headed on home to reunite with loved ones and enjoy their evenings. Street and building lights begin to create the aura of light that glows around a bustling city at night.

The new Nyan Nyan restaurant, which just opened mere days ago, is adorned on the outside with balloons and banners celebrating their grand opening. This version of the restaurant is much larger than its predecessor on the Frontier colony ship. Up in one of the party rooms, a large group of friends gather for a night of fun and good food.

"Congratulations!" everyone yells, as they toast to a thoroughly embarrassed Luca Angelloni. Nanase embraces Luca from behind and fondles the new rank insignia on his jacket. "I'm so happy for you, Luca! I always knew your hard work would be rewarded. So, does the Lieutenant give permission for beautiful, young girls to kiss him?" she said playfully before planting one on his cheek. Luca remained speechless as he watched everyone enjoying themselves. A lot of crew members from Quarter had come, along with some stage hands and event coordinators from the concert site.

Klan Klang stood up against the wall by herself in the back of the room, watching the exchanges between everyone there. Sheryl and Ranka were busy force-feeding Alto his food, much to his dismay. The door to the room opened and Ozma and Cathy walked in, accompanied by cheery greetings from the people inside. Her sister, Nene, was enjoying herself and talking to a couple of guys who seemed to dote on her as she spoke. Even Brera had learned to mingle with people and was talking to some of the crew members from Quarter. Klan began to imagine Michael amongst the crowd enjoying himself as well. It was an image she could not bear to think about for more than 15 seconds.

Klan moved over to the balcony adjacent to the party room and leaned over the bannister to watch the traffic go by on the street in front of the restaurant. "Thinking about Michael?" a soft voice sounded from behind. Always the observant one, Bobby could read Klan's mind from across the room. He joined Klan, leaning over the bannister. Klan's eyes were glazed over in tears; she desperately tried not to let the tears leave her eyes.

Klan sniffled and regained her composure and faced Bobby. "Some days, I just don't know how I deal with it," she said. "It seems like all I have left is flying.... and even then there's not much going on in the last few months. Michael's ghost seems to haunt me wherever I go and whatever I do. I feel like I've become one-dimensional. I don't have anything to work towards or work for. I spent all my life enjoying the companionship of the people around me, be they Zentran or Human. I thought I could spend the rest of my life with one person, but that option was removed from my reach. As I reflect upon how different I and my race are from Humans, I see a rift forming between myself and everyone else. The only person who really meant a lot to me was Human and to me, he represented the gateway to unity between myself and the rest of Humanity," she said, turning back towards the bustling street.

"I feel myself becoming more and more distant to miclone life... as if I naturally desire to be with my own kin, instead of fostering a want to intermingle with Humans. I've honestly considered requesting to be transferred to an all-Zentraedi unit, but I know that my home and my life has always been with you guys. I've watched myself become more and more hostile towards everyone. Nobody seems to want to deal with my attitude, and they're always intimidated by it... especially when I'm at my normal size. I, too, find it difficult when I see other full-sized Zentraedi and I happen to be micloned at the time. I don't know how you guys deal with me..." Klan continued. She looked down at the ground in self-pity. Bobby would have none of this.

"What you need to do is quit feeling sorry for yourself! So your love for Michael went unrequited all these years... You need to get used to it not being there. It's entirely possible to love and not be loved in return. Everybody but Ozma knows that I love him and I'm perfectly okay with him not knowing it. I can only attempt to sympathize with the pain you went through to watch him die and have his last words be the admission of his true feelings towards you. That event has come and gone, but you still have not let that go," Bobby said, putting his hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to look into his eyes. Those eyes were full of sincerity that helped make Klan feel better.

"I can tell you from personal experience that there WILL be others in your life who will come along and fill that empty space in your heart. I've been through many hard breakups and have found it best to continue to forge ahead, knowing who I am is what has put me in this place. But if you don't start to get to know people, how will you ever know if they're the kind of person you've been searching for?" Bobby said.

Klan had to think before she responded to Bobby's question. "I've always been insecure about my micloned appearance, and rightly so. Even Michael once admitted that he was not able to touch me in 'that way' without feeling as if he was doing something wrong. I feel like it will be impossible for me to find someone if I remain micloned," she said. Bobby's face showed some frustration. He couldn't believe that someone who is as strong of a person as her is literally tearing herself down like that. "Hon, you need to understand that love is not about physical attraction. That's only a part of it. The real wonder of love is that you can see and understand what's on the inside. You need to give people a chance to get to know you as a person. When you meet someone who is interested in you only for who you are, your outward appearance won't matter to them. Find out who you are and define yourself to yourself. Only then can you overcome your insecurities and finally be an independent person," Bobby said as he embraced Klan. Klan initially didn't move, but she eventually reached up with her arms and hugged Bobby back in a gesture to acknowledge what he said to her.

Bobby went back into the room to find his drink and his seat while Klan remained on the balcony to reflect on her thoughts for a little while longer. Klan began to think to herself about how her attitude has been the very thing that's created that rift between her and her shipmates. Even her resistant behavior around Michael was evident to her now and she wondered if that was helping to push him away from her back then. She was going to need to do a lot more self-searching to find the answers within herself. Realizing that she was missing an opportunity to socialize with her friends, she did her best to put herself back together. She reentered the room, grabbed some food and a drink and sat down in the middle of the action, hoping to slide into a conversation somewhere. Bobby looked over to her from another table; they nodded to each other with a smile.

As the twilight settled over the city like a thick blanket, many of the residents are left alone with their thoughts. Time to dwell within oneself always seems to come around bedtime.

Loving couples such as Ozma and Cathy and Luca and Nanase, look to the future with uncertainty as they will be spending an extended period of time apart. Even the triangle relationship between Sheryl, Ranka, and Alto will be torn asunder soon. Each of them must find the strength from within to continue on with their lives without that special someone nearby.

Bobby spends his nights alone, and even admits to himself that he can't remain this way for forever. Despite his strong words to Klan tonight, he knows that they carry a tiny amount of dishonesty in them.

Kanaria will once again leave her husband and son behind to perform her duty. She finds solace in knowing that what she does as a soldier will help to ensure safety and a bright future for her child.

Klan will take Bobby's words into deep consideration while she tries to find the peace of mind that allows her to get some sleep. She must decide whether she will allow her pain to influence her attitude, or will she bury it deep within and find her old self again. It occurs to her that the person that she was before Michael's death is who she really is. This new, cold, unforgiving Klan is not helping her at all.

Somewhere in the NUNS barracks, Cal sits awake on his bed thinking about his deceased fiancee and about the incredible opportunity that is being laid before him to help him realize his aspirations. However, he understands that loneliness is a rude, unwanted guest that constantly gets in the way of his thoughts and efforts. Perhaps his new assignment will assuage the pain he's been dealing with the last year.