It's only been a few days since Claire and Isaac's wedding. With the crew still high on the ideas of possibility and hope, The Orville has returned to Earth for a series of minor upgrades and maintenance. Kelly and Ed are in the mess hall talking over breakfast. While the joy of the wedding is still keeping the crew in high spirits, Ed's attention is clearly somewhere else, bothered by something that he only feels comfortable sharing with Kelly.

"Ed, it's pointless," Kelly exclaims. "You know she's not going to give you anything. Why even bother?"

"Kelly, I have to try," Ed retorts. "There's a little girl out there that, besides the key fact that she's my daughter, is being hidden on a planet where she looks different from everyone else she'll ever meet. She needs a better life and I will take every opportunity I can to give her that."

"I was right. You really would have made a great father," Kelly realizes. "But Ed, you have nothing to bargain with. Short of releasing Teleya, you can't offer her anything to make her want to give you any leads. What are you hoping to gain?"

"I don't know really. I'm just hoping that we can break some ground some way. And with Krill as our enemies again, I have to try and explore any opening I see, even if it goes nowhere."

Kelly reluctantly backs down from her position. "I get that. Just no setting her free this time."

Smirking, Ed responds, "Don't worry. I think I've learned my lesson on that one."

Ed reaches for his communicator sitting next to him and radios the shuttle bay. "Shuttle Bay 1, prep a shuttle for departure."

A voice calls back over the small device, "Roger that, Captain."

Ed and Kelly share a glance, Ed fully aware of the futility of his personal mission, while Kelly holds back any further concern. "Good luck," she says her good-bye with.

"Thanks. I'll take whatever I can get," Ed returns.

Ed walks out leaving Kelly to ponder Ed's decision over the remnants of her breakfast.

Down in engineering, Bortus has accompanied Dann to oversee the minor upgrades and routine maintenance issued by Union Central. With few priorities and a lack of urgency, the engineering area is primarily empty. Growing restless, Bortus begins to wonder just how necessary his presence really is. "Are you sure you would not feel more comfortable with Commander LaMarr assisting you?"

"There's no reason to bother him," Dann casually throws back. "It's all pretty routine stuff. It might get tedious but it's easy enough."

"Shall I leave you alone then?"

"I wish you could. But a few of these processes will take two people just to make sure it's done efficiently."

Bortus unenthusiastically replies, "Very well."

Looking to lighten the mood, Dann tries to engage Bortus in some of his preferred pastimes. "Hey, have you ever done any cross-stitching?"

Uninterested, Bortus keeps it short. "No."

Dann, on the other hand, sees this as a way to connect with his superior. "Ah, you gotta try it! It's an ancient technique from Earth that Ensign Parker taught me about."

Bortus maintains his position by responding, "I am not interested."

"Well how do you know if you don't try it? Come on, I'll show the basics."

Growing agitated, Bortus reluctantly agrees to humor him while the upgrades continue in the background.

Over in Claire's quarters, Claire is preparing for her first "me" day in years. She's frantically putting things away, checking on things she'll need, and running through a list of to-do's for Isaac, as her two kids and new husband watch her scramble, unsure of how to help. Continuing on her list of to-do's for Isaac, she blurts out, as if she just remembered, "And make sure they eat something healthy for lunch." Turning her attention directly to them, but also speaking for Isaac, "They've had too much junk already today with breakfast."

Ever the one to remind others of his superiority, Isaac issues some calming statements for Claire. "You need not worry, Claire. I will handle everything with loving care, and stern discipline when necessary."

Breaking from her scramble, she approaches Isaac and asks, "And you're sure you're ok with this? With me taking a me day?"

"You are already 1 hour, 7 minutes, and 32 seconds behind your intended start. I must inquire, are you ok with you taking a...me day?"

Claire gets the hint and goes to grab a bag she's prepared. "Fair enough. Yes, I've been looking forward to this for too long."

"Very well. Then it would appear you have everything you need."

"You're right, I'm going."

Curious, Marcus finally wonders, "What are you doing today anyway, Mom?"

Claire looks down to recall her original itinerary before looking back up to Marcus. "Well, I'm planning on going to relax and read by the beach in the simulator just to unwind, then I think I'll get a massage, and then I was going to meet up with Commander Grayson later on. But who knows? Maybe I'll just see where the wind takes me."

Hearing a cue to protect his new bride, Isaac interjects, "If you are expecting atmospheric turbulence, it might be prudent to alter your plans to avoid any unpleasant forces."

Ty's quick to help Isaac understand. "It's an expression, Isaac!"

"I see," Isaac computes.

Marcus then ponders, "Why not just go down to the surface while we're in orbit for the real thing?"

Claire looks at her kids, then Isaac, then back to her kids, before answering as politically as she can. "Tempting, but I just want to stay close for now, just in case. Anyway, I'm off."

She kisses her kids goodbye and then Isaac, and heads out the door with a bag of belongings.

Gordon enters the astrometrics lab where Lyssela and Isaac are collaborating in front of a visual hologram workspace with what appears to be a human figure as the main component. Neither of them hear Gordon enter, which prompts Gordon to interrupt.

"Hey Lyssela, you ready?"

She turns to respond, "Oh yeah! Sorry Gordon, I didn't hear you come in."

"No problem. Isaac, you up for a late breakfast?"

"Negative," Isaac responds. "My superior construct does not require regular supplemental intake."

"Yeah I figured. Just seeing if you were gonna be a dick about it or not."

Lyssela wraps up and heads out alongside Gordon, when Gordon voices his curiosity at their project as they enter the hallway.

"So what was that you two were working on?"

"Oh, it's nothing too important. Just a little something Isaac came up with."

Gordon acknowledges her response, and the two continue toward the mess hall. Moments later once they're in the mess hall, Lysella is sharing her account of how she met Jon to Talla and the unexpectedness it took on her, while the rest of the group laughs along. Gordon is sitting next to Talla while Lyssela is sitting next to Jon.

"So then, from out of nowhere," Lyssela continues, "his downvotes start skyrocketing! I have to kick him out of the restaurant and it wasn't until later I saw why. He was basically dry-humping a statue of a historical icon on my planet!"

"Jon, really?" Talla laughs along.

"Well yeah," Jon rebuts, "but from my perspective, all I was doing was just trying to help out Alara with some dating advice."

"Dating advice?" Gordon interjects. "That was more like third-base advice!"

"Ok, thanks, Gordon from high school," Jon claps back.

The group laughs about the encounter, and for a moment, Jon and Talla's eyes lock and both match a quick smile, but quickly look down as they're reminded of the reality of their previous relationship. Unbeknownst to them, it catches Gordon's attention, who clearly begins devising a plan.

"Anyway," Talla interrupts, "I gotta go brief Commander Grayson really quick."

"Yeah I have some things I want to look into, " Lyssela agrees. "Thanks for the late breakfast!"

As Talla gets up to leave, she offers a friendly, "Anytime."

Talla begins to head out as Lyssela gets up as well. Gordon gets up and starts to follow her, chatting her up on their way out, leaving Jon alone at the table in a subtle contemplation.

Back at Union Central, Ed is entering the main brig area where he walks through the door to Teleya's cell to see her sitting pensively behind a force field. He notices her mood shifts upon his arrival to one of smugness. He wastes no time starting the dreaded conversation. "Did I catch you at a vulnerable time?"

"On the contrary, Ed," Teleya shares. "I was simply plotting my escape."

"Not this time. Your trial's coming up soon and there's no one coming to rescue you. You're alone here, so I suggest you cooperate."

"Of course," Teleya replies, placing a doubt for Ed in her compliance.

"Look, Teleya, I'll cut right to the chase. I'm here about Anaya. She needs a proper parent in her life. She can't just be hidden away for your own convenience. I can give her a home."

Teleya's mood remains smug and confident. "I told you, Ed. As long as I'm imprisoned, you'll never see her. Let me go and we'll head straight to her. You have my word."

It doesn't take long for Ed's annoyance to show. "My god, your narcissism runs deep, doesn't it?"

"What you call narcissism, I call a divine purpose."

"We've been through this," Ed counters. "You're not divine. That's the narcissism talking."

"No? How is it that I keep finding ways to evade the Union, and then rise in power?"

"I let you go. You held a grudge. That's all it was. If anyone's bathing in divinity, it's our daughter. And keeping her hidden away is no way for a child to grow up. I mean, for god's sake, Teleya, she doesn't even know who her parents are! Let me help her. This might be the last shot she has to have a semi-healthy childhood."

Teleya now begins to grow impatient with Ed's questioning. "You will not manipulate me into abandoning my ideals."

The two are now growing angry at each other as Ed pushes back. "Manipulate you? I'm not trying to manipulate you! I'm trying to help our child that you abandoned."

"I have not abandoned her! Your plan is too obvious, Ed. First, you'll expose the child. After that, you'll turn Krill against me. Then the political pressure forces me to be a Union sheep, just like my predecessor. Well it won't happen. You will not get your way."

"Jesus, Teleya, this isn't about you. This is about our daughter! Why can't you realize that? Do what's best for her!"

"She is provided for! She has guardians that care for her. She's taken care of."

"How can a hybrid child be taken care of when she doesn't even know why she's a hybrid or who her parents are?"

"I've done what's necessary to protect her. Plans are in place to ensure her well-being."

"And that's your plan? Just keep her hidden forever so she never gets a fair shot at having a life and never let her see the light of day?"

Teleya breaks the anger as she notices Ed's choice of words. "An appropriate aphorism."

Calming down, Ed tries to go back to reason. "Teleya, come on. You know this situation isn't good for a child to grow up in. As her mother, I know you want to do what's right for her and I know deep down in there, you know I should help her. Now look, I get you wanting to keep her hidden. If that's what it takes, then we can do that at first and see how things play out. If that's what it takes, then I won't make her public yet."

"Yet?"

"Yeah, yet. If you're going to be behind a force field for the rest of your life there's no reason to keep her hidden down the road. But until that time I will keep her hidden for your sake while acclimating her to a healthy home."

Teleya turns to face away from Ed with her head down, facing the wall. She reluctantly speaks, "I can connect you to a contact. His name is Lorchak. Apparently, he was involved in helping you find her the first time. Tell him I sent you and he can point you in the right direction."

Relieved, Ed sighs, "Thank you, Teleya."

"And now I'd like a small favor from you."

Concerned, Ed asks, "What's that?"

"I'd like a pad to write on," Teleya demands confidently.

"For what purpose?"

"I want to write a manifesto. If I am to rot in your prison, I'd at least like to have some words written for Krill to read one day. For posterity, if nothing else."

"I'll have a guard bring one in. Don't bother trying to get a signal out though. They're only good for writing and reading but not much else, and they're virtually impossible to hack."

Teleya delivers her response with a devilish smirk. "Like Malloy says, you've got me by the balls."

Ed heads out the door, eager to examine the prospects of the new information.

In Engineering, Bortus and Dann are still working through the upgrades while Bortus appears to be growing somewhat impatient. Frustrated, Bortus cries out, "These upgrades are becoming increasingly monotonous. Are you positive you still need me here?"

"Afraid so, big guy. There's one coming up that's going to need the both of us working simultaneously, and this one's going to need your approval in a few places."

"Very well."

"But hey, don't worry! I've got plenty of ideas for how to pass the time."

Unamused, Bortus let's out a flat, "Is that so."

"Definitely," Dann eagerly shouts back. "This is a pretty common situation so I've got lots of hobbies to keep me entertained with some of the tedious work."

"Had I not already known that you were an efficient and optimal engineer, I might take issue with that."

"Not to worry. I never let it affect my work."

"That is good to hear."

"Have you ever tried writing poetry?" Dann wonders.

"No. And I do not intend to start."

"Well how do you know if you don't give it a shot?"

"Klyden is the superior writer. He writes poetry."

"Kldyen, ay? So he's the sensitive one while Bortus is the stoic and proud one. Gosh, you know, that gives me a great idea for a poem. Let me jot some notes down and I'll read it to you when it's ready. I'd love your feedback. Then you can write one and read it to me! No judgement here!"

Dann's palpable enthusiasm is conversely proportionate to Bortus' agitation.

In Claire's quarters, Isaac is sitting with Ty and Marcus at the dining table as they finish up their lunch. The boys get up to clear their places, and Marcus begins to hesitate, needing to ask Isaac something, but is having trouble finding the words. Finally he utters, "Hey Isaac. Um, I was gonna go meet someone at the simulator. Is it ok if I head out?"

"Who will you be joining?" Isaac inquires.

"It's...just a friend. Someone from school."

"Did your friend's parents neglect to give them a designation?"

Confused, Marcus asks, "A what?"

Isaac clarifies, "A name."

Embarrassed, Marcus looks at Ty, then back to Isaac.

"No. Her name's Erayah."

Ty's eyes pop open and he immediately goes into full-fledged little brother mode, shouting, "Oohh! Marcus is going on a date!"

"Shut up, Ty!"

"Don't smooch her too much!"

"Ty! Shut. Up!"

Seeking to clarify concerns, Isaac asks, "Is Erayah the new Okudum student in your class?"

"Yeah, that's her," Marcus informs him.

"She is accomplished in her studies and maintains high praise from her teachers. I approve of this union. She would make a positive mate for you. Do you intend to marry her?"

Embarrassed, Marcus nervously declares, "What? No! We just want to go out on a date."

"I see. At what time do you expect to return from your date?"

"She only had this afternoon free, so I'll probably be back a little after Mom."

"Very well. Enjoy your date, and as Lieutenant Malloy often says, do not get her pregnant."

Marcus' embarrassment shifts to one of casual annoyance as he gets up from the table and shouts back, "Isaac! Come on!"

After cleaning up after himself, Marcus grabs a couple of things he conveniently left by the door and heads out. At this point, Isaac turns his attention to Ty, who is staring at him like a puppy awaiting instructions. Isaac begins, "Ty, perhaps we should go see if Topa is available to engage in activities with."

With not much else planned for his day, Ty agrees, "Ok, sounds good to me."

"Very well. Let us go visit their quarters."

Ty and Isaac exit the door and begin walking down the corridor.

After clearly hatching a plan, Gordon's eagerly escorting Jon and Talla into the simulator with a big smile on his face. Jon and Talla are a little more reluctant to share in his excitement, not quite knowing what it is they're all doing there just yet. Trying to hold back his excitement, Gordon exclaims, "This is gonna be so much fun. Alright, load simulation, Gordon Movie 1."

In an instant, Jon is whisked upward, hanging from a protrusion on a ship high in the Martian sky, while Gordon and Talla are on the ground. Two warring factions are frozen on the ships in the air, one of which Jon is hanging from, while Gordon and Talla are among another alien species on the ground. Jon, experiencing a mix of confusion, anger, and fear, shouts down, "Gordon! What the hell, man?!"

Still standing next to Gordon, Talla's also clearly concerned and quickly asks, "Gordon, what the hell is this?"

Gordon's still grinning as he turns his attention to Talla to respond, "It's John Carter! A totally underrated movie from early 21st century Earth when it was released. You're John Carter and you're on Mars, so you have super strength, which means you can jump really high and do all kinds of amazing things with your strength!"

Confused, Talla clarifies, "So, basically, normal me?"

Gordon's grin is replaced with a bit of defeat. "Well, yeah I guess when you put it that way..."

Meanwhile, Jon's still dangling in confusion as he continues to try to get help. "Hey what the hell's going on? I can't hold this!"

Gordon's reminded of the situation and shouts, "Begin simulation!"

As the simulation begins, gunfire explodes around the landscape as all sides are firing at each other. Talla gets a look of irritated concern on her face as she turns her attention back to Gordon. "Gordon, seriously?"

Not wanting to ruin his experiment, Gordon instructs Talla, "You have super strength! Get him!"

Jon's fear is taking over as his situation becomes more dire. "Hey, I can't hold on!"

Jon's hold begins to slip, and within seconds he finds himself falling hundreds of feet through the air. Instinctively, Talla leaps up to catch him, shooting up dozens of feet from the ground, and catching Jon at the perfect time in mid-air. She lands and sets Jon down on his feet, Jon clinging to her for protection as they lock eyes for a moment. Gordon lets out a subdued and celebratory, "Yes!"

Talla's attention is still on Jon as she asks him, "Are you ok?"

Shaken, but looking deeper at Talla, Jon answers, "Yeah. Yeah I think so."

Excited, Gordon instructs the simulator, "End simulation."

The scenery clears and Jon and Talla both angrily turn their attention to Gordon who seems completely giddy.

Unfamiliar with Earth movies, especially from the 21st century, Talla demands, "Gordon, what the hell was that?"

Jon agrees, "Yeah, you've got a twisted sense of fun."

Gordon lightly argues, "There was no danger! The safety protocols were still on. Wasn't it great? Who's ready for the next one?"

Jon's eyes widen as he reacts, "Next one? Seriously?"

Talla's also hesitant. "Yeah Gordon, it's a bit much for me."

Trying to calm them down, Gordon reassures them, "Ok, ok look. We'll give it a few minutes, let you recover, and then we'll just see if you like the next one or not."

Talla and Jon look at each other, both sharing in the same thought that they'd much rather leave, but are willing to give Gordon the benefit of the doubt.

Hesitant, Talla agrees, "Ok, but that was a little intense so maybe a rest first?"

Jon also declares his wish for a rest, "Yeah I like the rest part."

Gordon obliges, "Fair enough."

Kelly's engaged at her desk in her quarters, working on a few low-key assignments when her doorbell rings.

"Come in."

The doors open and Ed's standing at the door holding a pad as he nervously walks in.

She inquires, "That good, huh?"

Aware of his situation, Ed answers, "Well, she did give me a contact."

Skeptical, Kelly quips back, "Really? For what in return?"

"She just wanted a pad to write her manifesto on."

"That sounds a little too easy."

"Yeah I thought the same thing on the way here."

Still curious, Kelly asks, "So who is it?"

"A guy named Lorchak. Apparently he was involved in helping me see Anaya the first time."

"I don't know, Ed. That seems a little too generous for her."

"I can only hope she just had a change of heart once the reality of her position sank in."

"Forgive me for still being a little skeptical. So are we supposed to just call this guy up on Krill?"

Recognizing the ease at which Teleya helped him, Ed acknowledges with a simple, "Supposedly."

"Well, this shouldn't be too big of a disaster."

Kelly activates her communicator and requests a quick command of Talla, "Hey Talla."

Talla greets Kelly back over the communicator, "Yes, commander?"

"Can you try to track down a Lorchak on Krill?"

Concerned, Talla clarifies, "Did you say, Krill, Commander?"

"That's correct."

"You got it."

With communication to Talla closed, Kelly resumes her reasoning to Ed. "Ed, you do realize this is probably a dead-end, right? I mean, she's very likely just screwing with you."

"I know, and I know I have no reason to trust her, but I have to believe that somewhere in there is a good person, a good mother, that wants to do the right thing, but is just clouded by corrupt dogma."

"But Ed, she's like a robot. For god's sake, Isaac has more empathy than her."

"If I'm wrong, then it's very likely I'll really never see my daughter again." Ed begins to try to rationalize and justify his judgment. "But I mean, Teleya was a school teacher when I met her. That's gotta count for something."

"Yeah. I read your report. A school teacher teaching children that nothing in the universe has a soul except the Krill and that everything else should just be killed off. If you think about it, it's really not that different than the old Kaylon threat."

Ed excitedly counters, "My point exactly! And we changed their mind, did we not?"

"Ed, the Kaylon follow logic. Teleya's following an ancient religion with no room for a gray area or any progression. The Krill that we were about to sign a peace treaty with were the evolving beings we expect to form a Union relationship with. Teleya's clinging to the past and fears any progressive change. Ed, that's who she is. It's ingrained in her. She won't change."

Ed's still searching for any bit of hope as he queries back, "What about Klyden? The two of you were at each others throats over Topa and he changed."

"It took Klyden finding out his child was nearly beaten to death to have a revelation. Anaya is in no danger of that and Teleya has no reason to meet you halfway with her."

Ed's desperation to see his daughter begins to weigh heavy in his conversation. "There has to be some way in though. I mean, I had a damn child with her! How could that have come from nothing? There was sincerity and goodness there to get me to commit to her on that level! I can't accept that she would just forsake her own child like this!"

Kelly's finally had enough of Ed looking for hope where there likely is none. She shouts back, "Jesus, Ed, that was just an act! I know it hurts to hear, and I know you really don't want to hear it, but she played you! That's all it was, and you know it!" Calming down, she tries to reach Ed emotionally. "My guess is she didn't expect the child part, but regardless it was all just an act to get you to trust the enemy. If she really had any empathy at all for anyone she would have never even brought you on board that Krill ship in the first place. You're holding onto a fantasy that never existed."

Ed begins to come back down from his hopefulness and meet Kelly in a place of more reason. "Yeah she said the same thing at one point." Ed sighs as he goes to sit on a chair nearby, "I just can't stand the thought of never seeing my daughter again. Do you have any idea how big of a cruel twist of fate seeing her was?"

Kelly goes to sit with him as she does her best to comfort him. "I know. And honestly, it sucks. But you have to trust that we'll find some other way around. And as for Teleya, I think it's time to let her go, metaphorically speaking, of course, and see her for who she really is."

"And what's that?"

"She's a wanna-be authoritarian who clings to an outdated xenophobic religion that she uses to fuel genocide."

Ed raises an eyebrow as he inquisitively asks, "You've rehearsed that line in your head, haven't you?"

"That's not the point, Ed. You know it's true." She pauses before continuing, "...and...maybe."

"Part of me knows you're right, but the other part of me, just wants to believe that there's good in everyone that doesn't want to be encumbered. That we're all born seeing the good in people and even though we live out our lives where it might get beaten out of us in different ways, that goodness and that desire to do what's right still has to be there. And I believe it's a struggle to keep that goodness behind walls. I have to believe that she'll want to do what's right for her child. For our child. And if I'm being really honest with myself, maybe a part of me just wants the fantasy she created because it fills a void."

"What void?"

"She disguised herself to be the perfect girlfriend. And that's a hard thing to let go of when you legitimately believe that you've found perfection."

Kelly rolls her eyes at Ed as she responds, "For Christ's sake, Ed, that wasn't perfection. Perfection isn't a smooth ride the whole way. It's not having all the 'i's dotted and 't's crossed. Perfection challenges you in ways you don't expect. It's sometimes having some messy-ass handwriting you've gotta decipher to get something introspective about yourself. That's perfection."

Talla's voice comes back in over the communicator. "Commander?"

"Go ahead, Talla."

"Commander, I was informed that Lorchak has been dead for months."

Ed and Kelly make eye contact, Kelly validated in her assumptions, Ed disappointed by the discovery.

Kelly gives back a quick, "Thanks Talla."

"And Commander?" Talla continues.

"Yeah?"

"I was informed that if we radio their government again the Krill and Moclan fleets will take that as an act of war."

Kelly realizes they got away lucky with their wild goose chase. "Got it. Thanks."

Kelly turns her attention back to Ed. "Convinced yet?"

Confused, Ed now begins to search for clarity. "I need to go back down there. If nothing else, to know why she just tried to send us on a wild goose chase."

"Who cares? Just let her rot and be done with it! You'll gain nothing from going back down there."

"I care. She's the key to my daughter and she just sent me looking for someone that's been dead for months. You wouldn't want to know why?"

"Not in this case! Ed, look. Don't let her screw with you. As much as I'd love for her to give you some actual nugget of useful information, she's not going to give up the location of Anaya. Don't let her use that to play you again."

Ed gets up and contemplates his next move.

"Thanks. I'll try to keep that in mind."

He walks out the door as Kelly watches him leave, concerned for his mental well-being.

Over in Engineering, Dann is making good time with the upgrades, while Bortus is growing increasingly impatient with Dann's behaviors. Searching for another activity to pass the time, Dann shouts out, "Well hey, I have an idea! What if we tell each other an embarrassing moment from our childhoods! I got a doozy for you."

Bortus is finally pushed over the top and angrily reacts, yelling back, "Be silent! I do not want to hear any more from you!"

Dann's enthusiasm diminishes as a frown replaces his buoyancy from just seconds ago. Realizing Bortus simply wasn't as excited about his past-times as he was, Dann pouts and says out loud, partially to Bortus and partially to himself, "Ah man. I was pushing it too far again, wasn't I? Come on, Dann. Always going too far. You're right, Bortus. I'm sorry. I'll move over to that console over there to give you a little space."

Dann gets up and sits on the opposite side of the engineering room. Bortus looks back in his direction after calming down a bit and sees Dann pouting over his console. Curious, Bortus inquires of Dann, "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You seem to have a proclivity for going out of your way to get people to like you."

Dann appears slightly more pensive, but still defeated as he responds, "I don't know. I just want to be accepted and be part of the family."

Bortus, realizing the hurt he's caused, tries to offer a bit of consolation, saying, "You are a member of this crew. That should be enough." Bortus is still curious though, and so he digs deeper. "Why do you work so hard to assert yourself into everyone's lives?"

Dann reflects, "Gosh, I don't know. I just want to be accepted by my peers I guess."

Unconvinced, Bortus still pries further, "Where does this insecurity stem from?"

Dann sits up as he answers, "Well I never really thought about it, but if I had to, I suppose my childhood shaped me...like everyone I guess."

"You believe your upbringing caused insecurity in your relationships?"

"Yeah I suppose in some ways they did."

"In what ways?"

"Well I don't want to say the wrong thing. I had loving and providing parents, but I guess I tended to get overlooked a lot. Sometimes one of my siblings was getting more attention, sometimes my parents just had better things to do. I guess I kind of just slipped into the background growing up, so I started tinkering with machines which got me into engineering, and then I also explored a few creative outlets in the process. But since I didn't really feel a bond with my family, I went into the military to try to find a new one. And I think I did. I'd say some of the happiest days of my life have been on the Orville. But I suppose you're right. I do push too hard to be accepted. I just feel like I've found a new family here and I'm afraid that if I don't work to keep it intact, I might lose it. And I know you and I personally haven't spent much time together, but I value you and the rest of the crew. I just don't want it to slip away because of my carelessness, you know?"

Bortus finds a new understanding and appreciation for Dann, and reflects back to him, "I can relate."

Surprised, Dann asks back, "Really? You can?"

Bortus explains, "Klyden, Topa, and myself are now outcasts to our home world. Our family and friends that we grew up with have turned their backs on us. All we have left is The Orville. I too fear losing this adopted family from time to time. I am sorry for judging you. It seems as though we are more alike than I initially concluded."

Dann's eyes light up as he exclaims, "Ah Bortus! Look at us having a bonding moment!"

Bortus is quick to retort, "Do not overdo it!"

"Alright. Fair enough."

"Dann, would you care to join Klyden, Topa, and myself for our evening meal?"

Dann's typical exuberance returns as he replies, "Ah, you bet! That'd be terrific!"

"Very well. I will inform Klyden."

Just then the interface Dann's sitting at beeps a sign of completion, prompting Dann to inform Bortus, "And even better, I just need you to sign off on this latest upgrade and it looks like we'll all finished here."

"Very well. Good work, Dann."

While Bortus is finishing up in Engineering, his quarters are still occupied as Topa and Ty are playing a contemporary board game while Isaac and Klyden watch. Klyden is unsure how to communicate with Isaac and appears hesitant to do so as a result. Topa and Ty, meanwhile, are clearly enjoying each other's company. Though the kids are oblivious, there is a long awkward silence stemming from Klyden's inability to strike up a conversation with Isaac. Isaac, on the other hand, is studying the two kids playing together, unaware of Klyden's insecurity. Klyden has a nervous smile on his face by now, and is looking at the two kids, and then back to Isaac repeatedly, looking for a way in. He finally musters up an awkward, "They seem to be having fun?"

Isaac provides a brief but observant reply. "Yes. Ty especially seems to be enjoying Topa's company."

Not quite the conversation starter Klyden was hoping for, he simply mutters out, "...Yes."

Another awkward moment goes by before the doors finally open with Bortus returning from the upgrades. Klyden's face relaxes as he sees Bortus and sighs out, "Oh thank goodness you've returned!"

Concerned, Bortus asks, "Klyden, is everything alright?"

Klyden reassures him, "Oh yes. Everything is fine."

Topa hears the chatting and looks up to see Bortus standing just inside the doorway, and shouts out with excitement, "Papa!"

She then gets up to greet Bortus and gives him a big hug.

Bortus looks down from his loving embrace at Topa and asks, "How are you, Topa?"

"I'm great, Papa. Ty and Isaac came over and we've all been having a lot of fun."

Klyden nervously chimes in, "We sure have."

Eager to relax, Bortus then instructs Topa, "Good. Finish up with Ty soon and I will help you with your homework."

Smiling, Topa thanks Bortus and resumes her time with Ty.

Gordon and Jon are still in the simulator while Talla has recently returned from looking up Lorchak for Kelly. Gordon is looking forward to queuing up the next program, but Jon and Talla are still a little reluctant. Gordon eagerly cues up the next scenario, instructing the computer, "Alright, load Gordon Movie 2."

The simulator remains empty and the three of them are left looking around for the changes to take place, yet nothing happens. Finally Talla sees something and breaks the silence, asking, "Uh, Gordon, what's that?"

Talla points to an object that's appeared against the wall next to the main door. It's a small box with a clock on it that's already started counting down from 60 seconds. When they all look, it's at 54.

Gordon looks shocked and can only utter out, "Oh shit."

Talla continues asking, "Oh shit, what? What the hell is that?"

Gordon replies anxiously, "That's not supposed to be there like that. This is supposed to be a scene from Die Hard 3!"

Finally Jon demands some answers, grilling Gordon, "What the fuck is Die Hard 3?"

Gordon begins to stumble over his words as he tries to make sense of the malfunction and his next moves, stating, "It's - it's this movie - it was supposed to be another scene but something's wrong. That's not supposed to be there like that!"

They all head toward it to try to disable it while Talla tries to call the captain about the threat. Jon's already begun cracking it open to look for his options.

"Captain there appears to be a bomb in the simulator," Talla declares.

"Can you disable it?" Ed responds over a communicator.

"Working on that now. I'll keep you posted."

"Gordon, are the safety protocols on at least?" Jon questions.

"I - I don't know," Gordon stutters out. "This was just supposed to be a game!"

Talla and Jon begin discussing options as Gordon steps back to let them work.

"What if we just remove one of the ingredients?" Talla inquires.

"That won't work. These old bombs were rigged to explode if anything was tampered with," Jon remarks.

"Well what other options do we have?"

"It used to be that it came down to just cutting the right wire, but there was no way of knowing for sure," Jon recalls as he turns to face Talla. "You should go though."

Talla refuses. "Just shut up and do it."

The clock now reads 15 seconds. Jon pulls out a laser tool and aims it at one of the wires. He looks at Talla, then back to the wire. He fires and waits, both of them staring at the clock. It continues to run from 8 seconds. Talla turns to Gordon and Jon and shouts, "Out now!"

They all head for the door but discover it's inexplicably jammed.

Talla again commands, "Shit! Everyone at the far side!"

They all run to the far corner. Jon and Talla instinctively hold each other while Gordon stops short to watch. A big smile comes across his face as Jon and Talla are waiting for the explosion, but it never comes. They each open one eye expecting the worst, but all they see is Gordon smiling nearby in their direction. Gordon proudly exclaims, "There it is!"

Talla's clearly not amused as she challenges, "Gordon, what the hell was this?"

Delighted, Gordon announces, "It was the next game!"

Jon's also not having any of it, and cries out, "Dude, seriously?"

With the events of the last minute catching up to her, Talla then adds, "Jesus, Gordon, I need to tell the captain that that was just your game."

"No don't worry!" Gordon asserts. "The captain's voice was just part of the simulation. He has no idea."

"I don't know what kind of messed up games you're trying to play," Jon angrily grunts, finally having enough, "but I can't handle another one. I'm out."

Gordon's smile disappears as Talla also chimes in, "Yeah, Gordon, it's going just a little too far. I'm not really sure what you're going for but it's not my kind of fun."

Jon and Talla begin walking out and don't look back as Gordon cries out, "Aww, come on! You'll love the next one!"

It doesn't phase them though. They continue walking through the door and out of sight. Gordon's left alone with a disappointing look on his face.

Claire is blissfully unaware of her surroundings as she's deep in a massage in a relaxation chamber on The Orville. Another crew member walks in, but she's not the slightest bit concerned. Instead, she's focused heavily on her own massage and comfort. The crew member's footsteps silence as they lie down in the chair next to Claire's and begin to undergo their own massage. Dann's voice rings out from the chair, declaring, "Oh, there's just nothing like a massage to help you focus and drive out the negative energy. Am I right, Dr. Finn?"

Claire picks up on the voice and rolls her eyes, responding rhetorically, "Dann. I thought you were running upgrades all day."

"I was! But I made pretty good time and after bonding with Bortus, I felt as though I deserved a little massage, because sometimes you just gotta reward yourself, you know?"

Claire looks for a way out and says, "Of course. Well speaking of, I didn't even realize how much time had passed! I need to go see Commander Grayson. Dann, the whole place is yours."

"Sweetness."

Claire gets up from the chair and grabs her belongings to go get dressed and head out.

Ed's back at the Union Central brig where he walks into Teleya's cell for more questioning. Teleya appears surprised to see him.

Ed sarcastically asks, "How's your manifesto coming along?"

"Better than expected," Teleya acknowledges. "Thank you."

Ed gets to the point. "I think you know why I'm back."

"You're back earlier than expected."

"Why the wild goose chase?"

Teleya's legitimately thrown off, not understanding the figure of speech. "Goose?"

"Lorchak's been dead for months."

Teleya barely reacts, simply muttering, "Oh no. How unfortunate."

"Of course you knew."

"He nearly jeopardized everything. Of course I knew. You really think I'm going to give up Anaya's location that easily?"

"Damnit, Teleya, this little girl needs a home."

"She's in good hands. Don't worry."

"Of course I'm worried. A child should never grow up unaware of her own parents when one of them is dying to be in her life. Teleya, I know somewhere inside of you that you want to make a healthy choice for our daughter. I can help her. I can be the positive influence she needs."

"She's in good hands. I trust the people she's with."

Ed's patience is beginning to wear thin with Teleya's laissez-faire attitude toward their daughter. "Damnit, this little girl deserves a fair shot at life and you're cutting her off from that! Blame me all you want in your own manipulative way, but the fact is you're holding her captive not only to further an outdated agenda, but also to use as a bargaining chip against me. And frankly, that's just sick. How dare you treat your own daughter that way!"

"How dare you, Ed!" Telaya finally reacts, Ed having hit a nerve. "You accuse me of not caring about my daughter. Well of course I care about her! Of course I miss her! I miss the hell out of her and I'm dying to see her and spend time with her and even raise her! Everything I'm doing is for her future! If I fail at what I do then I fail her."

Ed calms down, his compassion beginning to show through. "Teleya, it doesn't have to be that way. That's what I've been trying to tell you."

"Right. I tell you where she is, she becomes public, and then what? How do you think my followers would react? I'd have death threats following me for the rest of my life. And at best, she'd grow up traumatized from all the abuse and bullying."

"No, Teleya. We could move her off of Krill where no one would persecute her. She'd grow up in a healthy environment with dozens or even hundreds of other kids just like her."

"And what of me then? Leave me to perish? I have an army of loyal followers at the ready. If she rises above the clouds, as we say, they will turn on me and kill me, likely in primitive ways." She pauses and looks down toward the floor. "At least with the way things are now, I can still keep tabs on her."

"Teleya, you're about to be tried for war crimes. I don't have the power to release you this time even if I wanted to. You're not going to have anything, let alone access to anyone seeing your daughter. Please, let me give her a life."

"And what of all the teachings of Avis she's already received? Are you just going to tell her to abandon everything she's learned to learn a new way of life? One that turns her world upside-down and only confuses her?"

"Better that than to teach her ancient hate."

"Our religion is what holds Krill together. That's what you've never understood. You claim to be tolerant of other religions and here you are judging it. You're a hypocrite that will never understand."

"What I don't understand is how you can claim to be doing all this for your daughter who you don't even raise. Instead she's locked away with full-time babysitters, getting taught the same hate that's got us into this entire mess to begin with! Is that really what you want for her? Teleya, let me look after her. I'm her father."

Teleya is becoming visibly torn. "I can't. What's done is done."

"Jesus, Teleya, don't let it end this way for Anaya."

"Avis will decide our fates. Not your justice system."

"Fine," Ed reluctantly concedes. He gets back to his original reason for being there, stating, "You still haven't answered my question though."

"Which is what?"

"Why the dead-end contact?"

"To get you to stop asking pointless questions."

"So you're not going to give me anything? Nothing to get our daughter a chance at a better life?"

"I can give you a tip, though it's not about Anaya."

Skeptical, Ed inquires, "What kind of tip?"

"In the Deneb system, the Krill and Moclan fleets are amassing. By the time you get any defense together it will be too late. You don't have to believe me, you can go there for yourself to see."

"Right. And why should I believe that this isn't either a trap or another dead-end."

"Because of the third option you left off: the potential threat to your Union."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"What will you tell your admirals when I tell them in the aftermath that I gave you advance warning and you did nothing?"

Ed appears visibly concerned and affected, then pushes back, "If you're lying, I'm done with you. No more visits to entertain you. No more trying to help you out. No more giving you the benefit of the doubt. I'll find Anaya on my own."

"That'll never happen."

"Goodbye Teleya."

"See you soon, Ed."

While Ed was visiting with Teleya, Claire had made her way over to Kelly's quarters for her planned visit. They're both having a drink together, sharing their events from the day so far.

"So yes," Claire continues. "I highly recommend taking a me day. I can't believe how long it's been since I've had one and it's been a game changer."

Happy for Claire, Kelly states, "Sounds amazing! I'm glad you're doing it. You of all people deserve one."

"Ah thanks. That's the life of a doctor though. It really only works right now because we have nothing going on. So how are you doing?"

Kelly sighs, "I'm not even sure. I'm pretty worried about Ed. Right now he's questioning Teleya over the whereabouts of their daughter, which of course is likely going nowhere. But he's just so optimistic that he can get through to her and get to see his daughter again. I don't know. I just really feel for him. I think he's really going through something with this."

"Ouch. Poor guy. She's not giving him anything, huh?"

"Nothing. I mean you know how Teleya is. It's the way of Avis or it's nothing. And as much as she's pissing him off, it's really starting to affect me too now."

Claire wonders, "How so?"

"Well, I guess it's something I've been thinking about lately. We agreed it was the professional thing to do to stay separated, but seeing him react to his daughter, and seeing him get sentimental, and how fired up he gets when he thinks he might have a chance of even seeing her, it's this piece of him that I never got to see. And, I don't like that he's in pain of course, but it's kinda got me rethinking things with him."

"Thanks for reminding me," Claire recalls. "Did I see you two holding hands at the wedding?"

"Guilty," Kelly smirks out.

"I knew it! I only caught a glimpse but I thought that was what I saw."

"Yeah I don't know. On one hand, professionally, we're doing the right thing by not being together. But on the other hand, seeing him want so desperately to be a father, well, it just brings back up a lot of things."

Claire continues to dig, "Like what?"

"Well for a good seven years or so, I thought that I would be the mother to his kids, if we ever decided to. But then that ship sailed, which I became fine with. But now that he has one, watching him try so hard to see her and then get denied, it sort of just...makes me want to rip out Teleya's spine."

Claire laughs and says, "That I can't blame you for one bit. Take it from me, that's your motherly instinct kicking in. If you do still have feelings for Ed, you're naturally going to have feelings for his offspring, regardless of the mother. And if either are mistreated in any way, you'll find an anger that you didn't know you were capable of."

Kelly ponders, "It's funny. Less than a decade ago I couldn't even fathom having anything to do with kids. All I used to care about was just partying all the time outside of work, and now I feel like I've gotten more wisdom. And watching Ed give his all just to be a father...I don't know. I guess we're getting older. And yet I feel so much richer in my life. Even Ed. I mean in a way, it was actually kinda hilarious watching him trying to hook up with younger me. She was way too much for him."

"Yeah that was a disaster," Claire agrees. She elaborates, "When you're in your twenties, you've just officially reached adulthood for the first time, biologically speaking, so you think you've accomplished life, and so you feel like you need to go all out to live it in every exciting way you can find. That usually involves a mix of challenging yourself as well as celebrating, but then you hit your thirties and wisdom starts to kick in. You realize you still have a lot of life left to live and you want to make some wiser choices for your own longevity, and also because you want to have a good foundation for any kids that might come along. Whether you have them or not it's just biological. Since you've been apart from Ed, you haven't been inside his head as much. But I can guarantee you, there's been some maturation going on with him too, just like with you."

"So you think we should get back together?"

"As much as I want to, I can't answer that, because the professional aspect is still a very valid point."

"Yeah, that's a bitch."

"It is. Anyway, if you need to vent some more, you know where to reach me."

"For sure."

Claire puts down her glass and expresses, "I should probably get back to my kids though and make sure they haven't turned on Isaac too badly."

"Probably a good idea."

Ty and Isaac return to Claire's quarters from playing with Topa to find Marcus sulking on the couch. Isaac notes, "Marcus. You have returned earlier than anticipated. Did your date end abruptly?"

Marcus doesn't want to discuss it with Isaac, so he says simply, "A little. It's fine, Isaac. Don't worry about it."

Isaac picks up that something is still wrong despite Marcus' words. He heads over to the adjacent seat to sit awkwardly next to him. Marcus looks up with a confused and concerned expression. Isaac begins, "Marcus, please explain why your date did not go as planned. I would like to understand."

Marcus is a bit surprised to hear Isaac's interest, so he rambles, "Well, I don't know what happened. I mean, I really liked this girl. I thought we had a lot in common, but then, she just wasn't into it."

"Into what?"

"Just, us. Being together."

"Was it something that you did to make her turn against you?"

"No it wasn't anything I did, I don't think. I guess we just weren't the match I thought we were."

Isaac's logical brain looks for a solution, then posits, "Would you like me to convince her of your worthiness?"

"No! You don't need to do anything like that. It just, didn't work I guess. I wanted it to, but I guess she's not the one."

Isaac studies Marcus' concerns and comes up with feedback, offering, "Marcus, there are over twenty billion females in the Union that are alive right now in your age range. What made you want this one to be your ultimate match?"

"I don't know, really. I guess when you meet someone new, you just have high hopes. You want that person to just fit and work into your life, and you want to have them make you feel wanted."

Isaac processes this new information and responds, "I see. Marcus, though this one mate was not suitable for you, you should know, you are wanted in your family. Your mother, brother, and myself all operate at a higher degree of integrity and efficiency thanks to your presence."

Surprised at Isaac's endearing response, Marcus smiles and thanks Isaac, adding "That, surprisingly, helps."

Marcus gets up and heads to his room in a better mood. Ty is now sitting in another nearby chair in the living room deep in thought. Isaac watches Marcus leave, then turns his attention to Ty, stating, "Ty, you appear to be troubled."

"I wouldn't say troubled, Isaac. Just, confused."

"Please explain."

"Well, I had fun with Topa. And...maybe I like her, I don't know. But, just a few months ago she was a boy."

Isaac waits for more from Ty, but doesn't get anything else, so he inquires, "Does this trouble you?"

"Well, yeah."

"Please explain."

"Well, she's been a boy for most of her life, but now she's a girl?"

Isaac doesn't share Ty's confusion, and instead replies, "It is my understanding that throughout her existence, she has continuously felt and identified as female, and was simply forced into a male exterior. Despite her outward appearance, she will tell you that she has been a girl throughout her existence."

"So you're saying," Ty rationalizes, "she's been a girl all along, but just hasn't looked like one?"

"That is correct."

"That makes sense."

The doors to the quarters open and Claire walks in relaxed, smiling, and free of worry. Isaac and Ty turn their attention to her. Isaac is first to acknowledge her, greeting, "Hello Claire."

Ty chimes in immediately after. "Hi Mom!"

"Well hello, you two," Claire responds, happy to see nothing is destroyed. "How is everything?"

"I'm good," Ty announces. "Isaac's just helping me with something."

"Oh yeah? What kind of something?"

Ty, embarrassed, looks to Isaac, and Isaac sees him searching for an answer. Isaac weighs in for Ty, "Ty was confused about the sexual orientation of Topa, but I have relieved his confusion. He will now likely pursue a relationship with her."

Surprised, Claire asks, "Oh really? Is that true, Ty? Do you like Topa?"

Ty shyly answers, "I think so. I just know she was a boy for a long time."

Claire clarifies, "It's true, but beneath all that she still felt like a girl. So there's no shame in liking her for who she is now or even then."

"Yeah that's what Isaac said. He helped out."

"Well alright then. Where's Marcus?"

Isaac responds, "Marcus withdrew himself to his room. He had a date go poorly, but I have remedied his mood."

Still skeptical, Claire begins walking to Marcus' room while asking, "Did you now?"

Claire walks into Marcus and Ty's room to find Marcus lying on his bed reading. Marcus sees her walk in and greets her, at which point Claire asks if he had a date.

"Yeah. It didn't go so well."

"How come you didn't tell me you had a date?"

Marcus feels a little ashamed at keeping something like that from his mother, but rationalizes, "I guess I was just a little embarrassed. I was worried it might not work out and didn't want to let you down if it did."

"Oh Marcus. Bad dates happen every day. I don't care about that. I'd much rather you weed out the rotten ones from the good ones anyway."

Marcus smiles. "Thanks Mom."

Claire then seeks out the truth. "So, Isaac actually helped?"

"Yeah he did."

"Well that's good! I'm glad to hear it. Hopefully it's a precedent he can keep up with."

Gordon walks into the mess hall and sees Jon, Talla, Dann, and Lyssela sitting together and laughing. Lyssela notices him and discretely asks him yes or no by opening her eyes a little more. Gordon shakes his head no, and feeling bad, he goes to apologize to Jon and Talla and sits with the group. He begins, "Guys, look. I'm sorry. I guess those simulations were a little out of hand, even with the safety parameters on."

Jon asserts and wonders, "I mean, yeah. They were pretty intense. What the hell was that all about anyway?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Gordon replies. "Look, the truth is, I really liked the two of you together. You two seemed really happy with each other and I just wanted to see it work out. So I figured if I put the two of you in dangerous situations, it might reignite a spark or something."

Lyssela interjects, "Wait, you two were already together?"

"Yeah," Jon answers. "For a little bit before we picked you up."

"Oh, Gordon just told me he was trying to get you two together," Lyssela continues. "I didn't know it was already a thing."

Talla adds, "Well it was already a thing that ended because Jon wound up with a few too many broken bones because of my strength."

Lyssela reacts, "Oh my god!"

"It's no big deal," Jon reinforces. "Modern medicine helps it heal within minutes."

Lyssela is amazed as Talla then affirms, "Gordon, despite the crazy scenarios, it was a sweet gesture, but for Jon's safety, we've already decided it doesn't work."

"No," Gordon rebuts. "That's what you didn't let me get to! See, I saw Isaac working on a new fabric. Lyssela here was even helping him with the look of it."

Talla turns to Lyssela. "Really?"

Lyssela responds, "Yeah I've always had an eye for design, so Isaac asked me for help with that end of it."

"Well what kind of fabric?" Talla wonders.

Gordon answers, "It's a breakthrough he just discovered using spider silk from Earth fused with coral moss from Xeleya. It's super strong, thin, and actually absorbs impacts. I was thinking we could make Jon a prototype suit and you two could, maybe, give it another shot?"

Unimpressed, Jon clarifies, "So let me see if I'm getting what you're saying. Basically, if Talla and I want to be together again, I gotta wear a body condom?"

Gordon hesitates, "Uhhh, yeah."

Talla's still concerned for Jon's safety as she voices her hesitancy, "I don't know. It still sounds kinda risky."

Finally Dann includes, "And inconvenient."

"Look," Gordon affirms, "we can get the prototype suit worked up for Jon, and then just run a few simple tests on it."

Turning around, Jon states, "I mean, I guess we could give it a shot. Couldn't hurt. I hope."

At last getting the result he initially plotted for, Gordon throws in, "Yes! That's what I was waiting for!"

Going back to the scenarios, Talla wonders, "Ok, but Gordon, I have a question. Why did I need to save Jon in the first one. Why couldn't he save me like in the actual movie?"

Gordon rationalizes, "Oh, well because. You're Xeleyan."

Jon questions, "And?"

Gordon adds, "Well, she has super strength. She needed to be the one doing the saving."

Jon retorts, "Dude, she's Xeleyan. She's not a bulkhead. I could still lift her."

A bit of clarity washes over Gordon as he agrees, "Yeah...yeah that makes sense."

Dann turns to Gordon to comfort him. "It's ok. I would've thought the same thing."

Gordon replies simply to Dann, "Thanks buddy."

Kelly's sitting in a comfortable chair in her quarters, relaxing with a leftover glass of wine from her visit with Claire, when her doorbell rings. Kelly invites in the guest and sees Ed standing in the doorway, looking just as distraught as their previous visit. Kelly immediately concludes, "Let me guess, she has a new tip for you, and wanted nothing in return."

"Yeah that sounds pretty far fetched," Ed agrees.

"So what was it this time?"

"Something plausible. Maybe. She warned us of a Krill and Moclan invasion fleet massing in the Deneb system."

"How generous of her. And I'm guessing there's no fleet?"

"Not sure yet. The fleet's pretty scattered without any real threat at the moment, plus no one's in that area."

"Well that's convenient."

"Yeah," Ed forces out, growing more concerned. "She said if they do strike, if there is one, that she'll tell the admirals that I had the advance warning and did nothing."

"Ah, she did it."

"Did what?"

"She got inside your head."

Ed pauses to reflect. "Damnit. I think you're right."

"I know I'm right. Why would she give up that kind of information without wanting anything in return? Does that sound like her? And why now randomly?"

"Well, on the off chance she actually is telling the truth, let's say they do attack and I didn't warn anyone aside from you. The admirals would be pretty pissed with me and I'm sure there'd be some kind of severe reprimand."

"True. So what are you thinking?"

"I don't know. Deneb's pretty far away, but not far from Krill space."

"And if we stay here," Kelly begins.

"Either nothing happens or I jeopardize my career."

"Well the plus side is we're still waiting for our next assignment, so we technically wouldn't be breaking any rules."

Ed perks up and asks Kelly, "Feel like hittin' the road?"

Bortus, Klyden, Topa, and Dann are gathered around the dining table enjoying the Moclans' evening meal. Delighted, Dann states, "You know, I don't typically think to get Moclan food, but this is absolutely fantastic! Thank you, Klyden, for putting this together."

Pleased, Klyden responds, "It was my pleasure. Bortus has frequently told me of your accomplishments, so I am glad we finally get to meet more personally."

"Indeed," Bortus adds, while giving Dann a look of approval. "Dann has proven himself a very worthy officer, and a welcomed member of this crew. And learning some more about him today inspired me to invite him to our evening meal."

Curious, Klyden wonders, "What kinds of things were those?"

Just as Bortus is beginning to answer, Ed's voice comes in over the communicator, instructing, "All senior staff report to the briefing room."

Bortus shifts, "Perhaps another time. Family, Dann, please excuse me."

As Bortus gets up to leave, Klyden gets a panicked look on his face. Once Bortus is out the door, Klyden turns his attention to Dann, searching for something to say. Oblivious, Dann cheerfully states, "Well I for one am glad I'm not senior staff. I'm just diggin this meal way too much! Am I right?"

Nervously, Klyden replies, "Yes. Indeed."

Klyden searches for something to add to converse with Dann, but comes up empty. Not picking up on her father's insecurities, Topa is fixated on her meal.

The senior staff is gathered in the briefing room where Ed and Kelly are sharing the information that Teleya relayed to Ed. The rest of the crew are perplexed, but not entirely opposed. Confused, Gordon interjects, "Wait, so we're just gonna run over to Deneb to see if Teleya was screwing with Ed?"

Understanding the ridiculousness of the situation, Kelly simply replies, "That's right."

Gordon continues, "Well we don't need to make the trip to do that."

"But the prospect of being wrong," Claire adds, "could have serious repercussions on your career," she says to Ed.

Ed agrees, "Exactly."

"So it's basically a trap," Talla sums up. "Damned if we do, damned if we don't."

Kelly acknowledges the defeat. "Yep. It seems as though she's won this round."

"So the plan is," Gordon repeats, "to just go there, make sure nothing's there, and then come right back?"

Ed confirms, "That's basically it. Jon, can engineering handle the journey?"

"Yeah," Jon answers. "We just got the minor upgrades done thanks to Bortus and Dann and everything else is running smooth, but Captain, why not just ask someone else in the area?"

Ed clarifies, "There is no one else in the area. It's too close to Krill space. Plus we're still waiting on our next assignment."

Bortus explores the other option, asking, "And what happens if there is a fleet?"

"Regardless," Kelly resolves, "we fly in without raising any red flags. If the coast is clear, we turn around and head back. If, in the off chance, Teleya was serious, we take some quick scans and get back here asap."

"If there are no further questions," Ed commands, "let's get the course laid in and on our way. Dismissed."

The senior staff all get up to leave and head out the door to the bridge.

Hours later, the bridge crew is quiet and pensive. The suspense on the way over to Deneb has built now that the reality of reaching the potential threat is about to be realized. Gordon announces, "One minute to Deneb."

Kelly looks at Ed leaning forward in the captain's chair nervously. She tries to comfort him. "Hey. It's gonna be ok. We'll get there. Won't see anything. And then we'll turn around and go home."

"I hope so," Ed sighs out.

"You're doing the right thing regardless," she continues.

Ed breaks his stare and looks back at her. "Am I? I should've just listened to you from the start. Why haven't I learned that lesson yet?"

"Because you wanted a chance to see Anaya."

"And now we're either on a wild goose chase or about to go to war. I can't believe I let her manipulate me like that again."

"You did what you thought was right by your daughter. That doesn't make you manipulable. That makes you a good father."

Ed's gaze turns back to the stars, looking into the empty void for some sign of Anaya. "Maybe. It'd be easier to accept if I had some line of communication to her. Even if I could just tell her that I'm her father, so at least she'd know. Instead she's just hidden away in the dark getting fed who knows what for an education."

"We'll get there. One step at a time. For now, let's just put this behind us."

"Sounds good," Ed wishes.

Gordon calls out, "Coming up on the Deneb system now."

The Orville slows as Ed gets up from his chair to examine the surroundings. Deneb is off in the distance as he scans the star field with his own eyes searching for a sign of anything.

"Talla," he commands, "start scanning for Moclan or Krill ships."

"Aye sir," she affirms.

Ed turns to Isaac. "Isaac, are you picking up anything initially?"

"Nothing Captain," he replies.

Kelly wonders, "Could they be hiding somewhere?"

"Negative, Commander," Talla responds. "There's no trace of Moclans or Krill anywhere in this system. Not even any quantum signatures."

Ed inquires, "Are you sure?"

"Positive sir," she affirms. "No one's here but us."

"Confirmed," Isaac adds. "With the exception of a few M-class planets and moons with primitive life, this system is empty."

Ed turns to Kelly, a perplexed look overtaking his face.

Kelly looks relieved, but Ed isn't convinced. He wonders out loud, "Why the hell are we here? Why did she send us all this way for nothing?"

Kelly assumes, "It's like I've been saying. She's just screwing with you. She obviously just gets a power trip off of it."

"It's possible," he submits, "but with her there'd be a thicker motive. She's up to something. I just have no idea what."

Gordon begins to look around as the bridge grows silent, and always looking to lighten the mood, interrupts, "Well look, I hear the primitive life on that moon over there make a pretty mean margarita, so I say we pack some bags and go get a little r and r."

Ed acknowledges his joke, but doesn't laugh. Instead he turns his attention back to the stars, concluding, "Sounds nice, but maybe we should head back. I don't like this."

"Captain, we're being hailed," Talla interrupts.

Ed appears confused. "By who?"

Talla turns directly to Ed to answer. "It's on an encrypted Krill frequency."

Kelly wonders, "Could that be Teleya's doing?"

"Worth finding out," Ed answers. "Put it on."

The screen displays an image of a female Krill. Ed immediately recognizes her as Anaya's caretaker.

Shocked, Ed demands answers. "You! You're working with Teleya?"

"I'm not sure what you're referring to Captain," she responds. "I only look after Anaya, but I haven't spoken with Teleya in years. Captain, my message is urgent. We've had a listening program running and have been waiting for you in the off-chance you get close enough to our space."

"For what? What's going on?"

"Captain, we're still trying to get Anaya to live up to her destiny, and we can't do it without you."

"What do you need?"

"We need you to meet us at these coordinates, and we'll explain the rest to you then. It shouldn't take you off course more than 24 hours."

Ed looks at Gordon and Gordon gives back an affirming look. Ed responds to the Caretaker, "I think we can make it."

Just then Talla interrupts, "Captain, we're getting another hail. This one from Admiral Halsey."

Ed acknowledges Talla, then turns back to the Caretaker and asks, "Sorry, can we respond to this other hail really quick?"

"Of course," she answers.

"Talla, put him on," Ed instructs.

Admiral Halsey appears on screen looking gravely concerned.

Ed asks, "Admiral, is everything ok?"

Admiral Halsey appears in a panic and gets straight to the point. "Ed, I don't know where you went, but Teleya just escaped."

Shocked, Ed looks for answers. "She what?! Admiral, how the hell did this happen?"

"Apparently, Ed," Halsey clarifies, "with your help."

Ed's shocked and responds, "That's impossible."

Halsey, wanting answers in person, demands, "Look, I'd love to get into the details now, but we need you back here right now."

Disappointment rains down over Ed's face. "Right now? There's no leeway?"

Halsey repeats, "I'm sorry, Ed. Admirals Tucker and Ozawa are just short of asking for your head. If you don't start back now it's the end of your career."

Defeated, Ed responds, "Understood."

"Halsey out."

The screen switches back to the caretaker, expecting Ed and the crew to begin heading their way. She continues, "Captain, can we expect you soon?"

Ed struggles to search for the words, his daughter once again slipping out from underneath him. "I'm sorry. There's apparently been a diplomatic emergency back on my planet, and if I don't get back there, it'd not only be a career ender, but could also jeopardize any attempt to get back in touch with you. Speaking of, can I communicate with you somehow when the timing works a little better?"

Disappointed, the Caretaker responds, "I'm sorry, Captain. It's too risky. If anyone saw your hail coming in, even encrypted, it would be intercepted and it would jeopardize us ever communicating again. But I can send you something in the meantime that might cheer you up. And I'll continue to keep our listener program running in the hopes you approach our territory again."

Reluctantly, Ed concludes the conversation. "Thank you. Thank you for all you're trying to do. I hope we cross paths again soon."

"As do I," the Caretaker ends.

The screen switches off into a vacant field of distant stars, emptiness filling both Ed, as well as the space around his ship. He struggles with his next command. "Gordon. Set a course for Earth. Maximum speed."

With as much sympathy as he can muster, Gordon replies, "You got it."

Looking to cheer him up, Kelly asks Ed, "Feel like a drink?"

But Ed is too absorbed in the moment. "Maybe later. I'm gonna head back to my quarters for a bit."

Ed steps down from his chair and sulkenly leaves the bridge.

First thing in the morning on the next day, Ed and Kelly are meeting with three admirals in a briefing room overlooking New York City at Union Central. Admirals Halsey, Tucker, and Ozawa have been giving them the report of Teleya's escape, and how it pertains to Ed. He finally puts it all together, sharing, "That was her plan all along. She needed The Orville to leave so it would be a quick and easy escape. Hardly any defenses. All she had to do was give the signal."

Halsey adds, "And using that experimental Moclan technology. It's discrete and subdermal, so our scans completely missed it."

Kelly concludes, "And it amplified the signal enough to get messages out on the pad that Ed gave her."

"Exactly," Tucker agrees. "And you fell right into her trap. She played you like a fool."

Ed wonders, "But when did she even have time to embed it?"

"We believe," Ozawa surmises, "it was some time before the events of Draconis 427 and after she made her alliance with the Moclans official."

Ed puts it all together. "She had me leave the first time to get a message out undetected, and I was foolish enough to go back and let her convince me to take the ship away."

"And thanks to your reckless actions," Tucker adds, "the Krill and Moclan threat will be greater than ever with her back at the helm. There may not have been a fleet massing this time, but there will be one soon enough. And with their technological advances, they're clearly working to combat our new Kaylon allies."

Ozawa tries to clear the tension, stating, "Admittedly, we were pretty shocked when she told us you helped her escape, but in hearing your side, well, I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing for one of my children."

"Reluctantly, I agree," Tucker affirms.

Halsey also weighs in, "As do I."

Ed responds, "Thank you, Admirals. Look, one way or another, I'll right this. I don't know how yet, but I'll make sure we bring her to justice properly."

"We're counting on you to," Ozawa adds, "as well as the rest of the fleet. Dismissed."

Ed and Kelly get up to leave and give each other a look counting their blessings, but knowing the cost of their actions.

Later that day, Ed's sitting at his desk in his quarters back on The Orville watching a video, initially obscured. Laughter from the video fills the dimly lit and empty room as the video becomes more clear. In it, Anaya is playing with a small Krill pet, similar to a puppy. Ed's expression changes from one of happiness to one of loss as he struggles to balance between seeing his daughter genuinely happy, and missing her more than he can bear. After a brief moment going back and forth between the two, a relieved sense of happiness and pride fills him as a sincere smile spreads across his face.