"So are you guys excited for the start of the new season?"

Jesse's question seemed to hang in the air for a few seconds. During that time, neither Takeshi, Liz, nor Amy responded in any way.

"Did you guys hear me?" Jesse asked again.

Luca shifted in Amy's lap. "Jesse, you'll wake up Luca," the blond-haired girl warned in her usual quite tone.

"Yeah, we heard you, Jesse," Liz answered. She was seated on the edge of one of the recreation room's sofas with Takeshi sprawled out on his back beside her.

"Well, are you excited?"

"Excited isn't the word I would use," Liz said. "I would say we're gladder that the season is starting again than excited."

"Why glad?"

"Because now we actually get to race again," Takeshi responded. "It gets boring just doing training runs with Mark and simulator runs against artificial opponents."

"And we'll finally get to see the new mechs in action in race mode," Liz put in.

"I heard that the mechs are a lot better than they were last season," Jesse said.

Takeshi snorted. "Better would be an understatement."

"What do you mean?"

Takeshi rolled over onto his stomach. "Remember the stability issues we had with the mechs last season?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, that's all gone now. When I went out on the track with Mark on Monday morning that was the first time we tested the new setup in race mode."

"And what happened?"

Takeshi grinned. "I've never driven the racetrack as well as I did that morning. The mech was so smooth and stable that I barely had to do any work while I was piloting it. I mean, the setup makes piloting the mechs so easy now it's unbelievable."

"And then when we did our first team run yesterday afternoon, it was the quickest we've ever gone around the circuit," Liz added.

"Mark and Ichi really went to town on the frame design this year," Amy replied.

"Tell me about it," Takeshi continued, his voice losing none of its enthusiasm. "Those new upgrades are going to make it easier for us to navigate around the tight corners and gain more speed on the straights. And we've been setting new team records through the speed traps."

"So overall things are looking good?"

"As far as I can tell, yes," Takeshi answered.

"We won't know for sure until the season starts," Amy explained.

"But right now do you guys think we can take the championship again?" Jesse asked.

Takeshi glanced at both Liz and Amy and then shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"That's it?" Jesse asked. "There's no excitement over our chances to become three-time champions."

"Oh, no, we're excited about it," Takeshi responded. "But there's no guarantees in the IG-1, Jesse."

"Yeah, we don't know what the competition has yet so we won't have a clear idea of who the frontrunners are until probably the All-Star break," Liz said. "Velshtein and Sledge Mamma are going to be their usual selves and Edgeraid, White Snow, and Black Egg could easily have improved since last season."

"Oh, I get it." Jesse sat down on the sofa next to Amy and added, "Of course you'll also have to deal with the paparazzi now that's known that you two are a couple now."

Takeshi and Liz looked at each other. He shrugged. "Eh, it's not so bad."

"What do you mean? Have you finally learned how to cope with them?"

"I wouldn't cope as much as learned to ignore them," Takeshi elaborated.

"It's kind of hard though when each time we try to go on a date we get swarmed by photographers," Liz interjected.

"Yeah, don't remind me."

"If you guys are having trouble getting privacy why don't you arrange for private reservations?" Jesse asked.

"I don't want to pay for something like that."

Liz got in Takeshi's face. "Oh, really? Am I not good enough to spend that kind of money on?"

"Uh…n-no Liz, that's not what I meant!" Takeshi stuttered, throwing his hands up in self-defense.

"Really, well what did you mean to say?"

"I-I meant that…I d-don't want to pay for something like that because you're worth more than that…y-y-you deserve something a lot better than just a private reservation."

"Do you really mean that?" Liz bellowed.

"Yes!"

She smiled. "Alright then. I'm going to be looking forward to that." Takeshi remained frozen for a few more seconds and then slumped his shoulders. Amy and Jesse both laughed.

"Do you think the press will be out in full force for the preseason banquet on Saturday?" Jesse inquired.

"Oh, I have little doubt that they will be," Liz replied.

"They're always there," Takeshi added.

"Not to mention all the business people," Amy said.

"Oh yeah. A bunch of uptight boardroom guys talking about money and sponsorship. I'm going to really be looking forward to that," Takeshi said sarcastically.

"Well, at least you were considerate enough to get a new suit for the banquet," Liz said to Takeshi.

"Only because you made me get a new one." Liz glared at him. "I mean, not that I didn't need one to begin with."

"You did," she answered. "That old tuxedo of yours was getting old."

"Did you get a new dress, Liz?"

Liz's face turned red. "Yes…" she answered quietly.

"I did too, Liz," Amy reminded her. "Don't feel so bad."

"I know, but this time the paparazzi's going to be all over me. I'll probably be on the cover of about three different magazines on Monday."

"I know you'll look great, Liz," Takeshi soothed.

"Thanks, Takeshi."

"Does anyone else from the team usually go to the banquet besides you guys?" Jesse asked.

"Miss Satomi usually goes," Amy said. "But she usually speaks with the sponsors that are there and then sits by herself for a while."

"That's all?"

Amy shrugged. "She's mostly there to support us, I guess."

"That's kind of sad, though," Jesse admitted. "If that's all she goes there for, then it doesn't sound like she has a lot of fun."

"She doesn't," Liz said. "I've seen her there. She sits around by herself for most of the time and doesn't say anything."

"Yeah. That night's supposed to be a lot of fun for everyone, but she always looks sad whenever she's there," Amy added.

"Well, she probably doesn't have anyone to be with there. I mean, we're busy with our own stuff, so she doesn't have anyone to talk with or just hang out with," Liz said.

"That's terrible." Jesse glanced at each one of them. "For everything Miss Satomi's done for us, you think we'd be able to help her out."

"How?"

"By finding someone she can go with," Jesse answered.

"A date, you mean?" Takeshi asked.

"No! I mean just someone who she can be with and talk to, so she doesn't look so depressed," Jesse clarified.

"Who do we know that would be able to do that, though," Amy pointed out. "It would have to be someone closely related to the team or else they won't be allowed into the banquet."

"What about Mark?"

All three girls looked at Takeshi suspiciously. "Mark?" Liz asked, her voice dripping with unease.

"Yeah. He would fit that bill," Takeshi said.

"I don't know if Mark would be someone that Miss Satomi could talk to, though," Amy said.

It was Jesse that spoke in support of him. "Sure he could," she said. "They both work for the team, so we know he can get in to the banquet. And they also spend a lot of time talking with one another when they cross paths during work."

"But will Mark even go to the banquet?" Liz asked. "He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would to something like that."

"Have you asked him?" Takeshi inquired.

"No."

"Then how do you know for sure?" he pointed out.

Amy nodded. "He would be someone that could keep Miss Satomi occupied if he went because he wouldn't know anyone else there." Then she added, "But how are we going to get him to agree to go?"

"Can't we just ask him?" Takeshi asked.

"He won't go if we just ask him," Liz answered. "There's got to be a big reason for him to go to something like that."

"What if Miss Satomi asked him herself?" Jesse suggested.

"That may work," Takeshi answered quickly. "I'm sure if she asked him personally he'd go."

"Why is that?" Liz asked.

"Because she's his boss," Takeshi answered. "And I think he'd realize that if she really wants him to go to the banquet, he'd do it."

"But the question is, how are we going to get her to ask him?" Jesse wondered.