Episode 3 – Homecoming

Shortly, after everyone have returned and reported to new Stellvia. They've been granted a vacation for a one week. By the way, there are celebrations on Earth commemorating for the UEDF Victory in the War of Terran Revolution.

They're currently inside nearly empty Fujiwara Shuttle heading toward the star port in Nazca, Peru.

Shima is eating her confeito bought from new Stellvia before she left. While she's eating, Kouta walks to her with glasses of water.

Kouta – "Do you need some water? Shima-chan."

Shima – "Thanks, Kouta-kun."

She takes a glass from Kouta and smiles at him.

After that, there is an advertisement appear on TV. It's beginning with the song of Terran military, the UEDF. Before its eagle emblem appear along with a row of soldiers.

Narrator – "United Earth Defense Force (UEDF) want you! We want you to defend Earth, Moon and all Lagrange Colonies."

This kind of advertisement is making everyone surprised. It's a usual for all networks on Earth, that's military, can advertise themselves on a TV.

Then, the soldier with his long rifle is appearing on the screen.

Narrator – "We got latest weapons."

Followed by a squadron of Overvis

Narrator – "Our squadrons are greatest in all of Solar system."

Its ending is an image of saluting UEDF soldier with a caption of their motto.

"United Earth Defense Force, Moral, Honor, Comradeship."

Jojo – "Kouta…. For all of your lifetime, have you ever seen this kind of advertisement before?"

Kouta – "No, I haven't."

Pierre – "For nearly 190 years, mankind didn't fight each other. But the last full-scale war of mankind is recently erupted last month."

Masaru – "Did UEDF achieve victories in space?"

Jojo – "Yeah. Weissmann-sama used his Overvis fleet worthy."

While the boys are talking about warfare and politics, Arisa walks to Shima and says to her.

Arisa – "Looked at them, Shipon. Boys are always talks about these."

Shima – "But Kouta-kun didn't says anything."

Arisa – "Why Kouta?"

Arisa smiles with evil-looking motive.

Shima – "Nothing… Arisa-chan. I guessed we should think about a fist thing we'll do if we've returned to home."

Arisa – "Shipon, first thing you've to do is to…. Tell me now."

Then Arisa hugs Shima. She tries to wriggle.

Shima – "Tell what, Arisa-chan?"

Arisa – "About the man you always knew who he is."

Shima – "Please! Let me go!"

Kouta is only watching helplessly.

Masaru – "Should you go in and help her?"

Kouta – "If I go, she will only have more problems."

Jojo – "They looked cute."

Pierre – "Cute! Our Shima-chan got a problem. Why do you say like that?"

Shima tries to wriggle but it's failed.

Shima – "Please let me go! Arisa-chan!"

Arisa – "I won't let you go if you aren't telling me."

Yayoi – "Shipon. If you confessed, everything will over."

Akira – "Yes yes. This will over. It will be a benefit for both sides."

Pierre – "Or advantage?"

Nazca Spaceport, District of Peru

Large crowds of Shima and Kouta's fan clubs are gathering at the spaceport to wait the coming of their stars. Even the festival for the victory of UEDF and the celebration for UEDF's Peruvian pilot in the near town, still can't make them to interest as this one. Divisions of UEDF Internal troop are the last line of defense against the crowds.

The appearance of UEDF Internal troop is not strange, since the end of the war, UEDF accelerates their security on every entry points to Earth, Moon and every UES-held colonies, in order to defense UES from spies and saboteurs from Mars and Venus.

UEDF Guard – "I've told you. Neither Katase Shima nor Otoyama Kouta is here."

Middle-aged Woman – "You sure?"

UEDF Guard – "I told you! They aren't here!"

UEDF Officer – "By the order of United Earth Defense Force, I wanted all of you to clear this area now!"

At the command center, Peruvian UEDF Commander in charge of this area is worrying about such a large crowd that gathering at this spaceport.

UEDF Commander – "What the heck is happened today?"

UEDF Officer - "I bet that it's about our hero and heroine's return."

UEDF Commander – "Why they knew that they will arrive here?"

Then, the demolition officer appeared on the screen.

UEDF Demo Officer – "Sir! We are ready for your plan!"

UEDF Commander – "Great. Proceed with my mark."

UEDF begin to broadcast their word from all speakers in the spaceport.

Announcer – "To all citizens in the spaceport. We have an explosive devices within the area… please proceed to evacuation immediately."

Crowds begin to broke out and run. UEDF has to use their VTOLs and to oversee the 'evacuation'.

UEDF VTOL Trooper – "Please remain calm and orderly. You won't be harm."

-Minutes passed-

Spaceport is nearly empty. UEDF troops let out their deep sigh.

UEDF Officer – "Finally. They have gone."

UEDF Soldier – "This ruse was…. Successful."

After the shuttle was landed, everyone walks out and see the man standing at the end of walkway. That's the Peruvian commander.

UEDF Commander – "Welcome to Peru and welcome back to Earth, Senore Otoyama and Senora Katase."

The Commander shakes Kouta and Shima's hand.

Kouta – "Thanks you for welcoming."

UEDF Commander – "Do you have some order for us?"

Shima – "We have."

Shima look at her friends before she ask.

Shima – "Someone want to go other way?"

Everyone is keeping quiet.

Kouta – "Can you provide us some transport?"

UEDF Commander – "We can…. What do you want?"

Kouta – "We need some plane to take us to Japan."

UEDF Commander – "You got it."

UEDF plane is flying in the middle of the sky, the below is Pacific Ocean. Kouta and Shima along with their friends are sitting in the exclusive passenger room.

Shima – "Did the central government have their own channel before? I don't think so."

Kouta – "I guessed that they got their own channel 1-2 months before."

Pierre – "I don't like that. Everything in there is looking serious."

Jojo – "It's only propaganda."

Moments later, the plane is finally arrived in Tokyo airspace.

UEDF soldier on a one of the guard towers with his long rifle on his shoulder is looking at the plane. After the plane is landed, the group walks out; the thing that they can see is an emptied airfield. They were surprised by that.

Arisa – "Where is everyone?"

Jojo – "Even the UEDF clear the airfield for us! I think it's too much awareness for them."

Kouta looks at the sign and read it.

Kouta – "Tokyo Air Force Base, Nippon Military District, United Earth Defense Force"

Jojo – "Oops…."

Then, they saw UEDF Officer walks toward them.

UEDF Officer – "Welcome to Tokyo, Katase-sama and Otoyama-sama."

Shima – "You're welcome…. Sir…"

UEDF Officer – "I'm Captain Yamamoto Kajima, from Nippon State Army, UEDF Ground Force. I and my troops are being given a task to welcome you."

Arisa whisper with Shima.

Arisa – "I think that this thing is going to be crazy. Since we backed to our home, we're became involved with military for many times."

Akira and Yayoi do the same.

Akira – "Did they know that we don't like militarism?"

Yayoi – "But if we're still talking about this. We may be caught."

Cpt. Yamamoto – "We got a transport ready for you sir."

Everyone look at the captain. Kouta and Shima smile.

Kouta – "Very well, thank you for your welcoming."

On the space, Leila is training her students in Overvis flight course as usual. During the training, there is a squadron of armed overvises flying pass through the training area, they are from UEDF Space Force.

Pilot – "Be careful! They are nearly hit your bianca!"

Leila – "UEDF! …. Why they fly like that? Are they wanted to get themselves killed?"

Kent – "Let us handle them, Sensei!"

Four Kathies fly passed Leila and her students' biancas. They follow the squadron before they send them a message.

Ayaka– "This is Foundation II Stellvia's area. You don't have a right to fly through this area. Please leave now."

UEDF Pilot- "Stellvia's area? …. Did you know that space areas around the Earth were all nationalized?"

Kent – "Nationalized!"

Kent's eyes widen after he heard that.

UEDF Pilot – "We… military have the rights to do whatever we could in any of space areas."

Ayaka – "That's not fair."

UEDF Pilot – "It's called security… sir."

Big Four feel angry after they heard that, but they were stop by Jinrai before they can argue.

Jinrai – "You have to return now."

Kent – "What! … They are trespassing into our area!"

Jinrai – "We are recently known that UES have nationalized space areas around the Earth. We don't have any right; but instead we have to listen to them now."

Kent – "But! ….. Yes…. sir"

Kent flies his Kathy back to Stellvia as his sensei's order along with the rest of the Big Four.

At Otoyama Observatory, Youko is speaking with Kouta through telephone.

Youko – "So, you want to stay with Shima."

Kouta – "There is a celebration in her suburb. She's invited me to come."

Youko – "Do you want something?"

Kouta – "No, onii-chan."

Youko – "Right. Be careful, you can call me if you want to go home."

Kouta – "Yeah. See you."

After she talks to her brother, she walks to the observatory and open its dome. She sits and uses the telescope. She turn it and look toward Mars, she saw debris of Martian and UES ships and Overvis, destroyed during the war, still floating there unchanged.

Then she saw a meteor streaming toward Earth.

Youko – "Meteor? ... I think that it would be destroyed before it's here."

After Shima returned to home, Chiaki and Umihito as her parent along with her brother Masato, have welcomed her. They hug her after they've separated for a long time. This would be a warmest welcome to home in Shima's life.

In the suburb where Shima's live, there is a celebration to commemorate for the victory of UES in the war, everyone is rejoiced and they're more rejoicing when Shima had returned.

This time is an evening. Everyone is enjoying the festival. There are Sumo, Rifle range, and many more.

While Shima and Kouta are walking together, Pierre along with Masaru and Jojo are walks into a booth of UEDF Soldier who set his rifle range for all who attending the festival.

UEDF Soldier – "Come in, come in. This is a place of marksmen, you maybe a one of them. We got rifles for all of you."

Masaru – "Rifles from Earth's military?"

Jojo – "It's look like real ones."

When Pierre picks up a one of rifles, by its weight, he realized that the rifle he holding is a same one that UEDF is using. This is a real weapon.

Pierre – "This… is a real gun!"

Masaru, Pierre – "WHAT!"

UEDF Soldier – "Oh oh, please calm down. I am staff sergeant Kazashima Kotetsu, 101st Company, Nippon State Army of UEDF Ground Force."

Masaru – "How did you get these things out? This is a serious charge."

UEDF Soldier – "It's an order, from the above…. Have you interested? … 25 yen for 5 training rounds."

Arisa along with Yayoi and Akira are walking and take a look at many booths. Akira is impressed by the musician who was a former UEDF soldier who got a metal left leg, playing his bugle. After his performance is over, Akira asks him.

Akira – "What happened to your leg?"

Musician – "I loss it, while I were fighting on Mars."

Akira – "You're an army musician. Why you're at the front line?"

Musician – "My duty is to sound the retreat …. When we lost the battle on Mars, I sound the retreat to call my comrades back after they hold out the enemy assault. The retreat was successful. But when I tried to run, mortar shell was landed in front of me; take my left leg with an explosion. …. After I regain my conscious, I was realized that I was captured by Martian troops …. I asked one of them to give me a dagger, to perform my hara-kiri."

Akira – "But… Why are you still here?"

Musician – "Why? …. I won't lie to you. That dagger that was given to me…. was a fake dagger."

Meanwhile, Shima is leading Kouta toward the hill with lone tree on the top. After they reached that place, they begin to sit together under the tree and watch the stars together.

Kouta – "What is this place, Shima-chan?"

Shima – "This is my secret place to watch the fireworks."

Kouta – "This place is great like you."

Shima – "Thank you for say that."

After Kouta watches the stars glowing on the horizon, he looks to Shima's face again.

Kouta – "We're not returned to this place for a very long time."

Shima – "Since that day, isn't it?"

Shima thinks about the past, when she was received the order to return to Stellvia at once after the 'Ultima Emergency' began. In that time, she and Kouta were recently returned to home during the New Year festival. She still can remember that after she got the order and preparing to leave she saw Kouta on the plane which she boarding, he nods to her.

Kouta – "Shima-chan, even if we can't return here in the future..."

Shima looks at Kouta and begin to concern.

Shima – "Why did you say like that?"

Kouta – "Oh sorry. I shouldn't say like that."

Shima smiles and say.

Shima – "But you may right."

Kouta – "If we have to go anywhere. I promise you that I won't leave you alone…. I will be together with you, forever."

Shima – "Kouta-kun…."

Shima begins to blush. She looks into Kouta's eyes same as he looks into her as well. Their hearts beat faster; their faces are slowly come nearer and nearer before their lips were contact with each other's, and the fireworks were shot by UEDF Rocket Battery and explode in the middle of the night sky, lighten this place with various colors.