Sorry if this chapter is too talky, but I'm laying a lot of foundations in this one.

2155 CE

Izmailovskaya District, Moscow, Russian Federation

Thomas spent the next half hour recounting the events of the day; the meeting, the promotion, the flotilla. The whole time, Keeley sat there just listening, enraptured. Every time Thomas glanced up into her eyes, he saw the woman he loved on the brink of bursting with pride. All remaining traces of self-doubt that his talk with Erika hadn't removed were thoroughly wiped away with every look at her face. He suddenly realised the serious reason why Erika had told him to take a mental picture – to renew his sense of belief whenever he felt down on himself.

He was snapped out of his half-daydream by Keeley reaching out to cup his face with her hand, the same soft, comforting look in her eyes that he'd fallen in love with so many years ago. He felt his eyes glaze over as she gave him a gentle smile, and she simply said, "Honey, I'm so proud of you."

Despite the guilt he often felt being away from home for so long at a time, it was perfect moments like this that made everything he did worthwhile. He was helping to improve life for the entire human race.

His gaze suddenly moved to his daughter. My little Claudia. My baby. While she had been sat next to Keeley on the couch, she had been watching the conversation with a quiet interest. Though she understood none of the words being said, she could sense the closeness between her two parents in this moment. She had always been a quiet baby, often seeming as if she preferred to just observe her surroundings than the almost constant attention demanding of most children her age. Thomas found himself wondering just how much of the world she already understood, despite being unable to string a sentence together.

He motioned towards her. "Any change?"

Keeley turned and looked at her, reaching out to tickle the nape of her neck fondly. The child began to flap and giggle uncontrollably. Thomas' heart swelled at the sight and sound.

"Nothing so far. Dr Xiao said that 98% of the children in Singapore began having problems between 9 and 15 months, so he thinks she should have as normal a life as anyone else."

Thomas breathed a deep sigh of relief. They'd spent so long worrying about the potential effects of the accident that they'd almost forgotten to just enjoy being parents. For as long as he was at home, anyway. But this time, he decided, there would be no such lack of R&R. With his career beginning to seriously take off, Thomas had no idea when he'd be home again after this leave, and he was determined to enjoy it with his family while he could.

He turned back to Keeley with a glint in his eye, plans beginning to race through his head. While he knew that these six weeks would only feel like one by the end of it, there was still a hell of a lot they could do with it. But today was about relaxing.

"Okay, here's what's gonna happen," he began, a look of both contentment and excitement in his eyes. "Tonight, we're gonna do absolutely nothing. I just want to sit here with you and Claudia and just enjoy being here with you again." A smile began to creep across Keeley's soft features.

"Then, tomorrow, we'll look at going away somewhere for a couple of weeks, where we can do a whole lot more nothing." Keeley laughed and quirked an eyebrow, stopping him in his tracks. He knew that look. It was her 'you lovely idiot' look.

"Come on Tom, you've never been the laid-back type. If we're going to visit somewhere, I know what'll happen; we'll end up going exploring. Sitting around relaxing will drive you crazy within two days."

Thomas laughed slightly, shaking his head. Girl's got a point, y'know.

"Well, maybe, but still. I've got no idea when I'll be back again after I go back on deployment. I want to spend as much time with both as you as I can. And I'll do my best to just lie on a beach for at least half an hour, for your sake."

Though she heard the jovialty in his voice, Keeley picked up on the tinge of sadness in his choice of words. She never lied in wishing he was around more, and she knew that he often wished the three of them could spend every second together, but she would never deny him the career – the lifestyle – that he loved so dearly. They were a strong enough couple that they could manage the time apart well, and modern communication technology was definitely a bonus.

Looking out the window of the apartment, Keeley noticed dusk beginning to fall onto what would become a beautiful late-summer's evening. An idea suddenly hit her.

Grabbing the young girl with one arm and Thomas' wrist with the other, she bounded up and pulled him towards the front door.

"We're going into town" She simply stated.

As evening fell, Thomas found himself once again looking fondly out of the skycar window at the Moscow skyline. I bet most of the people who call New York the greatest city in the world have never been here. He wasn't sure where Keeley was taking them, but he didn't mind. He was just happy to be here.

He caught a glimpse of Claudia in the rear-view mirror, sound asleep in her baby chair in the back of the car. Once again he felt a slight tinge of sadness, and he found himself wondering how much of her growing up he would miss while he was on his next deployment. While Keeley had set up a video VI in the apartment so there was always an eye on her, nothing would ever substitute seeing it first-hand.

He looked out of the window again and, to his surprise, once again found the familiar shape of St. Basil's Cathedral looming. The night was getting darker by the minute, streetlights beginning to line the roads.

Thomas realised where they were headed just as Keeley pulled up to the parking level of her old workplace – a leisure complex in the Kitai-Gorod district. This could only mean one thing – they were going to spend the evening wandering around the city aimlessly, simply taking in the architecture and the beauty. As the car stopped, he smiled at his wife.

"You know me too well."

FOUR WEEKS LATER

Palermo, Italy, European Union

Thomas thought he'd have been accustomed to ridiculous temperatures by now, but even this was extreme. 105 degree heat – at night-time – was just excessive. Sat on a beach somewhere in Italy – he didn't know exactly where, since Keeley had made all the arrangements - was not his idea of a holiday. He'd prefer to spend it poking about in caves and digging up seashells.

Even knowing he was already well over halfway through his leave, Thomas was still struggling to relax a little. He'd wandered down to the beach from the resort the family had come to for a week, the intense heat coupled with niggles in the back of his mind rendering him unable to sleep. He kept thinking about where he might end up exploring next. As more and more mass relays were discovered, activated and traversed, the galaxy just seemed to keep getting bigger and bigger. Given that it was mysterious alien technology allowing humans to travel the stars, he knew it was only a matter of time before they stumbled across an alien race.

The possibilities were limitless. He wondered about the long-rumoured "little green men" that were dreamed up in the very first alien conspiracy theories. They could look like giant crabs for all he knew, or two-legged, talking lizards.

Of course, the more obvious question was whether they would turn out to be hostile or friendly.

As if on cue, Thomas was distracted from his thoughts by a flashing from his omni-tool, indicating an incoming call, still on silent from having been asleep earlier. Glancing at the readout, he saw it was Erika calling.

He opened the call, and her face flickered into view over his arm. Her jaw immediately dropped.

"Mamma mia! Wow, you've really let yourself go these last few weeks." Thomas suddenly became very aware that he was shirtless, and that Erika could never resist any opportunity to poke fun at anyone. To his relief, he spotted the playful glint in her eye.

"Ha ha. This is what happens when I get to stay planetside and eat as much pizza as I like." A smug grin appeared on his face. Her eyes narrowed slightly, regretting telling him her one food-related weakness.

"Oh, it's like that, huh? I'd hate to have to recommend that Admiral Drescher arrange an intensive weekend-long physical before you can return to duty."

Thomas' stomach tightened in horror at the thought, but he kept the jovial façade going anyway. "Bring it. It always makes me look good to knock a punchbag clean off the wall."

"Uh huh. Having your wrist bandaged up for three weeks looked great as well."

He sniffed, conceding the point. One day, I will out-banter you. One day. "Touche."

Erika simply smiled. "Where are you, anyway?"

"Some resort in bella Italia. I'm not exactly sure where, Keeley picked the place out."

"Wow, Italy? I wouldn't have had you down as the beachgoing, tanning type."

"Tell me about it. I'm here at the complete wrong time of day for a start." Erika smiled knowingly, before getting to her point.

"Just wanted to give you an update on the planet you checked out. Colonisation rights are being formally handed to China this weekend coming, and the word is that they'll be naming it Shanxi."

"China, huh? Fair enough. They have kind of sat back from colonisation efforts so far."

"Exactly, when they expressed interest in this one, they were given priority. Should be a big news announcement about it once it's all sorted."

A thought suddenly flashed across Thomas' mind, poking at him from his earlier thoughts. "Any idea if there's any kind of security force arranged for the colony yet?"

Erika raised an eyebrow. That'll be a no, then.

"Actually, I don't. I'll mention it to the higher-ups, see if there's anything to tell."

"Good idea. We can never be too sure when we don't know what's out there yet."

"True. I wouldn't have expected you to think of that, Thomas. Something on your mind?"

Thomas took a long blink, and looked up at nothing in particular. "Not as such. Just call it a bad daydream for now."

Erika's eyebrow flickered again. "You sure you're OK? I know you struggle to relax sometimes, but this is weird even for you."

"Gee, thanks." Thomas replied with mock indignation. "Don't worry, I'll be fine once I've had more pizza."

Erika rolled her eyes again and laughed. "Don't think I won't call him." Thomas smiled and waved apologetically.

"Cheer up," she continued. "Just relax and enjoy the rest of your holiday. Don't worry about a thing."

"I'll try. Thanks, Captain." She gave him a slight sideways look and a smile, the kind when he'd said something she pretended not to like and was waiting for him to notice. After a few seconds, he realised, and smiled to himself, shaking his head. "I did say I'd have to work on it."

She laughed again, and gave him her trademark wink. "Say hi to Keeley and Claudia for me. Arrivederci, amico."

The vidcall screen disappeared from view, and Thomas let out a heavy sigh. She's right, leave's pointless if you don't relax. He lay down on the beach and just looked up at the stars, listening to the waves. To his surprise, the sound began to soothe him, and he slowly found his worries beginning to melt away.

He got so lost in staring into space and listening to the rustle of the water hitting the beachfront that he almost didn't hear sandy footsteps approaching. He brought up a time display on his omni-tool and, to his shock, found it was 3am. Crap, I've been out here for three hours. He craned his head further back and saw an upside-down version of Keeley walking towards him, with Claudia completely comatose on her shoulder.

"Couldn't sleep?" She said sympathetically, settling herself down next to him.

"Nope. Way too hot. And… just a few little worries, I guess."

"Oh?"

Thomas stopped himself for a second, before remembering who he was talking to. "I mean, we're using ancient alien tech to explore the stars. Aliens do exist. What happens when we run into them?"

He sat up, worriedly. "Sometimes I feel like I'm poking through a jungle, worrying that I might get jumped by a lion any second."

With her free arm, Keeley placed a comforting hand on Thomas' shoulder.

"Hey, for all we know, they could be friendly. They might be in the exact same position as us, just making their way and wondering what they might come across." Keeley tried her best to be comforting. "Of course there's risk, but if we can't hide from exploring. It's human nature. Especially yours." She gave him a playful elbow to the rib, and to her relief, he laughed.

"Just think. You could end up becoming the Christopher Columbus of our age."

Thomas looked round at her, a sarcastic "really?" plastered all over his face. She met his eyes and giggled.

"Ok, maybe not. But you get what I mean."

Thomas nodded, and to Keeley's relief, physically relaxed. Once again, he laid back, staring at the stars, before a gurgling from Keeley's direction indicated that Claudia had woken up. He saw her looking up at the stars in the night sky, a look of pure wonderment on her face. Just by looking at her, Thomas found his resolve strengthening.

I'll do it all for you two.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Alliance Headquarters, Vancouver, Canada

Parking the skycar, Thomas walked toward the Officers' Common Hall with a spring in his step. The last couple of days had been horrible, knowing he would be leaving his wife and daughter behind once again, for a length of time that he didn't even know yet. But now, he told himself, is the time to knuckle down and get on with it. He'd felt a renewed sense of confidence upon pulling on his uniform again, and he suddenly felt as if he could take on anything.

He quickly reached the large, imposing double doors of the Hall. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and entered. Almost immediately, a booming voice greeted him from his right, almost making him jump and disarming him of a piece of his confidence momentarily.

"Well well, if it isn't Captain Jameson! Good to have you back!"

Thomas found himself slightly taken aback by Admiral Drescher's overenthusiastic – as far as he knew – greeting. The Admiral strode over to him and offered his hand to shake once again, which Thomas sheepishly accepted. Is this what I can expect now I'm a Captain? Definitely going to take some getting used to. He spotted the petite figure of Erika in the corner nearby, who turned and smiled at him upon the Admiral's announcement.

"I'm guessing you saw the news, Captain? The Chinese expect to officially establish the colony of Shanxi in six to nine months, and they'll have you to thank for it."

"Also, Captain Ziemelis passed on your suggestion regarding a security force. We'll have two battalions based there in rotation, as will all future colonies. Frankly, I'm surprised no-one raised this concern earlier. Good thinking, Jameson."

Thomas felt a familiar huff of pride. Erika caught his eye again, and once again, she gave him a reassuring wink and smile.

"That said, now that you're commanding an entire flotilla, you'll need further combat training. So tomorrow, you'll be heading for the training facility on Luna, where you'll undergo three weeks of intensive fitness training and zero-G combat preparation. I hope you're feeling fit and ready."

Thomas shot an accusing look at Erika, who raised her hands defensively and shook her head, mouthing, "That one wasn't me." He was inclined to believe her this time, but conceded that he'd probably never know for sure.

It was going to be a tough few weeks. He'd definitely be needing that mental picture of Keeley now.