Rick was finishing up a speech to the new pilot recruits when Louie came running in to interrupt.
"Admiral Hunter," Louie said urgently. "Admiral Hayes-Hunter wants you to report to her office immediately."
"What did you do now?" Max teased from behind him.
"I haven't done anything," Rick said in his defense. "Besides, Lisa and I have a great working relationship now."
Louie cleared his throat to get Rick's attention.
"I'm going," Rick assured Louie who looked quite nervous. "You won't get in trouble."

Rick arrived at Lisa's office only to find her gone.
"Hey," Lisa called him from behind the couch.
"What are you doing?" he asked in confusion.
"Look," she prompted him. She pointed to the amazing thing she had been witnessing before summoning Rick.
Rick dropped to his knees next to Lisa and watched as his little girl wobbled from the coffee table towards them. He caught her just as she was about to fall back on her bottom. He lifted her to him and gave her a proud kiss.
"I just put her down for a bit and she stood up and started to walk," Lisa explained. She has brought Clarisse to her office all this time instead of leaving her at day-care. She wanted to take care of her daughter herself having missed that hands-on experience from her own mother.
"You know what this means right?" Rick asked.
"What?"
"We'll have to child proof your office and our home," he said. He reluctantly put down Clarisse who was squirming in his arms to get back on the floor to practice walking.
"She's growing up so fast."
"Yeah, she's amazing," he said. "Thanks for not letting me miss this." He kissed Lisa on the forehead then watched and guided his daughter's slow walk around the room.
"So, have you given it more thought?" Lisa asked.
Rick fell silent a moment. He was still trying to understand how Lisa could have chosen the least likely candidate to be his daughter's guardian in case anything happened to both of them.
"I know it's a hard decision," she stated quietly. "But we have to make it now. Who knows what dangers we face?"
"But why did it have to be Exedore?" he finally said with an audible sigh. "He doesn't know anything about raising children."
"We don't know much about raising children ourselves," she teased, trying to lighten his mood.
"Can't we find someone else, someone less …" he didn't know what to say to express his fear.
"I think he is most qualified because he knows more about humans than anyone else I know. He has studied us remember? He is even fascinated by our culture." Lisa was able to see through his hesitation and wanted to ease his fears.
"Look at her," he said. "She's quite a handful. Are you sure he can handle it? I don't want her to turn into …"
"A sourpuss?" she joked again. "Look, I think that Exedore is more than capable. Miriya's proven a capable mother so why can't Exedore be a capable guardian?"
"But Miriya has Max to show her how to raise a child," he insisted.
"And Exedore would have their help, too," Lisa insisted in the same manner. "Besides, I think Miriya and Max will have their hands full with Miriya if raising Dana was any indication." She got up and went to pick up Clarisse who was ready for a nap.

"Hello Rick," Miriya greeted him as he stood on the catwalk overlooking the hangar bay.
"Hi Miriya," he greeted back.
"Is anything wrong? You have a strange look that Max calls the argued-with-Lisa look."
Rick couldn't help but smile at that comment. He knew that Max knew him well but now it seemed Miriya was as keen as he was.
"Perhaps I could help smooth things?" she offered. She felt it was her duty not just towards Rick and Lisa as her superiors but mostly because they were her friends.
"Can I ask you something? Why did you choose Lisa and me to be the guardians of Dana?"
"It was simple, Lisa showed great concern for Dana especially when we went on the mission to retrieve the satellite factory," she explained. "And Max said you would do anything for Lisa."
Rick recalled that moment when Lisa pushed him out of the way to catch Dana when Miriya tossed her over. He also remembered the gentle maternal look she had when Dana cooed to sleep in her arms. It's the same look she gets when Clarisse is in her arms and more.
"Why did you ask?" Miriya asked, cutting through his thoughts.
"Lisa and I can't agree on who to pick as guardian for Clarisse. She wants Exedore."
"I think Exedore may appear uncaring and militaristic as most Zentraedi's are but he is the fiercest defender of humans I have ever met," she revealed. "Lisa is right, he would be the best choice because he has studied human history and can impart much knowledge to her. And although he isn't a fighter, he is a great tactician and will defend her with his wit."
Rick realized his error and was grateful. He thanked Miriya and said goodbye.
Miriya watched as Rick disappeared in the lift. She had forgotten to ask him if he'd be willing to be the guardian of Maia this time.

Rick, Lisa, Max and Miriya watched as their daughters go through their toddler years. They tried their best to shelter them from the tumultuous years that alternated between peaceful and hostile encounters.
"Admiral Hayes-Hunter," the bridge officer drew her attention to her console. "You have to come see this."
"What is it?" she inquired and walked over. She had requested that they scan the surface of the latest planet that they were near.
"It looks like a human doll."
Lisa looked and was surprised to see what had caught her subordinate's attention. There laying on the ground was a small Minmei doll.
"How could it have gotten here?" she wondered as she studied the image on her screen as she showed it to her senior officers and colleagues.
"It was perhaps something that a Zentraedi soldier dropped accidentally," Exedore suggested. He knew there was reason to believe that the planet had once been a Zentraedi outpost. But why he couldn't surmise. And now this discovery meant that the outpost was established after their encounter with humans.
"Should we investigate further?" Rick asked.
"I think we should just leave it be. The planet looks to be abandoned." Edwards argued. He had already done a cursory scan when he passed the system. Now he was half-way across while the main fleet had just arrived.
"We could discover some clues as to why they passed by here or where they were going," Breetai explained.
Lisa weighed the arguments and options carefully. She knew that this could not be dismissed as casually as Edwards wanted. She needed time to decide so she adjourned the meeting halfway through. She asked for more scans of the planet surface to ensure there would be no surprises.

Rick was waiting for Lisa to join him for lunch at their usual restaurant when he saw Minmei approaching.
"Hi there Rick," she greeted cheerfully. "Waiting for Lisa?"
"Yeah, we're about to have lunch," he explained.
"Mind if I wait with you?" she asked, knowing that he wouldn't. "It seems like ages since I last saw you."
"We've all been busy," he said.
"Have you seen my recent movie? Tell me you liked it."
"Uhm, I haven't really had time to go watch movies," he made an excuse. "Clarisse takes up a lot of our time and it's not really a kid movie."
"Aww, but you will watch it won't you?" she insisted.
"I will," he promised.
"So where are we going next?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused by her question.
"Well, usually we are on to the next system but we've been here a while."
"How did you know?" he wondered. He knew that they informed the public about their progress but rarely needed to justify their decisions.
"Please don't be upset with me Rick," she replied. "But I'm dating a guy who told me that there is something interesting about our current location."
Rick guessed correctly that the guy she was dating must be part of the military or at least had inside information. But he wondered why she was suddenly so interested.
"What is so interesting anyway?" Minmei interrupted his thoughts.
Rick hesitated but eventually told Minmei about their discovery and what the implications were.

"What were you thinking Rick?" Lisa asked in exasperation. "You knew that information wasn't public knowledge."
"I just didn't think it was classified," Rick explained, following her into her office. "She needed to know since it was her doll that we found."
"You couldn't just think of something else to tell her?" she asked. She knew that he meant well but felt he divulged too much information; one which made her decision more difficult.
"She wants to help," he added.
"Rick, she's a civilian and this is a military mission," she reminded him. "It's not time for a field trip."
"You said that it wasn't a dangerous mission," he clarified. He suddenly felt worried letting her go, too. He insisted that he went with her but now wondered if he could convince her to stay.
"It shouldn't be," she tried to assure him, knowing what he was thinking at that moment. "But we've trained for any eventuality. Minmei is a civilian." She reiterated her point.
I'll be responsible for her," he tried to convince her. "You won't even know she's there."
"Admiral Hunter," Cindy called him from the door. "Louie says you're late for your meeting with your team."
"I'll be right there," he replied. "We can discuss this more later." He quickly gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug before leaving.
Lisa looked at Rick and wondered why he was adamant on this. She couldn't quite understand her own reaction to his insistence to take Minmei along. It wasn't like she was the jealous type and she felt secure in her relationship with Rick. But perhaps she was slightly troubled by how Minmei seemed to always get her way.

"Why is she coming with us?" Miriya asked Lisa when Minmei appeared at the hangar for the mission.
"It's alright," Lisa assured her. "It'll be over soon enough."
"If she talks too much, can I shoot her?" Miriya asked. Since Rick was taking Lisa as his passenger, Minmei was hers.
"I'm sorry Miriya, but I can't let you do that. Please bear with her for a while."
Miriya merely rolled her eyes, knowing that she would do anything for Lisa including put up with Minmei.
The two VTs arrive on the planet surface within hours and the quartet attempted to decipher the mystery of the doll.
After attempting multiple scans and analysis, they didn't make any progress. Lisa then ordered that they call it a day and continue in the morning. They found a clearing to setup camp and prepared a meal.
"This isn't so bad," Minmei commented about their rations.
"I'm glad you like it," Lisa replied when neither of her other companions were forthcoming.
Rick now slightly regretted bringing Minmei with them. Her constant questions had slowed their progress and so it necessitated them staying for a night. He had preferred to finish their work quickly and return home. He was preoccupied with building the tent that he hadn't notice Minmei approach him.
"It's a bit small for all of us," Minmei noted as she looked at the tent he had finished putting up.
"This is for you," he explained. "Miriya is putting hers up." He nodded his head towards Miriya who was repeating what he had just done.
"So we each get a tent of our own?"
"Pretty much," he said. After explaining how to get in and out of the tent, he headed to the spot where Lisa was setting up their double tent.
"Are you going to help me?" Lisa asked when she sensed Rick approach her.
"You were doing so well by yourself," he teased. "Besides, I like watching you stretch like that." He was actually planning on putting it up himself but knew Lisa wasn't the type to wait around. And her efforts did give him a good look at her form including the blush he saw coming as a result of his declaration. Then Lisa gave him a look that snapped him out of his idle thoughts that he made quick work of their tent.
"We need to start early," she stated. "Maybe Edwards was right, this is just a waste of time."
"I can't believe that you agree with him," he noted quietly.
"Let's just say that I'm glad he's not here to say 'I told you so'."

The following morning Lisa pored over the map they had and looked at the terrain. Something puzzled her but she couldn't figure it out. She was deep in thought that she didn't hear Rick approach bringing her breakfast.
"What's the matter?" Rick asked, seeing Lisa's serious look.
"I don't understand it, we are at the right coordinates but the landscape looks different from this map."
Rick scanned both the map and the surroundings. He noticed the shift as well.
"I can't believe that our sensors could be wrong," she said.
"Well, maybe we just need to have them recalibrated," he reasoned. "Those trees couldn't just have uprooted themselves and moved away."
"I don't know," she said.
"You worry too much," he said, trying to relieve her anxiety. "Anyway, what's the plan today?"
"Maybe we should split up," she suggested. "So we can finish sooner. Besides, I think Miriya is not going to survive another day of Minmei's constant questioning." She explained her suggestion when she saw Rick's brows furrow.
Rick was suddenly regretting bringing Minmei along.