Colonel Dana Sterling feels restless, as she had the past few weeks. There is just energy to burn, which she does by walking along the corridors, glancing at junior-ranking personnel as the Army colonel passes by. The senior officers' gym is among the locations that was uninhabitable, so no treadmill time or weight lifting.

While the protoculture matrix is fine, the other systems are another matter. Engineering teams, escorted by Space Marines, had visited the now unpressurized parts of the ship where the fold drives and the hyperspatial communications antennas are. There looked to be too much damage to the hyperspatial communications systems to be able to repair it with that the SDF-3 Pioneer crew had an board. One auxiliary fold drive is in good enough condition. But it would take about a hundred years, in its current condition, to get the ship to the nearest star. Dr. Lang of course has the most frequent meetings with Captain Rodrigo Ramirez and his staff. On the other hand, her skill set is not conducive in commanding a starship crew.

Dana hears some shouting from down the hall. She glimpses some men wearing white helmets entering.

After a few seconds, she sees some of the white-helmeted men- clearly Spacy Police- escort some gray-uniformed crewmen out.

A corporal looked in that same direction, and then walked towards Dana before stopping.

"Your top button's undone," she says.

The corporal places her fingers at her shirt. "Oh, sorry, ma'am,:" she says.

Dana could tell discipline is fraying. Years of service had taught her the importance of discipline.

And it also taught her how it can fray. People can get on edge.

Eventually, she meets with Captain Ramirez inside his office.

"Colonel," says the captain. "Is the admiral asking for a meeting?"

"No, not now. I guess I just wanted to talk to another high-ranking officer."

"Yeah. A lot of my high-ranking officers are so busy under the circumstances."

"I heard a fight earlier today."

"Yeah, we have them on punitive work details. We'll keep it off the books."

"Cut off from our homes, half of the ship uninhabitable, over four hundred light years from the nearest star. It is stressing us out. So many of us have families."

"Yeah," says Ramirez, pausing for a minute. "Before I left, my wife told me we were having another baby. She even showed me the ultrasound."

"May I see."

The captain removes the pendant that he had been wearing around his neck and presses a button. Dana sees a black-and-white image, seeing the big head and the tiny arms and legs and the surrounding placenta.

For a second, she recalls the memory of seeing the first ultrasound of the baby girl that would become Em.

"Congratulations, Captain," she says.

"Thank you, Colonel," he replies.

"I remember when I finally made it back to Tirol after being stranded on Spheris for over two weeks. I had fourteen days' leave after I got back. The first day, I spent it with my kids- Em and Nick. Their dad and got burgers and fries and soda for lunch and we all had our little picnic in the park. And then that evening, my in-laws volunteered to watch the kids, so George and I went to this fancy, expensive steakhouse in downtown Tiresia- expensive even on a general's salary." The army colonel smiles. "and then I had to leave again. And then after that whole business with that renegade general on Optera, I at least got to sleep at home for two weeks."

"It's the oath we took, Colonel."

"Well, there is one thing I would like to ask. I remember when I led a veritech hovertank team to fight against the Masters. That was fifteen years ago."

"Yeah, I didn't see close combat; I was an officer aboard ship at the time."

"I had to lead a bunch of kids who haven't finished puberty. I had the responsibility of providing stress relief, calming them down. Maybe that's what your crew needs, Captain. There has to be some entertainment we can provide; video games, board games, fitness classes." She looks at Ramirez's eyes. "I can tell you are running ragged, and your crew is running ragged too."

"I'll have to discuss it with my senior staff," says Captain Ramirez.

"I'm glad you were able to spare some time."

"I did need some casual conversation, Colonel."

Dana stands up and leaves. Upon opening the door, she finds two men in service khakis- one of them with black hair and amber-complected skin, the other with gray hair and fair skin.

"Chan, Hart," says the captain. "your timing is perfect."

oooooooooo

Helen Katsulas looks at the two guests. She then looks at the pan with hallloumi cheese and sliced kalamata olives, all soaked in oil.

"Opa!" she exclaims as she lights the pan on fire. Orange flames arise.

"Grandma does it best," says Emilia Katsulas.

"Gramma make fire cheese," says Nicodemes Katsulas.

"I say we can eat," says Georgious Katsulas, sitting down at the dining table in the back of the house.

Lisa Hayes-Hunter also takes her seat.

"I never actually met you before," she says. "George mentioned you once or twice."

"Dana mentioned working with you," replies Petros Katsulas. She looks at Lisa, who appears to be in her late fifties, with graying brown hair; she is only a few years younger than he is.

Lisa tastes some of the saganaki. It does have this slightly sour taste.

"you like it?" asks Helen.

"Why yes," she answers.

"We bought it at the Greek market," says George. "It's really expensive; we reserve it for special occasions." he looks at a fourteen-year-old boy with brown hair. "And how do you like the saganaki?"

"I like it," says Roy Hunter, who is the son of Rick and Lisa Hunter, and had come to the Katsulas residence with his mother. "I've had the salad and the lamb chops and pita, but not this."

"That's great, boy," says Petros. "No restaurant can compete with my dear Helen when it comes to flaming the saganaki."

"how's school?" em asks Roy.

"Well, I'm on summer break now," replies the teenage boy. "I go to Youth Camp three days out of the week and stuff."

"yeah, you do hang it with the big boys." Em had known Roy pretty much her whole life. He is the closest thing she has to a big brother. "You play with the big girls?"

"Not yet."

"We do want Roy to have a full life," says his mother, sipping a glass of red wine. "He is getting energetic at his age."

"I remember when I was fourteen," says George.

"I haven't forgotten what it was like when I was fourteen" says Helen.

Nick looks at Roy. "Can we play?" he asks.

"Uh, sure," replies the teenage boy, wanting to get away from the old people conversation. He walks through the kitchen and into the living, with Nick and Em following him.

After a few minutes, Lisa steps outside to the backyard. She looks up at Planet Fantoma in the night sky.

George steps outside. "How are you and Roy doing?"

"We're still able to feel happy," she replies.

"I hosted this dinner for us so Em and Nick could feel relief. My stepmom is without peer in making saganaki."

"I have known about the SDF-3 for quite some time. I'm not on active duty, but I still work for the Council." Lisa looks up at Fantoma. "Rick and I had been reported missing on more than one occasion."

"Yeah, Dana was trapped on Spheris with Rick and some others for a few weeks nearly two years ago. And she told me she was once captured by the Masters."

"They have to come back."

George looks at the the night sky which only has a few clouds.

He once again wonders where Dana is.

Oooooooooo

"And there we have it," says Dana.

"You do play well," says Lieutenant Colonel Minori Seto, placing down the controller before looking at the flatscreen monitor that shows a MATCH ENDED screen of a first-person shooting video game.

They and a few others of O-4 rank and above play video games on a console set up in this room, they had played a multi-player first-person shooter released on the market about four years ago.

"Here's to having some more frothy mugs of water," says a Spacy lieutenant commander.

Dana looks at her watch. "got to get going, guys. I have an appointment with a nurse?"

"Like a date?" asks a Space Marine major.

"Het, I'm married."

She walks down a corridor, smiling. Captain Ramirez clearly had put her advice to action. The tension of being isolated from the rest of humanity has eased somewhat.

She walks into the sick bay, seeing a dark-haired woman wearing a light blue outfit. She recognizes her as Lieutenant Jessica Aliganga of the Spacy Nurse Corps.

"How's it going?" she asks.

"Fine, ma'am," replies the Spacy nurse. "People's spirits of up. I heard it was you who advised the captain to organize entertainment events. There's a blackjack game."

"Yeah, but only for points, not for money like in Liberty or Harmony." She then notices a ring on Aliganga's finger. "married?"

"Engaged. My fiance and I have not set a date yet."

"You two will be alone for a while, but someone may join you at any time when you least expect. I know from experience, Lieutenant."

"That is why we set up this appointment, Colonel. Someone will be joining you in a few months.

"You are pregnant."