• So I tried to sit up and a wave of nausea hit me like a ton of bricks. I think I must have turned an odd shade of green because Katey reached over and grabbed a metal trash can, which she shoved under my face. I emptied the meager contents of my stomach into it, and proceeded to dry heave. Kimberly looked at me with worry clouding her brown eyes. I wanted to stop throwing up, but my body just wouldn’t stop as I wanted it to. When I finally stopped, I think I was as pale as Katey. “How long have I been here?” I questioned.

    Brittany looked at me and replied, “Three days.”

    I bolted upright. “Three days? I’ve got to a hold of Chris!” I cried out and jumped out of the bed.

    That’s about the time I realized that I was in a hospital gown, not my uniform. “Okay, who the hell put this crap on me, and where is my uniform?” I asked calmly.

    Brittany raised her hand slowly. They knew how I felt about my uniform. I loved it, not to mention spent most of my life in the academy training just for the right to wear the damn thing. Plus it was that awesome shade of olive green. “Okay, Britt, where is it?” I asked slowly.

    She pointed to one of the shelves on the wall, and there it was. I told everyone to exit stage right and let me change. As they filed out I walked over to my clothes and took off my stupid looking hospital gown. “These things are undignified to wear.” I muttered.

    I slid into my beloved uniform and smoothed out the fabric, loving the texture of it under my hands. I brushed and tied my long dark brown hair back, and walked over to the wall monitor. Before I touched the bio-sensor, I checked the four stars on each shoulder, the patches on each arm, the medals on my chest, and found them in satisfactory condition. I placed my hand on the sensor and said, “Master General Jo-Jo Villafane. Code three, seven, alpha. Ship, The Destiny.”

    An electronic female voice answered me. “Welcome back, General. Who would you like to contact?”

    “Lieutenant General Christopher Wayne Dallas. Ship, The Deliverer.” I responded.

    There was some kind of music that likened to elevator music and then there was a face on the monitor. His short sandy blonde hair in its usual disarray, his light tan skin made me smile, the glasses that framed his beautiful brown eyes clean, not so usual. “Hey hun.” I said happily.

    “Well, hello babe. How are you doing?” He replied.

    “Good, good. Sorry about not contacting you earlier. I got injured.” I told him sheepishly.

    Shock filled his eyes. “You got injured? How is that possible? You’re Superwoman!” He blurted out.

    “Or not! I’m just as human as you hun. I just miss you so much.” I said back.

    “Well, in three weeks, I’ll be free to see you again.” He smiled and informed me.

    I did a stupid little happy dance in front of the monitor and we both laughed. “I can’t wait. I’ll be home in three weeks too, once we get Kim to her coronation. But there is a catch.” I stated.

    “Isn’t there always? What’s the catch of the day?” Chris joked.

    “The home world that we have to get to is in Suriamin territory. And it’s heavily guarded.” I told him.

    “Oh. Well that sucks.” He bluntly replied.

    I opened my mouth to speak, but the ship alarm went off just then. “All personnel, please report to the main room for battle detail. This is not a drill.” A voice said over the intercoms.

    “Well, I bid thee adieu. I love you Chris.” I told him.

    “I love you too. Be safe and kick butt!” He said and terminated the call.

    I smiled at the blank screen and walked over to the door, opening it. All around me there were soldiers running for the main room. I felt troubled as I ran with them. “Corporal Biel, what’s happening?” I asked the soldier next to me.

    “Dunno. We were all called without explanation.” He explained.

    I looked around and noticed that only part of the ship was responding. The far half of the ship still had lights visible through the large windows. Something was terribly wrong with this. I grabbed Biel’s uniform and pulled him to a stop. “This isn’t right. I didn’t recognize the speaker over the intercom. Wasn’t Private O’Hara supposed to pull that detail today?” I questioned.

    Corporal Biel thought for a second and it dawned on him. “Yeah he was. I would have known his voice. And they didn’t give any information about the status and they always do!”

    “How far are we from Teritha?” I asked.

    “About…two minutes.” He gasped.