A week had passed since the missile attack on the Holloway shuttle, and the small group that had decided to make its way to OED V was finally approaching the colony, after the full week’s journey from Earth.

The CCDA’s temporary restricted measures meant that no shuttle was to land but rather all passengers were to be transported down after clearing customs.

“I’ve requested that all our luggage be transported to our house.” Came the heavily British accented voice of Captain Amelia Manning as she joined with the rest on the transporter pad after being the last on the customs line. The woman was a striking figure, with her dark hair up in a elegant knot, and wearing a tweed dress worthy of the British Royalty. Next to her, her husband, Lord Peter Manning IV, waited patiently for the large public transporter pad to fill up enough so that they could go down to the planet.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have bothered! We’re staying at my sister’s place.” The voice was that of Erin Hazen-Cooper, a petite woman, years younger than Manning. Her fiery red hair was almost as magnificent as the ‘haute couture’ pale green summer dress she was wearing, and her figure was known well enough to make a few eyes turn and fingers point in her direction.

“Mrs. Cooper, with all due respect.” The scowl was almost audible in Manning’s tone, but her lips curled into a smirk. “You’re staying in our estate at the request of Captain Holloway herself. The last thing she currently needs is to be dealing with guests, no matter who they are. If you want a change in plans, feel free to take it up with her, but I am not the one that’s going to end up on the good Captain’s wrong side. So, your luggage will be at our place.”

Erin opened her mouth to reply, but her Gavin’s gentle squeeze on her hand told her to drop the subject.

“Erin, Captain Manning is right.” Robert Hazen, a slender man in his late fifties, looking more like a tourist than anyone else in the group, intervened. “We’re here to support your sister. The last thing she needs right now is more on her plate than she already has.”

Amelia shot Hazen an appreciative smile. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Holloway’s sister. It was rather that the young woman annoyed her with her righteous ‘new money’ attitude.

It was then that a warning klaxon sounded and the comms came to life. =/\= Attention all transporter passengers. Please standby for transport in thirty seconds. This is a transport bound for OED V’s center city shuttleport. As a temporary safety measure for all OED visitors and inhabitants, all inbound shuttle traffic has been strictly forbidden. For connecting shuttle flights, please visit the arrivals desk. We apologize for the inconvenience and welcome you to OED V. We hope you enjoy your stay. Please prepare for transport in five, four, three, two, one. Energize. =/\=

With the usual large transporter energy beams, the full thirty passengers in the transporter pad landed in OED V’s shuttleport. Reorganizing in the middle of the crowd, they set off. First to the Mannings’ home, and later to Sacred Heart Hospital.

Holloway’s (and Harris’s) visiting family and friends