“Commander, the anomalies are causing trouble in the brig again. Particularly that troublesome one. We do our best to avoid fatalities, as you’ve commanded. But just today we’ve had two men sent to the infirmary. Something needs to be done.”

A buzz sounded as Fais’s commander chair swirled away from the bridge’s viewport and toward the saluting lieutenant.

“At ease, lieutenant. We do not yet know enough about these anomalies to risk letting those in our custody die. If there are those amongst them causing too much trouble, you may remove them to solitary confinement.”

“Yes, commander, will do. Also, on another note, there’s still the issue of the disturbance on Vaias. Our men have come under fire and have so far been unable to wrestle back control of the settlement from the anomalies. There is always the option of planetary bombardment, but of course, we wouldn’t be able to guarantee the safety of colonists.”

Commander Fais waved his hand. “That is a last resort, lieutenant. You may take another squadron of rangers to assist in retaking the settlement, but it will stretch us thinner than we already are.” The commander raised a hand to his face. “This entire sector has gone mad, and only six months from retirement. What did I do to deserve this.”

----------------------------------------

“Come on, you can do it. Just believe in yourself.”

“Yeah, listen to Rugsby,” Dez nodded along.

“You, of all people, trust me to fly us both down there?”

“Glide, and if Rugsby trusts in your ability, then so do I.”

“Since when did you become so trusting? You’re really starting to worry me, Dez.”

“You seemed like you had the whole gliding part figured out, jumping from those trees. This is essentially the same thing.” Rugsby shrugged.

“Except we’ll be crushed to mush if it doesn’t work out.”

“I mean, you could stay here. Wait for those rangers to show up. Who knows, maybe they’ll take it easy on you.”

Vern groaned. He certainly didn’t want to remain on the planet any longer than he needed to. But that was a long way down, even if he had more or less been gliding with success already. And something told him, that being convicted of genocide probably wasn’t going to work out well for him.

“I need a moment,” Vern finally huffed, peering over the edge, and jumping back the moment he did, heart pounding.

“Take all the time you need. Not like we’re being hunted by intergalactic rangers or anything.” Rugsby threw up his four little hands as he buzzed by Vern’s head.

“Ready?” Dez asked, approaching Vern from behind.

“For what?”

Dez hopped up and wrapped her legs around Vern’s waist, her arms around his chest, and pressed up against his back.

Vern froze. They might not have gotten along perfectly since meeting, but it had been a while, and Dez was physically gifted; to say the least.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, humaloid.” Dez sneered as if reading his thoughts. Though he knew she wasn’t, he was used to that invasive feeling by now.

“Oh well, stuff it.” Vern groaned. “If we’re going to die, might as well get it over with.”

He extended his wings as wide as he could, and stepped over the ledge, aiming downward as he had gotten used to when diving from the trees.

The wind took them immediately, filling his wings with air. It was an intoxicating feeling, and surprisingly easier than he had expected. Then again, he was jumping off a ledge hundreds of meters high into a windy canyon, it made sense he would fly easier here than when diving from trees in a dense forest.

However, fear quickly returned as Vern realized he had little ability to control their direction against the strong winds. He couldn’t just start flapping, he knew that. He still didn’t have enough control, and it had ended badly when he tried previously. No, he had the wind beneath his metaphorical sails, and he couldn’t lose it, or they would likely die.

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Dez gripped tighter, distracting Vern for a moment, and he wondered how he still had enough blood freely flowing in his body for such thoughts.

All he could do was try to aim, but the wind picked him up and flung them in one direction, then another, like a paper plane making its slow descent from a high rise.

Rugsby buzzed by a moment later, flicking Vern a thumbs up as he continued down to the ship. He was still pretty small, and they would likely be a lot of help getting the crystal back to the ship, but Vern ultimately knew the Skard didn’t actually need them.

That wasn’t going to happen. No, Vern had worked too hard. Almost died too many times. And that little alien had just woken up. No, there was no way he was going to let him escape without them.

Vern focused on his wings, the way he held them, the shape. He narrowed them, just a bit. Thinking back on his very basic understanding of aerodynamics and how he might use it to his advantage.

In all honesty, he half expected to lose the wind and drop from the sky but was pleasantly surprised when they started darting forward, in the direction he had planned.

He was actually flying, well kind of. Vern wasn’t certain he could control his direction if he tried to alter it again and wasn’t about to find out. He also couldn’t gain altitude. But it was all baby steps, and he had successfully made his next one.

The ride was still rocky, though, and they started to drift off course only a short distance from their destination.

“Oh, no,” Vern murmured as they simultaneously inched closer and further away. His foot was so close, he reached out, flailing through the air as the wind bobbed him up and down.

“Damn it, so close.”

Vern stretched as best he could, and the tip of his boot touched the rocky platform, but they were still moving, gliding sideways and back toward the canyon. Most of Vern’s body was still over the edge, but they would miss the target in seconds if he didn’t do something.

“Now or never,” Vern grunted as he tried to throw himself forward, flapping his wings as he did. The unexpected happened, and they started falling almost immediately. But that toe, with Vern pushing his strength against it, was just enough to throw their moment forward, and the duo came rolling onto the platform in an awkward jumble of limbs.

“Did it,” Vern groaned.

“With your usual lack of grace,” Dez concurred.

“You made it!” Rugsby buzzed over, clapping. “Now, the crystal, if you don’t mind. I’ll double in size over the next week, but carrying that thing is still a bit of a struggle in my current shape.”

“Give us a moment.”

“Caesidian slapstick, silly stuff.” Odis shook his head as he watched a holographic display coming from his armband. “Who greenlights this stuff, anyway?”

“Shh,” Dez hissed as she led the trio into the incubation room.

The ranger sat against the central podium, engrossed in whatever he was watching.

Dez shrugged and placed two fingers against her temple.

“Oh, just flexing the old lids,” Odis muttered as his eyes flickered. “A two-second rest of the eyes couldn’t hurt, surely.” He continued as he bobbed from side to side. “No one will ever-.” He fell to the side.

“Pretty nifty trick you got there,” Rugsby commented as they entered the room.

“You really think so?” Dez smiled.

“Knock it off,” Vern glared as he approached the crystal.

“A Trasik power core. The heart of the Skard fleets.” Rugsby tilted his head. “Usually bigger than this one though. But you have to earn the right to lead a bigger swarm. And I’m only a newly minted commander.”

“Yeah, we get it, Mr. Important. How are we supposed to get it down anyway?”

“Step aside,” Rugsby buzzed over to the incubation station and placed his hands against the alien runes marked across it.

Seconds later, orange light glowed from all over the device, escaping from any and all seems. Then, soundlessly the crystal began to descend.

“What are you waiting for, grab it.”

Vern reached out, expecting warmth but was surprised to find the crystal cold to the touch. It was heavy though, even with his improved strength. He guessed maybe fifty kilos, but it was nearly impossible to know since he hadn’t really been able to test his new strength in a controlled environment.

It reminded him of a medicine ball as he huffed and puffed, carrying it out to the vessel. The other two had watched, Vern barely realizing until he had already boarded the ship, the strain of the activity distracting him.

“Not half bad,” Rugsby nodded. “You might even make half-decent deckhands if you keep it up. Who knows, maybe I’ll have a job for you.”

“No thanks,” Vern grunted as he lowered the crystal into the core’s energy station.

Pipes and cables ran through the cramped engineering bay, which the energy station sat at the center of, with various tools and even a defunct-looking, tracked droid relegated to a dusty corner.

“Time to power her up,” Rugsby flashed, buzzing across to the cockpit.

Runes lit up in orange across the cockpit and lights throughout the vessel, the moment Rugsby pressed down on a central button. A whining hum soon followed, then a burst, a crackle, and clanking. Lots of clanking.

“She’s just getting fired up,” Rugsby reassured.

Black smoke soon enveloped the ship, and the little insectoid was quick to close the hatch and flick the air to recycle.

“Good as new.”

“Right,” Vern groaned.

The engines burst and puttered, plummeting smoke, and letting out a loud grating noise.

Moments later, as Rugsby still tapped at buttons the Kalmardian ranger ran out waving his phaser.

“He doesn’t look happy.”

“Almost there,” Rugsby replied, turning a dial and tapping another button. “Only need a little more juice in the engines.”

The ranger aimed his phaser, yelling; though they couldn’t hear him from inside the vessel.

“I think he’s going to shoot.”

“That little peashooter won’t harm a Skard vessel,” Rugsby dismissed as he wildly worked.

The ranger pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. He did it again. Still, nothing happened.

“Oh look, he’s out of ammo or something,” Vern mused as a powerful jolt shook the vessel.

“There we go,” Rugsby said, rubbing his hands before gripping down on the thruster. “Hold on to your larvae, boys, and girls. We’re going to space.”

"About time," Dez clapped.