Chapter 1 : Checking In

The automatic check-in station and it's glittering array of sensors signaled the Starship 22D3 that civilization was very near. Interstellar travel was monotonous at best to just about everyone. Sometimes a few individuals would enjoy the view of the moving portrait of stars far and near, allured to fanciful moods by either simple imagination or to philosophical ideas. Or for Commander Up, just something to gaze at blankly as his mind moved into auto-pilot.

The next objective called for a drop-off in the Tau Ceti system on the warm planet Eupraxia, a cultural hub of thirty-six million people. The military presence there was somewhat less than the other planets, and Up wondered the purpose of this objective. He had the goods yes, but the mundane nature of these kinds of missions annoyed him more than anything.

A heavy brow creased as firm hands jostled the controls and stayed the ships course as it floated uninterrupted through a series of beacons flanking either side. They turned from yellow to bright green as each pair of floating sensors passed by. The colors could be seen in Up's eyes if one were to be looking in them. His visage was masked in shadow and light for the cockpit was dim and his entrance was flanked by globes of light. Torches they were, signaling the hero and his steed and his band of champions.

"Yeah right."

He glanced for the fifth time at the fuel meter that was practically on empty. The red light was slowly flashing which added to the dance of yellow and green lasers. As long as it doesn't start flashing rapidly he still had enough to get to the nearest fuel pump.

This was Up's personal corvette. Something he took when he could when the higher ups would assign him to the more flexible missions, violent and non-violent alike. Since after the war, the League took away Up's main ship, a frigate, until "there's a dire need for independent use of such a ship-class for a man of your instability."

That was bullshit. And yet they were right. Up was unstable and perhaps unfit to possess a craft like that. Maybe for the rest of his life.

Up sighed.

Instances of the debriefing played back in his mind. What a mess that was. It took a great deal of coaxing for the brass to not blow Bug's face off, let alone to keep off the grunts that he encountered in the halls.

Bug. The first arthropod to become an ambassador. Up wondered how he was faring, some six hundred light years away.

He sighed again, deeper this time. His fingers tapped the controls.

Two years have passed by so quickly. The crew that dropped down on that bug-infested planet was not the crew he had now. There were only three present on the ship for this mission. Tootsie was no longer eligible to stay in service. So he retired with Ultrabeam much closer to home, on Titan to become a mineral driller. Up hasn't heard a word since. Excluding the forty-two second conversation with Specs whom just happened to be part of the terraforming crew on Callisto, one of Jupiter's many moons Tootsie frequents.

Tootsie. What the hell?

Up face palmed himself.

"You're a Ranger for three days and you retire because you married a robot."

Up could feel the urge to smoke rising.

"Least Specs is keeping him in check, I guess. She kinda looked a whole lot different that time...kinda nicer."

The last of the beacons fell in the distance as the beeped green and Up made sure his trajectory was centered on the planet's day side. He scanned in all directions for any approaching objects. Seeing all was clear, he shut the engines off. It was going to be at least an hour or two before they arrived.

A few seconds later a dull beep resonated from the dashboard. An icon was resonating a soft blue, floating on the translucent keyboard. Up tapped a finger onto the clear panel and a quarter second passed before Up could hear the person inhale slightly on the other end before speaking.

"Hello there. We see you are from G.L.E.E. Eupraxia welcomes you to her skies."

The voice was female and of a smooth timbre.

Up pitched his voice towards the speakers.

"That sounds good, we'll be sightseeing for awhile."

Pause.

"Charting course for most convenient spaceport. Enjoy your stay," the woman said.

Up tapped his finger on the same button and kicked his feet while he waited. He finally caved in and fashioned a cigar from one of his pockets and lit it using an out-of-date zippo lighter. A moment later he increased the ventilation so the smoke wouldn't linger.

From the back another voice rung out and into the cockpit Also a woman. A somewhat more mezzo and edgier tone this one.

"Jou should quit that stuff. Das bad for you, y'know," Taz said. She made her way to the adjacent seat next to Up.

"Sorry honey, didn't know you was awake," Up apologized with a not-so-apologetic tone.

"Irrelevant," she said. "Wanna turn the lights on?"

Up said nothing. Taz made a look of indifference. The dim-lit room was comforting.

"I jus' wanna get this shit over with already," Taz grumbled.

Up looked at Taz for a brief moment before stretching his arms out as he gazed at the ceiling before turning to Taz. "Aw hell, it's not that bad. We'll be cut loose for a lil' while, and Eupraxia is a pretty exciting place anyways."

"Jou gonna coast this boat 'till we get close, yeah?" She asked, steering her tone more softly.

Up nodded. "Mhm."

Taz rubbed her arms as if to ward off a chill. There was the stink of the stale cigar hanging in the air. She would have to take a shower.

Up glanced at her and saw she was looking at the star. A tired yet thoughtful face. Her jaw was clenched straight and her posture modest. She looked beautiful the way the light was hitting her face. Her bandana was absent and her head of hair was flowing more freely.

"Okay," he simply said as he dropped the cigar to the floor and with a soft crunch put it out with his heel. A swirl of smoke floated away and he fanned it opposite of Taz. He let the vents run for another minute to suck out all the fumes before switching them off.

"Say Taz, let's go get some good food or somethin' when we land."

"What kinda food?"

"Ehh, I dunno. How 'bout somethin' spicy? Mexican or whatever. Watcha' feel like?"

Taz shrugged. "Mexican's alright."

"Awesome. Dress provocative too. Somethin' hot. Somethin' that'll make everyone—OW!" Up clenched his shin as Taz retracted her boot from a kick.

"I dress however!" Taz roared and stuck her chin up in the air.

"Okay you're right, my bad."

The two entered comfortable silence once again. This time it was Taz who glanced at Up, who was punching in commands on the console. Up made sure the ships center of gravity was aligned with the path control he was provided earlier before turning the engines off. He waited a moment to make sure the ship stayed it's course. Satisfied he leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet back up.

Taz was watching him work, eying him the whole time. His movements were placid and demeanor reserved. A little too placid and reserved.

"Someting on jou're mind? Jou been acting tranquilo since we jumped from Eps," Taz asked.

Up shook his head.

"Out with it."

Up licked his lips before speaking. Though his lips were wet, his voice was dry and dull.

"Not a whole lot. It'll be two weeks after the drop when we'll havta to report back to HQ. There's not so much incentive for this little errand. And the cargo we have don't seem to be a priority," Up jabbed his thumb towards the elongated metal case in the safe room. The contents inside weren't mentioned and Up couldn't help but wonder the importance (or unimportance) of it as he picked it up from a shop like it was a pawned item. It was that simple: they landed, they got the goods, and left.

"Which kinda makes me feel like we're not a priority."

Taz frowned.

"Almost feels like they're doggin' us, last four missions been the same thing: pick some stuff up, make sure some stuff goes good, or come back with some stuff. And the way the higher-ups act when I'm around. Downright rude and egotistical."

Up corrected himself. "Well, feels like they're doggin ME. You just got back from a fight with some space pirates."

Taz couldn't help but agree. She noticed too that when Up would check on her every now and then, he'd have the same general story. What was Up implying though? Brass didn't think he had what he took anymore? Last time Up was in any sort of battle was a little after Bug planet with a rogue group of Rangers.

"That was about a year ago," she thought.

"But yeah, I was real glad when you got this job with me. I mean, we're in Alpha company and more and more people show up so it's getting kinda..."

"...crowded," Taz finished.

"I'm just sayin', the brass has me doing peasant work and it's pissin' me off."

Taz could understand that. But Up still wasn't at ease.

"Dat it?"

Up's forehead creased and his lips pulled upward as if deep in thought.

"He's holding something back."

"Maybe later. " Up said firmly.

Before she could speak, Krayonder poked his head in. His face was floating in the near-darkness and a perplexing look was plastered on his face.

"Heyyy sir, we're gonna need some more coffee. We're all out, man, " Krayonder said loudly.

Without missing a beat, Up turned around and had his face right in Krayonder's with a wide-eyed look and spoke in equal volume and Taz couldn't help but smirk, already expecting what sort of response Up had for the young soldier.

"Heyyy thanks, guy! You'll get right on it as soon as we land, right boy? Wouldn't wanna get caught eatin' green eggs and ham without some goddamn space coffee now would we?"

Krayonder was totally oblivious to the situation and chuckled, "I guess not sir, haha. You got it." He began to walk out and turned around for another second. "Hey. Uh...nevermind." And with that, Krayonder stumbled out of the cockpit, repeating "space coffee" in a low voice to himself.

"He musta been smokin'," Taz said flatly.

"He should share," Up half-confessed. "Actually probably not."

"Yeah, a lil' mota we be down on dat planet forever," Taz said. She spoke almost absentmindedly.

Up regarded her for a moment with a quixotic expression, before turning his attention forward while playing idle day fantasies to such a quaint scenario.

"I don't need things to help me relax...but to stay here?"

Up's thoughts returned to the case he was charged with. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. The contents inside the box was not so much importance to him as much is it was important to the people he delivered it to.

He couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Author's Note: When Taz refers to "Eps," she is referring to Epsilon Eridani, a star system.