AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a fanfic based off of Team StarKid's musical, Starship. This fanfic takes place after the end of the show, as a continuation. I do not own any of these characters except for the recruits, and any and all credit goes to the StarKids themselves.

"Hey, Riker. Riker. Hey. Wake up," Kelvin whispered, shaking his friend roughly. No luck. Kelvin chewed his lip thoughtfully. He had to wake him quietly, so as not to disturb the others as well. The idea came to him, and he grabbed two pillows from his own bunk, the one directly above Riker's. He lay them end-to-end on the floor. He grabbed Riker by the pants with one hand and shirt collar with the other, and pulled him off the bunk, onto the pillows. The pillows muffled the sound and absorbed the impact. For the most part. Riker sat up as fast as if he'd just stuck his finger in an electrical socket. He looked like it, too. His white-blonde hair was ruffled and stuck up in every direction. He rubbed his eyes and blinked groggily at Kelvin.

"What th-"

Kelvin shot forward and covered Riker's mouth with his hand. Riker blinked in surprise and then nodded, indicating he understood the need for silence, and Kelvin pulled his hand away. He helped Riker to his feet, and the two boys silently made their way across the room. Kelvin stopped at the door.

"I already tried it," he whispered. "It's sealed."

"Where were you trying to go, and why were you going alone?" Riker asked, rubbing his eyes. He glanced at the analog clock that projected onto the far wall. The large, bright green numbers read '2:00 hrs'. He scowled at Kelvin "And if it's sealed, what was the purpose of waking me up at two in the morning?"

Kelvin ignored Riker's irritation and explained excitedly. "Don't you see? They've gotta be hidin' somethin'! Why would they seal the door to the barracks during the night?"

"So we don't leave."

"Exactly. And why wouldn't they want us to leave?"

Riker counted off the reasons on his fingers.

"'Cause it's our first day and night on the ship, they don't know or trust us enough yet, they don't want us aimlessly wandering about at night, maybe some kids sleepwalk- I don't know! There are a million logical reasons for them to seal us in our first night."

Kelvin shook his head adamantly.

"No. No, they're hiding something."

"And what-"

"Too loud!" Kelvin whispered urgently. Riker hadn't realized his own whisper was rising in volume. He started again, much quieter this time.

"And what evidence do you have to support this, huh? " he hissed. "That Commander Up didn't finish a sentence? That's not evidence! I don't know if you're just desperate for an adventure or what, but you're forcing together puzzle pieces that don't fit. And you can't make a puzzle out of just two pieces."

Kelvin was taken aback by his friend's short, sharp tirade.

"Jeeze, Riker, I didn't mean to-"

"It's two in the morning, and I can't function right now. Luckily for you, I probably won't even remember we had this conversation. I suggest not bringing it up. Good night." he stalked back to the bunk and burrowed under the sheets.


"Alright, recruits. De Commander has… disagreed with my training methods, so jou're getting off easy today." Taz paced back and forth, eyeing the recruits disdainfully as she addressed them. Her face was set in a scowl, an expression not unusual for her. The conversation she'd had with Up the previous night rang in her ears.

"Taz, you can't start shootin' at 'em the first day. They're just kids! You'll scare 'em away!"
"Aye, I'll scare de weak ones away. Dey'll have to get used to being shot at, an' if dey don't like it dey can leave now."

"They need at least a few days to adjust."
"What's dere to adjust to?"
"Well, the environment. Y'know, livin' on the ship an' all."

"Up, we don't have time for dem to sit around an' adjust! You should know dat better dan anyone! We need to weed out de amateurs, find de ones with potential, and train dem!"
"Just give 'em three days."
"Absolutely not."
"Please, Taz?"
"No. I don't… What is dat? Stop batting your eyes like dat! We can't… dere's no- one day. I'll give dem one day, and that's it."

The recruits stood at attention as she looked them over. She stopped at the end of the line, in front of Kelvin, and faced them all.
"Jou've got one day, and dat's all. Tomorrow training resumes, and I'll push jou twice as hard as I did yesterday. For today, wander about as jou please. Jou are to stay out of de Rangers' quarters, and I would strongly suggest jou not touch any equipment unless jou want some… unpleasant surprises." A smirk brushed her face momentarily, and the recruits shuddered as each imagined what the said surprises might be.
"Other dan dat, jou have free reign. Dismissed." The recruits all saluted and began to disperse. "Blondie, try not to run into any walls dis time," Taz added, looking pointedly at Riker. Riker's cheeks flushed a deep pink as a collective snort of amusement went up from his fellow trainees. Kelvin laughed the loudest and clapped him on the back.
"You're never gonna live that one down, bro."
"Fantastic."

"C'mon, let's get outta here. We got a Starship to explore!" His blue-gray eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and Riker grinned in spite of himself. Kelvin's energy was contagious.

"Alright, let's do this!"

Kelvin whooped loudly and bounded down the hall. Riker smiled to himself and shook his head before racing after him. As soon as he was out of the doorway he crashed right into Kelvin, who pulled him around the corner and into a room that branched off from the hall.
"What the hell, man?" Riker asked as Kelvin's fingers raced over the keypad, rapidly typing in numbers. The door slid shut, and Kelvin turned to face him. The excitement was still in his eyes, but they now twinkled with mischief.
"Don't you see, Rike? This is the perfect time to find out what they're up to!"

"What who's up to?" Riker recognized the voice immediately. He groaned and turned to face Xaria, who was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed. Kelvin was staring at her curiously.
"But…the door…I locked it… like, twenty seconds ago!"
"And I unlocked it ten seconds ago."

"How?"
"Doesn't matter. I overheard your conversation yesterday."
"What conversation?" Kelvin asked innocently.

"The one where you suggested the Rangers were hiding something from us."
"Oh. Yeah, that one."
"Why are you here?" Riker asked suspiciously. He didn't like Xaria in the least, and that much was blatantly clear.
"Still pouting about yesterday, I see," she said dryly.
"Oh, you mean when you made me look like an idiot in front of Taz and everyone else that will now never take me seriously? No, why on earth would I be pissed about that?"

"Oh, grow a pair. " She looked to Kelvin. "I ask again, what're you up to? What evidence do you have?"
"Not much," he admitted reluctantly. "The Commander said something along the lines of 'We can't have Taz scaring you guys away before-' and then he cut off and pushed us outta the room. And the doors to the bunks were sealed overnight. Seems weird that they'd lock us in, doesn't it?"
"It does not seem unreasonable to me. In fact, it is completely logical."

Kelvin and Riker swallowed hard as they turned to face Mega-Girl. Xaria had paled noticeably.

"You three are rather curious. A little too curious. What ever shall we do with you?" Mega-Girl asked coldly.
"How about nothing? Doing nothing would be great. Splendid, actually," Kelvin said meekly.
"The question was rhetorical."
"…Yeah. Yeah, I tried."

In one movement surprisingly swift for a robot, she lunged forward and grabbed both boys by the neck, tranquilizing them. She immediately dropped them, their bodies crumpling to the ground, and did the same to Xaria. None of them had even had time to react.


"Dey said what?"
"I understand. Your tiny human brain is too insignificant to absorb what I said the first two times, and so I shall have to repeat it yet again."

Taz cocked her zapper and aimed it at Mega-Girl.
"Jou watch jourself, toaster. Or maybe I shut jou down, and chop jou into tiny bits, and drop dem in de bathtub. And maybe dere will be piranhas in de water. And dey will eat jou up, and I will not have to listen to jour voice ever again. Jou like dat idea? I like dat idea."

Before Mega-Girl could make a sharp retort, Specs emerged from the room in front of which they stood.

"Well?" Taz demanded. Specs pushed her glasses up and made her report.
"They've been given a heavy sedative, approximately 7.8934% more powerful than the one used on February when the robot left us stranded and almost got us all killed."
Mega-Girl smirked in amusement at the memory, and Taz scowled at her.

"They won't wake for another six hours, at least. Oh, and there's a slight chance they may suffer some permanent brain damage."
Taz considered this, silent for a moment.
"Eh, I'm probably just going to kill dem anyway."

Specs saluted.
"Well, Lieutenant, I've got atmospheric readings and extraterrestrial communication signals to interpret, so I'll be on my way. "
"And I must go meet Tootsie for our date tonight."
Taz nodded and waved them off.

"I'll take care of dese tree."
They parted ways, Specs scurrying off to her lab and Mega-Girl gliding off to find her husband.


Half an hour later, Up passed through the hall. He stopped when he saw Taz sitting with her back to the door, zapper resting on her knees.

"Taz! Just the Ranger I was lookin' for!"
"Qué?"

"Well, um, I was thinkin'- I mean, I thought maybe- If…. If you're not busy- Later we could- There's- Perhaps- that is, if-"

Taz raised an eyebrow as he scratched the back of his head, floundering to find his words.

"Up, what de hell are jou talkin' about?"

"Maybe we could watch a movie?"
"I'm busy."
"Oh." Up was crestfallen, but concealed it well enough. "Yeah, right. Um, well, maybe another time."

Taz watched him continue down the hall, his shoulders hunched forward in defeat. She felt a prick of an emotion she didn't recognize as he passed out of sight. She shook her head, but the feeling remained.

"De hell…?"
Moments later, it was gone.

Next Chapter: When Riker, Kelvin, and Xaria regain consciousness, they find themselves in a less than desirable situation; face-to-face with Taz and her best friends, her knife and zapper.