Princess hummed as she washed the dishes. Nothing could spoil her good mood. Not even Tiny's incessant rude belching and Keyop's grumbling about having to work on such a beautiful day.

Jason sat down at the bar and watched her as she reached into the sudsy water for another dish.

"So, Mark had some deliveries today, didn't he?" Jason began.

"Yeah, way over in the Andes mountains. Seems like they'd want someone closer to make those deliveries. It's so far away." She complained.

"I know. But, you know how it goes… sensitive Federation documents…and Mark's the only one they can trust."

"Yeah…" Princess sighed and turned back to her soapy water. Her shoulders drooped a little.

"Don't worry, Prin. He'll be back before you know it." Jason comforted her. "Hey! And that reminds me! I have a bachelor party to plan now, don't I?" He teased.

"What? Jason…you'd better behave yourself!" She laughed and pelted her wet dishrag at the Condor. He reached up and grabbed it mid-flight and chuckled. "Don't worry…there will only be five strippers there instead of six…"

He smirked and handed her the dripping rag. "You know, I've got a race this afternoon. Why don't you and Keyop come down to the track? It will help pass the time while your "Lover boy" is gone."

"Not a bad idea…" Princess grinned. "Keyop could use some time away from this place, too."

888888888888888

A young woman sat by a clear stream in the forest. She dipped her toes in the icy water, attempting to keep cool in the steamy, heavy heat of the day. She gazed up through the thick foliage, barely able to make out the thick gray clouds which were building above her. A voice from behind her caught her attention.

"Claudia, what are you doing here? Your father is looking for you. He needs you to help him carry some plants back to the hut."

She saw a handsome young man carrying a bundle of large leaves he had harvested with her father. He dropped the bundle he was carrying and sat beside her, his eyes focused on the glistening water. A few drops of water made their way through the dense treetops, plunking on the woman's shoulders as she picked up a small stone and tossed it into the stream.

"What's wrong with you today?" He asked her. "You should be happy. You are about to marry the most desirable warrior in the village." He puffed out his chest proudly.

Claudia sighed, "I know, Antonio. It's not you, I…I just need more time. I'm not sure I'm ready to get married."

"More time? Hey, if the village elders say it's time for us to get married, then it's time for us to get married. We really don't have a lot to say about it." Antonio replied angrily.

"I have dreams, Antonio. I don't want to stay in this tiny village forever. I want to see the world." Claudia continued, "And you…you would stay here forever. The villagers practically worship you."

"There's nothing out there to see, Claudia. The world is an evil place, filled with danger…" Antonio spat. His pride had been damaged by a woman who was less than thrilled about marrying him.

The rain began to pour down, and lightning streaked across the sky.

Antonio stood up and offered his hand to Claudia. "We can talk about this another time. We need to hurry home."

Claudia allowed her fiancé to help her up, and the pair began to jog through the rainforest.

A huge rumble suddenly shook the forest, causing the pair to turn and look for the source of the noise. Their mouths gaped open as they noticed orange flames licking above the tree tops, with black smoke billowing toward the sky.

"Fire! We have to warn the village!" Antonio shouted. He grabbed Claudia by the hand and darted off toward the village.