The next morning, Nack and Dune both awoke early and trudged their way to the mess hall tent. Inside were long tables with benches that were dotted with raiders eating their fill of slop and gruel. Low murmurs and grunts rose around as the outlaws ate, "Well, c'mon kid, let's get some grub," said Nack with a shrug. They got in line and each got bowls of white pasty mush. As the pair sat down at the end of a table, avoiding any of the other raiders – who didn't seem to approve of the duo's presence – they dug in.

With each swallow of the slop, Dune was reminded of the night he had met Nack, and how the weasel had poisoned Jaff and Lester. Each spoonful wrought a grimace on Dune's face. The sand cat looked over at Nack and saw that he had no trouble eating, his perpetual fang-grin ever present.

"Nack, I'm not that hungry - I'm just going to dump this stuff, alright?" stated Dune.

The purple weasel waved his hand at Dune, "Yeah, sure kid."

The feline stood up and tossed his dishes into a large bin near the tables where the other dirty bowls and utensils were dumped. The flies and smell of the bin did not give Dune any incentive to stay around much longer as he turned around to leave the mess hall tent. However, someone was in his way.

An echidna with a violet hue, emerald eyes, and a stern look that said she had something to say.

"You – you're Dune Copperstone, correct?" the echidna said with an official ring to her voice.

Dune narrowed his eyes at the echidna who stood with her hands on her hips, "Yeah, that's me... Can I help you with something?" he asked warily.

None of the other raiders seemed to pay Dune much mind, however, certain raiders were making a higher investment into Delai-Li.

"You're coming with me for a training regiment, feline. By the way, you'll refer to me as 'Commander' – Commander Delai-Li, is that understood?" the violet echidna stated.

"My mistake, 'Commander'," Dune replied dryly.

Delai-Li glared at Dune with annoyed gaze and beckoned him to follow her.

As Dune and Delai-Li left the tent, Nack pulled the brim of his hat low and smiled, 'Finally.'

-

"... should be here within the week, sire," finished St. John as he slid a small stack of papers inside an envelope. King Acorn let out a relieved sigh and felt a smile slowly grow on his face, "It will be wonderful to finally have Elias and Alicia home again, thank you, Geoffry," he said calmly. The skunk shifted another manila envelope around and opened it, "Sire, I have the latest update on Copperstone."

The king opened his eyes and sat up in his throne, "Yes, St. John – what has your surveillance team reported?"

-

Delai-Li's badlander kicked up dust as the aged vehicle roared across the Mobian Badlands. Dune sat in the passenger seat looking at the old car, which seemed to have multiple metals welded together haphazardly to the frame. The sand cat looked out across the Badlands, eying a vast desolate plain with no sign of life, save for the raider encampment they left behind them.

"Why does Gunnar want me to learn how to use his toys?" shouted Dune over the dirty roar of the engine.

"Why don't you go ask him yourself?" she shouted back with a small smug smile.

After a few more minutes of driving far out into the Badlands, Delai-Li stopped the car and the pair climbed out, slamming the doors of the car shut. A few yards away was a make shift target range that the two approached. The violet echidna unholstered her revolver and put it in Dune's hand, "Have you used anything like this before, feline?" she asked him as he gripped the handle firmly, putting his thumb on the hammer.

"No... I've seen something similar, but nothing this small," Dune stated as he turned the firearm around in his hand, the black sheen of the metal reflecting in the bright daylight. Delai-Li instructed him how to load and cock the weapon, as well as how to aim the revolver. The weight of the gun felt heavy in Dune's hands as he lined the iron-sights up; he aimed at a small glass bottle a few yards away on the range. After taking a few shots, Dune's wrist began to feel sore, "I'm not sure if I like this weapon, Delai-Li," he stated after dropping the empty shells out of the drum of the revolver and held it out for her.

She took the gun, reloaded it, and holstered the weapon on her hip, "As long as you understand how to use it... That is all that matters for now, feline," she stated quickly.

Dune bit the side of his cheek for a moment, "You're aware of my name, aren't you?"

The violet echidna smirked and opened the driver side door of the badlander, standing behind it, "It's time for you to learn how to drive, Dune."

The sand cat smirked himself and walked over to her, "Thank you, Commander Delai-Li," he said as he sat in the driver seat.

-

"... past two weeks he's been with the weasel, Sire, and if you ask me, I'm almost positive he's gone rogue. With your approval, we'll begin preparation for a strike team to -"

"That won't be necessary, St. John," interrupted King Acorn.

The skunk looked at the king surprised and began to protest, "But, sir he -"

"I do not need to repeat myself, especially since I do not remember asking you what your recommended course of action was," stated Acorn, aggravated, "Sending in a team would put Mobotropolis in jeopardy... And I do not believe young Dune would forget our bargain so hastily."

"I apologize, Sire. Should I keep you posted on his activity?" inquired St. John

"Yes... Yes, please, St. John," stated King Acorn as he rubbed his temples, "That will be all for now."

-

Dune pulled up on the handbrake and drifted the car to a grinding halt, fishtailing the car to a stop. With a wide smile on his face, he looked over at Delai-Li who had her hands firmly placed on the dash board with her dreads hiding her face. The sand cat let out a satisfied sigh, "I like this thing," he said with a chuckle.

"You... Are insane," Delai-Li said as she attempted to regain her composure, "These cars aren't toys, Dune. They also weren't meant for handling like that. I'm surprised the engine didn't fall out!"

The sand cat laughed a little more sinisterly to himself as he sat back in the drivers seat, extending his feet past the pedals, "Hearing you say that reminds me of someone," he said quietly.

Delai-Li raised an eyebrow and turned towards the sand cat, "Really now? Who might that be?" she asked.

Dune stammered for a moment, "Eh, no one worth talking about right now," he quickly spat out.

"It's your mother isn't it?" the violet echidna asked non-chalantly.

He looked at her in shock, "I..."

Delia-Li chuckled lightly, "My father would always say that mothers warn their sons, while fathers encourage their sons to do the things their mothers warned them not to do," she said with a soft smile.

Surprised, Dune blinked, "I... Never knew my father," he said lowly.

"... I'm sorry, Dune," Delai-Li said empathetically, "I never met my mother."

"All I had was my mother..." he said with a reserved smile, "I always thought I'd have her around."

"Don't we all feel that way about our parents?" asked Delai-Li.

The sand cat brought his eyes up and looked directly into the emerald eyes of the echidna that sat across from him, then looked back down at the dash of the badlander, remaining silent. The only response was the groan of the wind that raced across the dusty plains.