And there, he entered the hangars. He and many other cadets. The ships all sat in tall silence, awaiting usage of their abilities and the hands of ambitious pilots wanting to steer into the starry unknowns up, above and beyond.

The class, while awaiting for their instructor to arrive, either stood around to wait, conversed with one another in small talk, or wandered around the open space to marvel at the Star Cruisers. All have heard and perhaps seen these wondrous spacecrafts, but none have ever flown in them before. Not until that day.

The instructor responsible for teaching them this was an Avian duck-like Space Ranger. Fairly tall in height, grey-brown in feathers, he gave the impression of a weathered and distinguished Space Ranger. His eyepatch over his left eye and the chip in his large bill added onto the cadets' awe when he approached them all. His eyes took in everyone present, standing in parade rest position and smirking discreetly before he finally addressed himself. "Good afternoon, cadets!"

"Good afternoon, sir!"

"Welcome to your first flying lesson. I'm Ranger Blade Ellington, your instructor for the semester. I don't think I'll have to tell you what we'll be learning in this course." This gained him a chuckle or two from his students. "But we're also going to be covering the basics of what I'll be expecting out of each and everyone of you for this course. Obviously, you know you need to follow the rules of courtesy and conduct, but you also need to know that for every session we have here, I'm going to be taking role call. This is not only for my benefit, but for yours too.

Because if you somehow slip up and miss class, you'll be automatically kicked out and shipped back in a shuttle to your homeworld."

Needless to say, many cadets of the regiment dropped their jaws, and other body parts, at this intimidating rule. How could any of them missed seeing that coming?! Fearful murmurs ran rampant amongst the crowd.

Rocket saw it coming. Living on Capital Planet and having some word of mouth around had its advantages. And so, he stood around with a small smirk planted on his features, feeling one step further ahead of the other cadets already.

The instructor managed to soothe everybody's fears through his quelling hands. "Hey, hey, relax! Relax...!" Once everyone quieted down, he continued. "It's a big bomb to drop, I know, but it is important that you all know this. Star Command's giving you the best education it can offer and we want you to come out of the Academy with every inch of that education absorbed into you. In the world of the Space Ranger Corps, and in life, being there for someone or something you care about is what will get you far in your careers and into the stars. If you don't show up, then you'll be dropped because Star Command will not want any lazy or incompetent bums out here.

However, I get the fact that sometimes you can't come to class because of health issues or if an emergency comes up. If something like that happens, then get into touch somehow with a classmate or with myself, and I'll excuse you from the role call and you don't have to worry about your attendance records dropping like flies."

Ellington was pleased to see some of the worries on the cadets fly away into nothing, if only for a moment. He and the other instructors always got a kick out of seeing fresh fish shrivel up out of fear, but it was never out of malice. If anything it was out of amusement; it was always interesting seeing the cadets' expectations of the Academy change.

Which he was going to talk about now. "Otherwise, be prepared to come to class every week because we have a lot of training to do. Especially when flying our lovely gals here." He hooked a thumb to motion the row of spacecrafts.

"These ships are more than just methods of transportation and symbols of Star Command's best, bravest and boldest. They're just as much Ranger material as the rest of us: they're tough, reliable, and always ready to help the universe and its citizens. But they've got an advantage above all of you newbies; they're faster than shooting stars and ready to push themselves to the limits, always trying to reach new heights and beyond when expected to perform their jobs.

So I've got one question for all of you:

...Are each of you ready to push yourselves?"

Looking around, Ellington glanced around his audience, looking into each of their eager and young faces, looking for the passions he knew were deep inside everyone, no matter how silent, shy or humble they might have appeared. And he knew what their answers were. They confirmed it with the one phrase he was always pleased to hear these new cadets say:

"SIR, YES, SIR!"

Grinning brilliantly, the instructor nodded. "Great! Then let's get to work. I'll split everyone up into teams and assign each of you a Star Cruiser. Once you're assigned, meet up with your teams outside your ship and then we'll fly right!" He then sent the class a confident wink.

With a cheer, everyone awaited for their designated teams to be assembled.

But a chill, unlike any other, would run through and past many of the cadets' veins, including Rocket. Despite the day's warmth, the chill was so spooky and mysterious that the Rangers almost froze in their tracks at its abrupt entrance and disappearance.


Finally, after some time wasted away in hanging out in the green wasteland, the instructor arrived to the scene. By the looks of her sea blue and funky dorsal fin-like hair and pale green skin, many of the cadets determined she was from the aquatic planet Vanora, a sister planet to Bathyos. However, unlike their fish-like Bathyosian cousins who faced difficulties breathing in the air above the water's surface, the more humanoid Vanorians possessed the advantage of walking in between air and water. This particular Vanorian was no exception.

Her viridian eyes darted around the site as she surveyed her students. So many faces to teach... another fresh class ready for lessons in the disciplinary arts of arrest and firearms. A ludic smirk flirted to and fro from her features before she acknowledged herself.

"Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, ma'am!"

"Welcome to your first lesson in Arrest and Firearms. I am, of course, Ranger Nema Verna, your instructor. I think a lot of you know the general drill by now about how we do things around here, but I'm going to repeat them to you anyway. Procedures and the like. So here's what what: you all know that you've got to behave and listen to the rules we have here, but here's the rule that tops them all.

We're going to take role every class. The reason? You miss even one class, you get kicked out of here and receive a one-way ticket back home."

Warp, in stark contrast to his horrified classmates, remained calm, with the only hint of emotion given off by his raised eyebrows. He had to hand it to Verna: she knew how to magnificently pitch curves to an unsuspecting group of newcomers to the Space Ranger Corps. He never would have guessed she was good at it from the way she was firmly standing to attention.

"Now, calm down! Calm down, class. Not all is lost!" After she reeled their attention again, she explained, "You see, we instructors are willing to be lenient towards your absences if you have a perfectly logical reason. If you're sick or you have some type of emergency come up, get into touch with a classmate or myself and I'll take it from there. And then you can rest easy." A small smile graced her features as she watched the collective tension evaporate away.

But the cadets would freeze again when Warp decided to ask an innocent question. "If I can ask, what's the catch involved?"

Verna regarded Warp with a squinting eye, as if she were a hard-boiled high school principal about to lecture an unruly teenager. With a politely sharp tone that would have made Commander Nebula sound like a bookish librarian, she addressed the cadet up in his face, her inner fire piercing his eyes. "Yes, there is. The catch is that you're provided the best education from Star Command. If you miss even one class, you'll be missing out on crucial information on how to do the job properly and the chance to make a real difference in the universe. And the more you push yourself to be the best you can be, the more you'll accomplish in taking on the evil that exists out there. Everyone gets a chance to shine as you as you know what your talents and skills are and put them to good use. Do I make myself clear?"

The bewildered Warp was in agreement with Verna's reply and showed it through holding his hands up in sheepish surrender. "Yes, ma'am!"

Glad to see she got her point across, Verna nodded. "Good." She turned away from Warp, the latter sweeping his brow in relief. He might have been a sucker for the ladies, but not for dangerously passionate ones. "Now speaking of skills, this class is, as you may have figured out from the title, going to be about learning how to make arrests and handle firearms appropriately, and not like what you see on the vid-phone, television or the movies. No, the procedures aren't always about shooting, or arresting in this case, first and asking questions later. You have to know if and when you should shoot and make arrests.

And that's what we're going to be learning about in this class. If there are any questions you have, ask them now or hold your peace."

After taking a quick glance at her students, all of whom remained silent, she nodded. "Alright then. Let's get started. Follow me, please."

She led them to the grey building.

On the way there, Warp shrugged off an annoying chill that swept past his body. But even the smart-mouthed cadet couldn't help but frown in perplexity at its mysterious persistence and power.


"Welcome to the official safe for our firearms."

All eyes were on the walls. Grey walls decorated by many models and brands of Star Command weaponry, all safely stowed and protected within the confines of this warehouse structure. The air was cool and dry as a brisk day in autumn, with the late summer warmth coming outside the open door. There were no windows or other doors built into the building.

Ranger Verna stood in the very center of the facility ahead of the class. "As you can see, Star Command has quite the array of weapons. Some of them are large, delivering powerful blasts of energy. Others are small, delivering the necessary shots for the target. In due time, all of you will eventually get to handle a few of these in the field. But there are a few tips you should know if you want to know how to handle these tools appropriately."

Verna went over to one of the walls, carefully plucked it from its secure spot and held it in her hands. Bigger than a pistol but smaller than a bazooka, the gun's shiny white exterior added onto its revolver-like build. "The first thing you need to remember at all times is that this weapon, like its many cousins, is a tool that should not be taken lightly. It can be a dangerous tool if you don't know how to handle it properly or if it's in the hands of the enemy. In other words, a firearm of any kind can either be a lifesaver or a weapon; it all depends on who's using it.

And I'm here to teach you how to use these tools the right way. We don't want any accidents here. So we'll start off small with this particular gun; you'll learn how to load and unload it with ammunition, turn the safety on and off and learn about its overall design. If we have time before class ends, you can all have a go at some targets we've got. Got that?"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"

Verna nodded in approval. "Good. Then let's start class." She carried the weapon and grabbed similar handguns before going back outside.

Everyone filed behind her and walked out of the room. All but one.

Warp stayed behind for a moment, eyeing the firearms with fascination and wonder. A small glint of awe quickly flashed in his eyes as he took in every detail of every weapon within the safe. The colors, the calibers, the coils, the safeties. For a swift second, an idea flashed forward in his mind; one of greed and money. But just as it came quickly, it went quickly.

He left last.


In the skies, the young cadets were experiencing the joys of flying on their own. The steamy streams left behind in the wake of the star cruisers served as eye candy for the people down below. Flying together and then by themselves, the groups of hopeful pilots followed Ellington's orders as they dashed to and fro, swerving through the air, diving down the wind, sound barriers mildly tested and some even broken: their booms echoed loudly high above the ground and away from the Academy. Showing off was a minor goal the students were accomplishing fast.

Especially Rocket Crockett.

Sitting in the pilot's seat, he was quick to familiarize himself with his ship: guidance system in his grasp, his seatbelt strapped in and around his waist, the control panel within his smooth power. He was one of the first to successfully perform all of the basic procedures. All in record time, as Ellington, operating as air traffic control down below on the earthy plane, observed.

The veteran Ranger had a feeling that this particular cadet would make it as a terrific pilot, if not one of the best.


Out in the field, the cadets were experiencing the punch these firearms carried. The various targets lay scattered and riddled with laser and plasma wounds and scars. They served as tokens of the first taste of responsibility that the students were to be bestowed upon them. One by one, Verna commanded them to oversee the weapon, practice setting the safety on and off, and recognizing how to hold it in their hands or away from themselves and others. Everyone was able to handle these weapons with precise care, not wanting to accidentally send someone to the infirmary. Some were even proven to be crackerjack shots.

Especially Warp Darkmatter.

Smirking as he held the firearm in his hands, he was fast in pinpointing his target with his right eye, his dominant eye. He took aim. Shots rounded off four times as the target before him fell over like a ton of bricks. Holding the firearm felt as if he had been given the secrets of the universe, feeling like he could do anything. Verna noticed his unsettling pleasure, deciding right then and there that he should keep an eye on him, should his pride and confidence get the better of him.

No Ranger on her watch was going to be corrupted with power.


"...And my instructor even said I executed the best spacecraft takeoff he ever saw!" With his chest puffed out in pride like a Jo-Adian roobit, Rocket was the epitome of a good first day at school.

He wasn't the only one. Warp boasted with equal pride, "Oh yeah? Well, I managed to memorize all the workings of the Star Command plasma handgun and shot the target dab smack in the center four times."

The two of them finished up their classes for the day and were now making their way back home. The routines in their classes, they would find upon swapping stories with Buzz and Ty, fell into line with what a typical first day at the Academy boiled down to: role call, taking responsibility for absences, outlining semester plans, the threats of jogging...and strange chills that neither party wanted to admit to feeling, but did anyway.

"Nice! I betcha the prof made you the star pupil, huh?"

Warp's smirk faded slightly. "I wish she did. She kept a close eye on me like I was a rabid dog or something."

"Really? Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. The only thing I've done was just ask her about a rule we have to follow. The attendance one."

Rocket understood which rule Warp was referring to. "Where if you don't show up with no good reason, you'll earn a one-way ticket to expulsion from the Academy?"

"That's the one. All I just asked was why we have to follow it and she gave me grief about it. Other than that, I can't think of anything else I might have done to upset her." Warp scowled as an afterthought. What was up with that teacher? It wasn't a crime to be curious about catches. But apparently it was, according to his instructor. He hoped he wouldn't have other instructors like her around the campus; that was the last thing he wanted.

Although Rocket didn't agree with the way Warp questioned his instructor, Rocket didn't see the need to call him on it. Instead, he focused on cheering the cadet up. Warp felt Rocket pat him on the back in assurance. "Ah, don't let her get to you, buddy. I know what'll cheer you up: the prank we planned for Buzz and Ty. Remember?"

Warp's dark mood lifted up when Rocket mentioned the joke. "Oh yeah, you're right...then in that case, I'll race ya home. First one there gets to pull it off!" Warp galloped away, with Rocket barely trailing behind. Both were eager to unwind and have a little fun from their day.


Meanwhile, back at the dorm...

"Hey Buzz, how are you doing on your homework?"

"Not too bad, although looking over some of these laws is almost like reading radio instructions. Some of the laws here are cut, dry and useless to read about. Listen to this one: 'Intergalactic Treaty 417-6: 'No undead entities shall interfere or arise again of their own free will.' Like I'm EVER going to have a problem with the undead." He sighed in exasperation, shaking his head as he put down his pencil to rub his sore temple before settling his chin into his hand.

Ty fought back an urge to smile in sympathy. He and Buzz decided to tackle their homework together after they got home from their classes, and so, they were sitting in the living arena. Their books and papers spread out on the table, their brains hard at work, the boys had been tackling their assignments for about an hour. It looked like the work was taking its toll on Buzz.

"I can imagine that. It sounds like a lot of the laws you're reading up on aren't exactly exciting, are they?"

"Nope. They're plain and dull as a dishwasher." Buzz sighed again before peeking over at Ty's homework. "What about you? Are you having as much fun as I am?"

Ty rolled his eyes. "Pft, I wish I was having fun. What I'm learning here are the essential tools to have in your first-aid kit. It's not a bad thing, but it's not my favorite thing to read about either. I'll be reading up on how to use these tools to heal bite marks, but I kinda know about that already, so you can imagine how I'm looking forward to it."

Buzz raised a brow. "You know how to treat bite marks?"

"To an extent. I know how to treat dog bite marks. Comes with the experience of having a dog when I was younger."

"Ah." Feeling his interest in homework slipping away, Buzz set his attention on Ty. "Did you have a lot of animals growing up?"

"Just a few. I namely had a few dogs and a hedgehog when I was little." Ty turned a page in his book before asking the same question back to Buzz. "And you? Did you have any pets when you were a kid?"

"Yeah, I had a cat named Fluffy when I was nine. She was such a sweet thing, too; always fun to play with." Although if there was one secret he had to make about his beloved cat, it was that she was involved with an incident involving her, him and a laser gun. No one would EVER know about that incident, not even Star Command. Deciding to move on before that memory pestered him again, he changed the subject. "So! How do you think Warp and Rocket did today?"

"Why don't you... ask us yourself?"

Buzz and Ty turned in their seats to see the two stragglers walk in, unannounced. Both... panting?

"You guys okay? You look like you just ran the Capital Planet Radial Marathon."

Rocket waved off Buzz's question, the first to collect his breath. "Ah, we're fine. We just decided to race home for fun after we got done with our classes."

"And I won too," Darkmatter boasted. "So it looks like I get to perform our trick."

Ty frowned. "Trick? What trick?"

Having realized he nearly slip loose the prank, Warp coolly backtracked and covered up the plan. He casually replied, "The trick to takeout, of course. I could go for some pizza. How 'bout you guys?"

Buzz stretched his arms and placed them behind his head. "Fine with me; I could use a break from our schoolwork. What about you, Ty?"

Ty shrugged. "Sure, that's fine. I'm not paying for it, though. It's on Warp's tab."


And so, after a few heated debates about specific toppings, the four settled on ordering two pizzas: one with pepperoni and mushrooms, the other with extra cheese and a few veggies. And some fries on the side. Warp, with some assistance with Rocket, ordered up the pizzas and now they were on their way to their dorm. While the roommates sat in the living area and waited for the food to come along, Warp and Rocket brought Buzz and Ty up to speed with their classes, brimming with pride at their achievements and sulking at the negative points. One of which was thrown into discussion involving an instructor of Warp's...

"You know, you shouldn't have questioned the instructor like that, Warp. You could get into real trouble for that."

Warp scoffed. "Relax, Lightyear. I didn't get expelled, did I? All I did was just ask a question, big whoop. Besides, it's only the first day; it's not like I plan on making trouble on a daily basis."

"And he's learned his lesson. Haven't you, Warp man?"

Warp grinned in gratitude at Rocket's support. "You know it."

Buzz frowned a bit, but decided to let it go... for now.

"And I did manage to handle the plasma handgun with great ease. I'm sure you three will get a kick out of using it. I know I did, but I'm seriously wanting to try my hand at using the SC-4032 Plazooka. That thing's a real beauty."

Rocket concurred as he leaned back on his spot on the couch, "I've heard those are the best plasma guns to use out there in the work field, but I've heard the Galactic Alliance is wanting to outlaw them entirely. They said that they're too dangerous to handle."

"I've heard. It's kind of a shame though: they're dangerous, but they're not lethal, at least to us organics. Some whack job robot out there probably blew his fuse one too many times because he got himself blown up by mistake to complain about it. It's just a plasma gun, not a photon bomb."

Buzz furrowed his brow in grave concern. "Can you blame the Galactic Alliance for wanting to outlaw them, though? Especially since they're a hot ticket item for Zurg to steal. I say it's the right thing to do, for the sake of organics and the robots." How could Warp be so inconsiderate? Those things are dangerous to handle if placed in the wrong hands.

"And what about the Space Rangers, huh? If we can't use them to defend people, what else are we gonna use? Our wrist lasers?" Warp snorted. "Hardly; they're strong weapons, but they're not strong as the Plazooka."

"But at least we can set our lasers from stun to kill and vice versa. We can't do that with plasma guns!"

Warp frowned in irritation; Buzz's preaching was starting to get to him. "So we'll just have to be careful with them! Is that a problem for ya?"

"Not as much of a problem as your lack of concern for robots!"

"Hey, watch it, Lightyear! I'll show ya concern-"

"Hey, hey, hey, enough!" Ty intervened, leaning forward in his seat and gesturing his hands into a 'time-out' motion. "Don't you think it's a bit too early to get into an argument over a law that hasn't even been passed yet? Debating's fine, but let's not get into a yelling match over it."

"Ty's right. The law's still debated on as is and we probably won't find out if it'll be passed or not until the end of the semester. Besides, it's too early in the year to start atomizing each other."

Although Rocket's point was not on target as Ty's, both Warp and Buzz both had to concede. The law hasn't been passed yet and it was just the first day of school for them all. A silly argument as this was not worth it.

Buzz took a deep breath and released it. "Yeah, you're right. We are entitled to our own opinions. Sorry, Darkmatter."

"Forget it, Lightyear. Let's let it go. Deal?"

"Deal."

A few minutes later, the pizzas arrived. Warp grinned. "Finally, food! Let's feast, gentlemen."


And they were making it so. Pizzas out on the table, fries on the side, and a few sodas for quenching their thirsts, the boys were slowly but surely regaining some form of life and sanity to them. Food had an uncanny ability to achieve these magnificent feats. But there was one ingredient missing. One ingredient to cap off this meal and this day much to the amusement of Academy fresh fish.

"Hey, I'm gonna get some ketchup from the kitchen. Anybody want some?"

"Sure!"

"Yeah, I'd be down for that."

Satisfied with Buzz's answer and Ty's answer, Rocket hopped over to the refridgerator and retrieved a bottle of ketchup. He carefully brought it over to the table.

Buzz picked it up... Warp pretended to stretch and stood up to excuse himself from the table and backed far away from the blast zone...

Buzz opened the bottle... he shook it...

AND WHAM.

Two seconds later, Ty and Buzz were drenched in a ketchup flood, appalled and fixing the two pranksters on the floor with death glares.

Rocket and Warp's laughter echoed through the room and down the hall, where a couple of curious spectators poked their heads out of their rooms to find out what comedic event had just taken place.


A/N: Yay, another chapter down. I will say that this chapter was so blargh to get through but I'm glad I finished it. There are some fun Easter eggs in here from the show and from other sources. Vanora is a water planet created by my friend cakelesspixels, and the ketchup prank was thought up of by my friend MicroBiologyMajor. There is also a mention of an 'Ancient Evil' reference in here, which I'll talk about on my blog. For now, enjoy and have happy days!