Soldier Girl, Nebraska Girl

"We should be arriving at Nebraska in five hours," Doc told them as he charted the coordinates in the Ranger One.

"Not soon enough for me! Why the hell did Walsh put the information in his files?" Zach asked as he flew the ship. "It doesn't make sense! What am I saying? Half the things that man did never made sense!"

"You have a point," Shane said quietly. "He's done a lot of things even I don't understand."

"I don't mean to turn this into a Walsh Bashing Rant Goose," Zach let out a breath. "But the crap he's been pulling is starting to get old."

"Let's just focus on Amy and Sheriff Ladd for now," Shane said. "Once they're safe you can complain about Walsh and what he's done all you want. Hell I might even join you."

Zach had noticed that Shane was becoming less vocal about defending Walsh as he was in the past. It's probably finally sinking in that Walsh abandoned him for no reason, He thought to himself but didn't say anything.

Shane got up and went to the passenger compartment. Dea had changed into a blue and white cadet Ranger uniform. Cain had insisted on her wearing something official if she was going to go on a mission and carry a weapon. She was inspecting her blaster carefully like a seasoned pro, making sure it was clean and there were no problems with it.

Even though chronologically Dea was only eight years old, thanks to a combination of experimental growth hormones and her activated bio defenses she appeared to be fifteen or sixteen. With all the things she's been through mentally she's probably forty, Shane thought to himself.

It hadn't escaped Shane's notice that her body had started to develop rapidly in recent months. She's starting to go through her final growth spurt, He realized. The final growth spurt was the transition a young Supertrooper made into an adult form. He knew from Wolf Den that female Supertroopers went through their growth spurt slower than males but were much more adaptive to the transition than their male counterparts for some reason. Although he had known a handful of males that did not survive their final growth spurt due to the excessive strains on the body, he had never heard of a female dying from it.

That was why although they were the same age Ryder still looked younger than her. He also noticed another thing about her looks. She's starting to look a lot like Chimera. But their personalities couldn't be any more different. Dea cares about her fellow Troopers. Chimera doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself.

Shane walked up to her. "Are you ready for the mission?" Shane asked.

"Of course I am. It's important that we protect Amy and she becomes part of the family," Dea said. "Supertroopers are rare enough as it is. There are more Gurkins running around than us!"

"You're right about that," Shane let out a breath. "Just remember to be patient with her. Her bio defenses aren't as developed as yours and…"

"And she has no combat training. I know," Dea said. "Goose remember there was a time when my bio defenses were not developed. Until you saved us. I understand that."

"I guess you would," Shane smiled. "You really have grown since then."

"Fortunately so did my hair," Dea remarked as she absently flipped her shoulder length blue hair. "Goose you've met this Amy, what's she like?"

Shane thought a moment. "She's very bright. Curious. Interested in everything. Very happy and friendly. Not exactly like a Supertrooper."

Dea looked at him. "Neither are you. Or me if you think about it. I'm definitely not the same person I was when I was abandoned."

"Yes, but I've had combat training and so have you," Shane pointed out. "This girl…She thinks she's human. And most human girls don't have combat training."

"I know that. I've had human girl training," Dea told him.

"You have?" Shane raised an eyebrow.

"Jessica and her mother showed me and the twins what human females do," Dea said proudly. "Mrs. Foxx said it was important for us to learn it so we could be more human."

"Really? So what does this human female training involve?" Shane smirked.

"We talk a lot. We eat ice cream. We play with the baby and learn how to cook food. We listen to music and dance," Dea told him. "There's also dressing up dolls and playing with their hair but I didn't like that very much. Mata and Hari like it though. Jessica says it's probably because I'm older than they are. Jessica also wants to take me to something called a mall so we can do an activity called shopping."

"I've been to those things," Shane shuddered. "Trust me. They're overrated. Bunch of people running around a crowded building buying things they don't need with money they don't have eating food that's not good for them. It's stupid."

"I don't know," Dea cocked her head. "Jessica showed me videos of what they look like. They seem…Interesting. I want to experience it before I make up my mind."

"What could be interesting about a mall?" Shane asked.

"The clothes were pretty," Dea admitted. "And I liked the shoes and jewelry."

"Oh yeah, you're definitely a girl all right," Doc snorted. Niko hit him on the head. "Ow!"

"What does being a girl have to do with malls?" Dea asked. "I did notice that Jessica was excited to teach me about them."

"It's genetic," Doc grumbled as he rubbed his head. "Women just like to shop."

"That's not true," Niko said. "Well okay a lot of women like to shop. Some don't."

"Do you?" Dea asked.

"Actually yes I do," Niko admitted.

"Told you," Doc rolled his eyes. Niko hit him again. "OW! WHAT?"

"You like to shop for clothes!" Niko said.

"Yes, but I don't spend all day strategizing where the sales are," Doc gave her a look. "There is a difference."

"But it is important to strategize where these sales are," Dea said. "By strategizing you can get the maximum amount of quality objects for the minimum amount of money and time."

"Did Jessica teach you that?" Shane asked.

"No, Mrs. Foxx," Dea told him.

"I rest my case," Doc snorted. Niko hit him again. "OW! Captain! Niko's hitting me!"

"Niko, stop hitting Doc on the head," Zach groaned. "We may need his brain for something."

"For what I have no idea," Shane smirked. Doc made a face and stuck his tongue out at him.

"You know odds are Amy has never been to a mall either," Niko realized. "She spent her whole life in a small town on Planet Nebraska. You have that in common."

"She also spends a lot of time outside," Shane added. "She likes the fresh air and wilderness like we do."

Dea thought for a moment. "Do you think she will like being a Supertrooper?"

"I don't know," Shane let out a breath. "I admit there were times when I haven't liked being a Supertrooper very much."

"That was different, then," Niko told him. "You're not weapons anymore."

"There is a part of us that will always be weapons, Niko," Shane told her. "It's not pleasant but it's a fact of life. It will be hard for her to adjust."

"It is sometimes hard for us to adjust to be human," Dea said. "You said so yourself that we must learn to be more human. Perhaps she can teach us that while we teach her to be a Supertrooper?"

"She's got you there Gooseman," Doc nodded.

"Yeah but right now that girl will need the Supertrooper part of her to survive," Shane let out a breath. "She's got a target on her back and she doesn't even know it!"

"Not if we get to her first," Zach said.

Dea nodded. Despite her cool exterior she was bubbling with excitement. It was more than an honor to wear an official uniform and go on a mission. Even though she wasn't a full Galaxy Ranger, the young female Supertrooper felt that she was doing something she was born to do. Technically, she was.

Her desire to not only save another Supertrooper but to prove herself on a mission gave her a thrill she had not felt in a long time. She couldn't help but feel a little satisfaction at the look of jealously in the others' eyes when they knew she was going. Even Ryder who had suggested that she go was a little jealous.

However his jealousy was balanced out with knowledge that she was the best candidate for the job. Whatever else she knew Ryder would do what was best for the family. And if he believed it was her that should make first contact, so be it.

She only hoped that she was worthy of the mission.

"I hope we can be friends," Dea said.

"If you can get along with Noah, Ryder and the twins you can get along with anybody," Shane snorted. "Right now I'm more worried about if we can get there in time."

Frontier was one of sixteen small towns on Nebraska. It was two hours away from the only major city and spaceport on the planet but it was the closest. It was first settled sixteen years ago and was finally starting to grow. One of the largest changes was it now had an actual school and a teacher to teach the growing number of children in the town.

And one of those children was waiting for one of her best friends to return.

"Do you see him yet, Pinkwing?" Amy asked her green techno dragon.

"I see something!" Pinkwing flapped her wings as she hovered in the air. "I see a wagon! There's a wagon coming into town!"

"Time to see the stars, time to sail past Mars…" A familiar voice could be heard singing. "Time to fly out to the great beyond!"

"It's Aiden! Aiden! Aiden!" Amy waved her arms.

"Amy! Good to see you!" Aiden Subtract, the kindly twin brother of mob boss Jackie Subtract laughed as he rode up in his horse drawn wagon. Unlike his brother, Aiden was a man of good cheer and kind heart, charging only a modest fee for his services as an inventor and rainmaker.

"Aiden!" Amy hugged him as he stepped down from the wagon.

"It's been a while since I last came to Frontier," Aiden laughed as he hugged her back. He stepped back to look at the town. "Goodness! It's gotten bigger since I left!"

"Oh yeah! There's a lot more people in town now," Amy told him. "More farmers and there are some shop keepers! They built five more houses on the east side of town. There's even a new store in town that only sells clothes and shoes!"

"My goodness! Frontier will be a thriving metropolis before you know it!" Aiden smiled.

"There's even more kids in town so my Dad and some of the other adults built a school!" Amy said. "We only go four times a week because a lot of kids have to help their families on the farm but we learn a lot of stuff. But our teacher gives us a lot of homework and reading but I don't mind much because I like to read. She's been coming to supper with me and my Dad every week now and it's a lot of fun. I think he likes her."

"Oh so your father and the new schoolteacher?" Aiden smirked.

"I like Miss Maken," Amy said. "She's real nice and a good teacher. She even came to my birthday party."

"Thirteen is a big milestone in a girl's life," Aiden smiled. "Sorry I missed it but I had business in the town of Silver Fork. Had a real big drought there."

"It's okay," Amy shrugged. "I know you're real busy."

"Not busy enough to get you a present," Aiden rummaged through a bag. "Now where did I put it? Oh here it is!"

"Ooh! A present!" Pinkwing twittered as Aiden took out the package. "What is it?"

"Well you're just going to have to find out now won't you?" Aiden smiled.

Amy unwrapped it and found it was a small star shaped necklace. "Ooh this is so pretty!" Amy put it on. "Thank you Aiden!"

"You're welcome," Aiden smiled.

Amy lifted her head and let the warm breeze flow through her hair. "You know what I wished for on my birthday? I wished I could go on adventure! I've always wanted to go for a flight in outer space!"

"Ever hear the phrase 'Careful What You Wish For'?" Aiden smirked.

"You've been to outer space right?" Amy asked.

"Uh huh, I was born on one of the colonies on Mars," Aiden nodded. "New Pigalis. Not exactly a vacation spot. I was kind of glad to leave there when I did and go to the outer rim colonies."

"What was it like?" Amy asked.

"New Pigalis? It was full of red sand, giant bugs and it was always hot during the day and freezing cold at night," Aiden said. "And those were it's good qualities. It was originally settled by criminals so there was a lot of crime and gunfights growing up."

"It sounds exciting!" Amy chirped.

"Yeah a real thrill," Aiden groaned. "Trust me, that excitement gets pretty old fast. I guess it's no wonder my brother turned to crime. It's a more of a miracle I didn't."

"How did you become a rainmaker?" Amy asked.

"Oh I was always good at inventing stuff," Aiden tinkered. "And one day I thought it would be nice if there was a machine that could simply make it rain. I mean technically they already had machines that make rain but you need fancy equipment and a plane. Then I wondered ways you could bypass all that. It's a good business. But more important than the money it's the feeling I get when I help people."

"Making it rain when people need it is important," Amy nodded.

"Hey Rainmaker! Good to see you!" A few farmers walked up to him. "Rainmaker! Boy do we need you!"

"Gentlemen! It's good to see my friends again! What can I do for you?" Aiden asked.

"Well aside from the rain we got a few things in town that's busted," One farmer said. "The new windmill for one. Dang thing just doesn't work right."

"I'll get right on that," Aiden said.

"I'll go tell my Dad you're here!" Amy said. She ran down the street to the sheriff's office. "Dad? Daddy?"

"Maybe he's out on patrol?" Pinkwing suggested. "Should we wait for him?"

"Well…" Amy began then someone walked in. "Can I help you?"

"Hello little girl," Lazarus Slade smirked. "Is your Daddy home?"