Stinger paced the bay, his hands fidgeting with his scarf.
The Oushi voyager soon landed, Champ exiting.
Stinger stopped, glaring at him. "You're late."
"Like you're always on time, aibou."
The scorpion grumbled under his breath. "Did you win?"
"Of course," Champ laughed.
Stinger chuckled finally, clasping hands with the bull. "Glad I have someone who won't drive me crazy here."
"New team that bad?"
"Not all of them. But the two that are in leadership positions are driving me crazier than Lucky, Shou and Balance put together."
Champ chuckled, "Though it doesn't take much to annoy you."
"They ganged up on me! I'm only allowed on ship.." They came into the kitchen and Stinger scowled at Andy. "She conspired to get me stuck here."
"Stuck here?" Champ looked at him.
"I'm not allowed on the bridge or near my voyager.." Stinger stuck his tongue out at the girl cooking.
"Only because you aren't fully healed yet," Andy answered as she stirred something.
"Mother hen.." Stinger winced as he sat down muttering.
"New cook?" Champ glanced over at her.
"Cook and medic," she answered.
"Meet Hammy's younger sister, Andy." Stinger leaned against the wall and sighed. "I understand the voyager, but the bridge?"
"Just another couple days until you're better. I can try doing more healing to speed it up more," Andy answered.
"Nice to meet you," Champ nodded to her. She gave him a smile in response.
"Fine." Stinger pulled out a painkiller, swallowing it dry under Champ's worried gaze. "What?"
"How bad were you hurt, aibou?"
"Bad enough that everyone was jumpy. Not quite as bad as Lucky that one time, almost as bad as Garu when we shut down the barrier to Southern Cross."
Champ nodded, "It's good they're taking care of you."
"I guess. I wasn't originally going to have a medic full time. But then Andy came aboard." He sent a soft smile at her back.
Champ looked between the two then quietly asked, "Something more going on?"
Stinger turned red, quickly reaching for a bottle of water to forestall answering. After a minute of drinking, he put the bottle down. "If you tell Balance, I will dismantle you slowly."
"Does Hammy know?"
Stinger paled and shook his head. "She'd kill me."
"So tell me more about her," Champ chuckled softly.
"She isn't afraid to call me on my shit. She doesn't treat us any differently, even though she's had to take care of us during our nightmares. She doesn't coddle us but she always listens. She's perfect.." His eyes went soft as she approached the table.
Andy put a bowl down in front of him with a smile before getting her own and sitting down.
"So how are you liking it here?" Champ looked over at her.
She nodded, "It's nice. Glad to be away from home."
Stinger began scrolling through his datapad as he ate. He scowled as he read something, then sighed. "Who wants to help me kill the Supreme Commander?"
"What did he do now?"
"He wants to raise morale. Suggested a reunion ball." Stinger rolled his eyes. "I am not doing that."
"You don't want to get the team back together?" Champ looked at him. "Or you just don't want to dance?"
"I don't dance. And we're so spread out, it would be a logistical nightmare to coordinate. Plus, if there's an attack somewhere.." Stinger looked at them. "What? I'm being practical."
"Can't you just send them their voyagers to bring them to the dance?" Andy raised an eyebrow.
He scowled. "Dammit. Do you really want to meet everyone that bad? And what are you going to do when Hammy comes?"
"I didn't really get to catch up with her before leaving.. it would be nice to see her," Andy said quietly.
"Alright, I'll send Shou an acceptance message." He finished his food. "I just hope nothing happens before the ball."
"You don't have to accept just because I want to see my sister. You seem really against the idea of a dance. Maybe suggest something else?"
"Like that insane dragon will listen? Remember, I ditched dance practice, but everyone else had to do it. Ask him." He jerked a thumb toward the quiet Champ.
"Well, you can just stand by the wall and look grumpy all night," Champ laughed.
Stinger gave him a mock glare. "You're supposed to be on my side, aibou."
Champ chuckled in response.
Andy finished her food and took their bowls to start washing them.
"How long are you here for?" Stinger sipped his water as he looked at his partner.
"I have a few weeks until my next match."
"Good. You can tag team with me against her and Tet." Stinger chuckled.
"They might have a point about you waiting until you're healed, aibou."
"Should have known you'd back them.." Stinger stuck his tongue out before trying to hide a wince.
Champ just shook his head at him.
Stinger gave him a wry look, then laid his head on his arms. He focused on breathing as slowly as possible.
When Andy was done with the dishes, she sat back down beside him and raised her hands, working on healing him some more.
"How do you do that?" Champ asked her.
"It's a jutsu."
"So you're a ninja like your sister."
"Yeah, but she's not focused on the medical stuff like I am." After a little while, she asked Stinger, "How do you feel?"
"Between you and the meds, much better thanks. Mind if I sleep here?"
Andy shrugged, "If you really want to."
Champ shook his head, "I could just carry you to your room if you need."
Stinger looked embarrassed for a moment, then sighed. "Go ahead. Probably the only way I'm getting there."
Champ chuckled and moved to lift his partner.
"Have a good night," Andy smiled at him before they left the room.
"Where the hell did they all come from?!" Stinger slashed another indaver aside, then swore as a group of them charged forward. "I thought Jark was gone from this system?"
Tet and Kiba shook their heads as they fought. "Info was wrong..again."
Champ sliced through more, back to back with Stinger as indavers approached from the other side.
Andy kept throwing kunai into them until they collapsed. She was shooting any that got past her kunais. She looked out and saw another large swarm of them approaching.
"Retreat to the voyagers! Take them out from the air!" Stinger pushed an indaver away, stabbing it as he gave the order.
Andy worked on fighting her way to her voyager, pulling up used kunai when she got the chance.
Stinger was halfway to his when he felt a burning pain in his back. He looked down as he demorphed, staring quizzically at the sword sticking out of his chest. Then he was kicked off, sprawling face down on the ground. He vaguely heard Champ shout, then his eyes closed and the darkness swept him away.
"Aibou!"
Andy turned when she heard Champ. She froze, noticing Stinger on the ground. Blasting through indavers, she made her way toward him.
Champ lifted the scorpion and started carrying him toward the voyagers.
Andy rushed over and knelt beside Stinger as Champ laid him on the floor of his voyager. She started scanning him over, hands shaking as she noticed the puddle forming around him. "No.."
"Andy?" Champ looked at his friend sadly. "He's gone, isn't he?"
"He can't be.." Tears started streaming down her face, still hidden by her helmet. Her hands glowed as she tried to heal him.
Champ tried to pull her away from him, "Andy, he's gone.."
"It's all my fault.." Andy muttered.
"It's not your fault."
"Everyone who gets close to me dies.." she sobbed, her words almost unintelligible as she continued to try to heal Stinger.
Champ continued to try to pull her away, finally getting her to her feet.
She was fighting against him, suddenly stopping when she noticed her kyutama starting to glow. Blue light shot out from it and surrounded Stinger. She watched in confusion until it faded away.
Stinger sucked in a shaky breath, but didn't open his eyes.
Andy moved closer, checking him over. His injuries were gone and he seemed to be sleeping.
"I don't understand.."
"He's alive?"
She nodded slowly.
"Your kyutama must have saved him somehow," Champ assessed.
Andy looked up, "We should check on the others.."
"I'll do that. You keep an eye on him."
Andy knelt beside Stinger again, tears still streaming in her helmet as she tried to take in everything that just happened.
The floor shook under her, a crash sounding nearby.
Andy got up and headed out to check what was going on.
A Morimarz was engaging the voyagers. Champ was headed toward the downed Karasu as it sparked dangerously.
Champ pulled the door open, catching Tet as he tumbled into his arms. "Andy!"
Andy rushed over to him, looking Tet over quickly.
Blood matted his hair and streamed down the left side of his face. More blood seeped through his jacket from wounds on his back and chest.
"Moo, he's bad."
Andy's hands started glowing as she worked on healing him. She focused her energy into him, closing the wounds up as quickly as she could. She continued until she started feeling dizzy. "We'll get him to the ship and clean him up. He should be alright now that I've healed most of him."
"Andy?" Ryon's voice came through her blaster. "Is everything alright?" His question was punctuated by the morimarz exploding.
"It's a long story, but yeah everything's alright."
"Do you need help getting back?"
"No, I think Champ and I can handle getting them to the ship okay."
Champ moved Tet into his voyager as Andy headed to her own and started it up. She looked over at Stinger who was still sleeping. Once back to the ship, she carried him to the infirmary as Champ moved Tet into the bed next to Stinger. Andy started cleaning Tet up, bandaging any wounds she hadn't healed yet. She glanced over at Stinger before heading out of the infirmary. Champ watched her leave before looking back at the two men in the beds.
Kiba met her in the hall. "What happened? Are they alright?"
"Stinger's fine, just sleeping. Tet is bandaged up and will be sore for a while but he'll be alright."
He released the breath he'd been holding and nodded. "Good. We'll hold down the bridge until the Commander is awake." He turned away with a wince and began walking down the hall.
"Do you need to be checked over too?" Andy asked quietly.
"Don't worry about me." He said over his shoulder before he disappeared.
Andy headed to her room, curling up in her bed and trying to figure out what happened. She was crying until she finally fell asleep.
Stinger slowly blinked his eyes open, staring at the infirmary ceiling in confusion. He remembered the sword, hurriedly looking down at his chest. "I was stabbed.."
"You died, aibou. Her kyutama brought you back."
He shot up and stared at Champ. "How? Is she okay?"
"Physically she's fine. She seemed pretty messed up with you dying.. And I have no idea. It started glowing, then you did, then you were alive again."
Stinger ran a hand through his hair as he tried to come to grips with the situation. "It felt almost like when we took down Armage and came back.." He slid off the bed, looking at Tet. "He okay?"
"She did some healing on him and said he'd be okay before she disappeared."
"I'll find her. You should check the bridge. Knowing the others, there may be injuries they're hiding. Drag them down here before Andy finds out and starts yelling." He left the infirmary and headed toward her quarters. When he arrived, he took a deep breath, then knocked.
Andy got up slowly, moving to the door and opening it. She looked out at him, "Hey."
He gave her a soft smile. "You okay? I'm sorry you saw that."
"I'm fine," she answered quietly.
"Liar. You can't be cause I sure as hell ain't." He fidgeted with his scarf as he stared at the floor.
She took a deep breath, "Why don't you come in and we can talk?"
He gave her another smile. "I'm not intruding?"
She shook her head, "You're fine." She went and sat down, messing with a bracelet she was wearing.
He stepped inside as the door closed behind him. "It's funny. I shouldn't be so weirded out about this since this is the second time I've died."
"Second time?"
"Died during one of the last battles of the war. Got absorbed in Don Armage as a part of Lucky's plan. Then I got revived." He sat down in her desk chair. "But this time, I'm wondering why."
She shook her head, "The kyutama did it. I don't know how."
"Champ told me. He also said you were pretty messed up emotionally."
She looked down, "My last boyfriend was killed in battle..."
"I'm sorry. Then I go and ask you to date me, and then this.. I'm surprised you haven't called it off." He looked at her quietly. "Or is this why you wanted to talk? I understand and I can respect your decision." He began to stand.
"Why would I?"
"Because you don't need a repeat of your first boyfriend? Because it's hard enough seeing me hurt, if it goes badly again you want to protect your heart? Because I'm a lousy boyfriend? Pick a reason." He leaned on the desk and didn't look at her.
"This already was a repeat, but you're here now.." she sighed, "And it's been kind of hard getting close to anyone.. first my parents, then brother, then boyfriend.. but somehow you've worked your way in and I don't want to lose you too."
"I can't imagine what you've been through. I don't want to hurt you. If it gets to be too much, I'll understand if you want some distance. I know I'm not good boyfriend material, but I do love you."
"Really?"
"What part are you asking about?" His lips quirked.
"You love me?"
He nodded. "More than I can stand sometimes. I want to be with you forever or until something happens that can't be fixed." He watched her expression, then nervously spoke again. "I'm going too fast aren't I? I'm sorry, I'll back off." He began heading to the door.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him around, kissing him hard.
He looked at her in shock. "Andy?"
"I think I love you too."
His eyes widened and he stuttered "Re-really?"
She nodded in response.
His knees buckled as he asked "Why?" in a faint voice.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"I'm not worth it.. I kill everything I touch." He whispered.
She put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm not sure what you've been through either, but I doubt that. And I think you're worth it. You're a great person, Stinger."
He knelt on her floor, shaking his head. "My planet was wiped out because of me..My brother died in my place. Hell, Champ even died because of me! I don't want that to happen to you.." Tears streaked his face.
She wrapped her arms around him, "It won't."
He looked at her. "How can you say that? It could have been you today instead of me. You should run far away from me."
"Trying to push me away won't work," she said softly. "And I guess I can't be sure I won't die, it's part of war. But I'd rather be with you than not."
"I'm a mess.. Everyone thinks I've dealt with what happened, but you've seen me during the night. I don't want you to have to deal with my demons."
"Let me help you," she said gently.
"How do you help my people being dead because of me? My brother slaughtered them when he joined Jark Matter, but left me alive to rub it in. He killed Champ because I was naive and stupid. I almost killed my team because I went after him alone and got caught and brainwashed.. I'm a liability, yet Shou gave me this job. I don't understand! Why doesn't everyone run away from me?"
"Because, they see the good in you. You're only focusing on the bad things in your life, but I know you've done a lot of good things too." She hugged him again, "I'm sorry you've had to deal with so much. If I could take your pain away, I would."
He clung shaking to her as he cried until he couldn't anymore.
She held him close, running a hand through his hair to try to calm him.
He curled into the touch, his eyes heavy. "I should go."
Her door chimed.
Andy helped Stinger up so he was sitting on the bed. "Let me see who's here, okay?" She headed to the door and opened it.
Ryon stood there, an exasperated look on his face. "Where are the extra sedatives? Kiba not only hid being injured, he won't let us treat him."
"There's some in the infirmary cabinet. Do you guys have it handled or do you need help?"
"I don't want to interrupt anything." The empath said quietly.
"I think he's going to fall asleep soon. He was crying pretty hard. But call me if you do need help with Kiba, okay?"
The empath shot Stinger a gentle look, then nodded at her before heading down the hall.
"You should go help.. I'll just go to my quarters." Stinger was unsuccessfully trying to walk without swaying toward the door.
She wrapped an arm around him, "It's alright. Do you want to stay here?"
"You don't mind?" His brown eyes were dulled by exhaustion.
"Not at all. Come on," she led him to the bed, helping him lay down before laying next to him.
He gave her a soft smile as his eyes closed. He relaxed into her touch as he fell asleep.
Her blaster chimed repeatedly.
Andy answered quietly, "What's up?"
"Kiba's taken Ryon hostage in the infirmary." Kei's voice was quiet. "He passed out and now is in a nightmare. He thinks Ryon is the one who destroyed his planet."
Andy sighed, "Be right there." She kissed Stinger's cheek before heading out of the room. When she got to the infirmary, she went to the door slowly, "Kiba?"
"Stay away or he dies now!" The lynx ranger yelled, his voice defiant.
"Kiba, you need to wake up." She didn't move closer.
"You're trying to trick me! So I won't kill this bastard!" He held a scalpel to Ryon's throat.
The Kouma ranger's face was impassive, only his eyes showing his sadness.
Andy looked thoughtful for a moment, then moved quickly. She tossed a kunai which hit Kiba's hand, knocking the scalpel from it. She then was behind him, grabbing onto his arms. "Kiba, wake up."
Ryon turned, staring into Kiba's eyes. "You are safe among friends, Kiba. Wake up and let us help you."
Kiba struggled, then blinked. "Ryon? Andy? What the hell?" He grimaced at the pain in his hand and side.
"You are injured. We tried to treat you when you lost consciousness and then became violent."
Andy let go of his arms, stepping away, "Just sit on one of the beds and I'll heal you up."
Kiba looked shell shocked, but followed instructions.
Ryon shook his head. "My friend, you need to deal with your trauma."
Andy quietly started healing him, focusing on the wound in his side first.
Kiba stared at the floor. "Maybe I should quit the team before I hurt someone."
"You don't have to quit the team. We care about you and just want to help," Andy said softly.
He looked up at her, tears in his eyes. "Why? I'm just a problem. I should have died when my planet did."
"You're our friend. You aren't a problem, and you're alive for a reason. I'm sure you are here to be of help to others, which is why you're perfect for the team."
He didn't answer, his eyes distant.
Ryon sighed. "I hope you can get through to him. I've been trying since we met."
"Well, someone has to get through eventually."
"I hope so, for his sake." The empath left the infirmary quietly.
"Kiba? How are you feeling?"
"Truthfully? Worthless. But I'm used to it." He kept staring at the floor.
"You're far from worthless, but I'm not sure how to convince you of that," she sighed. "But I'm here if you want to talk about it."
He looked at her. "I couldn't stop them from dying..I tried to make a deal to save them..The Malistrate laughed at me.." He began sobbing, his shoulders shaking violently.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. I can't imagine how you feel," she gently wrapped her arms around him.
"Why didn't they kill me too?" His look was lost and hurt.
"I don't know, but you're alive and you should make the most of the life you have."
"I don't know how.. I keep waiting to die."
"You should try to enjoy living. Enjoy what you have now, your teammates and friends. You're a kyuranger too, you can help so many people."
He gave a small nod, starting to wipe his eyes before he winced at his hand.
She moved and her hands started glowing as she worked on healing it.
Tet began to stir, his eyes blinking slowly open. "Oww."
Andy finished helping heal Kiba before going over to Tet and checking him over.
He gave a shaky grin. "I guess we all made it?"
Andy nodded, "Yeah."
Kiba gave her a small smile as he slipped out of the infirmary.
Tet sat up and studied her for a moment. "Something happened, didn't it? And my cousin is in the middle of it. And don't act like we're blind. We know you're together."
Andy sighed, "Yes something happened, and it's complicated but everything is alright."
"My cousin's middle name. I guess I'll just have to believe you." He winced as he moved off the bed. "We survived and that's the important thing, right?"
"Right," she nodded slowly.
"You need to get some rest. You look worse than I feel." Tet kissed her cheek, then disappeared out the door.
She headed back to her room, climbing into bed next to Stinger.
He curled into her, his tail wrapping around her leg.
She soon was asleep, too exhausted to even have any nightmares.
Stinger woke to sunlight. He glanced over and paled as he saw Andy sleeping. He cursed softly as he realized his tail was around her leg and tried to get free without waking her. He was halfway to the door when she spoke.
"Stinger? Are you okay?"
"Nothing hiding in a hole for a century won't cure.." He stopped and turned. "I'm sorry for losing my shit last night."
She shook her head, "It's alright, it happens."
"Not to me. The only other person to ever see me like that was Champ.."
"It's okay," she said softly as she looked at him. "You're allowed to be open with your emotions around me."
He sighed, leaning on the wall. "I'm scared.. I don't want to mess this up with my problems."
"I have problems too, I get it. But it'll be better for you if you don't keep things bottled up."
"You'd think I would have learned that by now..Change of subject. How's Tet?"
"He's doing alright, still sore. He left the infirmary last night."
Stinger nodded, then came back to the bed and sat down. He looked at her quietly. "You sure of this?" He pointed to her, then himself.
She nodded quietly.
"I don't want you to regret it, so if you have any doubts.. We can call this off." His eyes watched hers, a mixture of resignation and faint hope in the dark orbs.
"I want to be with you," she said with a small smile.
He exhaled softly, resisting the urge to run away. "Okay." He summoned his courage and leaned forward, kissing her gently.
She kissed back, not wanting to ever part.
His seiza blaster chimed and he reluctantly drew away. "What?"
Kiba's voice answered. "Shou wants to talk to you."
"Dammit. I'm coming.." He gave a wry smile to her. "We'll pick this up later."
She nodded, "Have fun."
He snorted. "Fun is not a word I associate with Dragon."
He left her alone, heading into his office. He turned on his terminal. "Supreme Commander?"
Andy got up and showered before heading to the kitchen to start on breakfast. When she was done, she sat and ate quietly before getting to her morning training.
Kei was practicing his archery, giving her a smile when she entered. "Morning."
"Hey," she smiled back.
"Is Stinger alright? He was in here beating the hell out of the bag and muttering threats against Supreme Commander earlier. I was waiting for steam to escape his ears."
"I don't know, last I heard, Supreme Commander was calling him."
Kei chuckled. "Who wants to bet Stinger was ordered to do something he thinks is ridiculous?"
"Probably," Andy chuckled softly.
"Andy, please calm the Commander down before I develop a migraine." Ryon walked in, rubbing his forehead.
Andy nodded, "Where is he?"
"His quarters."
Andy sighed and headed out of the room and down to Stinger's room. She knocked on the door gently.
He opened it, about to growl. He stopped when he saw her. "I guess you heard?"
"All I know is you're angry about something. What happened?"
He sighed, moving back to allow her in. "I've been ordered on a reconnaissance mission. Shou wants us to return to Headquarters, then you guys will wait for me."
"What kind of recon mission?"
"A dangerous one. Apparently some of my old contacts have reported a build up of forces on Solaria. Since they are only willing to deal with me.." He flopped on the bed wearily.
"How long will you be gone?"
"A week at least. But if the rumors are true..I might not make it back." He gave her a resigned look.
"Can't you take us with you?"
"Too much chance of discovery. Not wise to bring a team." He threw his pillow at the door. "Think this is karma? Finally get a chance at happiness.."
Andy looked at him for a moment before sitting down next to him, "Try to stay positive. Maybe it won't go as bad as you think."
He gave her a look, then pulled up the reports on his blaster. "Wanna bet?"
Report of troop movements:
Sightings of twelve morimarz along with at least 1000 indaver and assorted troops. Suggest recon to discover reason and potential plans.
Andy shook her head, "Why would he send you on something like that? He's crazy."
He chuckled. "Not arguing about the crazy part. But partly because they are my contacts who only trust me, partly because of my experience. I was originally a deep cover spy within Jark Matter before the Kyurangers were formed."
Andy nodded quietly.
"I don't want to go. I even tried to get him to let me bring you. But he doesn't think it would work." He hung his head.
"I don't have experience with recon," she sighed. "But I am good at being sneaky. Did you know there's a jutsu for going invisible?"
His eyes brightened. "Really?" He sighed. "You have experience where it counts, namely keeping my ass alive."
"It would be good for you to have a medic with you.."
"So you have a plan? Or do you want to plead your case to Shou?"
"Do you think he'd listen? Or should I just happen to sneak aboard your voyager before you leave?" She chuckled.
"Maybe if you point out the need for a medic emphatically enough? I do like the sneaky aspect though." He ruffled his hair in aggravation. "Honestly, I almost refused."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because he pointed out if this is a buildup to Jark trying to invade systems again and I could have prevented it, I'd never forgive myself. And he's absolutely right."
Andy nodded in understanding. "Do you really want me to try to go? Because if you do, I'll go whether the Supreme Commander wants me to or not."
"I want to survive this. I haven't been alone in awhile and I know I'm rusty. One mistake.." He rubbed his face as he trailed off dejectedly. "I shouldn't even be telling you this."
Andy nodded, "I'll talk to him."
Stinger gave her a half smile, then winced and held his ribcage. "Thank you. We'll be at Headquarters in four hours."
"What did you do?" she asked in reference to his wince.
"The punching bag punched back. It's not a big deal."
Andy moved slightly and raised her hands, working on healing him up.
He relaxed, his eyes drooping slightly.
"Rest until we get there, okay?" She said softly. "Or do you want me to make you lunch?"
"I did kind of miss breakfast.. And dinner.." He flinched at her look.
She shook her head and stood, holding her hand out to him, "Let's go get you something to eat."
He took it slowly, exhaling as they left his quarters.
Ryon passed them and gave her a relieved smile before disappearing.
Andy held the kitchen door open for Stinger before going to grab some ingredients and began making their meal. "So, what is this recon planet like?"
"Hot. And dry. Honestly, it reminded me a lot of home." Stinger pulled a water bottle out of the fridge as he watched her. "You might be uncomfortable."
She nodded, "Alright." She then looked thoughtful, "What was your home like? Other than hot and dry?"
"We were limited resources, but had our own festivals and celebrations. After Jark Matter, we scavenged what we could to survive. I didn't question anything because it was normal to me." His voice was wistful, his eyes distant. "There were dangers, but it was home."
"What kind of festivals did you have?"
"Coming of age, marriages. A festival for the winter Solstice and the summer one too, I think. A festival for the children where they gave out paper for the writing of wishes." He gave a fond smile. "We always tried to match wishes with their writers."
"Sounds nice," Andy stirred something on the stove.
"It was. I miss it." He shook his head and sat down, playing with the bottle label. "What's your world like? Hammy never talked much about relatives. Didn't even know she had siblings."
"It's pretty safe for the children, they stay protected in the village. When you finish school and training, you become an adult and get thrown into battle. Even though we're trained for it, it can be kind of rough for those who graduate earlier. There's a few celebrations but we're often at war with our rival villages, so most adults don't get to enjoy them." She sighed, "Yeah, there were three of us, me, Hammy, and our older brother Avery."
"I had an older brother once." He shook his head. "Want to see our largest predator?"
She raised an eyebrow at him.
He called up the information on his blaster, then showed her.
A massive scorpion stared at her from an image file.
Stinger grinned. "They're carnivorous."
"Damn. That seems terrifying."
"You're telling me. We lived in tents. One more thing, they're nocturnal. We weren't. We were always trying to make sure we stayed out of their territory. Twin dangers of them and possible freezing to death. We don't do well in cold temperatures."
"We had houses but camped a lot for fun or during battle. At least the weather was mild most of the time."
"Lucky you." He gave a laugh, then shut off his blaster. "Would you help with something? If we survive this mission?"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Trying to develop an antidote to mine and Tet's poison. Just in case something happens. Before you ask, yes one exists already. But that's for other people stung. Not one for us."
Andy nodded, "It shouldn't be too hard with the technology we have here."
"True. But it would be dangerous. We'd have to test it, which means one of us would have to use Antares."
Andy raised an eyebrow again.
"It's a secret clan technique. Boosts combat ability and stamina in battle. Downside? Kills the user in three days. I almost died using it during the war."
Andy nodded slowly, "We'll come up with something."
He gave her a soft smile, then sniffed the air. "That smells wonderful. Spada may have been dethroned."
Andy chuckled and filled two bowls, taking them to the table and placing one in front of him. "What kind of foods did you have on your planet?"
"Mostly roots and vegetables. Desert rat was a common delicacy. Some wild fruits. Occasional breads for festivals."
Andy nodded as she started to eat.
He ate quickly, kissing her cheek when he was finished. "Definitely the new queen of the kitchen."
She chuckled, "Sure you aren't just biased?"
He laughed. "It's a distinct possibility." He sighed as his blaster chimed. "What now?"
Tet's dry voice came back. "If you're done necking with our medic, Shou is on comm again. Sounds urgent."
"Ah hell. I'll be right there." He yawned and kissed her again. "Pray for me?"
She nodded, "Try to convince him to let me go with you if you have the chance."
"If I can stay awake. I'd wonder if my body had really been fixed, but I won't insult your abilities." He started to rise as he yawned again.
"Do you want me to go with you to keep you awake?"
"I think you better. Unless he tells me something that puts me in orbit."
Andy nodded and stood, following him out of the kitchen.
They arrived in Stinger's office and he switched on his terminal. "Supreme Commander. Has something happened?"
"Reports from the planet are coming in that the situation is getting worse. You should probably head out sooner than originally planned."
Stinger sighed, then nodded. "Okyu. I'll leave immediately. I'll have the Orion continue to Headquarters. I'll contact you when I find out anything." He gave Andy a quick smile.
"Alright," Shou nodded.
"Sir?" Andy spoke up, moving next to Stinger.
"You're one of the new recruits, right?"
"Hammy's sister, Andy," she nodded. "I was hoping to talk to you about going with Stinger on his mission."
"I already told him no," Shou answered.
"I know, but I think I could be of help. I'm a trained medic and I think I could be of use to Stinger while on his mission. I also am a trained ninja and have techniques for staying hidden and invisible."
Shou looked thoughtful.
"He's been injured pretty bad recently and I'm worried he'll get hurt worse. I can at least help keep him alive."
The dragon nodded, "Alright."
Andy gave him a smile, "Thank you, sir."
Stinger had been startled at her mention of his injuries, but managed to hide it well enough. He waited until Shou disconnected, then turned to her. "Why did you tell him that?"
"Thought it might help," Andy shrugged.
"I didn't report it. If the situation wasn't so serious, he'd have singed my backside. Anyway, get ready and meet me in the bay in ten." He headed for the door. "I'm going to tell Tet the plan change."
She nodded and went to grab a bag filled with supplies she might need.
Stinger was waiting for her, his tail twitching in worry. "Maybe we should rethink this."
"Rethink what?"
"You going. If something happens, Hammy will kill me." He was jumpy, pacing the floor.
"I'm going," she answered plainly.
"Don't get killed. If something happens and it comes down to you or me, choose yourself. That's an order."
"You don't get killed either," she answered. "Are we taking one voyager or two?"
"Let's just take one. Less risk of one of us getting shot down."
Andy nodded, "Alright."
He opened his voyager for her, his hand shaking.
Andy climbed in and waited for him.
He took a deep breath, then followed. He quickly set course, then autopilot. He leaned back and closed his eyes as he fought panic.
"What's wrong?" She asked softly.
"I don't want you hurt.. I shouldn't have told you."
"I don't want you hurt either," she took his hand and gave it a squeeze, "I'd rather risk getting hurt to be here with you than waiting and wondering if you were ever coming back."
"I guess so." He was quiet, his eyes still closed. "I don't deserve any of this."
"What do you mean?"
"The promotion, the team's trust, you. I should be in a cell for disobeying orders and insubordination. Maybe even add attempted murder."
"You deserve all of it. I wish you'd see that," she kissed his hand.
"Old habits, you know. I'm hopeless." His lips quirked slightly as he opened his eyes to look at her. "Just keep drilling it in and maybe one day.."
She gave him a small smile. "So, after we survive this, will you go to the dance with me?"
He chuckled. "I forgot about that. What's it say when I actually have started looking forward to it? And I'd be honored."
She smiled, "Can't wait."
He gave her a crooked grin, then yawned. "Two hour flight. Tempted to sleep the whole way."
"Sleep," she said softly. "I'll keep an eye on everything."
He finally nodded, leaning his head back as his eyes closed. A few minutes later, his breathing evened out.
Andy smiled as she watched him then stared out the window at the stars passing by.
Two hours later, the voyager lurched as it was hit repeatedly.
Stinger jolted awake. "What the hell?"
"We just started getting shot at," Andy answered as she tried to find where the shooting was coming from.
A morimarz suddenly materialized behind them.
"Crap. So much for being unnoticed. Strap in." Stinger armed the lasers and swung the voyager around to fire.
Andy quickly buckled herself in, watching with worry.
Stinger traded shots for several minutes, then swore as the morimarz channeled all its energy and blasted it at them. He tried to get some distance, but the laser hit the controls and sent them spinning into the atmosphere. His head slammed into the cockpit and the world went black. He tumbled from the pilot's seat.
Andy was jerked around as the voyager plummeted to the ground. She felt pain in her ribs from the straps as the ship hit the planet. She was disoriented for a few moments, then she looked over at Stinger and worked on checking him over.
Broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, probable concussion. A small cut bled on his cheek.
She focused on healing what she could, putting his shoulder back in place, making sure the ribs were in the right positions and started healing them back together, then focused on his head, healing the small cut then what she could of his concussion.
"We need to get away from here. They'll be looking for us." His eyes were dazed, but his voice was strong.
Andy nodded, "Are you able to move? I'm sure your head still hurts a lot."
"Doesn't matter. We need to find a place to lay low, then I have to meet my contact. And no, you aren't coming. He'll rabbit if I don't come alone."
Andy nodded, "Alright. Let's find somewhere," she started to move.
He forced himself to move, ignoring the pounding in his head. He headed for a dilapidated motel he'd used years ago as a safehouse. Once they were in a room, he swayed drunkenly. "We should be safe here…"
"Lay down, let me try to heal you some more," she said quietly.
He made his way unsteadily to the bed, collapsing with a groan.
Andy sat down next to him, ignoring the pain from her ribs as she moved to heal him. She focused on his head for a while, trying to ease the pain.
He fought the darkness, the pain easing. He had to find a way to keep Andy safe while he met his contact. Then they had to figure out how to get back to the Orion. He sighed, then sat up. "You need to make sure they don't find you while I'm gone."
"I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you," she admitted.
"I'll be fine. Wait two hours after I leave. If I'm not back, you get back to the voyager and contact Headquarters. Have them send your voyager if Sasori isn't operational. Then get your ass off Solaria and back to the team."
"Where are you going?"
"Into the city. There are a few spots my contact could be holed up and I'll have to check them all." He stood shakily and headed for the door. "Remember, two hours. If I'm not back, I'm probably not coming. Stay alive and safe."
Andy nodded slowly.
He gave her a soft smile, then slipped out the door.
Andy sat back on the bed, checking the time. She stared at the wall in silence, occasionally checking the time.
Two hours passed with no sign of Stinger.
She waited a while longer before slipping out of the room. She headed back to the voyager and called the Orion.
Ryon answered. "Are you on your way back?"
"Sasori crashed. It's not operational. Stinger didn't come back from meeting his contact either." She sighed, "Send my voyager. I know it'll be awhile until it shows up.. I'm going to look for him while I wait on the voyager."
"Andy, Solaria is crawling with Jark Matter. You should stay with Sasori until Iruka arrives." There was a pause before the other ranger continued. "Stinger's blaster went off line an hour ago. His subdermal tracker also went off line. I do not believe there is anything you can do for him."
"Can you send me his last known location?"
Her blaster chimed as Ryon sent the information.
"Stay safe, Andy."
Andy checked over the map before using the jutsu to go invisible. Technically Stinger didn't say stay with Sasori.. He just said go there and call for her voyager. If she just happened to search for him while waiting for it, she wasn't technically going against orders..
She left the voyager and headed toward the location. She continued on, sneaking around indavers that were patrolling the area. She finally came to a building and tried to look in.
There was a body on the floor. She went in and noticed Stinger's damaged blaster on the ground. She scanned over the body to see if she could figure anything out. Not finding anything, she headed back out of the building. She then started surveying the area, checking all the nearby buildings.
Hearing laughter and the sounds of fists thudding into something coming from the only one unchecked, she crept to the door.
Stinger hung from the ceiling, shirtless. Cuts and bruises covered him, his body jerking as a large humanoid slammed his fist into Stinger's semi conscious face. His eyes slid closed and he went limp as the assorted watchers groaned.
Andy growled, sneaking into the building, still invisible, starting to throw kunai into the watchers. She moved after throwing a few so they couldn't tell her location. She soon took them down before turning toward the one who had been beating Stinger. She became visible, throwing kunai at him quickly.
He roared as they hit, one lodging in his chest. He started forward, only to be kicked into the wall. He slid to the floor as Stinger forced his eyes open.
"I thought I told you to leave me?" His voice was weak, his breathing ragged. Blood streamed from his nose and lip, mixing with the blood from a gash in his scalp.
"I went to Sasori and called for my voyager... Then got bored waiting for it," she smirked before she got him down.
"You got bored." He rolled his eyes. "Your next commander is going to love you." He coughed harshly, blood spattering his chest.
Andy quickly checked her blaster, "Iruka will be here soon." She started checking him over, beginning to heal the most serious damage.
He grimaced. "You need to go.. Get back to the Orion. There's a data card in my jacket, hidden in a secret pocket. Give it to Shou.."
"You can give it to him yourself," she answered quietly as she continued to heal him.
"There's too much damage.. I'm not making it back." A tear escaped from one eye. "I wanted to dance with you.." His voice faded as his eyes began to slide closed.
"Let me deal with the damage, okay? You'll still get to dance with me," she gave him a small smile before focusing more of her energy into him.
He struggled to keep his eyes open, the dark orbs sad. His breathing was slowing.
Iruka was arriving, so she quickly and gently lifted him and carried him to it. She laid him on the floor before flying off. Once they were off planet, she set it on autopilot and went back to him. She pushed energy into him quickly, as fast as she possibly could, as she tried to heal the damage. She worked constantly, even when she started feeling exhausted and dizzy. She refused to let him die, continuing to work on her patient until her vision started to blur and she passed out.
"She's stable. She needs to rest and regain her strength." A quiet voice woke her. She identified it as Ryon's.
"How's Stinger?" Kiba. His voice trembled as he asked the question.
"Alive, barely. She kept him breathing somehow. He's in a coma. His heart stopped twice during surgery. It doesn't look good."
Andy struggled to open her eyes before trying to push herself into a sitting position.
"You should go back to sleep." The white ranger entered her vision as the door closed behind him. "You came dangerously close to dying."
She wanted to argue, but knew she didn't have the energy. "Was just trying to keep him alive.."
"I know. You did. Now sleep." Ryon pushed her back down, then ran his fingers through her hair gently.
Andy gave a tired nod before her eyes slid closed again.
He sat down with a heavy sigh.
The next time she woke up, she felt more energized but still not to her normal energy level. She pushed herself up and looked around.
The room was empty. An empty coffee container sat on the chair near the bed, but nothing else.
A moment later, the door opened. Tet's eyes went wide as he saw her awake. "Hey. Feeling better?"
"Yeah," she nodded slowly.
He entered the room, closing the door. He crossed to the chair, tossing the coffee container in the nearby trashcan before sitting down. "I'm glad you're alright." He gazed around the room, not meeting her eyes.
"How's Stinger doing?"
He grimaced, staring at his hands. "Looks like the reunion is going to be a wake. At least I can do the rituals afterwards."
Andy stared at him for a minute, "He's...?"
"Matter of time. All their scans show no brain activity. Shou is going to tell them to shut life support off."
"Can I see him?"
Tet nodded slowly, then left the room. He returned with a wheelchair and helped her in before wheeling her to Stinger's room. Kiba gave her a sad smile as he held a limp hand. "You deserve to say goodbye too."
The ventilator was loud in the small room. The machines beeped and hummed, forcing air into Stinger's lungs.
Tet took the scorpion's other hand, slipping a broken necklace into it and whispering something in their native language.
One of her hands glowed as she touched Stinger's head. She focused on his mind, trying to get it working again. It wasn't the same jutsu she normally used, but she'd been taught it was good for brain issues. She closed her eyes as she focused, praying he'd wake.
One of the machines began to beep faster as Stinger's eyes fluttered.
The two men stared in disbelief as the chocolate orbs slowly opened and focused on her.
"By the gods…" Tet's voice was low and shocked.
A minute later, the half breed had to hold Stinger down as he panicked at the ventilator. "Kiba! Go get the doctor!"
Kiba ran out the door.
Tet looked at her desperately. "Can you calm him?"
"Stinger, relax please. It's alright," she said softly as she put a hand on him.
He stopped fighting, his lips moving around the tube. His eyes were questioning.
"It'll be out in a minute, okay?" She gave him a small smile.
He blinked slowly as the doctor entered, Shou and the team close behind.
Andy moved back to let the doctor closer.
"How?" Shou looked over at Andy.
She shrugged, "A jutsu."
He shook his head in disbelief as Andy went back to watching Stinger.
The doctor gently removed the tube, then checked the scorpion's eyes. "We'll run some tests, but it appears you will be just fine." He gave everyone a smile, then exited.
The first words out of Stinger's mouth were "Are you alright?" He reached for Andy's hand slowly.
Andy nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."
"How long?" He directed this to Shou as he attempted to sit up.
The dragon paused, then answered "Two weeks."
Stinger stopped, his eyes wide. Then he noticed the necklace in his hand and shot Tet a look.
The half breed gave a single nod, then excused himself and left the room.
"It's really been two weeks?" Andy asked quietly.
Kiba nodded, "We were worried that you wouldn't wake up. Shou was trying to figure out if both of you were going to be needing replacements, instead of.." He trailed off as Stinger's eyes narrowed.
"Can I have some time alone with Andy?"
The team exchanged glances, then filed out of the room.
"You disobeyed orders." The scorpion locked eyes with her.
She sighed, "I went to the voyager like you told me to, I waited on Iruka but you didn't tell me to stay there so technically I didn't disobey those orders.." she looked down.
"I also told you to leave me and go back to headquarters if I didn't return." He gave her a disapproving look.
"At least I stayed alive like you told me to."
"This is going to be a regular thing, isn't it?" His lips quirked up even as he rolled his eyes.
She shrugged, "I don't like the idea of leaving anyone behind, so it depends on how often you order me to leave you."
"Incorrigible. Come here."
Andy stood, legs a little shaky as she moved toward him.
He pulled her down on the bed and gave her a deep kiss. When he drew back, he sighed. "Guessing by my cousin's reaction and the fact I have this, things weren't looking good?"
"They said you were brain dead and were going to pull the plug," she said sadly.
"Damn..I'm sorry. We were getting ready to split up and the gang attacked. I fought back, but it wasn't enough.." He averted his eyes as he sighed.
"Well, what matters is, you're here and alive."
He gave a quiet chuckle. "Guess so. So now that we've survived, how much longer till I get to dance with you?"
"I think the dance is in a few more days," she looked thoughtful.
He pouted for a moment, then kissed her again. "I guess I'll be able to wait."
"I'd say we could have a dance right now, but you probably should rest a bit more," she gave him a soft smile.
"Only if you stay with me. Otherwise, I'm getting out of here just as soon as I find my clothes."
Andy chuckled, "Yeah, I'll stay."
"Good." He blinked at her sleepily.
She kissed his forehead before yawning.
He chuckled softly before drifting off, his tail wrapping around her leg automatically.
She wrapped an arm around him before falling asleep herself.
Ryon opened the door and glanced in, then smiled and closed it quietly.