Location: F Sector, Veldin
Time: 4:35 PM, Thursday
"This is Captain Sasha Phyronix of the Starwatch Rangers, calling Widget Razz of the Galactic Rangers," Widget heard over the comm. "Come in, Widget Razz. Do you Read me?"
"Widget here."
"I am about to send a dropship to your current location. Is there a good LZ, or should they be prepared to come in hot?"
Widget took a moment to realize that LZ meant Landing Zone, then responded. "The current location is secured by friendly warbots identifying themselves as Bravo Squad, but be prepared for a hot entry anyway, just in case as were still within F Sector and they are not the only warbot encampment in the region."
"Acknowledged. The dropship will be there shortly."
"I'D LIKE TO COMPLAIN THAT THE STUPID BOTS TOOK ALL MY CLOTHES!" Spanner helpfully yelled out before the call could be ended.
"As our new lieutenant has expressed a desire for you to remain in reasonably good health, for some inexplicable reason, and our new sergeant has expressed a perfectly reasonable desire to keep our lieutenant alive, we feel that we took all reasonable measures to ensure her safety while securing you for transfer," one of the warbots patiently explained.
"Yeah!" another warbot put in. "Be happy the Lieutenant stopped us from removing your feet! I still say those claws look too dangerous to permit on a hostile anywhere near one of our officers!"
Widget really wished she could remove her helmet so that she could rub the bridge of her nose out of frustration. "And that's why you three are guarding him way over there, while these two are guarding me way over here. Several meters outside of his estimated leaping range, I might add. And you incinerated his clothing."
"Biological contaminants were detected! We had to ensure your safety!"
"You also blew up the rest of his vehicle."
"That was fun!" another warbot called out, then flinched back as she glared at it. "I mean, the unknown vehicle model could have contained an undetected threat to your safety!"
"What's your designation?" Widget demanded.
"C-44! Demolitions and Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Sir!"
"Clank, make a note of it, because that's going in the report."
"So noted," the tiny bot replied, still nested in the cockpit of the beast of a Grav-sled he had the pit-bots assemble for him back at the race track. "Given the estimated time of arrival for the dropship, my window of opportunity for actually testing my vehicle is rapidly diminishing. So please, make my day and try to cause trouble before they arrive to take you into custody. I would greatly appreciate it."
"I'm going to have to agree with Amy, Commando. Your little brother is scary."
"STOP CALLING ME AMY, ALAN! WE'RE NOT DATING ANYMORE!"
"Well, it sounds like you're having an… experience... down there," Widget heard Captain Phyronix state in an amused sounding tone over the comm. Which she realized that she had once again left active.
Widget trudged over to where Clank's giant Grav-sled was and slowly began to beat her head against it…
-o-
Widget watched on as the Starguard Rangers kept glancing nervously at the warbots while they went about securing the naked male Lombax for transport.
Heavy cuffs? Check.
Arms secured behind the perps back? Check.
Convenient towel providing emergency modesty for said naked Lombax? Mysteriously absent.
"Clank?"
"Yes, Widget?"
"Remind me to suggest that a basic towel be added to our standard emergency kit."
"Agreed. And Widget?"
"Yes, Clank?"
"I notice that further trouble has not emerged from being in F Sector, and we are about to leave."
"Okay, so I was wrong. We'll just have to ask if we can keep the… the… whatever kind of Grav-sled you made there for testing, okay?"
"That is all I am asking."
"All currently functional members of Bravo Squad present and accountable, Sir!" one of the warbots announced, drawing their attention to the fact that the bots had formed a line with one of them off to one side. "We're ready to move out on your command!"
"I am so looking forward to proper maintenance!" another one said.
"I have my rock, so I'm ready!"
"It'll be nice to have lubricant that we didn't have to process from squashed horny toads!"
Widget looked at Clank where he was still sitting in his beast of a Grav-sled, and he just looked right back at her.
"Oh dear," was all Clank had to say on the matter.
"Well, that looks like a you problem," Amanda Bates said. "So I'm outta here! Have fun now!"
"I'd stay, but drifting alongside warbots marching along at a tediously slow pace sounds very frustrating when I can just zip over to the colony much faster on my own. I'll send someone to meet you part way with a hovertruck!"
And, with that, the two professional racers zoomed off towards the colony in their Cyber Sleds.
"Assholes," Widget muttered as she turned to head for her own Grav-sled, not looking forward to the tedium of the trip Alan had just predicted would be in her immediate future.
-o-
Location: F Sector, Veldin
Time: 9:26 PM, Thursday
Widget noticed the Veldin Police Skycar oh so conveniently parked along their route as they finally drew close to the colony.
"Hold position," Widget called out to Clank and the warbots. "I'm going to go see what's up." So saying, she double checked to make sure that her Grav-sled's weapons systems were locked down, then drifted forward at a slightly faster speed, carefully making sure that at no time were the forward guns in the nose ever directly pointed at the skycar.
Depu Taunty could get pretty snippy about weapons safety protocols, and she was already dreading the no doubt long conversation that was about to happen right when all she wanted to do was get back to the hotel, send for room service while she showered, eat, then sleep for a day or three…
Stopping a short distance from the skycar, Widget popped her canopy, climbed out, and then finally took off her helmet, setting it on the Grav-sled beside her.
Only then did Sheriff pro tem Depu Taunty step out of his skycar and approach her. "Evening, Widget."
"Hi, Depu!" Widget replied with strained and blatantly false cheer. "I have a question."
"I'm listening."
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE HOVERTRUCK ALAN STRIKER WAS SUPPOSED TO SEND TO PICK UP THESE SLOWPOKES!?"
"Oh well, now that's a simple one, Widget," Taunty drawled. "Nobody wanted to come out to meet a potentially deranged squad of warbots. Seems easy enough to understand from that point of view."
"Uhuh," Widget huffed in defeat at that peerless logic.
"Now I do haveta ask: Why'd ya bring them with you?"
"Turns out they're claiming to be part of the Galactic Rangers. I couldn't very well leave them back there."
"I guess we'll just have to disagree on that point, but fair enough. Just head over to… I dunno… Bay 35 is close enough I guess, and right on the edge of town. I'll have somebody bring over food, water, and a cot."
"You're an asshole, you know that?"
"Now I know you don't really mean that, Widget…"
"Yes I do. You haven't answered any of my calls since Starwatch left!"
"I was busy."
"Doing what? Eating donuts?"
"Now, Widget, you know darn well I'm allergic to pastry!" Taunty admonished. "And if you must know, I was in a big conference call with Starwatch and the police on Novalis. Seems someone broke Little Tony out of prison again. And it was done while Starwatch was stuck in hyperspace on the way here."
"So you're saying that this might have been part of a plot by BlargTech?" Widget asked in confusion, her irritation forgotten. "What could be so important about Little Tony? I mean, sure he's strong and tough, but he's also a moron. BlargTech can pretty much get dumb muscle anywhere, so why him?"
"That's what took so long. Nobody could figure out why they'd bother breaking Little Tony out twice."
"Whatever," Widget huffed dismissively. "Bay 52 you said?"
"Bay 35," Taunty corrected. "The one near the edge of the colony, not the one near the hotel strip."
"Right, right…"
"And Widget?"
"Yes, Depu?"
"Go around the town, not through it."
"Fine," Widget conceded in exasperation.
-o-
Location: Bay 35, Kyzil Plateau Spaceport, Veldin
Time: 3:16 AM, Friday
"Bwah? Whazzapn?" Widget asked blearily from her cot as two tall figures stood over her.
"Get her into the ship and help her get cleaned up and into her bunk," Dr. Nefarious instructed Elaris, who was attempting to help Widget to her feet.
Widget, for her part, was doing her best impression of a boneless cat, having drifted off to sleep again upon realizing that she wasn't in any immediate danger.
"Oh for the love of…" Nefarious muttered. "Clank."
"Yes, Dr. Nefarious?"
"I'm going to check over Bravo Squad out here before we let them onto the ship. While I'm doing this, go into the Phoenix and then into either dropship. I installed the modifications we discussed into their Quick-equip pads."
"You mean..?"
"Yes. Those modifications. Now hurry up, because I think Elaris just trapped herself under a Lombax that only weighs maybe two thirds what she does."
"I'm okay!" Elaris called out from where she lay on the floor next to the cot, under Widget who was once again doing her impression of a limpet as she snored away. "Oh, jeeze, Widget! You reek!"
-o-
Location: The Phoenix, Bay 35, Kyzil Plateau Spaceport, Veldin
Time: 8:00 AM, Friday
Widget woke up on what she immediately recognized to be her bunk aboard the Phoenix. Which was way more comfortable than the cot had been. She stretched where she lay for a moment and then sat up, swinging her bare feet out over the edge of her bunk.
"Oh, hey, you're awake!" Elaris greeted her cheerfully. "We were kind of wondering if you'd sleep longer, because you were beyond exhausted when we arrived."
"Were you the one who helped me wash up and put me to bed?"
"Yes, actually. Cora and Brax were already in hyperspace on their way back to Kerwan when the Captain made the call for us all to meet you here, so they'll be a bit longer. He himself arrived maybe an hour to an hour and a half ago, I think? Anyway, he and Dr. Nefarious are talking over everything that happened yesterday in the galley. If we hurry, there may even be breakfast left!"
Widget was already leaving the crew quarters and heading straight for the galley before Elaris had finished the word breakfast.
-o-
Widget beelined her way to the counter the moment she entered the galley, loaded up a plate with eggs, sausages, flapjacks, a cup of fruit, and oh hey that also looked edible, before grabbing a set of flatware and heading for the table.
She was well into her second, wonderfully warm flapjack with melted butter and obel syrup when she noticed that Qwark and Nefarious had stopped talking and were staring at her.
"Um… Did I interrupt something?" Widget asked.
"I, ah… Think you forgot something," Captain Qwark stated awkwardly.
Widget blinked, then looked down.
Then she was once again racing through the corridors of the Phoenix. "ELARIS! I OWN PAJAMAS AND UNDERWEAR FOR A REASON!"
"Bleep?"
"Yes Dr. Nefarious?"
"Could you put Widget's breakfast in the warmer? I imagine that she's going to want to finish it once she's done throttling my assistant."
"I'll just prepare her something fresh, Sir," Bleep stated. "She's going to want some comfort food after that, and reheated flapjacks are not going to suffice."
-o-
Fully dressed and fed, Widget joined the rest of the Rangers, minus Cora and Brax of course, in the maintenance bay attached to the hangar. Where she saw Bravo Squad and…
"Clank? Is that you?"
The shiny chrome and gunmetal warbot that looked like a scaled down and better proportioned version of her little brother's UltraMech state turned his attention away from the other warbots to look at her. "Yes, Widget. Dr. Nefarious finished making modified versions of the conversion device and had installed the first two in the Quick-equip pads in the drop ships. Do you like it?"
"Looking good, Clank!"
"Thank you."
"Sarge is amazing!" one of the other warbots said.
"Copy that!" another one agreed.
"Doc is a little scary though," yet another one stated.
"I miss my gun already," the second one spoke up again.
"At least he let me keep my pet rock, Rock!" one of the ones who hadn't spoken yet put in.
Widget noticed that each of the Bravo Squad warbots were currently missing the gun half of their left arms. "Maintenance and upgrades?" she asked.
"Maintenance and upgrades!" Bravo Squad confirmed cheerfully.
"Why don't you all see about getting your names or designations painted on you somewhere while you're at it? I hate to say it, but you all look alike to me. Which would be fine if you all had the exact same skills and abilities, but apparently you don't."
"Yes, Sir!" Bravo Squad agreed with a salute before turning to each other and beginning to discuss potential paintjobs and whether or not they should go for a coordinated look or attempt to be even more individualistic so as to help the officers tell them apart better...
-o-
Location:The Phoenix, Bay 35, Kyzil Plateau Spaceport, Veldin
Time: 10:36 AM, Friday
Cora and Brax entered the crew quarters of the Phoenix, having finally arrived on Veldin via a Starbus. And the first thing they noticed was Elaris dangling from one of the overhead support beams by a swingshot cable. Which was also securing her arms against her torso.
"Oh, hi, Brax, Cora! I don't suppose either of you would be interested in getting me down from here?"
"That depends, Princess Purple…"
"Brax!" Cora snapped. "We are not using those names you came up with back on Novalis!"
"But they're good names!"
"No, they are not!"
"They all fit! The Captain doesn't need one of course, but Doc is Doc, you're Assault, I'm Heavy, and Miss Pinata here is Princess Purple!"
"Um… Could either of you let me down?"
"Not now, Elaris. I've got to explain to Brax, once again, why he can't just pick nicknames for everyone."
"You're just mad because you came in Ninth Place."
"THERE WERE ONLY EIGHT GRAV-SLEDS IN THE RACE! OF COURSE I'M PISSED! SOME ASSHOLE KEPT DISTRACTING ME WITH A STUPID CONVERSATION ABOUT NICKNAMES!"
"But…"
"No! You don't get to pick anybody's nicknames after that! Now come on, let's go find the others…"
"Um, Cora? Brax? Don't you think you're forgetting something? Guys? GUYS!? PLEASE LET ME DOWN!"
Once again alone in the crew quarters, Elaris spun slowly in place dangling at the end of the swingshot line.
"Ninety-nine bottles of FOOF on the wall ~ Ninety-nine bottles of FOOF! Take one down, pass it around ~ No more bottles of FOOF or a wall… You know, for a timewasting song, Ninety-Nine Bottles of FOOF is way too short. There has to be a longer version of it somewhere..."