Tanya was working on Drake 1 when the transmission came in.
"Wildwing, there's a message coming in from the Raptor," she announced over the comms. Wildwing arrived with Canard, followed quickly by the others.
"Pull it up, Tanya," he ordered.
Dragonus' face suddenly filled the screen, and he was smiling.
"It's never good when they smile," commented Nosedive under his breath to Duke. The older duck just elbowed the teen in the side after Wildwing glared at them.
"Are you calling to surrender?" asked Wildwing.
"Silence duck," ordered Dragonus, "or I might have to hurt the girl."
"Nice try, lizard lips," injected Nosedive, "but Tanya and Mal are right here."
Dragonus ignored his comment. "What was the brat's name again?" He asked someone off screen. The camera slid over to reveal Dragonus' partner. The ducks gasped.
"I think it was Kristina, My Lord," answered Lucricia coyly, "Kristina Thunderbeak."
Canard's blood stopped cold. "You're lying," he exclaimed.
"See for yourself big brother," the camera switched from Lucricia to show the Raptor's jail cells.
"Canard, why are you doing this?" Cried a desperate voice. Canard recognized her before the speaker appeared on screen.
"Kristy..." He couldn't believe his eyes. Canard saw himself, shoving Kristy into a holding cell.
"I am obeying Lord Dragonus' orders," replied the Canard on the screen, who Wildwing recognized as Chameleon.
"It's ok," he whispered to Canard, "she has to know that isn't really you."
"Wait, Canard, what are you doing?" Called Kristy as Canard/Chameleon walked away. "What's wrong with you?" She asked softly.
"See?" Wildwing's best friend gave him a small smile, but it disappeared when Dragonus appeared on the screen again.
"If you touch one feather on her head," threatened Canard.
"You're in no position to threaten me, boy."
"What do you want Dragonus?" asked Wildwing, Canard looked ready to break down besides him.
"The Mask"
"Never!"
Dragonus' face twisted into an evil grin and the screen went blank.
There was a moment of silence while Tanya tried to get the connection back. "I just can't trace it, something's interfering with the signal."
Suddenly Canard lunged at Wildwing, knocking the team's captain to the floor. "What did you do!" He continued before Wildwing could respond. "That's my sister he's going to kill, why didn't you just hand over the mask? It's not like that thing's doing us any good..."
"What do you mean?" Wildwing had managed to roll out from under Canard and was now using his superior strength to hold the struggling duck down. "You're the one who ordered me never to let the Saurians have the mask."
"We haven't been able to beat him yet, even with the mask," replied Canard, "and since when do any of you follow orders?" He leaned to the side and suddenly knocked Wildwing off. "Half of our problems come from your kid brother 'cause he never follows orders."
"Hey, leave Dive out of this."
"Why should I? If he were captured you'd be rushing over to deliver the mask to Dragonus!" Accused Canard, standing to look Wildwing in the eyes.
"Wing would never give up the mask," said Nosedive, coming to his brother's defense.
"Why don't you stay out of this, twirp. I knew it was a mistake to let Wing bring you along!"
"Canard!" Wildwing ran to separate Canard from his brother.
"Yeah, like I'd be safe if I'd stayed there," countered Dive, "just like Kristy."
"Nosedive!" Wildwing turned to reprimand the teen as Canard lunged, but he was caught by Grin.
"Let me go!" argued Canard. "That kid's got it coming!"
Duke grabbed Dive's beak before his big mouth could cause more trouble. "Common you guys, let's give them some time," he called to the others, dragging Dive out of the ready room. Only Wildwing, Canard, and Grin were left.
"You can let me go now," he told Grin, "I'm not going to fight you two." Grin release him and Canard sank into a chair.
"It's alright Canard, we're going to get her back," promised Wildwing, but Canard wasn't listening to him.
"She's just a civilian, and she was supposed to be safe back on Puckworld..." Canard buried his head in his arms. "What are mom and dad going to think? Kristy's just a kid..."
"This is not your fault."
Canard raised his head to look at Grin. "What do you mean not my fault? I should've protected her, I should - "
"It is no one's fault but that of the chaos of war," interrupted Grin.
"But my parents, they trusted me to protect her."
"You did protect her," argued Wildwing, "I remember you sent her into hiding with other members of the resistance."
"I only did that because I didn't want her with me," said Canard softly, "I was supposed to keep an eye on her, that's what my dad said before he and my mom left to fight in the resistance. That's why we were never in the prison camps. We both hid underground with the other military families. The Generals didn't want the fighters to worry about their families, so we were protected under one of the old air bases. My mom was a medic, so she could've stayed behind with me and Kristy, but she didn't. She joined my dad at the front lines." Canard took a breath. "So my dad made me promise to watch Kristy."
"Why didn't he just have Charlie watch her?" Asked Wildwing, remembering Canard's older brother.
"Because Charlie, dad's pride and joy, was already fighting, he'd been at the front lines since the resistance started. I wanted to join the resistance, to fight along side them, but I couldn't with Kristy with me. I'd never bring her to the front lines...So I just left her!" His head dropped into his arms again. "I just snuck out one night and joined up with the resistance force in the area."
"You did what you thought was right," comforted Grin.
"Yeah, I thought it was right to leave her in the care of Lucricia DeCoy!" Exclaimed Canard.