A/N Stanton!Zurg for this one chapter. Please, and thank you. It's required for a important conversation.


"Mira, are you okay?" Booster asked, two days after the demise of Admiral Nebula.

"I learned on live television that my dad was poisoned. Live, Booster. Not from a doctor. Not from any of the royals, they shut me out, kept me in the dark, running around me in circles! And I-I need to see my dad."

Booster looked toward his partner then down, grimacing, before shifting toward her.

"You can go visit him during patrol with a shuttle, Mira." Booster offered a big smile with his suggestion. "Long as you report your short leave of absence."

"There isn't a strict rule about having all team members on patrol, anyhow." XR agreed with a nod.

"What if Lord Freeves attacks an-" Mira began to say.

"Nope, take the shuttle, you have to be there for your dad as he walks closer toward death, you know he is dying, something that one of us didn't have!" XR said as he turned toward her.

Mira smiled then she looked toward Booster.

"We can handle it from here." Booster assured.

Mira hugged Booster then XR and went to the shuttle but stopped and turned toward them sporting a small smile of gratitude.

"You're the best friends that I've ever had." Mira said, then pressed a button, and she was moved to the shuttle.


It was early in the morning, Warp had gotten everything ready, woke up early, showered early, the teenagers weren't due to be up for another hour. Warp went down the stairs then halted, observing the crowd, staring at him with folded arms, it was as if he had walked straight into an intervention unwittingly. Quark sat in a chair, his arms laced around the back rest, chin resting on the tip, hands clasped, while Gamma sat in her chair quite clumsily compared to the others who sat differently.

"Who's the kid?"

Hoichi and Chari stood in the way of the door leading out preventing Warp from going to Star Command, as Quark asked the question.

"You don't really wanna know." Warp said.

Quark frowned as he folded his arms.

"The blasts we do." Gamma said.

Warp turned toward them.

"Do you want to know the truth?" Warp folded his arms.

"Absolutely." Oort said.

"He's from a alternate universe where Zurg tried to bring Buzz Lightyear back, he failed to age the baby, then sent him over to nana-"

"Then he's a Lightyear!" Quark announced as his eyes widened.

They looked toward the little boy who was eating his eggs with a mess.

"His name is Alpha. . . Kids, look, you're not going to raise him." Warp drew their attention as he held up both hands. "He has a family."

"We don't know if his adopted family is still alive," Hoichi interjected. "for all we know; they're dead."

"Which they're not." Warp said, certain.

"And if they are, what then?" Gamma asked. "Send him to the next adopted family and hope for the best? This toddler clearly has a target on his back."

"An imaginary one that doesn't exist, and it's a fluke." Warp argued.

"What happened to nana over there?" Gamma asked, calmly.

Warp was quiet as he gazed down toward the floor; he had seen the well preserved tape recently, to see the fear, the uncertainty, the terror, the grief, the heartache.

"There's a very probable chance that Lord Freeves destroyed her home leaving Alpha the sole survivor." Warp said then flipped open his comn over the horror of each of the teenagers who had various reactions of heartbreak and sorrow. "Darkmatter here."

"Sir, uh, we've got a problem."

"What kind of problem, rookie?"

"Uhhhh. . ." the rookie looked over then grimaced. "Lord Freeves kidnapped a humanoid ant eater astronaut who was going to make first contact with Morph."

"Chari, Hoichi, get out of the way, NOW!"

The chairs in front of the doorway were withdrawn then Warp sped out then popped in.

"And Quark, don't you dare drag nanny bot up the stairs from the basement without Chari's help while the bot is recharging!"

Quark pouted as Warp slammed the door close.


The funeral was a week after the unexpected fall of the admiral, it was a somber one, solemn one. Events were handled slower compared to Buzz Lightyear's funeral, with gaps in between, the admiral wasn't revered on the same level that the younger Space Ranger had been to the general public. He wasn't the official mascot. The funeral was held at a field, Nebula's badly damaged suit was donated to a museum for prosperity in a exhibit dedicated to the man who engineered the founding of the Galactic Alliance and Star Command. XR wouldn't know it yet, but it would be there forever, through thick and thin, protected with the best defense on Morph that would hold.

The funeral van was opened from the back end then the coffin was carefully extracted out by two Space Rangers in funeral dress, their white uniforms with hints of purple, and they wore the green hats with the golden Star Command badge on the center. Another two space Rangers picked up the slack, and as the casket was extracted, another duo picked up the slack. Nebula's significant other awaited as did the extended family at the site that had been chosen several decades ago during a very difficult time when the Galactic Alliance was but an idea.

Warp closed the door behind the six Space Rangers then looked on toward the direction of the crowd that shifted ahead. He felt sorrow, certain pain, heartache, for the Nebula family. He leaned against the car then was approached by a familiar brown insect and he handed a wad of unibucks to the driver without even looking at the individual. The driver, a familiar person, who had aided in a special operation for sending the correct body to the correct burial place under a different vehicle while another fake body was transported to a fake set of coordinates, and as largely expected, the vehicle exploded with the dummy distantly.

"Oh, and by the way. . ." Warp said then looked down toward the familiar insect. "If you're smuggling weapons to Freeves, then we're not friends."

"He doesn't need weapons from the academy." was the reply drawing the surprise of the older man.

"It's that way then," Warp noted. "Different source of weapons for the droids." he looked down at the long living insect, hadn't changed a day, almost anticipating. "You know something."

"What do I know? I'm a truck driver-" Warp handed another wad of unibucks. "Some planet in the Delta Quadrant. "

"What?" Warp glared down upon his ex-handler. "No name?"

"The people haven't picked a name." his ex-handler said. "We call it Cross Your Zs and O's."

"Short hand?" Warp asked.

"Zozizozizo." his ex-handler said.

Warp's brows etched together.

"Troll!" Warp picked him up by the neck with a tight grip. "This isn't a game!"

"Z-z-z-z-z-z-Zizio."

Warp dropped his ex-handler to the ground then rubbed his knuckles.

"Go before I decide to turn you in for smuggling."

His ex-handler dusted himself off then smiled.

"Much oblige." He looked up toward Warp. "After all these years . . . still got in there. . ." Warp turned his back toward him keeping his gaze off him. "willing to go in the very questionable area."

The insect walked away then so did Warp turned away and joining the crowd as a Space Ranger hopped off the Star Command grade hover cycle and took out a bugle case.

"Drilla Burki, thanks for coming over!" Warp halted in his tracks shifting toward the Space Ranger.

Drilla was younger than the commander by a total of ten years, she wore a purple headscarf, her large glasses made her trio set of eyes stand out, her wide smile beamed.

"Anything for the guy who saved my older sister from Zurg's hyper hornets."

The duo met up then did a elaborate hand shake then laughed.

"How's your partner's eggs doing, Burki?" Warp asked.

"Sandy's eggs are hatching tomorrow!" Drilla exclaimed, cheerfully.

"About time!" Warp exclaimed, bearing a grin, while his companion didn't seem quite thrilled as he walked toward the funeral and Drilla followed him. "Those eggs are taking a long time to incubate as it is."

"I'm scared." Drilla admitted as she rubbed the back of her neck lowering her gaze.

"About the baby lizards looking like babies after they hatch?" Warp asked.

"Negative, sir." she turned her attention back, anxiety riddling her eyes, toward the commander. "About them looking like lizards and accidentally killing them. It's a terrible reflex to have. Hating Lizards. They are literally lizards after birth, don't look humanoid, not until they get a bit older."

"Put a modified collar around their necks, it'll help to discern which ones are your b-..." he stopped, gazing upon the look on her features, then grimaced before smiling. "Sandy already suggested that."

"It's the fact that someone could take them off or they could do that themselves." She clenched her hand, fearful, scared.

"Are there known instances of that happening?" Warp asked, concerned.

"Not until they're three years old." Drilla said.

"I look at Quark. . ." It was Warp's turn to voice a fear. "I get scared, myself, what if the day arrives and I call him Buzz? . . ."

"What?" Drilla lifted a brow in return as she lifted her hand up then turned it upside down. "Like he doesn't already?"

"He's fourteen." Warp said, he looked toward the sky as he walked on. "He is close but," he shrugged in response lowering his gaze and shook his head. "No cigar."

"And?" Drilla's brows raised at once. "What's the excuse?"

"I met Lightyear when he was a little older than that." Warp replied as he turned his attention ahead. "I haven't, but, the day is going to approach, and it'll happen, bracing myself for that, take your fear, hug it, remind yourself those lizards are your scale babies."

"Sounds like you've done it." Drilla noted with a warm smile as her brows lowered.

"With kittens during a solo mission." Warp looked back, fondly, at a memory. "Temporary housing."

"And Buzz didn't know?" Her brows were raised at once.

"He was very busy on a Zurg mission." Warp said.

"As always." Drilla had a low laugh at it.

"They were ripping my furniture to pieces." He lifted his brows before adding. "Was very tempted to throw them out."

Their conversation ended as they got closer to the somber scene. There were chairs reserved to Nebula's old colleagues, those who didn't make the last few decades, the only ones who were there were a small group of LGM, the first federation president, XR, XL - who was weeping-, while a few security bots were surrounding the scene. Many of the chairs were filled by the Nebula clan, some news crew who had arrived at the scene earlier and were livestreaming the event. The rangers lowered the white coffin into the mechanism, then the funeral staff locked it in, the uniformed Space Rangers stepped back once it was done. XR got off his chair then rolled away, past a disguised Buzz Lightyear beside a reporter, weeping away from the scene. The small android halted beside a tall oak tree resting beneath the shade.

XR looked on through the field of trees, between his tears, his weeping coming to a standstill, spotting a distant tall hooded figure standing out, red glowing optics as Buzz approached distantly. Xr was filled in rage as he opened his chassis and took out his blaster then gave chase to the figure through the forest.

"XR!" Buzz called.

The figure fled through the forest with ease as the distant ex-Space Ranger came to a halt in his tracks looking on in pity at the android chasing after the ghost of his grief, he didn't know much about androids, only that they could have glitches from time to time in their programming. XR shot after the fleeing figure then was blown up into pieces and scattered about the area then put himself back together, angry, firing his blaster in the general direction of the hooded figure knocking down pieces of tree branches. Buzz resumed chasing after the android.

"Stop!"

Buzz grabbed the android by the helm.

"He killed my father!" XR struggled to wheel on.

Buzz had a heavy sigh then turned the android toward him as he stood up to his feet.

"Oh, then, then hornets use Triple Plasma Cannons?. . . ." Buzz said, feigning confusion lifting a brow. "That's what their ammunition is?"

XR became quiet as his own words hit him then turned toward the ex-Space Ranger.

"They don't use that. . . I . . I . . I just . . .Why did he have to save Evil Emperor Zurg's life instead of his own?"

Buzz heaved a heavy sigh, his shoulders lowering, pitying him before giving the answer.

"Admiral Nebula is-was a Space Ranger first, a commander second, a admiral third. It's the main duty of a Space Ranger to save a life and prevent the likes of evil from winning."

XR turned away, folding his arms, lowering his gaze.

"What does preventing evil mean when it wins." XR said as he rolled under the shade of a tree then stopped. "Anyway."

Buzz looked upon the small android then looked aside with a sigh. Looking back. Deep in his heart. He knew exactly how XR felt. He felt that a few years ago. Buzz turned his attention back upon the android, sympathetically.

"Engineering the success of a Space Ranger means doing hard things for them even when evil has won at the end of the day," Buzz approached a nearby tree then patted on it and saw a plague reading the name of a space civilian. "and it takes a toll," he closed his hand then turned toward XR. "a significant toll," Buzz lowered his gaze. "everyone makes their payment and gets their dues; that's what really counts in this universe."

He walked past the tree as he walked on lowering his gaze then turned in the direction of the funeral and walked on.

"And when one person has paid enough, the universe, it gives them a gift, and it's up to them to decide what to do with it, how it's dealt with that that matters to their happiness, it matters in the heart, in the soul, in the mind, and in the way that one comes from back out of a sorta death that they had fallen into."

XR stared at Buzz.

"Who are you, again?" XR asked, his mood changing to a easy going one. "It's a really lovely quote." he rolled after the ex-Space Ranger. "Something quite marvelous."

Buzz looked toward XR with a smile.

"Max Sundistance." Buzz said.

"Ooh, you're that guy who's written romance novels about Space Rangers, various combinations, might I add, I like the one where there's a roboranger who falls for a criminal and he throws his career in the toilet for her and for the sake of being a vigilante, even for a little while, the way it happened, oooh, that was good stuff!"

"Wrote that to buy a new car. A very expensive car. The spy one didn't make enough for it." Buzz pouted recalling that incident. "Last car was destroyed by a impromptu explosion in the middle of a baseball game."

"I love the bit where you mocked the bad romance writers with that ridiculous line 'she breasted boobily down the stairs' with a far more ridiculous line. You described a literal cryptid for the main love interest."

"My favorite paragraph by far." Buzz was especially proud of that sporting a grin.

"It's very beautiful! Loving her for everything! Her flaws! How strange that she looks! How unhuman like she was!" XR wept, loudly, then Buzz handed them a handkerchief. "Blasts," the android took the handkerchief then blew into it. "it's nothing short of an incredible romance!"

XR handed back the handkerchief.

"I take your word for it, Ranger XR." Buzz said as he put the handkerchief into his pocket. "Are you feeling better?"

"A lot." XR said. "Need a short moment to myself."

"Make sure that you're there to dump the dirt on the coffin, XR." Buzz recommended to his companion then walked on.

XR sat against a tree, taking out a holographic family photograph, sniffling.

"I miss you, dad." he pressed the photograph against his chassis, weeping, his optics closed, hugging him. "I coulda' helped."

XR sat there, slumped, saddened, against a tree bark. A long dark shadow approached him, getting longer, and longer, and wider until pausing.

"You can help, in fact." Zurg said

XR looked up toward the blazing red optics that were full of sadness. Behind Zurg, distantly, there was a small number of hornets dispatched behind trees keeping themselves unseen.

"How?" XR asked, while Zurg lowered his hood. "How?" he stood up to his treads. "HOW?"

"There is a way to leave Lord Freeves vulnerable." Zurg said, vaguely.

"TELL ME!" XR tugged the dress, knelt down, pleading. "LET ME TAKE DOWN THAT CRIMINAL!"

Zurg withdrew the card then held it out toward the machine.

"Hard decisions have to be made for others, being the catalyst of great success, expecting nothing in return." Zurg held it out, his hand quite still, as part of a peace offering. "And your friends and family get something out of it as well."

XR took the card from Zurg's grasp.

"What is this?" XR asked as he looked down toward the card.

"It holds a computer virus." Zurg replied.

"A virus?" XR lifted a golden brow then tilted his helm. "For what? Star Command?" he held out the card for Zurg. "That is not my style."

"It is for Lord Freeves's main frame computer." Zurg shook his claws, declining it, looking upon it with very little regret. " It requires a great sacrifice out of love, out of faith, out of defiance, and acceptance of what will bring great pain to others."

"And it requires being downloaded in." XR lowered the card.

"He doesn't have slots in his main frame computer." Zurg said.

"So, that's where you hit the road block." XR squinted back at the Evil Emperor. "Something needs to be plugged in. You tried a hornet, and failed."

"More or less." Zurg supplied.

"There has to be another option." XR shook his helm in disbelief as he looked up.

"This is the last resort." Zurg instructed the small android. "I tried to run, to hide, like a hunted mouse, to stop them from attacking, and instead; Nebula gave his life for mine. I should have stuck to my original plan, left, assembled another tunnel extraction unit, and returned a day after leaving instead of leaving Planet Z vulnerable to the wolves."

"It's Planet F now." XR said.

"I have heard." Zurg said then shook his helm. "Doesn't sound remotely catchy."

"What?" XR tilted his helmet "Are you going to do evil stuff today?"

"This is the evil scheme, you and I," Zurg twirled his claw back and forth. "working in tandem," he pointed at the card. "for this single action, and then. . . you will never, ever, see Lord Freeves or hear his name, ever, again."

"Nah uh, he needs to face justice!" XR shook his purple digit.

"After that, XR." Zurg's laughter was a nice sound to sore ears. "After his conviction, he'll be taken. He'll be sentenced there." Zurg held his claw out. "Do we have ourselves a deal."

"Deal." XR stretched his arm then shook the Evil Emperor's claw as the Space Ranger put the card in his chassis while the two shook on it. "Where are you staying?"

"Somewhere safe. . . ." Zurg withdrew his claw then walked away retreating into the shadows of trees. "To wait."

XR watched the figure retreat into the dark and remained there for a long moment until Warp joined his side.

"Feeling alright, XR?" Warp asked.

XR turned toward Warp.

"Zurg gave me a computer virus to use against Lord Freeves, it needs a trojan horse."

"Do you want to be the horse?" Warp asked.

"No." XR shook his helm.

Warp looked ahead then back as XR looked down.

"But if it looks like we need to cross the finish line that way then . . ." the commander reflected for a moment. "we need to cheat."

XR looked up toward the commander then nodded, somberly.

"Have they lowered him?" XR asked.

"A short while ago ago, XR." Warp replied. "The others just started dropping clods of dirt in."

XR tapped his servos together, saddened, then rolled on as Warp looked ahead, weary, toward the distant path ahead.


From the distance across from a crashed prison transport vessel appeared Van Selling heading for the escape vessel. He boarded then the door was closed once the last droid entered as the security personnel of the prison vessel traded shots and the vessel itself lifted up into the sky then flew away. Van Selling looked down upon the craft as a escape pod flew out from the ship carrying the bulk of the criminals that had survived the crash. He turned his attention upon the triangle screen, the escape ship flying off, the shots leaving behind dents on the side. The security personnel looked off toward the escape pod that was almost out of sight.

"Hello, Van Selling." Lord Freeves waved back at the younger man. "You've largely survived in one piece as anticipated."

"That, I have." Van Selling replied then scowled. "Didn't help that Nebula died instead of Zurg."

"I did call." Freeves supplied, his interest increased, clasping his claws underneath his chin. "Are you ready?"

"Prepared." Van Selling bore a grin with a nod.

"Your suit is waiting at the back." Freeves gestured toward the back behind the newly acquired operative. "Modified as requested."

Van Selling turned around then approached the back end of the craft, pressed a button, then the door opened, and a yellow space suit appeared before him with hints of green and strawberry blonde.

"Just my style." Van Selling said.


It was the very next day, and Quark was the first one to get a learner's permit. He was quite excited about it, Warp had reserved a single hour to see how hard he studied. Quark was trembling, scared, clutching the wheel, tense. Warp could see the tension in the teenager's features and on his form. Van Selling was on the loose, that didn't matter quite now, what mattered was the very pressing issue regarding the learner permit. Alpha was being watched by the nanny bot, a family heirloom, she liked Warp's family, even when she had the choice of going on and building her own life. She was a machine, she argued, she had a purpose, she had gone out once, when Warp was a child and searched for a different purpose. It turned out every purpose was quite unsatisfying.

He shifted through the radio until landing on a song that naturally caused the boy to unwind; Cher - If I could turn back time. The teenager pressed the pedal then the van sped down the mostly empty street with a shriek. Warp clung to the handle as the vehicle flew over tall hills and landed on to another hill and flung down, Quark laughed loudly enjoying the thrill.

"Do you know which pedal stops the car?" Warp asked.

"Oh, this." Quark said.

Quark took out the key then held out the key.

"Quark, that's not a pedal." Warp said.

Quark was in the middle of the road as Warp glared.

"Which one is it again?" Quark asked, his brows lifted up.

Warp rubbed his forehead then leaned forward and bounced his forehead on the dashboard, repeatedly.

"To the left of the accelerator." Warp stopped what he was doing then rapped his fingers on the dashboard. "Your brain has become mush."

"Maybe it has." Quark said as he turned the car back on then drove on waving at the honking people.

"Oh boy, teaching you to drive the stick is going to be very fun."

"Why would I need to drive a tree?" Quark asked.

"To manually change gears and acce-a tree is not a vehicle!"

"Not according to Lord Of The Rings, old man." Quark reminded Warp

Buzz was walking his cat when he saw Quark pass by. He stared, dumb struck; Quark was driving already? He can't be getting that old. Buzz shook his head then was tugged away by his cat as he stared after the car that tipped sideways around a curve then landed on all fours.

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?" Warp demanded, distantly, his voice carried in the wind.