Thank you to all my reviewers:

ILOVEKH, starskulls, littlebird4 and Illusions of Space.

This chapter is for you :D x

"Aerrow, we've just had another transmission from Terra Atmosia's high security stockade."

Said sky knight stifled a groan and lifted his head out of his hands where he'd been resting it for the past half hour.

"What happened?"

"Carver's escaped."

"What?"

"Carver. Has. Escaped."

"I heard you the first time… but… how?"

Piper looked glumly out of the open hangar door. "That's the problem; we don't know. And it wasn't like last time when Carver…" She bit her lip, cringing at the memory of when carver had joined them and tried to kill Aerrow.

"Used a fake hypnosis crystal?" finished Aerrow gently.

Piper nodded. "Aerrow, promise me that you'll be careful. Please don't do anything rash. Carver's out there to get you. So are the Dark Ace and Master Cyclonis."

She leaned in close; so close that Aerrow could almost count her lashes.

"Uh… And you too… stay safe…I don't want anything to happen to you either." Aerrow blushed. "Or the squadron." He finished somewhat lamely.

Piper smiled, and then looked away suddenly. "Look, Aerrow, there's something I want to tell you… You're dense," Piper snorted.

"What?" Aerrow started, completely nonplussed by this change of events.

"You're a sky knight, you're very intuitive, brave, selfless, but it also makes you dense."

"Piper… I…" Aerrow had no idea what Piper was talking about.

"I knew that you wouldn't get it… But when… Look, let's just make it easier; I…"

"Has anyone seen my weapon?" Finn burst into the hangar bay, causing the two to spring apart.

"Finn, it's next to your skimmer."

"Oh right, thanks."

To Piper's annoyance, Finn sat down and began to polish his crossbow lovingly, completely oblivious to the awkwardness radiating off his teammates.

"Finn, don't you have anything else to do before we land?"

"Nope, the Finnster's all set. Chika cha!" Finn dropped his crossbow as he did his trademark pistol fingers. "Ah… My crossbow!" He dived beneath his skimmer to retrieve it.

"Anyway, Piper, what were you going to tell me?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course it…"

"I said that it doesn't matter! OK?" Piper stormed from the room shouting something which sounded suspiciously like 'dense'.

"Dude, what's with her?" Finn asked, perplexed.

Aerrow shrugged and turned away to hide his annoyance at Finn for coming in before Piper could tell him.

"Carver to Cyclonia."

Cyclonis smiled as the transmitter buzzed to life.

"Carver," she purred, "I trust that everything is in order."

"Yes, master. That is correct."

"Let there be no mistakes, Carver. If you fail, there will be dire consequences." Her voice hardened. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, master."

"Go. Bring me Sky Knight Aerrow." Cyclonis smiled into the darkness as Carver disconnected. "Dark Ace."

The man stepped forward. "Yes, Master Cyclonis."

"Know this well. You are on your last leg; if Carver proves to be the weaker, then kill him and bring me the sky knight yourself. But if Carver is the one to return, then you must die. I have no room for weak warriors by my side."

The Dark Ace bowed to hide his shiver.

Her smile widened, like that you would find on a snake appearing to be benign.

The first trap had been accidentally uncovered by Junko. The Wallop had been sincerely worried by his team mates' silence. Even Aerrow had not a positive word to say though they seemed to answer Junko civilly enough.

Finn and Piper (having got into yet another screaming match) glowered at each other; Piper's bad mood only enhanced from when Aerrow had tried to talk to her in front of Finn of all people (honestly, Aerrow could be dense…) Aerrow was still quite stung at being called dense but mostly displeased that Finn had come in at such an inconvenient moment.

Junko wandered into a sprung net which instantly pinned him to a nearby tree as he was musing on the meaning of life and how meaningless it was without cuddly stuff.

"Er… Guys… Little help?"

He twisted impotently as he tried to punch through the net with his knucklebusters. Aerrow took a step forwards before noticing that the foliage under his feet had suddenly become suspiciously thick. Finn continued walking towards Junko and instantly fell into the pit which had been covered by a clever layer of leaves.

"ARRRRRRGH!"

Piper sighed. "Finn, that was the oldest trick in the book. You go around; not straight towards the trap that you can see." So saying she demonstrated. Aerrow flinched as there was a crack of a branch and a scream.

"Piper, you OK?"

"If I could just get…" Piper dangled from a tree by her ankle as the snare held her in place.

There was a cackle from the pit.

"Now who's the stupid one?"

"Finn!"

"What? I was just saying!"

"As soon as I get free… You are SO dead!"

Aerrow stiffened as he heard the bushes rustle behind him. He turned and moved to the right just as six throwing knives imbedded themselves in the tree trunk where his head had been just moments before.

This was long overdue… What was Piper going to say to Aerrow? Ah... if you're asking me that, you're about as dense as Finn. ;)