Disclaimer: I do not own Starship and its respective characters. Starkid Productions does, and boy am I jealous.

Authors note: Sorry guys for not posting this sooner. But life+school+being sick has kept me pretty busy. On a different note, this is a filler chapter leading up to Taz's birthday so there isn't much action. Enjoy! :)

Chapter 3: Not your typical ranger.

The next morning found Up in Commander Thomas' office being briefed about what his role in protecting the civilians would be. Apparently the robots had not attacked this region for about two years. That didn't mean the rangers could slack off of course, they had have constant vigilance. this phrase had been drilled into every single Starship Rangers head since the beginning of time itself.

Up tried to keep a straight face throughout the meeting. But he had practically saved the G.L.E.E. headquarters from annihilation just under a month ago, won an award, was promoted to Lieutenant, and then was dumped in a place that hadn't heard the sound of whirring gears for two years. Dissapointment was hard to avoid. He managed.

"You are to patrol the boundaries from 700 hours until 1200. You'll be equipped with our best high tech weapons and technology available while on patrol. We have heard word from Headquarters that there has been robot movement off the coast of Hounduras. They're moving North. You start patrol tomorrow." The commander leaned up against his desk, elbows sliding accross polished wood.

"Lieutenant, you were sent here because you are one of the best. We're going to have you train our men in preperation for the inescapable battle that will occur." Thomas paused. "We just don't know when it will occur. We expect you to do your absolute best with the men."

Up nodded. Everything made sense now, combat must have been pretty lax without any fights against the robots. He'd have to weed out the rusty rangers and polish their skills to make their candy-arses shine. "How many men will I be in charge of, Sir?"

"Fifty. We have Lieutenant Maxwell training another fifty, and Lieuntenant Cobb the other fourty-five. At 1800 hours meet with your men in the training room, round back of the Mess Hall. Starting tonight. Any questions?"

"No Sir."

"Then you are dismissed."

"Thank you Sir."

Up exited the office, and made his way to his quarters. The patrol group who he had been assigned to had left half an hour ago, so he'd have to find something to do until six tonight. He had practically eleven hours to waste. Might as well walk around the town, see what he was protecting. He pressed his hand up against the wall scanner and was granted access into his new living space.

His rooms were fairly small and typical for a ranger. A bed, with fairly thick padding, a desk, a small drawer, and then a bathroom to the right of his bed. It was about the same size as the drop off pod he was stuck in for 24 hours yesterday. Most everything was in a shade of grey. He swipped his pistol off his desk and slid it into his holster, and glanced at his zapper leaning aginst his drawer. The drawer was empty, Up finding no use in unloading his duffel, and the zapper was to be used on duty only. So he was ready.

Taz rolled over and threw her hand down on the alarm clock that was causing so much annoyance. The plastic almost cracked under her fist. Hadn't she already hit the snooze button? Like, twice? Why was it still going off? She yawned involuntarily, thought for moment, and then groaned. Oh yea...Mama wanted her to help decorate their backyard for her party. She had an entire day to do it; why wake up so early to do so? Taz buried her face into her pillow. Mama could wait.

She'd stuck around far too long at the G.L.E.E. base last night. She needed more sleep... or coffee. Coffee would be good. but her bed was so comfy, and the coffee maker was in the kitchen... so far away...

Pedro popped his head into his sisters room, and swept his eyes around Taz's cluttered mess before landing on the curled lump underneath a quilt. "TACIANA!MAMA SAYS WAKE UP! SHE'S GOT COFFEE!" He grinned in triumph when she jolted out of bed, and then ducked as she chucked her alarm at him.

"Está bien, me voy! No tienes que gritar!" Pedro laughed and ran down the hall to the kitchen. Taz scrambled around her room looking for clean clothes to wear. She settled for a pair of jeans she had bought in the next town over, and her normal tank top which had previously laid crumpled on the floor. the latina padded barefoot to the kitchen where she then sat down and slumped over the counter. the surface was cold,and hard. Definately not her pillow. Mama set down a mug of coffee infront of her daughter, who then proceeded to sip the scalding drink, and burned her tongue. She sputtered, and fanned her mouth. "Mama, did I really need to wake up this early?" Waking up seemed to have disasterous concequences.

"Taciana, it's almost noon! You should be awake and outside in the sun with everyone else!"

"So you don't want me to decorar le jardin?" Her Mama laughed and shook her head, the laugh lines around her eyes crinkling.

"Pedro and I already did. Go enjoy yourself. There's only one day left." Taz set down the coffee mug and gave Mrs. Lopez a hug. Her last day of freedom before womanhood.

"Gracias." She then proceeded to the door where she shoved on her black boots, and ran out of the house into the sunlight. Mrs. Lopez shook her head, and smiled knowingly.

"No sé lo que ve en los hombres del ejército."

Taz froze outside the house and blinked. Mama knew about her visits to the G.L.E.E. base? And she hadn't been punished? A grin slowly spread accross her features. A plan which she had never thought possible now seemed close enough to grasp. Her feet took off down the road to her favorite place on Earth. Her boys were going to come to her quinceañera!

Up was just finishing up a conversation with a local produce seller when he saw a blur of blue and black race down the street. It skid around the sharp corner, fingertips tracing the dust as the girls body almost went parallel to quickly make the turn. And it was a girl, Up could see that now, because her hair was bouncing in step with her furious pace. Then she was gone.

"There goes Taciana Lopez." The produce man grinned. "Fastest chica in the village off to your base. She's probably planning on sneaking away to join the rangers like her Papa, and her hermano." Up glanced at the street corner she had disappeared around. Sheesh,that girl was fast. Who was she?

"What was her name again Senior?"

"Taciana Lopez."

"Gracias." Interesting. "Adios!" Lieutenant Up turned his body away from the friendly local and made his way up the road to talk to a pretty girl sitting in the shade,when he froze. Taciana. That name sounded alot like Taz. His eyes widened. What would cause Taz to run to the Base like the hounds of hell themselves were nipping at her heels? He spun around and made his way after her.

"Taz! kid! Wait up!" Up dashed down the street and around the corner Taz had just dissappeared behind. She continued running, but slowed down enough for the Lieutenant to catch up with the roadrunner. "What are you running from?"

She rolled her eyes. That was a nice way to greet someone in the morning. No ¡Hola! or even a simple 'what's up?' from the Lieutenant.

"Good morning to you too Lieutenant." Fancy meeting you here. "And I'm not running from something, I'm running to something." She brushed a rebel strand of hair out of her view. Why was he chasing her then? "The base in fact." Up frowned, his mustache doing a funny dance on his lip.

"I thought you were in trouble... seeing as you were sprinting so fast." Taz laughed, and pulled to a full stop, grabbing Up by the arm to stop him as well. Silently she noted that her hand couldn't wrap fully around his bicep.

"No,idiota. I'm on my way to your base to give everyone some good news!" Well, that was infinitely better than what Up had thought originally.

"And that is..."

"I'm inviting you all to my quinceañera!" She turned and started running again, Up a few paces behind. Dang, this girl was like an energizer bunny!

"What?Why? I thought you didn't want to have your quinceañera!" Taz shook her head, and didn't anwser him until they had reached the enterance door of the base. Hands on her slim hips, she turned and looked at him again, scolding.

"I don't." He raised an eyebrow. "But Mama knows about you guys. I don't even know for how long. This means I can invite you all to my quinceañera now,without getting into trouble!"

"You sure about this? You won't be grounded for life for inviting over two hundred grown men to your party?" That would be a sight.

Taz laughed. Grown men? "You are a bunch of glorified teenagers with a nack for shooting stuff. Besides, muchos hombres will be on duty patrolling." Up couldn't argue with that.

"You'll be fine, right?" Up gestured to the door, leading to inside the base.

"Sí, va a estar bien." He looked back at her dumbly.

"Come again?" She rolled her eyes. This idiota really needed to learn español.

"I'll be fine." She stressed the fine. "I've been hanging out here since i was a niño pequeño. You can go back to town Up. Unless you'd like to join with me in meeting your commander..."

"No Taz, I'm ok. You go on ahead." The lieutenant thought for a moment. "I saw a mighty pretty girl back in your village. I think she maght be in want of conversation." Taz grinned.

"Keep your hands off her, Up." She warned. "The padres that are left in the village are pretty protective, que comprende?" He held his hands up in the air feigning innocence.

"I swear! I was only aiming for a polite conversation!"

Up heard Taz enter the base as he started to walk back up the road to the village. 'Sure you were.' She had said sarcastically. "You called her pretty." He shook his head in amusement. Taz knew the ways of Rangers too well. But he wasn't your typical ranger.

He checked his watch, noting that he still had five hours until he started to train his men. He hoped to God that his men weren't as wimpy as the cadets back at the academy. If so, his service here in Guatemala was going to be a long one.

Spanish used:

-"Está bien, me voy! No tienes que gritar!" - ok, I'm going! You don't have to yell!
- decorar le jardin: decorate the garden
-"No sé lo que ve en los hombres del ejército.": I do not know what she sees in those army men.
-chica" girl
-hermano: brother
-muchas hombres: many men
-"Si, va a estar bien.": Yea, I'll be ok.
- nino pequeno: little kid
-padres: fathers
-que comprende: you understand

There you have it! one day left until Taz turns 15! ungh, this was probably all crap, and I didn't spend nearly enough time correcting everything... I hope everything makes sense. Thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed or helped make corrections to my horrible spanish! I'll name you guys off in my next chapter ( unless you tell me specifically not to, I will respect that.) Thanks for reading, and remember criticism is loved and welcomed!

~Emma.