A/N: Hazzah! I got chapter 12 done. I wasn't sure. I have had a lot going on, but those awesome Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 previews are really pushing me.

Disclaimer: By the powers of an awesome soundtrack, let side B proclaim that I don't own rights to Avatar the Last Airbender and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.

Sokka zooms up through the hatch in a panic, heading straight for the pilot's cabin. His arms make exaggerated swimming strokes, as he tries to increase his weightless speed. As he accelerates, Sokka realizes he is heading straight into the backs of Zuko and Katara. Swinging his legs in front of him, Sokka backpedals. He frantically reaches for something to help slow himself down from the impending collision. He grabs a floating saucer, the small metal disc is cold to touch. Looking at it, he wonders when this girlie item was purchased. He tosses it aside and the saucer wobbles away.

Realizing, there is nothing else to aide in his now desperate need to decelerate, he braces for the impact. "In-coming!"

Katara and Zuko turn inwards, first looking at each other in confusion, and then rotate further around to see that Sokka is barreling towards them. The muffle of curses about Sokka's birth, parentage, and general behavior indicate loudly that Sokka has slammed into Zuko and Katara. Katara flies upwards and smashes into the ceiling's switch panel. Her head hits the v-tech radio button, which immediately blasts out music. This draws out further curses that aren't lady like. Zuko falls forward onto the pilot console. His hand slams down the Morse code button, flashing the ship's front headlights with the last programmed transmit. Shipie's lights blink dot, dash, dot in various combinations, informing the Draconian cruiser in code that His Honorable Star Lord Shipieness rocks the space-time warp!"

Sokka shoves Zuko behind him, grabs the seat belt, and swings into the captain's chair. This pushes Zuko into a spin, smacking against Katara. Before they can tumble out into the galley, Zuko reaches out and manages to snatch the passenger seat belt, quickly clutching Katara to him so she won't float away. Zuko and Katara's faces are inches apart. Katara stares into Zuko's yellow eyes. He slowly lowers his gaze to Katara's plump lips.

Katara is well aware of the length of Zuko's muscular body pressed firmly against her own. Clearing her throat, a steady coloring heat indicates her embarrassment. "You can let go of me now."

Zuko immediately drops his hands. His right cheek glowing red, while he clears his throat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Katara cuts him off, hoping to avoid any more awkwardness. "It's fine." She reaches up and switches off the v-tech music.

Sokka absently says while fiddling with various switches on the pilot cabin, "Hey, I liked that song."

"I think you'll live." Katara notices the flashing Morse code button on the console repeating the same transmit as Shipie's front lights. Katara counts the dots and dashes and slowly groans as she realizes what it spells. "Sokka, why you insist on programming that inane message is beyond me." Katara leans over, brushing against Zuko's chest as she depresses the Morse code, shutting off the flashing message. As she uprights herself, their eyes meet. Katara quickly grabs onto the back of the pilot's seat, bobbing in the air. Zuko does the same with the captain's chair. A nice buffered of air space is between them.

"That message lets another starship know who they are dealing with, but normally it is a rival bounty hunter, not some race intent of obliterating us." Sokka fiddles with buttons. "Brilliant job, Zuko for bringing us to this quadrant that hates our very existence." He glares accusingly, "Did you plan this on purpose?"

Zuko sputters, "What no! I was trying to get you away from Toph. I was saving you."

"What Sokka means," Katara flicks the back of her brother's head for being rude.

Sokka snorts a counterpoint, ignoring his sister's chastising gesture. He hadn't even begun being rude.

Katara concedes it was rather stupid of Zuko, idiotic even, to breach the Draconian borders, but Zuko hadn't been aware of the particular perilous reasons. She states more gently with a slight plea. "We cannot be found, Zuko."

Zuko eyes narrow and his voice has a rough edge but his intentions are clear,"Trust me, you won't.". He almost reaches out to clasp Katara's hand but stops himself. He clenches it tightly at his side, surprised at his unintended spontaneous show of comfort."I will figure a way to get us out of here."

Katara clears her throat and looks away. The sight of the Draconian cruiser makes her feel queasy. "I hope so."

Sokka throws his hands up in frustration. "I give up. I've tried everything I know. The tractor beam on our ship is impossible to unhook," Sokka points at the imposing vessel which is pulling them toward the open docking bay. "At this point, it's kind of done deal."

Zuko knows that if he can somehow persuade the Dracus that he commandeered Shipie. The fact that Zuko is biologically Drac, the rightful prince, and Thanos's adopted son is ample negotiating power, the Drac would let him go with an interrogation and possible fine. Without deeply contemplating the ramifications or Sokka's reaction to the solution, Zuko bursts out, "Shipie is now my personal spacecraft."

"What!" Sokka unhooks his seat belt in fluid motion and spins around, grabbing Zuko by the collar. "never!"

Shipie's loud speakers blast another shrill signal, followed by a curt command. "We do not recognize the space-time warp as an answer of a so-called Star Lord Shipieness. If you do not follow proper Draconian protocol, we will consider you an enemy of the state."

Katara frantically pulls on her brother's shoulder, hoping that will release his iron grip on Zuko. "Sokka, will you listen to Zuko before you beat him senseless?"

Sokka hisses, "No, I prefer to beat him senseless."

Zuko glares at Sokka, lowering his voice to growl. "You're sister is obviously the only one in your family that has any sense."

"Zuko," Katara snaps, exasperated over the two males' idiotic posturing. "You aren't making this easy for me to persuade Sokka you aren't a jerk."

Sokka sneers, "Doesn't matter what you say, no Draconian will ever take something from me again, half prince or not."

Zuko felt the sting of his demoted status, "I'm a full prince." He counters with a snarl. "Get a grip man, as if this ship would even be worthy of me."

"Seriously, not helping!" Katara barks over Sokka's shoulder to Zuko and gives him a blue-eyed piercing glare of her own.

Zuko's jaw tightens, fighting his instinct to withdraw his help. He exhales loudly, "I will only claim Shipie to get us released. It's in name only and for the Dracus to let us go."

Another loud shrill with the repeated message of doom bursts immediate attention from the Draconian cruiser. The threats turning into a direct order of full capture.

Katara pleads to her brother, "Sokka, please, we have to answer that hailing signal."

Sokka stares at Zuko. He knows Zuko's plan is the most viable solution. The idea of a Drac claiming Shipie, exiled Prince or not, makes him too ill to even think about food. He glances at Katara who mouths, Sokka, please, let Zuko help us. Sokka relents, he can't let Katara get hurt. "Fine, do it!" Sokka releases his grip. He jabs the front of Zuko's chest. "but don't get any ideas that this a permanent situation."

Zuko doesn't reply but floats into the captain's chair. "Make sure you reverse the gravity, we don't want anything to look suspicious."

"Aye, aye, captain," Sokka barks with a hard sarcastic scorn. Zuko holds up his hand for silence, which causes Sokka to lunge toward the scarred half prince. Katara doesn't hesitate. She grabs Sokka's arm and yanks him toward the hold.

Zuko speaks calmly across the hailing system to the Draconian cruiser., "I'm sorry for the delay. My communication system suffered some damage from the mine field. This is a simple error of misplaced re-entry from light speed." Zuko looks over his shoulder, glaring at the siblings to hide.

"Sokka, come on." Katara whispers.

Sokka shakes off her hand. "Yeah, yeah, I know, Katara, follow the boarding drill." Sokka zooms down the hold. He floats toward Shipie's gravity panel. He grabs hold of the switch, says a silent prayer to the spirits, and throws the switch.

"Ow!" Katara yelps as her bottom hits the galley floor, including everything that had been floating above her, a set of dishes tumbles on top of her head. She rubs the spot, kicking one mug across the floor in agitation. Sokka experiences his own greeting of pain as Shipie is reintroduced to gravity. The ability to climb up and down is noticeably different without the ease of floating. Sokka's legs are a little wobbly, but he manages to climb his way back up to the main deck and walk unsteadily to the galley.

Katara yanks open the hidden trundle bed. Sokka reaches underneath the mattress and drops down one side of the slats. If the bed is slightly pulled out, it won't reveal what is hidden behind, an opening wide enough for ample load of contraband or in this case, two people.

Sokka puts on a mask to allow for breathing in the enclosed space. Katara hops inside, being the fabled prodigy has certain benefits, like not being worried about a lack of oxygen in a tiny space. Sokka pushes the bed's closing button before he clamors after his sister. Sokka settles into a prone position as the bed slides closed, securing the two siblings inside.

Zuko feels and hears the gravity change. His body immediately settles into the captain's chair, almost sags into itself with the added weight of new gravity. He watches the tracker beam increase its magnetic pull. Shipie slides into the gaping bay of the cruiser. The Draconian cruiser's doors slowly close around and Shipie grows dark as the power has been commandeered by the Dracus.

Troops, dressed in the Draconian armor, surround Shipie. The soldiers fill the vast docking space with their pointed blasters, clearly indicating their intention to fire. Zuko unclicks his seat belt. He calmly moves to the small table to wait. He knows the drill. Those that do not engage are considered subservient, and thus not considered a threat. Zuko fears the longer he helps Katara and Sokka the harder it will be for him to complete his mission.

There is a sound of the hold being breached and feet of soldiers swarming the inside and slowly emerging from beneath the hold. The blasters are pointed at Zuko with menacing authority.

"Get up, you are under arrest." A soldier in a different red mask with a black grill over the mouth area waves his blaster toward the hold's ladder, indicating for Zuko to move.

Zuko calmly stands and follows the soldiers down the hold and out of Shipie. The sentries march in a tight formation around Zuko, leading him across the docking floor into a long corridor toward a briefing room. The same soldier, who barked orders at Zuko, shoves Zuko inside with the bottom of his boot. Tripping, Zuko manages to not lose his balance; but before he can turn around to protest, the door has been slammed behind him.

Pacing back and forth, Zuko knows this isn't proper protocol for treatment of would-be interlopers. Of course, Zuko hadn't anticipated that he would have been sold into slavery either. As the weight of the past starts to descend, the door suddenly opens.

A man with established side beard and decided smirk strides into the room. His hands clasp behind his back. "Well, well, look what we have, it is amazing what you find when you patrol the mine field border rim, it is a good day." Zhao takes up the room with his pompous stature. Rumors had persisted that Ozai sold his children as a barter to Thanos as a means to obtain more leverage in the power struggle against the Avatarians. Zhao scoffs about the Avatarians as a whole, a weak minded and simple-hearted race of people who believe all life should be protected. Zhao almost laughed out loud when he first heard that at negotiations by President Aang in Republic City had failed with a broadcasted execution of an Avatarian emissary by Lord Ozai. Some life is naturally more superior. The Drac were made in the image of the dragon, and the stars had decreed them the better race

"Commander Zhao." Zuko straightens. He can feel the disrespect filling the room, emanating from both individuals.

"Actually, it is Admiral now." Zhao had learned to play the political game. He could smile and cow tow, all the while, working so that someday he would be the true Lord of the Dracus. It would take cunning, but Lord Ozai had already done the best possible mauveer, by eradicating any pesky heirs who might prove problematic. Now, providence and the spirits had brought Zhao the disgraced prince into the belly of his cruiser. This day couldn't get any better, Zhou thought all these things while he surveyed Zuko.

Zuko maintains his proud stance. He remembered Zhou. Zuko had been playing with a model ship on the floor of the thorn room. Zhao had walked up, bent down, and snatched away the ship. He stared at Zuko while speaking, Strange how toys get broken. Zhao crushed the ship in his hands. When Zuko cried, Zhou sneered, Tears show weakness. If you want to get ahead Prince Zuko, it would benefit you to care only for ambition. It will never betray you or break you.

The corners of Zhao's mouth lifted into a taunt. "It has been a long time Prince Zuko, or should I call you call slave since you belong to Thanos."

Zuko's cheek tightened, but he refused to bark back in anger. Thanos had taught him through intense modifications how to control his feelings-hold all in check to be a cold assassin. "I'm still a Prince and Thanos's son. I explained my reasoning for being in Dracus space, a simple calculation error. It would be best if you released me and my ship. As the right Prince of the Drac, it wouldn't do to keep a member of the royal family in false custody."

"Yes, you and your sister did serve your people well, but now, you are no longer consider Draconian citizens, so being born royal does not give much weight in this situation, slave-boy."

Zuko stepped closer, "It would do well for you to watch your tone with me; I would hate to report back to my father any poor treatment."

Zhou grinned a sly one, "Yes, your father, now which one would that be Lord Ozai or Thanos? It is hard for me to know."

"Thanos is my father, Lord Ozai relinquished his claim to me. However, it doesn't negate my true Dracus royal birthright."

Zhao shrugs. "I find family matters so messy that is why I prefer to stay far away from such entanglements." Zhou held open his hands. "But sadly, it seems my ship has picked up an enemy of the state anyway."

"What?!" Zuko stood upright, "How dare you?" He grabbed Zhou's collar.

"I'd let me go, slave-boy, if you value your life and that of your friends." Two soldiers drag Katara and Sokka into the briefing room. "We wouldn't want something unfortunate to happen to your stowaways."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please, please, please, reward me with a review, follow, favorite, or even better all three:)